1796.| Original Anecdotes.——Al. Demorande... Brifft, Se. 
the barbarity and inhumanity of the Eng- 
lith nation ; an inftance of which they 
gave,-in the execution of feveral young men, 
for trifling offences, in the courfe of that 
very morning! The hoary patriot retorted 
the charge, and turning towards Mira- 
beau (it was before the revolution) far- 
caftically afked him, what he thought of 
the very Lumane mode of breaking on the 
wheel, as praétifed at the Greve, when 
the xobleffe were accuftomed to befpeak 
feats at particular windows, as if they had 
been going to a comedy!!! 
M. DEMORANDE 
was formerly editor of the Courier de Lon- 
dres, He came over to this country, and 
publifhed a book that made great noife, 
called Le Gazettier Cuirafé*, containing a 
variety of fcandalous anecdotes of the 
tmiftrefles of that very contemptible and 
debauched monarch, Louis XV. 
The French court being determined 
upon revenge, fent over.an exempt, with 
orders to fpare neither trouble nor ex- 
pence to fecure the /deller, and convey 
him to the Baftille.. On his arrival in 
England, in the charaé&ter of a gentleman 
who had fled from perfecution, he found 
means to get introduced to M. Demorande, 
and afte@ting to compaffionate his fitua- 
tion, as a perfon expofed tothe malice and 
\ intrigues of the French miniftry, proffer- 
ed him the loan of a fum of money. This 
was accepted by M.D. with many ex- 
preffions of gratitude; but he completely 
—outwitted his countryman, although one 
of the moft fkilful officers belonging to the 
police of Paris; for he applied to Sir J. 
Fielding, and fo frightened this fatellite 
of Madame du Barré, that he was happy 
to efcape re infeéta. 
Soon after the commencement of the 
. American war, M. D. received a penfion 
from lord North of about 3o00l. a year, in 
confequence of which he: refigned the 
editorthip of the French newfpaper, and 
retired to Stanmore, in Middlefex, where 

* Le Gazettier Cuiraffé: ou Anecdotes {can~ 
daleufes de la cour de France. Imprimé a cent 
fieues de la Baftille, & Penfeigne de la Liberté. 
MIDCCLXXIFT. ¥rom this, which has become 
a fcarce tract, I fhall here give a quotation, in 
waich the author exprefles a with, that has 
_fince been in part verified: “Il ferait bien 4 
foubaiter en France qu’il y eut quelques milliers 
de moines en uniforme de grenadiers, & quel- 
ques centaines d’abbés a leur téte; ils feroient 
plus utiles 4 l'état avec un moufquet, ou un 
hoyau 2 la main, qu’avec le goupillon dont ils 
arrofent les imbecilles.” Note, p. 1S. His 
prophecy that Madame du Barré would perith by 
the hands of the executioner, has proved but 
$00 true. 
» 
Z2t 
he took a fmall houfe in the cottage ftyle, 
and cultivated a beautiful Hower garden, 
which was furnifhed with a fine collection 
of foreign roots. 
When the French revolution took 
place, he returned, aftera long abfence, 
to Paris, and publifhed a weekly gazette, 
called /’ Argus Patriote. He entertained a 
violent diflike to Briffot, whom he hated 
both perfonally and politically, and en- 
deavoured to injure him in the efteem of 
his countrymen, but without effect. This 
circumftance perhaps, and this alone, 
faved his life under the monarchy of Robef- 
pierre. He now repairs daily to the palais 
royale on crutches, and, being a man of 
fome eloquence, entertains thofe around 
him with his opinion of the events of the 
times, and the great men of the day. 
BrissorT. 
This very celebrated man, while in 
England, lodged in Brompton-row, in the 
fecond or third houfe on the right hand 
fide. On his publifhing a very able differ- 
tation on Criminal Law, he fent a copy to 
Mrs. Macauley Graham, who invited 
him to her houfe, had him often at her 
table, and entertained a great efteem for 
him. From that refpeétable lady, he re- 
ceived a letter of introduction to general 
Wafhington, by whom he was well re-. 
ceived, and fo fond was he of the Atlan- 
tic continent, that to the day of his un- 
juft execution, he always wifhed that he 
had been born the fon of an American 
peafant. While in England, he wrote 
many articles in the Courier de Londres. 
M. Briffot retained his ancient fimplicity 
of manners. He was never intoxicated 
with power, nor did he ever fuffer his 
mind to be debafed by avarice. Robef- 
pierre and his affociates knowing what 
effeét fuch a charge would have upon the 
people, accufed him of wallowing in 
riches :—when his wife was arrefted, fhe 
was employed in mending his linen, and 
nurfing their offspring ! 
THe Duke pE Harcourt. 
This nobleman, who has founded 2 
friendly afylum at Nuneham, under the 
hofpitable roof of an Englifh peer of the 
fame name; is defcended from one of the 
mott ancient families in France. 
Previous to the Revolution, he was 
lieutenant-general of the province of 
Normandy, and it is owing to his influ- 
ence, that Cherbourg, which was fituated 
within his government, became a port of 
fome confideration. He alfo patronifed 
the {yftem of cones, by means of which 
it ‘was intended that the fea fhould be 
fhut out from the inner harbour, and the 
channe 
