HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
powers of Europe ; and this power 
was precisely that very one which 
had been foremost in the coalition. 
The French people at large con- 
ceived strong hopes, from this. cir- 
cumstance, that a general pacifica- 
tion would be effected, though the 
intervention of the Prussian minis- 
try, as the secession of so principal a 
member of the coalition wou'd ne- 
cessarily weaken it; and the influ- 
ence of that member over the re- 
maining, might prevail upon them 
to follow its example. __ 
It was not, in the mean time, 
without violent debates, that the 
rigid republicans consented to allow 
of the insertion of secret articles in 
this, orin any treaty. They plead- 
ed the precedent of the Romans, 
whose treaties with their enemies 
had always been open and public to 
the world. As it would be un- 
worthy of so great a republic as that 
of France to condescend to any 
meanness, there could be no neces- 
sity for concealment of its transac- 
tions with foreign powers. Secrecy, 
in this case, would insinuate, that 
it had either committed or permitted 
something too degrading to its dig- 
nity to be divulged. ‘The answer 
to this objection was, that the mo- 
‘tive for assenting to secret articles 
might proceed from a desire not to 
humble and mortify those who re-. 
quested secrecy. Moderation, -in 
prosperity, could never be better 
proved than by abstaining from that 
ansulting display of superiority, 
which exposed to the world the de- 
igtee of humiliation to which an 
enemy. had been obliged to submit. 
Afteralongdiscussion it was decreed, 
‘that secret articles might be allow- 
ed, provided they did not contradict 
those that were made in public. 
Having thus successfully accom- 
[62 
plished that object they had so long 
and so anxiously kept in view, a 
pacification with Prussia, they next 
converted their attention to another 
ofasimilarkind; which was, tocom- 
pel Spain, by dint of successes, to 
accede to pacific measures. The 
close of the late campaign had left 
that kingdom in such a state of de. 
bility, that it had little hopes of 
being able to face the French in 
the tield. So repeated, and so de- 
structive, had been the defeats of 
the Spanish troops, that Spain could 
now hardly be said to have an army. 
The various. bodies of men that 
could be colleéted, were so dispirit- 
ed, that they made little or no re~ 
sistance, and fled almost at the very 
approach of the French. The des- 
pondency of the people, as well as 
of the military, became at last so 
universal, that the court, after mak. 
ing a variety of fruitless efforts to 
reanimate the nation, was at last 
convinced, that unless a speedy 
peace were made, the French ar- 
mies would over-run the whole 
kinggom. Their eastern army of 
the Pyrennees was now advancing 
over those mountains, with an inten- 
tion to make itself master of the rich 
and extensive province of Catalonia, 
in which they. had numerous well- 
wishers. On their descending into 
the champain country, the few 
forces that guarded it, fled before 
them, and retired to Rosas, a 
sea-port of consideration, and 
which they seemed resolved to de- 
fend. It was situated on a spacious 
bay, and regularly fortified, The 
bay was commanded by a strong 
fort, well garrisoned, and provided 
withartillery. Till thiswastaken, 
the approaches tothe city were dif. 
ficult. The French, however, soon 
compelled it to surrender ; but, on 
laying 
