TH

HIS unfortunate prince, whofe fate is now fo generally lamented, was grandfon of Louis XV. and third fon of the dauphin of France, by Maria Jofepha, the princefs Royal of Saxony. Louis was born the 23d of August, 1754. His two elder brothers dying, viz. the Duke of Aguefeau in Sept. 1754, and the Duke of Burgundy in 1761, paved the way for him to fucceed to the throne. His father, the dauphin, died at Fontainebleau the 20th of December, 1765, and his mother in 1767. They had both paid the greatest attention to the education of their children, and had ftrongly inftilled into the mind of Louis a profound reverence for the religion of his country. On his father's death he took the title of Dauphin of France; and, April 16, 1770, he efpoufed Marie Antoinette, archduchefs of Auftria, fifter of the late emperors of Germany, Jofeph and Leopold. Louis XV, dying in May, 1774, his grandson fucceeded him,

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and immediately received the usual homage of the princes and princesses of the blood.

Louis was crowned the next year at Rheims. The flate of the kingdom at his fucceffion is thus defcribed by an impartial and judicious hiftorian. The King of France levied taxes on his fubjects to a greater amount than many mighty princes of Europe united. The clergy raifed a fifth of the territorial revenues of the kingdom. The nobles claimed heavy feodal rights from the people, and confidered themselves as exempt from contributing to the public charge. Juftice was venal. The expences of the court were arbitrary and unbounded; destructive wars had created an enormous debt. To thefe circumstances were added tyranny against the perfons of the subjects, in lettres de cachet, arbitrary imprisonment, &c. &c.

This machine of defpotifm was completed under Louis the XIVth. Louis XV. fays the above-cited au

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thor, found it wound up, and had only to let it run on; but Louis XVI. though fucceeding to the fame plenitude of power, found his people enlightened by the philofophical writings of many of their countrymen, and confequently not ready to fubmit fo patiently to the yoke.

If any prince could have recovered France from her alarming fituation, it was Louis. His heart was good, he felt an attachment to his people, and a repugnance to be a tyrant. He wished for good counfellors to guide him in a reform of abes: he made choice of Maurepas as his prime minifter, but found that inftead of a wife man, he had only chofen a veteran courtier.

One of the first steps of Louis was to recal the parliaments, banished by his predeceffors. He gave the administration of the finances to the celebrated Turgot, whofe fertile genius led him to aggrandize commerce, by the aid of liberty and induftry. This great man proceeded rigorously in the work of reformation; but his foes became fo numerous, that he was compelled to retire.

While Louis was endeavouring to reftore the state of his own country, the circumstances of a neighbouring nation unfortunately led him afide from those paths of peace, in which alone a monarch can relieve the diftreffes of his fubjects.

The King of Great Britain had unfortunately engaged in a conteft with his American fubjects, the hatred which had long fubfifted between the two nations, induced Louis to fend help to the revolted fubjects of England; at firft privately, but foon after the American congrefs afferted their independence, Louis received their ambaffadors openly, became a principal in the war, and by the aid of his arms, detached America from the dominion of England.

Could Louis be fuppofed to have affifted the Americans from a motive of maintaining their freedom alone, he certainly might be entitled to praife; but there is great reafon to conclude he was actuated only by a wish to reduce the power of his rival. The event, however, has been fatal to himself, for, by the fpirit of liberty which the army caught while ferving in America, and by the im menfe expence occafioned by the war, and the debts thereby incurred, an application to an extraordinary, if not a new power, became neceffary; and the calling of the States General of France, opened a door to the great events which have followed.

Repeated acts of the king fhew his good intentions, and fincere endeavours to do what he thought right; but many other circumftances ftrongly tend to prove he was unhappily furrounded by evil counfel lors.

His difcourfe at the opening of the flates, proclaimed his affection for his people; but his furrounding the hall of the national affembly with troops, fhewed the avowed intention of the miniftry to overawe their deliberations. He used his influence with the clergy and nobles to induce them to coalefce with the commons, and prevent the terrible confequences of an open rupture; but permitted his minifters to direct an attack on the people who rose in support of the convention.

On the 4th of February, 1790, the affembly having made a confiderable progrefs in the new conflitution, the king repaired to their hall, and there folemnly engaged to love, maintain, and defend, the conflitution; the known integrity of the monarch, compels one to fay he undoubtedly intended to fulfil his engagements. He again renewed. his oath, on the 14th of July, being the first anniverfary of the revolu