either no object in view, or had
forgotten it altogether. In the next moment he rushed to the attack, and
carried all by storm. On this occasion he had a difficult part to play;
for the hourly violences of the French capital had begun to alienate the
principal aristocracy of England, and had raised abhorrence among that
most influential body, the middle class. The skill with which the orator
glided over this portion of his subject was matchless; no Camilla ever
"flew o'er the unbending corn" with a lighter foot. He could not
altogether evade the topic. But he treated it as one might treat the
narrative of a distressing casualty, or a disease to be touched on with
the pity due to human infirmity, or even with the respect due to a
dispensation from above. He often paused, seemed to find a difficulty of
breathing, was at a loss for words, of which, however, he never failed
to find the most pungent at last; and assumed, in a remarkable degree,
the appearance of speaking only from a strong compulsion, a feeling of
reluctant duty, a sense of moral necessity urging him to a task which
burdened all his feelings. I will acknowledge that, when he had made his
way through this difficult performance, I followed him with unequivocal
delight, and acknowledged all the orator. He had been hitherto Milton's
lion "pawing to get free his hinder parts." He was now loose, in all his
symmetry and power, and with the forest and the plain before him. "Why
has the monarchy of France fallen?" he explained, "because, like those
on whom the malediction of Scripture has been pronounced, it had eyes
and yet would not see, and ears, yet would not hear. An immense
population was growing up round it year after year, yet it could see
nothing but nobles, priests, and princes. In making this war," said he,
"you are beginning a contest of which no man can calculate the means, no
man can state the objects, and no man can predict the end. You are not
warring against the throne of France, nor even against the people of
France; but warring against every people of the earth which desires to
advance its own prosperity, to invigorate its own constitution, and to
place itself in that condition of peace, purity, and freedom, which is
not more the desire of man than the command of Providence."

The House burst into loud reprobations of the name of aristocrat and
democrat, which he declared to be mere inventions of party prejudice.
"Do you require to make political ho