HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



ihe most violent disorder, and by 

 separating them from each other, 

 would have broken their co-opera- 

 tion. During these operations, 

 another no less powerlul division 

 was to assail that part of the com- 

 bined armies that was posted in 

 the neighbourhood of Tonrnay; 

 in order to prevent it from moving 

 to the succour of the countries in- 

 vaded. In addition to these divers 

 attacks, the strong towns of Valen- 

 ciennes, Conde and Quesnoy, that 

 had in the preceding year fallen 

 into the hands of the allies, were 

 each to be blockaded by a force 

 sufficient to cut olf all assistance, 

 and to carry on a regular siege at 

 the moment when the other parts 

 of the general plan were under ex- 

 ecution. This plan was certainly 

 no less judicious than resolute : 

 but while it was on the point of 

 commencing, an officer of some 

 note in the French service, and 

 who,from his situation, was privy 

 to the design, renounced from soirie 

 disgust the republican party, and 

 withdrew to the allies j to whom 

 he disclosed the schemes that were 

 forming against them. A discovery 

 of this nature having of course put 

 them on their guard, the whole de- 

 sign was at once frustrated, and 

 wholly abandoned, — to the great 

 concern and indignation of the re- 

 publican ministr)', who had, at a 

 heavy expence and trouble, made 

 such preparations and arrangements 

 for the bold enterprizc in agitation, 

 as wotild in thpir persuasion have 

 completely ensured its success. 



This unexpected disappoiiumcnt 

 did not, however, occasion the least 

 relaxation in the other measures 

 they had taken, to open thi- present 

 campaign with as much brilliancy 

 as they bad closed t|ic former. 



Their txvo fortunate Generals, 

 Jourdain and Pichegru, were ntnv 

 placed at the head of that prodi- 

 gious mass of military force which 

 was marching from every province 

 in France to llie Netherlands, and 

 through ihe immensity of which 

 the republican admini^fration pro- 

 posed, and doubted not to be fully 

 able to crush the much less formi- 

 dable strength of llie coalition. A 

 variety of considerations combined 

 at this time to fill the French with 

 hopes, and their enemies with ap- 

 prehension. The ancient and 

 deep-rooted rivalship between the 

 houses of Brandenburgh and Aus- 

 tria was beginning to re-appear, 

 and to threaten the most fatal con- 

 sequences to tlie coalesced powers. 

 This rivalship and its necessary con- 

 comitants, disunion and jealousy, 

 were so strongly expressed in the 

 conduct of the courts of Vienna 

 and Kerhn,thal the Duke of Bruns- 

 wick, who had acquitted himself 

 with so much honour in the service 

 of the latter, thought it incumbent 

 on him to resign the command of 

 its armies, scunsr than remain a 

 spectator of the evils A\hich he fore- 

 saw must inevitably flow Irom the 

 want of unanimity between tliose 

 two powers. The letter whicli he 

 addressed on this occasion to the 

 Prussian monarch, clearly shews 

 Jiow d( cply he was convinced that, 

 from this cause, the most calamitous 

 effects would ensue to the whole 

 confederacy ; and that Jie enter- 

 tained no sort of hope that the 

 great designs it had Ijcld lorth to 

 Europe could ever possibly suc- 

 ceed. 



Tlie oninion and the rrsignatioii 

 of his couunandj by a prince of the 

 exalted (haracler of the Duke of 

 Brunswick, was an epecha in the 



^4 hi»iory 



