98 
and to erect on its site a pillar with 
this inscription, ** Here stood the 
city of Pavia.” 
In order to deter the shabiinets 
of this, and the other towns in- 
clined to stir up insurreétions, the 
promoters of that at Pavia were 
sentenced to be shot, and two hun- 
dred. hostages, for their peaceable 
behaviour, were delivered to Buona- 
parte, who sent them to France. 
He next issued a proclamation, de- 
claring, that those who did not lay 
down their arms within twenty-four 
hours, and take an oath of obedience 
to the French republic, should be 
treated as rebels, and their houses 
committed to the flames. 
The nobles and priests in the in- 
surgent distriéts were to be arrested 
and sent to France. ‘The places 
within the precincts of which a 
Frenchman was assassinated, were 
condemned to pay triple taxes till 
the assassin was given up. The 
same fine was laid on places where 
concealed arms and ammunition 
were found. Persons of rank and 
fortune who excited the people to 
revolt, either by dismissing their ser- 
vants, or by holding. inimical dis- 
eourses against the French, were to 
be sent to France, and to forfeit 
part of their estates. 
Injunctions and declarations of 
this nature were posted, up in every 
place of note throughout the Mi- 
Janese. Particular precautions were 
taken for the security of the city of 
Milan, the castle of which still re- 
mained in possession of the Austri- 
ans, who might, in case of any for- 
midable insurrection, have given it 
effectual assistance. 
Freed from the perplexity occa- 
sioned by these disturbances, Buo- 
naparte prepared to prosecute the 
plans he had been forming. The 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
broken forces of the Austrians had 
in their retreat taken refuge on the 
Venetian territory. Hither they 
were closely pursued by the French. 
But previously to the commence-_ 
ment of operations in the Venetian 
state, Buonaparte was careful to give 
formal netice of his intentions to 
the senate. 
The disposition of the Venetian’ 
government, towards France, was’ 
justly suspected to be inimical. Had 
it been friendly before the entrance 
of the French into Italy, their suc- 
cesses, and the powerful footing they 
had now obtained, would have ren=. 
dered them too dangerous to be view= 
ed with a favourable eye. Situated 
between two such powers as France 
and Austria, Venice had no inclinas 
on to befriend the one more than 
the other, and would gladly have 
been delivered from the proximity 
of both. Unwilling to offend a state 
between which, and the French re 
public, an amicable intercourse 
subsisted, the French general pub- 
lished an address to that government 
and people, . wherein he assured 
them, that in following the enemies 
of France into the Venetian terri- 
tories, he would observe the striétest 
discipline, and treat the inhabitants. 
with all the amity and consideration 
due to the ancient friendship existe 
ing between the two nations, 
_In-the-mean time, the Austrians 
had taken possession of Peschiera, 
by the connivance of the Venetians, 
to whom that town belonged. Here 
Beaulieu hoped to be able to make 
a stand, till succours arrived to him 
from Gunn . Buonaparte, desir- 
ous to expel him from Italy, or to 
compel him to surrender, advanced 
to that town, intending to cut off his 
retreat to the Tyrol, by the eastern 
side of the lake of Garda. Early 
in 
