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

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 291
their guns, accomplished this severe duty, not with The descent on the other side of Mont St Bernard
cheerfulness only, but with enthusiasm. The car- was as difficult to the infantry as the ascent had
riages were taken to pieces, and harnessed on the been, and still more so to the cavalry. It was, howbacks of mules, or committed to the soldiers, who ever, accomplished without any material loss, and
relieved each other in the task of bearing them with the army took tp their quarters for the night, after
levers; and the ammunition wvas transported in the having marched fourteen French leagues. The next
same manner. WVhile one half of the soldiers were morning, 16th May, the van-guard took possession
thus engaged, the others were obliged to carry the of Aosta, a village of Piednont, fiom which extends
muskets, cartridge-boxes, knapsacks, and provi- the valley of the same name, watered by the river
sions of their comrades, as well as their own. Each Dorea, a country pleasant in itself, but rendered
man, so loaded, was calculated to carry from sixty delightful by its contrast with the horrors which had
to seventy pounds' weight, up icy precipices, where been left behind.
a man totally without encumbrance could ascend but Thus was achieved the celebrated passage of
slowly. Probably no troops save the French could Mont St Bernard, on the particulars of which we
have endured the fatigue of such a march; and no have dwelt the more willingly, because, although a
other general than Bonaparte would have ventured military operation of importance, they do not into require it at their hand. volve the unvaried details of human slaughter, to
He set out a considerable time after the march which our narrative must now returs.
had begun, alone, excepting his guide. le is de- Where the opposition of Nature to Napoleon's
scribed by the Swiss peasant who attended him in march appeared to cease, that of man commenced.
that capacity, as wearing his usual simple dress, a A body of' Austrians at Chatillon were overpowered
grey sulltout, and three-cornered hat. lie traveled and defeated by Lannes; but the strong fortress of
in silence, save a few short and hasty questions Bard offered more serious opposition. This little
about the country, addressed to his guide fiom time citadel is situated upon an almost perpendicular
to time. When these were answered, he relapsed rock, rising out of the river Dorea, at a place where
into silence. There was a gloom on his brow, cor- the valley of Aosta is rendered so very narrow by
responding with the weather, which was wet and the approach of two mountains to each other, tliat
dismal. His countenance had acquired, during his the fort and walled town of Bard entirely close up
eastern campaigns, a swart.complexion, which the entrance. This formidable obstacle threatened
added to his natural severe gravity, and the Swiss for the mioment to shut uip the French in a valley,
peasant who guided him felt fear as he looked on where their means of subsistence must have been
him.* Occasionally his route was stopt by some speedily exhausted. General Lannes made a destemporary obstacle occasioned by a halt in the ar- perate effort to carry the fort by assault; hut the
tillery or baggage; his commands on such occasions advanced guard of the attacking party were dewere peremptorily given, and instantly obeyed, his stroyed by stones, musketry, and hand-grenades,
very look seeming enough to silence all objection, and the attempt was relinquished.
and remove every difficulty. Bonaparte in person went now to reconnoitre,
The army now arrived at that singular convent, and for that purpose ascended a huge rock called
where, with courage equial to their own, but flowing Albaredo, being a precipice on the side of one of
fiom a much higher source, the monks of St Bernard the mountains which form the pass, from the summit
have fixed their dwellings among the everlasting of which he could look down into the town, and
sniows, that they may afford succour and hospitality into the fortress. fie detected a possibility of taking
to the forlorn travelers in those dreadful wastes. the town by storm, though he judged the fort was
Ilitherto the soldiers had had no refreshmnet, save too strong to be obtained by a coup-de-main. The
helien they dipt a morsel of biscuit amongst the town was accordingly carried by escalade; but the
snow. The good fathers of the convent, who possess French who obtained possession of it had little
considerable magazines of provisions, distributed cover fi-om the artillery of the fort, which fired fulbr'ead and cheese, and a cup of wine, to each soldier riously on the houses where they endeavoured to
-as lhe passed, which was more acceptable in their shelter themselves, and which the Austrians might
siluation, than, according to one who shared their have entirely demolished but for respect to the in|tttigues,t- would have been the gold of Mexico. habitants. Meanwhile, Bonaparte availed himself
of the diversion to convey a great part of his army
Ai-parently the -guide who conducted him from the in single files, horse as well as foot, by a precarious
Granld Chartreux found the chief consul in better hu- patll formed by the pioneers over the tremendous
inmolr, for Bonaparte said lie conversed freely with him, Albaredo, and so down on the othef side, in this
and expressed some wishes with respect to a little farm, etc. manner avoiding the cainon of Fort Bard.
u which he was able to gratify. To his guide from Martigny Still a most impoltant difficulty renained. It
to St Pierre, he was also liberal; but the only specimen of was impossible, at least without great loss of time,
his conversation which the latter remembered, was, when, to carry the French artillery over the Albaredo,
shaking the rain-water from his hat, Ie. exclaimed-" There,
see what I have done in your mountains-spoiled my new while, without artillely, it was impossible to move
hat. Pshaw, I will find another on the other side." See, against the Austrians, and every hope of the camfor these and other interesting anecdotes, Mr Tennant's paign must be given up.
Touer throulgh the Netherlands, lHolland, Gerrna;g, Scit- In the meantime, the astonished commandant of
zerland, etc. the fort, to whom the apparition of this large army
t Joseph Petit, fourrier des grenadiers de la garde, au- was like enchantmenlt, dispatched messenger after
thor of Marengo, o0 C ampagne d'Italie: 8vo, an ix. messenger to warn Melas, then opposed to Suchet,