too may be called the Revolution, and the This body, 23d of June will be its æra. thus united, are forming a new Constitution. This may be alfo called a Revolution, because it is of all the political changes the most important, and its epoch will be determined by the conclufion of the labours of the National Affembly. Thus equivocal is the import of Mr. Burke's expreffions. To extricate them from this ambiguity, a rapid furvey of these events will be neceffary. It will prove too the fairest and most forcible confutation of his arguments. It will beft demonftrate the neceffity and juftice of all the fucceffive changes in the State of France, which formed the mixed mafs called the Revolution. It will difcriminate legislative acts from popular exceffes, and diftinguifh tranfient confufion from permanent establishment. It will evince the futility and fallacy of attributing to the B confpiracy confpiracy of individuals, or bodies, a Revolution which, whether it be benificial or injurious, was produced only by general caufes, where the most confpicuous individual pro duced little real effect. The Conftitution of France refembled in the earlier stages of its progrefs the other Gothic governments of Europe. The history of its decline and the caufes of its extinction are abundantly known. Its infancy and youth were like thofe of the English government. The Champ de Mars, and the Wittenagemot, the tumultuous affemblies of rude conquerors, were in both countries melted down into representative bodies. But the downfall of the feudal ariftocracy happening in France before Commerce had elevated any other class of citizens into importance, its power devolved on the Crown. From the conclufion of the fifteenth century the powers of the States General had almost dwindled into formalities. Their momentary re-appearance under Henry III. and Louis XIII. ferved only to illustrate their infignificance. Their total disuse speedily fucceeded. The intrufion of any popular voice was not likely to be tolerated in the reign of Louis XIV. a reign which has been so often celebrated as the zenith of warlike and literary fplendor, but which has always appeared to me to be the confummation of whatever is afflicting and degrading in the hiftory of the human race. Talent feemed, in that reign, robbed of the conscious elevation, of the erect and manly port, which is its noblest affociate and its furest indication. The mild purity of Fenelon*, the lofty spirit of Boffuet, the masculine mind of Boileau, the fublime fervor of Corneille, were confounded by the conta "And Cambray, worthy of a happier doom, gion of ignominious and indifcriminate fervility. It feemed as if the "6 representative "majefty" of the genius and intellect of man were proftrated before the fhrine of a fanguinary and diffolute tyrant, who practifed the corruption of Courts without their mildness, and incurred the guilt of wars without their glory. His highest praise is to have fupported the ftage trick of Royalty with effect; and it is furely difficult to conceive any character more odious and despicable, than that of a puny libertine, who, under the frown of a ftrumpet, or a monk, iffues the mandate that is to murder virtuous citizens, to defolate happy and peaceful hamlets, to wring agonizing tears from widows and orphans. Heroifm has a fplendor that almost atones for its exceffes; but what shall we think of him, who, from the luxurious and daftardly fecurity in which he wallows at Versailles, issues with calm and cruel apathy his orders to butcher the Proteftants of Languedoc, or to to lay in ashes the villages of the Palatinate? On the recollection of fuch scenes, as a fcholar, I blush for the proftitution of letters; as a man, I blush for the patience of humanity, But the defpotifm of this reign was pregnant with the great events which have fignalized our age. It foftered that literature which was one day destined to deftroy it. Its profligate conquests have eventually proved the acquifitions of humanity; and the ufurpations of Louis XIV. have ferved only to add a larger portion to the great body of freemen, The fpirit of its policy was inherited by the fucceeding reign. The The rage of conqueft, repressed for a while by the torpid defpotism of Fleury, burft forth with renovated violence in the latter part of the reign of Louis XV. France, exhaufted alike by the misfortunes of one war and the victories of another, groaned under a weight of impoft and debt, which it was equally difficult to remedy or to endure, |