1796. ] 
Jatinate, the United Provinces, and Flan- 
ders. Louvois attempted to do the fame 
thing, during the. reign of Louis XVI, 
and tailed. It is the property of fupe- 
rior talents, undifmayed by inefficient 
examples, to fucceed. 
Carnot is a man of a good family; 
but yet he detefts the claims built upon 
pedigree. Whenhe entered into the en- 
gineers, thofe of noble defvent only were 
eligible. He has lived to fee different 
times, and to patronize one of the greateft 
generals France ever poffefied, whom he 
drew from a fubordinate fituation, to 
carry his theories into practice. 
He voted for the death of Louis XVI, 
as did all the prefent direétory, one only 
excepted; who, however, tran{mitted a 
letter of adhefion to the fentence, and la- 
mented that his miffion prevented him 
from giving it wva voce. 
- MapaMe LaFAYyETTE. 
This lady, the wife of a man, whofe 
hiftory is. blended with two important 
revolutions, was a marchionefs before the 
late changes in France; the family name 
of her hufband was alfo both {pelled and 
pronounced differently, being then De la 
Fayette ; but the de being a mark of no- 
bility, as having a feudal allufion (the 
French term it, a nomme de terre) it was, 
of courfe, omitted on the extinétion of 
titles. 
Mad. Lafayette is an eminent inftance 
of the inftability of greatnefs, the mu- 
_ tability of fortune, and the inefficacy of 
wealth. Defcended from an ancient line- 
age, united to an amiable and illuftrious 
hufband, who poffeffed eftates in Europe, 
America, and the Weft Indies; fhe, 
neverthelefs, has not been exempted from 
the moft bitter calamities that can affliét 
fuffering humanity. 
When Lafayette refifted the commands 
of the fole remaining legitimate power 
in France, his ‘* widowed wife” was ar- 
refted, Under the defpotifm of Robe- 
f{pierre, fhe efcaped death only by a mi- 
racle (part of her family was actually 
immolated to his vengeance) but what to 
fome will appear more terrible, fhe ex- 
perienced an unremitting captivity of 
fifteen months, during which, fhe fuf- 
fered all the horrors of a clofe confine- 
ment, being immured within four walls, 
fubjected to a {canty and precarious diet, 
fecluded from her children. and prohi- 
bited even from the light of heaven, 
On the death of the tyrant, the yoice 
ef. humanity was once more heard, and 
fhe was liberated, and reftoredto the arms 
Original Anecdotes.—Madame Lafayette. 
309 
of her afflicted daughters. But fhe was 
a wife as well as a mother! and her be- 
loved hufband was ftill in bondage ; for 
he who had endeavoured to avert the exe- 
cution of Louis XVI (fuch is the grati- 
tude of courts) was languifhing in an 
Auftrian prifon ! 
She accordingly repaired to Ham- 
burgh, accompanied by her children only, 
for fhe had not wealth tufficient to hire a 
fingle domeftic, and ihe poffeffes a lofty 
fenfe of independence, which taught her 
to rejeét pecuniary alfiftance, even from 
her tew remaining friends. As foon as 
her health was a litcle reftored, fhe pofted 
to Vienna, and proftrated herfelf at the 
feet of the emperor. ; 
Francis IIf, is in the flower of his 
youth. The chilling hand of age has not 
yet rendered him morofe; and furely 
victory cannot have blunted his feelings,. 
and made him at once haughty and infen~ 
fible! No! no! there is nota prince of his 
houfe, from the obfcure count de Hapfburg, © 
of a former period, to the late powerful 
tenant of the Imperial diadem, who has 
had more occafion to find and to feel 
that he is a man. ; 
Weeping beauty did not fupplicate in 
vain; the German monarch raifed her 
from her lowly pofture, and promifed 
better days. Withhis permifion, fhe flew 
on the wings of affection, and, ftrength- 
ened by conjugal love, knocked at the 
gate of the fortrefs that -confined her 
dearly beloved huthand, whofe fpeedy 
deliverance (vain idea!) fhe hoped. in- 
{tantly to announce. ie 
The matfive bolts uf the dungeon give 
way, the grating hinges of the iron doors 
pierce the ears; ihe and her virgin daugh- 
ters are eyed, fearched, rifled, by an 
odious and horrible gaoler; and thofe 
who, but a moment: before, deemed them- 
felyes deliverers, now find themfelves 
captives ! : 
Reclining in the bottom of thy dun- 
geon, thefe tears cannot be feen, thefe 
fighs cannot be heard, nor can the quick 
decay of youth and beauty, cankered in 
the bloom, and diffolving amidft the hor- 
rors of a German prifon, be contemplat- 
ed. But the heart of fympathy throbs 
for you, ye lovely mourners; the indig- 
nation of mankind is aroufed ; the prefent 
age fhudders at your unmerited fuffer- 
ings; and pofterity will thed a generous 
tear at their recital, Anguith may not 
yet rend the bofoms of your perfecutors, 
but a dreadful fa‘urity awaits them, and, 
were it poflible to efcape the fcourge 
of offended heaven, they will yet expe- 
rience 
