HISTORY OF EUROPE. 29 



them were slain, or left wounded 

 on the field of battle ; and the re- 

 sidue of his army, with the greatest 

 difficulty, made its way to Brussels, 

 through which it effected a retreat 

 during the night. Whether he 

 was afraid lesftbe inhabitants of 

 this metropolis sliauld have ga- 

 thered such intelligence from his 

 retreating men, as might have 

 proved detrimental to the alHes, or 

 whether he was unwilhng that the 

 people of Brussels, whom he knew 

 to be disaffected, should enjoy the 

 satisfaction of vv^itnessing the flight 

 of the Austrians, their former mas- 

 ters, from a place where they had 

 »o long exercised unbounded, how- 

 ever hated authority. Prince Co- 

 bourg laid the strictest injunction 

 on the inhabitants to remain within 

 <heir houses, without opening th }ir 

 doors or windows, or presuming to 

 look througli them, during the 

 whole tijne of his army's retreat. 

 Instant death was threatened to the 

 disobedient. Such was the last act 

 of sovereignty exercised in this 

 capital seat of the Austrian domi- 

 nation and grandeur in the low 

 countries, by the last Austrian com- 

 mander that had it in his power to 

 enforce obedience. 



The inhabitants of this great 

 city beheld this revolution of af- 

 fairs with uiicommon pleasure.. 

 Every victory which the French 

 gained, had long been to them a 

 motive of rejoicing, as hr as they 

 durst avow their sentiments. On 

 the rapid decline of the Austrian 

 interest, they could no longer con- 

 lain their satisfaction; and the min- 

 gled effusions of their anger and 

 •arcasms at the flying Austrians, 

 proclaimed loudly to the world how 

 ilUor at least howi:ijudiciously,that 

 lanuly bad ruled their subject* ia 



the Netherlands, how little it knew 

 how to conciliate their affection or 

 esteem, and how unwise the attempt 

 to maintain its power by haughti- 

 ness and coercion. Brussels fell into 

 the hands of the French on the 9 th 

 of July. This event was reciprocal- 

 ly viewed, by both the allies and 

 the French, as a final conclusion of 

 all farther hape on the part of the 

 Emperor of ever repossessing it. 

 Republican principles were so 

 deeply rooted among the Flemings, 

 and so few of them retained the 

 least regard for the government of 

 that family, which was now looked 

 upon as expelled, that they pro- 

 ceeded, immediately on the junc- 

 tion of their metropolis to ihe arms 

 of France, to borrow from the con- 

 quering people, to v/hom they now 

 professed an unboundedattachment, 

 all the forms and regulations which 

 these new masters thought proper 

 to recommend for the good order 

 of the state. Thus the whole 

 French system was adopted, and ia 

 a short time established in every 

 part of the Netherlands, from 

 which the Austrians were forced to 

 withdraw. It was peculiarly fortu- 

 nate for the French armies, that 

 the period of their conquests in 

 the Netherlands was approaching 

 to that of the harvest. The ground 

 promised abundant crops of every 

 kind, and, notwithstariding the ir- 

 regularities attending the motions 

 of armies, thi natural fertility of 

 the soil, and the laborious industry 

 of the inhabitants^ had prepared 

 ample suppHes. 



The differentarmiesof theMeuse, 

 the Sambre, and' the North, on the 

 surrender of Brussels, united their 

 whole strength at this point, from 

 which ttiL-y proposed, as. from the 

 centre of their future operations, 



to 



