their victories, than the glory of delivering nations from tyranny. Thefe ideas bad fpread far and wide among the Italians, together with the hope of feeing their country re-attain its independence and ancient fplendour. The remembrance of thofe celebrated names, that had done it fo much credit of old, was now recalled with enthufiafm. Peculiar honours were paid to the fpot where Virgil was born. A monument was erected to his memory, and fimilar memorials were intended to perpetuate the. fame of other illuftrious men, who had adorned their country either in former times, or in modern

The clergy in the pope's dominions engrofled all the authority, and the other countries were in the hands of foreigners. Hence the national fpirit of the natives was extinct, and they felt no intereft in the tranfactions of their rulers, looking upon themfelves, as wholly unconcerned either in the good or the ill fuccefs of their meafures.

While Buonaparte was putting the laft hand to the fettlement of differences with the court of Rome, and of the affairs of the newly conftituted republics, the councils of the Imperial court, were no less bufily occupied in preparing the means of difputing, once more, the empire of Italy, with this fortunate commander. The point, that seemed chiefly in contemplation, was whom to appoint fuccellor to those gene rals, whom he had fucceflively defeated. Several were propofed, and in truth, the Auftrian armies were not deficient in officers of experience and reputation; but the general voice feemed to pronounce in favour of the archduke Charles. His conduct and fucceffes, during the laft campaign, had made him very confpicuous, and his clofing it with the taking of Kehl, and by compelling the French to retire within their own limits, had railed him a great name in all Germany. Thefe circumftances determined the Imperial miniftry to fix upon this young prince as the fitteft rival to oppofe to Buonaparte.

In order to fend him to the field with all the advantages that could be procured, every exertion was made throughout the Auftrian dominions, to furnish him with an army fit to revive the hopes of his family and his country, both which, rightly confidered the efforts that [C4]

were

were making for another trial of fortune, to be the laft that could poffibly be made. Full of this perfuafion, a moft formidable army was again collected, from the numerous divifions and garrifons in the Auftrian service. Their patriotifin and honour were equally excited by every motive that could ftimulate either. To do the Auftrians juftice, they had displayed enough of both to preferve their character unfullied. But the extremity to which their fovereign and their country was now reduced evidently called for greater exertions than ever.

The archduke Charles, though a prince of high fpirit, and of an enterprifing difpofition, was not by the public reputed an adequate match for Buonaparte. This latter, had raised himself entirely by his talents and merit; but the former owed what he was evidently to his royal birth. No expectations were formed, by thofe who attended to their refpective characters, that he would be able to cope with the abilities of the French general.

The Auftrians had been fo completely defeated, at the battle of Rivoli, that they had ever fince been averfe to take the field against the French. They were cautionfly pofted on the northern fide of the Piava, waiting for the reinforcements of which the Archduke's army was chiefly to confift. The French, on the fouth of that river, and of the Lavifio, were watchful of their motions, conftantly repelling them whenever they attempted to crofs either. Part of February and of March were confumed in hoftilities of this nature.

As foon as the archduke had affumed the command, the French determined to march against him,

before he had received a farther addition to the ftrength already arrived. To this intent they advanced to the Piava, in three divifions. The first commanded by Maffena, effected its patlage over, near Feltri, on the tenth of March, and compelled the Auftrians to withdraw to Belluno, higher up that river. The fecond divifion, under Serrurier, proceeded to Afola, in the neighbourhood of which, he also croffed on the twelfth, after putting to the rout a body of Auftrians that oppofed him. Several other corps were encamped near this one: but they did not venture to fupport it, and they all made a precipitate retreat, in apprehenfion of being furrounded, and cut off by the two divifions that had already croffed, and by another that was then croffing the river. It was headed by general Guiaux, who advanced that very evening to Conagliono, and, on the next day, the thirteenth, to Sacali, where he overtook the rear guard of a large divifion of the Auftrians, and made a number of prifoners. Mallena, after taking poffeffion of Balluno, purfued the enemy that was retreating to Cadora, and took fome hundreds. On the fixteenth, all the French divifions directed their march to the Tagliomento. The Auftrians were intrenched on the oppofite fide, in hope of being more fuccefsful, in defending the pallage of this river, than of the Piava. The archduke commanded them in perfon, and was duly fenfible of the neceffity of ftopping the progrefs of the French, and that, by paffing this river, they would be able to over-run a large extent of country. This action, which both he and Buonaparte confidered as decifive, began at mid-day. The

French

French were by this time arrived on the banks of the river, and the pafLige was immediately commenced. Their right and left, protected by a formidable artillery, were directed by Buonaparte, to cross the river, and to attack the enemy in flank, while the centre made its paflage in their front. His orders were exerated with the completeft fuccefs. Both the cavalry and intantry of the Auftrians were drawn up with the utmost skill, and behaved with fo much firmness, in their refpective poûtions, as for a while to balance the fortune of the day but the paffage being at length effected every where, and the repeated charges of the Auftrians having failed to make that impreflion upon the French, which was hoped, from the bravery of the foldiers, and the judgement of those who conducted them, it was found neceliary to have recourfe to a retreat. The principal lofs, in this affair, fell upon the officers of the Imperialifis one of their generals was flain, and several ofcers of rank were made prifoners, with fome hundreds of men, betides tho'e that were flain.

:

The defeat of the Auftrians was chiefly owing to the fuperiority of the French artillery. It ftruck them with fuch terror, that, after quitting the field of battle, they could not be prevailed on to make a ftand. The archduke had taken an advantageous post at a village, where he proposed to maintain his ground, and riik another combat, the next morning; but the difcouragement of his men, and the impetuofity with which it was affailed by the French, notwithstanding a dark and tempeftuous night, compelled him to abandon his defign. The Auftrians were driven from their poft, and it was

with difficulty, that he effected his own escape.

The paffages of the Piava, and of the Tagliamento, decided the conteft between the archduke and Buonaparte. The whole country to the north of thefe rivers now lay open to the French. The republican army fpread itself immediately into every direction, the Imperial troops retiring before them with a vifibly diminished refiftance. Thefe evacuated Palmanova, of which the French took poffeffion, on the eighteenth, with immenfe magazines of provifions. They advanced on the nineteenth to Gradifca, a town of importance on the river Lizonzo. The Auftrians were pofted in force on the oppofite bank: but the French having effected a paffage, made themfelves matters of the heights commanding the town, upon which it was obliged to furrender, and the garrifon, confifting of the beft troops in the archduke's army, were made prifoners of war, to the amount of three thoufand. Another French divifion proceeding northward from the Tagliamento, drove the retreating enemy as far as Ponteba, after repeatedly defeating him, and making numbers prifoners, with vast quantities of ftores.

The capture of Gradifea was followed by that of Goritz, on the twenty-first of March. The Auftrians withdrew from this place in fuch hafte, that they left fifteen hundred fick and wounded in the hofpitals, with all their provifions and ftores. Both thefe towns belonging to the emperor, the French commander fettled a municipal government in them, on the republican form, declaring them in poffef fion of all the rights and privileges

they

they were intituled to claim. He treated them altogether with marked lenity, in order, doubtlefs, to prepare the way for a ready fubmiffion, on the part of thofe cities and diftricts, in the Imperial territories, which, in the courfe of hoftilities, he would fhortly be neceffitated to reduce to his obedience.

After the reduction of thefe two towns, a body of French was difpatched to take poffeffion of Trieste, the only fea port belonging to the emperor, on the Adriatic. It fell into their hands on the twentythird of March. Here, and in its vicinity, they found an immenfe booty.

In the mean time, general Guieux and Maflena were advancing, from the different quarters, to the borders of Carinthia. The former attacked the Auftrians intrenched at Putero, a frong potition at the entrance of the narrow palles of Caperalto, into which he drove them with confiderable lofs. The latter potented himlelf of Tarvis, a place on the oppofite fide of thofe paffes; by which motion the Auftrians, driven from Pufero, were inclofed between the two French divifions. A large body of Auftrians marched from Clagenfurth, in Carinthia, to their relief, and affailed Malena at Tarvis, where a moft obtiinate battle was fought: but the Auftrians were entirely defeated. Three of their generals were taken, and a celebrated regiment of Cuiraffiers, almost deftroved. General Guieux, had, in the mean while, pufhed the Auftrians in the defile, as far as Lachinfa, a ftrongly fortified poft, which he carried, however, after a refolute defence. They endeavoured to make a retreat; but were inter

rupted by the victorious divifion, under Malena The lofs of the Auftrians on this occafion, befides the flain, amounted to five thousand prifoners, among whom were four generals, thirty pieces of cannon, and four bundred waggons with all the baggage.

This was a fatal day to the Imperial arms. It closed, in a manner, the hopes that had still remained of better fortune, under the aufpices of the archduke Charies, and raised the opinion entertained of Buonaparte to the highest fummit. What principally alarmed the court of Vienna was the proximity of the French army to the Hungarians, a people that had not forgotten the ftruggles of their forefathers, against the ufurpation of the houfe of Auftria, and the danger, left a fimilar fpirit of refiftance should be regenerated among them, especially as they had fuch recent causes of difcontent.

A fpecimen of the unconquerable, and, in truth, it may be faid, infolent fpirit, infufed by the republican principles current among the French, had been exhibited by their prifoners in the hereditary states, during the laft fummer. On the tenth of Auguft, the day whereon the unhappy Lewis the fixteenth, was dethroned, a number of them, confined at Clagenfurth, the principal town of the province of Carinthia, celebrated this event, with marked exultation, in defiance, as it were, of the Auftrian government. The formalities, that accompanied the obfervance of this day, were all calculated to manifeft their hatred of royal power, and their attachment to republicanifm, and efpecially to that equality of rank which admitted of no diftinction among men,

but

but that which refulted from virtue and merit.

The French prifoners, in the Imperial dominions, were alike everywhere, in this refpect, and feemed, in truth, to court the notice of the fubjects of Auftria, by the unreftrained liberties they affumed upon all occafions of this nature. Their fpeeches, their fongs, their devices, all tended to fhew in what contempt they held all people that fubmitted to the government of kings, and how firmly they were determined never again to admit them into France.

This demeanor of the French, under the very eye of the Auftrian government, and in the heart of the empire, occafioned no fmall uneafinels to those who reflect with how much facility fuch notions might be propagated among the multitude, foured with the feverity of their rulers, and oppreffed with the manifold burdens laid upon them, for the maintenance of a war, which the majority of people difapproyed in fecret; though the dread of being punished, for a manifeftation of their fentiments, compelled them to feign approbation.

It was now become unfeasonable and dangerous to attempt the fuppreffion of these fentiments among the great number of French difperfed in the towns on the borders of the prefent theatre of war. The approach of Buonaparte, and his victorious army, had filled them with additional boldness; and ftrong fufpicions were entertained, by the Imperial ministry, that in Hungary, and in Auftria itself, they had adherents to their principles, numerous enough to form themselves into a ftrong party, were occurrences to favour their fecret inclinations,

The uninterrupted continuance of the French commander's good fortune grew daily more alarming. That part of his army, which had penetrated into the Tyrol, had kept equal pace with that under his own inspection Joubert, who commanded it, had, with his ufual activity and fuccefs, made himself mafter of moft of the firong pofts in that country; and, feconded by the many expert officers under him, had obtained fome fignal advantages. He furrounded a large body of Imperialifts, on the Lavifio, where they had taken poffeflion of advantageous ground, with an intention to difpute the entrance of the inner country. This body was chiefly compofed of Tyrolean riflemen, famous for their dexterity in that manner of fighting. The combat was long and bloody, but terminated in the total overthrow of the Imperialiis: two thoufand were killed, and four thousand made prifoners. The remainder withdrew higher up the river, towards Botzen. They halted at Tramin, a fituation of firength, where they made a vigourous defence. But notwithfianding the bravery and conduct of general Landohn, their commander, they were at length completely worsted, their retreat to Botzen cut off, and all that could efcape, forced to take refuge in the neighbouring mountains. After fecuring Botzen, Joubert directed his march to Claufen, where the Auftrians had affembled a great force. Here a furious conflict enfued, and fuccefs long remained doubtful, fo ftrongly were the Imperialifts pofted. The centre of the French, headed by Joubert in perfon, fucceeded at faft, after repeated efforts, in breaking the enemy's line. This at once decided

the