I. 436 (April 10, 1790).]

[Footnote 1126: Mortimer-Ternaux, "Histoire de la Terreur," I. 353.
(Petion's own narrative of this journey.) This pert blockhead cannot
even spell: he writes aselle for aisselle, etc. He is convinced that
Madame Elizabeth, the king's sister, wants to seduce him, and that she
makes advances to him: "If we had been alone, I believe that she would
have fallen into my arms, and let the impulses of nature have their
way." He makes a display of virtue however, and becomes only the more
supercilious as he talks with the king, the young dauphin, and the
ladies he is fetching back.]

[Footnote 1127: The "Memoires de Madame Roland" is a masterpiece of that
conceit supposed to be so careflilly concealed as not to be visible
and never off its stilts. "I am beautiful, I am affectionate, I am
sensitive, I inspire love, I reciprocate, I remain virtuous, my mind is
superior, and my courage indomitable. I am philosopher, statesman, and
writer, worthy of the highest success," is constantly in her mind, and
always perceptible in her phraseology. Real modesty never shows itself.
On the contrary, many indecorous things are said and done by her from
bravado, and to set herself above her sex. Cf. the "Memoirs of Mirs.
Hutchinson," which present a great contrast. Madame Roland wrote: "I
see no part in society which suits me but that of Providence."--The same
presumption shines out in others, with less refined pretensions. The
deputy Rouyer addresses the following letter, found among the papers of
the iron wardrobe, to the king, "I have compared, examined, and foreseen
everything. All I ask to carry out my noble purposes, is that direction
of forces, which the law confers on you. I am aware of and brave the
danger; weakness defers to this, while genius overcomes it I have turned
my attention to all the courts of Europe, and am sure that I can force
peace on them."--Robert, an obscure pamphleteer, asks Dumouriez to make
him ambassador to Constantinople, while Louvet, the author of "Faublas,"
declares in his memoirs that liberty perished in 1792, because he was
not appointed Minister of Justice.]

[Footnote 1128: Moniteur, p. 189. Speech by Collot d'Herbois, on the
mitraillades at Lyons. "We too, possess sensibility! The Jacobins
have every virtue; they are compassionate, humane, and generous. These
virtues, however, are reserved for patriots, who are their brethren, but
never for aristocrats."--Meillan, "Memoires,"