B E R 



tliis ftate of proparation, and whilft he was employed in dif- 

 tributing his inlliaftions previoiillv to an engagement, he 

 received orders from Bern, which revoked the powers with 

 whicli he had been intruded, and coKimanded hini to fufpend 

 hoftilities, as a negotiation was opened with the commander 

 in chief of the French forces, general Bnnie. He immedi- 

 ately repaired to Bern, and there found the fatal afcendancy 

 of the French party. DiiTatisfied with Brunc's ultimatum, 

 the magiilrates ilTued their orders to general Erlach to renew 

 his plan of attack. But itill timid and wavering, they re- 

 newed their negotiations, which feemed merely to fubjeiSt 

 them to frefli inlult. In the mean while a fpirit of difaffec- 

 tion was fpread among the troops, which Erlac-ii, by his fea- 

 fonable interpofition, fuppreffed ; and they again prepared 

 for attacking the enemy. But no fooner was the order 

 itfued to this pnrpofe, tlian it was again revoked, and a new 

 conference was opened with the French general. Thefecoatra- 

 diftory orders roufcd the indignation of the troops, ardent 

 for an engagement ; and they withdrew all confidence from 

 their officers, whom they regarded as accomplices in the 

 deftruition of their country ; and many of them indignantly 

 quitted their ftandards. I'he army of Bern, thus difpirited 

 by counter-orders, pretended negotiations, and the gradual 

 advances of the enemy from one advantageous poit to ano- 

 ther, and reduced to the number of 14,000 men, determined, 

 however, under the command of their valiant leader Erlach, 

 to make a final effort for expiring liberty, and to encounter 

 40,000 veterans, flufhed with conquell, and in a high (late 

 of difcipline. After four defperate engagements, Erlach 

 refifted a fifth affault under the walls of Bern, nor did he 

 finally abandon the contell, till his little army, diminiftied 

 to 7000 men, had loft 2OCO of their number, and the troops 

 of the two French generals, Brune and Schawembourg, were 

 on the point of unitiiig, while the capital was unprepared 

 for a fiege. Bern furrendcrcd to the firft fu.r.mons of gene- 

 ral Brune, and a tree of liberty was planted in his prefencc. 

 Erlach, having wonderfully efcaped from the repeated af- 

 faults of the enemy, was hallening towards the mountains of 

 Oberland, with hopes of collecting his fcatteved forces for 

 another effort ; but being recognized upon the high road 

 between Bern and Thun by fom.e llraggling foldiers, he was 

 feized, boun.d, and placed in a cart, in order to be conveyed 

 to the capital ; but another defperate band aflaukcd him, 

 and, amidll reproaches and execrations, mafTacred him with 

 their bayonets and hatchets. The fnbjugation of Bern 

 fpeedily decided the fate of Swifferland. Upon the diffolu- 

 tion of the Helvetic confederacy, in 1 79S, Geneva, Mnl- 

 haufen, Bienne, and the biihopric of Baile, were annexed 

 to France ; the remainder of the country, except the Gri- 

 fons, was modelled into a republic, one and indivifibie, di- 

 vided into 18 departments, and governed by a fenate, a great 

 council, and five diretlors, who firft affemblcd at Aran, and 

 were afterwards transferred to Lucern. By the conllitution 

 now eftablilhed, Bern, including the central and weilern 

 part of the ancient canton, with the diftricl of Schwartzen- 

 burgh, was made one of the 18 departments, and Bern was 

 its capital. According to this diilribution, the canton of 

 Bern is bounded on the north by that of Soleure, on the 

 call by that of Lucern, on the fouth by that of Oberland, 

 and on the weft by that of Sarine and Brole. Daring the 

 campaigi) of 1799, part of Swifferland experienced a mo- 

 mentary deliverance ; but from the unfortunate rnifunder- 

 ftanding between the courts of Peterfburg and Vienna, the 

 direftorial government was re- eftablilhed. This was fuc- 

 ceeded by a provifional government, whicli was firft feated 

 at Lucern, and on the progrefs of the Auftrians in 1799, 

 removed to Bern. When peace was eftabliflied with the 

 emperor by the treaty of Luneville, the French ambalTador 



B E R 



tranfmitted the plan of a new conftitution ; according te 

 which, Swifferland, including the Grifons, was divided into 

 17 cantons. Accordingly, by this conftitution of 1801, Bern, 

 in its former extent, except the Pays de Vaud and Argovie, 

 was the firft of the 17 departments, or cantons, and the num- 

 ber of its reprefentatives deputed to the diet was nine. The 

 whole body coniifted of 77 members, chofen by the repre- 

 fentatives of eacli diftrift, and affembled at Bern, to organife 

 the new conftitution. Ti.e legillative authority was vetted 

 in the fenate, compoftd of two landammans and twenty- 

 three counfellors. The executive power was lodged in a 

 little council of four fenators, in which each of thelandam- 

 mans prefided in turn. The landamman in ofiice was to re- 

 ceive a falary of 50,000 French livrcs, and the other lan- 

 damman and four counfellors 10,000 each. The falaries of 

 the fenators were not to exceed 6cco livrcs. Each canto.T 

 was governed by a prefect, nominated by the landamman, 

 and was provided with its interior adminiftration, which ap- 

 proved or rejedted the projedls of laws prefented by the 

 fenate. By the conditions of eligibility, univerfal fuffrage 

 was abolifhed ; and no perfon admitted to any public office, 

 unlefs he was proprietor of land, or exercifed an ir^depend- 

 ent profeffion, and paid a contribution to the public bur- 

 dens, the amount of which was regulated by each canfon. 

 A counter-revolution afterwards took place, by which the 

 diet was diftolved, and the provifional government eftablilhed 

 as it exifted before the 29th of May 1801. But the fate 

 of Swifterland is not yet decided. For a further account 

 of the alterations that have taken place from this period 

 in the conftitution and government of the Swifs cantons, 

 fee Helvetia. Coxe's Travels, vol. i. & ii. Planta's 

 Hift. of the Helvetic Confederacy, vol. ii. 



The canton of Bern is fertile and well cultivated ; the 

 plains produce corn and fruit ; and the Alpine eminences 

 afford excellent pafture, whsch fupports herds of cattle and 

 flocks of (heep, from whole milk tliey make butter and 

 cheefe. The inhabitants of the diilricl of Saneniand ia 

 this canton, are principally herdfmen and flicplicrds, whc^ 

 hold a middle rank between that of cidtivators and wander- 

 ing Tartars or Arabians. Each family changes its habita- 

 tion five or fix times in a year; and every "week it is cuf- 

 tomary to meet the fatlier of his hou.Tiold, v/ith his wife and 

 children, and preceding them, herds, a checfc, keltic, and 

 fome wooden utenfils, travcUing, like an ancient palriarch, 

 in fearch of a new refiJence. The country abounds with 

 cots and honles, moft of which are conftructcd of wood,. 

 and in fuch a manner as to be eafily taken to pieces and re- 

 moved for the convenience of their migration. In fome of 

 the vallies, the meadows are fometimes twice mowed, and. 

 thus fed. The mountain herbage for the cattle continues, 

 ten or twenty weeks, accordir^g to its height and fituation. 

 When their winter forage is finilhed, they remove to the 

 loweft parts of the mountains, and having confumed their 

 whole flock, prfjceed with their flocks towards the fummits^ 

 Their progrcis is regular and inajeftic. The moft beautiful 

 cow of the herd, adorned with a magnificent collar and bell, 

 takes the lead; accompanied by the mafter of the family. 

 Then follow his attendants, with the rtfl of the flocks. 

 Shepherds and cattle are all bedecked with gai lands of 

 flowers ; and every part refounds with the jingling of bells, 

 lowing of cows, and cheerful notes of the herdlmen. The 

 fmallcr flocks bring up the rear, and the proceffion is clofed 

 with the wife and children. Towards the end of Augult 

 they again dcfcend toward the lower parts, pailure the lalt' 

 grafs in the vallies, and at laft retire to their warm retreats 

 in the vale, to wait the return of fpring and the fame pleaf- 

 ing migration. In this part of the country no attention is 

 paid to the culture of the meadow land j for though they 



CQlltri^te 



