were now turned anxiously on their commander, who quietly remarked, “We have them now.”  He knew, in fact, that other French troops marching up from Verona would take these new foes in the rear; and though Junot and his horsemen failed to cut their way through so as to expedite their approach, yet speedily a French regiment burst through the encircling line and joined in the final attack which drove these last assailants from the heights south of Rivoli, and later on compelled them to surrender.

Thus closed the desperate battle of Rivoli (January 14th).  Defects in the Austrian position and the opportune arrival of French reinforcements served to turn an Austrian success into a complete rout.  Circumstances which to a civilian may seem singly to be of small account sufficed to tilt the trembling scales of warfare, and Alvintzy’s army now reeled helplessly back into Tyrol with a total loss of 15,000 men and of nearly all its artillery and stores.  Leaving Joubert to pursue it towards Trent, Bonaparte now flew southwards towards Mantua, whither Provera had cut his way.  Again his untiring energy, his insatiable care for all probable contingencies, reaped a success which the ignorant may charge to the account of his fortune.  Strengthening Augereau’s division by light troops, he captured the whole of Provera’s army at La Favorita, near the walls of Mantua (January 16th).  The natural result of these two dazzling triumphs was the fall of the fortress for which the Emperor Francis had risked and lost five armies.  Wuermser surrendered Mantua on February 2nd with 18,000 men and immense supplies of arms and stores.  The close of this wondrous campaign was graced by an act of clemency.  Generous terms were accorded to the veteran marshal, whose fidelity to blundering councillors at Vienna had thrown up in brilliant relief the prudence, audacity, and resourcefulness of the young war-god.

It was now time to chastise the Pope for his support of the enemies of France.  The Papalini proved to be contemptible as soldiers.  They fled before the republicans, and a military promenade brought the invaders to Ancona, and then inland to Tolentino, where Pius VI. sued for peace.  The resulting treaty signed at that place (February 19th) condemned the Holy See to close its ports to the allies, especially to the English; to acknowledge the acquisition of Avignon by France, and the establishment of the Cispadane Republic at Bologna, Ferrara, and the surrounding districts; to pay 30,000,000 francs to the French Government; and to surrender 100 works of art to the victorious republicans.