aries. The successive dispersion of the royalist armies procured them a number of brave men; particularly what they stood most in need of, able chiefs; who, from principle attached to royalty, gave them more lustre than before, Among these was Count de Puisaye, formerly an aid-de-camp to General Wimpfen, and who possessed some influence with them. After that disastrous affair, the expedition to Quiberon, the Chouans signed a peace with the Directory. Some of them, however, continued separately to attack, in small corps, the republicans, to waylay them, and to plunder their diligences, &c, which conducted many of them to the scaffold. In 1799, they rose to more notoriety and power than before, chiefly owing to the vigorous and wise councils of George, and the other leaders. According to the reports of the republican generals, they then occupied almost the whole province of Normandy, of La Main, Anjou, a great part of Brittany and of La Tourain, and extended themselves to several neighbouring provinces. They were, however, far from occupying these countries in a stable manner. Each chief had a district where he recruited, and where he commanded those who joined him. his government, though it was covered with re

This was called

publican

publican troops, and often the majority of the inhabitants were against him. Dispersed about the country, concealed, and therefore often invisible, they attacked small parties of republicans, but disappeared before any considerable corps. It was not until the revolution effected by Buonaparte in November 1799, and which caused a momentary stagnation in the Government, that they began to have fixed headquarters, and regularly to combat the republican battalions. They were then said to amount to upwards of 100,000 men; but their numbers were certainly exaggerated. The suspension of arms which they soon afterwards concluded with the republican commander, General Hedouville, gave them yet more consistency. After several conferences, Buonaparte judged that they only intended to gain time by their negotiations, and therefore ordered 50,000 fresh troops, under the command of General Brune, to march against them, and to attack them before the end of January 1800.

On his arrival in Brittany, Brune learned that all the insurgent departments on the left of the river Loire had laid down their arms, in pursuance of a treaty of peace signed at Montfaucon.' This event enabling him to concentrate his ope

rations,

rations, he began by publishing insidious procla mations to the people, and by sending emissaries among the Chouan troops, who either bribed or intimidated them to desertion. A few smart, though not important skirmishes, enabled him to subdue, in less than a month, all that appeared formidable in the insurrection, and reduced the Chouans to nothing more than a small set of detached bodies. To this, for Buonaparte, fortunate event, the want of concert among some of the chiefs greatly contributed; and it was forwarded in no inconsiderable degree by his prudent, though hypocritical, order for restoring the churches to the communes, for the purpose of performing divine service, and for celebrating a pompous funeral ceremony in honour of the Pope, Pius VI. who had been deposed, harassed, and, in effect, murdered, in consequence of a treason planned, if not executed, by his worthy brother Joseph Buonaparte. Deserted by their followers, the different chiefs concluded a peace with the republic, and disbanded their troops. George was the last who took this step, but not till he was left with hardly any troops to command. Such are some of the particulars of the Vendean and Chouan war, which loyalty began, and the treason of the republicans, and not their military

litary exploits, finished. The new disturbances in the Western Departments during the winter of 1803 evince, that if the revolutionary agents are yet rapacious and cruel, and continue their oppression and extortion, the spirit of the inhabitants is unbroken; and that it requires but little to re-kindle the civil war, notwithstanding the organized military tyranny of Buonaparte.

GENERAL

GENERAL ALEX. BERTHIER,

BUONAPARTE'S MINISTER OF WAR.

FEW of those rebels, who, in 1789, erected the standard of revolt, and belonged to the factions of Orleans, of Mirabeau, or of La Fayette, have survived their offspring, the French Revolution; or, if alive, occupy any places of consequence, possess the consideration of their fellowcitizens, or the confidence of an usurper, whom their absurd plans for an impracticable liberty, dangerous plots for an imaginary equality, and real crimes in favour of a destructive anarchy, have dragged from a well-merited obscurity, elevated into unlimited power, and made a tyrant over France under the specious appellation of a First Consul of the French Republic. Alexander Berthier and Talleyrand de Perigord are the only exceptions. The former, as well as the latter, is Buonaparte's confidential minister, trusty counsellor, and devoted friend, if a slave can be called the friend of his master.

VOL. III.

M

Born