There is a little tiffness in the ftyle of the author; and there are fome few inaccuracies; as, "think no facrifice hardly too great"; "could an Hooker, or a Nelfon, for they were laye men". Surely, Hooker was not a layman.

ART. VII. Mercure Britannique, &c. Par J. Mallet du Pan.-The British Mercury, or Hiftorical and Critical Accounts of the prefent Tranfactions. Vol. I. No. 1, 2, 3. Containing an Hiftorical Effay of the Deftruction of the League and Liberty of Switzerland. By J. Mallet du Pan. 280 pp. De Boffe, &c. 1798.

THE HE confequences of natural imbecility, torpor, and difcord, opposed against unprincipled treachery and violence, eagerly watching for their prey, are prefented to us in this melancholy but faithful picture. It is at this juncture our happier lot to be in the enjoyment of the effects of great exertions of firmnefs, vigilance, and union: these have raised us to a relative height of glory, at which we never ftood before. If it be matter of exultation to us, that the difmayed nations of Europe feel their fpirits invigorated with our increafe of ho nour, and reft their firmeft hope on the column of our fecurity, much is the honeft, English-hearted fatisfaction we shall derive from knowing, that although political integrity, fcience, and virtue, have been obliged to hide their heads, and tremble for their existence in almot every part of polished Europe; yet here they have found an inviolable, and, we hope, a beneficent afylum. Such may this country prove to the illuftrious fugitive, Mr. J. Mallet du Pan, whofe Hiftorical Effay is now before us. We fhall firft give an analysis of this book, in which much matter highly interesting must be entirely passed by; and even then we thall not be able to attain that brevity which is generally our aim.

The first chapter contains an account of the ftate of Switzerland before the revolution; while what it was remains fresh in memory, it is interefting to have a faithful portrait of it by the pencil of fuch a master. When it is compared with the calamitous fituation into which the country is now reduced, it will give a strong leffon to every age and nation, how they fuffer themselves to be deceived into errors and inaction, like thofe which have deftroyed that people. Yet, when mankind shall have read, that this, although one of the most warlike, was one

of

of the most moral and happy of nations, under a government, the spirit of whofe administration (although it might have. fome defects) was fo ftrictly paternal, that the relation of magiftrate and fubject feemed merged in that of patron and client, they will deteft the crimes which made the tranfient ersors of fuch a nation prove ultimately its destruction.

With the second chapter, the hiftory of the revolution of the country begins. It gives an account of the Swifs Club at Paris, and the flight commotions it raised in the Pais de Vaud. It comprehends alfo the hiftory of the negotiations of Barthelemi, and the difficulties he had to encounter from the refentments of all parties, excited by the ignominious or cruel manner in which the Swifs troops had been expelled France, or malfacred there; his dexterity in overcoming thefe refentments, and raising the party of France in the fenate of Berne, and others of the League, to fuch a degree of ftrength, that, aided by her victories about the end of 1792, it affumed an ascendant over that of the Advoyer, M. de Steiguer; whence, confidence in the character of M. Barthelemi becoming confidence in the national faith of France, the fyltem of keeping up an armed neutrality was rejected.

The third chapter begins with the attempt of the French on Geneva, under Montefquion; its defeat, for that time, by the interpofition of Berne and Zurich: but the latter canton, on the return of its forces, declared it was the last aid that devoted city was to expect from it; a gratuitous dereliction of faith and policy, and an indication that the bond of union in Switzerland was almoft broken. We next fee, that the other powers of Europe, Great Britain excepted, overlooking the influence of Switzerland on the event of the contest, gave no oppofition, by their minifters, to the intrigues of France there; and the genius, the activity, the attractive manners of Barthelemi, gave him an increafed afcendant over them in its councils. France now began to treat Switzerland as no longer an independent power. She remonftrated against the imprifonment of traitors to the state, as an infraction of treaties. In poffeffion of Suabia, and furrounding Switzerland with their forces, the driving out of the emigrants, although to certain death, was demanded, and nominally acceded to; and to this was added, a requifition to disband the veteran regiments returned from France and Holland; and the government "difarmed the country to ftrengthen its defence.

In the next chapter, we fee those new actors entering on the ftage, who are to bring the drama almost to its conclufion. A third part of the feats in the Council of Berue being vacant, they were supplied by a new election, whereby the French party

I

obtained

14.1 obtained a decided fuperiority. Buonaparte had taken great umbrage against the cantons, and particularly that of Berne, for the afylum Mr. Mallet du Pan found there. It appears to us, that at that period alfo (June, 1797) he had fome connections with the party of the majority of the two French legislative councils. Circumftances, in our private knowledge, the character of which at the time was to us extremely fingular, feem to give this much confirmation. His publications, which he here mentions, fupported the celebrated attack of that majority on the political conduct of Buonaparte in Italy. Like Athens, when the Macedonian empire exhibited the first figns of falling to pieces, Switzerland, in the conflict of the French parties, might expect to have found the conversion of her nominal into a real independence. Buonaparte copied with fuccefs the policy of Antipater: he demanded and obtained the expulfion of Mallet du Pan; with which he expreffed himfelt gratified. The revolution of September, 1797. foon followed this event; and new humiliations were de-. manded of the Swifs. The first was, the difmiffion of our minifter, Mr. Wickham, who prevented the degrading fubmiffion of the republic, by a voluntary retirement. Such is here stated to have been the first fruits of the miffion of Mengaud, who debased the character of the reprefentative even of a depraved nation, by the groffeft private moral turpitude, and by treacheries, to that time new in the dark catalogue of the treafons of ambaffadors. To this period the bulk of the people continued uninfected with the principles of France, and the number of Jacobins, in all the cantons, did not exceed 6000. Every thing was comparatively found, but in the fenate and the regencies. To us it appears, that the mafs of corruption and debility fubfifted in the mercantile intereft. When almost every other tranfit for commodities to and from France was clofed, the continuance of their neutrality enriched them beyond all former precedent; and they became faithful stewards to their future plunderers. How diftant from the general nobility of character belonging to the merchants of Britain! In the profecution of our analyfis, we fhall ceafe to diftinguith the contents of the following chapters. The fpirit of the government being fubdued, the Directory now began to feek occafions of war, by the multiplication of the moft degrading commands. The infolent progrefs of Buonaparte through the country, feems to have been for fome political purpose not yet developed. It ferved, however, for a fignal of great turbulence and fermentation. An act of hoftility immediately followed it. The part of the bifhopric of Bafle attached to Switzerland was invaded, and Bienne taken, put

ting

ting into the poffeffion of the French the paffes of Mount Jura; and yielding them an entrance into the plains of Berne. The military fpirit of the people was roufed, but it was not seconded by the divided regency of that ftate.

The next machinations of the five Tiberii" were directed against the Pais de Vaud. The first of these has curiofity enough to deferve a brief explanation to be given of it. A petition was prefented to the Directory, from a pretended great number of the inhabitants, to be restored to their rights. This petition was drawn up by the incendiary La Harpe, and a few other banished criminals. On the examination of fome treaties, in which no mention of them was included, the Directory found that France had guaranteed those rights, and they were ordered to be restored. The partizans of that country did not exceed 300, in a population of 80,000 fouls; but the intrigues of this contemptible minority produced a fermentation becoming progreffive: the great majority called on the fovereign ftate to lay alide irrefolution, and exert its authority. The hope of obtaining quiet from France, by conceffions to this little faction, produced the measure of fending a commiffion to enquire into the grievances of the district. The deputies found the body of the people faithful; they were refpectable, but feeble men; they suffered their authority to be infulted by the mutineers, and thus damped the general fpirit of the well-affected. The Directory, in the mean while, declared the magiftrates of Berne perfonally refponsible for the impunity of their incendiaries, and of their dupes. This, for a time, opened the eyes of the other cantons, who fent deputies to Berne with affurances of fupport; and it was determined to call an extraordinary diet at Arau.

Berne continued in the poffeffion of great refources, befide its military ftrength, and that of its allies; but their effects were corrupted by the party of the temporizers, who were divided into two fections; each carelefs of the ftate, and defirous alone to fave their lives and fortunes: one refting its fafety on fine difcuffions, the juftice of its caufe; the other expecting to difarm the pretended anger of the Directory, by a femi-revolution.

Menard was now arrived at Geneva, to back a petition of the Vaudois to the Directory, difavowed by the majority of the difcontented themselves. He was at the head of 15,000 men of that Italian army, which, after having plundered that country of 400 millions, which had enriched their leaders only, were now in a state of naked nefs; they answered to all enquirers on that fubject," THE SWISS SHALL CLOTHE US."

The militia of the attacked district, confifting of-three battalions, were fummoned by the commiffioners of the fovereign

state,

ftate, to take the oath of obedience to it; 24 obeyed with readiness, fix declined an obedience, which many of them individually afterward rendered; and the military demanded the punishment of the traitors. The commiffaries feconded this excellent difpofition, by taking down the fignals at part of the alarm-pofts, and withdrawing the cordon of troops from the country threatened, that no unibrage fhould be given to the Directory.

This was followed by the furprife of the Caftle of Chillon by a handful of infurgents; troops were marched from Berne, to join the militia of the Pais de Vaud, and Colonel Wiefs was placed at the head of the united force; whofe oftentatious and feeble character is here ftrongly drawn. He fuffered affemblies to prepare a revolution in the place of his head-quarters; harangued their committees when he fhould have arrefted them; and retired to Yverdun when Menard advanced, because he was unwilling his country fhould break with France; whence he fell further back without orders. Thus that district, and 2000 troops animated against the invaders, were given up.

In the mean time, the Diet of the Cantons had been held at Arau, and the confederation confirmed by the oaths of the Deputies of the Cantons, thofe of Baffe excepted. On the arrest of fome of the feditious in Berne, Mengaud renews the declaration of the refponfibility of the magiftrates for their fafety, which appears to have had a full effect, and greatly funk the character of government. The Diet had no fooner quitted Arau, than it was feized by the Revolutionifts. This event roused the dormant power of the ftate; the place was fpeedily recovered, and, for a moment, there appeared vigour and energy in all its measures.

These foon gave way, and the fentiment of the party which 'hoped to conciliate France by a femi-revolution prevailed. Deputies were fun moned from all the communities, to determine on the future change of the conftitution. The spirit of innovation did not pervade this affembly; they followed in all things the propofals of the old regency, without any additions of their own. By them they were brought to abrogate a constitution, the object of their reverence; and a committee was appointed to form the plan of a new one, which fhould be perfected in a year; a refolution, received by the majority of the people with averfion or indifference. Thus the regency, by its own act, weakened its title, and its claim to obedience; the government before had been conftitutional, it was now provifional only; and the example of Berne was followed by four other cantons. This conceffion was not accepted by the Di

rectory,