POLITICS AND HOME LIFE (1781-92) 335 



De Saussure's attitude on this occasion may seem to call for 

 some explanation . This may best be found in a letter of Jean Marc 

 Roget, a Genevese pastor, at one time in charge of the Huguenot 

 church in Soho, to Sir Samuel Romilly, whose sister he had married, 

 in which he gives a general view of the political catastrophe of 

 1782 in Geneva. 1 



Roget, who describes himself as an ardent Representant, 

 condemns strongly the obstinacy of the more violent Negatives, 

 who had succeeded in controlling the Councils and inducing them 

 to reject the popular demand. But at the same time he expresses 

 his disapproval of the action of the Natifs. He writes ' the kind 

 of fury they exhibit towards some of our opponents disquiets 

 and disgusts me.' The picture he draws is of a revolt of the 

 rabble, with which Representants like himself were forced to 

 show sympathy in the hope of retaining some control over 

 events. He adds that in the Councils there were many moderate 

 men, whom he terms Constitutionals, who asked for nothing 

 better than a reformed government, but were thwarted and even 

 insulted by their colleagues. It is, I think, clear that de 

 Saussure and Roget were both actuated by a similar motive, to 

 save the State by the formation of a middle party of Moderates. 



A few days after his own release de Saussure thought it well 

 to place his children in safety. His daughter Albertine's journal 

 furnishes details of their escape. In the first attempt they were 

 arrested at the gates, though disguised as peasants, Albertine 

 with a basket and Theodore with a hotte. 



' Papa was very sorry to see us come back. Next Tuesday we were 

 again disguised, I as a lady's maid of Mile, de Lalgas, who had leave to 

 drive out with two maids, Theodore as a workman, and Alphonse as a 

 ragamuffin. I got to Chambesy to Madame Fabri's in a plight which 

 would have been laughable had one been able to laugh.' 



A few weeks later de Saussure's anticipations were justified, 

 and he had an opportunity to show that his courage and energy 

 were not confined to mountain-climbing. On the 23rd June, 

 French troops, acting in their function as agents of one of the 

 Mediating Powers, invaded Genevese territory ; the alarm of an 

 attack spread through the town, and five thousand citizens rushed 



1 Lettres de Jean Roget (Geneva and Paris, 1911), p. 185-90. 



