:

In no part of the Helvetic territory had the revolution. ary principles of France made greater progress than in the Pays-de-Vaud, a district fubject to the government of Berne Lausanne, the capital of this delightful province, being the chief refort of intelligent ftrangers, and famous for the liberality and urbanity of its inhabitants. On the 14th of July, 1791, the anniversary of the French revolution was commemorated with great demonftrations of joy all over the Pays-de-Vaud and the neighbouring districts: patriotic toasts were drunk, French airs were fung, and the enfigns of liberty paraded with univerfal acclamation. The government of Berne, which trembled with rage and fear at the rapid diffusion of these fentiments, now at laft, in an evil hour, refolved to interpofe its fovereign authority, in order to counteract this great and growing mischief. A special tribunal was fent into the Pays-de-Vaud, under the protection of 2,000 foldiers, commanded by general d'Erlach, well known as an high and arbitrary aristocrat, with fifteen pieces of cannon. The troops took up their refidence at Laufanne---the church of St. Francis, the hospital, the college, and the public granaries, being all turned into barracks. In order to strike terror into the inhabitants, two cannons, with lighted matches, were planted in the market-place. Other troops were stationed in different parts of the province, and the whole country was laid under military subjection.

The high court having opened its commiffion, two of the principal citizens, Rofel and Muller de la Mothe, were tried, and fentenced to no lefs than twenty-five years' imprifonment to the dungeons of Meudon. Others to inferior penalties. But the profccution which, beyond all others, excited the greatest astonishment and indignation was that of M. de la Harpe, baron of Yens, a man of the first property and influence in the province, whofe talents. were of the highest class, and whose character was fuch as made him the object of universal esteem and reverence.

This distinguished perfon, finding that it was intended to proceed against him with great feverity, and for no other offence than that of having joined confpicuously in the celebration of the late anniversary, seasonably withdrew to Geneva, whence he wrote to the judges of the new tribunal," that having received the moft prefling warnings of his danger, he had thought it neceffary to take this step; but that he was ready to appear before the court as soon as he had fatisfactory affurance that his cafe would be impartially investigated." After being twice fummoned, he was, on his non-appearance, accufed of high treafon; and, being condemned by the court, he was fentenced to be beheaded, and his property was confiscated to the benefit of the ftate. Such were the measures adopted by the government of Berne, and enforced by others of a like tendency in the other aristocratic cantons, to demonftrate how illfounded were the ideas of those who aimed at a melioration of the exifting conftitution of Switzerland. In April, 1792, the celebrated Gibbon returning to Lausanne, after a temporary and not very long abfence, fays, "I never knew any place fo much changed as Laufanne. Some are taken up, several are fled, many more are suspected and suspicious. All are filent; but it is the filence of fear and difcontent."

The virtuous and gallant La Harpe, thus caft off by his country, of which he was the ornament, and would have been, if needful, the defender, retired into France, and obtained an honorable command in the French army, diftinguishing himself in the course of five fucceffive years no lefs by his conduct than his courage. He fell in the spring of 1796, at an early period of the first Italian campaign of Buonaparte. His death overwhelmed the army with the deepest forrow; and the conqueror of Italy, in his relation of it to the Directory, declared "that the republic had loft one of its most faithful citizens and braveft generals, and

every foldier a comrade, who was as bold in the action as he was in difcipline fevere."

Notwithstanding the measures of precaution taken by the ariftocracies of Switzerland, or rather in confequence of those measures, the spirit of political difcontent increased to general and rooted difaffection throughout all the Protestant branches of the confederacy. For it is remarkable that, in the Catholic democracies of the union, Uri, Schweitz, Underwalden, and Zug, the spirit of religious bigotry, diligently and continually fostered by the priests, completely predominated at this crifis over that of civil liberty; and the French were, by the ignorant peasantry of these petty states, regarded with deteftation, as heretics, infidels, and atheists :-and in the full enjoyment of liberty themselves, they did not feem to entertain a wifh that it fhould, or an idea that it ought, to be extended beyond their own narrow and contracted limits.

Upon the declaration of war between Auftria and France, this difference of fentiment ftrikingly appeared-the Proteftant free and democratic cantons fhewing a marked predilection for the interefts of the Gallic republic, while the Catholics evinced the utmost averfion to the new order of things in France, and even permitted the officers of Auftria publicly to raise recruits in their towns and villages. The government of Berne, animated by the fame spirit upon this grand topic of controverfy, countenanced and encouraged the obnoxious proceedings of the Catholic cantons, and excited incurable jealoufy on the part of France, by marching, at the period of the duke of Brunswic's invafion, a formidable military force to the French frontier.

The neighbouring republic of the Grifons alfo, though Proteftant and democratic, fhewed themfelves on various occafions very inimical to the French. But of the political tranfactions of this rude and uncultivated people the detail would be tedious and uninstructive. For feveral years the general ftate of things altered little in Switzerland, only it

was

was perceivable that the two oppofing parties became more and more hostile, and the probability proportionally increased of fome violent, bloody, and terrific catastrophe.

The fertile district of the Valteline, divided from the Helvetic territory by a high range of mountains, and properly a part of Lombardy, had been long subject to the tyranny of the Grifons. On the establishment of the Cifalpine republic, in the fummer of 1797, the inhabitants of this province, indignant at the oppreffion they fuffered, rose with one accord, drove away the Grifon magiftrates, and declared themselves free and independent. Both parties appealed to the decifion of the French government; and, the cause being referred to general Buonaparte, a day was appointed for the determination of it, when the Valteline deputies appeared in readiness to sustain their claims; but the Grifon governntent, for what reafons cannot be afcertained, omitted to support their pretenfions in the fame manner :in confequence of which general Buonaparte declared in favor of the revolters, and they were immediately received into the union of the Cifalpine republic.

Towards the conclufion of the summer of 1797, the French government having now terminated the war on the continent, refolved to avenge the infults and injuries which they either had, or pretended to have, received from the Swiss republic; and in order to afford a fure pretext for bringing matters to extremity, the following demands were made upon the confederacy by the French Directory. 1. The free navigation of the Lake of Lugano for their ally the Cifalpine republic. 2. A paffage for 25,000 men through the Vallais, for general Buonaparte's army. 3. The difmiffion of Mr. Wickham, the English envoy at Berne, from the Helvetic territory-he having been, as was alleged, deeply engaged in all the plots and intrigues which had been perpetually carrying on against them in Switzerland. 4. The redrefs of certain fpecific measures inimical to the French republic; chiefly those of the government of Berne; which, as the Directory ailirmed,

had

had publicly enrolled emigrants, and given fhelter to French requifitionaries and deferters.

On the first notice of this hoftile memorial, the court of London ordered the envoy Wickham to quit the territories of the republic, not choofing to hazard a formal dismission. And an Helvetic Diet was fummoned at Arau for the profeffed purpofe of compofing the differences between the two countries. After paffing a month in fruitless debate, this affembly at length decreed the levy of the double contingent, amounting to 26,000 men; but the inhabitants of the generality of the cantons fhewed an infuperable averfion to the fervice; and while the levy proceeded flowly and heavily, the French appeared in force, under general Menard, on the Genevan frontier. The whole of the Pays-de-Vaud, a great part of Berne, and the entire canton of Bafle, were at once in a state of insurrection; and general Weifs, who was entrusted by the governments of Berne and Friburg with the command of their army, was compelled to retreat with precipitation towards Berne; and general Menard, marching forward, proclaimed to the Vaudois-peace, liberty, and fraternity.

*

On the return of general Weifs, a man of sense and moderation, to Berne, he reprefented to the fenate the utter impoffibility of making any effectual refiftance against the arms of France, thus strengthened and supported by the fpirit of diffaffection. On the 13th of February, 1798, therefore, the Bernese government came to a late and reluctant refolution to fend an embaffy to the Directory, fignifying "that they held it a facred duty to declare their earnest wishes for peace with the French nation, and the re-eftablishment of the accustomed relations of amity and kindnefs; and that they will be ready to accommodate every point in difpute, as far as it can be done without injury to the independence of a free people."

To this humiliating meffage the Directory deigned not to return any anfwer; but, through the medium of citizen Mengaud, their envoy in Switzerland, fpecified the condi