and had been preparing for his motion. He had already
drawn up the outlines of a speech for the purpose; but was in want of
circumstantial knowledge to complete it. With this knowledge he desired
me to furnish him. He then put his speech into my hand, and wished me to
take it home and peruse it. He wrote down, also, some questions, and he
gave them to me directly afterwards, and begged I would answer them at
my leisure.

On conversing with the latter, he said, "that he believed with those of
the meeting that there would be no greater difficulty in carrying the
question in the succeeding than in the present legislature; but this
consideration afforded an argument for the immediate discussion of it;
for it would make a considerable difference to suffering humanity
whether it were to be decided now or then. This was the moment to be
taken to introduce it; nor did he think that they ought to be deterred
from doing it by any supposed clamours from some of the towns in France.
The great body of the people admired the constitution, and would support
any decisions which were made in strict conformity to its principles.
With respect to any committee of inquiry, he deprecated it. The Slave
Trade, he said, was not a trade. It dishonoured the name of commerce. It
was piracy. But if so, the question which it involved was a question of
justice only; and it could not be decided, with propriety by any other
standard." I then informed him that the Comte de Mirabeau had undertaken
to introduce it into the Assembly. At this he expressed his uneasiness.
"Mirabeau," says he, "is a host in himself; and I should not be
surprised if by his own eloquence and popularity only he were to carry
it; and yet I regret that he has taken the lead in it. The cause is so
lovely that even ambition, abstractedly considered, is too impure to
take it under its protection, and not to sully it. It should have been
placed in the hands of the most virtuous man in France. This man is the
Duc de la Rochefoucauld. But you cannot alter things now. You cannot
take it out of his hands. I am sure he will be second to no one on this
occasion."

On my return to my hotel, I perused the outlines of the speech which the
Comte de Mirabeau had lent me. It afforded a masterly knowledge of the
evils of the trade, as drawn from reason only. It was put together in
the most striking and affecting manner. It contained an almost
irresistible appeal to his auditors by frequent refer