as to individuals, that their prefent intereft, or a momentary profperity, fuffers them not to perceive the precipice, till they are on its brink. Although the fage may fleep amid forms, he ought to watch when the heavens are ferene, and the furface of the fea is calm.

"The apparent inaction of the French, during almost two years, led to a belief, that they had no further thoughts of the projected conqueft, and confequently all military preparations were deemed ufelefs. But the fautors of revolutions never reft. The republican phalanxes were conftantly making new exertions, and, as they always met with obftacles, if they could not extend their power, they made it felt; and felt it muft neceffarily be. During their fuppofed inactivity, they were employing themfelves in thofe arts, which were about to prove to fatal to Italy. Venice did not even keep a watchful eye upon thefe evolutions, but plunged herself more deeply in the enjoyment of her own felicity. All orders of citizens, confidering a remote danger as one having no existence, were revelling in the momentary prosperity of their commerce, and confoled themselves, amid the general calamities of Europe, with the favings which refulted to them from their inactive and infulated pofition. Accustomed fo long to good fortune, how could they be stimulated to make facrifices to its prefervation? In a nation, where the love of riches was the only public virtue, every thing was immolated to avoid parting with them. The fafety of their country was an object of indifference to all. The government was in the hands of persons, who either could not, or would not, ferve the ftate; the ftate was at the difcretion of fubjects, who cared not for its interefts. There was no forefight in the governors, no national fpirit in the governed. The former ought to have been enlightened, and the latter to have been aroufed and inflamed. But this was too bold to attempt, too hazardous to execute, and too difficult to fucceed in. Yet, though fufpecting they fhould foon lofe the chief of their poffeffions, their national fovereignty, they lay subdued by indolence, and immerged in ftupor.".

Here we have a memorable example, indeed, of the effeminacy and love of wealth, which extenfive commerce, and its concomitant luxuries, naturally engender, subduing every noble feeling of the heart; every generous impulfe of the mind; and deftroying that facred love of country, which constitutes one of the best principles of human action, and thereby preparing the way, and providing the means, for national and individual ruin. May fuch an example, the fecond which has occurred within the last twelve years, not be loft on the only truly commercial people ftill remaining in Europe! The virtuous Pefaro, however, did not fleep amidst the general lethargy, but employed emiffaries of his own, in foreign countries, to tranfmit to him information on which he could rely; but his vigilance was vain, for the fenate determined to fhut their eyes against the danger, and to incur neither trouble nor expence in refifting it. The reafons which the Savi (who certainly merited a very different appellation) affigned for their conduct were the most frivolous that could be imagined; but our author tells us that he means to devote another work to the exposure of their weakness and fallacy. Any thing that can throw additional light upon the tranfactions which preceded or occafioned

the

the fall of Venice, will certainly be interefting; elfe it would be a wafte of his time and abilities feriously to confute arguments which are fo puerile and abfurd as almost to carry their own confutation along with them,

At the beginning of 1796, the French Directory complained to the Venetian Ambaffador at Paris, of the protection afforded to Louis XVIII. in the Venetian territory.

"The moderate deportment of that unfortunate prince, rendered magnanimous by his calamities, his obfcure and private life, his political nullity, his lamentable viciliitudes, interested the fenate in obtaining permiffion for him to continue at Verona; and this facred office they undertook with the greatest folicitude, confuting the accufations thrown out against him by his habitually pacific conduct, and proving that he had at no time rendered himself unworthy of the hofpitality afforded him. They therefore interceded for his' peace, and conjured heaven and earth and humanity in his favour. But the executive directory, inflexible in their purpose, inflamed with all the pride their victories could infpire, and abufing the impotence of the Republic, in the most imperious and haughty tone, ftill demanded his expulfion; and thus the fenate, though thereby expofed to the hatred of the belligerent powers, to the refentment of all good men, were compelled, in their own despite, to dismiss that unfortunate monarch, who was protected by all the sovereigns of the earth, and over whofe calamities all mankind dropped a tear of compaffion. By this conceffion, the republic ftill further discovered her in

ternal weakness to France."

This confummation of weaknefs and of difgrace deferved the fate which it incurred! But what better could be expected from a people who were funk fo low as the Venetians were, according to the following account, at this period.

"The government of Venice was already in a state of languor, which was the almoft certain prefage of approaching diffolution. No longer were the exigencies of the ftate fupplied, no longer was there any energy of fpeech in the enervated fenate, no longer was any thing faid in direct terms; every thing was merely hinted by infinuation; none but ineffici ent propofitions were approved: nor were wildom or courage liftened to in the councils. Even factions vanished; factions, which in a republic are the vital park of existence and of national vigour. The only factions at Venice were thofe of players, of fingers, and of dancers. In every clafs effeminacy had fuccceded to thofe fentiments of fublimity, which maintain the majefty of empires. Amid fo much corruption how could the country be faved? It is not at Capua, that governments learn the arduous art of sup porting or of acquiring greatness. The corruption had extended to Terra ferma. There the glory of wearing a fashionable coat was preferred to that of faving the ftate. There men murmured at every facrifice to the general good, yet lavished rewards on every one who could invent a new want, a new pleasure, or revive the excitability which exceffive enjoyment had blunted and exhaufted. Perfumed tables, gilded carriages, fplendid equipages, mufic, dancing, gardens, gambling, theatres, and debauchery, were the only objects which excited any intereft, and thele excited it to furor. Thus it was that Rome, during her decline, degenerate Rome, forgetting her ancient virtue, frequented the circus to fee combats of wild beasts, and,

the

the remembrance of all that is great and generous being obfcured, the principies of her national independence paffed away; thofe of good morals and the national manners fell into a total diffolution. Meanwhile the moment was fait approaching, when the French were about to astonish the world with the rapidity of their expeditions, and when both nations and kings were to become their flaves, without precifely knowing the caufe; it being, as it were, established, that to have heard their name fufficed to be brought under their yoke.

Let Englishmen lay their hands on their hearts, and say whether many of these symptoms of approaching diffolution are not perceptible among themselves! Was ever diffipation carried to a greater extent, was ever luxury more predominant, was ever a neglect of religious and moral duties more prevalent, than in England, at this moment. Certainly not. Why then fhould we expect that the fame caufes will not produce the fame effects? The confideration is one of a most serious nature, and cannot fail to fuggest the most alarming reflections to a serious mind. In May 1796 Buonaparté entered the Venetian territory, and decreed its fall.

"This expedition, which combined in itself all the calamities that ever accompanied foreign invasion, was executed under the command of a man deftined to effect the ruin of the civilized world, of a Corfican adventurer, at once a great robber, a great general, and a great diplomatift. In a word, it was effected under Buonaparté. When, crowned with laurels, preceded by fame, and leading victory in his train, he defcended like a torrent from the Alps, many Italians divided with him the splendour of the enterprise and the pride of its triumphs, The people of the Venetian states, indeed, did not applaud at the arrival of this conqueror; on the contrary they bleed the government for having maintained its neutrality, and for having firmly preferved the friendship of the French republic.

The troops of Buonaparté, on their first appearance in the Venetian territory, showed every fign of military infubordination and of perfonal wretchednefs. No military law, no difcipline, no authority of superior officers, either guided or restrained this horde of barbarians. An unmanageable band of robbers, of terrorists expelled from France, formed the mafs of privates; the officers confifted of the refufe of every civil occupation. This army, if army it might be called, exhibited the heroism of defpair, and the valour of favages, during their marches, in their military evolutions, in battle, and in their encampments. In all things was seen that diforder, which reigns amid a camp of Tartars. The major part of the infantry had weapons of all makes and fizes, some had no arms whatever, others merely clubs and sticks; all were dressed in rags, deftitute of fhoes, having fuch miferable cloathing, and bodies fo naked, that they refembled a troop of vagabonds, fit only to undermine the very foundations of the focial edifice. The mere view of them would have led a spectator to exclaim, that they were come to plunder the riches of Italy. this idea, fo fimple and fo natural, occurred to no man. They were generally received with loudly reiterated cries of approbation, as friends and benefactors, who, through mere philanthropy, had come from the farthest boundaries of France, and, in the midst of fnow and rain, of winds, and fcorching heats, and perils of every kind, had crofled the "Alps.'

Yet

Alps, to communicate their happinefs and their riches to their brothers of Italy."

Here, as in every other country which he had over-run, Buonaparté promised protection to perfons and property; and respect for all existing inftitutions; but here, as every where elfe, though Venice was the friend of France, and a neutral power, he violated every promife which he made, treated it as a hoftile country, fpread death and defolation around him, fignalized his prowess by cruelty and oppreffion, and, with the deteftable bafenels of a little mind, had recourse to falfhood and to fraud, and conftantly added infult to injury. To note every act of this description, to indicate the various means which he pursued in accomplishing his task of destruction, it would be neceffary to transcribe every page of the book before us. The following brief fummary of his proceedings, however, we fhall extract, in order to fhew our countrymen what, in the event of a fuccefsful invafion, they would have to expect from this monfter of iniquity.

"Placed by Providence in a land of fertility and riches, the Venetians were ftarving amid plenty, and, though ftill poffeffed of arms, were fuffering the most glaring injustice. Harralled with rapine, conflagrations, devaltations, infults, and depredations of every kind, they bore all, as though they had been infenfible to injury. Oppreffed in time of actual warfare, they were oppressed even during the intervals of repofe, which fucceeded thole military turmoils. At Montagnana the French expofed the territory to plunder; at Pefcantina they difperfed and fank the boats; they first occupied, and then demolished, the Rocca d'Anfo. At Badià they fet fire to a work, which defended the neighbouring country from the inundations of the Adige. All the provident repairs on the banks of that river were overthrown by an infenfate fpirit of gratuitous destruction. Along, and on either fide, the Lezini mountains, cottages, houfes, and churches, were sacked. On the banks of the Mincio an infinite number of families were defpoiled of their whole property, driven from their homes, and compelled to wander over the face of the earth, to fave a life, which they no longer knew how to fupport. But I will not depress my readers with the melancholy catalogue of mifdeeds which marked the traces of the French army. I will not defcribe the fate of the village of Niffar, which was facked with fuch favage ferocity, that a father of a family, unable to furvive his domestic ruin and that of his native village, precipitated himself from a window and perished. Neither will I repeat the horrid menaces of death, which spread fo much terror at Caftellaro, nor the laft expiring groans of the wives and daughters who perished in the arms of their ferocious defpoilers. I will draw a funereal veil over the unhappy D'Efte, who, endeavouring to fave his wife from military licentioufnefs, was bafely and inhumanly murdered, while his diftracted partner, in an agony of grief, raifing her hands toward heaven, continued kneeling belide the corpfe of her beloved husband, till the expired, being then far advanced in pregnancy; and the fame tomb received three victims Immolated with a single blow. Nor will I defcribe the two brothers, who, at Castelnuovo, were with bayonets nailed to the walls, and died amid the flames of their own dwelling. My heart revolts at enumerating fo many horrors. Yet the directory were infenfible fpectators of these tragic events. The cries, the blood, the palpitating members of these un

fortunates

fortunates in the agonies of death, could not foften their obdurate hearts. No, on the contrary their iron hand weighed but more and more heavily on the Venetian provinces.

"Every day, every hour, a thoufand oppreffions were committed by their orders, all derogatory to the fovereignty of the republic, all tending to degrade the dignity of the government, and tarnish the glory of the Venetian name. The Adriatic was full of privateers, which, under the tricoloured flag, plundered, with impunity, the Venetian hips, and dried up all the 1prings of national profperity. Public and private correspondence were violated, and the fecrets of the empire laid open to Buonaparté. The national infignia were every where treated with contempt, and torn in pieces. The Venetian territory became the theatre of war, or rather of every crime. To this torrent of outrages and of injuries, the causes, that led the way, were the defenceless ftate of the provinces, and the neutrality decreed by the fenate. Aware of the impotence of the Venetians, the French made a crime of their fecret abhorrence for their invaders, and harraffed them without ceafing, in order to inftigate them to revenge, whereby to have a pretext for breaking with the government, declaring war against them, and finking them for ever in the revolutionary abyfs."

It should be remembered, that Venice was a neutral country, at peace with France at this time. Reduced to this dreadful fituation, in a great meafure, by their own weaknefs, and threatened with immediate deftruction, the Venetians were ftill mad enough to reject the proffered friendship and alliance of Ruffia, left, forfooth, it should give offence to the French! It is almoft impoffible to afcribe fuch dreadful infatuation to any thing but the interpofition of Providence ! While Buonaparté was exercifing fupreme power in the Venetian ftates, and spreading the revolutionary fire around him, the Venetian ambaffador at Paris was cajoled by the Directory with promifes of protection. One of their notable exploits, which cannot be characterized, in the English language, by any other term than that of swindling, is too curious to be omitted here.

"An intriguer came one day to the ambassador Querini, and communicated, that two of the directors opposed the revolution of Venice; that two others supported it; that Barras was as yet undecided; and that, if a liberal reward were given to him, the balance would be turned in favour of the integrity of the republic. Querini replied, that, whenever the revolted provinces fhould be restored to the Venetian government, they would agree to make the required facrifice. The agent departed, and foon after brought the ambassador an answer, that, a confiderable prefent being first given, the requifite inftructions would be fent to Buonaparté. A thousand fhameful quibbles fucceeded this fpecies of arrangement, till, after various fhifts and changes, Barras fent an authentic declaration under the feal of the directory, alluring Querini, that inftructions had been sent to Buonaparté in conformity to all he had requested. In confideration of this favour, it was expected he should give notes for 700,000 livres tournois payable in thirty days. To this he confented, and the Venetian government afterwards approved it. The contract, however, was never performed, but, on the contrary, an order of the executive directory compelled the ambalador fuddenly to depart from France. He returned home; and, after the fall of the

NO, LXXII. VOL. XVIII.

republic