The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

1120 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
champion of antiquity, who was caught in the cleft were turned to the improvement of the internal
oak, which he in vain attempted to rend asunder. regulations and finances of the country, he hesitated
History has no more to say on the subject of La for some time to adopt a hostile course, though apGironde, considered as a party name. proved by the sovereign, and demanded by a large
proportion of his subjects. But new circumstances
arose every day to compel a decision on this importCHAPTER XV. ant point.
The French, whether in their individual or col.
Views of parties in Britain relative to the Revolution- The French, whether in their individual or col.
Affiliated Societies-Counterpoised by Aristocratic Asso- lective capacities, have been always desirous to take
ciations-Aristocratic party eager for war with France. lead among European nations, and to be con-The French proclaim the navigation of the Scheldt.- sidered as the foremost member of the civilized
British ambassador recalled from Paris, and French republic. In almost all her vicissitudes, France has
envoy no longer accredited in London.-France de- addressed herself as much to the citizens of other
clares war against Englald.-British army sent to countries as to those of her own; and it was thus,
Holland, uender the Duke of k-e of York-Stae f the army.- that in the speeches of her statesmen, invitations
View of tIe military positions of France-in Flanders- were thrown out to the subjects of other states, to
on the Rhine —in Piedmont-Savoy-ono the Pyrenees.-imitate the exanple of the Republic, cast away the
Stae of te tscar in La Veondloe-Descriptinonb of the on- rubbish of their old institutions, dethrone their kings,
tbrly-Le Bocage-ayLe Lo trongx-lClose oaion betyi a-t the demolish their nobility, divide the lands of the church
nobles and peasantry-B th stronigly attached to royal- and the aristocracy among the lower classes, and
ty, and abhorrent of the Revolttion. —The priests.-The a
religion of the Vendeans outraged by the Convention.- arise a free and regenerated people. In Britain, as
-A general insurrection takes places in 17'3.-Military elsewhere, these doctrines carried a fascinating
organization and habits of the Vendteans.-Division in sound; for Britain, as well as France, had men of
the British Cabinet on the mode of conducting the war- parts who thought themselves neglected,-men of
Pitt- Windham-Reasoning upon the subject-Capitu- merit, who conceived themnselves oppressed,-exlation of Mentz enables 15,000 veterans to act in La Ven- perimentalists, who would willingly put the laws in
dee-Vendeans defeated, andpass the Loire-They de- their revolutionary crucible,-and men desirous of
feat, in their tourn, the French troops atLaval-Btt are novelties in the church and in the state, either from
ultimately destroyed and dispersed.- Unfortunate expe- the eagerness of restless curiosity, or the hopes of
dition to Quiberon.-Charette defeated and executed, and Above all, Britain had a
the war of La Vendie finally terminated.-Return to the change. Above all
state of France in spring 1793. —Unsuccessful resistance far too ample mass of poverty and ignolance, subject
of Bordeaux, h~arseilles, andLyons, to the Convention. always to be acted upon by the hope of license.
-Siege of Lyons-Its saurrender and dreadjitl punish- Affiliated societies were formed in almost all the
ment.-Siege of Toulon. towns of Great Britain. They corresponded with
each other, held very high and intimidating language,
TIE jacobins, by their successive victories on the and seemed to frame themselves on the French
31st May and 2d June, 1793, had vanquished and model. They addressed the National Convention
driven from the field their adversaries; and we have of France directly in the name of their own bodies,
already seen with what fury they had pursued their and of societies united for the same purpose; and
scattered enemies, and dealt amiong them vengeance congratulated them on their freedom, and on the
and death. But the situation of the country, both in manner in which they had gained it, with many a
regard to external and internal relations, was so pre- broad hint that their example would not be lost on
carions, that it required the exertion of men as bold Britain. The persons who composed these societies
and unhesitating as now assumed the guidance of had, generally speaking, little pretension to rank or
the power of France, to exert the energies necessary influence; and though they contained some men of
to repel foreign force, and at the same time to subdue considelable parts, there was a deficiency of anytliig
internal dissension. like weight or respectability in their meetings.
WVe have seen that England had become in a great Their consequence lay chiefly in the numbers who
measure divided into two large parties, one of which were likely to be influenced by their arguments;
continued to applaud the French Revolution, al- and these were extraordinarily great, especially in
though the wise and good among them reprobated large towns. and in the manufacturing districts.
its excesses; while the other, with eyes fixed in That state of things began to take place in Britain,
detestation upon the cruelties, confiscations, and which had preceded the French Revolution; but the
horrors of every description which it had given rise British aristocracy, well cemented together, and
to, looked on the very name, of this great change,- possessing great weight in the state, took the alarm
though no doubt comprehending much good as well sooner, and adopted precautions more effectual, than
as evil, —with the unmixed feelings of men contem- had been thought of in France. They associated
plating a spectacle equally dreadful and disgusting. together in political unions on their side, and, by the
The affair of the 10th of August, and the ap- weight of influence, character, and fortune, soon
proaching fate of the king, excited general interest obtained a superiority which made it dangerous, or
in Britain; and a strong inclination became visible at least inconvenient, to many whose situations in
aIlong the higher and middling classes, that the na- society rendered them in some degree dependent
tion should take iup arms, and interfere in the fate of upon the favour of the aristocracy, to dissent viothe unhappy Louis. lently from their opinions. The political Shibbo.
Mr Pitt had bee nl aking up his mind to tIhe sausd leth, used by these associations, was a renunciation
point; but feeling how rlucL his own high talents of the doctrines of the French Revolution; and they