the importance of the hero's actions. The victories of Hoche, and the enterprifes planned by him, entitle him to the gratitude of republican France, and to the execration of her enemies. The prefent biographer has laconically dedicated his work to the Eternal Republic; and we have of course a panegyric.

In commencing his fubject, the author fays, I knew little of the perfon of general Hoche when death ftruck him; but I well knew his exalted virtues, and I partook of the inconfolable regret of his friends. Even when my mind was lefs under the dominion of grief, the lofs of general Hoche appeared to me moft great and irreparable. But, when my mind recovered the power of contemplating that death in its different afpects, I perceived that it had not taken away every thing from my country, becaufe it could not take away the ufeful example of the noble actions of the defunct. Then I felt that all of Hoche had not perifhed; and I conceived the project of re-animating his nobler part. The advice of many republicans encouraged me in this defign. The information which I could collect at Paris was infufficient. It was neceffary, not only to treat my subject with truth, but to give my confcience the fecurity of truth, to certify by the evidence of my own eyes much of the intelligence which I had received. It was neceffary that I fhould fee the great theatre upon which Hoche had appeared most in action. I tranfported myself to the armies which he had commanded, to behold the veftiges of public affliction, to collect the tears and hear the fighs of his comrades, to fee the field of his triumphs, and to vifit the cottages, in which (though his victories for a moment terrified the inhabitants) he left happinefs. I enquired every where; I inveftigated the character of the man; I confidered nothing as too minute which tended to develope it. I thought that domeftic habits, words, even geftures fometimes unperceived by the vulgar, were often the light of history and its clue. I fought, among thofe who were nearest to Hoche, the recollections that he had left in their minds; I engaged myself, if I may so speak, in the pursuit of his life; and I followed the trace even into the hearts of his enemies.'

From this extract it will appear, whatever we may think of the ftyle of M. Rouffelin, that he poffeffes the proper induftry of a biographer; and the names of Cherin, Grigny, Ney, Hedouville, Leveneur, &c. the friends and fellowfoldiers of Hoche, whom he thanks for their affistance, give. fome degree of authority to the work,

Lazarus Hoche was born in 1768, at Montreuil, near Verfailles. His father was keeper of the dog-kennel of

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Louis XV. He was born in the lap of poverty, fays Rouffelin; and what is the fable of Hercules attacked by ferpents in his cradle, but the allegory of a great man fhackled in his childhood by the bonds of adverfity? His father could give him no education; but his aunt, a greengrocer at Versailles, was fond of the boy, and fent him to fchool. He afterwards became one of the fupernumerary grooms of the royal stables.

Finding opportunities of reading fome parts of the works. of Rouffeau, he was roufed to a fpirit of exertion; and feveral novels which fell into his hands contributed to the fame effect. He now offered himself as a soldier for the EaftIndies; but he was deceived, and found himself by a trick enlifted in the Gardes Françaises. As his figure was. graceful and portly, and as he was diftinguifhed by his quickness and intelligence, the grenadiers of the Rue de Babylone wished to have him for their comrade. They pointed him out to their commander; and he was admitted into their regiment. The generality of his new companions were fuperior to him in knowledge; and the future hero of the republic was not formed to be contented in inferiority. He was in want of books, and had not the means of pur chafing any, as his father was poor, and his pay fmall; his own labour, therefore, was his refource. He rose early, and spent the day in working for the gardeners in the neighbourhood of Paris: part of the night he employed in embroidering waistcoats and bonnets de police. The decency of his appearance interefted many perfons in his favour; and his little traffic profpered. The money thus acquired was allotted to three weekly ufes-the payment of the foldier who did duty for him, the amusements of which he partook with his comrades, and the hire of books.

In the amusements and parties of his fellow-foldiers, he was always the most cheerful of the company; but amidst his gaiety he fet the example of decorum and fobriety. In the regiment, his friends were chofen among the bravest: The braveft (he would fay) are the best." There was a romantic fidelity in his friendships. One of his friends having been killed in a quarrel between the townsmen and the foldiers, he thought revenge his duty, and led on a party to fack the house where the soldier had fallen. For this of fence he was punished with imprisonment; and when, upon his release, he returned to the barracks, he was without fhirt or ftockings. His friends joyfully received him, and denounced vengeance against the informer: It will only be an evil the more,' he replied: have I not told you a hundred times, that mankind are good for very little?' The man who had been inftrumental in his punishment

was afterwards under his command; and he loaded him with favours: but it is faid that he feldom mentioned without tears the wretchedness to which his confinement had reduced him.

In this inftance, however laudable he might have thought it to revenge the murder of his friend, his punishment was affuredly deferved; but he fometimes fuffered under the idle tyranny of military power. As he was a strict obferver of difcipline, it was his pride to do his duty; and, as he knew his conduct to be irreproachable, his fpirit revolted against the vexatious authority which he felt to be unjuft. In these cafes, he always obeyed with a proud and contemptuous filence; and, when fentenced to confinement, would take the keys with fang-froid, and open the prifon-door himself.

Great pains were taken in 1788 to prevent the foldiers from imbibing the general and increafing difcontent. It was thought prudent to employ them inceffantly, that they might have no leifure to reflect upon what was paffing. With this view, a change of tactics was introduced. Hoche learned fo rapidly, that he was soon appointed to teach, and was promoted to the rank of corporal,

The fcenes of royalifm (fays M. Rouffelin) which in the beginning of the revolution paffed at the king's theatre, will long be remembered. The players then, rejecting the qualities of men and of citizens to which philofophy had newly elevated them, and degrading themselves even below the nothing from which they had been raifed, would have made the nation ftoop to the level of their own meannefs, would have corrupted the public mind by their eternal bowings, and would perpetually have led the fpectators to the feet of royalty, that they might offer the adoration of flayes. At one of thefe fcenes Legendre was prefent, who was then a member of the diftrict of the Cordeliers, and afterwards deputy for Paris. We may imagine what uncomfortable feelings he must have experienced, when he fat in the pit amidft the repeated cries of Vive le Roi. The royalists, not contented with infulting the patriots by their fhouts, withed to make them repeat the chorufes of their fongs; and, not being able to make the voices of their adverfaries join in thefe counter-revolutionary ftrains, they attempted to make them at leaft take off their hats. patriots refifting, the ruffians hired by the royalifts rushed, upon the fpectators who would not become their accomplices. The latter defended themfelves with courage. A great tumult arofe: every one feifed his enemy; and many blows were given and received. Hoche was then upon guard at the theatre: and he endeavoured to restore tranquillity, Among those who refifted, Legendre made him

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felf remarkable by his boldnefs, and by the vigour and dexterity of his movements. Hoche diftinguished him above all others; he faw in him one of the most mutinous difturbers he immediately feifed him by the collar, called affiftance, and took him to the corps-de-garde. Some minutes afterwards, Legendre was demanded by the citi zens of his fection, and fet at liberty. But he had been' forced to yield to a foldier invefted with the character of the law; and his foul was deeply humiliated by the affront which he had received in the good caufe. The first use which he made of his liberty was to demand fatisfaction for the infult which he had received. He ridiculed Hoche, accused him of holding the bridle of La Fayette's white horse, and challenged him to a duel. Hoche promised to meet him, and repaired to the place appointed. His feconds were two of the French guards; that of Legendre was Danton. They began to draw their fwords. What are you going to do?' cried Danton; will he who fhall cut the throat of the other believe that he has done right? Hewill only have committed a crime; and I declare myself the avenger. You have both been in the wrong: embrace each other! Thou, Hoche, tremble at the thought of fullying thy fword with the blood of thy brother! One day thou fhalt draw it against the enemies of thy country; one day it will be the fafety of the republic and thy glory.'

Danton fucceeded; and those who intended to fight feparated in friendship. Legendre became eminent in the convention, Hoche in the army: Legendre had forgotten Hoche; but the general had not forgotten Legendre; and, whenever he fent an aide-de-camp to Paris, he exprefsly. charged him with fome remembrance to his former enemy. It was not before they met at the houfe of Tallien on the anniversary of the 9th of Thermidor (27th of July) that Legendre knew to what circumftance he was indebted for thefe attentions from the general, and recollected in him the foldier of the French guards.

The abilities of Hoche did not long remain in obfcurity. His conduct at a review recommended him to Servan, then minifter of war, who gave him a lieutenant's commiffion in the regiment of Rouergue; and, in June 1792, he left Paris to join his regiment at Thionville. He was foon removed to the army of the Ardennes, which Leveneur commanded during the abfence of Valence. That force and the army of the north were under the orders of Miranda, while Valence and Dumouriez were intriguing at Paris, Miranda left the troops without provifions; and Leveneur, while he was befieging Maeftricht, was thus exposed to want. Hoche had been noticed by him for his talents; and

he was charged to procure fubfiftence for the foldiers. As he honourably distinguished himself in this and other fervices, Leveneur appointed him his aide-de-camp; and, when Dumouriez avowed his treafon, Hoche was the bearer. of the intelligence to Paris. He was now advanced to the rank of adjutant-general; but he did not affume the title on his return to the army. He loved Leveneur, and called him his father; and, when that officer was arrested by order of the commiffioner Levaffeur de la Sarthe, Hoche exclaimed aloud, Do Pitt and Cobourg then govern France ?" A foldier accufed him of faying, that Pitt and Cobourg fhould foon govern France; and he was delivered over to a revolutionary tribunal then fitting at Douay: but he had the fatisfaction of being acquitted.

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In the defence of Dunkirk, his fervices merited farther promotion; and he was nominated chief of brigade. Here he conceived the project of invading England or Ireland; it employed his mind when illness confined him to his bed; and he communicated the idea to one of the members of the committee of public fafety. Being now appointed general of brigade, he attacked Nieuport, and was repulfed; but he was one of those men who profit by misfortune: he wrote to the committee, and fuggefted that plan of attacking en maffe, to the adoption of which the republic is indebted for her glory, and perhaps for her existence.

The rife of Hoche had been rapid; but his talents juftified those who had promoted him. The ftable-boy of Verfailles became the commander of an army; and the princes of France and of Germany fled before him. Landau was relieved; the lines of Weiffembourg were forced; and Hoche was diftinguifhed among the prefervers of his country.

Let us now confider him as a lover. A girl of Thionville had attracted his notice; and he commiffioned one of his friends, who knew her family, to demand her in marriage. The citizen Dechaux her father (fays our author), aftonifhed, and even confounded, at the thought of the honour which fo great a general would do him, went to see his future fon-in-law. Hoche embraced him; and the following fhort converfation is all the hiftory of his marriage.

Dechaux. The honour which you intend for our family is beyond what I and my wife could hope. Our daughter is not calculated to be the wife of a general; she is deftined for a volunteer, a lieutenant, or, at moft, a captain.

Hoche. Though I am now a republican general, I was once a ferjeant.

Dechaux. The refpectable manner in which we live may perhaps make you believe that we have more wealth than we really poffefs.