demned, his name never mentioned without execration, and charges of cowardice or treachery were every where laid againft him. He foon found it neceflary to abandon Amfterdam and the republic altogether, while the place of his retreat was for a long time totally unknown; for fo fingular was his fortune, or fo extraordinary had been his conduct, that while he was charged on one fide with betraying the party whom he served, he had rendered himself fo exceedingly obnoxious to the stadtholder, and to all his foreign and domeftic allies and friends, that it was doubted whether there was a country in Europe that would have afforded him a fecure afylum. We have already feen the quick progrefs made by the central, and by the left column of the Pruffian army. That on the right, commanded by general Lottum, was equally fuccefsful, but met with rather more refiftance, and confequentlywas engaged with fomething more like action. This column having entered the province of Holland at Hilverfum, a detachment under major gen.Kalekreuth was difpatched to the right to fummon Naarden,a very ftrong place, lying at the fouth end of the Zuyder fea, within 13 miles of Amfterdam, and which has always been confidered as one of the principal keys of the province. Col. Matha, the commander or governor, difdaining to betray his truft, rejected the fummons, and gallantly prepared for defence. The detachment being in no degree equal to the taking of the place, and a fiege not being intended if it had, fell off from Naarden, and marched up the Vecht, pushing on parties to furprize three of the principal paffages of that river, in order to gain its left fide. Two of these detachments were fuccefsful in gaining the paffages at Maarfen and Zuylen, and a lieutenant croffing the river with a detachment of cuiraffiers, pushed on at full gallop to the fort and entrenchments of Vytermeer, which he mattered without lofs before the garrifon could recollect themselves, although the fort was furrounded by double entrenchments, and by two ditches full of water. While the bridges at Maarfen and Zuylen were repairing, general Kalekreuth had the fortune to furprize and make himself master of the fluices near Breukel, by which the whole country might have been laid under water; a circumftance which ftrongly fhews the terror and confufion that then prevailed on the other fide. And the general having received intelligence from capt. Kleift, who had been fent to feize the third paffage over the river at Breukolyn, that the approaches were fo difficult, and the place fo effectually covered by the artillery of Nieuwerfluys, that it was impoffible for him to proceed, he immediately marched thither in perfon. The fort at Nieuwerfluys was very ftrong, well covered with artillery, and the approaches exceedingly difficult. The Pruffian commander feems, чowever, to have conducted them with great judgment and dexterity; and, finding that the garrifon was fupplied with provifions from Amfterdam, he found means to eftablith fuch pofts on the other fide of the river, as entirely cut off their fupplies. In thefe circumftances general Averholt, who commanded the fort, conceiving that the whole country was overrun, and nearly covered by Pruflians, fo that 1 that all defence was ufelefs, furrenSept.21ft. dered the place without firing a fhot: Forty of ficers and 730 foldiers were made prifoners, among whom were a colonel in the French fervice, and 36 cannoniers of that nation. 54 pieces of cannon were found in the fort. A party of Pruffians having marched all night to furprize Wefep, loft their way in the dark, and thereby arrived too late to fucceed in the defign; their courage and conftant fuccefs, however, prompted them to attack the place, though it was then broad day, and the garrifon were alarmed, and prepared for their reception. They were accordingly repulfed, with the lofs of fome men ; and two diftinguished lieutenants, who commanded the detachment, were feverely wounded. Kalekreuth afterwards pushed on his approaches towards Ouderkerk, which being within a few miles of Amfterdam, was ftrongly garrifoned, and an obftinate defence intended; at the fame time that all the celerity of the Pruffians (which was perhaps never exceeded in fervice) could not prevent fome of the dykes being cut through, by which the country was becoming daily more difficult and dangerous. While Kalekreuth was thus preparing to force his paffage to the environs of the capital, by the way of Ouderkerk, the duke of Brunfwick advanced with a ftronger force, by the way of Gouda, Alphen, and Leimuyden, leaving the Haarlem Meer on his left, towards Amelveen, another village, which like Ouderkerk lay about five miles short of Amfterdam, and which was likewife ftrongly entrenched and garrifoned. But, during thefe military tranf- actions, an unexpected revolution had taken place at the Hague, which greatly changed the face of internal affairs in the province of Holland. We have before feen, that the inhabitants of that place were in general strongly attached to the perfon and interefts of the prince of Orange. The governing party, well aware of this difpofition, and knowing that the officers and troops who compofed the ordinary garrifon were little more to be trufted than the inhabitants, had long fince brought in a fìrong body of volunteers, to rule the one, and to keep the other in check. These were ftationed in the center of the town, and had two picces of artillery, in conftant readiness for immediate fervice, placed before their main guard. Under the confternation and difinay which the deplorable flight from Utrecht, the progrefs of the Pruflians, and the failure of French fuccours, all together excited on the republican fide, it was easily feen that the volunteers would not be long able to keep fo populous a place in awe, and feveral of the principal perfons of that party accordingly retired for fafety to Amfterdam. This increafed the general hope and confidence, but ftill fome immediate impulfe was wanting to bring the long-fuppreffed fpirit into action. This was foon fupplied by the courage of the Swifs foldiers, who formerly compofed the stadtholder's ftate guard. They boldly, in the face of the volunteers, and in broad day, carried off their two pieces of cannon in triumph through the treets, while the populace decorated, or rather covered the artillery with orange ribbons, the very posleifion of which, juft before, [D] would would have been highly penal; and the difplay have been made at the immediate rifque of life. This ferved as a general fignal. Nothing could be more inftantaneous than the effect. In a few minutes the whole place difplayed orange colours in every form and manner, and no man would be fafe who ventured abroad without one of the late prohibited ribbons, or at leaft fome equivalent fymbol. The republicans were difarmed. The states of Holland, finding themfelves unable to refift the torrent, were thrown into great confufion; but the most violent of them retiring to Amfterdam, the remainder, who continued the affembly, immediately determined upon the reftoration of the prince of Orange, and fent a deputation that very evening to invite his return. This revolution at the Hague took place on the 18th of Sept. being only the fixth day from the entrance of the Pruffian army into the province of Guelderland; and North Holland having at the fame time declared for the ftadtholder, the republican party were, within about a week, confined within the narrow compafs of Amfterdam, and its neighbourhood. On the following evening, the ftadtholder arrived from Utrecht, in his way to the Hague, at the duke of Brunfwick's head-quarters at Schoonhoven, where he lodged in the fame houfe that the princefs had fo lately been confined in. Nothing could exceed the demonftrations of joy exhibited on the arrival of this prince at the Hague, after fo long an abfence, though they were perhaps equalled a few days after on the arrival of the princeis. The members of the ftates of Holland who retired to Amfterdam, held a meeting there, as if they had only transferred the affembly from one place to another; but their number was fo inconfiderable, confifting only of the deputies of that city, that they did not attempt to proceed to bufinefs. The affembly at the Hague was perfect in its reprefentation, with the fingle exception of the deputies from Amfterdam. They accordingly proceeded without hesitation in reitoring the ftadtholder to all thofe offices and rights from which he had been fufpended, and confequently annulled all the proceedings which had been puriued againft him in that province. The aflembly of the fates of Holland ufed the utmost dispatch in adopting and carrying into execution all those measures which tended (according to their own words in the invitation to the ftadtholder) "to the preservation of the pro"vince, and the re-establishment "of the tottering conftitution.” Their invitation for the return of the princefs of Orange was in the terms prefcribed, and subjected to the fatisfaction demanded by the king of Prufiia. On the day the prince entered the Hague, they flued an edict, abolishing and forbidding the ailembling of all thofe armed focieties, which had been formed for the purpofe of fupporting what was called the patriotic caufe. This was immediate ly followed by difpatching an exprefs to the court of Verfailles, with information that the difputes between the province of Lolland and the itadtholder were now happily terminated; and that, as the circumftances which gave occation for their application to the king cu the the 10th current, no longer exifted, fo the fuccours which they then requested from his majefty would now be unneceffary. They like wife iffued an edict, forbidding all attempts to inundate the country; and another, ftrictly commanding the governors of all towns and fortreffes, to give free admiflion to the Pruffian forces. All this bufinefs was tranfacted, by the ftates of Holland, between the 18th, the day on which the revolution took place at the Hague, and the 22d of September. In confequence of the laft of thefe edicts, the baron Matha opened the gates of the city of Naarden, on the fame principle of duty which had before kept them clofed; and the frong fortress of Wefep was given up in the fame manner. In the mean time, the republican affembly at Franeker, in Friefland, which had been very violent during the troubles, was fuddenly diffolved, and the republicans, who were very numerous, quitted that town in much the fame order that Utrecht had been abandoned. The provinces of Groningen and Overyfel now gave up all oppofition to the ftadtholder; fo that the greatest unanimity prevailed in the affembly of the fates general, that of the ftates of Holland, in the council of ftate, and in all the other great departments of government. All oppofition was now centered in the city of Amfterdam, and its environs, whither the most active or the moft obftinate of the republican party had fled from all quarters; but the republic was otherwife in a state of perfe& tranquillity. On the first days after the irruption of the Pruffian army, the hopes of immediate affiftance from France were fo ftrong, that, with an anxious folicitude, all travellers on the roads were eagerly queftioned, whether they had feen or heard of the approach of a French army? but thefe hopes began now not only to fade away, but affairs feemed fo defperate, and the revolution fo complete, that it became a doubt with all confiderate people, wher ther they could be retrieved by any afliftance which France was capable of fpeedily adminiftering. On the contrary, it was evident that a long and doubtful war, in which England, with the ftadtholder's party (which was now the ftate) would fupport Pruffia, must be the inevitable confequence; in the courfe of which, whatever the final event might be, the republic could fcarcely hope not to be irrecovera→ bly ruined." Yet, notwithstanding this apparent fate of things, and these obvious confequences, the republican party at Amfterdam, (having now recovered in a confiderable de gree from that overwhelming panic, into which the unequalled celerity of the Pruffian forces, and the admirable difpofitions made by the duke of Brunfwick had thrown them) made every preparation for the most desperate refiflance. The furrounding country was laid under water; ftrong batteries every where erected; all thofe pofts capable of commanding the roads leading into the town entrenched and fortified; and the citizens declared they would hold out to the laft extremity. We have already feen that the duke of Brunfwick was carrying on his approaches for the attack of Amftelveen, as general Kalkreuth was again Ouderkerk, two fortified villages and important pofts lying [D] 2 within within four or five miles of Amfterdam. In this crifis of danger, a deputation arrived from the regency of Amtterdam, requirSept. 25th. ing a ceflation of hottilities from the duke, until the terms of accommodation, which they were impowered by their constituents to offer, fhould be confidered. A thort truce was accordingly granted, and the bufinefs of negociation transferred to the Hague. The Amfterdam commiffioners were inftructed to demand, what reafons induced the duke to threaten their city, feeing they had given no offence to his Pruflian majefty? that if it was on account of obftructing the journey of the princefs of Orange, there were weighty reafons for that measure, of which the venerable council would be ready to give bis highnefs a fuitable explanation-That the city therefore expects he will forbear to make any attack on its territory, which has already fuffered too much by the inundation, although hitherto only partial-That if he thould perfevere in this intended hoftility, not only much blood would be fpilt, but that city being expofed to pillage and laughter, the commercial interefts of Europe would thereby be fo deeply affected, that not only the fubjects of the republic, but thofe of his Pruflian majetty, and of all the neighbouring fiates, would be involved in the general ruin-And lastly, that the regency have delegated this folemn commiffion to the duke of Brunf wick, that his ferene highnef might lay thofe fincere overtures before his Pruflian majefty, that his difpleafure might be done away, and that he might receive in good part thofe teftimonies of high esteem which the regency were ever defirous of preferving for his majefty. The purport of the prince's an fwer was, That the fatisfaction which the king demanded, and infitted on as his right, had been fully announced, and the terms specified, in the latt memorial prefented by the baron Thulemeyer-That the flates, and all the other members of the province, were ready to give this fatisfaction, and expected their concurrence-That the moment they have confented, by their deputies, to thofe terms, he fhould confider his commiffion as terminated; and that the king's troops fhould immediately quit the neighbourhood of their town--That they knew too well the fentiments of the princels of Orange, to entertain any doubt that the would not pafs over many things, rather than their town fhould be expofea to inconvenience or danger. After the return of the commiffioners, the town council of Amfierdam fent two of their number to make propofals of a particular fatiffaction, which they were willing to make to the princefs in perfon; but thete not being deemed latisfactory, the returned them a note, in which the offered, the faid, with pleasure, to engage the king her brother to defift from every point of fatisfaction, and to withdraw his troops, as foon as the fincerity of their profellions was confirmed by the town of Amfterdam, in acting in concert with the other members of the affembly of the ftates, and in acceding. to all thofe refolutions which had already been paffed for the re-eftablithment of public affairs; that the would have been very unwilling to |