1796.] Political Affairs.-France. On the 3d of September, general St. Cyr ordered an attack to be made upon Frefing. He had directions to prefs the Auftrians with the greatest vigour, and to prevent them cutting the bridge over the Ifer. This attack completely fucceeded. The Auftrians were employed in throwing down the bridge with a regiment of infantry, four fquadrons of cavalry, and fome cannon. The French pufhed on with fuch impetuofity, that the Auftrians were able only to raise fome planks of the bridge, which were inftantly replaced. The fame day, the right wing of the French army took poffeffion of Gefenfield. Thus, while the army of the Sambre and Meufe were retreating, under general Jourdan, the army of the Rhine and the Mofelle, under general Moreau, was purfuing its victorious career to the very gates of Ratisbon. On the 4th of September, general Schers gained a confiderable advantage over the garrifon of Philipfburgh. He had been previously informed by his fpies, that he was to be attacked by the Auftrians, on the 5th of September, in his pofition at Bruchfal, by the garrifon of Philipsburgh, reinforced by a detachment of that at Manheim, and by a troop of about four thoufand pealants, armed with mufquets. Though greatly inferior in number, General Schers determined to anticipate the Auftrians, and to attack them himself on the 4th of September in the morning. This attack was executed in three columns, commanded by the adjutant general Ramel and two chiefs of brigade, with great judgment, fecrecy, and boldnefs. The French, tired of the long duration of the discharge of mufquetry and cannon, put an end to it by their ufual method, the charge-ftep and the bayonet. The garrifon were driven back under the cannon of Philipfburgh: the detach ment of the garrifon of Manheim returned to its former quarters in full gallop; and the peasants, cut in pieces, ftrewed the road with their killed and wounded. These unfortunate peafants were commanded by three capuchins, but the dragoons foon overthrew the proceffion. The army of Italy, under the intrepid general Buonaparte, continued for a confiderable time to march from victory to victory, till they reduced general Wurmfer, and the Imperial troops MONTHLY MAG. No. VIII. 667 under his command, to a ftate fimilar to that of his predeceffor Beaulieu. The Auftrians, after fuffering feveral defeats, occupied Corona and Montebaldo in confiderable force, where they appeared anxious to make a ftand. General Maffena marched thither, made himfelf mafter of Montebaldo, of Corona, and Prebolo, took feven pieces of cannon, and made 400 prifoners. On the next day, generals Soret and Saint Hilaine were ordered, by Buonaparte, to march to Roque d'Anfonce, of which the Austrians feemed defirous to keep poffeffion. This operation fucceeded; they forced Roque d'Anfonce, engaged the Auftrians at Lodron, and, after a flight action, took poffeflion of their baggage, fix pieces of cannon, and 1100 prifoners. General Angereau, in the mean while, paffed the Adege, drove the Imperialifts to Raveredo, and took feveral hundred prifoners, On the 2d of Auguft, general Buonaparte fixed his head-quarters at Brefcia; and on the 6th at Milan; whence he reported to the executive directory, that, a few days before, the troops under his command attacked the bridges of Gavernalo and Borgoforte, in order to force the garrifon to retire with in the walls. After a fpirited cannonade, general Sahuguet, in perfon, croffed the bridge of Gavernalo, whilst general Dallamayne took Borgoforte. The Auftrians were faid to have loft 500 men, in killed, wounded, and taken prifoners. On the morning of the 4th of September, general Maffena attacked a divifion of the Auftrians, confifting of 15 battalions. He defeated and drove them as far as the caftle of La Pietra; 1200 were made prifoners, and a great number killed and wounded. On the evening of the fame day, the French forced the caftle of La Pietra, and renewed their attack upon the Auftrians, and after an obftinate action defeated them, took from them five thousand prifoners, 15 pieces of cannon, and feven ftandards. The French advanced to the very gates of Trent. The On the fame day, at day-break, another body of the French army came in front of the Auftrians, who guarded the impregnable defiles of Marfo. French general, Pigeon, with foine light infantry, gained the heights of the left of Marfo. Adjutant-general, at the head of the light-infantry, attacked the Auftrians by a rifle-fire: general Victor, in a clofe column, penetrated by the high 4 Q road road. The refiftance of the Auftrians was long and bloody; at the fame inftant general Vaubois attacked the intrenched camp of Mons, and, after two hours' vigorous fighting, the Auftrians fell back at all points. my; In the mean time, Marbois, general Buonaparte's aid-de-camp, carried orders to general Dubois, to advance with a corps of huffars, and to purfue the enethat general put himself at the head of the regiment, and decided the affair, but he received three balls in his body, which wounded him mortally. One of his aid-de-camps was killed by his fide. A few moments after, Buonoparte found the general dying. I die for the Republic," faid he; "let me have time to know whether the victory be coniplete" and expired immediately. The Auftrians retreated to Roveredo, and thence to Trent. The French on this occafion took three pieces of cannon, and 10co prifoners. By following up thele fuccefsful movements, and by the bravery and fkill of the generals Maffena and Pigeon, the French totally routed the Auftrians. "Six or feven thousand prifoners, 25 pieces of cannon, 40 waggons, and feven ftandards (faid Buonaparte) have been the fruits of the battle of Roveredo, one of the moft brilliant of the campaign." General Maffena, at eight in the morning of the 5th of September, entered Trent. General Wurmfer quitted that city the evening before, to take refuge on the fide of Baffano, whither the French purfued, and beat him in feveral fucceffive attacks, and took 70 pieces of cannon, and gained 45 leagues of country. Our readers will recollect, that in our laft ftatement of public affairs, we left general Jourdan, commander in chief of the army of the Sambre and Meufe, in poffeffion of Nuremberg. The archduke Charles, the Auftrian commander, alarmed for the fafety, of Ratifbon, marched, with a large detachment of 25000 of the forces oppofed to the French general Moreau, againit general Jourdan, and formed a junction with general Wartenfleben. On the 22d of Auguft, the Auftrians attacked a wing of Jourdan's army, under general Bernadotte, who was at Tenning, before Newmark, for the purpofe of covering the communication with Jourdan. General Bernadotte on this occafion gave new proofs of talents and courage; and the troops under his comand fought with the greatest intrepi 0 dity. But he was obliged to yield t fuperior numbers, and found it neceffary to retire between Lauff and Nuremberg, to avoid being furrounded. Prince Charles, in confequence of this fuccefsful movement, advanced on Jourdan's rear, with the greater part of the forces which had obliged general Bernadotte to fall back, and general Jourdan incurred the most imminent danger of being furrounded, in a country where communication is extremely difficult. His pofition, and the Auftrian force, did not permit him to engage, without the greateft risk to his whole army; he therefore retreated to Amberg. In this pofition general Wartenfleben attacked him in front, and the archduke in flank. In the night of the 24th of Auguft, general Jourdan made his retreat in two columns, for the purpose of retiring behind Velden, on account of general Bernadotte having been forced to evacuate Nuremberg, and to abandon Lauff; the Auftrians occupied the pofition of Lauff, with a force fufficiently ftrong to prevent the poffibility of his forcing that paffage, which was the only high road that would afford a means of conveying his artillery and baggage. He was therefore obliged to cross the country, and trave along roads which had previously been confidered as impaffable by an army. The park of artillery and baggage encountered the greateft difficulty in their march. At length, general Jourdan was obliged to take a pofition with the army, partly before Velden, and partly at Vilfech. General Bernadotte having been obliged to retire on Forcheim, and the Auftrians having moved in front of Erlongen, his left flank was uncovered, and fome of the Auftrians were behind him, which cut off his communication with General Kleber, who was obliged to retreat on Betzenftein. On the 27th of Auguft, the French army retired behind the Wiffent, the right wing fupported by Forcheim, and the left at Ebermanftadt. On the 28th, they continued their retreat, and on the 29th marched towards Bamburg; a part of the army paffed to the left bank of the Rednitz, the other part remained on the right bank, and bridges for their accommodation were conftructed over the Mein. The fame day, the Auftrians pushed a large body of cavalry from BurgEherach on Eltman, and cut off the only road which afforded Jourdan a communication: On the 30th of August, the French 1796.7 Political Affairs.-France... Weft Indies. French army was in motion, and by a forced march arrived that day at Schwienfurt, after having forced the paffage of Eitman, and part at Laurigen. At this place general Jourdan propofed to remain, until circumstances forced him to fall back, or allowed him to advance. He had been feven days without being able to communicate with any body; nor had he any intelligence of what paffed towards Mayence, or elfewhere. On the 31st of Auguft he received a letter from general Moreau, who announced his fucceffes on the 24th of Auguft over the Auftrians, which led general Jourdan to hope that the Archduke would be obliged to return to the Danube, by which he would endeavour to profit. On the 2d of September, however, the Auftrians paffed the Mein, and marched against Wurtzburg. The French garrison there being unable to remain in the town, retired to the citadel. General Jourdan refolved to attack them on the 3d, as well to relieve, if poffible, the garrifon of Wurtzburg, as to endeavour to compel the Auftrians to repafs the Mein. The Archduke had, in the fame manner, formed the defign of attacking the French; he wanted to turn them on their left, as Jourdan did on their right, that he might fecure Dettelboch and Kilzengen, the two points of retreat for the Auftrians. This action began at eight o'clock in the morning. The Auftrians, fuperior in cavalry, appeared on the left wing of General Jourdan, and threatened to cut it off. The French commander, therefore, thought it neceffary to hazard a chus ge of the cavalry, which might procure him the greatest advantages. This charge was commanded by the general of divifion, Bonaud, and was executed with courage. Some of the Auftrian corps were worfted, and fuffered; but fresh troops advancing, the French cavalry were surprised, and retired. Generals Bonnaud and Jourdan rallied them, but it became impoffible to attempt a fecond charge, the Auftrians receiving fresh troops every inftant. The French retired, and effected a happy retreat. The French general had his head quarters at Hamelburg on the 4th of September. 669 on the 21ft of September, eftimates the lofs of the Auftrians, in the action of the 3d of September, at eight hundred men, and the lofs of the French at two thoufand men made prifoners, and about the fame number killed or wounded. One column of the French army loft fix pieces of cannon, and fome baggage-waggons. The Auftrians, after the battle of the 3d, paffed the night on the field, and the next day, crolling the Mein at different points, encamped at Zell, near Wurtzburg. On that day (Sept. 4th) the citadel of Wurtzburg capitulated; and the garrifon, to the number of 700 men, furrendered themfelves prifoners of war. A great quantity of ftores, of ammunition, and provifions, were found in the town and citadel, partly left there by the Autrians on a former occasion, partly collected by requifition from the neighbouring country. It was fuppofed that the French had decidedly quitted the Mein, and directed their retreat to Fulda. The archduke Charles had previously ordered ten fquadrons of light cavalry to form a junction with the ga rifons of Manheim and Mayence, by which means a corps of twelve or fifteen thousand men would be enabled to act in the rear of the French. After thefe fuccefsful movements, the Auftrian general ftill continued to pursue the defeated army of general Jourdan, and on the 7th of September, in the evening, entered the city of Frankfort. The army under general Jourdan at this time were affembling between the Lohn and Mein, and receiving daily and incalculable reinforcements, from Holland, and the countries between the Meufe and the Rhine. WEST-INDIES. A difagreement having taken place between Santhonax, the French commiffioner fent by the directory to fuperintend the furrender of the Spanish part of St. Domingo, and the republican general, Rochambeau, which caufed fome diforder, a part of the Spanish inhabitants, it is reported, fignified a difinclination to the ceffion of St. Domingo to the French republic; and fent a deputation to general Forbes, foliciting his protection. The British general, in confequence, iffued a proclamation, purporting "that, imSuch is the account which general preffed with their danger, and feeling Jourdan gives of his own retreat. The for their misfortunes, he offers them his account given by captain Anftruther, protection; he guarantees to them, under and published by the British government, the banners of his Britannic majefty, 422 fafety fafety to their perfons and property. He promifes them the enjoyment of their religious worship, their priests, and their laws. He exhorts them to arm against the new mafters of their territory, and on the first fignal of their determination to do fo, he will fly to their affiftance, and unite his whole force to their's, to repel and exterminate the common enemy." BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF EMINENT CHARACTERS LATELY DECEASED ABROAD. Feb. 22, at Amfterdam, Wilter Bernard Selgerfema, Doctor of Divinity, at the premature age of 40 The learned of Holland will lament his lofs. He was a member of the Haerlem Society, and lately fecretary to the Reprefentatives of the people of Friezland. He appears among the authos of Memoirs relative to Natural and Revealed Religion, published by the Teylerian Society of Haerlem. March 7. At Groningen, Paul Chevalier, Profeffor of Theology and Ecclefiaftical History at its univerfity. Of the Batavian theologifts, he was efteemed the most rational. His fix Ecclefiaftical Difcourfes, or Sermons, on fome fundamental moral truths, were printed at Groningen, in 170. They are valuable; and this popular fpecies of divinity was almost untouched by the Dutch theologifts. We have to Jament, that, fince our author's publication, it is not more frequently attempted. March 14, at Rot'erdam, aged 47, Francis de Monchy, Doctor in Phyfic, one of the directors of the Batavian Society of Experimental Philofophy, established in that city. April 9, at Berlin, aged 76, John Ulric Von Billiguer, Profeffor of Surgery. After having purfued his ftudies at Bafle, and in the hofpitals at Paris, he gained great experience in the Pruffian armies. His favourite fcience is indebted to him for many valuable discoveries, particularly for his mode of treating wounded members, which before his time were too frequently amputated. His work on this interefting topic has been tranflated into moft of the European languages. Tiffot honoured him with his esteem, as well as most fcientific men. The Emperor ennobled him; but he derived a purer nobility, and fairer titles, from the exercife of his talents, and from the learned focieties of which he was a member. Lately, at Leyden, the learned advocate Elias Lufac, author of various performances in legiflation. Among thefe may be diftinguished a French Tranflation of the Inftitutes of the Rights of Nature and Man, by Wolf, accompanied by numerous notes, in 2 vols. 4'0. Treatife on the Riches of Holland, in which our author exhibits the origin of the commerce and power of the Dutch; the gradual growth A of their commerce and navigation; the caufes which have contributed to their progrefs, and thofe which tend to deftroy them; and the means which may ferve to maintain them, in 2 vols. 8vo He is known alfo for fome writings, which fhow him to have been a zealous defender of the Stadtholderian government, which he must have grieved to have furvived. Among these pleadings, is one in favour of the planters of the colony at Surinam, and another for the liberty of the prefs. He had been a printer himself, and had made enemies by the publication of La Mettie's atheistical treatise of L'Homme Machine; the nick-name of L'Homme Machine was given to him by his fellow citizens. Nov. 21, at Bankpore, near Patna, the Rev. Robartes Carr. Mr. Carr was fnatched from a fociety which he had long continued to adom, and from his friends and his family, to whom all his withes, all his endeavours, and his happinefs particularly tended, many years before the natural life of man attains the ufual measure of its completion. The dignity of his virtue, the purity of his morals, and the fervour of his religion, with all the focial fympathies of the foul, had formed his mind for the exercife of his holy functions with awful folemnity. He paffed through life loved and honoured, and he funk into eternity with the lamentation of the good, and the prayers of the pious. Col. Gordon, who commanded the Dutch forces at the Cape of Good Hope; having laboured under a fit of defpondency, he put an end to his existence. At Barbadoes, Major R. P. Chrystie, of the 42d or Royal Highland regiment; his death was occafioned by a fever arising from his exertions at the fiege of St. Lucia. In the West Indies, W. Lindfay, esq. governor of the island of Tobago. At Kingston, in Jamaica, Dr. A. Broughton, fome years fince one of the phyficians to the Bristol Infirmary, and fon of the Rev. T. Bof Briftol. On the 12th Floreal, 1796, aged 87, the venerable Alexander Guy Fingré, Librarian of the French Pantheon. He devoted himself to science from his earlieft youth. In 1727, he entered into the ci-devant congregation of the canons regular of France. Theology for a con'fiderable time occupied his researches, but he had the art of connecting it with the study of history, chronology, and the learned languages. A life wholly confecrated to ftudy and retire. ment, was disturbed even by thofe whofe peculiar duty it was to refpect and to imitate it. Pingré was tolerant, and the bifhops of France cherished the fentiments of the Papistical court. Our author was well known as the affertor of the liberties of the Gallican church. In 1745 he gave proofs of that zeal for freedom which illumined the twilight of his life. He was among those who were perfecuted by the ecclefiaftical party, because he preferred the expofition of the Chriftian doctrine as given by the fathers, to that one more recently dictated by the Jefuit Molina. 1795.3 Biographical Notices.-Pingré, &c. &c. Molina. His enemies first attempted his degradation, by compelling him to defend from the chair of a profeffor to the form of a pedagogue. But Pingré felt no humiliation; he ever confidered himself in his proper place, when he found himself ufeful. Calumny afperied his conduct, for teaching a more enlightened doctrine than was supposed to be neceifary for youth. In the pace of four years Pingré received five lettres de cachet. But philofophy, even in that day, stood forth the friend and advocate of this virtuous ftudent. Pingré, at the age of thirty-eight, applied himfelf to aitronomy., His first production was a calculation of an eclipfe of the inoon on the 23d of December, 1749. Lacaille had calculated it at Paris; but the calculations differed by four minutes; and the veteran Lecaille confelfed his error, and received a pupil as a friend and rival. He now diftinguished himself by a close attachment to the fcience of aftronomy. In 1754, he calculated his ftate of the heavens, where the fituation of the moon was determined by the tables of Halley for noon and midnight. But in the following year, he calculated its fituations with the precifion of feconds. Though perhaps no other man but himflf could perform an equal experiment, he delivers his opinion with great modesty: "I doubted (fays he) laft year, that a single perfon were fufficient to calculate in its moit poffible precision the motions of the moon; but now I have ceafed to doubt, and I fpeak after my own experience." He now opened a bolder and more extenfive career that of the calculation of comets. determine on cometary orbits, is the most difficult problem in aftronomy; that which exa&s the greatest number of calculations, and the moft vigilant fagacity; for here are involved great diverfity of facts which embarrass every calculation. But the industry of Pingré could meet no obstacles; and he has calculated more orbits of comets than any other aftronomer during a like interval of time, as may be feen in the immenfe work of his Cometography, which was published in 1784, 2 vols. 4to. Το In 1760, Pingré was appointed by the Academy of Sciences to obferve the tranfit of VeD'IS He chofe the Ifle of Rodrigues, in the Indian Sea Although the heavens were cloudy at the mora nt he made his obfervations (which appears in the Memoirs of the Academy) his voyage was useful to astronomy, to geometry, and nautical fcience. Our author diftinguished himself, by lending his affiftance in perfecting that learned work entitled, L'Art de verifier les Dattes. Lacaille, the celebrated aftronomer, had calculated the ecliples of nineteen hundred years, for the fir edition; and Pingré calculated the eclipfes of a thousand years before the vulgar era. His voyages on various aftronomical projects brought new and valuable additions to the treafury of human fcience; and government acknowledged the important labours he had given to their marine, by electing him Geographical 671 The Aftronomer, in the place of the learned De Pingré had long- defigned a Hiftory of the Aftronomy of the 17.h Century. Many other works had stopped its progrefs; but in 1791, at the age of eighty, our venerable aftronomer arranged the materials he had collected. The work is now printing, under the auspices of the National Affembly. A fervent attachment to study characterized this much-refpected fcholar. A robust conftitution permitted its indulgence; the greater portion of each day was devoted to his ftudies, and his chief amufement was only a change of literary occupations. His objects of recreation were the learned languages. The Latin writers of the Auguftan age were an inexhaustible fountain of refreshment. It is believed he has left a commentary on Horace. Botanical fudies latterly opened new enjoyments to the venerable Pingré; and when his eye was weary with wandering through the planetary fyftem, he foothed his mind by running over the variegated furface of the earth. His old age was crowned with flowers; and he only lamented that he had not withdrawn fomewhat earlier from measuring the courfes, calculating the diftances, and fixing on the reciprocal fituations of thofe globes of fire and light fufpended over our heads. The fcience of vegetables is not lefs important than that of the ftars. Such was the venerable Pingré! who prefents us with one more additional inftance, that a ftudious and laborious life may be prolonged to an extreme period of human exiftence, unattended by the inconveniences, the imbecility, and the pains of old age. Marriages in and near London. Robert Dundas, efq. fon of the Rt. Hon. H. D. Secretary of State, to Mifs A. Saunders, a young lady poffeffed of a fortune of 100,000l. W. Long, efq. of Chancery-lane, to Mifs Dawfon, of Bedford-square. John Guy, cfq. of the Inner Temple, to Miss G. Sheldon, efq. to Mifs Goodrich. A. Murray, efq. of Hatton-garden, tɔ Mrs. James Adams, efq. M. P. to Mifs Hammond. At |