sure, as contrary to the treaty of 1786; failing this, France would
declare that compact at an end. They also began to prepare for an
invasion of England, on a plan which came before them on 28th December;
and on the last day of the year, Monge, Minister for the Navy, issued a
circular letter to Friends of Liberty and Equality in the seaports. It
contained passages to the following effect:

The English Government is arming, and the King of Spain,
encouraged by this, is preparing to attack us. These two
tyrannical Powers, after persecuting the patriots on their own
territories, think no doubt that they will be able to influence
the judgment to be pronounced on the traitor, Louis. They hope
to frighten us; but no! a people which has made itself free, a
people which has driven out of the bosom of France, and as far
as the distant borders of the Rhine, the terrible army of the
Prussians and Austrians--the people of France will not suffer
laws to be dictated to them by any tyrant. The King and his
Parliament mean to make war upon us. Will the English
republicans suffer it? Already these free men show their
discontent and the repugnance which they have to bear arms
against their brothers, the French. Well! We will fly to their
succour. We will make a descent in the island. We will lodge
there 50,000 caps of Liberty. We will plant there the sacred
tree, and we will stretch out our arms to our republican
brethren. The tyranny of their Government will soon be
destroyed.

What did the famous mathematician think of this effusion in the heyday
of the Empire, when he became Count of Pelusium with a Westphalian
estate bringing in 200,000 francs a year? A collection of the frank
confessions of the _ci-devant_ Jacobins would form an entertaining
volume.

Not the least piquant of them would be the criticisms of a Breton
captain, Kersaint, on the bellicose speech which he launched at the
Convention on 1st January 1793. Admitting that Pitt really wanted peace,
while Fox only desired to abase his rival, he averred that the Prime
Minister would try to arrest France in her rapid career of land conquest
either by a naval war or by an armed mediation. War, said Kersaint, must
result, were it only from the perplexities of Pitt and the hatred of
George III for the French Republic. France, then, must threaten to free
the Scottish and Irish nations which England had so