Interesting thread. I would imagine they'd be reading in translation. French was the European language of the upper classes (the English upper classes learned French, and French was the main language of the Russian aristocracy, falling out of fashion after Napoleon invaded). Tom Paine was from the artisan (equivalent of sansculotte) class in England, so he wasn't taught French, even though he went to grammar school (a better school than many of his social class), which was a disadvantage when he got elected to the Convention. He could and did communicate in English with Danton and Marat, and I presume he fell in with Brissot and co. because Brissot had spent time in England, too. I think I remember Barere (or someone like that)could read Paine's written English, but couldn't speak it to communicate with him verbally, though I don't know how typical that is. Danton is supposed to have had a library stocked with books in English (Shakespeare etc.), though I'm pretty certain the Shakespeare plays staged in Paris during the Revolution period were in French.