Determined to protest against this violation of the rights of nations, the two diplomatists proceeded to the hall of audience without delay, when they saw an Austrian general just alighting from his horse, accompanied by a body of cavalry and a numerous staff. Before M. Faypoult had time to express himself, the Austrian general delivered him a letter, which the emotions he experienced would scarcely permit him to open. This letter was from Bonaparte. Faithful to his promise, it contained an account of his victories at Montenotte and Millesimo, inviting him to provide accommodations for General Provera, who, instead of being a conqueror, as M. Faypoult supposed, was now a prisoner.

The Directory, in their despatches to Bonaparte, expressed themselves thus: "To-day, general, receive the tribute of national gratitude."

Shut up in his capital with the wreck of an army that had been beaten every time they fought, Victor Amedeus the Third appeared resolved to sustain a siege. This prince, who had made several campaigns with his father, not much in favour of the French, judging of the present by the past, did not at first suppose that a petit caporal, a little republican corporal, could beat the old generals of kings: and he could not imagine why General Beaulieu, who had promised him never to pull off his boots till he came to Lyons, should have taken quite a contrary route. At length, roused from his incredulity by the murmurs of the public, and reposing confidence in himself in proportion as he withdrew it from others, "Ah!" said he, pulling up his small clothes-"if I go; if I go,”—every time he learnt the news of a new defeat. Bonaparte, however, saved him the trouble of going.

Order being restored, the army advanced in pursuit of victories.

At this time some of the inhabitants of Genoa, seeing the Austrians descending from the mountains, came out of the city to inquire the cause of these movements. One among them questioned two travellers that had stopped near a broken carriage, saying, “Cannot you tell us what all this signifies ?". "It signifies," replied an elderly gentleman, "that a man of seventy-four years of age has been duped by a young man of twenty-six."

Bonaparte's new system of military movements excited universal attention. This campaign was scarcely opened, when Lombardy was inundated with troops in every direction, and the French approached Mantua péle méle with the enemy. Napoleon, when in the vicinity of Pizzighitone, saw a tall German colonel, a prisoner, and, questioning him, without being known, as to how affairs were going on, was told, "very badly. I know how it will end," said he.

The appellation of petit caporal, as applied to Bonaparte, has also been mentioned; but an anecdote confirming this has been related by Napoleon himself. When he commanded near the Col di Tende, the army was obliged to pass over a narrow bridge: he gave directions that no women should be allowed to accompany it, as the service was a most difficult one, and required the troops to be continually on the alert. To enforce this order, he placed two captains on the bridge, with instructions, on pain of death, not to permit a woman to pass. He afterwards went to the bridge himself, to see

that these orders were obeyed, where he found a crowd of women assembled, who, as soon as they perceived him, began to revile him, bawling out, "Oh then, petit caporal, is it you who have given orders not to let us pass ?”—After each battle, the oldest soldiers used to hold a council, and confer a new rank on their young general, who, when he made his appearance in the camp, was received by the veterans, and saluted by his new title. They made Bonaparte a corporal at Lodi, and a sergeant at Castiglione; and hence the surname of petit caporal, which for a long time was applied to him by the soldiers.

Although Bonaparte had thus defeated two armies, and detached one of the kings from the coalition against France, he could not allow any respite to his troops.

Notwithstanding his defeats, Beaulieu left Piedmont with 30,000 men, including 4000 cavalry. This army was soon increased by re-enforcements from the Tyrol. Bonaparte in the interim, availing himself of the treaty of Cherasco, observing, by this means, that "one wing of the enemy's army gave him time to beat the other," pursued Beaulieu.

Beaulieu, disconcerted by Bonaparte's tactics, endeavoured to maintain himself in Piedmont by acts of perfidy—by seizing of Alexandria, Tortone, and Valenza, in contempt of the alliance which existed between the emperor his master and the king of Sardinia.

After having indulged Beaulieu's error by false movements, Bonaparte suddenly advanced by a forced march to Castello San Giovani with three thousand grenadiers and fifteen hundred horse. He

arrived here on the 6th of May, at eleven at night, and at seven in the morning he was at Plaisance.

On the 8th, at noon, learning that an enemy's division was not far off, he marched towards Fombio, where he found them most advantageously intrenched in a position defended by twenty pieces of cannon. The enemy resisted two hours; but was then obliged to retire towards the Adda, after having lost a number of men and horses, and the greatest part of their baggage.

The night following the glorious day of Fombio was distinguished by a fatal event. Beaulieu, having received intelligence of the defeat of his troops at that place, marched under favour of the night to Codogno, with the view of surprising a French division that occupied that place. He arrived there about two in the morning: he had already overthrown the advanced posts, when General La Harpe, having mounted his horse on the first alarm, presented himself, and restored order. His escort, on his return, was composed of hussars, who, owing to the darkness of the night, were mistaken for the enemy's hulans, and received a volley, which killed La Harpe! Bonaparte, in announcing his death, traced his eulogium in a few words: "The republic," said he, " has lost a man who was devoted to its interests; the army one of its best generals; and every soldier a companion.”

Bonaparte hastened to pursue the enemy to Lodi, on the river Adda, where General Beaulieu had collected his forces. On the approach of the French, the Imperialists abandoned the town of Lodi, with such precipitancy, that they had not time to destroy the bridge.

It was defended by ten thousand men, and thirty pieces of cannon. No consideration could resist the impetuosity of the soldiers, or their leaders; for, on the 10th of May, 1796, four thousand grenadiers being formed into a solid column, made a sudden charge, and had proceeded six hundred feet, exactly half the length of the bridge, when they became exposed to such an incessant shower of grape-shot, that their foremost ranks were entirely swept away; and the troops who had hitherto advanced at a quick pace, with bent heads and extended bayonets, were staggered, and began to hesitate. At this critical moment, the Generals Berthier, Massena, Cervoni, and D'Allemagne, starting from the ranks, invited the grenadiers to renew the attack, while Bonaparte in person, seizing a standard, placed himself at their head. Animated to the highest degree of enthusiasm by such an example, the troops rushed by their generals with resistless impetuosity, amidst the cries of "Vive la Republique!"