HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



foym a Project against the French, ii'kish is completely counteracted ty 

 these, who compel them to alandon all their Posts, and fake skelter in 

 AlexLindria. The French remain Masters of the open Country ; and the 

 Austrians and Strrdinians are reduced to act on the Defensive. Tie 

 strong Situation of the French in Italy alarms the Powers of that Ccuu- 

 try. Strictures on the Political State of that Country. Conjectures on 

 the Effect'; of the French Revolution in Italy. Situation of Europe at 

 the Close ofiyQl. Review of the Primitive Cau-ies of the Revolution 

 in France, and of the Effects originating from those Causes. Their 

 Strength and powerful Operation. The People rf France transformed 

 ly them info a Nation wholly diff'crenlj'rom what it was. The Face 

 of Europe so at'ered by the Events of the Campaign of 179'i; that it is 

 710 longer :he same. The Consequence of that Campaign not termina- 

 ted. Rflectivns on the Enthusiasm of the French in fuvo:ir of iiieir 

 present Government. 



WHILE the armies of France 

 were rictorioiis in the Low 

 Countries, and on the frontiers of 

 Germany, they were no less suc- 

 cessful cij the borders of Spain. 

 A singular chnnge had now taken 

 place in the fortune of this once 

 mighty monarchy. Destined for 

 the space of near two centuries to 

 figure at the head of Christendom, 

 and to disturb by its ambition the 

 peace of all Europe, it was now re- 

 duced to the necessity of courting 

 the alHance of ot]l>;r powers, in or- 

 der to preserve the remains of it? 

 own importance. The loftiness 

 and dignity which used to charac- 

 terize its transactions with other 

 states, impressed little weight on 

 them ; aud it was witli ditBculty 

 that the court of M;idrid main- 

 tained its rank, and some portion 

 of its former influence in other 

 courjtrles. Tlie war, in whicSi it 

 had united with the coalition of 

 J I her sovereigns against France, 

 Iiad deeply tried tts resources both 

 in men and money. Hitherto the 

 balance of war had inclined to 

 Spain; but it was through the mozt 

 violcntexertionsitstood its ground, 

 j'hc narrow population cf a coun- 

 try larger than France, but not 

 twnuinin^r lialf the n'JHiber of its 



inhabitants, was a constant draw- 

 back on all its efforfs to recruit the 

 armies requisite to face such nu- 

 merous forces as the French were 

 preparing to bring into the field ; 

 their intention being to crush 

 Spain with the weight of their mul- 

 titudes, as soon as thty had over- 

 come some difficulties which re- 

 tarded the proper organization of 

 those numbers that were ready in 

 the bOuthern provinces of France to 

 embody themse]veb,and to strength- 

 en the French armies employed 

 in that country. The close of ths' 

 campaign in 17p['. },ad been fflvour-- 

 able to tlie Spanish arms ;" upwards 

 of 5,000 French had fallen, either 

 slain or wounded, in the battle of 

 the 22d of Septeriiber, Vv-on by 

 General Ricardos, in the neigh, 

 bourhood of Perpignan ; aud the 

 campaign terminated with another 

 defeat of tlieir forces, not far from 

 Collioura, on the 28i;h of Decem- 

 ber. Rut although »!i?s? were un- 

 propitious events, the French go- 

 vernment was not in the least ap- 

 prehcns.ive of their consequences^ 

 Rilying on the strength which 

 would be added lo the French for- 

 ces employed ay^.iinst Spain at the 

 openuigof the iiext c.impaign, they 

 c:;t?uained a sanguifie hops that 



it 



