çaise--I have no doubt of the following passage having been meant as a lesson for them *.

"Il y a beaucoup à gagner en fait des mœurs, à garder les coutumes anciennes. Comme les Peuples corrompus font rarement de grandes choses, qu'ils "n'ont guères établi de sociétés, fondé des Villes, "donné des Loix et qu'au contrarie, ceux qui avaient "des mœurs simples ou austères ont fait pour la "plupart des établissemens: rappeller les hommes aux " maximes anciennes, c'est ordinairement, les rappeller " à la vertu. De plus, s'il y a eu une révolution, que "l'on ait donné à l'Etat une forme nouvelle, cela n'a “guères pu se faire qu'avec des peines et des travaux

infinis, et rarement avec l'oisiveté des moeurs corrompues. Ceux mêmes qui ont fuit la Révolution, ont " voulu la faire goûter, et ils n'ont guères puy réussir

que par de bonnes Loix. Les Loix anciennes sont "donc ordinairement des corrections, et les nouvelles "des abus. Dans le cours d'un long gouvernement,

on va au mal, par une pente insensible, et l'on ne remonte au bien que par un effort."

Even Rousseau, atter hav ng quarrelled with his brother philosophers, coincides with Montesquieu, in his preface to Narcissa; he says, "Le moindre "changement dans les coutumes, fut il même avanta

geux à certains égards, tourne toujours au préjudice "des mœurs. Les coutumes sont la morale du peuple ; "et dès qu'il cesse de les respecter, il n'a plus de

Esprit des Lois, Liv. V. Chap. 7.

règles que ses passions, ni de frein que les Lois, qui "peuvent quelquefois contenir les méchans, mais jamais "les rendre bons. D'ailleurs quand la philosophie "a une fois appris aux peuples à mépriser ses cou"tumes, il trouvent bientôt à éluder ses lois. Je "dis donc, qu'il est des mœurs d'un peuple, comme "de l'honneur d'un homme, c'est un trésor qu'il faut "conserver, mais qu'on ne trouve plus quand on l'a " perdu*.

The seeds of innovation thus planted, were protected by the fostering hands of these philosophical horticulturists. On the return of the French officers from America, this plant, then in its most tender state, was reared into strength by those military republicans; it then put forth its baneful shoots, which were afterwards assiduously trained by the German illuminati †. Some of the factious,

* I think these opinions of MONTESQUIEU and ROUSSEAU should be read with attention by reformers and revolutionists of all countries!

+ I frankly avow that after I became a Free-Mason, I was particularly intimate with one of their leaders, a Baron KNIGGE, a man of very great talents, author of a work called "Un gang mit Menschen," which was translated into English about eleven years ago, and known by the title of "The Philosophy of Social Life." This Nobleman seceded from that order in 1794, and published some very severe strictures not only against the destructive disorganisating system of that sect, but exposed the views and principles of their principal Leader, viz. Professor Weishaupt and Doctor Bardt, both attached to the university. of Halle in Prussia. It is not to be expected that I should

corrupted and immoral members of the Etats Généraux, convoked by the weak and perfidious counsellors of the unfortunate Louis the XVI. ripened the fatal plau, and named it THE TREE OF LIBERTY, which they afterwards moistened with the blood of millions, and which relatively entailed as much misery on the human species as the Tree of the Garden of Eden did, and all those who tasted of the fruit of the former met with the same fate as those who partook of the fruit of the latter; they alike occasioned-SIN and DEATH!!!

CONSTITUENT AND LEGISLATIVE
ASSEMBLIES.

In the beginning of the Revolution, the Etats Généraux were assembled by the King; they formed themselves into one Legislative Body, and

enter into the details of what were the objects of that institution; but I have no hesitation to declare, that they tended to the destruction of all privileged orders, the a'tar, and the throne. The pretended object was, to elucidate the mysteries of Free-Masonry: the ceremony at the making of an appren tice (which is the first degree in Masonry) plainly shews that a Republican interpretation can be given to it, and if not properly explained, the Noviciate must have a strange idea of the mummery, and the pantomimical exhibitions displayed in a Mason's Lodge, when he recovers the use of one of his faculties.

assumed the title of L'Assemblée Constituante: one of their first acts was the publication of Mr. de la Fayette's Declaration of Rights, in which it was said, que l'Insurrection est le plus saint des de"voirs."

The greatest part of this assembly, to use the language of an eloquent writer*, "broke prison "like a Levanter to sweep the earth with their hurricane, and to break up the fountains of the great deep, to overwhelm every peaceable na"tion."

The Catilines and the Gracchi will appear to have been moderate, if we compare them with some of the members of that assembly: It is true, the greatest part of them were men of good family and learning; but it is also well known, that many of those members who opposed the court were without honour or probity, and had been obliged to conceal themselves from their creditors †. That assembly, moderate as it was, in comparison with those that succeeded, was, nevertheless, a scene of uproar and confusion. It had not even the appearance of a grave legislative body, "Ncc color

Mr. Burke, that immortal author's work on the French revolution, was soon translated into French, and went through ten editions in Paris, whereas Paine's Rights of Man is scarcely known; it was translated, but read by few. This proves how popular the revolution was in Paris.

What opinion can any unprejudiced man have of the French revolution, when two such men as Mirabeau and Talleyrand were its promoters ?

imperii nec frons erat ulla Senatus, though it threatened the destruction of Europe.

The very first act of this new assembly was to take a solemn oath in the face of Heaven, which a great many of its members have since more than once violated, namely, that no Republican form of Government shall ever take place in France* ! Revolutionary Frenchmen have since that period shewn the world what reliance is to be put upon their solemn oath; a great many members of the assembly, who took the oath alluded to, afterwards took the oath to maintain the Republic, and hatred to Royalty; and not long after this, abjured the Republic, and embraced Imperialism !

Of this number are, Cambacérès, Sieyes, Lameth, Treilhard, Regnault de St. Jean D'Angely; and the perjured bishop Talleyrand, &c. &c. who all conspired to send their lawful sovereign to the scaffold, and afterwards placed upon the throne a foreign adventurer, who himself was a pretended defender of what they called liberty, and who afterwards insulted and betrayed it, persecuted its most zealous defenders, and effaced every vestige of it.

If these sanguinary men, who upon pretended republican principles sent Louis XVI. to the scaffold on the 21st of January, 1793, had had an opportunity on the following day to make them

See in the Moniteur of the 5th August, 1789, a motion to that effect made by Adrian Duport.