SWITZERLAND. 515 



whatever, and by no means bound to take an active part in his wars. 

 The king has the power of recruiting among them, and of naming a 

 governor j but the revenue he derives is not above 5000/. yearly, 

 great part of which is laid out on the roads and other public works 

 of the country. 



Towards the close of the year 1797, Switzerland fell a prey to the 

 rapacity and ambition of France ; the emissaries and partisans of 

 Which republic had prepared the way for the subjugation oi the 

 country, by exciting among the people a spirit of discontent against 

 the government, especially in the aristocratic republics. That the 

 aristocracies ol Switzerland were not entirely blameless, either in 

 their conduct towards their subjects or towards the French, may, 

 perhaps, be true : but if the power of the state, and its very moderate 

 emoluments, were in some, or perhaps the majority, of the cantons, 

 monopolised- by a few families, it must still be remembered that their 

 authority was exercised with the utmost moderation, and that the 

 people were contented and happy. The real views of the French 

 directory, in their attack on Switzerland, however they might endeav- 

 our to colour them by pretending that they were invited by the peo- 

 ple, and that their sole aim was to assert the cause of general liberty, 

 no doubt were to give employment to, and procure pay and plunder 

 fcr, their armies ; as aiso to secure the command of a country, the 

 possession of the important posts of which, in case ot a renewal of 

 hostilities with the empire, would both secure their frontier, and 

 enable them to attack with much greater advantage. 



Tne first act of hostility on the part of the French was the seizing 

 of the Helvetic part of the bishopric of Basle, of which they took 

 possession under some frivolous pretext, and contrary to an express 

 treaty concluded with the Swiss in the year 17J2. The Helvetic 

 body, knowing they were too weak to resist, submitted patiently to 

 this usurpation; but soon after an insurrection which took place in 

 the Pays-de-Vaud, and which, it is not improbable, was produced by 

 the instigation of the agents of France, afforded an opportunity for 

 an interference which soon terminated in the subjugation of almost 

 the whole of Switzerland to the French yoke, and almost the entire 

 overthrow of its form of government. In the month of December, 

 the French directory took upon them to demand of the government 

 of Bern, what they termed the restoration of the rights of that peo- 

 ple, and the assembling of the states of the Pays-de-Vaud. This 

 demand they immediately prepared to enforce by arms, and general 

 Meynard was ordered to march with a body of 15,000 men, to sup- 

 port the claims of the discontented in that country. The supreme 

 council of Bern, fearful of entering into a contest with the powerful 

 armies of France, on the 5th of January, 1798, issued a proclamation 

 enjoining the citizens of the Pays-de-Vaud to assemble in arms, to 

 renew the oath of allegiance, to proceed to reform the abuses of the 

 government, and to assert and re-establish all their ancient rights. 

 The malcontents, however, encouraged by the protection of the 

 French army, proceeded to open hostilities, and seized on the castle 

 of Chignon. The government of Bern now had recourse to arms, 

 and ordered a body of 20,000 troops, under the command of colonel 

 Weiss j to disperse the insurgents. But the contest was soon decided 

 by the French army under general Meynard, which immediately 

 advanced, while the Swiss retreated, and, by the beginning of Febru- 

 ary, had taken possession of the whole of the Pays-de-Vaud. 



