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Colli was directed to apply to him for that purpose, and proposed a suspension of arms, while the peace was negociating. But he refused to suspend his operations, unless the king delivered two strong towns into his hands, as pledges of the sincerity of his intentions, and immediately dispatched commissioners to Paris.

The king's situation was so critical, that he was obliged to comply with this requisition, and the French were put in possession of Cava, Coni, and Tortona. The Austrians, thus deprived of their ally, were obliged to fall back on the Milanese. In their march they attempted to sieze the town of Alessandria, belonging to the king of Sardinia, but the commandant prevented the execution of this design, and Beaulieu hastened to cross the Po, in order to cover himself and the country to the north of that river.

In the mean time, negociations for peace were carried on at Paris, between the king of Sardinia and the French republic, which imposed severe conditions on this unfortunate

prince. He was constrained to yield up Savoy, the patrimony of his ancestors for many ages, together with the city and territory of Nice, and a tract of land, which the conquerors entitled the Department of the Maritime Alps. A new arrangement was made of the frontiers on each side, highly advantageous to France. He consented to stop and put an end to all prosecutions against any of his subjects for their political opinions, to withdraw himself from the coalition, and to apologise for his conduct towards the republic. Such were the principal terms of the treaty.*

In this manner was the prince

completely humbled, who had long been considered as the most secure of any, by his position, against the inroads of the French: his prede cessors, though frequently hard pressed by them, had never been reduced to such extremities, and ne, ver experienced such disgrace. By this treaty he was despoiled of all power and consequence; and though he retained the title of the king, he remained no more than the nominal sovereign of his dominions.

The reduction of the king of Sardinia was an event that changed at once the whole face of Italy. That prince was no longer master of the barriers that nature has fixed between that country and France, and from which he derived his principal importance. They were now in the hands of the French, and the Italian powers, deprived of this rampart of their dominions, themselves at the mercy of a people, who had, for many centuries, endeavoured to obtain a footing among them, with the manifest design of subjecting them to their influence.

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These astonishing successes could not fail to inspire the French armies, that had obtained them, with the highest degree of exultation: nor did their commander forget to improve the sentiments of self applause and confidence, manifested by them, into that disposition of mind, which would lead them on to those farther exploits he had in contemplation. He issued an address to them on the twenty-sixth of April, three days after the application for peace from the Sardinian monarch, wherein he recapitulated, in a truly classical and energetic style, the glory they had acquired, and repre sented that which lay still before them.

"You

"You have precipitated your selves, like a torrent, from the heights of the Apennines. You have routed and dispersed all who have opposed your progress. Piedmont, delivered from Austrian tyranny,displays its natural sentiments of peace and friendship for France. Milan is ours, and the republican flag flies over all Lombardy. The dukes of Parma and Modena owe their political existence to your generosity. The army, which with so much pride threatened you, has no barrier of protection against your courage; the Po, the Tessin, and the Adda, have been unable to stop you a single day; those boasted bulwarks of Italy have been in sufficient to delay your progress; you have surmounted them as rapidly as you passed the Appennines. So much success has carried you to the bosom of your country: your representatives have ordained a fête, dedicated to your victories, which will be celebrated in all the communes of the republic. Your fathers, your mothers, your wives, your sisters, your lovers, will enjoy your success, and boast with pride that they belong to you. Yes, soldiers, you have done much; but does there remain nothing more to be done? Though we have known how to vanquish, we have not known how to profit of our victories. Posterity will reproach us with having terminated our course in Lombardy but already I see you run to arms; a slothful repose fatigues you. Let us depart! we have yet forced marches to make, enemies to subdue, laurels to gather, injuries to revenge, Let those tremble who have whetted the poignards of civil war in France, who have basely assassinatedour ministers, and burned

our ships at Toulon: the hour of vengeance and retribution is now at hand. But let the people remain tranquil; we are friends to all the people, and more particularly the descendants of Brutus, of Scipio, and the great men whom we have taken for our models. Re-establish the capitol, and place there with honour the statues of the heroes that rendered it celebrated; awaken the Roman people, debased by many centuries of slavery. Such will be the fruit of your victories; they will form an epoch for posterity; you will have the immortal glory of changing the face of the first country in Europe. The free French people, respected by the whole world, will give to Europe a glorious peace, which will indemnify them for the sacrifices they have made during six years; you will then return to your homes, and your fellow citizens will say, shewing you, this man was of the army of Italy."

Such were the ideas which the French general exerted himself to impress upon the public, as well as on his own people. His private conversations were of the same tendency, and he omitted no opportunity of representing the expedi-、 tion of the French into Italy as intended to lay the foundation of a total deliverance of the inhabitants from the government of strangers, and the tyranny of domestic rulers.

Sentiments of this description were not unacceptable to multitudes in every part of Italy. The majority of the natives could not but perceive the humiliation of being subject to princes born and bred in foreign countries: they could not, from that circumstance alone, feel that attachment for them which

they

they might have done for native princes.

To the praises bestowed by Buonaparte on his army, the directory added its acknowledgments to him, and those of his officers who had signalized themselves in the late actions. It wrote to them separately, specifying, in the most gracious and satisfactory manner, the particular motives for which the thanks of the public' were due to them.

This homage paid to their merit, in the name of the nation, by those who were invested with its supreme authority, was received, by the French officers, as the highest honour that could be conferred upon them, to be considered as deserving of it was now become the summit of their wishes; so effectually had the republican notions of patriotism taken possession of their minds.

The moment after the suspension of arms between the French and the king of Sardinia had been signed, Buonaparte lost no time in availing himself of it to the utmost. He instantly put his army in motion from all quarters, in order to cross the Po, and to render it doubtful to the enemy, by his various movements, at what place he would attempt the passage over, that river. The Austrian general did not doubt but the French would endeavour to pass it at the town of Valenza, which they had stipulated with the Sardinian ministry should be ceded to them for that purpose. For this reason, he made every disposition necessary to obstruct their passage at this place: but Buonaparte deceived him; and,by rapid marches, reached the banks of the Po, opposite to the city of Placenza. A body of horse prepared to oppose him; but a chosen corps of French infantry,

having seized a number of boats, rowed to the other side, protected by so heavy a discharge of musketry, that the enemy was obliged to retire, and leave them to land, which they did in the compactest order. This was effected on the seventh of May. As soon as Beaulieu was apprised of it, equally astomshed at an event he had so little expected, and anxious to repair the mistake he had Committed, he selected the best of his troops, with whom he advanced on the French, in hope of coming upon them before a sufficient number could have crossed to secure the passage of the rest; but they were not only on his side of the river, but marching towards him. On receiving this intelligence, he intrenched himself at Fombio, a village advantageously situated, expecting the arrival of reinforcements; but he was immediately attacked on every side by the French, who forced him to break up his camp in the utmost disorder, and with the loss of a large quantity of horses and baggage, as well as of men.

Another body of Austrians was, in the mean time, hastening to his aid, and came up with the French early the next morning but general Laharpe, an officer of great merit and intrepidity, charged them with such vigour, that they were instantly defeated, and put to flight. The loss of this officer, who fell on this occasion, was more than a counterpoise to the success of the French. He was a Swiss by birth; and, being driven from his country, on account of his republican principles, he took refuge in France, and entered into the service of the republic, where his military talents raised him to the rank of a general.

He

He was high in the esteem of Buona parte, who had formed the greatest expectations from him, and grievously lamented his fall.

The duke of Parma, in whose sight, as it were, the French had crossed the Po, and defeated the Austrians twice in one day, did not dare to prolong the contest on his part, with so irresistable a foe. He requested an armistice from Buonaparte, and obtained it on condition of paying a large contribution in money, horses, and provisions; of delivering into the possession of the French twenty capital paintings to be chosen by them, and of sending without delay commissaries to Paris, to conclude a peace with the republic: on these terms the duke procured a neutrality for his dominions, which was concluded on the ninth of May.

The uninterrupted successes of the French had now struck their enemies with universal consternation, Beaulieu himself, though an expert and intrepid warrior, thought it more prudent to act on the defensive, than to attack them with troops continually defeated. The bravery of the Austrians, though undeniable, had not been proof against their impetuous valour and unyield. ing enthusiasm. They seemed to have reversed the character formerly attributed to them, of impatience and unsteadiness, and to have assumed that of firmness and constancy.

Their exploits had now opened to them the road to Milan, the capture of which would give them the possession of Lombardy, and effect the expulsion of the Austrians from Italy. This was the project of Buonaparte, whose glory would be completed by such an achievement;

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and whose thirst of fame would thereby be gratified to the utmost extent of his wishes.

Between him and that capital of Austrian Italy lay the remains of the Imperial forces, determined to risk another battle for its preservation. They were posted on the other side of the Adda, over which stood a long bridge, which Beaulieu had intended to break down, but was prevented from doing by the quick approach of the French general. It was protected, however, by so numerous an artillery, that the Austrians did not imagine the French would be able to force a passage

over it.

On the tenth of May, the French army arrived in sight of this bridge, before which stood the town of Lodi, filled with the Imperial troops which were also posted in every place around it in the most advantageous order of battle that the situation of the town and its environs would admit. Beaulieu had, on this occasion, displayed uncommon skill, conscious that, on the issue of this day, the fate of Austria in Italy wholly depended, and that, were he defeated, all future resistance would be vain.

The battle hegan at nine in the morning. The approaches to Lodi were vigorously attacked by the French, who, after an obstinate dispute, drove the Austrians into that town; where a resolute fight ensued: but the French had again the advantage, and forced them to retreat across the bridge to their main body, which was drawn up in order of battle, with formidable batteries on their right and left to guard the passage of the bridge. A battery was planted on the opposite side by the French, and a violent can

nonade

nonade was kept up, on both sides, 'during great part of the day.

But the French general was convinced, that unless he succeeded in effecting a passage over the bridge, his failure would be construed into a defeat, and the reputation of the French arms would suffer in the opinion of the public. Full of this idea, which was certainly well founded, he determined to try every effort, and to encounter every personal risk, in order to carry a point on which so much appeared at issue. Forming together the selectest bodies of his army, he led them in person to the attack of the bridge, in the midst of a most tremendous fire. The intrepidity he displayed was necessary to confirm the courage of his men, whom the great ness of the danger seemed to stag. ger: but his presence, and that of all the chief officers in the French army, animated the soldiers to such a degree, that they rushed forward with an impetuosity which nothing was able to withstand. They crossed the bridge and assailed the whole line of the Austrian artillery, which was instantly broken. They fell with equal fury on the troops that advanced to charge them, who were thrown into disorder, and put to flight on every side. The victory was complete. Had it not been for the excessive fatigue undergone by the French, a great proportion of whom had marched ten leagues that day to join the army, the loss of the Imperialists, though great,

It

would have been much greater. was owing to the approach of night that the French desisted from the pursuit. Favoured by darkness, Beaulieu withdrew from the field of battle, after losing upwards of two thousand men, killed, wounded, and taken, and twenty pieces of cannon. The loss of the French was considerable: the crossing of the bridge alone cost them near a thousand of their boldest men, who were destroyed by the batteries pointed on it from the Austrian side of the river.

This defeat of the Imperial army appeared so decisive to marshal Beaulieu that he durst not venture to stop the progress of the victors towards Milan. Collecting the wrecks of his army, he made a speedy retreat towards Mantua, pursued by a large body of the French, who, in their way, seized on Pizzighitona and Cremona, two places of note. The main body under Buonaparte proceeded to Milan, after taking Pavia, where all the Austrian magazines fell into the hands of the French.

Buonaparte entered Milan the fifteenth of May, five days after the battle of Lodi, which, conformably to his opinion and that of his rival, Beaulieu, proved wholly decisive of the fate of Lombardy. Here the French general thought it necessary to allow his people some days of repose, after the unceasing toils of a whole month, marked by uninterrupted victories.

CHAP.

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