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penditure by only a few thousand pounds. No new imposts were, of course, necessary.—Mr. Sheridan, on a subsequent day, proposed a long string of resolutions to the House, the object of which was to show, that all Mr. Pitt's calculations, respecting the public income, and the reduction of the national debt, were fallacious. These resolutions were debated on successive days, and negatived by the House; and a number of different resolutions, proposed by the minister and his friends, were adopted in their stead. The Indian budget was opened by Mr. Dundas, on the 24th of May, who, in a very clear and full account of the state of our Indian government, made it appear, that there existed, in that country, a surplus revenue of £1,409,079. The accuracy of this statement was, indeed, questioned by Mr. Paul Benfield, and some other members; but the House gave their sanction to sixteen resolutions, in support of it. On the 10th of June the Parliament was prorogued.

CHAPTER XVII.

The progress of Revolutionary Principles in England-Paine's Rights of Man-Means taken to promote its extensive circulation among the lower classes of People-Its EffectThe Revolution Society-Justice of Mr. Burke's charges against it, proved from the contents of its own publication-Its abuse of Princes-Its wishes for the example of France to be imitated in all countries-Dr. PriestleyHis admiration of the French Revolution-His wish for the extirpation of the Established Church, whose clergy he reviles as " Vermin who deserve no mercy"—Anticipates the destruction of Kings, Archbishops, and BishopsResolves to commemorate the seizure of the Bastille at Birmingham-Seditious hand-bill circulated on that occasion-The mob insult the commemorating PatriotsDemolish the house of Dr. Priestley-Commit other outrages--Are dispersed on the arrival of the troops-These riots produced by a seditious hand-bill-Reward offered for the discovery of its author-The Author absconds, but his name is known-Dr. Priestley's losses on this occasion-Made good by the Hundred-Destruction of his manuscripts no loss to Society-Unphilosophical lamentations of the Doctor-Echoed by the Students at Hackney College, and by the Unitarian Preachers-Pernicious tendency of his writings-He abjures his country, and becomes an American citizen, after sending his son to become a citizen of France-Injustice of his com

plaints-His rejection of the fundamental tenets of the Christian faith-French affairs-Tyranny of the National Assembly-All freedom of debate destroyed-Indecent conduct of the galleries-Persecution of the non-juring priests---Conscientious scruples of Louis XVI.---Bishop of Clermont's letter to his Majesty on the subject of receiving the Sacrament at Easter---The King is insulted by a grenadier, while at chapel---Attempts to go to St. Cloud with his family---Is stopped by the mob---Appeals for protection to La Fayette---La Fayette's fruitless endeavours to disperse the populace---The King is obliged to return--Repairs to the National Assembly---Dastardly conduct of its Members---The King resolves to escape from Paris--Mirabeau is gained over to the court---His project for restoring the regal authority---La Fayette suspects him--Curious conference between them---Death of Mirabeau--Sketch of his character---Emperor of Germany's advice to Louis XVI.---Indecision of the King---His extreme imprudence---He leaves Paris for Montmedy---Is arrested at Varennes, and compelled to return to Paris---The prevalence of republican principles---The King a prisoner in his Palace, with La Fayette for his gaoler---All regal power usurped by the Assembly---Firm conduct of the Royalists---The Sovereign attacked in the Assembly by Pethion---Who proposes a measure subversive of a fundamental principle of the new constitution---Furious speech of Brissot in the Jacobin Club---The King accepts the constitution and swears to observe it---The Assembly is dissolved---Conference at Pilmitz---Object of it---Declaration of Austria, Prussia, and the French Princes---Never carried into effect---Objectionable passage in the declaration ---Remarks upon it---The British Government take no part in those proceedings---Motives of Mr. Pitt's conduct--His high ideas of National Independence---Is not yet alive to the danger of revolutionary principles---Is sincerely

anxious for the preservation of Peace-Mr. Burke's exposition of French Principles-State of the public mind in England and France at the close of 1791.

[1791] It has already been observed, that revolutionary principles had made a considerable progress in this country. Allusion has been made to the publications industriously circulated by the friends and admirers of the French revolution. - Among these, Paine's Rights of Man took the lead. It was written in a style well calculated to catch the ear of the multitude, for whose use it had been principally composed;-the substance of the book was equally alluring; it taught the mob that: they were the real sovereigns of the state; and that, although they could not all rule, yet that each of them was equally qualified, and equally entitled, to wear the Crown, with the individual then seated on the throne. It required much stronger minds than are possessed by any of the common people of Europe to resist the temptations here thrown in their way. In England, where every man is a politician, and where every ale-house exhibits a kind of senate in miniature, thanks to the indefinite number of vehicles for the conveyance, not only of public intelligence, but of political instruction; such doctrines could scarcely fail to

make many converts, and to produce a strong effect. Paine's book was circulated by a great majority of the Dissenters, particularly by the Unitarians, and even by the Methodists, who not only introduced it into their families, for the use of their children, but distributed it widely among all their connections. One edition of ten thousand copies was printed, by a dissenting printer, for a dissenting bookseller,* who had been the publisher of all the principal Unitarian works which had appeared for several years. It was forwarded to all the markettowns in the kingdom, whence it was dispersed among the neighbouring villages; and even trusty agents were employed to attend the

* I have not a wish to be personal, or I should here name the printer, the bookseller, and one, at least, of the agents, to whom I refer. The large edition in question was printed after the book had become the subject of prosecution.--And I have seen a copy in octavo, handsomely printed, (in the house of a Methodist,) which was never offered to public sale. In writing the history of the times in which we live, it is extremely difficult to do justice to the subject, without either deviating from rigid truth, or descending to invidious personality.Amicus Socrates, amicus Plato, sed magis amica Veritas,-should be the historian's rule. If personality cannot be avoided without injury to the cause of truth, recourse ought to be had to it, without scruple, and without fear; but, unless the plea of necessity can be fairly urged in its behalf, it ought to be studiously rejected by the historian.

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