ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF SPORTS. 33 



ing the afTafTin with death, flrongly contended 

 for. His Majedy begged leave to differ from 

 his learned advifers on the propriety of this 

 ftep ; for at prefent, faid the monarch, I lofe 

 five thoufand of my fubjecls by aflaffmation, if 

 therefore, I were to put to death every affaflin, 

 I [liould lofe double the number." 



But I have been fpeaking of paft times. Let 

 us hope that e'er long the fun of reafon will 

 arife to illumine and humanize the minds of 

 men, and to fit them for the real and unfophif- 

 ticated duties of fociety. On the happy return 

 of peace, for which every feeling, every honefi: 

 heart mull figh, may the continent prefent us 

 with a new and regenerate race of men, glori- 

 oufly different in principle and conduft from 

 the abjecl, treacherous, and revengeful vaffals 

 of defpotifm. Perhaps no change in the na- 

 tional chara61er of the French people is more 

 remarkable, than that which has produced thQ 

 almofl total difufe of duelling, a praftice for- 

 merly carried to an infane and tremendous 

 excefs in that country : but from the well- 

 known warmth and impetuofity of fpirit in the 

 French, it is to be apprehended that the con- 

 tentions and quarrels of the lower orders at 

 leaft, among them, will ever have an immediate 

 tendency to deeds of blood. Would it not be 

 a defirable thing, a point gained on the fide of 

 morality, to flop the fatal ^<:areer of the knife 



VOL. II. D and 



