He took an affecting leave of his soldiery, published a temperate and manly address to the Cisalpine Republic, and proceeded, by way of Switzerland, (where, in spite of the affair of the Valteline, he was received with enthusiasm,) to the execution of his duty.

He carried with him the unbounded love and devotion of one of the finest armies that ever the world had seen; and the attachment, hardly less energetic, of all those classes of society throughout Italy, who flattered themselves with the hope that the Cisalpine Republic, the creature of his hands, would in time prepare the way for, and ultimately merge in a republican constitution common to the whole Italian people.

With what hopes or fears as to his future fortunes he abandoned the scene and the companions of his glory, the reader must form his own opinion.
[Footnote 18: Moreau knew it some months sooner, and said so _after_ Napoleon had communicated it to the Directory.

This is a suspicious circumstance when considered along with the sequel of Moreau's history.] [Footnote 19: Mantua, as will appear hereafter, was saved to France under Napoleon's final treaty with Austria; but the events which rendered this possible were as yet unknown and unexpected.] [Footnote 20: It would be painful to show, as might easily be done, from this correspondence, the original want of delicacy in Napoleon's mind.
Many of his letters are such as no English gentleman would address to a _mistress_.

In others, the language is worthy of a hero's passion.
"Wurmser," says he, "shall pay dearly for the tears he causes you to shed."].