CHAPTER. V.

Death of Gustavus, king of Sweden-Affairs of Poland-Death of Leopold, Emperor of Germany-Gloomy aspect of affairs in France -Progress of sedition in England-National convention declares war against the Emperor, as king of Hungary and Bohemia-Affair of Tournay-France declares war against Sardinia-French squadron attack Nice-Villa Franca and Ŏneglia-Emigrants at CoblentzPolicy and measures of the King of Prussia, whose army enters France, and soon after retreats with great loss-Dumourier enters Belgium with a large army, defeats the Austrians at Jemappe, and overruns the whole of Austrian Flanders-The French decree the opening of the Scheldt-Dutch demand assistance from Britain— French party in Holland-Squadron sent to the Scheldt-Death of Louis the Sixteenth-Chauvelin ordered to quit England-Bounties given to Seamen-King's message to both houses of parliamentWar with France-Declaration of the convention-Motives of the King and ministers for going to war-Defection of General Dumourier-France offers to negociate-Attempt abortive-Lord Gower recalled-Insolence of the French ambassador-Treaty with Russia and Sardinia-Powers of Europe join against FranceDuke of York with the guards sent to Holland-State of the public mind in that country-Siege of Williamstadt-Retreat of the French -League against France-Belgium united to France-Boundaries of the new republic-Success of the Imperial troops-Siege of Valenciennes and Condé-Duke of York turns off to Dunkirk, and is defeated-Blame imputed to admiralty and ordnance board-Emperor Francis repairs to Brussels, and joins the army-Squadron sent for the Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Immense armies of France-Disunion of the allies-Emperor takes command of the allied forces-King of Prussia withdraws from the coalition-Emperor returns to Vienna-Earl of Moira, with ten thousand men, sent to join the Duke of York, is accompanied by a squadron to the Scheldt-Austrians expelled from the Netherlands-Junction of the Earl of Moira with the Duke of York-French enter Antwerp-Lay siege to Sluys-Retreat of British forces from before the FrenchEmperor threatens to withdraw from the coalition-Is preventedAnecdote of Captain Savage-Duke of York and Stadtholder retire to England-Dutch acknowledge the French republic-Disastrous retreat of General Dundas and his army-Final embarkation in the Elbe and Weser-French have entire possession of Holland-Fatal effects of it to the Dutch-War declared by England against Holland -Reflections of the Count de Segur-Admiral Duncan takes the command in the North Seas-Captain J. S. Yorke, in the Stag, takes the Alliance, Dutch frigate.

IN the month of March, 1792, the unfortunate Gustavus the Third, king of Sweden, was shot at a masquerade, by

Ankerstroom,* an officer of his guards: his accomplices were Counts Horn and Rubbing, and some others among the nobles, who had never forgiven their king for conferring the common rights of humanity on his people. The Duke of Sudermania, as regent, succeeded to the government during the minority of the young prince, Gustavus the Fourth the assassins suffered the punishment due to their crime.

The kingdom of Poland this year became the theatre of war. The Empress of Russia, the Emperor of Germany, and the King of Prussia, entered, by mutual consent, into that devoted country, laying waste with fire and sword, and taking to themselves its finest provinces. The constitution of Poland was annihilated, and that brave people subjected to the arbitary will of their conquerors: in 1794, its final partition was accomplished by the confederated powers.

The Emperor Leopold died the 1st of March, 1792: the extensive plans of this monarch and his predecessor, for the better government of his Belgic provinces, produced effects very different from what were intended, and finally terminated in throwing them under the dominion of the French republic. Leopold was succeeded by his son Francis, who, unfortunately for Europe, had a less share of prudence and moderation than his father.

The aspect of affairs in France assumed every day a more threatening appearance. The doctrine broached by the disciples of anarchy, went avowedly to overturn the throne and the altar: the bonds of civil society were loosened, and the internal tranquillity of every country was menaced. England, whose institutions were susceptible of much improvement, was threatened with internal commotion by the introduction of doctrines subversive of all order: to remain at peace with France became impossible, and, to ward off domestic convulsion, preparations were made for war. The royal family of France was confined to the capital; the princes of Europe sought to release them, but the strength of France in

The virtuous widow of Ankerstroom is, or was lately, living; and it is but justice to that unhappy lady to say that her character has been most cruelly aspersed in that trumpery pageantry called “Gustavas.”

creased with the struggles of disorder, and, while she bad › defiance at once to the laws of God and nature, and deluged her bosom with the blood of innocent victims, she prepared to meet the united powers of Austria and Prussia on the Rhine, and to dare the vengeance of Britain on the ocean.

On the 20th of April, war was declared by the French against the Emperor, as king of Hungary and Bohemia. This measure was proposed to the convention by Louis the Sixteenth, contrary to his own wishes; but, in obedience to the command of the tyrants who composed that assembly, it was received with the loudest acclamations of applause, and was the first war in which France had been engaged since the establishment of her new government.

The acts of his Imperial Majesty, which had drawn on him the anger of the convention, however just and honourable, only accelerated the catastrophe which he sought to avert. A general war involved the whole of Europe, and the first eTects produced by the movement of the allied armies, was to hurry the unhappy King and Queen to the scaffold; their son to an untimely grave; and to moisten the soil with the blood of their fellow-citizens.

The Rubicon was passed at the affair of Tournay, where the republicans, under the command of General Dillon, were repulsed by the Austrians, and this favourable result encouraged the allies to hope for greater successes.

On the 16th of September, the national assembly declared war against the King of Sardinia. On the 26th, the French army entered the territory of Savoy, and a French squadron, of nine sail of the line, took possession of Nice, Montalban, and Villa Franca. Admiral Truguet, the commander, sent a flag of truce into the port of Oneglia; the boat was fired on, and several of the people in her killed; in consequence of which, the Admiral drew up his ships before the place, and cannonaded the town, while the troops stormed it by land, and it was taken, and given up to military execution.

The emigrants who fled from France to avoid the persecutions of the jacobins, assembled at Coblentz, and entered into negotiations with the court of Berlin, filling

the mind of the King of Prussia with the most extrava, gant notions of the power of the royalists, the preponderance of public opinion on the side of the king, and the certainty of a general rising in his favour the moment a Prussian force entered France; these, however ill founded, so influenced the mind of Frederick, that he commanded the Duke of Brunswick to advance with a powerful army. His Highness crossed the Rhine, and entered France by Longwy and Verdun. In every point of view, there seems to have been less cause for surprise at the retreat, than at the advance, of the Prussian general, who, in a barren country, had far outstepped his commissariat. His soldiers became a prey to disease, which shortly consigned twenty thousand of them to the hospitals or the earth. No movement of the French took place in their favour, and General Dumourier being upon their flanks with a large and enthusiastic force, all idea of delivering the King gave way to the dangers and privations with which the troops were surrounded, and a secure retreat was all that could be hoped for. There was some impolicy in the Prussian manifesto, and a harshness of treatment towards the guilty, or unfortunate, La Fayette and his friends, which gave the moderate party in France but too much reason to dread the same severity, should the allied armies enter and conquer the country, or restore the authority of the lawful monarch.

While the Prussians were advancing, the rage of the Parisians knew no bounds; and when they retreated (which happened in September), their cowardice and cruelty were equally conspicuous: the best blood of France flowed in streams through her capital, and the mob government breathed nothing but rancour and fury against kings, and the friends of monarchy and legitimate government. With all these menacing appearances, France had yet taken no step to justify the commencement of hostilities on our part; this was not long wanting.

In November, 1792, General Dumourier, released from all fears respecting Prussia, entered Austrian Flanders, and defeated the forces of the Emperor at the battle of Jemappe, near Mons. The consequence of this victory was the surrender of the whole of the fortified places in

the Netherlands to the conqueror; Mons, Tournay, Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Malines, Charleroi, Louvain, and Ostend, all fell into his hands.

Holding possession of strong places on both sides of the Scheldt, it was not to be supposed that the national convention, which had hitherto disregarded those venerable monuments of antiquity, the laws of nations, would respect the treaties of Munster and Westphalia, by which the navigation of that river was prohibited, under the guarantee of Great Britain; and, as might be expected, the Scheldt was opened, and declared frce: this measure was supposed to be fatal to the commerce of the Dutch, and the Stadtholder claimed the assistance of England in virtue of the treaties: such was our ostensible cause of war with France; but it was not the opening of the Scheldt alone that would have induced the King of England to go to war; he plainly saw that no peace was to be had with France, on any other conditions than submission to her arbitrary will, and that the ambition of France would admit of no equal power in Europe, south of the Vistula and the Danube, In pursuance of this plan of aggrandizement, the jacobin leaders of Paris, in the madness of their revolutionary insolence, decreed that Belgium should be added to the departments of the republic. Holland, under the name of an ally,* was to be equally dependant; and the subjugation of Great Britain was openly announced in the convention, as an event at no great distance.

The French party in Holland, which, in the year 1787, had obliged the Stadtholder to have recourse to the arms of Prussia, to re-establish him in his government, now saw and seized the favourable opportunity of gratifying, at once, its revenge and ambition: previously, however, to any declaration of war on our own part, a small squadron was sent to the Scheldt, to assist the Dutch in repelling their invaders. Every day, towards the close of the year 1792, brought farther proof, if proof were wanting, that war with France was inevitable. On the 11th of January, Capt. Barlow of the Childers, sloop of war, reached the admiralty with an account of his having been fired at with much severity by the batteries on