times ill-adapted to
the country and were often hated vehemently by the persons whom they
shook out of their age-long comatose condition. Napoleon would have
modified the methods of recruiting had he known how much resentment
his conscription was arousing. Venice had obtained most faithful
soldiers; this was one of the few trades that she permitted, but she
had never said they were obliged to serve. Napoleon's system caused
great numbers of desertions, while the men who stayed had little
discipline and looked for opportunities to join the enemy. Perhaps in
time the nobles would have been resigned to losing, if not all, at any
rate a portion of their privileges; and the Catholic clergy would have
moderated their strong views against the gaoler of Pius VII., the
champion of liberal and emancipated France, the master of Dandolo, who
wanted to reduce the number of bishoprics, oblige candidates for the
priesthood to learn certain lay subjects and regulate the funds in the
possession of the Orders, with the purpose of assisting the indigent
clergy and benevolent institutions--much would have been forgiven by
the clergy to the man who brought about national union.

NAPOLEON'S SCHEMES ARE ROUGHLY INTERRUPTED

The transactions of the British at Vis (Lissa) were such as to make
the people of Illyria very discontented with Napoleon, not so much on
account of his mischance at sea, as of the disagreeable effects
thereof upon themselves. The British blockade had ruined the local
merchant service, while the consequent state of a province which had
necessarily to be revictualled by sea was compared with the
flourishing fortunes of Vis. Before the British definitely occupied
that island with its glorious harbour--21/2 kilometres in length by 1
kilometre in breadth--they had to secure themselves by two naval
engagements. In October 1810 the French-Italian attack was nearly
successful, and in the following March came the great fight when
Dubourdieu pitted himself against Commodore Hoste. Not counting a few
smaller ships, the French had four frigates, each armed with 44 guns,
and two corvettes of 32 guns. The British had the _Amphion_ and the
_Cerberus_, each armed with 60 guns, the _Active_ with 44 and the
_Volage_ with 22. The Italians having slow ships, arrived late, but
fought very well. What lost Dubourdieu his chances was the separation
of his squadron, which allowed the British to engage them one after
another. Dubourdieu on the