you with audacity, now fly in terror before you; and the base men, who ridiculed your misery, and inwardly rejoiced at the triumph of the foe, are abashed and tremble." The success of the French and the terror of the republican arms, alarmed all Italy. The senate of Venice ordered Louis XVIII to leave its territories; the grand duke of Tuscany supplicated for favor; the king of Naples sent a minister to Genoa to negociate for peace, and all the sea-ports of the peninsula were shut against the English. To secure the route to Milan, it was necessary to drive the Austrians from the banks of the Adda, behind which they had retired, and having collected an immense quantity of Artillery at a bridge erected across this stream at the town of Lodi, waited for the arrival of the French, feeling confidant of defending the pass, and arresting their progress. Buonaparte, determined that no obstacle should oppose his victorious career, resolved to pass the bridge. Exposed to a shower of grape shot from the enemy's batteries, he succeeded in planting two pieces of cannon at the head of the bridge, on the side of the city; to prevent the enemy from destroying it, and the troops coming up, a column was immediately formed, to carry the pass. The French forming a battery of all their artillery, a tremendous cannonade was kept up for several hours, which filled the air with smoke and flame, and presented a scene terribly grand and sublime. The effect of this, not being decisive, the troops were formed in close column, with the second battalion of Carabineers at their head, followed by all the grenadier battalion, when at a charge-step, amidst ten thousand voices, of "Vive la Republique!" and with an enthusiasm which nothing but the highest animation of liberty could inspire, they approached the bridge, the very supulchre of death, and a burning furnace of destruction; the whole Austrian army with 30 pieces of heavy cannon being posted on the opposite side, and pouring upon it the most tremendous fire. The French advanced, and were swept away like a forest before a desolating tornado, and retreated; they were rallied, but the slaughter was dreadful, and they retreated the second time; when at the order of Buonaparte, Massena, Berthier, Cervoni, Dallemagne and Lasnes, placed themselves at the head of the column, and exclaiming "follow your generals, my brave fellows," rushed forward, over the dead bodies of the slain which covered the bridge, enveloped in smoke and flame and exposed to the tremendous fire of the enemy's batteries, all directed to this pass-which to many a poor fellow boraine the isthmus connecting the two worlds, and time with eternity. The column reached the opposite side and immediately charged the enemy's batteries; and at the same time, generals Augereau, Rasca and Bayrand with their divisions having crossed the Adda at a ford below Lodi, attacked the Austrians suddenly in the rear. The contest was almost instantly decided; the whole line of Austrian artillery was carried, their order of battle broken, their troops routed, dispersed, and the republican forces spreading terror and death in every direction. The fruits of this splendid victory were twenty pieces of cannon, and between two and three thousand killed, wounded and prisoners. The wreck of the Imperial army, and their general, the unfortunate Beaulieu, abandoning Pizzighitone, Cremona and Milan took refuge under the cannon of Man tua. In his dispatches to the Directory after detailing the particulars of this memorable action, Buonaparte observes; "that although since the commencement of the campaign the republican troops had been engaged in many warm contests, none approached to the terrible passage of the bridge of Lodi." The French, following up their advantages, pursued the Austrians with great celerity; they advanced to Pizzighitone which immediately surrendered; and from thence pushed on to Cremona, which submitted to the same fate; and the van guard having taken the route to Milan entered this city on the 15th, having on their march received the submission of Pavia, where they found most of the magazines of the Austrian army. Such a rapid succession of victories was truly astonishing; the whole of Lombardy was conquered; the tri-colored flag waved in triumph from the extremity of the lake of Como, and the frontiers of the country of the Grisons, to the gates of Parma. The Austrians having evacuated Milan, when the French prepared to enter it, a deputation of the inhabitants laid the keys of its gates at their feet. Overwhelmed with sorrow and mortification, the archduke fled from his capital, and in the streets and squares passed through crowds of people who shewed neither joy or grief. A few days after, the people collected in vast multitudes to witness the entry of the French, whom they hailed as their deliverers, most of them put on the national cockade. The Imperial arms was thrown down from the public buildings, and at the ducal palaces, the following ludicrous and sarcastic advertisement was posted up; "A house to let; inquire for the keys at citizen Salicatti's, the French commissioner." On the 14th of May, Massena entered the city with his troops, and was welcomed by a numerous deputation of the citizens, headed by the Archbishop. The same day, with great ceremony, and amidst general rejoicing, the tree of liberty was planted in the grand square. The entry of the "deliverer of Italy," was eminently brilliant; the splendid carriages of the nobility and aristocracy of the capital, went out to meet and to salute the republican hero; and returned in an immense cavalcade, amidst the shouts and acclamations of an innumerable multitude, and accompanied by several bands. of musicians, playing patriotic marches; the procession stopped at the palace of the archduke, where Buonaparte was to lodge. The ceremonies of the day were concluded by a splendid ball, at which the ladies vied with each other in expressions of patriotism and republican feeling, by wearing the French national colors in every part of their dress. The next day the "ready cash" of the archduke, excepting the "pocket money" which he had taken with him, was emptied into the French national purse, followed the succeeding day by a splendid national fete, closed in the evening by a general illumination. CHAP. VI. Armistice with the Pope. Arch-duke Charles enters Italy. Beaulieu succeeded by Wurmser. Battle of Arcola. Victory of Rivoli. The Pope breaks the Treaty. Buonaparte orders Gen. Victor to invade the Papal Territories. Pope sues for Peace. Victories of Buonaparte over the Austrians. Peace concluded. The success of the French, and the terror of the arms of the Republic, filled all the Italian States with consternation and alarm. The duke of Modena purchased a truce, for it could not be called a peace, at the enormous price of 10,000000 livres; 7,500,000 to be paid to the Republic, and 2,500000 in provisions and military stores for the army; he was al |