fovereigns, and the defence of your country, has often compciled me to fhed tears of gratitude. I am unable to recompence, as I with, the brave men who devote themfelves in a caufe fo loyal; but as an inhabitant of Tyrol I will, for the benefit of the defenders of the country, difpofe of every thing fuperfluous; gold and filver watches, knives, medals, plate, &c. which I will diftribute myfelf after the war, as acknowledgments to thofe brave Tyrolians who fhall diftin guith themfelves by their courage and brilliant actions. I entreat all the brave defenders of the country to believe, that they fhall ever be the objects of my moft anxious folicitude, and that I will not ne glect to make known to the empero, my dear relation, the fervices they thall have rendered, for the pupofe of obtaining from him the rewards they may deferve. (Signed) MARIE ELIZABETH. Done at cur Court, at infpruck,

the 30th of May, 1796.

A Proclamation by His Impeial Majesty.

WE FRANCIS II. &c. &c. IN the prefent moment, when a coincidence of the moft inexpected events favours the rapid progrefs of the enemy, and calls for our redoubled care to afford affiftance to our ftates menced in this manner, we find thisɔur refolution ftrengthened by onfidering that Providence has pit us at the head of a nation, which has given us on every occaon, the moft effectual proofs of ne greatnefs of their zeal to fpport the measures taken for the cfence of their country, of their laws, which render them happy, and of

a

prince who returns to their fidelity a love for every individual.

Though fear, and perhaps, intensional reports, magnify the darger more than it in reality is, and prefent it as nearer at hand, we muft not conceal from our fathful fubjects that the fituation o' affairs is preffing, and does not alow us to remain fatisfied with adinary meafures, but impofes on is, and all thofe who with to fee he welfare of the ftate fecure, nore than extraordinary exertions.

Much as the long duration of a war, carried on under many changes of fortune, has affected the powers of the nation, yet the retources of fo powerful a ftate are far from being exhaulted. Though government continues to refrain with abhorrence from the violent nicafures which our enemies employ for the oppreflion of our fellow-citizens and the deftruction of Europe; countries fo well populated, fo fertile, and enriched by nature and induftry, ftill offer innumerable means of defence, by employing which we would find ourfelves enabled to meet every danger. But we truft in the juftice of our caule, and in the protection of the Almighty, who regards that juftice, that the moment will not arrive in which the nation will be forced to have recourfe to the moit extraordinary means.

In this pertuation, we fhall always confine ourselves only to the measure of calling to armis thofe who are otherwife, agreeably to the military fyftem, exempted from military fervice; including alfo all foreigners, who have not acquired the rights of citizenship in the Auftrian dominions by refiding in them for ten years.

At

At the fame time we prom fe to all those who shall willingly follow this our call, and who fhall offer to their municipalities to ferte in the army,

1. That as foon as ever we fall have fecured to the nation, ageeably to our wish and defire, an 10nourable and permanent peace, they fhall be difmiffed at the termination of the war.

2. That during the war they thall be treated as volunteers.

3. That they shall be at liberty, agreeably to their abilities and ca pacity, to chule and name the re giment in which they with to ferve; and that,

4. As a juft recompence on their return home, every poffible affiftance fhall be given to them in their employments and fettling; and that, on all occafions, they thall be preferred.

Though we can promife ourfelves the principal operation of this proclamation, from the unequivocal fentiments of our faithful fubjects, yet we think it our duty to imprefs upon their minds, that in following willingly this honourable call of their country, they likewife protect their families and private property; and that, if on the contrary they should neglect to join us for the general fecurity, they would be forced, in cafe of unfortunate events, to carry parricidal arms against their native land, and, as abufed organs of the enemy, to promote the ruin of public order, the deftruction of their fellow citizens, and of their families, and to affift in the common deftruction.

Behold the ftill fmoaking ruins of Italy, and the exceffes and moft inhuman cruelties committed

there! Behold the devaftations which the once flourishing territories of Germany have fuffered, inundated by the armies of the enemy! And you cannot remain dubious about the terrible fate which threatens every country, and every nation, on being invaded by fuch enemies.

Done at Vienna, 11th Auguft, 1796.

Proclamation by his Imperial Majefty,

WE Francis II. by the grace of God, &c. &c. When we affumed the government of this monarchy, we felt it extremely grievous to find ourselves involved in fo bard a war as the prefent: great as our grief was, equally great was our wifh of procuring a speedy and laftng peace to the country. Every body must be convinced, that all he powers and means poffible to nen have hitherto been used for that purpose; and it is highly painf1 for us, that our paternal folicitide, added to fo many patriotic catributions of our faithful fubjets, and the valour of our troops, fo epeatedly proved, could not, as yet bring it fo far as to effect a peae, honourable and not injuri ous o the monarchy-nay, that it rathr feems to be our peculiar deftiny to be obliged, to our continual mortfication, to behold the enemy confntly approach nearer to our Germn hereditary dominions, and efpecilly to the frontiers of our booved kingdom of Bohemia. In ordr, therefore, to protect this kingdon, in the fafeft and mott perfectnanner, from all hoftile attacks, ad it being, in other respects, no longe pofiible to conquer folely with thearmy now exifting, and to keep from off the frontiers of our kingdom

kingdom of Bohemia an enemy like the prefent, who, from day to day, arms the major part of their nation, and leads them against us;-we caufed feveral plans to be laid before us, having for their tendency the particular fecurity of the faid kingdom of Bohemia; and though we difcover in every part of them patriotic benevolence-yet we thought proper to give the preference and our approbation to the eftablishment of a national militia, particularly from the confideration of its combining with the defence of the country, effectual and ready for every emergency, all poffible indulgence to the inhabitants. We do hereby ordain ;—

1. That the measure of a national militia, for the particular defence of the kingdom of Bohemia, be immediately put in force, and that for this purpose every 20th head be enrolled out of the population of the whole country.

2. That the men thus enrolled be immediately trained in the ufe of arms, and in every branch of the fervice for which they are deftined, and to which end the ftaff of the Bohemian general officers fhall appoint the commiffioned and noncommiffioned officers.

3. In order that the men, during fuch exercife, may be kept as near as poffible to their places of refidence, the places of rendezvous fhall be marked out in fuch a manner, in the different circles, that each perfon enlifted fhall only have to repair to fome place little diftant from his own abode.

4. The men enlifted fhall, during their abfence from home on account of their being exercised, receive the fame treatment as the foldiers actually ferving in the field.

5. Should there be any occafion for calling any of the men thus kept in readiness into active fervice, they are to repair to the rendezvous pointed out to them, there to wait the farther orders of their commanders.

6. Their fole deftination is to cover the frontiers of the country, or to be employed within its limits; but they are by no means to ferve againft the enemy abroad.

7. We will not only grant to thofe men, as long as they fhall continue under arms, full pay and provifions in the fame manner as the troops ferving in the field, but we also order,

8. That to thofe who fhall diftinguith themselves by their valour on proper occafions, filver and gold medals fhall be granted, in the fame manner as to the real foldiers, and they fhall every where wear them, as honourable marks of fervices rendered to their country, and enjoy at the fame time the annual penfi on during life.

9. All thofe who fhall ferve in this militia, fhall be for ever after confidered as peculiarly meritorious, and where equity will permit, all due preference thall be given, and every poflible indulgence fhewn to them.

We rely, therefore, on the tried fidelity of all our Bohemian subjects, and on that love of their country fo particularly their own, that they will voluntarily and readily fubmit to these our orders, and that every individual, whether high or low, will ufe his utmoft exertions, in conjunction with those of his king, to defend the kingdom from every hoftile invafion; the more fo, as the prefent moment is moft dangerous to the religion and

property

property of every citizen in this kingdom; and as the welfare of every one of them requires that he hould help, with all his ftrength, to defend his family and the counny, we alfo place the greateft dependence on the patriotic zeal and readiness of our Bohemian fubjects in this measure of defence, fince, as it has been fated already, the tena of service is but of fhort duraCon, and only neceflary in the preLent energency, both to defend the country, and to protect their own property, wives, and children, and face by fo doing, they will not only have the promifed reward, but likewife render themfelves wortly of the reputation of faithful fu'jects and real friends to their country, befides gaining, in additica, the ofleem, the love, and grace of their king for ever.

ne at end, wgust 21, 1796.

Pisc'erato› of t'e Empor. BY the encreafing and urgent necelty of prof cuting this expenfive y Ir with vigour, his majefty the cluper rf es bir. If confrained to dorond est acidinary fuppart from his fubiccts, in order not only to keep off an ali-defolating eneay from his frontiers, but alfo to obesin by force a peace to long defd in vain. But his Imperial majefty conftantly directing his thoughts towards treating his belo ed fubjects with all pollible lenity, and chooting always fuch means as are the leaft burdenfome, expects that every good fubject, equally convinced of his duty. and of the prefling exigencies of the fate, will five to alleviate tho'e wants by contributions, voluntary and proportionate to their means, in money, grain, horfes,

oxen, common clothes, linen, lea ther, iron, teel, lead, and arms. Vienna, 18th September.

Refcript addreffed to the Duke of Wir temberg, on the 10th of July, by the Imperial Court, on the Subject of

Peace.

WE received the letter you wrote us upon the 23d of laft month. You there prefent your good advice with a refpectful frankness. You obferve that it only depends upon us to fecure the happin fs and the fafety of Germany; that a fpeedy peace can alone difiipate the violent form which impends over the country; that this alone can remove the dangers which in fo many ways threaten the Germa nic conftitution; in fine, that this alone can put a period to thofe unparalleled miferies under which humanity fo long has groaned. At the fame time you acquaint us, that if in thefe difficult circumftances the danger approaches fill nearer your ftates, you will have no refource but to fubmit to the law of neceflity, and to make a feparate peace with France.

The empire, in truth, defires with ardour, and has long entertained this with, the return of peace, but connected with the justfeeling of its honour, its dignity, its independence. In this with it only comprehends a peace, equitable, juft, fuitable, and worthy to be accepted, which retts upon the folid balis of the perfect fupport of its integrity and its conttitution, agreeable to ancient treaties At the fame time, by a proper respec for thefe fundamental laws, it has never cealed to render its withes and its refolutions upon this fubject fubordinate to the rigorous condi