on maxims of policy, and thofe of religion appear in a collateral light, and chiefly as of an engine

of itate.

From this letter, which was dated the feventh of January, 1797, Buonaparte deduced, however, the propriety of proceeding inmediately to action against the pope, left the Aufirian miniftry thould adopt the plan fuggefted in that letter, and fend fuch powerful fuccours, over the Adriatic, to Ancona, as might enable the pope to make a vigorous ref:fiance.

But it was not only among the French that the Roman fee had enemies. In Rome itfelf they were numerous., Republican principles bad filently, but effectually, been propagated there, and through other parts of the ecclefiaftical ftate, and multitudes were impatiently waiting the opportunity of throwing off teir fubjection to the pope, and of erecting a commonwealth. Encouragements, tending to this end, were fradioufly held out to the people of that capital, and of the Roman domains, by the French emiflaries fcattered among them. Thus the court of Rome had to guard against enemies no lefs hoftile to it than the French themfelves, and, in fome reipects, more dangerous, as they were domeftic, and would oppofe all conciliation with France, as militating directly against their own defigns.

In addition to thefe there were many among thofe who continued obedient to the papal authority, and were averle to a change of government, who fcrupled not, openly, to difapprove the tardinefs in coming to a pacification with the French; whom it were, in their opi

litated state of the papal power, and from whom friendly conditions might be obtained, if they were applied to with franknefs and candour, and if the intrigues hitherto carried on with their enemies were unfeignedly laid atide.

Thole who favoured this party, which was the most numerous, filled Rome with pafquinades and fatires on the conduct of adminiftration, which they reprefented as contrary to the true interefts of the Roman fee, and tending to its inevitable ruin. The prefent pope being the fixth of the name of Pius, they applied to him what had formerly been faid of Alexander the fixth, which was, that every fovereign of Rome, who had borne the name of Sextus, had constantly occafioned its ruin.

Remonftrances of the inutility and peril of encountering fuch formidable enemies as the French, with undifciplined troops, and inexperienced officers, were anxionfly laid before the Roman government, by its most prudent wellwifhers, and enforced by the minifters of thofe powers that were defirous of its prefervation. But whether it confided in a change of fortune, in favour of its Auftrian ally, or that it hoped, by alluming an appearance of refolution, and being feconded by a powerful bedy of auxiliaries, the French might be induced to grant better terms, it obfinately perfifted in the determination to try the chance of war, rather than fubmit to the hard conditions prefcribed by the French.

Buonaparte, who had hitherto entertained an expectation, that the terror of the French arms might at laft operate a iubmiflion in the court

of

of Rome, now finally refolved to employ hoftile measures. He ordered Cacault, the envoy of the republic at Rome, to quit that city, and iffued a manifefto against the pope, wherein he charged him with the breach of the armiftice that had taken place in the month of June preceding; notwithstanding which he had fill perfevered in acting an hoftile part to France, by exciting againft it the hatred of his own people, and of all over whom he poffeffed influence, by arming his fubjects, with a profefled defign to commit hoftilities, by negociating with the court of Vienna, and puiting his troops under the command of Auftrian flicers and generals, and laftly by refuting the negociation for peace, propofed by the minifter of the republic at Rome.

This manifefto was accompanied by a proclamation to the people inhabiting the papal dominions. They were informed that the Trench, in entering the territories of the pope, would faithfully protect religion and property, and maintain the public peace. They were warned to abflain from all acts of enmity, which would certainly draw down upon them vengeance and all the horrors of war. Every town and village that founded the tocfin, on the approach of the French, was threatened with inflant deftruction. Every diftrict, where a Frenchman was affaffinated, should be declared hoftile, and fubjected to heavy contributions. The clergy and conventuals, who demeaned themfelves peaceably, would enjoy the benefits of their prefent fituations; but, if they acted otherwife, military law would be executed upon them, and they would be treated with more feverity than others. Both of

thefe declarations were published on the third of February, the day after the furrender of Mantua, and had been delayed till this event, purpofely to make the greater impreflion.

A divifion of the French army, commanded by general Victor, had entered the papal territories on the firft. A body of the pope's troops, confifling of four thoufand foot, and about a thousand horfe, awaited his approach on advantageous ground. The Senio, a river that runs between Imola and Faenza, was in the front of the camp, which was strongly intrenched. Early in the morning of the fecond of February, the French advanced towards a bridge oppofite to the centre of their front. It was the only one remaining, as they had broken down all the others, in order to have only this one to defend. But the drynefs of the feafon had rendered that river fordable in feveral places, at which large detachments of the French croffed over it, and came upon their rear, while their front was vigorously attacked by the legion of Lombardy, confifting of northern Italians, whole antipathy to the fouthern is remarkable. They had requested to be put upon this fervice; and, though it was the first time they were in action, they acquitted themfelves with great valour. They broke the line of the papal army, and carried the batteries oppofed to them, at the point of the bayonet. Prefled in this manner, both in front and rear, the pope's troops, after a defence, by no means contemptible for men fo unused to tactics, were completely routed. Five hundred were flain and wounded, and about a thoufand made prifoners, and fourteen pieces of cannen taken. The

fofs

lofs of the French did not exceed one hundred.

This engagement decided the fate of Rome: the victors proceeded immediately to Faenza, the inhabitants of which attempted to make a refiftance: but the gates being burit open, by cannon, the French rushed in, and the city furrendered at difcretion. Buonaparte prevented all plunder and bloodshed, and difmifled fifty of his noft contiderable prifoners, ordering them to repair to their countrymen, and reprefent to them the folly of expofing themfelves to certain destruction, by a fruitless refiftance. He next fummoned before him all the pries and monks in the neighbourhood, and laid before them the necefity of yielding to fuperior force, and the iniquity of exciting the animofity of the people againfi the French, who did not come to deftroy their reEgion, but to compel the court of Rome to make a peace with France upon reafonable terms. He reqed them, as minitters of the gopel, to defift from preaching war, and to attend folely to the duties of Leir profeffion, which was to infufe a pacific difpofition into all men. He laftly warned them to beware of participating in popular infurrections, either by heading them perfonally, or by giving them countenance. Thefe were acts of criminalty for which he folemnly affured them they would find no mercy. Thele admonitions were, by the French commander, deemed the more necellary, that feveral clergymen and friers had been prefent at the action of the ferond of February, on the Senio, where they greatly contributed, by their encourage ments and exhortations, to the reáltance and firm behaviour of the

papal troops, and where fome of them had loft their lives.

After delivering this charge to the clergy of the places in his poffeffion, he dispatched the chiefs of the monaftic orders to thofe towns and diftricts, where they had most influence, in order to prevail upon them to remain quiet, on the folemn affurance of being left to the full enjoyment of every civil and religious right; but, if refractory, on pain of being delivered up to pillage and the feverest chastilement.

This charge, from a military monitor, was found more efficacious than the ufual charges of bithops to the clergy. The promiles and threats of Buonaparte produced the intended effect. This was to procure the fubmiflion of the fubjects to the fee of Rome, without effufion of blood. Being himJelf an Italian, he was peculiarly folicitons to obtain à character of humanity among his countrymen, and to appear, at the fame time, the protector of their laws and religious eftabliments. He completely fucceeded in both of thele intentions: and though executing the orders of the directory, at the head of an army of Fieiehmen, a people long odious to the Italians, he conducted himfelf with to much prudence and circumfpeétion, as to command the refpect and efteem of the latter, without leting any of the attachment and confidence of the former.

In the mean time, he proceeded without delay in the reduction of the papal dominions. A few days were fufficient to take poffeffion of the provinces of Romagna, Urbino, and Ancona, the best countries remaining to the pope. The city of Ancona had made fome prepara

tions for defence. A corps of near two thousand men had been pofied on the high grounds that command the accels to this important place, towards the land; but the French general, Victor, found means to furround them, and they furrendered without refifiance.

The next place of confideration that fell into the hands of the French, was Loretto, famous for the credulity and fuperftition exhibited there in modern ages. The treasure contained in the church, where the donations of princes and ftates and the rich offerings of perfonages of the firft rank and opulence had been fo long accumulating, had been partly removed by the Auftrian general, Colli, commander-in-chief of the papal forces. The French, however, found articles to the value of about a million of their money. But, to do them juftice, it was not plunder nor devaftation they fought in conquering the pope's dominions: for which indeed they could plead no pretence, as the inhabitants now fubmitted to them without oppofition, and feemed, in many places, intirely difpofed to fraternife with French principles.

After fubduing the intermediate country, from Loretto to Macarate, Buonaparte fixed his quarters in this place on the twelfth of February. He was now within forty leagues of Rome, and it was evident that no obftacle could retard his march to that city. In order to terminate hoftilities with all speed, he wrote a letter to cardinal Mattai, wherein, after reproaching the pope for his endeavours to injure the republic, he advised him to truft to the generofity of the French, and to have immediate recourfe to a pacification.

10

He fpecified that five days would be allowed him to conclude a peace, for which purpofe he would meet the perfons commiffioned to negociate it at a place which he appointed.

The fituation of the pope, deprived of all hope of affiftance from any quarter, and relinquished even by his own people, left him no other expedient to fave himself, and the Roman fee, from abfolute ruin, than to accept of fuch conditions as could be obtained from an exafperated enemy, confcious that he fubmitted through unavoidable neceffity, and would poffibly obferve the terms he agreed to no longer than thofe who impofed them were able to enforce their obfervance. Yielding, however reluctantly, to circumftances, he wrote a letter to Buonaparte, apprifing him of his defire to treat, and requesting that he would grant juft and honourable conditions. Four perfons were deputed to the French general, as the papal plenipotentiaries on this occation. Cardinal Mattæi, and duke Brafchi, the pope's nephew, were the principal.

He

The conditions of this treaty were of the fame tenour as thofe concluded by the French with other powers. The pope renounced his alliance with the coalition. agreed to disband the troops he had levied against the republic, and to fhut his ports against the fhips of war belonging to its enemies, and not to furnish them with fupplies of any kind. All the rights and privileges enjoyed by France, in the papal dominions, previously to the revolution, were confirmed. ceded to the French, in full fovereignty, the country of Avignon, and every place in France, formerly

He

fubject

fubject to the Roman fee. He ceded, in like manner, the cities and territories of Bologna, Ferrara and the Romagna. He engaged to pay the fum of thirty millions of French livres to the republic, either in fpecie or in value, and to deliver the ftatues, pictures, and manufcripts, ftipulated in the treaty of armiftice, of which he agreed to fulfil all the

other conditions. The Batavian republic was included in this treaty: on his punctual compliance with which, the prifoners taken from him were to be fet at liberty, and all the places and diftricts restored, that had been feized by the French, Ancona excepted, which however they were only to retain till a general peace.

VOL. XXXIX.

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CHAP.