ing peace and declaring war, of raifing and fupporting a national militia, maintaining neceflary fortifications, entering into alliances with foreign powers, and other matters equally relating to the interefts of both ftates. This treaty, accepted and ratified by the states of Brabant, was foor acceded to, by Hainault, and all the other Auftrian provinces, except Limburg. This plan of government, it is evident, was after the example of their neighbours the Seven United Provinces, and the more recent precedent of the American states. It was figned by deputies from Brabant, Flanders, Weft Flanders, Flemish Guelderland, Hainault, Namur, Tournay, the Tournefis, and Mechlin, on the 10th of January 1790. The province of Limburg fent three deputies to the Affembly of the States General; but they declined to fign the act of confederation and union, on the ground of their not having received inftructions on that head from their conftituents. This was certainly a plaufible argument: but the truth was, that the measure propofed was not agreeable to the Limburghers.

The general confederacy of the ftates of the Netherlands was in future to be diftinguished by the title of the United Belgic States. In commemoration of the revolution, a medal was ftruck by the states of Planders, and immediately after their example, by thofe of Brabant*. The Belgic ftates were well aware that it was not by any memorials of this kind, nor proceffions or other cere

monies, nor any internal laws and regulations alone, that the fovereignty which they had now affumed could be long preferved. The con grefs, at the head of which was Vandernoot, immediately took meafures for ftrengthening the army. There was already in the fervice of the Belgic ftates, a confiderable number of excellent officers, at the head of which was General Vandermerfch, whofe military talents had led to the first fucceffes of the revolution. They now came to the refolution of taking into their fervice a certain number of the subjects of the three allied powers (on whofe affiftance they principally relied) England, Holland, and Pruffia. Herein perhaps they imitated the politics of their brethren the Dutch, who, on their throwing off the Spanish yoke, by adopting a fr milar measure, fupplied themfelves with excellent officers and foldiers, and interefted the states to whom they belonged in the fuccefs of that caufe for which their people were fighting. Recruits came in from all parts, and the military department was modelled on the best plan that in the preffing exigencies of the ftate could be devifed. In compliment to England and Pruffia, the English code was adopted in matters of regulation, and the Pruffian in thofe of exercise and action. great number of British subjects, the greater part of whom had served as officers in the American war, were inclined by martial ardour and a generous fympathy with the Flemifh nation, to pafs over into the

A

low

low countries as volunteers. These gentlemen were received by the Netherlanders with open arms, and moft, if not all of them, were appointed to immediate commands. Their numbers foon became fo confiderable, as not a few of them poffeffed fufficient influence in their refpective countries for the levying of men; that, in confequence of propofals made to them by congrefs, they raifed and formed, under the name of the British Legion, a body of troops compofed entirely of Eng lifh, Scots, and Irish. Recruits in the mean time came into the fervice of the states from all parts of the Netherlands, both the towns and the country. A large portion of them found their own arms and ammunition. This uncommon fer your was peculiarly difcernible in the ruftic claffes. The peafantry of the villages, in the proximity of Bruffels especially, flocked in crowds to that city. It was computed that on one particular day, not lefs than 10,000 had paraded through the streets. The means by which thete multitudes were collected with fuch readiness, and actuated by fo ardent a zeal, was the influence of the clergy, who perfuaded them that it was their duty to repel the attacks that had been made on the property of the church, and on its immunities, by the fuppreffion of monafteries, and the introduction of new regulations in matters of ecclefiaftical jurifdiction; which was ftated as tending in its confequences to the utter ruin of religion it, felf.

Amidft fo many great and interefting fcenes going on at this time in fo many places of Europe, France, Germany, Turkey, and Poland, there was none that at

tracted fo general and lively a conTM cern as the Auftrian Netherlands. All liberal minds recollected what the Flemings had formerly been, contemplated with the highest delight what they had recently proved, that they ftill were and formed the moft pleafing interpofitions of what they were now not unlikely to be. As they were the firft people in the north of Europe that cultivated arts and manufactures, a fatisfaction was felt at their fuccefsful efforts to fhake off the yoke of Austrian defpotism, of the fame nature with what was expe. rienced about the fame period at the glorious ftruggles of the Greeks, which we shall by and by have occafion to relate, in oppofition to the heavy and degrading yoke of the Ottomans. All neighbouring nations that had any rights to protect, were interested in the fupport of the generous fpirit and energy of freedom in the Auftrian Netherlands. The ancient and intimate connexions between the Nether lands and England are well known. The Flemings drew from this country the greater part of the materials for their principal manufac ture the woollen; and the English, from their commerce with Flanders, imbibed, or were more and more confirmed in fentiments of freedom. At all times habits of various intercourfe prevailed between the Englifh and Flemish nations; who, befides the circumftances of near neighbourhood and the famenets of defcent, poffefs a near refemblance to each other in national character. Accordingly there was no nation that took fo warm an interest in the affairs of the Flemish patriots as the British: of which we fhall prefently fee a ftriking proof and inftance.

When

When ftates and kingdoms are united under one fovereign, whether by conquest or fucceffion, it is the conftant fate of the fmaller to be governed by the weaker. The laws, cuftoms, and manners of great monarchies are extended from the court to the annexed dominions, which become fo many provinces. The interefts and inclinations of the new and extreme parts of the empire are facrificed to the political views and perfonal humours of the diftant monarch; fallible himself, and exposed to the interested counfels of thofe around him, who, with all the prejudices of education, and the confidence of power, are entrufted in the provinces with the firft offices, civil, military, and ecclefiaftic. Hence proceed jealoufies,murmurs, and difcontents, which often break into acts of revolt and rebellion. Independence of government is in general inftances, when an union is not indifpenfably neceffary for external fecurity, greater than any that can well, or at leaft that ufually accrues to a small from its annexation to a greater kingdom. It nourishes nafional pride; it excites a spirit of exertion and glory in individuals, who by diftinguishing merit, are quickly brought in moderate kingdoms under the eye of the court; it watches over the public interefts, and ftudies the objects which the nation are invited to purfue, either by local or political fituation. According to thefe fentiments, it has happened at different times and in different countries, that when two diftinct and independent kingdoms, each enjoying its own laws, have been united under one fovereign, the weaker, in order to preferve its liberty and independence, has fe

parated itfelf from the ftronger. Spain and Portugal were fubject, in a federal union to the fame fovereign Philip II; but, notwithftanding that by this union the Portugueze had obtained most advantageous conditions from Spain, the Portugueze no fooner found a favourable opportunity than they revolted from their allegiance, and chofe for their king the Duke of Braganza. Sweden and Denmark were placed under the dominion of one fovereign by the Semiramis of the north in the 14th century, the famous Margaret, daughter of Valdemar King of Norway, and widow of Huguin King of Norway. But the Swedes, juftly provoked by the treacherous and inhuman policy of Chriftian II. the laft King of Denmark, who, by virtue of the union of Colmar, was alfo King of Sweden, diffolved that treaty by arms, and chofe for their king Guftavus Vafa. In the Scottish parliament, in the reign of Queen Anne, on the queftion concerning the fettlement of the Scottish crown in the family of Hanover, it was observed, that although the Scots in the first confederate war, terminated in 1697 by the peace of Ryfwick, had acquired great reputation, and their trade was expofed to various dif advantages, yet in that treaty they were not fo much as mentioned; and that their foldiers were dif banded without any gratuity or grant of privilege. The Scottish patriots infifted on this occafion on the corruption of their peers; the embezzlement of their public treafury; the conftant oppreffion of the commons; of taxes, burthens, and contemptuous treatment; the ruin of their commerce at Darien; the prohibition of watering at the Eng

lish colonies; and other grievances which they were forced to fuffer, as if they had been aliens and outlaws. Some of the Scottish noblemen, it was urged, and others poffeffing great intereft with their countrymen and eafy access to their fovereign, had long been influenced by hopes of reward to overthrow the authority of the laws, and even formally to repeal the old and to enact new ones. These men, the Scottish patriots affirmed, were under engagements to affent to the inclinations of the English, and to be fubfervient to their interefts, before they were promoted to public employments. From the acceffion of James I. it was faid, to the throne of England, a space of 100 years, the power of the magiftrates, decifions, courts of juftice, parliaments, authority, jurifditions, allegiance, the conduct of the war and the laws themselves, had all been subjected to the direction of the English. The hiftorian who relates theie circumftances*, adds, "All these particulars were made fubjects of heavy complaints by the Scots; which however fays the hiftorian) it is certain the Kings of England had it not in their power to redress: for Kings muft of neceffity humour the most pow. erful nation +." It is to a fimilar caufe to that of the Scottish grievances, that thofe of the Hungarians already mentioned, are to be traced;

and to a fimilar also, those of the Flemish nation; who were now. accordingly determined to cut up the evil by the root.

The fpirit of this people quickly appeared to be equal to the juftice of their caufe; and both feemed to be already triumphant. Even if they had not obtained fuch important advantages by an appeal to arms, if they had only been able to make head against their enemies, and prevent their excifion or capture by retreating, according to circumftances, from one place to another, and training themselves to war by fkirmiflies in the field: even in this cafe there would have been ground, both in internal and external circumftances, for hope that this Fabian mode of conqueft in the Netherlands, as in America, must have led to the confirmation and folid establishment of civil and political liberty. But the bold and vigorous fpirit that animated the defcendants of the ancient Belgæ, was not to be confined within that line of conduct which a less daring and hardy race of men might in fimilar circumftances have adopted. Regarding the numerous titles and armorial bearings of Jofeph II. with contempt, and his armies without fear, they did not decline, but courted a conflict. At Turnhout, at Tirlemont, Ghent, and Bruffels, the Flemish peafants ruflied un

daunted

daunted into the very throat of war, fprung on the cannon that was pointed against them, turned them against their enemies, and boldly converted the engines of flavery and oppreffion into inftruments of freedom.

Foreign nations were convinced that the Flemings were able (though not altogether without affiftance) to make a fuccefsful ftand; and their hopes now correfponded with their withes. The march of the Pruffians, after fo great and decided victories on the fide of the Flemings in fo great force to the confines of the Netherlands, menaced nothing hoftile to the avowed opponents of the Houfe of Auftria. The interpofition of a new and powerful barrier, by the erection of the Netherlands into an independent ftate against the ambitious encroachments of Auftria and of France, was an event greatly to be defired by the King of Pruffia and the United Provinces, and confequently in fome measure alfo by England, with whom these powers were in close alliance. Pacific and commercial ftates and individuals calculated the immenfe harveft to be expected from the full growth of induftry, directed by the infpiring breath of liberty, into a thousand channels; while men

of cultivated minds, lovers of the arts and sciences, formed the most pleafing expectations from their revival in their former feat; from the connexion in fmall ftates between each individual state and the public; from that fpirit of emulation which would fubfiit among the different ftates of the confederation, each retaining its own peculiar form of government; and that unity of defign and action which would be given in any popular and common enterprize or caufe to the exertions of the whole United Belgic ftates. Though divided from the Seven United Provinces by government, they would be united more and more by congeniality of manners, and the fympathies arifing from commercial intercourfe, and a common devotion to liberty and hatred of defpotifm. Liege, and other small states adjacent, would naturally apply for admiffion into fo profperous a confederation. And, on the whole, the fpirit of the ancient Grecian republics, though modified by a difference of climate, would unite and exalt the Belgic and other ftates in their neighbourhood, to a height of profperity and improvement unexampled perhaps in what we know of the hiftory of the world.

Patriotic Af Political Con

Means employed Effects of these.

Leaders