apprehend; and a fecond explofion like that of the Baftile feemed already in view. The king's veto was, however, the prefent oftenfible cause of tumult. If that was allowed, the clergy and nobles, they cried, will renew all their power; We must act, and inftantly too, "elfe, in three days, France will "be enflaved." In the height of this ferment, two violent refolutions, which were tranfmitted from the towns of Rennes and Dinant, produced a fimilar effect to what a large quantity of oil poured upon a fire already raging might have done, In this ftate of things the king, ever difpofed to accommodate and conciliate, in the hope of reftoring quiet, and if poffible of establishing good temper, determined to foften matters with refpect to the veto; a conceffion which came the better from him, as the affembly were involved in a fort of a dilemma from their own past declaration, that his fanction was neceffary to the paffing of laws, fo that they could not with any propriety proceed to thofe extremities on the fubject, which the most violent of the republican party wifhed. Neckar was accordingly difpatched to the affembly with a memoire, propofing a veto which fhould only have the power of fufpending laws during one or two legislatures. This was received with evident fatisfaction, excepting by fome of the moft violent of thofe who fupported (not the king, but) the fovereignty, who would not admit any modification of the vete, and infifted that he had been ill advised by his minifters in propofing the conceffion. They being, however, over-ruled, it was at length agreed, that the king fhould have the power to fufpend a law during two legislatures; but, that if the third affembly perfifted in it, he should then be obliged to give his fanction. It was a curious circumftance in Mirabeau's conduct, that while he fupported the royal veto with the utmost vehemence of his character, and that one of the best fpeeches he ever made was upon that ground, his emiffaries in Paris were inftructed to perfuade the people that he oppofed it with all his might; and to fupport the delufion, he took care to quit the affembly juft before the divifion, that his vote might not appear as a record against it. Another bufinefs of not less importance underwent at the fame time a courfe of long and great difcuffion. This was, "whether the national affembly fhould be compofed of "one or two chambers ?" The committee of conftitution had already given their opinion upon this fubject, by recommending a fenate and a houfe of reprefentatives, cach of which fhould poffefs a negative upon the proceedings of the other. This, or fomething like it, bearing fome refemblance to the British conftitution, was, as we have formerly feen, the favourite scheme with Lally, Clermont, and the other leaders of the moderate party, who, equally zealous with the republicans, for the establishment of a free government, confidered a limited monarchy, with a conftitution fo formed as that the principal parts fhould operate as mutual and perpetual checks upon cach other, as affording the fairest profpect for the attainment and per manence of that object. It may be easily understood, that the party who now held all power exclufively exclufively in their own hands, and diftinct from that of the reprefentaruled the nation as they willed, tives of the people at large was without any refponfibility upon their branded with the name of ariftocraconduct, were little difpofed to cy; and fenates were rendered odious fubmit to the laying of any checks by being indifcriminately compared or restraints upon their proceedings. to that of Venice. A fchifm likeIt would have been as if the long wife arofe, as ufual, among thofe parliament in England, after abolish parties, who were bound by every ing the houfe of lords, had then principle of reafon and policy to appointed another body to be its have acted with one accord; moft fubftitute in controlling their own of the nobility and clergy voting arts. It is faid, and the fact is af- against the meafure, because they firmed to be now publicly known, thought it would entirely preclude that the influence, public opinion, the renewal at any future time, of and patriotic difinterefted character their old favourite fyftem of fitting of the leaders of the moderate in three orders. The very reason, party, having rendered their fanc-if it had been valid, why the friends tion and countenance highly neceffary in many of the late arrangements, they had been artfully amufed and led along with an idea that their favourite scheme of two chambers and of mutual checks was fo rational and neceflary a meafure, that in fettling the conftitution it must be generally agreed to. It is not to be forgotten, that the minds of the people had been already poifoned in an extreme degree upon the subject of the three chambers, which they were taught to confider as the great land-marks of defpotifm, and as utterly incompatible with every scheme of reform, and every principle and hope of liberty. This prejudice was eafily directed against any plurality of chambers; against two, as well as against any greater number. It was like the cry of "A mad dog!" The people accordingly took a moft decided part in the bufinefs; efpecially thofe in the galleries, and the Parifians. They must be fceptical indeed who are in any great doubt, whether prefent means were wanting to excite this fermentation. Even in the affembly, every power of the new conftitution should have fupported the measure. Under all thefe circumftances, within and without, the question of one or two chambers was finally put to the vote, when Sept. 10, 1789. only eighty-nine members voted for two chambers, againft a majority ofabove nine hundred. Although it is evident that the measure must have been rejected without any external violence, yet it is not incurious to fee the freedom of fuffrage which prevailed in this new temple of liberty. Of this, exclufive of lifts of profcription and incendiary letters, we have two fpecific inftances: The firft is from Lally Tolendal, who afferts, that feveral members of the popular fide faid to him individually, "Would you have me expofe my wife and children to be murdered by the mob?"-The fecond is from Mounier, who declares, that different members came to him to beg certificates that they had not given unpopular votes, as they had heard their country feats were to be burnt. The affembly likewife decreed, that the legislative body fhould be [C 41 renewed renewed every two years by elections, and that this biennial period should be denominated a legislature. This measure of limiting the term of each convention to two years, was founded on the prejudices derived from that numerous body of English writers, who conftantly reprefent our feptennial parliaments as fraught with the greatest dangers to the ftate, and as actually productive of all our public evils. The effects produced by the adoption of this guarded measure in France will appear in its time. It was about this time, that the affembly received a letter, written directly in the king's name, in which, after approving of the general fpirit of their determinations, he, however, declared, that there were a few articles to which he could give only a conditional affent; promifing, however, to modify or renounce his own opinions, if convinced by the obfervations of the national affembly. He then remarked on the hardship of abolishing, without any compenfation to the landlord, those rents, which had once, indeed, been paid as a compenfation for perfonal fervitude, but which, having been fettled between the lords and their vaffals ages ago, had fince frequently changed hands, had been exchanged, or bought and fold for a valuable confideration, without the purchafers obferving or thinking of the odious origin of their titles. The king then took notice in his letter of the danger of offending, and the impropriety of offering wrong and injury to feveral of the German princes, who held great feudal poffeffions in Alface, and fome of the neighbouring territories, which were guaranteed to them by the most folemn treaties, but He whofe eftates and property were all indifcriminately involved in the general effect of the decree for the reform of the feudal fyftem. concluded by obferving the various difficulties which would attend the unconditional abolition of tythes, without making an honourable provifion for the clergy, and laying the burden of their fubfiftence equally upon all claffes of the citizens. This letter was ill received, and occafioned much general difcontent; not on account of its matter, which, whether agreed to or not, none could pretend to be unreasonable, but on account of the interference of the executive power in attempting to influence the legislative, by entering into a difcuffion of laws which it was only called upon to give a fanction to; or, in this inftance, as being parts of the new conftitution, merely to accept. The confequence may be eafily judged. The king was obliged to give his fanction fimply, without obfervation or comment; and the principle was established or avowed, that so far from fufpending, he could not even offer his advice upon, much less criticife the measures of the prefent legiflature. The affembly, however, paid fo much attention to him as to fend word, that in the future difcuffion or carrying into act the principles to which he objected, they would confider, and pay a proper regard to the opinions he had given. In the mean time, things were tending faft to an unexampled crifis, which was to produce a new and extraordinary face of affairs. The violent republicans, both within and without the affembly, had it long in contemplation, and were now deter mined, mined, that by fome means or other, the refidence both of the court and of the national affembly should be transferred from Versailles to Paris. This defign being known, the court, and particularly the queen, were ftruck with horror at the idea of being compelled to refide among fo tumultuous a people, who from their bloody acts of cruelty had already been ftigmatized in the public prints by the name of the cannibals of Paris. At the fame time, that the nobility might have no doubt remaining as to their impending and abfolute ruin, they were regaled in every coffee-house with writings, in which the strongest hopes were expreffed, that in a very fhort time, the term 'nobility' would for ever be banished from the French language. Under thefe circumstances on both fides, it is not to be doubted (although the fact has in no degree been proved) that the queen liftened eagerly to any propofal for removing the court to fome reasonable diftance, which might prevent that, to her, moft dreadful of all events, the being committed to the jealous and dangerous cuftody of the frantic, uncontrolled, and ever fufpicious Parifians; nor will it be doubted, on the other hand, their character confidered, that many rash and imprudent things were faid or propofed by the difcontented nobles. As correlative to this ftate of things, the moft atrocious accufations, which the bittereft rancour could imagine, were unfparingly laid by each party against the other. The nobles and clergy were every day charged with new confpiracies against the revolution; and each garnished with its peculiar circumflances of alarm or of horror. It was feriously and confidently afferted, as if the writer had himself seen it, that a fubfcription was fecretly opened for the murder of all good citizens; and that priefts and nobles were the subscribers to this bloody inftrument of profcription. It was further faid, that it was refolved once more to invest Paris and Ver failles with an army, to diffolve, fword in hand, the national affembly, and to kindle in every part of the empire the flames of civil war. On the other fide a charge was openly laid, by men of eminence, who did not fhrink from fupporting it, that the violent republicans were refolved, at the hazard of murder and civil war, to compel the king and the national affembly to refide within the walls of Paris, and thus render both, and through them the whole nation, fubfervient to the influence, and inftruments to the caprice of that turbulent capital. The rebellious French guards, who had deferted and fought againft their fovereign, and who were now in the actual pay of the city of Paris, under the denomination of center companies, were feized (unless it proceeded from fome hidden caufe) with a moft unaccountable fit of ambition, to have again the honour of attending and guarding the king's perfon, which they claimed as an undoubted right, and even talked of marching to Versailles to enforce the claim. St. Huruge, who was now at liberty, was the chief inftigator and caballer in this matter. It will be easily judged that, exclufive of the apparent danger of entrusting the king's perfon in fuch hands, nothing could be more perfonally odious or mortifying to him, than to be com pelled to endure the fight and attendance tendance of men, who had already fo fhamefully trampled upon their oaths, and violated all the bonds of military fubordination, duty as foldiers, and loyalty as fubjects. The only protection the king could rely on in cafe of any fudden incurfion from Paris, or of any fudden attack from the rabble of Verfailles (who were only fecond to their brethren in the capital in all acts of violence and cruelty) refted in his gardes des corps, a regiment formed upon the fame principles with our ancient English life guards, being compofed entirely of gentlemen; upon which account, they were, at this time peculiarly detefted by the people. He was likewife attended by the national guards of Versailles, who had placed themfelves for that purpofe under the command of D'Eftaing; but their principles were known to be too deeply infected by thofe of the community to which they belonged, to warrant the fmalleft confidence being placed in their protection. It appears that letters from La Fayette to D'Estaing, indicative of fome approaching or apprehended danger, had been communicated by the latter to the municipal committee of Versailles, who were accordingly perfuaded to demand an additional regiment, in order to protect the town from any fudden violence. The compliance with this requeft, which was not obtained without difficulty, and the confequent fending for the regiment of Flanders to perform that duty, were the common, and, in all other cafes, indifferent and innocent circumftances, which, under the fatality of the prefent times, opened the way to all the horrid mifchiefs which fo fpeedily en ued. In the mean time, the Sept. 15. affembly had confirmed the hereditary fucceffion of the crown in its ancient formi, and according to the Salic law; and feemed difpofed to recur to ancient loyalty, by declaring the king's person facred and inviolable. The duke of Orleans and his party brought on a violent debate upon the fubject of the fucceffion, in which Mirabeau took an eager part, and which was productive of words and circumftances that ferved to open the eyes of many, who had not before difcerned the operative motives of many parts of their conduct, and the grand object of their views. They eagerly contended, that the affembly fhould confirm the renunciations made by Philip the Vth of Spain, of his right of fucceffion to the French crown, by declaring them to be valid and legal; and of courfe that the Orleans branch would be the next in fucceffion, after the failure of the prefent royal line. The affembly, how-ever, deemed it too imprudent and dangerous a measure, in the prefent state of affairs, for them to enter at all upon the fubject of the Spanish renunciations; and that it would be equally idle and ridiculous to agitate queftions now upon events which might never take place. Mirabeau, who was the most unguarded of mankind in his expreffions, feemed to count as nothing all the lives now exifting, which muft, fome how or other, be dif pofed of, before any dispute could arife upon the ground of fucceffion; he faid openly, that fuch a fubject of difcuffion might arife much fooner than was expected; that the corpulence of the king and of Monfieur afforded little caufe for expecting |