wounded, and the city taken and delivered up to the troops for pillage during three hours. A proclamation was then issued, ordering all arms to be furrendered, on pain of death to those who retained them; and threatening to fet fire to places where Frenchmen should be murdered. The reduction of Lugo took place on the fixth of July. Mantua was, in the mean time, closely befieged, and hard pressed. The garrifon made several vigorous fallies, but Buonaparte, who had by this time collected, from the many strong towns he had taken, a numerous and formidable artillery, gave no respite to the besieged, and constantly repelled them. He erected batteries for the firing red hot balls, and several parts of the city were in flames: but the governor was refolved to hold out to the last extremity, and refused to listen to the fummons to furrender. Powerful reinforcements having joined marshal Wurmfer, fince the check he had received in the mountains of the Tyrol, he re'olved to repair this by raising the fiege of Mantua; by effecting which he would at once undo all that had been done by Buonaparte Animated with this hope, he affailed the French at Salo, on the western fide of the Lake of Garda, and at Corona on the east. He had the good fortune to diflodge them on the twenty-ninth of July, from both of these positions: those at Salo retired to Peschiera, and those at Corona to the city of Verona. Buonaparte, who perceived the criticalness of his fituation, affembled all his forces to oppose the Austrian general, who, after seizing Brescia, in consequence of the capture of Salo, on the one fide of the lake, and Verona on the other, which the French were compelled to abandon, was moving with the divifion under his command towards Buonaparte, while the other was advancing with all expedition to place the French between two fires. Confcious that his strength was not equal to an encounter with the Austrian general's united divifions, Buonaparte came to the determination to attack them singly before they could form a junction. This, indeed, seemed the only expedient left to extricate him from his present danger. It was not, however, without the deepest concern, that he faw himself reduced to the necessity of abandoning the fiege of Mantua, now almost deftitute of provifions, and on the point of furrendering. He raised it on the thirtieth of July, and, in pursuit of his plan, marched with all expedition to Brescia, where he joined the divifions of his army. They had gained feveral advantages over the Austrians, particularly at Lonado, a town which these had feized, but from which they were expelled, after being completely defeated in an engagement, the last of July, wherein they loft great numbers. From Brescia, where the Auftrians were again totally routed, on the first of Auguft, they withdrew in diforder towards the Tyrol, where they took refuge in the mountains. On the third, marshal Wurmfer, who, apprised of the ill fortune that had attended his other divifion, had advanced with all speed to its assistance, came up with Buonaparte, who, expecting him, was prepared for battle. The Austrians had fome advantage at first, through the rash impetuofity of an advanced corps of French, : which was furrounded and taken; but the centre, forming into a compact body, charged them with fuch vigour, that they foon gave way, and were broken on every fide. A divifion of them endeavoured to make good its retreat to Salo: but that place was already occupied by the left wing of the French, and this divifion, in attempting to gain the mountains, towards the Tyrol, fell mostly into the hands of the French. General Augereau, who commanded the right wing, affailed the left of the Austrians, posted at Caftigliona. Here a furious fight - was maintained the whole day between both parties. The French at length prevailed, and the Auftrians sustained an entire defeat. Between two and three thousand fell in the field, and about four thousand were made prifoners, among whom were three generals. The French alfo loft a confiderable number, and fome officers of great note On the fourth, a division of the French attacked a large body of Austrians, who were pofted at Gavardo, towards the western fide of the lake. The conflict was warm, but the Austrians were again worsted, with the lofs of near two thoufand men. Notwithstanding the successes of the third and fourth, Buonaparte was not yet affured of a fortunate termination of this obstinate dispute. Marshal Wurmser had drawn together all the troops that could be rallied, to which he added a part of the garrifon of Mantua, now relieved from the fiege, and every other corps within reach. When affembled, they formed an army formidable enough to renew the contest with Buonaparte, who was fully convinced that the most dan 3 1 gerous and difficult part of the business still remained to be decided. He collected the whole of his force, and made the most advantageous arrangements to meet the enemy, whose attack he hourly expected. He' vifited every post, in order to afcertain the numbers that could be spared to reinforce his main body. Repairing for this purpose to Lonado, he found it occupied by no more than twelve hundred of his troops, while a divifion of the Auftrians, confifting of four thousand men, had encompassed it, and fent an officer to fummon the French to furrender. Buonaparte concluding, from certain circumstances, that this body of Austrians belonged to the defeated part of their army, and was endeavouring to make good its retreat, with remarkable prefence of mind, told the officer, that he was mistaken in thinking that he had met only with a detachment of the French army, the main body of which was there with Buonaparte himself, who now spoke to him, and required him immediately to return to his general, and require that he should furrender instantly. The commander of the Austrians, struck with astonishment, requested a parley to fettle conditions. But Buonaparte, aware of the danger attending the least delay, insisted that they should directly furrender themselves prifoners of war. On their still demanding time to confider, Buonaparte gave orders for a body of chofen grenadiers and ar tillery to advance against them. This decided the matter, and they all laid down their arms, without attempting to make the least refiftance. Escaped from this imminent peril, in so extraordinary a manner; the French French general determined to lose no time in bringing the contest to a final issue. Feigning to be defirous of avoiding an engagement with Wurmfer, he ordered a retrogade motion to be made by his army, in order to induce him the more readily to advance. This order was executed on the morning of the fifth, with fuch dexterity, that while the Austrian general, deceived by appearances, was approaching the French army to attack it, the right wing of the French, under general Serranier, an officer of great ability, turned the left of the Auftrians, and affailed its rear, while another division attacked a redoubt in its front. The left of the French, in like manner, moved with unexpected rapidity against the right of the Auftrians, and their centre was charged at the fame time with such impetuofity and vigour, that, sur prised at movements so contrary to their expectation, they were in a manner taken unawares. They made, however, a resolute defence, but fortune declared for the French. The Auftrians were thrown into confufion; and, notwithstanding the skilful difpofitions of Wurmfer, were not able to stand their ground. They retired with all expedition, after lofing two thousand men, and would certainly have lost many more, had not the French, from the excessive fatigue of so many fucceffive conflicts, been disabled from a purfuit. This victory was completely decifive of the contest between these two rival generals. The battle might be faid to have lasted five days, as there was no intermiffion of fighting during that time. The loffes of the Austrians, precluded all hopes of keeping the field. They amounted to seventy pieces of cannon, all the carriages belonging to his army, more than twelve thoufand prisoners, and fix thousand slain. But the principal loss was that of reputation. The troops thus beaten were chiefly veterans. Those who came with Wurmser were deemed the flower of the Austrian army, that had so obstinately contended with the best troops of France upon the Rhine. Wurmser himself was reputed an officer second to no one in the Imperial service, nor indeed in Europe, for valour, skill, and experience, and was in a manner the last hope of Austria, for the recovery of Italy. All these were circumstances deeply mortifying to the court of Vienna, and proportionably productive of triumph and exultation, to the French republicans, and their well-wishers. The first intelligence of marshal Wurmser's marching against Buonaparte, at the head of so selected an army, had revived the expectations of all the enemies to France, and not a little alarmed the directory itfelf. But those who were able judges of the military talents of Buonaparte, never felt a moment's despondency, and it is but justice to acknowledge that he fully answered their utmost expectations. Throughout the whole course of this arduous trial, his abilities astonished both friends and foes: Surrounded by difficulties of every fort, he acted with a clearness of penetration that foresaw and obviated them all. He removed impediments as fast as they arose, and took his measures with fo much prudence and sagacity, that he could not be charged with having committed one false step. His body and and his mind appeared reciprocally calculated for the fupport of each other. Both were incessantly employed, the one in planning, the other in personally forwarding every design that was conceived. Such were the indefatigable qualities with which nature had endowed him, that while his thoughts were uninterruptedly on the stretch, he allowed himself no kind of repose; and, during the laft feven days and nights of this dreadful conteft, he was never known to have laid himself down to reft. Notwithstanding this terrible defeat, the Austrian general, though unable to keep the open field, still occupied the strong line along the Mincio, and a fortified camp before Peschiera. But the French attacked them on the fixth, forced their camp and lines, and compelled them to withdraw to the other fide of the Mincio, with a great loss of men and cannon. They pursued them to Verona, where the Austrians, through the connivance of the Venetians, endeavoured to make a stand: but they were driven from this city, and fled in disorder towards the Tyrol. This action completed their route, and the garrifon of Mantua excepted, no Austrian troops remained in Italy on the fouthern fide of the Adige. CHAP. CHAP. VIII. Italian Mobs excited against the French. Suppreffed by a Terror of the victorious French.-Marshal Wurmfer, pursued by Buonaparte, retreats into the Tyrolese. - The Siege of Mantua refumed.-Marshal Wurmfer, powerfully reinforced, makes Head against the French in the Venetian Territories. But is defeated. The French take Poffeffion of Trent.Continued Success of Buonaparte. - Marshal Wurmfer, with the Remains of his Army, makes good his Retreat, and takes Shelter within the Walls of Mantua. Córfica, evacuated by the English, returns under the Government of France. -Pacification between France and Naples including the Batavian Republic. Religious Zeal of the Romans.-Awakened by the Court of Rome into rage, and avowed Preparations for War against the French.A new Republic, composed of several small States. Prevalence of the Republican Spirit in Italy. The Austrians reinforced with Troops from Germany, advance against the French. Retake Trent. But are defeated with prodigious Lofs at Arcola. -The Austrians, though frequently defeated, return to the Charge.-High Spirit and Courage of the Tyrolians. Devotion of the Army in Italy to the French Republic. Patience of the French Soldiers under manifold Privations. W ar HILE the fate of the Imperial and the French mies remained in suspence, the partisans of Austria, prefuming that they would recover all their loffes, began to act in the most hoftile manner to all who were friendly to the French. False intelligence was every where circulated, and the republican army represented as vanquished and flying before the Auftrians. The intervention of heaven was called in, and its aid held out as certain, in the expulsion of the iniquitous invaders, as they were styled, fent by France to destroy law ful governments and to destroy religion. The fuperftitious imbecility, for which the Italian commonalty is noted, was easily worked upon by instigations of this nature. Mobs rose in some places, and maltreated the French and their adherents. But the more prudent opposed this raf behaviour, and the generality of people did not participate in these demonftrations of enmity. Numbers, at the same time, who were decidedly in their favour, had the courage openly to espouse their cause, even when the Auftrians had obtained |