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 England, 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, invited 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 victorious, they would have dictated to the French, as peremptorily, at least, as thsse 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 Massena's division 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 killedand taken, it retired with all speed, and the archduke abandoned that place, which, being his head-quarters, the loss of it cast a damp on the whole Imperial army. The French now crossed the Drave, and advanced beyond it to Freisach, a post of importance. While their central division was thus gaining ground, the left, under Joubert, was making no less progress in the Tyrol. He had been reinforced by a body of cavalry, commanded by ge

neral

neral Zajouzeck, one of those Polish officers who had taken up arms with Kosciusko, for the deliverance of their country and, sooner than submit 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 attacked 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 Kehl, 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, having 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, consisting 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 comparatively 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 un fortunate 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 Gerinan 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 formidable inass 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 preparations, 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 appre hension of a siege. The emperor, himself, signified his intention to

quit Vienna in such a case; and the stoppape of payment, at the bank, completed, at once, the fears and dissatisfaction of the public.

Buonaparte was, in the mean time, collecting, and concentrating his forces, in order to proceed, in a direct march, to Vienna, where he notified, to the directory, that he hoped, shortly, to plant the standard of France, if the emperor still continued averse to a peace. He now fixed his head quarters at Clagenfurth, where those of the archduke had been some days before, in order to render his expulsion from this place, and his reverse of fortune, the more remarkable, through a circumstance that would not fail to attract notice from its particularity.

A gleam of returning fortune had, on the other hand, attended the Austrian arms in the Tyrol. The inhabitants of that province had risen in a mass, and joined the forces under general Laudohn. Strengthened by numbers, which, though undisciplined, were not the less brave and enterprizing, he resolved to attack the division under Joubert, who, after his successful action, on the twenty-eighth of March, had taken post at Butzen, in order to give some respite to his men, after 3 the fatigues they had undergone. On the fourth of April they were assailed by the Austrian troops, in conjunction with the Tyrolese. Overpowered by immensity of numbers, they were obliged to give way, and retire to Brixen, which they were also obliged to abandon the following day. Here, however, the success of the Austrians ferminated. Buonaparte's plan requiring the united strength of all

his forces, Joubert's division proceeded through the Tyrol to join him. Laudolin followed, but could make no impression upon Joubert, who arrived at the main army with eight thousand prisoners, and all the other captures he had made.

During these transactions, the arrangements that had been made, in the French army, had completely prepared it for the execution of the design in agitation. Hoping, however, that its formidable appearance might produce the effect thereby intended, which was to put a stop to hostilities, Buonaparte availed himself of the manifest superiority of his situation, to make overtures of peace to the archduke Charles. To this intent he wrote a letter to him, which, at the time, excited the universal attention of all Europe. Brave soldiers, he said, made war, but desired peace. The war had now lasted six years. Men enough had been slaughtered, and evils enough committed against suffering humanity. Such, he noticed, were the exclamations on all sides. Europe, which had taken up artis against the French republic, had laid them down, and Austria alonɛ continued its enemy. Blood was still to flow, a sixth campaign was announced, and, whatever might be the result, thousands of galiant soldiers must fail a sacrifice. At some period, nevertheless, he observed, both parties must come to an understanding, since tire brought al things to a conclusion, and extinguished the most inveterate resentinents.

The French directory had expressed a desire to terminate this ruinous contest, but their pacific overtures were descated by the in

tervention

tervention of the British ministry. Was there then, he said, no hope of accommodation? Must blood still be shed to promote the interests, or to gratify the passions, of a people far remote from the theatre of war? Are not you, addressing him self to the archduke, who are so nearly allied to the throne, and above the mean passions that usually influence ministers, desirous to merit the appellations of benefactor of the human race, and saviour of the German empire? I do not mean, added he, that your country cannot be preserved by your sword, but that however the chance of war may alter in your favour, Germany must still be a sufferer. He concluded by assuring the archduke, that as to himself, were his present application to him to be the means of saving the life of a single man, he should be prouder of the civic crown, to which he would thereby become entitled, than of the melancholy glory resulting from the most brilliant exploits in war.

This letter of Buonaparte will descend to posterity, a nobler monument of his fame than any of his victories. It breathes the sentiments of a gallant military chief; and, at the same time, the sublimest sentiments of morality. "When time shall have settled the present disputes, (as sooner or later it must,) and even extinguished the resentment of nations ;"*nay, and when the whole series of his victories shall pass through the mind as a dream that has past, such sentiments, recorded in the page of every historian, will touch and engage every heart.

To this letter from Buonaparte,

which was dated the seventh Ger minal (March thirty-first) the archduke replied, that he, was equally desirous of peace with the French commander, but that his station not authorizing him to scrutinize, nor to terminate the differences between the belligerent powers, and not being invested with any commission for that purpose, he could not undertake a negociation till he had received special orders.

On receiving this answer, the French troops were immediately put in motion. Their march was directed towards Murau, where general Spork was posted. The archduke, upon this intelligence, requested a suspension of arms for the space of only four hours: but as this would have enabled him to secure the junction of that officer's division with his own forces, Buonaparte sent him a denial, and proceeded on his marcb, resolved to carry his designs into speedy execu tion, unless they were prevented by complying with his offers to enter into a treaty.

He had advanced to Judenburgh, in Stiria, where he fixed his headquarters, intending, by a rapid march, to transfer them into Austria itself, when he received a notification from the emperor, that he was ready to embrace the opportunity given him by the French general, of entering into negociations for peace. This message was brought him by generals Bellegarde and Murveldt, deputed by the Imperial court to confer with him on that subject, and to obtain an armistice, the more effectually to bring matters to a peaceable conclusion.

A suspension