HISTORY OF EUROPE. [161 



provisions, and some chests of sil- 

 ver : all which supplies were I'e- 

 ceived near MuziUac, by a body of 

 ten thousand Chouans, who were 

 provided with sixty or eighty wag- 

 gons. The waggons when filled 

 with the stores and provisions were 

 immediately buried in the earth. — 

 The troops, employed afterwards 

 in escorting these stores, were at- 

 tacked by a body of republican 

 troopSjinfantryand cavalry .amount- 

 ing to two thousand. This body 

 set out from Vannes, and came 

 up with the lovalists about a mile 

 and a half from St. Nelt. The 

 engagement which ensued conti- 

 nued from the morning to four 

 o'clock in the afternoon. The loy- 

 alists suffered the loss of two hun- 

 dred men, in dead and wounded, 

 all of whom, however, they car- 

 ried off, with the convoy, to Plen- 

 drem. The close of the day, and 

 the want of provisions, obliged the 

 republicans to fall back to Vannes. 

 In the mean time, while the roy- 

 alists in their proclamations insisted 

 on two principles, the restoration 

 of their lawful king, and the de- 

 fence of the country against the sol- 

 diers of Buonaparte. The chief con- 

 sul, persevering in measures of con- 

 ciliation, abolished the oath of ha- 

 tred to kings and monarchical go- 

 vernment, and substituted in its 

 place a simple declaration of fidelity 

 to the constitution. But the chief 

 consul, perceiving the inefficacy of 

 his conciliatory measures, in which 

 he had persevered for two months, 

 for the restoration of tranquillity 

 and order in the west, began to 

 change that tone of moderation, 

 which had hitherto characterized 

 his government. On the eleventh 

 of January, 1 800, the consuls ad- 

 dressed the inhabitants of the de- 

 VoL. XL! I. 



partments of the west as follows:— 

 " Every thing that reason could 

 suggest, the government has done 

 to restore peace and tranquillity to 

 your dwellings. After long for- 

 bearance, still farther time has 

 been granted for repentance. A 

 great number of citizens have been 

 brought to a sense of their errors, 

 and have rallied round the govern- 

 ment, which, without hatred or re- 

 venge, without fear or suspicion, 

 protects all citizens alike, and pu- 

 nishes those who despise their duty. 

 There no longer remain any in arms 

 against France, except some men 

 without faith, as without country, 

 some perfidious instruments of a fo- 

 reign foe, or brigands, black with 

 guilt , whom indulgence itself knows 

 not how to pardon. The safety of 

 the state, and the security of citi- 

 zens require that such men should 

 perish by the sword, and fall under 

 the axe of national justice. A lon- 

 ger forbearance would be a triumph 

 to the enemies of the republic. — 

 A valiant force only waits the sig- 

 nal to disperse and destroy these 

 brigands, if that signal must be 

 given. National guards join the 

 force of your arms to that of the 

 troops of the line. If you know 

 among you any partizans of the 

 brigands arrest them. Let them no 

 where find an asylum against the 

 soldier who pursues them. And if 

 there be any traitors who should 

 dare to receive and defend them, 

 let them perish along with them ! 

 Inhabitants of the departments of 

 the west, on this last effort depends 

 the tranquillity of your country, the 

 safety of your families, the security 

 of your properties. By the same 

 blow you will destroy those wretches 

 who strip you, and the enemy who 

 purchase and pay for their crimes." 



