Gironde, of Madame Roland, martyred names which it was death to pronounce, but that I had written a work, published in England, in which I had traced, without referve, the characters of our oppreffors; whose ferocious purposes I had often heard developed with the glowing eloquence of Vergniaud, and the indignant energy of La Source. No danger could be more imminent than that of living under the very tyranny which I had the perilous honour of having been one of the first to deprecate, and to proclaim.

In this fituation an opportunity presented itself of obtaining a paffport for Switzerland -A paffport!-they who can judge of all the bleffednefs that word unfolds, are not those who, at a safe distance from the go❤ vernment of Robefpierre, have heard of its terrific influence, but those who were placed within its favage grasp. Álas at the mo

ment

ment of my escape, how many, immured in the dungeons of the tyrant, vainly wished to purchase, at the price of all they poffeffed, the privilege of forfaking a country, compofed only of executioners and of

victims !

The road from Paris to Bafil leads for the most part along a level country, which displays a picture of fertility, but few scenes of beauty or grandeur, except a branch of the Vofges, which we traversed near Belfort, and whose swelling mountains, prefenting faint traces of those we were going to contemplate, we faw bounding our horizon, and stretching along the plains of Alface.

I found Bafil crouded with ftrangers of all ranks, and all nations, being, at that period, when general hoftility had barred the paffes from one country to another, almoft

B 2

moft the only spot left

open for the tranfactions of commerce, the afylum of the fugitives, and the dawning negociations of

peace.

The first view of Switzerland awakened my enthusiasm most powerfully-" At length," thought I, am I going to contemplate that interesting country, of which I have never heard without emotion!-I am going to gaze upon images of nature; images of which the idea has fo often fwelled my imagination, but which my eyes have never yet beheld.-I am going to repose my wearied fpirit on thofe fublime objects to footh my defponding heart with the hope that the moral diforder 1 have witneffed fhall be rectified, while I gaze on nature in all her admirable perfections; and how delightful a transition shall I find in the picture of focial happiness which Switzerland prefents! I fhall no longer fee

liberty

liberty profaned and violated; here fhe fmiles upon the hills, and decorates the vallies, and finds, in the uncorrupted fimplicity of this people, a firmer barrier than in the craggincfs of their rocks, or the fnows of their Glaciers !"

Such were my meditations when I first fet my foot on the foil of Switzerland; the fcenery of the country more than fulfilled the glowing promife of imagination. With respect to the character and manners of the people, a refidence of feveral weeks at Bafil somewhat chilled my enthusiasm: I had frequent opportunities of mixing in their focieties, and difcerned neither the love of arts, of literature, of liberty, or of any earthly good, but money-1 heard of nothing but the comparative value of louis, and affignats; and if I had not seen the Rhine rolling its turbulent waves majestically by the windows, I might have fan

cied myself in 'Change-alley, or the Perron of the Palais Royal.

But if I was disappointed, it was perhaps my own fault, or rather the fault of former travellers. Warmed with enthusiasm for the natural beauties of the country, fancy, which loves the dreams of happiness and perfection, has delighted to affociate with those enchanting scenes the charm of congenial fociety; and to connect with the sublime landscape the higher qualities of mind. Imagination places stock-jobbers and ufurers with as much reluctance amidst the grandeur of Swiss scenery, as it would fill with a mishapen Gothic image the niche of a Grecian temple. It must be indeed admitted, that the love of gold is a taste

pretty generally diffused throughout Europe; that neither the inhabitants of Paris nor of London can be taxed with any remarkable indif ference for riches; nor have wealthy perfons

in