ers were selected. This drew from Paine a long Letter to the
Attorney-General, suggesting the justice of _his_ answering for the book
he wrote. On the trial, Mr. (afterwards Lord) Erskine thus spoke of
the author of "The Rights of Man:"--"The defendant's whole deportment
previous to the publication has been wholly unexceptionable; he properly
desired to be given up as the author of the book, if any inquiry should
take place concerning it; and he is not affected in evidence, directly
or indirectly, with any illegal or suspicious conduct, not even with
uttering an indiscreet or taunting expression, nor with any one matter
or thing inconsistent with the best subject in England."

On the 12th of September, 1792, Mr. Achilles Audibert came expressly to
England, from the French Convention, to solicit Paine to attend and aid
them, by his advice, in their deliberations. "On his arrival at Calais
a public dinner was provided, a royal salute was fired from the battery,
the troops were drawn out, and there was a general rejoicing throughout
the town.... Paine was escorted to the house of his friend, Mr.
Audibert, the Chief Magistrate of the place, where he was visited by the
Commandant, and all the Municipal Officers in forms, who afterwards gave
him a sumptuous entertainment in the Town Hall. The same honor was also
paid him on his departure for Paris." Upon his arrival in Paris all
was confusion. There were the King's friends mortified and subdued,
the Jacobins split up into cavilling faction, some wishing a federative
government, some desiring the King's death, and the death of all the
nobility; while a portion were more discreet, wishing liberty without
licentiousness, and having a desire to redress wrongs without revenge.
These few accepted Paine as their leader, and renounced all connection
with the Jacobin Club.

Paine, on all occasions, advocated the preservation of the King's life
but his efforts were thwarted by the appointment, by Robespierre, of
Barrere to office. So anxiously was Paine sought after, that both Calais
and Versailles returned him as Deputy. To show how the author of "The
Rights of Man" opposed all physical force where reason may be used, it
is only necessary to state, that when the Letter of Dumourier reached
Paris with the threat of restoring the King, Paine wrote a letter to
the Convention, stating a plan for re-adjustment, and was taking it
personally, when he was informed "that a decree had just been