L A M O 
reign of Louis XV. corruption and confufion had intro¬ 
duced great diforder into the finances, which the molt des¬ 
potic ineafures of the court were employed to remedy, at 
the expenfe of the Suffering people. It was the painful 
talk of Malefherbes to make repeated remon(trances to the 
throne againft the fucceflive iteps by which the national 
rights were encroached upon, and all the barriers againft 
defpotilin were overthrown ; and his language, both in 
thefe inftruments, and in his official Speeches when princes 
of the blood were Sent to enforce the regiftering of edicts 
and to intimidate oppofition, has not been Surpaffed in 
freedom and energy by that of any representative of a free 
people. The fuperintendance of the prefs had been con¬ 
ferred upon Malefherbes by his father at the Same time 
that he received the prefidentfhip of the court of aids ; 
and this function, which had ulually been exercifed to 
the fuppreffion of all free inquiry, became in his hands 
the means of promoting it to a degree beyond all former 
example in that country. Having laid it down as a prin¬ 
ciple, that defpotifm alone could dread the liberty of the 
prefs when circumfcribed within reasonable limits, he was 
tiefirous of giving it every extenfion compatible with the 
itate of public opinion and Sound policy. He was him- 
Self a votary of letters and a friend of learned men ; and 
his inquiries had taken a wide range. It was through 
his favour that the French Encyclopedia, the works of 
Roufleau, and Several other writings of free Speculation, 
ifl'ued from the prefs, notwithftanding the anathemas of 
the Sorbonne and the oppofition of the hierarchy. But, 
when his father, the chancellor, was displaced in order to 
make room for that tool of defpotifm, Maupeou, the Su¬ 
perintendence of the prefs was taken from Maleffierbes, 
and the former rigorous inquifition into literary produc¬ 
tions was renewed. 
Freed from other cares, he was only the more intent 
upon fulfilling the duties of his prefidentffiip, and oppos¬ 
ing with augmented vigour and resolution every llretch 
of arbitrary power. The ffiocking injuftice pra&il'ed 
againft one Monnerat by the farmers of the revenue was 
profecuted in the court of aids with So determined a Spi¬ 
rit, that the king at length was induced by his minifters 
absolutely to prohibit its further proceedings. The un¬ 
daunted prefident, however, took occafion to prefent a re- 
monftrance to the king, which was a free proteft againft 
the enormous abufe of lettres de cachet, then carried to 
its height, So as to render every man’s liberty precarious j 
for, Said he, “ no one is great enough to be Secure from 
the hatred of a minifter, nor little enough to efcape that 
of a clerk.” When, in 1771, the tyranny of the govern¬ 
ment had proceeded to the diflblution of the whole legal 
conftitution and the baniihment of the parliaments, the 
court of aids participated in the general deftruftion, which, 
indeed, it provoked by its remonltrances. Malefherbes 
was baniflied to his country-feat by aJetter de cachet; 
and the duke de Richelieu, at the head of an armed force, 
abolifhed the tribunal. It was then that the virtues of 
the private citizen Scarcely lefs diftinguifhed him in re¬ 
tirement, than thofe of the patriot and magiftrate had done 
in his public life. As in this he had been charafterifed 
by Simplicity in his appearance and mode of living, and 
the moft humane attention to his inferiors ; So in his rural 
retreat thefe qualities were peculiarly confpicuous. His 
time was occupied with his family, his books, and the 
cultivation of his grounds. He committed to paper a great 
number of observations on the political and judicial ftate 
of France, on agriculture and natural hiltory, which all 
periffied in the revolutionary wreck. Though economical 
in his table and domeftic eltablifhment, his expenditure 
was large, for it comprised not only private charities, but 
the employment of a great number of labourers in works 
lor the improvement of his eftate and the public benefit. 
He drained marfhes, cut canals, conftrudted roads, built 
bridges, planted walks with convenient Seats, and even 
carried his attention to the comfort of the lower daffies fo 
far, as to raife fheds on the fide of the river for the fnelter 
1 G N O N. in 
of the women at their domeftic labours. The acceffion of 
Louis XVI. recalled Malefherbes to a'public ilation. It 
was the firft objebt of that well difpoled prince to repair 
the evils of the preceding reign; and, in November 1774, 
Malefherbes received an order to appear at the place where 
the cou^'t of aids had fat, and refume the preftdentihip of 
the reltored tribunal. He pronounced a very aifedting 
and patriotic harangue, on the occafion, and afterwards 
addreffed the king in an eloquent fpeech of thanks. Think¬ 
ing nothing fo important as that truth fhould reach the 
throne, he laid before his majelty an ample memoir on 
the calamitous ftate of the kingdom, with a free expofure 
of the faults which had produced it. He particularly in¬ 
veighed againft that Spirit of defpotifm which had abro¬ 
gated law and juftice, and abolifhed every veltige of con- 
ltitutionai liberty. Such principles were fo much in unifon 
with thofe of the young and uncorrupted king, that they 
procured for Malefherbes the appointment of minifter of 
itate, in June 1775. This elevation was regarded by hint 
only as an opportunity of extending the Sphere of his ufe- 
fulnefs. Dildaining all the fhow and parade of office, he 
preferved the ftmplicity of appearance which had diftin¬ 
guifhed him as a magiitrate. One of his firft concerns was 
to vifit the prifons, and reftore to liberty the innocent vic¬ 
tims of the former tyranny; and his praifes, with thofe of 
the new reign, were carried throughout France by per¬ 
sons returning to the bofom of their families from the 
gloom of dungeons. It was greatly his wifh to have en¬ 
tirely abolifhed that arbitrary power of iftuing lettres de 
cachet which had been the inftrument of thefe evils; but, 
not able to introduce fo important a change, he procured 
the appointment of a commiffion compoied of upright 
and enlightened magiftrates, to which every application 
for fuch letters lhould be fubmitted, and whole unanimous 
decifion ffiould be requiftte for their validity. The en¬ 
couragement of commerce and agriculture was alfo a lead¬ 
ing object in his adminiftration, in which he had the co¬ 
operation of the able and virtuous Turgot, then comp¬ 
troller-general of the revenue, from which poll he was, 
however, foon after difmiffed through the intrigues of the 
financiers. Malefherbes himfelf did not long remain in 
office after his friend. The rejection of his propofal to 
free the proteftants from the difabilities they lay under 
with rcfpeft to the folemnization of marriages and the le¬ 
gitimating of their children, convinced him that the pe¬ 
riod for governing upon liberal and equitable principles 
was not yet arrived; and he refigned his polt in May 1776. 
After Some time lpent in the enjoyment of his rural re¬ 
treat, he refolved fo indulge the delire of travelling, which 
had long polieffed him; and his object being to mix freely 
with different dalles of Society, that he might obtain an 
accurate view of manners and modes of policy, he took 
the humble title of M. Guillaume, and commenced his 
journey in a fuitable ftyle of fimplicity and frugality. He 
vilited the different provinces of France, Svvillerland, and 
Holland, frequently travelling on foot, and lodging in 
villages, that he might take a nearer Survey of the itate of 
the country. He aftiduouily noted down every tiling 
worthy of obfervation relative to the products of nature 
and the operations of induftry ; and, after an abfence of 
Some years, returned to his beloved manfion,. enriched 
with a ltore of knowledge of the molt ufefui kind, the va- 
lue of which he was fully enabled from age and experi¬ 
ence to appretiate. He found his native country fo much, 
advanced in philofophical principles, that he was encou¬ 
raged to draw up and preient to the king two elaborate 
memoirs, one on the condition of the proteftants, the 
other on civil liberty and toleration in general, replete 
witli the enlarged views of an enlightened flatefman who 
was alfo a friend of mankind. 
The difficulties which were now accumulating about 
the government, rendered it defirable for minifters to aS- 
fociate to their body a man whole character both for wif- 
dom and virtue ftood high with the whole nation ; and in 
1786 the king again called Maleffierbes to his councils* 
butt 
