14 Fred Morrow Fling 



youth. One is impressed by the mass of material brought to- 

 gether, by the lack of order, by the frequent repetitions, and 

 by the indefiniteness of the reform measures. Of the truth of 

 three things, however, the young writer is fully convinced; of 

 the existence of arbitrary rule in France, of the impossibility of 

 justifying it, and of the necessity of a government based upon 

 law. He is fully convinced of the truth of these things, and 

 he is determined to convince his readers. He returns there- 

 fore again and again to the attack, making his case needlessly 

 strong for fear that he will not make it strong enough. This 

 treatise was written in 1772 and the first edition was printed, 

 as has been noted, in 1775, by Fauche of Neufchatel. Of the 

 second edition we derive our only knowledge from the letters 

 of Mirabeau where it is mentioned. The third edition appeared 

 in 1792 and was printed at Paris. In addition to the "Essai 

 sar le despotisme," it contains also "Avis aux Hessois" and 

 "Response aux conseils de la raison, " This is the edition 

 that I have made use of. 



While in Holland, Mirabeau wrote his "Avis aux Hessois." 

 It is a little pamphlet of ten pages, and was written at the time 

 when Hessians were being sent to America as mercenaries in 

 the employ of the English government. Mirabeau urged the 

 Hessians to be men, and to resist the power that was sending 

 them to attack a people struggling for liberty. It was the old 

 note against absolutism once more. The prince had no right 

 to dispose of the persons of his subjects. "Men take prece- 

 dence of princes. "1 This pamphlet appeared in 1777 at Cleves 

 and was reprinted at Paris in 1792. 



Perhaps the best known of Mirabeau's works is his "Lettres 



•originales" written at Vincennes during the years 1777, 1778, 



1779, and 1780. It was made public by Manuel in 1792 and 



was several times reprinted. These eight volumes contain, 



* "Les hommes passent avant les princes qui pour la plupart ne sont pas 

 dignes d'un tel nom." Avis aux Hessois, p. 313. 



58 



