Ney, and Lannes, and having all crossed the Rhine, were joined at the end of the month by Napoleon, who passed the border with his guards at Kehl. He addressed a proclamation to his army, drawn up in his usual vaunting style, in which he told them "You are but the vanguard of the great nation; if it be necessary it will in a moment rise at my voice, to dissolve this new league, which British gold and hatred have woven " unfortunately these were not vain words.

The Bavarians having made a junction with two French divisions at Wurtzburg, they advanced towards the Danube on the north, while the other divisions were proceeding in different directions, the main object being to cut off the communication between the Aus trian army of from 80 to 90,000 men under General Mack, which had advanced to the defiles of the Black Forest, and the territories of Austria. By a series of bold manœuvres and successful actions, this was so completely effected by the middle of October, that Mack was entirely surrounded in Ulm with 80,000 men, who remained to him after the loss of several detached portions of his army, and the retreat of a part to Bohemia under the Archduke Ferdinand. Preparations were immediately made for storming Ulm, but a sum. mons was at the same time sent to Mack to capitulate, with which he thought it necessary to comply. On October 20th the whole of the Austrian troops in that city laid down their arms before the French Emperor, and surrendered themselves prisoners of war with all their artillery and magazines. Thus was almost annihilated the force with which the Austrians commenced the campaign, nearly 60,000 of them having been taken prisoners, with a small comparative loss on the part of the French.

- Vienna was now the object in Napoleon's view, and he lost no time in pursuing it. Proceeding to Munich, he advanced at the head of the main body, having before him a corps of Austrians which had been reinforced by the first column of the Russians. The French crossed the Inn in face of these allies, who, not

being strong enough to resist them, retreated step by step on the road to Vienna. In the first week of November, Napoleon had his quarters at Lintz, where he received proposals from the allies for an armistice, to which he replied by such conditions as a conqueror alone could dictate, and in the meantime he continued his operations. The alarm was now extreme at the capital, whence the Emperor Francis retired with all his court to Brunn in Moravia, while the greater part of the nobility took refuge in Hungary. The inhabitants in general patiently awaited the conqueror, and only appointed a guard to aid the police in keeping the city tranquil. On the 11th the French main body arrived, and took up their quarters in the suburbs. They entered Vienna on the 13th, the advanced guard passing through by the bridge over the Danube without halting. Napoleon on the 15th joined the army which was advancing into Moravia to meet the Russians.

While these events were passing in Germany, active operations were taking place in Italy, where Marshal Massena was opposed to the Archduke Charles. The Archduke John occupied the passes of the Tyrol, in order to keep up a communication between the forces in Germany and those in the Venetian territory. On October 18th the French forced the passage of the Adige, and took a position near Caldiero, where the Archduke Charles was strongly posted. Massena, having there received intelligence of the surrender of Mack, and the advance of Napoleon, made a general attack on the Archduke's line, which after a severe conflict he entirely broke with great loss. After this disaster, the Archduke began his retreat, pursued by the French, who on December 3d obtained possession of Vicenza. Both armies passed the Brenta, and the Tagliamento; and the Austrians continued their retrograde motion, perpetually harassed by the pursuers, till they reached Laybach in Carniola. Massena then halted to learn what was passing in Tyrol. In that country the Archduke John was closely pressed by different French divisions; and at length Ney having forced his way to Inspruck, and

pushed his head-quarters to Bolzano, the Archduke, finding himself unable to defend Tyrol, formed a junction with his brother at Laybach. They then hastened their march towards Vienna, while the French, who had reduced Tyrol, proceeded to join the main French army, and Massena held the Archdukes în check.

The allied main army now consisted of about 50,000 Russians, with the Emperor Alexander at their head, and 25,000 Austrians, chiefly new levies. The French, when joined by the divisions of Bernadotte and Davoust, amounted to between 70 and 80,000 men, in the highest state of discipline, and full of confidence from past victories. Near Austerlitz, on the direct road from Vienna to Olmutz, was fought on the 2d of December the memorable battle of that name, called also of the Three Emperors, from the presence of those of France, Russia, and Austria. Napoleon was his own general in chief; the Russians were commanded by General Kutusoff, and the Austrians by Prince John of Lichtenstein. The action, which commenced at the dawn of day, and continued till evening, was full of variety and extremely sanguinary. It terminated with the retreat of the allies in good order, but with the loss of many prisoners, and the greatest part of their artillery and baggage. The French advanced on the next day, and an armistice, proposed by the Emperor Francis, took place on the 4th. By its terms, the French army was to remain in possession of all its conquests till the conclusion of a definitive peace, or till the rupture of the negotiations for it; in the latter case, hostilities not to re-commence till fourteen days after notice formally given. It was further stipulated, that the Russian army was to evacuate Moravia and Bohemia within fifteen days, and Hungary within a month, and to retire by prescribed routes; also, that there should be no extraordinary levy of troops in the Austrian dominions during this period. To these humiliating conditions the Emperor Alexander refused to become a party, and he commenced a retreat in his own manner on

December 6th. The Archduke Charles, likewise, who was advancing on the bank of the Danube from Hungary with a powerful force, was greatly mortified on his arrival at Vienna to find that he was reduced to a state of inaction.

While Austria and Russia were thus confronting the power of France, Prussia maintained a cautious neutrality. A violation of her territory by a march of Napoleon through a part of it, without asking permission, did indeed elicit some sparks of resentment, which the English ministry hoped to kindle into a flame; but the capture of Mack's army caused the affront to be passed over in an accommodation. A scheme for the recovery of Hanover by Swedish troops in British pay, and commanded by their King in conjunction with English and Russian troops, was also frustrated by the consequences of the battle of Austerlitz.

A treaty of neutrality between the French Emperor and the King of Naples was signed in September, by which the former was enabled to withdraw his troops from that country, and join them to Massena's army in the north of Italy.

Whilst the French were thus pursuing their victorious career by land, their ambitious ruler was doomed to experience the defeat of his hopes of gaining a superi ority on that element which had hitherto witnessed the unvaried triumphs of a rival power. Admiral Villeneuve having in the month of March eluded the vigilance of Lord Nelson, who had been long blockading the harbour of Toulon, proceeded thence with eleven ships of the line and two frigates, and sailed to Cadiz. Being there joined by one French and six Spanish sail of the line, he proceeded to the West Indies, with ten thousand troops on board, destined, no doubt, for some important enterprize in that part of the globe. Lord Nelson, who had been anxiously searching for him in every part of the Mediterranean, on being apprized of his intentions, immediately determined to follow, in order to prevent the mischief he was likely to do in our islands. With only ten sail of the line he pursued a fleet of eighteen

sail across the Atlantic, and reached Barbadoes on June 4th, three weeks after the arrival of Villeneuve at Martinique. Fortunately the latter had remained nearly inactive during that interval; and hearing of the presence of the dreaded Nelson, he set sail on his return without any farther attempt, and was immediately followed by his indefatigable pursuer. Nelson came to England without the satisfaction of meeting with his chase; but Villeneuve, before he arrived in port, having with him twenty sail of the line and five frigates, French and Spanish, fell in with Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Calder, cruizing off Cape Finisterre with fifteen sail of the line and two frigates. The British commander made the signal for attack, July 22d, and an engage ment ensued in which two ships of the line were taken from the enemy. The success would probably have been greater but for the foggy weather, which prevented manoeuvring with advantage.

Lord Nelson, after his return, was offered the command of a fleet able to cope with the united fleets of France and Spain, which, as corresponding with his ruling passion, he most, willingly accepted. Sailing from Portsmouth in September, he took the command of the fleet under Admiral Collingwood lying off Cadiz, and having stationed a line of frigates to convey intelligence of all the enemy's motions, he cruized off Cape St. Mary, waiting till the combined fleet should venture to sea. To encourage this resolution, he detached some ships from his fleet upon a particular service, knowing that their places would soon be supplied by others from England, and this stratagem succeeded. On October 19th the combined fleet, amounting to 33 sail of the line, of which 18 were French and 15 Spanish, left the harbour of Cadiz, steering towards the straits of Gibraltar. They were immediately followed by the British fleet of 27 ships of the line, which came up with them on the 21st off Cape Trafalgar, near the southern point of Andalusia. Nelson had previously laid a plan of attack which was a master-piece of naval skill, and assured him of success. The enemy, on his approach,