HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
repair such damages ; it was inhu- 
man to require from them so dread. 
ful a sacrifice, which would not 
prevent, but only retard their final 
subjugation by the French, whose 
arms, the allies ought to be con. 
vinced, by repeated experience, 
they were not ina condition to resist. 
Such were the arguments with 
which the party averse to the Stadt- 
holder combated the intentions of 
the coalesced powers; but they 
were so bent on the execution of 
this scheme, that they omitted no 
means to forward its prosecution. 
The stadtholder himself, in company 
with the duke of York, repaired to 
Amsterdam, in order, it was firmly 
asserted, to influence the delibera- 
tions that were held on this import. 
ant subject. Their sudden appear- 
ance greatly alarmed the patriotic 
party. They instantly resolved, in 
defiance~ of the prohibition, to 
“present a petition to the magis- 
tracy, against the designs imput- 
ed to those two princes; which 
they stated explicitly to be, the in- 
undation of Holland, and the ad- 
mission of the English troops into 
Amsterdam, They remonstrated 
against both of these designs, with 
a boldness and energy that plainly 
eyinced, that any attempt to exe- 
cute theny would be attended with 
danger, and that, inall probability, 
the petitioners and their adherents 
had already concerted means to op. 
pose, were endeavours to be used 
to effect it, 
* But while they were secretly 
conscious of their inability to suc- 
ceed in thetr designs, they thought 
it necessary, however, in order to 
preserve the appearance of au- 
thority, to imprison the petition- 
ers; unwilling at the same time to 
bear the odium which. they knew 
a 
[45 
must be the consequence of this 
measure, they attributed it to the 
British minister. They were too 
prudent to proceed any farther, and 
to avoid thedisgrace that might at. 
tend. a fruitless prosecution, the pes 
titioners were shortiy after liberated 
from this confinement. But tha 
measure of imprisonment, instead of 
intimidating the party in opposttion 
to the ruling one, served only to shew 
how feeble this latter.was become, 
and how little it dared to a&t against 
the sense of that powerful majority, 
which was perpetually increasing, 
and manifesting without reserve its 
partiality to the cause of the I'rench, 
and its impatience to see them 
masters of Holland. 
Immediately after the capture of’ 
Nimeguen, it appeared, by the mo- 
tions of the French generals, that 
the invasion of Holland would not 
be delayed any longer than every 
requisite for so great am undertak. 
ing was in the completest readi- 
ness. The remains of the allied 
armies were in no condition to form 
any obstacle. The British troops, 
now stationed at Arnheim and its 
Vicinity, were, from incessant fa- 
tigue, the inclemency of the season, 
and the difficulty of procuring sup 
plies, in the most deplorable state of 
il] health, and almostin want ofall 
necessaries. The French.took. this 
opportunity to attempt the passage 
ofthe Waal, in rafts constructed for 
that purpose; but they were repulsed 
by the British troops in some places, 
and by the German in others. 
It wasnot till the middle of Dec. 
- that, onthesettingin of thehard frost 
which marked the close of 1794, 
and the beginning of 1795, they con. 
ceived the design of waiting till the 
rivers were sufficiently frozen to 
bear armies with their cannon and 
other 
