sented them with the French constitution for the regulation of their government.

The fall of Venice was immediately followed by that of Genoa. For a long period preceding the French revolution, it is said an inveterate hatred had reigned between the patrician and popular parties of this state.

The invasion of the Austrians, and the events of Corsica, had, by the ruin of the famous bank of St. George, elevated the patrician in proportion as it had humbled the burgher; and every attempt made by the latter to raise themselves to the station which they before held in the state was immediately opposed by the jealous nobles. Things, however, would probably have remained in this state, had not the expedition of the French into Italy awakened the hopes and fears of the parties, according to their respective interests. The situation of the Genoese republic on the French frontier, and the disunion that reigned between this government and the court of Turin, hindered it from taking an active part in the coalition against France; but justly fearful, that if the French republic triumphed, the disaffected party of their own subjects would find a formidable ally in the principles of the revolution, the Genoese government (the French assert, and possibly with some truth) looked with a more favourable eye to the allied governments than to the revolutionary system.

The insolence of the disaffected party in Genoa continued to increase in proportion to the progress of the French victories; and on occasion of a festival given by the French minister at Genoa, such symptoms of opposition were displayed by them as gave serious alarms to the nobles

for the existence of their government; and the fermentation continued to increase till the dissolu tion of the government of Venice took place, when it broke forth into a popular insurrection, which threatened the existence of legal authority at Genoa.

This insurrection began early in May, with some of the most abandoned of the lower classes of the people, who, having put a person of the illustrious name of Doria at their head, seized on the principal posts of the city, released all prisoners except those who were confiued for capital crimes, and demanded peremptorily the abolition of the patrician government, and the establishment of a more democratical form. The neutral parties, on this occasion, were the richer classes of citizens, who kept themselves in their houses waiting the event, and the principal part of the nobility, who left the city. The gove nment, in order to counterbalance the force of the insurgents, armed others of a similar class in their favour, and joined to them such of the troops in whom they thought they could place their confidence. This counterpoise had at first some success; but when the parties came to parley, finding their interests to be the same, and that more plunder was to be gained by destroying than supporting the government, they united together, and then the connexion with the French became immediately apparent. The government was now reduced to the greatest distress. In . vain were proclamations issued promising the people every sort of indulgence. The tumult continued to increase, without any further resistance on the part of the government; depredations were committed in the name of the people

on

on the property of the nobles, most of whom abandoned the city; and great numbers of those, who were suspected of attachment to their party, were arrested. The banditti, bearing in their hands the treaty between Charles V. and Andrew Doria, which they complained had been violated, threatened to force the gates of the palace. The grand council, or such members of that body as remained in the city, at length assembled (May 31), and, after a long deliberation, decreed that the government was dissolved; and, having named a provisionary committee, to preserve order till the establish ment of a new constitution could take place, abdicated every kind of authority with which, by the laws or customs of the state, they were invested.

The committee named by the great council finding the post to which they had been chosen too dangerous, refused to accept it; on which the authority was placed in the hands of a temporary administration named by the leaders of

the mob. This new authority issued its mandates to recall the fugitives into Genoa, on pain of confiscation of their property; and enjoined the inhabitants of the state to send their deputies to Genoa with sufficient powers to lay the foundation of a new social organisation. The state, under the direction of Buonaparte, resumed its ancient name, and was now called the Ligurian Republic-a constitution which, like that of their Cisalpine neighbours, was provisionally adopted from the form of the French government, with whom the Genoese populace, to complete the farce, pretended to renew their treaty, whilst, in reality, they were only to be considered as conquered subjects of France.

It is impossible, indeed, not to see that the whole of this transaction was effected by French agency, French money, and by the dread of French power stationed on their frontiers, without which the mob of Genoa would easily have been subdued.

CHAP. XI.

Partial Renewal of the French Legislature. Increase of the Anti-Directorial Party. Nomination of Barthelemy to succeed Letourneur in the Directory. Pichegru President of the New Assembly. Repeal of different restraining Laws. Discussion on the Colonies. Denunciation against the Commissaries. Inculpations of the Directory and Ministers by the Anti-Directorial Party in the Councils. Decrees against the Public Delapidators. Reflections on the Situation of the Directory, and the Conduct of its Opponents. Report of the Commission of Finance to diminish the Expences of Government. Report of the Commission on the internal State of the Republic. Proposal for the Recall of the refractory Clergy, and the Abolition of the restraining Laws. Of the Emigrants from the Departments of the Rhine and Toulon. Formation of the Constitutional Circle in Support of the Directory. Suppressed by Vote of the Councils. Licentiousness of the Journalists. New Denunciations against the Ministers of Finance and Marine. Charges on the Ministry. Renewed Denunciations against the Directory. March of Troops towards Paris within the Distance permitted by the Law. Explanation of the Directory. Application of the Directory for Supplies--

Q3

rejected.

rejected. Decree of the Councils for restraining the Power of the Directory, and for the Increase of their Body-Guard. Suspended State of the Negotiations for Peace between the Republic and the Laspoon. Increase of Disaffection between the Legislative and Erectie authorities. Addresses from the Army, promising Support to the Directory. Denunciation of the Army-Addresses in the Councils. Report on the Subject of the Dissensions. Speech of the President of the Directory. Addresses of Departmentať Ådministrations to the Councils. Preparations for Hostilities between the Executive Government and the Councils. Decrees of the Councils før arming the Citizens of Paris. Emigrants and Royalists at Paris prepared to take Advantage of the Dissensions. State of the Public Mind at Paris. Secret Plan of the proposed Attack on the Government known to the Directory. Events of the Revolution of the 18th of Fructidor. Assembly of the Councils near the Directorial Palacè. Proclamations of the Directory to make known the Conspiracy. Pretended Correspondence of Pichegru with the Prince of Condé. Report of the Committee on the Conspiracy. Resolutions of the Councils. Reflections on the indiscriminate Sentence of Exile, passed against divers Members of the Government and others.

T

་O return to the affairs of France. In the first days of the month of Praireal, the new members chosen to the legislature took their seats agreeably to the constitutional act. By the election of this new third, which replaced an equal number of the mémbers of the former convention, the balance in favour of the opposition was considerably increased. The opposition known by the appellation of the Clichy party, from meeting in the street of that name, had, however, conducted themselves with a degree of moderation which had hitherto proved a salutary restraint on the directorial power; but this party being reinforced by a considerable number of the members of the new third, whose sentiments corresponded with their own, were perhaps led into measures impolitic in some respects, and such as hastened their own downfall, and gave an ascendancy to their opponents.

The election of Barthelemy, the embassador of the republic to the Helvetic confederacy, in the place of Letourneur, who was excluded by lot, strengthened the

anti-directorial party, who, presum-
ing on the support of two of the
members of the executive govern-
ment, the new director and Car-
not, had little doubt that, with the
majority which they possessed in
the councils, the measures of go-
vernment would be directed ac-
cording to their own plans, which,
as we before observed, were well
meant, though too much of faction
has always intermixed itself in the
patriotism of the French. On the
first day of the meeting of this re-
newed legislature, of which general
Pichegru was elected president, that
disposition of the famous law of the
3d of Brumaire, winch excluded
five of the formerly elected repre-
sentatives, was repealed, as well as
a law which enjoined non-residence
in Paris to the ex-members of the
late conventional body.

Further repeals were made of arcles of the exclusive law of the third Brumaire already mentioned ; the relations of emigrants, and those who had received the benefit of the amnesty were alike rendered eligible to public offices; but although most of the dispositions of that law were contrary to the spirit of civil

liberty