w, who were the deserters? They or I?" As he spoke these words, he
drew his otherwise rather stooping form to its full height, lifted his
hand above his head, and stood like one at once demanding and defying
the investigation of the empire.

The roar of applause which followed seemed to shake the very walls. He
was powerfully moved; his countenance changed from its usual pallidness
to strong suffusion; his hands rather tossed than waved in the air. At
last I saw one of them thrust strongly into his bosom, as if the gesture
was excited by some powerful recollection. "Do I speak without proof of
the public hazards?" he exclaimed. "I can give you demonstration--I need
invoke neither powers above nor powers below to enlighten you. I have
the oracle within my hand." The House fixed all its eyes upon him. He
dropped his voice, and spoke with a faint, but clear tone which formed a
remarkable contrast to his usually bold, and even harsh enunciation:
"Sir," said he, in this half-whispered voice, "before I join these
gentlemen in their worship, I must know what deity presides in their
temple; I must see that the incense which fumes before its altar is
taken from the sacred repositories of the constitution, not the smuggled
importation of foreign fabrications of revolt--that pernicious compound
of civil mischief and mad metaphysics--which, instead of consummating
and purifying the sacrifice, only poisons the air. I must see something
of the priest too, before I join in his aspirations; I must see that he
is lawfully inducted to his office, that he is not a rebel in the garb
of loyalty--a blasphemer where he professes to pray, and a traitor where
he propounds allegiance."

Fox here, evidently taking the description to himself, exhibited
palpable signs of displeasure. Burke caught the expression at once, and
instantly changed the whole current of his conceptions. "If," said he,
"the honourable gentleman thinks that I designate _him_ as the
high-priest of this new worship, he does me as much injustice as
himself. No, no! When we shall see the Republican Pantheon thrown open,
he, and such as he, will not be called to officiate at the altar. He is
much more likely to be the victim. The popular ornaments, now flung so
lavishly upon him, will find him no further favour, than the speedier
offering on the same abhorred altar, which reeks with so much of the
best blood of France." Here a corpulent noble, peculiarly hostile to
Burke, laughe