on the issuing blood, and paraded the palpitating members through the city. You have often heard it; but I have mentioned thus far to rescue the name of Manuel from participation in foul deeds, from which he recoiled with horror, and exerted all his power to prevent.

Orleans, the presiding demon of this killing assembly, gained a great income by Lamballe's death, and he paid a great price for it; she preferred her honor to her life; the safety of the Queen to her own preservation. Though Orleans bargained for her 'death, if she could have been prevailed upon to condemn the Queen, to confirm the charges made against her, with the in-] tercession of Manuel she might have escaped, and the cupidity of the bloodthirsty Orleans, would have been disappointed.

Now that Roberspierre is no more, truth is spoken, and there is no danger in justifying Manuel; in his revolutionary phrenzy he had been guilty of crimes; but to gratify Roberspierre, he was defamed for crimes he had never committed; he was anxious to save the King's life as he had been to save Lamballe's; but his efforts were unsuccessful in both. When vice and virtue were made to have no determinate nature, but were changed and perverted as served the purpose of the faction, it was then that he was denounced for a culpable mercy towards the last of the tyrants; it was alledged that he had used secret influence to save the King's life; and for this he forfeited his own; when Roberspierre sought the destruction of those of whom he was jealous or afraid, their principles, whatever they were, signified nothing; some act was misrepresented, some word misconstrued, and

no conduct could shelter them: and yet there is one trait in his life which ought to be told, though it requires an effort to make us believe that he did good from a good motive.

There was a trial in England respecting some forged assignats; the person who forged them, confessed it in open court, and said it was done with the approbation of the Secretary of State. Perhaps this was a falsehood; but it is on record, and no one from government has condescended to deny it. Lord Kenyon, the moral, simple, blunt, independant Chief Judge of that day, in summing up, told the Jury, that in war there were certain laws by which nations were bound, such as not using poisoned arms, quarters in war, &c. &c.; but forging assignats did not seem an offence against the faith of nations, &c. &c. About that time a projector presented

K

himself to Roberspierre, and shewed some curious plates for forging English banknotes; Roberspierre rewarded his ingenuity with a commitment to the Concier-gerie.

LETTER XVIII.

Paris, September 22, 1802.

THOUGH I am on the spot, and Mr. Fox in my vicinity, I cannot tell what reports to credit or reject; he has become a subject of conversation among the French, and of animadversion among the English. It is said he has been presented to Bonaparte, and dined twice with him at the Tuilleries or St. Cloud; that the Consul requested the Patriot to meet him at the annual fair of the Louvre, where the choice articles of manufactories and inventions are yearly displayed, that he might introduce Mrs. Fox to Ma