necessity of resistance shall be at an end; that, after so many years of crimes and miseries, better principles have prevailed, and the gigantic projects of ambition, endangering the very existence of civil society, have, at length, been relinquished. But the conviction of such a change can result only from the evidence of facts.

"The best pledge of its reality and permanence would be the restoration of that line of princes which, for so many centuries, maintained the French nation in prosperity at home and consideration abroad. Such an event would at once remove all obstacles in the way of negociations of peace. It would confirm to France the unmolested enjoyment of its ancient territory, and give to all other nations that tranquillity, that security, which they are now compelled to seek by other means.

"But it is not to this mode that his Majesty limits the possibility of solid pacification. He makes no claim to prescribe to France what shall be the form of her government, or in whose hands she shall vest the authority necessary for conducting the affairs of a great and powerful nation.

"His Majesty only looks to the security of his own dominions, of his allies, and of Europe. Whenever he shall judge it can be in any manner attained, he will eagerly embrace the opportunity to concert with his allies the means of an immediate and general peace."

This declaration closed with the usual intimation of the existing difficulties which precluded the accomplishment of so desirable an object.

This note of the British minister was replied to in a very spirited manner by Talleyrand, in a second note, dated January 14. In this paper the charges brought against France for her acts of aggression, were repelled; the coalesced powers, and Great Britain especially, were represented as the primary cause of all the miseries which Europe had been exposed to in the course of a long and desolating war. It was pointedly asserted, that England, by wishing to dictate a form of government to France, had been the means of protracting the war, when various favorable opportunities had offered to effect a termination of hostilities upon terms of a fair and honorable nature. The note of Talleyrand, however, closed with developing the conciliatory disposition of the

French government, which was desirous of putting a stop to the ravages of war; and specified, that at any place to which plenipotentiaries from England might be deputed, the first consul would be happy to promote measures tending to restore peace and amity between Great Britain and France.

Lord Grenville made a brief answer, which was merely a summary of what had been more fully expatiated on in the former state papers.

Thus ended the correspondence arising from the letter of Napoleon Bonaparte, relating to opening a negociation for peace: the end he had in view was completely answered; his popularity was raised to the highest pitch; his wisdom and moderation was now as much the theme of admiration, as the skill and valor he had exhibited in the field of battle; and the war which had lately been unpopular, was now viewed by the French as essentially necessary to be prosecuted; this was the object the first consul had in view, and this object he attained.

During the progress of the overture made for peace, which we have above related, a circumstance occurred which, at first, portended serious consequences to the new government. The faithful adherents of Louis the XVIIIth, had been seduously engaged in organising a counter-revolutionary army in the western provinces of France. Georges, an active and enterprising man, was the chief commander of the forces; the plan had been laid before the cabinet of St. James's, and the most sanguinary expectations were justly raised of a powerful and zealous co-operation on the part of Great Britain; but on this, as on former occasions, the hopes of the loyal emigrants were cruelly frustrated. General Brune, the French commander in Holland, received orders to march with an army of sixty thousand men against the insurgents of Brittany; decrees were also issued of the most severe and vigorous nature, empowering the General to use the most prompt measures to crush the rebellion, by punishing with death all who should by any means abet or promote it, and to deliver up the places where it existed to pillage. The want of powerful assistance from England, and a spirit of disunion which had unhappily pervaded some of the insurgent departments, occasioned those on the left bank of the Loire to lay down their arms. Georges, as also Frottes, another leader, capitulated; the

former was pardoned, but the latter, in consequence of some intercepted letters, was sentenced to die; and he, along with his staff officers, were shot; they all refused to have their eyes covered, facing death with manly intrepidity. Thus ended the last enterprise made by the brave and loyal Vendeans, in behalf of what they esteemed most dear and sacred to them, the restoration of their ancient government, and the uninterrupted enjoyment of their religious faith.†

CHAP. II.

Opening of the Campaign. Military Operations in Germany. Battle of Maeskirch. Bonaparte's Passage over Mount St. Bernard. Battle of Marengo.

THE hour was now come, when the military heroism of Bonaparte was once more to be displayed on the grand theatre of the world, when scenes of renewed glory was to open to his view. The supreme authority he had now acquired was well calculated to excite the utmost energy of his mind. The campaign opened in Italy, where General Melas had the command of the Imperial army. He had early in the spring addressed a spirited proclamation to his troops, recalling to their remembrance the great success which had recently attended their arms, and urging them to a continuation of the same magnanimous conduct, which had hitherto so greatly distinguished them.

On April 6, Melas quitted Milan to take the field, and、 his movements were so rapid, and his operations so effective, that Massena found himself very unpleasantly situated; he took refuge in Genoa, notwithstanding there was a large proportion of the inhabitants adverse to his cause, and the port itself was blockaded by a British

+ His Majesty Louis XVIII, has, with a spirit of philanthropy highly honorable to his character, ordered an inquiry to be instituted into the losses sustained by the brave sufferers in the Vendean provinces, February, 1815.

squadron, under Lord Keith. In other parts of Italy the Austrians were peculiarly fortunate, and General Suchet was driven with great loss, after numerous defeats, into Nice. The Imperialists obtained possession of Vado, and Votri, where Lord Keith ordered some heavy artillery to be landed, and Savona. On April 28, General Melas marched to effect a junction with General Elmitz, for the purpose of making a grand attack on the French army. Though every part where the Austrian army advanced the greatest consternation was visible; Albenga was captured, and the French were constrained to retreat to Marina di Diano, and even were forced to evacuate Nice. Thus the campaign in Italy proved eventually favorable to the Imperialists; but in Germany existing circumstances were less auspicious.

The Austrian forces extended from the banks of the Main to the Adda. The French army having moved apparently to cross the Rhine, General Kray assembled an army, consisting of thirty thousand infantry, and ten thousand cavalry. The French, at length, crossed the Rhine, under Suzanne, and St. Cyr; the latter took possession of Fribourg; and Lecourbe having left Switzerland, crossed the Rhine also, and joined the other forces at Wutash. It was judged expedient, that the Austrian troops should retreat before an army of such immense. force, as the junction of Lecourbe was unforeseen: the retreat of the Austrians was admirably conducted, and they occupied a position on the heights of Pfullendorff, the centre of the army being at Maeskirch; here they were attacked by the French army, May 3, 1800, and a desperate battle ensued, which lasted three days; the French attacked with invincible fury, and were repelled with uncommon firmness; but, at length, victory declared in favor of the French, and the Imperialists were reluctantly obliged to quit the field, and cross the Danube. The consequences of the battle of Maeskirch were of signal importance to the conquerors; Stutgard, the residence of the Duke of Wirtemburg, was taken possession of by Suzanne; Moreau captured an immense number of magazines situated on the banks of the Danube ; while Augsburg, Kempten, and Memingen, were occupied by the French.

The first consul had used unremitting endeavors to recruit and augment the French armies; he had issued a

decree for forming an army of reserve of sixty thousand men, by way of conscription; and at the head of this army, formed of the flower of the youth of the country, Bonaparte, who left Paris suddenly, appeared, on May 13, on the side of the Lake of Geneva, from whence he was to pursue his route to Italy; to effect which it was necessary for him to traverse the Great Mountain called St. Bernard, near the summit of which the passage was so narrow, that two men could only pass at a time; a monastery, inhabited by the monks of St. Bernard, stood at the top of this mountain, where those travellers whom curiosity had prompted to visit this wild and romantic spot, ever found a hospitable reception: The mode adopted for accelerating the progress of the troops along this rugged, narrow, and irregular path, was singularly ingenious; trunks of trees were adroitly converted into hollow machines, resembling the canoes of the Indians, and in these were deposited the heavy artillery, and mortars; thus arranged a number of men were harnessed to them by means of a cable, and this was the way the park of artillery was gradually dragged up the steep precipice; the gun-carriages were taken to pieces, and separated. The army of Hannibal, when scaling the Alps, suffered not greater hardships, or experienced more cruel fatigue; but the men, animated by the perseverance and the harangues of their general, braved every danger, and with enthusiastical ardor, sustained the toil, until they arrived at the monastery above-mentioned. Here a grand repast was prepared by order of Bonaparte, by the monks, who, for the first time, had the honor of entertaining such an unusual number of guests, and of a character so diametrically opposite to their own; and there, where" oft were heard voices to the midnight air, responsive to each other's note, singing their great Creator," was heard the rude and boisterous noise of military mirth and jollity. It was ascertained, upon inquiry, that the loss during the whole of this perilous passage, amounted to only three men, five horses, and one piece of artillery.

1.

General Lasnes now directed his march to Turin, and

1

+ Milton.

VOL. II.-20.