pril, besides this battle of Montenotte, Buonaparte had gained
those of Millesimo, Dego, and Mondovi, by which he effected a separation
of the Austrian and Piedmontese armies. The King of Sardinia was so
discouraged by his losses, that to procure a cessation of hostilities he
delivered up some of his principal fortresses to the French; and a peace
was shortly concluded, by which he ceded the Duchy of Savoy and the
county of Nice to the conquerors for ever. The reply of Buonaparte
to his negociators was characteristic. He remarked:--"It is for me
to impose conditions: unless you obey, my batteries are erected by
to-morrow, and Turin is in flames." Having imposed his conditions on
the king of Sardinia, Buonaparte, on the 10th of May, advanced to Lodi,
where he encountered and, after a fierce conflict, defeated Beaulieu.
It was after gaining this victory, as he himself said many years
afterwards, that the idea first flashed across his mind that he might
become a great actor in the world's drama. In order to obtain the ends
of his ambition, Buonaparte now stretched every nerve. In five days
after the action at Lodi he made his triumphant entry into Milan; and
all Lombardy was at the feet of the conqueror, except Mantua. At Milan
the French had many converts and partisans, and Napoleon received an
enthusiastic welcome; but, notwithstanding all this, he levied immense
contributions, not only on the Milanese, but on Parma and Modena, as the
price of an armistice. Thus the Milanese were compelled to contribute
20,000,000 francs; the Duke of Parma was made to pay 1,500,000 francs;
and the Duke of Modena 6,000,000 francs in cash, 2,000,000 more in
provisions, cattle, horses, etc., and to deliver up some of his choicest
paintings. This regular plunder was called for by the five directors at
the Luxembourg, who were perpetually demanding of Napoleon, money, more
money. How effectually he responded to their demand is shown by his own
statements; for he says, that besides clothing, feeding, and paying the
army during the first Italian campaign, he remitted 50,000,000 of francs
to the Luxembourg. But these harsh terms of the French fraternisation
produced their fruits in an extensive revolt in Lombardy; and at Pavia,
whither Napoleon was compelled to return, it could only be quelled by
energetic measures. With the artillery he battered down the gates
and cleared the streets; after which he gave up the city to plunder,
debauchery, and ev