the expedition to Germany, ftill preferved its general preponderance against the coalition. The directory had, previoufly to the opening of the campaign, published to all Europe a desire to terminate the war upon equitable conditions; but these did not appear fuch to the two remaining powers in alliance against the republic. They well underftood, that the ceffion of the Netherlands would be required, together with the restoration of all the conquefts made by the British army in both the Indies. It was to confirm its pretenfions to these lofty demands, that France made thofe venturous attempts in the empire that had almoft fucceeded. But the failure did not induce the rulers of the republic to abate in their demands, which they ftill infifted on with as much obftinacy as if they had been completely fuccessful in those vaft enterprizes. Auftria did not display lefs refolution. It relied on that conftant good fortune which had, in the critical occurrences of many ages, never permitted it to be reduced to diftrefs, without finally providing it with the means of deliverance. Hence, in the midft of difficulties, the fpirit of that high-minded family, though frequently staggered at the reverfes that befel it, and bending occafionally before unavoidable neceffity, ftill remained unbroken, and filently cherished the hope, that the hour of profperity would return, as it had fo often done, and richly repay it for its paft loffes. While fuch ideas were prevalent, the court of Vienna felt more indignation than defpondency at the fuccefs of the republican arms. The perfuafions of a fimilar kind, that were no lefs current among the people of its hereditary dominions in Germany, contributed wonderfully. to animate them in the defence of a family, that seemed, at all times, the peculiar favourite of fortune, and destined, however liable to temporary depreffion, ultimately to fucceed against all its enemies, and to verify the epithet, bestowed upon it fo long ago, of fortunate. The inferior fovereigns, and petty ftates of the empire, had, in the beginning of the conteft between the coalition and the republic, wavered in their opinion concerning the juftice and propriety of requiring them to join against a people that had given them no provocation. Hence flowed thofe difcontents, and murmurs, against the Imperial mandates, and requifitions, to that purpofe, which were gradually converted into an enmity to thofe that iffued them, and into good wishes to the cause against which they combated. But this hoftile difpofition had no activity. A long and habitual fubferviency to the litics of the court of Vienna was too firmly established among most of the fecondary princes, and Imperial cities, as they are styled, to be shaken by tranfitory events. The court of Berlin was more feared than refpected, and its tergiverfation deftroyed all influence but that which proceeded immediately from the terror of its arms. Thus the Auftrian intereft, though it fometimes fluctuated, ftill recovered its influence, and the inimical defigns of Pruflia, against the leffer states of the em pire, together with the flagitious behaviour of the French, reftored, in a great meafure, the preponder po ance The frontiers of France, on the Rhine, were now in danger of becoming again the theatre of war. The fpirit and activity of the archduke, encreafed by his late fucceffes, had prompted him to an enterprize, from which, if he fucceeded, much utility and honour would be derived This was to retake, by a fudden and vigorous attack, the fortress of Kehl. To this end he detached, from his army, a corps of chofen men, who attacked the French general, Scherer, at Bruchfal, in the proximity of the Rhine, on the thirteenth of September, and, pushing him before them as far as Kehl, forced the outworks on the nineteenth, and had nearly carried that ftrong fortrefs. A tremendous fire, from the French batteries, compelled them, at length, to retire: but the boldnefs and refolution difplayed in this enterprize did great honour to the affailants, and fhewed how little the Auftrian troops were daunted by the fucceffes of the French. archduke in perfon. All the generals that had been employed against Moreau, in the courfe of the campaign, were present in this action, which was maintained with remarkable obftinacy by both parties. The perfonal intrepidity of the archduke was confpicuous on this occafion. The right wing of his army, under Latour, being repulfed, and on the point of abandoning the attack of Kindringen, he put himself at the head of a body of granadiers, who returned to the charge and carried it. The left wing, and the centre of the Auftrians, met with the firmest refiftance, and, though the French were worsted, the action was not decifive. General Moreau, finding himself overpowered by the immenfe fuperiority of numbers that occupied the pofitions around, concentrated his force in fuch a manner, as either to make a vigorous defence, or a fecure retreat, as circumstances should render it most expedient. He was attacked upon the ftrong ground he had chofen at Schlingen, fituated upon a height, near Friburgh, on the twenty-third of October. The difpofitions made by general Moreau, to receive the enemy, were fo judicious, that, notwithstanding the number and valour of the Auftrians, and the expertnefs of their commanders, the conteft lafted three days, when the French, after difputing every inch of ground, retired in the best order, acrofs the Rhine, at Huning The fame enterprizing difpofition continued to characterize the archduke in his operations against the French, after their retreat to Fri-hen, on the twenty-fixth. Their burgh, where Moreau had now eftablished his quarters. On the feventeenth of October, his advanced pofts, at Kindringen, in the vicinity, were affailed with great fury by the Imperial army, commanded by the retreat was conducted with fuck firmness in the men, and fkill in their commander, that the Auftrians were neither able, nor willing, to attempt a clofe pursuit. The The French, on leaving the right fide of the Rhine, had provided the fortrefs of Kehl with a garrifon, compofed of felect officers and foldiers. Moreau's intention was to find the Auftrians fuch employment, in the fiege of this important place, that they should not have leifure to turn their attention to any other object in that quarter. His project fucceeded fo well, that, till the commencement of the enfuing year, their whole time and ftrength were fpent in efforts to reduce this fortrefs. Herein they loft numbers of their best men. A very ferious action took place on the twenty-fecond of November. The garrifon made a general fally, and, driving the befiegers from their line of circumvallation, fpiked all their cannon, and, after making a great flaughter, carried off a large number of prisoners. In order to balance this check, the Auftrians attacked, on the thirtieth of November, the fortification that covered the head of the bridge of Huninguen, on their fide. The attempt was made in the middle of the night, and the French were driven from their works. Recovering, however, from their diforder, they fell upon the affailants, retook their works, and defeated them fo completely, that they were obliged to retire, with the utmoft fpeed, to a great diftance, furioufly purfued by the French, who flew and took vaft numbers, though not without fevere lofs on their fide, at the firft onfet, which was very unfavourable, and had nearly put the enemy in poffeffion of the head of the bridge, whereby the communication with Kehl would have been cut off, and its reddition accelerated. VOL. XXXVIII. a This action, for the time it lafted, and from the mutual animofity of the combatants, was reputed the moft deftructive of any that had yet happened during this war. Such was the fury of both the French and Auftrians, that they were wholly intent upon flaughter. Few prifoners were made; and the killed and wounded, on both fides, was computed at four thoufand, the lofs being nearly equal. The month of December was confumed in operations of this kind, which occafioned the lofs of numbers, and ferved only to exercise the fkill and bravery of both parties. It was not till the opening of the next year, that, after a valiant defence of two months, the fortrefs of Kehl furrendered to the Auftrians, who thereby became poffeffed of a heap of rubbish and ruins. The garrifon carried away the very pallifadoes, and left nothing worth the taking. The works at the head of the bridge were in like manner evacuated fome time after, and a final termination put to the operations of the campaign in this quarter. The French and Austrian armies, on the lower Rhine, harraffed by the inceffant fatigues they had undergone, came alfo to the determination of concluding hoftilities during the winter. An armiftice took place between them, about the middle of December, by which they mutually agreed to retire into cantonments, and to remain there peaceably, till the fufpenfion fhould be formally declared at an end. The termination of a campaign fo unfortunate in its commencement, and fo favourable in its termination, to the Auftrian intereft in Germany, totally revived its in[L] fluence fluence over the diet of the empire at Ratisbon. The confternation that had overwhelmed, it at the near approach of the victorious armies of Jourdan and Moreau, had been marked by circumstances denoting more defpondency than became fo refpectable a body of men, and fubjected them, in fome meafure, to the cenfures of the public, particularly of the court of Vienna, which expreffed high difpleasure at the readiness they had manifefted to treat with the enemy. They now were equally folicitous to regain the good-will of the Imperial court, and addreffed it in terms remarkably fubmiffive and thankful for the protection they had received from its armies, and the prefervation of the empire, by the expulfion of the French, through the valour and exertions of the archduke. CHAP. СНАР. X. State of Parties in France.-A Revival of the Reign of Terror threatened in the Southern Departments by Freron.-The Directory defert and oppose the Jacobin Intereft.-Confpiracy of Jacobins.-Difcovered and defeated. Arrangements respecting the Eflates of Emigrants.-Influence of the nonjuring or refractory Clergy troublesome to Government. Scandalous Neglect of the Execution of Justice.—Criminal Trials.-Money and Finance.-The fame Impofitions laid on the People of the Aufirian Netherlands as on thofe of France.-New Plots and Infurrections.-Law for reconciling the different Factions in France, by the Extinction of Terror.Propofal for repealing a Law which appeared to fome to bear too hard on the Relations of Emigrants.—Rejected.—But an equitable Alteration made in that fevere Law.-This a Matier of Triumph to the moderate Party. IT T was the policy of the directory, as above obferved, to fecure their own power, by engaging the French nation in continued military exploits, by which the public mind might be occupied other wife than in inquiries into their own paft or prefent conduct; and by which they might acquire popularity, in proportion to the fuccefs and glory of the French arms. Yet there was, in the midft of all the fucceffes of Buonaparte, in the heart of France, a very numerous party in oppofition to the measures of the government; and this party, by the repulfe of the French from Germany, was daily encreafed. The French, at this period, might be divided into two great clafles: the one bufiling and intriguing politicians, never fatisfied while there was anything to be done or undone; for ever in motion, and incapable of reft: the other party, compofed of men, bred in times before France was feized with a rage for innovation, whofe prejudices were all in favour of monarchy, though not perhaps unlimited; and of others too, who, though they had originally favoured the principles of the revolution, longed now, above all things, to enjoy the bleffings of peace. When this peaceable party, whether inclined to monarchy, or republicanifm, reflected that all the golden dreams of the reformers had paffed away like vifions of the night, and been followed by nothing but the accumulated evils of war; horror on horror, difappointment on difappointment. When they locked back on former times, plentiful and tranquil; a period too, when they were younger than now, knew more happinefs, and faw every thing around them in the light of joy and gladnefs; they were fenfible of the livelieft anguish and regret, and ar[L2] dently |