kingdom of Naples. It fuited the policy of the French, at that moment, to make pacific profeffions to all the world befides the Eng. lifh.

The French directory, after they found all the arts they had practifed, in order to cajole and keep the Turks quiet, to no purpose, by way of answer to the manifefto of the Porte, in a newfpaper, called the Moniteur, which was understood to be as much under their direction as any of our papers are under that of our government, and a kind of illegitimate gazette, published, towards the end of November, 1798, among others, the following remarks. After affecting to call in queftion the authenticity of the Turkish manifefto, they adverted to that paffage which charged the French, under the command of Buonaparte, with falling on Egypt, the most valuable province of the Ottoman empire, like fo many corfairs. How far, they afked, could that country be confidered as valuable to the grand feignior? A country of which the chiefs were independent; and where his baflraw, an officer merely nominal and honorary, was either fuffered to remain, in a state of infignificancy and contempt, or remanded to the Porte, at the pleasure of the beys. But, if they could be fuppofed to be unacquainted with the conduct of the beys towards the Porte, could they be ignorant of their deportment, for many years, towards France? In violation of the rights of nations, they had plundered and opprefled all Frenchmen in Egypt, whether fojourners or domiciliated in the country: and the French merchants had applied to the Porte for its protection, in conformity

with repeated treaties of commerce, in vain. Thofe folemn treaties the beys had facrificed to private engagements made with England, to harafs, opprefs, and annihilate the commerce of France with Egypt. Ought their open hoftilities to be tolerated any longer, with impunity? The directory would be guilty of a flagrant breach of their folemn engagement, to exercife a vigilant care for the protec tion of private property, as well as public rights and interefts, if they did not repel fuch barefaced aggrelfion and make juft reprizals? It was not from Conftantinople that the blow given to the beys fhould be re-echoed, but from London: in as much as in ftriking at the Mammalukes the French government had aimed a blow against England, with which they had made common caufe, as appeared from a letter which (they affirmed) had been fent by them to admiral Nellon, before the battle of Aboukir: in which letter they had ftated, to the admiral, that he had only to destroy the French fleet, and that they themfelves would take care to cut the French troops in pieces when they should come on fhore.

But it was afked by the enemies of the directory, what right had they, in order to inflict punishment on the beys, however merited, to fet their foot on a territory belonging to the grand feignior, and fuddenly to invade it without his knowledge? undoubtedly, the blow ftruck by the expedition had fallen unexpecíedly; not, however, on the Porte, but on the English, against whom it was directed. They appealed both to the written declarations and the actions of Buonaparte, who

[12]

always

ble, not to fay unworthy, of republican government.

The fame requifition, for the new levy of men that was made in France, was enforced in the conquered ftates. Liegeois, Swifs, Savoyards, and Belgians, if they did not readily obey the fummons, were dragged, by force, into the French battalions. It was but ten years fince the Belgians had revolted against their own fovereign, the emperor, Jofeph II. on account of fome innovations, and chiefly thofe refpecting monafteries and certain religious obfervances, by no means effential to the principles and forms of the Catholic religion. They now faw their churches pillaged, their priests banished, imprifoned, and, fometimes, put to death; and this at a time when their temporal fufferings certainly required all the confolations of religion. Confifcations, contributions, and taxes, had yet left the honeft and refpectable Flemish peafants, however much difcouraged by repeated and continued attacks on their induftry, to confole one another by mutual fympathy and affection in the bofom of their families. But this comfort was now ravished from them by the military confcription and requifitions. Hufbands were torn from wives, children from parents, and lovers from the objects of a virtuous attachment. There is a time when tyranny cannot any longer add to its oppreffions, and the cup of mifery overflows. The Flemish nation, driven to despair, did not witness the young men dragged from their own fire fides, to fwell the armies of their oppreffors, without refiftance. The parties of French, fent to prefs the youth into their regi

ments, were, in fome places, re fifted by parents, brothers, neighbours, and even by the weaker fex. The first movements of this kind, so natural and affecting, diffufed their influence over the Low Countries with the fpeed of lightning. A difpofition, to throw off the detefted yoke of France, had lately appeared in the Netherlands, which fubjected the inhabitants, as ufual in fuch cafes, ftill more to the vigilant feverity of the French government. The English, four thoufand ftrong, had made a defcent, in May, 1798, at Oftend, in order to deftroy the fluices, but had been repulfed by a very inferior number: fifteen hundred of them were taken prifoners, among whom were five hundred and five officers. The English, at their landing, were welcomed by cries of invitation. The news of their landing was quickly fpread over, the whole country, where a very general difpofition to give them intelligence and encourage them appeared among the inhabitants. A law was paffed, for fending fuch as fhould, in future, be guilty of any fpeech or action, tending to the encouragement of the enemy, to courts martial, to be tried and punifhed, according to the military code, as fpies and recruiters for hoftile powers. Thus, the French were as ready to extinguish, as the Belgians to catch the first sparks of infurrection.

The place, where the explofion burst forth, was the beautiful diftrict of Waës, fituated between the Scheldt and the canal between Bruffels and Antwerp. From thence, in the end of October, it quickly fpread to the lordship of Malines, the territory of Louvain, as far as

Trilemont,

of liberty were every where cut down, and the 'tri-coloured flags torn in pieces and committed to the flames.

The generals of the French army and the directorial agents, who fled to the army for protection, did not fail to make the fevereft-retaliation. A number of villages were given up to fire and fword. The infurgents, overpowered in the castle of Duffel, near Malines, around which they had caft a trench, were maffacred, after they had furrendered, without

mercy. A number of executioners followed in the train of the French columns; fcaffolds were erected; and the blood of the unhappy Belgians flowed profufely.

The brave and honeft Belgians, equally obedient to juftice and indignant at injuftice and oppref fion, wearied and worn out, with out magazines, artillery, and places of retreat, enclofed between Holland and France, and left to their fate by Europe, were, in January, 1799, obliged to yield to their mighty conquerors,

CHAP.