HISTORY P F EUROPE. |o«; 



dictate. Men thus employed, and 

 thus behaving, could not fail to 



I ^Command the sincerest respect and 

 attachment ; add to this, that many 



I *pf them were m^n of eminence for 

 theirbirth and talents, and possessed 

 of those insinuating manners and 



j ^wers of speaking that have such 



' aulhority over men. Hence arose 

 that enthusiasm in the cause they 

 had espousedi which distinguished 

 the Vendeans from all the other 



! "insurgents in France: their motives 

 were pure and disinterested : they 

 sought the restoration of monarchy, 



j ^nd of the ancient religion, unmix- 

 ed with any other views. The 

 honesty and simplicity they dis- 

 'played in all tlieir proceedings, won 

 -them the admirationand confidence 

 of all those neighbours who enter- 

 tained the same opinions ; and pro- 

 cured them a constant supply of 

 whatever they could afford for their 

 assistance and relief. 



The vigour and spirit displayed 

 by the republican armies contend- 

 ing against the coalesced powers 

 for the defence of the nation, forms 

 the most striking contrast, when 

 compared with the very different 

 spirit with which they generally 

 acted against the insurgents of La 

 Vendee. The enthusiasm of these 

 was always far superior to that of 

 the republicans,: — it was the entliu- 

 liasm of religion, the most power- 

 ful and the most terrible that can 

 move the liuman breast : all other 

 motives of action shrink before it j 

 and, in all ages, it has invariably 

 produced the most wotuierful and 

 stupendous effects. Animated with 

 this enthusiasm, the Vendeans rose 

 above all the ordinary rules of act- 

 ing. 'I'he republican soldiers, iu- 

 •pircd with the noble ideas of li- 

 berty, may be said to have behaved 



like men ; but they had to deal 

 with adversaries whose principle* 

 had rendered them more than hu- 

 man. Nor should it pas unno- 

 ticed, that among other motives for 

 bel'.aving bravely, a number of la- 

 dies of illustrious ftmilies and dis- 

 tinguished characters had repaired 

 to La Vendee, in order to avoid tlie 

 merciless fury of the French go- 

 vernment, and place themselvf« 

 under the protection of the insur- 

 gents. They were received with 

 the warmest affection, and treated 

 with the respect due to persons 

 who had committed themselves to 

 their faith and honour, and had, 

 like them, renounced the enjov- 

 ments of grandeur and opu'ence, 

 to follow the dictates of their con- 

 science. This kind reception was 

 amply requited by the emulation 

 which arose among the many young 

 gentlemen of family among the in- 

 surgents, to attract the notice and 

 praise of tho-e lad-es, who gradu- 

 ally became the judges and reward- 

 ers of the brilliant deeds that were 

 done, by the approbation and ap- 

 plause they bestowed upon them, 

 aod their gracious behaviour to all 

 those who sigualized themselves by 

 their valotir. 



Anotiier powerful inducement 

 to the bravery of the insurgents was 

 the close and affectionate connex- 

 ion subsisting between them and 

 their chiefs. Tlie Vendi'ans, espe- 

 cially, had long been implicitly de- 

 voted to the upjier ranks in their 

 country ; who justly deserved it by 

 the gentleness and equity with 

 which tliey treated their depend- 

 ents and inferiors. The zealous 

 attachment of the commanders ai>- 

 peared in every engagement, iii 

 the readiness with which they obey- 

 ed tlicir orders, and the solicitude 



they 



