66 66 to him, expressing "the satisfaction they felt "in finding the choice they had made of him, "to conduct the army of Italy to victory, jus "tified by the laurels he had gained." It is observed by a military writer, that Buonaparte "had but one object, towards which he directed "all his movements, and applied all his means; "this was to break the line of the allies. He "succeeded in it, by bringing almost the whole of his force to bear on the weakest part of their "line, a simple manœuvre, which can scarcely "fail of being successful, if executed with foresight, celerity, and vigour*." Thus "with the arms of a flood" the opposing Austrian army was "broken" before him. In his address to his army of the 20th of May, he describes their exploits in terms very similar to those in which they were foretold by the Angel to Daniel; for the violence of a desolating flood, or an irresistible torrent, is so apt an emblem of the force of a victorious army, that it is not only a scriptural symbol, but has been introduced as a figure into ordinary language. Soldiers!" says he, " you have precipitated "yourselves like a torrent from the summit of "the Appenines: you have driven back and 66 * See History of the Campaign of 1796 in Germany and Italy, p. 235. ડ 66 dispersed all who opposed your marchPiedmont, liberated from Austrian tyranny, "has yielded to her natural sentiments of peace "and amity towards France: Milan is yours, "and the republican flag floats throughout 66 Lombardy, while the Dukes of Parma and "Modena owe their political existence solely "to to your generosity." The King of Sardinia, and the Dukes of Parma and Modena, having been "broken" before the power of Buonaparte, and compelled to sue for peace; and the Austrian army, commanded by General Beaulieu, having been so completely "broken," that it was obliged to retire into the Tyrol, and to leave all Italy open to the French; the King of Naples was induced on the 4th of June to conclude an armistice with them, in which it was stipulated, that his troops should separate from those of the empire. On the 19th June Buonaparte entered the dominions of "the "Prince of the (false) covenant," that is, of the Pope, and took possession of the towns of * Although we read chiefly in the Scriptures of a Holy Covenant between God and his people, which it is declared in divers places shall never be broken; yet on the other hand we read of a Covenant with Death and an agreement with Hell, which those are considered as entering into who depart from God which Covenant God declares, by the mouth of Bologna, and Ferrara, and Fort Urbino; and his further progress was only stopped by the Pope's submission, who agreed to pay to France 21,000,000 of French livres (equal to 875,0007.), and likewise to deliver up to the commissaries of the republic 100 paintings, as well as 200 precious manuscripts; and consented also that the Prophet Isaiah (chap. xxviii. ver. 18), that he will annul, destroy, and render unavailing. If the holy Covenant designates the true church, or the Protestant nation, the false Covenant may be equally said to characterize the cotemporary Apostate church, or the Papacy. The term the "Prince of the Covenant" occurring in a prophecy relating to these latter days, we may therefore consider either to mean the King of Great Britain, as the head of the holy or Protestant nation, or the Pope, as the chief or head of the grand Apostacy of the present day. If, however, the Protestant nation is most naturally made the subject of prophecy, as a people, we may conclude, that as the Prince or Chief of the Covenant is here individually mentioned, it is more probable that the Chief of the false than of the holy Covenant is intended; the Pope being also in other parts of the Scriptures made a principal subject of prophecy. Our application of the term to him will be further confirmed from our finding that no explanatory word or phrase, indicating that it is the holy Covenant, is in the present instance introduced; whereas in all passages where the Protestant nation is clearly referred to under the term "the Covenant," the epithet "holy" is prefixed, or the people are otherwise shewn to belong to this holy Covenant by being designated as "the "people that do know their God." the French should retain possession of those those towns which they had seized; of which Bologna is considered as, next to Rome, the richest and most important city of the dominions of the church. "And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and "shall become strong with a small people; he "shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest 66 places of the province." Buonaparte, after the league made by him with the Pope, and the other Princes of the northern states of Italy, was occupied in extending, throughout the whole of the country, the empire of the French, and the terror of his arms. It is observed by one who treats of this period", "that he was "equally careful to impress the Italians with "favourable opinions of his inclination to pro"mote their general welfare, and equally of "his respect for learning and literary men. "This, he knew, would exhibit an advanta 66 geous contrast of the respective dispositions "of the French and the Austrians in matters "of this nature. The neglect and indifference "of these latter, for the polite arts and sciences, "and their professors, had long been well "known, and it was a part of Buonaparte's * See Dodsley's Annual Register for the year 1796, p. 102--104, policy, by displaying his partiality to charac "ters of this description, to conciliate their "esteem, and secure their prepossession in "his favour. "To this intent he had taken with him to "Italy several eminent literati from France. They were the companions of his private "hours, and were looked upon as a credit to 66 his expedition: with them he consulted in "what manner he could make it redound to "the benefit of letters and philosophical knowledge: 66 46 "The cultivators of learning in Italy, tơ "whom he was represented in this advantageous light, could not fail to conceive amicable "ideas of him, and he was particularly soli"citous to improve them. An opportunity 66 offered, on the reduction of Milan, where "he requested an interview with the cele"brated astronomer Oriane, in order to testify "his respect, and that of the French nation, "for his extraordinary merit. In a letter, "written to him on this occasion, and addressed 66 through him to all the Italian literati, Buo"naparte exerted his persuasive talents to "convince him and them of the predilection "with which the rulers of France regarded all "individuals of his character, and how zealous |