find
some means of reaching the Mincio, came suddenly on Lonato, the scene of
the late battle, at a moment when Napoleon was there with only his staff
and guards about him. He knew not that any considerable body of the
enemy remained together in the neighbourhood; and, but for his presence
of mind, must have been their prisoner. The Austrian had not the skill
to profit by what fortune threw in his way; the other was able to turn
even a blunder into an advantage. The officer sent to demand the
surrender of the town was brought blindfolded, as is the custom, to his
headquarters; Buonaparte, by a secret sign, caused his whole staff to
draw up around him, and when the bandage was removed from the
messenger's eyes, saluted him thus: "What means this insolence? Do you
beard the French general in the middle of his army?" The German
recognised the person of Napoleon, and retreated stammering and
blushing. He assured his commander that Lonato was occupied by the
French in numbers that made resistance impossible. Four thousand men
laid down their arms; and then discovered that, if they had used them,
nothing could have prevented Napoleon from being their prize.

Wurmser collected together the whole of his remaining force, and
advanced to meet the conqueror. He, meanwhile, had himself determined on
the assault, and was hastening to the encounter. They met between Lonato
and Castiglione. Wurmser was totally defeated, and narrowly escaped
being a prisoner; nor did he without great difficulty regain Trent and
Roveredo, those frontier positions from which his noble army had so
recently descended with all the confidence of conquerors. In this
disastrous campaign the Austrians lost 40,000: Buonaparte probably
understated his own loss at 7000. During the seven days which the
campaign occupied he never took off his boots, nor slept except by
starts. The exertions which so rapidly achieved this signal triumph were
such as to demand some repose; yet Napoleon did not pause until he saw
Mantua once more completely invested. The reinforcement and
revictualling of that garrison were all that Wurmser could show, in
requital of his lost artillery, stores, and 40,000 men.

During this brief campaign the aversion with which the ecclesiastics of
Italy regarded the French manifested itself in various quarters. At
Pavia, Ferrara, and elsewhere, insurrections had broken out, and the
spirit was spreading rapidly at the moment when the report of Napole