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a peasant. In this dress he wandered about the country without a companion, in hope of escaping his purfuers, and gaining the fea fide, where he might find an opportunity of flying to England. But the search made after him was so strict and incessant, that he fell into the hands of a patrole that was in quest of him. He was tried and sentenced to be thot. His execution took placeat Nantes on the twenty-eighth of April. His associate, the well known Stoflet, who had also been made a prifoner, fuffered death in the fame manner, about two months before him.

The fall of these two principal chiefs of the infurrection, especially the former, gave it a blow from which it did not recover. Neither the Vendeans, nor the Chouans who had joined them, feemed to have been overcome by despondency on this occafion, and they still confinued to maintain their ground with as much obstinacy as ever: but whether none of their remaining leaders were of equal ability, or that their people did not repose the fame confidence in them, their defeats became continual, and fuch numbers were flaughtered, that the generality of the infurgents began to loose courage, particularly after the losses of those who commanded them. No less than thirteen of their prin cipal chiefs fell in battle, and ten others were taken and condemned to be shot.

The death of these officers proved an irreparable lols: they were men of confpicuous resolution, and had long conducted the affairs of their party with remarkable skill and perfeverance in the arduous trials they had to frequently experienced. None at this period seemed capable of fupplying their place; but what

chiefly accelerated the fubmiffion of the infurgents, was the lenity with which the government came to the resolution of treating all those who laid down their arms. A proclamation had already been issued, during the heat of hoftilities, inviting the infurgents to return to obedience, under a folemn promife of burying their revolt in oblivion, and of granting them every just conceffion they could require: the directory availed itself of the advantages it had obtained, to convince those who had been concerned in the infurrection, that the only use the government would make of the situation to which they were now reduced, would be to deprive them of the means of exciting difturbances; and that, provided they acquicfed in the injunctions laid upon up them, they would be placed on the fame footing with their fellows citizens, and enjoy fimilar rights.

So anxious was the directory to impress them with this perfuafion, that it published a circular address to the commanders of the troops employed in fuppreffing the infurrection, strictly enjoining them to keep the intentions of the government in conftant view, and not to exceed them by needless acts of severity.

But the animofity of the republicans against the infurgents was fuch, that they occafionally exercised great rigour over them, to the ferious concern of the directory, which reprehended, with marked feverity, thofe who had been guilty of these excefes. It anxiously reiterated its orders to abstain from all barilness, and to receive all who fubmitted with a generous forgiveness of the past; confidering them as deluded brethren, whose attachment it was the duty of their conquerors to win [G2] through

through mildness and conciliation, which were the only effectual means of restoring them to the bosom of their country, and converting them into good citizens.

In pursuance of these maxims, every district that furrendered its arms, and punctually conformed to the conditions prescribed, was immediately placed under the completest protection of the laws, and no infraction of these suffered to their detriment.

The measures thus taken, by the directory, availed them more than military coercion would have done. The dread of punishment had kept feveral bodies of the infurgents together: but the moment they found that a pardon would be granted to them, on acceding to the terms of the proclamation that had fo long been circulated; and to which government was yet willing to adhere, they repaired in crowds to the head quarters of the republican generals, declaring their readiness to accept of the conditions proffered to them. These fubmiffions gradually took place in the course of March and April. By the close of this month, the infurrection was so far quelled, that no apprehenfions were entertained from the few ftraggling parties that remained, and which were looked upon as people determined to lead a a predatory life, rather than in arnts for the cause they had embraced, and of which no hopes any Jonger exifted.

After fubduing this dangerous infurrection by force of arms, the next measure was to pacify the minds of thofe who had so obftinately perfifted in it, and yielded at length only from the impractibility of any farther refiftance. To this end, in addition to the punctual observance

of the promises made to the infur gents, to induce them to lay down their arms, a number of publications, fuited to the capacity of those for whom they were defigned, were distributed in the districts where the insurrection had taken place: and those individuals on whose fidelity and attachment to republican principles the government could depend, were encouraged to take all possible pains to inculcate the propriety of uniting with the majority of their countrymen, and of unfeignedly abjuring those sentiments that had cost them fo many lives, and plunged their families into fo much mifery.

The neceffity of acting conformably to this advice, became so apparent, that even the royalift generals thought themselves bound no longer to obstruct the submission of the infurgents, convinced that it was the only means left them to efcape destruction. A proclamation to this purpose was issued and figned by viscount Scepeaux, the principal in command in the western department. After lamenting the fruitless efforts to restore monarchy and the Catholic religion, it acknowledged that to perfift in this attempt would only be conducting the infurgents to the flaughter. It exhorted them, therefore, to defift, and yield to fuperior force, in order to secure their lives, and be permitted to dwell in safety at their homes.

An exhortation of this kind did not fail to convince them of the inutility of any farther oppofition: and, by the latter end of July, the country of the infurgents was fo thoroughly pacified, that martial law was repealed, and civil government reftored.

CHAP..

1

CHAP. VI.

Address of the Directory to the French Armies. Determination to carry the War into Italy. Difficulties to be encountered in carrying this Plan into Execution.-Buonaparte. -The French Army, under his Command, makes rapid Progress in Italy. The Auftrians, under General Beaulieu, conflantly repulfed, yet not difpirited. - Various Actions. Sufpenfion of Arms agreed on between the French and Piedmontese Armies.-General Beaulieu re-croffes the Po, for covering the Countries to the North of that River. At Paris, Negociation for Peace between the King of Sardinia and the French Republic. -Treaty of Peace between France and Sardinia ratified by the Legislative Bodies of France. Exultation and Confidence of the French. Improved by Buonaparte, for the Purpose of leading on the Army to farther Exploits.-Address to the Army. -General Object and Tendency of Buonaparte's private Conversation.-Homage paid to the Merit of Buonaparte and the Army, by the Directory. Buonaparte puts his Army in Motion. - Crosses the Po, and leaves General Beaulieu to break up his Camp.-Armistice between the French Army and the Duke of Parma. -The French advance toward the Capital of Lombardy. Battle of Lodi.The Auftrians retreat to Mantua. The French proceed to Milan, where the French General allows his People fome Days of Repofe,

WHILE the armies of the re

public were successfully employed in fuppreffing those internal commotions, the directory was anxioufly taken up with the plans that were to be prosecuted, as foon as domeftic difficuties were overcome. In the end of April, they thought themselves so completely delivered from all apprehenfions at home, that they began immediately to turn their attention to those two undertakings, on the fortunate termina, tion of which the future fecrity of the republic would be established beyond the possibility of being suaken by any external force.

The events of the last campaign bad been fo different from those of

the preceding, that many people in France, as well as in other parts of Europe, began to confider the enthusiasm of the French as confiderably abated. But the fanguine difpofition of the generality of the French attributed their defeats on the Rhine folely to the unskilful management of their generals; and still remained convinced, that, had they been judicioufly commanded, they would have been victorious as before.

In order to encourage this perfuafion, the directory published an address to the different armies, previoufly to their taking the field. It was conceived in very animated terms, and recalled to their notice [G3]

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the various exploits they had performed in the two foregoing years, the patience with which they had borne not only the hardships of the field, but the preffures of want, and the privation of every convenience and comfort, and the invincible fortitude with which they had persisted, amidst all these difficulties, to difcharge the duties of brave soldiers. It exhorted them to persevere as they had done: fresh toils and victories were expected from them by their country, before its enemies would confent to reasonable terms of peace. It held out the most flattering hopes of fuccess; and that they were at the eve of terminating their patriotic labours, the issue of which would procure fafety to their country, and glory to themselves; who then would return to its bosom, to enjoy the love and gratitude fo jufily due to them from their fellowcitizens, and fo nobly earned by

their fervices.

This address was fent to all the military bodies of the republic, and read to them with great folemnity. It was received with much respect and fatisfaction. The officers and foldiers formally renewed their affurances of fidelity to the republic, and their readiness to lay down their lives in its defence.

The object which the directory had now chiefly in contemplation was to carry the war into Italy. The Auftrians were prepared to pafs the Rhine in great force: the attachment of the belgians to their French conquerors might waver; the fate of another campaign was uncertain; much was to be loft, nothing gained, in the Netherlands, by an appeal to arms, on a question, which, if the authority of the republic should be confirmed by the

lapse of even a few years, they might confider as already decided. In this fituation of affairs they determined to divert the energy and attention of the emperor from his Belgian territories, where his authority had been so often disputed, to his Italian dominions, where his will was a law, and from whence he drew still greater supplies. While they cut off the emperors resources in Italy, they would add to their own. They did not doubt of reaping immenfe benefit from the poffeffion of that country, the inhabitants of which were known generally to have little affection for their prefent fovereigns. The people of the duchies of Milan, Parma, and Modena, were peculiarly disaffected, and, the nobility and clergy excepted, seemed rather to detire, than to dread, a change of masters. The commonalty, in the republics of Venice and Genoa, profefied no attachment to their rulers. In Tuscany, and the papal dominions, there were numbers of difcontented; and in the kingdom of Naples the number was still greater.

Among these multitudes there were fome individuals refolute enough to declare their diflatisfaction at their respective governments, notwithstanding the perfonal dangers to which they expofed themselves by so daring a conduct. But what was more, fome had the courage to entertain a private correfpondence with France, and explicitly to folicit fome of the principal perfons in the public to invade Italy, where, they afflured them, they would find more friends than foes among the natives, and meet with no opposition but from the Austrians, and their few adherents, among the poffeflors of places

re

places and employments in their

fervice.

Induced by these various motives, the directory refolved to begin military operations abroad, with the attack of a country, where the princes, one excepted, the king of Sardinia, could place little reliance on the lovalty of their fubjects; and where this prince had already loft fuch a portion of his territories, as greatly endangered the remainder.

Nevertheless, obstacles of a ferious nature prefented themselves, The undertaking was, indeed, arduous. Italy, proverbially the grave of the French, was viewed by the generality of people as unconquerable on the fide of France. Envirened by mountains, the passes of which were fortified with the utmost art, and guarded with numerous well-difciplined troops, it seemed calculated for an invincible refiftance. The French, after reducing many forts and fortreffes in the heart of the Alps, had not been able to make an effectual impreffion on Piedmont, without which an entrance into Italy appeared impracticable. The powers interested in the prefervation of Italy, aware of the hofthe intentions of France, had made ample preparations for defence. The emperor's forces amounted to eighty thoufand well-difciplined men, commanded by excellent officers and genera, and provided with every fpecies of warlike neceffaries. The king of Sardinia's army was fixty thoufand strong, exclufive of militia. The pope and the king of Naples were occupied in embodying as many troops as their circumstances would permit; and the latter had dispatched two or three

thousand borse to serve in the Imperial army.

Though the strength with which the French proposed to attack their enemies in Italy was much inferior in number to theirs, and far from being fo well supplied, it was composed of hardy and resolute foldiers, filled with enthusiasm, and impatient to enter into action, and to indemnify themselves for the fufferings they had undergone upon the rocky and barren coaft, to which they had long been confined, through want of reinforcements to enable them to move forward against the enemy.

The supplies of men and ammunition did not arrive till the beginning of April, when the French determined immediately to commence their operations. They were cantoned along the coast of that fea, called the river of Genoa, within three leagues of that city; and the Austrians and Piedmontese were pofted on the mountains opposite to them.

The French were commanded by general Buonaparte, already noticed in the action between the conventional troops and the fections of Paris, in October, 1795, a native of Corfica, born, as it were, a commander, and uniting the intrepidity of an ancient Roman, with the fubtlety and contrivance of a modern Italian; and both these fortified and improved by a liberal, as well as military, education. Hardly thirty years of age, he had fignalized his military abilities, not only on that but fome other very decifive occafions, and acquired a reputation that had raised him to the highest degree of esteem in his profeffion,

See Vol. XXXVII. Page 106.

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