649 
Vendeans became more attached than 
Retrofpeci of French 
ever to their ancient worfhip : in fine, - 
their difcontent could no longer be 
fupprefied, when a levy of three hun- 
dred thovwfand men was detreed, 
through the medium of a forced con- 
feription. Thefe motives have ftamp- 
ed a character of ferocity on this war, 
of which no example is to be found in 
the annals of time.” ‘ie 
While treating of the infurgents, M. 
Berthre de Bournifeaux leaves the 
thread of his narrative to obferve that 
the Verideans are manifettly defcended 
from thofe‘Scythian nations who inun- 
dated Gaul and Italy during the third 
century. He defcribes them as being 
of a middle fize, with large heads, 
thick necks, pale countenances, black 
hair, and {mall but expreffive eyes.— 
<< Their hearts are generous, (fays he, ) 
but irafcible ; and the fidelity to their 
engagements, and the fimplicity and 
purity of their manners, highly de- 
ferving of praife. Averfe from labour, 
they are imbued, at the fame time, with 
an unfhaken attachment to their reli- 
gious inftitutions ; their taciturnity is 
alfo remarkable, and they are extreme- 
- ly temperate, neither ciliplaying an at- 
tachment to wine, nor any fpecies of 
luxury whatfoever. They exhibit a 
rare example of good faith in their 
dealings with mankind ; they difcover 
but little aptitude for the fine arts; yet 
they evince a great inclinatian towards 
the abftract fciences, and poflefs a tem- 
perature at once bilious and melancho- 
lic. Without being tinctured with any 
principle of philofophy, the Vendean 
difdains life, and braves death with a 
Stoical firmnefs ; flow in determining 
during the ordinary occurrences of lite, 
he is capable, when his pafhons are 
worked upto phrenzy, of exhibiting 
an attonithing degree of activity, and 
difplaying the moft heroic bravery.— 
Such is the portrait of the inhabitants 
of this portion ot France, and it ac- 
quires a new degree of refemblance 
fiom the confideration that the con- 
ftant energy of their conduct during 
the late frightful ftruggle occafioned fo 
many of them to perifh.” 
The author obferves that three years 
of a deftructive and barbarous warfare 
put an end both to the agriculture and 
commerce of this portion of the Re- 
public; for as to manufactures, it ne- 
ver poffeffed any, with an exception of 
the paper fabricated at Mortagne and 
the cottons made at Chollet. What 
& 
Literature. Hiftory. 
wealth remained after the firft fhock,; 
was intirely annihilated by means of 
thofe ‘‘infernal columns, the worthy 
invention of the fanguinary agents of 
the Jacobinital Power ; for thefe fatel- 
lites of crime and ruin penetrated into 
that unhappy country with fire and 
flamés, burning villages and detached 
cottages, maflacring fuch of the re- 
maining labourers as they could make 
prifoners, deftroying the corn both in 
the granaries and on the ground, either 
carrying off or devouring more than 
eleven hundred thoufand cattle, toge- 
ther with an immenfe number of fheep 
and lambs,. driving away or killing all 
the horfes and mules, and breaking in 
pieces all the houfhold furniture of the 
inhabitants.” . 
The pacification, we are told, hap- 
pily reftored tranquillity to fuch of tle 
inhabitants as were left ; but they have 
hitherto been unable to repair their in- 
calculable loffes ; for, although they re- 
fumed poffeffion of the foil which had 
formerly appertained to them, yet they 
were deftitute of themeans to render tf 
productive, notwithftanding the inter- 
vention “of Government, which pur- 
chafed inftruments of agriculture in 
neighbouring departments for their 
ufe. 
The author propofes a variety of 
means to reftore prosperity to this un- 
happy department. In the firft place; 
he thinks that the prefe€ture, the cen- 
tral {chool, and the other public efta- 
blifhments, fhould be placed im the 
centre of the late infurgent diftri&. 
2. That the rivers Thoue and the 
Sevre fhould be rendered navigable. — 
3. That two great roads fhould be 
conftructed. 
4. That all imaginable facilities 
fhould be given to the trade and fea- 
ports of Poitou, while exportation 
fhould be encouraged and fairs pro- 
claimed. 
As but a f{mall- portion of the coun- 
try is cultivated, he alfo propofes to 
introduce a colony conffting of the na- 
tives of different portions of the Re- 
public. “* The Alfacian (fays he,) 
would recommend, by his example,the 
cultivation of the colza ; the nativer 
the Limovfin, that of potatoes ; th2 
Breton, that of buckwheat ; the imha- 
bitant of Franche Comté would demon- 
ftrate the advantages arifing fronr mea- 
dows, and make cheefe after the man- 
ner of his own country; the Normans 
would bring with thema new ice 
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