thoughtful and inspiring commentary upon the French Revolution. L. CECIL JANE. 1915. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE.--François Auguste Marie Mignet was born at Aix in Provence in 1796. He was educated at Avignon and in his native town, at first studying law. But, having gained some literary successes, he removed to Paris in 1821 and devoted himself to writing. He became professor of history at the _Athenée_, and after the Revolution of 1830 was made director of the archives in the Foreign Office, a post which he held until 1848. He was then removed by Lamartine and died in retirement in 1854. His _Histoire de la Révolution Française_ was first published in 1824; a translation into English appeared in Bogue's European library in 1846 and is here re-edited. Among Mignet's other works may be mentioned _Antoine Perez et Philippe II._ and _Histoire de Marie Stuart_. As a journalist, he wrote mainly on foreign policy for the _Courrier Français_. BIBLIOGRAPHY Éloge de Charles VII., 1820; Les Institutions de Saint Louis, 1821; De la féodalité, des institutions de Saint Louis et de l'influence de la législation de ce prince, 1822; Histoire de la révolution française, 1824 (trans. 2 vols., London, 1826, Bonn's Libraries, 1846); La Germanie au VIIIe et au IXe siècle, sa conversion au christianisme, et son introduction dans la société civilisée de l'Europe occidentale, 1834; Essai sur la formation territoriale et politique de la France depuis la fin de XIe siècle jusqu'a la fin du XVe, 1836; Notices et Mémoires historiques, 1843; Charles Quint, son abdication, son séjour, et sa mort au monastère de Yuste, 1845; Antonio Perez et Philippe II., 1845 (translated by C. Cocks, London, 1846; translated from second French edition by W. F. Ainsworth, London, 1846); Histoire de Marie Stuart, 2 vols., 1851 (translated by A. R. Scoble, 1851); Portraits et Notices, historiques et littéraires, 2 vols., 1852; Éloges historiques, 1864; Histoire de la rivalité de François I. et de Charles Quint, 1875; Nouveaux éloges historiques, 1877. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Character of the French revolution--Its results, its progress--Successive forms of the monarchy--Louis XIV. and Louis XV.--State of men's minds, of the finances, of the public power and the public wants at the accession of Louis XVI.--His character--Maurepas, prime minister--His policy--Chooses popular and reforming ministers--His object--Turgot, Malesherbes, Necker-- Their plans--Opposed by the court and the privileged classes--Their failure--Death of Maurepas--Influence of the Queen, Marie-Antoinette-- Popular ministers are succeeded by court ministers--Calonne and his system--Brienne, his character and attempts--Distressed state of the finances--Opposition of the assembly of the notables, of the parliament, and provinces--Dismissal of Brienne--Second administration of Necker-- Convocation of the states-general--Immediate causes of the revolution. CHAPTER I