ef was kept alive among them. The populace of the provinces, whose
religion was in their rosary, were prepared for rebellion by similar
means and the terrible and fated visitation of France began.

After passing through many scenes from the recital of which the mind
turns away with loathing and disgust, the reign of terror commenced.
Previous to this, however, there had been dreadful riots, and disorders
in Paris. The Swiss Guards had been cut to pieces, and the king and
royal family imprisoned. The priests had nearly all perished or been
banished from France. The national assembly was divided into desperate
factions, which often turned their arms against one another. When one
party triumphed, proscription followed, and the guillotine was put in
requisition, and blood flowed in torrents. The grossest irreligion
likewise prevailed. Leaders of the atheistical mob would extend their
arms to heaven and dare a God, if he existed, to vindicate his insulted
majesty, and crush them with his thunderbolts. Over the entrance of
their grave yards was placed this inscription, "DEATH AN ETERNAL SLEEP."
Men who dared to think differently from the dominant faction, were
immediately executed, in mockery, often, of all the forms of justice.
The most ferocious of the bloody factions, were the jacobins, so called
from their place of meeting. The leaders of this party were Danton,
Robespierre, and Marat. They are thus described by Scott in his life of
Napoleon.

Three men of terror, whose names will long remain, we trust, unmatched
in history by those of any similar miscreants, had now the unrivalled
leading of the jacobins, and were called the Triumvirate.

Danton deserves to be named first, as unrivalled by his colleagues in
talent and audacity. He was a man of gigantic size, and possessed a
voice of thunder. His countenance was that of an Ogre on the shoulders
of a Hercules. He was as fond of the pleasures of vice as of the
practice of cruelty; and it was said there were times when he became
humanized amidst his debauchery, laughed at the terror which his furious
declamation excited, and might be approached with safety like the
Maelstrom at the turn of tide. His profusion was indulged to an extent
hazardous to his popularity, for the populace are jealous of a lavish
expenditure, as raising their favourites too much above their own
degree; and the charge of peculation finds always ready credit with
them, when brought against public men.