1799-] 
fee, nar to prevent them. When the 
gates of that city were opened to him, he 
placed there a garriion of three thoufand 
men; and, no doubt, they would have 
fufficed to defend that advanced poft, 
which covered Mentz, if he had taken 
the precaution neceHary for their fafety. 
But, inftead of doing fo, he abandoned 
the arfenal and the police to the magif- 
trates; fo that his troops rather refembled 
foreigners, who received municipal hof- 
pitality, than military force, whofe eye 
and arm ought conftantly to watch over 
and proteét the general fafety. 
After thofe ill-contrived precautions, 
he returned to Mentz, and employed him- 
felf folely in rendering the fortifications 
more formidable; but he neglected to 
victual it ; and did not even know that 
fifty thoufand Pruflians were advancing 
upon Frankfort ; the garrifon of which 
was furprifed, and cut to pieces almoft 
before his face: for, the report of their 
fudden march having at length reached 
his ears, he had haftened with a handful 
of men to the foot of the ramparts, whence 
he could hear the cries of the unfortunate 
Frenchmea who were maffacred within. 
This difattrous event, the eternal oppro- 
bium of Cuftines, bears a ftriking re- 
femblance to the ruin of the troops in can- 
tonments upon the Roer, when Dumou- 
rier, ftationary in the Batavian moraffes, 
was ignorant, or feigned to be ignorant, 
of the rapid march of the enemy’s army 
upon a part of his own, which was trod 
down and cut to pieces, while he was 
haftening to its fupport. Failing in this, 
he endeavoured to corrupt it. Let us now 
fee what Cuitines did on an occafion ex- 
aétly fimilar. 
On his return to Mentz, he wrote to 
the Convention, that the fufpicions which 
had been raifed againft him, no longer 
permitted him to reconcile the fervices he 
owed to the republic with what was due 
to his own honour; but, that, ftill de- 
voted to the caufe he had embraced, he 
would ferve it in any other place in 
which the Convention might think pro- 
per to employ his zeal. His letter pro- 
duced in the Affembly the effect he had 
doubtlefs forefeen—a requeft that he would 
defpife the fufpicions of which he com- 
plained. 
The critical fituation of France at that 
time, on the fide of Belgium, did not 
permit the Convention to accept Cuftines’ 
refignation ; either becaufe it feared him, 
or did not yet perceive his fecret views, 
or his want of capacity, which was at- 
tefted by the lofs of Frankfort ; fuppofing 
that difatter not to have been the etfe& or 
Monruity Mac, No, xLv. 
Anecdotes of Cuftines. 
385 
premeditated treachery, The defeétion 
of Dumourier had laid all Belgium open 
to the enemy ; feveral of the frontier towns 
were taken or befiezed ; the Pruflians ad. 
vanced towards Mentz with a powerful 
army ; and all the other frontiers were 
menaced. What was to be done in thefe 
critical circumftances ? The Convention’ 
thought it advifable to give no entertain- 
ment to the fufpicions of which he was 
the obje&t ; either becaufe it did not think 
them well founded, or becaufe it really 
thought Cuftines a man capable of faving 
the republic. ig 
Cuftines, foon after, wrote a fecond 
letter to that affembly, more pofitive than 
the firft. He complained, that he had 
been obliged to abandon Mentz, and take 
refuge in the lines of Weiflembure ; his 
army, he faid, having narrowly efcaped 
being deftroyed in its retreat. The caufe 
of this he attributed to general Leone- 
ville, who had left the back of the Voives 
deftitute of defence. And whence did 
this enormous fault proceed? He a(cribed 
it to the minifter of war; to that Bour- 
nonville, faid he, of whofe military for. 
tune I was the maker. 
- Cuitines, while fpeaking thus, had 
no reafon to fear that Bournonville fhould 
repel the charge; for, mott affuredly, he 
was not ignorant of Dumourier’s having 
given up that minitter to Prince Coboure ; 
nor of that jocular expreffion fo often re- 
peated fince: Water for the Commiffiencr; 
of the Convention ; but let my friend Bour - 
nonville have wine.  Waat could be 
Cuftines’ view in complaining fo bitterly 
of aman, who was then deprived of ail 
means of defence? What other, than the 
juttitying by this pretence his evacuation 
of Mentz, where, however, he had left, he 
faid, a refpeStable force * Another mis- 
fortune to excufe was his having been beat 
in his retreat, as he had been before uader 
the walls of Frankfort. 
Whatever were the motives that acs 
tuated Cutftines he perlifted in prefling his 
relignation more ftrongly than ever. At 
the fame time, he continued to offer his 
fervices to the Republic, and the Conven- 
tion; leaving them to chufe the manner 
in which they would employ him, either 
as Diffator, or under any other name that 
might appear fuitable. 
Scandalous, as was this title, endea- 
vours were ufed to make the ears of tie 
Convention familiar with it. This time, 
however, more violent fufpicions arofe in 
many minds; but the Convention ili 
fhut its eyes; and as Mentz app -ared 
likely to ftop the Pruffians for leveraj 
months, Cultines was appointed to the 
3 D command 


