large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_07_yonge_64kb_24
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_07_yonge_64kb
English
12344
The Government was bankrupt, while the taxes were intolerable, and the first years of the reign were spent in experiments. THE GOVERNMENT WAS BANKRUPT WHILE THE TAXES WERE INTOLERABLE AND THE FIRST YEARS OF THE REIGN WERE SPENT IN EXPERIMENTS
s had come to such a pass that a far abler man than he could hardly have dealt with the dead-lock above, without causing a frightful outbreak of the pent-up masses below. His queen, Marie Antoinette, was hated for being of Austrian birth, and, though a spotless and noble woman, her most trivial actions gave occasion to calumnies founded on the crimes of the last generation. Unfortunately, the king, though an honest and well-intentioned man, was totally unfit to guide a country through a dangerous crisis. His courage was passive, his manners were heavy, dull, and shy, and, though steadily industrious, he was slow of comprehension and unready in action; and reformation was the more difficult because to abolish the useless court offices would have been utter starvation to many of their holders, who had nothing but their pensions to live upon. Yet there was a general passion for reform; all ranks alike looked to some change to free them from the dead-lock which made improvement impossible. HE WAS A SLOW DULL MAN AND AFFAIRS HAD COME TO SUCH A PASS THAT A FAR ABLER MAN THAN HE COULD HARDLY HAVE DEALT WITH THE DEDLOCK ABOVE WITHOUT CAUSING A FRIGHTFUL OUTBREAK OF THE PENT UP MASSES BELOW HIS QUEEN MARY ANTOINETTE WAS HATED FOR BEING OF AUSTRIAN BIRTH AND THOUGH A SPOTLESS AND NOBLE WOMAN HER MOST TRIVIAL ACTIONS GAVE OCCASION TO CALUMNIES FOUNDED ON THE CRIMES OF THE LAST GENERATION UNFORTUNATELY THE KING THOUGH AN HONEST AND WELL INTENTIONED MAN WAS TOTALLY UNFIT TO GUARD A COUNTRY THROUGH A DANGEROUS CRISIS HIS COURAGE WAS PASSIVE HIS MANNERS WERE HEAVY DULL AND SHY AND THOUGH STEADILY INDUSTRIOUS HE WAS SLOW OF COMPREHENSION AND UNREADY IN ACTION AND REFORMATION WAS THE MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE TO ABOLISH THE USELESS COURT OFFICES WOULD HAVE BEEN UTTER STARVATION TO MANY OF THEIR HOLDERS WHO HAD NOTHING BUT THEIR PENSIONS TO LIVE ON YET THERE WAS A GENERAL PASSION FOR REFORM ALL RANKS ALIKE LOOKED TO SOME CHANGE TO FREE THEM FROM THEDLOCK WHICH MADE IMPROVEMENT IMPOSSIBLE
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