was meditated in London at the time of the Irish rebellion; and the two houses of parliament, the Bank, and the Tower, were to have been at once attacked; but the seisure of some of the leaders, and the timidity or reluctance of many individuals of the societies, prevented any open attempt for the execution of these violent schemes.

Following the advice given by the framers of this report, Mr. Pitt proposed, that his majesty should be empowered to transfer, to any place which he might deem most eligible within the kingdom, persons who had been or might be detained on suspicion of treasonable practices, because, by being imprisoned in the metropolis or in any large town, they had better opportunities of directing and organising conspiracies than they could have in distant and solitary confinement. He also advised that these societies should be declared unlawful, and that whoever should continue to belong to them should be fined or imprisoned, and, in cases of aggravation, transported. Debating societies were also, by the new bill, put under strict regulations; and, to prevent the propagation of sedition by the press, the names of the printers were ordered to be affixed to every publication.

The emperor of Germany, resenting the arbitrary conduct of the French in Switzerland and Italy, listened to the exhortations of the British monarch, and prepared for a renewal of hostilities. The rulers of the republic, aware of his intentions, and hearing of the march of the troops of Paul, ordered their plenipotentiaries at Rastadt to remonstrate against the advance of this army, and to declare that its entrance within the limits of the empire would amount to a dissolution of the congress, and destroy the hopes of a solid peace between France and Germany. The march was not dis

continued; and the flames of war again burst forth. An army under Jourdan invaded Germany; and another, entering the Grison territory, reduced the capital: but the most memorable events of the campaign occurred in Italy. The Russians and Austrians, led by Souvoroff, defeated Moreau near Cassano, and regained the greater part of the Milanese. They routed the troops of Macdonald near Casaleggio, and prevailed in other conflicts. They recovered the metropolis of Piedmont, and rescued Tuscany from Gallic despotism.

The king of Naples, being encouraged by the British court to take arms, attacked the French in the Roman territories; but, when his realm became, in its turn, the scene of invasion, Capua was obliged to surrender, and Naples was convulsed with intestine tumults. The lazaroni supported the interest of the king, who, under the escort of lord Nelson, had retired into Sicily. Many of the nobles, on the other hand, abetted the views of the French. Some of these betrayers of their country were put to death by the incensed populace; and a numerous body of lazaroni marched toward Capua, and attacked the French, but met with a sanguinary repulse. The capital was now taken by storm; and a republican government was quickly framed.

Disgusted at the tyranny of the new masters of Naples, the royalists took arms under cardinal Ruffo, and recovered the capital by treaty: but this agreement was annulled on the arrival of lord Nelson, because it was too favorable to those who had assisted the French; and the forts were taken by siege. The naval captain Troubridge, with troops of various nations and religions, reduced Gaeta and Capua; and Pescara was recovered by a long blockade. The zeal and courage of the same officer eminently contributed in the sequel

to the rescue of the papal territories from the French yoke.

The possession of Piedmont was still contested. Two battles were fought at Novi. In one of these, the allies were victorious; in the other, the Austrians were unsuccessful. In Switzerland, not only the arch-duke Charles, but also field-marshal Souvoroff, acted with spirit against Massena; yet they were unable to rescue the cantons from the tyrannical sway of the directory.

CHAPTER XXI.

GEORGE III. (Continued.)

A. D. 1799.

WHILE war raged in Europe, peace had for some years prevailed in India: but the known enmity of the sultan Tippoo to the English rendered him an object of suspicion; and his connexions with the French led to a renewal of hostilities. Eager to form an alliance with these powerful enemies of Great-Britain, he had courted their effective aid, in a war which he meditated, not only for the recovery of his lost territories, but for the expulsion of the English from Hindostan. From the isle of France about two hundred men were sent to him; but, with this trifling aid, he had no intention of precipitating hostilities. He hoped to amuse the governor-general with pacific professions, until his own army should be ready to act with efficiency, in concert with a considerable body of French soldiers.

The earl of Mornington, in a letter to the sultan, expressed surprise and concern at his late intercourse

with the French, and remonstrated against a connexion which would not only dissolve the friendship between him and the company, but might introduce into the heart of his dominions the principles of anarchy and confusion, weaken the obedience of his subjects, and destroy the religion of the prophet. But, as his lordship, though not a warrior, was ambitious and enterprising, we may presume that he was not really displeased at the intercourse which he condemned, since it furnished him with a plausible pretence for the ruin of the Mysorean power. To save appearances, he deputed an officer to treat with Tippoo; and, as this prince delayed negotiation, he concluded that he had a right to attack him.

Lieutenant-general Harris was now ordered to invade Mysore with the army of Madras. He was joined on his march not only by the subsidiary troops of the Decan, but also by six thousand of the nizam's infantry and a large body of cavalry. The aggregate force consisted of about thirty-seven thousand men, well equipped and disciplined; and it is said to have comprised a more numerous and a better-appointed corps of cavalry, than any European power in India had ever brought into action.

While the principal army advanced toward Seringapatam, Tippoo made a sudden attack upon the Bombay forces, which had entered the district of Coorga. With above ten thousand men, he assaulted two thousand at Sidasir, both in front and rear; but major-general Hartley and colonel Montresor so resolutely and ably directed the operations of this brigade, that the sultan made little impression, and retreated in confusion, when fifteen hundred of his men had been killed or wounded: yet he boasted of having routed the infidels. He then marched against the commander in chief, de

claring that he would attack the English as soon as they should have ventured out of the jungles ;" and, when he had reached Malavelli, he commenced a cannonade. One of his columns (on the 27th of March) attacked a regiment of the king's troops with an appearance of spirit; but colonel Wellesley, supported by major-general Floyd, routed the assailants. A body of horse charged an European brigade with unusual boldness, though without effect. The advance of other divisions of the allies discouraged a farther attack. About one thousand of the Mysoreans lost their lives or were wounded; while only two hundred of their adversaries suffered in either of those respects, in this conflict and that of Sidasir.

Seringapatam was not fortified with sufficient skill to enable the defenders to sustain a very long siege; and Tippoo seems to have been sensible of his danger; for, when he beheld the approach of the hostile army, he was visibly dejected. The besiegers made choice of a strong position to the westward of the fort. The right of their camp was posted on high ground, sloping to the left flank, which was secured by an aqueduct and by the river; and some deep ravines, in the rear, precluded all molestation from the Mysorean cavalry. For the additional security of the encampment, the general directed that three attacks should be made at the same instant upon the out-posts; and, by the success of these assaults, he gained a strong connected line of posts for the space of two miles, tending greatly to promote the desired conquest. The batteries then played on the fortress with considerable effect: an entrenchment which impeded the progress of the siege, was forced; and, a circular work near the river being stormed, the assailants passed with the fugitives over the Periapatam bridge into the island, filled the sul