f 
} 
} 
a 
a.) 
‘| shewed what 
4 
fi 
| 
which the French testified for the 
religious practices of the natives, 
enabled those who hated them, on 
this account, to instil their hatred 
into others, and to inflame their 
Jindignation against men who pre- 
sumed to more sense in those mat- 
ters than other nations. 
The two classes whose inveteracy 
'\to the French was most notorious, 
'| were the nobility and the clergy; as 
the French did not scruple to avow 
their enmity and contempt for both, 
if was natural that these should 
hold them in abhorrence. In their 
eeches and conversations, public 
nd private, the former seldom failed 
to represent the nobles as tyrants, 
and the priests as impostors. The 
depression which both these orders 
of men had suffered in France, 
was intended for 
them in other parts of Europe, were 
the French to succeed in the vast 
design imputed to them, of entirely 
$Subverting the political and religious 
system of this quarter of the globe. 
_ Actuated by these apprehensions, 
several of the most resolute of the 
nobility, and most zealous of the 
clergy, resolved, it was said, to in- 
cite the commonalty to rise against 
the French, on the first opportunity 
that should seem favourable to such 
a design. The day fixed upon for 
$ execution, was the twenty-fourth 
of May. Early in the morning, 
onaparte set out for Lodi, at the 
on of a strong detachment. He 
hardly reached that place, when 
he was informed, by an express, that 
) almost general insurrection was 
ading through Lombardy. The 
ularm bells were ringing every 
ere, and the peasantry and lower 
classes throughout the country, in- 
Stigated by the noblesand the clergy, 
Were up in arms, and iutent on the 
Vou. XXXVIII, 
] 
| 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
oF 
massacre of all the French they 
could meet with. Rumours were 
circulated, that Beaulieu, strongly 
reinforced, was om his march to 
Milan, and thata number of French 
detachments had been surprised and 
put to the sword. Incensed at the 
ideas of equality upheld by the 
French, the nobles had dismissed 
their domestics, telling them, that, 
being their equals, they could no 
longer employ them as servants. 
The partisans of Austria were, in 
short, exerting all their activity to 
raise commctions, aiid no place was 
free from them. 
On the receipt of this intelli- 
gence, Buonaparte hasted back to 
Milan with a large body of horse 
and foot. He arrested a number 
of suspected persons, and ordered 
those to be shot who had been taken 
inarms. Heintimated to the arch- 
bishop, and to the clergy and no- 
bles of the city, that they should 
be responsible for its tranquillity. 
A fine was imposed for every ser- 
vant discharged, and every precau- 
tion taken to prevent the conspiracy 
from gaining ground. 
It was principally at Pavia, that the 
conspirators were the most nume- 
rous. They had seized on the citadel, 
guarded by asmall party of French, 
whom they made prisoners. Being 
joined by some thousands of pea- 
sants, they resolved to defend the 
town, and refused admittance to 
Buonaparte, on his summoning them 
to surrender. But a body of French 
grenadiers Lurst open the gates, on 
which those who had the custody 
of the French, who had been com- 
pelled to surrender in the citadel, 
set them at liberty. None of them 
were missing: had violent hands 
been laid upon them, the determi, 
nation was taken to destroy Pavia, 
(H] 
