HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
great alarm to the princes that 
formed the coalition against France. 
That country was the centre of al] 
pecuniary loans. and negotiations, 
and its ready assistance onalisuchoc. 
casions, rendered its independence 
an object of general interest to all Eu- 
rope ; the northern powers in parti- 
cular, France, it was now foreseen, 
would engross all the money that 
could be raised in this manner, and 
all the power and wealth of Hol- 
Jand would henceforth be at the 
disposal of the French republic. 
These were mortifying refleétions to 
the enemies of that formidable na- 
tion, now become more dangerous 
than ever, by the accession of so 
"many countries to its dominions, 
already so extensive and populous, 
and by the partiality of the majority 
of people in its new acquisitions, to 
the principles of the French repub- 
licans. 
Well might the convention glory 
in the situation of France at this 
time. Never, since the days of 
Charlemaign, had the empire of 
France extended over so many re- 
- gions and people. A list of recent 
@onquests was printed, and affixed 
toa tablet, which was hung up in 
‘the hall] of the convention, and co. 
pies of it were sent to the armies, 
together with an enumeration of the 
victories by which these conquests 
were obtained. ‘They consisted of 
the ten provinces of the Austrian 
Netherlands; the seven united pro, 
vinces ; the bishoprics of Liege, 
Worms, and Spires; the electo. 
rates of Treves, Cologne, and 
Mentz; the dutchy of Deux 
Ponts; the Palatinate; the 
Duchies of Juliers and Cleves, 
These acquisitions were all rich, 
fertile, and populous countries, 
abounding with men as zealous in 
[5a 
their cause as the French them.’ 
selves. In the south of France, 
their conquests were the duchy of 
Savoy, with the principalities of 
Nice and Monaco, in Italy. The’ 
provinces of Biscay and Catalonia, in 
Spain, The population of all these 
countries was estimated at thirteen 
millions; which, added to the 
twenty-four millions contained in 
France, constituted a mass of 
thirty-seven millions, inhabiting the 
centre of Europe, and capable by 
that position alone, if united ander 
one government, to defy the enmity 
of ali their neighbours, and to exer- 
cise an influence amounting almost 
to universal sovereignty, 
The catalogue of their victories 
was no less conspicuous. In the 
space of seventeen months they had 
won twenty-seven battles, and been 
victorious in one hundred and 
twenty actions of less note. They 
had taken one hundred and sixteea 
strong cities and fortified places : 
but what redounded chiefly to the 
reputation of the French, these suc- 
cesses had been obtained over the 
best disciplined armies of Europe, 
elated with their past triumphs over 
warlike enemies, and commanded 
by generals of consummate experi- 
ence, and the most dazzling reputa- 
tion. “Their own armies in the 
commencement of the contest, con- 
sisted of officers and soldiers, few of 
whom. had seen service, and their 
commanders were very far from 
eminent in their profession. With 
these disadvantages, they resolutely 
ventured to face the tremendous 
combination formed against them ; 
and in less than a twelvemonth, 
from aéting on’ the defensive, they’ 
assaulted their enemies in every di.’ 
rection, and struck them every 
wherewith so much terror, that 
[E3] several 
