of the constitution in the province of Holland. Hopes were likewife held out to the burghers, that their claims fhould be attentively confidered, and that the prince would do every thing in his power, towards their receiving all confiftent and reasonable fatisfaction.

In the mean time, the animofity of the contending parties had rifen to fuch a pitch of violence in Amfterdam, as to render that city a scene of the most dreadful disorders. An addrefs to the ftates of Holland for restoring the ftadtholder to all his rights, which we have before noticed as having received 35,000 fignatures, ferved to revive with new vigour all the feeds of animofity and contention on both fides; and the city prefented for fome,days the mixed picture of cruel civil war, accompanied with the unfparing ravage of a foreign invader. The republican party, though fo much inferior with refpect to number, was, however, the conftant victor in all thefe bloody contefts. The quarter of Cattemburg, in which the fhipbuilders, and other perfons belonging to the admiralty, as well as thofe of fimilar callings in the merchants fervice, principally refided, was fo entirely feparated from the city by a canal and a drawbridge, that it feemed a diftin&t town, and the inhabitants a feparate community. The people of this quarter have at all times been diftinguished for the violence of their attachment to the ftadtholder's interefts, and were apt to express it in the boisterous manner peculiar to their character.

On the 28th of May, being the day appointed for clofing the addrefs, a number of thefe people attended in the city on that account; and it is not at all improbable, that

their joy at the prodigious majority of the fignatures, beyond any thing that had ever appeared on the other fide, together with the effect of the ftrong liquors which are never unfparingly ufed on fuch occafions, might have infpired them with that riotous difpofition with which they are charged by their adverfaries. It is likewife to be remembered, that the very circumftance of the fignatures, which fo much excited the joy of the Cattemburghers, could not but produce a very contrary effect on the oppofite party, and was well calculated to raife their animofity to the highest pitch, and to inflame their rage to the greateft violence.

A quarrel, however, commenced, and the riot continued, without any material mifchief being done, until the evening, when the Cattemburgers were routed. The fore remembrancers which they bore of the conflict, together with the flame of the defeat, were probably the causes of their returning the following day. in greater numbers than before. The parties being now more equal, the riot became fo alarming, that a body of armed burghers thought it neceffary to interfere. The mob of the republican party being now relieved from the labour of fighting, the moft villainous part of them immediately perceived, that the happy occafion offered, while their enemy was kept at bay, and the noife and confufion ftill continued, to enter upon more profitable action, and to which they were more competent, than that in which they had already been engaged. They accordingly abandoned the field, and, dividing into bodies fufficient for the purpofe, ran with the utmoft speed and violence to different

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ent parts of the city, and immediately proceeded to break into and pillage thofe houfes of the principal ftadtholderians, in which they expected to find the most valuable plunder. The first house which be came a victim to their rapacity was that of M. de Rendorp, who had himself, through a fortune fo fingular as not eafily to be accounted for, efcaped the fiery ordeal of the last reform of the regency, and ftill retained his office of burgomafter.

In the mean time, the Cattemburgers having been driven to their own quarter, where they drew up the bridge, and ftood upon its defence,perceiving how their friends were used in the city, whether upon a principle of retaliation, or of mere rapine, began incontinently to plunder the houses of thofe of the adverse faction who refided among them. Nothing less than the actual fack of a capital, could afford a juft idea of the scene of confufion and terror, which the pacific and great commercial city of Amfterdam now prefented. Drums refounded in every part, not only to affemble the armed burghers, but to call the four regiments of city militia (who compofe a very numerous and well armed body) to their colours. Artillery were dragged forward on both fides, and feveral discharges, both of them and of mutketry, took place from the oppofite fides of the canal which feparated the hoftile parties. The cable which fupported the drawbridge being at length cut, the pafs was forced, the Cattemburgers foon routed, and were fucceffively exposed to military rage, and to civil execution.

On the following day the depredations on the friends of the ftadtholder were renewed with fresh vio

lence; while the city police feemed to be entirely taken up with two favourite objects; the one being to punish the Cattemburgers, and the other (which was even, if poffible, more eagerly fought) to procure fuch evidence, as might enable them to bring a charge againft the prince of Orange, that all the mischief had originated with him; an attempt in which they failed, notwithstanding the terror which preffed upon the minds of the unhappy perfons who were the objects of the fcrutiny. In the mean time Amfterdam was deferted by numbers of its most refpectable and opulent citizens; not a few of whom, defpairing of any return of order and fecurity, retired, with whatever they could fave of their wealth, to foreign countries. Others, who stood the brunt, and endeavoured to weather the storm, had their windows lined with musketeers, and two pieces of cannon were planted before the great mercantile houfe of the Hope's for its protection. In the mean time all bufinefs was at an end, the countinghouses fhut up, the principal merchants removing their effects to their country feats, a total stop put to paper currency of whatever fort, and all orders from the banks for money rejected. It was reported that fourteen of the ftadtholder's party were hanged in the streets, without any form or pretence of trial; but the reports propagated in fuch fituations, of violence and mutual animofity, are little to be relied on as to particular facts, tho' fuch events are their natural confequences.

We have already seen the decided part taken by the ftates general against thofe of Holland, by taking the refractory officers into their

protec

protection, and into the public pay. This was undoubtedly a mortification,butwas foon fucceededbyothers much greater, and of a nature not a little alarming. For the ftates general iffued an order to general Van Reyffel, who commanded the troops of Holland, to break up the cordon or line which they formed on the frontiers of Utrecht, under pain to him and them, of inftant difmiffion from the fervice. The ftates of ilolland immediately iffued counter orders, charging Van Reyffel and his officers, under the fame penalty, to preserve their fiation. Both parties now seemed difpofed to carry this civil hoftility to its utmoft extreme; for while the states general fufpended Van Reyffel from the command of the army, the ftates of Holland voted him full fupport, protection, and the most complete indemnity from all confequences.

These measures were followed by another very important event. It was no less than a revolt of a great majority of the troops of Holland from the orders and jurifdiction of their masters the ftates of that province.

We have before had occafion to obferve, that the army in general held difpofitions very favourable to the interefts of the prince of Orange. This had been lately confirmed, with respect to the officers, by their refufal, at the rifque of their commiffions, to comply with the propofed teft. The difpofition of the private men remained, however, ftill doubtful; and, whatever it might be, required the operation of fome active agent, to excite its visible exertion; at the fame time, that the late augmentation of their pay by the ftates, a measure fo uni

verfally powerful in its effect upon foldiers, feemed to preclude all hope of fuccefs in fuch an experiment.

1787.

Colonel Balneavis (of a noble family in Scotland) had been among the firft of thofe officers who refufed to obey the orders of the ftates, and had accordingly retired from his regiment; but now, conJune roth, fiding probably in the affection of his men, he returned to them at Oudewater, and not only induced them, but a battalion of another regiment who were ftationed along with them in that fortrefs, to march off with their artillery, and to join the stadtholder. This fpirited and dangerous adventure ferved as a general fignal of revolt, and the example feemed inftantly to infect the whole line, fo that in lefs than a week the cordon was broken up, the frontiers of Holland left defencelefs, and about two-thirds of their troops were gone over to the ftadtholder.

The alarm and confufion which this mifadventure occafioned, in fuch a feafon and ftate of things, when the pride and affected fuperiority of Holland had not only difgufted, but nearly excited a general confederacy against her, will be eafily conceived. The volunteers and armed burghers were now the only refuge, and they were immediately called out to supply the place of the troops, and to take up arms in the defence of their country. The states allowed them pay and maintenance; and, as a laft refort, in a case of such imminent danger, they appointed a commiffion of defence, being a kind of field or military deputies, who were to be 1tationed at Woerden, and to act in concert with general

Van

Van Reyffel, in all fuch measures as tended to the public defence, and particularly in retaining, if poffible, the remainder of their troops from defertion. The city of Amfterdam, in the mean time, fent a detachment of armed burghers to fecure the fluices at Muyden; and fimilar means were ufed at Harlem.

The ftates of Holland, notwithftanding thefe misfortunes, found it fo difficult to recede, in any degree, from their ufual haughtinefs, and were fo much irritated against the ftates general, that it was propofed, and eagerly debated in their affembly, that the deputies of the four provinces of Zealand, Friefland, Utrecht, and Guelderland, fhould be commanded to depart from their refidence at the Hague. The more moderate part, however, confidered that this would be fo glaring and unexampled a violation of the union, and in all refpects fo defperate a measure, that they prevented its being adopted; though it seemed that the queftion was rather laid by for the prefent, than

that the proposal was absolutely rejected.

An expedient was, however, reforted to as a fubftitute (and in fome measure a lefs violent one) than the expulfion of a majority of the ftates general- from the Hague. This was to engage their dependent allies, the government of Utrecht, who had long refused any obedience to the provincial states at Amersfort, and treated them upon every occafion with the utmoft contempt, to proceed to the laft extremity of depofing, fo far as they could, that affembly, by declaring it illegal, and incapable of its functions, and electing a new set of states from among themselves, who were to be confidered as the reprefentative of the whole province.

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But an extraordinary and unforefeen event was now to take place, which was totally to change the nature of these contefts, to introduce new actors upon the ftage, and nearly to absorb in its magnitude even the remembrance of these petty violences and hoftilities.

CHAP.