they were entitled to claim. He treated them altogether with marked lenity, in order, doubtless, to prepare the way for a ready submission, on the part of those cities and districts, in the Imperial territories, which, in the course of hostilities, he would shortly be necessitated to reduce to his obedience.

After the reduction of these two towns, a body of French was dispatched totake possession of Trieste, the only sea port belonging to the emperor on the Adriatic. It fell into their hands on the twentythird of March. Here, and in its vicinity, they found an immense booty.

In the mean time, general Guieux and Massena were advancing, from the different quarters, to the borders of Carinthia. The former attacked the Austrians intrenched at Pusero, a strong position at the entrance of the narrow passes of Caporalto, into which he drove them with considerable loss. The latter possessed himself of Tarvis, a place, on the opposite side of those passes; by which motion the Austrians, driven from Pusero, were inclosed between the two French divisions. A large body of Austrians marched from Clagenfurth, in Carinthia, to their relief, and assailed Massena at Tarvis, where a most obstinate battle was fought: but the Austrians were entirely defeated. Three of their generals were taken, and a celebrated regiment of Cuirassiers, almost destroyed. General Guieux had, in the mean while, pushed the Austrians in the defile, as far as Lachinsa, a strongly fortified post, which he carried, however, after a resolute defence. They endeavoured to make a retreat; but were inter

cepted by the victorious division, under Massena. The loss of the Austrians on this occasion, besides the slain, amounted to five thousand prisoners, among whom were four generals, thirty pieces of cannon, and four hundred waggons with all the baggage.

This was a fatal day to the Imperial arms. It closed, in a manner, the hopes that had till remained of better fortune, under the auspices of the archduke Charles, and raised the opinion entertained of Buonaparte to the highest summit. What principally alarmed the court of Vienna was the proximity of the French army to the Hungarians, a people, that had not forgotten the struggles of their forefathers,against the usurpation of the house of Austria, and the danger lest a similar spirit of resistance should be regenerated among them, especially as they had such recent causes of discontent.

A specimen of the unconquerable, and, in truth,it may be said, insolent spirit,infused by the republican principles current among the French, had been exhibited by their prisoners in the hereditary states, during the last summer. On the tenth of August, the day whereon the unhappy Lewis the sixteenth was dethroned, a number of them, confined at Clagenfurth, the principal town of the province of Carinthia, celebrated this event, with marked exultation, in defiance, as it were, of the Austrian government. The formalities, that accompanied the observance of this day, were all calculated to manifest their hatred of royal power, and their attachment to republicanism, and especially to that equality of rank which admitted of no distinction among men,

but

This demeanour of the French, under the very eye of the Austrian government, and in the heart of the empire, occasioned no small uneasiness to those who reflect with how much facility such notions might be propagated among the multitude, soured with the severity of their rulers, and oppressed with the manifold burdens laid upon them, for the maintenance of a war, which the majority of people disapproved in secret; though the dread of being punished for a manifestation of their sentiments, compelled them to feign approbation.

It was now become unseasonable and dangerous to attempt the suppression of these sentiments among the great number of French dispersed in the towns on the borders of the present theatre of war The approach of Buonaparte, and his vic torious army, had filled them with additional boldness; and strong suspicions were entertained, by the Imperial ministry, that in Hungary, and in Austria itself, they had adherents to their principles, numerous enough to form themselves into a strong party, were occurrences to favour their secret inclinations.

The uninterrupted continuance of the French commander's good fortune grew daily more alarming. That part of his army, which had penetrated into the Tyrol, had kept equal pace with that under his own inspection. Joubert, who commanded it, had, with his usual activity and success, made himself master of most of the strong posts in that country; and, seconded by the many expert officers under him, had obtained some signal advantages. He surrounded a large body of Imperialists, on the Lavisio, where they had taken possession of advantageous ground, with an intention to dispute the entrance of the inner country. This body was chiefly composed of Tyrolean riflemen, famous for their dexterity in that manner of fighting. The combat was long and bloody, but terminated in the total overthrow of the Imperialists: two thousand were killed, and four thousand made prisoners. The remainder withdrew higher up the river, towards Botzen. They halted at Tramin, a situation of strength, where they made a vigorous defence. But notwithstanding the bravery and conduct of general Laudohn, their commander, they were at length completely worsted, their retreat to Botzencutoff,and all that could escape, forced to take refuge in the neighbouring mountains. After securing Botzen, Joubert directed his march to Clausen, where the Austrians had assembled a great force. Here a furious conflict ensued, and success long remained doubtful, so strongly were the Inperialists posted. The centre of the French, headed by Joubert in person, succeeded at last, after repeated efforts, in breaking the ene my's line.

This at once decided the

the day. The Imperial troops were wholly routed, and fifteen hundred captured, besides the slain. They fled in disorder from Clausen to Brixen, closely pursued by the French, who took possession of this important place, which the enemy abandoned with precipitation. In these several actions, particularly of Tramin, general Dumas, at the head of the French cavalry, did signal services. Here he first broke the enemy, and took six hundred prisoners, which led the way to their entire defeat.

The victories obtained by Buonaparte's generals, or those wherein he presided in person, had now brought him to the borders of Carinthia. Desirous of reconciling the inhabitants of this province to the entrance of the French, and no less in order to avail himself of the opportunity to direct an address, through them, to all the people of Germany, he issued a proclamation, wherein he disclaimed all purposes of conquest over the empire. The sole aim of the French government, he said, was to terminate this calamitous war; but the Imperial court had refused to attend to the proposals of peace offered to it. Corrupted by the gold of EngIand, the emperor's ministers betrayed both him and his subjects, and rendered them the tools of that power. He was conscious, he said, that the war was contrary to the sense of both his German and Hungarian subjects. He, therefore, in vited them to enter into terms of amity. He required no contributions all he asked of them was, that they would furnish provisions to his army, for which they should be indemnified, by being discharged

:

from all the imposts they were used to pay to the emperor.

This proclamation, as well as the many others, issued occasionally by the French commander, made little impression upon those to whom they were addressed. But they served as manifestos to the politic world, and, in the opinion of many, justified the French in their endeavours to force their enemies to accede-to a peace, which, had these been vic、 torious, they would have dictated to the French, as peremptorily, at least, as thisse did to them.

The close of March was approaching. Since the tenth the Austrians had not only been expelled from their posts, in the territory of Venice, but had lost the most considerable of those upon their own frontiers. The province of Carniola was nearly in the possession of the French, who had entered Carinthia and encamped on the southern side of the Drave, at some distance from Clagenfurth, the capital of this province. General Mas sena's vision pushed forward, on the twenty-ninth, towards that city. The main body of the Austrians were drawn up before it, to receive him; but after a slight resistance, and the loss of some hundreds killed and taken, it retired with all speed, and the archduke abandoned that place, which, being his head-quar ters, the loss of it cost a damp on the whole Imperial army. The French now crossed the Drave, and advanced beyond it to Frisach, a post of importance, While their central division was thus gaining ground, the left, under Joubert, was making no less progress in the Ty rol. He had been reinforced by a body of cavalry, commanded by ge

neral

neral Zaouzeck, one of those Polish officers who had taken up arms with Kosciusko, for the deliverance of their country and, sooner than submift either to the Russians or the Austrians, had preferred a voluntary exile, and entered into the service of the French republic. The Imperialists had posted themselves in the defiles, leading to Inspruck, the capital of the Tyrol. Here they were attarked by Joubert, on the twentyeighth of March. As they consisted of veterans, detached from the Rhine, purposely for the defence of this province, it was hoped they would have been able to guard its accesses: but the charge of the French, seconded by their artillery, was so impetuous, that the passes were forced, and the Imperial troops routed, with the loss of six hundred prisoners, exclusive of those who fell in the action, together with the whole of their baggage. The division of the right, under Bernadotte, was equally successful. It completed the reduction of the province of Carniola, by the capture of Laubach, its capital, on the first of April. This opened the way, on that side, to an entrance into the province of Stiria; contiguous to Austria itself. In these different expeditions, the French acquired an immense booty, in clothing, arms, and military stores of all descriptions, and in magazines, filled with all sorts of provisions.

On the same day, Massena's division, which, after taking possession of Clagenfurth, had penetrated into the country beyond the Drave, marched in force to attack a large body of Imperialists, posted in the defiles, leading to Neumark, and commanded by the archduke in per

son The encounter was obstinate: but the defiles were carried by the French, who pursued the Austrians with so much celerity, that these were compelled to halt, and form into a line of battle, for their defence. The fight was renewed, with increased fury. The archduke had brought up eight battalions of those grenadiers who had served under him at Keh!, and on whom he justly relied for their valour and expertness Massena encountered them with his own grenadiers, who were also deemed the flower of his army. They formed the centre, on both sides, and charged each other with equal bravery: but the flanks of the Imperial grenadiers, being suddenly assailed, by all the troops that Massena could detach for that purpose, and which came through narrow and unguarded paths, in the heat of action, they were thrown into disorder, and forced to abandon their ground, notwithstanding the formidable artillery that protected it. About six hundred of them were taken prisoners, besides a great number of slain. Night coming on, they availed themselves of it to hasten their retreat, leaving the French masters of the defile, and of all the country as far as Neumark, of which they took possession the next morning, and where they found large quantities of stores and provisions.

The archduke, baving collected his retreating troops, made a stand at Hundsmark, in the vicinity of the river Murh, but, the French coming up with them, on the third, they were routed, after a short conflict; and their rear guard, consist ing of four veteran regiments, from the army on the Rhine, lost near a thousand

a thousand men, killed and taken, 'The loss of the French, in both these engagements, was compara tively small, on a consideration of the advantages they obtained. The Austrians were now so discouraged by their constant defeats, notwithstanding their courage, and conduct, that they seemed to have come to a determination to remain wholly on the defensive, and to venture no encounters, but for the purpose of protecting a retreat. Their present position was such, indeed, as left them little hope of contending, successfully, with the French. These had, in consequence of the late action, occupied the strongest places in Carinthia. General Spork, an Austrian officer of note, was on his march along the valley, on the southern banks of the Murh, at the head of a considerable reinforcement, for the defeated army: but the French posted themselves on his passage, in such force, that he found it impracticable to advance beyond Murau, a town upon the river Murh, where his own situation became dangerous.

It was now evident, that all expectations of an effectual opposition to the French were unfounded. The fifth army that had been levied by Austria, to encounter them, was no longer in being. In the short lapse of a month, twenty thousand men had been made prisoners, and the remainder had either fallen in battle, or taken refuge in a broken and shattered condition, among the mountains and fastnesses of the country. The recruits that were raising could not supply the place of veterans who had not themselves been able to resist the French. The archduke, on whom such confidence

had been rested, had proved as unfortunate as his predecessors in command. The only resource left to the house of Austria, was, in all appearance, to acquiesce in the terms of pacification offered by France.

The consternation at Vienna was extreme: but the Austrian nobility, warmly attached to the Imperial family, with which it participated in all the dignities of the German empire, expressed a zealous determination to share the fortune of its sovereign, and to defend his capital to the last extremity. The remains of that body of young gentlemen, who had served as volunteers, in Italy, under Alvinzi, were again completed; and, by admitting the youth of all decent classes, were augmented to eight thousand. The Hungarian nobles, and their vassals, were called upon to arm, and repair to Vienna and all ablebodied men, in the hereditary states, were ordered to form themselves into companies in their respective districts. Out of all these a formid, able mass of stout and resolute men was to be raised. This, added to the regulars, assembling from all quarters, would, it was not doubted, constitute a force, which, though it might not intimidate the victorious enemy, still might prove the means of inducing him to relax from the severity of the terms he would other wise insist upon.

But these orders, and prepara tions, did not quiet the alarms of the generality. Numbers of the opulent, and even of the higher ranks, hastened to withdraw themselves, and their effects, in apprehension of a siege. The emperor, himself, signified his intention to