rising above the waves which had threatened to overwhelm her, and, instead of her expected ruin, affording them further conviction that every effort for the attainment of their ends would be frustrated, as long as our liberties and the security of our persons and property are ensured by a firm adherence to the principles of our happy constitution. When we reflect on these achievements, and compare them with our enemy's menaces, we cannot but feel the liveliest sense of gratitude to Providence, which has implanted in the breasts of the British nation that elevated spirit, that honest pride, which has served them as a safeguard against the attacks of their most formidable enemies. And a reflection on these events may teach us, not from a false idea of security to neglect the proper means of defence, but to prepare for it with a just confidence that, under the same protection, our exertions will be crowned with the same success. Whilst we are celebrating the praises of the English constitution, it may not be thought improper, if we digress from the narrative of historical occurrences, to pay a tribute of respect to the memory of Edmund Burke,* who had ever been its firm, uniform, and zealous supporter.-Few characters have exhibited such an assemblage of virtues, talents, and accomplishments as his. The man of genius was united in him with the man of worth. His bright, luxuriant imagination is observable in every part of his works; and, displaying itself in his orations, rendered them more fascinating and attractive: and his refined taste in whatever relates to the belles lettres, and the amiable graces of his domestic and social character, gave a milder lustre to his virtues and high endowments as a senator, a statesman, and a patriot. 1797 * FRANCE, "Edmund Burke, son of an attorney at Dublin, was born in the year 1730.-The incidents "of his life are unimportant till the year 1765; when, on the appointment of the marquis of Rock❝ingham to the office of first lord of the treasury, he was made his private secretary and was after"wards chosen representative for the borough of Wendover. His principles are well known, and "his actions are interwoven in the history of his country. He died July 8, 1797, leaving no "heir. He married a daughter of Dr. Nugent, a physician of repute, but his only son by her "died two years before him."-Bisset's Life of Burke. 1797 FRANCE, HOLLAND, SPAIN, ITALY, AND GERMANY. We have seen the most vigorous efforts made in the late campaign to bring the trial of strength and resources between the belligerent powers to an issue proving ineffectual.-Fresh incense had been offered to the pride of France by the prudent, but pusillanimous, conduct of the king of Spain and other powers, which, after confederating to prevent the French republic from tyrannizing over Europe, had, like the Dutch states, tamely submitted to become subservient to its ambitious views. But this state had still a confederacy to contend with, whose positive strength was still great, and the diminution of which was balanced by a correspondent wasting of its rival's.—The Austrians had yielded to the enthusiastic ardour with which Buonaparte and his subaltern generals had inspired their troops in Italy; but they had repulsed the armies of Jourdan and Moreau in Germany, and had foiled these generals in their grand design of prescribing terms of peace to the emperor at the gates of Vienna. And the French government still found in Great Britain a foe who was determined to maintain the independency of Europe, and to assert her own pre-eminence on the seas, or perish in the attempt. A negotiation with that crown, in the late autumn, had failed of success, as well from the want of a cordial disposition to peace, as from the wide difference of sentiment respecting the terms upon which it was to be concluded. It was evident from the manner: in which it had terminated, as given in the English history of the late year, that, before France could accomplish its purpose of making the Rhine its boundary, Austria must experience further humiliation; that, before Great Britain could be brought to follow the example of other confederates in crouching under the arm of France, her naval force must be overpowered, and her government must be distressed by an invasion of her dominions.-These were the objects of the present campaign; in the attainment of which the directory, whilst it was favoured by the perilous situation of their adversaries, had new difficulties to encounter on their own part. To the extreme embarrassment of their financial system, to the molestation molestation which they continually dreaded from the jacobins on the one hand and the royalists on the other, to the discontent which was seen to pervade the whole body of the people when they were disappointed of the advantages which they had promised themselves under a republican government, was now added the alarm excited by intelligence of a formidable revolt of the negroes in St. Domingo, a further account of which will be given. in the history of the ensuing year. These circumstances presented difficulties to the French directory of the most tremendous nature; but they knew that the preservation of their own power depended on their surmounting them: and their past success, and the strong reinforcements which Spain and the Dutch states had engaged to make to their naval force, inspired them with sanguine hopes.-Moreover, these were heightened by an event which was expected to have a material influence on the affairs of Europe-that was the death of the empress Catharine. That politic princess, though hostile to the French republic from political principles and rivalship in power, had availed herself of the remoteness of her dominions from the seat of war and the ardour with which the southern potentates had confederated against France, and had suffered and encouraged them to exhaust their strength in the contest, whilst she was recruiting her own. But when she was informed of the triumphs of the French army in Italy, and saw that every campaign made some accession of territory to the republic, she began to be apprehensive lest the balance of power should be entirely destroyed, and the foundations of her own empire should be shaken by these political convulsions: her people, she feared, might be roused from their lethargy by the successes of these republicans, and, with the assistance of a powerful state, which had proffered its services to all who were disposed to claim their freedom, might make a vigorous effort to throw off the yoke of absolute power.To guard against these evils, she had prepared an army of 150,000 men, to co-operate with the German emperor, when death put a period to her enterprises, towards the close of the late year, and she was succeeded on the throne by her son, the emperor Paul, who was led, either by policy or by a determined opposition to the councils of his mother, to adopt a line of conduct more favourable to the French interests." Under 1797 1797 Under these circumstances of the European powers the campaign was opened in Italy.--Sensible that he should be constrained to yield to the demands of France respecting the Netherlands unless such a turn could be given to the war as might restore his affairs in this country, the emperor was indefatigable in his exertions for that purpose. And such was the success of them, such the spirit displayed by his subjects at this important crisis, that, within a few weeks after the battle of Arcola, Alvinzi was again. seen at the head of an army with which he dared to confront his enemy; amounting to near 50,000 men, among whom were a great number of young men of fortune, who repaired as volunteers to the imperial standard. Buonaparte, perceiving that his enemy's design was to force his posts on the Adige, and, advancing to the walls of Mantua, to oblige him to raise the siege by a co-operation with the brave garrison under Wurmser, was constrained once more to interrupt his operations before that fortress, and march to the support of Massena and Joubert, who were already engaged with the Austrians.-On intelligence that Joubert had been forced to retire before a superior army to Rivoli, after strengthening Augereau's detachment on the Adige, he hastened with a strong reinforcement to Joubert's support, and took the command of that division in person.t-A battle ensued, which was fought with exemplary firmness and alternate success. When it had continued above three hours, fortune evidently inclined to the Austrians, and the main body of the French was in danger of being surrounded. But they were saved from this dishonour by their own intrepidity and their general's address. The Austrians had been three times repulsed in their vigorous assaults on the intrenchments before Rivoli, when Buonaparte ordered a battery of only four field pieces to cannonade the right of the Austrian line, while a strong body of troops was dispatched to make an attack on it. This bold movement was executed with great promptitude and success. The Austrians, overpowered by their furious and unexpected onset, were driven from the height which they had occupied; and one brigade was so completely surrounded, that, except a few brave men who succeeded in cutting their way through the enemy, the whole were either killed or made prisoners of war. Campaign of Buonaparte, 224. and Campaign of 1796. 328. + January 14. This This fortunate stroke renewed the career of Buonaparte's successes.-A large body of Austrians was attacked by Joubert at the strong post of Corona, near Rivoli, the ensuing day; and, after a severe conflict, was defeated, and great part of them were taken prisoners.-On the same day, Provera, a general of distinguished merit, was attacked by Augereau on his route towards Mantua, and defeated with the loss of 2000 men. -Reaching the French lines of circumvallation with the remainder of his army, amounting only to 7000 men, he made a bold but unsuccessful attempt to force his way into the city.-Reduced to despair by this repulse, Provera then, as his last mean to extricate himself from surrounding danger, attacked the strong post of la Favourite, which guarded the fortress. But, notwithstanding Wurmser co-operated with him by a sally of the garrison, he was so furiously assailed by the different divisions of the French forces that all his efforts to effect his purpose and save the honour of the Austrian arms were unavailing. Surrounded by the enemy on all sides, this meritorious general at last suffered the mortification of surrendering himself and his troops prisoners of war; a disaster which was embittered to the emperor by the loss of the corps of volunteer gentlemen, who so gallantly offered him their services. During these actions before Mantua, Joubert and Massena were deriving every possible benefit from the victories at Rivoli by pressing upon their vanquished enemy, who had retired for refuge again across the Brenta. After several encounters with the Austrian detachments, in which the French were invariably successful, they regained possession of Trent, the chief magazine of the imperialists. These disasters proved decisive of the fate of Mantua. Deprived of all hope of relief, Wurmser, who had maintained the defence with such signal constancy, at length submitted to a capitulation, and received the most distinguished testimony of his merit in the honour which his rival did him, by granting him an escort of 200 horse and 500 foot, with six pieces of artillery.+d By the fall of this fortress the Austrian power was in effect annihilated in Italy; that of the duke of Tuscany, under the ascendency of France, being scarcely 1797 |