"Befides the fure tokens which are given by the fpirit of their particular arrangements, there are some characteristic lineaments, in the general policy of your tumultuous defpotifm, which, in my opinion, indicate, beyond a doubt, that no revolution whatsoever, in their difpofition, is to be expected. I mean their scheme of educating the rifing generation, the principles which they intend to inStil, and the sympathies which they wish to form in the mind, at the feafon in which it is the most fufceptible. Instead of forming their young minds to that docility, to that modefty, which are the grace and charm of youth, to an admiration of famous examples, and to an averfenefs to any thing which approaches to pride, petulance, and felf-conceit (diftempers to which that time of life is of itfelf fufficiently liable), they artificially fo ment thefe evil difpofitions, and even form them into springs of action. Nothing ought to be more weighed than the nature of books recommended by public authority. So recommended, they foon form the character of the age. Uncertain indeed is the efficacy, limited indeed is the extent, of a virtuous inftitution. But if education takes-in vice as any part of its fyftem, there is no doubt but that it will operate with abundant energy, and to an extent indefinite. The magiftrate, who, in favour of freedom, thinks himself obliged to fuffer all forts of publications, is undera ftricter duty than any other, well to confider what fort of writers he fhall authorize, and thall recommend, by the ftrong eft of all fanctions, that is, by public honours and rewards. He ought to be cautious how

he recommends authors of mixed and ambi

guous morality. He ought to be fearful of putting into the hands of youth writers in dulgent to the peculiarities of their own complexion, left they should teach the humours of the profeffor, rather than the prin ciples of the fcience. He ought, above all, to be cautious in recommending any writer who has carried marks of a deranged under standing; for where there is no found reafon there can be no real virtue; and madness is ever vitious and malignant." p. 29–31.

Such is Mr. B's idea of the writings and opinions of Rousseau, whofe leading principle, to influence his heart, or to guide his understanding, was vanity. With this vice he was poffeffed to a "degree little fhort of madness. It is from the fame deranged eccentric vaInity that this, the infane Socrates of "the National Affembly, was impelled "to publish a mad Confeffion of his mad "faults, and to attempt a new fort of "glory, from bringing hardily to light "the obfcure and vulgar vices which "we know may fometimes be blended "with eminent talents." p. 33, 34. GENT. MAG. July, 1791.

"Your Affembly, knowing how much more powerful example is found than precept, has chofen this man (by his own account without a fingle virtue) for a model. To him they erect their first ftatue. From him they commence their series of honours and diflinctions. It is that new-invented virtue, which your mafters canonize, that led their moral hero conftanly to exhaust the ftores of his powerful rhetorick in the expreision of universal benevolence; whilft his heart was incapable of harbouring one spark of common parental affection. Benevolence to the whole fpecies, and want of feeling for every individual with whom the profeffors come in contact, form the character of the new philofophy. Setting up for an unfocial independence, this their hero of vanity refuses the just price of common labour, as well as the tribute which opulence owes to genius, and which, when paid, honours the giver and the receiver; and then he pleads his beggary as an excufe for his crimes. He melts with tendernefs for thofe only who touch him by the remotest relation, and then, without one natural pang, cafts away, as a fort of offal and excrement, the fpawn of his difguftful amours, and fends his children to the hofpital of foundlings. The bear loves, licks, and forms her young; but bears are not philofopliers. Vanity, however, finds its account in reverfing the train of our natural feelings. Thousands admire the fentimental writer; the affectionate father is hardly known in his parish." p. 34, 35.

"Through Rouffeau the National Affembly teach men to love after the fashion of philofophers; that is, they teach to men, to Frenchmen, a love without gallantry; a love without any thing of that fine flower of youthfulness and gentility which places it, it not among the virtues, among the ornaments, of life. Inftead of this pallion, naturally allied to grace and manners, they infufe into their youth an unfashioned, indelicate, four, gloomy, ferocious medley of pedantry and lewdnefs, of metaphyfical fpeculations, blended with the coarfeft fenfuality. Such is the general morality of the paflions to be found in their famous philofopher, in his famous work of philofophical gallantry, the Nouvelle Elife." p. 39, 40.

Thefe, and the obfervations on the fame fubject, in the two fubfequent but too well pages, are, we fear, founded.

"Perhaps," continues Mr. B, "bold fpeculations are more acceptable, becaufe more new to you than to us, who have been long fince fatiated with them. We continue, as

in the two laft ages, to read more generally,

than I believe is now done on the continent, the authors of found antiquity. Thefe occupy our minds. They give us another taste and

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turn; and will not fuffer us to be more than tranfiently amufed with paradoxical morality." p. 42.

"However, I lefs confider the author, than the fyftem of the Affembly in pervert ing morality, through his means. This, I confefs, makes me nearly defpair of my attempt upon the minds of their followers, through reafon, honour, or confcience. The great object of your tyrants is, to destroy the gentlemen of France; and for that purpose they destroy, to the best of their power, all the effect of thofe relations which may render confiderable men powerful, or even fafe. To destroy that order, they vitiate the whole community. That no means may exist of confederating against their tyranny, by the falfe fympathies of this Nouvelle Elife, they endeavour to fubvert thofe principles of domeftic trust and fidelity which form the difcipline of focial life. They propagate principles by which every fervant may think it, if not his duty, at leaft his privilege, to betray his master. By thefe principles, every confiderable father of a family lofes the fanctuary of his house. Dehet fua cuique demus effe perfugium tutiffimum, fays the law, which your legiflators have taken fo much pains first to decry, then to repeal. They deftroy all the tranquillity and fecurity of domeftic life;, turning the asylum of the house into a gloomy prifon, where the father of the family muft drag out a miferable existence, endangered in proportion to the apparent means of his fafety; where he is worse than folitary in a crowd of domefticks, and more apprehenfive from his fervants and inmates than from the hired blood-thirsty mob without doors, who are ready to pull him to the

lanterne.

"It is thus, and for the fame end, that they endeavour to destroy that tribunal of confcience which exifts independently of edicts and decrees. Your defpots govern by terror. They know, that he who fears God fears nothing else; and therefore they eracate from the mind, through their Voltaire, their Helvetius, and the rest of that infamous gang, that only fort of fear which generates true courage. Their object is, that their fellow citizens may be under the dominion of no awe but that of their committee of refearch, and of their lanterne.

"Having found the advantage of affaffination in the formation of their tyranny, it is the grand refource in which they truft for the fupport it. Whoever oppofes any of their proceedings, or is fufpected of a defign to oppose them, is to answer it with his life, or the lives of his wife and children. This intanyous, cruel, and cowardly practice of allaffination they have the impudence to call merciful. They boast that they have operated their ufurpation rather by terror than by force; and that a few feafonable murders have prevented the bloodthed of many battles.

[July,

There is no doubt they will extend these acts of mercy whenever they fee an occafion. Dreadful, however, will be the confequences of their attempt to avoid the evils of war by the merciful policy of murder. If, by effectual punishment of the guilty, they do not wholly difavow that practice, and the threat of it too, as any part of their policy; if ever a foreign prince enters into France, he muft enter it as into a country of affaffins. The mode of civilized war will not be practifed; nor are the French who act on the prefent fyftem entitled to expect it. They, whofe known policy it is to affaffinate every citizen whom they fufpect to be difcontented by their tyranny, and to corrupt the foldiery of every open enemy, must look for no modified hoftility. All war, which is not battle, will be military execution. This will beget acts of retaliation from you; and every retaliation will beget a new revenge. The hell-hounds of war, on all fides, will be uncoupled and unmuzzled. The new school of murder and barbarifm, fet up in Paris, having de◄ ftroyed (fo far as in it lies) all the other manners and principles which have hitherto civilized Europe, will destroy also the mode of civilized war, which, more than any thing elfe, has diftinguifhed the Chriftian world. Such is the approaching golden age, which the Virgil of your Affembly* has fung to his Pollios !" p. 42—46.

His comparifon of Monk and his army with that of France is fo beautiful and juft, that we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of tranfcribing it:

"I doubt whether you poffefs, in France, any perfons of a capacity to ferve the French monarchy in the fame manner in which Monk ferved the monarchy of England, The army which Monk commanded had been formed by Cromwell to a perfection of difcipline which perhaps has never been exceeded. That army was, befides, of an excellent compofition. The foldiers were men the greatest regularity, and even ferenity of of extraordinary piety, after their mode; of manuers; brave in the field, but modeft, quiet, and orderly, in their quarters; men who abhorred the idea of aflailinating their officers, or any other perfons; and who (they at leaft who ferved in this ifland) were firmly attached to thofe generals by whom they were well treated and ably commanded. Such an army, once gained, night be depended on. I doubt much, if you could now find a Monk, whether a Monk could find, in France, fuch an army.” p. 47, 48.

Nor is there lefs propriety in his compatilon of the fate of England under and after the death, or his reprefentation of Charles II.

"Yet the restoration of our monarchy, even in the perfon of fuch a prince, was every thing to us; for without monarchy in England, most certainly we never can enjoy either peace or liberty. It was under this conviction that the very firft regular step

which we took on the Revolution of 1688, was to fill the throne with a real king; and even before it could be done in due form, the chiefs of the nation did not attempt themfelves to exercife authority fo much as by interim. They inftantly requested the Prince of Orange to take the government on himfelf. The throne was not effectively vacant for an hour." p. 49.

Speaking of the Ariftocrats, who have braved every danger for their country, and remained in it, Mr. Burke rifes above himself.

"to deftroy the antient proportions of "the orders. Thefe changes, unquef"tionably, the King had no right to make; and here the Parliaments fail"ed in their duty, and, along with their country, have perished by this failure," p. 60. 61.—When Mr. B. praised the British conftitution to his correfpondent, he meant to recommend the principles from which it has grown, and the policy on which it has been progrellively improved out of elements common to the French and us.

"I do not advise an Houfe of Lords to you. Your antient course, by reprefentatives of the nobleffe (in your circumstances), appears to me rather a better inftitution. I know, that, with you, a fet of men of rank have betrayed their conftituents, their honour, their truft, their king, and their country, and levelled themselves with their footmen, that, through this degradation, they might afterwards put themfelves above their natural equals. Some of thefe perfons have

their black perfidy and corruption, they may be chofen to give rife to a new order, and to eftablish themfelves into an Houfe of Lords. Do you think that, under the name of a Britifh conftitution, I mean to recommend you fuch lords, made of fuch kind of stuff? I do not, however, include in this defcription all of thofe who are fond of this fcheme.-If you were now to form fuch an Houfe of Peers, it would bear, in my opinion, but little refemblance to our's in its origin, character, or the purposes which it might answer, at the fame time that it would deftroy your true natural nobility." p. 63, 64.

"But when I am driven to comparison, furely I cannot hesitate for a moment to prefer to fuch men as are common thofe heroes who, in the midst of despair, perform all the tasks of hope; who fubdue their feelings to their duties; who, in the caufe of humanity, liberty, and honour, abandon all the fatisfac-entertained a project, that, in reward of this tions of life, and every day incur a fresh risk of life itself. Do me the juftice to believe that I never can prefer any faftidious virtue (virtue ftill) to the unconquered perfever. ance, to the affectionate patience, of thofe who watch day and night by the bed-fide of their delirious country, who, for their love to that dear and venerable name, bear all the difgufts and all the buffets they receive from their frantic mother. Sir, I do look on you as true martyrs; I regard you as foldiers who act far more in the fpirit of our Commander in Chief, and the Captain of our Salvation, than those who have left you; though I must first bolt myself very thoroughly, and know that I could do better, before I can cenfure them. I atfure you, Sir, that, when I confider your unconquerable fidelity to your fovereign, and to your country, the courage, fortitude, magnanimity, and longfuffering of yourself and the Abbé Maury, and of Mr. Cazales, and of many worthy perfons of all orders, in your Affembly, I forget, in the luftre of thefe great qualities, that on your fide has been difplayed an eloquence fo rational, manly, and convincing, that no time or country, perhaps, has ever excelled. But your talents difappear in my admiration of your virtues." p. 51-53.

As to a remedy for thefe fhocking evils, Mr. B. profeffes himself totally unable to offer a plan, fituated, as he is, at too great a diftance to judge of men or opportunities. It is easier to fee that one great error was, that the Parliament of Paris "fuffered the King's minifters "to new-modei the whole reprefenta"tion of the Tiers Etat, and, in a great measure, that of the clergy too, and

"Still lefs are you capable, in my opinion, of framing any thing which virtually and fubftantially could be anfwerable (for the purposes of a stable, regular government) to our Houfe of Commons. That Houfe is, within itfelf, a much more fubtle and artificial combination of parts and powers than people are generally aware of. What knits it to the other members of the conftitution; what fits it to be at once the great fupport and the great controul of Government; what makes it of fuch admirable fervice to that monarchy which, if it limits, it fecures and strengthens; would require a long difcourte, belonging to the leifure of a contemplative man, not to one whofe duty it is to join in communicating practically to the people the bieflings of fuch

a conftitution.

"Your Tiers Etat was not, in effect and fubftance, an Houfe of Commons. You ftood in abfolute need of fomething elfe to fupply the manifest defects in fuch a body as your Tiers Etat. On a fober and difpaflionate. view of your old constitution, as connected with all the prefent circumstances, I was fully perfuaded, that the crown, ftanding as

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