and trace the differences which exift between philofophic experience and the philofophic fpirit.

Citizen FLEURIEU has read a new fragment of his relation of the voyage round the world, made in 1790, 1791, and 1792, by Captain STEPHEN MARCHAND, of Marseilles.

This fragment offers a defcription of the island of Tinian, one of the Marian iflands, fuch as Commodore Anfon found in 1742, compared with that which is given of it by voyagers who have touched there 22 years after the voyage of the former. A quarter of a century has fufficed to transform an enchanting piece of fcenery into a rude impracticable wild: fo true is the obfervation of the Pliny of France, that man enjoys more than he poffeffes; that he only keeps poffeffion of what he has by cares perpetually renewed, and that if thefe are difcontinued, every thing languishes, every thing deteriorates, every thing falls back into the hand of nature, which re-affumes her rights, and effaces the works of man.

Citizen GOSSELIN has read to the clafs fome difquifitions relative to the geographical fyftem of Polybius, and prefented alfo a chart founded on the data of that hiftorian. This is the fifth geographical fyftem of the ancients which

Citizen GOSSELIN has restored.

Citizen BOUCHAUD has read two memoirs, the fubject of which is the Roman Legiflation. One, which continues the feries of feven preceding memoirs pubJifhed by him, is entitled, Hiftorical and critical Refcarches on the Edicts of the Roman Magiftrates. In the other, which

has for its title, An Essay on the Numismatic History of the Roman Legislation, our colleague defcribes a medal ftruck in honour of Marcus Porcius Læca, a tribune of the people, who, in fpite of the oppofition of the confuls, deprived them by a law of the right of fcourging a Roman citizen with rods. A victory like this gained over arbitrary power, a victory which Cicero celebrated with the enthufiafm which the exhilarating name of liberty is calculated to infpire,-this victory was well worthy to attract the notice of a member of the National Inftitute; a victory like this deferved well to be engraved upon bronze. Why have not we also erected durable monuments to thofe of our legislators, who, by the decrees which they have propofed, have fo powerfully contributed to make us re-conquer our rights? Why have we not alfo, like the Romans, diftinguifhed our laws by the names of the authors? Unquestionably the reprefentatives of the French people have no occafion for fimilar inftitutions in order to make liberty loved and respected, to labour to render the French nation as happy as it is great; but these inftitutions, could they only prevent one fingle difaftrous law, could they only give birth to one wife law, could they only be one additional guarantee of our felicity and our glory, we ought to adopt. Let us lavish encouragement on the men who are called either to govern us or to give us laws; the career which they have to run through is immenfe, and it is ftrewn with the greatest difficulties.

cloak,

CXLIX. SWIFT.

Swift was a good writer, but had a bad heart. Even to the laft he was devoured by ambition, which he pretended to de

fpife. Would you believe that, after finding his oppofition to the miniftry fruitlefs, and, what galled him ftill more, contemned, he fummoned up refolution to wait on Sir Robert Walpole? Sir Robert feeing Swift look pale and ill, inquired the state of his health, with his ufual old English good humour and urbanity. They were ftanding by a window that looked into the court-yard, where was an ancient ivy dropping towards the ground. "Sir, faid Swift, with an emphatic look, I am like that ivy I want fupport." Sir Robert answered, "Why then, doctor, did you attach yourself to a falling wall?" Swift took the hint, made his bow, and retired.

CL. ATTERBURY.

Atterbury was nothing more nor lefs than a jacobite prieft. His writings were extolled by that faction, but his letter on Clarendon's Hiftory is truly excellent.

CLI. GEORGE J.

On a journey to Hanover the coach of George I. breaking down, he was obliged to take shelter in the next country-houfe, which belonged to a gentleman attached to the abdicated family. The king was of course fhewn into the best room; where, in the most honourable place, appearedthe portrait of the pretender. The poffeffor, in great confufion, was about to apologize by pleading obligations, &c. when the king ftopped him, by faying, with a fmile of indifference, " Upon my word it is very like the family."

CLII. WILLIAM DUKE OF CUMBERLAND.

William Duke of Cumberland gave promifes of talents that were never accomplished. One day he had given fome offence to his royal mother, and was remanded to the confinement of his chamber. After what the queen thought a fufficient duration of his punishment, the fent for him. He returned in a very fullen humour. "What have you been doing?" faid the queen." Reading.' "What book?" The New Teftament."" Very well. What part?" "Where it is faid, Woman why troubleft

thou me ?"

CLIII. DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH.

I am told that the fecret letters between Queen Anne and the Duchefs of Marlborough, in the first glow of their paffion, are ftill extant in a certain houfe in the Green Park. They ufed to correfpond under feigned and romantic names. When this intenfe friendship abated, the duchefs was certainly more in fault than the queen. fuch was the equality produced by their MONTHLY MAG, No. XLIII,

intimacy, that almoft the fole remaining idea of fuperiority remained with her who had the advantage in perfonal charmsand in this there was unfortunately no comparison. The duchefs became fo prefumptuous that he would give the queen her gloves to hold, and on taking them again would affect fuddenly to turn her head away, as if her royal miftrefs had perfpired fome difagreeable effluvia!

CLIV. LADY SUNDON.

Lady Sundon was bribed with a pair of diamond ear-rings, and procured the donor a good place at court. Though the matter was notorioufly known, fhe was fo imprudent as to wear them conftantly in public. This being blamed in a company, Lady Wortley Montague, like Mrs. Candour, undertook Lady Sundon's defence. "And pray, fays fhe, where is the harm? I, for my part, think Lady Sundon acts wifely-for does not the bufh fhew where the wine is fold ?"

CLV. POPE.

Pope received a thousand pounds from the Duchefs of Marlborough, on condition that he would fupprefs the character of Atoffa-yet it is printed.

CLVI. BURNET.

Bishop Burnet's abfence of mind is well known. Dining with the Duchefs of Marlborough, after her husband's difgrace, he compared this great general to Belifarius. "But, faid the Duchefs, eagerly, how came it that fuch a man was fo miferable and univerfally deferted.""Oh madain, (exclaimed the diftrait prelate) he had fuch a brimftone of a wife!"

CLVII. ORIGINAL LETTER. *

Strawberry Hill, August 18, 1785. I am forry, dear fir, that I must give you unanswerable reafons, why I cannot print the work you recommend. I have been fo much folicited fince I fet up my prefs to employ it for others, that I was forced to make it a rule to liften to no fuch applications. I refufed Lord Hardwicke to print a publication, of his; Lady Mary Forbes, to print letters of her anceftor Lord Effex; and the Countess of Aldborough, to print her father's poems, though in a piece as fmall as what you mention. Thefe I recollect at once, befide others whofe recommendations do not immediately occur to my memory; though I dare fay they do remember them, and woud refent my breaking my rule. I will

* About a hundred letters of compliment or civility, will be omitted. Thofe only are felected which contain literary facts, or uncommon thoughts.

E e

only

only beg you not to treat me with so much ceremony, nor ever ufe the word humbly to me, who am no ways intitled to fuch refpect. One private gentleman is not fuperior to another, in effentials; I fear, the virtues of an untainted young heart, are preferable to thofe of an old man long

conversant with the world: and in foundnefs of understanding you have fhown and will show a depth which has not fallen to the lot of your fincere humble servant, HOR. WALPOLE. P.S. I will call on you in a few days, and fay more on the particulars of your letter.

Α

BIRON.

MONG the remarkable perfons, and efpecially among the generals, who perished by the revolutionary axe, were feveral, concerning whom the public has not yet pronounced an unanimous opinion. In this number is the ci-devant duc De Biron. All the authentic information, however, that it has been poffible to obtain of his conduct and opinions, is highly honourable to the memory of this illuftrious victim.

After the maffacre at Frankfort, in which the ci-devant regiment of Saintonge was cut to pieces, Biron, who then commanded the divifion of the middle Rhine at Strafburg, marched with 10,000 men to the affiftance of Cuftine's army, which then occupied the country extending from Caffel to Frankfort. Cuftine was attacked, and his army, after being forced to retire from the environs of the latter place, would have been cut off and entirely destroyed, but for the prudent advice and military skill of Biron, by whofe means the retreat upon Caffel was effected. His fang-froid and firmnefs at that critical moment faved both his troops and Cuftine's, whofe impetuofity of temper had deprived him of the use of his judgment.

Biron's patriotifm was inconteftible. He gave the moft convincing proof of it at Strasburg, at the time of his wife's emigration; fhe wrote him a letter, which he opened in the prefence of feveral officers, and after reading it, expreffed himfelf in the following words: wife is not fond of her country, and is determined to leave it. Let her go! for me, I will never abandon France."

DUMOURIER.

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As

A month before Dumourier was appointed minifter for foreign affairs, he was at Niort, where he was forced to conceal himself in order to avoid the perfecution of his creditors. Deleffart, the minifter, knowing his intimate acquaintance with Gensonné, conceived the

idea of employing him in the diplomatic line, with the hope that he would interpofe his good offices between him and that reprefentative of the people, who was a member of the diplomatic committee, and one of his moft implacable enemies. He therefore wrote a minifterial letter to Dumourier, who had long been foliciting an employ in the corps diplomatique, defiring him to repair with all convenient fpeed to Paris, where the king's intentions would be made known to him. He fent him at the fame time fix thoufand livres, to pay any debts he might have contracted at Poitou.

Dumourier haftened to Paris, expecting to be made minifter plenipotentiary at lealt; and immediately on his arrival waited upon Deleffart. The minifter told him that nothing was as yet determined upon; but that a change in the diplomatic body would fpeedily take place, and that as it was his intention to propofe him to the king as a proper perfon to fill one of the vacant places, he was glad of an opportunity of converfing with him previoufly, in order to judge in what fituation his talents might be made moft useful. He then spoke

to him of the oppofition he met with from fome members of the affembly. When he came to Genfonné, Dumourier interrupted him: "Oh! as to him, faid he eagerly, he is my intimate friend, and I undertake not only to put an end to his attacks upon you, but, if you chufe, to bring him here to-morrow to receive your orders." Deleffart acceded to the propofal, and the following day Dumourier returned with Genfonné, who expreffed his regret at having given a wrong interpretation to the intentions of the minifter, and promised to regulate his conduct differently in future.

Deleffart enchanted with this interview, conceived the hope of turning it to great advantage; thought that he had already the whole diplomatic committee at his orders; and congratulated himself upon his fending for Dumourier to Paris. It was not long before the latter perceived what was palling in the minifter's mind; nor did he fail to avail himself of it with

bis ufual dexterity. In his third vifit, he intimated to Deleffart his fear of being arrested at Paris, at the fuit of his creditors, in cafe he fhould prolong his ftay; and was only to be detained by the payment of his debts. They amounted to a confiderable fum, and were difcharged out of the fecret fervice money allotted to the minifter.

CARRIER.

Carrier, whofe very name conveys the idea of deftruction, was, nevertheless, a man of a whimfical fort of gaiety, which manifested itself on a variety of occafions. A grenadier of one of the battalions of the department of l'Ardèche, being deftitute of fhoes, represented his wants to Carrier, by whom he was very roughly treated. "What!" faid he "do you take me for a fhoemaker ?--I'll give you fhoes with a vengeance." On faying this, he went to fetch his fabre. "Do you wifh to fight in good earneft, faid the grenadier, putting himself on guard ?-Well! with all my heart: it's my bufinefs." Carrier turned pale, but affecting not to be difconcerted, you are a d-d honeft fellow! faid he, What country do you come from ?"—" L'Ardèche."" Why, then, you are a countryman of mine: there are none but good folks in our country." Carrier then defired breakfaft to be brought for him, and gave him 2 livres,and an order for two pair of fhoes. When he was put upon his trial, he confidered himself as a worthy man, and a good patriot, who was about to be facrificed to what was then called the thermidorean re-action. "When the wind shifts, faid he to his advocate, the tiles fall upon your head." Being afked by the latter, bow he could have the heart to drown children only five or fix years old, he anfwered thus: "Their fathers, their mo thers, their tutors and teachers were all royalifts: while defroying the old walwes, bow could I let the young wolves escape ?"

Nothing could be more aftonishing than his tranquillity and fang-froid, on hearing that he was condemned to die. On the very day of his execution, he gave an early breakfaft to feveral of his friends; eating little himself, drinking only one glafs of wine, and paffing the whole time in giving a defeription of his journey from the prifon to the fcaffold, and of the manner in which he should be received by the fpectators upon his road. "Some, faid he, will cry out, there goes the villain who put fo many innocent people to death in la Vendée! what an ugly wretch it is! but others will reply, it was not he who did all the mifchief.

These particulars come from the mouth of a man of veracity, to whom they were related by Tronçon du Coudrai, Carrier's advocate, who was prefent at the breakfast. "Execrable as Carrier was, added the advocate, all his crimes proceeded rather from his head than from-his heart: his difordered imagination fhewed him traitors and confpirators every where. If, however, during his proconfulate, his hands were almost always embrued in blood, they were not at leaft foiled by foreign gold. He did not leave enough to pay his counsellor."

CHARRETTE.

A lieutenant, who ferved in the column by which Charrette was taken, gives the following account of that expedition:

For about two months before, Charrette had been deftitute of cavalry, almoft the whole having been loft in the affair of St. Chriftophe, where he had contrived tò get together 400 men of the neighbouring communes, by threatening the inhabitants with death if they did not comply with his requifition. On the very day of that affemblage, he was almost totally defeated; out of eighty horfes which he poffeffed, fifty being taken by the republicans. The peasants who efcaped from the action, abandoning him entirely, he remained with about forty men, who could not quit him, either because they were deferters from our troops, or because their confcience would not fuffer them to break the oath they had taken not to leave him in any extremity.

Charrette now came to a refolution to abandon the remainder of his horfes, that he might the more eafily take refuge in the woods, out of which he never ventured more. The republicans, who pur fued him, marched in fmall columns of from fifty to fixty men, beating about in the woods, particularly in the forefts of Fauvoye, of Grala, the woods of des Effarts, and all thofe that exist in the commune of Leger. His great knowledge of the country often contributed to fave him, no less than the excellent system of tactics he had adopted. He knew by means of his fpies, the place at which his purfuers were to halt for the night. The next morning he watched the moment of their departure, and the road they took, and in that manner followed them till they halted again, fo that when they be-, lieved they had him in front of them, he was almost always in their rear. fometimes happened that they pursued him a whole day in the foreft of Jauvoye, without being able to discover him, al

It'

though

though perfectly fure he was there, while the only way he took to escape, was by keeping the fame path as they. The pealants always concealed him, fome out of fear, and others from a principle of attachment. He was, however, grown cruel, even towards those who had ferved him and more than once killed peasants who were ploughing their grounds, left they should betray him, and indicate his route. In the commune of St. Hilaire, near Paluan, he put to death with his own hand, the father, the fon, and the fon in law, upon mere fufpicion. He was alfo grown melancholy; the idea of his deftruction inceffantly haunting his mind. At length his evil deftiny overtook him. A republican colunin was returning to their cantonment at the Château de Pont-de-vie, near the town of Poirée, four days after they had left it, in order to procure provifions, and take a little reft, when two horfemen upon the look out, faw the gleam of arms break through the trees. Of this they immediately informed the general, who advanced without lofing a momen, at the head of the few troopers he had with him, and foon perceived that it was the band of Charrette, which was defiling two a-breast across a heath of fmall extent. The general rode through the two ranks, in order to difcover if their chief was among them, while they, more eager to fave than to defend themselves, fired only two or three fhot, which took no effect. Here it may be proper to obferve that Charrette was flying before a small column, from Leger, commanded by adjutant-general Valentin; and that it was only in confequence of our counter-marching that we met with him; for, according to custom, he was follow ing our detachment.

The general ordered the infantry to advance, and fent it in purfuit of the royalifts he had reconnoitred, among whom he had not been able to difcover Charrette, They were foon overtaken, and out of thirty-feven, four only efcaped; and how even they contrived to get off is not known. The cavalry being difperfed along the different roads in fearch of the principal chief, a young man without arms and in the livery of a fervant, was perceived by two borfe-chaffeurs coming out of a little wood, or rather out of a morals. They rode up to him, and requefted him to tell them where Charrette was to be found. The young man at firft denied having feen him, but a few ftrokes with the flat of their fabres made him confefs that the renowned com

mander of the royalifts was in the very morafs that he had just left, The Chaf feurs immediately rode back to convey this information to the general, who or dered three or four foot foldiers to search the fufpected place; and at laft Charrette was difcovered by a corporal of the Chaf feurs of the mountains, of which corps our infantry was compofed. Travaux, our general, alfo perceived him, and gave orders that not a fhot should be fired, The corporal caught hold of him by the skirts of his jacket and endeavoured to ftop him, but Charrette, who at that fatal moment had loft his customary presence of mind, kept running, and dragged the corporal after him till he came to a hedge, over which he attempted to leap, but fell into the midst of it, and was taken out in a ftate of infenfibility; being entirely exhaufted by his long continued efforts to escape. A little water thrown in his face having reftored him to his fenfes, the firft words he spoke were, Whose prisoner am I? Travaux, was the answer. much the better, faid he, he is the only man worthy to take me, He was armed with a carbine and two piftols, which he had difcharged in the previous action. His drefs was a green jacket with the fkirts turned back, and embroidered with four fleur-de-lis in gold; a pink waiftcoat, a fash of white filk with gold fringe at the ends; half-boots, and a round hat with a handkerchief over it. He had been ftruck by a ball, which had grazed his forehead over the left eye; and had been wounded in the left arm by the bursting of his carbine. As he was too weak to walk, he was put on a horse, and conducted to the Château de Pont-de-vie, where he paffed the night in the general's room, under a ftrong guard. He ate and chatted all the night, and, in fhort, fupported that character of fortitude, which he had acquired in fo many trying fituations. The next day he was taken to head quarters at Angers, whence he was conveyed to Nantz, and there tried and shot.

So

Before his punishment, the executioner afked if he would permit him to tie a bandage over his eyes-No, anfwered Charrette, I have looked death often enough in the face to be able to brave him. Being asked by general Travaux, why he had not emigrated, when he had found an opportunity, "I had fworn, faid he, to put the king upon the throne, or perish in the attempt-I have kept my oath." [To be continued in a regular feries from its

commencement to the prefent period, and including the fecret history of that event.]