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wounded, and the city taken and delivered up to the troops for pillage during three hours. A proclamation was then iflaed, ordering all arms to be furrendered, on pain of death to thofe who retained them; and threatening to fet fire to places where Frenchmen fhould be murdered. The reduction of Lugo took place on the fixth of July.

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Mantua was, in the mean time, clofely befieged, and hard pressed. The garrifon made feveral vigorous fallies, but Buonaparte, who had by this time collected, from the many ftrong wrs he had taken, a nume rous and f.midable artillery, gave no refpice to the befieged, and confiantly repelle them. He erected batteries for the ring red hot balls, and feveral parts of the city were in flames: but the governor was refolved to hold out to the last extremity, and refused to liften to the fummons to furrender.

Powerful reinforcements having joined marthal Wurmfer, fince the check he had received in the mountains of the Tyrol, he re'olved to repair this by railing 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 thefe pofitions: thofe at Salo retired to Pefchiera, and thofe at Corona to the city of Verona.

Buonaparte, who perceived the crit cainefs of his fituation, aflembled all his forces to oppose the Auftrian general, who, after feizing Brefcia, in confequence 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.

Conscious that his ftrength was not equal to an encounter with the Auftrian general's united divifions, Buonaparte came to the determination to attack them fingly before they could form a junction. This, indeed, feemed the only expedient left to extricate him from his prefent danger.

It was not, however, wi hout the deepeit concern, that he faw himfelf reduced to the necellity of abandoning the fiege of Mantua, now almoft deftitute of provifions, and on the point of furrendering.

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He railed it on the thirtieth of July, and, in purfait of his plan, marched with all expeditio Brefcia, where he joined the divifions of his army. They had gained feveral advantages over the Auftrians, particularly at Lonado, a town which thefe had feized, but from which they were expelled, after being completely defeated in an enggement, the laft of July, wherein they loft great numbers.

From Brekcia, where the Auftrians were again totally routed, on the firft of Auguft, they withdrew in diorder towards the Tyrol, where they took refuge in the mountains. On the third, marthal Wurmfer, who, apprifed of the ill fortune that had attended his other divifion, hid advanced with all speed to its alliance, came up with Buonaparte, who, expecting him, was prepared for battles The Auftrians had fome advantage at firft, through the sath 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 moftly into the hands of the French. General Augereau, who commanded the right wing, affailed the left of the Auftrians, pofted at Caftigliona. Here a furious fight was maintained the whole day between both parties. The French at length prevailed, and the Auftrians fuftained an entire defeat. Between two and three thousand fell in the field, and about four thoufand 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 divifion of the French attacked a large body of Auftrians, who were pofted at Gavardo, towards the western fide of the lake. The conflict was warm, but the Auftrians were again worsted, with the lofs of near two thoufand men.

Notwithstanding the fucceffes of the third and fourth, Buonaparte was not yet affured of a fortunate termination of this obftinate difpute. Marshal Wurmfer 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 conteft with Buonaparte, who was fully convinced that the moft dan

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gerous and difficult part of the bufinefs ftill remained to be de cided.

He collected the whole of his force, and made the most advantageous arrangements to meet the enemy, whofe attack he hourly expected. He vifited every post, in order to afcertain the numbers that could be fpared to reinforce his main body. Repairing for this purpofe to Lonado, he found it occupied by no. more than twelve hundrod of his troops, while a divifion of the Auftrians, confifting of four thousand men, had encompaffed it, and lent an officer to fummon the French to furrender. Buonaparte concluding, from certain circumftances, 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 fpoke to him, and required him immediately to return to his general, and require that he should furrender inftantly. The commander of the Auftrians, ftruck with aftonifhment, requested a parley to fettle conditions. But Buonaparte, aware of the danger attending the least delay, infifted that they fhould directly furrender themfelves prisoners of war. On their ftill 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 resistance.

Efcaped from this imminent perik in fo extraordinary a manner; the

French

French general determined to lose no time in bringing the conteft to a final iffue. 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 Auftrian 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 Auftri ans, and affailed its rear, while another divifion 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 fuch impetuofity and vigour, that, für prised at movements fo contrary to their expectation, they were in a manner taken unawares. They made, however, a refolute defence, but fortune declared for the French. The Auftrians were thrown into confufion; and, notwithstanding the fkilful difpofitions of Wurmfer, were not able to stand their ground. They retired with all expedition, after lofing two thoufand men, and would certainly have loft many more, had not the French, from the exceffive fatigue of fo many fucceffive conflicts, been difabled from a purfuit.

This victory was completely decifive of the contest between these two rival generals. The battle might be faid to have lafted five days, as there was no intermiffion of fighting during that time. The loffes of the Auftrians, 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 prifoners, and fix thoufand flain.

But the principal lofs was that of reputation. The troops thus beaten were chiefly veterans. Those who came with Wurmfer were deemed the flower of the Auftrian army, that had fo obftinately contended with the heft troops of France upon the Rhine. Wurmfer himself was reputed an officer fecond to no one in the Imperial fervice, nor indeed in Europe, for valour, skill, and experience, and was in a manner the laft hope of Auftria, 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 Wurmfer's marching against Buonaparte, at the head of fo felected an army, had revived the expectations of al! 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 defpondency, and it is but juftice to acknowledge that he fully answered their utmost expectations. Throughout the whole courfe of this arduous trial, his abilities aftonifhed both friends and foes. Surrounded by difficulties of every fort, he acted with a clearness of penetration that forefaw and obviated them all. He removed impediments as fast as they arofe, and took his measures with fo much prudence and fagacity, that he could not be charged with having committed one falfe ftep. His body

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and his mind appeared reciprocally calculated for the fupport of each other. Both were inceffantly employed, the one in planning, the other in perfonally forwarding every defign 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 himfelf down to reft.

Notwithstanding this terrible defeat, the Auftrian general, though unable to keep the open field, still

occupied the ftrong line along the Mincio, and a fortified camp before Pefchiera. 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 lofs of men and cannon. They pursued them to Verona, where the Auftrians, through the connivance of the Venetians, endeavoured to make a ftand: but they were driven from this city, and fled in diforder towards the Tyrol. This action completed their route, and the garrifon of Mantua excepted, no Aufirian troops remained in Italy on the fouthern fide of the Adige.

CHAP.

CHAP. VIII.

Italian Mobs excited against the French.-Suppressed by a Terror of the victorious French.-Marshal Wurmfer, pursued by Buonaparte, retreats into the Tyrolefe.-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.-Corfica, 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, compofed of feveral fmall States.-Prevalence of the Republican Spirit in Italy.-The Auftrians reinforced with Troops from Germany, advance against the French.-Retake Trent.-But are defeated with prodigious Lofs at Arcola.-The Aufirians, though frequently defeated, return to the Charge.-High Spirit and Courage of the Tyrolians.-Devotion of the Army in Italy to the French Republic.-Palience of the French Soldiers under manifold Privations.

WHILE the fate of the Im

perial and the French armies remained in fufpence, the partifans of Auftria, prefuming that they would recover all their lotles, began to act in the most hoftile manner to all who were friendly to the French. Falfeintelligence was every where circulated, and the republican army reprefented as vanquifhed and flying before the Auftrians. The intervention of heaven was called in, and its aid held out as certain, in the expulfion of the iniquitous invaders, as they were styled, fent by France to destroy law

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