692 
Liberty, the ancient fymbol of Swifs free- 
dom, was difplayed. 
The people of Berne, forgetful of the 
caufe for which their anceitors, under 
William Tell, had fought and conquered, 
and only alive to fufpicion, the conftant 
companion of injuftice, marched <o0o0 
men into the little territory under their 
dominion, and glutted that vengeance, 
by means of fi{cal rapacity, which’ the 
{word could not attain. 
Laharpe, among others, efcaping from 
the purfuit of the foldiery, was con- 
demned in his abfence, unheard: the 
fentence was decapitation. Thus pro- 
fcribed, not by his native country, but 
by foreign rulers, he fled into France, 
and, refuming his original profeffion, dif- 
tinguifhed himfelf, in 1791, by the de- 
fence of the Chatcan de Redernack, which 
being afterwards ordered Simply to eva- 
Cuate, on account of the approach of a 
{uperior force, he contrived to carry 
away the cannon in the face of the enemy, 
and to accomplith a mafterly retreat, 
without the lofs of a fingle man. 
Being next invefted with the command 
of Bitche, he contrived to infpire the 
garrifon with a hercic refolution, and 
actually preterved that important fortrefs 
to the republic. He afterwards affifted 
at the recapture of Toulon, and was 
raifed on that occafion to the rank of 
general of brigade. In L7OS55). he | wvas 
appointed commander in chief of the 
treops deftined for Corfica, but was pre- 
vented by unforefeen circumftances from 
repairing thither. 
. In.confequence of one of thofe fudden 
changes, fo incidental to all revolutions, 
and more e{pecially to that of France; 
he was firt {u{pended, and afterwards 
difmiffed the fervice. The crimes al- 
leged againft him were, that he was a 
** Focobin,” and had been heard to fing 
 ¢a-ira I!” Accufations like thefe, of 
“Courfe came to nothing, and he was ac- 
cordingly reftored, and raifed to the rank 
of a general of divifion. 
On this he repaired to the army of 
italy, and fhared in: its laurels; and it is 
not a little remarkable, that at the bril- 
liant aétion at Lodi, he took:a regiment 
of Swils prifoners, among whom were 
feveral of the very Berngis who had pro- 
feribed him, but he never uttered a re- 
Broach againit thems; on the contrary, he 
treated them as if they had been allies, 
and addrefied them by the endearing title 
of “countrymen.” After a mof brilliant 
and. fuccefsful Manoeuvre, by means of 
whch he achieved the pafluge of the Po, 
2 
Original Anecdotes.—Count de Precy «» . Dotteville. _ [Az 
‘lic, in 
an 
ad 
; 
' 
he was kifled by his own troops, who 
miftook his efcort of dragoons, for a bady 
ot Auftrian marauders. 
CounT DE PREcy, or Percy. 
This unfortunate nobleman, by taking 
part with the privileged orders, lof both 
his property and his life. The firft was 
forfeited by emigration; the fecond en-- 
fued in confequence of the vengeance of 
his countrymen. 
Having ieft France, and repaired to 
Hamburgh, the count de Percy remained 
there with many of the ancrenze ncblefje, 
until what they deemed the “ cali of 
honeur,’’ brought them into the field of 
€ 
action. This * cali” is faid to have pro-— 
ceeded from the mouth of an Englifh 
fecretary at war, and, alas! it proved 
fatal to a number of gallant men, who in 
his own unfeeling, but emphatic lan- 
guage, ‘* were killed off!” , 
Yes! it was at Quiberon, that the 
Sombreuils, the de Percys, andthe 
heads of fome of the moft ancient families 
of France, found their graves! Amid 
the negleét of their allies, and the tears 
even of their enemies, their dead bodies 
were at length allowed to take poffeffion 
of that mother earth, which, when hiving, 
they had fighed after ina foreign country, 
and in the laft moments of their exiftence- 
had ‘moiftened with their blood and their 
tears! Where is the generous breaft, 
whatever may be the political principles 
that dwell within, which does net mourn 
their untimely end, and lament that 
fuch gallant foldiers fhould have ruthed 
on their deftru€tion, and brought. down 
vengeance on their own heads, by the. 
defperate infatuation of choofing rather 
to confider themfelves as nobles, than 
as men? 
DOTTEVILLE. — 
To diffolve the monopoly of knowledge, 
and refcue the ancients from the exclufive 
poffettion of the fchoolmen, is a tafk, or 
rather a duty, which has been fulfilling 
ever fince the invention of printing: its 
entire compiction was. however, referved — 
prefent day. The French repub- 
for the 
particular, helds out rewards, for 
fuch men of talents as may be. inclined 
to give modern tranflations of the claf- 
fics, and Dotteville has lately received 
three thoufand livres, by way of recom-" 
pence for his verfion of Tacitus Sal- 
luft, which have indeed appeared long 
fince in a French drefs, but being put on 
during the time of the moza: chy, it was- 
apprehended, that it did not always fit. 
the original authers for whom it was, 
intended, 
[Te be 
comiaued. 4 | 
LETTERS 
. 
