to this disastrous war, as that of La Gironde did to an unfortunate faction.

The space above described contains a great variety of soil and situation: on the sea coast it is a long continuation of meadows and salt marshes, intersected by creeks and canals, and variegated by intervals of cultivation, and inhabited by a race of men, whose national activity gets the better of a sickly situation, of which however, they carry the marks very evidently in their faces. There is next a narrow strip of level country, with a few towns and villages, and then succeeds the Bocage, or woody country, which is by far the largest portion of the whole; it is interspersed with forests, and cut by rapid streams in deep beds, but is healthful and fertile, and abounds in natural pasturage, which supports the large droves of cattle that form the principal property of an uninformed but hospitable and cheerful race of inhabitants. Remote as they are from the rest of mankind, and left exposed to the evils of ignorance and superstition, they experienced at the same time the advantage of having been uninfected by the writings of modern philosophers, or the dreams of visionary statesmen; and their sentiments of loyalty and religion remained unshaken. The little they had learned of what was going on in France had been far from mecting their approbation, but they had remained quiet, until the government endeavoured to deprive them of their priests, to carry the law of the maximum into execution, and to enroll their youth in the army. This was in the spring of the year 1793, and scarcely three months had elapsed before the royalists, after a great variety of battles and skirmishes, with unequal fortune, but generally with success, were in possession of all the former provinces of Poitou, with part of Britany, and Anjou. Money, arms, and ammunition came from England. The country supplied an abundance of provisions; an internal administration was established; and several officers, who had acquired experience on happier occasions, trained the inhabitants to arms, and led them to battle; of these Bonchamps and Lescure deserve the glorious distinction of hav ing never violated the laws of humanity, and of having saved thousands of lives from the rage of their soldiers, who were clamorous for retaliation; but the most distinguished for his

knowledge of the sort of war best suited to the nature of the country, and for the inexhaustible resources which he knew how to procure, was Charrêtte.

This gentleman, whose signcurcal name was de la Contrèe, had been brought up in the navy, where he attained the rank of lieutenant, he had assisted in defending the last moments of the monarchy, on the 10th of August, 1792, and had afterwards emigrated, but was living peaceably in his castle, near La Garnache, when he was summoned by the public voice to place. himself at the head of those, who were willing to risk their lives in the service of the altar and of the throne. Of all the generals of antiquity he most resembled Sertorius; like him he could contend successfully against very superior forces, and with soldiers whom he had formed himself, and whom he had taught by his own example, to encounter danger with cheerfulness, and to endure with perseverance the most accumulated distress; as skilful as Sertorius to avail himself of the power of superstitions over the minds of the ignorant; intrepid, insensible to pain, daring upon occasion, and yet full of art and contrivance, moderate in punishing offences, and yet not to be restrained by the interference of his friends from any act of severity that he thought useful to his case. Such was Charrêtte; with dispositions naturally humane and a turn for the liberal amusements of society he would have preferred a life of ease and tranquillity, but the miseries of the times called forth his exertions, and his temper being at length soured by disappointments and bad fortune, he is said to have been somewhat precipitate in taking vengeance of those whom he suspected of injuring or betraying him.

Neither under his command, nor that of their other generals, did the people of La Vendée ever acquire the steady discipline of regular troops: their attack was always disorderly, and their time of service uncertain; but they were faithful, temperate, and obedient, and even merciful to their enemies taken in war, till the atrocious cruelties of the republicans provoked them to retaliation. They never deserted, and when taken, it was very seldom that any one would accept of life on condition of crying vive la republique. Their only request was, that their remains

might be committed to the earth, and not left exposed to the wild beasts of the forest.

After the unfortunate passage of the Loire, of which Charrêtte never approved, and the loss of Noirmontiers, general Turreau, provoked at the resistance which was still made to the arms of the Republic, determined upon the execution of a plan, which gave an additional character of ferocity to this horrid war. Twelve columns of troops were to march from different points on the circumference of La Vendèe, towards a common centre, with orders to burn or destroy whatever was susceptible of destruction, and to massacre the armed and unarmed, the old and

the young. It will appear incredible to you, but those orders were obeyed; nor was it possible for the soldiers of the infernal army, as it was named all over France, to bestow more attention upon the claims of the patriot, than upon the prayers of the royalist; all perished alike; the march of each column was to be traced over plains and through roads by every mark of destruction, and by the silence of death. A great deal has been written of this war, and events have been coloured as you may suppose by the political sentiments of those who wrote, but all agree in the system of destruction which was pursued, and in their accounts of the atrocities which were committed; it is universally agreed also, and mankind will so far benefit by these dismal events, it is to be hoped, that the cruel experiment was unsuccessful, and the forces of Charrêtte, who would never be driven out of the country, were considerably increased by it.

The fall of Robespierre, the subsequent punishment of Carrier, and a change of measures throughout France, led to the pacification of La Jaunais (1796,) and Charrette, after coming to terms with the republic, without sacrificing his principles, or the security of La Vendèe, was received with every mark of respect by the constituted authorities of Nantes. This pacification however, lasted but a very few weeks.

Charrêtte, in his proclamation for a renewal of hostilities, accuses the commissioners of the Republic of having deceived him by a secret promise of reestablishing the monarchy, and complains of numerous infractions, whilst they deny the charge, and assert, that he was led to renew the horrors of ci.il war, in

the hope of assistance from the powerful army of emigrants which were known to be arraying in England. This was the army whose attempts ended so fatally at Quiberon. The gentlemen who commanded the expedition, and who formed some of the corps of which it was composed, were too late in their attempts: a better executive government had been established in France, they were opposed by Hoche, whose talents were formidable; they were divided among themselves, and betrayed by traitors in whom they had placed implicit confidence, and La Vendèe, notwithstanding the efforts of Charrêtte and Stoflet, could make but feeble efforts to assist them.

To suppose, as I have heard it asserted in America, and, as it was for very obvious reasons, reported in France, that the expedition was planned by the British government, with a view of bringing down destruction upon a number of gallant Frenchmen, and distinguished naval officers, is too ridiculous to be refuted. Those officers were already lost to France; the privates who composed the greater part of the regiments embarked were prisoners of war, and the expense at which the expedition sailed and the debarkation was effected, was enormous. Clothing and accoutrements for 30,000 men, proved but a part of the spoils which fell into the hands of the republicans.

Whatever our opinion may be of the motives which led to this fatal expedition, we must all admire the conduct of the principal individuals who composed it; among them were many of the clergy, nor did they yield to their military friends in magnanimity. It was by the side of the gallant Sombrucil, and with equal resolution that the venerable bishop of Doi met death: he had exhorted his brethren, on the day of the battle of Quiberon, not to embarrass the retreat of the soldiers, who were crowding into the boats of the English squadron, but to yield to their fate, and he now gave them the example of a mind not to be moved by the fear of death. Not even the presence of the victorious republicans under arms could restrain the tears and prayers of the country people on this occasion, nor have they ceased to venerate the spot on which the execution took place. It is called the field of martyrs, and pilgrimages are made to it from distant parts of Britany.

The conduct pursued by general Hoche, in the last campaign of La Vendée, was such as deserved and as secured success. Bodies of light troops paraded the country in every direction, and whilst they gave not a moment's intermission to such as op. posed them in arms, they extented protection and ensured tranquillity to all who submitted. Agents and spies too were sent in every direction through the country, who addressing themselves to the old and infirm, to the women, and to the priests, prevailed upon great numbers to submit; nor did it require much exaggeration to alarm their fears with a representation of what might otherwise take place in their devoted country, and handsome offers were made to Charrêtte; but his unconquerable mind was not to be allured by promises of kind treatment and honourable conditions, or subdued by terror, and he still continued to resist, till repeated defeats had reduced his followers first to a few hundreds, and at length to about thirty. He was now incessantly pursued, and by people as well acquainted with the country as himself, from one hiding place to another; was frequently fired at, and once severely wounded in the arm, till at length a deserter from the republican army, who hoped to make his peace, betrayed him into the hands of general Travot (1796). After a short resistance against very superior numbers, in which he was again wounded, he submitted, and taking a belt, which contained a considerable sum in gold, from about his waist, he present. ed it to the general, who very handsomely replied, keep your money, sir, you may yet have occasion for it, and I do not want it. When transferred before the military commission at Nantes, after having been carried in triumph through every street of the city, his request was, that they would save themselves the trouble and him the pain of any discussion; that he was ready to admit of whatever might constitute his guilt, as far as they chose to call it so, and to die, and when brought out to execution in a public square of the city, his behaviour was such as became him; he would suffer no bandage over his eyes, and having opened his bosom he firmly gave the signal to fire, by dropping his handkerchief; the last words which faultered upon his lips were vive le roi. He is still remembered by numbers with respect and affection, and an engraving which is said to be very like him, is in