ements of
a Constitution, you gathering in on her from all lands, with your
armaments and plots, your invadings and truculent bullyings;--and lo
now, ye have pricked her to the quick, and she is up, and her blood is
up. The dead cerements are rent into cobwebs, and she fronts you in that
terrible strength of Nature, which no man has measured, which goes down
to Madness and Tophet: see now how ye will deal with her!

This month of September, 1792, which has become one of the memorable
months of History, presents itself under two most diverse aspects; all
of black on the one side, all of bright on the other. Whatsoever is
cruel in the panic frenzy of Twenty-five million men, whatsoever is
great in the simultaneous death-defiance of Twenty-five million men,
stand here in abrupt contrast, near by one another. As indeed is usual
when a man, how much more when a Nation of men, is hurled suddenly
beyond the limits. For Nature, as green as she looks, rests everywhere
on dread foundations, were we farther down; and Pan, to whose music the
Nymphs dance, has a cry in him that can drive all men distracted.

Very frightful it is when a Nation, rending asunder its Constitutions
and Regulations which were grown dead cerements for it, becomes
transcendental; and must now seek its wild way through the New,
Chaotic,--where Force is not yet distinguished into Bidden and
Forbidden, but Crime and Virtue welter unseparated,--in that domain
of what is called the Passions; of what we call the Miracles and the
Portents! It is thus that, for some three years to come, we are
to contemplate France, in this final Third Volume of our History.
Sansculottism reigning in all its grandeur and in all its hideousness:
the Gospel (God's Message) of Man's Rights, Man's mights or strengths,
once more preached irrefragably abroad; along with this, and still
louder for the time, and fearfullest Devil's-Message of Man's weaknesses
and sins;--and all on such a scale, and under such aspect: cloudy
'death-birth of a world;' huge smoke-cloud, streaked with rays as of
heaven on one side; girt on the other as with hell-fire! History tells
us many things: but for the last thousand years and more, what thing has
she told us of a sort like this? Which therefore let us two, O Reader,
dwell on willingly, for a little; and from its endless significance
endeavour to extract what may, in present circumstances, be adapted for
us.

It is unfortunate, though very natural, th