yal family, writes
to Washington on January 1790: "If only the reigning prince were not
the small-beer character he is, and even only tolerably watchful of
events, he would regain his authority," but "what would you have," he
continues scornfully "from a creature who, in his situation, eats,
drinks, and sleeps well, and laughs, and is as merry a grig as lives.
He must float along on the current of events and is absolutely a
cypher." Nor would the court forego its crooked ways. "The queen is
even more imprudent," Morris writes in 1791, "and the whole court is
given up to petty intrigues worthy only of footmen and chambermaids."
Moreover, in its amazing ineptitude, the monarchy had already toyed
with republicanism by lending active military support to the
revolutionists in America, at a cost to the already over-burdened
treasury of 1,200,000,000 livres.

The American ambassador, Benjamin Franklin, was crowned at court with
laurel as the apostle of liberty, and in the very palace of
Versailles, medallions of Franklin were sold, bearing the inscription:
"_Eripui coelo fulmen sceptrumque tyrannis_" ("I have snatched the
lightning from heaven and the sceptre from tyrants"). The
revolutionary song, _Ca ira_, owes its origin to Franklin's invariable
response to inquiries as to the progress of the American revolutionary
movement.[166] There was explosive material enough in France to make
playing with celestial fire perilous, and while the political
atmosphere was heavy with the threatening storm, thousands of French
soldiers returned saturated with enthusiasm and sympathy for the
American revolution. Already before the Feast of the Federation the
queen had been in secret correspondence with the _emigres_ at Turin
and at Coblenz who were conspiring to throttle the nascent liberty of
France. Madame Campan relates that the queen made her read a
confidential letter from the Empress Catherine of Russia, concluding
with these words: "Kings ought to proceed in their career undisturbed
by the cries of the people as the moon pursues her course unimpeded by
the howling of dogs." Mirabeau was already in the pay of the monarchy;
and attempts were made to buy over Robespierre, who up to 10th August
was an avowed defender of the Constitution, by an offer of the
emoluments and the nominal post of tutor to the dauphin in return for
his support of the royal cause.

[Footnote 166: When Sir S. Romilly called on Franklin in 1783, the
latter expr