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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; whofe 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 prefented 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 fafe diftance from the government of Robefpierre, have heard of its terrific influence, but thofe who were placed within its favage grafp. Alas! at the mo

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ment of my escape, how many, immured in the dungeons of the tyrant, vainly wifhed 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 traverfed near Belfort, and whofe fwelling 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 strangers of all ranks, and all nations, being, at that period when general hoftility had barred the paffes from one country to another, al

VOL. I.

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moft the only spot left open for the tranfactions of commerce, the afylum of the fugitives, and the dawning negociations of peace.

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The first view of Switzerland awakened my enthusiasm most powerfully At length,” thought I, "I am 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 so often fwelled my imagination, but which my eyes have never yet beheld.-I am going to repofe my wearied fpirit on thofe fublime objects-to footh my defponding heart with the hope that the moral diforder I 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

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liberty profaned and violated;-here the fmiles upon the hills, and decorates the vallies, and finds, in the uncorrupted fimplicity of this people, a firmer barrier than in the cragginefs 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 scenery of the country more than fulfilled the glowing promise of imagination. With respect to the character and manners of the people, a refidence of feveral weeks at Bafil fomewhat chilled my enthufiafm: 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-I 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 fanB 2

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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 thofe enchanting scenes, the charm of congenial fociety; and to connect with the sublime landscape the higher quality of mind. Imagination places ftock-jobbers and ufurers with as much reluctance amidst the grandeur of Swifs fcenery, 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 indifference for riches; nor have wealthy perfons

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