1996.] Original Anecdotes— Dumont... Laclos. «« Degraue, Sc. 479 
is likely to become a member of the Di- 
rectory. 
Dumont, 
A native of Geneva, and, confequently, a 
republican by birth, was the editor of a 
newfpaper, termed © Le Republicain.” 
It was publifhed on the kfhy’s flight to 
Varennes, and confidered, on account of 
the title, as a phenomenon, At that period 
there were but eight republicans in 
France—I mean eight mative citizens! 
Here follow the names of four of them : 
Petion, mayor of Paris; Condorcet, fo 
celebrated for his attainments in the fci- 
ences; Briffot,, who died in an honourable 
poverty, a martyr to his principles; and 
Du Chatelet, whom Louis XVI, in vain, 
endeavoured to-convert by all the blan- 
dilixments of roval favour. Robefpierre, 
on being entrufied with their fecret de- 
fign, afked, with 4 fneer, ‘ Ce que céort 
gu une république ? 
Lac tos, 
A man of extraordinary talents, great 
vices, and the author of Les Liaifons dane 
gercufes, was the bofom friend, and conftant 
companion, of M. d’Healité, the a-devant 
duke of Orleans. On the flight of the 
king, he repaired to the fociety of Ja- 
cobins, and endeavoured to procure a pe- 
tition from them, requefting the National 
Affembly to dethrone Louis, and declare 
Philip confituteonal maonarch of France. 
Being defeated in this attempt, by Briffor, 
he tried to gain. over the people, whom he 
had affembied for that purpofe : and it 
Was this circumftance that induced Bailly, 
then mayor of Paris, to proclaim martial 
law, and La Fayette to give orders for 
what has ever fince been termed the malf- 
facre of the Champ de Mars. 
M. DEGRAVE 
Was the minifier at war, when Roland 
refided over the home department. The 
moft-accomplifhed woman that France has, 
erhaps, ever produced, defcribes him 
*“ as a little man in every fenfe of the 
word; for nature having formed him 
gentle and timid, his prejudices tempting 
him to be lofty, and his heart infpiring 
him with the defire of being amiable, by 
an endeavour to recuncile ail thele, he be- 
came, in realitv, nothing !” 
I have heard a very different character 
of the ex-min fter, from a good judge of 
mankind; and however much I may be 
inclined to defer to the difcrimination of 
the amiable and unfortunate Madame Ro- 
Ohi : rs 
land, there is fome reafon to fuppofe, 
that her opinion refpe@iing this pentle- 
man was fomewhat tinétured by party 
prejudice. 
M. Degrave lives in the neighbourhood 
of Kenfington, and confoies himfelt, 
amidit his misfortunes, by means of his 
books.—It is but juftice to fay, that the 
French bear calamity with a fortitude truly 
heroic; if they are apt to triumph, per- 
haps, a little too much, in profperity, they 
evince a nobie conftancy in adverfity, that 
would have reflected honour on the ftoics 
of ancient times ! 
SainT-JustT 
Was firft a deputy for the department of 
L’Aifne, and afterwards a reprefenta- 
tive of Nievre. He was one of the moft 
violent of the mountain-party, and, dur- 
ing the trial of T.ouis XVI, made a very 
celebrated {peech on the 13th November, 
17923 in the courfe of which, he incul- 
cated the extraordinary maxim, that it 
was criminal to be a king; ‘* On ne peut 
point régner imnocement.”” 
Hitherto, St. Juft had maintained the 
reputation of virtue, but his conduét to- 
wards the Gironde, and during his mif- 
fion into the fouth, rendered his name 
at once odious and terrible. After this 
period he was ufually termed /’ame dam- 
née de Robefpierre. When the Thermido- 
reans overcame the Terrorijis, St. Jutt, 
who had, of courfe, taken part with the 
latter, was outlawed, arrefted, and put 
to death, inthe Place de la Revolution, ow 
the roth Thermidor (28th July) 1794, 
as one of the accomplices of the tyrant. 
M. pE ta ROCHEFOUCAULD 
LIANCOURT. 
This nobleman, acknowledged for- 
meriy by the title of Duc de Liancourt, 
although he does not now claim it, even 
by courtefy, for he is a modeft, as well 
as a good man, was one of the members 
of the States-General, and joined the 
majority of the clergy, and the minerity 
cf the nobles, when they met—for they 
never wied with the tiers écat or Come 
mons. Notwwithftanding this, the duke 
was perfonally attached to the king; and’ 
it was he who, at one o'clock of the 
morning, of the rsth of July 1789, firft . 
informed Louis XVI of the capture of the 
Bafiille ! His majefiy was abfolutely ig- 
norant of the event, when his munifters 
left him, at eleven o'clock on the preceding 
evening; they carefully concealed it (for 
it is ridiculous to fuppofe them unacquaint- 
ed with fo important a tranfaétion) from 
2 : the 
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