French, who, on taking poffeffion of the city, fcarcely found a living horfe within the walls.

The Holy See had, by their prevarications and du plicity, provoked the refentment of the victorious French commander; and, indeed, the court of Rome could not be expected to be partial to the French interefts; but it had adopted a timid and wavering plan of policy, correfponding with its own weakness and hoftility to the French. Confident in thefe latter and def perate efforts of the Auftrians, the Pope, it is afferted, had even the imprudence of fending part of his feeble force into the field to join General Alvinzi, and firained every nerve to expel the Gallic invaders, while religious anathemas were liberally denounced against thefe impious infidels. The divifion of General Victor was therefore ordered to penetrate to Rome, previous to the furrender of Mantua; and the capitulation was fcarcely figned before Bonaparte fet off in perfon to fuperintend the operations of this army. The invaders flept at Imola, the first town within the papal dominions, on the first of February, The refiftance of the troops of the Pope was feeble, and were eafily everpowered, with little or no lofs on the part of the French. After refting a few days, the republican troops marched to Loretto, and took poffeflion of the Sancta Cafa, containing the famous Madona, or, our Lady of Loretto. But although this holy houfe (as it was termed), and the facred image had been adorned with the richeft donations of jewels, fums of gold, &c. &c. by almost every potentate and rich devotee in Chriftendom, yet the provident clergy, the guardians of this facred treasure, had been wife enough to fecret or carry off almost the whole, while they left to the infidels only a wooden image, ftripped of all its rich and coftly ornaments. But, however, they found what was more acceptable

than

fence which he made in that city, renders its fiege one of the most important in modern hiftory-the victor Bonaparte paid a tribute to his military character, fuch as few men have received or deferved from an enemy.

vres.

than the Madona, a depofit of about 3,000,000 of li-. The whole Marche of Ancona fubmitted with very little fhew of refiftance; and on the 19th Bonaparte fixed his head-quarters at Tolentino. His holinefs, now reduced to the lowest extremity, and the inaufpicious fortune of war having deprived him of his allies, addreffed a fubmiffive epiftle to the victorious General, in which he earnestly folicited an amicable termination of the contest, and dispatched two confidential ecclefiaftics with full powers to conclude a treaty; as, the basis of which his holiness was obliged to renounce all connection with the famous coalition of crowned heads; engaged to difband the troops which he had, raised for the support of the war; and to shut his parts against all the powers at war with the republic. He agreed, without referve, to the annexation of Avignon and the county of Venaiffin to the French, and alfo transferred to the republic the legations of Bologna, Ferrara, and Romagna. In conclufion, he confented to pay to the conquerors the fum of 30,000,000 of livres. (1,500,000l.) 20,000,000 in fpecie, and the rest in diamonds and other valuables, with 16,000 horses, as the ransom of that remnant of his dominions, of which he was still permitted to enjoy the precarious poffeffion.

It is not improbable, however, that the terms, hard as they were, would have been ftill more fevere, had not the French general's attention been afresh called to another quarter; and to the exertions of Auftria in making fresh preparations, the Pope was probably indebted for the reprieve which was granted him on this occasion: for, while the French commander was advancing towards Rome, the Emperor, by exertions almost incredible, was reinforcing his difcomfited army, or rather the remnants of it, and the command was given to the Archduke Charles, whofe victorious career on the Rhine had infpired the court of Vienna with the fondelt hopes of his fuccefs, even when oppofed to fo confummate a matter in the military art as Bonaparte.

In the beginning of March, the French army occupied the banks of Piave and Lavis; and that of the Emperor, under the command of the Archduke, the oppofite fide of the Piave, with its centre behind the Cordevoli, and fupported on its right by the Adige from the fide of Salurne. On the approach of Maffena, on the 10th of March, however, the Auftrians thought proper to evacuate the line of Cordevoli, and to march to Bellurne. On the 12th the divifion of General Serrurier croffed the Piave at day-break, and the Auftrians immediately evacuated their camp of La Campagna. On the fame day, General Guyeux paffed the Piave at Ofpedaletto; on the 13th he fell in with the rear-guard of the enemy, and, after a flight conteft, took 100 prifoners. The divifion of Maffena, in the mean time, having arrived at Bellurne, purfued the Auftrians on their retreat towards Cadore, completely hemmed in their rear-guard, and took 700 prifoners, among whom was General Lufignau, who commanded the centre divifion.

General Guyeux, with his divifion, proceeded, on the 16th, from Pordenove, that of General Bernadotte from Sacile, and that of General Serrurier from Pafiano, all of them directing their march towards Valvafone. Their forces arrived on the banks of Tagliamento at eleven o'clock the fame day. The Auftrians were posted on the oppofite fide, and seemed determined to dif pute the paffage. After fome time fpent in the neceffary preparations, the republican troops plunged into the river, and completely routed the enemy, after a feeble refiftance, chiefly from the Auftrian cavalry. The village of Gradifka was immediately attacked by General Guyeux, and carried, notwithstanding the latenefs of the hour, and the darkness of the nightthe Archduke Charles had fcarcely time to effect his efcape. In the whole of the day's engagement, the Auftrians loft from four to five hundred prifoners, among whom was one General, and feveral fuperior of ficers, with fix pieces of cannon.

The

The energy and activity of Bonaparte left no time to his princely antagonist to rally and collect his forces; but, on the 18th, a part of the French army took poffefion of Palmanova, while General Maffena advanced to Ofopa and Gemona, and pushed his advanced guards into the defiles.

General Serrurier, on the 19th, blockaded the town of Gradifka, which was taken on the 20th, with 5,000 prifoners, the very flower of the Archduke's army.

Maffena, in the mean time, with his divifion advanced to the bridge of Cafafola, drove the enemy from their intrenchments by the bayonet, and took 600 pri. foners. On the 21ft the French entered Goritz, where they found four hofpitals, containing 1,500 fick and wounded, with the whole magazines of the enemy, which Prince Charles had not time to remove. On the 23d, General Guyeux encountered the Auftrians, who were strongly entrenched at Pufero, defeated them, and took 100 prifoners, and two pieces of cannon. On the fame day another divifion entered Trieste.

General Maffena ftill purfued his route and arrived at Tarvis, where a ftrong column of the enemy was hemmed in between his forces and thofe of General Guyeux. But on the following day, the Auftrians, having received confiderable reinforcements from Clagenfurt, the head-quarters of Prince Charles, were encouraged to hazard an engagement, and attacked Maffena. After a fevere battle, (which as the French commander ftates, was fought above the clouds, on a height that commands Germany) the Auftrians were again defeated with confiderable lofs: three of their general officers, and a number of their men were taken prifoners, and the Emperor's curaffiers, who had just arrived from the Rhine, were almoft annihilated.

With equal fuccefs General Guyeux drove the column which he had defeated at Pufero as far as Auftrian Chinfe, a poft well fortified, but which was carried by affault, after an obftinate engagement. The Auftrian column, perceiving the Chinfe taken, precipi

tated

rated its march, and fell into the middle of Maffena's divifion, who, after a flight conteft, made the whole of them prifoners. The victors took thirty pieces of cannon, 400 waggons loaded with the enemy's baggage, and 5.000 prifoners, among whom were four Generals, by the event of this fuccefsful day.

Uninterrupted fuccefs thus attended the operations of the main army, the left wing, or the divifions of the Tyrol, as thofe of Joubert, Beraguey, D'Hilliers, and Delmas, were termed, were advancing from the Adige, the Lavis, and the Brenta, in order to form a junction with the commander in chief. In their march they furrounded a corps of the enemy on the banks of the Lavis, and after an obftinate contest, took 4,000 prifoners, and three pieces of cannon, leaving 2,000 Auftrians dead in the field. The Auftrians under General Laudon, after this, retired to the right bank of the Adige, where they were again attacked, and defeated afresh, on the 22d of March, by General Jou bert, who took 600 prifoners. The army of the Tyrol then entered Botzen; but Joubert did not reft there; and, after leaving a fufficient force to purfue the flying army, under Laudon, he marched direct to Clauzen. The enemy availed themselves of the pofition, and put themfelves in the beft ftate of defence. The action was obftinate, and for fome time doubtful, but victory again declared in favour of the French, and 1,500 Auftrians laid down their arms as prifoners of war. Joubert immediately took poffeffion of Brixen.

Like Cefar of old, Bonaparte never thought any thing completely done, while any part of it remained undone; and of confequence, fcarcely allowed his troops a moments reft, but purfued the flying enemy without intermiffion; and to the rapidity of his movements a large fhare of his fuccefs may fairly be attributed.

After the battles of Tarvis and La Chinfe, three divifions of his army paffed the defiles which lead from the Venetian ftates into Germany, encamped at Wil

bach,