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mediocrity of his coadjutors, and he was obliged to follow Jourdan in his retreat. The allies, however, withdrawing after the demolition of the besieging works, Jourdan again passed the Sambre; and the celebrated engineer, Marescot, pushed the siege of Charleroi so rapidly as to compel it to capitulate in a few days. The Prince of Cobourg, unacquainted with its surrender, advanced with a large army to its relief, and made an attack along the whole of the French positions, on the 26th. The conflict was long and obstinate, and it is very clearly and impartially described in this work. The French fought with great spirit, and were, on several points, well commanded. Marceau and Bernadotte, at that time Generals of division, gave ample assurances of their future reputation; while, on the adverse side, Beaulieu and the Hungarian General, Quosdanovich, conducted themselves with equal vigour and ability. The action began at a very early hour, and lasted till five in the afternoon; by which time the French, though they frequently rallied and returned to the charge with shouts of "this day we shall not retreat," were driven back along almost the whole extent of their line. Kleber and the corps around him alone stood firm: but, after the hour which we have mentioned, they were put to no farther test than their comrades, the Prince of Cobourg having received undoubted intelligence of the surrender of Charleroi, and having consequently issued orders for a general retreat. The conflict had been extremely sanguinary, and was, like most of the actions in this campaign, a series of insulated attacks, with no great share of general combination. Had Clairfait been at the head of the Austrians, it is probable that a few hours would have decided the fate of the engage

ment.

The narrative in each chapter of this history is followed by a few general observations from the author; which, without any elevation of style, are distinguished by evident marks of good sense. The Prince of Cobourg is held up to deserved ridicule, as well for his mis-management of particular engagements, as for the capital error of losing the summer of 1793 in sieges and indecisive movements. The five months which elapsed between the disorganization of the French army under Dumou riez in April, and the junction of the new levies in September, were, in truth, an invaluable period. Not that the most brilliant victories by an armed force could have produced the subjugation of a people, who were animated with the enthusiasm of liberty: but the horrors of the revolution might have been lessened, the duration of the contest have been abridged, and the French confined within their own territory. The allied courts, however, persisted in their old maxims; they chose

to

to intrust their forces only to nobles and princes of the blood, and were thus the authors of the misery which subsequently overwhelmed Europe.

Of the French Generals, Pichegru is here always mentioned with a respect which does the author great credit, when we consider that the book was published after the death of that chief, and under a government which spared no pains to blacken his reputation. Jourdan is seldom praised, and as seldom censured, the blunders committed under his command being imputed to the headstrong interference of the "representatives in mission," or to the imperious and sometimes injudicious orders of the Committee of Public Safety. Pichegru, on taking the field in the spring of 1794, received from that body a positive mandate to "conquer ;" and he was repeatedly forced, in the course of the campaign, to alter his plans in consequence of their authoritative communications. No mention is made of the part taken by Carnot, either in the civil administration of the army or in the plans of operation during 1793 and 1794; and, in general, it may be remarked that we meet with less delineation of character and of abstract reflection than might have been expected from the magnitude of the subject. The work altogether bears few of the striking characteristics of French composition. It is ushered in by a modest preface, describing it merely as a sketch for future historians; and the reports of the various actions are given with a degree of candour which has seldom distinguished the publications of our vaunting neighbours. The relative force of the allies is, on several occasions, over-rated, but evidently not with an intention to misrepresent. Neither has the author loaded his pages with any incense to his imperial master; whose name is never introduced unless when called forth by the course of the narrative.

The first of the three volumes is filled, as we have already mentioned, by the history of the French army, and by the of ficial reports on the defence of the frontier. The whole of the second and a part of the third are occupied with the details of the three campaigns of 1792, 1793, and 1794: next comes a coup d'œil of the war in la Vendée; which is followed by a very long and elaborate catalogue, in the order of date, of the chief occurrences, civil and military, of the three years in question. To the whole is added a collection of maps and plans of battles, which are of the greatest use to those who take pleasure in studying military details, and in analyzing the causes of victory. The maps are thirteen in number, and represent the tracts of country which formed the principal scenes of operation; namely the Pyrenées, Piedmont, Flanders, and the borders of the

Rhine. 'The plans exhibit the position of the contending forces in four of the principal engagements, Jemappes, Neerwinden, Hondschoote, and Fleurus. We have also a plan of Toulon, and of the positions of the French when besieging it; as well as of the encampment at Valmi in Champagne, in September 1792. With regard to Toulon, the plan is well worth insertion: but we must object to the length at which the details of the siege and recapture are given in Vol. ii. p. 340. In this as in the first volume, the author is led into prolixity from a desire to insert the communications of respectable men, · without a sufficient jealousy of the space which they occupy. The reader, however, has no reason to complain of being at a loss to chuse his subject, for seldom has any work appeared with more complete tables of contents; indeed, they are so copious as to indicate-not only the general tenor of a chapter but the nature of each particular event, and may be read straight forwards as an abridgment of the narrative. Nothing can be more useful in a book of multiplied details, than this analyse raisonné of its contents; and we are induced to think that authors would often find works of a different stamp improved by the application of similar care and method in preparing an index to their labours. Without being so ill-natured as to say that it would teach them more clearly the import of what they have written, we may be permitted to observe that it would materially reduce the labour of their readers, and would form, in many cases, a great recommendation to the public. In the volumes under review, the table of contents is so full and explicit as to render an index unnecessary.

Our limits have not permitted us to make extracts from this. publication: but the paper, of which the following is the substance, was productive of such a determined plan of warfare, as to have a particular claim to insertion. It is a memorial on the comparative force of France and the foreign powers, delivered to the Executive Council at the end of January 1793, by a General officer who was called from retirement to give his advice in that season of emergency :

"War is already carried on by us against Austria, Prussia, and the King of Sardinia: it is soon expected to be declared against England, Holland, and Spain. Adding to these powers the Germanic body, we shall find the whole of their military force amount to 750,000 men; of which it may be taken for granted that the half, or thereabouts, can be mustered in the field. To meet this formidable armament, we propose to bring into action 360,000 men; a third part of whom, however, must be recruits. A third is a large propor tion, and may deteriorate. the whole; since the possession of mere courage will not compensate for the want of education in our officers, and of discipline in our men. It is probable, too, that our defi

ciency

ciency in tents, provisions, and good hospitals, together with the fres quency of engagements and of exposure to fatigue, will cause a prodigious loss of lives. It follows that France can look for durable success in such measures only as may prevent the necessity of forming armies almost entirely new at the beginning of each campaign. Her interest appears accordingly to demand that a very numerous army should be sent forth, without delay, and that it should be backed at home by a force sufficient to repair the effects of any disaster. Pru dence, therefore, requires that means should be taken to make large levies, in that way which is the least burdensome to the country. Our mode of warfare should proceed on the principle of compensating for want of skill by superiority of number; that is, by directing as many men and as much artillery as may be possible on the points attacked, the Generals marching at the head of the columns to set the soldiers an example of determined courage. Our troops must be accustomed never to calculate the enemy's strength, but to rush for wards with their bayonets, without losing time in firing at a distance, or in attempting manoeuvres with which, in their present state, they are quite unacquainted. This straight-forward-plan of fighting corresponds so much with our national fire and impetuosity, as to put our eventual success beyond the possibility of doubt."

This advice produced such conviction in the Council, as to make them exert all their influence with the Convention to procure a large levy; and on the 24th of February following, a decree was passed to raise 300,000 men.

We cannot conclude this article without regretting the enormous rate to which the difficulty of intercourse, and still more the disordered state of our exchange, have raised the price of foreign books. Such a work as this cannot fail to be acceptable to those who desire a plain and faithful report of the campaigns of 1792-1794: but five pounds form a serious demand on the purse of a critic, and, we fear, on that of a soldier.

ART. II. Eudoxe, &c. ; i. e. Eudoxus. Dialogues on the Study of the Sciences, Letters, and Philosophy, by J. P. T. DELEUZE. 2 Vols. 8vo. Paris. 1810. Imported by Deconchy. Price 11. 4s.

THE

HE art of self-education often requires more attention than it receives, since many persons are reared without having become possessed of several of those acquirements, or accomplishments, which their eventual situation in life may render desir able. A grown gentleman does not like to be taught to dance, nor to draw, nor to construe Latin, nor to speak French. He would willingly apply himself in private to remedy his deficiencies, but, unless he can correct them unobserved, he will rather endeavour to hide them. That intrenchment, which is

the

the policy of ignorance, will mostly pass for the reserve of pride, and will purchase an escape from scorn at the cheaper. price of affection.

To such persons, books are always welcome, respecting the means of attaining that current level of knowlege which circulates in good society, which is expected at the tables of opulence, and which is requisite in any liberal occupation. They are also welcome to the newly married. Matrimony, indeed, is a great instructress of nations; because, with the purpose, or the pretext, of learning to educate their children, parents do much towards educating themselves. The dulness of unvarying society is in no way so well concealed, or exorcized, as by calling instruction to sit by the fire-side; and, since the most enduring and faithful friendships grow out of common pursuits and common amusements, the domestic virtues thus become the fruit of sympathetic studies. It is one of the rewards of a parent to remedy the idleness of his own adolescence; and the elementary books, which are perused with a prospective view to the offspring, revive or implant whatever was deficient in the early culture of the progenitors.

The object of M. DELEUZE, in the work before us, is to teach the art of self-education; to indicate the elementary habits which should be formed, and the elementary books which should be procured, in order to prepare a French gentleman for active or speculative utility, in those lines of life which branch out of his natural career. This instruction is given in the form of dialogue. Eudoxus, a young Swiss, who had been sent to study at Göttingen, comes to pass the vacation at the house of his guardian Aristus, who resides at Geneva. Eudoxus brings home the neologous omniscience of a German student, equal to every thing, but adapted for nothing. Aristus, who possesses the practical good sense of age and observation, endeavours to point out to his young friend the method of making a capital of talent bring in some interest of income; and he inforces the importance of minting knowlege into drachmas, and of "making the pot boil" with leaves of books. Eudoxus is gradually converted to the persuasion, that the dignity and leisure of independence are well exchanged for the profits and labours of a place under government.

Dialogue I. is introductory. Philosophy is here somewhat arbitrarily defined to mean the art of connecting and applying knowlege. The motives which determine a man to some form of intellectual exertion are analyzed; first principles of conduct. are laid down; the duty of activity, and of choosing a specific object, is enforced; the domestic life of Aristus is sketched and something of the surrounding scenery is painted, to APP. REV. VOL. LXVII. fill

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