with it. He seemed pleased with my praises, "We found him in the billiard-room, employed and said it was a proof of taste, for she was per-looking over some very large maps, and movhaps one of the most lovely women that ever ing about a number of pins, some with red existed.""I have often heard wonder ex-heads, others with black. I asked him what pressed at the extentof Napoleon's information he was doing. He replied that he was fighton matters of which he would hardly have been ing over again some of his battles, and that expected to know much. On this occasion, a the red-headed pins were meant to represent very clever medical man, after a long conver- the English, and the black to indicate the sation with the emperor on the subject of his French. One of his chief amusements was profession, declared his astonishment to my going through the evolutions of a lost battle, father at the knowledge he possessed, and the to see if it were possible by any better maclearness and brilliancy with which he rea- noeuvring to have won it."-" Seeing the exsoned on it, though his theories were some- emperor one day less amiable than usual, and times rather heterodox. Napoleon told him his face very much swollen and inflamed, I he had no faith whatever in medicine, and inquired the cause, when he told me that Mr. that his own remedies were starvation and O'Meara had just performed the operation of the warm bath. At the same time he profess- drawing a tooth, which caused him some ed a higher opinion of the medical, or rather pain. I exclaimed, 'What!-you complain of surgical profession, than of any other. The the pain so trifling an operation can give? practice of the law, he said, was too severe an You, who have passed through battles innuordeal for poor human nature, adding, that he merable, amid storms of bullets whizzing who habituates himself to the distortion of around you, and by some of which you must truth, and to exultation at the success of injus- occasionally have been hit! I am ashamed of tice, will at last hardly know right from you. But, nevertheless, give me the tooth, wrong; so it is, he remarked, with politics, a and I will get it set by Mr. Solomons as an man must have a conventional conscience. Of ear-ring, and wear it for your sake.' The idea the church, also (les ecclésiastiques), he spoke made him laugh heartily, in spite of his sufferharshly, saying that too much was expected ing, and caused him to remark, that he thought from its members, and that they became hyp- I should never cut my wisdom teeth;—he was ocrites in consequence. As to soldiers, they always in extra good humor with himself were cut-throats and robbers, and not the less whenever he was guilty of any thing apso because they were ready to send a bulletproaching the nature of a witticism.' through your head if you told them your opinion of them. But surgeons, he said, are neither too good nor too bad. Their mission is to benefit mankind, not to destroy, mystify, or "The emperor asked me one day, whether inflame them against each other; and they I was acquainted with Captain Wallis, who have opportunities of studying human nature commanded the Podargus;' and on my replyas well as of acquiring science."-"Napoleoning in the affirmative, he said, somewhat abmentioned that he had once ridden a favorite gray charger one hundred and twenty miles in one day. It was to see his mother, who was dangerously ill, and there were no other means of reaching her. The poor animal died in the course of the night. He said that his own power of standing fatigue was immense, and that he could almost live in the saddle. I am afraid to say how many houre he told me once he had remained on horse-existed,back, but I remember being much surprised at his powers of endurance."

"Napoleon was very anxious about hearing any gossip relative to pic-nics. balls, or parties, that took place at St. Helena."

ruptly, 'What does he think of me? It so happened, that, in the case of this officer, the prejudice against Napoleon (and indeed against every thing French, at that time common to all Englishmen) was sharpened upon the whetstone of painful experience, into the acuteness of rancor and bitter hatred; perhaps the word prejudice is hardly a fit term to apply to that particular mania which then -a feeling which, first instilled into our infant minds by our nurses, 'grew with our growth, and strengthened with our "I insisted (her birthday fête) on his tast- strength,' until it fully ripened into that settled ing a piece of birthday cake, which had been jealousy which was but too apparent in all the sent for that occasion by a friend from Eng-transactions which took place between the land, and who, little knowing the strict surveillance exercised over all those in any way connected with the fallen chief and his adherents, had the cake ornamented with a large, eagle; this, unluckily for us, was the subject of much animadversion. I named it to Napoleon as an inducement for him to eat the cake, saying, 'It is the least you can do for getting us into such disgrace.' Having thus induced him to eat a thick slice, he pinched my ear, calling me a saucy simpleton, and galloped away humming, or rather attempting to sing, with his most unmusical voice, Vive Henri Quatre.'

individual inhabitants of the hostile countries. It was, therefore, not without the assistance of all my small stock of girlish assurance that I ventured to answer, Oh! he has the nost abominable opinion of you in the world; he says you shut him up for ten years in the Temple; and there is no end to the barbarities that he lays to your charge. He declared to us that, on one occasion, they removed him from one cell to another, which had been just vacated by the corpse of a man who had shot himself through the head, and that he met the body on the way. Moreover, his gaolers had

not the decency to wash away the dead man's desired me to consider myself under arrest for brains, which had been scattered on the wall, at least a week; and I was transferred from the but left them there for the special annoyance drawing-room to a dark cellar, and there left of the living occupant. Besides that, he ac- to solitude and repentance."-"I was taken to cuses you of nearly starving him: to such an my cell every morning, and released at night extent did he suffer from want of food, that he only to go to bed. The emperor's great and Captain Shaw, a fellow-sufferer, once amusement during that time was to converse tore a live duck_to pieces, and devoured it with me through my grated window; and he like cannibals.' The emperor observed, that generally succeeded in making me laugh by it was not to be wondered at that Captain mimicking my dolorous countenance."Wallis was so inveterate against him, as he "There was a lady, the wife of an officer in was the lieutenant who, together with Wright, the 66th regiment, a Mrs. Baird, who sung had been convicted of landing spies and bri- and played very well; among her favorite gands in his territories, for which they were songs was a monody upon the Duke d'Enafterwards reported to have been murdered ghien. I learned this, and sang it to Napoleon by his (the emperor's) orders."—" One Sunday one day at Madame Bertrand's. He was morning, Napoleon came bustling in, and pleased with the air, and asked what it was. seeing me very earnestly employed reading I showed it to him: there was a vignette on aloud to my sister, asked what I was so in- the cover of the music, representing a man tently engaged upon, and why I looked so standing in a ditch, with a bandage round his much graver than usual. I told him I was eyes, and a lantern tied to his waist; in front learning to repeat the collect for the day, and of him several soldiers, with their muskets that if I failed in saying it, my father would levelled in the act of firing. He asked what be very angry. I remarked, 'I suppose you it meant. I told him it was intended to reprenever learnt a collect or any thing religious, sent the murder of the Duke d'Enghien. He for I am told you disbelieve the existence of a looked at the print with great interest, and God.' He seemed displeased at my observa asked what I knew about it. I told him he tion, and answered, you have been told an was considered the murderer of that illustrious untruth; when you are wiser you will under-prince. He said, in reply, it was true, he had stand that no one could doubt the existence of a God.' My mother asked him if he was a predestinarian, as reported. He admitted the truth of the accusation, saying, 'I believe that whatever a man's destiny calls upon him to do, that he must fulfil."""When we saw Napoleon after this (his first) illness, the havoc and change it had made in his appearance was sad to look upon. His face was literally the color of yellow wax, and his cheeks had fallen in pouches on either side his face. His ancles were so swollen that the flesh literally hung over his shoes; he was so weak, that without resting one hand on a table near him, and the other on the shoulder of an attendant, he could not have stood. . . . He, however, rallied from this attack, to pass nearly three more years in hopeless misery; for it became more evident to him that the anticipation in which he indulged (on first coming to St. Helena) of quitting the island, became fainter as health declined and time wore on."

"I recollect exhibiting to Napoleon a caricature of him in the act of climbing a ladder. Each step he ascended represented some vanquished country; at length he was seated astride upon the world. It was a famous toy; and, by a dexterous trick, Napoleon appeared on the contrary side, tumbling down head over heels, and after a perilous descent, alighting on St. Helena. I ought not to have shown him this burlesque on his misfortunes; but at that time I was guilty of every description of mad action, though without any intention of being unkind; still I fear they were often deeply felt. My father, of whom I al ways stood in awe, heard of my rudeness, and

ordered his execution, for he was a conspirator, and had landed troops in the pay of the Bourbons to assassinate him; and he thought from such a conspiracy, he could not act in a more politic manner than by causing one of their own princes to be put to death, in order the more effectually to deter them from attempting his life again; that the prisoner was tried for having borne arms against the republic, and was executed according to the existing laws; but not, as here represented, in a ditch, and at night. There was nothing secret in the transaction; all was public and open."

With this we conclude our disjointed extracts. The volume is adorned by half a dozen plates from the pencil of Miss Abell, the young lady we have already alluded to as a songstress of sweet and cultivated promise, whom we have heard in private society as a prelude (we were told) to the concert-room. With regard to the author herself, unlike the Pretty Besse," her namesake of Bethnal Green, whose travels, we believe extended no farther than to Lea and Romford, she has seen more of the world than has fallen to the lot of many women. She has traversed India and South America, not in a search like that of Celebs, but in one of a more afflicting nature, and ending not in the happy style of novel dénouement. To the sympathy of every feeling heart she is eminently entitled; and on every ground we once more earnestly recommend her book.

MAXIMILIEN ROBESPIERRE.

From the British and Foreign Review.

share of hostile feeling, and, as a natural consequence, the spoken and written expression of it. But although we are not 1. Choix de Rapports, Opinions et Dis- surprised at the obloquy heaped upon his cours Prononcés à la Tribune Nationale name, we should have expected a more cordepuis 1789 jusqu'à nos jours; recueillis rect estimate of his character than has been dans un ordre chronologique et histori- furnished recently in this country by such que. Tom. 1-14. Paris: Alexis Eyme-writers as Mr. Carlyle and Lord Brougham. ry, 1818-1820:

Mr. Carlyle, while he has striven to ele

2. Histoire Parlementaire de la Révolu- vate Mirabeau into a miracle of genius if tion Française, ou Journal des Assem- not of virtue,-a man thoroughly immoral, blees Nationales, depuis 1789 jusqu'en intellectually possessed of a few superficial 1815. Par P. J. B. BUCHEZ et P. C. accomplishments, capable indeed of occaRoux. Tom. 1-36. Paris: Paulin, sional effective bursts of eloquence, but en1834-1838. dued with little of the real genius of a states3. Papiers Inédits trouvés chez Robes- man,-while he has represented Danton as pierre, Saint-Just, Payan, etc., sup- not unredeemed by some virtues, and posprimés ou omis par Courtois; précédés sessing much energy and even generosity of du Rapport de ce Député à la Conven- character-while he extols the eloquence tion Nationale. Tom. 1, 2, 3. 8vo. of Vergniaud and Guadet, though belonging Paris Baudouin Frères, 1828. to a party which he deems signally deficient 4. Lord Brougham's Historical Sketches in vigor,-has described Maximilien Robesof Statesmen,'-article Robespierre.' pierre as a poor sea-green atrabiliar forThird Series. London: C. Knight and mula of a man; without head, without heart, Co. 1843. or any grace, gift, or even vice beyond common, if it were not vanity, astucity, diseased rigor as of a cramp: meant by nature for a Methodist parson of the stricter sort, to doom men who departed from the written confession; to chop fruitless shrill logic; to contend and suspect and ineffectually wrestle and wriggle.'

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EXACTLY half a century has elapsed since the individual who bore the name of Maximilien Robespierre,* commenced that dark journey on which he had sent so many. The time is probably not yet arrived for forming a completely correct estimate of him, and of many others who were actors in the same great drama. The subject is "It would be difficult," says Lord Broughone beset with great and peculiar difficul- am, to point out within the whole range ties; for if Robespierre, instead of his half- of history, ancient or modern, any person century, had "outlived his century," it could who played so great a part as Robespierre "# But how can a hardly be said of him, as of the great poet with so little genius.' to whom Johnson applied the words, that man be said to have little genius, whose "the effects of favor and competition were speeches went, if not as directly, as surely, at an end," that "the tradition of his friend- to their end as Napoleon's shot,-that end ships and his enmities had perished." Even being the attainment of the supreme powin the case of politicians in ordinary times, er of the state, during (to use Lord Broughto baffled rivals, disappointed suitors, unsat- am's own words)" by far the most critical isfied claimants, delinquents justly punished, period of French history in any age?" Inand unprosperous men of all kinds and de- deed Lord Brougham is too great an orator grees, there naturally belong feelings of dis- himself to mistake, as some have done, the appointment, hatred and revenge, so strong value of Robespierre's speeches; and the that their poison circula es through the veins opinion he expresses respecting them of successive generations. But, as a politi- seems strangely at variance with the above cian, Robespierre was far more than ordin- dictum respecting Robespierre's poverty of arily successful, in times any thing but ordin-intellect. Does it then require little genary. A man who wielded a political power ius to produce passages of eloquence posso much superior to that attained by average sessing, according to Lord Brougham's adpoliticians, could hardly escape from his mission, "merit of the highest order,"passages of the kind "most surely calculaHis name at full was François Maximilien Jo-ted to awaken, to gratify, to control an asseph Isidore Robespierre. He was entered at college and elected to the States-General as de Rob-sembly deliberating on the actual affairs of espierre. But when the de fell into bad repute, he dropped it.

* Historical Sketches, Third Series, p. 51.

men ?"

Does it, in short, require little gen- around him, an embodied and living lie, but ius to be capable, as Lord Brougham also he believes that the cause which he now adadmits, of putting forth occasional powers vocates is true and will prevail, and he is of oratory, unequalled save by Demosthe- ready to stand by it, even unto the end. nes? Robespierre may have been, most No royal or aristocratic gold can buy him. probably was, a coward; so too was De- The man who, when dictator of France, mosthenes; so too was Cicero, and a boaster lived in a cabinet-maker's lodging in the besides, which Robespierre was not. had indeed other qualities, not of a magnanimous nature: but that he was altogether "pusillanimous and vile. . . . beyond most men that ever lived, hateful, selfish, unprincipled, cruel, unscrupulous;" that (though he might be "one of the most execrable") he was one of the most despicable characters recorded in the annals of our race," are conclusions which we deem to be entirely contrary to evidence.

He Rue St. Honoré,-who, with the disposal

What did Robespierre accomplish? What were the deeds that made him powerful and what were the deeds that made him hateful?

of uncounted millions, limited his expenditure to eight shillings a day, and left at his death but a few francs behind him, could afford to merit the name of "incorruptible."

No man can afford to be honest whose wants exceed his legitimate means; and inso far as honesty is a source of power, and frugality of honesty, the simple habits of Robespierre unquestionably contributed to the establishment of his power. The men who are most affected in this way are orators: a conqueror can do without such aid; but the confidence in, and consequent power of, an orator depend not a little on the belief in his sincerity-in his being perfectly earnest in what he says. Suppose that Mirabeau and Danton were even superior

the same time that it was darkly hinted that each of them had his price, what a sapping of the foundations of power must that have been.

Among the members of the Constituent Assembly there appeared an obscure advocate of the bar of Arras, of a mean and repulsive aspect, a dimimutive and feeble to Robespierre as orators; but suppose at body, and weak health, with a harsh discordant voice, and slow, hesitating utterance, by name Maximilien Robespierre. The son of an advocate, if possible more obscure than himself, who had quitted France dur- But the reason of Robespierre's pre-emiing the infancy of his children, leaving nent power and reputation must be sought them to be educated by charity, his person- for elsewhere than in freedom from pecunial disadvantages were uncompensated by ary corruption, for others (though not all) either wealth or connection. Such being of that terrible Committee were equally carethe gifts which nature and fortune had be- less of money, though he alone had the stowed upon him, it was hardly to be ex- good fortune to be called the " incorruptipected that the feeble, friendless and ob- ble." Lord Brougham thinks (and Garat in scure advocate of Arras should attract his 'Memoires' had long before given nearmuch attention on the stage, until the high-ly the same explanation) that the reason born and the rich, the strong-bodied and the strong-voiced, had strutted there, and fretted out their hour. And assuredly in the drama in which Robespierre had to act, if something beyond mere physical strength and courage had not prevailed, the spirit which once dwelt in that mean and feeble body could not have left behind it so terrible a name. Look at the man, and then turn from him to the patrician Lafayette and Lameth, to the handsome Barbaroux, and the brawny Mirabeau and Danton, and you might say that the chances against him were the world to nothing,-Plantagenet's dukedom to a beggarly denier! But the peculiarity of that small atrabilious-looking man is that he has brains, eyes to see and ears to hear, and above all faith in the truth of what he utters. He is ot like many

is to be sought in Robespierre's early perception of the power of the people, or of the multitude overawing the people, and of their love for extreme courses,-in the unhesitating pursuit of one principle, without deviating to suit purposes of expediency, or temporizing to consult prudential views, whether of individual advantage or of public safety,-and in seeing that whoever outbid all others in violence was sure to carry away the favor of the unreflecting multitude.

* Lord Brougham says (Second Series, p 271) that 90,000 francs, paid with promises of more, was Danton's price to the court; and that Montmorin (whose execution he caused) had his receipt for the money. But in his Third Series, p. 78, Lord Brougham says that in the former volume he had expressed himself respecting Danton with a harshness which a more minute study of his conduct and character made him regret.

er.

This view may be correct as far as it goes, j His Lordship does not say whence he took but it is a very inadequate explanation of the his report, but as the rhetorical effect is betcauses of Robespierre's reputation and pow-ter brought out in it, we shall adopt it here, It is rather applicable to the mushroom premising that there seems to be some typopopularity of vulgar demagogues, than to the graphical error in calling the deputy Dufortunes of the most consummate master of pont instead of Duport, and that it is not the art of wielding (without millitary aid) strictly correct to call him "an adherent of the wild forces of a revolution, that has ap- the Lameth party," seeing that of the party peared in ancient or modern times. so called, he (Duport) was the head, Barnave the tongue, and the Lameths, who were soldiers, the hands. The words in italics are so marked in Lord Brougham's report:

66

pas

In the Constituent Assembly, though by no means silent or inactive, Robespierre was far from having attained the influence of Mirabeau and some others. In fact, he Duport used insulting gestures* towards was still struggling with the disadvantages him. He calmly said, addressing the chair, of his position,—the obstacles which nature M. le Président, je vous prie de dire à M. and fortune had thrown in his way; he had Duport, de ne pas m'insulter, s'il veut rester not reached the turning-point, after which auprès de moi." Then turning alternately to he might have the full advantage of those Duport and the Lameths, he proceeded; 'Je gifts which nature had bestowed upon him. ne présume pas qu'il existe dans cette assemblée un homme assez lache, pour transiger But even there he not unfrequently dis- avec la cour sur un article de notre code conplayed eloquence of no common kind, in stitutionnel (all eyes were fixed on the party the face of obstacles which it required no of Lameth)-assez perfide, pour fair proposer common strength of will and perseverance par elle des changemens nouveaux, que la de proposer to overcome. For his opinions, being ex-pudeur ne lui permettroit luitreme and very decided, and not backed by ed towards Duport and the Lameths)—assez même (much applause, and looks again directhigh birth, place, wealth or reputation, ennemi de la patrie, peur chercher décréditer could not fail to appear impertinent to a la constitution parcequ'elle mettroit quelque majority of those to whom they were address-borne à son ambition ou à sa cupidité (more ed. He had a trick of saying things which applause)—assez impudent, pour avour aux appeared truths to him, but startling and yeux de la nation qu'il n'a cherché dans la offensive heresies to others. In the debate révolution que des moyens de s'aggrandir et upon bringing up the Report of the Com- de s'élever. Car, je ne veux regarder certains écrits et certains discours qui pourroient prémittee, upon the mode of presenting the senter ce sens, que comme l'explosion passaconstitution to the King on the 1st of Sep-gère du dépit déjà expié par le repentir. Non; tember, 1791, Robespierre made a speech, du moins nous ne serons ni assez stupides, ni in the course of which, amid "applaudissemens des tribunes publiques, et dans une gislative proceedings. We have been able to extract nothing either from the Gazette,' the 'Jourpartie du côté gauche, et murmures dans nal de Paris' or the 'Mercure de France.' We les autres parties de la salle," he called up- have therefore had occasion to refer for matter to on the president to order a deputy near him pamphlets (most of them printed secretly and not to insult him. Lord Brougham's report sulted above a thousand for the period antecedent without date). Of these pamphlets we have conof what followed differs slightly both from to the 14th of July 1789. After that time indethe report in the Choix de Rapports' and pendent newspapers were established, but sets of from that in the 'Histoire Parlementaire.'* them are difficult to be met with. Cases are known of some, of which perhaps but two copies exist."-Histoire Parlementaire de la Révolution Française, tom ii., Préface, pp. 3, 4.

* This meets the assertion of some of Duport's friends that he did not say a word to Robespierre. "M. Lavie.-Je jure que M. Duport n'a pas dit un seul mot à M. Robespierre.

"Plusieurs membres placés auprès de M. Duport assurent qu'ils n'ont rien entendu."-Hist. Parl., tom. ii. p 391.

*On the subject of the accuracy of their reports, M. M. Buchez and Roux observe: "We will not exaggerate the difficulties of our task. But silence upon the subject would justify an opinion that it had been supposed sufficient to consult the columns of the Moniteur.' It is indeed a common belief that this journal contains the most complete collection of documents concerning the Revolution. Unfortunately the fact is not so. The 'Moniteur' does not even report fully the debates of the National Assembly. When Robespierre is concerned it usually confines itself to saying that he spoke, but that murmurs drowned his voice. Consequently some historians have seriously affirmed that Robespierre was only ridiculous in the Con- "M. Goupil et M. l'abbé Julien.-C'est une stituent Assembly. In general we have taken fausseté, c'est un mensonge de M. Robespierre." from the Moniteur' only the narrative of the le--Choix de Rapports, tom. v, p. 69

The report in the 'Choix de Rapports' is more dramatic:

"M. Lavie.-C'est une méchanceté, une calomnie; je suis à côté, et je jure que M. Duport ne lui a rien dit.