Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

they were in the protection and en- his confidence and intimacy, did

couragement of polite knowledge and the liberal arts, and defirous to afford them the most generous and honourable countenance and fupport. "All mep of genius," faid the letter, "all those who have obtined a diftinguished rank in the republic of letters, are Frenchmen, in whatever country they may have been borne. The learned in Italy, elteemed themfelves happy, if left unmolefted by princes and priests: bat henceforth, opinions shall be free, and the inquitition, intolerance, and defpotifm, be no more. I invite," he contined, "the learned to affemble, and propose their fentiments on the means neceflary to be taken, and the assistance they may require, to give new life and existence to the sciences and the fine arts."

He addressed the university of Pavia in the fame style, and took peculiar pains to impress on the minds of the public, that the French were folicitous to place the people of Italy on the fame footing with themselves, in whatever related to the liberty of thinking, and would feel more fatisfaction in acquiring their esteem and their approbation of the proceedings of the French government, and of the political maxims on which it acted, than in the fubmiffion enforced by their victorious arms. The conquests obtained over the human mind, being of far greater importance to men who knew the difficulty of obtaining them, and the utility which they produced, than victories won by the fword, and empire maintained through terror.

Language of this kind, which was incellantly in the mouth of the French general, and of those in

more in conciliating the people, who had fubmitted to him, than the dread of his power: the clergy and the nobility excepted: to the very existence of which orders the French system was immediately inimical: the other classes beheldin the French a nation of warriors, who feemed to have taken up arms for the purpose of reducing all other nations to a level of opinion and government with themselves, and to harbour no enmity but to hereditary fovereigns, and the adherents to implicit obedience in matters of church and state.

To diffeminate such a disposition in the generality was the chief aim of the French general, well knowing that, on fuch a ground, he would be able to erect a more durable fabric of that republicanism he had in view, than on the military power he had established, and which, without those concomitances that he held out to the natives, would have been odious to them, and have presented no other picture than that of conquest and tyranny.

In this court, that was paid by the French general to men of letters andgenius, we contemplate a policy. not less folid than fublime. It is from the opinions and spirit of the truly learned and intelligent, that public spirit in all nations fooner or later derive their complex'ion with their origin. The class too that would be flattered by this address was more numerous by far, than it will be very eafy to imagine: fo great a portion of mankind being fo highly fatisfied with their own talents and accomplishments. The profeffions of Buonaparte, however, but ill accorded with his actions, The whole of his conduct indicated [II+] that

that his main design was, to establish the power and influence of the French in Italy. At Milan he formed the plan of a republic on the model of that of France, and to be under her protection, in the same manner as the victorious and ambitious Romans admitted the conquered states to the alliances and friendship of the fenate and people of Rome: thus endeavouring to fubvert the authority of the emperor, and to erect that of France on its ruins, by abolifming feudal rights, and giving the great mass of the people a share and an interest in the new government. He fortified Verona, notwithstanding the reclamations of the Venetians; and placed general officers, in whom he could confide, over the Tufcan troops, as well as over those of Piedmont and Milan. The intentions of the French were still less concealed at Paris; where those who bore fway, at the fame time that they profefled a defire to fraternize with all nations, talked of nothing but the extenfion of their arms, and of Paris becoming the capital of Europe. They boasted of the generous design of giving peace and tranquillity to all nations under the protection of the French republic.

In the mean time, Buonaparte was preparing to meet the new general appointed to take the command of the Imperial forces that were marching to the protection of the Tyrol. The fituation of the French at this period was extremely critical: they had fubdued an extenfive range of country; to preserve which they had been obliged to detach confiderable numbers from their main body. The remains of Beaulieu's army, and the reinforcements arriving with marshal Wurmfer, com

posed a much more formidable strength than that under Buonaparte.. But the confidence he placed in the valour of his men, and that which they reposed in his fuperior genius and skill, seemed, in the opinion of the public, to ftand him in the stead of numbers.

The passes into the Tyrol were guarded by works extending from the Lake of Garda to the river Adige. Here the Imperial commander, newly arrived, posted himself: but the French generals Massena, and Joubert, at the head of a felect body, broke into his lines, by turning his right and left: they feized his baggage and standing camp, and forced him to retreat with the utmost precipitation. This happened towards the close of June.

The first engagement, between Wurmfer and the French, would probably have been followed with worse consequences to him, had not an infurrection taken place in a city of the ecclefiaftical state, which obstructed for a while their intended operations. The inhabitants of the city and district of Lugo, incited by the complaints of their clergy, and others who bore heavily the French yoke, took uparms, as they expressed themselves, in defence of their, faints, and their lawful fovereign, the pope. A small detachment was fent to quell them, but they forced it to retire, after killing fome men, the heads of two of whom, according to the French accounts, they expofed at the town house of Lugo. The French general, who was fent with a fufficient force to reduce them, employed admonitions and threats to that purpose: but they set him at defiance, and made a desperate resistance: upwards of a thousand of them were killed and wounded, wounded, and the city taken and delivered up to the troops for pillage during three hours. A proclamation was then ifsued, 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, clotely befieged, and hard pressed. The garrifon made several vigorous lallies, but Buonaparte, who had by this time collected, from the many ftrong towns he had taken, a numerous and formidable artillery, gave no refpite to the besieged, and conhaatly repelled them. He erected batteries for the firing red hot balls, and several parts of the city were inflames: but the governor was refolved tot hoid out to the last extremity, and refused to listen to the hummons to furrender.

Powerful reinforcements having joined marihal Wurmser, since the check he had received in the mountains of the Tyrol, he refolved to repair this by raiting 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 dislodge 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, assembled all his forces to oppose the Austrian general, who, after seizing Brescia, an 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.

Conscious that his strength was not equal to an encounter with the Austrian 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 present danger. It was not, however, without the deepest concern, that he faw himself reduced to the ne

ceffity of abandoning the fiege of Mantua, now almost deftitute of provifions, and on the point of furrendering.

to

He raised it on the thirtieth of July, and, in pursuit of his plan. marched with all expeditio Brescia, where he joined the divifions of his army. They had gained several 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 Brefcia, where the Auftrians were again totally routed, on the first of August, they withdrew in diforder towards the Tyrol, where they took refuge in the mountains. On the third, marsbal Wurmfer, who, apprised of the ill fortune that had attended his other division, 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 impetnosity 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 Austrians, posted at Caftigliona. Here a furious fight was maintained the whole day between both parties. The French at length prevailed, and the Auftrians fustained 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

[ocr errors]

On the fourth, a division of the French attacked a large body of Auftrians, who were pofied 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 successes of the third and fourth, Buonaparte was not yet affured of a fortunate termination of this obstinate dispute, 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 assembled, they formed an army formidable enough to renew the contest with Buonaparte, who was fully convinced that the most dan

3

gerous and difficult part of the business still remained to be decided.

He collected the whole of his force, and made the most advantage, ous arrangements to meet the ene my, whole attack he hourly ex pected. He vifited every poli, in order to afcertain the numbers that could be spared to reinforce his main body. Repairing for this purpofe 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 encompaffed it, and fent an officer to summon the French to furrender. Buonaparte concluding, from certain circum. ftances, 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 offi, cer, 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 aftonishment, requested a parley to fettle conditions. But Buonaparte, aware of the dang attending the leaft delay, infified that they should directly furrender themselves prifoners of war. On their still demanding time to con fider, Buonaparte gave orders for a body of chofen grenadiers and artillery to advance against them. This decided the matter, and they all laid down their arms, without attempting to make the leaft refiftance. Escaped from this imminent peril in so extraordinary a manner; the French

French general determined to lose no time in bringing the conteft to a inal illue. 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 Auftrians, and affailed its rear, while angther divifion attacked a redoubt in its front. The left of the French, in like manner, moved with unexpected rapidity against the right of the Austrians, and their centre was charged at the fame time with fuch impetuofity and vigour, that, furpriled at movements so 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 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 loft many more, had not the French, from the exceffive fatigue of fo many fuccellive 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 Auftrians, precluded 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 thousand flain.

But the principal lofs was that of reputation. The troops thus beaten were chiefly veterans. Those who came with Wurmser were deemed the flower of the Auftrian army, that had fo obftinately contended with the best 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 circumftances

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 againft Buona-. parte, at the head of fo felected 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 defpondency, and it is but juftice to acknowledge that he fully answered their utmost expectations. Throughout the whole course of this arduous trial, his abilities aftonished 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 faft as they arofe, and took his measures with fo much prudence and fagacity, that he could not be charged with having committed one falfe fep. His body

and

« AnteriorContinuar »