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LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

grace of person and mind that the most fastidious and refinedtaste could possibly desire. She had known and beencaressed by Murat ever since her childhood; her ears hadconstantly been gratified with accounts of his achievements,and his person and manners were such as to captivate heartsless susceptible than her’s. Murat, having obtained theconsent of Napoleon and of his sister Caroline to the union,was not long in adding that of her excellent and sagaciousmother, Madame Letizia.

Short was the rest from toil and war that Murat enjoyedin Paris with his lovely bride. It became necessary to rein-force the army of General Massena in the north of Italy , andNapoleon conceived the celebrated plan of making a diver-sified but simultaneous attack upon the Austrians, whichled to the ever memorable passage of the French armyover the Alps, of which I have already reminded myreaders.

My limits will not allow me to follow Murat through allhis exploits of this Italian campaign. It must suffice tosay, that in advance he was always foremost, as in a retreat(afterwards in Russia ) he was always the last. He defeatedthe Austrian marshal, Laudon, at the passage of the riverTecino, and again at Piacenza , in the most signal manner.

At the celebrated battle of Marengo, Murat, with thecavalry, occupied the second line during the greater portionof the day, in wait for an opportunity to advance in columnbetween the intervals of the infantry, should a good occa-sion offer to make a charge. Towards the evening of thatsanguinary day of uninterrupted strife, such an opportunitydid present itself, and Murat dashed forwards amongstthe staggering lines of the Austrians, and committed dread-ful slaughter, which was only suspended by the darkness ofthe night. For this important contribution to the victory,Murat was presented by the consuls of the republic with