and turbulent characters of the neighbourhood, and in fome places they feduced the common people to take a part, by using the name of the King, who had fanctioned the decree. In different parts of the country, many, who declined taking the oath, were killed at the doors of the Churches; and in Britanny, even thus early, feveral priests are faid to have been hunted through the forests, where, after enduring every extremity of hunger and fatigue, they perished miserably, and their mangled carcafes were afterwards found torn by briars, and half devoured by beafts of prey. This was the first example of a whole clergy perfecuted by those who publickly profeffed the fame religious faith, and for no other crime, than that of facrificing their interefts to their confciences. Yet more than two thirds of the parochial clergy at Paris remained firm; and the proportion in the country, where the numbers could not be fo accurately afcertained, was calculated ftill higher. The prelates themfelves gave an illuftrious example; only four out of one hundred and thirty-eight, the whole number of the bench, became what their brethren confidered as apoftates "; and at the

h Peter Porcupine fays, that the four were, Perigord, Brienne, Jacente, and Gobet, p. 188.

head

head of these was M. Brienne, Archbishop of Sens, and the atheist Cardinal de Lomenie; whose short administration had been marked with the most defpotic councils of the whole reign, and who now had the baseness to claim merit for his former measures, as having laid the foundation of the Revolution.

The prosecutions that were carried on against the nonconforming clergy, were to the last degree cruel and unjustifiable. So far from the greater part of them being difturbers of the public peace, as it was the language of the Revolutionists to represent, even their enemies bore honourable teftimony to the blameleffnefs of their conduct. It was not unusual to see in the parish churches a conftitutional priest going through the fervice, amidft files of foldiers with fixed bayonets, and no other congregation; while the parishioners were gathered together on a distant common, or on the mountains, round the retreat of their antient paftor. Such meetings were always treated as feditious by the Jacobins, who, wherever they had power and influence, fent an armed force to difperfe them, which was conftantly represented as

Annual Reg. p. 432. Moniteur for May, 1792.

k

quelling an infurrection. But there is every reafon to disbelieve these representations. Dumourier commanded in la Vendée till the end of January 1792: during that time frequent denunciations were made to him, and he went with his aides-de-camp to observe their meetings; but there never was a fhot fired within his jurifdiction, and he never had occafion to confine more than two priests on any suspicion of feditious motives, and one of those was a Conftitutional rector persecuted by the Constitutional bishop,

"The decree was paffed on the twentyfifth day of May 1792, which condemned the non-juring clergy to banishment. About the time of the Federation, which followed, many of the clergy were put to death, with circumstances more or lefs fanguinary; great numbers alfo were crowded together in goals, and other places of confinement; 200 at Mons; 300 at Cennes; others at Nantz, Port Louis, and other towns. They were for ever accused of creating those disturbances, of which they themselves were the victims ; and the whole was, with equal injustice, im

* Vie de Dumourier, tom. ii. liv. 3. c. 6. Ann. Reg. 1792. p. 434..

puted

puted to the King, even in the National Affembly itself1.”

By an edict of the constituent affembly, there was a general fale of all ecclefiaftical property, and every kind of property connected with churches or charities was confifcated. The magnificent church of St. Genevieve, at Paris, was changed by the National Affembly into a repofitory for the remains of their great men, or rather into a pagan temple, and as fuch was aptly diftinguished by the name of the Pantheon, with the infcription, Aux grands hommes la Patrie reconnoiffante, on the front, according to a decree proposed by the impious Condorcet. To this temple the remains of Voltaire and of Rouffeau were conveyed in folemn and magnificent proceffion". The bones of Voltaire were placed on the high altar, and incenfe was offered. And when the infatuated multitudes bowed down before the relicks of this arch enemy to Chrift in filent adoration, a

1 Ann. Reg. p. 50г.

m The fame compliment was afterwards conferred upon Pelletier, who was affaffinated for having voted for the death of the King, and upon Marat, the Nero of the Revolution; and Mirabeau, the cause of the German Union.

voice was heard to utter in this moment of national idolatry-and of avowed attachment to his principles-a fingle voice was heard to utter, in a tone of agony and indignation, - these memorable words: O God, thou wilt be revenged! Search was immediately made for the man who thus dared to interrupt these rites, and this Abdiel was probably facrificed to the fury of the multitude, "But his reward is with him."

To the penal laws, pronounced by the Affembly against the clergy, the King refufed to give his fanction;-this refusal was made a pretence for the immediate abolition of monarchy. The Tenth of Auguft", was the fatal day that fixed its downfal. The faithful Swifs guards of Lewis, and his few loyal adherents, after being attacked by the populace, were facrificed to the vengeance of a horde of furies, who difgraced the name of men as well as of citizens, and who were inftigated by Petion, Manuel, Danton, the new members of the common council of Paris, and other abettors of anarchy and blood.

Moore's Journal, vol. i. p. 43. 60, 190, 289. Ann. Reg. 1792. p. 516. vol. ii. p. 306, 308.

Aug,