BUONAPARTE'S PRESENTATION TO THE DIRECTORY.

BUONAPARTE, on his arrival at Paris, after the first Italian campaign, shunned every opportunity of being noticed: he lived in a small house and retired street; he received very little company; he avoided all crowded places, and never went out but in a plain carriage with two horses; he dined sometimes with the different ministers of state, and never appeared but twice at any public meeting; in doing this he complied with his natural disposition. He always detested the voice of applause, and avoided giving offence to the directory, who before he left Italy, had appointed him to the command of the army of England.

The ceremony of his presentation to the directory, which took place immediately after his arrival from Italy, was attended with every degree of splendour and parade. They were about to receive a general who by his prowess and talents, had vanquished the most formidable armies ever sent into the field against France; and who had preserved the independence and extended the power of the country against a confederacy formed for the utter destruction of its glory.

The great court of the Luxembourg was the place chosen for this superb spectacle; it was covered with an immense awning, and the walls were decorated with hangings of the national colours and military trophies; at one end was an altar surmounted by the statues of Liberty, Equality, and

Peace, and ornamented with the different standards which had been taken from the enemy; on each side of the altar were seats in a semicircular form, composing a vast amphitheatre, and destined for the constituted authorities and the conservatory of music; from the walls were suspended the colours of the different armies of the republic; an immense crowd lined the court and windows of the palace, and all the neighbouring streets were filled with those who could not gain admittance within; the air perpetually resounded with their acclamations and shouts of joy.

At twelve o'clock at noon the sound of cannon announced the commencement of the fête, and the procession, which consisted of the directory, the ministers of state, and constituted authorities, began to move from their different places of meeting towards the Luxembourg. After they had arrived, and were all seated, the president of the directory gave orders to inform the foreign ministers, the ministers of war, and the generals Buonaparte, Joubert, and Andreossi, that the directory were ready to receive them. The conservatory of music began a beautiful symphony, which was soon interrupted by the sound of repeated shouts, rending the air with "Long live the great nation!" The noise continued to increase, the crowd kept pressing forward, every eye sparkled with expectation and curiosity, and turned towards the great door: Buonaparte entered! the enthusiasm of the people increased, not a single person was silent, but all cried out, with one impulse and with one accord, "The deliverer of Italy-the pacificator of the continent."

Buonaparte now advanced with calmness and dignity, it was the most sublime moment that a mortal could experience; the greatest trial to the feelings of a man; yet he showed the same coolness he had evinced in the midst of battle. He was accompanied by the ministers for foreign affairs, the minister of war, and his aides-de-camp: the music played the Hymn to Liberty, and every one stood up uncovered. When he had arrived at the steps of the altar, he was presented to the directory by Talleyrand, in a speech suited to the purpose: after it was finished, all seemed eager to hear the conqueror of Italy, the simplicity and modesty of whose appearance formed a fine contrast to the grandeur of his situation, and every one present figured him at the bridge of Lodi, at Arcola, or Campo Formio. A profound silence immediately took place while Buonaparte presented to the president of the directory the emperor's ratification of the treaty, and spoke as follows:

"Citizen Directors,-The French people in order to be free had to combat with kings; to obtain a constitution founded upon reason, they had to vanquish the prejudices of eighteen centuries. The constitution of the third year, and you, have triumphed over all obstacles. Religion, feudality, and royality, have successively governed Europe; but the peace which you have concluded dates the era of representative governments. You have organized the great nation, whose vast territory is circumscribed only by the limits which nature herself hath. You have done more; the two most beautiful parts of Europe, formerly so celebrated for the arts, the sciences, and the great men which

they produced, see with renovated hope the genius of Liberty rise from the tomb of their ancestors. These are the two pedastals on which the destinies have placed other nations. I have the honour to present the treaty signed at Campo Formio, and ratified by his imperial majesty. Peace gives the earnest of liberty, prosperity, and glory, to the republic. When the happiness of the French people shall rest on well formed organic laws, all Europe will become free."

The hero had scarcely finished, when shouts of acclamation on all sides seemed to reach the clouds. 66 Long live the republic!"" Long live Buonaparte!" resounded from every mouth.

THE PARISIAN INSURRECTION.

THE real humanity and sound policy displayed by General Buonaparte, in his method of quelling an insurrection at Paris, during the sway of the directory (who employed him on this disagreeable but necessary business), will be evident to every one who reads the following account, given by himself, many years afterwards.

"I made the troops load with powder only, which had the effect of frightening the Parisians, and answered as well as killing them would have done. But, at first, I ordered them to fire ball, because to a rabble, who are ignorant of the effect of firearms, it is the worst possible policy to fire powder, only, in the beginning. For the populace after the first discharge, hearing a great noise, are a little frightened, but looking around them, and seeing nobody killed or wounded, pluck up their spirits,

begin immediately to despise you, become doubly outrageous, and rush on without fear, and it is necessary to kill ten times the number that would have been done, had ball been used at first. For, with a rabble, every thing depends upon the first impressions made upon them. If they receive a discharge of fire arms, and perceive the killed and wounded falling amongst them, a panic seizes them; they take to their heels instantly, and vanish in a moment. Therefore, when it is necessary to fire at all, it ought to be done with ball at first. It is a mistaken piece of humanity, to use powder only at that moment, and, instead of saving the lives of men, ultimately causes an unnecessary waste of human blood."

THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA'S CONDUCT TOWARDS ITALY.

WHEN kings met in council at Paris, in 1814, to divide the spoil, and to fix the precise degree of civilization to which Europe might be permitted to graduate; nations, as yet unsuspicious of their impending fate, sent forth their representatives to claim their promised liberties. It was then that Italy, like some splendid but pensive queen of tragic story, presented herself at the bar of the royal tribunal, and produced the manifesto of her princely and imperial champions, stamped in letters of gold*, and bathed in tears of gratitude;—but there

*Besides the proclamations issued at Leghorn, standards were distributed, bearing " Independenza," in golden characters; but all is not gold that glitters.