jefty's minifters "any orders for his ferving in Flanders must occafion his immediate refignation."

Oftend feemed fecured by the debarkation of the troops, and the object of the miffion was completed, had events been fortunate in other parts: the day, however, after the landing, Lord Moira heard fo much about the state of affairs in the country, that he thought he could not honeftly confine his attention to the fervice exactly affigned for him; he therefore took it upon himself to write to General Clairfait and to General Walmoden, proposing a junction of their forces, in order that they might act from Bruges to Thielt, upon the left wing of the French. This measure would have covered Oftend, at the fame time that the confequence of it, as to the lightening the preffure on the Duke of York, could not but be very important. General Clairfait eagerly adopted the idea, but made it a condition, that Lord Moira fhould fingly poffefs himself of the city of Bruges, before he (General Clairfait) fhould move. The condition was nice, because Lord Moira had not time to get afhore any heavy cannon, as the movement would be impracticable, were it not made before the French in that neighbourhood received a reinforcement, which they hourly expected; fo that the corps already at Wingham, which had only fix miles to march to Bruges, whilft Lord Moira had twelve, might, by throwing a thoufand men into the town, defeat the attempt of feizing it, and would thereby oblige Lord Moira to join the Auftrians by Sluys and Sas de Gand, or return to Oftend, and leave the rest of Flanders to its fate.

The enterprize was, however, undertaken. On the road to Bruges, Lord Moira received, by an express, a letter from the Duke of York, which had come round by Sluys, defiring, "that Lord Moira would embark his whole army, "and join him by the way of Antwerp." The other object was too far advanced to leave room for the obedience of this order. Bruges was luckily fecured; but, at the very gates of it, Lord Moira was overtaken by Captain Clinton, who came by way of Sluys, Blackenberg, and Oftend, from the Duke of York and General Clairfait. The meffage from the Duke of York was, to know "whether Lord Moira could not under"take to march by Sluys and Sas de Gand," (the other road appearing out of the queftion to his Royal Highness) "fo as "to join the Duke of York's army more rapidly than the "paffage by fea would allow." From General Clairfait there was a declaration, "that on account of Prince Cobourg's defeat, "he could not fulfil any engagement with Lord Moira, and "that he expected to leave Ghent in a few hours." From General Walioden there were not any letters of informa

Lord

Lord Moira, from the urgent tenour of the Duke of York's meffage, and from apprehenfions of poffible difficulties to his Royal Highness's ariny, fhould General Clairfait be ordered by Prince Coburg to retire, refolved to push forward by the route of Ecloo and Ghent, notwithstanding he had no longer affurance of co-operation; and with this intent he paffed through Bruges to the camp of Malles.

This variation from the original purpose overturned all the plans which had been arranged for the fupport and convenience of the corps; for it had been fettled with Colonel Vize that the baggage fhould be forwarded by the canal from Oftend to Bruges; the latter being deftined to be made the ftore and magazine for the army, as long as it fhould act in the direction intended. The cafe feemed to leave no room for hefitation. Under all the impending inconveniences, from privation of baggage, and the obvious danger from the want of referved ammunition, the embarraffments which threatened the army of the Duke of York demanded that an immediate junction fhould be attempted.

The evacuation of Oftend, and the tranfmiffion of the baggage to Sas de Gand, were therefore instantly determined with Colonel Vize. From Malles, Lord Moira fent to General Walmoden, to apprize him that he fhould continue his march next day by way of Ecloo, requesting fuch movements on the part of that general as could be made without hazard, to imprefs the enemy with a fufpicion of a projected attack; and he took every poffible means to circulate an exaggerated account of his own force, and to obtain accurate intelligence of the approach of the enemy. The exertions of General Walmoden upon this occafion cannot be too gratefully remembered, as he was not in any manner pledged to give the affistance which he furnished. The march was undertaken without any confidence of fupport. Lord Moira was greatly encouraged to run the rifque, by the confideration, that, fhould he find himself overpowered, Sluys would ftill be open for him to retire upon when he had once reached Malderghem. The rapidity of the march fortunately expofed nothing to chance; though Lord Moira has fince been informed, that the enemy's general had orders to strike at the corps at all events, and had taken every preliminary measure for that purpose.

Whether any fervice was rendered to the army of the Duke of York by the movement and expeditious junction, is not now the confideration; Lord Moira's fole object being to explain the circumstances and perfuafion under which he acted, fo that the fatigue and inconvenience which the corps fuffered in confequence of that march may not appear tọ have been lightly or unneceffarily impofed.

Exhortation

Exhortation of the Prince of Saxe Cobourg.

GERMAN BROTHERS AND FRIENDS,

UR valorous armies have juft quitted the fertile plains, in which they have fuftained the inoft fevere combats during three bloody campaigns, for the prefervation of your property, the repofe of your lives, the fecurity of your fields, the maintenance of your religion, the happiness of your children, the riches of your flourishing provinces, and to fave thofe provinces from ruin and complete annihilation-plains in which they maintained, at the expenfe of their blood, which has flowed for three fucceffive years, the glory of their arms, by the generous facrifice of their lives and of their means; while they facrificed thofe dearest ties which attach men of distant nations, not lefs than yourselves, to their homes and to their country; and while they voluntarily renounced all the domestic happiness they had a right to expect.

The inexhaustible refources of a nation in a ftate of furor, which sports with the life and happiness of man, with religion, with the duties, with the bands of civil fociety; its innumerable cohorts which are led to flaughter by their tyrants, and who, by lavishing their blood, purchase the fleeting fhadow of an imaginary liberty; the inactivity of a blinded people, who would not liften to the approach of danger any more than to the paternal voice of their good prince; the fecret practices, which we hardly know by what name to call, of feveral of their ambitious reprefentatives, men in whom this very people fee, now too late, and abhor, the authors of their unbounded and unceasing mifery.--All thefe caufes have forced our armies to retreat to your frontiers.

It is there that they are now pofted, weakened, but not vanquished; fatigued by an unequal conteft, but not humbled by difcouragement, nor fubdued by defpair. It is there that they form, as it were, an advanced wall of defence for the Germanic liberty; to act as a rampart for your religion, your laws, and your families. The Meufe is the line of feparation between the total lofs and the preservation, between the overthrow and the maintenance of all thefe; between mifery and happiness. Rife then, German brothers and friends! On you will depend the making it poffible for your deliverers to live or die for your defence. I myself, a German prince, full of folicitude, not lefs for the fafety of my country, than the prefervation of my warriors, I call upon you. Procure us fubfiftence, bring us provifions from your magazines. Think that in forwarding to us these painful fuccours, you fecure at the fame time your approaching harveft-Share with us your VOL. II.

favings

favings-To obtain what we want, employ the treasures of your churches. Give your utenfils and vafes of filver to the Emperor, for the pay of your defenders. You will receive receipts for the payment in due form, and you will be paid intereft for the pecuniary aids you have thus procured. Replace the refources of Belgium, which have been cut off from us, and now flow for our enemies. Nurfe and relieve, with a folicitude full of charity, our fick and wounded.

Rife, courageous inhabitants of the fair countries of the Rhine and the Mofelle! Arm yourselves, ye valoroùs men! Line your rivers and your defiles! Accompany our convoys! Watch over our magazines! Rife by thoufands, and fight with us for your altars, for your habitations, for your Emperor, for your liberty! We will not lead you beyond the rivers of your country! We will not depopulate your provinces; but you will fecure the pofitions at our backs, and you will guard your own confines. Affuredly, German citizens, we are not deceived with respect to you; we have reposed our confidence in the good fenfe of Germans; we truft to the hearts and the blood of the German nation. For three years your Emperor has borne the heavy burden, and diftant nations have fought för your defence. You yourfelves muft fee, that your turn to take arms is now come. Then I, as commander in chief of a faithful, approved, and courageous army, promife in the name of my troops-To fpare you, we will obferve a rigorous difcipline; för your happiness, we will fhed the laft drop of our blood; as we have fought for you, we will die for you; and never fhall the free, the happy Germany, bow down the head beneath the fteel of the guillotine. Never fhall her peaceful habitations exchange their generous morals, their tranquil fimplicity, their guardian laws of property, their confoling religion, for the licentioufnefs, the calumniating fpirit, the legalized fyftem of fpoil, the incredulity impofed by force, of the

French.

But if, on the other hand, you should be so unfortunate, like those inhabitants of the Belgic provinces, who now groan in the bofom of calamity, deprived of their property, of their li berty, of their altars, as to fuffer yourselves to be mifled by secret seducers, we fhall find ourselves obliged to pass the Rhine, to leave you a prey to your enemies, and to withdraw from you, without ceremony, whatever the enemy might find among you for their fubfiftence.

Done at our head quarters, at Fouron-le-Compte, July 30th, 1794.

(Signed) The PRINCE of COBOURG, Field-marfhal.

French

French Proclamation to the Army of the Western Pyrenees and the Spaniards of the Frontier, publifhed in the End of July, 1794.

BRAVE SOLDIERS,

THE moment of victory has at length arrived, which proves that this army is the worthy fifter of thofe of the North and South. That, by their example, you will alfo avenge your country, overturn the defpots, and facrifice their fatellites; that, like them, after purifying the land of liberty, fullied by the prefence of flaves, you will bear the triumphant arms of the Republic into the territory of the enemy, and there difplay the tri-coloured ftandard of freedom. -In penetrating into the enemy's territory, brave foldiers, we need not ftimulate your courage you are always eager to combat and to conquer; but we recommend to your confideration what the French people have proclaimed every where-war to the palace--peace to the cottage-war against tyrants and their fatellites-peace to the peaceable citizen-to the humble fhed of the indigent-to the abode of the ufeful labourer, and induftrious artifan. This conduct, as it arifes from our feeling, is alfo dictated by our intereft.

The Spanish territory, upon which we now enter, muft become part of the French Republic. Let, therefore, devasta tion, pillage, and incendiary be far from us-let the fearful inhabitant behold his afylum refpected, and learn at length, to efteem a people, the avengers of the violated rights of human nature, whom kings and priefts have reprefented to them as a people of Anthropophagi. And you, inhabitants of the Spanifh fields and towns, ufeful labourers, induftrious artifans, fly not the Republican legions. Throw yourfelves into our arms, without weapons, without defence, and you will find in them protection and fafety for yourfelves, your families, and your property. The French faldier has fworn to exterminate the men armed for tyrants; but the fword, fo dreadful to fuch, will refpect always him, who defencelefs, fhall implore his af fiftance and his clemency. He will equally refpect opinions, manners, customs, and ufages. Remain, therefore, in your peaceful dwellings, cultivate your fields, gather in your harvefts, work at your occupations, and liberty, growing in the midst of you, will foon make you feel the immenfe distance between the avengers of the rights of men, and the flaves who move within the verge of defpotifm. The French foldier would conquer you to freedom, not by the terror of his arms, but by gaining your hearts and illuminating your minds. PINET, the elder, GARRAU, CAVAIGNAC.

(Signed)