on the Government, and was therefore fuppreffed; as well as a pamphlet in which the fame author undertook to prove that Cæfar was an ufurper, and that his fame was questionable; the recollection of this tract, which no doubt, Buonaparté confidered as a perfonal attack upon himself, occafioned the imprisonment of the author, and, afterwards, his banishment. Permitted, however, to return to Paris, he established another paper, entitled L'Antidote, in which he attacked the Priests, at the time the CONCORDAT was in contemplation; and for this he was again imprisoned, and fubfequently tranfported, by the fiat of the First Conful, to the Isle of Oleron. Our readers will be furprized perhaps to learn that this was the very man who afterwards became a spy to Buonaparté, and whofe lying accounts were made the pretext for the atrocious murder of the Duke D'Enghien.; a more atrocious villain, his master excepted, lives not on the face of the earth.

Tranfportation without trial has been quite a common practice, fince the acceffion of Bonaparte. There are few people who cannot cite fomo friend, or acquaintance, who is of the number of sufferers.

"A dramatic author of Paris, named Dupaty, produced a fhort mufical piece entitled, LES VALETS MAITRES; which the pit maliciously thought proper to apply to the First Conful. The piece was immediately prohi bited; and the unfortunate writer put under arrest and fent to a fea-port, with an order for tranfportation to Saint Domingo:* and all this without the fhadow or form of a legal process.

"There was more than common cruelty in this act of defpotifm. Dupaty was of a good family, and fome of his nearest relations, who had polelled eftates in that ifland, fell facrifices to the negroes in the first fury of insurrection.

"Bonaparte had the fhameless effrontery to fay in public, on this occafion, that he had given dramatic writers a good leffon. It is even matter of fome furprife that the mufic was not treafon to the tyrant.

"Authors of comedies, however, have their admirers, and partifans, in Paris; and the conduct of the Conful was not a little reprobated. Madame Bonaparte therefore thought proper to intercede for Dupaty; and, under this colour, the fentence was pretended to be revoked. I afterward made feveral inquiries, but I did not hear that he was again allowed to return to Paris.

"Nearly at the same time, that is, in the spring of 1802, a drama made its first appearance at the Théatre de la République, written by an actor named

"As a proof of the timid subjection in which writers are held, an annual theatrical fepofitory, entitled Année Théatrale, inftead of giving the history of this piece, which, had the author dared he would most willingly have done, mentions it as if casually. Speaking of another piece, entitled L'Antichambre, it adds: this reminds us a little of Les Valets Maitres; in which the citizens Dupaty and Daleyrac, the mufical compoter, united their talents. The fuccels they obtained was complete; but the work could only be once reprefented. L'ouvrage ne putêtre représenté qu'une fois. Not a breath elcapes of the punishment inflicted on the poor Dupaty.

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Duval, and entitled, Edouard en Ecosse. The object was the dangers of the Pretender during his flight and elcape to France after the battle of Cullo den, and the piece was received with enthufiaftic applaufe. The author was in tranfports of joy; his friends were fatiguing and half fuffocating him with congratulations and embraces; of fame and full pockets he could have no doubt, and the piece was pofted for representation the next evening. "The goiden dream was of fhort duration: there was in the piece fomething that reminded Frenchmen of the misfortunes of royalty, the fufferings of the Bourbons, and the wo th of fidelity in loyal adherence; and it was forbidden to be played any more, under the pretence that it was difre fpectful to our Sovereign. Instead of the honours and wealth that were certain to accrue from fucceffive representations, it was intimated to the author that he muft make a journey for the sake of his health; and, bitter as obedience was, he refpected his health too much to neglect this advice.

"La Harpe, for fome imprudence, was banifhed from Paris, and ordered to refide at a certain diftance. Every thing is imprudent, in this country, which has but a chance of offending government. Should a man whose habitual thoughts and actions are the most peaceable, open his lips or venture to move without fpeaking and weighing his actions with all the timidity of caution, he is uncertain of what are the dangers to which he is expofed. I am no friend to the tergiverfation, the late affected fanaticism, and the former revolutionary violence, of La Harpe: but, whatever he may have been, I am the determined enemy of perfecution.

"A gentleman, with whom I was acquainted, of great refpectability, but who took no part in politics, has a brother; who, because he is known to be an unfhaken friend to republican principles, is likewife exiled to hiş country feat.

These are examples of mild banishment; the island of Oleron, which abounds with the banished, is a little more fevere; however, it is not far. from the coaft of France; but, whenever defpotifin takes any deep offence, iflands far removed, and countries as cheerlets to a Frenchman as they are unhealthy, are the receptacles of thefe victims, of many of whom no friend or relation ever hears more.

"Could it even be proved that the French cannot yet be governed but by force, by the bayonet, ftill, fuch acts as these muft eternally be ftigmatized as the most wanton defpotism; which everlaftingly did, and everlastingly will, merit and receive the execration of mankind.

Volney had believed in the virtue of Bonaparte, had been his friend and admitted to his familiarity; and, being a fincere lover of freedom himself, he continued its defender. Not fufficiently aware of the effects which the exercife of power had produced, that remonftrance was become offenfive and difference of opinion an infult, he was one day endeavouring to convince the Chief Conful of the mifchief he would do to mankind, by again conferring power on the priesthood, admitting the fmalleft of its once ufurped claims, and burthening people who were of a different creed with a gene al and unjust tax.

Bonaparte replied-Why do you mention the people? I do but act in this bufinefs according to their defire: a large majority of the people

with for the re-establishment of the church.'

"Forgetful of the poffibility, or perhaps not fufpecting it, that the truth which inftantly occurred to his mind fhould fo deeply wound the pride of a man whose fupremacy was fo recent, Volney anfwered-Were you to act

according

according to the will of the majority, you muft immediately cede your power: the majority of the people would vote for the return of the Bourbons.

"The rage of the Chief Conful was ungovernable; the common report is, that he instantly struck Volney, and ordered him from his prefence; fince which he has never again entered the palace of the Tuileries.

"No powers of mind can refcue the man, who is the flave of anger, from actions that are worthy only of a lunatic.

"Of what an oppofite complexion is the following anecdote! In the true fpirit of French declamation, fome one affirmed, fpeaking to Buonaparte, that England was far behind France in truly understanding the principles of liberty: to which he replied: it would be well for the latter, if it did but enjoy one-tenth part of English freedom.'

"He will feldom condefcend to argue; and, when he does, he confiders it as infolence, in any one, who dares to be of a different opinion.

"Mufic being one day the subject of difcuffion, he affirmed, it is fo fimple in its principles that no man can be ignorant of it, who understands the mathematics; it was the most monotonous of studies, for it had no greater variations than may be found in different angles, obtuse and acute.”

"His opponent, a mufical composer, replied-'I fear Citizen Consul, this character of it can fcarcely be juft; fince monotony is the thing that mufic can least endure.' To which the Citizen Conful answered-It appears, then, you understand the subject better than I!' and turned away on his heel."

Of the religion of this deteftable tyrant and vain upftart, we have already given our opinion, which does not feem to be very different from that of our author.

"Concerning the religious opinions of the Chief Conful no man, it is faid, can form any found judgment: from his difcourfe, he might at one moment be imagined an infidel, at another a deift, and the next perhaps a Chriftian. He is faid to have told Dupuis that he did not believe fuch a man as Jefus Chrift ever exifted. To Monge, an avowed infidel, who was expreffing his disbelief of eternal punishments, the Conful faid, after reciting the names of various great men who had believed in the Chriftian religion, and examples of others who in their laft moments had changed their opinions from fear, that he, Monge, would certainly die a true believer,

"He appears to be rather a fatalift than a neceffarian; for he believes or affects to believe in his favourable destiny."

Mr. H. affures us, he has very good grounds for afferting, (and we, too, have good reafon for believing the affertion to be true) that Buonaparté hinfelf was "the author of those angry and inflammatory attacks on England (in the Moniteur ;) difgraceful as they are to found understanding; and, in many parts, utterly as they are falfe and abfurd, muft not implicate innocent men with a tyrant, otherwife I would fhew the juft right I have to make this affertion."

Of the freedom of opinion and of action in France, fome farther notion may be formed from the following anecdotes, refpecting the ufurper's appointment to the Confulate for life; and no doubt the

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fame

fame freedom obtained in the declaration of the will of the people on his affumption of the imperial dignity and title.

"Carnot, as I have heard, was the firft who figned a negative, on the queftion of the confulip for life; and added that he was confcious he had figned his own profcription, I know, every well informed man in Paris. knows, he is hated by Bonaparte.

"Concerning this voting, the following among many other tales were

current.

"Some perfon, I have forgotten his name, came to infcribe his vote; but the prefect would not suffer him to write, alledging that he knew him to be

a No

"Three other gentlemen had the negative and affirmative lifts laid before them; and at the fame time were informed, by the prefect, that, if they figned the negative lift, he must be obliged to arrest them; fuch were his orders.

"The fons of La Tour Maûbége, the companion in prison of La Fayette were fo far favoured as to have their names inscribed to be admitted fcholars of the Prytanée; but, when the above queftion came before him, their father figned no, and they were both ftruck off the lift by the First Conful.

"From an engineer, who was with him in Egypt, I learned that it was his cuftom, when he had fummoned a council of war, to listen to the opinions of others, to give no opinion himself, to act in a manner that could be leaft expected, and to do this with fuch determination and celerity that, faid the narrator, it was like a torrent. So great was his afcendancy that, when he was prefent, the generals acting under him appeared like lo many fchool-boys."

We have long fince ceafed to be furprized at the infatiate ambition of this man, but the impudence with which he avows his plans, and the contempt with which he treats both the will of independent nations, and the difpleasure of independent fovereigns, is truly afton fhing. Mr. H. fays "It was openly reported of him, before I left Paris, that he faid,-Il faut que la Suiffe et la Hollande s'accoutument à étre les tributaires de la France.

"To those who would study the character of the Citizen First Conful this Almanack National is a mafter-key. Under that very fimple title, his thirft of power, his prefumptive wifdom, and his tormenting jealoufy, are fo avaricious, fo reftlefs, that there is fcarcely an office in the whole republic to which he does not appoint, nor a proceeding that he does not infpect, and, fhould he think proper, annul: he nominates as well the civil as the military officers; not only generals and judges, but advocates, attorneys, and school-mafters are of his appointment. Through the whole book, this fimple title of the Premier Consul occurs, whenever the exercile of power is concerned.

"The heart fickens to recollect that a poor human being, who cannot fo regulate the conduct of a fingle individual, not even of a child, but that his laws, his orders, and his purpofes, will be counteracted at every instant, fhould be afflicted to fuch excefs by the itch of governing that he will ap point, from his own fucceffor down to the infants that hifp in primary schools. Were the fubject less momentous, there would be matter of infinite ridicule

in the whole afpect of this new government, and this new man. The num ber of ages furely cannot be great before nations will (purn at t the very thought of be ng involved in all the miferies of war, because fuch is the

will of an individual.

This nian has so far forgotten all common fenfe, all common decency, all refpect for himfelt, and all recollection of the contempt in which mankind muti hold fuch infufferable vanity, that, in his public ftyle and negotiations, the fuppofition that the state and the people of France are in exiftence continually appears to be loft: they are all engulphed in the First Con ul It is the Firft Conful to the Grand Sultan; the First Conful to the Beys of Egypt; the First Conful to the Dey of Algiers: and to none but the First Con ul do thefe Sultans, Beys, and Deys reply.

Between the dwarfish form of the man and his enormous arrogance, there is a difparity too prepofterous for feeling to rid itfelf of; except by laughter. Yet how fuddenly is this motion checked, by the remembrance of the general destruction in which he endeavours to involve mankind. Is it not miferable to reflect that the paltry, the frothy, the defpicable thing called vanity, raging in a being in itself so impotent, fhould be the cause of fuch deiolation?

"How little a thing is this vanity, this reftlefs iteration of egotism, as it exhibits itself in the man to whom the wild accidents of fortune have confided fo difproportionate a fhare of the phyfical and moral force of Europe; fo that the oppofing remainder is threatened with annihilation."

ور

The chapter on invafion contains fome fenfible and pertinent remarks, and none more fo than the following. Adverting to the fentiments of those who were mifled by the profeffions of the early revolutionis, Mr. H. obferves,

The delufion is paffed: he, who at prefent hopes that the invaders of France would increase the freedom of Englishmen, is a lunatic; and the number of fuch men cannot be great. The firmest friends of freedom will ever be the first to repel flavery: fanatics only can imagine that those who have no liberty themfelves can give liberty to others; and fanatics are neither the friends nor the affociates of thofe who most tenaciously adhere to, because they best understand, that freedom which flaves and defpots themselves adore. The determination of the people of this ifland, to re. fift the miseries which have been inflicted on Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Holland, and Switzerland, is too great and too public to require proof by argument."

Of the festival of the birth-day of Buonaparté, its proceffions, de corations, embellishments, &c. our author gives a most pitiful account; by which it appears that the whole was little fuperior to the exhibitions at Bartholomew fair. In the attempt to erect a statue of peace prepared for this occafion, fome men were killed, "yet others were obliged to incur the fame danger. Tyranny will not endure difappointment, and will dreadfully punish failure." Of the blafphemous alulation of the French, the inftances have been fo multiplied and fo notorious fince the revolution, that they have ceafed to excite aftonifhment. The following inftance, at the celebration here noticed,