France in future with any troops. The Treaty of Alliance concluded in the year 1713 was torn from the Public Regifter, and General de Redin ordered instantly to return from France with the foldiers under his command, upon pain, if he refused, of being irrevocably banished from the Republic. The obedient General obtained permiffion from the King to depart with his regiment from France, and entering Schwitz, the metropolis of the Canton, at the head of his troops, with drums beating and colours flying, marched immediately to the church, where he depofited his standards upon the great altar, and falling on his knees, offered up his thanks to God. Rifing from the ground, and turning to his affectionate foldiers, who were diffolved in tears, he discharged their arrears of pay, gave them their uniforms and accoutrements, and bid them for ever farewell. The fury of the populace, on perceiving within their power the man whom the whole country confidered as the perfidious abettor, and traitorous advifer, of the new regulation, by which the Court of Versailles had given such a mortal blow to the liberties of the country, greatly increased; and he was ordered to disclose before the General Affembly the origin of that measure, and the means by which it had been carried on, in order that they might learn their relative fituation with France, and ascertain the degree of punishment that was

due

due to the offender. Redin, conscious that, under the existing circumftances, eloquence would make no impreffion on minds so prejudiced against him, contented himself with coolly declaring, in a few words, that the cause of framing the new regulation was publicly known, and that he was as innocent upon the fubject as he was ignorant of the cause of his difmiffion. " The traitor then will "not confefs!" exclaimed one of the most furious members: "Hang him on the next tree! Cut him "to pieces!" These menaces were instantly repeated throughout the Affembly; and while the injured foldier continued perfectly tranquil and undismayed, a party of the people, more daring than the reft, jumped upon the Tribune, where he flood surrounded by the judges. A young man, his godfon, was holding a parapluie over his head, to fhelter him from the rain, which at this moment poured down in inceffant torrents, when one of the enraged multitude immediately broke the parapluie in pieces with his stick, exclaiming, "Let "the traitor be uncovered." This exclamation conveyed a correspondent indignation into the bosom of the youth, who inftantly replied, "My god"father a betrayer of his country! Oh! I was ig(( norant, I assure you, of the crime alledged against "him; but fince it is fo, let him perish. Where is the "rope? I will be the first to put it round the traitor's "neck." The Magiftrates inftantly formed a cir

cle

cle round the General, and with uplifted hands exhorted him to avert the impending danger, by confeffing that he had not opposed the measures of France with fufficient zeal, and to offer to the offended people his whole fortune as an atonement for his neglect; representing to him, that these were the only means of redeeming his liberty, and perhaps his life. The undaunted soldier, with perfect tranquillityand compofure, walked through the furrounding circle to the fide of the Tribune, and, while the whole Affembly anxiously expected to hear an ample confeffion of his guilt, made a fign of filence with his hand: "FellowCitizens,” faid he, "you are not ignorant that I have been "two-and-forty years on the French establish"ment. You know, and many among you, who "were with me in the fervice, can teftify its "truth, how often I have faced the enemy, and "the manner in which I conducted myself in "battle. I confidered every engagement as the ❝ last day of my life. But here I protest to you, "in the presence of that Almighty Being who "knows all our hearts, who liftens to all our "words, and who will hereafter judge of all our "actions, that I never appeared before an enemy " with a mind more pure, a conscience more tran

quil, a heart more innocent, than I at present "poffefs; and if it is your pleasure to condemn 66 me, because 1 refuse to confefs a treachery of "which

" which I have not been guilty, I am now ready "to refign my life into your hands." The dignified demeanour with which the General made this declaration, and the air of truth which accompanied his words, calmed the fury of the Affembly, and faved his life. Both he and his wife, however, immediately quitted the Canton? she entering into a convent at Uri; and he retiring to a cavern among the rocks, where he lived two years in Solitude. Time, at length, fubdued the anger of the people, and softened the General's sense of their injuftice. He returned to the bofom of his country, rewarded its ingratitude by the moft fignal services, and made every individual recollect and acknowledge the integrity of their magnanimous countryman. To recompence him for the injuries and injustice he had fuffered, they elected him Bailli, or chief officer, of the Canton; and afforded him an almost singular inftance of their conftancy and affection, by fucceffively conferring on him three times this high and important dignity. This is the characteristic disposition of the Swiss who inhabit the Alps; alternately violent and mild; and experiencing, as the extremes of a delighted or vexed imagination happen to prevail, the fame viciffitudes as their climate. The rude scenes of greatness which these ftupendous mountains and vaft defarts afford, render the Swifs violent in fentiment, and rough in manners; while the tranquil

lity

lity of their fields, and the smiling beauties of their vallies, foften their minds, and render their hearts kind and benevolent.

ENGLISH artists confess that the aspect of Nature in Swifferland is too fublime and majestic for the pencil of Art faithfully to reach: but how exquifite must be the enjoyments they feel upon those romantic hills, in those delightful vallies, upon the charming borders of thofe ftill and tranfparent lakes, where Nature unfolds her various charms, and appears in her highest pomp and splendor; where the majestic oaks, the deep embowering elms, and dark green firs, which cover and adorn

It is pleafant to obferve in "Letters on Swifferland," written by Profeffor Meiners, with what exquifite fenfibility that Philofopher defcribes his enjoyments, in quietly refigning himself to the various emotions of his heart on the borders of the Lake of Biel. "When I am fatigued," fays he, to one of his friends at Gottingen, and inclined to contemplate the furrounding ob"jects with ftudious attention, I feat myself on some verdant "bank, or vine-wall, near which people are continually passing; " and I never indulge this difpofition without experiencing an

inexpreffible tranquillity. The laft time I went there it was "nearly fix o'clock, and the fun finking behind the ridge of "Jura. The dark green firs with which the mountain, to a "certain height, is entirely covered; the oaks of a brighter ver"dure which fucceed them; the vines of ftill livelier hues, in "the midst of which I was feated; and a confiderable portion "of the Lake, were already in shade; while the opposite shores "of Biel and Nidaw, and the Glaciers, were ftill illuminated "by the laft rays of the fetting fun."