nate pillage; but Buonaparte contented himself with deputing fifty officers, whom he had just made prisoners, to inform them what might justly have been the consequences of their folly; and having himself assembled all the monks and priests, he endeavoured to impress on their minds what he styles "the principles of the gospel." He sent as heralds to Ravenna, the general of the religious order of the Camuldules in order to instruct the inhabitants how to avoid the dangers to which their present state of blindness and ignorance might subject them; and for the same purpose he sent to Cazenna, the birth-place of the pope, Dom Ignatio, prior of the order of the Benedictines. In a few days the Romagna, the duchy of Urbino, and the province of Ancona, submitted without further resistance. In Ancona, the French made 1,200 prisoners, and took possession of a considerable quantity of very fine arms, which had just been sent to the pope from the emperor, toge ther with an immense number of cannon. From Ancona, a division of the French troops proceeded to Loretto, from whence count Colli withdrew the papal army on their approach, carrying with him the greater part of the treasure of the sacred house, but leaving the inhabitant at the disposal of the French. The army journeyed on without paying any other attention to the virgin than taking possession of the remainder of the treasure which the papal general had left behind. Unlike the conquerors of antiquity, who fancied they had enchained victory when the objects of the adoration of their enemies fell into their hands, the French general left this new ally, the miraculous image, to the frigid and profane examina tion of the commissaries of government, who had been sent to make collections of what was most rare and curious in Italy. In violation of the principles of toleration, on which they professed to act, this object of religious worship, our lady of Loretto, was put into a case with the relics of her original wardrobe and kitchen furniture, stated by the commissaries to consist of rags of black woollen cloth, and earthenware spoons, and sent as trophies to the directory; but the miraculous house, which had been transported from Palestine to Loretto by angels, was shut up till further or ders, with the prohibition of working any more miracles. The army had proceeded through Macerata to Tolentino, within a few hours' march of Rome, and were on the point of being joined by the divisions which were marching by Sienna and Cortona, when his holiness, finding himself at the mercy of an enemy, against whom no further resistance could be made, dispatched a messenger to Buonaparte's headquarters with offers of peace. A letter, dated Rome, 12th of February 1797, and written by the pope, was addressed to Buonaparte, and conceived in the following terms: "Dear son, health, and apo"stolical benediction, "Desirous of terminating in an "amicable manner our actual dif"ferences with the French repub"lic, by the withdrawing the troops "which you command, we send "and depute towards you, as our "plenipotentiaries, two ecclesias"tics, the cardinal Mattei, whọ "is perfectly known to you, and "his lordship of Caleppi, together "with two seculars, the duke don "Lewis Braschi, our nephew, and "the marquis Camilli Massini, who are ❝ are clothed with our full powers to concert with you, to promise and "subscribe such conditions as we "hope shall be just and reasonable, "obliging ourselves, on our faith "and word, to approve and ratify "them in special form, in order "that they may at all times be valid and inviolable: secure in "the sentiments of good will, " which you have manifested to"wards us, we have abstained from "all removal from Rome, by "which you will be persuaded of "our great confidence in you. "We conclude with assuring you "of our highest esteem, and in "giving you our paternal apostolic "benediction. Given at St. Pe"ter's of Rome, the 22d year of ❝our pontificate. (Signed) PIUS, P.P. VI." The treaty of peace was signed (the 19th of February) by the commissaries of the pope and Buonaparte at Tolentino, and ratified a few days after by the pope and the sacred college. In this treaty the religious feelings of the holy father were treated with more respect than in the conditions of the armistice; and Buonaparte very wisely exchanged the unnecessary humiliation of retracting opinions formerly emitted in bulls, and manifestoes, which were contained in those conditions, for more solid advantages. The treaty, after the usual preliminary of peace and good understanding between the contracting powers, enjoins the pope to recall every adhesion, consent or accession, whether public or private, given by him to the coalition, and to every other treaty of alliance, offensive or defensive, with any other power or state whatever. The pope obliges himself to furnish neither during the present, nor in any future war, to any of the powers armed against France, assistance in troops, vessels, arms, provisions, or money, under any pretext, or by any denomination whatever. In five days after the conclusion of the treaty, he engaged to put his army on the same footing as before the conclusion of the armistice; and to suffer no ships of war, or privateers, belonging to the enemy during the present war, to enter his roads or ports. The pope formally renounced all right and title to the towns and territory of Avignon, and the county Ve naissin, situated in France; and also, every right and title to the terrtories known under the name of the legations of Bologna, Ferrara, and the Romagna, to the French republic; binding himself not to bestow the title of seignories annexed to the territory thus ceded. The French republic were to enjoy all the immunities and privileges which the nation possessed at Rome previous to the war; the French post to be re-established at Rome; the administration of the French academy of arts to be continued as heretofore; and, till a treaty of commerce was made, the republic to be placed on equal terms with the most favoured nations. The arrears of the sum demanded at the armistice to the amount of 15,000,000 of livres was consented to be paid, to which were added 800 horses equipped for ca◄ valry, and as many horses, oxen, and buffaloes for draft. As a condition of peace the pope bound himself to pay in addition 15,000,000 of livres, within two months, all of which was to be paid by instal➡ ments; the French army was engaged to recede from the different provinces in the pope's territories, of which they had then possession, in proportion to the celerity of the payments. All the manuscripts, pictures, pictures, statues, and other objects stipulated for at the armistice, were to be immediately delivered. His holiness likewise engaged to set at liberty all who were confined in Rome on account of their political opinions, and also to apologise at Paris, through his minister, for the murder of the French envoy Bassville, allowing the sum of 300,000 livres to his family. The pope lastly ceded to the French republic all the allodial lands belonging to the holy see, in the legations of Bologna, Ferrara, and the Romagna, particularly Mesola, and its dependencies; for all which concessions on the part of the court of Rome, the French republic made a formal cession to the pope of all its rights over the different religious foundations belonging to France in the cities of Rome and Loretto, and agreed to deliver up the town and citadel of Ancona at the continental "I send my aide-de-camp, com"mander of a brigade, to express "to your holiness the esteem and "perfect veneration which I have "for your person; and I pray you "to be assured of the pleasure " which I shall have, on all occa"sions, of testifying the marks "of respect and veneration with " which I have the honour to be your very obedient servant, "BUONAPARTE." Buonaparte, in his projected expedition to Rome, was compelled to pass near or over part of the territory of the republic of St. Marino, the least in Europe, and whose inhabitants scarcely exceeded the vanguard of his army. The embassador who was sent by Buonaparte to ask leave of passage, in his address to the captain regents or magistrates, recited "a few examples of the prodigies which liberty had operated among the people of free states: and after complimenting the republic of St. Marino for the asylum given to freedom within its walls, when it was banished from every other part of Europe, entered into a short history of the events of the French revolution, and the success with which its efforts had been crowned. He then informed those magistrates, that the army of Italy, in pursuit of peace, was compelled to pass very near their state, and that he came in the name of the French republic, deputed by general Buonaparte, to assure the ancient republic of St. Marino of peace and inviolable friendship. He, moreover, observed, that as the political situation situation of the states around them was likely to undergo certain changes, if any part of their frontiers was in a state of litigation, or if even they felt any inclination to round their own territory by tak ing a part of their neighbours, the French republic would seize, with pleasure, the occasion of showing the republic of St. Marino every proof of its sincere friendship." The answer of the council of, the republic to this address deserves to be cited as a model of that sound policy, to which, together with their insignificance, they have probably been hitherto indebted for their safety. "We place, citizen embassador," say they, "in the number of the most glorious epochas that have distinguished the annals of our freedom the day of your mission to our republic. Your republic, not only conquers its enemies by the force of its arms, but fills its friends with astonishment at the generosity of its proceedings. Happy are we to be classed in the number of those models which have excited your noble emulation, and still more happy to be found worthy of your friendship, of which you have now given us so evident a proof. We cannot behold without the most lively interest, the arms of the French republic, renewing in Italy the remembrance of the most brilliant eras of Greek and Roman history. "The love of our liberty makes us feel the worth of the magnanimous exertions of a great people aspiring to recover their own: those exertions have surpassed all expectation. Your nation, single against the rest of Europe, has afforded the world an astonishing example of what that energy can achieve which is produced by the sentiment of liberty. "Your army, marching in the steps of Hannibal, and surpassing by its deeds whatever is most wonderful in antiquity, led on by a hero who unites to every virtue the powers of the most distinguished genius, has cast a glance on a corner of the globe, where a remnant of the sons of ancient liberty fled for refuge, and where is found rather the plainness of Spartan manners than the elegance of Athens. "You know, citizen embassador, that the simplicity of our customs, the deep sentiment we cherish of liberty, are the only inheritance which has been transmitted to us by our fathers: this we have been able to preserve untouched amidst the political convulsions occasioned by a revolution of many ages, and which neither ambition nor hatred have been able to destroy. "Return then to the hero who has sent you; carry back to him the free homage, not only of that admiration which we share with the whole world, but also of our gratitude; tell him that the republic of St. Marino, satisfied with its mediocrity, fears to accept his gene rous offer of enlarging its territory, which might possibly in the end prove injurious to its liberty; but tell him at the same time, that we shall feel that we owe every thing to the generosity of the French republic, and to that of its invincible general, if we obtain the means of uniting by firmer bonds our commercial relations, and of concluding a treaty which may secure our political existence. "To these points are all our views bounded; and we request you to be our mediator with the chief of the army of Italy. With respect to yourself, illustrious embassador, we feel ourselves happy to have amongst us a person who unites to the Political State of the Northern Powers with respect to France. Of Russia, Prussia. Of the neutral Powers in Italy, Naples, Tuscany, Genoa, Venice, The Inefficacy of the Allies of the French Republic. Of Spain, of Holland. Domestic Troubles. Refractory Clergy. Disaffected Magistracy. Severity of the Laws, and the Cause of their Inexecution. Amendments proposed by the Directory. Supineness of the Legislature. Hostile Spirit of the Journalists to the Republic. New Laws to punish Libels. Their Inefficacy. New Election of Part of the Legislative Body. Proclamation of the Directory. Proposal by the Directory of an Oath of Fidelity to be taken by the Electors---rejected by the Councils. Anti-directorial Party in the Council strengthened by the Election of the new Third. Motion of Inquiry into the Conduct of the Directory respecting the Transport of the Galley-Slaves to the English Coast. Cause of this Expedition. Preparations by the Austrians and French for the Continuance of the War. Hopes of the Court of Vienna in the Exertions of Prince Charles. Positions of the two Armies. March of Prince Charles to the Piava. Advance of the French from the Brenta. Retreat of Prince Charles behind the strong Entrenchments of the Tagliamento. Difficulties of the Passage. Passage effected by the French. Defeat and Flight of the Army under Prince Charles. The whole of the Venetian Territory in Possession of the French. Attack and Defeat of the Austrians in the Tyrol under Laudohn by General Joubert. Retreat of Laudohn to Inspruck. Capture of the Austrian Artillery and Magazines, by Joubert, at Brixen. Attack and Defeat of the Centre of the Austrian Army by Massena, and their Retreat to the Mountains. Siege and Surrender of the Fortress of Gradisca. Possession of the Province of Goritia by the French. Proclamation of Buonaparte. Retreat of Prince Charles to Clagenfurt. Defeat of the centre Army of the Austrians on the Snows of Tarwis by Massena. Defeat of the Austrians, by Guieux, at Chinze. Capture of their Artillery, and Baggage by Massena. The Province of Carniola in Possession of the French. March of Joubert across the Tyrolian Alps. Junction of the Republican Armies at Clagenfurt. Further Retreat of Prince Charles. French in Possession of the Province of Carinthia, and of the whole of the Austrian Possessions to the Adriatic. Proclamation of Buonaparte to the Inhabitants of Carinthia. Letter of Buonaparte to Prince Charles, offering Terms of Peace. Prince Charles's Refusal. Alarm, Precautions, and warlike Preparations at Vienna. Propositions of Prince Charles---rejected. Advance of Buonaparte towards Vienna. |