the approbation of the states, according to their privileges. Thefe remonftrances were of no avail; and the marefchal de Stainville was fent to Rennes, to restore tranquillity by a difplay of force. But, adds the writer, while order was beginning to be restored in Britanny, the archbishop entirely destroyed the king's authority all over the kingdom; fome times from his neglecting to employ it when it was neceffary; and, at other times, from his extravagant abuse of it. At length, when the finances, and public credit, and every refource, were, exhausted, the general diforder of the government forced him to abandon the miniftry, and fhamefully feek that afylum in a foreign country which the public indignation did not permit him to find in his own.'

The acceffion of M. Necker to the miniftry affords an opportunity of cenfuring his errors; but, as thefe have been frequently canvaffed, we fhall not follow our author in this part of his courfe. It may be proper, however, to ftate, that one. reason why the convocation of the ftates-general was an imprudent measure, is to be found, not in the conduct of Necker, but in that of his predeceffor.

• The archbishop of Sens had unfortunately prevailed upon the king to come under the moft folemn engagement to convene the ftates-general in 1789; and as a completion of folly, he iffued a decree of the council, authorizing, and even inviting, all who. thought themselves capable of publishing, for the inftruction of the government, their ideas on the beft form of convoking the ftates general, the manner in which the affembly fhould be compofed, and the objects they fhould take into confideration; as if there never had been an affembly of the ftates in France before, or rather, as if the motive of their convocation had been to eftablish an entire new form of government. And, in effect, this was the aim of the greatest part of thofe pamphlets with which at this time France overflowed.' Vol. i.

P. 116.

This is certain; but what follows is a harsh fentence. • It is impoffible to fuppofe that M. Necker did not foresee thefe confequences without fuppofing him uncommonly deficient in point of difcernment; and if, forefeeing them, he refolved to meet them, he acted with the prefumption of a madman, or the perfidy of a traitor.' For the corroboration of this opinion, a long chapter is devoted entirely to the character of Necker. From this part we shall felect the minutes of a converfation, in which the financier does not appear in the light of a philofopher. It was communicated to the narrator by the comte de Vaudreuil himself.

Three months after the nomination of Mr. Necker to the place of director-general of the finance, M. de Vaudreuil went to fpeak to him on an affair which regarded one of his relations. Ile was received with politeness, and even with kindnefs. After

having finifhed his business, as he was about to retire, Mr. Necker expreffed a defire to converfe with him a few minutes. He began with an eulogium on the king's virtues, and on his application to bufinefs. This was followed by another on the queen. When thofe topics were exhausted, he began to fpeak of himself, of his labours, his vigilance, of the conftant obftacles which he met with in the painful career of his administration. He complained with bitterness, of the attacks of envy, and of the libels which were fcattered abroad against him.

The count replied, "that all perfons in eminent fituations, and of great reputation, were expofed to that misfortune; but it was to be hoped that he would annihilate envy by the goodness of his measures."

"I agree with you," faid Mr. Necker; "but a mind of fuch fenfibility as mine can with difficulty fupport fo much injustice; for amongst many contemptible libels, there are fome which inAict cruel wounds, and which make a great impreffion on the credulity of the public."

M. de Vaudreuil imagining that he alluded to a pamphlet just published by the count de Lauraguais, anfwered, with a careless air, "You have only to perufe the late publication of M. de Lauraguais, and you will immediately be convinced that there is nothing in it that need give you uneafinefs. It is much too weak to hurt you."

• M. de Vaudreuil had no fooner made this obfervation, than he perceived anger and refentment to flash from the eyes of the philofopher.

"What!" cried he, " has that villain written a pamphlet against me? How dreadful it is to be restrained by my ministerial character? What pleasure should I feel in plunging a poniard into his heart!"

M. de Vaudreuil, furprized and fhocked at fuch violence, immediately arofe, faying, as he withdrew," Believe me, fir, I only mentioned to you the name of M. de Lauraguais, because I thought you were fpeaking to me of his work. Affuredly it was not my intention to act the part of an informer against him."

The next morning the count d' Adhemar, one of M. de Vaudreuil's friends, called upon him, and read a letter which he had just received from madame Necker. The letter was full of inflated panegyrics on M. de Vaudreuil, expreffing how much pleased Mr. Necker had been with his converfation, and how greatly flattered by the honour of his acquaintance, &c. It concluded, by defiring M. d'Adhemar to procure from his friend a copy of the work of M. de Lauraguais. This the former peremptorily refufed, declaring, at the fame time, how much he had been fhocked at the indecent violence of the man, and protesting that he would never again enter his house.' Vol. i. P. 154.

In other refpects, the character of Necker is drawn with ability and candour. Upon calm reflection, the author does not arraign his intentions, or confider his measures as being directed to what they ultimately produced.

Like the earl of Clarendon, M. de Moleville fills a great part of these volumes with a defence of his royal mafter against the imputation of infincerity. Pofterity, anxious to do juftice to the memory of Louis, will inveftigate the truth of fuch an accufation. The question is not indifferent, even to the prefent age; and it muff be confeffed, that the best evidence which can be obtained, where we have not facts, is the teftimony of those in whom Louis implicitly confided. An interview between the king and this writer may be mentioned to the credit of the former,

• M. de Leffart came to me from the king, and conducted me into his apartment.

As it was the firft time that I had ever had the honour of fpeaking to his majefty, on finding myfelf tête-a-tete with him, I was fo overwhelmed with timidity, that if it had been my part to fpeak firft, I fhould not have been able to pronounce a fenBut I acquired courage, on obferving that the king was more embarraffed than myfelf. He ftammered out a few words without connection, but at laft recovered himself, on feeing me more at my ease, and our converfation foon became interefting.

tence.

After fome general obfervations upon the prefent difficult and perplexed state of public affairs, the king faid to me, "Well, have you any farther objections?"

"No, fire," answered I. "The defire of obeying and pleafing your majefty, is the only fentiment I feel. But that I may know whether it will be in my power to ferve you with utility, I hope your majefty will have the condefcenfion to inform me of your fentiments refpecting the new conftitution, and the conduct you expect from your minifters regarding it."

"That is but juft," faid the king. "This, then, is what I think. I am far from regarding this conftitution as a chef d'œuvre. I believe there are great faults in it; and that if I had been al-` lowed to state my obfervations upon it, fome advantageous alterations might have been adopted. But of this there is no question at prefent; I have fworn to maintain it, fuch as it is, and I am determined, as I ought, to be firi&ly faithful to my oath; for it is my opinion, that an exact execution of the conftitution is the beft means of making it thoroughly known to the nation, who will then perceive the changes proper to be made. I have not, and I cannot have another plan than this. I certainly fhall not recede from it; and I wish my ministers to conform to the fame.”

To this I answered, "Your plan appears to me extremely wife, fire. I feel myfelf capable of fulfilling it, and I take the engagement to do so. I have not fo fufficiently examined the conftitution, either in general, or, in its particular branches, to have a decided and fixed opinion refpecting its practicability, nor fhall I form one, until experience has more enlightened the nation and myself. My prefent refolution is, never to deviate from what it prefcribes. But may I be permitted to afk, if the queen's way of thinking on this fubject, is conformable to that of your ma jefty" added I.

Yes, perfectly. She will tell you fo herself."

A moment after, I went to the queen's apartment, who, after affuring me with great goodness, that fhe was as fenfible as the king of the obligations I had laid them under by accepting of a part in the administration in circumftances fo difficult, the added thefe words: "The king has informed you of his intentions relative to the conftitution. Don't you think that the only plan he has to follow, is to adhere to his oath ?"

"Yes, certainly, madam," answered I.

"Well, be affured," rejoined the," that nothing shall make us alter our refolution. Allons; be of good courage, M. Bertrand. With a little patience, firmnefs, and confiftency of conduct, I hope you will find that all is not yet loft." Vol. i. P. 214.

In the account of the king's refufing to fanction the decree against the emigrants, we find nothing that can decide the queftion. The king did what the conftitution empowered him to do; and the Jacobins were determined not to suffer any conftitution to interfere with their ambition. When the decree against the unconftitutional priests was prefented for the royal affent, Louis ventured to exercise the fame privilege; and his feelings on this occafion are furely not difhonourable, The bishops had drawn up a memorial against this decree.

The king appeared much affected by this memorial, and faid to me, with the energy which he ever fhewed in the cause of religion, "They may be affured I never will fanction it but the difficulty is to know whether I ought fimply to refuse my affent, and to affign the motives of my refufal, or to temporize, on account of the prefent circumftances. Endeavour," continued he,

to difcover the opinion of your colleagues, before the fubject is mentioned in the council." I remarked to the king, that he was not, by the conftitution, obliged to affign the motives of his refufal; and that although the affembly ought to be pleafed to fee his majefty give up that important prerogative, it was fo ill difpofed, that it might refuse to liften to his motives, and might even reproach him with this breach of the conftitution, as if it were a violation of his oath; that to temporize was only a display of weakness, and would encourage the affembly to become still more enterprifing; and befides that, a fimple negative was at once more fure and more proper. The affair was difcuffed the day af ter, in a committee of the minifters, and the indispensable necessity of a negative was acknowledged by all.

At the following council, this meafure was propofed to the king, who adopted it, with extreme fatisfaction. But this interval of happinefs was interrupted by the propofal which the minifter of the home department made to him, of appointing conftitutional priests to the queen's chapel and his own, as the fureft means of filencing the malcontents, and convincing the people of his fincere attachment to the conftitution. "No, fir, no," faid the king, in a firm voice; let no one fpeak to me upon this fubject; fince liberty of worship is made general, certainly I ought to enjoy it as well as others." Vol. i. p. 261.

As emigration had deprived the king of moft of the civil officers of his household, it became neceffary for him to fupply their places with others. It was fuppofed, that, from defire of conciliating the minds of the people, he would form this establishment in the most popular manner. It appears that he was aware of the delicacy of this business.

a

"I feel," faid he, "that the queen cannot, without inconver niency, retain the wives of the emigrants about her, and I have already fpoken to her upon the fubject: but it cannot be expected that the is to form her fociety of madame Petion, madame Condorcet, and women of that stamp. With refpect to myself, thofe whofe fervices were moft agreeable to me, have deferted me; and amongst those who remain, there are fome who are the torment of my life: for inftance, there is Chauvelin, who is a fpy in my family, always commenting upon what is said, and giving a falfe account of all that paffes.'

Why, then, does not your majefty difmifs him?" said I. "From regard to his father's memory," answered his majesty.? Vol. i. p. 286.

In the fecond volume of thefe memoirs, we meet with another interesting circumftance:

In this fame council we were witneffes to a scene

much too interefting to be paffed over in filence. M. Cahier de Gerville read aloud the sketch or rough draught of a proclamation he propofed, relative to the affaffination, pillaging, and other acts of violence, at that time very frequent; particularly against the nobility, on the pretext of aristocracy, &c. In the propofed proclamation was the following fentence, "Thofe diforders interrupt the happiness we at prefent enjoy." He had no fooner pronounced it than the king faid, "That fentence must be altered."

M. de Gerville having read the expreffion again, replied, "I perceive nothing that requires to be altered, fire."

"Do not make me speak of my happiness," refumed his majefty, with emotion. "I cannot authorize fuch a falfehood. How can I be happy, M. de Gerville, at a time when nobody is happy in France? No, fir, the French are not happy: I fee it but too well. They will be fo, I hope; and I with it very ardently. When that time arrives, I alfo fhall be happy, and fhall then be able, with truth, to declare it.”

Thefe words, which the king uttered with a faultering voice, made a lively impreffion upon us, and was [were] followed by a general filence, which prevailed fome minutes. His majefty being ap prehensive that those marks of fenfibility, which he had not been able to reprefs, would raife a fufpicion againft his attachment to the conftitution, feized an opportunity, which M. de Gerville af forded him a few minutes after, of fhowing that he was determined to adhere very fcrupulously to his engagements in fupport of it; for in an affair reported by M. de Gerville, he pronounced an opinion more strictly conformable to the letter of the confti