provokes: Europe must arm."

The party in favour of war in Germany triumphed. "It is very fortunate
for you," said the elector of Mayence to the Marquis de Bouille, "that
the French were the aggressors; but for that we should never have had a
war." War was resolved upon in the councils, yet Leopold still hoped. In
an official note, which the prince de Kaunitz transmitted to the Marquis
de Noailles, for the king, Leopold yet showed himself willing to be
reconciled. M. de Lessart replied confidentially to these last
overtures, in a despatch which he had the honesty to communicate to the
diplomatic committee of the Assembly, composed of Girondists. In this
reply the minister palliated the charges made against the Assembly by
the emperor, and seemed rather to excuse France than justify. He
acknowledged that there were some disturbances in the kingdom, some
excesses in the clubs, some licence in the press; but he attributed
these disorders to the excitement produced by the movements of the
_emigres_, and the inexperience of a people who essay their constitution
and wound themselves with it.

"Indifference and contempt," said he, "are the fittest weapons with
which to combat this pest. Could Europe stoop so low, as to quarrel with
the French nation, because some few demagogues and madmen dwell amongst
them, and would honour them so far as to reply to them by cannon balls?"

In a despatch of the prince de Kaunitz, addressed to all the European
cabinets, was this phrase,--"Latest events give us cause to hope, for it
is evident that the majority of the French nation, struck by the evils
they are preparing for themselves, are returning to more moderate
principles, and are inclined to restore to the throne the dignity and
authority which form the bases of monarchical government." The Assembly
remained silent from suspicion, and this suspicion was awakened whilst
diplomatic notes and counter notes were exchanged between the cabinet of
the Tuileries and the cabinet of Vienna. But no sooner had M. de Lessart
descended from the tribune, and the Assembly closed the sitting, than
the murmurs of mistrust were changed into loud and sullen exclamations
of indignation.

II.

The Jacobins burst out into threats against the perfidious minister and
the court, who united in a treasonable combination, called the Austrian
Committee, concerted counter-revolutionary plans in the Tuileries, made
signals to the enemies of the nation from the