HISTORICAL CHR(JN1CLE, 



Wednesdat, September 4. 1793. 



FOJiEIGX. 

 Progre/s of the ccmbi?ied armies. 



CiNCE the capture of Mentz and Valenciennes, the combined armies have 

 *^been uniformly succelstul in all their enterpnsts, though they have met 

 with several interruptions and smart fkirmiflies in « Hithsome lives have been lost 

 on both sides. On the Rhine the PrulVians have puflied forward to Landau and 

 Strasburjih, both which places are bloccadetl, but no regular siege has yet 

 been commenced. 



At a council of war held soon after the capture of Valenciennes, it is con- 

 fidently repotted that the duke of York proposed to pulli lorward directly 

 to Paris, without stopping to besiege the tortiried places, concluding, nodoubt, 

 that sufficient force could be left behind to overawe the garrisons of 

 these places, while by tlie rapidity of the movements of the combined ar- 

 mies, the forces of the republic, already disgusted and disunited by the se- 

 vere treatment of their generals, would be struck with panic and incapable 

 of making any vigorous resistar.ce. Prince Cobourg, it is said, though at 

 first averse to the plan, was at last brought over to that opinion, and it was 

 agreed that the Duke of York flioula advance with 30,000 men, while the 

 prince of Cobourg fi.iould support him with a body or 40,000, the remain- 

 der of the combined troops being lett behind to overawe the garrisons. This 

 plan however was abandoned on the representations of the count de Mercy 

 goveinor at Brufsels, and more cautious measures adopted. 



It now appears to be deterrhincd to dislodge the enemy from all their 

 strong posts; and to besiege the fortified places, in the idea that though 

 tiic war may thus be prolonged, the succcis will be uitimateiy the more cer- 

 tain ; and probably r.ot without an eye to the final termiiiatiou of the war 

 when, whatever terms of agreement fh?ll be proposed by France, it will be 

 much easier for the allied powers to keep poiseislon 01 tiiose provinces in 

 which they fhall have the full power of all the fortified places, than it 

 would be, were tranquillity restored to France on such terms as they could 

 not object to upon the pnr.ciples openly avowed by all parties, and to which 

 those who may secretly wifli to dismember that kingdom, would be obli- 

 ged then to accede ; whereas by being once in pofsefsion of the strong pla- 

 ces, it might not be so easy to dislodge them. A tabinetremarkai ic fortlepth 

 of political views might foresee this. It might also foresee that to retake 

 these towns may be tlie source of future wars. Pol's bly all this is foreseen 

 and disre};arded, because of the vast influence that war must ever give o 

 those who fliall have the distribution of the money that it necefsirily re- 

 quires. 



However that may be, the .\ustrian troops have advanced, and after dis- 

 lodging the French with l:ttle difiiculty trom the strong post called Csesar's 

 camp near Cambray, and that called Magdeleiiie in the neighbourhood of 

 Lisle, they have laid 5ie!;e to Cambray, which is not conceived to be well 

 provided for making a vigorous resistance. 



While the main body of the combined troops are thus employed, a strong 



detachment under the command of the duke of York has, marched to be- 



siege Dunkirk, great preparations having been made in England for carry- 



Jiig on the siege of that place by sea. On theirniaich thither, the Jritiilj 



TOt.XVI c + 



