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the Alps first, and then by armies five times more numerousthan the French , abundantly supplied with artillery, andcavalry and every luxury of life. The French had thatwhich oft has stood in lieu of physical superiority, theyhad the moral force of liberty and enthusiasm. They hadNapoleon Buonaparte , who although an Italian, inspiredthem with unlimited confidence; and he, Napoleon , had asexecutors of his commands, Murat, Massena, Angereau,Laharpe, Serrurier, Joubert, Stengel, Menars, Gardanne ,Le Clerc, D’Allemagne, Saint-Hillaire, Itampon, Lannes ,Bessieres, Junot , Marmont, and many other warriorswhose names have become celebrated in arms.
Napoleon decided upon passing the Alps (over whichthere were then no roads) simultaneously at four differentpoints, Mont Cenis, the two St. Bernards, and MountSimplon. Artillery, cassoons &c,, had to he carriedpiece-meal by the shoeless soldiers ; brief,—in ten days timeoffensive operations prevailed on several points against theAustrians and Sardinians. At Montenotte, Millesimo , andDego, the valour of Murat at the head of the 21st. Dra-goons, was distinguished even where all were brave. Atthe battle of Mondovi , General Stengel commanding theFrench cavalry, was killed in a desperate charge; Muratwas named general on the field, and all the cavalry intrustedto him. He entered Mondovi , captured immense magazines,the King of Sardinia made his separate peace, Murat wassent plenipotentiary to Turin, and then to Paris , to presentto the Directory twenty-two standards of the enemy, takingin the brief campaign of seventy days.
The Convention arranged that the captured standardsshould be received from the hands of Murat, w'ith all thepomp and circumstance of state. And no man was moreadmirably formed by nature and inclination to give effect tosuch a ceremony. As “it is written” of Saul, the chosen