enumeration of the rivers which the Po receives on the right bank, it is stated in the Memoirs of Napoleon, "THE SOURCES OF ALL WHICH RIVERS are in the Ligurian Alps," or Piedmont, the country of the fountains of waters. There the combined Austrian and Russian armies closed their career of conquests, in 1799; and, on the plains of Piedmont, Bonaparte afterwards, in one battle, restored the lost laurels of France, and poured out the last of the vial which was first given into his hand. The map may serve for illustrating the prediction as well as the campaign. The history of the war will farther shew that it was indeed the spot on which the vial of wrath was finally poured out.

In the beginning of 1799, eighty thousand French troops, and fifty thousand auxiliaries, held Italy and Naples in subjection. The army of Italy chiefly occupied its northern frontier, including Piedmont, Milan, and the countries of Bergamo and Mantua; and fifty thousand, ready for active service, "were in cantonments on the banks of the lake of Garda, of the Mincio, and of the Po." The Austrians occu

pied the parallel line of the Adige. It was the allotted task of the army of Italy" to pierce through the line of the Adige, and to drive the Austrians beyond the Brenta." The republican forces assaulted the entrenchments of the imperial army, (26th February,) and the battle was very obstinate the whole day. A Polish legion was exterminated" with the bayonets of the Austrians and the butt ends of their muskets.” So numerous were the slain, that within three days "the air began to be infected; and the only suspension of arms was for the burial of the dead, (February 29.) On the succeeding day, ten thousand men, commanded by Moreau, having passed the Adige,

* Memoirs of Napoleon, vol. iii. part 1, p. 106.

and advanced within half a league of Verona, were attacked by the Austrians with such resistless fury, and yet fought with such determined resolution, that "their retreat was nothing but a continued engagement;" but on approaching the bridge, they were driven from it by two battalions of Austrian grenadiers, who," without firing, and using only the bayonet, overcame all resistance, seized the bridge, and thus all who had not already passed were cut off."

"On the first of April, General Scheerer, abandoning all his posts which he occupied between the Adige and the lake of Garda, and placing a strong garrison in Peschiera, took a position with his left and centre, beyond the Tartaro, at Magnan, between Villa Franca and Ysola-della-Scala, his right wing being before Lignano. On the following day the Austrians encamped on the right bank of the Adige, before Verona, and on the road to Villa Franca. These first days of the campaign cost the French the immense loss of ten thousand men in killed, wounded, taken, or deserted; and that of the Austrians amounted to half the number."*

Fearing the rapid advance of other Austrian forces and of the Russian army, Scheerer resolved to make a new effort to drive the Austrians over the Adige; and, stimulated by their great and unwonted, but dear-bought success, the general of the Austrians "formed on his side the project of driving the French from their grand camp of Magnan and beyond the Tanaro, or, if possible, behind the Mincio. It was on the same day, 5th April, that the two generals resolved to attack each other." The hostile armies met, and the battle was soon general along "the whole front of the line." The French got possession of Villa Franca, and, maintaining that position, were pressing on towards Verona, when they were assailed and broken by a column of the Austrian reserve, and their brief triumph converted into flight. Scheerer

* Annual Register, Lond. 1799, vol. xli. pp. 277-280.

and Moreau, with all their remaining forces, "rushed so vigorously on the centre of the Austrians, that they compelled it to give way." Three battalions of grenadiers, of the imperial army, the last to mingle in the contest, checked anew the victorious French, and "the battle was renewed with redoubled fury, and long maintained with equal success. The obstinacy of the Austrians at last prevailed, and the French on this point likewise were broken, routed, and pursued with the bayonet at their backs." The victors lost," in killed and wounded, 2500 men. The loss of the French, in killed and wounded was at least 3500 men. The revolt of Italy was the result of the victory." "The long suppressed detestation of the Italians for the French now broke forth, and the inhabitants of the two banks of the Po took against them." On the extremity of the Austrian line, their arms were equally successful, and they drove their enemies from the valley of Chiesa, and the two shores of the lake of Idro. Scheerer passed the Mincio, quitted the line of that river, and retired behind the Chiesa, leaving Peschiera and Mantua to their fate.

up arms

The barbarities of war were not mitigated, nor was the slaughter diminished by the arrival of Suwarrow. The whole Austrian army having passed the Mincio, and being joined by the Russians at Vallegio, the supreme command of both armies devolved on Suwarrow. "The marshal immediately took measures for pushing forwards, and made the necessary arrangements for the double blockade of Mantua and Peschiera. Scheerer, with his army reduced to less than 20,000 men, pursued his retrograde movements. The allied armies followed close on his footsteps, reduced the town and citadel of Brescia, and forced the French to abandon the Oglio. On the 20th General Kaim severely beat the rear-guard of the enemy's

right, at Cremona, where the Russians were engaged, for the first time, with the French." But insurrectionary bands were around them on every side, as well as imperial armies in their rear. "They had scarcely suffered a first defeat, when the hatred felt, and the revenge reserved for them, broke forth with Italian heat. In a moment the insurrection spread itself on the two banks of the Po. The French, dispersed about the country, fell under the blows of those Itałians, who were a few days before so obedient. Even some towns, and among others Mirandola, were taken from them by the armed peasants, supported by some light imperial troops. The sparks of this fire passed, as it were, over the heads of the French, and lighted up the Brescian, the Bergamese, and Piedmont. The people assembled in several places, and where it did not burst it threatened. The fear of seeing a numerous population arriving behind him, and the impossibility of making head at once against this and the Austrians, contributed not a little to determine Scheerer to retire, that he might concentrate his force, secure the fortified places of Piedmont, and receive those reinforcements sooner, which were on their way from France and from Switzerland." But his repeated reverses and continued retreat induced the Directory of France to supersede their favourite general, and to nominate Moreau in his stead, who was invested with the supreme command on the banks of the Adda; and, under a new commander-in-chief, the French army, reinforced by troops from Piedmont, Genoa, and France, prepared to make a stand against their victorious enemies, and the war was carried on with renewed obstinacy, vigour, and barbarity. Mantua, Peschiera, Brescia, and Pizzighitone had already been garrisoned, as if they had been left as spots upon the waters, on which the vial of wrath had still to be poured out.

The French had retired as rapidly from the scene of Bonaparte's repeated contest and desperate battles with a succession of Austrian armies, as that general had advanced over Piedmont and Lombardy; and they were now again returning to that portion of the rivers, and especially of the fountains of waters, over which his triumphant course had been as rapid as their retreat from the lake of Garda to the banks of the Adda. It remained to be seen, whether more than before, and last in order, the vial had to be poured out upon the fountains of waters, even as it had previously been poured upon the rivers.

"The positions taken by the French army were these; the left wing of the French army, commanded by Serurier, defended the upper Adda from Lecco, on the lake of Como, to Frezzo, where it joined to the centre, where Moreau took his station, composed of the divisions of Generals Victor and Grenier. All the place comprised between Trezzo and Cassano, was occupied by these two divisions. At their right and behind Cassano, was placed the main body of their cavalry. The bridge head of Cassano was strongly entrenched and protected by the artillery of the castle. It was protected likewise by the canal between the Adda and Milan, lined with riflemen, and defended by a great number of batteries raised along the banks of the river. The right of the French army, guarded by General Delmas, had its principal force at Lodi and Pizzighitone.

"On the 23d the allies continued their march without impediment, and encamped on the banks of the Adda, taking their positions along that river, and leaving those occupied by the French. Their head-quarters were at Treviglio. General Kaim's division held Pizzighitone in check, observed the Lower Adda, and advance parties beyond the Po, to Placentia and Parma. One of these parties was sent into the latter place to carry off the Pope, whom the French were conducting into France. But the Austrians, who were not informed of this circumstance before it was too late, did not arrive at Parma till twenty-four hours after the unfortunate Pius the Sixth had been torn from thence."*

The seven last plagues are the vials of the wrath

Annual Register, ibid. pp. 282, 283.