It is impossible not to pause here for a moment, and to consider the manner in which such declarations would have been taken by your ancestors from a monarch distinguished for his arrogance,—­an arrogance which, even more than his ambition, incensed and combined all Europe against him.  Whatever his inward intentions may have been, did Louis the Fourteenth ever make a declaration that the true bounds of France were the ocean, the Mediterranean, and the Rhine?  In any overtures for peace, did he ever declare that he would make no sacrifices to promote it?  His declarations were always directly to the contrary; and at the Peace of Ryswick his actions were to the contrary.  At the close of the war, almost in every instance victorious, all Europe was astonished, even those who received them were astonished, at his concessions.  Let those who have a mind to see how little, in comparison, the most powerful and ambitious of all monarchs is to be dreaded consult the very judicious critical observations on the politics of that reign, inserted in the military treatise of the Marquis de Montalembert.  Let those who wish to know what is to be dreaded from an ambitious republic consult no author, no military critic, no historical critic.  Let them open their own eyes, which degeneracy and pusillanimity have shut from the light that pains them, and let them not vainly seek their security in a voluntary ignorance of their danger.

To dispose us towards this peace,—­an attempt in which our author has, I do not know whether to call it the good or ill fortune to agree with whatever is most seditious, factious, and treasonable in this country,—­we are told by many dealers in speculation, but not so distinctly by the author himself, (too great distinctness of affirmation not being his fault,)—­but we are told, that the French have lately obtained a very pretty sort of Constitution, and that it resembles the British Constitution as if they had been twinned together in the womb,—­mire sagaces fallere hospites discrimen obscurum.  It may be so:  but I confess I am not yet made to it:  nor is the noble author.  He finds the “elements” excellent, but the disposition very inartificial indeed.  Contrary to what we might expect at Paris, the meat is good, the cookery abominable.  I agree with him fully in the last; and if I were forced to allow the first, I should still think, with our old coarse by-word, that the same power which furnished all their former restaurateurs sent also their present cooks.  I have a great opinion of Thomas Paine, and of all his productions:  I remember his having been one of the committee for forming one of their annual Constitutions, I mean the admirable Constitution of 1793, after having been a chamber council to the no less admirable Constitution of 1791.  This pious patriot has his eyes still directed to his dear native country, notwithstanding her in gratitude to so kind a benefactor.  This outlaw of England, and lawgiver to France, is now,