it by your own name will make its fortune.  If, like Rousseau, you had left your babe among the enfans trouv`es, it might never be heard of more than his poor issue have been; for I can but observe that the French patriots, who have made such a fuss with his ashes, have not taken the smallest pains to attempt to discover his real progeny, which might not have been impossible by collating dates and circumstances.  I am proud of having imitated you at a great distance, and been persuaded, much against my will and practice, to let my name be put to the second subscription for the poor French clergy, as it was thought it might tend to animate that consumptive contribution.

I am impatient for your pamphlet, not only as being yours, but hoping it will invigorate horror against French atheism, which, I am grieved to say did not by any means make due impression. very early apply to your confessor, to beg he would enjoin his clergy to denounce that shocking impiety; I could almost recommend to you to add a slight postscript on the massacre of that wretch Manuel.  I do not love such insects as we are dispensing judgments yet, if the punishment of that just victim might startle such profane criminals, it might be charity to suggest the hint to them.

24th.

I must modify the massacre of Manuel; he has been a good deal stabbed, but will, they say, recover.(849) Perhaps it is better that some of those assassins should live to acknowledge, that “Do not to others what you would not have done to you” is not so silly a maxim as most of the precepts of morality and Justice have lately been deemed by philosophers and legislators—­titles self-assumed by men who have abolished all other titles; and who have disgraced and debased the former denomination, and under the latter have enjoined triple perjuries, and at last cannot fix on any code which should exact more forswearing.  I own I am pleased that that ruffian pedant Condorcet’s new constitution was too clumsy and unwieldy to go down the throats of those who have swallowed every thing else.  I did but just cast my eyes on the beginning and end, and was so lucky as to observe the hypocrite’s contradiction:  he sets out with declaration of equality, and winds up with security of property; that is, we will plunder every body, and then entail the spoils on ourselves and our (wrong) heirs.(850)

Well! that bloody chaos seems recoiling on themselves!  It looks as if civil war was bursting out in many provinces, and will precipitate approaching famine.  When, till now, could one make such a reflection without horror to one’s self?  But, alas! have not the French brought it to the question, whether Europe or France should be laid desolate’!  Religion, morality, justice, have been stabbed, torn up by the roots:  every right has been trampled under foot.  Marriage has been profaned and undermined by law; and no wonder, that, amidst such excesses, the poor arts have shared in the common ruin!