brief of excommunication, was publicly burnt in Paris. Avignon was shortly after incorporated with France.

The court of Rome now joined the confederation against the Republic of France, in 1796. Bonaparte led his victorious troops over the Alps. He was every where successful, and the battle of Lodi decided the fate of Lombardy. Verona, Mantua, &c. quickly yielded to his arms. He menaced even imperial Rome! Terrified at this invasion of his territories, the pope sued for an armistice, which was granted to him on these, among other conditions-that his holiness should surrender to the conquerors a great many pictures and statues, and some hundreds of the most curious manuscripts, from the Vatican library.

But Bonaparte had no sooner retired, than the few French who remained at Rome, were insulted by the populace, at the instigation of the monks, and their lives greatly endangered. The court of Rome, also, began to use more haughty language; and by sending troops into the field, to infringe the treaty they had lately concluded.

In the following year (1797) a division of the French army, commanded by general Victor, entered the papal territories. The pope's troops, consisting of four thousand foot, and one thousand horse, posted on an advantageous ground, waited his arrival. The Senia was in front of their strong entrenchments; but as the season was dry, the French forded the river, and came upon their rear. They broke the line of the papal army at the point of the bayonet. After a defence by no means contemptible, the papal troops were routed; five hundred were slain and wounded, above a thousand made prisoners, and fourteen pieces of cannon taken. The loss of the French did not exceed one hundred men. This battle decided the fate of the ecclesiastical states. The banners of imperious France now waved triumphant over the patrimony of the church.

The pope was compelled to cede to the French republic Avigon and Venaissm, Bologna, Ferrara, and Romagna. He engaged likewise to pay thirty thousand

French livres to the republic, and to fulfil the conditions of the treaty of armistice formerly agreed to. In order to prevent the future power of the Roman pontiff, the newly ceded territories, together with those of Reggio and Modena, which have already confederated themselves, were now formed into one republic, while the Milanese, and other districts of Lombardy, were formed into another. Thus the power and importance once annexed to the see of Roine, were annihilated. Thus the influence of France in Italy was established on the surest foundation-the necessity of a faithful adherence to it by those states that depended on it for their preser vation.

Joseph Bonaparte now arrived, as ambassador from the directory to the court of Rome; and with resolution and firmness, demanded that the pope should expel the French emigrants from his dominions, diminish his military force, and set at liberty all persons arrested for their opinions on political subjects.

The democratic party in Rome were now emboldened: they aimed not at the reformation, but at the total suppression of the papal government. In their endeavours, they requested assistance from the French ambassador, who, however, gave them no encouragement, and exorted them to desist from an attempt, which he represented to them as rash and impracticable, forbidding them, at the same time, to apply to him for countenance in any such undertaking. Notwithstanding this, trusting to the protection of France, in case of success, the revolutionary party assembled, on the 27th of December, 1797; but being hardly one hundred in number, they were entirely dispersed by the military, of whom however they wounded some, and killed two or three. In this affray the insurgents wore the French cockade, and a suspicion arose that they had acted at the instigation of the French; but the ambassador of the republic disclaimed all the individuals who, on that occasion, had assumed it.

In the afternoon of the same day the insurrection was renewed, and became more serious. About twenty

of the insurgents repaired to the palace of the French ambassador, and, proclaiming the Romans a free people, begged the protection of France. The ambassador ordered them to depart, and advised them to proceed no further in a frantic resistance to a government that was able instantly to crush them. Meanwhile the insurrection was increasing, and the invirons of his palace were filling with crowds, that shouted, "Live the republic, live the Roman people!" The ambassador now prepared to exert his authority to disperse the multitude; but before he could address them, they were fired upon, through the gates of the palace, by the military, who pursued the flying crowd into the court. The French ambassador, demanding by what authority they entered his precinct, bid them instantly retire. His orders were disregarded; they again fired upon the insurgents, and killed and wounded many of them. As they seemed preparing another volley, General Duphot, who accompanied the ambassador, marched up to them; but while expostulating with them, while seizing the musket of one, and preventing another from firing, he was shot through the body by a soldier, and when dead was treated with the utmost indignity. To avoid the fury of the soldiers, the ambassador and his attendants made the best of their way through a private path, that led to the gardens of his palace; there, on his return, he found many of the insurgents dead or wounded, and ordered the gates to be shut.

The French ambassador, however, retired to Florence, and the republican party at Rome began to consider itself in the certain road to success. They were not disappointed. Under pretence of avenging the af front offered to the French nation, in the person of its ambassador, General Berthier, with a large division of the French and Cisalpine army, marched to the city of Rome, and on the 11th of February, 1798, took possession of the castle of Angelo. A proclamation was now issued by Berthier, in which he declared the intent of his mission was to bring to justice the authors of the assasination of General Duphot, and of Basseville, se

cretary of legation to the French embassy at Rome, in 1795, and to take the citizens of Rome under his protection. The insurgents soon after proclaimed the Roman republic, and planted the tree of liberty in the most public places of the city. In compliance with their desire, Berthier likewise entered the city in much state and splendour, and proceeded to the capitol, amidst an immense multitude. There, after invoking the manes of Brutus, Cato, Cicero, and other illustrious names of antiquity, he declared that the French republic, professing the principles of national sovereignty, acknowledged the independence of the Roman republic. The organization of the new commonwealth was immediately proceeded upon. Communes, principalities, and national guards, were, under the auspices of Berthier, instituted in every part of the Roman state, and liberty of conscience was allowed. On the entrance of the French into Rome, the Pope was confined in the Vatican, where he was guarded by five hundred men : seals were also placed on the apartments of all the pontifical palaces, and upon those of all the cardinals that were absent. A contribution of four millions livres in specie, two millions in provisions, and three in horses, were demanded. In order to secure the payment of this requisition, four cardinals, four bishops, and four princes, were detained as hostages.

In the year 1799 the aged father of the catholic church was torn from his retirement by the French, who now yielded to the triumphant arms of Suvorroff, and carried by them to Valence, whither as he passed through Dauphiny, he was every where received, by multitudes of people, with sentiments of sympathy, respect, and veneration. They fell on their knees, and demanded bis blessing; which he bestowed in a kind, affecting, and graceful manner. After an indisposition of several days, he expired at Valence, on the 19th of August, in the 82d year of his age.

Not long after, General Garnier, French commander in Rome, surrendered the Roman territory, by capitulation, to the English commodore, Trowbridge; and in

the year 1800, notwithstanding the rapid conquests of Bonaparte, the papal government was restored. The conclave for the election of a successor to Pope Pius VI. was held under the auspices of the emperor, at Venice. The ecclesiastic honoured with the pontificate, was Cardinal di Chiaranionte, a man of good sense, and mild and unassuming manners. As it was customary for the new pontiff to assume the name of the pope who had promoted him to the dignity of cardinal, Chiaranionte took that of Pius VII. The emperor, on his election, presented him with a sum of money; but did not at first restore any part of the papal dominions. However, after the battle of Marengo, when he became apprehensive of the loss of his power and influence in Italy, he resolved to have the credit of delivering up to the Pope the greater part of the ecclesiastical state, rather than that it should fall into either the possession or disposal of other hands. Pius VII. took possession of the see of Rome in July, and began to exercise the functions of sovereignty with great dignity and moderation. He was soon after acknowledged by the French republic, and had the satisfaction to conclude with Bonaparte, the convention or concordat, (1802) which, under certain limitations, established the Roman catholic religion in France.

The pope, it is said, has been solicited to resign. The papal chair is to be occupied by Bonaparte's Uncle cardinal Fesch, who is to reside at Avignon and the states of the church, which together with the kingdom of Etruria (Tuscany) are to be united to the kingdom of Italy.

CHAPTER XVII.

HOLLAND.

The Netherlands, with that part of Germany which lies west of the Rhine, was possessed by the Romans, who called it Gallia Belgica: but upon the decline of the Roman empire, the Goths, and other northern people,