pathetic
or lofty emotions of the soul, beyond the firmness of his attitude and
the lucid strength of his language. Although no advocate, and a little
provincial in his style, he spoke and acted as a man of party, calmly
persevering and resolved, immovable in the old revolutionary arena, and
never disposed to leave it either to become a convert to new measures or
to adopt new views. The Restoration, in his opinion, was in fact the old
system and the counter-revolution. After having confronted it in the
Chambers with all the opposition which that theatre permitted, he
encouraged, without, every plot and effort of subversion; less ready
than M. de La Fayette to place himself at their head, less confident in
their success, but still determined to keep alive by these means hatred
and war against the Restoration, watching at the same time for a
favourable opportunity of launching a decisive blow.

M. d'Argenson had less weight with the party than either of his
colleagues, although perhaps the most impassioned of the three. He was a
sincere and melancholy visionary, convinced that all social evils spring
from human laws, and bent on promoting every kind of reform, although he
had little confidence in the reformers. By his position in society, the
generous tone of his sentiments, the seriousness of his convictions, the
attraction of an affectionate although reserved disposition, and the
charm of a refined and elegant mind, which extracted from his false
philosophy bold and original views, he held, in the projects and
preliminary deliberations of the conspiring opposition, a tolerably
important place; but he was little suited for action, and ready to
discourage it, although always prepared for personal engagement. A
chimerical but not hopeful fanaticism is not a very promising
temperament for a conspirator.

The issue of all these vain but tragical plots is well known. Dogged at
every step by authority, sometimes even persecuted by the interested
zeal of unworthy agents, they produced, in the space of two years, in
various parts of France, nineteen capital condemnations, eleven of which
were carried into effect. When we look back on these gloomy scenes, the
mind is bewildered, and the heart recoils from the spectacle of the
contrast which presents itself between sentiments and actions, efforts
and results; we contemplate enterprises at the same time serious and
harebrained, patriotic ardour joined to moral levity, enthusiastic