HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



87 



among the coalesced- powers, who 

 ivere most able to give them aid to 

 effect their purpose in the manner 

 they judged most advantageous. 

 At the same time, it must be ob- 

 served, that the government they 

 aimed to settlewas very imperfectly 

 organized ; they were obliged, in 

 many cases, to apply military law ; 

 and, by the want of regular go- 

 vernment, a door was opened for 

 the reception into th^-ir number of 

 whole bands of vagabonds and 

 highway robbers. It is the opi- 

 nion of many,considering the num- 

 bers and courage of the insurgents, 

 the natural strength of their coun- 

 try-, the gradual influx of malcon- 

 tents from every district around, 

 many of whomj were military men 

 of experience, and the knowledge 

 in warlike matters both officers and 

 soldiers were continually obtaining, 

 the probability that, had they re- 

 mained firm and compact in such a 

 situation, powerful succours would 

 have been sent to them, from the 

 prospect of their proving useful — 

 It is the opinion of many, consider- 

 ing all these circumstanct?s, that, if 

 they had uniformly adhered to their 

 original plan, they might have 

 maintained their ground to the pre- 

 lent hour. But being elated with 

 unchecked successes, and allured 

 by promising circumstances, they 

 began to relax from that caution 

 which bad hitherto kept them 

 chiefly on the ' defensive. In the 

 course of their operations they had 

 frequently fore 4 the entrenched 

 camps of their enemies, cut several 

 of their armies to pieces, stormed 

 iQ-.ne of their towns, and acquired a 

 prodigious booty both in money, 

 magazines, and valuables of every 

 kind. Among other places of note, 

 they h<^d,onthc I2th of June, taken 



the important city of Saiimur, and, 

 with it an immense deposit of every 

 article necessary for war. The ac- 

 quisition of this place was followed 

 by that of Angers, on the 15th, 

 and had been preceded by a drea^'- 

 ful battle, wherein vast numbers 

 Iwd fallen on each side ; but which 

 ended in the completest victory 

 over the republican army. Here 

 it was they should Iiave stopped, 

 and been satisfied with the fruits of 

 S0 great a victory. But they were 

 s6 intoxicate "i with this last exploit, 

 that they began to look upon their 

 enemies as no longer competent to 

 meet them in the field. They were, 

 at the same time, secretly invited 

 by the inhabitants of some towns of 

 note, to march immediately to their 

 support, promising to join them as 

 soon as they appeared. These in- 

 vitations, with the likelihood of 

 succeeding in offensive as they had 

 done in defensive measures, were 

 laid before the council, and can- 

 vassed with unusual heat. The 

 moderate and cautious, strongly 

 recommended a continuance of 

 that conduct which had been pror 

 ductive of so much srtfety as well as 

 prosperity ; but numbers carried it 

 in favour of a more enterprising 

 plan of acting. They alleged that 

 the furtlier they advanced, the more 

 friends they would find ; a-.id it was 

 even hinted, that terrified as the 

 enemy had certainly shewn them- 

 selves, a march to the capital might 

 he attempted. 



Though an enterprise so hazar- 

 dous was laid aside, through the 

 many prudent considerations that 

 militated against it, yet it Was 

 ai;reed, not however without much 

 difscntion, that an .attempt should 

 be mafic on the city of Nantz. Hi- 

 t'l.er a large body of insurgents 

 G i marched, 



