516 SWITZERLAND. 



The council of Bern still attempted to negotiate with the French 

 directory ; but, at the same time, assembled an army of about 2^,000 

 men, the command of which they gave to M. d'Ei sach, formerly a 

 field -marshal in the service oi France. This force was joined by the 

 quotas of the other Swiss cantons, amounting to about 5500 men. 

 The directory, however, required that the ancient magistrates of 

 Bern should be dismissed from their offices, anti the constitution of 

 the state changed to one more agreeable to democratic principles and 

 the new system of liberty and equality. These conditions the govern- 

 ment of Bern absolutely refused to submit to, and sent orders to break 

 off ail further negotiadons. The directory, alarmed at this appear- 

 ance of firmness and resistance, and fearing they were not sufficiently 

 prepared, sent general Brune to take the command of their army in 

 the Pays-de-Vaud, with orders to conclude an armistice until he 

 should receive a sufficient reinforcement. Brune, immediately upon 

 his arrival, announced to the senate of Bern, that he came prepared 

 to adjust all differences amicably, and requested that they would send 

 commissioners to treat with him. These were accordingly sent, and 

 an armistice concluded for eight days. But, on the 2d of March, two 

 days, it is affirmed, before the truce agreed on had expired, the castle 

 of Domach, at the northern extremity of the canton of Soleure, was 

 attacked and carried by the French ; and, at the same time, 13,009 

 men were marched under the walls of Soleure, which capitulated to 

 general Schawenbourg on the first summons. Freyburg was imme- 

 diately after reduced by general Brune, and the Swiss army was 

 forced to retreat. 



The French generals immediately advanced towards Bern, where 

 all was confusion, both in the city and in the army, the left division 

 of which had mutinied, deserted their posts, and put to death some of 

 their officers. The Swiss army was reduced by desertion to 14,000 

 men, exclusive of a rabble of undisciplined peasants, raised by the 

 landsturm.) or levy of the country en masse. About 8000 of the regular 

 forces were stationed at Neweneg, and 6400 held the position of 

 Frauenbrun, against which general Schawenbourg advanced from 

 Soleure, at the head of 18,000 men. On the morning of the 5th of 

 March, both posts were attacked by the French. The troops of 

 Neweneg repulsed the enemy ; but those at Frauenbrun, after a 

 vigorous resistance, were compelled to retreat. M. d'Erlach rallied 

 his men at Uteren, where a second engagement took place, but with 

 no better success on the part of the Swiss. They afterwards, how- 

 ever, made a stand at Grawholtz, about a league and a half from 

 Bern ; but were thence driven to the gates of the capital, where, 

 after another severe battle, they were entirely defeated ; and, on the 

 evening of the 5th, general Brune entered the city of Bern, by capi- 

 tulation. The divisions of the Swiss army stationed at Neweneg 

 and Guminen retreated, and the soldiers of the latter column, in a 

 fit of rage and despair, murdered their officers, and, among others, 

 their unfortunate general d'Erlach. 



The defeat of the Bernese was followed by the submission of nearly 

 the whole of Switzerland ; though the democratic republics still made 

 a stand, defeated general Schawenbourg, and forced him to retire 

 %vith the loss of 3000 men, after he had consented to a treaty by 

 which he engaged not to enter the smaller cantons. 



After this revolution the Swiss confederacy changed its constitu- 

 tion, and even its name. Provincial governments, under the direc- 



