miffary, was fanctioned; though with expreflions of much diffatisfaction at the impetuofity which they had forced into the negociation. It fays, "The decree of the imperial commiflion, to the deputation of the empire, has futficient motives to determine it to make ftill farther conceffions, in the prefent circumftances, the commiffioner of his majefty, the emperor, will not oppofe its painful proceeding, fince it believes that thefe will be the means of obtaining peace. But this determination will be entirely misunderflood, if it fhould be fuppofed to proceed, from any other motives than a defire to avoid any divifion with the deputation of the empire."

As all the eflential parts of the firft bafis of the negociation were now definitively fettled and conclu-, ded, nothing remained but to apply the acknowleged principle of indemnity by the means of fecularization, which formed an integral and indivifible part of the future treaty, that the refpective negociators were to conclude. But as this object required mature deliberation, before it came under difcuffion, the French plenipotentiaries declared that they would, in a fhort time, prefent their propofitions on this head to the deputation; which, in the mean time, continued its deliberations on other points, and decreed, on the thirty-firft of December, that a note fhould be prefented to the French minifters, requiring them to realize the promife which they had given of leffening the weight of military contributions on the left fide of the Rhine, of raifing the fiege of Ehrenbrittein according to agreement, and that the French republic would take the necellary measures to protect the coun

tries on the right bank, which were ftill occupied, from the arbitrary and vexatious impofitions of French commiffaries. Thefe requifitions, relative to the actual state of things on the right bank of the Rhine, were almoft immediately anfwered, by a note from the French plenipotentiaries, ftating, that if the diet of the empire confented to admit Ruffian troops into the territory of the empire (above noticed) or if it did not exert all its power to oppofe their entrance, it would be confidered as a violation of the neutrality, on the part of the empire, the negociation at Raftadt would be diffolved, and the republic and the empire would be exactly in the fame pofition, with refpect to each other, as they were previous to the fignature of the preliminaries of Leoben, and the conclufion of the armiftice. To this note the minifter plenipotentiary of the head of the empire, anfwered, that the French government, instead of giving a fatisfactory anfwer, conformably to the law of nations, to the urgent demands of the empire, relative to the actual pofture of affairs on the right bank of the Rhine, had entered on a new and very different fubject. This object, which was not within the department of the deputation. of the empire, count Metternich acquainted the plenipotentiaries, had been fent, agreeably to the conftitution, to be determined by the empire, united usder its head, and that the republic muft wait the refult of fuch a determination. That the diet had refolved 'to take the inftructions of its conftituents, and that it had notified to the deputation of the empire, that no overture, or requifition, had been yet made to the diet to grant a

paffage

paffage to the troops of Ruffia. It was not to be expected that the imperial minifter's anfwer to the remonftrance against the march of the Ruffians into Germany fhould be fatisfactory to the French negociators: to whom it was quite apparent, that the head of the empire was as unwilling as the diet at Ratifbon, was unable to bring the point in queftion to a speedy and friendly conclufion.

The Ruffian troops, commanded by the renowned general Suarrow, in number fixty thoufand, and marching in four divifions, of fifteen thousand each, having halted for fome time at Olmutz, and Biltz, in Moravia, arrived at Brunn about the middle of December. The infantry were arranged in the Pruffian uniform, and in fine condition. The Coffacks were accoutred in the Turkish ftyle. They wore long beards, and coats of all colours. Befides the Turkish lance and fabre, they had piftols and carabines flung to their girdles. The arrival of fo decided and formidable an enemy, to the French republic, was a pleafing and animating fight to the court of Vienna, the Auftrians, and all the partizans of Auftria. The emperor and emprefs, the palatine of Hungary, the duke of Saxe Tefchen, prince Ferdinand of Wirtemberg, prince Efterhazy, the Ruffian ambaffador count Razamoufky, and other perfons of high diftinction, attended by the first regiment of imperial horfe-guards, were prefent at a review, which was welcoming the Ruffians, on the twenty-feventh of December; and admired the quick evolutions and rapid movements of the infantry, and the dexterity and eafe with which the Coffacks managed their little, but

hardy and fpirited horfes. The open countenance fhewn to the Ruffians, by the imperial court, was confidered as a declaration of war againft the French republic.

The fortrefs of Ehrenbritftein, held in clofe blockade by the French, who made no fcruple of breaking a ftipulation in the armiftice, for the admiffion of a regular fupply of provifions, fo long defended by its natural ftrength, the conftancy of the garrifon, and the military kill of its commander, colonel Faber, at length furrendered, January, 1799. The French found, in Ebrenbritftein, an immenfe quantity of ftores, confifting of 192 pieces of artillery, about 100,000 balls, bombs, and grenades; a million of cartridges; about 450,000 weight of powder; 5,000 mufkets, and other articles in equal profufion. Thofe alone were want ing, which were neceflary for life, The blockade of this place commenced in April, 1797 fo that it was among the longest in modern hiftory. By the reduction of this place, the French became masters of the two banks of the Rhine, from Schaff-haufen to Duffeldorf. The poffeffion of thefe places, with that of Mayence, already noticed, opened to them the provinces of Franconia, Heffe, and Weftphalia. At the fame time, the French troops that were ftationed between Cologne and Mayence, along the left of the Rhine, repalling that river, were joined by thofe who had formed the blockade of Ebrenbritstein, on the left.

While the note of the French plenipotentiaries, refpecting the march of the Ruffians, was under the confideration of the diet, at Ratifbon, the French minifiers at Raftadt,

declared

declared to the deputies of the empire, on the thirty-firft of January, that they had orders neither to receive nor remit any note in any of the points of the negociation, til they had received a categorical and fatisfactory answer to that which they had remitted, on the fecond of January, relative to the fame fub ject. In the mean time the Ruffians continued to advance. The emperor of Germany allembled his troops on the river Lech. And the French army, having, as already obferved, re-croffed the Rhine, penetrated into Suabia, under the command of general Jourdan. Official informa tion of this invafion, was, on the first of March, 1799, communicated to count Metternich, by the French plenipotentiaries, at Raftadt; who remitted to him, by order of the directory, the following proclamation, figned by the prefident, and dated the twentieth of February, 1799: "The troops of his majefty the emperor, king of Hungary and Bohemia, in contempt of the convention concluded at Raftadt, the eleventh of Frimaire, (December the firft, 1797), anno. 6, have repaffed the river Inn, and have quitted the hereditary ftates. This movement is connected with the march of the Ruffians, who declare aloud, that they are coming to attack the French republic, and who are already in the dominions of the emperor.

Ever faithful to its engagements, always animated with the fincereft defire of maintaining peace, and ever difpofed to attribute the fame fentiments to his majefly the emperor, the French government has demanded of him a fatisfactory declaration, refpecting the march of the Ruflian troops, and the paffage

which has been granted to them. The emperor, however, has remained filent. The executive dis rectory, therefore, finds itfelf com pelled, by the abfolute neceffity of felf-defence, and the obligation impofed on all governments to provide for their fafety, to command the French armies to take thofe pofitions which the exifting circumftances require. But, at the fame time, it declares, that its wifh for peace is unalterable: and, the moment that his majefty the emperor fhall announce, by an amicable declaration, that the Ruffians have evacuated his territories, and that his troops have returned to the pofitions regulated by the convention, at Raftadt, the French armies shall alfo re-enter their former limits."

This proclamation was accompa nied by an addrefs from general Jourdan, to his army, on their entrance into Germany. It was dated, February the twenty-eighth, and was conceived in the fame fpirit with that of the proclamation, as. far as it related to political objects. It alfo enjoined the ftricteft military difcipline under the fevereft penalties. The French minifters, in a note which they remitted at the fame time to count Metternich, fignified, that they were authorized to declare, that the march of the army ought not to be confidered in any other light than that of a precaution neceffitated by circumftances; that the defire of peace, on the part of the French government, continued to be ardent and fincere; and that the directory perfifted in the inten tion of concluding peace, with the empire, on the fuppofition always, that the empire would declare it felf againft the march of the Ruf fians.

The

The deputation of the empire having taken the proclamation, together with the note of the French minifiers, and the addrefs to the army, into confideration, came to a determination, that all thefe pieces hould be fent to the general diet of the empire, at Ratibon; that it fhould be oblerved to the diet, at the fame time, that the majority of the depuration was convinced, that after this note, the diet ought to be perfuaded how urgent it was, that the deputation fhould be invested with full powers, to give an answer to the note of the French legation, of the fecond of January, (concerning the march of the Ruffians,) in order to refume the negociations which had been so long fufpended; that the prefent fubject of deliberation fhould be remitted, as ufual, to the commiflary of his imperial majefty; that he fhould be requested to impart to the French minifters, the decifion of the deputation, and to exprefs its ardent defire of concurring, in all poffible efforts, for a Speedy and lafting peace. The imperial commiffary was not influenced by the fame pacific difpofitions. By a note, tranfmitted the fourth of March, he informed the deputies, that the imperial commiffion could not approve the conclufion, fince,

from the actual fituation of affairs, their anfwer thould have been retrained to the fimple acknowledgement of their having received the French minifter's note, and communicated it to the general diet; and that all farther declaration fhould have been fufpended till the ulterior decifion of the emperor and empire, agreeably to a former conclufum of the deputation. The views that dictated this note of the imperial minifters, could not be mifunderflood. But a prelude to the renewal of war, ftill lefs equivocal, was exhibited foon thereafter, in the expulfion of Bacher and Alquier: the first, the French refident at Ratifbon; the fecond, the French ambaffador at Munich. On the fourteenth of March, they were ordered to quit thofe towns within the space of twenty-four hours, and to retire within the French advanced pofts. The expulfion of thefe minifters was not effected without oppofition on the part of certain members of the diet, as well as that of the elector of Bavaria : but, as the order was accompanied by military force, Bacher and Alquier were under the neceflity of obeying the requir

fition.

Vol. XLI.

CHAP.