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words could express their rage and fury, and the outrageous violence with which they broke in upon their foes.

But, notwithstanding their animofity against the republicans, they were not backward in giving them quarters, and fetting them at liberty, until thefe had bafely broken the terms on which it had been granted; which were, to serve no more against the royal caufe. At the reduction of Saumur, 15,000 prifoners who had been difmiffed by the royalifts on that condition, were a few days after found in arms against them. They were recog nized by the precaution that had been taken to cut off their hair before they were fet at liberty, by way of fetting a mark upon them. When the royalifts, overpowered by the republican troops, were obliged to cross the Loire, they were encumbered by about 12,000 prifoners, on whom a retaliation was propofed by thofe royalifts of whom the relations had been inhumanly maffacred: but they were faved through the generous interceffion of Bonchamp, one of the three commanders in chief of the royalifts, who lay at that time expiring of a mortal wound. But his generofity was repaid with the meaneft ingratitude: - they were no fooner difmiffed, than they were perceived acting in conjunction with the enemy. In confequence of this treacherous conduct, the royalists came to the determination to adopt the fevereft reprifals, and to make no more prifoners. The patience and fortitude difplayed by the Vendéans, during the whole courfe of this terrible warfare, never was exceeded in history. As their country, through continual

devaftations, became at length un able to furnifh them with fubfiftence, they had no other refources than the fortunate cafualties of the day; and were literally reduced to live from hand to mouth. When they had croffed the Loire, and made an irruption into Brittany, they encountered every hardship that human nature can endure: they lay on the bare ground in the open air, and fed upon a finall pit tance of corn boiled in water. The extremes of want, and the impracticability of procuring a fufficiency of food for their numbers, obliged them at laft to feparate; and this feparation broke at once their ftrength, and was the immediate caufe of their overthrow.

Previously to the extreme fcarcity which compelled them to dif perfe, they conducted their marches with an art and dexterity that aftonifhed the enemy, and confounded all his endeavours to waylay and furprise them:-they marched in three columns, at about two miles diftance from each other. Upon any hoftile appearance between thefe columns, a fignal was given, and they all three clofed in upon the enemy. Two remarkable defeats of the republicans were due to this plan: the one at Fougeres, the other at Dinant; both towns in Brittany. They had penetrated between two of thefe columns, and imagined they were broken afunder and unable to reunite; but the Vendéans quickly undeceived them, by attacking them on both fides, Thus placed between two fires, they were almoft all cut to pieces. After the reunion of the remaining bodies of the royalifts under Charette, Stoflet, and La Roche, and the fecond infurrection in La Ven, H4

dée,

dée, their diftreffes in this defolated country were fuch, that the main object of their operations was to procure themfelves a fufficiency of provifions for their exiftence. Many a bloody engagement took place from this fole motive. It was an abfolute struggle for life, much more than for victory; but as before this was obtained, the other could not be fecured, the Vendéans were neceffitated to conquer or to die. As men thus circumftanced, and thus refolved, muft naturally become formidable to their enemies, the Vendéans renewed the terror with which they had been viewed by the republican troops antecedently to their late difafters, and became as much dreaded as ever. They revived their former fyftem of combating; and notwithftanding the immenfe number of enemies furrounding them on every fide, they continued vigorously and fuccefsfully to maintain their ground, and to bear up invincibly both against the indefatigable efforts of their enemies, and the ftill more infupportable prefiure of that privation of neceflaries, which is fo apt to overcome the refolution of the firmeft minds.

When we confider this invincible courage under the greatest fufferings, and this determination to perfevere in refifting their enemies to the last breath, our admiration cannot be refufed to the power and influence of thofe principles that infpired them with fo much heroifm. Thofe which actuated the people of La Vendée, had the trength of ages in their favour, They had been traditionally handed down from father to fon for a long fucceffion, and were not of a nature to be easily eradicated genera

tions paft had cherished them as the greatest comfort of life, and the moft powerful fupport in its many trials: nations around had adopted them; and even thofe who were lukewarm in their attachment could not deny that they were a fource of the brighteft hopes and confolations. These principles were, a firm belief in the tenets of the Roman Catholic perfuafion, and a conviction that the King had been unjustly dethroned, and that his fon was lawful heir to the crown. Faithful to thefe maxims, they looked on the Convention not only as rebels to the King and monarchy, but as enemies to the chriftian religion, in abolishing its legal establishment, and perfecuting its minifters for refufing to comply with their injunc▾ tions,

Such were the foundations on which the Vendéans erected their refiftance, and the refolution to perifh rather than embrace the republican fyftem, or fubmit in religious matters to the decrees of the Convention. What contributed in the highest degree to confirm the Vendéans in thofe determinations, was the influence of their fpiritual paftors, and the vaft numbers of ecclefiaftics who had taken refuge among them. Their fincerity in the cause for which they contended could not be doubted: they had facrificed all worldly confiderations rather than forfake it, and had fhewn themselves ready to lay down their lives in its fupport. They accompanied the infurgents to the field of battle, expofed to the fame dangers as the combatants. They comforted the dying, they attended the wounded, and performed every pious and humane office that religion and charity could

dictate,

dictate. Men thus employed, and thus behaving, could not fail to command the fincerest respect and attachment; add to this, that many of them were men of eminence for their birth and talents, and poffeft of those infinuating manners and powers of speaking that have fuch authority over men. Hence arose that enthufiafm in the cause they had efpoufed, which diftinguifhed the Vendéans from all the other infurgents in France: their motives were pure and difinterested: they fought the restoration of monarchy, and of the ancient religion, unmixed with any other views. The honefty and fimplicity they difplayed in all their proceedings, won them the admiration and confidence of all thofe neighbours who entertained the fame opinions; and procured them a conftant fupply of whatever they could afford for their affiftance and relief.

The vigour and fpirit difplayed by the republican armies contending against the coalefced powers for the defence of the nation, forms the moft ftriking contraft, when compared with the very different fpirit with which they generally acted against the infurgents of La Vendée. The enthusiasm of these was always far fuperior to that of the republicans; it was the enthufiatm of religion, the moft powerful and the most terrible that can move the human breaft: all other motives of action fhrink before it; end, in all ages, it has invariably produced the moft wonderful and ftupendous effects. Animated with this enthufiafin, the Vendéans rofe above all the ordinary rules of acting. The republican foldiers, infpired with the noble ideas of liperty, may be faid to have behaved

like men; but they had to deal with adverfaries whofe principles had rendered them more than human. Nor fhould it pafs unnoticed, that among other motives for behaving bravely, a number of ladies of illuftrious families and dif tinguished characters, had repaired to La Vendée, in order to avoid the mercilefs fury of the French government, and place themfelves under the protection of the infurgents. They were received with the warmest affection, and treated with the refpect due to perfons who had committed themselves to their faith and honour, and had, like them, renounced the enjoy ments of grandeur and opulence, to follow the dictates of their con fcience. This kind reception was amply requited by the emulation which arofe among the many young gentlemen of family among the infurgents, to attract the notice and praife of thofe ladies, who gradually became the judges and rewarders of the brilliant deeds that were done, by the approbation and applaufe they beftowed upon them, and their gracious behaviour to all thofe who fignalized themselves by their valour.

Another powerful inducement to the bravery of the infurgents was, the clofe and affectionate connexjon fubfifting between them and their chiefs. The Vendéans, efpecially, had long been implicitly devoted to the upper ranks in their country; who justly deferved it by the gentleness and equity with which they treated their dependents and inferiors. The zealous attachment of the commanders appeared in every engagement, in the readiness with which they obeyed their orders, and the folicitude

they

they manifefted for their fafety. But no teftimony of the high opinion and veneration in which they held their chiefs, could be ftronger than that which was paid to their memory when they were no more. The bodies of those two brave officers Bonchamp and Lafiere, who died of their wounds a few days before the retreat of the infurgents across the Loire, were carefully embalmed, and inclofed in coffins, which were carried with them everywhere by the royalifts, and always, in action, placed at the foot of the royal ftandard. When they were compelled by the irresistible fuperiority of the enemy to have recourfe to difperfion for their fafety, they were anxious to pro vide a place of concealment for thofe refpected remains; dreading, that if they fell into the hands of the republican party, they would be treated with all manner of indig nity. The death of that gallant young warrior Laroche Jacquelin, was accompanied with no lefs lamentation. After the total defeat of the royalifts, or their march towards Normandy from Lemans, Stoffet and he, after many escapes from the republicans, had found means to cross the Loire, and to join the royalifts under Charette. Here he continued to exhibit his courage and capacity, and was confidered as an officer of the most promifing virtues and talents. Unhappily for his party, he did not long furvive the reputation he was daily acquiring by his many exploits. He was flain while recons noitering the enemy, and making preparations for an attack. Together with him feli a young lady, fo ftrongly attached to him, that unable to bear his lofs, and impatient

to revenge his death, fhe rushed at the head of his followers into the midst of the enemies; where the foon met her fate.

Those loffes of their chiefs were more fatal to the royalifts than any of their defeats. Thefe had conftantly been repaired by the skill and valour of their commanders; but when thofe were fallen, the want of them was fpeedily experienced. Out of five excellent Generals only two remained, Charette and Stoffet:-and however great their abilities and merit, they could not alone fupply the places of thofe that were loft.

It was not without the greateft reafon they fo fincerely deplored the lofs of those brave and experi enced leaders, under whom they had fo often triumphed over their enemics, and whofe judicious conduct fo fortunately preferved them from what they deemed the worst calamity that could befal them, that of falling into the hands of the enemy. If the various reports may be relied on, which perfons of rank and credit among the royalifts have circulated, certain it is that the ftate of thofe who were made pris foners by the republican troops, was peculiarly lamentable. They were thruft together, as it were, by heaps, and threatened with immediate death on the least noise or stir among them, or upon the approach of any body of royalifts. Sometimes they were tied to stakes, and expofed to the derifion of the republican foldiery. In order to infult at once their religion and politics, effigies of the King and Pope were fometimes produced before them, decorated with mock infignia of their dignity. They were loaded by fome with every fpecies of

abule,

abufe, and reminded by others of the outrages they had committed on the native rights of man, by taking up arms against liberty; and how neceffary it was that their guilt thould be expiated by making public examples of them. After fhooting as many of them as it was thought proper, a felection was made of thofe that remained, in order to be sent to the neighbouring towns, where they fell by the ax of the guillotine, by way of impreffing public terror.

During these horrors, it is peculiarly deferving of notice, that the moft ftriking inftances of difintereftedness, honour, and fidelity were found among the ruftic claffes *. The religious and moral virtues feemed, as it were, to have taken helter there. Whoever was perfecuted for his politics or religious opinions, fled to the peasants; and was fure of being carefully concealed, and of meeting with every comfort they could afford. Gentlemen, noblemen, and clergymen, were hidden in this manner in the obicureft parts of the country, and fecurely evaded, through their charitable care and dexterous management, the barbarous intentions of the ruling powers. Here too the adherents to the ancient religion of the land enjoyed the celebration of its rights without moleftation or fear. Numbers alfe of the royalifts, difperfed after their defeats, had met here with the only fhelter they could find from the purfuits and refearch of their implacable enemies. In juftice to thofe who efSentially contributed by their pious

exertions to keep alive this fpirit of humanity and compaffion for the afflicted, truth requires that the moft honourable mention fhould be made of the French clergy. In defiance of the conventional edicts, and in contempt of the hourly dan ger to which they were expofed by their difobedience, they zealoufly and intrepidly vifited every recefs throughout the country, wherever they thought their miniftry would be acceptable and useful. Theymade ufe of their influence to the most beneficent purposes. Innumerable were the deeds of kindness and generofity due to their interference. The number of lives they helped to fave, and of fufferers they were inftrumental in relieving, will do them everlasting credit, even with every difapprover of their politics and religious tenets, that is not dead to every feeling of humanity, and that has the fenfe to know and the courage to avow that the practice of this is a duty paramount to all the obligations laid upon them by the mere hand of power.

The Vendéans, it clearly appears, performed all that human contrivance, hampered by extreme neceffity, could imagine, and all that human courage could dare to attempt. But they laboured under difadvantages which mere. contrivance and courage were unable to furmount.

The revolution, from its first be ginning, was an object of difcontent and diflike to the greater part of both the nobles and the clergy, The first of these orders had, for the most part,when the infurrection

-Extrema per illos Juftitia excedens terris veftigia fecit.

Virg. Georg. Lib. 11.

broke

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