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ORIGINAL ANECDOTES AND REMARKS 
EMINENT 
EF 
PERSONS. 
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This Article is devoted to the Reception of Biographical Anecdotes, Papers, Letters, &c.; and 
we regqueft the Communications of fucb of our Readers as can affijt us in thefe objedts. | 
ANECDOTES OF PERSONS CONNECTED 
WITH THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. 
y AMAR 
wa by birth, a gentleman of Gre- 
noble, and a counfellor, under the 
ancient regimen, in the parliament of 
Dauphiné. In early youth, he was ex- 
pofed to the calumnies of the abbé Elie, 
canon in the cathedral of Grenoble, who 
accufed him of having offered violence 
to him (the prieft) piftol in hand, to 
force him to impart the facramental ab- 
folution toa young lady, his coufin, with 
whom he had cohabited in the fecret 
practice of inceft. Amar was able com- 
pletely to refute this abominable calum- 
ny: the circumftance, however, feemed 
to infpire him with a melancholy hu- 
mour,-an averfion for fociety, and a pre- 
dominant love for folitude. After hav- 
ing, therefore, fulfilled the duties of his 
profeffion, he conftantly employed his 
leifure hours in the ftudy of philofophy, 
and natural and political hiftory. His 
reputation daily increafed in the pro- 
vince of Dauphiné, beth as an honeft 
Jawyer, and a well-informed man. In 
1792, he was chofen by the department 
of Iffére, a deputy to the National Con- 
vention. 
vernment was moved and carried, by 
Danton, patriots of the moft auftere 
principles were {cleéted for the offices of 
the committees of government; and 
AMAR was appointed a member of the. 
committee of Gezeral Security. Te im- 
mediately became the organ of that com- 
mittee to the National Convention, ‘the 
reports of which were, for the moft 
part, drawn up by him; and all orders 
of arreftation were commonly figned by 
him. This power, with the exercife of 
it, could not fail to draw upon him the 
animofities of all the ariftocrats and roy - 
alifts, who imputed to him the various 
horrors of the revolutionary regimen. 
The moft celebrated report made by 
AMAR to the National Convention, was 
that againft the Girondine party, in No- 
vember, 1793. It was in confequence 
of his report, that the National Conven-— 
tion iffued a decree of accufation againt 
the 21 Girondine inembers, all of whom 
When the revolutionary go-' 
ofity in the lady, to know who he was ; 
were foon afterwards beheaded. AMAR 
continued to exercife his funétions until 
the death of Robefpierre, when a new 
order of things was introduced. Co- 
vere, who fucceeded Amar in the com- 
mittee, {pared no pains to ftain the me- 
mory of his magiftracy, and to involve 
him in the fame profcription with Bar- 
rére, Vaudier, &c. All his efforts, how- 
ever, proved fruitlefs ; for though Amar 
was known to bea violent patriot, or 
as :t was then the fathion tocall them, a 
terrorifi, he was by no means a Robefpier- 
rift. Amar aéted a very obfcure part 
during the remainder of that fitting; 
and when the famous confpiracy of the 
ft of. Prairial was difcovered, being 
afraid left the inflamed fpirit of party 
fhould fufpeé& him of having been con- 
cerned in it (as others of his colleagues 
had been fufpected) he concealed himfelf in 
_ the neighbourhood of Paris; neither durit 
he appear in public again, till the new 
government was re-eftablifhed, and a 
general amnefty proclaimed for all paft 
errors. He repaired, therefore, to Paris, 
in the winter of 1796, where he lived - 
in great obfcurity, and in honeft poverty. 
He dined every day at Mrs. Meux’s, in 
the Paiais Royal, among other poor peo- 
ple, and was unknown f#every one, un- 
til he, ene ‘day, happened to difcover 
himfeit, by a jefk:—going out of the 
dining-room, the landlady obferved to 
him, that he had left his hat behind ; 
AMAR politely thanked the lady, beg- 
ged her pardon for being fo abfenr, 
and added, witn the ufual French viva- 
city—ZIr 7s better for me, madam, to leave 
my bat bere, than my bead on the feaffold. 
Thefe myfterious words excited a curi- 
and fhe took the liberty to afk his name, 
He replied, that he was Amar, fo much 
talked of in the time of the late go- 
vernment ; that he was now happy to 
have efcaped all farther profcription ; 
and that he was fatisfiéd with having 
{pent his time and fortune in ferving his 
country, although he had been rewarded 
by it with notorious ingratitude. The 
landlady, though by no means a republi- 
can, could not but feel fome interett for a 
perfon 
