YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THE LIFE Of GENERAL DUMOURIEZ. J2V I JiKEE VOLUMES. VOL. I. N«N OMNIS M0RIAR. L ON DON: SPRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, WO. 72, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD. 1796. PREFACE, "res sep by circumfhnces, I prefented the publick with the kft two books of my life, before the firft fix. I do not choofe to reply to the criticifms that my enemies may make on thofe two books, in any other manner than by the publication of my whole life. I live on calumnies as itorks live on ferpents, without being hurt by them. The fix years which remain to be filled up, to terminate the prefent century, will ftill furnifh many important events : Jet my work be perufed with attention, and A 2 it iv PREFACE. it will be feen that I have anticipated part ofthem. This book will be found to contain great truths; my* compatriots efpecially,; will be ftruck with the, recital, when their frenzy is paft. May thefipro^^efai-fbrthem ! I lhall then Jiave ferved my country, even after jriy death ; I fhall then have lived long enough, and my age and nation will not abjure me: in that cafe I fhall not wholly die. PREFACE PRE FA t E r RA N S J^A'T IO N. -w-~^. Vl( ,I| e T h^ iC the fubjecT: or the Author df doubtlefs be deemed worthy" of attention. They contain fome interefling particulars relative to the late revolution in Sweden, which degraded that country from a limited to an arbitrary monarchy, and a former at tempt of the Poles .oh the firfr. partition of their territories to vindicate their national independence : two great events, in both of which, alas ! defpotifm proved finally trium phant. But the mofl valuable part of this work will be found to confift in the detailed account of a revolution, that has laid afide 7 the VI PREFACE, the reigning dynafty of France, erected de* mocracy on the ruins of monarchy, punch ed the laft of the Capets, and bids fair to change the face of Europe. The military man will here become ac quainted with all the refources of his art ; the hiftorian will difcover fa£ts, the politi cian maxims, the ftatefman leffons, in almoft every page ; for although Dumouriez be equally obnoxious to the royalifts whom he has conquered, and the republicans whom he is faid to have betrayed, yet neither of thern can deny, that he poffefTes extraordinary abili ties, however much they may be inclinedj tfl lament their perverfipn. CONTENTS CON TENTS OF > THE F 1 RST .VOLUME. B O O K I. CHAP. I. Reasons why the author undertakes ' to write his me- moirs, p. i.-k-Bifth of general Dumouriez, 3. — His education, 5.— Inclined to turn jefuit, 8. — How di verted from this defign, ib.— He goes with hisfetfier to the army, 12. — Aflaffination of Louis XV, 13. CHAP. II. The feven years war* Dumouriez joins the armyj p. 14. — Is made an aide-de-camp to the marqute d'Armentiers, 15.— Receives a Gontufion in an at tack on a village, 16. — Joins the regiment of Def- ¦ cars as a volunteer, 19.— His camp library, 2Cv — < He takes prifoner an Eng'lifh officer of dragoons, 21.— Character of his" father, 23.— Dumourie2 be haves gallantly at the battle of Warbourg, 26.— -Is turouoded an'd taken, prifoner, 29.— 'Made a captain of Viii CONTENTS. of horfe, 34. — Battle of Fillingfhaufen, 36.— Peace proclaimed, 38— Dumouriez difmifled, and receives the crofs of St. Louis, 39. CHAP. III. Dumouriez falls in love with his coufin, p. 41. — At tempts to poifon himfelf, 45 —Sets off for Italy, 54.— Seeks employment in the Corfican war, 57. — Forms a plan for aflifting the Corfican s in maintaining their independence, 60. — Has an interview with the duke de Choifeul on the fubje£t, 69.^— Quarrels with him, 73. CHAP. IV. Travels into Spain and Portugal. Dumouriez refcues a young lady from the brutality of her brother, p. 8 1 .— His reception by the marquis d'Oflun, 88. — Adven ture with a Pruffian major, 91.— His coufin becomes a nun, 97. — He vifits Portugal, 98. — Writes an account of that kingdom, 104.— -Conceives an at tachment for a young Frenchwoman, 107. — Change in the Affairs of Corfica, 109. CHAP. V. The Corfican war. Dumouriez appointed Deputy quarter-mafter-general, p. 112.— Noble aclion of the duke de Choifeul, 115. — Dumouriez arranges the removal of the jefuits from Corfica, 118. — Attack of the Corficans, i24.-iBbrgo garrifoned, 130. — Taken by the Corficans, 142. — Mr. de Marbeuf propofes a fufpenfion of arms, 146. — Dumouriez protefts againft it, 147. — He endeavours to furprife, ICoh Kof- fa,. 150. — Is offered only 2 lieutenant-colonel's commiffion CONTENTS. i*, commiflion in eonfequence of his failure, and refufes . h> J53- CHAP. VI. Campaign of 1769, p. 155. -^Lieutenant-general de Vaux appointed commander in chief, ib — His cha racter,, 156.— Dumouriez made a colonel, 159.^ — Plan "of the campaign, 160. — Skirmifh with the Corfi-; cans, 161.— -Dumouriez put under arreft, 164. — Freed from it with honour, 166. — Guibert, 170. — The , father of Dumouriez dies," 172. — Remarks on ge neral Paoli and the Corficans, ib. CHAP. VII. DuSnouriez returns to Paris, p. 184. — Receives a pen- fion, 185.— Count deBroglio, 186.— ^Dumouriez fent to Poland, 189. — Offers to marry his coufin, 192.— Late queen pf France, 194. — Duke de Choifeul, 204. Dumouriez. confers with prince Charles of Sixony, 206. — Joins the Polifli confederation ^at Eperies, 211 .—-Stat? of the confederation, ib.— CoUntefs of Mniezeck, 217. — Plan of operations in Poland, 227. — • Duke de Choifeul difgrtced, 231.— Effect of elo quence, 237. — Staniflaus depofed, ibid. 'CHAP. VIH. ^oli^a^ intrigues, p. 242. — Proceedings in Pqland, 249. — Tb^e Prujpians, drivjerj acrofs the ViJ^ula, .260. ' — Batt|e of Landfcron, 271. — Perfidy of the (<|uke d'Aiguillon, ^.80. — Extraordinary memory of Qunjiou- riez, 290.—- -Remarks.on the Poles, $e partition of Poland, and the Polifli conftitution, 293. Vol. I. h-*&-< vCHAP. jf COUTI N,T£. C HA P. IX. Dumouriez returns, to France, 299- — His interview with the duke d'Aiguillon, 300. — He draws up jn- ftrucYions for light troops, 305. CHAP. X. Spirited behaviour of Dumouriez to the duke d'Aiguil lon, p. 3 1 0.^— Revolution in Sweden, 312. — Dumou riez forms a plan for raifing men on the occa- fion, 315 — Is fent to Hamburg by the king for this purpofe,, 316.— Arfefkd there, -31 8-. -BOOK II. CHAP. .1. Reflections on the conduct of Dumouriez, p. 320.— He arrives at -the Baftille, 322. — His habitation de- fcribed, 323. — Count de Jumilhac, 325. — Cruelties of the revolution* 328. — Examination of Dumouriez, 33d.-iS-His fcheme to prevent being detected in a falfehood, 337. — Meannefs of Louis XV, 340. — Se cond examination, 34-1.— Adventure with the turn key, 1:347. — Third examination, 350; — Fourth exa- , mination, 35 j. — Scheme of Dumouriez to get him- felf a better apattment, and the company of his two domeftics, 358.-!— He difcovers a prifoner bereft of his fenfes, ,,who had been, confined two 'and twenty years /or a fong on madam Pompadour, 360.— His mode of providing jfyture, prifoners; with pen, ink, and papery 365.7-His donieftics permitted 8 to CONTENTS* ^i to be with him, 366. — Their company often contri buted little to his happinefs, 367. — He continues' to carry on a correCpondenee with his fellow-prifoner Favier, 369/ —Termination, of his , imprifontnent in the BafiiHe, 375. CHAP. H. Dumouriez removed to the caftle of Caen, 379^ — Re vival of his oldpaffion for his coufin, 381.— Their interview, 383. — His coufin feized with a fever, 385. — -He becomes her nurfe, ib. — Anecdote of ma dam de Schomberg, 387.— -Louis XV dies, arid Du mouriez compofes his panygeric, 388. — Dumouriez fet at liberty, 389. — With the minifter's permif- fion marries his coufin, 391.— They part, 395. CHAP. III. The Pruffian manoeuvres introduced into France, p. 398. —Dumouriez appointed to affift in the Introduction, 399. — Ordered to examine two plans of internal na vigation, 400.— Solicits a fuit for Mr. de M'ont- barey, 405.- — Count de St. Germain, 407*— •Dumou riez fent to examine where a naval port might be formed m the channel, 409.— Appointed afliftant quarter-rnafter-general of the coafts of Boulogne, 412. — War with Britain, 414 — Dumouriez made commandant of Cherbourg, 415. CHA P. - IV. Cfaerbmirgj 417.— Contefts and exertions of Dumou riez to fortify the place, 419. — Difpute on the mode Of forming troops, 429.— Academy at Cherbourg, 436. — Guernfey and J«rfey, 438.— Dumouriez plans an Xii COUTfHTI, an attack on the ifle of Wight, 44a.— Jerfcy attacked 445. — Invafion of England, 446-. CHAP. V. Plan for a port at Cherbourg, p. 453.— Difadvantages of the road of la Hougue, 461. — Labretonrriere!s. project of a dike at Cherbourg^ 467.— The cones, 480.— Dumouriez forms a fcheme for improving the Cotentin by draining the marines of the Veys, 493. CHAP. VI* Reflections, p. 503. THE ERRATA. ^5*' line 1;, f.b. for Builloud, read Bullimd. 1853 8, for Meaupou, read MaufeoUt. 208, 2, dele /o, a 80, - i5» 16. for Mnifzeck read Mniezeci. 329. - 6, f.b. for £read Belgium. 103, , 1 10, for 2?f/gza,J 121, - alt. for draw read dravjn. 122, - 10, f.b. for e/" read a/. J41, - 7.' f.b. for ffz'aa* read niaud. »74» - 2, the inverted commas after labours, Jbould be after you, z'n fe|. 212; - »2, for 7?^ read rag. 289, •* 5., /«/ a femicolon after fool, a»a* a comma after confidence, z» line 8. 343. - 12, for yourfelf, read yourf elves. 4Z7> - ult. for z'/, read z/7. VOL. III. 88, - 3' f.b. for movement, read moment* I39» - 7, f.b. ddefor. 183.- »» for *<2/, read «?/?. 206, - 3> f.b. for a&j/«, read A&ar. , a9z, i, for zotb, read 24/^. THE LIFE OF GENERAL DUMOURIEZ, BOOK I. CHAP. I. Of the Birth and Education of Gen. Dumouriez. vJeneral Dumouriez is not induced from motives of vanity to undertake the talk of writing his own memoirs!. It is a duty which he owes to his friends, his relations, and his partilans : it is an aegis which he oppofes to his enemies and his perfecutors : and it -will prove* perhaps, an inftru&ive lefTon, to his contempo raries and to pofterity. In the vvhole courfe of a motley and a very active life, he cannot difcover a fingle incident, that ought to put him to the blulh. v Vol. I. B He ( 2 ) He is a man; he has often committed faults; he even accufes himfelf of errours ; but he has not one crime with which to reproach his confer ence : never has he abandoned himfelf to any par ticular vice ; never has he varied in regard to his principles ; and his very miftakes have been merely the offspring of opinions inflamed by the am bition of attaining the bighefl pitch of excellence, an attempt often productive of evil. Without wifhiag to compare himfelf to fo great a man to wait on Mr. de'Cremilles, a lieutenant ge neral and director of the war department, under the marfhal de Belle-Ifle. The marfhal was Very fond of his father, and Mr. de Cremilles ¦ was his intimate friend. He gave him an ac count of the laft campaign, teftified his repug nance for the fituation which he then occupied, and befought him to procure for him a cornetcy of dragoons, becaufe, being already nineteen years. of age, he was too old to come in at the fag end~ of a regiment of infantry. Mr. de Cremilles, after fome preliminary ob servations, prefented him to the minifter, and .he in his turn mentioned him to vifcount Def- cars, colonel of a regiment of cavalry, who pfomifed him the firft vacant commifiion. Dumouriez on this returned to his father, told him what he had done, had the good fortune to meet with his approbation, and immediately prepared to ferve as a volunteer, until he Ihould be appointed to the fituation which he had now a right to exped. Amidft the tranfports of his joy, he addreffed his parent, and faid, "You have rendered me truly happy by your acqui- efcence, and as I enter late into the fervice, I ftiall take care not to lofe any time, for I fwear to you that I will either be killed, or become a knight °of ( i9 ) of St. Louis, in the courfe of four years." this Was not very confolatory to a father who had taken fo much pains with an only fon. Du- tnouriez however kept his word. The regiment of Defcars had maintained the greater! reputation for valour from the very firft- moment of its being levied. The following was' the motto embroidered upon its ftandards. " Fais ce que dois, avierine que pourra*." Dumouriez has attended to this maxim during the whole courfe of his life. At the battle of Rolbach this regiment had been fo roughly handled, after having- pierced through the king of Pruffia's body guards^ the marquis deCaftries fighting at its head* that out of eight captains who entered the field, but four re mained alive, and no more than one hundred troopers returned, of which thirty and a fingle officer alone efcaped unwounded. After this it was fent to lower Normandy to recruit *, and fUcti was the ardour difplayed on this occafion, that in the month of ( May 1758, when Dumouriez joined it, it was nearly complete, and looked remarkably well. On his arrival he found twelve other Volun teers attached to it, feveral of whom had fs^ved * " Do your duty, happen what may."— Tra/z/I C 2, during 1 5? C 20 ). during the firft. campaign; this proved a great drawback to his pretentions, he therefore acted during fi^ months as a fimple trooper. The mafculine and ufeful education, which he had received from his refpeCtable father, gave him many advantages over his companions. He had Collected a little library which always ac companied him to the war, compofed of the " Bible," " Montaigne's Eflays," " Horace," " Caefar's Commentaries," and thofe of " Mon- tecuculi," the Perfect Captain of the Duke de Rohan," *• the Memoirs of Feuquieres," and the " Geometry of Le Blond." He read over again and again, and was continually employed in me ditating on thefe books, and all others of the fame kind, which he was able to procure in the diffe rent languages * with which he happened to be acquainted. He often lived entirely alone; and, without refufing himfelf the enjoyment of pleafure when it occurred, always carefully avoided coffee houfes, billiards, gaming, the focieties ufually form ed in garrifons ; in one word, all the refourcesof idlenefs, for which he had no manner of occafion, Notwithftandingthis, his character, which was at once lively and open, precluded jealoufy, and he never had any enemies among his companions. The ( *I ) The regiment of Defcars was foon roufed from that repofe which it had hoped to enjoy in Normandy. The Englifh took Cherbourg by the cowardice and folly of a marechal- de-camp* ', of the name of Raimond. A fmall army was affembled at Valognes, which commenced a petty war of pofts and Ikirmifhes in the foreft of Cherbourg, where Dumouriez took an Englifh officer of dragoons prifoner. The enemy reim- barked and fet fail, in order to renew the com bat at St. Cas, in Britanny. The regiments of Bourbon and Defcars foon after received orders to return to Germany, whither they arrived at the end of the year. It was at this period that Dumouriez received his firft commiflion. During the campaign of 1759, his regiment ferved under the orders of the marquis d'Ar- mentieres, who was very attentive to his former aide-de-camp. He was employed with feven or eight thoufand men, in order to fuccour Munfter, where general Boifclereau gained great o-Iory, and effaced that, of the marquis de Gail- Ion, who commanded in the place. * The rank of marechal-de-camp, in the French armies, was, and ftill is tantamount to that of major general Li the Englifh krvice.—rTranf. C 2 General ( 2* ) General Imhoff, a Hanoverian, was at the head of -the covering army during the liege; this cpnfifted of a body of troops rather more nu merous than that under the marquis d'Armen- tieres, who conducted himfelf with ability, and fought three, brilliant actions; one at thepaffage of the river Lippe near Halteren, in the face pf general Imhoff, whom he drove from the po- fition he had affumed, the others at Emfdet- ten and Albachten ; during which he found means to introduce a large convoy of pro- vifion into Munfter. Dumouriez received, a contufion in the hip from a mufket ball in the courfe of the action at Emfdetten. Notwithftanding all this, Munfter capitulated after a memorable liege, and the troops went into winter quarters. They were difturb- ed however in confequence of the march of prince Ferdinand towards Heffe and Franck- fort. The regiment of Defcars then removed, into the little county of Hackenbourg in Weft- phalia, where the war continued during the whole of the winter. The father of Dumouriez, in the courfe of this campaign, had been appointed intendant of the army, under marfhal de Broglio. He hap pened however to difagree with the count de Broglio, ( 23 - ) > Broglio, who ferved as quarter mafter general under his brother. Both of them being natu rally warm and haughty, the head of the ftaff, and the chief commifTary, were incapable'.of tranfaCting bufinefs together with any degree of cordiality. The intendant was accordingly fa crificed to 'the conqueror of Bergen ; he was fucceeded by the famous Foullon, one of thefirft victims of the French revolution in 1789. This difgrace was counterbalanced by an in heritance of fifty thoufand crowns a year, which was bequeathed to him at a moment when he leaft expected it. In addition to this, the mar fhal de Belle-Ifle had made him mufter mafter general of the department of Paris; his health however was become very precarious. He now purchafeda little eftate in the neigh bourhood of St. Germain en Laye, whither he re tired with his daughter, who in 1764 was mar ried to the baron de Schomberg. He led a phi lofophical life in this retreat until his death, which happened at the beginning of 1769. Notwithftanding the large portion of philofophy with which his mind was ftored, his fickly ftate, the remembrance of a great number of injuries which he had experienced, and a character but C 4 too ( H ) too replete with feeling and fenfibility, had pro duced, towards the latter part of his life, a cer tain degree of mifanthropy and harfhnefs, which made himfelf and every body around him un-. happy.: Born with genius, and having acquired • talents fuitable to the greateft employments, he had v been' obliged to refign his pretenfions on account of the accidental deficiency of birth, and he was rendered ftill more miferable by retaining to his laft moments an ambition: counteracted by the mediocrity of his ftation. He was brave, no ble, generous, pofTefTed an auftere probity ; but, although heunited extenfive knowledge to agree*-, able talents, he was neither fupple, nor even com- plaifant ; and his old fafhioned character had al ways rendered him odious, to thofe who diftribu- ted the favours of a corrupt court : they uniform ly loaded him with marks of efteem and averfion. In 1760, the regiment of Defcars formed part of the army of the count de St. Germain. That of the marfhal de Broglio left Franckfort and marched towards Heffe. Although it would have been more ufeful to have allowed St. Germain to act feparately, the jealoufy of the marfhal was fuch, as to induce him to iflue orders to join him immediately. This junction was formed in the plains ( *5 ) plains of Corbach *, after an adion of which the count de St. Germain experienced all the dan ger, and the marfhal de Broglio affumed all the glory. The engagement however was very infignificant when confidered jn itfelf, as were alfo thofe of Wolf hageii , and Volkmuf- fen, which the army of St. Germain, fought a few days after. Prince Ferdinand, although far- . inferiour in point of force to the marfhal de Broglio, always kept within fight of his army, and attacked by turns his right flank confifting of z corps of Sax ons pofted towards Fulda, and his left ftationed at Warbourg. This left flank confifted of St. Germain's army, which had been difmembered.' The marfhal aded in fuch a manner, that this genera], who was no more than a fimple gentle man, or what the courtiers chofe to term a fof- dier of fortune, was difgraced; he afterwards entered into the fervice of Denmark f. In * A town fituated in the principality of Waldeck, about thirty miles diftant from Caflel. — Tranf. f Being obliged to leave Denmark, where he had acted as prefident of the board of war, he firft received, a penfion from, and was (oon after appointed minifter at war to France. The new regulations introduced by him are faid to have difgufted the troops with the court, and to have paved the way for the revolution. — Tranf. confequence ( *6 ) confequence of this Dumouriez loft a' pro- tedor. ( -Out of part of his army a divifion of eighteen thoufand men was formed; this became the left wing of the marfhal's line, which prince. Fer dinand kept in check within the Camp at Cor bach, by occupying a camp at Sachfenhaufen, in the fame plain. The marfhal detached this- divifion under the orders of chevalier de Muy, a lieutenant general, who-died afterwards invert ed With the office of minifter at war, and a mar shal of France, to make a circuitous march, and turn the right flank of prince Ferdinand's army, b^ Crofting the river Dyrhel' at Warbourg. Prince Ferdinand had oppofed to this detach ment a body of fifteen thoufand men, under the orders of general Sporken, who on the 30th of Ai*guft received' a reinforcement of twenty-five thoufand troops, commanded by the hereditary prince, now duke of Brunfwick. On the 31ft general du Muy was attacked, furrounded, and completely beaten, with the lofs of fix thoufand men. During his retreat acrofs the Dymel, Dumouriez rallied, around a ffandard of his own regiment, borne by one of his companions of the name of Martigny, two hundred horfemen belonging to different batta- 8 lions, - ( 27 ) lions, faved a battery, confifting of five twelve* pounders, commanded by a brave lieutenant- colonel of artillery, called Buffy, his intimate friend, and covered the retreat of the Swifs brigade of Yenner, particularly of the regiment of Lochmann, which conduded itfelf heroical ly, notwithftanding the firft battalion Was over taken while crofting the river. He had a horfe killed under him on this occafion, and received two contufions from mulket-fhot, the one in the right knee, the other in the head. He was prefented with a gratification of ioo crowns *, one-half of which he bellowed on his com panions. , While the marfhal de Broglio, at the head of an army of 120,000 men, was playing this lofing game with ¦ prince Ferdinand, who had about 80,000, it was entirely forgotten that any troops were neceffary on the Lower Rhine*. Immediately after gaining the battle of War- bourg, the hereditary prince made a rapid evo lution with 20,000 men, traverfed the county of La Mark, and appeared before Wezel ; where no preparations had been made for fuftaining a fieo-e; not even a pallifade ereded; and no other * About £. 25 fterling.— Tranf. garrifon ( 28 ) garrifon provided than the Swifs regiment of iReding, which was far from being complete, a battalion of the militia of St. Denis, and a hundred men of a volunteer company, who ferved oh horfebadg,. If the hereditary prince had evinced, during this expedition, that brilliant impetuo- lity which at "that period diftinguifhed all the generals of the enemy's army, and hazarded an attack, he muft have carried the place: he chofe to be methodical, and loft that time which was at once precious and irrevocable. In the mean time the marquis de Caftries affumed the, command of the divifion which had been beaten at Warbourg. He had a longer march to make than the hereditary prince; but, notwithftanding this, he arrived at Cologne with aftbnifhing expedition. Bekig joined at Crefelt by fome regiments that had juft arrived from a camp we had eftablifhed at Nieuport, on pur pofe to proted Auftrian Flanders from being infulted by the Englifh fleet, he difpatched an -excellent officer belonging to the light troops, called Sionville, with five hundred men, who having embarked on the Rhine at Cologne, fell down the river as far as Wezel, and had the good fortune to throw himfelf into the place, notwith- ( 29 ) notwithftanding the fire from the enemy's bat teries. " . • To repair his fault, the hereditary prince croffed the Rhine, attacked the French at Clof- tercamjf, furprifed their camp during the night, 'and would have beaten^ them, had it not been for the refiftance of Fifcher, who was pofted in the abbey, and the fpirit difplayed by count de Rochambeau, colonel of' the regiment of Au- vergne. He re-croffed the river after experi encing a repulfe, raifed the liege of Wezel, and made a very brilliant retreat. On the evening before this adiori, while the French army was on its march with a defign to encamp along the canal of Eugene, with the left at Cloftercamp, the centre at Campen- Bruck, and the right towards Rhinberg, Du mouriez, who was on duty with the count de Thia'rs, then mar/hal- de-camp, was difpatcbed by that officer from the column on the left to the column on the right of the army. He then preceded the columns, fell in with fome of Fifcher's horfe grenadiers, and fome of Beaufre- mont's dragoons, croffed the canal with them, rode along the other fide of it, on purpofe to advance towards the right, keeping always with in fight of his own troops, but was immediately affailed , ( 3° ) affailed by a fcore of the enemy's huffars. He inftantly defended himfelf, and at the fame time called on fome of the French troopers, who had juft fled, to come to his afiiftance. He dis abled two of the huffars from continuing the combat, but his own horfe fell down dead uqder him ; and, to increafe his misfortune, his left ftirrup, which happened to be formed of un- tempered iron, was bent clofe to his foot by the" weight of his charger. He difengaged his leg,' but ftill found his foot held faft ; notwithftand ing this, he fuftained, even in this pofition, a combat of four or five minutes againft his furious antagonifts. He then fquatted down between a hecjge immediately behind him and his horfe, and ftill found means to Wound three men and feveral horfes. Thefe barbarians, keep ing themfelves juft out of the reach of his fa- bre, furrounded and fired at him with their pif- tols and carabines, a fhot from one of which carried away the middle finger of his right hand, broke the handle of his fword, and thus completely difarmed him ; another fcorched his eye-brows, eye-lafhes, and hair, and disfigured all his countenance with grains of gunpowder. At the very moment when he was about to be murdered, a tutelary angel arrived to his fuc- cour : » "( 3i ) cour; this proved to he the baron de Behr aide-de-camp to* the hereditary prince. The prince happened to be reconnoitering, arid thefe huffars formed his efcort. The. baron was obliged to draw his fabre to prevent them from butchering Dumouriez ; he at length fucceeded in his efforts, and they difengaged his foot, and dragged him before the hereditary prince, who paid him many compliments. He was then carried to the ftation where- the enemy's firft line had encamped in the open air during the preceding night. It confifted of an Engliftf bri gade, commanded by lord Waldegrave. There his wounds were dreffed for the firft time ; he had, fix deep ones, and thirteen levere contu- fions. What affeded him moft was the cir- cumftance of .being unable to make ufe of either of his arms. He was, however, placed on horfe- back, and arrived at the camp of Burich, where he was. greatly careffed by the enemy's generals and foldiers, more efpecially the Britifh. On the next day the hereditary prince chofe to retire, after experiencing but indifferent fuccefs, which he, however, had no reafon to exped ; for never did any general better deferve to gain a battle than he did that ofClofter- camp. Dumouriez ( 32 ) Dumouriez received^ every poffible mark of attention and benevolence from him ; but, although he entreated him as a favour to fend him back to the French camp, the prince per- fifted in keeping him along with the arrriy, un til it had croffed the Rhine and begun to retire, left he Ihould relate what he had feen. After his retreat had been achieved he fent him to Wezel, efcorted by the fame baron deBehr who had laved his life, and who was a very amiable young man ; he at the fame time wrote an ex ceedingly kind letter to the marquis de Caftries, full of the praifes of his young prifoner. The prince did not then forefee that this letter, which was carefully tranfmitted to the marfhal de Belle-Ifle, would make the fortune of this offi cer, and that thirty-two years after this felf- fame prifoner would command an army againft him in Champagne, and fave France, by oblig ing him to retire. However, notwithftanding all this, had he even anticipated thofe events, he would have aded exadly in the fame manner. Generofity is one of the effential charaderiftics appertaining to great warriors ; and it was emi nently confpicuous in this priuce, who was as much beloved in the French army as in that of which he was the Achilles. On ( 33 ) On his arrival at Wefel at the end of four days, during which his wounds had been dreffed but once, having lived on wine and fait meat at the table of the hereditary prince, having been daily on horfeback, having flept conftantly on ftraw, and never having once thrown off his clothes, his boots and regimentals were covered with clotted blood : he was taken great care of, but he fuffered excruciating tortures. Up wards of two hundred grains of powder were extraded from his Face. The furgeons reftored the Ikin of his forehead, which a ftroke from a fabre had difplaced and driven over his right eye, while part of the bone of his left arm, called the radius, which had been cut and fplintered, was fawed off. At the end of two months he was in a fituation to be removed to St. Germain en Laye. His attachment to books had been partly the means of faving his life during this perilous adventure. He happened to have Pafcal's " Pro vincial Letters " in the left pocket of his great coat, which covered his hip. A mufket-ball, being intercepted by the book, pierced through half the leaves, and remained there. On his arrival in Paris, he prefented this very volume to father Latour, a Jefuit, a man of talents, Voj.. I. D who ( 34 ) who had been principal of the college of Louis- k-Grand, obferving, at the fame time, that this was one of the miracles of Port-Royal *. The marfnal de Belle-Hie happened to die about this period, previoufly to having prefented the military graces to Louis XV for his figna- ture. At that period the compenfations bellowed on military men for their fervices were known by this name, and Dumouriez was included in the lift, being recommended for the crofs of St. Louis, and a troop of horfe. The duke de Choifeul fucceeded the marfhal de Belle-Ifle, and became minifter at war, or ra ther prime minifter. }ie prefented himfelf before him, one morning, when he gave audience, with each of his arms in a fcarf, and his head bound up. The minifter received him with great politeriefs ; but obferved, that two graces at one time were too much, and that it was neceffary he Ihould make his eledion of one of them. He advifed him to accept of the crofs, affuring him that he would give him a troop as foon as he Ihould recover from his wounds. The duke was not inatten tive to his own views in this offer. At that * Pert-Reyal was the principal feminary for the education of the Janfenifts, between whom and the Jefuits there exifted a mutual antipathy. — Tranf, period ( 35 ) period three troops only were vacant, while there were adually more than eight hundred candidates, many of whom were young men be longing to the court. Dumouriez replied to the minifter in a firm tone of voice : " Since you permit me to make my option, I will accept of the troop of cavalry ; I moreover conjure you to believe that I will ferve during the campaign, and that you wilt be fpeedily induced to beftow upon me the crofs of !St. Louis." The duke of Choifeul, who pbf- feffed much wit and animation f was ftruck with this anfwer, and the arrangement was inftantly completed. The vifcount Defcars,' having been elevated to the rank of marjhal-de-camp, the re giment was conferred on the marquis Defcars, his nephew, and Dumouriez had the fatisfadioii of receiving a troop of horfe in the very corps with which he had ferved during three Cam paigns. His youth, the vigour of his conftitution, and the healthy ftate of his blood, were fuch, that, at the end of eight weeks, all his wounds were clofed. He took leave of the minifter in the month of April 1 76 1, and immediately after jpined his D 2 regiment ( 3° ) regiment at Tongres * ; but the fatigue of the journey occafioned his left arm to fwell : it foon after turned black, and afflided him with infupportable torments. He afterwards fpent a month at Aix-la-chapelle, where the baths made his wounds open afrefh, on which many fplinters, and bits of his fhirt and fleeve, which were fuffered to remain in the orifice, through the inattention of the furgeon, made their ap pearance, and were extraded. He rejoined his regiment on the evening before the battle of Fillingfhaufen, and ferved, during the whole campaign, with the wounds in his arm open, which was very inconvenient for an officer of cavalry. The battle juft mentioned was loft by the precipitate ambition of the marfhal de Broglio, who made the attack a day too foon, on purpofe to gain it by means of his own army alone, and the criminal jealoufy of the prince de Soubife, who facrificed the honour of France to the guilty pleafure of mortifying his rival, by allow ing him to receive a check immediately under his eye. * A town in the bimopric of Liege, within twelve miles of Maeftricht — Tranf. Oh ( '37 ) i. On the night of the adion, Dumouriez, who belonged to Soubife's army, was detached with fifty horfemen and one hundred infantry towards the right wing, to keep open the communica tion with the troops under Broglio. The two armies filed off, by different routes ; that of Broglio towards Heffe, and that of Soubife for Munfter. Dumouriez, who did not know in what diredion the army of the prince had marched, and who found himfelf nearer to,tbat under the marfhal, fent and demanded how to proceed from the latter. It was bluntly notified to him by Broglio, that he had no orders for him, and that he muft endeavour to rejoin the troops to which he belonged. The Hanoverians, who had juft arrived, foon decided the queftion, for he was immediately afterwards attacked by Scheiter and Freytag, with a thoufand men provided with cannon. On efcaping from them he was purfued, and having retired to the caftle of Arenlberg, he there de fended himfelf for fome time, and then effeded a retreat by a circuitous march in the enemy's fear. After this he carried off forty waggons laden with oats, levied contributions in the County of La Mark, brought away hoftages, re joined the prince de Soubife, near Warendorf, D3 at C 38 ) at the end of a fortnight, and prefented him with the booty, together with eighty prifoners, having loft only two of his own men during the whole expedition. He received, on this occafion, a gratification of one hundred crowns, which he diftributed among his companions, who had already be come rich by this incurfion, which produced, on his own part, a beautiful and moft excellent charger. Neither the remainder of that campaign, nor the whole of the , following, was accompanied by any interefting event, the ufelefs and bloody battle of Amcenebourg excepted. At the end of the year 1762, the regiment of Defcars re turned to France, and was fent into quarters at St. Lo, in Lower Normandy. Peace having been proclaimed in the begin ning of 1 763, the fixty-four regiments of ca valry were reduced to thirty ; thofe which be longed to individuals * were difbanded, and united * It was then common in France, as it is ftill in the here ditary dominions of the emperor, to permit the nobles to raife regiments at their own expenfe, and generally from among their vaflals, which were called by their family names,, as the regiments of Rohan, Soabife, and Penthievre, in the fervice of the ( 39 ) united to the royal regiments, or fuch as apper tained to the princes. That of Defcars was in corporated with the regiment of Penthievre. This produced the difmiftion of ten captains from each regiment, that is to fay, of three hundred in the cavalry alone. Dumouriez was included in this lift, and received the crofs of St. Louis at the fame time. In about two months afterwards, it was prefented to his father by the hands of his fon, who thus en joyed the fatisfadion of having kept his pro- mife, and of having deferved this decoration long before he was entitled to it by feniority *. He has not deemed it neceffary to enter into a more minute detail relative to a war, during which he ferved as a fubaltern, and of which he has, already mentioned the moft interefting particulars in the memoirs already publifhed by him. At that period of his life he was not devoid theformer ; and thofe of Latour, Cobourg, Loudon, Verf, &c. in that of the latter. When commanded by the nobleman who had raifed them, who was always a prince, duke. Kron, or count,, or by any of his fucceflbrs, he was termed the co lonel proprietor, as they were called the proprietory regi ments. — Tranf. * After ten years fervice an officer had a right to the crofs of St. Louis.— Tranf. D4 of ( 4o ) of application, having endeavoured, during four campaigns, to profit by the leffons of a great mafter, the famous Fifcher, who evinced an extraordinary friendfhip for him, and whom he accompanied, during all his expeditions, as often as it was poflible, without proving detri mental to the fervice of his bwn regiment. This extraordinary man, decried by the gene rals, who made, him die of chagrin, poffelfed ¦ greater and more fublime views than them- felves. He had been groom to the marquis d'Armentieres, and was unable to attain any- higher rank than that of a brigadier, becaufe he experienced a thoufand inftances of injuftice, under the oppreffion of which he at length funk. CHAP. C 4i ) CHAP. III. Travels in Italy and Corfca. ; While marching along with his regiment towards the town of St. L6, in 1 762, Dumou-* riez happened to pafs through Pontaudemer, where one of his aunts refided ; Ihe Was his father's lifter, . and widow' of a marquis de Belloy ; Ihe died in 1792 at an advanced age. This lady had two daughters, and had juft loll her only fon, who was an officer of infantry, and had diftinguifhed himfelf by his courage and ability. Both of the young ladies were ex tremely handfome, and well educated. The elder was beloved by the marquis de Perry de St. Auvant, a lieutenant- colonel of the regiment of Noailles cavalry. Dumouriez became paffion- ately fond of the younger. His father and his aunt, although fo nearly related, moft cordially hated each other ; fome interefted difputes, relative to a fortune be queathed to the family, had rendered them irre- concileable. ( 42 ) concileable. If hatred refled but little, love refleds ftill lefs, more efpecially when its do minion extends over young minds.. In fhort, the attachment became reciprocal, and the flame was fanned by the. hope of a future union be tween the two coufins. The mother, who was on the point of feeing one daughter married, approved of a connedion, by means of which (he hoped fome day to behold the other alfo fet tled in life. The young man was only twenty-three years old, his coufin but feventeen. Although both of them burned with a pure and tender paffion, they were yet reafonable enough to refled, that be had fpent in the army the little portion of his mother's eftatethat appertained to him, and that flie had not any claim to more than eight or nine hundred livres a year out of the property left by her father, and in refped to every thing elfe Was entirely dependent on the caprice of a very imperious and felf-loving parent. When, in addition to all this, it was recolleded, that the peace, now about to take place, would deprive her lover of his profefTion, it was deemed im proper, on the part of the young lady, to marry at fo tender an age. They accordingly agreed to defer this happihefs, until he Ihould either attain his ( 43 ) his thirtieth year, or be in poffeffion of fome employment. This was calculating on fevea or eight years patience ; but he hoped, within that period, which was a whole age for lovers, to render himfelf, by fome means or another, independent. Being well acquainted with his father's aver- fion towards his miftrefs's mother, he had care fully concealed from him his refidence at Pont- audemer, having always dated his letters from St. Lo. The regiment marched from the latter of thefe places in the beginning of 1 763, in order to be dilbanded at Abbeville ; but Dumouriez eafily obtained leave from his fuperiors to re main a month longer at Pontaudemer. This month was drawing towards a clofe, and he was ready to fet off to rejoin his corps, when his fa ther, who, by the indifcretion of an officer, had learned what was pafling, wrote a moft out rageous letter to his lifter. In this he ftated that fhe was the caufe of his fon's difobedience,. and of all the untruths he had been telling him, on account of her wifh to difencumber herfelf of one of her daughters ; that his fon was with out fortune, and would be foon alfo deftitute of employment ; but that if he were in poffeflion of ( 44 ) of both, Ihe might very readily fuppofe that he would never confent to fuch an union. In the courfe of this epiftle he expreffed himfelf in a manner almoft incredible on the part of a vir tuous man, for he threw out the moft cruel doubts relative to the condud of his own nieces. Enclofed within the fame cover was a very dry billet for his fon, containing an order to join his regiment immediately. His aunt, who was as much blinded by paf- fion as her brother, read this epiftle to her two children, and her nephew, on whom Ihe call all the blame, with fettled fury in her countenance ; and when her younger daughter replied in a firm tone of voice, that fhe would always love her cou fin, and would never confent to have any other hulband, fhe commanded her to prepare to enter a convent. We in vain reprefented to her that fuch a condud, on the departure of her nephew, would be the means of creating unjuft fufpicions ' relative to the honour of her younger daughter. It was alfo in vain that we employed the inter vention of friends ; no body, not even her own hulband, was able to diffuade her from fuch an imprudent flep. On this her elder daughter determined to ad a very noble part ; fhe announced to her mother that ( 45 ) that fhe would accompany her fifter to the con vent, and remain along with her there until her own marriage took^place, which Ihe hoped would not be much longer delayed. The two young ladies accordingly departed for Caen, at the fame time that Dumouriez fet off for Abbeville : and thus this fatal letter very unjuftly occafioned the un'happinefs of a whole family. While writing the hiftory of his life, Dumou riez ought to facrifice every other confideration to his defire of telling the truth, and make an open confeffion of what may even be deemed a reproach. He had witneffed the late occurrences with a filent defpair ; he loved his father ; he was in debted to him for his education ; but it was impoflible to pardon him the injuries he had committed againft his coufin, who had left her mother's houfe very much indifpofed. He could not determine, however, either to revenge him felf on a parent, or to leave his cruelty entirely unpunifhed ; he himfelf had been the innocent caufe of the misfortunes that had taken place in his aunt's family, and he had now no profpect of repairing them, as he was about to be de prived of- his livelihood. After the lofs of it, he ( 46 ) he would be conftrained to return to his father's houfe ; but he could not bear the very idea of living along with the author of allliis ills, and being dependent upon him for his fubfiftence. He had never been attached to life, and this is the reafon why he has conftantly difplayed a certain degree of tranquillity amidft all the events which have either menaced or affeded his exiftence. He thought that after his death, his coufin, who was ftill very young, being difen- gaged from her promife, might forget an un fortunate paffion, and be once more happy in fome new attachment. Although born with flrong paffions, he had not withftanding been accuftomed to reafon in all his adions. Inftead therefore of following the great road of Picardy, he croffed the Seine in a ferry boat, a little below Rouen, and wandered along the borders of the ocean. There is not any body but knows from experience, that the murmur ing of the waves of this terrible element, in- fpires ideas at once profound and melancholy. He was on foot, and his lervant, who led his horfes, followed him at a little diftance. No thing occurred to his imagination to combat the defperate refolutions he had formed. ** He entered Dieppe, and met feveral of his 8 friends, ( 47 ) friends, but did not evince the leaft fymptom. that could indicate the event which he had meditated. Having left them for a few mi nutes, he went to an apothecary's fhop, where he purchafed fifteen grains of opium, return ed, and fupped along with a number of his acquaintances in the utmoft tranquillity, then, wrote a letter to his father, in which he thank ed him for the education he had bellowed upon him, affured him of his affedion, and told him that he died a vidim to his cruelty. After this he put the letter into the poll office, went to bed, and fwallowed the opium in a glals of water. His blood foon after became agitated, and his ideas experienced a total revolution. Suicideap- peared to him to be at once cowardly and ab- furd ; he forefaw that his death might occafion that of a father,- who poffeffed a mind replete with violence and fenfibility, and he anticipated the agonies of his 9oufin, who he imagined would not furvive him. Full of horror at his own mifcondud, condemning as pufillanimous this ad of defpair, which but two minutes be fore he regarded as a proof of heroic courage, he arofe in the moft furious agitation, fallied into the gallery, where a lamp was ftill burning, fwallowed ( 48 ) fwallowed all the oil, difcharged the contents of his ftomach by means of the moft violent efforts, and then fell down in a fwoon. At the end of an hour or two he recovered his fenfes, colleded his ideas, which were very confufed, with great difficulty got upon his feet, and with ftill more regained his chamber. It was extremely fortunate for him that every body was now afleep; he therefore without be ing difcovered got once more into bed, where retching afrefh, and a fevere fweat enfuing, he impatiently waited for the return of day. He then arofe, and found himfelf extremely weak. Notwithftanding this, he wrote another letter to his father replete with repentance and true philofophy, and immediately afterwards de parted. It happened very luckily, that, in order to pre vent the defpair of his unfortunate coufin, he had been prudent enough to conceal his fatal refolutions from her; Ihe was entirely unac quainted with them until many years afterwards. On his arrival at Abeville, he learned that his father was extremely ill ; and on hearing this, he poured out the bittereft and bell founded re proaches againft himfelf, on account of his re cent condud. This unhappy parent had re ceived c 49 ; ceived- his fecond letter, but it could not remedy the effects produced by the firft on fo impetuous a charader. The agitation of his mind was fo much the more violent, as, in order to conceal this defperate adion on the part of his fon, he had inftantly deftroyed the horrid epiftle, and could not pre vail upon himfelf to confide the caufe of his afflidions to any one. About a fortnight after this event, the in- fpedor general reviewed the troops previoufly to their being dilbanded; on which he went and waited on his father, who pardoned him ; but there remained a certain degree of coolnefs be tween them, which continued but too long. "This anecdote was divulged only to three friends, to whom he was obliged to confide the fecret on account of the arrangement of his affairs : but even thefe were too many. His fa ther however never reproached him relative to this affair, becaufe his reproaches muft have finally reverted on himfelf. Dumouriez, at theend of feven years, had receiv ed no other recompenfe for his fervices but twen ty-two wounds, a ftefile decoration*, a brevet * The crofs of St. Louis.— -Tranf. Vol. I. E of c 50 ; of a penfion of fix hundred livres (£25 fterling) per annum, which was never paid to him, and a long lift of debts. He was only twenty-four years old, he was without profeffion, without for tune, and forced to live at the expenfe of a father, who was poor, infirm, peevifh, and impatient. The letters he received from his coufin, who fupported her feclufion from the world with in- creafed diflike, asher filler had juft been married, imprinted on his mind a firm refolution to ren der himfelf independent, that he might thus be enabled to procure her deliverance. His father often refided in the country, but as he had a houfe at Paris, his fon generally re mained in that city. He had formed an intimate acquaintance about this time with the celebrat ed Favier, the moft able politician in all Eu rope; but who, by retaining, in an advanced pe riod in life, a fiery temperament, more fitted to a young man of twenty, and pdfleflinga wafpifh difpofition, made himfelf hated by all the minis ters, who neverthelefs confulted him as the moft intelligent man of his age. He has died fince very poor, having had only a penfion of fix thoufand livres, which was far from being fufficient for the enormous cravings of his in- fatiable ( 5i ) fatiable paffions. From him Dumouriez learned all that he knoWs relative to politics. He had another intimate friend, whofe age Was better fuited to his own ; he was called Bullioud, and poffeffed a charming perfon. It was rumoured that the mother of the infamous Philip duke of Orleans, to whom he had been page, had exhaufted his youthful vigour. He had received the crofs of St; Louis when Only fifteen years of age, on account of his heroic condud at the battle of Crefelt; at the period now alluded to, he was, twenty-two years old*. Their fate was fimilar ; both of them were rivals in glory, avaricious of knowledge, deftitute of fortune, without any profeffion, in love with their own coufin-germans, who were in Normandy, and vifited each other. Croffed in their affedions by parents equally imperious, they had fo arranged matters in order to keep up a correfpondence with their miftreffes, that Bullioud's coufin addrefied her letters to Dumou riez, while the coufin of Dumouriez fent her's under cover to Builloud. They.fpent their whole time in confoling each other, in fortifying their minds, and in flu dying together. This unfortunate and amiable young man was given over by the phyficians on account of a con- E 2 fumptiv'e ( 52 ) fumptive malady which affeded his cheft, and he died foon after in the arms of his friend, who will for ever continue to lament his lofs. He is in fome meafure confoled however by the reflec tion, that he did not live long enough to behold the calamities of his country. Dumouriez, who was reduced nearly to de- fpair by his untimely end, deemed it his duty to confecrate , the name of the young hero whom France had juft loft, by means of a public homage. to his memory; and he accordingly caufed the following epitaph to be inferted in the Mer cury*: Bullioud eft mort au printemps de fon age: Comme une fleur, il n'a dure qw'un jour. De Mars il avoit le courage, Et Pair feduifant de l'Amour. La Gloire, en lettres d'or, a grave dans fon temple Un trait de fa prudence, et de fa fermete, Afin qu'aux vieux guerriers 11 put fervir d'exemple, Et lui valut I'honneur de Pimmortalite. In early fpring Eullioud refignshis breath, (So droops its head a flow'r blown but a day) Bold as the god of war in fields of death, Form'd like the god of love for am'rous play. * Le Mercure Francois, a literary and political work, for merly publifhed in Paris once a week. — Tranf. In ( 5-3 ) In glory's temple are his deed? enroll'd, There golden records lhall his famepreferve, That the hoarvet'rans who his praife behold, May learn immortal honours to deferve. Dumouriez does not here infert verfes which can merely lay claim to mediocrity, from any other motive than that of renewing, after the lapfe of thirty years, the tribute -of his efteem and his grief. On lofing this friend he fell into a Hate of extreme melancholy. Paris appeared a defert to him, and his father's houfe an infupportable prifon. He refolved therefore to travel ; but he was certain of not being able to obtain his father's permifhon. HaVingfcrapedtogetherabout one hundred/?**/* d'or, he waited on the duke de Choifeul, and obferved to him that the peace having deprived him of employment, he was about to travel to gain inftrudion ; that he demanded nothing more than a paffport, and leave to write to him ; but if his letters Ihould appear worthy of atten tion, he then requefted to be honoured with his anfwers, and either to be appointed a fituation in the military, or diplomatic line. This minifter commended his refolution, pro- mifed that he would not forget him, prefented E 3 him ( 54 ) him with a paflport, and intimated his intention of furnifhing him with letters q£ recommenda* tion. The firft Hep having been thus taken, he wrote a very affedionate and rational letter to his father, in which he defcribed the ftate of his mind, and mentioned his defpair at being a bur den to him at the age of twenty- four ; he at the fame time indicated his firm refolution of tryr ing to better his fortune in a foreign country. He then concluded by obferving, that he would never return to France until he Ihould have ac quired an independency. He left this letter on the table, and fet out im-r mediately for Italy, without forming any cer-r tain plan, being refigned entirely to the guidance of his ftars. His father no fooner learned his intentions. than he polled to Verfailles, and following the bent of his charader, folicited a fettre de cachet againft hjs fon. The duke de Choifeul how-. ever appeafed his wrath, and diminifhed his unT eafinefs, by telling him that he was in the youno- man's confidence, and approved of" his inten tions. , In the mean time, Dumouriez, now on his journey to Italy, vvhither he travelled alone, often ( 55 ) often on foot, and oceafionallyin all forts of vehi cles, refumed his gaiety, his courage, and his hopes. His imagination was agreeably occupied with great projeds, and he Wrote whole vo lumes of obfervations, as he was feduloufly bent on feeing every thing, O happy age, when every objed wears a fmiling afped, and all nature appears beautiful and enchanting. ! when the vigour of the body, and the purity of a youthful mind, do not per mit, even in the midft of mifhaps and misfor tunes, any but encouraging hopes, and great and courageous ideas ! Thou art gone, and after having afcended all the fteps of fortune's ladder, Dumouriez has fallen to a greater comparative degree of abafement, than was the height to which he onGe arofe ! But his courage is ftill the fame; the nobleft objeds occupy his thoughts, and all his fenfibility, which is as adive as heretofore, is turned towards his unhappy country ; if he could but one day affift in turn ing it from its prefent barbarous anarchy, he Would be truly happy ; but if Providence do not grant him this boon, refigned as to events independent of his own volition, and having no reproaches to make to himfelf on the fcore of E 4" his ( 56 ) his principle's, he will wait for the conclufion of his life with a calm intrepidity. At length Dumouriez arrived at Genoa. He fpoke Italian with fluency, fung, made verfes, was extremely, gay and lively, and only twenty- four years of age. Mr. Boyer, an amiable man, who had been long conneded with the duke de Choifeul, and who was minifter from France to the republic, received him with polite- nefs, and prefented him to the.queens of Corfica*. He was foon elevated to the dignity of cicejbeo to one of thefe; ladies, but at. the end of a week, he became completely tired of converfazioni, and the ceremonious pundilios neceffary to be ob ferved in his new employment. He alfo form ed an acquaintance with the fenator Lomellini, a man poffeffing both wit and knowledge, who had been long ambaffador to France, and after wards doge. With that ingenuoufnefs fo com mon at this time of life, he detailed to him the particulars of his travels, and in fhort all his difficulties. Intelligence was received about this time, *ov * The kingdom of Corfica was at this period in the pof- feflion of the ariftocracy of Geneva; and it isaflerted, thatthe fenators, as kings of that ifland, wore a royal crown annexed to their family arms. — Tranf. that ( 57 ) that Paoli had laid fiege to St. Fiorenzo ; bn thk the republic determined to fend five hundred men to its fuccour. Backed in his pretenfions by the minifter of France and by Lomellini, he folicited the command of the troops intended to be employed on this expedition. It was objed- ed, however, that he had never ferved but in - ihexavalry, and the preference was accordingly given to an old' knight of StrLouis, called Lan- tieri, born in the dominions of Genoa, and a captain in the royal Corfican regiment, in the fervice of France. - . On this he- left Genoa, rjafled through Flo rence, in which city he got acquainted with a learned abbate of the name of Lami, and ar rived at Rome, where he met Vatellet, a farmer- general, and member of the French academy," in whofe company he vifited the principal an tiquities during eight days, and immediately after fet out for Leghorn. The petty war then carrying on in Corfica fafcinated his imagination ; and having been pre vented from entering into the pay of Genoa, he determined to ferve againft that Hate. He ac- cordino-ly wrote to general Paoli, and proffered his fervices, and thofe of four other French offi cers, whom he found at Leghorn, advanced \ fome ( 58 ) fome money to, and engaged in the under taking. He difpatched a letter by one of them to Corfica ; his envoy, who returned foon after, brought him a very polite refufal on the part of the general. While waiting for an anfwer, he had formed an intimacy with a young lieutenant of the royal Corfican regiment, called Cofta de Caftel* lana. His father, a knight of St. Louis, and a captain of grenadiers in the fame carps, who happened to be a determined enemy to Paoli, languifhed at this time in a jail in Corte, This famHy, which was very power ful in the pieve * of Moriani, was intimately conneded with the Fabiani of la Ealagne, and many chiefs in different pieves. All the people on the other fide of the mountains, leagued with this fadion, aded under the orders of the two brothers Girolamo and Luca Abbattucci, and carried on an open war againfl Paoli. That general, on the other hand, kept up a fecret correfpondence with England, and at the fame time amufed the duke de Choifeul with a * Corfica was, and ftill is, portioned out into two grand national divifions, of this fide the mountains, and the other fide the mountains, and fubdivided into pieves or diftri&s. — Tranf. pretended ( 59 ) pretended negotiation, the latter having pri-* vately fent an emiffary to him, called Valcroif- fant, who was a lieutenants-colonel of dra«? goons. The duke was then treating with Genoa about furnifhing that ftate with fix fubfidiary battalions, which were intended to garrifon Baftia, St. Fiorenzo, Algaiola, Calvi, and Ajac- cio. This negotiation was far advanced ; and Boyer, the French minifter, did not conceal it from Dumouriez, who had inftantly taken the liberty to difapproye of it. ,. Jn the mean while Corfican -boats were ar riving almoft daily at Leghorn, for the purpofe of keeping up a communication with young Cofta, who, finee the iniprifonment of his fa ther, began to be confidered as a kind of chief tain. Jt was propofed, in the courfe of feveral conferences, tp Pumouriez, that he fhould go and negotiate, on their part, with the duke de Choifeul, they promifing to humble Paoli, and to enter warmly intq the interefts of France, provided the duke would fend them arms, ammu nition, and a few matroffes. He, however, re jected this propofition, alluring them at the fame time, that the duke, pn the conclufion of an unfortunate war, which had nearly exhaufted France, ( 60 ) France, would never confent to accept of an offer which would defpoil the Genoefe, with whom he was now treating, of their dominions, and embroil the government with England, which would not tamely fuffer fuch an in- vafion. After having ferioufly refleded on the ftrength of this party, which governed all the maritime pieves, was in poffeffion of all the little fea ports, except thofe occupied by the Genoefe, who had juft foiled , Paoli, in his attempt on St. Fiorenzo, advantageoufly fituated on a very fine bay, and which, in fhort, could affemble from twelve to fifteen thoufand fighting men, he propofed to them to render themfelves in dependent; as the firft flep to which, they Ihould begin by attacking Paoli's fadion. He added, that after this he himfelf would undertake to negotiate with the duke de Choifeul in fuch a manner, that without publicly acknowledging their independence, he might fecretly favour their efforts, and indiredly furnifh them with all the afuflance of which they flood in need. As to the treaty between France and Genoa, it prefented no more than an apparent difficulty, as it could only be defenfive in refped to the places which were to receive a French garrifon ; their ( 6i ) their neutrality was affured, and thofe very gar rifons were admirably calculated to fupply them with ammunition, and alfo with officers, can- noniers, and foldiers, under the pretence of de- fertion. This projed was unanimoufly acceded to, and Dumouriez drew up the plan of the new republic. Their emiffaries procured the figna- tures of twenty-four chiefs oi pieves to it. Cofta then fet off for Moriani. Dumouriez hired a French veffel, in which he embarked along with five difbanded officers in order to fail for Porto- Vecchio. In cafe the fcheme of a republic had fucceeded, he was to have reaped great advan tages, and even to have commanded its army : thus he would at the fame time have been en abled to have made his fortune, and to have con- fummated his marriage. On his arrival at Porto- Vecchio, where he found only a few centinels, as this was the fea- fon when all the inhabitants retire on account of the fatal exhalations arifingfrom the marfhes, he deemed it proper to order the veffel to an chor under the Torre San Benedetto, at the entrance of the bay, to avoid the infedious air ; he then repaired to Sartenne, where he entered into a correfpbndence ' with feveral of thedead- ing men, all of whom approved of, his, plan* Thence ( 62 ) Thence he departed for the defiles of Bogdg> riano, where he found one of the Abbattucci* Who, with a few troops, defended the paflageS againft Paoli's army. After having converfed with him relative to the projed of a republic, he haflily marked out fome intrenchment9 ne ceffary for his fafety, but which he negleded to throw up ; he was killed foon after, and the defile was forced. He then haflened to return to Sartertne, where an affembly was to be held of feveral pieves to undertake, according to report, the fiege of Bonifaccio ; that is to fay, to fire at the place with mufket fhot. The Genoefe had only one hundred and thirty men there, commanded by one Pibus, a Frenchman, a native of Bayonne. He accordingly found at Sartenne an aflem- bly of about three thoufand men, all extremely adive, and moll excellent markfmen ; in fliort, very much refembling the favages of Canada. They were commanded by two of their coun trymen, both of whom were decorated with the crofs of St, Louis. On their arrival before the place he requefled One hundred volunteers, which were intrufted to his command. While the reft were firing on the fuburbs, he glided along the hbufes with an intention to feize on the gate, but being A np.rreivprl ( 63 ) perceived, three or four guns were pointed at his corps, on which the Corficans, who now heard the cannon balls whiflle above their heads, betook themfelves to their heels, and he was obliged to follow their example : if they had run as faft in advancing, as they did in re treating, the town would moft affuredly have been taken. They foon after raifed the fieoe. and each returned to his own home. On this he prepared to re-embark, happy athav- ing fulfilled the political objed which had in duced him to undertake the voyage, and not at all lorry at having gained fome experience relative to the manner in which the allies fought,"and which he foon hoped to alter for a better mode. He had feen between Porto- Vecchio and Sar- tenne fome very fine timber ; he advifed the in habitants to mark the bell trees, without felling them, and then to endeavour to make a good road for their conveyance to Porto-Vecchio, giving affurances at the fame time, that the French would employ them for their marine, and give them in exchange fuch arms and ammunition as they might be in want of. Thefe good peo ple, notwithftanding their almoft invincible aver- lion to manual labour, adually commenced this grand undertaking, which we found confider- ably ( H ) ably advanced five years afterwards, when we took poffeffion of the ifland. Dumouriez now fet out for Ajaccio, where he found that all the inhabitants, the Greek co lony excepted, had engaged in a confpiracy to feize on the citadel. He entered into the par ticulars of this plot, and prevailed upon them not to carry it into execution until they Ihould hear from him. On this he embarked, and fet fail for France : never was any voyage more terrible. In the courfe of one continued tempefl of fifteen days they were driven oppofite to Tunis. The failors, who were on the point of perifhing from want, were under the neceffity of arming themfelves and boarding a Neapolitan pink to get provifions. A fueceffion of calm weather followed this dreadful ftorm. At length, after a paffage of thirty-three days, they arrived at Marfeilles without mafts, and expeding every minute to founder. Immediately on their landing, which hap pened in the beginning of Odober,- he learned that the treaty between France and Genoa had been figned a fortnight before, and that the count de Marbeuf, a major-general, was about to fet off to take upon him the command of the fix battalions which were to be diftributed in thofe ( 65 ) thofe places which France had undertaken to garrifon. - Notwithftanding his late tempeftuous voyage, he had drawn up, in two feparate memorials, an account of all his operations in Corfica, and the propofitions with which he was intrufted. All his hopes, however, feemed to be now entirely blafted. Notwithftanding this, he, waited on the famous Roux de Corfe, the richeft and moft celebrated {hip-owner in Marfeilles, who, in 1757, had ¦fitted out a fleet of privateers, and made war in his own name, and with his own veffels, upon England. This man poffeffed an ardent genius, which embraced the moft extenfive projeds ; to him he unfolded his plans, and entered into an agreement, by which he, undertook to trans port to Corfica arms, ammunition, and can noneers : all this was within- the compafs of his power. He confented to repay himfelf with. timber proper for fhip-building, which he was to import from Porto- Vecchio ; and he readily confented even" to facrifice fuch fums of money as he might advance, in the firft inftance, pro vided the projed were but to fucceed. Fiditious bargains were accordingly made under the names of certain Jews of Avignon, to prevent the mer- Vol. I. F chants ( 66 ) chants of Marfeilles from being expofed to any injury. It was alfo agreed, that if the duke de Choifeul adopted the plan, a prodigious noife Ihould be made on the firft complaint on the part of Genoa, and that government Ihould iffue the fevereft prohibitions, and even confifcate two or three little veffels, which Ihould be pointed out for that purpofe. This matter being finally arranged, he fet out in a chaife belonging to a courier, travelled without Hopping, and, oil the fourth day, ar rived at Paris.. It mull be owned he returned in rather a forry plight, for he had left his clothes and his watch in pawn at Marfeilles, as fecurity for fome money borrowed by five offi cers whom he had hitherto kept in his pay. From a too fcrupulous delicacy, he had declined to communicate his wants to Roux, a man of a noble and generous difpofition, who would have _ either lent or given him whatever he might have needed. He was now in poflefc (ion of only ten louis and fome linen. Being determined not to prefent himfelf before his fa ther in this condition, he refolved to feek an afylum with his friend Favier, who received him as if he had been his own fon. He recounted to < 67 ) to him the particulars of his jou^iey to Italy, and his voyage to Corfica ; but he did not in- truft him with his plan. It fo happened at this very period that Favier was conneded with the famous" John Pubarry and mademoifelle I'Ange, or Vaubernier, who afterwards became miftrefs to the king, and has been fince guillotined ; they were all interefted relative to the little army deftined for Corfica. Thefe perfons, merely to increafe their gairis, had formed a coalition with the marquis de Sorba, minifter from the republic of Genoa, at the court of Verfailles, and .were defirous to fend at leaft double, the number of fubfidiary troops. that had been agreed upon. The minifter of Genoa hoped to change the nature of the treaty from defenfive to offenfive, and to engage France in a war with Paoli. All the perfons in the confidence of the duke de Choifeul had entered into the plot ; even his own filler, the duchefs de Grammont, who was . wheedle^ into it by Julia, her waiting- woman, a famous intriguer, to whom the marquis de Sorba had promifed, that ftiould every thing fucceed according to hi? wilhes, he would exchange to the amount of five hundred thoufand livres of Nouette's, or the Canada bank bills, which then paffed at a dif- F 2 cow*1 ( 68 ) count of feventy-five per cent, againft an equal number of good notes of the bank of St. George*. It was in this manner that the affairs of France were then conduded. The marfhal Duras, and part of the court, were alfo deeply concerned in the fate of Corfica. Dumouriez arrived at a very critical period for this fadion, who wifhed to difguife their private interefts under the fpecious pretext of policy. Eavier had been employed by the coalition to draw up a memorial, for which he was to re ceive five hundred louis d'or. He detailed the whole fcheme to Dumouriez, and promifed to procure him one hundred louis, provided he would furnifh him with the necefiary materials. He, on his part, diffembled his indignation ; he had come to Paris exprefsly on purpofe to treat relative to a projed in dired oppofition to this, and which, without embroiling France, appear ed to him to be far more advantageous to her. , Having repaired the next day to Verfailles, he demanded a private audience of the duke de Choifeul ; and this being inftantly obtained, he detailed to him the particulars of his plan for _. * The bank of St. George at Genoa, was then, aneVis ftill, in high credit. — Tranf rendering ( 69 ) rendering Corfica a republic, and demonftrated the advantages refulting from this fcheme. The minifter was ftruck with the truth of his repre- - fentations, regretted that he had figned the late treaty with Genoa, and obferved that the time for , carrying fuch a projed into execution was elapfed* The anfwer of Dumouriez was prepared be forehand. " Choofe," faid He, " one of the two plans which I now propofe to you. Suppofe, in the firft place, you were to Hick to your treaty, which is purely defenfive, in that cafe permit Roux de Corfe to furnifh us with fuccours ac cording to the agreement now before you ; then let us ad— we lhall foon humble Paoli, whom you ought to diftruft, becaufe his heart is en tirely bent on deceiving you, and fome day or other will place you in an embarralfing fitua tion ; We lhall pay due refped to fuch places as you may choofe to garrifon ; and, when once Corfica is united in one party, we lhall eafily find expedients for the reft. But, on the other hand, if the treaty crahip your operations, as it is defenfive, and-confequently pajjive, I can eafi ly point out a mode of withholding the exe cution, without breaking it. The troops ought to be on board the tranfports by the firft of November ; retard the period of embarkation, F 3 > without ( 7° ) without allowing it to have the appearance of originating in defign ; fuch delays are extremely common in naVal expeditions. I will inftantly re turn to Corfica, and feize on Ajaccio, which is one of the places defignated in the treaty. If I do not lucceed in the enterprife, you may fulfil the flipulations ; but if I be fortunate enough to prevail, the treaty will be broken defaclo, and you can infill on the Genoefe either reftoring matters to their original fituation, or negotiating again upon a new bafis." The duke, who coincided entirely as to the juftice of thefe arguments, evinced the moft friendly attention to Dumouriez, begged him to maintain an inviolable fecrecy on the fubjed, and required the fpace of two days to come to a final determination. Dumouriez returned to Paris, and perceived, the very next day, that an alarm had taken place in the camp of the coalefced courtiers. They began to complain of want of firmnefs on the part of the minifter ; they were, however, un able to comprehend the caufe, and therefore prelfed Favier to finifh his memorial. Dumou riez, alike faithful to friend fhip and his own plan, had furnifhed him with hints; the memorial was accordingly completed, and lent to the duke, ( 7« ) duke, and he returned the next day but one to Verfailles. On his arrival there he inftantly perceived, by the cold and conftrained air of the minifter, that he had entirely changed his opinion ; he gueffed, however, that this alteration could not proceed from the memorial, which contained nothing more than vague and feeble indudioils, which he himfelf had already overturned by anticipation in the courfe of his firft conference. He, however, was careful to recapitulate the arguments which he had before ufed with fuch fuccefs. The duke replied dryly, " All this is a mere heap of chimerical projeds, I will there fore keep to the treaty." On this Dumouriez obferved, that it was in the minifter's power to do what he pleafed ; but as to his own part, he could not permit him to remain any longer ignorant of the means which had been employed to induce him to fign the treaty in queftion, or of the endeavours ftill ufed to alter the nature of it by an augmentation of the fubfidiary troops, which mull inevitably /lead to a war. Th"en, after having received the duke's fdlemn promife not to make ufe of his name on this occafion, without mentioning a fingle word about Favier, and throwing the whole blame on the minifter F4 of C 7^ ) of Genoa, and the mad Dubarry, he developed to him all the particulars which had come to his knowledge relative to this intrigue. The, duke lifteiied to the narration in the greateft agitation of mind, and taking him affedionately by the hand at the conclufion, addreffed him as" follows: "Allow with me, young man, that the fituation of a minifter ought to excite com panion. ' Return to-morrow forenoon at eleven o'clock ; I will expedite an order to you, and you lhall inftantly fet off for Corfica." Dumou riez left the duke quite enchanted at his re ception ; he had juft < given an unequivocal proof of his refped for a minifter full of ge nius and of talents, for whom he felt an un common regard, and to whom he was greatly attached in the fequel. But the duke was in- difcreet, fickle, and eafy to be impofed upon^ his filler had fo much influence over him, that the frequent abufe of it at laft produced its en tire lofs. He actually betrayed every thino- to her ; and infifted on her difmifting Julia from her fervice. Means, however, were found to perfuade him, that he had been impofed upon by a feries of calumnies. On the very next day at eleven o'clock, Du mouriez, whofe bofom beat high with expeda- tion, ( n ) tion, prefented himfelf before the minifter : it happened to be the very hour when he gave public audience. The hall was full of -company; the inner door was opened ; the duke made his appearance, fingled him out with his eye, ad vanced towards him with a furious air, and exclaimed in a loud voice, "• It was you, then, who went and negotiated with the Corfi cans without orders, and without permifiion, and afterwards returned in the difguife of a ca puchin. v Piqued at this ridiculous addrefs, he thought the minifter had loft his fenfes. On looking about him, he perceived the fervile courtiers participating in the duke's indignation; but not in the leaft difconcerted, he replied as follows: " It is but three days fince I arrived from Marfeilles ; look at my hair — if I had been difguifed as a capuchin, it would fcarcely have grown fo long by this time." The anfwer confounded the fpedators, and efpecially the minifter, whtrlofing his fenfes in reality, cried out in a furious tone of voice, " Depart hence ; 'you have conduded yourfelf like an adventurer.'' On this, Dumouriez lofing his patience, in ftantly rejoined in a rage, " The adventurers are thpfe who play upon you ; I am not not an ad venturer, ( 74 > venturer, but an officer full of honour : with my hand and my fword I can find bread anywhere." On faying this, he burft through the crowd, and inftantly departed. This difpute made a deep impreffion on feveral of the fpedators, and among the reft on the marlhals de Briffac and de Biron, who have ever fince loved and efteemed him. The moment he had gotten into the llreet, he began to refled on the danger of his fituation, for after fo public a rupture, the minifter, who was all powerful, might perhaps fend him to the Baftille. He therefore left the great road to Paris, and walked at a hafty pace, .dreffed in a black coat with a fword by his fide, and after travelling eight leagues, found himfelf on the highway leading to Rheims. He continued his journey, and at the end of three days arrived at a country houfe belonging to a gentleman in the neigh bourhood of that cky, who had been a lieu tenant in the regiment of Defcars. He remained there during two whole days, on purpofe to determine on his future condud. At the end of that period, he refolved to repair to Mons, by the road that leads through Maubeuge. From the ktter place he tranfmitted a gay epiftle ( 75 ) epiftle to Favier, beginning with thefe words t " Thou haft conquered, O Galilean !" la this he detailed the whole of his adventure, and begged him to fend his trunk to Mons, accord ing to a diredion which he enclofed. This trunk contained all his worldly goods ; that is to fay, an uniform of the regiment of Penthievre, a great coat, eight fhirts, a few handkerchiefs, fome ftilk {lockings., and a Horace. He received an anfwer in courfe of poll, from his kind friend, who laid to him: " Thy bad defigns have proved abortive, but I have receiv ed one hundred louis on thy account. Thy trunk in four days time will be at Mons. The king of France does not avenge the injuries of the duke of Orleans. Search the pockets of thy uniform." This generous man had tied up ten louis in a ribband of St. Louis; he alfo made ufe of all his intereft With the people about the duke de Choifeul, on purpofe to ap- peafe him. In the mean time the vidory*of the coalition was far from being complete ; the miniter kept himfelf on his guard, and general Marbeuf carried no more than fix battalion* along with him. This at leaft occafioned a faving for the moment ; but Sorba> the Genoefe refident, ( 76 ) refident, ftill found means to complete his pro? jeds, as will be feen hereafter. Dumouriez now continued his journey, and lodging at alehoufes in the villages, fauntered through the cities in fuch a manner, as to ap pear a gentleman of the neighbourhood, who was walking about for his amufement. Heat length paffed the frontiers without being once interrogated, and arrived at Mons, in the begin ning of November J7 63. He there found his portmanteau, and the prefent from Favier ; in addition to this, he himfelf ftill poffelfed fix louis. . He knew many people in Mons, and fojourn- ed there during a whole month. Thence he immediately wrote a fubmiffive but fpirited let ter to the duke de Choifeul, in which he took the liberty to throw the blame of the late affray entirely upon him. He affured him, that he would fome day be convinced, both of the pu rity of his intentions, and the truth of all he had informed him; that he reckoned too much on the noblenefs of his charader to imagine that he would ruin a brave young man, on°account of an excefs of paffion, which it was impomble for him to prevent, and which would find an excufe in his own bofom. He befought him o1 at ( 77 ) at the fame time to obtain the king's permilfion for him to ferve in Spain, as a Fleming; he hoped that he would honour him with au an- fwer, and tranfmit to him a paflport, a per- miffion from his majefty, and letters of recom mendation to the ambaflador of France at Ma* drid. Towards the conclufion, he affured him that fo far from renouncing the fervice of his country, he hoped that the duke would have ,_the generofity to recall him fpeedily, and that he would endeavour in the mean time to ac quire a fuperiour rank in Spain, not from ambi tious motives, but in order to be more ufeful on his return. He at the fame time enclofed a long memorial relative to Corfica, founded upon this affertion : " The treaty with Genoa will neceffarily produce, in the courfe of a few years, a war with Paoli." He detailed in their proper order the events which would precipitate this war, and infilling on the hypothefis, that it would become indifpenfable, he pointed out the different modes in which Corfica might be at tacked, and fhewed the bell manner of profiting by the difpofitiori of the inhabitants, and their inteftinedivifions, fo as to render the expedition Ihorter, and lefs expenfive. On his leaving Leghorn, he had purchafed an excellent ( 7* ) excellent map of Corfica, and two Italian hifto- rians, Giuftiniani and Merolla, who have nar rated the particulars of all the wars that have taken place there. He had alfo ftudied the campaigns of the marfhal de Termes, undef Henry II. and of. the marfhal de Maillebois in 1739. The pains and labour bellowed by him on this fubjed, had reduced him to form a lyflem of war, for mountainous regions, which, as the duke de Rohan very juftly obferves in his " Perfed Captain," are not fubjed to variations, as in level countries, becaufe in the former the , topographical form never varies ; whereas in the latter the courfes of the rivers are turned afide, the forefts are grubbed up, the moraffes are drained, lakes are dug or filled up, old cities and villages difappear ; new cities and new villages are built in fpots hitherto barren and unin habited; and noble roads and canals offer a Variety of communications by land and by wa ter. This memorial produced but little, effed at that period, yet it proved very ufeful in the fequel. He at the fame time wrote to his father, and recounted every thing that had oc curred, the fefolution he had formed, not to prefent himfelf before him until he Ihould be independent of his bounty, and the imperious.. motives C 79 ) motives which had forced him to depart without paying his refpeds to him. He embraced this opportunity to inform him of a debt of eight hundred livres which he had contraded at Leg horn, requefted him to tranfmit this fum to Mr. Bertellet, conful of France there, and un dertook to reimburfe him, which he afterwards faithfully performed. He alfo enclofed him copies of his difpatch to the minifter, and of his memorial on Corfica ; and he concluded with befeeching him to advance him fifty louis, to enable him to travel into Spain. His father flood in great need of this letter, for the courtiers who had witneffed what had paffed at the miniller's levee, had depided the condud of his fon in the moft hideous colours ; he accordingly thought himfelf difhonoured and undone, and could fcarcely be prevailed upon to fhew his face. His mind being now foiaced by this inftance of unreferved confidence on the part of his fon, he waited on the duke de Choif eul, and was agreeably furprifed to find that he was not only devoid of anger againft, but even fpoke well of him. He obferved in a good humoured tone of voice, " Your fon isdevilifh- ly warm, but I am ready to acknowledge, that j$ was I who committed the firft offence. He 8 calculates C 80 ) calculates affairs on a grand feale ; and if he does# not deceive himfelf, he will have great merit in my eyes. Let us allow him to exhaull his fire againft the Spanilh phlegm, it will be of fervice to him."At the end of a few days Dumouriez received a large packet, which contained : 1. A very polite letter from the duke. 2. A certificate of nobility, which he had hot demanded. 3. The king's permiflion to enter into the Spanifh fervice. 4. A letter of recommendation for the mar quis de Grimaldi, minifter of foreign affairs in Spain. 5. Another for the marquis d'Offun, our ambaffador there. 6. A very tender letter from his own father. And, 7. A bill of exchange for fifty louis. On being provided with thofe papers, he pre-; pared for his departure, infpired with new hopes and additional gaiety. He at .the fame time wrote to his dear coufin. CHAP. ( Si ) CHAP. IV. Travels into Spain and Portugal. An adventure occurred to Dumouriez, at the commencement of his journey, which he will here relate, becaufe it contributed to the hap- pinefs of a. young lady, who is at prefent the mother of a refpedable family in the Low Coun tries. He experienced much pleafure at Mons, and he was received with' great politenefs by the old prince de Ligne, general Domballes, and at the chapter *. The fnow precluded a journey acrofs the Pyrenees, and befide this, a voyage by fea was by far more economical. General Dom balles, to whom Dumouriez communicated his intentions of embarking at Oftend, told him * The chapter at Mons, here alluded to, then confifted of a foundation for the education and entertainment of thirty hdies of diftinclion, who had the liberty of leaving the com munity when they intended to marry. — Tranf Vol I. G that ( 82 ) that the' widow of an old major general in the fervice of Spain, called Avendano, had a ne phew and niece, who were about to return to Seville, and that he might take advantage of their company, and thus render the paffage more agreeable. He. accordingly defired his adjutant to carry Dumouriez to her houfe, and prefent him to her. On his arrival, he beheld a refpedable, old lady, who appeared to be very much afflided, a young woman, but not handfome, drowned in tears, a man of twenty-five or thirty years of age, of a difagreeable figure, and whofe countenance was at once harlh, proud, and in- fenfible. It was agreed, at the firft vifit, to hire a car riage to Bruges, to go on board the paflage boat there, and afterwards to embark at Oftend, in a veffel bound for Cadiz. In the mean time, a letter was difpatched to Oftend, and in the courfe of two days afterwards, Dumouriez re ceived a note from madame Avendano, figned by the captain of a French frigate, employed in the merchants fervice; in which the terms of the paffage were fpecified. This captain, whofe name was Keifer, a good man, and a very ex cellent failor, came to Mons, and on his depar ture ( 83 ) ture for Oftend, told them, that he would fend notice beforehand of the day when it was necef fary they Ihould be on board his fhip, recom mending them at the fame time to be very ex- ad in refped to the time of their departure. He repaired daily to the houfe, notwithftand ing Fernando Avendano (this was the name of the villain), a gentleman of Seville, gave him a very untoward reception. He did not fpeak a word of French, not having been above a week at Mons. The good aunt appeared to be ftill more and more afflided, and prefting Dumouriez's hand every time fhe faw him, was accuftomed to addrefs him thus : " My dear fir, I conjure you to take this poor child under your protec tion during the voyage, for I part from her much againft my inclination." At length, on the 24th or 25th of Novem ber, on receiving previous information from captain Keifer, the three travellers fet out at midnjght in a carriage hired for the purpofe. Dumouriez placed himfelf by the fide of the young lady, notwithftanding the murmurs of Fernando, to which he paid no manner of at tention. The unhappy girl fighed aloud. Scarcely had they travelled two leagues, when Fernando, after a torrent of abufe, began to kick G 2 her ( 34 ) her legs with his heel. Dumouriez, indignant at this ufage, and recolleding the requeft of the good old lady, placed his cane and his 'fword acrofs each other, fo as to make the brute un- derftand that he would not permit him to per- fevere in his cruelty with impunity. On this his fury became appeafed, and they foon after arrived at Bruges. As foon as Fernando had left the carriage, he draesed his unfortunate filler info a liable, and began to beat her again. Her cries were foon heard, and every body ran to her affiftance. Dumouriez flew in an inftant, and, after be llowing five or fix ftrokes of his cane on the Ihoulders of this inhuman wretch, obliged him to enter the paffage-boat ; and thus kept him at a diftance from the young lady, whom he took under his arm. On their arrival at Oftend, the Spanifh ladies of the regiment of Ligne, or Los Rios, waited on their countrywoman ; he inftantly confided her to their care ; and informed them of the brutality of her brother. He afterwards fpoke to captain Keifer on the fame fubjed, and they concerted meafures together to pre vent the repetition of fimilar fcenes during the voyage. It ( 85 ) It luckily occurred that a contrary wind prevented their departure for five whole days. During this interval the unhappy girl told thefe ladies, that the monfter to whom fhe had the misfortune of being; fo nearlv related, had under- taken a journey to the Low Countries with no other motive than that of preventing her from reaping any benefit from her aunt's generofity ; that, during the eight days he had refided at Mons, he had beaten both her and the old lady, and informed her daily that, on their arrival at Seville, he would murder her with his own hand. The ladies mentioned thefe particulars to Dumouriez and Keifer, who were filled with indignation at the recital : but what right had they to feparate a filler from her own bro ther ? On the 29th of November Dumouriez gave a dinner to the whole party. Fernando fat by his fide at table, and behind them was a capa cious red hot brafier. This beafl began to drink, and oetting furious in proportion as he fupplied himfelf with liquor, he attacked his neighbour in the groffeft terms j and he having but a very obfcure comprehenfion of what he faid, alked every body around what he meant, and whence proceeded his anger ? A Spanifh officer in the G 3 fervice ( 86 ) fervice of the emperour, called St. Eflevan, and captain Keifer, attempted in vain to prevail upon him to be filent ; his wrath, on the contrary, redoubled, and Keifer had only time fufficient to rife from table, and cry out to Dumouriez,, Have a care I for Fernando at this inftant aimed a ftroke at him with a knife ; he avoided the point, rufhed on his adverfary, and feizing him by the throat, threw him head foremofl into the brafier. On this the women ran out of the apartment, uttering loud Ihrieks ; and Kei fer, and two Auftrian officers, at length refcued the bafe fellow, who had his hair finged, and his clothes burned, from the fire. After this fpecimen the company did not long deliberate. They repaired to the town- houfe, whither they dragged Fernando ; and having made depofitions on oath relative to his barbarity, the judges decided that he Ihould leave his filler at liberty, and condemned him to pay a fine of five louis d'ors, to bear her ex- penfes back to Mons. The young lady was accordingly placed under the protedion of ma- dame Ruys, and they fet out inftantly : Ihe did not know in what manner to teftify her gfati- titude towards her deliverer. Next day but one, the wind becoming fa vourable, ( 37 ) vourable, Dumouriez embarked along with Fer nando, who now appeared to have become all of a fudden very mild and gentle. The paflage lafled during a whole month ; and, during this period, he took advantage of this wretch's company to improve himfelf in the Spanifh lan guage, which he Ipoke with facility on his arri val at Cadiz, on the ift of January 1764. He fpent eight days in that city very agree ably, having been received with great polite nefs by the French merchants refiding there, although he had not a lingle letter of recom mendation to any of them. The account he had received of the beauties of the Guadal quivir, excited his curiofity fo much, that he re-embarked at Cadiz on board a coafting veffel, in order to pafs the bar of St. Lucar, and afcend that river. The voyage was long, and the company very indifferent. The failors were all gypfies. It luckily happened, however, that an officer of the volunteer dragoons of Andalucia was on board as well as Fernando, who now feemed very much attached to him. This officer, whofe name was Salas, and to whom he had related his late adventure, advifed him, notwith ftanding appearances, to be upon his guard. G4 o» ( 38 ) On their arrival at Seville, Fernando, who ftill affeded the deepeft contrition on account of his condud, and was thanking him every moment for having ** reicued him out of the path that led to dejiruclion" made ufe of all his perfuafion to induce him to refide at his houfe, which he did well in refufing ; for, in two days after, this ruffian attempted to affaf- finate him in the inn at which he lodged. Se conded by the generous Salas, he put three bravos tc flight, and then went and complained to the ajjijiente, or civil magiftrate, to whom he > related what Fernando had done at Mons, and at Oftend. The ajjijiente ordered the monfter to be imprifoned ; and he wrote to captain Keifer at Cadiz, that he might alfo have his teftimony againft him. Dumouriez immediately fet out for Madrid, and never afterwards learned how the prolecution againft Fernando terminated. On his arrival there he was received with great politenefs by the marquis d'Offun. The duke de Choifeul had carried his goodnefs to fuch a length, as even to notify his arrival be forehand. This ambaffadour prefented him to the king, and made him an offer of his table; he fpoke to him as a father, and advifed him not to be in hafte, but tp confider well before he ( 89 )^ he took any ftep to obtain an employment in Spain. Although urged by poverty to come to a quick decifion, yet he deemed it his duty to follow the counfels of this very refpedable man, to whom he was afterwards under the greateft obligations. The marquis d'Offun poffeffed the charader of being extremely ferious and phlegmatic ; but his heart was full of fenfibility. He was the intimate friend of Charles III, whom he had accompanied from Naples to Spain, and who would never permit him to be difplaced by any other ambaffadour. He was very rich, and very charitable. He had married a young lady of the name of Hocquart, whofe family was all hump- hacked; he himfelf had an only fon, very much deformed, and extremely witty ; but he was a very diffipated young man, on whofe account he experienced much chagrin. In a fhort time he permitted Dumouriez to enjoy a lhare in his friendfhip ; his military de coration, his words, his education, his gaiety, interefted him in his favour. He made him. call upon him every morning, and entered into the particulars of the feven years war', this induced him to write fome fhort memoirs on that fub jed, which he prefented to the ambaffadour. Emboldened ( 9° ) Emboldened by the attention of the minifter, he confided to him the particulars of his whole life, his journey to Corfica, and even his quar rel with the duke de Choifeul. Mr. d'Offun, with a great deal of good nature, fpoke as fol lows : " I prophefy to you that you will re turn to France with the rank of colonel, and I will not therefore permit you to enter into the fervice of Spain. Remain here ; I will behave to you like a father." After this, perceiving that the young man appeared to be rather pen- five, he divined the caufe of his embarraff- ment. " Are you rich ?" faid he to him with a fmile. ** No," replied Dumouriez, " and I do not choofe to live any longer at the expenfe of my father." " Very well, make ufe of no ill-timed pride ; I will lend you whatever money you may Hand in need of; and you can repay me at fome other time." From this moment he in truth treated him as if he had been his own fon. Dumouriez made feveral excursions into Ca* talonia, Granada, and along the fea coaft, and he colleded obfervations, which he formed into a fmail volume, entitled, EJfay on Spain. This work, ( 9* ) work, which contains fome new and curious particulars, and alfo his library, has been confif- cated at Paris by the anarchifts, and has never appeared in print. He lived at Madrid along with the whole di plomatic body ; but he was particularly con- neded with the count de Creutz, ambaffadour from Sweden, de Vifmes *, refident from Eng land, and Bergher, charge d'affaires from the court of Denmark : they are all three dead. An adventure occurred in company with thofe minifters that afforded great pleafure to the mar quis d'Offun. A Pruffian major, but a Swifs by nation, and whofe name was Merle, happened to be at this time at Madrid. He came there to make an offer of his fervices to raife a corps of volunteers. He had brought letters for the Englifh refident, who introduced him to the diplomatic circle. The bad condud of our general, and our repeated defeats during the feven years war, had caufed the French officers to be every where in difgrace. This major poffeffed a terrible afped and a blunt demeanour; he wore a huge filver-hilted fabre, and was * It is moft likely that there is fome miftake relative to our minifter at Madrid, during the period alluded to, as this |s evidently a foreign name. — Tranf. y clothed ( 9^ ) clothed in a military drefs. He was continually inveighing againft the French nation, and never fpoke of it but with fcorn, more efpecially when he mentioned the army. He was neither de ficient in wit, nor in knowledge. The whole diplomatic body happened to be one day affembled at a great entertainment given by the count de Creutz, who has fince been ambaffadour from Sweden at Paris, and who died one of the minifters of Guftavus III. It was a kind of feftival which he held in honour of the countefs Butterlin, a very handfome wo man, and the ambaffadrefs from Ruffia. The converfation at the table happened to turn on the invincible navy of Philip II. Merle, by way of exalting the Englifh, made ufe of fome very indecent obfervations relative to Spain. Mr. d'Oflun thought to be able to put an end to this converfation, by coolly quoting the reply of Philip: " I did not fend my fleet to fight againft the winds." Merle, however, continued his remarks. Dumouriez cited fads on purpofe to divert the farcafms of the major, who, after -making ufe of the groffeft terms, concluded as follows : " You yourfelf are a living Droof that the French underftand no more of hiftory than of war." Every ( 93 ) - Every body was difconcerted. Dumouriez, who held a glafs of wine in his hand, replied in a gay tone of voice, " Defender of queen Eliza beth, I drink your health !" A laugh enfued, and the company foon after broke up. When they had all rifen from table, the count de Creutz took the Pruffian major afide, and begged him to retire. Dumouriez, finding himfelf furrounded and watched, made a fign to the marquis d'Oflun, who faid in a grave tone of voice, " Go and look on my table, where you will find the fong which you com- pofed on the countefs de Butterlin, and which you have forgotten to bring along with you." He had it at this very moment in his pocket ; neverthelefs he flew down flairs, got into the flreet, where he faw his antagonift at a diftance, juft about to enter a coffee-houfe, frequented chiefly by foreigners, took hold of him by the arm, and pulled him towards the gate leading to the country. On this the Pruffian major faid to him, " You are but badly armed ; I fhall cleave you in two with my fabre ; you had better wait until to morrow." He, in truth, wore a very fhort fword; but he would not delay his vengeance, being afraid of ( 94 ) of fome intervening obftacle, as duels were ftridly prohibited in Spain. He accordingly refolved to diffemble his intentions : — " You are in the right," replied he, " and I am con- fcious of your generofity. I am even forry that you have reduced me to a fituation in which it is impoffible to forbear calling you to an account. Let us walk quietly together, and agree; upon a proper place for a future meeting." They by this time had paffed the gate, holding each other by the arm in an amicable manner. When they had proceeded about a hundred paces, Dumouriez beheld a little narrow flip of garden ground extremely proper for his pur pofe; on this he difentangled himfelf from Merle, pufhed him into the garden, drew his fword, and exclaimed, "I am ready, defend yourfelf." Merle, who was taken by furprife, turned pale, alked pardon, and propofed to re turn and make an apology. — ** No ; you are a coward, and unworthy to appear in fuch a fociety." He was now more affrighted than before. — -" Either fight, or deliver up your fabre." The cowardly Pruffian, on this, with a tremu lous hand, unloofed his fword-belt, and re tired. Dumouriez, ( 95 ) Dumouriez, with the fame celerity that he had fet out, returned to the hotel of count de Creutz, and delivering him the fabre in the prefence of the whole company, fpoke as fol lows : *' Behold the terrible fword formerly worn by the defender of queen Elizabeth, he himfelf lafe and found ; but I beg you will fend it to him, as he dares not come to receive it." He then related the whole adventure at the re-? quefr. of the fpedators, and was greatly ap plauded on account of his condud. In about two days after this the Spanifh mi- niftry, who had received intimation of what had happened, ordered major Merle to be imprifoned under pretence of being a fpy. De Vifmes, who fcarcely dared to folicit his liberty, fpoke to Dumouriez on this fubjed, and he inftantly ran to the prifon, gave a few louis d'ors to the unfortunate man, and got Mr. d'Oflun to inter cede for his liberty, which was at length grant ed", on condition that he Ihould immediately leave Spain. At the end of a few days he went with de Vifmes and releafed him from jail ; the poor fellow, who appeared to be penetrated with the moft lively gratitude, inftantly left Madrid, was afterwards taken into the Pruffian fervice with the rank of major, embarked on board the fleet C 96 ) fleet commanded by count Orloff, and died at Paros, with the reputation of being a very good officer. Dumouriez always detefted duels, and has been engaged in but very few, having con- ftantly avoided the company of young men. This fpecies of barbarous courage is not in the leaft conneded with true valour. A duel Is almoft always the offspring of a blind paffion, or an unreafonable pride. He has often pardoned affronts given him, becaufe? beihg accompanied neither by publicity nor noife, he could accommodate the difpute either by himfelf, or the mediation of others; This philofophical principle is become more neceffary fince the revolution than before, efpe cially in refped to the young emigrants, whofe tempers are foured by their misfortunes, and who attribute ills to him of which he is not the caufe, but the vidim. This falfe opinion of the emigrants of the firjt edition, againft the emi grants of the fucceeding ones, does much .harm to the common caufe. The happinefs of Dumouriez endured only for a few months. He was much affeded by letters which he received from France. His father was prejudiced againft him, and wrote him ( 97 ) him-in a very bitter ftyle ; but that which put the finifhing hand to his misfortunes, was his cou- fin's refolution to become a nun. In reply to the very tender epiftles which he tranfmitted to her, he one day received a packet containing feveral of his own letters, one written by his coufin, who was about to take the veil, another from one of the fuperiours of the convent, and a third from a Jefuit, who was her confeflbr. All thefe letters, which were replete with myjlicifm, concluded by exhorting him to imitate his coufin, and abjure *' thVabyfs of a wicked world." It was at the fame time intimated to him not to fend any more of his epiftles, as the perfon to whom they .were direded would not receive them. This call took place at the end of a fever oc- cafioned by the fmall-pox, which had entirely disfigured her face. The young lady poffeffed a mind at once ardent, impetuous, and decifive. .She, on this occafion, underwent a long con- flid, which entirely ruined her health during the remainder of her life. As fhe was a rich heirefs, the priefts and devotees bclieged her in form, and direded the warm temperament of her paffions towards religion. Her devotion accordingly was foon carried to excefs ; and finding the life of a fimple nun too inadive, ihe Vol. I. H took ( 98 ) took the veil in a convent of female hojpitallers at Bayeux, that fhe might confecrate herfelf entirely to the affiftance of the fick. At the end of fix months, fhe herfelf was attacked by fuch a complication of diforders, that fhe was forced to return to the world, and dragged out a weary life, during feveral years, in all the frenzy of a too fervent devotion. He was ftruck with confternation on receiv ing notice of this unexpeded and irreparable misfortune; and he confided the caufe of his forrows to the refpedable marquis d'Oflun, who, accommodating himfelf to his age and paf- fion, endeavoured to amufe and confole him. It was at this period that he formed the rcfo- lution of renouncing his country for ever,- and entering into the fervice of Spain. But he wifhed to obtain a fuperiour rank ; and, to ac quire this, it was neceffary to fender fome im portant fervice, which would prevent the court from hefitating in irefped to his demand. This was extremely difficult, as this was a time of profound peace. During the preceding war Spain had invaded Portugal, in 1752, with an army of more than fifty thoufand men. The Portuguefe, who had juft experienced two great misfortunes, a ter rible ( 99 ) rible earthquake, and a formidable confpiracy, although governed by the marquis de Pombal, one of the greateft minifters in Europe, and who might be fairly termed the Richelieu of the fbuth, were not in the leaft prepared to fuftain this affault, to which they could only oppofe an army of feventeen thoufand men, and a few newly raifed Irifh battalions, which the Englifh had col leded and feht to them in hafte. The conquefl of Portugal appeared to be certain; yet, not withftanding all" this, after a campaign of feveral months, the Spaniards only took Almeida, which was but badly defended ; they were beaten every where elfe, and were forced to re-ente.r their own territories, with the lofs of twenty-five thoufand men and their honour. Dumouriez had procured every poffible in formation refpeding this campaign, by means of the officers" who had ferved in the courfe of it, and efpecially the Wallooa guards, with whom he was intimately conneded. He had often faid to the marquis d'Ofiiin, that he would fome day demand his permiffion to make the tour of Portugal with a defign to refolve this hiftorical problem, at leaft fo far as concerned the military evolutions ; for he did not at all doubt but that the politics of the court had a H 2 certain ( 100 ) certain degree of influence; on the otherwise in-- explicable difafters of the Spaniards, and fufped- ed that it might be at Madrid, where their own army found its deftrudion. He had even colleded a variety of curious particulars relative to thefe criminal intrigues .; but, above all, he had compofed an abftrad of this fhort and lhameful invafion, with the idea of being fome day enabled to ftudy the fubjed on the fpot itfelf. Overwhelmed with chagrin, and panting af ter an opportunity of diffipating his gloom, he gave himfelf entirely up to this projed. A new career was opened to his imagination, a new people was to be ftudied, and new interefts to be examined. lie communicated his intentions, to the marquis, and at the fame time confeffed, as the prime minifter of Portugal was full of fufpicion, and had it in his power to give him a very bad reception, that he fhould not be able to make himfelf mafter of all the particulars he was defirous to be informed of, with any degree of fafety, except under pretence pf feeking. for employment in Portugal ; but Dumouriez pledged his word not to accept of it, even if his demand fhould be acceded to. The marquis d'Offun confented with repug nance, ( ioi ) " nance, and communicated the foheme to the duke de Choifeul. He at the fame time pre sented him with a letter of recommendation to "the count de 'St. Prieft, ambaffadour from France at the court of Lifbon, and fome money. Du mouriez alfo carried along with him a letter of "recommendation from de Vifmes, the minifter from England, to his brother Gerard de Vifmes, a merchant of Lifbon, and a man very amiable In his difpofition, and poffeffing a cultivated mind: with him he formed a friendfhip that lafted during his life. He accordingly fet out for Lifbon, vifited the banks of the Coa, on which Almeida is fituated, and returned by Coimbra into Spain, afcending the right-hand fide of the Tagus, in order to make himfelf mafter of the route of the Spaniards by Abrantes,'Caftelbranco, Villa Vel- "ha, and Pennamacor ; he then once more en tered Portugal by the paffage leading to Elvas, and repaired to the capital along the great rOad 'through Eftremos and Armada ; thence he vi fited Oporto, following the cour'fe of the Duero, proceeded to Miranda and Chaves, returned to- Lilbon, and waited on Mr. de St. Prieft. The introdudory letter from the marquis d'Offun was Very cold and referved, becaiufe, being ae- H 3 quainted ( 102 ;) quainted with his intentions of making an offer of his fervices to the minifter of Portugal, he did not choofe to expofe himfelf to any fhare of the blame that might refult from fuch a pro ceeding. ' Dumouriez in the mean time tranfmitted to Mr. d'Offun a large packet, containing obferva- tions which he alone could decypher, accom panied with a note, in which he befought him to keep it for him until his return; with which requeft the ambaffadour moft fcrupuloufly com plied, for he never even unfealed the manufcript. Dumouriez in a fhort time found means to get acquainted with the Englifh, Scotch, and Swifs officers, who were in great numbers in the fervice of Portugal. He was admitted, to feveral audiences by the minifter, made him an offer of railing a regiment, to which he was fure that he would not accede, ftudied the hif tory and topography of the country, traced an offeufive and defenfive fyftem for it, made Ibme frefh excurfions by way of redifying his ideas, and tranfmitted two more voluminous packets to the marquis d'Offun by perfons in whom he could confide. The marquis d'Almodovar, ambaffadour from iSpain, and the count de St. Prieft, who were deceived ( io3 ) deceived by appearances, treated him very cool ly, and wrote againft him, the one to the court of Madrid, and the other to the marquis d'Offun and the duke de Choifeul. He, on the other hand^ ceafed to vifit them, and fpent all his time in the fociety of the Englifh. The prime-minifter Eefufed to admit him in to the fervice of Portugal ; he, indeed, expeded as much, as at this period a tragical adventure occurred at Lifbon, which proved how little beloved the French were by the marquis de Pombal, who was then known under the title of the count d'Oyeras. This minifter was a cruel and fufpicious def- pot. At the conclufion of the war he had pre ferred on the eftablifhment a regiment of fo reign grenadiers, who were in garrifon at Lif bon. This corps, almoft entirely compofed pf French officers and foldiers, was truly military; the colonel was a Frenchman of the name of Peyferrier, and was then called Graveron ; he had ferved, while in his native country, in the rnpufquet aires, and had been aide-de-camp to count d'Heronville. He was a good foldier, and fuffi- ciently beloved at court. The Scotch fadion was jealous of this colonel and his regiment, and they accufed him of hav- H 4 in& ( i°4 ) ing fpoken difrefpedfully of the -minifter. This was enough. to ruin poor Graveron. The count d'Oyeras inftantly ordered the accounts of the regiment tb be infpeded, and ihftiriitedia procefs againft him. He was not claimed by the French ambafladour, who might at leaft have faved. his life ; and being foon after con demned by a council of war, he was mot," and the regiment difbanded. After having been in want of money, becaufe he did not choofe to trouble the marquis d'Of fun, and been fupplied with what was neceffary from a French merchant,- a man of merit, and at prefent one of the richeft bankersin Paris, Dumouriez, after nearly a year's fefidence in Portugal, returned to Madrid, Without any pa pers Which might lead to a fufpicion of his mul tifarious labours, confifting of notes and mate rials, which he alone could arrange, and which he had been careful to tranfmit by other hands; In addition to an offenfive and defenfive fyftem ofwar, a fufficiency ftill remained to form a volume, entitled, " An Effay on Portugal," written in 1766, which has fince been printed at Laufanne, and is well known. This work difcovers a certain degree of neg- ... o ts ligence in point of ftyle ; it even has fome errours, ( io5 ) errburs, and is deficient in refped to feveral fads ; but it is written very methodically, and it is to be wifhed that we had a volume of the fame kind relative to every country in Eu rope, and that it were revifed once in twenty years. It would be extremely ufeful for the condud of courts, and the balance of the refpec- tive interefts of Hates ; and it would alfo pre vent many efrours and faults, the confequence of mifconceptions on the part of thofe who .govern. It might at the fame time prove ufeful to philofophers and travellers. On his return to Madrid he was received very coolly, as he was looked upon to be a fickle young man, who had been defirous to enter into the fervice of an enemy. The marquis d'Offun himfelf at firft treated him with an ap parent referve. He, however, took poffeffion of all his papers, fhut himfelf up in his chamber^ and, at the end of a fortnight, prefented to. that ambaffadour a memoir, entitled, " A Syftem of Attack and Defence for Portugal." He caufed two copies to be printed, one for the marquis d'Offun, and the other for the duke de Choi feul ; to the latter was annexed a large chart of the courfe of the Tagus, with its principal windings ; he had alfo traced the routes and the 7 camps. ( io6 ) camps. The marquis d'Offun received orders to prefent this work to the court of Madrid that it might be examined, and that the preliminary points might be adjufted, fuch as the formation of a fiaff, the eftablifhment of arfenals, nearer than thofe in Catalonia, hofpitals, magazines, and other objeds of a fimilar nature. The' ambaffadour accordingly delivered the memorial to the king of Spain, who gave orders that a commiffion fhould be appointed confifting of three perfons, the count d'Aranda, captain- general, and the counts de Cagigal and Spinola, lieutenants-general. Thefe were inftruded to deliver in a report ; but it did not produce the leaft melioration in the military eftablifhment of Spain. Mr. d'Offun wifhed at leaft to convert this circumftance to the advantage of his young friend, and accordingly demanded a fuperiour rank for him. He was foon after offered the lieutenant-colonelcy of a corps of three batta lions, which were levied under the name of foreign volunteers. This offer proceeded from an intrigue on the part of general O'Reilly, who wifhed to difmifs a brave French officer, called Chateauveron. Dumouriez having learn ed this, refufed to accept of the command. He < i°7 ) He had at this period quitted the company of the great, and only vifited a few particular friends. He was intimately conneded with the duke de Crillon-Mahon, his fon, the count de Crillon, and prince Emanuel de Salm-Salm, co lonel of the regiment of Brabant. This prince was endowed with the moft eftimable and ami able qualities. He concerted a plan with him to levy a German regiment of Salm, but they did not fucceed. They met a few years after, at which period they were all major-generals in the fervice of France. Would to God they had remained in Spain ! He had at this time conceived a frefh attach ment ; it was in favour of a young lady who .was not very handfome, but who poffeffed ex traordinary wit and talents. She was the daugh ter of a Frenchman of the name of Marquet ; he was chief archited to the king. She dis covered an exquifite fenfibility, and an exalted mind. She was not rich, and yet fhe never wifhed that he fhould commit the folly of de manding her in marriage, as he himfelf had of ten defired. He compofed two little volumes for her inftrudion, entitled, " Leflbns in Geo graphy," and " Leflbns in Hiftory and Philofo phy." They, as well as his other manufcripts, are ( ic/8 ) are loft, having become the prey of the anar- chifts. This amiable young woman fell a facri- fice on his being recalled to France; Ihe became devout, and her father gave her in marriage to an alcade, or judge, of Valladolid. She died Toon after ; and, a little before her death, tranfmitted a letter to hec old friend, in which fhe bid him adieu in the moft tender manner pbffible. He thus'fpent the year 1767 in Spain, and led a Very agreeable life thefe, thanks to the gobdriefs of the marquis d'Offun, to the amiable difpofition of his friends, and to the affedion^f mademoifelle Marquet ; but he ftill remained without any employment whatever. He learned, about this time, that his elder filler had become abbefs de Fervacques by mere dint of merit, and that his younger Was married to the baron de Schomberg. He was ftill em broiled with his father, from whom he received frefh reproaches on account of his new p'affion, without being able to gUefs how he had been informed of it. This, however, proves that this kind parent had never entirely forgotten him. After his journey into Portugal, the ambaffa dour difplayed lefs zeal than ever, in his endea vours to procure him employment in Spain, and always ( 109 ) always repliedto him with much phlegm, when ever he preffed him on that fubjed. He has fince had reafon to think, that this proceeded. from the fear of his efpoufinghis miftrefs as foon as he had obtained an appointment. His condud occafioned a correfpondent re ferve on his part towards this excellent minifies ; he dreaded left he fhould abufe his generofity, and he was accordingly very much ftraitened in refped to money ; but he ftudied much, had formed agreeable friendfhips, and poffeffed an amiable miftrefs, fo that his time paffed away imperceptibly. The events, which had occurred about this period in Corfica, unexpededly opened to Du mouriez a more adive career. All. that he had predided to the duke de Choifeul in 1763, both in his conferences and his memoirs, had now adually taken place. Paoli on one hand, the Genoefe and intriguers on the other, had deceived^ him; mulkets had been fired, and violence cornmitted on our troops. The Corficans, who, pofleffed a few armed veffels, had intercepted fome of our merchantmen ; Paoli encouraged. the defertion of our garrifons ; the ifland was in a Hate of warfare. The duke de Choifeul, after having concerted meafures with the, court of St. ( "o ) St. James's, entered into a fecond treaty with Genoa, by which Corfica was fold to France, and the conqueft of it determined upon. Pre parations were accordingly made to re-inforce our garrifons in that ifland, where they exped- ed to find no refiftance, with ten battalions and two legions. The memoir, prefented by Du mouriez in 1763, was then refcued from obli vion, and re- perufed ; and the duke de Choifeul, confulting the noblenefs of his own difpofition, and his natural love of juftice, refolved to re-call that officer. The marquis d'Offun fent one morning in fearch of him, and on his appearing before him, fpoke as follows : "I have been a true prophet in refped to you, and done you a great fervice by preventing you from being employed in the Spanifh army ; I have juft received an order from the duke de Choifeul, by which you are commanded to return to France ; you muft fet off to-morrow." Dumouriez inftantly ran to his miftrefs, and, after announcing this intelligence, promifed to remain faithful to her through life. " No;" replied fhe, " follow your deftiny, and never regard me henceforth, but as your beft friend." He ( III ) He then returned to the ambaffadour, to whom he related- the particulars of his inter view with mademoifelle Marquet. This minif ter was affeded with the noblenefs of a facrifice fo rarely to be met with ; and he himfelf wait ed upon her the very fame day, to.affure her of his friendfhip and protedion. He lent thirty louis d'ors to Dumouriez, who fet off in the courfe of the enfuing forenoon, leaving a city with regret where he had been happy during a whole year. His journey to Spain was one of the moft agreeable he had ever experienced during the courfe of his whole life ; and he left many friends behind him in that country. CHAP. 112 CHAP. V. The Corfican War— Campaign of 1768. Dumouriez arrivediin Paris during the month): of December 1767. His father refided there constantly; but being defirous of producing an agreeable furprifeto this parent, by announcing- what the minifter intended to do for. him, fo foon as he himfelf fhould be acquainted with his own deftiny, he took a lodging in a diftant quarter, and repofed himfelf during twenty-four hours, having travelled all the way from Madrid in a very fevere feafon. After this he repaired to Verfailles. The duke de Choifeul received him with great kindnefs, and obferved, that a war having broken out in Corfica, he had recolleded his promife, and prevailed upon the king to appoint him deputy quarter-mafter-general of the army, of which the marquis de Chauvelin was to be commander in chief. He at the fame time begged ( "3 ) begged that he would wait upon and explain to that general the particulars of his memorial. " After that," added he, "you may make your arrangements, and prepare your camp equipage." Dumouriez,.affuraingeonfidence,fa^d to him in return, " Alas ! in what manner, M. le due ? I have nothing but debts ; and my father, who is far from being opulent, is unwell. I have travelled during the laft four years. You have approved of my details relative to Portugal; you- are : fo well pleafed with my memorial on Corfica, that you appear defirous the plan point ed out there fhould be adopted, I'.ppffefs no thing in the world but the 'brevet for a penfion, which, thanks to the controller-general, is no better* than a piece, of wafte paper/ I alk not to oe enriched, but enable me to ferve." The duke had a good, great, and generous heart. " How much do you owe, young man ?" " Fifteen thoufand livres *.'* *' The devil ! - It is a great deal of money. Let me fee four years penfion, one hundred louis; gratification for your journey and la bours relative toPortugal, twelveth'oufand livres. * About £. 670 fterling. — Tranf. . Vol. I. I Will ( "4 ) Will eighteen thoufand livres be fufficient for you ?" " Yes, M. le-dtic." On this he rings a bell, a fecretary enters, and he orders him to make out an order for eighteen thoufand livres on Labalue, the banker to the court. However eager he might be to wait on Mr. de Chauvelin, according to the duke's orders, Du mouriez was ftill more delirous to fee -his father; he accordingly afked permiffion for this pur pofe. ** What," exclaimed the duke, " have not you yet feen him ?" *' No ; we had fome little difference, but you always find means to reconcile us." The duke having inftantly granted him three days for .this purpofe, he flew to Paris, called at the banker's, received his money, waited on his father, who at firft affumed a fevere air, begged his pardon for all the unhappinefs he had occa- fioned, and, after recounting the particulars of his journey, concluded with obferving, that he had at length obtained a certain and honourable fituation, and would no longer put him to any more expenfe. He then committed all his mo ney to his care, forced him to repay himfejf the amount ( H5 ) amount of the debt which he had difcharged at Leghorn, and laid before him the ftate of his affairs, charging him at the fame time to liqui date all demands againft him. After this, not above a thoufand crowns remained to himfelf. He then hired a little apartment in his neigh bourhood, and they remained good friends ever after. Dumouriez returned next Sunday to Ver failles along with his father, who, although un well, made an effort to thank the minifter. The levee was crowded ; and, by a lucky accident, the marquis de BrhTac happened to be there. The duke de Choifeul, on this occafion, medi tated a very rare, or rather heroic, adion on the part of an all-powerful minifter. He advanced towards young Dumouriez, took him by the hand, and ipoke aloud as follows : " This gen tleman is an officer to whom I unthinkingly did an injury about four years fince ; the king has juft appointed him deputy quarter-mafter-g'ene- ral to the army of Corfica ; he knows that country Well, and I predid that he will ferve thCre with reputation." - Every body now complimented him ; but he himfelf was aftonifhed at the noblenefs of fuch « proceeding,' and remained filent. The marquis I 2 de ( "S ) de Briffac,_who had a truly original turn, faid to him with much pleafantry, " It appears to me that you evince more fenfibility when you are injured, than when you are praifed." After this he vifited Mr. de Chauvelin, who, from the firft moment, honoured him with his confidence, and to the day of his death Ihowed the greateft friendfhip towards him. ,-.::_. .Next morning he had a long converfation with the duke de Choifeul relative to Spain and Portugal. After exhaufting this fubjed, he fpoke to him as follows : " Iam unable, M. le due, ever fully to teftify my gratitude to you. I ppffefs at this moment the means, however inadequate, of proving my efteem, and you muft not refufe me this gratification : I have a com- miffion as a captain of cavalry, which you you r- felf prefented me with ; the current price is now from twelvie to twenty-four thoufand livres ; take meafures fb that J may receive eight thoufand livres, according to the regula tion, and give it to whomfoever you pleafe." The duke thanked him, and faid, " I accept of your offer; but it is my wifh that you Ihould receive fome advantage from it." Du mouriez ftill perfifting in his original propofal, pulled put his refignation of the company in th« regiment ( "> ) regiment of Penthievre from his pocket, and forced the duke to accept it. He Was much pleafed with this proceeding, which he extolled much more than it deferved. Dumouriez fet out for Corfica in the month of May 1768. He waited more than a month at Lyons for his general. It was fuppofed that all was ready at Toulon.; but, on his arrival there, he did not find any thing in a ftate of preparation. He concerted all the particulars relative to the fhipping of the troops with a very able captain belonging to that port, called Truguet : this was a bufinefs entirely new to him. He, however, with little or no affiftance, fuperintended the embarkation ofa legion, ten bat talions, horfes, mules, oxen, hofpitals, provifion, forage, &c. The whole was not completed until the month of Auguft. His general had by that time arrived at Toulon ; and he was ready to embark with him, when he received a large packet from the minifter containing particular orders. When the count d'Aranda, after the revolt at Madrid in 1766, had driven the jefuits out of Spain, they had eftablifhed themfelves in Corfica to tjie amount of four thoufand ; they 1 3 refided ( "8 ) refided in that ifland, and lived on the fmall penfions allowed to them. The government was at this time bufied alfo in expelling them from France and Corfica. Being now confidered as part of that country, it was not political to permit this unprodudive colony to remain there. The duke de Praflin, the minifter of the marine department, had or dered a captain in the navy, called the chevalier de Vefnel, who commanded the brig Hirondelle, to put them on board twenty-two coafting veffels, and land them in the ecclefiaftical ftates. A commiffary of the marine, and an officer be longing to the ftaff of the army, were to fuper- intend this tranfiation. The duke de Choifeul had exprefsly appointed Dumouriez to this dif? agreeable miffion. He accordingly had an interview with the fea captain and the commiffary. On reading the orders of the duke de Praflin, they found them barbarous (in as muchas they only granted to each of thefe unfortunate men the ration of a common failor) and abfurd, as, without any re gard either to the topography of the ifland, or the different bays, winds, &c. they, were all to be alfembled at one given point, which was Calvi, 4 ( "9 )) Calvi. This would have made it an operation of at leaft two months duration, and coft a far greater fum of money than if more ability and humanity had been made ufe, of in forming the plan. ¦ His two colleagues having agreed with him in opinion, he fent off a courier, and ftated that fome of thefe jefuits were related to the gran dees of Spain, fuch as" the brothers of the duke of Granada and count de Fuentes, father Cor dova, &c. j that there were many venerable old men among them j that hy paying to each of them about twenty-pence a day, permitting them to purchafe their own provifion in Cor fica, and allowing the tranfports to depart from different ports, as they were ready to embark, much" money would be faved, and thofe poor people fatisfied, while the chevalier de Vefnei might cruife between the iflands of Capraya and Gorgona, and thus be able to convoy the tranf ports with far greater certainty, than by waiting for them at Calvi. The court was fatisfied with this arrangement. Dumouriez then failed for Calvi; < where the greater part of the jefuits refided ; and he con certed all the meafures relative to the embarka tion with father Cordova, a man of uncommon 1 4 merit, ( ^ ) merit. The fame difpofition was uniformly adopted in all the other ports ; and: he thus got rid of the talk" impofed upon him, and at the fame time rendered fome fervice to the jefuits, This bufinefs having detained him only four days, he repaired to Baftia on the firft: of Sep tember, The marquis de Chauvelin was very happy to fee him return fo quickly, for he had no expec- / tation of his being able to rejoin him during the remainder of the campaign. This general, after having ferved with reputation under the prince de Cbnt-i, during the war of 1 741; had fpent the reft of his life either in foreign embaffies, or near the perfon of Louis XV, by whom he was great ly beloved. He had nearly forgotten all his knowledge of the art of war, and did not under- ftand any thing relative to the pradical part of it. The count de Marbeuf,. now appointeddieu^ tenant-general, after commanding four years in Corfica, had entertained hopes of being placed at the head of the army, and was eager to thwart the operations of his leader. The troops cpnfifted of only fixteen battalions and two legions. As thefe battalions were on tfce peace eftablifhment, and many of the pri- V vates ( 1*1 ) Vatesabfent on furlough, they; did not exceed four hundred rank and, file apiece. Each legion contained five hundred men, one half of whom were mounted, and ferved on horfe back. Of the- fixteen battalions, fix were quartered at Ajaecio and Calvi j and the whole breadth of a yet unfubdued ifland being between them and the main body, they could not be reckoned as appertaining to' it. Four hundred grenadiers and chaffeurs, who did not arrive until a consider able time afterwards, were, however, draughted from them. Thus the army which was about to take the field did not confift of more than five thoufand men. From thefe were to be deduded the gar rifons of Baftia, Cape-corfe, and St. Fiorenzo, and alfo detachments neceffary to keep* up the. communication between St. Fiorenzo and Baftia, after which there did not remain three thoufand effedive men wherewith to open the campaign. The officers had neither camp equipage nor horfes ; and there were only one hundred and fifty mules for the carriage of pro virion. A few days before the arrival of Mr. de Chau- velin, Mr. de Marbeuf had forced general Paoli to abandon Cape-corfe, and the pofts of com munication ( I22 ) munication in its neighbourhood. A body of troops was then ftationed there, while the Corficans polled themfelves exadly oppofite on the heights of Nebbio, de la Croce, Mail- lebois, and St. Antonio. They occupied a confiderable extent of ground, well prbtcded by means of intrenchments, and were nearly fifteen thoufand flrong. •o- Mr. de Chauvelin had brought along with him a number of young men belonging to the court, burning with military ardour, and de- firous to make a fudden conqueft of Corfica, that they might quickly return and figure away in the ball-room and at the opera. It was im- poffible, according to them, for a rabble, con fifting of a mere herd of peafants armed with fowling-pieces, unprovided with bayonets, and clothed in brown fluff, to make any refiflance. The general permitted himfelf to be mifled by thefe. Having left Baftia on the third of September, the army repaired to Tegime, and appeared for the firft time in the prefence of the enemy. It confifted only of two thoufand fix hundred men. A council of war was held, and every one was for commencing an immediate attack. Du mouriez dared to be of a contrary opinion. " General," ( "3 ) " General," faid he, " you will affault and moft affuredly defeat the Corficans, and this is precifely what I dread j you will then be obliged to divide and extend your troops, who will form only two or three feeble columns, and thefe the Corficans will attack and oblige one after another to retreat, and you will -be afterwards forced to retire into the fortified towns .,...." They; would not liften to any more ; they fhuddered with indignation, and the murmurs of the audience already reproached him with cowardice. General Marbeuf, having impofed filence, cried with a far ca flic air, " Let us. hear this gentleman out. What in your opinion ought we to do ?" " It is my opinion, that we fhould garrifon the towns, and keep up the communication be tween them ; that the general fhould fend an officer to the duke de Choifeul to demand a re inforcement of eight complete battalions and eight hundred more mules,, for the commiflary will inform you, that it is impoffible to fupply your army by means of only one hundred and fifty, efpecially when it is divided into columns. Let the foldiers abfent on furlough, and* the re cruits be ordered to join ; let the cuftomary gratifications on taking the field be iffued to the ( I24 ) the officers ; and, until an anfwer mall arrive from the minifter, let a negotiation be entered into with the Corficans with a view to gain over a party which detefts Paoli, and even to arm them againft him." This advice was una- , nimoufly rejeded, and preparations were made . for an immediate attack. Dumouriez was not known in this army; he was therefore under the neceffity of repair ing, the apparent faint-heartednefs of his opi nion by the bravery of his condud. He ob tained leave, in the order of battle, to be fta tioned along with the column of the centre, which was to ftorm the three grand redoubts of Croce, Maillebois, and St. Antonio. He in ftantly placed himfelf at its head with a fer- jeant and twelve grenadiers of the regiment of Rouergue, and they ran as fall as poffible to take fhelter under the fteepeft part of the afcent. He obferved the nature of the ground, which confifted of rocks piled upon each other, and thefe it was extremely difficult to feale, on account of the thicknefs of the under wood ; they, however, fucceeded in the at tempt, and were never once expofed to the fire of the Corficans? until they began to throw down ( 125 ) down the wall of dry Hones which furrounded the platform of the mountain. A fingle grena dier only was wounded, and that but flightly. Dumouriez, in an embroidered uniform, and with no other weapon but a cane fhod with an iron ferrule, was attacked on jumping into the redoubt by the Corfican commander, who was endeavouring to rally his men ; he, however found means to knock him down with his cane, and to take him prifoner. Two or three hun dred of the enemy, who were ftationed here, fled, and precipitated themfelves, from the rocks ; the grenadiers flabbed about a fcore of them with their bayonets, and the column, which witneffed the ,whple at the diftance of two hundred paces, would: no longer liften to the voice of its leaders, but inftantly fcaled and en tered' the redoubt, * Continuing to ferve as a vanguard along with his twelve heroes, he foon arrived at the fecond redoubt j but they were then fupported' by the main body, whiph followed clofe after them. In. fhort, in lefs than an hour all the three re doubts were carried, and the Corficans, whofe centre had been pierced, ran away on all fides. Perceiying, however, that the enemy's right win°" ftill fupported itfelf .in Fivriani, he pre vailed ( ™6 ) Vailed upon d'Arcambel, colonel of the regi ment of Rouergue, to make a movement to wards the left, on purpofe to turn their flank. The combat at length ceafed ; in the courfe of it the Corficans loft about three hundred men, and the French not more than fifteen or twenty. As the adion was now at an end, he entered a houfe, drank a little brandy, eat fome ammunition bread that was prefented him by one of his brave companions, and then fell iafleep. At the expiration of about an hour, his horfe was brought him, and he went and joined Mr. de Chauvelin. As the Corficans did not poffefs any cannon, this general had had a near view of the engagement, and frequently faid to thofe who furrounded him, " You will fee this good little man get himfelf knocked on the head on account of his opinion." On his arrival, every body was crowding around Mr. de Chauvelin, who had feveral times inquired after him. The general embraced and loaded him with eulogiums. He then faid in a loud voice,." I knew well, general, that we Ihould beat them ; I befeech you, however, to remain where you are, and to demand a rein forcement of battalions and mules as fall: as poftlble, for you cannot advance. I have not changed ( 127 ) changed toy opinion, but, on the contrary, am ftill prepared to fupport it, as I am now better known than before." He then returned to his column, and Mr. de Chauvelin charged him to meet him at Baftia in the courfe of the even ing. There were three fagacious and well-inform ed men in the army : Beauvoir, a brigadier, and commanding officer of the artillery ; Daumont, major-general, and at the head of the engineers; and Delille, commiffary of prpvifion, who had ferved during the war of feven years, and who was better acquainted with military affairs than the officers who had Voted in the council of war. AU thefe were of the fame way of think ing as Dumouriez ; hut the former two were prevented by the young men belonging to the court from backing his opinion. During the engagement they had flood clofe to the gene ral; and Delille, who was open-hearted and frank, relumed' [the fubjed, difcuffed the argu ments on both fides,; and made him perceive the neceffity of following the advice of Dumouriez. Mr. de Chauvelin was convinced, but he did not wifh it to be thought that he had retraded his opinion ; befides, the adion was not yet over, and he waited the event. Dumouriez ( 128 ) Dumouriez being detained with the troops in confequence of indifpenfable- bufinefs, did not reach Baftia till three o'clock in the morning, and - then repaired to his lodgings, as he did not wifh to awaken his general!, whom he fuppofed to be afleep, more efpecially as he himfelf ftood in great need of repofe. He was told,: that the aids-decamp . had been feveral times inquiring for him ; her however, did not pay any great attention to this intelligence ; but as he was undrcffing himfelf, one of 'them ar rived, and told him, that he was expeded at head-quarters with great' impatience. He found the -general in bed, furroundedby the three perfons who had induced him to change his mind. Mr. de-Chauvelin then an nounced to him that he had adopted his advice, and that it was neceffary he fhould inftantly -let off for. Paris. ¦ ¦ > " No," replied he, "Iam too young, and too. little known; No one can fucceed better than Mr. Delille ; the duke de Choifeul efteem s him, and he will obtain every thing we ftand in need of, fuch as battalions, mules, forage, money, and affiftance of all kinds." Beauvoir and d'Aumont fupported this propofition. 7 Delille C 129 ) Delille confented to go, but he wifhed to carry all the neceffary papers along with him, fo that the duke de Choifeul's fignature Ihould be alone wanting. Delille, Dumouriez, and a perfon called .Tauf el, who was fecretary to the general,v fhut themfelves up in an apartment during forty-eight hours, made out all the cal culations, and prepared the neceffary llatements. Delille then fet out, arrived at Paris, was gra tified in refped to all his demands, and returned at the end of three weeks. Dumouriez, over whelmed with labour and fatigue, flept for twelve hours ; he was foon after entrufted to head a reconnoitring party on the banks of the Guolo, a circumftance which occafipned many fubfequent misfortunes. After the engagement on the 5th of Decem ber, the little army was divided into two bodies ; one confifting of fix battalions and a legion, under the orders of Mr. de Marbeuf, remained either encamped on the heights of St. Antonio, or cantoned at Fivriani and Biguglia. The other, which was compofed of four battalions and a legion, commanded by Mr. de Grandmaifon; a, major general, was encamped on the heights of St. Nicholas, before Olmetta and Oletta, and in front of Nebhio. The pofition was a good Vol. I. Jk K. one, ( *3° ) one, for thefe two fmall bodies were thus ena bled to fupport each other, poffeffed the ad vantage arifing from commanding ground, were not far diftant from the towns of Baftia and St. Fiorenzo, and were accordingly capable of re- ceivingffuccours from France. . Paoli had retired behind the Guolo, but his advanced parties extended as far as Bevindo, on the fide of the mountain, and towards the fea to the lake of Ciurlino. Mr. de Marbeuf, to enfure the tranquillity of his camp of Notre- Dame DelFOrto, refolved to occupy three vil lages which commanded the Guolo, viz. Borgo, Vignale, and Lucciana. The inhabitants had come of their own accord to folicit the ge neral to fend troops thither. The Corficans love liberty; we had landed on their ifland on purpofe to conquer them, and ! they laid a fnare with a defign to entrap us :-*— they were in the right. A lieutenant colonel, of the name of Duvales, was fent at the head of two hundred and fifty men to guards thofe vil lages ; and Dumouriez, who was entrufted with the care of pofting them, was efcorted by a detachment of twenty dragoons of the royal legion. He was at the fame time ordered to re connoitre the bridge acrofs the Guolo, and to point ( Wj ) point out where a redoubt could be moft advan- tagepufly thrown, up to defend the paflage of that river. ¦¦ ,.' On his arrival at Borgo, which was about three leagues diftant from the camp, he dif- covered an embarraffed and myfterious air in the faces of the inhabitants, more efpecially the women. He communicated this circum- ilance to the lieutenant colonel ; and as Paoli was at only half a league's diftance from the oppofite bank of the Guolo, he gave him orders in writing to quarter all the troops at Borgo, without occupying the two other villages. In the mean time he entered into two or three of the houfes ; in one of them he found a youngs woman very much terrified, With two beautiful children ; he fondled them, and prefented a crown to the mother, who advifed him, while the tears ftreamed down her cheeks,, inftantly to fave himfelf and his men, elfe:they would be murdered in the courfe of the following night by the Corficans. The village of Borgo forms a, kind of citadel on thefummit of a hill, in the form of a fugar- lpaf, at the apex of which are an entrenched church, and a few houfes provided with loop holes for mufketry. The village itfelf is below, K 2 and ( J32 ) -and is built along the face of the mountain in the manner of an amphitheatre. The plain is more than fifty feet underneath, and the houfes can only be reached by means of a winding road, which is proteded on the outward fide with a wall. This place has always proved fatal to the French. Mr. de Boiffieux, a lieutenant ge neral, having caufed it to be garrifoned in 1730, and the Corficans laying fiege to it foon after, he marched to its fuccour, was beaten, and retired to Baftia, where he died of a broken heart. Having intimated the intelligence to the lieu tenant colonel, which he had juft received from the woman, Dumouriez advifed him to conceal it from the troops, left they Ihould do any in jury to the peafants ; he at the fame time made the neceflary difpofitions in conjundion with this officer relative to the defence of the place.; and after an affurance that he Ihould foon hear from him, he rejoined his twenty dragoons, who were waiting in the. plain, near a little houfe called Revinco, at. the foot of the mountain of Borgo. All thefe pofitions are marked in the map of Corfica. t ,-v- He took along with him fix armed peafants belonging to Borgo, in whom he apparently 4 placed ( J33 ) placed the greateft confidence. It was now nine o'clock in the- morning. After marching half a league with his dragoons, difperfed in fuch a manner as to occupy a very extenfive front, he difcerneda fmall wood at about a thoufand paces diftant from the bridge over the Guolo. A little in the rear of his left flank, and inclining towards the fea, was a large farm called Procoio Giufiiniano. As there might be fome Corficans concealed in it, he difpatched a fubaltern and four men, with orders to return and inform him, if there were any of the enemy near, and if not, to return to the thicket at a gentle trot, taking care to approach the river in fuch a manner as to be difcovered ; all this was pun dually executed: He then entered the wood with the fixteen troopers that remained, left twelve behind, with orders to fhow themfelves every now and then in different diredions, in front of the thicket, on purpofe to make them appear more numerous than they really were, and to light up five or fix fires at a considerable diftance from each other. After this he fallied out of the wood with the lieutenant, four dragoons, and the fix peafants, and made diredly for the bridge. The Corficans, to the number of thirty or forty, occupied a kind of centry box or chapel K 3 in ( ^34 ) in. the. centre of it. On the other fide of the river, in the pievd de la Cafinca, is a village* whence there is an approach to the bridge by means of a gentle declivity interfeded with trees and hedges. The whole army of Clement Paoli, brother to the general, confifting of five or fix thoufand ftrong, was pofted there. This army, which appeared to poffefs much curi- ofity, rofe up to view the dragoons. The Corficans permitted them to reach the bridge without firing a fhot ; and they afterwards abandoned the chapel. He himfelf placed a dragoon by way of fentinel at the entrance of the, bridge ; the lieutenant pofted the other three at two hundred paces diftance from each other, returned to the thicket, brought four additional one's, and thus in fucceffion ftationed fixteen troopers, who formed a line of about a mile in length along the bank of the river. He now difpatched his lacquey, who was well mounted, at full gallop, with a note for Mr. de Chauvelin ; he notified to him the danger of Mr. Duvales, and the Orders iffued by him, not to divide his troops. His fervant, as he palled along, delivered another note to the command ing officer of the royal legion ; he informed him, that he kept the enemy in check with only twenty ( *3S ) twenty of his dragoons, and he requefted him to fend a hundred more with all poffible dif- patch to fupport them. At the end of -about a couple of hours, he perceived a great commo tion amongft the Corficans ; they had begun to afcend towards the village, which announced a retreat. He caufed Mr. "Duvales to be informed • of this circumftance by, means of a peafant, begging him at the fame time to fend fome food for the men and horfes, and to difpatch a few foldiprs to take ppft on a rifing ground nearer the Guolo, whence they might be eafily feen, but not to rifle any thing, and to remain conftantly on his guard. ( An hour afterwards, het difcovered a few men defcending from the village with a white flag ; he caufed them. to lay down their arms on the bridge, and to be brought to him. Thefe proved to be fix deputies from Cafinca, two of whom were called Cafabianca. He detained them along with him, and learned by their means, that the army miftaking his little troop for the French vanguard,. , and imagining they were about to be attacked, had retreated towards Tenda, and.that the pieves of Cafinpa andCam- poloro had deputed them to make thqir f^bmif-* lion to general Chauvelin. S 4 He ( '3* ) He took care not to undeceive them ; on the contrary, he defired the lieutenant to go and receive general Marbeuf's orders relative to the reception of the deputation; in the mean time he befought them to remain patiently with him, becaufe it was likely that this general, being bull ed about the difpofition of the troops, might not be able to attend to their requeft for fome time, more efpecially if he thought himfelf obliged to wait for the orders of the -Commander in chief, who was not to leave Baftia until noon. The lieutenant, who had returned to the wood, did not make his appearance again until five o'clock in the afternoon, when he was ac companied by a hundred dragoons, who relieved the efcort, and conduded the hoftages to Baf tia. They frequently locked around^ during the courfe of their journey, to difcover the, army ; but he aflured them, that on hearing of the retreat of the Corficans, it had taken the road leading to the mountain. .\;- The moment that thefe unlucky deputies arrived, the heads of the French were turned. ; " We ought to march inftantly," exclaimed they, " to receive the fubmiffion of the two pieves; it is proper that we fhould profit by the- prefent terrour ; the other pieves will follow the example ; ( *37 ) example ; and it is unneceffary to lofe time in waiting for a reinforcement from France, when there is no longer any manner of occafion for it." Dumouriez, who already fufpeded the pofi tion at Borgo to be too hazardous, conjured ,, them not to think of advancing any further; the deputies, however, preffed the general to adopt this meafure. Mr. de Chauvelin accord ingly permitted himfelf to be once more unfi led, and orders were ferit to lieutenant-colonel Du vales to garrifon Lucciana and Vignale. The very next day colonel d'Arcambal was difpatched at the head of eight hundred men, with whom he was to occupy Vefcovato and la Penta ; and D-umouriez, who was blamed for having taken upon him to alter the deftination of the troops under DuVales, had the mortifica tion of feeing the army difperfed, and of anti cipating all the dangers which would refult from this meafure : — in fhort, of being the in nocent caufe of thefe blunders, in confequence of his late unfortunate expedition. Mr. de Marbeuf having difcovered an averfion to him, he begged the commander in chief to change his divifion, and to attach him to that under general Grandmaifon, which he joined at the ( >3* ) the camp of St. Nicholas. He learned, four days afterwards, that the Corficans having af- fembled eight or nine thoufand men in the Cafinca, had attacked the poll of la Penta ; that, after a vigorous defence, the French had been driven from it with the lofs of more than two hundred men killed or taken prifoners ; that they had evacuated the two pieves, re- croffed the Guolo, and fallen back to their old camp at Notre dame dell'Orto ; that colonel count du Lude, with the infantry of the royal legion and two companies of grenadiers, amounting in all to about five hundred men, had thrown themfelves into Borgo; and that the Corficans, having croffed the Guolo, me naced Borgo. The day after receiving this intelligence, the camp of St. Nicholas was attacked by the whole Corfican army ; and general Grandmaifon, who held out until night, took care to retreat theri, and pofted himfelf in the ftrong village of Oletta, at the extremity of the plain of Nebbio, The Corficans loft no time, but inftantly laid fiege to Borgo. On the return of Dumouriez to head quar ters, he found that thefe checks had not made any impreffion, and that they confidered the 7 attack ( J39 ) attack on' Borgo to be a mere mockery, the Corficans having neither cannon nor bayonets, while Mr. du Lude poffeffed both. Two days afterwards he was employed to condud a con voy to this village, with a hundred infantry, fifty dragoons, and thirty grenadiers. The Cor ficans, who were at Revinco, retired on his approach, and he reached the place of his def tination after a flight Ikirmifh. He afterwards returned and rendered an account to Mr. de Chauvelin of what he had feen. Mr. du Lude, fuppofing himfelf too weak to guard the whole place, had reduced his line of defence to the church, and the intrenched fummit of the vil lage, of which he only occupied a few houfes, with a defign of keeping up the communication with the plain ; but if the Corficans fhould dif- cover this, and only fuCceed in forcing one of thefe houfes, his men muft affuredly die of thirfl, becaufe he had no other water but what was fupplied by means of a fountain at the foot of the mountain j'near Revinco. Mr. de Chauve lin, who paid but little attention to thefe ob- fervations, and other hints fuggefted by Du mouriez, difpatched him to Calvi. It unfor tunately happened, that he was the only officer on the llaff who had ever been at Borgo, and his - ( Ho ) his abfence on this occafion was attended with the moft inaufpicious circumftances. In the memorial prefented by him in 1763 to the duke de Choifeul, he had principally in filled on two points : 1. That a negotiation fhould be opened with thofe chiefs who belonged to the fadion adverfe to Paoli ; that a party fhould even be bought over with a defign to make a, diverfion in favour of the French, to fpare the effufion of their blood, and to procure a more fpeedy termination to the conteft. .2. That a ftrong garrifon only fhould be left at Ajaccio, there being but little danger in that quarter ; that two or three thoufand men Ihould be affembled at Calvi to take Balagne in the rear, fuppprt the column that was to attack Nebbio by the way of Petralba, conquer the pieves of Niolo and Roftino, which were ftrongly attached to Paoli, and then to march with the centre column againft Corte. Balagne is a fmall province, more fertile, open, polifhed, and better peopled than the reft of Corfica. The family of the Fabiani, fettled at Santa Reparata, which is the moft confider- able town, was very powerful, and headed the fadion that was inimical to Paoli. Below Santa Reparata ( Hi ) Reparata is the port of Ifola Roffa, frequented by the troublefome fiotilla belonging to Paoli. That port, ftill held out againft the French. The marquis de Chauvelin had adopted "this plan, which was fupported by the authority of marfhal de Maillehois, who, in 1739, had aded on the fame principles, and proved fuccefsful. In the fketch carried by Delille with the intention tobefuhmitted to the confideration of the duke de Choifeul, it had been arranged fo as that four bat talions and three hundred mules fhould be lent to Calvi. In conformity to this idea, the marquis de Chauvelin. difpatched Dumouriez to Calvi at the latter end of December, with a defign that he fhould fuperintend the march of this column. v He gave him" a hundred thoufand livres, with which, he was to levy and pay fuch companies of Corficans as he might be able to raife in Calvi and the Balagnep-'and alfo to "fit out a felucca carrying three fix pounders and forty men, partly Genoefe and partly Corficans, and two < chebecks,' provided B with fwivels, and navigated with fifteen or ^twenty men each ; for, although we had a fquadron of two fail of the line, two frigates, fix brigantines, and feveral feluccas, there was but too little har mony between the commanders 'by fea '!and £1; v.sqai?. land, ( 14* ,) land, to exped that any part of this armament would be allowed to ad independently of the commodore. He at the fame time ordered the count de Narbonne-Fritzlar to remove from Ajaccio to Calvi to command this column, and he was defired to carry along with him two batta lions and all the grenadiers and chafleurs. This count de Narbonne had. diftinguifhed himfelf during the war of 1757, at which time he acquired the glorious firname of Fritzlar. After a few days flay at Calvi, he returned to Baftia to confer with Mr. de Chauvelin. While Dumouriez was thus bufied in making preparations for the commencement of the cam paign in the Balagne, and while he waited for the arrival of Mr. de Narbonne and the troops from France, the Corficans had once more laid fiege to Borgo ; four hundred men belonging to the pieve of Arco, commanded by a knight of St. Louis, called Grimaldi, who was a very good officer, and had been formerly in the fer vice of France, got poffeffion of a houfe in the midft of the village, where du Lude had pofted no more than a fub-lieutenant and twenty men, although this was the fole means of keeping up a communication with the water and the plain ; ( 143 ) ^lain; the enemy inftantly intrenched them- felves there, and three thoufand Corficans at the fame time threw themfelves into the neigh bouring houfes. Du Lude was now ready to furrender for want of water ; this was difcovered by means of his fignals, for every other mode of corre- fponding with him was cut off, fo that Mr. de Chauvelin found himfelf reduced to the necef- fity of rifking the fafety of the whole army, on purpofe to relieve the garrifon of Borgo. This, however, being the cafe, he ordered general Grandmaifon to march along the heights by the way of Ortale, to attack the ene my on the fide of the mountain: this divi sion con filled of about a thoufand men. He himfelf headed the other column, amounting to no more than nine hundred; this took the road leading acrofs the plain, and was divided into two bodies. Mr. de Marbeuf was charged to turn the left flank of the village, and Mr. de Narbonne to attack the centre, while du Lude prepared to fally forth with all his garrifon. The divifipn; under Grandmaifon did not ar rive at the place of deftination ; but , the two attacks on the fide of the plain were made with the utmoft impetuofity. The twOjColumns then ( H4 ) ... '...'-. .. >¦ ° -^r .<,-.• brave, man called, Capiaffi, who "conduded the expedition, and was uncle-' to the traitor, whofe name was Cappochia. The enemy permitted them to land, and then, by means of a. fhower of grape-fhot and mufketry, killed about one Half: ( iii ) half: Dumouriez with fome difficulty faved the remainder. Having reached his felucca by means of a fkiff, he anchored her in the midft of the roa<|, and commenced fuch a fevere fire againft the batteries with his fix pounders, that the Corficans, who are but bad cannoneers, at length abandoned them. If he had been fup ported by three or four hundred men, he would have taken the place. During the cannonade his fmall craft took refuge in Calvi. By way of revenge, he took the tower of Giralette, fituated on the well end of the ifland, two days after- j wards. The enterprife was equally bold and impor tant. He had informed the duke de Choifeul pf his intentions, and it was thus that he delivered his fentiments on that occafion : " Out of one hundred attempts fimilar to that which I am now about to engage in, ninety-five may fail, and yet a man ought not to be difcouraged: I am refolved to attack Ifola Roffa, which is defended by fifty pieces of cannon and "a great number of troops, with one hundred and fifty' men embark ed on board fome fifhirig barks. If Cappochia does not prove untrue, I lhall not have occa fion to fire a fingle mufket, and once in pof feffion of this rock, all Corfica will not be able L 4 to ( 152 ) tO'diflodge me. . Should I fucceed, you will not be nnder the neceffity of fitting out a fquadron during the prefent campaign ; this will produce a faving of at leaft fix millions of livres. If, on the other hand, Cappochia betray us, all the evil will fall upon the Corficans, for in this little armament, which will not put you to a farthing of extraordinary expence, there is not a fingle Frenchman. In the latter cafe, which indeed fhould be expeded, this ought to be confidered as:' a, frolic on the part of the Corficans, and they .need not be afhamed at having failed in an attack which baffled all the efforts of the French fquadron, and the regiment of Royal- Rouffillon in the month of jQdober laft. If I do not fuc ceed,. you will receive whole volumes of letters againft me. Do not decide according to the fuccefs, but according to the plan, and the im portance of the enterprife." " -.'til ; In fad Mr. de ..Marbeuf wrote againft, ahd reprefented him as a dangerous madman.. All" the officers;, Mr. de; Narbonne excepted* alibi r declaimed againft 1 fuch .a rafh attempt; The duke de Choifeul permitted his mind to be warped upon this occafion, although Mr. de Narbonne wrote to him for the- exprefs- pur pofe of removing any difagreeable impreffions. In ( *53 ) In fifteen days t after wards he made a promotion in favour of the four affiflant' quarter-mailers general; three of them were elevated to the rank of colonel, and Dumouriez received a com- mifllon as. lieutenant'Colonel ; this he inftantly returned, obferving to the minifter, that fuch a ftep, which would have conferred honour upon hhn on any other occafion, becameapunifhment at prefent ; he at the lame time begged him to nominate fome perfon to the fituation he then filled, as he ought no longer td' hold; it., if he had fhown himfelf undeferving. He added, that he only demanded permiffion to ferve during the prefent war as a volunteer, and that at the con clufion of it, he Ihould either contriye to unde ceive him, or feek his fortune elfewhere. The duke would neither give him fatisfadion on this point, nor accept of his refignation ; in the mean time, Mr. de Chauvelin was charged to negotiate with him, but he would not con fent to accept of the rank of lieutenant^colonel, or to receive a gratification, at firft of three thoufand, and afterwards} of fix thoufand livres, and he continued to officiate in his employment with much reludance. The triumph of Mr. de Marbeuf was how ever far from being complete. The Corficans, notwith- ( 154 ) notwithftanding the armiftice, had entered into a well concerted conlpiraCy. All the quarters occupied by the French were to be affaulted at one and 'the fame time, and fix battalions that wintered in Oletta were to be murdered by their hofts. This maffacre did not take place, but the general attack was carried into execution. A battalion of the regiment of la Marie was furprifed and cut off in the Patrimonio ; repri- fals enfued, and we were once more in a ftate of war, notwithftanding the charming expedi ent invented by Mr. de Marbeuf, CHAP. ( *55 ) CHAP. VI. The Corfican War— Campaign of ,1769, The campaign of" 1 768 had been fo lightly undertaken, fo imprudently conduded,' and fo fhamefully terminated, that the duke de Ghoifeul forefawi that the glory of France, and his own fafety, would be endangered, if he did not furnifh fufficient means for enfuring the conqueft of Corfica during- the enfuing fpring. The twenty-two battalions which compofed at pre- fertt the whole army, he therefore reinforced with twenty battalions more, two additional legions, and twelve hundred mules. The command of this body of troops, which ex ceeded all the powers of defence that could be oppofed on the part of the Corficans, was conferred on lieutenant-general the count de Vaux. ; The moment that the intelligence of this no- Mrnination arrived in Corfica, every body was alarmed. ( 156 > alarmed. Dumouriez was very much vexed, that thefe forces were not put under the di- redion of Mr. de Chauvelin, who might have been thus enabled to have repaired hisdifgrace, which was chiefly to be attributed to the imprudence of the minifter, who had not furnifhed him with a fufficient number of "troops'. Mr. de Marbeuf alfo beheld himfelf fruftrated in regard to that very objed, to which his whole ambition had afpired during four years. The Corficans, on the other hand, at once knew and dreaded the talents of Mr. de Vaux. ¦>,-. The army -being deftitute of difcipline, be haved but indifferently ; the new general pof feffed the reputation of the moft terrible aufte- rity, and thofe who had ferved under him, during the time he commanded at Thionville, or in the army, or in Gottingen, defcribed him as a harfh and. fevere man ; he really appeared to be fo, but a taciturn and rigid exterior enve loped a: mirtd that was full of fenfibility, juft, and even affedionate. He had ferved in 1739 j during the war then in Corfica, as major in the regiment of Auvergne,, and happened to have his right hand'difabled by a mufket fhot from a peafant of Sarteime. The firft queftion alked by him in r 769, was, Whe ther ( 157 ) ther this man was ftill living ? The unfortunate wretch concealed himfelf, but Mr. de Vaux fucceeded in difcovering the place of his retreat, and ordered him to be brought before him; every body imagined that he would be hanged. He raifed this man, more dead than alive, from the earth, where hehad.proftrated himfelf at his feet, .admitted him to his table, enquired if he had any children, prefented him with money, and charged himfelf with the maintenance of his family. Twenty fimilar anecdotes, during the prefent war, had forced his very enemies to admire him. He poffeffed much knowledge, fpoke but little, and with difficulty, but in pri vate he was extremely amiable. In other re- fpeds, his virtues and his habits were far too antiquated to be rightly appreciated by the fri volous charaders who furrounded him, and whom he efteemed but little. „ ,y. Such was the commander who arrived in the fpring.. All the general and ftaff officers had orders to meet him on his difembatfkation at St. Fiorenzo. . After furveying them with an auftere air, he addrefled them as follows : ! " The king, gentlemen, has charged me to inform you, that he is exceedingly difepntented with his army. Severa^of the officers entrufted with ( 15§ ) . with polls, have been bafe, enough. to fign capi-; tulations. I henceforth prohibit any officer ferving with a detachment from the ufe pf pen , and ink. The king in particular difapprovea of the fufpenfion of arms ; this is a ftain which you have imprinted upon our colours, and I hope you will fucceed in wafhingitout. His majefty is very angry with all the officers who compofed the council of war, the two only excepted who had courage fufficient to proteft againft its pro ceedings. You afterwards permitted . your- felves to be lulled into fecurity on the faith of this treaty, .and.you were in ; danger of being "all murdered. How is it poffible, after having fpeht four years among the Cor ficans, not tcknowi them well enough to be certain that you could not confide in them ? Dumouriez; attempted an enterprize truly mili tary ; he failed j this is the fortune of war, and I am defired to teftify the king's fatisfadion to him." ;£3,\tf- At the conclufion of this harangue, Mr.de, Marbeuf was profufe of (his careffes to , Du mouriez, and he always afterwards i evinced a great regard towards him.: At the expiration of a couple of days, Mr. de Vaux took him afide, and faid : " I have per-. , ufed ( l59 ) ufed your plan of operations by the Balagne ; it was 'a good one, with- a feeble army, but as. I have motfe than a fufficient number of troops, I lhall fend Mr. de Narbonne, at the head of twelve battalions, to make an attack on the fide of Ajaccio; the remaining twenty will be fuf* ficient'to force the pa,ffes of Bogognaro and Vico. You may, perhaps, defire to ferve along with him, but I fhall keep you near my own perfon. I know that you -refufed the brevet. rank of lieu tenant-colonel, and you were in the right, con- fidering iCkcumftances ; but Mr. de Choifeul is forry that you Ihould have rejeded the gratifi cation ; he fays that you are too proud." , — " If you approve the refufal of the rank, general, you ought ftill more to approve the refufal of the money; if I were rich, I fhould perhaps .have accepted it, hut I am poor, and, I cannoti" "It is very well," replied Mr. de Vaux, with a fmile, " and he inftantly wrote and demanded the rank of colonel for Dumouriez, which ar rived in the courfe of fix weeks." , » This general was very obftinate,and he could not bear either to be queftioned, or contradided. He was perfedly well acquainted with hiftory and geography, and a man could not confer greater pleafure ( 16° ) pleafure on him than to begin a converfation on thofe fubjeds. It even became a foible, and Dumouriez frequently took advantage of it, on purpofe to make him talk : he was then fenten- tious, and fometimes even fublime. This fre quently produced very entertaining fcenes. Mr. de Vaux had brought along With him as a volunteer, his intimate friend Bourcet, an old lieutenant*general of engineers, who had written a very inftrudive work on the fyftem of war bell adapted to hilly countries. The army was divided into two columns of twelve battalions each, which marched at the fame time, the one by the camp of St. Nicholas, the other by St. Antonio. Mr. de Narbonne, with twelve other battalions, commenced his operations on the fide of Ajaccio by the way of Vico. Mr. de Marbeuf, at the head of eight more, turned off through the plain of Mari ana, in order to afcend , along the Tavignano. Thefe four bodies of troops menaced Corte. The baron de Viomefnil, with the legion of Lorraine, and fome detachments, was to follow the road along the fea-fhore, through the plain of Aleria, as far as Porto-Vecchio. The French garrifon of Bonifaccio, and -feveral de tachments which were to be landed in the gulf A. Of ( 161 ) of Vahnco, received orders at the fame time to march for Sartenne. This vaft plan .embraced the whole pf Corfica, and it was infallible, with the ftrength which we now pofleffed. It:ih- fpired perhaps an idea of too much fecurity, and produced a certain degree of negligence in re gard to fome details, wh.iph rendered the defence pf the ifland far more brilhant than it would have otherwife been. The two central columns were clofe to one another, and the defiles, fometimes forced them to form . but , one body. The advanced, guards and, the grenadiers fired frequently, but the columns never law the enemy, not even during the Ikirmifh at Ponto-Nuovo. There is a central point, after having croffed ¦the ... bridge over the Guolo, by the road, leading toLento, which commands the entrance into the high plain of Corfica; this plain may be confidered as the key .to the whole coun try. It is a very large flat, fituated pn^ the top of a mountain, with only one grove, con fifting ;of. chefnut trees; in the midft of it is. an-antient Moorifh mofque, which .is ;at, prefent called St. Peter's chapel. The marfhal de Ter mes had formerly fubjefted alf Corfica, by poftV Vol.. I. M .,_ ,;,.,. inf ( 1 6» ) ing himfelf here, becaufe it overlooks the four adjoining vallies. The Corficans, after having vigoroufly de fended the bridge of Guolo, and the village of Valle, which is at an equal diftance between the river and the mountain, had, to the num ber of feven or eight thoufand men, retreated to this formidable ftation. It was but nine o'clock in the morning, and the volunteers of Soubife, who formed part of the advanced guard of the right hand column, having already paffed the brow of the mountain, could have penetrated into the valley of Mero-. faglia, where is an abbey, in which Paoli was then repofing himfelf. Dumouriez was with the advanced guard of the left column, with eight hundred volunteers of the army, com manded by the count de Viomefnil, younger brother to the officer who was on his march to wards Porto-Vecchio. They had paffed through' the village, and were purfuing and firing at the Corfican rearguard. He had left his horfes be hind him at the village of Valle, becaufe it was impoffible to -afcend the fteep in any other- manner than on foot ; perceiving on his reach ing the fummit, that the Corficans were drawn up in order of battle in the wood and around the ( 1 63 ) the chapel, he difpatched a note to Mr. de Vaux, in which he informed him, that if he would but command the battalions of grenadiers to ad vance to the fupport of the volunteers, and make the regiment of Soubife take Merofaglia in flank, he might be mafter of all Corfica in the fpace of two hours, on account of the impor tance of the pofition of St. Peter's chapel, and that in thejnean time he would order the attack to commence. This billet was carried by an officer. While waiting for an anfwer, it was abfo- lutely neceffary to come to fome determination ; to remain on the height without advancing, was to expofe the troops to a fuperior fire ; to defcend, would be fubjeding them to a purfuit. Viomefnil inftantly made the proper difpofitions ; he formed his two columns in order of battle, on two of the heights, and prohibited them from firing a fingle mufket fhot ; a charge was beaten, and they came up almoft at full fpeed with the Corficans, who inftantly fell back, and retreated into the grove of chefnut trees, at tb.e other extremity of the plain. A thoufand men did not remain behind, all the reft having fled into the vallies. He then wrote another note to the general, aud intimated to him that he was in M 2 poffeffion ( 1 64 ) poffeffion of St. Peter's chapel, with the lofs of only three privates. This billet was entruft- ed to a fecond officer. All the young rrien belonging to the cPurt^ on hearing the fkirmifh, had immediately come up. In the mean time an aide-de-camp belonging to the general arrived, with orders to fall, back. During this interval, Mr. de Vaux received the fecond note, and imagining that his firft order muft have been delivered, he con fidered this as an ad of difobedience. Accord ingly another aide-de-camp foon after made his appearance, with orders to Dumouriez to repair inftantly to Valle, along with all fuch as did not belong to the corps of volunteers. Written in- ftrudions were at the fame time prefented to Viomefnil, enjoining him to quit the mountain, and todefcend towards Valle. Dumouriez inftantly conceived that there muft be a miftake fomewhere, but he made hafte to obey, hoping to be time enough to procure the orders tranfmitted to Viomefnil to be coun- terrrianded, and he advifed that officer to exe cute them flowly. He then ran down the mountain as fall as he was able, and on his ar rival at the entrance of the village, fell in with the major-general, who put him under arreft, ( i6S ) arreft, and fent him to his quarters, giving him a guide at the fame time to. condud him thither. He was dying with hunger and fatigue, and his legs were fwelled, bloody, and covered with wounds. On palling by the lodgings occupied by general Bourcet, he entered, alked for fome- thing to eat, and informed himfelf of the rea fons why he, who was at his poll, had been, put under arreft along with the aides-de-camp. General Bourcet explained the whole to him. He then in his turn obferved, that he had not re ceived the firft orders till he had gotten poffeffion of St. Peter's Chapel, and difpatched the fe cond officer. He made him fenfible by means of the map, of the importance of the poll he had feized on, and the imprudence of abandon ing it ; he predided that the Corficans would purfue the volunteers during their retreat, who would be thus 'expofed to a confiderable lofs, and that they would afterwards defcend in crowds, and occupy the woods that furrounded and commanded the camp ; he at the fame time expreffed his aftonifhment, that at nine o'clock in the morning, and after a march of only two leagues, they Ihould have encamped in a bot tom furrounded by thick woods, and overlooked M 3 by ( 166 ) by fo dangerous a height, more efpecially when they knew it to be in the poffeffion of the Cor ficans. General Bourcet, being ftruck with the juftice of thefe obfervations, inftantly ran to communicate them to Mr. de Vaux. As to Dumouriez, who had now fatisfied his hun ger, he retired to his lodgings, threw himfelf upon a trufs of ftraw, and fell afleep. In a fhort time afterwards, an aide-de-camp arrived, and conduded him to the general. Mr. de Vaux, who had a map before him, defired him in a pretty fevere tone of voice, to explain why he had pufhed the volunteers fo far without orders ? He inftantly Complied, by obferving, that he expeded to be followed by the column, as he was entirely ignorant that the army was to encamp at Valle. On this the Commander in chief, affuming a ferene air, faid : *' I am forry for having- put you under arreft. Thofe gentry belonging to the court were the caufe of it, ' by being eager to be killed before their time. Bour-* cet has proved to me, that you are perfedly in the right, and that the poft in queftion is ef fentially neceffary. You are mpft horribly fa tigued. Do you feel you rfelf able to return With a battalion pf grenadiers, and retake it I Here ( 167 ) Here is Lafobole ready to accompany you." Lafobole was a brave lieutenant-colonel, who had been juft ordered out with his detach ment. He replied, that although exceedingly tired, he could not refufe any thing that his general might pleafe to command ; but five hours had been already loft, and it was now too late to recommence an attack ; that Viomefnil, in con fequence of his orders, was retreating, and muft by this time be half way back again ; that it would be proper for Lafobole to march to a pofition which he would point out to him, where he might fall in with Viomefnil, and re main all night, on purpofe to proted the camp, which, notwithftanding this precaution, would be difturbed before morning ; that if he abfo- lutely required it, he would accompany Lafo bole, but the officer who had brought the fe- fecond billet being ftill there, he might ferve as a guide, and that in this cafe, he would return, throw off his fpatterdafhes, and drefs his wounds. He was accordingly permitted to retire. La fobole then fet out; Viomefnil loft fixty or eighty men in the courfe of his retreat ; the Corficans glided into the woods, and haraffed the camp; the drums beat to arms, and the M4 troops ( 168 ) troops paffed the whole night in the open air. Next day they were eafily driven away. When he waited on Mr. de Vaux, in the morning, to receive his orders, that general, after taking him into his clofet, where Mr. de Bourcet was fitting, fpoke as follows : '.' You may eafily imagine that I have mentioned to the minifter the eircumftanee of your being put under arreft ; behold the remarks I have added on this fubjed." Thefe contained an avowal that he himfelf was in the wrong, and-alfo an eulogium on the talents and knowledge of Du mouriez. It was at this epoch that he was forced to accept of the gratification, which he had hi* therto co'nftantly refufed. The remainder of the campaign confifted of a mere march, the affair at Ponte-Nuovo ex cepted, .where the Corficans furprifed the vo lunteers of the army, routed three battalions of grenadiers who flew to fdpport them, aijd were at length driven away, merely in confequence of the decided fuperiority on pur part, both of pumbers'and pf arms. They were pnly fifteen hundred in all, and more than a third pf thefe perifhed on this oeoafion ; many of them were drowned. This was a very uncommon inftanee of temerity on their part. Pumouriez ( i69 ) Dumouriez procured the capitulation of the caftle of Corte, where feventeen drunken men had fhut themfelves up, threatening to fet the place on fire. Mr. de Vaux being defirous of fav- ing the papers and the moveables, he entered the caftle on the very ticklifh pfomife of thefe rogues, gave them ten louis a-piece, and fent them about their bufinefs. , Thus the whole was prefer ved at the expence of one hundred and feventy louis d'ors. The general, by way of recompence, prefented him with near one hundred volumes of Paoli's library, which was divided among five or fix different perfons. •It was a well chofen colledion. There was not a fingle book that did not beaf evidence of its having belonged to a man of genius, and a great politician. Paoli has rendered his name illuftrioUs in con fequence of the vigour with which be fupported the caufe of public liberty among the Corficans ; in truth, it was a little at the expence of their individual freedom. The French, at the com mencement of the revolution, did him juftice ; their exceffes have fince alienated him, and he is at this very moment out of the protection of Ihe law. This'term but ill expreffes the profcrip- tion of thofe who have only rebelled againft ! anarchy, ( 17° ) anarchy, and that is the cafe with Paoli and many others. Colonel Guibert, and Chardon, intendant of the army, had each a portion of this library. Guibert has aded a fhort but too brilliant a part in France, to be overlooked in thefe memoirs. His father, who died a lieutenant-general, and governor of the invalids, and the father of Du4 mouriez, lived in great intimacy together. The career of the twofons was fimilar; colonels, bri gadiers, and major-generals at the fame time, they always lived together on good terms, and their friendfhip was never once croffed byjealpufy. Gui bert appeared oftener on the ftage, Dumouriez has aded a greater number of parts ; the one always refided at Paris, opulent, and courted by all ; the other conftatrtly in the country, folitary, and expofed to misfortunes. The enjoyments of Guibert were more fplendid; thofe of Du mouriez more folid. The latter was accuf- "fomed to fay frequently to his friend : " We are the two rats in the fable ; you are the city, and I am the country rat." Guibert, although ftill very young, during the Corfican war directed Mr. de Vaux, and permitted it to be but too muchxjperceived.. Dumouriez executed the orders of his ge neral, ( *7* ) neral, and never abufed his confidence. Guibert afpired to the honours of the academy ; Du mouriez, on the other hand, has never confidered the art of writing and of fpeaking, but as the mere vehicle of ideas, and this has always pre vented him from. running after literary glory. Guibert has compofed a treatife on war, the preface to which is an unfeafonable piece of fublimity, that might have been prefixed to any other work whatever. His tadics have been feverely criticifed ; the firft part is negli gent, the fecond admirable, but it is not eafy for every military man to comprehend it, Guibert was expofed to all the whims, all the enjoyments, all the pains, and all the difquiets, of an exquifite fenfibility. A good friend, a good huf- band, a good father, beloved in his own houfe, and by all thofe who were intimately acquainted with him, he neverthelefs fell a vidim to his own foppery. The fon of a refpedable father, yet at the moft but a private gentleman, he wifhed to figure away in the fame ftyle as thofe be longing to the court ; it was therefore neceffary to purfue an equally brilliant, although a differ ent line of condud. He procured himfelf many enemies in coufe- quence of the military regulations drawn up by him, ( i72 ) him, becaufe he wifhed to change every thing, and he prepared the way for the revolution, by difgufting the army. In fhort, he died of mere chagrin, in the very flower of his age, being killed through fheer felf love at the very com mencement of the prefent troubles. It might be truly faid, that his death was the fole hap- pinefs ever experienced by him during the whole courfe of his life. After the capture of Corte, all refiftance was at an ends. Dumouriez, two months before that event, had received the melancholy intelligence of the death of his father, but it was not until they were encamped at Bogognano, where he learned that Paoli had embarkedatPorto-Vecchiojin order to retire to England, that he thought proper to take advantage of the leave of abfence granted him by his general, and return to France to arrange' his family concerns with his filler. The war was now at an end, and all Corfica had fubmitted, he therefore took his departure from Baftia at the latter end of Auguft, after having fpent precifely one year there, during which he had made two very fatiguing and very inftrudive campaigns. Paoli, in the courfeof this war, difplayed great genius, and a noble confiftency ; had he been 7 endowed ( m ) endowed with military talents, had he known how to have inftruded his countrymen in that fpecies of hoftility bell fuited to their natural bent, he would have deftroyed our little army in 1768, and done us much more harm than we experienced in 1769. The Corficans alio exhibited a very laudable courage. It is aftonilhing that this handful of illanders, deftitute of artillery, fortifications, magazines, and money, Ihould have kept France at bay during two campaigns, although fhe had no other enemies to 'cope with. But liberty doubles the value and the ftrength of man. If the Corficans had not been difunited among themfelves, if their leader had poffelfed their entire confidence, as he fo juftly merited, if he had feleded two or three military men ac quainted with the art of war, on purpofe to have aded under him, and to have formed a well concerted fyftem of defence ; it is doubtful whether they would have ever been conquered. The maritime towns might indeed have been taken, and all communication between them and the reft of the univerfe cut off; but then retiring to their inacceffible mountains, they could have fet the gold and arms of France at defi ance, and fupported their independence until a war ( m > war among the great powers had opened a door to foreign affiftance. This wandering people could never have been deprived of their goats, their chefnuts, and their ftreams : thefe fimple aliments are fufficient for them. A rude kind of money, with a Moor's head flamped upon it, formed all their riches. Paoli made two hundred and forty fols out of a French crown, and a fum amounting to about three. thoufand livres of this bafe metal, ferved for all the purpofes of exchange. They neither wanted arms nor ammunition, and they themfelves fpun their own clothes, which confifted of a coarfe brown fluff, out of the hair or the wool of their flocks. The Corficans poflefs courage^ talents, and that refignation which elevates the mind of man. But there is a national vice, which will always oppofe itfelf to their happinefs : this is hatred and the love of revenge. The vice in queftion has charaderifed them time immemorial ; and Seneca reproached them with it nearly eigh teen hundred years fince in a well known diftich. « Prima eft ulcifci lex." This is in fad their firft law, or, more properly fpeaking, ( 175 ) fpeaking, no law, either divine or human, can prevent a Corfican from thirfting after ven geance. At this very moment, in 1 794, Corfica no longer appertains to any ftate j the inhabitants may now become truly free : let them but fubdue this horrid paffion, and beware of delivering themfelves over to a foreign yoke, and they will be happy. The Corficans have not any natural connedion with, nor refemblance to the other European nations, they will therefore be always unquiet fubjeds, and impatient under the yoke of another people. They are attached to an ariftocrati- cal form of government, like all the primitive .tribes, and the free favages of America. They ftand in need of a chief to govern them, and of a very fimple conftitution. They are religious, hofpitable, generous, proud, and they poffefs all the feeds of the great virtues. They deferve to be happy, and they will adually become fo, if they but take advantage of circumftances. It is not the extent of territory, but of virtue, that conftitutes the ftrength of republics. They occupy a central point in the Mediterranean, fo important indeed, that all the maritime powers are envious of it, and watch each other, left any ( 176 ) any one of them fhould poffefs it ; : in this con- lifts their fecurity. General Paoli is alone capable of carrying this glorious plan into execution. The experience acquired during the war againft -the French, twenty years of meditation in England, his pre fent engagements, and his own perfonal fafety, will fpur him on to this. There is only one cir- cumftance that occafions regret to all thofe who deem him capable of fo noble an enterprife, and that is his age. The Corficans have reaped all the honour of the campaign of 1768. We have already feen how Mr. de Chauvelin was induced by French prefumption to divide his little army, which thus became every where feeble. The enemy profited by this circumftance, with equal rapidity and difcernment, but they might have ftruck a ftill deadlier blow, which they however ne- gleded. Inftead of marching againft the French ftandard at Penta and Vefcovato, had they made a falfe attack only on each of thefe two points, and fallen fuddenly on Borgo, Lucciana, and Vignale, which were only garrifoned by two hundred and fifty very carelefs tropps, the camp Dell'orto, which was much weakened, being at, two leagues and a half, and the corps ftationed in * ( 177 ) in the Cafinca, at three leagues diftance, they could have certainly carried thefe different polls without any difficulty ; the eight hundred men under d'Arcambal in the Cafinca, being • thus completely furrounded, muft have been either deftroyed or taken prifoners. Mr. de Chauvelin would not then have had more than a fufficient number of troops to garrifon the towns, he would have been even forced to have abandoned the communication by the Patrimonio, and Paoli might have been enabled to have once more got ten poffeffion of Cape Corfe, and to have kept the French fhut up in the maritime places, as the Genoefe were, before the. treaty. He would thus have been enabled to have received fup- plies in any quantity ; for England, and all the Italian powers, affifted him privately. In the fame manner, at the attack pf the camp of St. Nicholas, if he had ordered a body of troops to penetrate through the plain of Neb bio, on the fide of Sorio and Petralba, he could have carried St. Fiorenzo, which was entirely open, and where there were but one hundred and fifty men. The place itfelf was encumbered with magazines and hofpitalsw The divifion under general Grandmaifon was, four Vol. I. N <•< leagues ( 178 ) leagues diftant, and his retreat would have been cut off. But forgetting what he did not do, and which perhaps depended not upon himfelf, all his attempts were bold, admirably combined, and executed with great art and precifiom The confpiracy at Oletta, conduded by . Galicetti, failed only in Confequence of an accident very fortunate for the French. The furprife of a whole battalion in the,Patrimonio was an at tack upon winter quarters, that would have done honour to the greateft general. During the campaign of 1769, he did not lofe his courage, notwithftanding the numerous forces aflembled againft him. The rafh and defperate engagement on the part of fifteen hun dred Corficans againft the French army at Ponte- Nuovo, proves what might have been achieved by that brave nation. In the courfe of this campaign* he ought to have fent more parties to ad upon our rear, and make war on our mules and convoys. All the enterprifes of this kind attempted by him proved fuccefsful ; had he multiplied them, and converted this into his principal fyftem of warfare, he would have forced us perhaps to have fallen back for want of provifion. Had he but held out until the rainy C 179 ) rainy feafon, it is poffible that he might have faved the liberties of this country during another fummer, which would have been doing great things ; for then foreign powers could have interfered, or the intrigues of the court might at leaft have produced the difgrace of the duke de Choifeul, which would have entirely change ed the face of affairs. As Paoli poffeffed a genius capable of per ceiving all thefe combinations, it is moft Jikely owing to events that occurred, and obftacles experienced by him on the part of his own na tion, that we ought to attribute, not the faults, but the want of perfedion, in his plan of defence. What he has achieved will always be a glorious hiftorical monument in favour of him, and this 'extraordinary people. The conqueft of Corfica is an inexcufable piece of injuftice on the part of the court of France. The Genoefe had not any right to fell, or the French a right to purchafe a ter ritory, whence the former had been driven up wards of thirty years, by a nation which, fince that epoch, was free. The duke de Choifeul made the king of France purchafe litigious claims and a bad law-fuit, which coft a great - deal of money. In addition to the blood of the N 2 people, ( i8o ) people, which unfortunatelybut feldom enters info political calculations, thefe two campaigns have either occafioned or become the pretext for the expenditure of a fum exceeding eighty mil* lions extraordinary ; and this too, for the purpofe of conquering art ifland, which, notwithftanding every art of fifcal rapacity, has always coft a balance of fix hundred thoufand livres a year over and above the amount of its revenue. Colonies, grants, all have been .tried and failed, and have only ferved to alienate the minds of the Corficans, on whom reftraints of every kind have been impofed, and thefe in their turn have tended not a little to difguft their free genius, and their fimple and almoft favage habits. Mr. de Chauvelin hadnot a fufficient number of trpops to achieve the conqueft of this ifland, and yet his army Was accompanied by a parliament, an intendant, a crowd of clerks belonging to the farmers-general, cuftom-hpufe officers, com- xniffioners of the marine for the eftablifhment of fifheries, and other regulations, furveyors of the crown lands, and, in fhort, all the fupporters of abfolute power. Corfica was converted into a great government, on the exprefs condition, like all the reft in .France, that the governor fhould have an in come ( iSO Come of fixty thoufand livres a y tar, and yet be prohibited from ever refidinginhis own pro vince. Nearly as much as this was paid after the. -war to Mr. de Marbeuf, who conduded himfelf but poorly, and an equal fum was lavifh- ed on an intendant who oppreffed the country. If the duke de Choifeul, inftead of permitting himfelf to be milled by the artifices of the Genoefe, and by the intriguing and avaricious difpofition of thofe who furrPuhded him, as Dumouriez forefaw in 1763, had adopted his plan ; had permitted the treaty With Genoa to have remained a dead letter, without appearing however to violate it ; and by means of fecret affiftance, had enabled the nation to have form ed itfelf into a republic; he would haVe ac quired an ufeful ally in this new power, and enjoyed its excellent harbours at the expence of • about four millions of livres, ' While France would have been really and truly more affuredly miftrefs of Corfica than after the conqueft of that ifland, "which only acquired for her a bur den fome poffeffion. Mr. de Lomellini, although a man of great e-ood fenfe, obferved one day to Dumouriez,1 during his refidence in Genoa,, that it would be a very happy thing were it poffible to bore a N 3 large ( 18* ) large hole in the centre of Corfica, on purpofe to bury it under the. ocean. He meant to ex press by means of this figure, that it would al ways occafion great trouble to whoever might be in poffeffion of it, and become the caufe of frequent wars. Mr. de Lomellini was miftaken, becaufe he fet out on the principle of a foreign fovereignty. If, in that cafe, it is impoffibleta remedy the danger, and this ifland cannot be blotted out from the face of the globe, there is but one wife part to be adopted, which is, to abandon the people to their love of liberty. Then all the countries of Europe will enjoy the produce of its excellent foil, and the advantage refulting from the numerous ports and gulfs, with which nature has indented this ifland. The fame advantages ftill exift, and will exift always. It were to be wifhed that the powers of Europe, enlightened by the aftonifhing fpirit of revolution which agitates this charming por tion of the globe, would recoiled that their true intereft confifts in moderation ; that not only they ought to permit the Corficans to remain in tranquillity, but proted their independence againft France, and every other power that may form pretenfions to this precious fpot ; fo that the people of Corfica themfelves may be enabled to ( i«3 0 to eftablifh a folid conftitution, in ftrid analogy with their own free genius, and by means of a fage government, corred the fole vice that ob- fcures their good qualities, and oppofes itfelf to their happinefs. v N 4 CHAP. ( 1 84 > CHAP. VIL The War in Poland, 1770. Dumouriez returned to France, in company with the unfortunate Biron, then duke de Lauzun, and nephew to the duke de Choifeul, who was entrufted with difpatches to the king, containing the particulars of the conqueft of Corfica. The court was then at Compeigne, where a holiday camp was formed for the edu cation of the dauphin and his brothers. It was there that he was fhocked to behold the * old king of France degrade himfelf in prefence of his army, by ftanding uncovered at the fide of a magnificent phaeton, in which the Dubarry was feated. He himfelf had fupped twenty times at Paris with this creature, whom he could then have poffeffed, had hebut wherewithal to have paid for, her, and whom all France has enjoyed. Blufhing for his king, and fighing for his country, he fpoke on this fubjed to the duke de Choifeul, who had ordered him to be * Louis XV,— Tranf. provided ( i*5 ) provided with horfes, and to do duty as an aides- de-camp. "What would you have?" replied the minifter, in a gay tone of voice, " the king has occafion for a miftrefs ; but this little rogue embarraffes me very much ; d'Aiguillon and • Meaupou are behind the curtain." The Dubar- ry, who knew of his arrival, and who perceived that he had not come, like the reft of the nation, to adore her, caufed him to be reproached with his omiffion, and although not much given to revenge, fhe afterwards readily affifted in fend ing him to the Baftille. Dumouriez had loft an intimate friend by the death of his father; he now found another equally affedionate in the uncle, with whom he had formerly refided at Verfailles. This mild ^nd virtuous relation loved him as much as if he had been his own fon. He gave him apartments in his houfe, in addition to which he himfelf took a lodging at Paris, whither he went to make a final fettlement of the family eftate with Madame de Schomberg. His fhare of the property left him by his father amounted to about feventy thoufand livres, which produced him near three thoufand livres a-year. The duke de Choifeul prefented him with a penfion of three thoufand livres for his own fervice^ ( 186 ) fervices and thofe of his father, and he was paid all his appointments as affiflant quarter-mafter- general of the Corfican army, amounting to five hundred livres a month, until the year 1770. He fpent that winter at Paris with a' very amiable fociety of men of letters, compofed of Favier, Crebillon, Colle, Guibert, and feveral others. They affembled at the houfe of a fe male of the name of Legrand, the former friend and companion of the Dubarry, but who had not made fuch a brilliant fortune, becaufe fhe had too much wit for Verfailles. She was in truth a Ninon L'Enclos ; fhe died while yet young, and he was tenderly attached to her until the hour of her death. He had not however entirely loft fight of his coufin, he wifhed to go and fee her at Caen;, but being difgufted at the extravagant devotion which Ihe was faid to pradife, he put off this journey un til the enfuing fpring. It was at this epoch that his intimacy with the count de Broglio commenced ; this was pro- dudive of lingular confequences. That great nobleman had an infinite deal of wit, and a juft notion of public affairs, but never of his own, becaufe he permitted himfelf in the latter cafe 4 to ( i87 ) to be conftantly blinded by ambition, intereft, or anger, three paffions which always had the upper hand in his breaft. He was well ac quainted with the art of war, yet he had not been fo fortunate as his brother, the marfhal, and he was not beloved by the troops. He had commenced his diplomatic career at an early period of his life, but his numerous enemies had almoft inftantly put a ftop to his progrefs. He imagined himfelf nearly deftitute of employ ment, although he was a lieutenant-general, and governor of a province, becaufe his ambi tion aimed at ftill higher profpeds. He con fidered himfelf poor with an income of two hundred thoufand livres a year, becaufe his ava rice thirfted after more. He afpired to all the departments in the ftate, and yet was never able to obtain any one. He poffeffed the fecret con fidence of Louis XV, and was neverthelefs con tinually receiving public affronts from that monarch. Notwithftanding this, his paffions and mental difquietude preyed only upon him felf, and were counterbalanced by great virtues. He was brave, auftere in his manners, a good hulband, a good father, a good brother, a good friend, and a good citizen. Louis XV, the moft hypocritical and the weakeft ( i88 ) Weakeft of kings, had only learned during the courfe of a long reign, to defpife and fufped all thofe who furrounded him. The charader of the count de Broglio was too decifive for him to be entrufted with any great public employment^ but he aded in a myfterious department, which for a long time was the terrour and the defpair of the then admin iftration ; his majefty kept up a fecret correfpondence with him, communi cated all his affairs in writing, and demanded his advice in return ; this was fcarcely ever with an intention to follow his counfels, but merely to be able to blame the minifters, when affairs took an untoward diredion. Louis XV took care to have all his notes returned, that he might not fuffer from any indifcretion. The count de Broglio poffeffed a well regu lated mind, but his knowledge was far from being extenfive. He was no longer of an age to fludy, and his numerous occupations as a courtier would not have allowed him time fuf ficient for that purpofe. The marquis de Voyer, a man almoft of the fame turn with himfelf, and aduated by fimilar paffions, but whofe charader was llained by immorality and debauchery, en joyed his confidence, and had advifed him to engage Favier in the political department of his correfpon- (. 1 8* ) correfpondence. Favier "afterwards introduced Dumouriez, and Guibert, whofe father was in debted, for his fortune to the marfhal de Broglio, was alfo employed. At the beginning of the year 1770, the duke de Choifeul told Dumouriez, that he wifhed to fend him into Poland ; he added, that he had already ftationed feveral fecret agents with the confederates of Bar, who announced a grand con federation and extraordinary vigour ; that they claimed the guaranty of France, agreeably to feveral exifting treaties ; that the Court of Vienna, which was a party to the fame gua ranty, appeared very cold refpeding their in terefts, having but juft efcaped from a ruinous War, and being unwilling to give offence ; and that, he was defirous of being exadly informed of what might be expeded from the efforts of the Poles, before he came to any pofitive de termination. ( After liftening to him with the utmoft attention, Dumouriez replied, that it was extremely proper to fend fome one to acquire juft notions relative, to thefe points, previoufly to an ultimate decifion ; that he thanked the duke, for the preference which he gave him jn refped to fo impprtant a million ; that he { *9° ) would accept it with zeal, and endeavour to fulfil his wifhes according to the bell of his abilities ; but that he was extremely ignorant as to the hiftory, the geography, the con ftitution, the interefts, and the prefent tur bulent ftate of the republic; and that who ever took upon him fuch an employment, without pofleffing the preliminary knowledge, muft be an impoftor, who would moft certain ly deceive him. He therefore demanded his permiffion to ftudy the affairs of Poland during three months before his departure, and he begged him to give orders either to the keeper of the archives, or to the firft clerk of the office entrufted with the concerns of that country, to confide fuch papers to him as he might demand, relative to all that had occurred fubfequently to- the year 1764, the epoch of the eledion of king Poniatowfky; and during this interval, the arrival of the de puty whom the confederates intended to fend, to refide at the court of Verfailles, might be expeded. The minifter approv ed of thefe obfervations, and inftantly wrote an order with his own hand to Mr. Ge rard, chief clerk in the northern depart ment; in confequence of which he was to commu- ( 191 )fi communicate to him all the ftate papers that had paffed between France and Poland fince 1764. As the duke de Choifeul was not ignorant of his connedion with the count de Broglio, whom he detefted, he alked if it might, not be ufeful to procure all the intelligence which this nobleman could give him relative to Po land, where he had been ambaffadour; and he received permiffion for that purpofe, although it was granted with an air of repugnance. He then returned to Paris, purchafed all the books and maps relative to Poland, which he was able to procure, and began to ftudy thefe, before he puzzled his brain with the negotiations, which would have only filled his memory with diplomatick trafh, that could never have been of much fervice to him, becaufe papers of this defcription are replete with contradidions, and fcarcely ever prefent any other than falfe ideas. The refult, that is to fay, the treaties themfelves, are to be found in the gazettes, and when the queftion refpeds the great interefts of nations, and not the intrigues of courts, they are generally fufficient. Accordingly the gazettes, although very incorred refpeding fads, form a better vehicle fc 192 ) vehicle for the ftudy of political principles, than is generally imagined. At this period, he prevailed upon the duke de Choifeul to pay the expence of the beau tiful Atlas of Poland, by Rizzi Zannoni, for which he advanced fome money. He now began to ftudy the affairs of that republic regularly fix hours a day. He pro cured from the royal library all the books of which he ftood in need, and he confulted Favier, the count de Broglio, and Mr. de Chauvelin. About this time too, he alfo commenced an intimacy with the learned abbe de Mably, who had drawn up the plan of a government for Poland, as well as J J. Rouffeau, and fe veral other writers of the fame kind ; but he found their works to be merely fpeculative, and en tirely inapplicable to the prefent circumftances. It is thefe political metaphyficians, whofe principles ill underftood, and exaggerated by French levity, have produced the horrible revolution, which is now fhamefully deftroying that unhappy empire. It was at this period that Dumouriez deem ed it his duty to take a laft ftep in refped to his ( *93 ) i his coufin. He had been the innocent caufe of her feclufioh from the world. He attri buted her devotion to the wearifomenefs of a cloifter, the ardour of a warm head, and a heart replete with fenfibility : for devotion is love. He was difengaged. Although far from being rich, yet, as his defires were limited, he might be able to maintain his coufin genteely, for being well acquainted with his aunt's harfhnefs and felf-love, he doubted not, but that her portion would be confined merely to what the law allowed. The lofs of her beauty, and her fickly ftate, appeared to him to be fo many additional motives for forming an union with her. He was about to undertake a long journey, and he could not better repair the un- eafinefs which he had involuntarily occafioned, than by beftowing his name^ and his fmall fortune upon her. After having communicated this refolution to his uncle, who difapproved it* and termed the whole- a romantic enterprize, he wrote and informed her, that Providence, by refufing her the ftrength neceffary to fupport the ftate fhe had embraced, pointed put the road which Ihe ought to follow ; that he now offered her his hand, and that he would not reftrain her Vol. I. O in ( r94 ) in any particular refpeding her mode of life, and opinions j he concluded with requefting a decifive anfwer. This at length arrived, and the following are the words with which it commenced: " It is from the foot of my crucifix that I now ad- drefs you." The remainder of the letter was in the fame ftrain ; in fhort, fhe exhorted him to renounce the world, and put a dired negative on his requeft. He accordingly deemed him felf entirely abfolved from this engagement, and no longer gave himfelf any concern about it. The courts of Verfailles and Vienna were at this moment ftridly conneded together by means of an alliance, the work of the duke de Choifeul, who wifhed to draw the knot ftill tighter by means of the marriage of the dauphin with Maria Antonietta, daughter of the illuftrious and refpedable Maria Therefa. He expeded to find with this union a new fupport for his tottering credit ; and he hoped alfo, that the candour, the beauty, and the graCes of this young princefs, would foon give a different tone to a debauched court. He was deceived. The amiable dauphinefs was- adored by the French nation, and her hulband; 4 but ( 195 ) but fhe did not obtain the favour of an old and diffolute monarch until, after a long ftruggle, fhe had admitted his unworthy miftrefs into her company. Far from receiving any fuccour from this event, it only tended ftill more to precipitate the ruin of the duke de Choifeul. The dauphin, father of Louis XVI, had detefted this minifter, and his fon, the then dauphin, did not love him. His pride, joined to the indifcretion of his fifter the duchefs of Grammont, at length completed his difgrace, which took place at the end of the prefent year. The unfortunate dauphinefs arrived in France under the moft fatal aufpices. More than fix hundred perfons were either trodden or ftifled to death, on the day of her entrance into Paris, and fhe lived during twenty years in a round of frivolous pleafures, and real misfortunes. Calumny has blackened her foibles. She committed many faults, but was never guilty of any crimes. She long made an ill ufe of her power, to render many perfons ungrate ful in confequence of her prodigality ; her rigour never made any one unhappy. Fickle, and carelefs in her profperity, fhe difplayed, amidft unbounded misfortunes, an heroic gran- O 2 deur - ( 19* ) deur of mind. Monfters have forced her to" fubmit to a punifhment only fit to be inflided on the greateft criminals ; they have wafhed away all her ftains, and pofterity will only behold in her the moft unfortunate and moft courageous woman that ever wore a crown. Dumouriez thought that the feftivities preparing at Paris, and Verfailles, in confe quence of this unhappy marriage, might force him in fpite of himfelf into a courfe of diffipa- tion, which would prove prejudicial to his labours. He therefore hired a fmall houfe at Meudon, whither he retired with the chevalipr de TaUles, his intimate friend, a man replete with courage, wit, and talents, and who was employed on a great work relative to the alliances with the Helvetick body. Thither he carried all the difpatches from the agents of France in Poland, fince 1764, and made an analyfis of them in company with the chevalier, who proved very ferviceable to him, as he had juft arrived from the con federation of Bar, whither the duke de Choi feul had fent him in the courfe of the preceding year. He reduced all his labours, during three whole months, to a memorial of twenty pages, in ( *97 ) in which he infifted, that the influence of France ought to be confined, at prefent, to the aim of reducing all the partial confederations, which were independent, without concord, and even inimical to each other, into one ge neral confederation. If this could be attained, he was of opinion that the military efforts of the Poles ought to be affifted by means of a fubfidy, and a reinforcement of officers, en gineers, and cannon ; on condition, however, that they fhould fubmit to a regular fyftem of warfare, and combine their operations with the motions of the Turkifh army, which at that time was ading with great vigour in Moldavia. He went and prefented this very fimple plan to the duke de Choifeul ; he at the fame time obferved, that as there were more than three hundred leagues diftance between Poland and Paris, too much time would be loft if an acent were fent thither without the power of carrying the fcheme into execution, fhould it be found to be pradicable. He added that great care fhould be taken in refped to the choice of the perfon, who might be deemed proper for a million fo important in its nature, and fo ex- tenfive in its details; that it would he neceffary O 3 to I 19a ) to be well affured of his knowledge, his probity, and his prudence, fo that an intire reliance might be placed in him, and he might be provided with unlimited powers, and whatever money he demanded. The duke, who ap proved of every thing, told him that his choice was fixed, and that he muft prepare to fet off; he affigned him the fum of twelve thoufand livres for his journey, and three thoufand livres a month. A few days after this conference, the count Wielhorfki arrived, accompanied by his wife, who was filler to the count Oginlky ; he came to refide at the court of France, in quality of fecret minifter from the confederation, and was endowed with patriotifm, merit, and knowledge. He not only approved of the plan" fuggefted by Dumouriez, but he concerted with him relative to the bell means of pro curing the reunion of all the private con federations into one general mafs, fo that the operations of the political body might not be difturbed by the Ruffian troops : he was alfo decidedly of opinion, that the adminiftrative and legiflative powers Ihould affemble at Eperies, in Upper Hungary, where the minifter from France was to refide along with them. .Orders ( J99 ) Orders were accordingly given to Mr. Du- rand, minifter plenipotentiary from the court of Verfailles, at Vienna, to folicit permiffion for that purpofe, and all the arrangements at length being completed, Dumouriez fet off for Eperies in the month of July 1 770. When he waited on the duke de Choifeul to take his leave, he was admitted to a pri vate conference with that minifter, who dif- covered a very important fecret to him. He had entered into office at the beginning of 1761, a period when the fuperior genjus of Frederick the great, and the maritime power of the EnglifK, had plunged the houfes of Auftria and Bourbon into a feries of dis graces to which they were unable to put a ftop, and he appeared to have feized the helm of affairs for no other purpofe than that of figning an unequal and fhameful peace. Five years of a brilliant adminiftration had however reftored the confidence of all the powers of Europe, and he wifhed to take advantage of his influence, to enable France once more to affume an honourable attitude. The court of Madrid had at this moment a difpute with that of St. James's, relative to the Manilla ranfom, which the former re- O 4 fufed ( 200 ) fufed to pay, the contraband trade carried on, between Honduras and Campeachy, the fetr tlements on the ifland of Ruattan and the Mofquito fhore, and alfo the feizure of Falk land iflands. Mr. de Choifeul had fent into Spain, in 1763, a naval archited belonging to Toulon, called Gautier, on purpofe to fuperintend the con- ftrudion of men of war ; pilots belonging to the Eaft India company, to teach the navi gation of the ftraits of Sunda, and open a communication between her eftablifhments in the Pacifick Ocean and our colonies in India ; a colonel of artillery called Roftaing, and alfo the famous Maritz, to eftablilh' founderies for cannon, and engines for boring them, which Maritz had lately invented. The duke had alfo inftruded Mr. de Ver- gennes, during the preceding year, to prevail ¦upon the Porte to declare war againft Ruffia ; and being difcontented with the contradidions of that minifter, although the objed of his million was fulfilled, he neverthelefs ap pointed Mr. de St. Prieft to fucceed him, with orders to do every thing in his power to give a new edge to the hoftile difpofition of the Turks. In confequence of one of thofe fantaftical ( 201 ) fantaftical events arifing out of the intrigues which courts always fubftitute in the room of politicks, the latter afterwards obtained the order of St. Alexander from the emprefs, on account of his having done every thing in his. power to bring about a peace. While he was thus making preparations for war abroad, he exercifed no lefs adivity in re-eftablifhing the navy, and ftrengthening the colonies. He looked upon the poffeffion of Corfica as the certain means of enfuring a fuperiority in the Mediterranean. He at the fame time employed la Roziere, a very able officer on the ftaff, and the count de Broglio, to digeft the plan of a defcent upon England; and to the latter he held out the bait of in- veiling either himfelf or his brother, with the chief command, with a view of drawing them over to his party. He had, moreover, eftablifh- ed a new fyftem of difcipline, and adopted meafures to render the army complete. He anticipated in the confederation of Poland the means pf lighting up a conflagration in the north to torment Ruffia ; if the affairs of the republic could but be brought to affume feme confiftency, this circumftance might pro duce ( 202 ) duce a diverfion that would balance the fupe riority of the Ruffians over the Turks, which, as it was eafy to forefee, would foon take place ; if the king of Pruffia deemed, it ,of fufficient confequence to interfere, he hoped to be able to engage the court of Vienna to undertake the de fence of the Poles ; and he would be enabled to induce the court of Saxony to join the league, by holding out to it the profped of once more afcending the throne of Poland. He had felt the pulfe of Sweden, and was then preparing the revolution which burft forth in 1772, In fhort, it was his intention to bring all his plans into adion in 1 771, as he imagined France to be better prepared for war than England, and in this he was right. He detailed all the particulars of this fcheme, with equal clearnefs and energy, and Dumouriez difcovered another motive, of a perfonal nature, which had not been mentioned. It was, that the duke de Choifeul was anxious as fpeedily as poffible to involve Louis XV in all the embarraffments refulting from a war, on pur pofe to preferve his own credit in oppofition to the duke d'Aguillon, and the chancellor Maupeou, who had eftranged this debauched monarch ( 203 ) monarch from him, by plunging him into the moft lhameful intemperance. The motive avowed by the duke de Choiffeul, which was to repair the difgrace of a difadvantageous peace, was extremely honourable ; but he might even have acknowledged his private reafons,. for to have put an end to the vile intrigue, which difhonoured the king, would have been to have "".ferved France, Dumouriez replied to him as follows : " Your projecV is grand, and I fhould be ex tremely happy were it in my power to affift you in the execution of it. You appear to be content with my plan ; confider it, however, as a mere chimera, for it is built upon conjedures only, and I have no faith in telefcopes that difcover what is doing three hundred leagues off. I am about to repair to Eperies, where I will ad on a great feale ; if a good diverfion can be produced by means of the confederates, I will remain there: in that cafe, do not hefitate to fend me every thing I may demand of you ; if nothing can be done, I now folemn- ly affure you, that I will return in the fpace of a fingle month. Promife in that cafe to employ me in the expedition againft Eng land," The ( 204 ) The duke on this faid: " You muft fet out then immediately ; I will not give you any in- ftrudions." " I defy you to give me any," replied he with vivacity ; " you know not more than myfelf what is to be done." This fally made the minifter, who was extremely amiable, laugh heartily. It was the laft time they ever faw one another, although he remained attached to the duke until his death. No minifter fince his day has equalled him. He pofleiled a wonderful penetration, and an uncommonly juft way of thinking. '/This, which enabled him to difpatch public bufinefs with great rapidity, rendered him fometimes inconfiderate. His difpofition was naturally good, and he was not at all vindidive. He was by far too complaifant to thofe who furrounded him, and more efpecially to his filler; it is even pretended that he was too much attached to her. On learning that among the fociety who frequented mademoifelle Legrand's houfe, he was known by. the name of Ptolemy, he only laughed. He was extremely expenfive. By way of flattering him, it was cuftomary to have his portrait painted facing that of Sulh/'s, on the fnuff boxes. Mademoifelle 3 Arnoux, ( 205 ) Arnoux, a celebrated finger at the opera houfe, having faid very pleafantly, that thefe were receipt and expenditure perfonified, he fent for, and laughed heartily with her, at this biting jell. He loaded with favours a perfon of the name of Delille, who com pofed the famous verfes entitled *' the chrift- mas carrols of the court," in which he was fatirifed. In fhort, his virtues, his genius, his faults, his very vices, were all amiable ; he muft have found the monarchy very liable, or have been king himfelf; and then the French would not have become atrabilarious fools, and the cannibals of Europe. Dumouriez, in the courfe of his journey, made profound refledions on what had been confidently communicated to him by the duke de Choifeul, and he was eager to employ all his talents in the miffion with which he, was entrufted. He had not entered into any formal engagement, but he would have been vexed to have returned without attempting fbmething. On one hand, the fear of being dazzled by the defire of achieving what was great ; and, on the other, the dread of failing, by adopting too much prudence and cir- cumfpedion, ( 206 ) cumfpedion, kept him equally on his guard againft hope and difcouragement. On his arrival at Strafburg, he learned by mere accident at the marquis de Contades's, that prince Xavier of Saxony, recently ap pointed adminiftrator of the eledorate, adopt ing a fage economy, with a defign to re- eftablifh the exhaufted finances of that ftate, intended to make a great reform in the army. His brother Charles of Saxony, a very brave prince, who had diftinguifhed himfelf during the feven years war, had been nominated duke of Courland by his father Auguftus III, king of Poland ; but he poffeffed the title only, Ruffia having reftored that duchy to the family of Biron. He had efpoufed a lady of the family of Krafinlki, niece to count Krafinlki, marfhal of the confederation of Bar, and alfo of the bifhop of Kaminieck, a moft ardent confederate. Dumouriez took the liberty to write a letter to this prince, informing him, that he had fomething very important to communicate re lative to Poland, and that not being able to pafs through Drefden, he requefted his royal highnefs to honour him with an interview at Munich, where he would be on the fecond of Auguft, but could not remain long. He ( 207 ) He accordingly arrived on the firft of that month, waited on the count de Follard, minifter of France, and having a letter of in- trodudion to him from the duke de Choifeul, he requefted that he would prefent him to the eledor. They accordingly went together to Nymphenbourg, where he found the duke of Courland, who was exad at the place of redez- vous. He was almoft immediately introduced into an apartment, into which the eledor and the archduke foon after entered. He then un folded to them the fubjed of his million, told them that the count Wielhorfki had promifed in the name of the Poles, to aliemble all the malecontents in one confederation, and that he was about to refide with it at Eperies ; he obferv ed, that if he would be direded by him, the firft ftep taken fhould be to recognife his highnefs as duke of Courland, and to fummon him in that quality, to furnifh the contingent the duchy was bound to affift Poland with in time of war, which is two thoufand infantry, and five hundred cavalry ; he, on his part, muft in re turn recognife the confederation as the repre- fentative of the republic legally aflembled, and in a ftate of war, promife a fubfidy, levy the fix thoufand Saxons about to be difbanded, un der ( 2o8 ) der the denomination of the Contingent of Courland, and after to ferve in perfon, which he however had no occafion to do until he Ihould be able to head an army worthy of him felf. He at the fame time declared to him,- that if he would but accede to thefe conditions; he would undertake that France fhould make good all the expences incident to the levying of the contingent, and the pay of the Saxons during the war. The furprife of thefe two auguft perfonages was uncommonly great. The duke, who was eager to fubfcribe to all thefe engagements,' wifhed inftantly to reduce them to writing ; but Dumouriez requefted him to proceed no further at prefent, as this projed was the mere offspring of his own brain. He fpent a week very agreeably at this charming court, where he found one of his. old friends with whom he had been acquainted in Spain ; this was Louis de Vifmes, who refided there in quality of minifter plenipotentiary of England, and who fince died invefted with the fame employment at Peterfbourg. De Vif mes endeavoured to penetrate into his bufinels at Munich, and wifhed to learn the reafon of his being fo well received. He told him in con fidence, ( 209 ) Eclettcfe, that he was going to join the Turkifli army, and that he was about to obtain leave to raife a corps in Bavaria., This intelligence he inftantly communicated to his court. Dumouriez vilited the arfenal at Munich, and made a conditional purchafe from the eledor of 22,000 mulkets. He charged the count de Follard, as foon as he received the confent of the duke de Choifeul, to caufe them to be firft embarked on the Inn, and afterwards carried along the Danube as far as Buda, where he would take meafures for their being .received, and caufe the eledor to be reimburfed. He communicated all his proceedings to the mi nifter, who approved of them. On his arrival at Vienna, he found two Polifh deputies, whom the confederates af- fembled at Eperies had fent thither to meet him ; one called Sarnacki, to reprefent Poland ; and another for Lithuania, named Domainfki. Mr. Durand prefented him to prince Kaunitz, and the emprefs, and he had a conference with the king of the Romans, Jofeph II, in the ca binet of natural hiftory. Mr. Durand was one of your Jiarched di- plomaticians, but he was a very good, although a very phlegmatick, and awkward man. He Vol. I. P defired ( 210 ) defired Dumouriez to communicate his in- ftrudions to him ; he in his turn replied, that he was not furnifhed with any : on this the minifter began to be fufpicious, left he fhould render himfelf independent of him. He there fore employed a perfon of the name of Gerard, to penetrate into the fecret of this miiTwii, which the duke de Choifeul had not difclofed, and to prevent Dumouriez from intermeddling with the penfions which the court of France was fuppofed to pay to certain Poles, of- whom many had been dead upwards of ten years, and others, fuch as general Mockronowfki, and Birzinfki, were publickly attached to Ruffia. The good Durand told him, that he could not continue his journey without frefh orders ; he affured him on his part, that he was de termined to proceed; however, at length to fatisfy this gentleman, he propofed to him, to .iupply what the duke de Choifeul had for gotten, and to draw up inftrudions for him with his own hand. Mr. Durand acceded to the proposition, and next morning prefented him with a paper, which began with the following words : " The feafori after the harveft being that which is the moll favourable,- &c," He read no more, ¦ but ( 211 ) but immediately fet. out, after being detained five whole days by thefe petty artifices. •o His two deputies, with their Polifh manners, embarraffed him a good deal; but he could not difpenfe with their company during the journey. They fpoke nothing but latin, and in general Dumouriez made ufe of that language during the whole war, being unable to treat with the confederation in any other tongue. They had purchafed two or three hundred mufkets, and as many fabres, and piftols. i They failed along the Danube as far as Pell, where they had a correfpondent, whofe name and addrefs he tranfmitted to Mr. Follard, to ferve as a diredion for the 22,000 Bavarian mufkets. This journey was not completed until the end of Auguft. On his arrival at Eperies, he found there the count de Pac, marfhal general of the confederation of Lithuania, who alfo perform ed the fundions of marfhal of the general confederation, as the count de Krafinlki had gone to the Turkifh army with the confede ration of Bar, of which that of Eperies was nothing more than the reprefentative. The prince de Sapieha, regimental-general of Lithuania, alfo reprefented the count Pptocki, P 2 regimental- I 212 ; regimental-general of Bar, which was recog nized as the general confederation. The marfhals of the confederations are their civil and legiflative chiefs ; the regimental- generals the military leaders ; the confede rations themfelves are infurredions againft the abufe of power ; they are legal according to the conftitution. They have their ftatutes, their forms, and their laws. The king is always invited to accede to them, if they be not di reded againft himfelf. If he refufe, their legitimate power becomes paramount to his own, when the confederations are complete, that is to fay, compofed of all, or a decided majority of the palatinates of the two Polands, and of the grand duchy of Lithuania. It is common for the party againft whom a confederation is direded, to oppofe it by means of a new one ; they accufe each other of ille gality, and after having committed many dif- orders on both fides, a mediator more powerful than the republic (and for a long time paft, this has been Ruffia) reconciles them, and re- imburfes itfelf for its trouble at the exDence of the unfortunate nation. All the ads of confederation are fuppofed to be drawn up either in Poland, or in the grand duchy ; f 213 ) duchy; they ought alio to he promulged, pr at leaft enrolled in a grod, that is to fay, in the record of a jurifdidion. Thus the confeder ration eftablifhed at Eperies could not render its ads or edids valid, unlefs they were jn- fcribed in a regifter appertaining to Poland; they were then fuppofed to be drawn up with in the territories of the republic. At the epoch when this general confederation affembled at Eperies, the court of Warfaw taxed it with illegality, on account of its re- fidence in a foreign country, and endeavoured to oppofe another confederation to ;t ; but this fcheme did not fucceed. The count de Pac was a man who indulged his pleafures ; he was at once very amiable, and very inconfiderate. He pofleffed more am? bition than judgment, more audacity than cou rage. He was eloquent, an accomplifhment which the cuftom of holding diets renders very common in Poland. The only man of abilities then at Eperils was a Lithuanian called Bohucz, fecretary ge neral to the confederation. Prince Radzivil was a mere brute, but he was at the fame time the richeft nobleman in all Poland. The count £ampilki, brother of the great chamberlain, P 3 was ( 214 ) was a refpedable old mani very fimple in his manners, and very honeft. There were two or three young Potockis there. The reft confifted of marfhals, and regimentals of the palatines. Some more were ftill expeded, in order to render the confederations complete. The bi- fhop of Kaminiec, and the count of Wetzel, grand treafurer of the crown, were of this number. Dumouriez found but little trouble in ftudy- ing the charaders of all thefe chiefs. Their manners were afiatick : an aftonifhing luxury, ridiculous expences, repafts prolonged during ¦ great part of the day, and carried to excefs, Pharaoh and dancing in the evening : thefe formed all their occupations. They imagined that the envoy from France was loaded with treafures for them, and they were reduced to a ftate of confternation when he told them, that he had brought no money with him, and that from their manner of living he imagined they did not ftand in need of anv. He expeded, indeed, to fet out foon on his return to France, and he frankly communicated *his intentions to Bohucz, from whom he did not conceal the indignation produced by fo carelefs a condud in men eritrufted with fuch high concerns. ( 2i5 ) concerns, more efpecially as the greater part of them had their lands laid wafle, and their relations banifhed to Siberia. He thought that the court of France ought not to be filly enough to lavifh money on men who made fo bad an ufe of it. He advifed the duke de Choifeul to put a ftop to the payment of the penfions affigned to individuals, and to deftroy the lift. The minifter accordingly complied, which circumftance completed the chagrin of Gerard, the firft clerk in the foreign depart ments. If from the very beginning he was difgufted with the political, he was ftill more difcoura* ged with the military ftate of the confederation. The letters written by the bifhop of Kaminiec to the court of France had announced nu merous forces, and great vidories. Dumouriez had been impreffed with the fame idea, from. the exaggerations of the deputies who had gone to meet him at Vienna. It appeared by the lifts they produced, that their forces amount ed to. more than forty thoufand troops. On queftioning the French officers who had ferved alone with them, and whom he interrogated on this fubjed, he however discovered f that all their military eftablifhmentcpnfifted, ^ V 4 '!• -fa ( 21 6 ) I. In four or five thoufand men in Great Poland: thefe were in good condition, and commanded by general Zaremba, a very ex cellent officer, but who could not be depended upon, as he was conneded with the king of Pruffia, into whofe fervice he entered in 1772; 2. In a thoufand irregular horfe, under a brave Coffack called Sawa ; this corps was dife perfed, and Sawa himfelf killed foon after ; 3. In three or four thoufand cavalry under Pulawfki, a very courageous and excellent par- tifan; but he could not be prevailed upon to recognize the general confederation, out of hatred to count Potocki, who had been the occafion of his father's dying in prifon; 4. In about three thoufand five hundred men, under the orders of count Miaczinfki, a very brave man, who afterwards ferved with great docility ; 5. In " twelve or fifteen hundred troop? commanded by a perfon called Walewfki, at once very brave, and very cunning, and who, making his peace afterwards with the king, was created caftellain of Cracow ; 6. In three light corps, one of feven hundred men Jed by the marfhal de CzernLchewv ano ther ( 217 > ther of three hundred, whofe chief was Ma* zowielki, and a third of four hundred Li thuanians, under Orzewfko, The whole confifted of fixteen or feven teen thoufand men, ferving under ten lead ers, independent, without any concert, dif- truftful of each other, fometimes fighting together, or at leaft debauching each others troops. This body of cavalry, wholly com pofed of nobles equal in point of rank, deftitute of difcipline, and fcorning obedience, badly armed, and ill mounted, fo far from being equal to the Ruffian regulars, was even far inferior to the Coffacks. The confederates had not one ftrong place, a fingle piece of artillery, or one man who ferved on foot. At the very moment when he defpaired of being able to extricate them out of this chaos, a very celebrated lady arrived at Eperies, who, after having figured away in a great charader in Saxony, and at the court of the preceding king of Poland, had become the very foul of the prefent confederation. This Was the coun* tefs of Mniezeck. The comparifon of this heroine with Armida holds good in every point of view; but it muft be allowed, on the other hand,that the confederates were not the heroes 6 of ( 21.8 ) of Taffo. She was daughter to the famous count Bruhl; her hufband was a fenator and general of Great Poland; he was alfo extremely rich. She had governed the republic under the aufpices of her father, and fhedetefted the prefent king. It was pretended that this proceeded from revenge, having failed in all her attempts to feduce, and djred him. Although not in the fiower of ber youth, fhe ftill poffeffed a great lhare of beauty; fhe added to this a vail genius, a great foul, and a mind accomplifhed, ger nerous, and full of fenfibility ; fhe was endowed with talents of all kinds, fpoke feveral languages with eafe and perfedion, had attained an in timate knowledge of the interefts of her country, and ftill more of the charaders pf its chiefs; ihe was adored by all parties. One vice tar^ nifhed all thefe fublime qualities : fhe was vin-3 didive, and prone to intrigues. This lady reanimated his hopes, for he did not conceal from her that he was on the point of abandoning the caufe. The bilhpp of Ka-; miniec, of whom he entertained but a poor opinion, and who happened to arrive about this period,, had , quarrelled with the count de Wet zel. She found means to reconcile them ; fhe alfo ( 210 ) alfo fent for Pulawfky, forced him to ac-? knowledge the confederation, and to renounce his vengeance againft the family of Potocki, or rather to fufpend it until after the war j fhe diffolved a dangerous intrigue on the part of a perfon called Cozakowfky, who , at tempted to detach prince Radzivil from the party, and fhe took advantage of the affedion which Miaczinfky, and a young prince called Sapieha, entertained for her daughter, in order to render them more obedient to the commands which Dumouriez either gave in his own perfon, or tranfmitted to them by means of the council of war. In fhort, fhe was infinitely ferviceable, and did not return to her hulband at Dukla, until after fhe had prevailed on the confederation to accede to, and commence the execution of Dumouriez' plans. Thefe plans contained, among other things, apolitical fyftem, for it was neceffary to give a form of government to the mafs, in order to enable it- to ad with effed. Permitting the legiflative power to refide in the confederation, he transferred the executive to four councils, one for juftice, a fecond for finance, a third for foreign affairs, and a fourth to fuperintend the war department. Each council, the fta- tutes ( 220 ) eutes of which he drew up with his own hand, con filled of only fix members and a fecretary, two of which were feleded out of each of the fadions of the republick. The marfhal- general of the confederation was prefident of all thefe councils, and the fecretary-general had the infpedion of their records. Every fifteen days the marlhal-general was to prefent the affembly with a ftatement of the decifions made by, and bufinefs before each council or department. All the members, the fecre- taries excepted, were to be renewed every fix months. It was propofed to fend prince Radzivil as ambaffadour extraordinary to the Porte, -along with count Czerni, who was to re fide there as ambaffadour in ordinary. Ge neral Sloinfki, and one of the young Potockis, caftellain of Strezeck, were to remain at Vienna in a diplomatic charader. A count Dzir- biefky at the fame time fet out to wait upon the duke of Courland, on purpofe to prefent him with the ad recognizing his title, and a fum mons in the name of the confederated re* public, to march his contingent. The council of juftice was irtflruded to prefent the plan of a law to the general affem- bly, ( 221 ) bly, for the fafety of private property, the re-* preffion of excefles committed by the troops, and the trial of fuch ads of rebellion as might demand either capital punifhment or the con- fifcation of goods. The council of finance was to prepare a plan, and the outline of a decree, for the payment of the ancient impofts, the creation of new taxes, the confifcation of lands belonging to the ftate, the adminiftration of the palatines, caftellanies, and ftarofties, which might either become vacant or be con- fifcated ; in fhort, relative to all the branches of the receipt and expenditure of the public re venues. The council of war was charged to- draw up laws relative to the organization of the army, its pay, difcipline, &c. What was moft neceffary, was to obtain the abolition , of the Iiberum veto, an effential vice in the Polifh conftitution, but to which they appeared to attach an extraordinary value. Dumouriez however obtained the fupenfioa of it . with very little difficulty. The ad for. the reunion of the general confederation into one fingle corps, for recognizing the chiefs of the confederation of Bar for its leaders, was fent to them at the Turkifh army, along, with "*\vhich they at this time refided. Duke Charles, ' ' of ( 222 ) ef Saxony made a reply to the pfbpontipri^ brought him by the embafly from the con-> federation, in the manner agreed upon at Munich, and began to enrol the1 Saxons, out of whom he was to form his contin gent. As foon as Dumouriez had formed his plan,- he tranfmitted all the particulars about the end of September, to the duke de Choifeul, of whom he required a fubfidy of 6o,OOb livres per month, to commence from the firft of Auguft, announcing at the lame time, that if the Polilh frivolity did not deftroy all his arrangements, this fum muft be confiderably enlarged in the approaching month of January ; in return he received by courier, to the amount of 300,000 livres in bills of exchange on Vienna, for the five laft months of 1770, with a letter containing a full and entire appro bation of his condud. Mr. Durand, who did not enjoy the minifter's confidence, thought that he was ading on too great "a feale, and not only fuggefted, but even commanded him in all his difpatches, to dired the 'movements of the fmall bodies- of Poles, fo astd'haTafs the rear of the Ruffian army, which was then ftationed on the Pruth, and to ( 223 ) to endeavour to deftroy their magazines in Pdda- lia and along the. Borifthenes. Thefe vigorous enterprifes were far beyond the military talents of the Poles. Dumouriez, however, had formed a far more extenfive plan of warfare, which he now fub- mits with the utmoft confidence to every well- informed military man, who may happen to read thefe memoirs. The Ruffians kept pof feffion of all Poland, the fuperficies of which was as large as France, with from twenty to twenty- five thoufand men, then commanded by lieutenant-general Weymarn, and afterwards by lieutenant-general Bibikow. They were di vided into fmall detachments, which chafed the fugitive Poles in the fame manner as birds of prey fly after pigeons. Major-general Suwarow, who has fince dif- tinguifhed himfelf in the courfe of the late war with the Turks, commanded the ftrongeft corps; it amounted to four or five thoufand men. One third of the Ruffian army Was compofed of irregular troops, who ferved on horfeback. The half of the two remaining thirds, confifted of good infantry. Colonel Drewitz, more formidable on account of his cruelties and his plundering excurfions than his talents, was the C 224 ) the terrour of Poland. Lieutenant-general Ef-5 fen, with the rearguard of the army under" oeneral Romanzow, occupied the palatinate of Kiow, the Ukraine, and Podolia, with ten or twelve thoufand men. The principal maga* zines belonging to the Ruffians were ftationed. at Polonna.Dumouriez began his operations by endea vouring tP procure poffeffion of fome ftrong towns and artillery ; he was alfo eager to form a body of infantry. He had demanded from the duke de Choifeul fixty officers of the line,. fix engineers, ten officers of artillery, twelve, ferjeants belonging to that corps and the corps of artificers, and twenty good matroffes* The firft batch, which he received through the me dium of Mr. Durand, might be confidered as the very cream of French adventurers ; notwith ftanding this they ferved with ability, and moft of them returned to their native country with fuperiour ranks. He afterwards got two en gineers, two officers of artillery, eight ferjeants, and eight matroffes, with thirty dilbanded offi cers belonging to the infantry and cavalry ; all thefe came one after the other, and could not therefore arrive very quickly j but his plan was 1q contrived as to have the whole winter before him* He ( 225 ) He prevailed upon Pulawfki to furprife the fortrefs of Czenftochova on the frontiers of Si- lefia. This chief fucceeded in the enterprife, and formed a corps of infantry confifting of four hundred men, whom he left in that place as a garrifon. There were forty pieces of cannon in the town ; he defired him to leave thirty, to mount ten of the lighteft on field carriages, and to Order covered waggons to be built for the purpofe of fupplying them with ammunition. He fent a French officer to fuperintend this bufinefs. Drewitz having marched to attack Czenftochova, was repulfed and beaten, fo that the Poles now began to perceive the utility of fortrefles. During this interval he made Miaczinfki raife three hundred infantry, which he marched to the frontiers of Hungary; and an equal number Was procured by Walewfki, who occupied the duchy of Tefchen. He purchafed fome pieces of cannon in Hungary, he dug up fifty pieces of artillery belonging to different Polifh noble men, who had concealed them in the bowels o( the earth, and ordered bullets to be caft for all the bqjlard calibres. He afterwards pitched upon an old caftle called Landfkrona, at the head of the Carpathian mountains, which over- Vol. I. Q^ looked ( 226 ) looked the plain of the palatinate of Cracow. He himfelf pofted three hundred infantry there under the command of two French officers, Labadie -and Laferre, and converted it into a place of arms. At the moment he was em ployed in fortifying it, general Suwarow, who knew of what confequence it was to prevent fuch an eftablifhment from being formed with in fix leagues of Cracow, arrived with his little army and attacked the caftle with great fury, but he was repulfed with considerable lofs by the garrifon. Miaczinfki came up with his cavalry at the conclufion of the attack, purfued him during his retreat, and then returned to complete the works. The Ruffians loft nearly two hundred and fifty men, chiefly grenadiers. • This adventure contributed not a little to infpire the Poles wifh great confidence in forti fications. They were already in poffeffion of two ftrong places ; the Ruffians were deftitute of large artillery for carrying on lieges ; they beheld cannon and infantry in a manner created for their ufe ; and they were now about to commence a lefs vagabond-like fpecies of war fare. Dumouriez now iffued orders for levying fe veral battalions of infantry. To facilitate this operation, ( 227 ) Operation, he pofted a line of French and German officers along the frontiers. to enlift the Imperial and Ruffian deferters; and, at the end of the year, he found that he had gotten eighteen hundred pretty good infantry, which were either quartered at Landfcrona and Biala, or cantoned in the villa ges of the Carpathian mountains. He purchafed mufkets for them in Silefia and in Hungary j he caufed an eftimate of the population of the pa latinates of Cracow, and Sendomir to be made out 3 and he found that it would be eafy to raife in them from twenty-five to thirty thoufand men. It was with the utmoft repugnance, that the Polifh chiefs confented to arm the peafants, whom they wifhed to retain in flavery ; but they at length complied from mete neceffity. He then wrote to Mr. de Choifeul to tranfmit him money and orders ; he requefted the count de Follard to expedite the twenty-two thoufand mufkets ; and he himfelf procured nearly an equal number. Here follows the plan of operations which he propofed for the campaign of 1771. He rec koned on at leaft four thoufand good Saxon in fantry, being the contingent of Courland. He Q_2 himfelf ( 228 ) himfelf had enlifted near two thoufand men, the greater part of whom were deferters. , He intended firft to incorporate twelve thoufand inhabitants of the palatinate of Cracow, and afterwards an equal number of that of Sendo- mir. The entire regiment of the dragoons of the crown had joined him in a body. He alfo expeded a thoufand Saxon cavalry. He only wifhed to retain with himfelf the cavalry of Miaczinfki, that of Walewfki, the Lithuanians under Orzewfki, and the corps commanded by Czernichew, which in all would form a body of more than eight thoufand horfe under the diredion of good leaders. He inclined to leave the corps commanded by Zaremba, near Pofen, and that of Sawa on the Lower Viftula, to menace Warfaw, and keep general Weymarn in check. He propofed to fend Pulawfki, whofe num bers might be increafed to ten thoufand men, and alfo his infantry, towards the frontiers of Podolia, to alarm the Ruffians for the fafety of the magazines they had eftablifhed there. He had difpatched a perfon of the name of Putkammer, deputy from Samogitia, to count Oginfki, who was at the head of the army of Lithuania, ( 229 ) Lithuania, compofed of eight thoufand regular troops, and the Tartar corps of Bielck and Kurtloky. In the mean time, while he with the army of Little Poland, which, including the Saxons, would amount to at leaft twenty thpufand in fantry and eight thoufand cavalry, advanced towards Sendomir, after getting poffeffion of Cracow, Oginfki was to commence an infur- redion. The confederation, which was imme diately to remove and refide in the little town of Landfcron, that no more objedions might be made to the validity of its ads, was to prepare the pospolite rusceni, Pr, in other words, to order all the nobles to mount on horfeback, with an injundion to join general Ogirtfki in Lithuania, who, with this irregular but very numerous army, which was to affemble at Pinfk, menaced the city of Warfaw. As foon as the army of Little Poland had got ten poffeffipn of the ftrong pofition of Sendorhir, at the confluence of the Viftula and fhe Sau, general Oginfki was to have received orders to proceed by long marches through Smoleriiko, to pafs the Borifthenes there, and to dired his march towards Mofcow. All the Ruffian army was at this time pofted in Moldavia, the lines Oo of ( 230 ) of Afow, Livonia, or Poland, and there was not a fingle regiment at hand to prevent Ogin fki from penetrating to the very centre of Muf- covy. The Ruffians would then have been forced to have carried on the war in thebofom of their own country, and the confederation would have been relieved, during this excur- fion, from the pay, food, and expences, incurred' by this great irregular army. As to Poland, Dumouriez was to take charge of it with a regular body of troops, which would be reinforced by the whole army of the repub lic, as it only waited for an opportunity to de- fert. General Weymarn had two great objeds in view : i. To preferve Warfaw and the perfon of the kingi in order to continue the prepon derance of Ruffia : And, 2. What was perhaps ftill more effen- tial, to guard or cover the magazines of Po*- dolia. ' Dumouriezhad gotten poffeffion of the fortrefs of Zamofc, although he did npt garrifon it for want of infantry. Weymarn then had only one of the two following plans to purfue, either to affemble all his troops at Warfaw, on purpofe to ( 231 ) to oppofe the Poles who menaced that city ; or to abandon the capital, and carrying the king along with him, endeavour to reach Kiow, where he could form a jundion with general Effen. In the firft cafe, general Dumouriez would have marched into Podolia, on purpofe to de ftroy the magazines ; in the fecond, he would have entered Warfaw, and eftablifhed the con federation. A change of the theatre of war would have neceffarily refulted from this grand movement ; Romanzow could not have remain ed in Moldavia, when he heard of an incurfion into ' Ruffia, and a formidable war blazing in Poland. He would have accordingly retired and been followed by the Turks, who, during the whole of the prefent campaign, were ftill in great force. All this would have only put France to the expence of the Saxon contingent ; and it is to be prefumed, that fo extraordinary a change in the pofition of the republic would have pro duced a great commotion in the north, which would have led to a general war, as was wifhed for by the duke de Choifeul, who was preparing to attack the Englifh. The fuccefs of this great plan was indeed conneded with his exiftence as Q^4 a minifter; K 232 ) a minifter; he was difgraced on the 24th of* December, and then the whole fcheme was abandoned. It was the Dubarry who was def- tined to produce the overthrow of this mayor of the palace ; and the fate of the north of Europe, and perhaps of all Europe, was thus made to depend on the difgraceful paffion which a king of France in his fixtieth year had conceived for a common ftrumpet, decreed by Providence to expire twenty- two years after by means of the guillotine. It was in the month of November, on his return from Landfcron, that he detailed the whole of this plan to the duke de Choifeul, in a difpatch which he tranfmitted him by means of an officer. He was already difcontented with the correfpondence of the minifter, who no longer wrote any other than vague official let ters, in which he recommended to take care not to involve France, and to permit the Poles to ad in whatever manner they pleafed. He was then folely occupied, in repelling intrigues by means of intrigues j and this employment, which in all courts fwallows up one half of the time, and three fourths of the moral faculties of minifters, is always prejudicial to real bufi nefs. Another ( 233 ) Another circumftance contributed to render this correfpondence more cool. The court of Warfaw, which was entirely under the direc tion of the Ruffian ambaffadour, wifhed to form another confederation, on purpofe to oppofe that of Bar the moment it became general, and form ed1 a legal body capable of reprefenting the re4- public. This projed failing, it was intended to make the king accede to the confederation re nding at Eperies ; it was thus that the confe deration of Radom was tricked ; and it was ex- adly in the fame manner that that of Tar- - gowitz was rendered abortive in 1792. The firft intelligence of this fcheme was received from count Wielhorfki at Verfailles, who was the more alarmed, as the chief clerk Gerard was extremely favourable to this junc tion, and had defired him to advife the con federation to confent to it. This was adually delivering them over to the Ruffians ; for if the king acceded to the confederation, they could no longer remain in a foreign country, but muft unite with him, and in that cafe they were neither provided with fortified places, nor an army to fhelter or proted them. If, after ac cepting .of his adhefion, they fhould refufe to repair ( 234 ) repair to him, he could then reprefent the con federated republic by means of falfe brethren^ whom he might in that cafe call in; the le gality of their proceedings was from that mo ment at an end, and they would have become at once fugitives, and rebels. In fhort, if they accepted of the proffered union, a fuf penfion of arms would be the refult, and the Turks, who had declared war againft Ruffia for the exprefs purpofe of maintaining the guaranty of Poland, would have confidered them as fo many traitors, and Krazinfki, Po- tocki, and three thoufand Poles in the army of the grand-vifier, might have been facrificed to their vengeance. The confederation, like every other numerous affembly, had its diforganifers and its traitors. General Mockronowfki, a very dangerous man, had juft arrived from Vienna; he had been recently at Paris, and communicated the opi nion of Gerard to Mr. Durand. The latter, who adopted it, inftantly defired Dumouriez to fupport the propofition of adhefion with all his intercft. He but too well forefaw the danger of fuch a proceeding to be guilty of fo much perfidy; it was his determination, 4 therefore., ( 235 ) therefore, if he fhould be confulted on this bufinefs, to reply, that the Poles alone could decide relative to the advantage,- or in- convenience refulting from fuch a delicate ftep. But in his fecret conferences with Pac, and Bohucz, he exhorted them to ufe all poffible means to procure the rejedion of the pro- pofition. General Mockronowfki was a man of much ability, and he poffeffed an infinuat- ing turn of mind. Before the propofal was laid before the affembly, he accordingly en deavoured to gain a certain number of votes ; and, in truth, he procured a confiderable body of partifans. Dumouriez refolved to oppofe to him an antagonift ftill more powerful than himfelf; he accordingly informed Madame de Mniezeck, that he ftood much in need of her, and that every thing would be loft if fhe did not arrive in the courfe of three days. This lady,- who was affrighted at the contents of the letter, and at the fame time curious to be ac quainted with the nature of an event that could induce the French minifter to addrefs her jn fo alarming a ftyle, arrived at the expiration pf thirty hours afterwards, He then explained the ( 236 ) the whole affair to her, aud fhe did her utmoft to difconcert the intrigues of general Mockro- nowfki. This, however, would not have proved fuf ficient, and the king would affuredly have been declared the head of the confederation, had not Bohucz meditated a ftroke of genius equally fublime and audacious. He compofed an ora tion, in which he expofed all the objedions on the part of the Poles againft the legality of Staniflaus's eledion, and his degrading fubjec- tion to Ruffia ; he accufed him of being en tirely governed by the ambaffadour of that na tion, and of having been the caufe of all the misfortunes of his country, which would never ceafe until he was made to defcend from an ufurped throne. He alfo drew up the ad for dethroning him ; but took care not to commu nicate this circumftance to any one. Bohucz at that period governed the affembly in a defpotic manner. A mafculine figure, an extraordinary portion of courage, a fine voice, a corred flyle, an ardent eloquence, a biting re plication, when any one attempted to combat his opinion ; all thefe qualities rendered him the oracle of the confederates. 8 The ( 237 ) The day previous to that on which the dif- cuffion was to have taken place relative to the admiffion of Staniflaus, BohucZ, after treating of ordinary matters, aroufed the attention of the affembly, by announcing that he was about to read an important paper to them, on the fubjed of which it was abfolutely neceffary to come to an immediate determination before they feparated. He then delivered his difcourfe with uncommon animation, and fupported his opinions by means of arguments drawn from the very objedions likely to be made by his opponents. This unexpeded ftroke abafhed the king's partifans to fuch a degree, that fo far from daring to mention the propofition intended to have been made on the fucceeding day, they unanimoufly voted Staniflaus depofed, and the throne vacant. " I was fo fure," exclaimed Bohucz, " that your patriotifm would induce you to inflid this fentence, that I beforehand drew up the ad declaratory of the interregnum." He then read this ad, which was a fublime piece of compo- fition, with great rapidity. It was adopted, and figned inftantly, without any one member op- poling the general enthufiafm. So much power does c 23« ) :. does an eloquent man poflefs over an affembly s Since the time of Bohucz, Mirabeau and Fox are the only men of whom fuch inftances can be quoted. A refolution fo extraordinary On the part of a reprefentative body, feeble in itfelf, and not hitherto recognifed, at leaft publicly, by any one power, was blamed by all the different courts. They did not confider that it added nothing to the danger of the confederates, that it difconcerted all the intrigues with which they were, furrounded, and that if either the Turks or they ihould prove fuccefsful, it would become an heroic ad. The court of France in particular deemed it extremely improper, and as it was imagined that fuch a bold ftep could not have been taken without the knowledge and confent of its envoy, Gerard made the duke de Choifeul fign an official letter, which Du* mouriez however only fhewed to Pac and Bohucz, in which the minifter notified to the confederation, that the king could not but difapprove of fo rafh a proceeding; that the en voy from France ought either to have prevent ed it, or retired -, and that, as he poffeffed no authority over a foreign nation, it was his own agent alone that he fhould call to account. He ( 239 ) He replied to the duke de Choifeul, that he had taken care not to read his letter to the con federation, becaufe it would have been entirely ufelefs ; that he had not in the leaft contributed to a refolution which had been adopted unani- moufly, and in confequence of a fpontaneous movement ; and that, far from oppofing, he would have fupported the meafure. He then particularifed all the arguments in its favour, befeeching him to remember the phrafe he had ufed at parting, " That he had no confidence in thofe fpedacles, with which it was pretend ed one could difcern objeds at four hundred leagues diftance." The duke would not leave this letter in the. hands of Gerard ; he took it back, and things remained in their former fitua tion. The ad of interregnum was confidered very dif ferently in Poland. Far from weakening the con federation, it procured a crowd of adherents to it. The nation admired the courage of that affembly; and feveral magnats, who durft not declare them felves publicly, fent gentlemen to Dumouriez., to whom they attributed this ftep, with their figna- tures ; which he returned in the courfe of the fol- iowingyear, without ever having mentioned their names, even to his own court, as it would only have involved ( 240 ) involved refpedable men ; of whom there were but too many already embarked, who in the end became the vidims of the inconftancy and perfidy of the court of France. Thus, at the latter end of the year 1770, every thing promifed fuccefs to the confedera tion. Order was eftablifhed in its general af fembly, the adminiftration was divided and re gulated, the executive power was in full ac tivity, the liberum veto was abolifhed, and the interregnum, which was proclaimed, rendered all the intrigues on the part of Ruffia abortive. A regular army at the fame time began to be formed ; and two towns, befides Zamofk, be ing in their poffeffion, places to which they might retreat in cafe of neceffity were thus provided : two thoufand infantry ; a number of field-pieces ; the Saxe-Courland contingent, of which fome part arrived towards the end of December ; the intention to form twelve thou fand men into regiments, of which they had already levied between four and five hundred ; the army of Lithuania ready to declare in their favour, the moment they chofe to command it ; that of the crown only waiting an op portunity to join them ; the Turks, to the num ber of upwards of one hundred and fifty thou fand, .( 241 ) fand men, fupporting themfelves in Moldavia j a great plan about to be carried into effed : all thefe hopes and preparations were deftroyed at Verfailles on the 24th of December 1770 *. \ * Th« daj? on which the duke lde* Choifeul was dif- graced.— Tranf. tout. R CHAP; { ^42 .) i , , : C H Ar-P, "-: VHJi The_ Pftfir in Pphnii 1771. Dumouriez did not learn this unfortunate event until the 8th of January. From that moment he forefaw the neceffity of renounc ing all his plans, and perceived that Poland was ruined. The court of Vienna had long evinced an averfion to the confederates. In the courfe of the preceding Odober, it had fent the count de Thdrinck, an imperial commiffary, to feize on the county of Lips; the fovereignty of which had long been a fubjed of difpute between the kings of Poland and Hungary ; but the poffeffion of it, during feveral centuries, feemed to have con firmed the right in favour of the Poles. It had alfo eftablifhed a line of troops and a rigorous quarantine, which had often occafion ed the difcomfiture of fmall detachments be longing to the confederates. Thefe, when pur- fued by the Ruffians, were unfeelingly deprived of an afylum, under pretence of the danger re fulting from the plague. The ( 243 ) The king of Pruffia and the kin g of theRomans* had held a conference in the camp at Neuftadt] and from an intercepted letter written in cypher to the king of Poland, Dumouriez had difcovered that it was adually in agitation to partition that unhappy country. He was fo certain of the truth of his conjedures, that he had tranfmitted a map to the duke de Choifeul, on which was traced out, in three different colours, the exad fhares on which the three powers intended to feize, and that too, nearly according to the. propor tions that afterwards took place. The minifter, however, treated his conjedures as chimerical. He did more. By means of the count de Mahoni, ambaffadour from Spain, he caufed a memorial to be prefented to the emprefs -f under the name of a Pole,- with a view to prove to this fovereign, that it was iuconfiftenf with her real interefts to extend her pofieffions beyond the natural and impenetrable limits of the Carpa-* thian mountains ; that an invafion of Poland, an open country, and entirely deftitute of fortified places, muft involve her in continual wars with Ruffia and Pruffia ; and that it would be better, * Afterwards the emperour Jofeph II. — Tranf f Maria Therefa. — Tranf R 2 and ( 244 ) and at the fame time far more glorious and juft, to prevent the ufurpations of the two neighbouring powers, by affifting the unfortunate Poles, and taking advantage for this purpofe of the time when Ruffia was engaged in a war with the Turks. But had the court of Vienna, which at that period carefully avoided every thing that might lead to hoftilities, adhered to thefe confidera- tions, effentially true, the minifterial revolution at Verfailles would not have left the emprefs at liberty to have refufed her affent to the par tition of Poland. This, indeed, could not have been prevented without plunging into a war ; that it would have been impoffible for her to have fupported without affiftance, more efpe cially as no dependence could be had on any aid from France. One of the means employed by the fadion, of which the Dubarry was only the inftrument, to ruin the duke de Choifeul, had been to per- fuade Louis XV, that, after having enjoyed the glory of being vidorious, it would be highly honourable for him to become a pacific king, and that the confidence of the furrounding courts would render his majefty the arbiter of the quarrels, and of the deftiny of all Europe. Louis, in confequence of his fecret correfpon dence, ' ( 245 ) dcnce, fancied himfelf a great politician ; Du-i mouriez therefore was well perfuaded, that fat from approving of his plan,** which did not cor refpond with this fyftem of tranquillity, it would be very ill relifhed by that monarch;' Three letters which he received from FaVier, Mr. Chauvelin, and the abbe de la Ville, at the fame time, tended to demonftrate that he was not miftaken; without affigning: any reafon, they all advifed him to contrad his plans, and to wait for frefh inftrudions, which, confider- ing the ftate of affairs, was become extremely* difficult. He, however, determined to reftrid himfelf at leaft as to the employment of the money he had in his poffeffion, and alfo refped- ing every ad on his part as an agent of France ; but he at the fame time refolved to continue to difplay the fame zeal as formerly in regard to all matters which might only perfonally involve himfelf or the Poles, Never did the cabinet of Verfailles difeover fuch a degree of perfidy before. Until now, when it altered its fyftem, it had only deoeived the powers with which it might be in treaty, On the prefent occafion the duke d'Aiguillon, who had become minifter for foreign affairs, en-? deavoured alfo to hoodwink the envoy of France, R 3 becaufe ( 246 ) becaufe he Wifhed to ruin himhy means of his own plan, which he himfelf had rendered abor tive. He alfo intended, by facrificing the agent, to render the choice of the ex- minifter and his whole political fyftem ridiculous. The duke !alfo wrote a friendly letter to the Confederation, which was for a little time his dupe. He alfo tranfmitted' another full of eu- |ogiums to Dumouriez, who very fortunately had been provided with the counter-poifon be fore its arrival ; he aflured him that the late change in the miniftry - had not produced any gltef ation. in the fyftem adopted relative to Po land ; and he exhorted him to continue his ef forts. But he at the fame time removed to Venice the baron de Zuckrnantel, a lieutenant- general, celebrated : for his defence of Ziegen- hayn during the feven years war, who was the friend of Dumouriez, and minifter from France at the court of Drefden, where he had preffed the levying of the Saxo-Courland contingent. He did not appoint any perfon as his fucceffor, and he alfo took meafures to prevent the contin gent from being fent. He caufed the council of war at Vienna to be privately informed of a purchafe made by the confederates of thirteen thoufand mufkets belonging to the Hungarians, on ( 247 >: on the faith of which they had already advanced a thoufand ducats ;t in confequence of thas the arms were;, floppy, and the..rnpney loft,., YHfe, likewife prohibited c the count de Follard. frorn-, fulfilling the cqntrad relative to the^ twenty-- two thoufand bavarian IJrands- of arms, &U&, thus deprived the Poles of ,a precious^; and, as (they imagined, a, certain refepjrqfi; -, , ' - Zuckmantel and Follard themfelves informed Dumouriez of thefe circurnftances1, and testified their Ibriow. at what bJid Ihappened.i Mr.- Du-? rand behaved) to turn with a noble frankhefs-; not daring to write, on fo delicate .a rfuhjed, he begged him to fpend three days .with him at Viehna.. On his arrival there on the. 20th of January, this minifter, who was ,an hd&eft man, advifed him to be, upon his guard, and to refign all his exteqfive projeds, as they were no lpnger countenanced by circumftances ; to.convince him of this, he produced the djfpatches of the duke d'Aguillon, who treated them as chimeri cal, and commanded him to reftrain their exe cution. On his return to Eperies he perceived the neceffity of altering his plan ; but being as yet too ypung to have acquired a profound know ledge of mankind, he deemed it his duty to en- R 4 deavour o 24s > deavotir to enlighten the r minifter. - He accord- - irtgly^rewSifra/ fhort analyfisi entitled " Sum mary of the Affairs^ or Poland;'';' and- was im- pfudent' enough to addrefs J- this to Linguet,- whbm' he^-kheHv while the advocate of the duke d'Aiguillonp and believed to be ftill con-; rieded wiih';him. Oh this account he -ima gined himfelf certain that it would fall -into proper hands', and be fupported- by the ar guments of Linguet; he alfo:, knew, that it wpuld ndt be feen by Gerard* In this, me-ij morial, he confined himfelf to the affairs of Poland, but he demonftrated that in following the plan -already approved of and agreed upon,. the confederates would not only be faved, but be enabled to ad a grand and national part, and that- France < would neither be involved, nor even -expofed to much expenfe* He con cluded; with ¦ befeeching the duke to appoint a fuCCeftbr' to him if he -fhould be difpofed to alter his intentions, becaufe : he could not alter his condud without being taxed with perfidy, an accufation which would revert upon the minifter himfelf. Linguet faithfully delivered the difpatch ; but had it even been more convincing, the mode by which it was tranfmitted would have ( 249 ) have deprived it of all manner of credit. The minifter anfwered only the laft paragraph ; he affured him that he ferved the king too well to be permitted to retire, more efpecially as he had acquired a perfed knowledge of the affairs of the confederates. As in this cafe he did not wifh to add to his other embarraffments by any chicanery re lative to money matters, he requefted that a commiffary at war might be appointed to fuperintend the expenditure ; but this alfo was refufed. It appeared extremely cruel to abandon thefe poor Confederates, who feemed to have adually changed their charaders, to place an entire confidence in Dumouriez. However, they were at this very moment exceedingly dis contented with him, becaufe they knew that he had received money, yet refufed to give them any, as he was refolved to employ the fums entrufted to his care in the purchafe of arms and am munition. He had denied twenty-four thou fand livres to the count de Pac, which he was mean enough to demand for himfelf, and alfo twelve thoufand for the poor marfhals, to whom their voluptuous brethren were cruel enough to refufe clothes. He however re- ceived * ( 25o ) ceived orders from Mr. Durand tp payttjefe thirty-fix thoufand livres, which he complied with, but not without great regret, as he did not deem this a proper mpde of employing the fubfidy. The old penfioners efpecially pro- tefted againft his condud, and hoped fpon to. be able to re-eftablifh their claims by meana of the credit of Gerard, who, in confequence of the ignorance and intrigues of the duke d' AiguiUon, was in fad the real minifter of foreign affairs. .. t: He now became fick of Eperies, and a cu> cumftance foon occurred, that induced him to leave that place with an, intention never to enter it more. Pulawlki had gone to fpend a few days there, during the month of February. He was a young chief, very brave and enterprifing, but fond of independence, fickle in his projeds, incapable of attaching himfelf to any certain rule or plan, and inflated with fome flight fucceffes which his countrymen, who are much given to exaggeration, extolled as fuperior to the glorious deeds of John So- biefki. He had at firft oppofed the idea of a regular warfare, becaufe being but an obfcure gentleman, who had elevated himfelf to the rank of commander by his fuccefsful audacity, - and ( 25I ) and become almoft the proprietor of a little army, he dreaded left, in confequence of the adoption of the new fyftem, he fhould be obliged to refign his pretenfions, and fubmit either to the orders of the regimental- general, prince de Sapieha, a weak man, whom he defpifed, or thofe of his perfonal enemy, the count Potocki. Dumouriez had however found' means to fatisfy him on this head, by promifing to referve a mordiglorious command for him, which fhould be independent^ and worthy of his courage ; that of Podolia. He thus kept him in good humour, and alfo got out of his hands the important town of Czen- ftochow, which by his, removal fell under the immediate authority of the confedera tion. Zaremba alfo, to whom he liad fent an in telligent officer to explain the changes which he wifhed to introduce, heartily appeared to adopt them ; he had tranfmitted teftimonies of fubmiffion to the confederation, and promifed the agent of France, that he would faithfully execute that part of the plan of the campaign which might be confided to his diredion. As to Walewflci and Miaczinfki, they entered into all his fchemes ; they were well pleafed with the ( 252 ) the increafe of their little bodies of troops, and alfo flattered with the idea of ading an im portant part in the operations of the regular army. The confederates were perfedly fure of Count Oginfki, and the fole uneafinefs ex perienced on his account arofe from the fear of his declaring himfelf with too much pre cipitation, and thus being fubdued before the grand combined jnovement was carried into execution in every place at one and the fame time. All the military leaders being jealous of each other, they were defirous of having a foreign commander tp prefide over them ; and as Dumouriez, who was then no more than a fimple colonel, did not afpire to fo high a ftation, he had caufed it to be infinuated during the winter, that they ought to unite their fuffrages in favour of prince Charles of Saxony, and he had fucceeded in ohtaining their almoft unanimous affent. But an army was yet to be formed, and the fpring was faf^ approaching. The Confede ration received from time to time fome affiftance in money, hut it did not amount to much, and was inftantly diffipated by the difhonefty or prodigality of the leaders, Far 6 from ( 253 ) from foliciting an augmentation of the fmall fubfidy granted by France, Dumouriez, with a view to his own fecurity, became more ava ricious of it than ever. Funds were therefore ftill wanting, in order to levy the army. Five or fix thoufand men, commanded by Miaczinflci and Walewfki, lined the mountains from Rabka to Biala, in front of BilitZi the frontier of the duchy of Tefchen ; they were crowded together in Biala, Wlogidowice, Kente, Sucha, and fome other fmall towns. To enrol the peafants, it was neceffary to extend themfelves into the plain watered by the Vif- tula. Two great confiderations rendered this movement neceffary : i . To get poffeffion of a rich and fertile country, for the purpofe of feeding five or fix thoufand horfes, which fuffered greatly among thofe barren mountains; to make a fpeedy levy of infantry by means of a military confcription ; and to open through Zator, Ofwiecim, and Bobrecq, a communication with Great Poland ; And 2. To procure poffeffion of confiderable and certain funds, by getting poffeffion of the rich fait works of Bochnia and Willilka. He had meditated on this important plan luring C 254 ) during the whole winter, and deemed it highly expedient to carry it into execution; but he found it of fo much confequence, and fo very decifive in refped to the future condud of the war, that he did not imagine any one of the chiefs capable of executing it : they themfelves Were of the fame opinion, and had agreed, that he fhould un dertake to carry it into effed. In confequence of this, he had promifed to repair to the army in the beginning of March, and undertook, without being the oftenfible commander, to dired its operations. The better to enfure obedience, -he was to carry four members of the council of war along with him, on purpofe to fign fuch orders as he might iffue. Having thus pledged his word, he did not think that he ought to be prevented from keeping it by the minifterial revolution that had occurred in France. He took the pre caution, however, to intimate his intentions to the duke d' AiguiUon, and endeavoured to make him perceive the importance of the meafure. He aflured him that it would be decifive, for if it fhould fail, the confederation not having acquired any military confiftency, its political exiftence could not affume fo formidable an afped, as that its interefts fhould be confidered 8 in i 255 ) in the negotiations that were to terminate this war. In that cafe, France, which had not openly interfered, as Ihe had never publicly recognized the confederation, might withdraw herfelf by degrees, permit the guaranty to num ber* and only employ her mediation in obtaining terms for thofe members in behalf of whom fhe fhould intereft herfelf: that, on the other hand, if the Poles fucceeded, the diverfion occafioned by this circumftance would be very ufeful in confequence of the embar- raffment which it would naturally occafion to the Ruffians, and tend greatly to diminilh the danger of the Turks, who began to evince fymptoms of feeblenefs in Moldavia. He con cluded his difpatch, by conjuring the minifter to accept of his refignation, and nominate a political and military fucceffor, to whom he might refign the iiitire management of affairs. After adopting this, meafure, which was much approved of by Mr. Durand, he fet off early in the month of April, on purpofe to enter Po land, accompanied by feven or eight French officers* and a dozen of domeftics armed and clad as huffars. He gave diredions for tranf- mifting his money to him by the way of Bilitz, and he left one of his coufins, called Chateau- neuf ( 256 ) neuf, with the' confederation. ' This was a youno- man of great abilities, whom he had adopted as his fon, who entertained the fen- timents of one for him, and whom he con verted into a firm friend. He was then only eighteen years of age, and had juft left college ; his coufin obtained for him a fub-lieutenaricy of dragoons in the regiment of Cuftine, from the duke de Choifeul, and alfo employed him as his fecretary. Replete with fidelity and prudence, endowed with the fpirit of modera tion, mild and gentle in his manners, Chateau- neuf acquired the entire confidence of the Poles, and had thus fitted himfelf for fupplying his place. He received in the courfe of that year a brevet as captain of infantry ; but not wifhing to remain with the confederates after the departure of his coufin, and although brave, yet detefting, from philofophical motives, the profeffion of arms, he entered into the civil department on his return to France; and after having aded as a conful, at laft became for a fhort time refident at Geneva, a fituation which he did not choofe to retain under the reign of anarchy. Perhaps this good and excellent man languifhes at this very moment in the dungeons of ( 257 ) of the Jacobins, with the reft of the family of general Dumouriez ! General Suwarow occupied all the palatinate of Cracow, from Bobrecq to Nepolmuce, along the Donayecz, with fix or feven thou fand men. This river, which runs but a few leagues, has its fource a little above Nowikrg, and joins the Viftula oppofite Nowe-Miafto. In furnmer it is very fhallpw, and is then paffable every where,. During the prefent feafon it was very deep, on account of the melting of the fnow and the great rains ; but as its fall was confiderable, it foon emptied itfelf. He kept a, garrifon confifting of one thoufand men in Cracow, under "the command of colonel Obfolewitz, and two regiments of cuiraffiers were quartered in the town of Sc'a- vina, two leagues in front of that place ; the reft of his cavalry and infantry were cantoned at Zator, Ofwiecim, and Bobrecq. A battalion of 500 grenadiers was alfo lodged in barracks below Calvary, through which is the road from Landfcron to Cracow. Another corps of the fame kind occupied a pofition oppofite Rente', which was in poffeffion of the con federates. The cbffacks, dragoons, and fome fmall intermediate ' pdfts filled with infantry, Vol. I. S proteded ( 258 ) proteded the communication between thefe fe veral quarters, which forming a chain of con- fiderable length, completely blocked Up the Poles. The whole extended eighteen leagues in length, along the frontiers of the duchy ofTefchen as far as the Donayecz, and occupied two, three, four, and fometimes fix leagues in breadth of this rich and fertile plain. The difpofition made by Dumouriez proved very fuccefsful. He fent orders to Zaremba, who executed them with great punduality, to leave Pofen, where he then was, to march through Rawa, and to be at Radom by the end of April, thus menacing both Warfaw and Cracow. Pulawfki was enjoined to fet out from Czenftochow with ten pieces of cannon, three hundred infantry, and four thoufand cavalry, and to march through Severin and Lipowice, in order to force the paffage of the Viftula at Bobrecq at the fame time : while Walewfki, leaving Biala, with two pieces of cannon, four hundred infantry, and twelve hundred cavalry, Ihould alfo march towards Bobrecq. A re giment of three hundred huffars under the command of colonel Schuetz, a very excellent officer, who has fince entered into the fervice of Pruffia, filing off near Rente, through a narrow 7 paflage ( 259 ) paffage badly guarded by the Coffacks, was to malk Ofwiecim ; while MiaczinfkJ, pulhing on from Landfcron with two pieces of cannon, three hundred infantry, and four hundred ca valry, was to force the paffage of Calvary, and then to march ftraight againft the cantonment of Scavina. There was the utmoft neceffity for fecrecy, rapidity, and precifion, in this grand movement ; it failed however in none of thefe. It was alfo requifite to deceive and fatigue the enemy, and in this too they proved fuccefsful. The Ruf fian foldiers were excellent, but they had very few good officers to command them, their principal leaders excepted, and the belt had not been feleded during the prefent war againft the Poles, whom they defpifed. Dumouriez caufed the peafants to be affem- bled through an extent of four leagues, placed them at all the openings leading from the plain, caufed fires to be lighted every night, and falfe alarms to be given, by means of fmall detach ments, which feemed every where difpofed to penetrate into the flat country. At .firft the Ruffians Were very vigilant, their cavalry were kept in readinefs, their infantry paffed the night rtinder arms, and they themfelves entered the S 2 defiles ( 260 ) defiles with an intention to anticipate the cot> federates, who always fled at their approach. In fhort, they became fatigued with thefe night ly watches. He had learned from the Jews, who are the bell fpies in Poland, that on the evening of the ¦29th of April there was to be a grand ball at Cracow, and he fufpeded that all the prin cipal officers would be prefent at it, for the Ruffians during the laft three or four nights were no longer alarmed at thefe nodurnal movements. It was that very evening that was pitched upon by him, on purpofe to attack the pafs which happened to be bell guarded. Nearly all his cavalry had marched along tinder the very ftoccade occupied by the grenadiers, when the fentinels a little before the break of day gave the alarm. The troops inftantly fallied forth, but feeing an extenfive column, which the obfcurity tended to render ftill more formidable, they fired a few random fhot, evacuated the poll through an opening in the rear, fled, and took refuge at Zator, whence they fell back once more to the abbey of Tiniec, where they croffed the Viftula. The advanced guard of the cavalry in the mean time fet off at full gallop , for Scavina, and ( *6i ) and entered that place with loud cries, which gave notice r? to the Ruffian horfe of their danger; they accordingly faved themfelves, about a hundred men, and nearly double that number of horfes, excepted, who were either taken or cut in pieces. In fhort, at nine o'clock in the morning the whole plain was in poffeffion of the confederates, and not a fingle Ruffian remained on the right hand fide of the Viftula. The two attacks made by Pulawfki and Walewfki alfo proved fuccefsful ; or, more properly fpeaking, no attack at all took place, for it appeared as if the Ruffians only waited for an opportunity of fleeing in. all di- redions. ' Towards noon Dumouriez caufed an affault to be made on the bridge of Cracow, while he ordered a little redoubt to be conftruded on a height called Kremionki, near the toll-houfe. On the fame day he fent ©ff a ftrong detach ment for Nepolmuce. Ort the next morning he vifited the borders of the river, and finding the abbey of Tiniec, about a league above Cracow, admirably fituated, he caufed it to be fortified, and garrifoned it with four hundred infantry, and fix pieces of cannon. He then vifited the falt-pits. He at the fame time S 3 ordered ( 262 ) ordered the caftle of Bobrecq to be prepared for the purpofe, and ftationed two hundred foot and four pieces of cannon there ; he alfo placed one hundred more in the redoubt of Kremionki. Thus, in the fpace of a few days, he had pofted his infantry in five ftrong place's,' fufficiently provided with artillery to ftop the progrefs of the Ruffians. Thefe were Land fcron, Tyniec, Wlodigowice, Ofwiecim, and Bobrecq. He entrufted Pulawfki with the defence of the Donayefe, Miaczinfki with the fait mines of Landfcron, and Walewfki with thofe of Ofwiecim and Bobrecq, and he himfelf repaired to Biala with the counfellors of war, to levy more infantry. But the fuccefs of the Poles had adually affeded their brains. They feemed as if they had already reconquered all Poland. They plundered the inhabitants, and committed a thoufand exceffes. They maltreated the great lords, fuch as Wielopolofki, the count Dunin, and others. They beat the new levied peafants, and furveyed the foreign infantry with fcorn. The leaders too began to quarrel with each other. Inftead of permitting two members of the council of finances to take upon them the administration of the fait mines, the chiefs feized the ( 263 ) the/booty they found there, and fold it at a low price to the Silefian jews, on purpofe to divide the plunder. They commanded the commiffion- ers of the fait works to increafe the quantity ufually produced, and fold feveral thoufand. tons in advance. Their mode of making war, and of defending pofts, was of a piece with the reft of their condud. The Towaricz would not mount guard when they were ordered ; they ftationed peafants along the banks of the river, while they themfelves remained in the houfes drinking and gambling, with their horfes un- faddl.ed. Their officers in the mean time re tired to the neighbouring caftles, and were occupied in balls, fellivals, and gaming. Dumouriez concluded that with fuch a condud their fuccefs could not be lading, and that they would pay dear for their temerity. He was not fatisfied with any of them but Walewlki, who alone kept his troops in. fome degree of order. He now convoked the three leaders at Biala. It was their misfortunes that had formerly rendered them compliant ; their fuccefs had induced them to refume all their former pride. He propofed to them to dif- mount a thoufand nobles, who were to ferve on foot, each of them commanding ten men, S 4 under ( 264 ) under the name of Decurions. They rejedea this advice with indignation, and would have even infulted the envoy of France, had he not fhewn himfelf ftill more haughty than them felves. The heads of the counfellors of war had become as light as thofe of their brethren, one of them, called Wibranowfki, only excepted, who was always prudent. They demanded money with great infolence, and endeavoured to force Dumouriez to remove the treafure from Bilitz to Biala, obferving that it ap pertained to them, as the king had fent it exprefsly for their ufe. He refufed however to comply with this demand, and told them plainly, that they neither deferved the money nor the protedion of France, Two hundred infantry, and a fcore of French officers who were along with him at Biala, proved fufficient to keep them in order. In the mean time, the intelligence received from Eperie's was far from being confolatory: immediately after his departure difcord had introduced itfelf into the confederation, which, forgetting its dignity, had come to blows, The Imperial officers were obliged to interfere, and the marfhals were committed to prifon. On the other hand, fome evil minded perfons infinuated ( 265 ) infinuated to them, that France had changed her fyftem, that fhe was deceiving, and adually about to abandon them. Many deferted, fome retired to other places, and many endeavoured to make their peace. In fine, a greater coii- fufion enfued than that out of which he had extricated them, and to crown all, it became irremediable. It was then that Pac and Bo hucz imagined that their ills, if not cured, might at leaft be diminished by changing their place of abode: they accordingly befought Mr. Durand, and enjoined general Sloinfki to folicit the court of Vienna to grant permiffion to the confederation to affemble at Bilitz, whence they had but a rivulet to crofs, in order to publifh their proceedings within their own territory at Biala, a place proteded both by fortified pofts, and by the army : this was very reafonable. They obtained leave; but when they were about to depart, their numerous creditors would not permit them. They then took it into their heads, that the fubfidy ought to be expended in the payment of their private debts. They accordingly wrote to Mr. Du rand on this fubjed, who referred the matter to Dumouriez, and he tranfmitted them a dired refufal. On this they complained to the duke duke d'Aiguillon; the military commanders had already done the fame.'- Every b.pdy repro bated the rigour of the envoy, who, on his part,. fent home a circumftantial account of all thefe matters to the minifter, in two or three dif ferent difpatches, conftantly demanding at the fame time to be relieved from his charge, and announcing, that whether a fucceffor was ap pointed or not, he would take his departure on the firft of September, becaufe the cpufedera-! tion would about that time be drawing to a clofe. The duke d'Aiguillon found that all was right, merely becaufe every thing became daily worfe, and exhorted the envoy to patience ; he announced however, that he would communi cate his reiterated offers of refignation to the king. The confederation having begged fome alms from Saxony, and iffued promiflory notes, was at length enabled to fet off for Bilitz, very much offended at Dumouriez, who was equally angry on his part ; nay, he reproached it in all his letters, with its fcandalous condud. As to the military leaders, he ufed ftill lefs ceremony with them. Having learned that Pulawfki had boafted that he would feize and carry him to Czenftochow, and oblige him to fupply him with ( 267 ) with money by force, he faid to him while fitting in council : " Do not prefume, Pulawfki, to make fuch an attempt, for if you do, I will blow out your brains at the head of your Towaricz." They wereafraid of him, becaufe he had caufed three Towaricz to be condemned to death, who, after ravifhing a woman, had cut off her arm. Having learned that the army of Pulawfki, of which they formed part, had fworn not to fuffer the fentence to be executed, he had drawn them up in three lines, and doling the fquare with two hundred infantry and two cannon loaded with grape fhot, at the head of which he himfelf was placed, having Pulawfki and Miaczinfki on each fide of him by way of hoftages, he caufed the moft culpable, called Bonikorfki, to be put to death, and demanded pardon for the other two, in the name of the king of France. This inftance of intrepidity had rendered him terrible to them, but he was ftill more hated than feared. He however cared but little for this, being refolved to take his leave of them in a very fhort time, if he did not fucceed,in ren dering them obedient, provided they fhould be able to form an army, an event of which he now defpaired. The whole month of March and one half of ( 268 ) of June were confumed in thefe difputes ; his fpies then brought him intelligence that Su- warow expeded a reinforcement, which was marching from Sendomir towards the Do- nayecz, and that he himfelf was preparing to make a grand movement. On this he fent Pulawfki towards the Donayecz, and Miaczinlki to Scavina, which was the central point where they were to affemble from all the different quarters. On the 18th he received a letter from Pulawfki, intimating that this was a falfe alarm ; that there was not a fingle Ruffian on the right bank of the Viftula, towards the Donayecz ; and that the latter river was ftill very deep, and even impaffable. He neverthelefs diftrufted this report, as he was well acquainted with the negligence of the Poles, and had received a very different account relative to both of thefe fubjeds. He therefore difpatched Walewfki with four hundred cavalry to Tyniec, and iffued orders to colonel Schuetz, who, as well as his regiment of huffars, was at Sucha, to advance to Scavina. He was bulled during that and the fucceeding day in preparing a convoy of artillery, and making the necefiary difpofitions to rejpin the troops. On the 20th he flept at the houfe of the ( 269 ) the count de Dunin at Zator, and he received intelligence from Miaczinflci, in the courfe of the fame night, that the Donayecz had been abandoned, that he did not know what had become of Pulawfki, who had carried away more than fix thoufand men with him ; that he had taken poft on the high ground at Cracow, near to Kremionki, with five hundred horfe and that Suwarow was employed in recon- flruding the bridge. Dumouriez inftantly got on horfeback, ac companied only by his French efcort, and rode ftraight to Scavina, where he found the enemy. Having proceeded towards Kremionki, he per ceived Suwarow, who had croffed the Viftula. He found a company of Towaricz in a neigh bouring village, with their horfes unfaddled, they themfelves being employed in drinking; the Ruffians were not at that moment above a quarter a mile from them. He carried them along with him, and the peafants having told him that they had obferved a body of troops marching on the fide of Calvary, he went thither ; this proved to be the united parties under Miaczinlki and Schuetz, who had effeded a jundion. An officer at length arrived from Pulawfki with ( '270 ) with a letter informing him, that on perceiving the enemy had croffed the Donayecz, he had thought proper to gain the defiles on purpofe to fall on their rear. He immediately fent this officer back again with a letter conjuring him to return ; he alfo conveyed two other meffages to him. Not content with this, he told Miac zinflci to keep poffeffion of the paffes, and to retreat gently towards Landfcron, where he would rejoin him. He then remounted his horfe, and flew after Pulawfki. When he had proceeded five leagues he received an infolent letter from that chief, in which he told him that he would not receive any orders from a foreign er; that he was determined to carry on the war after his own manner ; and that if he intended to follow him, he muft proceed to Zamofc or Lepolo, whither he was about to repair. This letter was dated at Rabku, ten leagues from Landfcron. Having no longer any hope of being able either to bring him backer to prevail on him to liften to his advice, he gave up the purfuit, and foon after found that colonel Schuetz had returned quietly to his quarters at Sucha; heat the fame time received a note from Miaczinflci, Hating that he was entirely abandoned, as thefe did not then remain ( 271 ) remain two hundred horfe with him : on the departure of Pulawlki, Miaczinflci ought ftill to have had more than five hundred cavalry. Walewlki difplayed great ability in his manoeuvres, for on learning the defedion of Pu lawlki, and the flight of the other troops, he had enticed Suwarow towards Tyniec. This general had tried to carry that place on the 20th ; after having twice taken and loft a re doubt, he left two hundred dead behind him, and advanced haftily againft Calvary. On the fame day, Dumouriez having difpatched Sqhuetz to rejoin Miaczinflci, along with feme other corps colleded by him for that purpofe, was forced to fpend feveral hours at Sucha, to re- frefh his horfes, they having travelled more than fixty leagues in three days. He arrived at Landfcron on the 22d of June, at feven o'clock in the morning. The caftle of Landfcron on one fide ter minates a hill fomewhat lefs than a mile in length, and about five hundred paces in breadth. The town is fituated below the caftle, and a garrifon of fix hundred infantry, fupported by thirty pieces of cannon, was then fta tioned in them. Behind this eminence is a pretty gentle Hope, with a country interfperfed with ( 272 ) with woods, leading to Sucha. In front, and on the right flank, are two impenetrable ac clivities, ftudded with clumps of fir trees. Dumouriez here infpeded the army, which he found was reduced to a thoufand cavalry. He had along with him two hundred chajfeurs commanded by French officers ; he threw a hundred of thefe into a wood of pines, a little before his front, and a hundred more into a fimilar wood on his right, where he alfo placed two pieces of cannon ; his left flank was fup ported by Landfcron. His field of battle over looked an oppofite riling ground, while the cannon of the caftle at the fame time fcoured it ; thofe of the Ruffians,which were of an inferiour caliber, were not brought nearer than within two hundred paces of the Polifh line. Suwarow made a movement which expofed him to be beaten. He had about three thou fand horfe, and two thoufand five hundred infantry along with him. Leaving his infantry on the height, he caufed his horfe to defcend into the ravine, on purpofe to clamber up after wards to the foreft of fir trees. Dumouriez difpatched a meffenger to tell his chajfeurs to conceal themfelves in the wood in order to let the cavalry pafs, and not to fire a fhot, as the enemy's ( 273 ) enerhy*s horfe would be difperfed and broken in their afcent. He announced to the Poles that they would be vidorious, for whenever the cavalry arrived at the top of the eminence they had only to charge them inftantly, without allowing them time to form. They promifed to perform prodigies. No fooner however had two very fine Ruffian regiments, thofe of St. Peterlburg and Aftra- can, made their appearance, than they all dif perfed. He wifhed to charge at the head of the Lithuanians of Orfewfko with the prince Sapieha, but thefe cowards betook themfelves to flight, killed Sapieha, a young and courageous prince, with their own hands ; Orfewfko and feveral other brave men were alfo put to death by them. He then ran to the huffars of Schuetz, who, inftead of ufing their fabres, difcharged their carabines and fled. The Ruffians, who were themfelves aftonifhed at their own fuc cefs, did not advance, but took this opportunity to form their line. Miaczinflci, now become furious, rallied fome brave Towaricz, threw himfelf into the midft of the Ruffians, was difmounted, wounded, and taken prifoner. Walewlky, whofe corps formed the left wing, retired in good order behind Landfcron. All Vol. I. T the I 374 ) the reft ran away. The Coffacks purfued, for more than half a league, this body of cavalry, which had not deftroyed four of the Ruffians, while it loft three hundred in killed, wounded, and prifoners. Left on the field of battle with his little French fquadron, Dumouriez was careful not to throw himfelf among the fugitives; he retired by a road leading through the wood, without being fo much as followed, and ar rived at Sucha at noon ; he there found the regiment of Schuetz huffars, which had fuffered but very little. In the mean time the French chajfeurs had taken a circuit along the woods, and thrown themfelves into Landfcron, which now began to open a brifk fire on the enemy's cavalry, who were foon obliged to abandon this very dangerous field of battle, carrying along with them their prifoners and the two pieces of cannon, which, after having fired fome fhot at too great a diftance to produce any effed, were abandoned, the officer not having even fenfe enough to throw them into the ravine. This is what the Ruffians and Poles were then pleafed to call the battle of Landfcron; it lafted about half an hour, and the former did not lofe any of their men except in the retreat, by { 275 ) by meahs of the cannon of Landfcron, and on the fucceeding day, when they endeavoured to in- fult that place, which was now provided with a garrifon of eight hundred infantry, and four or five hundred cavalry. Walewfki had the audacity to purfue them on their retiring, and even to defcend into the plain along with them. Suwarow then fat down once more before Tyniec, which he however was not able to take; but Ofwiecim and Bobrecq were both evacuated. Walewfki retreated to Biala, which Branicki now malked with twelve hundred of that very cavalry of the crown, which would have joined the confederates, had they but proved vidorious. General Stampa, who commanded the Auftrian line, caufed it to be intimated to the Ruffians not to attack Biala, which they could not do without injuring the Auftrian town, fituated on the oppofite fide of the river. Dumouriez thus beheld all his hopes blafted by the defedion of Pulawfki, who went as far as Leopol to be beaten, endeavoured to furprife Zamofc, which would not open its gates to him, then returned by the fame road he had fet out, paffed -along the mountains through Kente and Bohucq, and came back to T 2 Czenftochow, ( 276 ) Czenftochow, having traverfed a hundred and fifty leagues of territory, and being at length both abafhed, and repentant : but it was too late. Dumouriez had now loft the three chiefs Pn whom he relied moft : Sapieha and Or- zewfko, who were killed, and Miaczinfki, who was made prifoner. The troops belonging to the laft of thefe were difperfed in fuch a manner, that there* did not remain above five or fix hundred, and thefe were in bad order, and poorly commanded. There were then no more, in all Little Poland, than about two thoufand infantry, diftributed in three places, and fix or feven hundred more ftationed in Biala and Czenftochow, to make head againft the Ruffians. The body under Zaremba remained ftill entire, but he was too cunning, and indeed too prudent, to hazard any thing with fuch companions. Walewlki, including the remnant of Mi-aczinlki's troops, had not more than two thoufand horfe. The fait mines were entirely loft, and that too, without any advantage having been reaped from them ; and the contingent of Courland, and the infantry of the palatinate of Cracow were become mere chimeras. So far was the money which he had at Bilitz from being fufficient to pay, and 7 feed ( 277 ) . feed the garrifons, that three times as much would have been abfolutely neceffary for that purpofe. In addition to this, he was enraged at the condud , of the Poles, both political and military. Having at length come to the refolution of abandoning1 every thing, he repaired to the houfe of the neareft infurgent, which happened to be at a place called Fritzka, whither general Emerick Efterhafy, with whom he was inti mate, and 'feveral other Hungarian nobles, went to fee him. Thence he tranfmitted an account of every thing to the minifter, referring him at the fame time to what he had predided in the pre- ceeding difpatehes, efpecially thofe written on his fetting out for the army. On his departure from EperieSj he had an nounced in a full affembly of the confederation, that he was about to try whether he could not render their military operations more vigorous and confiftent ; he had affured them at the fame time under the fandion of an oath, that, pro vided he were feconded, he would facrifice himfelf for their interefts, as if he were their own countryman ; but that if the leaders and their followers conduded themfelves in the fame manner as hitherto, and fruftrat- T 3 ed ( 278 ) ted his good intentions, he would entirely abandon them to themfelves. Not only the troops, but the chiefs and the counfellors of war themfelves, who were inflruded to co operate with him, had adually thwarted all his plans. Accordingly, he now wrote to the confede ration, that it had only to remember the oath he had taken; that, faithful to his promife, he confidered himfelf as henceforth difengaged from the care of fuperintending their military operations ; that he waited in the country for letters of recal, as he flood in need of repofe; and that he was perfuaded his fucceffor, whofe arrival might be foon expeded, would affuredly be more complaifant and agreeable to them than himfelf. He accordingly went and paid a vifit to count Potocki, flaroft of Halicz, with whom he was intimate, and at whofe houfe he waited the minifter's final orders. The con federation, now reduced to a- ftate of confter- nation, fent feveral deputations to him. They prevailed upon Pulawfki to afk him pardon, both perfonally and in writing, and alfo to put himfelf under his command ; he then very eafily proved to them that he never pretended to iffue any dired prders, and that he had always caufed his. ( 279 ) his opinions to be clothed with the fandion of the council; he told Pulawlki and the other deputies, that he acknowledged himfelf in the wrong, to endeavour to enforce a fyftem to which they could not be brought to fubfcribe, and that, as he was utterly ignorant of their mode of warfare, he would no longer inter meddle with it. In the mean time he wrote to the confe deration, and advifed them, not to be difcouraged, as they were in poffeffion of feveral towns, and a fmall body of infantry, which it was their bufinefs to augment; that, exclufive of the army of Lithuania, they might ftill reckon more than fifteen thoufand good cavalry, and were therefore in a better condition than on his arrival among them ; that the Ruffians not having received any reinforcement, and not being in a ftate to retake their fortified places, if they adopted proper meafures, they might by little and little regain the whole country, or at leaft aflume fuch a formidable poftur.e, as to be able to negotiate. The counts Pac and Bohucz foon after came to fee him. To thefe he unbofomed himfelf as a friend, and confeffed that their fituation was defperate. Bohucz acknowledged T 4 it. ( 280 ) it. " Apply," faid he," to the duke d'Aiguillon and Mr. Durand, not to fupport you, for that is impoflible, but to make your peace." At length he complied with their entreaties, and rejoined the confederation, not to continue his miffion, for he perfifted in refufing them both money and advice, but to prevent the court of Warfaw from enjoying the triumph of this rupture. In truth, their affairs were in a moft horrible fituation, for in the courfe of this campaign the Turks were driven from Mol davia, < and were foon after forced to conclude a peace. He was much afflided at this unhappy turn, and he informed his friend madame de Mnif- zeck, that his heart was intirely confumed by chagrin. He pitied the unhappy Poles not withftanding their exceffive faults, and this commiferation was fo much the more juft, as the duke d'Aiguillon completed their difgrace by a refinement in perfidy and bafenefs, fb much the more horrible, as' it was unattended with any ufeful purpofe. From the very commencement of his mif fion, Dumouriez had conftantly intimated, that he was fure of count Oginfki, who could bring over a body of troops belonging to the army ( *28i ) anrry of Lithuania, amounting to at leaft five or fix thoufand men, without reckoning a large portion of the nobility of that duehy. The count Wielhorfki, his brother inlaw, gave fimilar affurances at Paris. But Dumouriez at the fame time reprefented, that the example of what had happened to prince Radzivil, who had been deprived, almoft without a fhot, of his ftrong holds in Lithuania ; prince Dafch- koff, at the head of a fmall number of Ruffian troops, having befieged, and forced him and count Pac to capitulate, in the well fortified town of Niefvicze, although they were double in point of number to the affailants ; rendered ' every degree of circumfpedion neceffary as to the choice of the time for an infurredion in Li* thuania. That if even, which was to be hoped, count Oginfki, at the head 'of better difciplined troops, fhould be able to make a more fuccefsful refiftance ; yet, as he was behind the army under Weymarn, on one fide, and as, on the other, troops might be fent againft him from Livonia, the Ukraine, or Mufcovy, his ruin would be inevitable, fhould bis infurredion prove partial ; and not only if it did not form part of a general plan of attack, but alfo if the troops of Great and Little Poland did not relieve - him either by means of adual fuccours, or a dired (282 ) dired jundion, or affift by making a diverfion which would occupy the Ruffians elfewhere : in fine, the premature infurredion of count Oginfki would ferve only to plunge him and all his partifans into infallible ruin. Poland had but too much fuffered already, from the want of connedion between its weak and : feparate confederations, which had been fubdued one after the other : he therefore had conftantly obferved, that the minifter of France ought to ad as a good father, in refped to this nation, that had thrown itfelf into his arms; that being unable to afford.it a dired and formidable fupport, he could at leaft give it counfel in which energy and prudence might be united; that if the Polifh confederation could -not be reduced to one powerful mafs, capable of reconquering its liberty, it belonged to the paternal generofity of the king, to fave as many, individuals as poffible, by, preventing them from ruining themfelves by an ufelefs infurredion ; that it would be wifer to referve them for another occafion, and to wait for more favourable circumftances; that an oppofite con dud would evidently favour of Machiavelian duplicity, and by facrificing a whole nation would difhonour our politics. Thefe ( 283 ) Thefe prudent reprefentations had fucceeded with the duke de Choifeul, although he was eager for a general war ; but they had no weight with the duke d'Aiguillon, although he affeded an oppofite fyftem ; they even feemed to give a new edge to his duplicity. Gerard had a brother, named Renneval, who was then either eonful or refident at Darttziek. He entrufted him to treat feparately with count Oginfki, on purpofe to engage him to declare himfelf. Not content with this, d'Aiguillon fent a French colonel, called the chevalier de Murinois, to this nobleman. It was in vain that Dumouriez renewed his reprefentations. He caufed the count Ogin fki to be diredly informed of the un neceffary danger, to which he was about to expofe him felf; he even • defired WilhPrfki to endeavour to fave his brother-in-law and Lithuania, by preventing him from liftening ' to thefe per fidious infinuations : but all was to no purpofe. That very epoch when the mif-^ fortunes of Poland wouid admit of no remedy, was precifely fixed upon to force Oginfki to declare himfelf, which he did in the month of September. This chieftain accordingly commenced his imprudent infurredion. Colo- 4 nel C 284 ) nel Albeczew, at the head of a thoufand Ruf fians, on this marched to Pinfk, where he af- fembled his adherents. Not fo much as an adion enfued ; the whole affembly difperfed on the ap proach of. Albiczew, the unfortunate Oginfki was obliged to fly to Dantzick, and the laft re- fource of Polifh liberty was thus annihilated. After the fatal epoch of the defeat at Land fcron, the condud of Dumouriez was in dired oppofition to that of the minifter, for he had reftored their fignatures to feveral of the magnats, advifing them at the fame time not to involve themfelves unneceffarily ; he had alfo advifed the countefs Mnifzeck, Pac, Bohucz, and feveral others, either to make their peace with the court of Warfaw, or to folicit pro- tedion at Peterlburg, Berlin, or Vienna, in order to fave their properties and their families. He even forewarned the leaders of the confede ration to be upon their guard againft their own iUufions, or the falfe hopes by which they might be infpired by others. He was then perfuaded, and is at this moment more than ever con vinced, that true policy ought to be frank and open, and that a good caufe is but little ferved by employing perfidy and falfehood in treating with foreign nations. Soon ( 285 ) Soon after this, he received intelligence, that the duke d'Aiguillon had appointed the baron de Viomefnil, a major-general of acknowledged military talents, and great good fenfe, to fucceed him. The charader of this officer was at once noble, generous, and frank. A fine figure, much amiablenefs, and invincible courage, uncommon good fortune, and great adions, had juftly elevated him to military honours. He is at prefent the beft general in the army ferving under the prince de Conde againft the French anarchifts. At his departure he had received very unfavourable impreffions againft his pre- decefibr, now in difgrace, and been provided with certain inftrudions, which, in the hands of a man lefs juft and honourable, might have proved his ruin. Dumouriez received a copy of thefe in ftrudions in a very extraordinary manner. There was a clerk employed in Gerard's office, who did not poflefs much efteem for his fu- periour. He had never feen Dumouriez, and was wholly unknown to him. He had been long and paffionately defirous of the fuccefs of the Polifh revolution, but had never entertained any hopes on this fubjed, until he had perufed the difpatches of that envoy. He read themover, ( 286 ) over, and over again, and became exceedingly attached to their author. He was often obliged to copy others, that were in exprefs oppo- fition to that plan, which appeared to him to be the beft. He had experienced great joy from the firft moment that he heard of the fucceff- ful invafion of the palatinate of Cracow; he loft all hope after the adion at Landfcron ; but far from throwing the blame of this misfortune upon the agent, he at once pitied and juftified him. He was enraged on perufing the inftruc- tions, which were intended to ruin him, and had the boldnefs to tranfmit him a copy of them, enclofed in a blank cover; it was not until four years afterwards, that he difcovered to whom he was indebted for this communica tion. The paper in queftion was replete with falfe notions, intending to deceive general Viomef nil. The ftate of the forces of the confede ration, reckoning from the period preceding the route at Landfcron, was depided as very confiderable. He was accordingly prefented with a detail of twenty thoufand excellent cavalry; four thoufand infantry, which might be increafed in a three, or even a four-fold pro portion ; five or fix ftrong towns, before which the ( 287 ) the Ruffians had been repeatedly foiled ; and more than one hundred and fifty pieces of cannon. In addition to all thefe means of defence, it announced the approaching infurredion in Li thuania, and nearly the certainty of the defertion of the army of the crown, which would af furedly join him. Thus was held out a ma gical defcription of fifty or fixty thoufand men, who were made to fpring out of the earth, by the mere motion of a conjurer's wand, in addition to an auguft fenate living in ftrid union, fubdivided into feveral councils, and keeping envoys in almoft all courts. , The next article refpeded Dumouriez; it began with fome perfidious eulogiums, and by an avowal that his ideas and his induftry had contributed to this brilliant ftate of affairs ; but all the bad fuccefs, that afterwards occurred, was attributed to his inexperience, petulance, obftinacy, and gigantic projecls. It was in timated to Viomefnil, that he would find many complaints and accufations againft this envoy annexed, fome from the members of the con federation (even from Pac himfelf), others from military leaders, and ftill more from the French adventurers, who, after having gotten pay, and additional, rank, hoped to meliorate their ( z88 ) their fituation by calumniating him to the new* minifter. As moft of thefe complaints appeared to originate in the refufal of money, great tineaftnefs was difcovered on the mode of his employing the fubfidy, and Viomefnil was inftruded to make him render a fcrupulous account of it. The remainder of the accufa- tions related to the abufe of his authority, and the harfhnefs of his condud. Dufnouriez did not choofe to lofe any of the papers relative to the affairs of Poland, as they might one day prove ufeful ; and as Viomefnil, with whom he was unacquainted, might have received orders to feize them, he tied up a fmall packet, which he confided to the care of his faithful coufin Chateauneuf, and he made him fet out for Vienna, under pretence of meeting and returning with his fucceffor ; but excufing himfelf on account of his health, Which was very delicate, he continued his journey to France, where he depofited his charge in fafety. Thefe have become a prey to the anarchifts, as well as the " memoirs relative to "Poland," and " remarks on Hungary," which he had drawn up at his leifure moments. He had retained no other than fuch pieces as were ( 289 ")¦ Were neceffary for certifying his faithful em ployment of the fubfidy. Viomefnil arrived at Bilitz at the beginning of September ; he was at firft exceedingly cold and referved with his predeceffor, who, fludying his charader, waited patiently for the moment of obtaining his confidence. After hearing the tales of his accufers, after fearching on all fides, on purpofe to realife the brilliant pidure pf the ftrength and expedations held out in his de ceitful inftrudions, neither finding abilities among the Poles, agreement in their affembly, fixed plan, nor adual army, he refigned himfelf to the honefty and franknefs of his temper, and waited one morning on Dumouriez, in company with an engineer called Menouville, a man of great talents, who poffeffed and de ferved all his confidence; then reaffuming his natural charader, a very cordial explanation enfued, which produced a friend-fhip that hai united them ever fince. He did not even conceal, that he knew his in ftrudions to be extremely hoftile to him, and that in confequence of this, he had taken the precaution to tranfmit his papers to France ; but. at the fame time affured him, that this cir- cumftance fhould npt prevent him from af- Vol. I. U fording ( 290 ) fording him all the information, of which he might be defirous, becaufe he could depend -upon his memory. He in truth, was fo certain of its fidelity, that in 1 794, three and twenty years after this event, notwithftanding his head was occupied with ftill more important affairs, without one fingle document before him, and without even a map, the proper names, the places, the pofitions, the particulars of the bufinefs and the intrigues, as alfo the dates, all prefent themfelves in order, and with exad- nefs, while he is employed in writing on this He then informed him of the very unpro- mifing ftate in which he had found the con federation, the flattering appearance which its affairs had for a moment affumed on his plans being purfued, the defperate fituation to which it was now reduced through its own mifcon- dud, the dangers refulting from the falfe and deceitful politics of the court of France, and the difafters which would enfue in confequence of the difgraces experienced by the Turks ; as thefe would affuredly complete the ruin of this chimerical revolution, and the certainty of the approaching partition of Poland. He concluded by advifing him not to rifle his military re- * - putation, ( 29I ) putation, by putting himfelf at the head of fuch troops, an objedion which did not apply to himfelf, as he was no more than a fimple colonel. He finally prefented him with a ftatement of his expenfes, which only amount ed to one hundred and fixty-five thoufand livres ; he left him one hundred thoufand livres in hand, out of the fums provided for 1770, and the whole appointments for 1771, which had never been touched. Viomefnil and Menouville were aftonifhed at what they heard. The general preffed him exceedingly to remain, promifing in that cafe to get him appointed a brigadier : he perfifted however in his refufal, and the baron de Vio mefnil will doubtlefs remember his anfwer. He faid, that if thefe were French troops, he would moft willingly ferve under his com mand, were he only to head fifty dragoons; but that, after having fuperintended the military and political affairs of the confederation, he could not ad in a fubordinate capacity ; that the Poles were lofty, and himfelf proud ; and that he fhould be perpetually involved in quarrels, which would render his fervices abor tive. The general acknowledged the juftice of his obfervations, demanded information re- U 2 fpeding ( 292 ) fpeding certain particulars from him, Which he readily communicated, and he fold his horfes and carriages to him, on his depar ture. Viomefnil had the honefty to inform the duke d'Aiguillon, that Dumouriez's plans were excellent, and that, had they been purfued, every thing would have fucceeded. He pre fented him, among other papers, with a fcheme for furprifing the caftle of Cracow. This projed was very excellent ; he had kept it by him during two months, and referved it for a period when he fhould be provided with more infantry; as : alfo another for getting poffeffion of Zamofc, which was to be delivered up to him. He wifhed to bring thefe two projeds, the infurredion of Lithuania, and his eftablifh ment. at Sendomir, all into play at the fame time. Their partial execution appeared to him to be more hurtful, than advantageous. , After his departure, Viomefnil, in conformity with, his enterprifing charader, and his re- fiance, on his good fortune, hoping alfo to be able to aroufe the Poles from their apathy, and reftore to them that energy and adivity which they had loft, caufed the caftle of : Cracow to be furprifed by the brave Choify, who ( 293 ) who fince died a lieutenant -general, and whom, as well as twenty other excellent officers be longing to the light troops, he had- brought along with him. The Ruffians marched to befiege the place, and Viomefnil was never able to unite the polifh cavalry in order to fuccour it. Choify, after fullaining a memo rable fiege, which did infinite honour to the French, and which forms one of thofe very brilliant epochs fo common in their military hiftory, was obliged to capitulate, after de fending this paltry fortrefs during two months. The partition of Poland enfued in confe quence of the treaty of Berlin, and Viomefnil returned into France, after having fulfilled a difficult, unfuccefsful, and difagreeable mif fion. Such are the great outlines of the revolution in Poland, in which Dumouriez aded a part, and concerning which he has treated fomewhat at large, on purpofe to fupply the memoirs which he had drawn up, as they have been fince loft, The Poles' are ftill rriore to be pitied than blamed. TheprinCes, who have difmembered their vaft territories, were all guarantees of their conftitution, and their liberty. They are brave, generous, polifhed, and y 3 fpciable, . ( 294 ) fpeiable/. At the period now alluded to, genius, talents, and adivity, were all monopolifed by the females. The women tranfaded bufinefs, and , exhibited energy, while, the men led a voluptuous life, and addided themfelves wholly to gallantry. Dumouriez, by way of defcribing them to the duke of Choifeul, termed them in one of his difpatches " the Afiatics of Europe." They poffefs the moft ardent defire of liberty, and they will facrifice their fortune, and even life, to that paffion, without the leaft hefitation; but t^eir fecial fyftem and their conftitution oppofe all their efforts, and even turn them againft themfelves. . Their infttrredions are fo many flafhes of lightning, that only ferve to kindle the fires in the neighbouring fmithies, where their chains are forged. Their flavery has already endured for feventy years, that is to fay, from the time when Peter the Great founded the Ruffian empire. It is from this period that they ought to have formed confederations, and to have been fupported by the powers interefted in oppofing the grandeur of that new people. They fight for their con ftitution : to preferve their liberty, they ought to begin by deftroying it. The Polifh con ftitution is a pure ariftocracy, but one in which the ( 295 ) the nobles have not a people to govern, for this name cannot be given to eight or ten thoufand bondmen, fixed to the foil, who do not poflefs any political exiftence, and whofe flavery is fold, bought, bartered, inherited, and follows every mutation of property, exadly in the fame manner as if they were domeftic animals. The fecial body of the Poles is a monfter compofed of an union of heads and ftomachs, without either arms or legs. Their regulations, and penal code, refemble thofe of the fugar colonies, which, for the very fame reafon, will never be able to fupport their independence. The Polifh nation con- fifted only, before the partition, of a fecial body of eight or nine hundred thoufand nobles, feattered over a furface, which, under another form of government, would have been able to have maintained thirty rnillions of freemen. The Spartans, indeed, had their helots ; in the fame manner as the Poles their enflaved pea- fantry : but the former occupied a very confined portion of territory, poffeffed auftere manners, harfh laws, and a well ordered government. The Spartans armed their helots, made ufe of them in time of war, and fupplied with them U 4 the ( 296 ) the diminution of inhabitants, when the city became depopulated, by elevating a certain number to the rank of citizens. The noble Poles, on the other hand, dare not entruft arms in the hands of their Haves, and never admit them to the honour of nobility. At Sparta, property was in common, the citizens were all equal, the kings were con ftantly natives, and the office hereditary, the ephori moderated their authority, and there did not exift any means whatever of corruption. In Poland the hereditary offices, the palatines, caftlewards, and ftarofties, have produced an immenfe inequality among the citizens, that is to fay, the nobles ; every eledion of a king is a renewal of corruption and venality; and the tumultuous annual diets, and, above all, the liberum veto, have confpired to enfeeble the republic, by throwing it, in confequence of its very conftitutional forms, into anarchy, and diforder. Even the confederations them felves are the means of enfeebling the country on account of their very legality, and by the pradice with, which the Poles have become familiar of fporting with, and rendering them a fruitful fpurce of difcord, and intrigues. It would, therpfore, have been neceflary, if the ( 297 ) the Poles wifhed to be really in a ftate of freedom, to have abolifhed their conftitution at the beginning of the prefent century, and acquired a mafs of citizens proportioned to their territory, by rendering their peafants free. Their charaders then would have been fully and advantageoufly difplayed, and they would have formed a refpedable nation, for their virtues are their own, and their vices apper tain to their infupportable conftitution. The parts of Poland hitherto invaded have gained by a change of mafters. That portion which remains ftill forms a territory confiderable enough to become an independent power, if it were to admit of a free and fecial fyftem, which, by rendering all the cultivators of the foil citizens, would intereft the whole body in its exiftence as a nation. It would. be a great effort, but it is abfolutely neceffary, if they wifh that a Polifh nation fhould exift. If they themfelves do not adopt this decifive part, nothing can prevent the partition from being complete. The republic, or kingdom of Poland, will be then effaced from the annals of Europe, in the fame manner as the Affyrian and Roman empires, and thofe of fo many other nations, are fwept from the annals ( 298 ) annals of mankind. Is it an evil ? Is it a bleffing ? Providence alone can tell. Men are children who fport ferioufly with their exiftence, until its unchangeable decrees, whether they will or not, fix their deftiny. CHAP. ( 299 ) -': 'v-- / ;' ."1 CHAP. IX. Dumouriez returns to France. Dumouriez felt much regret on taking leave of the baron de Viomefnil, and fome Poles, more efpecially Bohucz, who died in, France a few years afterwards ; he had gone thither in fearch of an afylum. This man poffeffed an exalted charader, and a vail genius. Had the confederation proved fuccefsful, he would have governed, and changed the face of Poland. Dumouriez fet off in company with the count de Segur, a captain of dragoons, who had aded as his aide-de-camp ; and being in no hafte to return home, as he was certain of receiving a very cool reception, he prolonged his journey for the fake of information; pro ceeded through Hungary, where he left many friends ; traverfed Bohemia, to furvey the fields in which the great Frederick had reaped all his , 6 glory; ( 3°Q ) glory; vifited the camp of Pirna in Saxony; ftaid fome time at Drefden, and Leipfic; and then croffed to Frankfort ; whence re-entering France by Bruffels and Mons, he relied him felf for fome time with his fifter, the abbefs of Fervaques, at St. Quentin, and did not arrive at Paris until the heginning of January 1772. The count de Broglio, Mr. Chauvelin, and Favier, all announced that the minifter for foreign affairs was enraged againft him. He had forborn, out of mere delicacy, to dedud his appointments from the fubfidy ; his falary was nine months in arrear, and the fum due to him was twenty- feven thoufand livres. He had expended near forty thoufand livres of his pa trimony in the courfe of this unfortunate mif fion. He accordingly repaired to Verfailles, and de manded an audience of the duke d'Aiguillon. This was granted him, and it proved a very warm one. The duke, whom he had never feen before, addreffed him as follows in a very lofty and irritated tone of voice : ** Ah ! it is you. I hope that you do not exped any recompenfe ?" " Ltruft you are too juft, monfieur le due, to put me under the neCeffity of foliciting any." " Very ( 3©i ) " Very well, you lhall not have any J the king is exceedingly difcqntented with you." "It appears to me, that he ought to be fatisfied with the report of the baron de Viomefnil." *' No, fir. I have three fubjeds of complaint againft you." " What is the firft?" cried Dumouriez in a haughty manner. The duke, equally aftonifhed at the queftion, and the tone in which it was put, exclaimed, at the fame time Hammering with anger, " Do you dare to interrogate me ? Know that I am able to punifh you." " I am not foolifh enough, monfieur le due, to doubt your power. I poflefs no other patri mony than my good condud. You fay you have three fubjeds of complaint againft me, and you appear very much irritated : I befeech you to tell me the firft of them." " You have form ed mad and gigantic projeds." " This charge does not apply to me alone, for the king and council have confented to, and even you yourfelf have approved of them : I am in poffeffion of your own letters to this effed. What is the fecond accufation ?" *' The fecond, fir ? You have treated an affembly ( 3°2 y aflembly repreferiting a nation, and confiltlng of Polifh nobles, brutally and indecently." u That is untrue, Mr. le due; you have been impofed upon. However, let us difcri- minate : I havenever written or fpoken to, the confederation, which I endeavoured to exalt to the height of its dignity, but with refped ; yet I acknowledge that I have been feveral times obliged to treat individuals, even although they might be great lords, with harfhnefs. Both at Scavina and at Landfcron I rallied the fugi tives with the flat fide of my fabre, without inquiring whether they were nobles or not ; I only did then what the baron de Viomefnil will be obliged to do, and what you yourfelf would have done in my place. I muft tell you, that this complaint is unworthy of your attehtion. What is the third accufation ?" *' Oh ! to crown all, you have the infolence to bully me. You are one of the duke de Choifeul's creatures." " I am only the creature of God and my fword ; this epithet, therefore, can only apper tain to your footmen, and fo I fhall retire." Having accordingly opened the door for this purpofe, the duke added, " I fhall ( 3°3 ) " I fhall caufe you to be fhut up in the Baftille." ** You are able, no doubt, to fend me thither, but it is not you who will order me to be en larged." • " You are very hot-headed." " Monfieur le due, I am only converfant with balls, which are ftill hotter than my head. But why do you treat me fo harfhly ?" On this the duke affumed a calmer afped, and faid to him gracioufly enough, " I intend at leaft to be juft ; you have informed me that your ap pointments are due, and I fhall caufe them td be moft pundually difcharged ; but do not ex- ped any thing more of me." " Very good. I only applied myfelf inci-i dentally to foreign affairs, and I have had enough of them ; I fhall addrefs myfelf to the minifter at war." In the courfe of a week afterwards, his falary was accordingly paid him. On fallying forth from this warm conference, he inftantly repaired to the houfe of the mar quis de" Monteynard, minifter at war, whom alfo he had never feen before. This minifter was fhut up in his cabinet. The valet-de- chambre, after announcing his name, defired him C 3°4 ) him to return fome other day, as his maftef had not then time to fpeak to him. Enraged at this anfwer, he burft open the door, fhut it after him, and interrupted Mr. de Monteynard, who, with a very cold air, demanded why he prefumed to force himfelf into the apartment of a minifter ? " You perceive that I am exceedingly moved," replied he ; " hear me, however, and you fhall determine whether I am in the wrong." He then recapitulated with much emotion the particulars of his recent converfation with the duke d'Aiguillon. During the recital, the grave and forbidding countenance of Mr. de Mon teynard became animated ; he felt for him, and affured him, that he fhould not experience the fame injuftice at his hands. Mr. de Monteynard detefted the duke d'Ai guillon : and all the duke de Choifeul's party, efpecially the prince de Conde, who had ele vated him to the miniftry, fupported him in office in oppofition to the new miniftry. The conference became exceedingly long ; and, in the courfe of four days afterwards, Mr. de M. attached him with three thoufand livres pay to the regiment of Lorraine, of which the count de Viomefnil, brother to the general,charged ( 3°5 ) charged with the miffion in Poland, and with whom he had been acquainted ever fince the Corfican war, was colonel. From that moment he enjoyed the confidence of the minifter at war on many occafions. , He recounted this adventure to the count de Broglio and Favier, and they made an article of it in the fecret correfpondence of Louis XV. That king detefted the duke d'Aiguillon, and had no opinion of his talents ; he was, how ever, more at his eafe with him than with the duke de Choifeul, whofe marked fuperiority in point of talents had always put him under re- ftraint. He fpent the year 1772 partly at Paris and partly at Verfailles, where he had hired apart ments at the death of his uncle. Being merely on the flaff of the legion of Lorraine, he was not liable to any- duty. This, however, did not preclude ftudy. The firft fruits of his labours confifted of " Inftrudions for Light Troops ;" this was a pradical treatife relative to that fpecies of warfare, which is carried on upon atfmall feale, and contained an account of every thing that an officer ought to learn in order to become a good partifan. He procured one of his difciples, called Monfigiiy, a troop of dra- Vol. I. X goons C 3°6 ) goons in the regiment of Lorraine, on purpofe to carry his inftrudions into execution. This plan fucceeded perfedly well, and would have been univerfally adopted, had it not been for the reforms introduced by Mr. de St. Germain in 1774. He was afterwards charged by the minifter at war to examine a new treatife relative to the management of the military hofpitals, drawn up by a phyfician of the name of Colombier. This work confifted of two parts, the one entitled " Military Hygeine," and the other " Mili tary Therapeutice." This produced difcuffions, and experiments were alfo made in hofpitals efta- blilhed exprefsly for that purpofe. But the pradice of the old adminiftrators of the royal hofpitals, and of the ancient fyftem of medicine, at length prevailed ; and this fcheme, which only produced a few flight amendments, and the re form of a few grofs abufes, procured him many enemies, on account of his having fupported Colombier, who, in other refpeds, was a, dangerous and bad man, but exceedingly well- informed. He was foon afterwards employed on labours of another kind, which occupied his attention during fix months. He had drawn up memo rials, ( 3*7 ) rials, in the Courfe of his travels, on the military regulations of Portugal, Spain, Pruffia, Ruffia, and Auftria. Mr. de Monteynard, to whom he communicated them, defired him to make out -a comparative and accurate analyfis of thefe; he accordingly portioned them out into fix fe parate columns, one of which included France. This clofe and conneded view of each of thefe fyllems, with differtations relative to fuch dif ferences in the national genius, as either render ed variation or oppofition neceffary, formed alto gether an inftrudive work : it is loft. Mr. de Monteynard was a minifter of mid dling talents, but a fenfible, hoheft, and induftri- ous man. He had ferved with reputation, was a good ftaff officer, and was intimately acquainted with the minutiae relative to the management of armies ; but out of the military line he was utterly ignorant. He was no longer at a time of life to ftudy the law of nations and their interefts, and he would not indeed have found time for that purpofe. Knowing his own de ficiency on thefe fubjeds, he often mentioned this matter to Dumouriez in their private con ferences ; and on purpofe to render'the fubjed more intelligible, the latter drew up a little Work for his ufe, entitled, " A Speculative De- X 2 fcription ( 3°« ) fcription of Europe ;" of this Loui3 XV re ceived a copy, which infpired him with a pre- diledion for the author, that produced his im- prifonment in the Baftille. It was alfo in the courfe of that fame year that he fketched out, in conjundion with Gui bert and de Lille, formerly commiffary of pro vifion in Corfica, a work relative to the ftates- general, of which the politicians of that day fuppofed we might ftand in need. No one of thefe three then imagined, that this precious refource would be produdive of the dreadful evils that have fince occurred in France. All the members of that witty, learned, and amiable fociety, with which he was then inti mate, are now dead ; happily for them, the greater part did not live to fee the revolution ! Thofe with whom he afterwards formed an acquaint ance, fuch as Bailly, Champfort, and others, have become its vidims. All his friends, his relations, and his companions in arms, have been either maffacred, or compelled to become fugitives. That Paris, then the refidence of wit and philofophy, is now the very fink of crimes. Blood has inundated all the ftreets which he formerly traverfed. Pillage has laid wafte all the houfes which he formerly vifited. He ( 3°9 ) He would not now be. able to find a fingle face there with which he was then acquainted. Atrocious licentioufnefs keeps its inhabitants in conftant terrour. The fans-culottes excepted, all the world cry out, " Long live liberty !" trem bling at the fame time at the idea of the guillo tine. He looks for his country, and finds no thing but ruins. He fearches for Frenchmen, and perceives only ferocious lavages covered with blood. Unhappy emigrants, ceafe to reproach each other with the evils that now overwhelm you. All Frenchmen, to whatever party they may belong, have received wrongs, and committed errours. May a mutual indulgence prepare them to re-unite, whenever this great deluge of blood and crimes fhall have paffed away ! He himfelf is too old to hope ever to behold regenerated France. Whatever may be the ftate that awaits him, he will die free, for his mind cannot be enchained, and his laft will fhall be in favour of his country and his countrymen, whatever may be their opinions, ruffians and tyrants only excepted, X 3 CHAP. 310 q H A p. x. The Revolution in Sweden, The marquis d'Offun and the duke de Cril- lon came to Paris in the courfe of this fame year. Dumouriez often faw the firft, and con ftantly expreffed towards him thofe fentiments of gratitude and attachment, which he fo juftly merited, He frequently met the fecond, who was extremely gay and amiable. He had been an officer in the king's regiment at the fame time with the duke d'Aiguillon, with whom he was intimately acquainted ; he accordingly took it iqto his head to infpire this minifter with a more favourable opinion of Dumouriez, and to render the latter attached to the duke. He had now been fix months in Paris, without ever having re-vifited the minifter. The officers who had returned from Poland received recom- pences, and were gratified with preferment, Mr. de Monteynard, however, had not courage enough to take advantage pf this opportunity to ( 3ir ) to procure the rank of brigadier for his injlruclor in politics, who fupported this mark of injuftice with a very philofophical degree of patience, although Mr. de Broglio and de Chauvelin, who appeared to be more affeded than himfelf, had endeavoured to get him included in this petty promotion. The duke de Crillon mentioned the circumftance to the duke d'Aiguillon, and in a few days afterwards he received a very gracious letter from this minifter, in doling an order for three thoufand livres on the depart ment of foreign affairs. He at the fame time defired him to call upon him, and on that oc- cafion affumed a very gracious air; but Du mouriez, who confidered this gratification as an affront, appeared very cool. On his entrance he drew the order out of his pocket, and reftor- ing it to him, faid, " I thank you, monfieur le due, for your good intentions, but I have not afked for any thing, and this is either too much or too little." The duke, who was petrified with aftonifhment, placed the order on his delk, and replied with a conftrained look, " It is very well." Dumouriez then retired, and they never met afterwards. Thus the friendly condud of the good duke de Crillon only ferved to embroil them ftill X 4. ¦ more. C 312 )* more. A few days afterwards Crillon faid to him, " I have juft feen the minifter, who is furious againft you ; he calls you a Britomar." " What is a Britomar?" laid he. " It is a proud man with an ungovernable charader, celebrated in the romance of Caffan- dra pf Calprenede." " Ah ! where did the duke d'Aiguillon ac quire fo much erudition ?" " We had no other kind of reading in the king's regiment ; and I am perfuaded, notwith ftanding his being a minifter, that he has never perufed any other books but romances." This converfation was not loft ; Louis XV read it in the fecret correfpondence. Dumouriez look ed over the romance of Caffandra, and was well enough contented with the charader of BRI TOMAR. It was this year that the king of Sweden changed the government of his native country. That revolution, conduded with much fecrecy and addrefs, did not coft a drop of blood ; but it laid the foundation pf all the wars, the con- fpiracies, and the crimes, of which the king was at length the vidim, and which ftill agi tate that unfortunate kingdom. Louis XV was very fond of this young monarch ; it is even pretended, ( 3l3 ) pretended, that he chalked out the plan followed by him ; this much is certain, that the count de Broglio, the friend of the Scheffers, who were the confidents of Guftavus III, had been much occupied relative to Sweden, during the pre ceding year. It was feared left the party of Axel Ferfen, who was at the head of the oppofition, fhould call in the affiftance of Ruffia ; and it was re- folved in that cafe, either to. tranfmit feven millions of livres, or fend 7000 men, in con formity with the treaty between France and Sweden. But as there was not any money in the treafury, Mr. d'Aiguillon wifhed to employ the German brigade on this occafion, and he intended to beftow the command of it on the mar quis de Caftries, afterwards marfhal of France, and minifter of the marine, whom he would not have been forry to have feen removed to a greater diftance. The marquis de Caftries was a handfome man, and the inheritance of the marfhal de Belle Ifle had rendered him very rich. He was exceedingly induftrioUs, had ferved in a very brilliant manner, and poffeffed feveral great military employments. He appeared to afpire at the miniftry, and thus gave umbrage to the duke ( 3r4 ) duke d'Aiguillon, who, with lefs talents, but as much ambition as his great uncle, the car dinal de Richelieu, wifhed in his turn to be prime minifter. There was fome difficulty relative to the mode of tranfporting the troops of France into Sweden. By land it was impoffible, and by fea it was thought it could not be done without the permiffion of the Englifh. A lieutenant general called Martanges, a man well calculated to fhine in fociety, was fent to London to nego tiate relative to this bufinefs. The Britifh minif try allowed itfelf to be entreated, and at length permitted the paffage of the troops, on condition however that they Ihould be embarked on board Englifh tranfports, which were to fail under convoy of frigates of the fame nation. All this was tranfaded without the knowledge of the minifter at war. Dumouriez having learned the circumftance from the count de Broglio and Favier, who ridiculed the embarraff- ments of the duke d'Aiguillon on this occafion, he waited on Mr. de Monteynard, who was fur- prifed at the intelligence, and who fwore that he would never permit the French troops to be con veyed in fo fhameful a manner. He was in the right, but it was neceffary to afcribe mo- -7 tives ( 3<5 ) rives for his refufal, and to fubftitute a better mode. Dumouriez recolleded, that, while he was in Spain, a colonel, called Lafcy, had been em ployed in recruiting foreigners for that country, and that he had an officer for this purpofe in Hamburgh, who often furnifhed fix, and feme- times even twelve hundred men per ann. He accordingly drew up a memorial, in which, after demonftrating the neceflity of granting the. fubfidy to the king of Sweden in men, and not in money, he alluded to the difgraceful negotiation between the duke d'Aiguillon and the Englifh cabinet, which had produced an inadmiffible propofition on the part of the court of St. James's, and propofed to furnifh the contin gent of feven thoufand troops, without removing a fingle man out of France. He required that a good lieutenant general, who fhould be a man of fortune, and two major generals of equal refpedability, fhould be fe leded, together with a proportionable number of officers of all ranks and, defcriptions ; that thefe fhould be fent off, with orders to reunite at Wifmar; that fome of them fhould be placed in certain fixed ftations, fuch as Liege, Ham burgh, and Dantzick, and that an amnefty Ihould ( 3^ ) fhould be publifhed in favour of all deferters, who leaving foreign fervice, Ihould repair to any of thefe places. By thefe means the difgrace and the expenfe of tranfportation would be faved, a difmemberment of the army would be avoided, and ' feven or eight thoufand men would be reftored to their country, who would have well deferved their pardon. Mr. deMonteynard carried this memorial to the king, who was well pleafed with it. At the end of two days he afked him if the idea had been fuggefted by any one, and he replied without hefitation, that it had originated with Dumouriez. " Very well; tell him," faid the king, " that he muft prepare to fet out for Ham burg ; I adopt the plan, but he himfelf muft go and examine into its pradicability on the fpot, and alfo afcertain the time neceffary for its completion. It is my wifh that d'Aiguillon fhould remain ighorant of this bufinefs." Mr. de Monteynard communicated the king's orders to Dumouriez, who on his part made a very natural objedion : "All this bufinefs is within the department of foreign affairs ; the duke d'Aiguillon will quarrel with you on this fubjed, and as he is more powerful, you will be abandoned by the king, and difmiffed from your ( 3^7 ) your office ; as to myfelf, I fhall be ruined. Be fo kind at leaft as to mention this to the king, and ftate to him the caufe of my repugnance." M. de Monteynard, being ftruck with the juftice of thefe refledions, waited on his majefty, who faid to him in an impatient tone of voice : " It is my pleafure that it lhall be fo ; prefent Dumouriez to me." He was accordingly pre fented that very evening to Louis XV. " Set out for Hamburg, and execute Monteynard's orders." Thefe were the only words he uttered, after which, without waiting for a reply, he withdrew. As this was conclufive, he accordingly de parted in the month of June ; inftrudions, cipher, paflport, and money, were all received from the minifter at war. He arrived fafe at Hamburg. The two fadions in Sweden, of the hats and caps, accommodated their dif ferences during this interval, and, in fhort, a pacification enfued. He was well pleafed to get rid of this bufinefs, and his commiffion being now at an end, he imagined himfelf out of all danger. He kept up a clofe correfpondence with the minifter, whom he informed of all he faw and heard. He frequented the bell fociety at Hamburg, and amufed himfelf very agreeably. ( 3'8 ) agreeably. He had never been in Pruffia. Gui bert being then at Berlin, he requefted him to mention to Frederick the Great how defirous he was of feeing and admiring his majefty. The king, who had been acquainted with him by reputation ever fince his miffion in Poland, confented to receive him. He alfo requefted Favier to tranfmit him a letter of recommenda tion for prince Henry, who had a great regard for him. During his flay at Hamburg he was fur rounded by the fpies of the duke d'Aiguillon ; they had intercepted feveral letters addreffed to him ; and, amongft the reft, two or three from the count de Segur, who very imprudently in formed him of the Dubarry's being prefented to the dauphinefs, and alfo communicated feveral indecent llories about the king's feraglio. At length, in the month of Odober 1773, two days before the time fixed for his departure for Berlin, he was arrefted in his bed at midnight, by an old baron de la Houze, envoy from France, with whom he had lived in the utmoft inti macy, and who introduced to him an infpedor of the police called d'Hemery, a very amiable and mild man. He ( 3*9 ) He might have complained at being arrefted in a free city, and claimed his liberty, as he was confcious of his innocence. He, however, re paired very quietly to the Hotel de France, where he remained during nine days. The whole city flocked to fee him ; and never did that houfe receive a more numerous company. At the expiration of this period he fet out with the infpedor and two of his companions ; he himfelf was accompanied by two very brave domeftics. He might have efeaped with great eafe both at Wefel and in Brabant, but he con tinued his journey with great tranquillity, and entered the Baftille the latter end of Odober. BOOK, ( 32° ) BOOK II. CHAP. I. The Bafiille. Until 1773, the life of Dumouriez had been agitated and unfettled. His ftudies, his labours, and his employments, were all con neded with foreign interefts and external ob- jeds. France was one of the ftates in which he had leaft refided, and with which he was leaft acquainted. At this epoch he began to lead a new and very different kind of life, far more grave and fedentary than heretofore. Entirely occupied about the interefts of his native country, in- vefted with an employment that fixed his ideas and fufficiently gratified his paffion for publip affairs, and as well contented with his lot as a man could poffibly be, he was bufied, in the midft of his books and his labours, with an ob- jed much more important for France, and far more ( 321 ) more fatisfadory for his own philanthropy. Nothing but a revolution could have forced him from fo fage and tranquil a ftation. Such an event adually took place, and he now finds himfelf plunged once more into a wandering and agitated ftate of life, and that too at a pe riod when he has attained an age better fitted for repofe. On carefully perufing the memoirs of his life, it may be perceived, that continually fpur- red on by the neceffity of procuring fome em ployment for himfelf, by the horrour which he entertained at the idea of idlenefs, and by a thirft for inftrudion, he poffeffed more adivity than ambition, and a greater defire of filling a part in the drama, than of appearing on the flage. It will be recolleded, that he refufed a fuperiour rank, firft in Spain, afterwards in France. The injuftice done him by the duke d'Aiguillon, in confequence of the promotion of officers who had ferved under him in Po land, did not in the leaft affed him. Still more iofenfible to avarice, he became poorer, daily, amidft the brilliant millions with which he had been entrufted, and he often rejeded felicita tions made to him, in order to induce him to fell his credit with the two minifters whofe Vol. I. Y confidence (, 3*z ) confidence he enjoyed. Hd had refufed the offer of three very rich marriages at Paris, merely becaufe they were founded on the profped of his advancement. A penfion pf three thoufand livres a year, and appointments to an equal amount, were the whole of his acquifitions : but he had fairly earned them, and he was therefore content. In fhort, he had not any thing to reproach himfelf with, and without being difgufted with life, he was but little attached to it; he accordingly neither. felt uneafinefs, nor chagrin, on entering a prifon. He arrived at the Baftille at nine o'clock at night. He was received by the major, who was an old man, a pedant, and a janfenift ; ..this officer caufed him to be minutely fearched, and his money, his knife, and even his fhoe buckles, were taken from him. He was curious tp know why they were fo particular in refped to .the laft of thefe articles; on this the major, afluming a very cunning look, told him that a prifoner had been malicious enough to ftrangle himfelf by fwallowing the tongue of his buckle. : ' Notwithftanding this remark, he was fo horribly imprudent as to omit his knee buckles. He (lid not take the trouble to remind him of this circumftance, but as he. was extremely hungry, he ( 323 ) he afked:for fomething to eat. It was obferved in reply, that it was very late ; and indeed the fearch, and enumeration of his effeds, had oc* cupied an hour and a half. He, however, be- . fought the major to fend to the next tavern for a fowl. '*' A fowl?" rejoins he; " do you know that this is friday ?" «' You are entrufted with my perfon only, and' not my confeience. I am ill; for the Baftille itfelf is a malady : do not therefore re fufe me a fowl." D'Hemery, who was prefent, convinced the major of the juftice of this re mark, and he immediately difpatched a proper perfon for this purpofe. He was then conduded to his apartment. It was a large odagonal chamber, of about fifteen feet in every diredion, and at leaft twenty five in height ; the only window, which was twenty two feet high, and opened in three different parts, was a narrow embrafure, at leaft fifteen feet thick, guarded with double rows of maffive iron bars. All the move ables confifted - of an old bed, with ferge curtains, the whole very dirty, and very un comfortable, a clofe-ftopl, a wooden table, Ja ftraw bottomed chair, and a pitcher. Atttrn- Y 2 key, ( 324 ) key, or jailor, who was a very robuft man, with a clownifh afped, lighted a fire, left a candle, and then went out for his fupper. . He in the mean time employed himfelf in reading the inferiptions on the walls. He found many names, remarks, prayers, and a few obfcenities;- the latter of which convinced him, that this melancholy place of abode had not always been inhabited by good company. He then fupped, went to bed, and fell afleep. He was awakened the next morning with the horrible noife made by the enormous keys of his jailor, who opened two very thick doors fortified by means of plates and bands of iron, with which it was bound on all fides. He brought him fome bread and wine for his breakfaft, and defired him to drefs himfelf, as the governor wifhed to fee him at nine. This man, of whom he inquired if there were not a better chamber to be had, affured him that it was one of the bell in all the tower of liberty, for by a refinement in barbarity, they had given that name to one of the towers of the Baftille, and as this apartment was fituated on the third flory, it was called the third liberty. He replied, at the lame fame time laughing: " It appears to nie, that in this charming habitation, they add ( 325 ) add a biting kind of fauce to their hofpitality." , This obfervation was repeated by the turnkey, and it was on that occafion he learned, that a voluminous regifter was kept, in which the fayings of the unhappy vidims of niinifterial vengeance were inferted. This would of courfe form a very fantaftical book. At nine o'clock, an adjutant, accompanied by a ferjeant and four invalids, arrived, and immediately conduded him to the council chamber, without his being able to obtain an anfwer to any of the queftions put to them. In a few minutes afterwards, an old man dreffed in a morning gown made his appearance : this was the governor, who was called the count de Jumilhac. Never was there any man whofe charader bore lefs analogy to his frightful office ; he had accepted of it merely becaufe it enabled him to refide in Paris, and produced an income of fixty thoufand livres a year. If he conduded himfelf in refped to all the other prifoners, in the fame manner as with Du mouriez, they ought to have bleffed providence for having deftined him to fuch a melancholy employment. He was an old officer, and a man of pleafure; he was kind, fenfible, and well read. He did Y 3 not ( 326 ) not interfere with the minutiae of houfekeeping, his major' being his Howard. He informed Dumouriez, that the king allowed fifteen livres a day for him, and three for each of his do- meftiCs, " and that therefore, if he were not well treated, he had nothing to 'do but to complain to him. Dumouriez, on his entering the Baftille, wifhed to difmifs his fervants, who had not been ordered to be arrefted ; they, how-»- ever, had ahfolutely refufed their liberty, pre ferring to follow the fate of their mafter; they, however, hoped to have been' confined in the fame apartment with him, but this did not occur until three months afterwards: one of them is at prefent married, and is the father of a family, the other is dead. Jumilhac told him, that, in conformity to the regulations of the Baftille, he was to be confidered as a clofe prifoner until his firft examination had taken place ; in other words, no perfon was allowed either to converfe with him, or to anfwer his queftions. It was then that he was informed of the regifter in which all the remarks of the prifoners' were inferred, for he repeated to him what he had faid to the jailor, and they laughed heartily at it. He told him at the fame time, that while a clpfq ( 327. ) a clofe prifoner, he was not permitted, , to allow, /him either pen, ink, or any book whatever, not even a prayer book. " But," added he, " I am too much in terested in your behalf, to permit you to ex perience, all the feverity of a ftrid conformity to this rule. I am too old to vifit you in your apartment, I lhall, therefore, make you defcend every morning into this hall ; carry thefe two volumes along with you, and conceal them fomewhere or another." Thefe were two new romances. He embraced him ten derly. Jumilhac was the brother-in-law pf Mr. de Bertin, minifter of ftate, and fuperiiitendant of the little private ftock-jobbing fpeculations of Louis XV- It is to be prefumed, that this mi nifter was defired to fpeak to his relation, to alleviate the fufferings of a man who had been fhut up in the Baftille for obeying the king's orders. His imprifonment, and the ridiculous procefs that enfued, form one of the moft charaderiftic anecdotes of the reign of this weak and hypocritical monarch ; who, at the bottom, was, however, both good and juft. The ceremony of his, clpfe confinement Y 4 continued C 328 ) continued for a week, during ^which he faw his good governor every morning, who not only fupplied him with books, but recounted to him all the anecdotes about the women of pleafure in Paris. He carried his attention fo far as to fupply him with a fmall quantity of lemons,, fugar, coffee, and foreign wines; he alfo fent him a difh from his own table every day that he dined at home. This kindnefs lafted fix months, and they feparated from each other fwprn friends. The firft ad of the revolution was to deftroy the Baftille, as an infupportable monument of defpotifm, becaufe the firft cry of liberty was exerted againft lettres de cachet, and the ar bitrary arreft of citizens, who were made to difappear without the intervention of the laws. And yet thofe monfters, the anarchifts, have re-eftablifhed all thefe exceffes, fuch as the tyrannical feclufion of citizens, and clofe im- prifonment, and that too with a refinement in point of cruelty, that never exifted under our kings ! They indeed try the pretended culprits in a public manner: but tp be brought before a revolutionary tribunal, is to be certainly con demned. A ferocious populace furround vul gar and barbarous judges, and drink by an ticipation ( 329 ) ticipation the blood of the perfon accufed, more efpecially if he have the misfortune to be rich or noble. Bravos and plaudits, conftantly fuc ceed his condemnation : fo much has anarchy degraded humanity ! Even the guillotine is found to be too flow. At Lyons, cannons, loaded with grape fhot, fcattered into fragments whole bands, of miferable creatures ; and the cavalry, with their fabres, finifhed the maffacre of thofe who ftill palpitated with life, and who thus expired under a double torment, in the midft of the drunkennefs, and favage joy, of thofe cannibals. At Nantes, two hundred priefts were colleded, and placed in a boat, which was afterwards funk in the Loire. Bundles of others, thirty and forty being tied up together, were precipitated into the river, on purpofe to fave ammunition ! And yet the French, after having fhaken off every principle of humanity* religion, and refped for the laws, worfhip, as they fay, reafon ! Although he mentions thefe horrdurs, he does not mean to acCufe the whole nation of them. He loves, he pities his countrymen, who have either been oppreffed, or abufed. He is firmly perfuaded, that, refuming their antient charader, in the courfe of twenty years, they will read . n.''': this ( 33° ) this put of their annals with indignation ; that they will deftroy the abominable fed, which has formed its conftitutio'nal principles of wick- ednefs and cruelty, and will never pronounce the name of Marat, and his infamous adorers, without horrour. It is not until, then, that France will rife again from her alhes, and re^ affume that rank in Europe, from which fhe has degraded herfelf to acquire an exiftence equally criminal and miferable. Frenchmen, if my blood could reftore to you your dignity, and your happinefs, I fhould facrifice it with joy, and die content. It was not until the ninth day, that he was or dered to defcend into the council chamber, where he found three com miffi oners, and a fecretary, fitting round a table. After they had made him take an oath, and fubfcribe his name and rank, he, in his turn, was curious to be acquainted with them. The prefident was an old coun^ fellor of ftate, named Marville, a man of talents, but vulgar in his manners, and much addided to buffoonery. The fecond was Mr. de Sar- tines, lieutenant of the police, and counfeUor of ftate, a cunning, and exceedingly adroit man. The third was a mafter of requefts, named Villevaux, very falfe, and full of chicanery. 3 The ( 33 1 ) The fecretary, ,who poffeffed more ability. than any of them, was an advocate belonging toy the council, called Beaumont. Dumouriez was too well acquainted with the hiftory of France, not to perceive all: the danger likely to refult from an arbitrary commiffion. The celebrated car dinal, de Richelieu, the great uncle and model of the duked' AiguiUon, had made a'dreadful ufe of this engine of defpotifm. He according ly adeemed i it neceffary to make ufe of every poffible precaution. I. He fignified to thefe gentlemen, that he did not confider their proceedings in any other light, than that of a mere examination ; that it Was in confequence of this he confented to re ply to their queftions, being firmly perfuaded, tHat the king was too juft to refufe him atrial before a legal tribunal. They at firft refufed to admit the infertion of this article, and exclaim-) ed againft his.idiftruft. Villevaux faid,: " Do you imagine, fir, that we are come here to take ypu by furprife ?" " It is fufficient to be taken at all," replied he with great gaiety. At this .they laughed, and his proteft^was accordingly regiftered. 2. As Mr. de Marville wifhed to didate the gnJwers, pf the prifoner, he forbad the fecretary to ( 332 ) to record any thing as coming from him, un- lefs uttered by himfelf. The prefident, however, infilled, that it was not the cuftom to do fo. . " I am ignorant, "npeplied he, " of the ufage of commiffions, but I do not choofe either to be condemned or abfolved, except in confe quence of what proceeds from my own mouth. If you do not grant me what is conformable to natural right, I will retire." " Very well ; we fhall fit in judgment upon, and try you as one who remains obftinately mute." " You are not judges ; you are only com- miffioners. You will be more punifhed in this cafe than me ; for as you will not have dif covered any thing, a new commiffion muft be iffuedi" They again laughed, and gave up the point. 3. He caufed a proteft to be inferted againft all felicitation or protedion in his favour, on the part of his relations, friends, or. fuperiours ; and, he added, that he would readily confole himfelf with whatever might occur, becaufe he hoped that the king would perufe the interrogatories put to him, and would then difcover who were his true fervants. They then demanded if he knew the reafon of ( 333 ) of his being imprifoned in the Baftille ? " I am in doubt as to this matter," replied he ; " but this is a queftion that favours ftrongly of the inquifition. Come, gentlemen, it is I who defend the place, and it is you who are to give the firft fire." They now laughed heartily, and, in gene ral, the whole of this procefs was attended with much merriment. They afterwards alked the reafon of his in tended journey to Pruffia ? He replied, " That it was with an intention to fee a great king and fine troops." " Why were you furnifhed with a letter from Favier to prince Henry ?" " Becaufe I requefted it of Favier, for whom that prince entertains a great refped;." *' Did you not intend to make certain pro- pofitions to that court ?" " What propositions ? and from whom?" *' On the part of the count de Broglio, or the duke de Choifeul." " No ; and if you do not explain yourfelves clearly on that fubjed, I fhall not underftand you. *' It is known, fir, that you are eager1 for a war, as well as the duke de Choifeul and the count de Broglio, and you might have been employed ( 334 ) employed by them td trouble the re-pole of Bu* rope." ." I do not know of what Meffrs. de Choifeul and de Broglio may be defirous, but at all events I think them too wife ever to negotiate in their own names. Befides, are you acquaint^ ed with the king of Pruffia ? How can it ever be fuppofed, in cafe two French noblemen were defperate, and myfelf mad enough, to commence negotiations of any kind,, without anofficial ap pointment for that purpofe, that he would have the complaifance either to alter or vary his po litics in confequence of the infinuations of a fimple French colonel ? The whole of this is abfurd." " Have you ever written to the king ?" " To what king ?" " To the king of France ?" " Never ; but if I had, who is there that dares to term this criminal ?" " Have you ever fpoken to him ?" "No." This was the whole of the firft interroga tory. A very free and lively converfation then took place, in the courfe of which he demand ed the ufe of books, and pen and ink, and alfo requefted, that he might be fhaved. Sar- tines, ( 335 ) tines, who, as lieutenant of the police, had the fuperintendanqe of the Baftille, told him, that this was within his department. On this he very inconfiderately faid to him, " Sir, I have fix thoufand volumes at Verfailles ; permit me to give you a lift of the books which I wifh to be fent me." Mr. de Sartiues replied very cool ly, " You do not recoiled, 'that at ydur depar ture you requefted your aunt to fell all your books and moveables ; you have no longer any left." Dumouriez held down his head, and did not fay a fingle word in return ; he imagined that his apartment had been fealed up, and it was not until next day, that Mr. de Sartines told him, that he had invented this ftory on purpofe to prevent his brother commiffioners from feizing on his property. This was an effential fervice, which he thus rendered him, On his leaving the council-chamber, Jumil- hac, who, while he waited for him in the hall, had heard them alternately difputing and laugh ing, and who faw every one fally forth with a very merry countenance,,), put a great number of queftions to him. He then recounted all: that had occurred, and the_^governour, in his turn, informed him of, fome very important events. He.ilearned from him, for. the. fir.ftj time, ( 33* ) time, that the count de Broglio, having had a very violent difpute with the duke d'Aiguillon, in confequence of which he wrote him a very haughty letter, was exiled to his eftate of Ruf- fec in the Angoumois ; that Favier and Segur were in the Baftille, as well as an old countefs de BarnaVal, the miftrefs of Segur; that the duke d'Aiguillon wifhed alfo to imprifon made moifelle Legrand, Guibert, Latouch, and all his friends, to make the world believe that there adually had been a plot ; that they were ftill in fearch of the baron Debon, a major-general in the French fervice, and one of the count de Broglio's friends ; that it had been circulated throughout Paris, that Guibert and Dumouriez had been fent into Pruffia for the exprefs pur pofe of engaging Frederick to declare war ; and that the duke de Choifeul was the head of the party, Favier the counfeUor, and he himfelf one of the principal agents. He added, that the king had faid, that d'Aiguillon would break his nofe in the purfuit of this intrigue, and that the whole was a tiffue of follies; that Mr. de Chauve lin ftrongly fupported him with his majefty (he unfortunately died a few days afterwards of a fit of the apoplexy, in the prefence of Louis XV, who difplayed the utmoft infenfibility) ; that 4 in ( 337 ) in the council Meflrs. de Soubife and Bertih were on his fide; and that, of the three commif- fioners, Marville was neutral, Sartines for him, and Villevaux diredly againft him. Dumouriez hold of this occafion to befeech the king to caufe the original interrogatories, and not extrads from them, to be prefented to him. Well pleafed with the information he had juft received, he afcended to his apartment,' and made ufe of the tongue of one of his knee- buckles to engrave the interrogatories put to him, and his anfwers, on the wall, every phrafe abbreviated, and in a different language, and he ever afterwards continued to take the fame pre caution, which proved very ferviceable to him, as it enabled him always to make the fame re plies to the fame queftions. He then began to refled on all that he had heard ; he imagin ed, what proved exadly the cafe, that d'Aiguil lon went upon a falfe fcent on purpofe to dis cover the true one ; that knowing there ex- ifted a fecret correfpondence between the king and the count de Broglio, and not daring to put any interrogatories relative to this Jacredjubjecl, he hoped, in the courfe of the procefs, to learn all the particulars of it. He was in the poffef fion of the moft ample proofs of his having Vol. I. Z ' been ( 33^ ) been employed by the minifter at war, having gotten the cypher, pafs-port, and inftrudions in his own hands. It was not, however, towards thefe points, that he caufed the queftions to be direded, but relative to the permiffion to go to Pruffia, and the letter of recommendation irom Favier to prince Henry, In refped to Favier, they managed quite in a different manner ; he was interrogated about a great and very celebrated political work, which he had compofed relative to the interefts of the different powers of Europe; and the journey to Pruffia was fcarcely mentioned. As to Segur, he being the perfon merely entrufted with the correfpondence, but little was faid to him on that fubjed; he was, however, treated very harfhly on account of the letter which he had written againft the Dubarry, and the fongs and fatires of the day, which were found upon him when arrefted. It accordingly happened, that the king was not deceived; the duke d'Aiguillon, who wifh ed to convert the whole into a confpiracy againft the ftate, after making a great noife, found himfelf exceedingly embarraffed ; and if the marquis de Monteynard, who did not flir in the matter, and who, as Dumouriez jocu larly ( 339 ) larly obferved to Meffrs. de Sartines and Jumil-, hac, appeared like a peafant who wanted to dance on the flack rope with wooden fhoes, had evinced fufficient boldnefs, and followed the advice of the prince de Conde, his protec tor, d'Aiguillon would have been ruined. It has been aflerted, that it was the intention of the latter to have cut off the heads of the count de Broglio, and the three other prifoners, in imitation of his great uncle ; but, however weak the king might be, he was not fo much devoted to his minifter, as Louis XIII was to the cardi- nai-; this procefs, therefore, muft neceffarily degenerate into a puerile intrigue. Thefe refledions comforted him in regard to his lot. Next morning Mr. de Sartines came to fee him, and he continued to do fo once every week. He chided Dumouriez for his im prudence relative to his library, recommended him to be difcreet, afked for a lift of the books which he wanted, fent them to him, and ordered him to be fupplied with pens, ink, and paper. From that moment he was extremely happy. He refleded a good deal on the circumftance of his having recommended him to be difcreet. It was not, however, until fome time after, that Z 2 he ( 340 ) he was able to develope this enigma. The king had been alarmed during the whole courfe of the procefs, left he fhould declare, that the journey, which occafioned his imprifonment,had been undertaken in confequence of his own ex- prefs orders. He was very careful on this point, for he imagined, that his majefty would have difavowed the whole tranfadion, and then he mull have fallen a facrifice. Monteynard's fate affords the fulleft demonftration of this, for Louis was weak enough to difmifs him and confer his place on d'Aiguillon, rather than acknowledge, that this minifter had aded in confequence of his orders. What meannefs in a king ! How dangerous was the confidence of fuch a prince ! This very Louis XV continued to carry on his correfpondence as ufual with that fame count de Broglio, whom he retained in exile at Rusfec. Dumouriez did not find time tedious in the Baftille. He direded his fludies to four princi pal fubjeds, mathematics, hiftory and politics, moral's, and travels. The latter is particularly confolatory, when a man is deprived of liberty. It throws a new intereft into this folitary and monotonous kind of exiftence, and makes the hours pafs rapidly away.; and it has this ad vantage ( 34i ) vantage over romances, that it imprefles an ufe ful leffon for the reft of his life. It was in the Baftille, that he carried the art of living alone to a great degree of perfedion. It was there, that he ftrengthened his refolutions to communicate his real thoughts to but few perfons, and to af fume the appearance of taciturnity, and even of languor in great affemblies, and in the midft of public feftivities. He learned there, alfo, to be able to live independent of mankind ; and yet the gaiety and franknefs of his charader have preferved him from that mifanthropy, which often refults from feclufion. In fhort, he ac- cuftomed himfelf to remain for a long time without feeing his beft friends ; but above all, he acquired an invincible repugnance for what is termed the great world. The commiffioners did not return until the end of a fortnight. They no longer mentioned the journey to Pruffia, a circumftance which he remarked to them. " It appears to me," faid he, " that you abandon your firft attack ; let us fee where you intend to open your next battery?" They laughed. They then prefented to him his in- ftrudions, pafs-ports, and cypher, and afked what he had done in refped to that fubjed ? Z^ "Nothing ( 342 ) " Nothing at all," replied he, " for the re volution in Sweden has been completed in a peaceable manner. As to the reft, gentlemen, I haVe nothing more to fay on that head. I have rendered an account to my own minifter, and it belongs to him to relate to the king what I was to have done in confequence of his orders ; this matter concerns him alone, and he is in poffeffion of my letters." He was not at all forry to fet the two minifters by the ears, hoping in that cafe that Monteynard would defend him by way of defending himfelf A confiderable filence now enfued, during which ViTlevaux fpoke for a long time in whif-> pers to Marville, who all of a fudden, in a fe- vere and even brutal, but agitated tone, faid to him, " Do you hate the duke d'Aiguillon?" On this Dumouriez arofe, took hold of one of the fkirts of his coat with both his hands, fpread it before his eyes, and faid to him, fmiling at the fame time, " Are you able to read through my coat ??' Mr. de Sartines and the fecretary, on this, laughed aloud. Marville, more enraged than ever, then con tinued : " Recoiled, fir, that wits are fome times punifhed ; anfwer my queftion." Du mouriez, reluming a grave tone of voice, then 7 - rejoined : ( 343 ) rejoined : " Confider this matter once more, Mr. de Marville, for you furely cannot put fuch a queftion to me ferioufly." ** Sir, I command you to anfwer it." * " Dare but to let it be written down, and I fhall anfwer it inftantly." On this they all fpoke at once. Mr. de Vil- levaux cried out, " There is no occafion to in- fert it." " It fhall be inferted ; I infift upon it." " What ! you infift upon it ?" " Yes ; it fhall be written." " It fhall not." A frelh difpute now enfued. Dumouriez, become impatient, at length faid to Mr. de Villevaux, " There are here two Counfellors of ftate, and you are only a mafter of requefts, you can only ad as a prompter at moft ; you may therefore as well be filent." " You are too fool-hardy." " And you are a mere Marplot." After this, turning towards the fecretary, a Very amiable and fprightly man, he faid to him,, " For God's fake, fir, do not infert all this trafh." " I fhall take care *)f that," replied he, with a laugh, :,m Z 4* Mr. ( 344 ) Mr. de Sartines, who, during the whole of this difpute, had never once altered his formal, cold, and fimpering countenance, obferved to Marville," In truth the gentleman has a. right to infift on a queftion's being written down, before he makes any reply to it." " Very well," cries Marville with an oath, at the fame time fwelling with anger, " it fhall be fo. Do you hate the duke d'Aiguillon ?" " I neither !r/e nor hate the duke d'Aiguil lon, with whom I am but very little acquaint ed. But as I entertain the hope, while defend ing myfelf, to make his majefty acquainted with the manner in which he is ferved by his minifter for foreign affairs, I fhall here deliver, in eight feparate charges againft him on the , fubjed pf his minifterial mifcondud. " You have not been interrogated on that point," replied Marville. , " You have no right to interrupt mfc. I have a right to form, my own anfwer, and to infert in it whatever I pleafe. It is more diredly to the point than you may imagine ; and you will, ferve the king but badly, if you throw any obftacle in the way of it." On this he didated eight very ftrong charges, in which were included all the abfurd political, meafures; ( 345 ) meafures that had been adopted by the minifter. This anfwer filled ten pages. They afterwards converfed very amicably together, and it was propofed to him to fupprefs the whole of that day's proceedings ; he, however, refufed this, and they figned the regifter. On their feparat- ing, Marville, who by this time had become quite calm, exclaimed, " Upon my word, if they thought to catch a chickeq, they will at leaft find it a very tough one !" He had been now full fix weeks in prifon, but was not in the leaft difcontented at his lot, thanks to his books, of which he received as many as he chofe to alk for. He was allowed every day an hour to walk about, either on the top of the battlements, whence he had a view of all Paris, or in the court below ; the latter of which he preferred, becaufe, under pretext of the cold, he could flip into the council-chamber and read the gazettes, notwithftanding the fe- vere prohibition to the contrary ; for an old adjutant, named Falconnet, the moft humane of ^ all men living, affeded to leave them in a care- lefs manner on the chimney-piece, during the time allowed him for exercife. He faw Mr. de Sartines regularly once every week, and the governouf almoft every morning, and he cultivated ( 346 ) cultivated the friendfhip of the major, who, at the bottom, was a good man. He was alfo beloved by the company of invalids, and knew the names of all of them, many having ferved along with him during the feven years war. The whole of this company confifted of fub- altern officers, and they ftill retained their former ranks and honours. In fhort, he was as happy as it was poffible to be in a prifon ; when his fituation appeared likely to become very difagreeable, „ in confequence of one of thofe adventures, of which there are but too many examples in a jail. The turnkey, who waited upon him, was a very tall, ftrong, brutal, and infolent man ; he refufed to make his bed, but he eafily confoled himfelf for this negled, and never let flip any occafion to treat him harfhly. Occupied en tirely with his procefs, and his ftudies, he had determined to exercife his patience, and to refrain from complaint ; he even laughed fre quently at the brutality of this man, who was an exad reprefentation of the jailor in the comedy. The feafon having become cold and rainy, and his chamber damp, he had requefted the major to order a glazier to pafle over with paper ( 347 ) paper the two higher pannels of his cafement. This was promifed to be complied with, and the day accordingly fixed. Every little oc currence forms an epoch in the fife of a pri foner, and he is affeded by the moft trifling events, more efpecially when his mind is wholly occupied in Hemming the current of op- preffion. The glazier did not come ; he was promifed during three days, fucceffively, that he Ihould be fent for, and thrice was he deceived. At length, one morning he afked the turnkey, with much mildnefs, the reafon of this delay. On this, he exclaimed in the moft brutal manner, " Dam^ n ! t:hey pay but too much attention to fuch a thing as thee I" Surprifed at this condud, he fixed his eyes upon him to fee if he were drunk, and found that he was not. He then told him, that he would complain of his condud ; on this, the animal overwhelmed him with a torrent of abufe, advancing at the fame time towards him. There was no kind of equality whatever be tween this coloffus and Dumouriez, who is very little, but at the fame time mufculous, and adroit. At this moment, his paffion got the upper hand, and that to fuch a degree, that he ran C 348 ) ran towards the chimney, feized on a blazing fire-brand, and ftruck the turnkey with it acrofs the breaft. They then both called out for affiftance, and the guard having arrived, he refumed his ufual temper, and demanded to be conduded before the officers of the Baf tille. The major heard him with much coolnefs, and told him that he Was in the wrong to ftrike any perfon belonging to the king, as he might have complained of his condud. — " What, Sir ! was I to have waited until he had ftruck me ?" — " He would not have dared to do it." — " It very luckily happens, major, that you are only an inferiour officer. I will not leave this apartment until I have feen the gover nor." " It would feem, fir, that you wifh to give orders here." " No, but I will receive them only from the governour, and I know how to make myfelf refpeded everywhere." As the invalids de- tefted the major, a ferjeant belonging to that corps inftantly ran, and informed Mr. de Ju- milhac of every thing that had occurred. During this interval, the major had commanded the ( 349 ) the prifoner to return to his chamber, and he, holding faft by the table, exclaimed, that he would fooner be cut in pieces. The good ad jutant and the invalids in the mean time en deavoured to reconcile them. Jumilhac having now entered, Dumouriez threw himfelf into his arms, and related the whole adventure; he at the fame time re quefted him to hear what the turnkey had to fay in his jullification. The fellow was foolifh enough to acknowledge, that he had made ufe of the word thee*, and the governour, on hear ing this, inftantly gave orders to the major to difcharge him. The unfortunate man,' on this fell upon his knees ; he was the father of a family. Dumouriez interceded in his favour ; the governor infilled upon his being at leaft confined in the dungeon : he however per- fevered, and in confequence of his carefles and entreaties, at laft fucceeded in obtaining his pardon. Jumilhac made up the difpute be tween him and the major, the invalids evinced a .greater attachment to him than ever, and Belot, for that was the name of the poor fellow, * To'r, this expreflion was ne/er made ufe of but when peaking to inferiours,— Tranf. became ( 35° ) became more attentive than any domeftick that ever waited upon him. The glazier made his appearance in the courfe of that day. Mr. de Sartines paid many compliments to him next day on his prowefs, and Hill more on his humanity; the king himfelf was alfo made acquainted with this circumftance, for he re ceived information of every thing relative to his imprifonment. This monarch, who was ren dered unhappy by mere laffitude and fatiety, caufed a note to be tranfmitted to him every morning, from the police, containing an ac count of all the adventures that occurred in Paris, even the moft trifling ones. If, on his death, the Jacobins had laid their hands upon thefe notes, and caufed them to be printed, in conformity to their pradice, there would have been fufficient to have deftroyed the honour of one half of the families in Paris. In other refpeds, Louis XV was very difcreet, and exceedingly indulgent : he himfelf, indeed, flood in need of the indulgence of all ; there fore, although defpifed, he was not hated. A few days afterwards, the commiffioners again arrived, and proceeded to bufinefs; this was the third time. After about a quarter of an hour's converfation, Mr. de Sartines delivered a fpeech. ( 35* ) a fpeech. He began by making an eulogium on the wit, talents, and extraordinary acquire ments of the prifoner ; he then faid to him in a very fevere tone of voice : " Endowed with all thefe qualities which we have dif covered in you, you yourfelf, fir, muft acknow ledge, that you have been guilty of the crime of high treafon, in the ftrideft acceptation of the term ; you cannot be ignorant, that every ad of the minifter is fandioned by the king and council, and that nothing is decided upon until his majefty has affented to it ; it is there fore againft him that your libel on the duke d'Aiguillon is direded. He here paufed, and his two colleagues al ready began to enjoy Dumouriez' confeliion, who, without even looking at them, addreffed the following anfwer to the fecretary. " I have learned from the king himfelf, to diftinguifh between his own facred perfon, and that of his minifters, and alfo to attribute to them felves their good or badadminiftration ; for during the feventeen years that I have been in his fervice, his majefty has either difgraced, or difmiffed twenty-fix of them." Mr. de Villevaux here wifhed, as ufual, to enter into a differtation. On this, Dumouriez replied with great vi vacity : k 352 ) vacity : " Pray, fir, be filent, for you conftantly interrupt our bufinefs, on purpofe to introduce your own fophifms. We are not at prefent employed in a logical difcuffion. You have nothing to add to Mr. de Sartines' queftion, or I to my own anfwer." After this, carried away by a fudden emotion, he entered into a very affeding account of his devotion for his country, and his refped for his king. The tears came into the eyes of Mr. de Sartines, Marville, and Beaumont ; he himfelf was much moved, and thus, the very circumftance that had been urged with an intent to terrify him, terminated in eulogiums, for as to the reft of the converfation, there was nothing interefting in it, and this was the only part that was taken down in writing. The more that this procefs began to be developed, it became lefs and lefs dangerous ; in fhort, it was nothing elfe than a mere court intrigue, calculated either to procure the difgrace of the duke d'Aiguillon, Ihould the prince de Conde's party prove fufficiently ftrong to fupport Monteynard, or to ruin Monteynard, if the Dubarry ftill continued to govern Louis XV. Dumouriez, in the latter cafe, expeded to become the vidim ; but as thefe intrigues had ( 353 ) had never hitherto been accompanied with cruelty, he was in no fear either for his life, or his honour. He was young, and he only forefaw a tem porary calamity, againft which he armed him felf with philofophy and ftudy. Sooner or later, he fhould get out of prifon, and in the end, muft at all events be the gainer; he there fore neither experienced folicitude, nor un- eafinefs. In fine, he only felt fome momen tary torments, inflided on him by the warmth of his own temperament ; but as he had not any fixed attachment, thefe were nothing more than vague defires, which were foon diffipated by reading. This period of hi3 life was far from being unfortunate; it flew away with uncommon rapidity. He had been nearly two months a prifoner, when he underwent his fourth and laft examina tion. The commiffioners having made abrief re capitulation of what had occurred during their former vifits, Marville announced to him, that Favier and Segur were committed to the Baftille, and that the count de Broglio was fent into exile. He affeded great aftonifhment.at this circum ftance, that he might not betray his friend Jumilhac. Marville then faid tohim : " What Vol. I. A a was (' 354 ) was the nature of the connedion between you and the count de Broglio ?" " It was fuch as was very likely to take place between a colonel and a general of great merit, who is brother to a marfhal of France, celebrated for his vidories." " What intimacy fubfifted between you, and Favier, and Segur ?" " One of a very long ftanding. I have en deavoured to reap profit from the abilities of the firft, in order to acquire knowledge in political fubjeds. I knew the fecond in Spain ; he is a. brave man, was my aide-de-camp in Poland, and returned along with me to Pa ris." — " Do you know a certain countefs de Barneval ?" — ;" Not in the leaft ; I never faw her but once, but I believe fhe is one of Segur's old friends." — " Have you any connedion with thefe perfons ?" — " Never with the lady, little with Favier, but a good deal with Segur, who was intrufted with the management of my private affairs at Paris." " Very well, fir ; now pleafe to look at the frightful ( 355 ) frightful correfpondence Which you have kept up with him." ~" Are thefe my letters ?" — " No, but they are his^ which have been intercepted." — " In that cafe^ I could never have received them.^ Will you permit me to read them r" —" Yes." He then read them very CPolly, and faid : *' Thefe letters are exceedingly imprudent t they refemble Segur's handj but they may have been forged*" — " He has acknowledged them." - — " So much the worfe ; but what is all this to me ?" '-: — " What, fir, is it not likely that a man to whom he could write fuch letters, was at leaft deficient in point of refped to the king ?" — " No, fir ; but I perceive that you your felf are wanting in reverence to his majefty, by urging queftions of this nature, which can only tend to wound his dignity* Let us refped his attachments, his pleafurea, the fecrets of his domeftic life ; I oppofe the infertion of fuch imprudent queftions, and if you infift, I lhall find means to make him acquainted with A a 2 my ( 35* ) my proteft againft them. At the commence ment of the procefs, you affeded to difcover crimes againft the ftate; not being able to fucceed in this, there feems to be an intention to entangle me in lewd ftories, and alfo to involve his majefty. If a fingle word relative to this fubjed be committed to writing, I lhall put in fuch a proteft as will not very readily be forgotten." Accordingly, not a fingle word was inferted. Marville, after a few moments refledion, then addreffed him as follows : " Sir, you are in the right ; I difcover you to be a very interefting perfon, and a good fervant to the king. Our bufinefs is now concluded. Favier, notwith ftanding his great talents, at one time exhibited a certain degree of weaknefs, and as for Segur, he is a hot-headed fellow, whom I exhort you to banifh from your fociety." He was in the right ; Segur had been ex ceedingly indifcreet, and it is fo the bounty alone of Louis XV, that he was indebted for his liberty. This atribilarious man afterwards re turned to Spain, where he procured himfelf an untimely death, in confequence of pamphlets and fpeeches againft the court of Madrid. 6 Dumouriez ( 357 ) Dumouriez had, long before that time, fol lowed the advice of Marville, and ceafed to fee him. Such was the conclufion of the procefs com menced and finifhed in the Baftille. The commiffioners took their leave of him with many compliments, but Marville referved a very ill natured one. " You poflefs courage," faid he, with much ill timed jocularity j " I will not therefore conceal from you, that Mr. de Monteynard has been difgraced, that the duke d'Aiguillon is more powerful than ever, and that he unites the war department with that for foreign affairs : you are therefore en tirely in his power. You may accordingly lay your account to remain in prifon for at leaft ten years." Dumouriez on this replied : " Mr. de Marville, you have furely read Fontaine's fa bles; do you recoiled that of the emperor, the mountebank, and the afs. Before the ex piration of ten years, the one half of you will not be in life, much lefs in office. Not a Bene, you yourfelf are more than feventy years of age." Marville embraced him, and exclaimed : " He is always the fame, to the very laft chapter !" A a 3 When ( 353 ) When Dumouriez returned to his own apartment, feme very melancholy fefledions occurred', in confequence of the intelligence he had j'uft received. But, as this was one of the hypothefes which had ldng fince entered into his calculations, his mind foon became occupied about the means only of foftening the rigours of an imprifonment, which he fufpeded would be of confiderable duration. He was certain of the friendfhip of Jumilhac, whofe condud had not in the leaft varied. He was doubtful, however, in refped to Sartines, to whom he did great injuftice, for he rendered him the moft effential fervices until the very laft. His mind was now entirely employed in maturing two projeds, in the fuccefs of which he was greatly interefted. One was to get poffeffion of a better chamber, and the other to have his domeftics along with him : he had often bethought himfelf of this before, but the hope of a fpeedy deliverance had hitherto pre vented his felicitations. He accordingly fpoke to his friend Jumilhac on this fubjed, who tojd him, that he himfelf could not interfere in this bufinefs, but that he would mention it to Sartines. The latter ob-* fervedj ( 359 ) ferved, that his removal muft be authorifed by the minifter for Paris. This minifter was St. Florentin, duke de la Vrilliere, the bafeftt, and the moft permanent of all the minifters of Louis XV. He was alfo d'Aiguillon's uncle ; fp that he had nothing to hope from that quar ter. On this he faid to Mr. de Sartines with a fmile : '* My apartment being very ancient, if any accident fhould occur fo as to render it uninhabitable, what will you do ?" " In that cafe, you fhall inftantly be re moved to another, and as there is no danger attendant on it, I will engage to give you the beft one in the Baftille." — " Will you be fo good as to iffue orders to this purpofe, to Mr. de Jumilhac, on your departure ?" — " Moft willingly.' < — " You promife me this ?" • — " I pledge my word to it." He now began to form the very extraordinary projed, of rendering his chamber completely ruinous. The walls were too thick for him to hope he fhould ever be able to pull them down, more efpecially as he was not in poffeffion of any iron inftrument. The doors were fortified by means of bars and plates of A a 4 iron, ( 3°° ) iron, and it would have been impoffible to have fofbed, them open; befide this, he did not with l.p:£vince the leaft fymptom of a difpofition to efcape. He had luckily remarked, that the hearth on which his fire was made, inclined toK one fide. This hearth, which confifted of two large ftones joined together at the centre, leaned againft a beam, which the extreme heat had reduced to a charcoal. He naturally imagined that there was a vacuity below. One morning, or rather one night, for it was only two o'clock, he forced up the flooring of his apartment, and difcerning the beam under the hearth, he inftantly perceived with great joy, that he was not miftaken in his conjedure; he then converted a billet of wood into a bat tering ram, and having difplaced the rubbifh below the two ftones, he continued to make a hole there, which having emptied with his hands, by means of redoubled blows with his wooden inftrument, he was at length able to burft through the cieling of the chamber im mediately below him. This operation, which did not take up more than four hours, at length exhibited a moft deplorable fpedacle. It was that of a perfon of about fifty years of age, naked as when firft born, ( 3°* > horn, with a very long* grey beard, and his hair ftanding on end, who howling like a mad man, dafhed the gravel at him with great violence through the hole whence it had dropped. He wifhed to fpeak to this unhappy wretch, but he found that he was an idiot. He learned afterwards that he was called Euftachius Farey, a gentleman of Picardy, and captain in the regiment of Piedmont, who had been confined twenty-two years in the Baftille, for having either compofed or diftributed a fong againft madame Pompadour. Having at length contrived to force the two large ftones and the gravel through the hole, he wafhed his hands in the beft manner that he could, for his fingers were torn and bled confi- derably ; he then called to the fentinel through his window, and defired him to awaken the turnkey. On his arrival with fome affiftants, he obferved that his hearth had fallen in upon his neighbour the fool. Being conduded to the lodge, the governour made his appear ance, and he recounted with an air of the utmoft innocence, the particulars of the un lucky accident, which he attributed to the calcination of the beam by the intenfe heat of the fire, which was thus rendered in capable ( 362 ) incapable of fupporting the weight of the two large ftones that had compofed his hearth. Jumilhac, who feemed to be of the fame opinion, obferved, that it would be neceffary to fend workmen immediately into that chamber, and that in the mean time he fhould be removed to the apartment called the chapel. While pre parations were making for his reception, he fhe wed his hands to his friend, and acknow ledged the trick that he had played. That ex cellent man immediately embraced him, and replied with great good humour : " I fhall moft readily be your accomplice, my boy, pro vided you always make me your confident," There was an anti-chamber to this new apartment, which was a very good one, about twenty-fix feet long, and eighteen broad, with an excellent fire place. It however had but one window, a circumftance that rendered it dark ; near to the chimney was a very ex cellent, and exceedingly neat bed, which had been procured for a young lady of the name of Tiercelin, one of the miftreffes of Louis XV, who had fpent a month here, becaufe fhe poffeffed too much ambition. The major, on giving Dumouriez poffeffion of his new cham ber, told him, with a view to fhew his erudi tion, ( 3*3 ) tion, or perhaps to frighten him a little : " This, colonel, is the fineft room in the whole caftle, but it is a very inaufpicious one, for the conftable St. Pol, the marfhal de Biron, the chevalier de Rohan, and general Lally, all of whom refided here, loft their heads upon a feaffold." He replied, at the fame time laughing in his face, ** I hope, major, you don't wifh to terrify me ?" He has always fince been the friend of this officer, whofe name was Chevalier, and two years afterwards, he augmented his fmall pen fion with four hundred livres additional in come. He did not find fo many inferiptions h are as in the third liberty. There were fome very ftrong obfervations by the famous Labourdon- naye, three or four fentences in Englifh by the unfortunate Lally, and a few paraphrafes of the pfalms by Mr. de la Chalotais. He alfo found the name of Charles de Biron, a duke of Courland, who had been there a little before him. It was under one of de la Chalotais' paraphrafes that Dumouriez engraved the four following lines ; " N'addrefle point au ciel une plainte importune, ,M Et, quelque foit le cours de ton fort incertain, " Apprens de moi, que l'infortune, « Eft le creufet du coeur humain." Addrefs ( 3^4 ) ¦ Addrefs to righteous Heaven no one complaint, Whate'er the ills life's fickle hours impart, For learn from me, while they thy foul torment, 'Tis woe that purifies the human heart. In 1786 the count d'Artois happening to be at Cherbourg, copied into his pocket-book. this quatrain, of which the moral may be applied elfewhere than in prifon, amidft the merited, or unmerited calamities, which over whelm our miferable exiftence. If thefe me moirs fhould ever fall into his hands, he will in ftantly recoiled thefe verfes. At the time he tranfcribed them, he was far from imagining, that he would be fome day able to make that application to himfelf. Dumouriez received much confolation as foon as he found himfelf in poffeffion of this warm and commodious chamber, at the quj- fide of which there was a privy, and the neceffary conveniencies for keeping it neat and clean. It had not the leaft refemblance to a prifon. The double iron doors opened into the anti-chamber, and only a fimple wooden Gne was placed at the entrance into the other apartment ; this he could unfaften at pleafure, to prolong his walk. His new jail or, who was one of Jumilhac's old domef- ticks, was very mild and polifhed in his man ners, ( 3*5 ) ners, and alfo a great talker. He told him many anecdotes concerning all thofe who had inhabited this chamber during the fifteen years he , had been turnkey of the tower to the chapel. Dumouriez' predeceffor was a young man, who had been forced to become a monk, and who, having afterwards protefted againft the vows he had been obliged to take, on purpofe to get poffeffion of an eftate, and to efpoufe a young lady of whom he was fond, was condemned to refide during two whole years in the Baftille; at firft in one of the dungeons, and afterwards in this chamber, where he had compofed very interefting memoirs; thefe had procured him his liberty. He prefented a copy of them to his kind jailor, which Dumouriez read with great, eagernefs. This poor unfortunate had been deprived of pen and ink during a year and a half. This circumftance fuggefled the idea to Dumouriez of preventing his unhappy fuc- ceffors from experiencing a fimilar want. In the four corners of the apartment were four columns that fupported the ceiling, which was no more than nine feet from the ground. "Each column was furmounted with the figure of a fphinx. He climbed up by the affift- , ance ( 3** ) ance of chairs and tables, and placed irt i hollow on the back of each of thefe fphinxes/ an oyfter fhell full df ink, fome fheets of whitd paper, and feveral pens. He has felicitated himfelf during the whole of his life, on ac count of this benevolent idea. Mr. de Sartines, who vifited him in his new chamber, laughed heartily at the means by which he had obtained it. A few days after this, he obtained leave for the removal of his two fervants to this place ; they had been kept feparate from each other, and treated very ill, although he had repeatedly defired that care might be taken of them.- On their being interrogated relative to the condud of their mafter at Hamburg, the valet de chambre replied with the warm- eft eulogiums. The poftillion made them laugh by recounting his own adventures at the alehoufes,' along with the girls, and at games of chance, and complained bitterly of the very different life he was now forced to leadi The meeting of thefe three perfons was very tender, and a prifon having rendered them all equal, he received them in the fame manner as if they had been two of his friends. The great chamber was divided into two by means' of a fheet, and the domefticks flept together 3 in ( 3*7 ) in a bed which was procured for them. From that moment they alfo fat down at the fame table, and thefe unfortunate men, who had fafted a good deal lately, were now exceedingly well pleafed. He had been accuftomed to have his dinner and fupper brought to him at the fame time, between three or four o'clock in the afternoon. ' His valet, who was a good cook, made him fome excellent ragouts. They were well taken care of, they had always five difhes for their dinner, and three for fupper, exclufive of the defert, which, when ferved up at the fame time, gave the whole a magnificent ap pearance. He did not long enjoy the exquifite pleafure of having fome one with whom he could laugh, and converfe at his eafe, for his two companions often became burdenfome to him. The valet ¦de chambre was of a melancholy difpofition, and he was often obliged to become complaifant enough, to leave his ftudies, for the purpofe of amufing thefe two perfons; he taught them feveral games at cards, and even inftruded his valet in chefs. He alfo read to them during an hour in the morning, and two at night. The books feleded for the purpofe were fometimes romances, C 368 ) romances, but oftener travels. He was like- wife accuftomed to walk backwards and for 7 wards with them, but, on the whole, he was lefs happy than when alone ; their complaints forced him to recoiled that he was immured in a prifon, and that their refidence there was forced, rather than voluntary. In general, to fupport fblitude with any tolerable degree of patience, it is neceffary that there fhould be a fimilarity in point of charader, education, and rank in life. Navigators are well acquainted with the wearifomenefs arifing from a conftrained union, and in the courfe of long voyages, generally /become tired of each other. It is however to be 'obferved, that the attachment of thefe two" domefticks, and their attention to "their* mafter, never once Varied. They had attended him during 'the wars in Corfica and Poland ; they were 'brave and faithful, and had it not been for his marriage, "he would have kept them about his perfon during* the remain-* der- of ."his "life. -'¦•' •He 'Was Confined -about "this" timel'during* a-week,' to' his- bed, by an attack of the fciatica, arifing' from the fudden tranfition from a very adive td a too fedentary life, and the privation of certain plea fur es, at an age when theyhecome .¦?*••- neceffary. ( 3*9 ) neceffary. Their care proved a folace to him, and he was exceedingly happy not to have been fubjed to this malady when he was fhut up by himfelf in his horrid and lonely apartment. Since they rejoined him, he had altered the hour at which he ufually took his exercife ; it was now at noon. Prifoners remark every thing, and profit by every thing. Hav ing been until then entirely occupied about his trial, and his ftudies, he had evinced no curiofity whatever relative to what paffed around him. He now ceafed to be fo inatten tive. It being the winter feafon, as many heaps of wood were brought on every Saturday, to the foot of each tower, as there were apartments inhabited there. By attending to this cir cumftance, he learned to calculate the number of his companions in misfortune. Every day, at noon, the turnkey alfo placed at the foot of each flair-cafe, as many baflcets containing plates, as there were prifoners. Thefe were at that time far from being nu merous, for there were never more than nine teen during his confinement, and feveral days there were but feven. Accordingly, this ter rible Baftille, at leaft at that epoch, did not Vol. I. B b fwallow ( 37° ) fwallow up fo many miferable wretches as was imagined. Since the Jacobins have come into power, notwithftanding the continual execu tions that have taken place, the dungeons of Paris always contain three, four, or five thou fand unhappy people, whofe lives depend upon the turn of a ftraw. His domeftics fuggefted to him another im- portant remark. Perfons of confequence al ways eat off earthen ware, while the others were ferved on pewter. Thefe difcoveries, which he would never have made of his own accord, infpired him with an idea of opening a correfpondence with Favier; for as to Segur, the commiffioners, and even Jumilhac, having put him out of conceit with him, although he was forry to hear that he fuffered on his account, he was yet determined not to involve himfelf on account of fo dangerous a man. He was affifted in his projed by a very lucky occurrence. Happening one day to perceive a turnkey carrying a pretty large bag to the tPWer de la Ber taudiere, he demanded what it contained. " Lentils," replied the jailor. — " It would appear that your prifoner is extremely fond of lentils." — " He eats them at all his meals." As he knew ( 37* ) knew that Favier delighted grfeatly in this ve getable, he had no manner of doubt, but that he was confined in the tower to which it had been conveyed. Next day, with the aid of a bit of broken glafs, he cut a piece of charcoal into the fhape of a crayon. There were three heaps of wood at the foot of the tower, and he wrote in Eng- glifh, on the fide of one of the billets, which had been rendered pretty fmooth by means of a faw: " I am in the chamber called the chapel; anfwer me." He remained for eight days^ without receiving any reply. At length, he found one in the fame language, on one of his own billets. On this, he wrote down on a flip of paper, the queftions put to him in the courfe of the firft examination, and fubjoined his anfwers, and having folded it up in the fhape of a note, he thruft it into a fiffure in one of the logs of fire- wood. Favier, for it proved to be him, tranfmitted another in the fame manner, and they thus informed each other of their fituation. He learned, that they had endeavoured to make him, acknowledge himfelf the author of the correfpondence that fubfifted between the count de Broglio and the king ; and that he B b 2 and ( w ) and the count had ^engaged D/umouriez to prevail upon Monteynard to fend him firft to Sweden, and afterwards into Pruffia, with the hope of producing a war. Notwithftanding his well-known difpute with the duke de Choifeul, he had been accufed of having fpent three days incognito with him at Chanteloup, of having gone, during the preceding fummer, to fee Mr. de Voyer at Ormes, and of having vifited the count de Broglio at Ruffec; that he had alfo been fufpeded as the author of a fong againft the Dubarry, which he was, fuppofed to have written in company with mademoifelle Legrand, who was on the point of being fent to the Baftille, and had adually undergone an examination in her own houfe : he had how ever proved, by referring to the time when the fong firft made its appearance, that he could not have compofed it ; and in the courfe of hi3 interrogations, Marville had confeffed to him, that his innocence had been recognized refped- ing the ballad, the author of which had been difcovered, and punifhed. Thus the profecution inftigatedg againft Favier was unfupported by any proof what ever, and d'Aiguillon had been difappointed in his hopes of discovering the clue ofaa ftate intrigue, < 373 ) intrigue, which never exifted. But he derived one great advantage from this affair, as he forced Louis XV, who neither loved nor efteemed him, to difmifs Monteynard, whofe probity he refpeded, and to confer the war department Upon himfelf, which thus elevated him to the fame rank as the duke de Choifeul, whom he had humbled. He was riot however entirely fatisfied, becaufe his malignant mind, and his inordinate ambition, prompted him^ to inflid cardinal vengeance, and to ad the lame part as his great uncle. He was however obliged to remain content with 'deceiving his mafter, being unable to domineer over him. Pumouriez employed his time at the Baftille, in recalling to his memory all that he had ever learned. He wrote a pretty large tfad Pn war, entitled " ? Military Principles?" and alfo a " Treaty on Legions," with vobfervations on the mixture and employment of offenfive and defenfive weappnfs, together/ witb anew fyftem of tadicks adapted to this "kind of troops. In addition tq this? he undertook another extenfive work, and ; drew up a'u preliminary difbdurfej by Way of intr^)dudioq.- He bad one day read in Bayle's dididnary,: under the article " Perrot d'Ablancouft,"r that this excellent tranflator, B t> 5 who ( 374 ) who was paffionately fond of reading books of •travels, had undertaken, towards the clofe of 'his life, td write a treatife on this fubjed. Bayle regretted the want of it. Dumouriez, to whom his imprifonment gave an almoft inordinate tafte for this kind of compofition, formed the plan of a very great moral work ; the mode propofed, was to perufe all the travels during each century, in any par ticular country. China for' example, and to, compare the genius, and the' progrefs of the arts in the courfe of each hundred years, as well in the nation vifited by the traveller, 'as in his own native country. It was neceffary for this purpofe to form a corred fummary of all fuch "books, and then to compare ' them together. A man muft be in the Baftille to un-i dertake a work of this kind, which he termed, ?' A Philofophical Effay on Travels." He alfo drew up li a political and commercial memorial relative to Hamburg, and Lower Saxony," and completed a tranflation, into French verfe, of the twenty-fifth canto pf Morgante Mag- , giore. He did not find time tedious, but he wifhed to be reftored to liberty ; at the end of every fortnight, he therefore entrufted de Sartines 3 with ( 375. ) with a letter for the king, in .which .be fup- plicated him, as his examination was concluded, to nominate judges, that his fate might be de cided upon in a* legal manner. At length, his majefty took upon him to order' the duke d'Aiguillon to make a report on this affair to the council j he added at the fame time : ". The prifoners are not guilty, and they have fuffered but too long." D'Aiguillon was too good a courtier not to know the meaning of all this. His report, which afterwards fell into Du mouriez' hands, was accordingly very mild ; he obferved in refped to him, that he was a good officer, but exceedingly petulant, very dangerous, and incapable of fubordination ; he propofed, that he Ihould be exiled from Paris during the fpace of three months, becaufe he ha.d too many acquaintances there, a cir cumftance that would produce frefh offences on his part. The prince de Soubife undertook the defence of Dumouriez, and teftified his fervices during the feven years war. The king faid : " I know hi.m to be a good. officer, and it is my defire that his rank and apppintments be continued to him." The duke d'Aiguillon affured his majefty, that 1*0 far from entertaining any rancour againft him, he would propofe to B b 4 his* (C 37h )) his majefty to employ him in a fuitable manner, at the end of rthree. months, qjttwould have. been far more noble to have done fo, then, qjjw They.afterwards^deliberated on the place -of his exile; The king faid : " Let him be fent to the caftle of Caen; it is a good city, and he fhall' have the whole of Normandy for his prifon." Favier was confined in the caftle of Doulens; Segur was ^- fent -to f a fort in the Pyrenees, and the cdunt?de Bxoglist was fuf? fered to remain at Ruffec. r^Jiv - z^.dva "< Such was the cahclntion of an affair* that had occafioned him to be immured in the Baftille ; it was nothing more than a filly court intrigue,| in which Dumouriez was made to ad, the part of the page to Louis XIV, who was whipt by way of corredingbihis mafter. -There was; neither confpiracy, nor fecret^ nor myftery,. in the^whole of the pretended plot. 'Had; there been any intrigue at Paris, Dumouriez, who was at two hundred leagues diftance, muft; h#ye begn ignorant of it* His _; miffion^ was very fimple in its nature, and his -ftay at Hamburg was merely occafipned by the pacifiek; termination of the revolution in, Sweden^ Hisj. motive for gravelling into Pruffia originated in a. very natural defire: to ftudy, the charader of the king, whom ( 3m ) whom he admired in -fo mny^poihts pf jview.; He had kept up no correfpondence whatever. with the count de Brogjb and Favierf : who were even ignorant of his miffion. The count de' Broglio and Monteynard were embroiled together ; the count de Broglio and Favier had quarrelled with the duke de Choifeul, and Dumouriez, on his part, had not kept up any connedion with this great minifter, although he was much attached to him. It is thus that the public is often deceived relative to the importance of thofe affairs that occur at courts. It is thus alfo, that the time deflined for the government of empires is often fooled away. The tricks of intriguing women often convert kings into monfters, whom they conftantly endeavour to deceive, and fometimes to inti midate. Monarchs have one infallible' mode of judging in fuch cafes,- and alfo of avoiding the difgrace of being the dupes of othofe by iwthoni they are furrounded : this is, to calculate the perfonal intereft of the accufer,.. and the; talents of the accufed. If ; the latter poflefs merit, it is to be prefumed, that his enemy wifhes to ered a wall of calumny between him atid his mafter, for fj&r he fhould f be crufhed by his merit. But few kings adopt this manner of ( 37* ) of afcertaining the truth.- The wife man de fends himfelf when he is accufed, but he afterwards flees from the abode of untruth, where the unhappy monarchs remain for ever fhut up. It is in the wrong to murmur againft them. They poffefs the weaknefs attached to humanity; and the prifon, through which they furvey both men and things, conftantly tints them with falfe colours. CHAP. ( 379 ) CHAP. II. Caftle of Caen. His Marriage. Dumouriez had been confined in the Baftille during the fpace of fix months, two or three days excepted, when Mr. de Sartines called upon, and announced to him, that he was about to leave his prifon, irt order to repair to the caftle of Caen. This intelligence did not produce any pleafure, as "it proved to him, that Louis XV was a very weak monarch, and a very forry fupport to thofe whom he efteemed and pro- teded, all the favour which he had procured for him being no more than to change the place of his imprjfonment. He did not however communicate thefe refledions to Mr. de Sar tines, to whom he returned his moft fincere thanks. He fpent the greater part of that day with the governor, whom he really regretted to leave, and to whom he always teftified his gratitude during the remainder of his life. Before his departure, he wrote on the bafe of f 3*> ) of" each column, *' fearch above for the ex planation of the enigma;" and on the back of one of the fphinxes he left a fhort diredion, relative to the manner of keeping up a cor* refpondence by means of billets of wood, He recompenfed the turnkeys for the civilities they had fhewn him, and he,, alfo beflowed a fmall gratification on each of his friends belonging to the corps of inyajids. On reftoring his effeds to him, they required his fignatu re to an path, hy which J>e engaged never to reveal what he had either feen or experienced in the' Bafiille; he however confidered this as a mere formula, which did not bind him to any thing. Mr. de Sartines, either in confequence of orders, or of his own accord, permitted his papers to be removed, without being previoufly infpeded. An exempt belonging to the police arrived. early next morning, on purppfe to condud hiniL to the place of his exile, and he was kind enough - to reftore him his arms. This perfon,' whofe name was Maret, proved of a very amiable difpofition. He was only accompanied by one follower, or archer, who was difguifed as. a fervant. They followed the road leading to Caen, whither they arrived on the third day, at feven o'clock < 38i ) o'clock in. the morning. The chevalier de Canchy, who was the commandant of the caftle, had been informed before hand of his comingj and by noon, Dumouriez found the apartments intended for him',' which were in" his own houfe, prepared for his reception. They con- fifled of feveral very neat rooms, and a very handfome private garden. He made an agree ment with him for his board, and that of his fervants, at two hundred and fifty livres a i month ; this was a greater fum than the whole amount of the appointments of this officer, Who was a very excellent man. He found himfelf as agreeably fituated in this place as if he had been in the country. The caftle, which was furrounded by trees, was fpacious, the air falubrious, and its inhabitants very agreeable. It was there that he formed a lafting Connexion with the vifcountefs deMathan, an uncommonly amiable lady, who had a very fplendid houfe. He lived entirely at his eafe, and left the caftle whenever he pleafed, either to vifit the city, or the country; he would have taken but little! advantage of this liberty, if his coufin had hot refided fo near him. There is feme foundation, in the remark, that the adions which decide 6 our ( 3*2 5 . bur fate, are written beforehand in the book of deftiny. For the laft twelve years, thefe two perfons had been feparated from each other, without its being poffible to fuppofe^ that they fhould ever meet again. Mademoifelle de Broifly had taken the veil; being afterwards obliged, on account of her health, to relinquilh this too rigorous ftate of life, fhe had retired into a convent called the Magdalen, where fhe lived in the practice and reputation of the moft auftere devotion; After having twice refufed the felicitations of her coufin, fhe trembled on hearing that he was brought by virtue of a lettre de cachet to the caftle of Caen ; but confidering this circumftance as a proof that he Was fent thither by God, fhe fummoned up all the force of her religion, on purpofe to defend herfelf againft a paffion of long Handing* and which Ihe now believed to be nearly ex-- tind ; a whole battalion of ex-jefuits and de votees at the fame time rallied around her, in order to fortify her courage. On his part, he did not refled without re pugnance on the neceffity he was under of vifiting fo devout a relation, whom he had once .1 3*3 ) once tenderly loved, but from whom he had entirely detached himfelf, at her own requeft. He imagined, that, in a provincial city, where his coufin had acquired as much celebrity in her way, as he had done in his, the eyes of every body would be fixed on them, and that they would become the fubjed of general con verfation. He lamented the choice that had been- made of the caftle of Caen, above all other places in the kingdom, on purpofe as it were to throw him into fo embarraffing a. fituation. It had been circulated all over the country, that the rigorous devotion of his Coufin, and all her maladies, proceeded folely from the defpair of feeing herfelf abandoned. If he did not vifit her, he would be confidered as a monfter, more efpecially in the eyes of the women. Befides, why fhould not he vifit her ? He was no longer amorous, and fhe was his coufin german, and had adually fuffered greatly on his account. Thefe confiderations, and many others of the kind, agitated him during three whole days in fuch a manner, that he was incapable of coming to any determination. On the fourth, after having intimated his defign beforehand, he called upon her at ten o'clock in the morning ; fhe was alone. On his t 3»4 ) his entrance, they trembled like two criminals i as for his part, he could only fay : " Oh ! how you are changed ! but I love you ftill." In truth, he no longer recognized the fame perfort. The fmall-pox had enlarged all her features, fhe was thirty years old, and was moft frightfully lean. After becoming a little calm, they reafoned on their fituation, and agreed to fee one another but feldom. Never were more fincere proteftations of friendfhip made than at the very moment when they were arranging meafures for their feparation. Find ing themfelves much confoled by this refolu- tion, they refumed their former familiarity-; he afterwards dined in company with her and one of her friends, and returned to the caftle very well pleafed with what had been decided upon. The legion of Lorraine, to which he had been attached, was quartered at Falaife. The officers of this corps, conduded by the count de Viomef nil their colonel, Badignan the colonel en fe-» cond, Choify the lieutenant colonel, who had returned from Poland with a red ribband, and the rank of brigadier, and Villeraux the major. Viomefnil brought horfes for Dumouriez, and prevailed upon him to fpend fome time along with ( 3*5 ) With them. As the chevalier de Canchy did not oppofe it, he accordingly accompanied them, being exceedingly happy to remove to a'diftance from his coufin. He palfed a week with his brother officers : captain Montigny, whom he had caufed to be appointed to a company in this regiment, on purpofe to carry his " inftrudions for the light troops" into execution, had fucceeded in his attempt. ' He accordingly enjoyed the vpleafure of feeing his fyftem adopted, and, in conformity to its principles, caufed mock fights and Ikirmifhes to be pradifed by the troops. He alfo made fome additions to the original plan ; and at the expiration of 'eight days, he had de termined to remain another week, when he learned that his coufin had been feized with a miliary fever,v and that her malady wore" a very dangerous afped. .~. ' -On this j* he inftantly returned to Caen'. The Cbnverit in Which the lived hot being very ftrid, he became her ntirfe during the fpace of twenty- eight days. "He ' entered' her bedchamber at feve'n o'clock every rnprning, '„aad' never ftirred from it' until' eight afhighff 'every thing was, adminiftered to her by his own hand. He had cdnjedured, 'what *was~ indeed true, that, this. di'feafe," the germ of which, however, lurked' Vol. I. C c in ( 3** ) in her blood, as fhe had been already feized with it feven times, and it Was now epidemical at Caen, was occafioned by the revolution which their meeting had produced in a. mind replete with fenfibility, and by the violence of the ef forts made by her to flifle her own feelings. He himfelf was no longer amorous ; but a tender efteem had replaced this unruly paffion. He accordingly determined to terminate, by marriage, a fituation fo painful for them both. Of his patrimony, no more than a thoufand livres a year remained ; this joined to fix thou fand in appointments, produced an income of only feven thoufand francs. She herfelf pof feffed no more than twelve hundred and fifty livres yearly ; but her mother being aged, they were certain of fucceeding to feven or eight thoufand livres a year at her death. He waited for her convalefcence, and then by mere dint of argument obtained her confent. He was forced to become theologian and cafuift, and to difpute with the principal dodors of Caen, in order to remove the fcruples of his coufin. His fifter, the baronefs de Schomberg, had given him a very ftrong proof of her friendfhip, by foliciting the duke d'Aiguillon in his behalf; this was done, however, in a very noble man- ner. ( 3%7 ) Her. The duke had the bafenefs to reply to her one day when fhe preffed him on this fub jed : " You are in the wrong, madam, to be fo uneafy about your brother, as he diverts himfelf very agreeably in the Baftille, and is always gay." On this, fhe rejoined with much dig nity : " Very well, monfieur le due, this is a proof that he has not any thing to reproach his Confeience with, and alfo an additional reafpn for your doing him juftice, by reftoring him to liberty." Her generous franknefs had embroiled her with this all-powerful minifter; and it is with pleafure that Dumouriez quotes this anec dote of madame de Schomberg, to teftify his gratitude. His other fifter, the abbefs de Fervacques, refided at St. Quentin, a very agreeable town ; as Ihe was paffionately fond of her brother, the moment fhe heard of his refo- lution to efpoufe his coufin, fhe invited him to live in that place, and caufed a very charming houfe to be furnifhed for his reception. " His affiduity and attention to mademoifelle de Broifly was the theme of converfation to the whole city, and all the world praifed and be came interefted in his paffion, more efpecially his. good friend madame de Mathan. He would not C c 2 permit ( 3§8 ) permit her to remain any longer in the chamber. where fhe had been ill, as it was badly venti lated, and the, furniture neceffarily impregnated with the mifamata of her dangerous malady. He therefore hired apartments for her in the country, about a league and a half from Caen, and left her there, under the care of an old lady who boarded in the fame convent. He was very happy to be able to feclude her from the impor tunities of the priefts and devotees, who might trouble her repofe, without being able to change her refolutions ; and when he imagined the term of his lettre de cachet to be nearly expired, and that his coufin had fufficiently recruited her ftrength, he fent her to her mother, to whom they had both communicated their intentions. A few days after the departure of his coufin, Louis XV died, and the miniftry was changed. By a very odd circumftance, the abbe Berenger, a profeffor of rhetoric at Caen, was employed to compofe a panegyric on the deceafed mo narch ; and as it was neceffary to mention a few particulars of the life of that prince, he was ad vifed to confult the prifoner in the caftle, who, being a man of letters, and one conftantly employed in public affairs, would be able to furnifli him with the information fo much defired. ( 3h ) defired. The abbe Berenger accordingly waited upon him, and he affifted him to compofe a latin panegyric on that very king, in whofe name he had been imprifoned. His majefty 's death recalled to his memory the fable of La Fontaine, which he had quoted . to Marville, and he recounted the anecdote to all his ac quaintances in Caen. From that moment he confidered his lettre de ca&het as annulled, but as he would not recover his liberty by an accident of this kind, he tranf mitted a letter to Louis XVI, in which he re quefted that he might be committed once more to the Baftille, in order that his procefs might be refumed, and legal judges appointed for his trial. He wrote exadly in the fame manner to three of the new minifters, Mr. de Vergennes, now at the head of foreign affairs, the count, afterwards marfhal de Muy, who prefided in the war department, and de Sartines, the minifter of the marine. He received anfwers from them all, intimating that the king would nominate commiffioners for the reviiion of his procefs, but they refufed to commit him to the Baftille, and would not confign this affair to the decifion of a judicial tribunal. The count de Maurepas, uncle to the duke d'Aiguillon, having now become prime minifter, far from feeking to C c 3 revive ( 39° ) revive the memory of this ridiculous procefs, only* ftudied the means of fuppreffing eyery thing relative to it. All the papers were ac cordingly withdrawn from the regifter of the Baftille, and deftroyed. The commiffion lafted during two months; at the end of which period he received orders to repair to Compeigne, where the court then refided ; thus his imprifonment was prolonged eight weeks by triis circumftance ; and at the time of his departure, he had fpent fix months at the Baftille, and five months at the caftle of Caen"; happily for him, this long leifure was well employed. On his arrival at court, Mr. du Muy an nounced to him at a public audience, that the king, who was forry for the long and unjuft: imprifonment he had fuftained, had charged him to indemnify him, by employing his talents in a manner that might prove ufeful. At a pri vate meeting, he prefented him with a fimilar declaration in writing. A fecond was alfo tranf mitted to him, confifting of an extrad of the report, figned by the three minifters, acquitting him of every imputation whatever. In the courfe of this trial, de Sartines had affixed his fignature both for and againft him : as lieute nant of the police and a commiffioner, he had figned ( 39* ) figned the report of the duke d'Aiguillon, in which Dumouriez was implicated, and as mi nifter, he had fubfcribed a declaration of his innocence. He waited next day on the minifter at war, and afked his permiffion to marry, which he eafily obtained. Mr. du Muy was very auftere and religious ; he himfelf had juft gratified an old paffion, by efpoufing mademoifelle Blancard,. canonefs of Neufs, a woman equally beautiful and virtuous, who ftill bewails her refpedable hufband, whom fhe loft in 1775. Dumouriez then repaired to Pontaudemer, where his coufin refided ; and after having, with great regret, paid three thoufand two hun dred livres to the pope, for a difpenfation, on account of relationffiip, he efpoufed her on the 1 3th of September, 1 7 74. He was obliged to fell five thoufand volumes of his library, to pay the expences of his new eftablifhment ; that part which remained, and which had again be come very GOnfiderable, together with all his manufcripts and papers, have fallen a. prey to the anarchifts. He now removed to St. Quentin, and lived alonfcheme '. behind the bafin of Cherbourg rifes the mountain of Roule, covered from top to bottom with enormous blocks of granite, de tached, overfet, and broken into large malfes in the courfe of a number of centuries, in confe quence of deluges, or earthquakes. There was a fufficient quantity here to form a confiderable part of the dike, without opening the quarries. Inftead of breaking thefe noble blocks, in order to place them either on board old veffels or in cones, ( 4^3 ) cones, he wifhed them to be tranfported whole into the road by means of large flat-bottomed boats, which are called hcux* when em ployed on the rivers ; and tp accomplifh this, he propofed that a canal fhould be opened at the bottom of the bafin, which Ihould reach to the foot of the mountain, whence another canal fhould communicate with the fea, be tween the right hand fide of the port and road of Tourlaville. The canal behind the bafin might have received the tide by means of the flood-gates appertaining to it ; thefe were to be carefully fhut at high water, on which the ftream, being fuffered to difcharge itfelf into the fea through the external canal, would have car ried fuch veffels as had been previoufly loaded at the bottom of the mountain along with it. There was not one of the blocks lefs than fix feet every way, fo that a fathom in length would have taken very little time to raife. The vacuities might have been afterwards filled up with ftones of a fmaller dimenfion ; but this, indeed, would have been fuperfluous. A hundred boats entering by the bafin, and palling through the external canal, fo as to perform a voyage every tide, al- * A fpecies of punts, or prames, the latter of which have a very fhallow keel,— Tranf. I i 2 lowing ( 4^4 ) lowing each to be navigated by three failors, affifted by two workmen, added to five hundred men employed on the mountain in fending down the blocks, and loading the punts, would have tranfported and funk, in the courfe of one mouthy froin fifteen to eighteen thoufand blocks. He was well affured, that the whole operation might have been completed in the courfe of three fummers, but then it would have been rude and fimple, like nature herfelf. He was prefent at a great council of the mi nifters, which affembled in Paris during the winter of 1782, 1783, at which all the learned affifted. -The projed of the cones was then adopted ; his opinion was contained in a me morial, in which he examined the refpedive merits of the three different plans ; he obferved, that he preferred that of the cones, becaufe it was the only one on which an effay could be made; that for this purpofe it would be necef fary to conftrud, fill, and fink a cone, and leave it two or three years by way of experi ment, and that during this time, the other works relative to this eftablifhment might be going on. He fuggefted this with an intention to bring the projed of the excavation of the bafin in the pre du rot into notice. De { 48.5 ) De Ceffart went to refide at Cherbourg;, with a number of engineers belonging to the roads and bridges, arid completed the firft cone. The manner of conftruding, of railing them above the docks in which they were built, although each mafs of wood and iron weighed nearly two millions of pounds, of navigating and im- merfing them foot by foot, without the leaft fhock, are inventions that betoken great inoe- nuity, and exhibited a pleating fpedacle. The knife which cut the cables to which the cafks were faftened below the water, is the model of the fatal guillotine. The inexperience of the workmen occafioned the failure of the cone conftruded during the firft feafon, and they deemed themfelves very lucky to be able to bring it to land. As it had received fome damage, it was thought proper to build another immediately ; they were both funk and filled in 1784. Such were the hopes conceived of this projed, that without allowing time to judge of the effeds produced by the fea, the conftrudion of five others was determined upon. It was not in the leaft doubted, but that the wood and the iron would in a ffiort time be deftroyed by this terrible element ; but it was hoped that the ftones would be confolidated, and I i 3 that ( 486 ) that a mafs would be thus formed capable of refiftance without the aid of this outward cafe. The contrary, however, took place. The ftones were always in. motion in thefe bafkets, exadly like the grains of corn in a winnowing fan. The cones were continually agitated, the waves eafily broke them, and in retreating carried away the ftones with which they were filled. If means were not fpeedily taken to fill them again, the fea would cruffi the empty bafket work in pieces,' and difperfe the wood and the iron. On the 18th of Auguft, 1785, the firft two cones being greatly damaged by a tempeft, the marfhal de Caftries, then minifter of the marine department, took a journey to Cherbourg, on purpofe to raife the drooping fpirits of the na tion. Thefe childifh panniers ought to have been from that moment abandoned, and ftones limply thrown into the fea, as began to be done in the courfe of that very year at the foot of the cones, on purpofe to render them more folid. It being now difcovered that thefe ftones held falter to gether than thofe thrown into the cones, they were at length undeceived by degrees. It was not, however, the appearance of the naval mi nifter at Cherbourg, in 1 ^85, that infpired thefe fage refolutions; on the contrary, he feemed to have ( 487 ) have gone thither on purpofe to brave the power of Neptune. He adually gave orders for the conftrudion of ten new cones ; and, to put an end to both jokes and criticifms, it was deemed proper to fandion this projed by the king's prefence. In June 1786, this prince arrived at Cher bourg ; he was preceded by the count d'Artois. There were then two cones ready in the road, one of thefe was floored over, and had a tent ereded upon it ; from that ftation the king beheld a cone navigated, funk, and in part filled. It was at Cherbourg only, that fuch a pompous and extraordinary fpedacle could be feen, as that of a cone completely decked, and having one hundred perfons ftanding upon it, failing fide by fide with the king of France, who was feated in a fuperb galley in the midft pf feventeen men of war, one of which, called the Patriot, mounted feventy-four guns. He was welcomed by the falutes of the numerous artillery of the "ffiips and the forts, and fur rounded by barges full of muficians, and more than eighty thoufand fpedators embarked in upwards of fifteen hundred boats and fmall veffels fuperbly ornamented. The king fpent four days at Cherbourg. He was familiar and I i 4 kind, ( 433 )>. kind, and would have been more fo, if thofe who were about him had not prevented him from dilplaying his natural difpofition. The duke d'Harcourt, and ftill more the marffial de Caftries, were in the wrong to feclude and hinder him from leaving traces of his journey in the benefits conferred either by his hand or his mouth. The intermediate agents between kings and their people are fure to fpoil every thing. The marffial de Segur, minifter at war, alfo accompanied the king ; he had brought along with h'tx- St. Paul, the firft clerk of the graces or favours, and Sancquier, the firft clerk of the department of the artillery and engineers, vih all the necefiary difpofitions for a general promotion. Mr. de Caftries, who had never dreamed of being beneficent, and ftill lefs of doing honour to the king, having neither his firft clerk, nor a lift of promotions, defired the good marfhal de Segur to poftpone his inten tions. It is to be remarked, that it was Mr. de Caftries himfelf, who had caufed a fquadron to be affembled at Cherbourg, on purpofe to perform certain evolutions before the king. The duke de Villequier had provided a box of jewels worth about a million of livres, which Louis ( 489 ) Louis was to have diftributed among the prin cipal officers, and their wives. The duke, to his great regret, was obliged to carry them back again ; it was he himfelf who mentioned this circumftance to Dumouriez about a month afteru ards, and procured for him the prefent that had been deftined for his ufe : a very exad portrait of the king on a fnuff box enamelled with great tafte, which he would never have feen but for this piece of information. Louis XVI examined every thing with the utmoft attention ; he himfelf was an artift. He was alio prefent at a mock fight, and failed three leagues on board the Pcfriot. How little connection is there between the name of this veffel, and the monfters who afterwards aflaffinated this innocent vidim ! Every thing done of his own accord in the courfe of his journey, bore teftimony to his bounty ; every thine he was made to do was ungracious. The province was much difcontented with the duke d'Harcourt, who rather proved himfelf a o-ood courtier, than a governour and patriot ; he is accufed of having procured every thing to be done for himfelf and his own con nexions, and nothing for others : this was certainly not true. He was, at that time ap pointed ( 49° ) pointed governour to the dauphin ; but this was not a favour, as it is a place of great confidence, and he was capable of filling it, for he poffeffes much knowledge, and his manners are agree able. ' The prefence of the king had done honour to, but not ftrengthened the cones, for in the courfe of that very winter they were all over- fet. They were launched again in 1787. At length, government became weary of them in 1788, and adually demolifhed thofe that re mained as low as the water's edge, Twenty one cones in all were conftruded, which, one with another, coft four hundred thoufand livres apiece, for DeCeffart, who had begun modeftly by afking for the refufe wood only, ended by demanding the very bell ufed in fhip-building, and efpecially fome pf the fineft knees. Twen ty good frigates might have been conftruded with the materials and the money thrown away upon the twenty-one cones, of which very luckily the fmalleft trace does not now re main. The work was continued without either wood, iron, or mafonry. Had Dumouriez been able to forefee, that this projed would have been reduced to fuch a fimple procefs, after having paffed through all the refinement ( 49i ) refinement of art, and called forth the abilities of all the learned, he would have been daring enough to have propofed his fyftem of blocks, and made ufe of all his efforts for its adoption. When the plan of the cones had been aban doned, this was no longer poffible, as thefe noble maffes had been broken into pieces. Befides, there was now a regular adminiftra- tion formed for carrying on this work, and contrads made, &e.; fo that, however excellent his projed might have been, the intereft of individuals would have made it mifcarry. He was difpofed to be contented provided he could hut fee a dike raifed in any manner. He how ever made and prefented his obfervations oe- cafionally, which did not always pleafe. A council of adminiftration had been formed, in cdnfequence of letters patent from the mi nifter of the marine department ; he was ex cluded, but notwithftanding this, the minifter himfelf and the duke d'Harcourt folicited him to affift at it. Far from taking umbrage at the exclufion which had taken place, he was equally affiduous and adive as if he had been one of the members. ' He fpent the whole year at Cherbourg ; it \vas during the winter that the new works fuftaiued ( 492 ) fuftained the greateft damage ; he carefully obferved the progrefs of the ocean, tranfmitted his obfervations, and announced future dif afters. By thefe means he offended poor De Ceffart, who became unhappy at his bad 'fuc cefs, and blamed every body ; he afterwards difpleafed the duke d'Harcourt, who endeavour ed to make him feel his indignation. The difpute grew fo warm at laft, that he thought himfelf obliged to make an offer to give in his refignation, of which the governour however would not accept. In 1789, they affeded to employ the tactician Mefnil Durand, who had the rank of a major- general, on the works at Cherbourg ; this was an ill timed mortification which he experienced from the duke d'Harcourt, after having com manded during nine years in a place that he had in fome meafure created, more efpecially as he himfelf was likely to be a major general at the promotion of 1788, which accordingly took place. ' From that time he entirely withdrew him felf from the cares attendant on the adminiftra- tion, which devolved on the duke deBeuvron, brother to the duke d'Harcourt, the latter of whom could not leave Verfailles. The former was C 493 ) was a good man, and replete with zeal, but fhuffling, weak, and changeable in his dif pofition ; his fociety, too, did not afford the fame refource as that of the duke d'Harcourt, who was very amiable. The mind of Dumouriez had been occupied during fix years with another projed which he confidered as a corollary, or a branch from that' of Cherbourg : it related to the grand-Vey. This plan was the work of feveral engineers ; la Roziere and Mefnil Durand had each of them been feparately employed on it. All were agreed as to its utility, its grandeur, and even the facility of its execution. The peninfula of the Cotentin is termi nated towards the fouth by a river called the Douve, which runs from weft to eaft, and empties itfelf into the Vey below Caren- tan. As this river paffes through unwholefome- marfhes and its waters ftagnate, the people of the neighbouring villages breathe an infedious air ; all the lands within half a league of its borders are continually covered with ftanding waters, which emit peftilential exhalations, and a fever prevails during the whole year in the little town of Carentan, and in all the places along the Douve. ( 494 ) Douve. The languid motion of this ftream arifes from its being one of the feven which form the Veys, from the paflage of feveral of thefe rivers being in a manner dammed up by a narrow bridge, and from the two bars or fand banks at the entrance of the great and little Vey, which pen up the ftream. There is one certain mode of affording an eafy paffage to thefe waters : this is by de- ftroying one of the two bars already alluded to, by ereding a dike along the banks, digging a channel in the middle, conftruding a bridge and flood-gates, and above all, by giving fuf ficient breadth to this canal, in order to pro cure room enough for the difcharge of the waters of the feven rivers. By thefe means an immenfe country might be reclaimed from the water, falubrity and cultivation would enfue, and the population be doubled ; all thefe improvements would tend to augment the puhlick revenues, and the national riches. In fhort, he had cal culated, that if the king expended ten or twelve millions, which was the fum the me- lioration of the great Vey might probably coft, he would lay out his money fo as to gain at the rate of feventeen per cent. It ( 495 ) It had been propofed time immemorial to all the intendants and minifters, to do fomething of this kind in refped to the Veys ; but before the works at Cherbourg were undertaken, the peninfula of Cotentin was not fulficiently inter- efting for any adminiftration to expend money folely with a view to the health and utility of the inhabitants. Three projeds were prefented, with a view- to facilitate the iffue of thefe rivers, by the con ftrudion of a bridge, but two only were on a grand foale^ One of them refpeded the paffage of the little Vey at Ifigny. In addition to the advantages already mentioned, it opened a dired communication between Cherbourg and Caen, by la Hougue, Ifigny, and Bayeux ; the circuit by Carentan and St. Lo would have been faved, and Bayeux reached by one fide of the tri angle. This plan of a bridge over^the little Vey was fuggefted by the engineers of roads and bridges, as an objed that might be attained for two or three millions of livres ; it would have coft five, but the advantages would have more than compenfated the expenfes. The other, which was the greater and more ufeful, which would have opened a ftill more dired communication between Cherbourg and, 8 Caen, ( 496 ) Caen, reclaimed more land from the fea, opened the richeft refource to commerce, agri culture, and population, was the projed of improving the great Vey, by throwing over a bridge from the point of Grandcamp in the bafin to the peninfula near Ravenoville. The expenfe was eftimated at fix millions ; it would /have -been at leaft ten; but the ad vantages would have been immenfe. This bridge would have opened a great dired road from Cherbourg to Caen, without going round by' Bayeux ; this would have ffiortened the journey between that important port and, the capital of Lower Normandy, by no lefs than thirteen leagues. The towns of St. Lo and Bayeux were much alarmed left this projed fhould be carried into execution. This was the plan that ftruck all thofe who confidered things in an extenfive point of view. The fuccefs of the works at Cherbourg was not fo flattering as to induce Dumouriez di- redly to propofe fuch an increafe of expenfe. An opportunity was wanting to encourage individuals to undertake this fcheme, without the interference of the ftate. Public com panies had indeed been often propofed, but experience had demonftrated that the govern ment C 497 J ment was always a dupe to thefe, that they commenced fuch enterprizes with a greater flock of rafhnefs than of money, and that it al ways happened at laft, that the work was either entirely abandoned, or became chargeable to the nation. . During the winter of 1787, 1788, the Dutch patriots, in confequence of the bad fuccefs of their infurredion, arrived in great numbers to feek an afylum in France. Among thefe were many rich land owners, and men of different ftations in life. As the government that had occafioned their ruin ©was embarraffed with them, Mr. de St. Prieft, on his returning from his fruitlefs embaffy into Holland, propofed to eftablifh a colony of them at Cherbourg, and he accordingly fent a deputation of thefe unfortunate exiles to Dumouriez ; they were conduded by an officer of the name of Poncet, belonging to the ftaff of the army. There was however no poffibility of fettling them at Cherbourg, as the place was already encumbered in confequence of the works carrying on in the road, and prefented nothing to the eye but a mere chaos. He beo-ari however to refled, that the riches, the habit of living amidft waters, and of con- Vol. L K k ftruding C. 49s ; ftruding dike's- t'p keep out .the fea, added "to- the patient and' phlegmatick charader' of the Dutch, r. would render them; more fit than any other nation for executing the projed^ relative to the great Vey. As the terms' were reafyv being nothing more than a grant of three leagues' ofTarflneed of continual fupport, more efpecially 'as it would foon render the penfions .granted -to the poorer claffes unneceffary. ¦;;¦_ J ¦ ;'jiv< ! ,~l Mr. de la Luzerne was then minifter of the marine department ; he himfelf was well known to be very ardent in refped to prpjeds, he was alfo proprietor of • the eftate of B.eure- ville near Ifigny, and was well acquainted with the Veys. Dumouriez accordingly propofed to him to affemble the Dutch refugees in this fpot, and to make them a grant of part of the Veys, which they were to lay into Polders by means of a bridge over the great Vey. The enter- prize was to be conduded at their own Coft, they receiving tolls or other compenfations during t 499 ; during a limited number of years, by way of indemnification for the expenfe; and it was propofed to mark out for them on the coaft of the peninfula, which. prefents pafture grounds and a climate fimilar -to Holland, the plan of a town to be named Batavia, with a view to foothe their misfortunes by the illufion of a fecond country. La Luzerne rejeded an idea fo advantageous to humanity and to France, merely becaufe he poffelfed a large eftate adjoining to the Veys ; he forefaw that fo induftrious a colony would foon fet bounds to the petty acquifitions gained by himfelf yearly from the fea, and aduated merely by the hopes of fome thoufand ad ditional livres of rent, and a few acres of land, this man, already worth more than a hundred thoufand livres a year, facrificed the projeded eftablifhment of this Dutch colony, the health of his neighbours, the glory of the nation, and, the advantage of his country. This is the only great attempt made by Dumouriez which has completely and irrevocably failed. Towards the end of 1788 the young dauphin died, happy in not having lived long enough to participate in' the unex- . peded calamities, with which his unfortunate K k 2 family ( 5°° ) family has been fince overwhelmed. His demife reftored the duke d'Harcourt to the cares of his government ; but the diforder and confufion, that now began to take place, already announced a "great revolution. The affemblies of the notables, by means of which imprudent and faithlefs minifters wifhed to affay the temper of the nation, intimated that the de- velopement of its ftrength and its fury was at hand. Thefe great objeds now occupied the at tention of Dumouriez more than the works at Cherbourg, which drew towards a con clufion. The two dikes had been united to gether, and the channel between them filled up, and as they were already elevated through out their whole length to a level with the low watermark, many of the boats were laid up, and the expenfes greatly diminifhed. They were then employed in the conftruc- tion of fort Querqueville. Thefe great un dertakings have not been completed. It was to have been wifhed, that before the French nation had unfortunately relinquifhed its ufeful and pacifick occupations, in confequence . of the criminal agitations which now tear its bowels in pieces, the two faliant points or 7 angles ( 50i ) angles of this long dike had been - terminated in a folid manner, either by finking frame works of mafonry, according to the projed of Mr. de Caux, or by fortifying them with a girdle of very large blocks of granite. It is by fapping of thefe two unproteded extremities that the fea will at length deftroy and difperfe a mafs of Hones' deftitute of coherence, by far too fmall, and not fufficiently ponderous. What has been already achieved is extremely ufeful. Two noble forts and a grand battery afford fuch "ample means of defence to this road as to render it inexpugnable, more ef pecially as furnaces are every where conftruded on purpofe to prepare red hot balls, and the works are bomb proof. The dike, fuch as it is, affords a fafe anchorage behind it, in which men of war can be ftationed fo as to affift the forts; and in whatever manner the revo lution may terminate, the French nation will certainly take advantage of the firft calm, to excavate the bafin projeded by Vauban in the pre du roi. The eftablifhment will be then grand and certain, and the execution of the plan relative. to the great Vey will become a neceffary confequence of the completion of the harbour of Cherbourg. lv k 3 Dumouriez ( 5°2 ) Dumouriez alfo hopes, that the projed re lative to a harbour at Boulogne may be fome day refumed. The French navy will then be enabled to Cnjoy an equal proportion of the navigation of the channel, the half of which by its pofition appertains to it, if the fea can appertain to any one nation. The archipelago of Guernfey and Jerfey will alfo be reunited to Normandy, from which it has been fepa- rated, and which, to the difgrace of France, ftill remains in the poffeffion of the Englifh. Such are the wiffies he utters in behalf of his native country, not to inculcate ambition and conqueft, not to defolate the wealthy ifland of Great Britain by barbarous and ruin-" Pus defcents ; but in order that thefe two nations, finding themfelves equal in point of force, may mutually refped each other, and difcover in peace and fraternity advantages which will deliver the two continents from the ' calamities and devaluations occafioned by their cruel jealoufies. The well cemented union of thefe nations would enfure univerfal peace: CHAP. ( 5°3 ) CHAP. VI. Refleflions. An epoch of eleven years is here concluded ; the happieft in Dumouriez' whole life ; they were fpent in extenfive, ufeful, fedentary, and philofophical labours. Having built a new Salentum, he would have been happy, like Idomeneus, to have finiffied his life there. In 1778 he had only found 7,300 inhabitants at Cherbourg; he left in 1789 more than nine teen thoufand fouls, and an enormous aug mentation in houfes, publick buildings, military works, and edifices of all kinds. Had he but fucceeded in caufing the reafonable, fimple, and fublime plan of the marfhal de Vauban to be adopted, the projed of the great Vey would have .been carried into execution, and the little peninfula of Cotentin would have been at prefent one of the beft peopled, the beft cul tivated, and the moft interefting portions of all France. In addition to the publick good done ( 5°4 ) done by him, he enjoyed the agreeable fatif- fadion of achieving the private happinefs of feveral families. He left behind him a few friends, many enemies, and a ftill greater num ber of ingrates. His time paffed quickly away, amidft his books and his labours. His occupations kept his mind direded towards objeds great in their own nature, and ufeful to humanity. He laboured for his country, not only for the prefent, but for ages to come, and a future race. By means of his meditations, his ftudies, and his folitary walks, he eafily diffipated his little domeftic chagrins, forgot the public Oppofition he had met with, and the jealoufy, or unjuft diftruft on the part of his fupe- riours. Having never fawned upon the court, having never frequented the public offices but with memorials in his hand, not to folicit any thing for himfelf, but in behalf of objeds of public utility, he was not at all attached to Verfaillesi His library indemnified him for the lofs of the frivolous pleafures and fpedacles of Paris. Nearly all the friends with whom he had lived in intimacy in that capital, fuch as the count de Broglie, Voyer, the abbe de Mably, C 505 ) Mably, Dorat, Crebillon, and Favier, were dead, and at fifty years of age a man is not very anxious to form new acquaintances. He had fpent his patrimony, but as he had not any children, he did not ftand in need of it; his income was fufficient, and he expended it honourably. He had adopted that philofo phical motto which terminates the very moral romance of Gil Bias : " Inveni portum, &c." He was deftitute of ambition, but being now a major-general, and in conftant employment, he was certain of foon arriving at the rank of lieutenant general, and receiving the military decorations. He was even convinced that no war could take place, in which his experience arid various knowledge would not be called into adion, and that he might not become rufiy, he continued to apply himfelf to his military ftu- dies, to accuftom himfelf to foreign languages, and, above all things, to the moft violent bodily exercifes. His whole life was a mixture of phyfical floicifm, and moral epicurifm. He had hoped to have done more good in his command at Cherbourg, but after all his <. 5°° ; his ufelefs efforts he confoled himfelf with the idea that he had not negleded any thing, and that the obftacles encountered by him were fo many difadvantages attached to a fubaltern employment. Had he been a lieutenant general, or duke and peer, when he; entered upon that office, he would have fucceeded in all his undertakings. In France, and almoft at all courts, .the minifters can never be brought to believe that a colonel at forty years of age has as able a head as a marfhal of France; or a private commandant, as the governour of a province. If a fubaltern dare to difcover great ideas, they will apply to him on this fubjed, what Dumouriez then jocularly termed the curfew of William the Conqueror. Of thefe eleven years, nothing but re gret now remains, for he . cannot apply this trivial proverb to himfelf: " As you make your bed, fo you muft lie." This " bed" was well made; the moft horrible cataftrophes have driven him from it, and he is now wan dering about the univerfe. But what are his private misfortunes in comparifon to thofe frightful calamities which have changed France, and rendered her fo miferable ? He is about to trace, in the fix following books C $°7 ) books of his life, all that he has witneffed, and the courfe he was obliged to follow in publick affairs. No Frenchman could difpenfe with ading a part, and all have contributed to laT cerate the bofom of their common mother; the court and the emigrants, in pppofing neceffary reforms with too much violence; the conjlitutionels, in pufhing reforms too far, in allowing themfelves to be milled by me taphyfical ideas, and faditious agitations; the people in abufing the faults of thefe two parties, in order to overturn them both, by means of that force conferred by the con ftitution ; and the populace, in crufhing in their turn the people who had the imprudence to ftir them up. Dumouriez, fighing at all thefe exceffes, blaming all parties, and called upon by exifting circumftances to exercife the greateft employ ments, has difpleafed all fadions, by preferv- ing his original charader, and remaining true and frank. As a minifter, he endeavoured to elevate France from her debafement, by means of firm and noble negotiations, which ended in a rupture, and in this he only an ticipated by a few months an inevitable war. As the general of an army, he faw nothing but ( 5°* ) but the danger of invaded France, and he accord ingly repulfed her enemies. He acknowledges, that he had been. deceived in all his calculations. He has* beheld with horrour his very fucceffes turned againft his country, for they fortified that anarchy which he wifhed to combat and annihilate. If Pro vidence ftill referve for him a long exiftence, he will confole himfelf with the hope of he- holding the end of thefe monftrous calamities, which are too exceffive to be durable. If, on the contrary, it be decreed, that the term of his life is to be abridged, equally devoid' of reproach and regret, he will blefs the moment, which, by doling his eyes, fhall deliver him from the horrid pidure. END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.