rnment, should they find it necessary to
appeal immediately to force, but announced that he was himself prepared
to "pass the Rubicon," (an ominous phrase) and march to their
assistance, with 15,000 of his best troops.

The Directory, meanwhile, had in their extremity ventured to disregard
the law against drawing regular troops within a certain distance of the
capital, and summoned Hoche to bring a corps of his Rhenish army for
their instant protection.

It was by this means that the new revolution, as it may be called, of
the 18th Fructidor was effected. On that day, (Sept. 4, 1797,) the
majority of the Directory, marching their army into Paris, dethroned
their two opposition colleagues. Pichegru and the other royalists of
note in the assemblies, to the number of more than 150, were arrested
and sent into exile. The government, for the moment, recovered the
semblance of security; and Buonaparte heard, with little satisfaction,
that they had been able to accomplish their immediate object without the
intervention of his personal appearance on the scene. He remonstrated,
moreover, against the manner in which they had followed up their
success. According to him, they ought to have executed Pichegru and a
few ring-leaders, and set an example of moderation, by sparing all those
whose royalism admitted of any doubt, or, if it was manifest, was of
secondary importance. It would have been hard for the Directory at this
time to have pleased Buonaparte, or for Buonaparte to have entirely
satisfied them; but neither party made the effort.

The fall of Venice, however, gave Napoleon the means, which he was not
disposed to neglect, of bringing his treaty with Austria to a more
satisfactory conclusion than had been indicated in the preliminaries of
Leoben.

After settling the affairs of Venice, and establishing the new Ligurian
Republic, the general took up his residence at the noble castle of
Montebello, near Milan. Here his wife, who, though they had been married
in March, 1796, was still a bride, and with whom, during the intervening
eventful months, he had kept up a correspondence full of the fervour, if
not of the delicacy of love,[20] had at length rejoined him. Josephine's
manners were worthy, by universal admission, of the highest rank; and
the elegance with which she did the honours of the castle, filled the
ministers and princes, who were continually to be seen in its precincts,
with admiration. While Napoleon conducted