the chouans-第2章

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francs　and　a　hundred　thousand　men　as　immediate　reinforcements　for　the　armies　then　fighting　the　Austrians　in　Italy；　the　Prussians　in　Germany；　and　menaced　in　Switzerland　by　the　Russians；　in　whom　Suwarow　had　inspired　hopes　of　the　conquest　of　France。　The　departments　of　the　West；　known　under　the　name　of　La　Vendee；　Brittany；　and　a　portion　of　Lower　Normandy；　which　had　been　tranquil　for　the　last　three　years　（thanks　to　the　action　of　General　Hoche）；　after　a　struggle　lasting　nearly　four；　seemed　to　have　seized　this　new　occasion　of　danger　to　the　nation　to　break　out　again。　In　presence　of　such　aggressions　the　Republic　recovered　its　pristine　energy。　It　provided　in　the　first　place　for　the　defence　of　the　threatened　departments　by　giving　the　responsibility　to　the　loyal　and　patriotic　portion　of　the　inhabitants。　In　fact；　the　government　in　Paris；　having　neither　troops　nor　money　to　send　to　the　interior；　evaded　the　difficulty　by　a　parliamentary　gasconade。　Not　being　able　to　send　material　aid　to　the　faithful　citizens　of　the　insurgent　departments；　it　gave　them　its　〃confidence。〃　Possibly　the　government　hoped　that　this　measure；　by　arming　the　insurgents　against　each　other；　would　stifle　the　insurrection　at　its　birth。　This　ordinance；　the　cause　of　future　fatal　reprisals；　was　thus　worded：　〃Independent　companies　of　troops　shall　be　organized　in　the　Western　departments。〃　This　impolitic　step　drove　the　West　as　a　body　into　so　hostile　an　attitude　that　the　Directory　despaired　of　immediately　subduing　it。　Consequently；　it　asked　the　Assemblies　to　pass　certain　special　measures　relating　to　the　independent　companies　authorized　by　the　ordinance。　In　response　to　this　request　a　new　law　had　been　promulgated　a　few　days　before　this　history　begins；　organizing　into　regular　legions　the　various　weak　and　scattered　companies。　These　legions　were　to　bear　the　names　of　the　departments；　Sarthe；　Orne；　Mayenne；　Ille…et…Vilaine；　Morbihan；　Loire…Inferieure；　and　Maine…et…Loire。　〃These　legions；〃　said　the　law；　〃will　be　specially　employed　to　fight　the　Chouans；　and　cannot；　under　any　pretence；　be　sent　to　the　frontier。〃

The　foregoing　irksome　details　will　explain　both　the　weakness　of　the　Directory　and　the　movement　of　this　troop　of　men　under　escort　of　the　Blues。　It　may　not　be　superfluous　to　add　that　these　finely　patriotic　Directorial　decrees　had　no　realization　beyond　their　insertion　among　the　statutes。　No　longer　restrained；　as　formerly；　by　great　moral　ideas；　by　patriotism；　nor　by　terror；　which　enforced　their　execution；　these　later　decrees　of　the　Republic　created　millions　and　drafted　soldiers　without　the　slightest　benefit　accruing　to　its　exchequer　or　its　armies。　The　mainspring　of　the　Revolution　was　worn…out　by　clumsy　handling；　and　the　application　of　the　laws　took　the　impress　of　circumstances　instead　of　controlling　them。

The　departments　of　Mayenne　and　Ille…et…Vilaine　were　at　this　time　under　the　command　of　an　old　officer　who；　judging　on　the　spot　of　the　measures　that　were　most　opportune　to　take；　was　anxious　to　wring　from　Brittany　every　one　of　her　contingents；　more　especially　that　of　Fougeres；　which　was　known　to　be　a　hot…bed　of　〃Chouannerie。〃　He　hoped　by　this　means　to　weaken　its　strength　in　these　formidable　districts。　This　devoted　soldier　made　use　of　the　illusory　provisions　of　the　new　law　to　declare　that　he　would　equip　and　arm　at　once　all　recruits；　and　he　announced　that　he　held　at　their　disposal　the　one　month's　advanced　pay　promised　by　the　government　to　these　exceptional　levies。　Though　Brittany　had　hitherto　refused　all　kinds　of　military　service　under　the　Republic；　the　levies　were　made　under　the　new　law　on　the　faith　of　its　promises；　and　with　such　promptness　that　even　the　commander　was　startled。　But　he　was　one　of　those　wary　old　watch…dogs　who　are　hard　to　catch　napping。　He　no　sooner　saw　the　contingents　arriving　one　after　the　other　than　he　suspected　some　secret　motive　for　such　prompt　action。　Possibly　he　was　right　in　ascribing　it　to　the　fact　of　getting　arms。　At　any　rate；　no　sooner　were　the　Fougeres　recruits　obtained　than；　without　delaying　for　laggards；　he　took　immediate　steps　to　fall　back　towards　Alencon；　so　as　to　be　near　a　loyal　neighborhood；though　the　growing　disaffection　along　the　route　made　the　success　of　this　measure　problematical。　This　old　officer；　who；　under　instruction　of　his　superiors；　kept　secret　the　disasters　of　our　armies　in　Italy　and　Germany　and　the　disturbing　news　from　La　Vendee；　was　attempting　on　the　morning　when　this　history　begins；　to　make　a　forced　march　on　Mayenne；　where　he　was　resolved　to　execute　the　law　according　to　his　own　good　pleasure；　and　fill　the　half…　empty　companies　of　his　own　brigade　with　his　Breton　conscripts。　The　word　〃conscript〃　which　later　became　so　celebrated；　had　just　now　for　the　first　time　taken　the　place　in　the　government　decrees　of　the　word　/requisitionnaire/　hitherto　applied　to　all　Republican　recruits。

Before　leaving　Fougeres　the　chief　secretly　issued　to　his　own　men　ample　supplies　of　ammunition　and　sufficient　rations　of　bread　for　the　whole　detachment；　so　as　to　conceal　from　the　conscripts　the　length　of　the　march　before　them。　He　intended　not　to　stop　at　Ernee　（the　last　stage　before　Mayenne）；　where　the　men　of　the　contingent　might　find　a　way　of　communicating　with　the　Chouans　who　were　no　doubt　hanging　on　his　flanks。　The　dead　silence　which　reigned　among　the　recruits；　surprised　at　the　manoeuvring　of　the　old　republican；　and　their　lagging　march　up　the　mountain　excited　to　the　very　utmost　the　distrust　and　watchfulness　of　the　chiefwhose　name　was　Hulot。　All　the　striking　points　in　the　foregoing　description　had　been　to　him　matters　of　the　keenest　interest；　he　marched　in　silence；　surrounded　by　five　young　officers；　each　of　whom　respected　the　evident　preoccupation　of　their　leader。　But　just　as　Hulot　reached　the　summit　of　La　Pelerine　he　turned　his　head；　as　if　by　instinct；　to　inspect　the　anxious　faces　of　the　recruits；　and　suddenly　broke　silence。　The　slow　advance　of　the　Bretons　had　put　a　distance　of　three　or　four　hundred　feet　between　themselves　and　their　escort。　Hulot's　face　contorted　after　a　fashion　peculiar　to　himself。

〃What　the　devil　are　those　dandies　up　to？〃　he　exclaimed　in　a　sonorous　voice。　〃Creeping　instead　of　marching；　I　call　it。〃

At　his　first　words　the　officers　who　accompanied　him　turned　spasmodically；　as　if　startled　out　of　sleep　by　a　sudden　noise。　The　sergeants　and　corporals　followed　their　example；　and　the　whole　company　paused　in　its　march　without　receiving　the　wished　for　〃Halt！〃　Though　the　officers　cast　a　first　look　at　the　detachment；　which　was　creeping　like　an　elongated　tortoise　up　the　mountain　of　La　Pelerine；　these　young　men；　all　dragged；　like　many　others；　from　important　studies　to　defend　their　country；　and　in　whom　war　had　not　yet　smothered　the　sentiment　of　art；　were　so　much　struck　by　the　scene　which　lay　spread　before　their　eyes　that　they　made　no　answer　to　their　chief's　remark；　the　real　significance　of　which　was　unknown　to　them。　Though　they　had　come　from　Fougeres；　where　the　scene　which　now　presented　itself　to　their　eyes　is　also　visible　（but　with　certain　differences　caused　by　the　change　of　perspective）；　they　could　not　resist　pausing　to　admire　it　again；　like　those　dilettanti　who　enjoy　all　music　the　more　when　familiar　with　its　construction。

From　the　summit　of　La　Pelerine　the　traveller's　eye　can　range　over　the　great　valley　of　Couesnon；　at　one　of　the　farthest　points　of　which；　along　the　horizon；　lay　the　town　of　Fougeres。　From　here　the　officers　could　see；　to　its　full　extent；　the　basin　of　this　intervale；　as　remarkable　for　the　fertility　of　its　soil　as　for　the　variety　of　its　aspects。　Mountains　of　gneiss　and　slate　rose　on　all　sides；　like　an　ampitheatre；　hiding　their　ruddy　flanks　behind　forests　of　oak；　and　forming　on　their　declivities　other　and　lesser　valleys　full　of　dewy　freshness。　These　rocky　heights　made　a　vast　enclosure；　circular　in　form；　in　the　centre　of　which　a　meadow　lay　softly　stretched；　like　the　lawn　of　an　English　garden。　A　number　of　evergreen　hedges；　defining　irregular　pieces　of　property　which　were　planted　with　trees；　gave　to　this　carpet　of　verdure　a　character　of　its　own；　and　one　that　is　somewhat　unusual　among　the　landscapes　of　France；　it　held　the　teeming　secrets　of　many　beauties　in　its　various　contrasts；　the　effects　of　which　were　fine　enough　to　arrest　the　eye　of　the　most　indiffer