'in short, all the symptoms he
has ever met with in history,'--unabatable by soothing Edicts.

Meanwhile, abate or not, cash must be had; and for that quite another
sort of Edicts, namely 'bursal' or fiscal ones. How easy were fiscal
Edicts, did you know for certain that the Parlement of Paris would what
they call 'register' them! Such right of registering, properly of mere
writing down, the Parlement has got by old wont; and, though but a
Law-Court, can remonstrate, and higgle considerably about the same.
Hence many quarrels; desperate Maupeou devices, and victory and
defeat;--a quarrel now near forty years long. Hence fiscal Edicts, which
otherwise were easy enough, become such problems. For example, is there
not Calonne's Subvention Territoriale, universal, unexempting Land-tax;
the sheet-anchor of Finance? Or, to show, so far as possible, that one
is not without original finance talent, Lomenie himself can devise an
Edit du Timbre or Stamp-tax,--borrowed also, it is true; but then from
America: may it prove luckier in France than there!

France has her resources: nevertheless, it cannot be denied, the aspect
of that Parlement is questionable. Already among the Notables, in that
final symphony of dismissal, the Paris President had an ominous tone.
Adrien Duport, quitting magnetic sleep, in this agitation of the world,
threatens to rouse himself into preternatural wakefulness. Shallower but
also louder, there is magnetic D'Espremenil, with his tropical heat
(he was born at Madras); with his dusky confused violence; holding
of Illumination, Animal Magnetism, Public Opinion, Adam Weisshaupt,
Harmodius and Aristogiton, and all manner of confused violent things: of
whom can come no good. The very Peerage is infected with the leaven. Our
Peers have, in too many cases, laid aside their frogs, laces, bagwigs;
and go about in English costume, or ride rising in their stirrups,--in
the most headlong manner; nothing but insubordination, eleutheromania,
confused unlimited opposition in their heads. Questionable: not to be
ventured upon, if we had a Fortunatus' Purse! But Lomenie has waited all
June, casting on the waters what oil he had; and now, betide as it may,
the two Finance Edicts must out. On the 6th of July, he forwards his
proposed Stamp-tax and Land-tax to the Parlement of Paris; and, as if
putting his own leg foremost, not his borrowed Calonne's-leg, places the
Stamp-tax first in order.

Alas, the Parlement will not