• HISTO'RY OF EUROPE* ^^'99 



a "while reduced to such straits for 

 want of clothing, provi.-.ions, and 

 all kinks of necessaries, Ihslt. cou- 

 trarily to their primitive designs, 

 they vere forced to adopt such 

 methods of supplying iheir wants 

 as brought them into universal dis- 

 grace. They became [jinnderers 

 and highvva\* rtibbers ; and N^dien 

 they wanted provisions, they ftll, in 

 large companies, upon those places 

 in tlieir|)rf)xmiity, where tnfey pro- 

 cured a hard-earhed silbsislence, 

 and courageously persevered in 

 braving every difficulty, in hope 

 of meeting with better fortune. 



These hat'dships, however, were 

 of such a nature, that the Chouans 

 "riiust have been quickly destroyed, 

 had not they been relieved more 

 "speedily than was at first expected. 

 The decrees of that oppressive corii- 

 bination which governed France 

 at this time, were daily becoming 

 so intolerably severe, that numbers 

 of people chose to run all hazards 

 father than remain passive under 

 them. The constant requisitions 

 of men and money, the doaliciliaiy 

 Visits, the suspicions incurred by 

 n)any, the dread of being accused 

 of disloyalty, the harsh treatment 

 attached to suc!i a situationj these, 

 with a detestation of the conduct 

 Pmbraced by the ruling powers to- 

 wards tliose v/hom they disliked, 

 drove number.? of the inhabitants, 

 both of the towns and country, 

 from their habitations, and added 

 them to the Cliouans ; who, 

 Mrengthened by these daily and 

 Jlnmefous additions, began ap:ain to 

 mak«; a forrliidable appearance, and, 

 foattr.-lct the notice of the districts 

 aroUDd. TJic gentlemen in their 

 tieighbourhood, and even at a dlj- 

 tanco, viewed Ihcm in a more res- 

 pectable light ; and several did net 



disdain to join them. As their 

 Ibrce increased, many reputable in- 

 dividuals, urged by their fearsj' and 

 conscious that their disaffection to 

 governnieiit was no secret, defer- 

 liiined to place themselves under 

 their pi otection. By those- means, 

 ' they acquired at length a "regular 

 conbixtency, dnd adopted 'a proper 

 oi-ganization. Such are; thb ' ac- 

 counts' circulated by those ■Urho 

 were eye-witnesses- of the' (jsspra- 

 blage of men so lohg knov.-'n 'and 

 so much dreaded, Under the deno- 

 mination of Chouans. ' 



At the time when Chnrette again 

 drew together the Vendeans, and 

 \^■as joined by La Roche and Stof- 

 let, the numbers of the Chouans 

 were computed at about 30,000. 

 They occupied, in detached par- 

 ties, that part of Britrany reaching 

 from Fougeres, an inland town, 

 to Vannes, a sea-port on the. 

 southern coast of that province. 

 Their positions were in woods and 

 places difficult of access. In thi? 

 manner they stood their croungi 

 Miccessfnlly, and fra.-.trated ilie in- \^ 

 ces.sant enterprizes formed again ; 

 them by an army of more thun 

 HO,(XK) men. 



During these transactions in Brit- 

 tany, Cl<aiette anc' his two col- 

 leagues. La il'jcbe and Stofiet, wae 

 exerting their united abilities to 

 for.m their p'ople to such habiti 

 of' discipline and subc(!di<iation as 

 might qualify them ly confront, 

 in a soldier-like juaf.ner, tho'^e re- 

 gular tro-jps 'fchom they soon ex- ' 

 peeled to encounter. He had the 

 good? fortune to provide them witli 

 a sufficiency of t^nts and other 

 necessaries taken from the enemy ; 

 and they assumed an appearance 

 of good order and regularity 

 which, combined with their bodily 



// 2 vigour 



