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

1S8 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTER
of the Austrians on Valenza, by pushing strong re- Casal, on the 8th of May. The Austrians threw
connoitfing parties from Alexandria in the direc- themselves into the place, fortified and manned the
tion of that fortress. Besides, Beaulieu had himself steeples, and whatever posts else could be made
crossed the Po at this place, and like all men of effectual for defence, and reckoned upon defending
routine (for such he was, though a brave and ap- themselves there until the mai.n body of Beaulieu's
proved soldier), he was always apt to suppose that army should come up to support them. But they
the same reasons which directed himself must needs were unable to sustain the vivacity of the French
seem equally convincing to others. In almost all onset, to which so many successive victories had
delicate affairs, persons of ordinary talents are now given a double impulse. The village was
misled by their incapacity to comprehend, that men carried at the bayonet's point; the Austrians lost
of another.disposition will be likely to view circam- their cannon, and left behind one-third of their
stances, and act upon principles, with an eye and men, in slain, wounded, and prisoners. The wreck
opinion very different from their own. of Liptay's division saved themselves by crlossing
But the reports which induced the Austrian ge- the Adda at Pizzighittone, while they protected
neral to take the position at Valleggio arose. out of a their retreat by a hasty defence of that tbortress.
stratagem of wvar. It was never Bonaparte's intention Another body of Austrians having advanced firom
to cross the Po at Valenza. The proposal was a feint Casal, to support, it may be supposed, the division
to draw Beaulieu's attention to that point, while thle of Liptay, occasioned a great loss to the French
French accomplished the desired passage at Pla- army in tle person of a very promising officer. lThis
cenza, nearly fifty miles lower down the river than was General Laharpe, highly respected and trusted
Valleggio, where their subtle general had induced by Bonaparte, and repeatedly mentioned in the
the Austrians to take up their line of defence. campaigns of Piedmont. Htearing the alarm given by
Marching for this purpose with incredible celerity, the outposts, when the Austrian patroles came in
Bonaparte, on the 7th of May, assembled his forces contact with them, Laharpe rode out to satisfy
at Placenza, when their presence was least ex- himself concerning the nature and strength of the
pected, and where there were none to defend the attacking party. On his return to his own troops,'opposite bank, except two or three squadrons of they mistook him and his attendants for the enemy,
Austrians, stationed there merely fobr the purpose of fired upon, and killed him. He was a Swiss by
reconnoitring. General Andrlossi (for names dis- birth, and had been compelled to leave his country
tinguished during these dreadful wars begin to rise on account of his democratical opinions; a grenadier,
on the narrative, as the stars glimmer out on the says Bonaparte, in stature and in courage, but of a
horizon) commanded an advanced guard of five restless disposition. The soldiers, with the superhundred men. They had to pass in the common stition belonging to their profession, remarked, that
ferry-boats, and the crossing required nearly half an during the battle of Fombio, on the day before, he
hour; so that the difficulty, or rather impossibility, was less animated than usual, as if an obscure sense
of achieving the operation, had they been seriously of his approaching fate already overwhelmed hilm.
opposed, appears to demonstration. Colonel Lannes The Austrian regiment of cavalry which occasionthrew himself ashore first with a body of grenadiers, ed this loss, after some skirmishing, was content to
and speedily dispersed the Austrian hussars, who escape to Lodi, a point upon which Beaulieu was
attempted to resist their landing. The van-guard again collecting his scattered forces, for the purpose
having thus opened the passage, the other divisions ofcoverin,g Milan, by protecting the line of the Adda.
of the army were enabled to cross in succession, "The passage of the Po," said Bonaparte, in
and in the course of.two days the whole were in the his report to the Directory, " had been expected to
Milanese territory, and on the left bank of the Po. prove the most bold and difficult manoeuvre of the
The military manceuvres, by means of which Bona- campaign, nor did we expect to have an action of
parte achieved, without the loss of a man, an opera- more vivacity than that of Dego. But we have now
tion of so much consequence, and which, without to recount the battle of Lodi." As the conqueror
such address as he displayed, must have been at- deservedly congratulated himself on this hard-won
tended with great loss, and risk of failure, have victory, and as it has become in a manner especially
often been considered as among his most masterly connected with his name and military character,
movements. we must, according to our plan, be somewhat miBeaulieu, informed too late of the real plans of nute in our details respecting it.
the French general, moved his advanced guard, The Adda, a large and deep river, though fordable
composed of the division of General Liptay, foro at some places and in some seasons, crosses the
Valleggio towards toe Po, in the direction of Pla- valley of the Milanese, rising and joining the Po at
cenza. But here also the alert general of the French Pizzighlittone; so that, if tile few places at which it
had been too rapid in his movements for the aged can be crossed are fortitied or defended, it forms a
German. Bonaparte had no intention to wait an line covering all the Milamnese territory to the eastattack from the enemy, with such a river as the Po in ward, friom any force approaching front the direchis rear, which he had no means of re-crossing if tion of Piedmont. This line Beaulieu proposed to
the day should go against him; so that a defeat, or make gooOd agaitnst the victor before whom he had
even a material check, would have endangered the so often retreated, and he conjectured (on this octotal loss of his army. He was, therefore, push- casion rightly) that, to prosecute his victory by
ing forward in order to gain ground on which to marchinig upoli Alilan, Bonaparte vwould first desire
mnanoeuvre, and the advanced divisions of the two to dislodge the covering army from tile line of the
armies met at a village called Fombio, not far from Adda, as he could not safely advance to the capital