he has kept aloof from these instinctively and， perhaps， through contempt for them； he had no need of them； he would not have known what to do with them. Systems are crutches for the impotent， while he is able-bodied； formulas serve as spectacles for the short-sighted， while his eyes are good. "He had read and meditated very little，"says a learned and philosophical witness；[45] "his knowledge was scanty and he took no pride in investigation； but he observed and saw . . His native capacity， which was very great and not absorbed by other things， was naturally closed to vague， complex and false notions， and naturally open to every notion of experience the truth of which was made manifest." Consequently， "his perceptions of men and things， sudden， clear， impartial and true， were instinct with solid， practical discretion." To form a clear idea of the divergent or concordant dispositions， fickle or earnest， actual or possible， of different parties and of twenty-six millions of souls， to justly estimate probable resistances， and calculate available forces， to recognize and take advantage of the one decisive moment， to combine executive means， to find men of action， to measure the effect produced， to foresee near and remote contingencies， to regret nothing and take things coolly， to accept crimes in proportion to their political efficacy， to dodge before insurmountable obstacles， even in contempt of current maxims， to consider objects and men the same as an engineer contracting for machinery and calculating horse-power[46] -such are the faculties of which he gave proof on the 10th of August and the 2nd of September， during his effective dictatorship between the 10th of August and the 21st of September， afterwards in the Convention， on the first Committee of Public Safety， on the 31st of May and on the 2nd of June：[47] we have seen him busy at work. Up to the last， in spite of his partisans， he has tried to diminish or， at least， not add to， the resistance the government had to overcome.
Nearly up to the last， in spite of his adversaries， he tried to increase or， at least， not destroy the available forces of the government. In defiance of the outcries of the clubs， which clamor for the extermination of the Prussians， the capture of the King of Prussia， the overthrow of all thrones， and the murder of Louis XVI.， he negotiated the almost pacific withdrawal of Brunswick；[48] he strove to detach Prussia from the coalition；[49] he wanted to turn a war of propaganda into one of interests；[50] he caused the Convention to pass the decree that France would not in any way interfere with foreign governments； he secured an alliance with Sweden； he prescribed beforehand the basis of the treaty of Basle， and had an idea of saving the King.[51] In spite of the distrust and attacks of the Girondists， who strove to discredit him and put him out of the way， he persists in offering them his hand； he declared war on them only because they refused to make peace，[52] and he made efforts to save them when they were down. Amidst so many ranters and scribblers whose logic is mere words and whose rage is blind， who grind out phrases like a hand-organ， or are wound up for murder， his intellect， always capacious and supple， went right to facts， not to disfigure and pervert them， but to accept them， to adapt himself to them， and to comprehend them. With a mind of this quality one goes far no matter in what direction； nothing remains but to choose one's path. Mandrin， under the ancient régime， was also， in a similar way， a superior man；[53] only he chose the highway.
Between the demagogue and the highwayman the resemblance is close：