at the emperor must be king on the other side of the Alps;
that the Italian republic was an anomaly; and that the proceedings
at Lyons must be condemned and reversed." This plain language was
understood by the state consulta of the Italian republic, and they chose
the powerful monarch of France King of Italy. On the 26th of May in
this year Napoleon placed the iron crown of Charlemagne upon his head
in Milan, and appointed Eugene Beauharnois, his step-son, viceroy. By
a stroke of his pen he also annulled the constitution of the Ligurian
republic, and incorporated Genoa with the French empire. Three
departments, Genoa, Moulenotte, and the Apennines were formed out
of this republic; and the incorporation of Parma and Piacenza was
subsequently formed by an imperial decree. About the same time, the
people of Lucca having expressed a wish to be governed by a prince of
the house of Napoleon, the emperor gave them his brother-in-law,
Pascal Felix Bacciochi, for hereditary prince. Moreover, in Batavia the
republican principle became incompatible with the interest of the
new imperial state, and that country had to accommodate itself to the
monarchic form; its government was dissolved, and superseded by a grand
pensioner, elected for five years, and invested with almost unlimited
power. By incorporating Genoa with the empire, Napoleon said that he had
only one end in view--that of obtaining 15,000 seamen, for the purpose
of venturing a great naval struggle, in which, if he proved victorious,
he should then invade England. His plan was to distract the British
government; to scatter its fleets, by despatching his own squadrons,
some to the West Indies, and others to the Spanish ports; and then
to effect a junction of all, and collect such a force as would ensure
success in a naval combat. This, however, could not have been his
principal object. At this time he could not have been ignorant of the
coalition forming against him, which it was his interest to provide
against. So many violations of treaties, and such unbounded desire of
aggrandizement this year promoted the formation of a third coalition
against him, of which England was the centre. Sweden first, then Russia,
and next Austria, joined themselves with the British government in
a league against France; and though Prussia stood neutral, yet she
secretly approved the spirit of this coalition. But its ruin was
nevertheless induced by the policy of Russia. Austria was exposed alo