to all the citizens of the republic for your conduct on this occafion. Europe observes you: hiftory will collect your thoughts and actions; an incorruptible pofterity will judge with inflexible severity: act therefore confiftent with the new functions you are about to fill; let filence prevail, and let the dignity of your feffions evince the majesty of the French people. It is about to give, by your organ, an awful leffon to kings, and an example for the enfranchisement of nations." He then addreffed himself to the tribunes. "The national convention (fays he) confide in your abfolute devotion to your country, and in your refpect for the reprefentation of the people. Remember the awful filence which prevailed on the return of Louis from Varennes." Louis afterwards entered the bar, followed by the mayor, two municipal officers, and Generals Santerre and Wittenkenof; the guard remained without. A profound filence reigned on the occafion, when the pre fident addreffed himself to Louis as follows: "Louis, the French nation accufes you; the national affembly deGreed, on the 3d of December, that you should be judged by it; on the 6th of December it decreed you fhould be brought to this bar. The act will now be read which enumerates the charges exhibited against you. You may be feated." Louis having feated himself, one of the fecretaries read the whole of the act, the prefident repeating each article, calling on Louis each time to answer the different charges it contained. He then continued as follows: "Louis, the French people accufe you of having committed a number of crimes, to establish your tyranny on the ruins of their liberty. On the 20th tf June, 1789, you made an attempt on the fovereignty of the people, by fufpending the affembly of its representatives, and violently expelling them from the place of their feffions. On the 23d of June you attempted to force laws on the nation; you furrounded its reprefentatives with troops; you prefented them with two royal declarations fubverfive of all liberty, and ordered them to feparate. We have your declarations, and the verbal procefs of the affembly, as proofs. What have you to fay for yourself ?" Louis. There exifted then no laws to reftrain my actions in that refpect. The prefident then went on, re peating every article of the charges one by one, and Louis replying to each, no perfon speaking during the whole time except the prefident and Louis. When the prefident had finished, he addreffed himself to the convention, and informed them that the queftions were all put, and then afked Louis if he had any thing to add. Louis replied, he wifhed for a copy of the charges and the pieces annexed to them, and the liberty to chufe a counsel for his defence. The prefident, after reading feveral letters, &c. which had paffed between Louis and Laporte, St Foix, and others, and hearing Louis's anfwers, defired the latter to retire into the hall of conference and the affembly would take his request into confideration. Louis accordingly retired. A long debate immediately enfued, at the conclufion of which the fubftance of the request of Louis on thefe points was decreed almost unanimously. On the next day, the commiffioners, who had been fent to the temple, returned with an account of their miffion. They informed the convention, that they had waited upon Louis Capet, and informed him of the decree of the day before, allowing him to chufe a counfel, and that he had fixed on Target, and, if he he was unable to act, on Tronchet, though he thought according to law he was at liberty to have two. The convention decreed, that Target and Tronchet fhould be acquainted with this, that they should be permitted to vifit and confer with Louis at the Temple; and that the four municipal officers of the temple should supply him with pens, ink, and paper. Target announced that the bad ftate of his health prevented him from undertaking the defence of Louis; and alfo that LamoignonMalefherbes and Sourdat offered themselves in his flead. The three letters were ordered to be carried to Louis, and it was decreed that a collated copy of the different pieces relative to his trial should be given bim, In the feffion of the 14th the commiffioners fent to the temple returned, and informed the convention, that they had acquainted Louis Capet with the refufal of Target to act as his counsel, and with his reafon for the refufal, and the offers of Malefherbes, Huet, and Guilliame to act in his stead. Louis replied, that he was fenfible of the offers of the citizens who ftood up in his defence, and that he accepted of Malesherbes, with whom, if Tronchet could not affift him, he would confult refpecting the choice of another. The commiffioners informed Lamoignon-Malesherbes of this choice, who declared he would do his utmoft endeavours to answer the good opinion Louis entertained of him. The convention decreed, that Malefherbes fhould have free communication with Louis. Commiffioners were appointed to carry and lay before him the original of the different pieces which were not shewn him on his first appearance in the affembly. It was alfo decreed, that he should be definitively heard on the 26th of December. On the 17th the counfel of Louis wrote to the convention, ftating, that it would be impoffible for them to prepare his defence in the time prefcribed; they requested, therefore, a longer period, or that they would allow Louis the citizen de Seze, whom he had chofen, as his third counfel. The convention, without any debate, agreed to allow Louis a third counfel; efpecially as M. Tronchet, obferved, that his great age would not permit him to give that application to bufinefs which the shortness of the time would require, In the feffions of the 26th, the counfel were heard, and after they had finished his defence, Louis rofe, and addreffing himself to the convention, told them, that he would not trouble them with a recapitulation of his defence, but would only, as it was probably the last time he fhould ever addrefs them, declare, that what his defenders had advanced was ftrictly the truth, and that he was greatly hurt at finding himself accufed of fhedding the blood of the people, when he was ever ready to lay down his life to fecure their happinefs, After he had withdrawn, a most vehement tumult enfued in the con vention respecting him; many members infifted that fentence of death fhould be paffed on him immediately; others wished the decifion to be left to the primary affemblies. The different parties proceeded to fuch lengths, that blows pafled, and the prefident was infulted. After fome time, however, order was reftored, and the adjournment decreed. The national affembly having almost unanimously voted Louis guilty, on Wednesday, the 16th of January, the appel nominal commenced in the national convention of France, on the question of the punishment to be inflicted on Louis Capet, and lafted for twenty-four hours, moft of the the members prefacing their opinions with their reasons. who had announced a wish that the affembly fhould examine the question refpecting the suspension of the execution of the fentence, declared, that they had not actually voted for that fufpenfion, and defired to be included amongst those who voted purely and fimply for death. Others, who had more exprefsly voted for the fufpenfion, periiited in declaring their indivifible opinion. The quef tion relative to the fufpenfion of the execution of the fentence was ad. journed till the next day. The 19th the convention proceeded to the appel nominal of the queftion, whether the execution of the fentence paffed on Louis Capet should be delayed; at the clofe of which the prefident declared the following to be the refult: out of 748 members, 17 were abfent on commiffion, 21 from fickness, 8 without any affigned reafon, 12 did not vote; 310 were for delaying the execution of the fentence, and 348 for putting it into execution. In the fefiion of Thurfday the 17th of January, 1793, in the evening, the prefident announced the refult of the appel nominal, which was as follows: out of 721 votes, 366 were for death, 319 for imprifonment during the war, two for perpetual imprisonment, eight for a fufpenfion of the execution of the fentence of death till after the expulfion of the family of the Bourbons; 23 were for putting him to death, if the French territory was invaded by any foreign power; and one was for death, but commutation of punishment. The prefident in confequence declared, “that the national convention pronounced fentence of death againft Louis Capet." The counfel of Louis then appeared at the bar, and read a letter, by which he charges them to demand in his name an appeal to the people. They in confequence requefted a fufpenfion of the execution of the fentence, and the report of the decree iffued at the beginning of the feffions, by which the convention had paffed to the order of the day on the propofition of requiring for that purpose two thirds of the votes. The convention rejected the demand of an appeal to the people; paffed on to the order of the day on the request refpecting the neceffity of the voices of two thinus of the people; and adjourned till the next day all the questions refpecting the fentence of Louis. Previous to the palling of the fentence, the prefident announced, on the part of the foreign minifter," a letter from the Spanish minifter relative to that fentence; the convention, however, unanimoufly refufed to hear it. The 18th a fresh appel nominal commenced, touching the fentence of death paffed on Louis Capet, in order to difcover whether any miftake had been made in the collection of the votes. Vergniaud, Guadet, Genfonne, and many other members, The convention then ordered their decree to be immediately notified to the executive council, with orders to give an account the next day, at eleven o'clock, of the measures taken to put it in execution within twentyfour hours. The letter above mentioned was read at the bar by his counsel de Seze, was written in his own hand, and expreffed in the following terms: "I owe it to my honour, and my family, not to subscribe to a judgment that accufes me of a crime with which I cannot reproach my"felt in confequence I declare that "I appeal to the people from the "decition of their reprefentatives, "and I request the national conven"tion to decree that mention fhall "be made thereof in the Procés ver-. LOUIS." "bal. M. De Seze then made an energetic appeal to the convention, in the name of himself and his colleagues, to confider with what a small majority majority the punishment of death fome officer however exclaimed, “no harrangue," and the drums again began to beat, the trumpets to found. Notwithstanding the clamour, these words were diftinctly heard—“ I recommend my foul to God-I pardon my enemies--I die innocent." was pronounced against Louis, and conjured them not to afflict France by fo terrible a judgment. He concluded by invoking eternal justice and humanity to determine the convention to refer their judgment to the people. M. Malefherbes defired till the next day to make fuch reflections as rufhed upon his imagination. M. Tronchet declared it extraordinary, that, whilft most of the voters quoted the penal code to juftify their judgment, they forgot that the law requires two thirds of the voices for the decifion. Notwithstanding thefe obfervations of the king's counfel, the previous question being called, the appeal to the people and the obfervations of the king's counfel were rejected, and it was decreed that the convention should only examine whether the intereft of the nation required an arrest of judgment upon the execution of the fentence pronounced against Louis. On the morning of his execution he left the temple agreeable to the inftructions from the provifional council, at eight o'clock. He had on a brown great coat, white waificoat, black breeches and ftockings. His hair was dreffed. He was conducted from the temple to the place de la Revolution, (ci-devant Louis Quinze) which had been appointed for the execution, in the mayor's carriage. His confeffor and two gen. darmerie were in the fame coach: the greatest filence was preferved during the proceffion. Arrived at the fquare, Louis XVI. the ci-devant monarch, firmly afcended the fcaffold, amidst the noife of drums and trumpets. He made a fign that he had fomething to fay; the beating of the drums and the clamour of the trumpets inftantly ceafed, --- After the punishment, "Vive la nation!" refounded on all fides, and all the hats of the fpectators were hurled in the air. Louis made a will, in which he afked pardon of God, for having fanctioned the decree upon the Civil conftitution of the clergy, although this fan&tion was extorted by violence, and was contrary to his folemn proteft. In this teftament, he acknowledges his having freely accepted all the other parts of the conftitution; and having neglected nothing to remove from his dominions the fcourge of war, and prevent the invafion of the Pruffians. In a previous decree made by the national convention, the place for putting their fentence into execu tion was to have been the Carousel, fronting the Palace of the Thuilleries. This was changed by the minifters, to whom all the arrangements were confided, to the place de la Revolution, heretofore the place Lonis XV. The guillotine, or fatal inftrument of execution, was placed upon a fcaffold between the Champs Elyfees and the pedeftal, which was formerly ornamented with the magnificent equeftrian ftatue of Louis XV. his grandfather. The place of execution was furrounded by regular troops, and none of the people were fuffered to approach the fcaffold. During the exhibition of this awful fcene, all Paris was in filent confternation. Such was the end of Louis XVI. a man who in any station but a momarch would have been an ornament to human nature. CHA 254 CHARACTER OF LAVATER T FROM ZIMMERMANN ON SOLITUDE. HE author, whofe merit while living envy and malice has inveterately pursued, reaps the advantage of his judicious precepts, inftructive examples, and honeft fame, when his mortal part has defcended to the grave. Oh Lavater! thofe bafe corrupted fouls who only shine a moment and are for ever extinguished, will be forgotten, while thy name is honoured and beloved. Thy foibles, for without them thou wouldeft not have been fo great, will no longer be remembered, and those qualities which diftinguish thee from others will alone be feen! The rich variety of thy language, the judgment with which thou haft boldly invented and created new expreffions, the nervous brevity of thy ftyle, and thy ftriking picture of human manners and defects, will, as the author of" the Characters of German Poets "and Profe Writers" has predicted, extend the fame of thy" Frag " ments upon Phyfiognomy" to the remoteft pofterity, as one of the fmall number of German originals which do honour to the genius of the age. The accufation that Lavater, who was capable of developing fuch fublime truths, and of creating almost a new language, gave credit to the juggles of Geffner, will then be forgot. The life after death which Cicero feemed to hope for with fo much enthufiafm, will arrive. The approbation which Lavater predicted, his work on Phyfiognomy will receive, notwithstanding all thofe injuries that have been heaped upon it both in Swifferland and in Germany. But if Cicero had been only a Conful and Lavater merely Thaumaturgus, lit. tle of either the one or the other would be recorded in the archives of Time, which fwallows up common characters, and only preferves thofe whofe names are worthy of everlasting fame. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM ST PETERSBURG TO A GENTLEMAN IN EDINBURGH. PROFESSOR LOWITZ has discovered a method of crystallizing the vegetable cauftic alkali per fe; the process he has not defcribed. He fays, that thefe cryftals being mixed with fnow, they both melt fo quickly, as to produce a degree of cold fo intenfe as to freeze Mercury in a warm room, and that in maffes of 8 or 10 lib. at a time. At the Imperial Academy, the quantity of Mercury frozen at once in an open iron pan, was 8 lib. the heat of the room was 12° of Reaumur above o, and the cold produced in his refrigerant mixture was I 34 Lowitz's cryftals corrode all animal matter in a furprizing degree, fo that the fingers run great rifque in handling them. CHARACTER * Thaumaturgus-one who works miracles; a title given by the papifts to those faints who were supposed to work miracles.- -Tranflator. other |