204 
partment, and introduced him merely, 
(as fubfequent events have fhewn) to 
cover their tranfaétions under a popular 
mame, and pafs them on the world as 
acts in which he had taken part. Male- 
Sherb:s accepted their overtures merely 
to fatisfy the defire he felt to reveal fome 
ufeful truths; but it was not for that 
purpofe, that they had invited him. 
to their councils. Thofe who pre- 
fided at them took umbrage at his firft 
efforts to call their attention to the voice 
of truth and wifdom ; and fucceeded fo 
well in their oppofition, that he was re- 
duced to the neceflity of delivering :z 
writing the cou nfel which he wifhed to of- 
fer. Such was the origin of two treatifes 
relative to the calanuties of France, and 
the means of repairing them, He tran{mit- 
. ted thefe treatifes to the king, who never 
read them ; nor was he ever able to ob- 
tain a priyate audience although a minif- 
ter.of ftate, 
Perceiving the inutility of his endea- 
‘vours, difgufted with the. repeated 
errors of the government, and deprived 
_of every means of expofing them, or pre- 
venting their fatal effects; after fre- 
quent iclicitations, he at length obtained 
leave to retire. He repaired to his eftate 
at. Malfherbes, and from that moment 
entirely devoted his time to thofe occu-- 
pziicns that had-ever formed the jchief 
picarure or his life... He paffed the even- 
Ings,.and a great part of the night, in 
reacing ahd ftudy. 
In this tranguil {ftate. he was pafling 
the evening of his days, awidf is woods 
and fields, when an unforefeen event 
called him. from his retixemenr. Louis 
the XV ith was brought te the bar of 
the National Affembiy as a criminal : 
abandoned by all thofe on whom he fory- 
mérly. had, heaped his .favaurs, he littie 
expected to find a de/ender in the man 
whom he had tacrificed to their intrigues ; 
but Maletherbes conidered the fallen mo 
narch mereiy’as an unfortunate man, and 
aéted promptly from the dictates of his 
native benevolence. He oftered himfelf as 
his advocate, and his oifer was accepted. 
Having difcharged this painful and 
hazardous duty with firmnefs, modera- 
tion, and fidelity, he once more returned 
to his country refidence, and refumed 
his tranguil courfe of life. But this 
tranquillity was of fhort duration. About 
a twelvemonth afterwards, in the month 
of December, 1793, three worthy mem- 
bers.of the. Revolutionary Committee of 
Paris came to-refide with him, his fon- 
in-law, and his daughter, and appre- 
hended the latter as criminals, Left, 
Original Anecdotes.—Malefher bes. 
[Apr ily 
alone with his grandchildren, Malether- 
bes endeavoured to confole the reft of his 
unfortunate family with the hopes which 
he himfelf was far from entertaining, 
when,the next day,the new-formed guards 
arrived to apprehend him, and the whole 
of his family, even the youngeit infants. 
This circumftance {pread a general con- 
fiernation throughout the whole depart~ 
ment. Four municipal officers had fuf, 
ficient courage to convey him to infure 
his fafety, and to accompany him with 
his family te avoid the humiliating fight 
of an armed force. 
In this calamity Maletherbes preferved 
the undifturbed equanimity of virtue. 
Kis affability and good humour never fur- 
fook him, and his converfation was as 
ufual; fo that to have beheld him (withe 
out noticing his wretched guards) it feem- 
ed that he was travelling tor his pleafure 
with his neighbours and friends. He was 
conduéted the fame night to the prifon of 
the Madelonnette, with his grandfon 
Louis Lepelletier, at the fame time that 
his other grandchildren were feparated 
into dierent prifons. “This feparation 
proving extremely affli€ting to him, he 
earneftly folicited againft it, and at length, 
on his repeated entreaties, they all met 
together once more at Port-Libre. They 
remained there but a fhort period. The 
fon in law ofsMaletherbes, the virtuous 
Lepelletier Rafambo, the firft of them 
who was arrefted, was ordered into an- 
other prifon, and facrificed a few days 
after... Mal.therbes himfelf, his daugh- 
ter. his grand-daughter and her hufband, 
were {oon after ali brought te the guille- 
tine. Fhey approached 1¢ with fortimde 
and ferentry.. [tc wasthen thar, his daugn- 
teraddvefied thefe parhctic words to Ma- 
demoifeké Sombreuii, -whoe had faved the 
life of hey own father on the ad of Septem- 
ber: ‘* You have had the exalied honour 
to preferve your father—i have, at leaft, 
the confolation. co die with mine.” 
Malefherbes, ftill the fame, even to his 
laft moments exhibited to his relations an 
example of fortitude. He converfed with 
the perfons that were near him without 
beftowing the leaft attention on the bru- 
taliti¢és of the wretches who tied his 
hands. As he was leaving the prifon to 
afcend the fatal cart, he ftumbled againft 
a ftone, and made a falfe ftep.. ‘* See,” 
faid he, fmiling, ‘“* how bad an omen! 
A Roman in my fituation would have 
been fent:back again.” He paffed through 
Paris, afcended the {caffold, and fubmit- 
ted to death withthe fame unfhaken cou- 
rage. He died at the age of feventy- 
tyyo years, four months, and fifteen mee. 
1 € 
