HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



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■ther, and formed a strength which 

 was deemd sufficient for the great 

 effort which was now proposed. 

 Two days were employed in mak- 

 ing the arrangements requisite for 

 tile decisive day that was ap- 

 proaching. The posts occupied by 

 the French were imcommonly 

 strong ; and they appeared no l&?s 

 sohcitous on their side to leave 

 notihing undone that could contri- 

 bute to their success. Early in the 

 morning of the 26th of June, the 

 allies moved on in several divisions 

 to the attack of every part of the 

 French array. The opinion en- 

 tertained by botii that this action 

 would be very decisive, induced 

 them to make the most animated 

 cjierticns. Tiie contest continued 

 until it was very late in the day ; 

 a«d victory long fiuctuated be- 

 tween the opposite parties. For- 

 tune at length decided for the 

 French : the allies were in every 

 ^quarter repulsed with an immense 

 slaughter : the enemy routed and 

 pursued them with such destruc- 

 tion, that they were obliged, with, 

 out halting, to make a confused re- 

 treat to Halle, a place at thirty 

 miles distance from the held of 

 battle. 



This day fully proved, what both 

 parties had previously expected, a 

 final decision of the fate of the 

 French and the allied armies in the 

 Netherlands during the present 

 campaign. The present struggle 

 between them had been fully ade- 

 quate to so great an object. It 

 continued ihirieeii hours, during 

 which the French line had thrice 

 been broken, and on the point of 

 giving up tile contest, liut those 

 who headed the republican army, 

 had firmly resolved that no retreat 

 •hould Lepermitud. TU^y succeed. 



ed by infusing their sentiments 

 throughout their men, who with re- 

 terated endeavours exhorted each 

 other to die or conquer. It was six 

 in the evening before the French 

 were able to make any impression 

 upon thealhes. -General Jourdaia 

 had tlie good fortune to receive at 

 tliis moment so powerful a rem- 

 ffircement of troops, and especi- 

 ally of artillery, as immediately 

 turned the scale in his favour. 

 The allies were now equally fa- 

 tigued and depreEsed by their re- 

 peated and fruitless efforts against 

 an enemy whose numbers they 

 found it impractica^ble to diminish. 

 As those who fell were constantly 

 replaced by fresh troops, they were 

 unable to make any l»nger stand, 

 and precipitately withdrew in all 

 directions. This battle was fought 

 on the plains of Fleurus, already 

 memorable in history for a victoi'y 

 obtaincd over the powers in alli- 

 ance against France by the famous 

 Marshal Luxembourg, about a 

 century before. By the present 

 victory the reputation of General 

 Jourdain rGse to its highest sum- 

 mit. This v/as the second time 

 his valour and skill had enabled the 

 republic to triumph over its ene- 

 mies at a dangerous crisis. Dun- 

 kirk in the pieccding year, and 

 Fleurus in the present, were iTow re- 

 puted two events decisive of each 

 ot these campaigns. What the 

 real loss of the allies amounted to 

 on this fatal day, was never ascer- 

 tiined with any precision. The 

 numbers stated to the Convention 

 were upwards of 10,000: but what- 

 ever they might be, the loss of all 

 further hope to maintain their 

 ground in the Netherlands against 

 the French, was a circumstance 

 more depressive than any other. 

 C t The 



