34 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



of- the French, Bttt it is farther 

 to. be acknowledged, that tie go- 

 \ernmcnt of France was more tal- 

 rulated to produce .1 great number 

 of good Generals, tliati those of the 

 Emperor and the other allies. The 

 farmer opened a career of glory 

 to all who we! e born with a mili- 

 tary genius, however lumiblc their 

 station, as distinguished merit was 

 aisure, as it was the only road to 

 preferment ; whereas, in Germany, 

 all the great o(iicc<;,militaiy as well 

 as civil, were in the possession of 

 'be nobility. The i.ouv'.s were un- 

 der a degree of necessity of bestow- 

 ing marks of contidtnce and fa- 

 vour on the great families : and 

 a General must have committed 

 many fanUs nr.d errors, before any 

 minister could come to the bold 

 fletermiraiiou of dismissing him 

 from his office. Democratical go- 

 vernments are equally inimical to 

 The tranquillity and happiness of 

 their own people, and the peace 

 ind security of their iieighbours: 

 they breed turbulent and pestifer- 

 ous citizens; but alert soldiers, able 

 cHicers, and formidable armies. 



However the intrepid spirit of 

 Prince Cobourg might view the 

 circumstances of war with cool- 

 ness and fortitude, the allied ar- 

 mies could not fail, after such a 

 series of defeats, to feel some de- 

 gree of dejection at tite repeated 

 disappointments of iheir most ex- 

 pert officers. It now appeared im- 

 practicable to act on a parity with 

 the French. The advantages on 

 the side of these were so numerous 

 and evident, and (here was so little 

 probability of diminishing them, 

 that valour and ey^perience did not 

 appear a sufl^cifnt counterpoise for 

 the prodigious 'weight that coii- 

 ?tanllv attended theai. The com- 



manders of the allied forces were" 

 now chiefly occupied in preserving 

 from utter destruction what now 

 remained of the strength with 

 which they had fought so many 

 battles. The hereditary Prince of. 

 Orange, who had frequently sig- 

 nalized his courage and capacity 

 during the present as well as the 

 foregoing c:impaign, conrtniied 

 with undesponding activity to op- 

 pose the enemy to the last. After 

 the unfortunate battle of ,Fleuru3» 

 he placed himself in so advantage- 

 ous a position, that the French 

 could not compel him to abandon 

 it, until their approach towards 

 Bru'-scls, in immense force, ren- 

 dered all farther resistance on hie 

 part equally vain and hopeless. 

 Retiring towards Louvain, he made 

 a resolute stand on the banks of 

 its canal ; but here he was again 

 overpowered by numbers, and 

 fell back on the river Dyle, which 

 he was also obliged to cross, to pre- 

 vent tiiem from surrounding him. 

 I'he French, after taking pos- 

 session of Brussels, determined to ' 

 use all expedition in subduing the 

 remaining ports in the district of 

 Austrian Brabant, and in the con- 

 tiguous provinces. For this end 

 they advanced upon Touvain, the 

 second city of note in this district. 

 The division appointed for the re- 

 duction of this city, was tinder the 

 command of General Kleber, an 

 olticer of great merit in the French 

 service; General Clairfait com- 

 manded a large force of Austrians 

 in the proximity of the city, and 

 •with a courage and conduct worthy 

 of a better fortune, again hazarded 

 an engagement with the French. 

 The battle was fought with great 

 fury on both sides, as usual: but the 

 fortune of the French again pre- 

 ^ vailed. 



