his fubjects; and they left him literally without money, except what little they might chance to have in their pockets at the time; for the French plunderers inftantaneously laid their hands on every thing that was valuable. The mandate of Joubert prescribed the ifland of Sardinia as the place of their exile; but no authentic intelligence having been received of their arrival in any place of fafety, we fhould not be at all furprized if private orders had been given, if not to murder them on the road, at least, to arrest them and convey them, as prifoners, to France.

It was eafy, after the furrender of the citadel of Turin, to foresee the fate of this monarch. Accordingly, fo long ago as the month of July laft, it was predicted by us, with tolerable precifion, in the following terms: "He is reduced to the state of a crowned flave, who holds his exiftente, political and natural, by the frail tenure of direc torial tolerance. The moment their plan is ripe for execution, their deftruttive breath will diffolve this fhadow of a monarch, deftined to terminate his days in exile, if not on a fcaffold." May Heaven avert the juftification of our other fears, the fulfilment of our other predictions!

By every freth conqueft the French acquire fresh means for continuing that war which is effential to the exiftence of the Republic. They drain the country to replenish their exhaufted coffers; and they prefs the people to recruit their armies. The evil which threatens with annihilation the whole body politic of Europe daily increases in magnitude and extent; and yet the principal powers, as if bound by a magic fpell, ftill remain torpid and inert; the flaves of fear, the victims of jealoufy. Infiead of acting with that cordial co-operation, which can alone fecure them from deftruction, they ftill harbour fome portion of that ancient animofity, that ancient rivality, by which their actions were too frequently influenced before the existence of the French Republic. Infatuated, men— inftead of endeavouring to force back within its ancient boundaries the impetuous torrent which carries defolation wherever it rolls, they watch, with paffive terror, its tremendous progrefs, behold it inundating the neighbouring States, while, infulated themselves, they are not aware that, after it has completed its fweeping circuit, vain will be the attempt to oppose an effectual barrier to the ftill farther extenfion of its rage, and that one furious dash of its waves will fuffice to involve them all in the general ruin.

The inactivity of the Emperor has been falfely afcribed to motives of ambition; whereas it folely originates in fear, cherished and increafed by the jealoufy which we have defcribed. He has been weak enough to liften to the perfidious fuggeftions of French emiffaries and French partifans, who feek to divert his attention from the deftructive progrefs of the Directory to the pretended defigns of Ruffia and Pruffia; and to imprefs on his mind a belief,

* See Vol. I. p. 125.

that

that if he again take the field against France, he will be forfaken by his allies, and left to fight his battles alone. Thus, by feeking to avert an imaginary danger, he facilitates the approach of certain deftruction. How long this weaknefs will continue to operate, to the advantage of the Directory and to the prejudice of fociety, after his tacit acquiefcence in the depofition of his kinfman, it is not poffible to forefee. It is eafy, however, to predict, that its continuance, for fix months longer, will prove fatal, not only to himself, but to all the exifting governments on the continent of Europe.

The EMPEROR of RUSSIA is prepared to act with vigour, and the more rapid progrefs of his armies has only been hitherto reftrained by the prepofterous apprehenfions of the Court of Vienna. The KING of PRUSSIA having refifted the infidious acts of the apoftate SIEYES, is now well-difpofed to join in a general confederacy, founded on a broad, juft, and equitable bafis. But these / powers cannot take the field without the co-operation of Austria, who muft, however, be reduced, by a late measure of the Direc tory, to the neceffity of choofing between continued inactivity and immediate hoftilities.

and

At the difgraceful Congrefs of Raftadt, where the petty Princes of Germany have, for eight long months, been playing a part, from the contemplation of which every well-formed mind muft revolt with difguft, a note from the Directory, delivered on the 2d of January, tended to alter that pacific aspect which the miferable Deputies had, of late, affumed. It was figned by the three Regicides fent thither on purpofe to degrade the German powers, contained an affurance that the entrance of the Ruflian troops on the Imperial territory would be confidered as a declaration of war by the Empire. As it is not in the power of the minor Princes to impede the march of the Ruffians, this note must be confidered as a preliminary step to the invafion of their country, provided the Emperor fhould ultimately decide on the renewal of hoftilities. No letters from Vienna having reached England fince the reception of this note at that capital, we know not what effect it has produced on the Imperial Cabinet; but it is certainly well calculated to bring matters to a crifis. The prohibition of the Directory can only apply to the Empire, and not to the hereditary States of the Houfe of Auftria, because they knew, fome months ago, that the Ruffians were on their march to thofe countries, and, confequently, would have entered their proteft at that time, if fuch had been their intention. It, however, fuffices to thew what the Emperor has to expect from them, whenever they fhall be fully prepared to attack him; and if this does not open his eyes, his blindnefs may fafely be deemed incurable. If the Directory really meant, by concluding a peace (or rather truce) with the Empire, to fecure their new acquired territory on the left bank of the Rhine from invafion, they must have formed the defign of directing their main force to Italy.

P 2

But

But this plan, if they really had formed it, has experienced a material interruption, from the very spirited and exemplary refiftance of the oppreffed inhabitants of Brabant and the neighbouring country; a refiftance which muft extort a blush from all the great powers of the continent. This brave people, determined to conquer or perith, and aided by the natural strength of the country, have hitherto not only refifted every attempt to reduce them, but have deftroyed a great number of the Republican troops that were fent against them, and, by the adoption of a wife, and, we will add, an humane fyftem of retaliation, from which, heaven be praised, they had no Sheridan to deter then, have compelled the ferocious Pentarchs, and their fanguinary agents, to abandon their ufual practice of murdering pritoners of war in cold blood, and to accede to propofals for an exchange. This is almost the only fpot on the continent which affords the fmalleft ground of confolation to the foes of anarchy. This fmall band of true patriots may yet prove the faviours of Europe. They derive great advantages from their vicinity to Holland, where a general difcontent prevails; and if the KING of PRUSSIA would but fend an army to their affiftance, from his neighbouring territory, he might render them invincible; and, feconded by an English force, directed against Zeland, which would become an eafy conqueft, might annihilate the baftard Republic of Batavia, and reftore to the Dutch the bleffings of their ancient government. This would neceffarily create fuch a diverfion of the French force, as, notwithftanding the immenfe advantages which they have been recently fuffered to fccure, would cramp all their efforts, and fruftrate all their plans; that is, admitting the grand confpiracy to be formed, and the united forces of Austria and Ruffia to be ready to act in Italy and on the Rhine.

While France is bufily employed in the diffufion of her principles, and the extenfion of her conquefts abroad, fhe exhibits a fcene of complicated wretchedness and tyranny at home, which beggars all defcription. Excepting only the permanent guillotine, the whole fyftem of Robefpierre is renewed. To the able pen, and intelligent mind, of M. Mallet du Pan, we are indebted for fome particulars, relative to the dreadful fituation of this wretched country, that are at once curious and inftructive. The taxes now paid by the people of France (who were induced to acquiefce in the depofition and murder of their fovereign by a promife of exemption from all impofts. in future) compared with thofe paid under the ancient government are in the proportion of 288 to 32, in the towns, and nearly as much in the country, where the outcafts of fociety are entrusted with the regulation of the quantum of contributions to be levied on each individual

The ftoppage of the Paris Bank, called la Caiffe des Comptes courans, in the month of November laft, has given the finishing ftroke to the commercial interest in France. No notes whatever are now taken in payment, and no goods can be procured from foreign countries without cafh. In lefs than a fortnight, there were twenty-eight bankruptcies

bankruptcies among the bankers and merchants in Paris, and thirtytwo among the fame defcription of perfons at Nantes, Lyons, and Rouen!

All the national works are ftopped, even the best high-roads in the country resemble ploughed lands, though a very heavy contribution is levied on all carriages and horfes, every two leagues, for their fup→ port. Befides this dreadful inconvenience to which travellers are fubjected, fo great is the number of robbers, that they are abfolutely obliged to take the precaution of travelling in large bodies, like the caravans in the Defarts of Arabia.

Paris itself is become the most filthy place in Europe. The streets are never cleaned; the lamps never lighted. This neglect is owing to the non-payment of the perfons appointed to perform thofe necef fary works. Though a multiplicity of taxes are raised, upon every article that enters the capital, and the produce of which ought to be be appropriated to fuch perfons; yet the rapacious avarice of the government, every member of which riots in luxury, diffipation and debauchery, while the wretched inhabitants are reduced to mifery, fwallows up the whole. Even the Hofpitals are left deftitute of food and medicine for the fick. To complete the beauty of this metropolis, the boafted repofitory of the arts, the feat of the fciences, the center of every thing that is elegant and grand, the ftreets are full of large holes, not one of them having been paved for fix years paft!

A complete political inquifition is eftablished in the Directional Palace. Such of the priests, deputies, journalists, and other confpirators, who were profcribed in virtue of the law of the 5th of September, 1797, as have hitherto efcaped, are reduced to the neceffity of concealing themfelves in obfcure retreats, and even in fubterraneous paffages. The road to Rochefort is covered with waggons, which, from every part of old and new France, are employed to carry to the place of embarkation, unfortunate clergymen, pretended emigrants, and fufpected perfons of every defcription, who have been fentenced to transportation by the mandate of the Directory. The military requifitions have been enforced by the bayonet, 80,000 young men have already been torn from their diftreffed families, and conveyed to the army. To perfect the system of terror, the new Minifter of Police has recently iffued orders to all the commiffioners of the Executive Power in the different departments, to fend him an exact lift of the names and profeffions of all perfons, in every town and diftrict, who, during the courfe of the revolution, have profeffed opinions, or purfued a line of conduct, in any wife inimical to it.

After the three Directors had fucceeded in their attack upon the councils, in September 1797, there remained about 40,000l. fterling, deftined to the payment of the falaries of the Legislative Body, due to the profcribed deputies. This fum the other deputies, inftigated, no doubt, by the Directory, had the profligacy to divide amongst themselves, it amounted to about 601. a man! No doubt, frequent recourfe will be had to this fingular means of corruption, by the

Pen

Pentarchs; and we fhall not be furprized to hear of a second dividend at the approaching election, in the month of March; when LA REVEILLERE LEPAUX is to go out by lot, and quit the Directory for fome other lucrative poft.

Meanwhile all public fpirit is dead in France; the people are alike indifferent to victory or defeat; a general apathy prevails; and exemption from the guillotine feems to be confidered as the ne plus ultra of republican happinefs! When a nation is fo funk, fo loft, fo degraded, every fentiment of pity gives way to emotions of indignation or contempt.

In the view of our domeftic concerns, every other confideration is, for a time, abforbed in the grand question of an UNION between Great-Britain and Ireland. Some preliminary difcuffion was introduced in a debate in the English Houfe of Commons on the 23d of January; but it was more formally and more amply difcuffed in the Irish Parliament, which opened on the 22d, with a speech from the Lord Lieutenant, indirectly announcing the measure. The debate which enfued, on the motion for the addrefs in the House of Cominons, was one of the most violent and diforderly that ever was heard in any deliberative affembly, out of France. The moft fcandalous marks of applaufe and difapprobation, refembling the plaudits and hiffes of the rabble in the galleries of a theatre, were beftowed on the different fpeakers, not only by the strangers in the Houfe, but by the oppofition members themfelves. Why the SPEAKER did not interpofe his authority for the prevention of a scene so repugnant to decency, fo hoftile to cool deliberation, and fo totally fubverfive of the freedom of debate, we cannot conceive. The difcuffion did not clofe till the noon of the following day, when the queltion for the addrefs was carried by a majority of one. Several members, favourable to the meafure, but difgufted with the violence difplayed, during the debate, retired from the Houfe; and others, of fimilar fentiments, were prevented, by various caufes, from attending. In the upper Houfe, the addrefs was carried by a decifive majority. Notwithstanding, therefore, the oppofition which the meafure has experienced in the Commons, it will, in all probability, be ultimately adopted.

The ground taken by many of the members who oppose it, is the moft extraordinary ground that they could poffibly have chofen for the purpose---viz. the incompetency of Parliament to incorporate the two countries by an Union. The oppofition in Ireland advanced on this topic the fame arguments as Mr. Sheridan had brought forward in the British Houfe of Commons; with this difference, Mr. S. confidering the matter as a felf-evident propofition, did not condefcend to fupport his affertion by any thing like proof; whereas Mr. Ponfonby and others fupported their curious fyftem of incompetency on the first principles of government laid down by LOCKE, The latter gentlemen had evidently the vantage ground over their affociates here, for it must be acknowledged, that if their premifes be admitted, that is, if all Locke's principles, refpecting the origin of government, be received as valid, it will be difficult to difpute

the