fued. A fpecial commiffion was inftantly iffued, by the Councils of Ancients and Five Hundred, appointing Bonaparte First Conful of the French Republic! and, on the 15th of December, 1799, he was inftalled, in the Champde-Mars, with great pomp and folemnity. Thus vested with fupreme authority, he proceeded to the appointment of men of honour, found judgment, and abilities, to execute the different functions of the civil government and the most experienced generals to the command of his armies. Soon after he had attained his confular power, it was his with, by every honourable means, to fue for peace. Accordingly he addreffed letters to the Belligerent Powers, fignifying his defire to put an end to the miseries of war, by an honourable and general peace; but this not being listened to, he gave orders for new preparations. The whole machine was now in motion; and his measures were taken with fe much wisdom and celerity, that the campaign of Italy, then about to commence, promised infallibly to bring about peace, and terminate at last the revolution. The army formed at Dijon for this purpose, was denominated the Army of Referve, and foon amounted to 50,000 effective men. In the first week of May, 1800, Bonaparte fet out from Paris in order to join this army, and now it can be no exaggeration fo fay, that the First Conful performed wonders: the ever memorable battle of MARENGO in the month of June, established his fame, and after a continued flaughter of fourteen hours, determined the fate of Italy, by returning it into the hands of its former conqueror. The day after this victory, Bonaparte perceiving the wounded Austrian prifoners pafs by him, exclaimed, “One cannot help regretting at the fufferings of his enemy!" and gave directions that the greatest care fhould be taken of them: NAPOLEONE BONAPARTE. 55 them while the prisoners, as they paffed, cried, "Long live Bonaparte." Having now given orders to demolish all the fortresses of the Milanese and Piedmontefe countries, he took his departure, accompanied by General Berthier, and his staff, for Milan; where he was received by the inhabitants with the greatest acclamations of joy.Here he immediately established the Cifalpine Republic, and attended Te-deum at the cathedral church. He alfo caufed the celebrated Univerfity at Pavia to be re-organized; it having been shut up fince the invafion of the combined Powers, in 1799. Having fettled thofe and fome other affairs in Italy, he set off on his return for Paris, where, July 2, at half past two in the morning, he arrived by the gate of Marengo, cidevant des Gabelins; and extraordinary as it may appear, yet it is an indifputable fact, that from the time he left Paris, and accomplished the conqueft of Italy a fecond time, and returned to the capital, was no more than fifty-eight days! On the second of February, 1801, peace was concluded with the Emperor of Germany. Bonaparte's chief attention was then directed to an attainment of peace with Great Britain; which defirable object was at last effected, attended with demonstrations of joy on both fides. Thus has Bonaparte, by his confummate skill as a foldier, and his profound wisdom as a statesman, gained for France much more than even her moft fanguine partizans could have expected. We must not, however, omit to mention, that, notwithstanding all his exertions for the Republic, fhe did, at one time, and probably still does, harbour fome ingrates in her bofom: for, on the 10th of October, 1800, fome wretches formed a plot to affaffinate the First Conful, which they were to have executed while he was at the opera: but their plan was difconcerted by the Minifter of Police, who arrefted them at the moment they were to have perpetrated the horrid deed. Another act of the the fame nature was attempted, on the 24th of December. A fmall carriage, containing a barrel of gunpowder, cartridges, and old nails, was placed in a street through which he generally paffed, in his way to the opera; and although he came as expected, fortunately the explosion did not take place, through mismanagement of the conspirators, till the instant after his carriage had gone by. The villains foon after fuffered the juft punishment of death. It is a circumstance allo worthy of note, that this fortunate man, although exposed to danger in fo many battles, never received a single wound! With refpect to his perfon, he is of a small ftature, but admirably proportioned. He is of a spare habit of body, yet robuft, and calculated to undergo the greatest fatigues, His complexion, like that of all the males of fouthern climates, is olivė; his eyes blue, his chin prominent, the lower part of his face thin, and his forehead fquare and projecting. With respect to his mind, he poffeffes uncommon attainments. He converfes freely, and without pedantry, on all fubjects, and writes and fpeaks with fluency and eloquence. Above all things, he has attempted, and in a great meafure obtained, the mastery over his paffions. He is abftemious at his meals, and was never seen, in the slightest degree, intoxicated. He poffeffes many friends, but has no minions; and preferves an inviolable fecrecy, by means of a rigorous filence, far better than other men do by a loquacious hypocrify. He rifes very early, and immediately applies himself to business, in which he usually occupies the whole morning. Every thing that is important is tranfacted entirely by himfelf. The only two perfons in whom he appears to have any confidence, are Fouche and Tallyrand. He confults them for their opinion, but is not controuled by either. Thefe |