[133] Montholon, tom. iii., p. 173; Lacretelle, tom. xiii., p. 172; Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 211. See the Treaty, Annual Register, vol. xxxviii., p. 233. [134] Hercules III., Renaud d'Este, last Duke of Modena, was born in 1727 and died in 1797. [135] Lacretelle, tom. xiii., p. 187; Montholon, tom. iii., p. 187. [136] "The duke is avaricious. His only daughter and heiress is married to the Archduke of Milan. The more you squeeze from him, the more you take from the House of Austria."--LALLEMANT to BUONAPARTE, 14th May; _Correspondence Inédite_, tom. i., p. 169. [137] Montholon, tom. iii., p. 174. [138] "The republic had already received, by the same title, and placed in its Museum, the _chefs-d'œuvre_ of the Dutch and Flemish schools. The Romans carried away from conquered Greece the statues which adorn the capitol. Every capital of Europe contained the spoils of antiquity, and no one had ever thought of imputing it to them as a crime."--THIBAUDEAU, tom. i., p. 214. [139] Montholon, tom. iii., p. 174. [140] "Is it, then, so difficult for Sir Walter to justify the motive which induced Napoleon to prefer works of art? It was a motive too great and too praiseworthy to need justification."--LOUIS BUONAPARTE, p. 21. [141] On the 7th of May, Carnot had written to Buonaparte--"The executive Directory is convinced, citizen-general, that you consider the glory of the fine arts connected with that of the army under your command. Italy is, in great part, indebted to them for her riches and renown; but the time is arrived when their reign must pass into France to strengthen and embellish that of liberty. The National Museum must contain the most distinguished monuments of all the arts, and you will neglect no opportunity of enriching it with such as it expects from the present conquests of the army of Italy, and those which may follow," &c.--_Correspondence Inédite_, tom. i., p. 155. [142] Moniteur, 25th Floreal, 16th May. [143] See also Lacretelle's "Digression sur l'enlèvement de statues, tableaux, &c."--_Hist._, tom. xiii., p. 172. CHAPTER V. _Directory proposes to divide the Army of Italy betwixt Buonaparte and Kellermann--Buonaparte resigns, and the Directory give up the point--Insurrection against the French at Pavia--crushed--and the Leaders shot--Also at the Imperial Fiefs, and Lugo, quelled and punished in the same way--Reflections--Austrians defeated at Borghetto, and retreat behind the Adige--Buonaparte narrowly escapes being made Prisoner at Valeggio--Mantua blockaded--Verona occupied by the French--King of Naples secedes from Austria--Armistice purchased by the Pope--The Neutrality of Tuscany violated, and Leghorn occupied by the French Troops--Views of Buonaparte respecting the Revolutionizing of Italy--He temporizes--Conduct of the Austrian Government at this Crisis--Beaulieu displaced, and succeeded by Wurmser--Buonaparte sits down before Mantua._