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

4 XLIFE OF NAPOLE~ON BONAPART'EPL
Another and yet less justifiable cause of innova- a brief period of two years,. Flandera rem;i,,,ned ia z
tion, placed in peril, and left in doubt and dis- state of suppressed, but deeply-founded and wvwidie
content, some of the fairest provinces of the- Austrian extended discontent, watching for a moment favourdominions, and those which the wisest of their able to freedom and to vengeance. It proved as
princes had governed with peculiar tenderness and ample storehouse of comblstibles, prompt to cact:a
muoderation. The Austrian Netherlands bad been. fire, as the flame now arising in France began to exin a literal sense dismantled and left open to the pand itself; nor can it be doubted, that the condRi.os
first invader, by the demolition of the barrier for- of the Flemish provinces, whether colsidered in a
tresses; and it seems to have been the systematic military or in a political light, was one of the -prinpurpose of the emperor to eradicate and destroy cipal causes of the subsequent success of the French
that love and regard obr their pri ce and his govern- republican arms. Joseph himself, hroken-healted
ment, which in time of need p!:oves the most ef- and dispirited& died in the very beginning of th3
fectual moral substitute for moats and ramparts. The troubles he had wantonly provoked. Desirous of
history of the houase of Burgundy bore witness on fame as a legislator and a warrior, and certainly
every page to the love of the Flenmings for liberty, born with talents to acqun'e it, he left his arms disa
and the jealousy with which they have from the honoured by the successes of the dcespised Turks,
earliest ages watched the privileges they had ob- and, his fair dominions of the Netlerlands and of:'
tained from their princes, Yetin that country, and Hungary upon the very eve of isnurrection. A
amongst these people, Joseph carried on his mea- lampoon, written upon the hospital for lunatics at'
sures of innovation with a hand so ua;sparing, as if Vienna, might be said to be no unjust epitaph for a,
lie meant to bring the question of liberty or arbitrary monwarch, once so hopeful and so beloved-JosepAu.e
power to a very brief and military decision betwixt sbsiqese Seezcarrhs-h-ic S'iM2S.
him and his subjects. These Flenish disturbances mnight be regardeS
His alterations were Mot in Flanders, as else- as symptoims of the new opinions hwlich we're tacitly
where, confined to the ecclesiastical state alone, gailiung ground in Europe, and which preceeded th?>
although such innovations were peculiarly offensive grand explosion, as li-hlt shocks of an ear thquake
to a people rigidly catholic, but were extended usually annoince the approach of'its general conthrough the most important parts of the civil govern- vulsion. The like may be said of t3he ahoirt-liver
ment. Changes in the courts ofjustice were threat- Dutch Revolution of' 17T7, in which the anciemn.
ened —the great seal, which bad hitherto remained faction of Louvestein, under the enoluragement ef
with the chancellor of the states, was transferred to France, for a tix.e completely trilniphed ove'r that I
tl imperial imiinister-a council of state, composed of the stadtholder, deposed him fiom lis iler edit- I
cf commissioners nominated by tIhe emperor, was ary command of Captain genelral of' the Army, (in i
appointed to discharge the duties, hitherto intrusted the States, and reduced, or endeatoureelto redirce,.
to a Standing Committee of the Statea of Brabant- the Confederation of the United Provinces to a pu-e
their universities were altered and new-model:ed- democracy. This was also a strong sign of thliand their nlagistrates subjected to arbitrary arrests times; for although totally opposite to t1he inclinatiio2
and sent to Vienna, instead of being tried in their of the majority of, tie states-general, of the eqite.own country and by their own laws. The lFlemish trian body, of the landed; proprietolrs nay, of tirl
people beheld these innovations avith the sentiments ve,;y populace,. most of thoma; were firoml lm i. I3,
natural to freemen, and not a little stimulated cer- principle attached' to the houose of Otrange,. tl-'
tainlhy by the scenes which had lately passed in burgliers of the large tovwns drove on tlme work of
North Amimerica, where, under circumnstances of far revolution with mhll ivarmthl of''ec- anal prmiiPt t.less provocation, a large empire had emancipated ituude of action, as sllowVed a greatt }limt of titt
itself from the m other oulltry. The staties re- middling classes oto be deeply tiLci -red vwiihl t}i.e
monstrated loudly, ancd refulsed aubnission; to the desire of gaiing fimrther liberty, antd a l;ar'er 1ihare
decrees which encroa'cled on their con.stits'tional ius the legislation andf admini.mst-ration of' tle:o,,t i.t
liberties, and at length -arrayed a military force in th an pertained to them unde, the old o!igam-ici.
support of their patriotic opposition.. constitution.
Josephi, who, at the same timle lie thus wantonly The rev olutionalyn government, ni Clhe Dutch rtl,provoked the states and people if Flanders, had vinces, (id not, however, conduluct ttheil- arlfaiaa miti'
been sentuced by Russia to join her ambitious plan prludence. Without waiting to organ-ie!t:.eir nowm
upon Turkey, bent apparently before the storm he force, or weaken that of the enemy —wiioliut (oA,
had excited, and for a tiime yieldede to accomnmoda.- taning the necessary counte-nance and imttotecm lion
tion with his subjects of Flanders, renolnced the of:France, or co-operating with the malcon tents iil
most obnoxious of his new measures, and confirmed the Austrian Netherlands, they gave, by arrestiml
the privileges of' the nation at whst was called t'he tihe Prince..ss of Orange (sister of' thle.King of Pm1us.
joyous entry. But this spirit of conciliation was sia), an opportunity of foreign interfeetlnce, of whiic
only assumed for the purpose of (leception; for so that prince failed not to avail hiinselst Hiis armties
soon as ihe had;ssembled in FlandPers what was commanded by the Duke of' B:runswick, poutrcci'
deemed a sufficient armed' force to sastain his des- into the United Provinces, and with little cttictl:cylv
potiC purposes, the emperor threw off the mask, possessed: tlemselves of Utrecht, Amsterdalm, ant.
and, by the most violent acts of military force, en- the othe.r cities which constituted the sthengih of
deavoured to overthrow the constitution he had the Louvestein or republican faction. The king
agreed to observe, and to enforce the arbitrary then replaced the house of Orange im all its pouselr,
nieasures which he had pretended to abandon. For privileges,and functions Tlme conduct ef the Dutel
i a. ~ieeran wta ^ r