to interpofe his influence to determine the court of Vienna, to put an end to the horrors of war, and the further effufion of blood."

The anfwer of the Archduke was cool and unconciliating. He observed" that it was not his business to examine into the caufes, nor to feek to end the quarrels of belligerent nations; and that not being authorized by the Emperor to enter into any treaty, that Bonaparte must not deem it unreafonable if he fhould decline entering with him into any negociation for which he must wait for fuperior orders; as the object was of high importance, and not within the reach of his inftruc

tions."

It is evident from this anfwer, although containing many polite expreffions of high regard and perfonal respect for the French general, that the court of Vienna entertained hope of extricating itfelf from the danger that feemed to menace it, from the approach of the republican armies. The Archduke had taken his pofitions between Judemburg and Newmark, waiting the arrival of fresh troops. The city of Vienna, in the mean while, was thrown into the greatest confternation. The dread of feeing the hoftile army of France, under the walls of Vienna, had led the government to the refolution of arming the people in a mafs. Many thousands of people were employed in raifing new works around the city. The merchants and ftudents of the univerfity, formed themfelves into companies; the peasants poured in from various quarters to enroll themfelves; the Princes and Nobles took arms, and mingled their names with thofe of the common people, and the court by condefcending proclamations, exerted themfelves to animate the multitude to take an active part in the common caufe.

But the hopes of the people were not alike fanguine- the rich drew out their money from the bank, which found itfelt unable to answer the run made upon it. Meatures were taken by government to top the emigration of the rich inhabitants, as well as to prevent

the

the too great influx of people who were flying from the invaded provinces. Foreigners of every age and sex were ordered to quit Vienna in three days; and although the government endeavoured by its edicts to infpire confidence, precautions were taken to remove the treafure and precious effects of the ftate, into Hungary, to diminish at least the spoils, if they could not prevent the triumph, of the conqueror.

Bonaparte finding that the cabinet would listen to no conciliating meatures, ordered his army to advance. By a masterly manoeuvre the junction of the main army with Laudohn's divifion was completely defeated, and which had been a main object of the plans of the Archduke.

By the continued victorious march of the French army, and their arrival at Murh, within as fhort a distance from Vienna as the united armies of Pruffia and Auftria had been in the campaign of 1792, the court of Vienna were now ferioufly alarmed, which influenced them to dispatch two general officers to Bonaparte, to request formally a fufpenfion of arms. By these negociators, the Emperor affected to declare, that he had nothing more at heart than to fee the termination of hoftilities, which had fo long defolated both countries, and having duly confidered the letter which the French general addrefled to the Archduke, had,fent thefe confidential gentlemen to confer with him on the fubject -Bonaparte in anfwer to this note, obferved, that a fufpenfion could not but be difadvantageous to his army, confidering the fituation of both armies at that time; but fince this fufpenfion was an opening to peace, fo defirable and fo neceffary to both nations, he acceded to the Archduke's requeft, limiting the term to ten days, during which he expected meafures would be purfued to attain this defirable object. At the fame. time, he prudently required poffeflion of the fortrefs of Gratz, Leoben, and other poits on the frontiers of Hungary, and trom thence to the Adriatic, in order to Arenthen his polition, with regard to the object of his

march

march, if the negociation, during the fufpenfion, fhould not fucceed.

Although Bonaparte had hitherto purfued through Italy and Germany an army of flying troops; and although he was within a few days march of Vienna, and probably on the point of overturning the imperial throne, which had fo long ruled or balanced the deftinies of Europe, yet he could not diffemble to himself the extreme difficulties, if not imminent dangers, to which he was expofed. His rapid marches across ravins and precipices, and over mountains, where no traces of roads exifted, had compelled him to leave behind the greater part of his heavy artillery; while his army, from the rigours of the feafon, and the conftant ftate of action in which they had been kept, had very fenfibly diminished.

To reach Vienna by the fpeedieft direction, the French army had to pass the mountains of Styria, which rife for a long extent from the Murh, almost within fight of this feat of empire. These mountains, eafily defended by the retreating army, and the fuccours which were pouring in from all quarters, would have rendered the remainder of his march to the imperial capital extremely difficult. Thefe dangers arifing from the enemy before him, had been well weighed by Bonaparte. By daring courage, and the boldeft efforts, he had, in the space of a month, led his army to conquefts which the most ardent imagination had fcarcely ventured to contemplate; but he made no calculations, on the outlet of his expedition, for other enemies than those with whom he was at open hoftility, and therefore had not provided refources. In accepting, therefore, the offers of the armistice, and in figning, within the limited time, the preliminaries of peace, Bonaparte gave, perhaps, as folid a proof of his talents as a flatef man, as he had hitherto done of his valour as a foldier.

Mean while the Imperial and French armies had commenced hoftilities on the banks of the Rhine.

Both

Both of thefe armies had been confiderably weakened by the reinforcements which had been fent off to the refpective armies of Italy, and which had been in continued action during the winter. The return of Laudohn into the Tyrol, the march of Alvinzi by Fiuma and Trieste, and the hostile preparations making by the Venetians, each of which movements menaced with danger the army of Bonaparte, then entangled in the mountains of Styria, and which had influenced him to fign the preliminaries of peace, led the directory alfo to order the French generals Hoche and Moreau to make the moft rapid movements, and pafs, with their refpective armies, into the circles of Franconia and Suabia, to caufe a diverfion of the Auftrian armies, or form a junction with Bonaparte.

The retreat of the Auftrians beyond the Lahn enabled the various divifions of the French army to cros the Rhine without moleftation. Here they found the Auftrians ftrongly entrenched and fortified on both banks of the Lahn; but as General Wernecht, the commander in chief of the Auftrian forces, felt that his army was not equal to a long or vigorous refiftance, he demanded a further prolongation of the armistice, artfully alledging that the preliminaries of peace had been figned; but as he refufed to comply with the conditions which General Hoche exacted, which were the delivery of fome ftrong fortreffes, the negociation dropped, and the two armies prepared for action. The attack began with a brisk cannonade. The whole of the French line was foon in motion; the infantry, fupported by the fire of the light artillery, and by the huffars and light dragoons, poured down with their ufual ardour on the Auftrian entrenchments. The centre of the line of redoubts was carried by the commander in chief. Lefevre, who led on the, right wing of the French, broke through the left of the imperialifts, whilft the right fled before General Championet, who commanded the left wing of the French army.

The

The Auftrian general during the night retreated beyond the Lahn, leaving behind him the artillery of his redoubts, and 4,000 prifoners. The French continued the purfuit, and came up with the Auftrians at Ukerath and Altenkirchen, where they had taken ftrong pofitions. The Auftrians were again routed, with great lofs, by General Lefevre; whilft General Ney marched rapidly to Dierdorf, where he found the referve of the Auftrian army, confifting of 6,000 men, whose attack he sustained, with a divifion of 500 huffars, till the infantry came up, when he drove them from their pofitions with confiderable lofs. The left of the French army croffed the Upper Lahn, and took poffeffion of Wetzlaar; and, forcing the Auftrians to cross the Nidder, purfued them to the gates of Frankfort.

General Moreau, in the mean while, who commanded the army of the Rhine and Mofelle, which was can toned along the Rhine, made preparations to cross the river at Strasburg. The want of pontoons to effect his defign, was in fome measure compenfated by the decrease of the waters, which permitted the French to make two bridges from the main land to a part of the iflands in the Rhine; and other parts of the river were fordable, from Brifach to the mouth of the Murg. The centre of the army ftationed at Strafburg, under General Duhem, were ordered to make the first real efforts, whilft falfe attacks were made, in various places, to divert the attention of the Auftrians. At the mouth of the river Ill, in fight of the oppofing army, was moored the little fleet, compofed of the boats which had previously been put in requifition. Part of this divifion, notwithftanding the heavy fire from the oppofite fide, made good their landing; and, having taken poffeffion of an island, from which they had driven the Auftrians, fent back their boats to bring over the other troops. During this manœuvre, the French, expofed to the Auftrian artillery, loft confiderable numbers of men; but General Vandamme fucceeded in keeping his pofition on the banks, till a greater number of troops had landed, who VOL. II.

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were