406 NETHERLANDS. 



This was dated at Hcogstraten, in Brabant, October the 24th, 1789. 

 Almost every town in Austrian Flanders showed its determination to 

 oppose the emperor, and the most enthusiastic attachment to military 

 affairs displayed itself in all ranks of men. Even the ecclesiastics 

 manifested their valour on this occasion ; which perhaps was naturally 

 to be expected, as the emperor had been very active in depriving 

 them of their revenues. A formidable army was soon raised, which 

 after some successful skirmishes, made themselves masters of Ghent, 

 Bruges, Tournay, Malines, and Ostend ; so that general Dalton was 

 obliged to retire to Brussels. A battle was fought before the city 

 of Ghent, in which the pati'iots were victorious, though with the loss 

 of 1000 men, besides women and children. It reflects indelible dis- 

 grace on the emperor, as well as on the commanders of his troops, 

 that they committed the most dreadful acts of cruelty on the unhappy 

 objects who fell into their hands. Orders were given to plunder and 

 destroy wherever they could obtain any booty ; while the merciless 

 savages not only destroyed the men, but killed women and sucking 

 infants. Some of them plunged their bayonets into the bodies of 

 children in the cradle, or pinned them against the walls of the houses. 

 By these monstrous cruelties, they insured success to their adver- 

 saries ; for the whole countries of Brabant, Flanders, and Malines, 

 almost instantly declared in their favour. They published a memo- 

 rial for their justification, in which they gave, as reasons for their 

 conduct, the many oppressive edicts with which they had been har- 

 assed since the death of the ernpress-queen ; the unwarrantable ex- 

 tension of the imperial prerogatives, contrary to the coronation-oath 

 of the emperor, and which could not be done without perjury on his 

 part; the violence committed on his subjects, by forcibly entering 

 their houses at midnight, and sending them prisoners to Vienna, to 

 perish in a dungeon, or on the banks of the Danube. Not content 

 with this, he had openly massacred his subjects ; he had consigned 

 towns and villages to the flames, and entered into a design of exter- 

 minating people who contended only for their rights. These things, 

 they owned, might be terrible at the time, and easily impose upon 

 weak minds, but " the natural courage of a nation, roused by repeated 

 injuries, and animated by despair, would rise superior to those last 

 efforts of vindictive tyranny, and render them as impotent and abortive, 

 as they were wicked and unexampled." For all which reasons they 

 declared themselves independent, and for ever released from the 

 house of Austria. 



The emperor, now perceiving the bad effects of his cruelty, pub- 

 lished proclamations of indemnity, Sec. but they were treated with the 

 utmost contempt. The patriots made the most rapid conquests ; 

 insomuch, that, before the end of the year, they were masters of 

 every place in the Netherlands, except Antwerp and Luxemburg. 



Notwithstanding they thus appeared for ever separated from the 

 house of Austria, yet the death of Joseph, happening soon after, pro- 

 duced such a change in the conduct of government, as gave a very 

 unexpected turn to the situation of affairs ; and the mild and pacific 

 disposition of Leopold, who succeeded his brother, the conciliatory 

 measures he adopted, together with the mediation of Great Britain, 

 Prussia and Holland, made a material alteration in the affairs of these 

 provinces ; and a convention, which was signed at Reichenbach, on 

 the 27th of July 1790, by the abovementioned high contracting 



