156 
mazidats, it was hardly poffible to fecure 
public confidence, in the mortgage given 
to the eftablifament of any bank what- 
foever. The nation abhorred every 
plan which feemed to have a tendency 
,to re-introduce the ruinous fyfem of 
paper money. The people w ould. con- 
fider the bills or notes of the propofed 
bank, merely as a kind of aflignats, re- 
{criptions, or mandats, prefented to ¢hem 
under a new form.” ‘They afierted, as 
the refult of their opinion, “ that the 
continual changes in the meafures cf the 
legiflature, had hitherto prevented the 
firm eftablifhment of any commercial 
undertaking—t hat much muft be done 
before trade could be rcftcred to. its 
ancient energy. Time, and the opera- 
tion of wife laws, could alone repair the 
evils it had fuffered; and that tie efta- 
bhithment of a bank, under the prefent 
circumftances, did not appear to them 
eligible.”’ 
: rake our laft ftatement, 
lican. army, 
the Répub- 
in Jtaly, under the cele- 
brated GENERAL BuoNaPartTe, has . 
performed prodigies of valour and ccn- 
qvef. 
The Emperor of Germany, inflead of 
being difcouraged by the defeat of his 
troops, at the famous battle of Arcola, 
tedoubled his efforts to affembie a larger 
body of troops; he firipped the whole of 
his frontiers; all the young men of 
Vienna, ‘of the beft families, were 
formed into corps of vo'unteers, and fent 
into ftaly; and every exertion was 
made. to defeat the French, and relieve 
Mantua. 
The court of Rome, without 'being 
formidable, armed and brought the fmal! 
body of troops it hed ready equipped, 
nearer to Romagta, in order to harats 
the fates of Reegio. Boxegna, Ferrara, 
and Modena, which had evinced an 
inclination to deciare themfelves inde- 
pendant. On the. otk of January, 
General BuoNAPARTE arrived. in 
Bologna; on the’ following day, he 
reviewed his trcops and. fettled his 
arrengements. He had. opened a nego- 
ciation with the grand Duke of ‘Tuf- 
cany, with regard to the garrifon of 
Leghorn, wench he conceived his pre- 
fence at Bologna would ferve infalltbi Vv 
to bring toa conclufion. T-pon the ath 
of January, however, the divifion of the 
Auxrians which wes at Padua, put it 
felf in mction. On the next day it at- 
tacked the advanced, guard. of Gcneral 
ANGEREOU, whe wasin fron: of Porto 
Peepage- After avery fmart dkirmith, 
Viétories of Busnaparte in Italy. 
“600 
fFeb, 
the Adjutant-General Dur AUX, who 
‘commanded this advanced guard, retired 
to St. Zeno, and next day to Porto Leg- 
nago, after having had an opportunity, 
by his refiftance, of apprifing the whole 
line of the march of the enem 
The French gener.] immediately de- 
tached the zooo men he had with him at 
ee tawards the Adige, and imme- 
diately after he fet out for Verona, before 
which place the Auftrians appeared at fix 
e’clock in the morning of the 12th of Ja- 
nuary, and attacked the advanced guard 
of General MassENA, pofted at the vil- 
lage of St. Michel. General MassENA 
left Verona, drew up his divifion in or- 
der of battle, and marched direétly againft 
his enemies, whom he put to the rout, 
took three pieces of cannon, and made 
prifoncrs. General BRUME, who 
had feven balls through his clothes, head- 
ed the grenadiers. 
On the fame day, the Auftrians Grrack - 
ed the head of the French line at Mon- 
tebaldo. The battle was warm and obfti- 
nate; the Aufirians at firft gained fome 
‘advantages over the French, but, at 
length, ‘the ey were repulled, with the 
lofs of above a hundred prifoners. 
On the 13th of January, the Auftrians 
pofted their advanced guard about a 
league from Porto Legnage. From fe- 
veral circumfiances, General Buona- 
PARTE difcovered, that the Anftrians 
intended to attack, with their principal - 
force, his line at Rivcli, and, by that 
route, to reach’ Mantua; he, therefore. 
Went In : perion thither, after having dif- 
patehcd icme reinforcements to the fame 
place. 
Cn the 14th, at at day- break, the French 
and Auitrians began to ehgage on the 
heights of St. Marcos; the battle was 
terrible and obftinatre. ALVinzr, the 
Auftrian general, was ignorant of Buvo-- 
NAPARTB’s having thrown in reinferce- 
ments during the night, and was there- 
fore greatly embarraffed in his difpofi- 
tion ; but, at the beginning of the attack, 
his army tock feveral French poits, which 
they were foon afterwards obliged to re- 
linguith. After the battle had lafted fe- 
veral hours, the French general ordered 
his artillery to cannonade the Auftrians, 
with fome twelve- pounders; at the fame 
time; he ordered a general attack 3 and, 
in leis than a quarter of am hour, a whole 
column of the Impeiial troops, confifting 
of more than four thoufand men, was 
taken prifoners ; the Auitrian army was 
every where put to flight, and -purfued 
by the French during the ‘whole night. 
The 
