his vain, ambitious, turbulent, disposi- 
tion. He erected despotism, into law; 
and vexations of all kinds were his 
enyines. He had even in his own house 
a ( Pade in pacem,) an Oubliette, where he 
frequently destroyed victims of his un- 
bounded tyranny. Whilst the arbitrary 
will ofthe prince, or rather the caprice 
ef those who govern under him, hold the 
place oflaw, such prisonsas the Bastille will 
never want a succession of inhabitants; 
it is an insatiable gulph, incessantly open 
for the reception of devoted victims. I 
have been informed, by the Parisians 
themselves, that every thing done. in this 
place, is mysterious, trick, and artifice; 
a series of oppression, and a chain of ini- 
quities, heaping sorrow upon sorrow. It 
cannot be supposed, that a civilized 
nation like the French, delight in inhu- 
manity, especially to their own people, 
whatever they may do to others, A 
recent example, however, we have had 
in one, who has no pretensions to the 
tice of aman. Future ages wil] scarcely 
believe, that Monsieur Vaudrucil, go- 
vernor-general of Canada, and of Que- 
bec, gave rewards to the Indians, for 
scalping his enemies, an action so re- 
pugnant to christianity and human 
nature, tnat posterity, and even his own 
countrymen (who are not entirely di- 
vested of humanity,) will ever brand his 
memory asa monster ; continually dining 
in public with his friends, m a hall, or- 
namented with scalps, arranged in a 
variety of figures.* 
On Tuesday, the 14th of July, 1789, 
the Bastille was attacked by the citizens 
of Paris, in the civil commotions for 
liberty, assisted by some of the soldiery, 
and taken by them, after the loss of more 
than three hundred lives, besides those 
destroyed by the treachery of the go- 
vernor, who pretended to capitulate, by 
holding out a flag of truce; after many 
had unwarily entered at the draw-bridge, 
which was let down, he suddenly drew it 
up, and sacrificed those who had entered. . 
The irritated multitude, then enraged, 
stormed the castle, and they took pri- 
soners, the Governor, the Marquis De 
Launey, the Prince de Montbory, the 
Fort Major, &e. They were taken im- 
mediately to the Hotel de Ville, tried, 
De Launey and the Fort Major execated, 
and their heads carried in procession 
through the city. 
-* General Amherst, when he took Mon- 
treal, humanely buried three waggon-loads of 
SCA] DSe 
London Chronicle, Tuesday, July 21, 1789. 
“ In consequence of the destructiun of 
this dreadful furtress, the grave of many 
miserable thousands, or rather millions 
of French subjects, such horrid scenes 
are come to. light, as must make human 
nature shrink at itsel!. Weare informed, 
through the means of a wretched captive, 
who had been confined forty-seven years 
in those infernal regions of despotism, 
tyranny, and misery, that when a pri» 
soner was committed to that horrid 
place, he was immediately confined in a 
solitary cell, where the sun could not 
penetrate; and whatever food might be 
allotted him, was served him by mutes. 
It was death for either to speak. 
*« The emancipated author of this naz. 
ration, having, however, by his good 
conduct, and. the: well-known goodness 
of his heart, excited some feelings in the 
breast of one of the under officers of the 
fortress, who had been a servant in his 
family, was one day permitted to walk on) 
the place of massacre. He describes it 
to be a pleasant promenade, on which 
the devoted victim of tyranny is invited 
to waik, for the benefit of the air. On 
approaching @ particular part, (the signal 
being given,) it gives way, and he is at 
once plunged into a horrid gulf, where 
several engines cut him to pieces.” 
The duration of-this “infernal -prison, 
was four hundred and twenty years, and 
twenty-three days, from its building. ; 
The foundation was laid, April 93, 
1869, by order of Charles V. by one 
Hugh dAubriot, a Burgundian, Provost 
-of Paris. Itis remarkable, that he was the 
first person confined therein, at the suit 
‘of the clergy, for impiety and he- 
tesy. This prison contained about forty” 
separate apartments, for the reception 
of prisoners, hesides those for the: go- 
vernor, his attendants, &c. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.. 
SIR, 
We. have had many disputes about 
the learning of Shekspeare: but 
none, as I know, about the learning of 
Buonaparte. It is not known that it 
consists in old proverbs. 3 
A worthy correspondent of your’s has 
expressed a doubt about the veracity of 
the French bulletins. I flatter myself, 
that by mumerous adages of ancient 
wisdom, 1 shall be able to explain the 
theory, upon which these fine flights of 
genius, and soldiers, and exquisite 
morceaux of literature, are founded. It 
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