he benevolence of this good
man is whelmed over by the fierce and bloody sentiment of revenge. This
is one of the sublime deeds which give us faith in man, but which appear
at such wide intervals that they mark eras in the world's history. I
know of but one other which rises to such touching sublimity--it is
Socrates, at the head of the Athenian Senate, refusing to put the vote
demanded by the laws, religion, and united voice of his country, which
would condemn to death the admirals who were unable to bury the dead
that had been slain in battle. Both offered their lives that others
might live, rather than be themselves unjust.

Mr. Paine, by this effort to save the king's life, lost his influence in
the assembly, and he became afterward a silent member, and, in the minds
of many, set apart to die. Foreigners are now expelled from the
convention, and an order having passed that all persons born in England,
and residing in France, should be imprisoned, he was, by order of
Robespierre, arrested, and thrown into the Luxembourg. Of his narrow
escapes, Mr. Paine says:

"I was one of the nine members that composed the first committee
of constitution. Six of them have been destroyed. Syeyes and
myself have survived--he by bending with the times, and I by not
bending. The other survivor joined Robespierre, and signed with
him the warrant of my arrestation. After the fall of Robespierre,
he was seized and imprisoned, in his turn, and sentenced to
transportation. He has since apologized to me for having signed
the warrant, by saying he felt himself in danger, and was obliged
to do it.

"Herault Sechelles, an acquaintance of Mr. Jefferson, and a good
patriot, was my _suppliant_ as member of the committee of
constitution--that is, he was to supply my place, if I had not
accepted or had resigned, being next in number of votes to me. He
was imprisoned in the Luxembourg with me, was taken to the
tribunal and the guillotine, and I, his principal, was left.

"There were but two foreigners in the convention--Anacharsis
Cloots and myself. We were both put out of the convention by the
same vote, arrested by the same order, and carried to prison
together the same night. He was taken to the guillotine, and I
was again left. Joel Barlow was with us when we went to prison.

"Joseph Lebon, one of the vilest characters that ever existed, and
who made the streets of Arras run with blood, was my sup