name of DE WARVILLE, a
celebrated French Girondist, was born at Chartres, where his father was an
inn-keeper, in January 1754. Brissot received a good education and entered
the office of a lawyer at Paris. His first works, _Theorie des lois
criminelles_ (1781) and _Bibliotheque philosophique du legislateur_ (1782),
were on the philosophy of law, and showed how thoroughly Brissot was imbued
with the ethical precepts of Rousseau. The first work was dedicated to
Voltaire, and was received by the old _philosophe_ with much favour.
Brissot became known as a facile and able writer, and was engaged on the
_Mercure_, on the _Courrier de l'Europe_, and on other papers. Ardently
devoted to the service of humanity, he projected a scheme for a general
concourse of all the savants in Europe, and started in London a paper,
_Journal du Lycee de Londres_, which was to be the organ of their views.
The plan was unsuccessful, and soon after his return to Paris Brissot was
lodged in the Bastille on the charge of having published a work against the
government. He obtained his release after four months, and again devoted
himself to pamphleteering, but had speedily to retire for a time to London.
On this second visit he became acquainted with some of the leading
Abolitionists, and founded later in Paris a Societe des Amis des Noirs, of
which he was president during 1790 and 1791. As an agent of this society he
paid a visit to the United States in 1788, and in 1791 published his
_Nouveau Voyage dans les Etats-Unis de l'Amerique Septentrionale_ (3
vols.).

From the first, Brissot threw himself heart and soul into the Revolution.
He edited the _Patriote francais_ from 1789 to 1793, and being a
well-informed and capable man took a prominent part in affairs. Upon the
demolition of the Bastille the keys were presented to him. Famous for his
speeches at the Jacobin club, he was elected a member of the municipality
of Paris, then of the Legislative Assembly, and later of the National
Convention. During the Legislative Assembly his knowledge of foreign
affairs enabled him as member of the diplomatic committee practically to
direct the foreign policy of France, and the declaration of war against the
emperor on the 20th of April 1792, and that against England on the 1st of
July 1793, were largely due to him. It was also Brissot who gave these wars
the character of revolutionary propaganda. He was in many ways the leading
spirit of the Girondists, who we