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Article REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. ← Page 3 of 11 →
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Review Of New Publications.
theless to become what he never could . Sentiments the most extravagant aiid most scandalous may spring up in the breast of man ; thc consciousness which Robespierre had of his mediocrity , humiliated him ; but far from labouring to become better , he fretted , he irritated himself against the merit of others ; he hated , lie abhorred every kind of talent , and consoled himself- with his insufficiency , by reviling and persecuting those whom he knew to be better than himself " : be might have been able , by the study of hin . seif " ,
by the conversation of enlightened and virtuous men , by yeidmg the works of the wise of every age , he might have been able , I say , to correct the vices which nature had implanted in his mind ; but vanity thickened the veil of ignorance , and added ' to the corruption of a heart ori ginally bad : this despicable passion was tlie only one Robespierre knew ; it , \ vas that which rendered him malicious , and covetous of blood . ' An obstacle opposed itself to his studing the law at Paris ; a residence
y in the capital was expensive , and he had no fortune ; a child of Providence , lie found in the generosity of another the means to overcome this obstacle : his relations solicited the good offices of the late Fovrieres , nephew to tlie author of a valuable work on jurisprudence ; Ferrieres wished much to serve y 6 imgRobespierre , to be his Mentor and fclier , without requiring any sort of return . ' After this arrangement , lie quitted his college , and came to the house of
his new benefactor , to give himself to thc study of the laws , it was in this ' new career that we might guess what would one day happen ; he manifested neither taste nor aptitude for the profession to which he was destined ; unable to attain the science , incapable of application , repulsed by the slisditi-st difficulties , he fled from both books and men of knowledge ; he preserved for tbe remainder of his days the same antipathy both to one and the other , insomuch that he died without having added to the little knowledge he had
acquired in the classes . By a deplorable situation of mind , more common than is thought , and which occasions things to present an aspect orecisely opposite to what they ought , Robespierre retained of his reading in classic writers only the errors ; and this has been the cause of his crimes and punishment . '
Stich are thc leading facts in the early part of the history of this extraordinary character . After failing in all his attempts to distinguish himself as an advocate , bis first appearance , on the public stage of the world , was as a representative of the States-General , when he attached himself to that party which ( fo use tbe words of our author ) ' was entirely composed of monsters , spoiti ng with things divine and human . To make a sacrilegious abuse of religion , and of oaths , to deliver all property to pillage , to drink human blood , was
all they knew to preach or do . Their views extended no farther , their policy was but the policy of the moment ; it consisted in perpetuating confusion ami carnage , and in repelling every thing which seemed to announce " the arrival of good order . fc ' Such was die faifb ' on from which he sought applause , esteem , and support . It was this faction , which , the more completely to overthrow France , feigned by turns , according to circumstances , to assimilate itself with the
Constitutionalists , with the Republicans , and with the party of the usurper . Each of these sought support from the men of this faction , to accomplish its aims ; and , on the other hand , thc faction itself ivas aided by the various parties , in supporting itself by blood and carnage . It deceived all parties , and was in its turn betrayed by Robespierre . It ought to have been so . Criminality is almost always fatal to him who has given the example of it . The wretch who preaches assassination is commonly punished by assassination ; and it is seldom that the traitor does not become in his turn the victim of treason .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Review Of New Publications.
theless to become what he never could . Sentiments the most extravagant aiid most scandalous may spring up in the breast of man ; thc consciousness which Robespierre had of his mediocrity , humiliated him ; but far from labouring to become better , he fretted , he irritated himself against the merit of others ; he hated , lie abhorred every kind of talent , and consoled himself- with his insufficiency , by reviling and persecuting those whom he knew to be better than himself " : be might have been able , by the study of hin . seif " ,
by the conversation of enlightened and virtuous men , by yeidmg the works of the wise of every age , he might have been able , I say , to correct the vices which nature had implanted in his mind ; but vanity thickened the veil of ignorance , and added ' to the corruption of a heart ori ginally bad : this despicable passion was tlie only one Robespierre knew ; it , \ vas that which rendered him malicious , and covetous of blood . ' An obstacle opposed itself to his studing the law at Paris ; a residence
y in the capital was expensive , and he had no fortune ; a child of Providence , lie found in the generosity of another the means to overcome this obstacle : his relations solicited the good offices of the late Fovrieres , nephew to tlie author of a valuable work on jurisprudence ; Ferrieres wished much to serve y 6 imgRobespierre , to be his Mentor and fclier , without requiring any sort of return . ' After this arrangement , lie quitted his college , and came to the house of
his new benefactor , to give himself to thc study of the laws , it was in this ' new career that we might guess what would one day happen ; he manifested neither taste nor aptitude for the profession to which he was destined ; unable to attain the science , incapable of application , repulsed by the slisditi-st difficulties , he fled from both books and men of knowledge ; he preserved for tbe remainder of his days the same antipathy both to one and the other , insomuch that he died without having added to the little knowledge he had
acquired in the classes . By a deplorable situation of mind , more common than is thought , and which occasions things to present an aspect orecisely opposite to what they ought , Robespierre retained of his reading in classic writers only the errors ; and this has been the cause of his crimes and punishment . '
Stich are thc leading facts in the early part of the history of this extraordinary character . After failing in all his attempts to distinguish himself as an advocate , bis first appearance , on the public stage of the world , was as a representative of the States-General , when he attached himself to that party which ( fo use tbe words of our author ) ' was entirely composed of monsters , spoiti ng with things divine and human . To make a sacrilegious abuse of religion , and of oaths , to deliver all property to pillage , to drink human blood , was
all they knew to preach or do . Their views extended no farther , their policy was but the policy of the moment ; it consisted in perpetuating confusion ami carnage , and in repelling every thing which seemed to announce " the arrival of good order . fc ' Such was die faifb ' on from which he sought applause , esteem , and support . It was this faction , which , the more completely to overthrow France , feigned by turns , according to circumstances , to assimilate itself with the
Constitutionalists , with the Republicans , and with the party of the usurper . Each of these sought support from the men of this faction , to accomplish its aims ; and , on the other hand , thc faction itself ivas aided by the various parties , in supporting itself by blood and carnage . It deceived all parties , and was in its turn betrayed by Robespierre . It ought to have been so . Criminality is almost always fatal to him who has given the example of it . The wretch who preaches assassination is commonly punished by assassination ; and it is seldom that the traitor does not become in his turn the victim of treason .