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Article REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Page 1 of 11 →
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Review Of New Publications.
REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS .
History of the Conspiracy of Maximilian Robespierre , translated from , the French of MOT . ¦ sieur Montjoye . Svo . Pages 2 34 . Price j , s . Egerton . 1797 . WE pay the earliest attention to this volume , not only because it is very ably written , but because it records the actions of a man , perhaps the most extraordinary that is to be found in the annals of iiistory . It has indeed very justly excited the admiration of mankind , that a person of mean origin and educationendowed probablwith no very extraordinary talentsshould
, y , arrive < tt that authority , as for some time to direct the measures of a great and mighty nation , and to reign supreme over the lives and fortunes of his fellow-citizens . It has been generally believed that Robespierre was related to Damien , the assassin of Louis XV . Monsieur Montjoye , however , gives the following account of his ori gin and education . . ' Maximilian Robespierre was born at Arras . —The royalist writers , whe- >
ther they wished to avenge themselves by a reproach for the injury he had done ( heir party , or whether in reality they had been led on by error , by persons badl y informed , have published that he was the nephew of Daraien , the assassin of Louis tbe Fifteenth . This opinion , which easily gained credit , is now generally circulated ; but it is a ta ' . s which merits no belief . Robespierre had not to blush for his birth , lie reckoned among his relations men who did honour to our antient magistracy : bis father followed the
profession of the law ; lie was enli ghtened , and a man of probity ; but cecono-. my was not one of his virtues ; he knew not to proportion the produce of bis labours to his expences ; he searched in the resource of loans that which he was enabled to procure for himself with moderation and management ; he contracted debts , he died insolvent , insomuch that lie left for an inheritance to his two sons , of whom Maximilian was the eldest , an absolute poverty .
' Robespierre scarcely bad passed bis infancy when bis father died . The consideration which the father enjoyed , was transferred to the orphans ; their relations and friends employed themselves in meliorating the deplorable situation in which their loss had left them ; their misfortune came to tlie ears of the Bishop of Arras : this prelate was affected with it ; he received them ; he lavished upon them such consolation and succours as might indemnify them for their loss , and placing no bounds to the tender interest with which they inspired him , be in a manner adopted them : he did for them more than their own father had been able to do for them .
* Although the Bishop of Arras cherished equally the two children , be could not avoid indul ging a predilection for Maximilian ; he sought for him . the first education , with a solicitude truly paternal ; and he had , at first , rca-S 3 n to believe that success would crown his generous exertions . * When the young Robespierre had finished tlie exercises which fill up the first years of education , and prepared for studies more serious , his benefactor sent him to Paris , where he recommended him with warmth , and where
he caused him to obtain a purse in the college , which at that time they called the college of Louis tbe Great , but which has long since ceased to be under the direction of ' . hat celebrated society , which has given to the sciences and to letters so many illustrious men .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Review Of New Publications.
REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS .
History of the Conspiracy of Maximilian Robespierre , translated from , the French of MOT . ¦ sieur Montjoye . Svo . Pages 2 34 . Price j , s . Egerton . 1797 . WE pay the earliest attention to this volume , not only because it is very ably written , but because it records the actions of a man , perhaps the most extraordinary that is to be found in the annals of iiistory . It has indeed very justly excited the admiration of mankind , that a person of mean origin and educationendowed probablwith no very extraordinary talentsshould
, y , arrive < tt that authority , as for some time to direct the measures of a great and mighty nation , and to reign supreme over the lives and fortunes of his fellow-citizens . It has been generally believed that Robespierre was related to Damien , the assassin of Louis XV . Monsieur Montjoye , however , gives the following account of his ori gin and education . . ' Maximilian Robespierre was born at Arras . —The royalist writers , whe- >
ther they wished to avenge themselves by a reproach for the injury he had done ( heir party , or whether in reality they had been led on by error , by persons badl y informed , have published that he was the nephew of Daraien , the assassin of Louis tbe Fifteenth . This opinion , which easily gained credit , is now generally circulated ; but it is a ta ' . s which merits no belief . Robespierre had not to blush for his birth , lie reckoned among his relations men who did honour to our antient magistracy : bis father followed the
profession of the law ; lie was enli ghtened , and a man of probity ; but cecono-. my was not one of his virtues ; he knew not to proportion the produce of bis labours to his expences ; he searched in the resource of loans that which he was enabled to procure for himself with moderation and management ; he contracted debts , he died insolvent , insomuch that lie left for an inheritance to his two sons , of whom Maximilian was the eldest , an absolute poverty .
' Robespierre scarcely bad passed bis infancy when bis father died . The consideration which the father enjoyed , was transferred to the orphans ; their relations and friends employed themselves in meliorating the deplorable situation in which their loss had left them ; their misfortune came to tlie ears of the Bishop of Arras : this prelate was affected with it ; he received them ; he lavished upon them such consolation and succours as might indemnify them for their loss , and placing no bounds to the tender interest with which they inspired him , be in a manner adopted them : he did for them more than their own father had been able to do for them .
* Although the Bishop of Arras cherished equally the two children , be could not avoid indul ging a predilection for Maximilian ; he sought for him . the first education , with a solicitude truly paternal ; and he had , at first , rca-S 3 n to believe that success would crown his generous exertions . * When the young Robespierre had finished tlie exercises which fill up the first years of education , and prepared for studies more serious , his benefactor sent him to Paris , where he recommended him with warmth , and where
he caused him to obtain a purse in the college , which at that time they called the college of Louis tbe Great , but which has long since ceased to be under the direction of ' . hat celebrated society , which has given to the sciences and to letters so many illustrious men .