ncerning which accounts
vary, and the Controller's own account is not unquestioned; but which
all accounts agree in representing as 'enormous.' This is the epitome of
our Controller's difficulties: and then his means? Mere Turgotism; for
thither, it seems, we must come at last: Provincial Assemblies; new
Taxation; nay, strangest of all, new Land-tax, what he calls Subvention
Territoriale, from which neither Privileged nor Unprivileged, Noblemen,
Clergy, nor Parlementeers, shall be exempt!

Foolish enough! These Privileged Classes have been used to tax; levying
toll, tribute and custom, at all hands, while a penny was left: but to
be themselves taxed? Of such Privileged persons, meanwhile, do these
Notables, all but the merest fraction, consist. Headlong Calonne had
given no heed to the 'composition,' or judicious packing of them; but
chosen such Notables as were really notable; trusting for the issue to
off-hand ingenuity, good fortune, and eloquence that never yet failed.
Headlong Controller-General! Eloquence can do much, but not all.
Orpheus, with eloquence grown rhythmic, musical (what we call Poetry),
drew iron tears from the cheek of Pluto: but by what witchery of rhyme
or prose wilt thou from the pocket of Plutus draw gold?

Accordingly, the storm that now rose and began to whistle round Calonne,
first in these Seven Bureaus, and then on the outside of them, awakened
by them, spreading wider and wider over all France, threatens to become
unappeasable. A Deficit so enormous! Mismanagement, profusion is too
clear. Peculation itself is hinted at; nay, Lafayette and others go so
far as to speak it out, with attempts at proof. The blame of his Deficit
our brave Calonne, as was natural, had endeavoured to shift from
himself on his predecessors; not excepting even Necker. But now Necker
vehemently denies; whereupon an 'angry Correspondence,' which also finds
its way into print.

In the Oeil-de-Boeuf, and her Majesty's private Apartments, an eloquent
Controller, with his "Madame, if it is but difficult," had been
persuasive: but, alas, the cause is now carried elsewhither. Behold
him, one of these sad days, in Monsieur's Bureau; to which all the other
Bureaus have sent deputies. He is standing at bay: alone; exposed to an
incessant fire of questions, interpellations, objurgations, from those
'hundred and thirty-seven' pieces of logic-ordnance,--what we may well
call bouches a feu, fire-mouths literally! Never, accordin