Some Account of the Life and Writings of Condorcet. 87 



cf 91, and published several political wiitings wiiich caused 

 him to be appointed one of the deputation from Paris to the 

 Legislative Assembly on the 1st of October 1791. Afterwardi 

 as deputy from the department of the Aisne, he voted generally 

 with the members who were ealled Girondists, 



Condorcet might perhaps be reproached with having en- 

 deavoured to temporize with the anarchists : nevertheless, by 

 watching his progress, and examining his discourses, we soon 

 discover motives more than esciisable for this conduct, which 

 was at most but a political error flowing from his moderation 

 and perseverance. He did not %vish to quarrel with the opposite 

 party, because it could boast of misguided men, who might be 

 brought back to reason bv prudent treatment ; and he feared 

 lest, by violently stopping the revolution, the force of the im- 

 pulse might throw the public spirit too much behind. " He 

 wished rather," he used to say, " to try to moderate them than 

 to embroil himself with them." " I wish that every man would 

 occupy himself a little less with his own interests, and a little 

 more with those of the public." 



Being soon convinced of the inutility of his efforts, he ab- 

 sented himself from the debates in the Convention, and was not 

 at first among the number of the members proscribed on the 3 1st 

 of May; but in a letter signed by the great majority of the de- 

 puties of his department, he called down the indignation of his con- 

 stituents on the atlem])t which they alleged he had made against 

 the national representation : he did not disguise his sentiments 

 on the shadow of a consitution drawn up in 1793 by the orders 

 of Robespierre ; and on the denunciation made by Chabot of 

 Condorcet's observations, the Convenfion ordered that he should 

 be accused at the bar: on the 3d of October 1793 a decree of 

 accusation was passed, and soon aftcr\\ards he was put hors la loi. 



Compelled to conceal himsel!', ho i(;und an asylum for a long 

 time in the house of a generous fensale, who had not hesitated 

 to expose her life in order to save that of Condorcet, whom 

 she did not then know : but when they began to pay domiciliary 

 visits, " T must leave you," he said to her, " you are hors la 

 loi." *' But we are not," she replied, " beyond the pale of iui- 

 manity." The danger becoming still more urgent, he tried to 

 leave Paris in March 1794: he proposed to go to Fontenai ; 

 but when he presented himself at the door of the person who 

 was to receive Iiim, she was not at home, and he was con- 

 strained to pass two nights in the open air, one night concealed 

 in a quarry, and the other imder a tree in the fields. Worn out 

 with fatigue and hunger, and grievously hurt in his feet, he en- 

 tered an ale-house at Clamard-sous-Meudon. Struck with his 

 uncouth appearance, a member of the revolutionary committee 



F-t of 



