his pamphlets, exposed the shameful association
of Brissot, in London, with Morande, the dishonoured libellist. Danton
himself, the orator of success, fearing to be deceived by fortune,
hesitated between the Girondists and Robespierre. He remained silent for
a long time, and then made a speech full of high-sounding words, beneath
which was visible the hesitation of his convictions, and the
embarrassment of his mind.

BOOK X.

I.

Whilst this was passing at the Jacobins, and the journals--those echoes
of the clubs--excited in the people the same anxiety and the same
hesitation, the underhand diplomacy of the cabinet of the Tuileries, and
the emperor Leopold, who sought in vain to postpone the termination,
were about to behold all their schemes thwarted by the impatience of the
Gironde and the death of Leopold. This philosophic prince was destined
to bear away with him all desire of reconciliation and every hope of
peace, for he alone restrained Germany. M. de Narbonne, thwarted by
public demonstrations the secret negotiations of his colleague M. de
Lessart, who strove to temporise, and to refer all the differences of
France and Europe to a congress.

The diplomatic committee of the Assembly, urged by Narbonne, and
composed of Girondists, proposed decisive resolutions. This committee,
established by the Assembly, and influenced by the ideas of Mirabeau,
called the ministers to account for every thing that occurred: out of
the kingdom diplomacy was thus unmasked--the negotiations broken
off--all combination rendered impossible, for the cabinets of Europe
were continually cited before the tribune of Paris. The Girondists, the
actual leaders of this committee, possessed neither the skill nor the
prudence necessary to handle without breaking the fine threads of
diplomacy. A speech was in their eyes far more meritorious than a
negotiation; and they cared not that their words should re-echo in
foreign cabinets, provided they sounded well in the chamber or the
tribune. Moreover, they were desirous of war, and looked on themselves
as statesmen, because at one stroke they had disturbed the peace of
Europe. Ignorant of politics, they yet deemed themselves masters of it,
because they were unscrupulous; and because they affected the
indifference of Machiavel, they deemed they possessed his depth.

The emperor Leopold, by a proclamation, on the 21st of December,
furnished the Assembly with a pretext for an outbreak. "The