long without an explofion; even the pay of the army was ftopped for a confiderable period, and they were fuffered to remain without clothing. But the utmoft oppofition fubfifted between the Councils and the Directory. While the latter was demanding new taxes, and declaring the emptinefs of the treafury, the Councils maintained the fufficiency of the revenue to anfwer every call upon it. The machine of government was effectively at a ftand, and the army was, in reality, the umpire between the parties. It must have been evident, from the beginning, that they would ultimately declare against the fuppofed authors of their fufferings, real or pretended. On the part of the Directory, their minds were inflamed with reprefentations, that by the reffal of taxes it was evidently the plan of the majority of the Councils, to leave them to perith in famine and nakedness. To this was added the charge of royalifm; and the more effectual accufation, that by the restoration of the property of fome defcriptions of emigrants, the fund from which the myriad was to be made up, the donative promifed to them at the general peace, would be alienated. Againt this it was neceflary for the Councils to prove to the armies, that the Directory were the immediate authors of all their fufferings, by the most incontrovertible authorities. They fhould have fhown to a demonftration the fufficiency of the revenue, and that the peculation and rapacity of them and their creatures were the caufe of all their grievances. Thus the armies might have been rendered neutral, or even engaged in their favour, or the fpirit of the nation roufed; and the national guards, when called upon, have taken arms in their de fence. No measures to this purpofe were taken by the leaders of the Councils, until their caufe was utterly loft. Buonaparte, gained by the Directory, and, befides, goaded on by refentment for a perfonal attack upon him by its opponents, procured a declaration from his victorious army in its favour. The example was followed by the reft, except that of Pichegru.-- The majority in the Councils had nothing to oppose to a military force, marching for their defiruction, except pofts fet in the great roads, at a certain distance from the feat of their deliberations, directing them to stop there, and a few trim fentences; one of which, for its pathes and justice, we fhall tranfcribe. "Citizen foldiers; the legislative body is the citadel of the conftitution; you would die in its defence, and would you march to lay fiege to it*?” But P. 23, Thibaudeau. The merits of the parties is not entered into here; the leaders of the councils might wish to effect much good, But the reign of fentiments and tirades was paffed, with that of paper money. Hoche advanced; and, infpired by the genius, or copying the example of Colonel Pride, "purified" the Council of Five Hundred, of the Ancients, and the Di-rectory. Such is the analyfis of Sir F. D'I.'s account of the revolu ́tion of September, 1797; (in the gipfey jargon, Fructidor) and we agree with him, that the leading proximate cause is to be found in the dilapidation of the finances of France. We have confined ourselves to his views of it, and fhall go no further, but fimply to remark, that he does not feem adequately to have laid open what we may call the primary cause of this event; the motive, or principle of oppofition of the majority of the Councils, against that of the Directory. An account is added of many laws that were paffed immediately after this memorable tranfaction, to confirm the power in the hands which had now feized it. The fspirit of most of them is revolutionary, and the government is become in a great meafure provifional. A reign of terror is restored, but more fyftematized; and with a delufive appearance of fome mitigations, by which its authors hope, probably in vain, to obtain a longer fubmiffion to it. We cannot avoid making fome further reflections on the very interesting matter we find in this work. We have of late feen three events, each of which may be called a revolution in the foi-difunt republic, effected by an armed force in the capital; they are therefore frequently and periodically incident to its nature, and the prefent manners of the people. The two first were chiefly brought about by an armed populace at length the regular profeffors of arms have interfered, to take this bufinefs out of the hands of these unskilful practitioners, and the government is become Prætorian. The probable confequences of that fatal promife to the army, of a donative at the return of peace, of one milliard, or 41 the ends of the majority were certainly bad; but acts that undermine power which would be beneficially exerted, and betray it to those who will use it for bad ends, are cenfurable, even in the poffeffors of power themselves. To us it appears, that the majority in the councils was divided into parties having many different ends; but one measure was neceffary to the attainment of each to pull down the power of the Directory. In this they all concurred; it was a preparatory measure to the difcordant objects of all. This gave them a falfe appearance of union. The sections of the party had their ultimate ends, but they were contrary to each other, and as a whole had none in common. They are confidered here as a whole. Uu 2 millions millions fterling, deferves alfo confideration, as threatening the continuance of miferics, and likely to prolong the disturbed itate of Europe. This writer in one place feems to admit, that there exifts a poflibility, that the expectation of it may die away (p. 128). That its bafis is not very folid, the following circumftances prove. On a fufpicion entertained, that the fund from which it was to be paid, was in danger of being dimi nished*; the cry of the army of Hoche, marching "to befiege the citadel of the conflitution" was, "What must become of the milliard promised with so much folemnity when our fervices were wanted?" If a general peace be made, and the five coparcenors of the dictatorship thall not be able to difcharge this donative, will they not march with equal hoftility to raze the palace of the Directory? Their lives will pay the forfeit of the fecond falfe hope held out to the army, to induce them to effect the revolution of Fructidor. Until this fum be discharged, they will not fuffer themselves to be disbanded; nor, when returned into the interior on a peace, will they be kept on foot without maintenance: hence that return was an object of terror to the Directory, even before the last revolution. Of this there is the moft direct proof, attended with fome curious circumstances; we have Gibert accufing himself before the Upper Council (in reply to a perfonal charge of the Directory against him) of confenting to an "infamous operation ;" an illue to them of 100 millions fecret service money, under the lying pretext, that with fuch a fupply they would be able to procure a peace. The advance was made to them; but when the effect of their promife was demanded, the Directory "feemed to fear the return of the armies," and being preffed with the confequence, “that this was to determine that they fhould perifh in an enemy's country," they feemed fully to admit it, by afking, "who fhould fupport themt?" This is a rock on which the organized anarchy may probably fplit; and happier would it be for that afflicted land which it now lays wafte, if it did not alike threaten its beft remaining hope with a wreck also. After this revolution, the Councils returned, in fome meafure, to the old fyftem of taxation. In the two preceding years, endeavours had been used in vain to meet the public exigencies by the forced loan, and the iffue of mandats, and ordonnances. There always appeared confiderable danger, if P. 226, Bentabolle. + P. 126, Gibert. P. 306. The particular taxes are not mentioned, but if they go no further than the propofitions of Gibert, May 26, it confirms what is faid above; the eftimate of the taxes granted was 100 millions. ever monarchy fhould be restored in France, at the very commencement of fo happy an event, from the reimpofition of any great part of the old fyftem of taxes; a measure, notwithftanding, of abfolute neceflity. If the new impofts be vigour. oufly perfifted in, and pre-established, the unpopularity of the return of these taxes and monarchy together will be avoided. It is a future danger that may be looked upon as prevented, by the crime of September 4; which will then appear to have providentially fecured, in one great point, the repofe of the reftored lawful government. Sir F. D'Ivernois informs us likewife, that there are other means by which that event, which feemed to deprefs, has actually given confiderable ftrength to the caufe of royalty, even at prefent. That all the partizans of the tranfported members of the Councils are become royalifts; and that doubtless there were numbers of republicans in France, whom the experience of its calamities would wean from their attachment to that form of government, but nothing elfe; being fo wedded to it, that they would expect happinefs from it in form after form, until no new experiment remained to be made. These must now become converts to the royal caufe, among the par tizans of which were before numbered the magiftracy; the mercantile intereft; the body of the lawyers, fo inftrumental in the first revolution; the middle clafs; and, we borrow the term and the fact from a legiflator of that country, which has confecrated the principle of equality, the PLEBEIANS. We expect, with much avidity, the fecond part of this hiftory of the finances for 1797; and are confident, that in this, we only participate in the defires of all thofe who have reflected much upon this interefting fubject. At the fame time, we must exprefs our regret on being informed, that we are to expect no more of thefe excellent annual repositories of the political economy of the anarchical Republic; our hope muft therefore be directed to a continuation of the work by fome other pen; and we fhall be happy to find it fuch a one, that we shall be able juftly to preface our account of it, by faying, Primo avulfo, non deficit alter Aureus; et fimili frondescit virga metallo. *P. 333, Gayvernon. ART. ART. VIII. Walfingham, or the Pupil of Nature; a Domeftic Story. By Mary Robinfon, Author of Angelina, Hubert de Sevrac, The Widow, Vancenza, c. &c. &c. In Four Vols. 12mo. 16s. Longman. 1797. THIS HIS novel is of a fingular kind, in refpect to its moral, fable, character, and catastrophe. We shall first remark upon fome prominent parts of it, and then characterize the work in general. Whatever the general moral of this piece may be, there are many particular fentiments, which may be impreffed upon the minds of female readers with great advantage to them. Of which kind is the following: "There is no fituation in life more completely wretched than that of a faded beauty, who, in the hours of univerfal conqueft, neglected that cultivation of mind which can enliven the winter of age, and prefent a pleafing fubftitute for the moft gratifying purfuits." Vol i, P. 42. Lord Chesterfield meets with no quarter. The fuperficial politenefs which he teaches, is very ftrongly fatirized. "The precepts of Chesterfield are generally either useless or criminal. With respect to the manners of a well-bred man, he inculcates nothing more than every well-bred man' already practifes. As to his fyftem of gallantry, I deem it the most profligate, unprin cipled, and prejudicial that ever difgraced the republic of letters. A man, completely fashioned after the model of Chefterfield, muft be the bane of fociety; a mere fluttering painted fly, that buzzes in the atmosphere of a court, to dazzle with its gaudy colours, and to fting the unfufpecting fool, who is fafeinated by its beauty. No; man only can be polished by woman." Vol. i, p. 152, At p. 305, fome very hazardous advice is given, in which we do not concur: "To become the idolator of virtue, let the pupil of nature explore the labyrinths of vice. They need only be known, to be fhunned and detefted." This is fine theory, but defperate practice. "I found a large circle of both fexes, feated round a table: men intent on the turn of a card, which was destined either to ruin themfelves or their intimate affociates; and women, facrificing all the graces of mind and perfon, wholly abforbed in the vortex of deAruction. I cannot describe the difguft which I felt, while I coptemplated features, decked with the bloom of youth, yet diftorted by internal emotions! Bofoms which nature formed for the abodes of gentleness and virtue, burning with rage, and panting with difapBointment! Eyes, darting forth the lightnings of defpair; and lips, pallid with the apprehenfion of impending ruin! Is this, what men call |