The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

180 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
auspices of ambition as well as love. The marrying which lay on the western side of these mountains,
Madame Beauharnais was a mean of uniting his as naturally pertaining to their dominions; but they
fortune with those of Barras and Tallien, the first of never deigned to respect themn as such, when the
whom governed France as one of the Directors; and question respected their invading on their own part
the last, from talents and political connexions, had the territories of other states, which lay on or beyond
scarcely inferior influence. He had already deserved the formidable frontier. They assumed the law of
well of them for his conduct on the Day of the Sec- natural limits as an unchallengeable rule when it
tions, but he required their countenance to rise still made in favour of France, but never allowed it to
higher; and without derogating from the bride's be quoted against her interest.
merits, we may suppose her influence in their so- During the Revolutionary War, the general forciety corresponded with the views of her lover. It tune of battle had varied from time to time in the
is, however, certain, that he always regarded her neighbourhood of these mighty boundaries. The
with peculiar affection; that he relied on her fate, King of Sardinia possessed almost all the fortresses
which he considered as linked with and strengthen- which command the passes on these mountains,
ing his owvn; and reposed, besides, considerable and had therefore been said to wear the keys of
confidence in Jos6phine's tact and address in poli- the Alps at his girdle. He had indeed lost his
tical business. She had at all times the art of mi- Dukedom of Savoy, and the County of Nice, in the
tigating his temper, and turning aside the hasty last campaign; but he still maintained in opposition
determinations of his angry moments, not by directly to the French a very considerable army, and was
opposing, but by gradually parrying and disarming supported by his powerful ally the Emperor of Austhem. It must be added to her great praise, that tria, always vigilant regarding that rich and beautishe was always a willing, and often a successfill ad- ful portion of his dominions which lies in the north
vocate, in the cause of humanity. of Italy. The frontiers of Piedmont were therefore
They were married 9th March, 1796; and the covered by a strong Austro-Sardinian army, opdowry of the bride was the chief command of the posed to the French armies to which Napoleon had
Italian armies, a scene which opened a full career been just named commander-in-chief: A strong
to the ambition of the youthful general. Bonaparte Neapolitan force was also to be added, so that in
remained with his wife only three days after his general numbers their opponents were much supemarriage, hastened to see his family, who were still ior to the French; but a great part of this force
at Marseilles, and, having enjoyed the pleasure ofex- was cooped up in garrisons which could not be
hibiting himself as a favourite of Fortune in the city abandoned.
which he had lately left in the capacity of an in- It may be imagined with what delight the general,
digent adventurer, proceeded rapidly to commence scarce aged twenty-six, advanced to an independent
the career to which Fate called him, by placing field of glory and conquest, confident in his own
himself at the head of the Italian army. powers, and in the perfect knowledge of the country
which he had acquired, when, by his scientific plans
of the campaign, he had enabled General Dumerbion
CHAPTER XXI. to drive the Austrians back, and obtain possession
of the Col di Tende, Saorgio, and the gorges of
The Alps.-Feelings and views of Bonaparte on being the hiher Alp Bonaparte's achievements had
appointed to the command of the Army of Italy-General hher
account of his neC. principles of warfare -Mountainous hitherto been under the auspices of others. He
countries peculiarly favourable to them -Retrospect of made the dispositions before Toulon, but it was
military proceedings since October, 1795.-Hostility of Dugommior who had the credit of taking the place.
the French government to the pope.-Massacre of the Dumerbion, as we have just said, obtained the merit
French envoy Basseville, at Rome.-Austrian army un- of the advantages in Piedmont. Even in the civil
der Beauliet.-Napoleon's plan for entering Italy- turmoil of 13th Vendl niaire, his actual services had
attle of Montte Notte, and Bonaparte's first victory- been overshaded by the official dignity of Barras, as
Again defeats the Austrians at Millesimo-and again
under Coli-Takes possession of Cherascommander-in-chief. But if he reaped honour in
itnder Colli —Takes possession of Cherasco. —King of
Sardinia requests an armistice, which leads to a peace, Ttaly, the success would be exclusively his own;
concluded on very severe terms.-Close of the Pied- and that proud heart must have throbbed to meet
montese campaign.-Napoleon's character at this pe- danger upon such terms, that keen spirit have toiled
riod. to discover the means of success.
For victory, he relied chiefly upon a system of
NAPOLEON has himself observed, that no country tactics hitherto unpractised in war, or at least upon
in the world is more distinctly marked out by its any considerable or uniform scale. It may not be
natural boundaries than Italy. The Alps seem a unnecessary to pause, to take a general view of the
barrier erected by Nature herself, on which she has principles which he now called into action.
inscribed, in gigantic characters, "Here let Ambi- Nations in the savage state, being constantly ention be staid." Yet this tremendous circumvallation gaged in war, always form for themselves some peof mountains, as it could not prevent the ancient culiar mode of fighting, suited to the country they
Romans from breaking out to desolate the world, so inhabit, and to the mode in which they are armed.
it has been in like manner found, ever since the days The North-American Indian becomes formidable
of Hannibal, unequal to protect Italy herself from as a rifleman or sharp-shooter, lays ambuscades in
invasion. The French nation, in the times of which his pathless forests, and practises all the arts of
we treat, spoke indeed of the Alps as a natural irregular war. The Arab, or Scythian, manceuvres
boundary, so far as to authorise them to claim all his clouds of cavalry, so as to envelope and de