est in the Irish movement, or
cared very much whether Ireland obtained her national independence or
had to live without it. France, of course, was willing to make use of
Ireland as a vantage-ground from which to harass Great Britain, and the
Batavian Republic, which had for some time been lapsing out of European
notice, was eager to distinguish herself and to play a conspicuous
political part once again. The idea at first was that Holland should
furnish the naval expedition and France contribute the troops--5000
Frenchmen, under the command of General Hoche, who were to land in
Ireland and form the centre and rallying point for the United Irishmen.
The Batavian Republic, however, did not seem anxious to give all the
military glory of the affair to France, and some excuses were made on
the ground that the discipline of the Dutch navy was somewhat too
severe for the soldiers of France to put up with. General Hoche seems
to have acted with great disinterestedness and moderation under trying
conditions. He saw that the Dutch were anxious to make a name for
themselves once more, and he feared that if he were to press for the
embarkation of the French soldiers it might lead to the abandonment of
the whole expedition. Longing as he was for the chance to distinguish
himself in any attack upon England, he controlled his eagerness and
consented that the Dutch should have the undertaking all to themselves.
Poor Wolfe Tone had to wait and look on all this time, eating his own
heart, according to the Homeric phrase. He has left us in his journal
a description of his feelings as he saw the days go by without any
movement being made to harass the English enemy, and of his own
emotions when what might have seemed the heaven-sent chance of the
mutiny at the {318} Nore broke out in the English fleet and no
advantage could be taken of it to forward the chances of the expedition
from the Texel. For now again the skies and the winds had come to the
defence of England, and the Dutch fleet was kept to its anchorage in
its own waters. Various plans of warfare were schemed out by the
Batavian Republic, with the hope of putting the English naval
authorities on a wrong scent, but all these schemes were suddenly
defeated by the orders given to the Dutch admiral to put to sea at
once. He did put to sea, and was encountered by Admiral Duncan, and
the result was the great victory of Camperdown, won by the English over
the Dutch after splendid