Dumouriez, impetuous as the volcano, instinctively felt this, and strove, in the conferences that preceded the nomination of the generals, to infuse some portion of his own fire into La Fayette.  He placed him at the head of the principal corps d’armee, destined to penetrate into Belgium, as the general most fitted to foment popular insurrection, and convert the war on the Belgian provinces into revolution; for to rouse Belgium in favour of French liberty, and to render its independence dependent on ours, was to wrest it from the power of Austria, and turn it against our foes.  The Belgians, according to Dumouriez’s plan, were to conquer Belgium for us; for the germs of revolt had been but imperfectly stifled in these provinces, and were destined to bud again at the step of the first French soldier.

X.

Belgium, which had been long dominated over by Spain, had contracted its jealous and superstitious Catholicism.  The nation pertains to the priests, and the privileges of the priests appear to it the privileges of the people.  Joseph II., a premature but an armed philosopher, sought to emancipate the people from sacerdotal despotism.  Belgium had risen in arms against the liberty offered to her, and had sided with her oppressors.  The fanaticism of the priests, and of the municipal privileges, united in a feeling of resistance to Joseph II., had set all Belgium in a flame.  The rebels had captured GHENT and BRUSSELS, and proclaimed the downfall of the house of Austria, and the sovereignty of the Pays Bas.  Scarcely had they triumphed, than the Belgians became divided amongst themselves.  The sacerdotal and aristocratic party demanded an oligarchical constitution, whilst the popular party demanded a democracy, modelled on the French revolution.

VAN-DER-NOOT, an eloquent and cruel tribune, was the leader of the first party; VAN-DER-MERSH, a brave soldier, of the people.  Civil war broke out amidst a struggle for independence.  VAN-DER-MERSH, made prisoner by the aristocratic party, was immured in a gloomy dungeon until Leopold, the successor of Joseph II., profited by these domestic feuds, again to subjugate Belgium.  Weary of liberty, after having tasted it, she submitted without resistance.  Van-der-noot took refuge in Holland.  Van-der-mersh, freed by the Austrians, was generously pardoned, and again became an obscure citizen.

All attempts at independence were repressed by strong Austrian garrisons, and could not fail to be awakened at the approach of the French armies.  La Fayette appeared to comprehend and approve of this plan.  It was agreed that the Marechal de Rochambeau should be appointed commander-in-chief of the army that threatened Belgium, that La Fayette should have under his orders a considerable corps that would invade the country, and then La Fayette would command alone in the Netherlands.  Rochambeau, old and worn out by inactivity, would thus only receive the honour