A.D. 1792.]

PREPARATIONS OF DUMOURÍEZ AGAINST THE ALLIES.

ventured to express their abhorrence of this monstrous carnage. Madame Roland, who urged her husband to write to the assembly to protest against these massacres, was energetic in her denunciation of them. She declared them abominable crimes, which raised the indignation of all virtuous men; foul dishonours, that such men must raise their voice against, even at the risk of their lives. Yet, how was it that even madame Roland continued to associate with Danton, who was steeped in these abominations, in the foul dishonour of all this innocent blood? Danton continued a colleague in the ministry with Roland, and yet Roland did not resign! The Girondist newspapers and journals made but cautious comments on these horrid deeds, whilst the jacobin ones exulted in them. Prudhomme exulted in them. He declared that the people were "humane, but incapable of weakness. Wherever they smell crime, they throw themselves upon it without regard to the age, or sex, or condition of the criminal; that they had snatched the sword of justice from the hands of the judges, and executed their functions; teaching them no longer to despise the people." He justified all the indecent atrocities perpetrated on the body of the princess Lamballe. Many of the jacobin authorities did worse; they made a profit of these horrors; passports were sold at enormous prices; and Manuel is said to have received for one as much as five thousand pounds of our

anoney.

Surely in no other nation under heaven could such scenes have taken place; yet so blinded were some of our countrymen, that all this did not open their eyes to the true nature of this revolution. It was after these dreadful days that Dr. Priestley became a French citizen, and was elected a member of the convention, which continued to approve of the like demonstrations. Others, however, were perfectly cured of French modes of regeneration. "Oh!" exclaimed Sir Samuel Romilly, "how could we ever be so deceived in the character of the French nation as to think them capable of liberty?-wretches, who, after all their professions and boasts about liberty, and patriotism, and courage, and dying; and after taking oath after oath, at the very moment when their country is invaded, and the enemy is marching through it unresisted, employ whole days in murdering women, and priests, and prisoners? Others who can deliberately load whole wagons-full of victims, and bring them like beasts to be butchered in the metropolis; and then, who are worse even than these, the cold instigators of these murders, who, while blood is streaming round them on every side, permit this carnage to go on, and reason about it, and talk about the example they are setting to the nations! One might as well think of establishing a republic of tigers in some forest of Africa, as of maintaining a free government amongst such monsters."

Yet, after all, Petion, who had winked at all this, and, in his usual way, had stepped aside and let it go on, had the impudence to go to the bar of the assembly, and declare that there was no doubt that all this crime was perpetrated by the paid agents of the enemies of liberty! The effete assembly itself was expiring, and Roland was charged to prepare a part of the palace of the Tuileries for the reception of the convention, which was to meet on the 21st. The nation having driven out the king, and made a

29 wretched captive of him, was about to take possession of his devastated dwelling.

CHAPTER II.

REIGN OF GEORGE III. (Continued.)

Preparations of Dumouriez to resist the Allies-Repulses the Prussians at

Valmy-The Prussians retreat to Coblentz-Dumouriez defeats the Austrians at Jemappe, and makes himself Master of Flanders-Takes Aix-la-Chapelle-The French, under Custine, invade Germany on the Upper Rhine-They take Worms, Speir, Mayence, and Frankfort-The French, under Montesquieu, also invade and seize the Provinces of Nice and Savoy-Meeting of the Convention at Paris-All the leading Jacobins become Members-The Convention abolishes Royalty-Conflicts of the Jacobins and Girondists-The Mountain, the Plain, and the Gironde-The Attack of the Gironde on Robespierre and Marat--Danton and Servan resign, and are succeeded by Pache and Garat-Triumph of Robespierre over the Gironde-Committee of Twenty-four to inquire into the Crimes of Louis Capet, formerly King-Resolves that the King shall be tried-The Convention decrees the Trial by itself-Discovery of the Iron Chest-Trial of the King-Proposal to banish the Duke of Orleans and his Family-The King brought to the Bar of the ConventionDoomed to die-The Sentence announced to Louis-His Death-Rejoicings of the Jacobins-Sensation in England-Demand for War with France The Militia called out-Fox and his Party vote for a Treaty with the French Republic-Dismissal of the French AmbassadorDeclaration of War by France against England.

WHILST the frightful massacres in Paris had been perpetrating, Dumouriez had been contending with the advancing armies of the allies on the frontiers. These armies, after the capture of Verdun, on the 2nd of September, had spread themselves over the plains of the Meuse, and occupied, as their main centre, Stenay. Dumouriez and his army lay at Sedan, and in its neighbourhood. To reach him, and advance on Chalons in their way to Paris, the allies must pass, or march round the great forest of Argonne, which extends from thirteen to fifteen leagues, and was so intersected with hills, woods, and waters, that it was, at that time, impenetrable to an army, except through certain passes. These were Chêne-Populeux, Croix-aux-Bois, Grand-Prey, La Chalade, and Islettes. The most important were those of Grand-Prey and Islettes, which, however, were the two most distant from Sedan.

Dumouriez, pointing to the map, showed to Thouvenel, one of his staff, this forest, and observed, "That is the Thermopyla of France!" Dumouriez remarked to him that the government in Paris was imperative for him to fall back on the Marne, but that if he did so he should allow the allies to winter, if they pleased, in the Trois Evêchés, a fertile country, instead of keeping them penned up in the desolate, muddy, and sterile fields of Champagne. If he kept them on the other side of the Argonne, should they direct their course towards Sedan, they would meet with the fortresses of the Netherlands; should they turn to the other extremity, they would come upon Metz and the army of the centre. The plan, therefore, was to fortify these passes; and, in order to do this, Dumouriez immediately ordered Dillon to march forward and occupy Islettes and La Chalade. This was effected; a division of Dillon's forces driving the Austrian general, Clairfayt, from the Islettes. Dumouriez followed, and occupied Grand-Prey, and general Dubouquet occupied Chêne-Populeux, and sent a detachment to secure Croix-aux-Bois, betwixt Grand-Prey and Chêne-Populeux. Having made these arrangements, Dumouriez wrote to the ministers, saying, "Grand-Prey and

and wait for Kellermann with a united body of sixty thou- | it near Sedan. Whilst engaged in this plan, the Austrians sand. Though he was by no means in favour with the discovered the weakness of the force in the defile of CroixGirondists since he ejected them from the ministry, the common danger, and the ability he had shown in his arrangements, induced Servan and Roland energetically to support his plans; and the enthusiasm amongst the populalation caused continual marches of volunteers to his aid, who made their rendezvous at Chalons.

On the 10th of September the Prussians began to examine the passes of the forest; and, finding them defended, they

aux-Bois, where only two battalions and two squadrons of volunteers were posted, for Dumouriez had not examined the pass himself, and was assured that this force was amply sufficient. Once aware of this mistake, the Austrians, under the duke de Ligne, made a brisk attack on the position, and drove the French before them. Dumouriez, informed of this disorder, ordered forward general Chasot with a strong force, who defeated the Austrians, killed De Ligne, and

recovered the pass. But the advantage was but momentary; of the 19th, instead of reaching the heights of Gisancourt, the Austrians returned to the charge with a far superior force, and again cleared the pass, and remained in possession of it. Thus Dumouriez saw his grand plan of defence broken up; and finding that Chasot, who had fallen back on Vouziers, was cut off from him on his left, along with Dubouquet, he saw the necessity of falling back himself into the rear of Dillon, on his right, who was yet master of the Islettes and the road to St. Menehould. He then sent messages to Chasot, Dubouquet, and to Kellermann, to direct their march so as to meet him at St. Menehould.

By marching through a stormy night, and through execrable woods, he found himself, on the 16th, on the heights of Autry, four leagues from Grand-Prey. This was early in the morning: the enemy had not improved the advantage they had gained; they had slowly defiled through the pass, and he was beginning to regard himself as saved, when there was a shout in the rear of wild alarm; Dumouriez galloped to the spot, and found his young and inexperienced rear-guard flying before a body of Prussian hussars, crying that they were betrayed. By the exertions of himself and the other generals, order was restored. He bivouacked at Dammartin-sur-Hans. He had now been fifteen hours on horseback, and had just dismounted in the evening, when again the cry of "Sauve qui peut!" was heard, and he found a general panic prevailing. All order was lost, and there was the prospect of a general flight. The soldiers renewed their clamours that they were sold to the enemy, and they heaped execrations on the commander-in-chief. Dumouriez, however, did not lose his presence of mind; he commanded large fires to be lit; and they there passed ten hours in mud and discomfort. Yet he employed himself in - writing to the ministers, that ten thousand of his men had run away from fifteen hundred Prussians, but that all was right again. But above a thousand of his young soldiers had continued their flight to Paris, and created the greatest alarm there, declaring that all was lost.

advanced to the centre of the basin at Valmi, where, on the morning of the 20th, he found himself commanded by the Prussians, who had come up and formed on the heights of La Lune, when, had Kellermann taken the position assigned him on Gisancourt, he would have commanded La Lune. The Prussians had been in full march for Chalons when they took post here, and discovered Kellermann below them, by the mill of Valmi, and Dumouriez above, on the heights of Valmi. Kellermann, perceiving the error of his position, and that the Prussians would soon seize on the heights of Gisancourt, which he ought to occupy, sent to Dumouriez for assistance to extricate himself. If he were beaten, he would be driven into the marshes of the Auve, and in danger of utter destruction. The king of Prussia, perceiving that forces were thrown forward towards Kellermann's position, imagined that the French meant to cut off his march towards Chalons, and immediately commenced firing. From the heights of La Lune and of Gisancourt, which he now occupied, he poured a deadly fire of artillery on Kellermann; and the Austrians, about to attempt to drive the French from the heights of Hyron, if they sueceeded, would leave him exposed on all sides. Dumouriez sent strong bodies of troops to his relief under Stengel, and Beurnonville, and Chasot. The battle now was warmly contested, but only through the artillery. A shell falling into one of Kellermann's powder wagons exploded it, and occasioned great confusion. The king of Prussia thought this the moment to charge with the bayonet, and now, for the first time, the revolutionary soldiers saw the celebrated troops, bearing the prestige of the great Frederick, marching down upon them in three columns, with the steady appearance of victory. Kellermann, to inspirit his inexperienced soldiers, shouted, "Vive la nation!" The troops caught the enthusiasm of the cry, and replied with a loud "Vive la nation!" and dashed forward. At this sight the duke of Brunswick was astonished; he was led to expect nothing but disorder and cowardice; he halted, and fell back into his camp.

Dumouriez continued his retreat to near St. Menehould and encamped on some heights before the town. These heights descended into low, marshy grounds, at the junction This movement raised the audacity of the French; they of the Auve and the Aisne, and commanded the three roads continued to cannonade the Prussians, and, after one or two to Paris from the Islettes, St. Menehould, and Chalons. more attempts to reach them with the bayonet, Brunswick He posted himself on one of these heights, called Valmi, found himself, as night fell, in anything but a victorious disposed his different generals on the others, with Dillon in position. About twenty thousand cannon shots had been the rear. But as the Prussians, if they chose to pass him exchanged, whence the battle was called the cannonade of at St. Menehould, might go forward to Chalons, and thus Valmi. Yet there stood the French, who, according to the place themselves betwixt him and Paris, he therefore reports of the emigrants, were to have run off at the first ordered Dubouquet, who had arrived at Chalons, to put smell of powder, or to have come over to them in a body. himself in the camp of L'Epine, and there, collecting all The next morning it was worse. Kellermann, in the night, the volunteers recently arrived at Chalons, to protect that had recovered himself from his false position; had gained city. Chasot also came up with the ten thousand men the heights of Gisancourt, which he should have occupied whom Dumouriez had brought into such excellent condition at first; had driven the Prussians thence, and now comin the camp at Maulde, and soon after reinforced by Beur-manded them in La Lune. nonville, he found himself thirty-five thousand strong.

At the same time, the duke of Brunswick was approaching from the rear, and Kellermann from Metz, but both with equal tardiness. Dumouriez dispatched a courier to order Kellermann, on arriving, to take his position on the heights of Gisancourt, commanding the road to Chalons and the stream of the Auve; but Kellermann, arriving in the night

The relative positions of the French and Prussians were curious: the French stood with their faces towards France, along the heights, as if about to invade it; and the Prussians with their backs towards it, as if about to defend it; but Dumouriez saw at a glance all the advantages of his situation. He had now a compact body of nearly seventy thousand men, elated with their first encounter, and with a

RETREAT OF THE PRUSSIANS.