FRA 
fieur Turgot to the chief dire£lion of the finances, af¬ 
forded new difcontents to the powerful body of the far- 
mers-general. That minifter, endued with integrity and 
ability, had delivered the commerce of grain from many 
injudicious reflriflions ; but the fcarcity of corn in 1775, 
happening to coincide with the moment of his regulations, 
thofe effects which arofe from dearth were bafely afcribed 
to the innovations he had fuggefted. A diftemper too, 
which had the fame year extended its fatal ravages amongfl 
the cattle through the heart of the kingdom, added to the 
public gloom ; and at Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, 
the infurre&ion of the populace was attended with the 
molt fatal confequences. The deluded people, fiimulated 
by want, and inflamed to madnefs, had pillaged the houfe 
of the intendant, who with difficulty efcaped from their 
fury. To check their progrefs, it was neceffary to fum- 
mon to the fupport of government a body of regular 
troops ; yet the hungry infurgents for fome time main¬ 
tained their ground againft the difciplined foldiers ; and 
it was not till near five hundred of thefe miferable 
wretches had fallen a facrifice to the firelock, that they 
relinquifhed the unequal conflict. The capital itfelf was 
not exempt from thefe diforders ; and Louis, after having 
in vain endeavoured to foothe the people by the mildell 
remonflrances, now prepared to reprefs their outrages by 
the mod decifive meafures. He ordered the parliament 
of Paris to attend him at Verfailles ; and after reprefent- 
rng to them the immediate exigency' which compelled 
him to deviate from the ul'ual courfe of juftice, he ex- 
prefsly forbade them from making any debates on the 
Heps that he was determined to purfue : that auguft body 
feemed indeed fenfible of the neceflity of adopting fome 
vigorous fyftem, and filently acquiefced with the mandate 
of their fovereign. 
The king having thus fortified the royal authority, 
commiffioned the marechauffee, a military body depen¬ 
dant on the police, to difperfe the feditious multitude, 
and to execute fummary jufiice on the mod guilty. At 
the fame time a pardon was held out to thofe who ffiould 
return home, and make reftitution for the corn they had 
taken away. The good effects of thefe regulations were 
foon difcernible; numbers endeavoured to efface their 
mifcondudt by reimburfing the perfons whom they had 
plundered ; a few atoned for their crimes under the hands 
of the executioner ; and the plentiful harveft which en- 
fued, banifhed the diflreffes of the people, and confirmed 
the tranquillity of France. And to divert the minds of 
his fubjects from the late gloomy feenes, the king refolved. 
to celebrate his coronation with great magnificence at 
Rheims. The liberality of the clergy opportunely fup- 
plied a gift of twenty millions of livres ; and the ancient 
dignities of the kingdom were revived on this occalion. 
The count de Provence reprefented the dukeof Burgundy, 
the count d’Artois the duke of Normandy, the duke of 
Orleans the duke of Aquitain, the duke of Chartres the 
count i?f Thouloufe, the prince of Conde the count of 
Flanders, and the duke of Bourbon the count of Cham¬ 
pagne. Nothing was wanting to add to the antique fplen- 
dour of the coronation, but the tilts and tournaments and 
doughty knights of the ancient chivalry. 
The humanity of Louis was confpicuoufly difplayed in 
an edidl which he caufed to be regiflered in parliament, 
and which in future fentenced the deferters from his army 
to work as Haves on the public roads, inftead of punifhkig 
them as formerly with death; and, with equal attention to 
the general welfare of his fnbjedts, he feized the moment 
of peace to reduce part of his numerous forces, and to 
fulfil thofe promifes of economy which on his acceffion he 
had given to his people. The death of the marefchal de 
Muy, who filled the port of fecretary at war, was fuc- 
ceeded by the appointment of count St. Germain to the 
vacant department: that nobleman, during the laft war, 
had enjoyed a high military command in Germany : and 
the prince and his fubjedts were alike impreffed with the 
molt favourable opinion of his genius and probity. The 
N C E. 747 
countfully jufiified the opinion that had been formed of 
his courage and abilities ; intent only on the advantage of 
the (late, he ventured on a reform which menaced him 
with the refentment of the mod noble families of France. 
The moufquetaires, a corps infiituted for the protection of 
the royal perfon, were compofed of young men of the mod 
illuflrious extradfion ; and though fuch a guard mud have 
been highly flattering to the dignity of the fovereign, yet 
the expence attending it was feverely felt, and frequently 
regretted. The fupprellion of it had been repeatedly 
agitated ; but no minifter had yet be*u found fufficiently 
hardy to encounter the odium with which it was likely 
to be attended. This inflance of political fortitude was 
referved for count St. Germain ; an edidt was accordingly 
publiffied for the ftippreffion of the moufquetaires; and 
they received the news of their difmiffion with marks of 
the deepeft defpair. Attached to each other by fimilarity 
of habits and friendfhip, they regarded the decree that 
feparated them as a Broke of feverity equal to death itfelf. 
M. de la Chaife, one of their commanders, faintedaway on 
receiving the fatal mandate ; and all the reft vented their 
forrow in the mod poignant exclamations. But the king 
and his minifier were inexorable ; and the Parifians were 
not forry to be delivered from a corps, whofe overbearing 
fpirit too frequently infulted the more humble clafs of 
citizens. 
The naval department was alfo infpedted with the ut- 
moft diligence and care. When the adminiftration of the 
duke of Choifeul expired, and his coufin the duke of 
Praflin was difmiffed from fuperintending the marine, that 
nobleman declared, that he left (ixty-four (hips of the 
line in the ports of France, befides thofe that were on the 
(locks ; this force had not been fuffered to decline in the 
prefent reign, and the appointment of monfieurde Sartine 
to the marine department in 1776, did honour to the pene¬ 
tration of the fovereign. One appointment more was ne- 
ceffary to (lamp the genuine character of the royal mind, 
and leave it free from prejudice. Monfieur Turgot, 
though pofleffed of integrity and induftry, had not been 
able to command the public confidence. On his retreat, 
monfieur Clugny, intendant-general of Bourdeaux, had 
been elevated to the vacant poll; on his death, which 
happened foon after, M. Taboreau des Reaux was ap¬ 
pointed his fucceffor; and Louis foon after afibciated with 
him, in the management of the finances, monfieur Necker, 
by birth a Swifs, and by religion a proteltant. That gen¬ 
tleman, in the preceding reign, had been chofen to adjuft 
fome differences between the Faff India company and the 
crown ; and had difeharged his truft with -fucli ability 
and diferetion, as to merit the high approbation of both 
parties. Poffeffed of diftinguifhed and acknowledged 
probity, his appointment would have excited no furprife, 
had it not been contrary to the ufual policy of France, 
which had uniformly excluded the aliens of her country 
and faith from the controul of her revenue. It now flood 
forward as a new inflance of enlargement of mind and li¬ 
berality of fentiment in the character of Louis XVI. 
With equal zeal to extend the dominion of fcience, the 
French king fent out feveral velfels on aflronomical dif- 
coveries. The chevalier de Borda was inftruCted toafeer- 
tain the exaCt pofition of the Canary fflands and Cape de 
Verd ; and the different degrees of the coafl of Africa 
from Cape Spartel to the ifland of Goree : the chevalier 
Grenier, who had traverfed the Indian feas, to improve 
the charts and correct the errors which had milled former 
navigators, was liberally rewarded by a monarch who 
afpired to immortalize the era of his power by difeoveries 
and improvements beneficial to mankind. 
But the eyes of Louis were now conflantly fixed on the 
unhappy difputes which agitated the continent of North- 
America. The contefl between Great Britain and her 
colonies became every hour more important, and the hu¬ 
manity and interefl of all the European powers were 
deeply concerned in the event. Throughout the different 
provinces, the governors nominated by the king of Eng¬ 
land 
