Blucher sends a corps of cavalry to Versailles.

already covering both banks of the Seine, and against 450,000 more daily arriving from the Alps and the Rhine, through Champagne and Burgundy.

The south was rising everywhere in insurrection for the Bourbons, who were idolised by the population in those provinces. The west was flying to arms, and organising itself under royalist chiefs, to combat at the same time the troops of Bonaparte, and to oppose the entrance of foreigners into their country. The north was opening all its fortified places to the King himself, and Paris awaited him with impatience. What, therefore, could some thousands of men, even if they were conquerors, do against three-fourths of all France, and against the whole of Europe under the walls of Paris ?-Exasperate the final victors, and pour to the shade of Napoleon one more libation of blood. Such historians write to console a party, not to bear witness to facts. For the interest of the country the

army was bound to preserve itself for France and for the King, by sheltering itself behind the Loire, and by ceasing to deny peace to the nation and the throne to Louis XVIII. The most heroic warriors, the most experienced, and the most compromised in the events of that epoch, Soult, Davoust, Grouchy, Oudinot, Massena, and Ney himself, were unani mously of this opinion. By what right do those party writers accuse such masters in the art of war of inexperience, and such brave men of cowardice? In their fanaticism for the Emperor they even sacrifice his most intrepid generals

XII

Davoust was resolved on treating; but, desirous of honouring the negociation by a feat of arms, to keep the Prussians in check a few days longer, availed himself of a temerity of Blucher, who had ventured one of his corps of cavalry as far as Versailles, by crossing the Seine at St. Germain. He accordingly ordered General Excelmans, who longed for exploits, even after the annihilation of his hopes, to attack with 1,500 cavalry the corps of Blucher at Versailles, and drive it back upon the Seine, and into that river This little exploit swept

It is overthrown by Excelmans.

the left bank of the river for a few days longer, giving more time for the negociations, and teaching some respect to the enemy. Excelmans was a man admirably chosen for its execution. He was the Murat of the army of Paris. Brought up in the school of the King of Naples, his friend Excelmans had his rapidity and his chivalry in heart and hand. Davoust had promised to support him with two corps of infantry, which he ordered to recross the Seine for this expedition. Excelmans having divided his cavalry into two columns, advanced upon Versailles at the head of the first. The second, commanded by General Vichery, diverged upon Roquencourt, in order to take the Prussians in flank when Excelmans should have attacked them in front. The Prussians, who had already quitted Versailles, to spread themselves over the plains of Paris on the left of the Seine, were encountered by the column of Excelmans in the hollow roads of the forest of Verrieres. The attack of the general was terrible; his regiments, animated by a chief who fought himself at the head of his squadrons, sabred the Prussians into the very streets of Versailles, and throwing them back upon Roquencourt, where the column of Vichery awaited them, destroyed them to the very last man. Being then free in his movements, and thinking he formed the advance-guard of the two corps of infantry promised by Davoust, Excelmans, with his two columns, reunited and victorious, galloped towards St. Germain to push the remainder of Blucher's corps into the Seine. But at Marly he came alone into collision with Blucher's masses of infantry, which occupied the surrounding hills. The corps of infantry which had been pushed forward in the morning by Davoust had been countermanded. Fouché, being informed of these hostile operations against the armies with which he was in negociation, had energetically blamed this rashness, which was useless for defence and fatal to peace. Davoust, being convinced, had yielded. The heroism of Excelmans only adorned with closing bloodshed, and a final lustre, the unavoidable capitulation

United council of war and of government.

XIII.

Carnot, the most military member of the government, made an inspection himself of the fortifications and the troops. H declared before the council of war, assembled and united with the government council, that it was certainly possible to sweep for a moment the left bank of the river of the Prussians, who were beginning to overspread it; but that this success would be momentary, and that when joined by the English army they would soon recross the river in irresistible force and numbers. The inferences drawn from his report were discouraging, though bitter against the military chiefs. Fouché, being inter rogated by Dupont de l'Eure on the state of the negociations, declared that the allies were for imposing Louis XVIII. on them, and that Europe was determined to have the Bourbons at all hazards; that to refuse them would be to authorise the iron yoke which these princes, supported by Europe against the powerless army, wished to impose upon the country; that to receive them, under national and constitutional conditions, would be to save at once the capital, the nation, and their freedom; that stipulations would be made with them for the army, for the Chambers, and for the men compromised in the 20th of March, who would thus be shielded by an amnesty in a capitulation. These words, supported by Massena and by Soult, who unanimously affirmed that the defence of Paris was beyond all human power, gave a motive to the conviction of the ministers, the representatives, and the military men present at this deliberation.

One alone, Marshal Lefèvre, an old soldier, expressed an opinion as to the possibility of defending, at least for a few days longer, the left bank of the river. Fouché, pretending to yield to the marshal's scruples of honour, ordered a council of war to assemble at La Villette, in the quarters of the generalissimo, to decide finally on the defensive situation of Paris.

Davoust authorised to treat for a capitulation.

XIV.

This council of war, composed of all the marshals present at Paris, assembled in the night at the head-quarters of La Villette. Soult maintained that the political situation of the country was paramount to the military question; that to prolong the defence of Paris for a few days more or less would only be time given to a more extensive irruption of the foreign armies upon the soil of France, and around the capital. He recognised frankly and resolutely the necessity of rallying around Louis XVIII., if it were not wished that the fall of Napoleon should occasion the ruin and dismemberment of the country. Davoust, Grouchy, and even Vandamme, supported with a sorrowful but stern conviction the prudent and politic opinions of Marshal Soult. "Sound sense," they all exclaimed in turn, prompts us, and prompts all France, that there is no safety but in the King, whose wisdom and moderation constitute the best treaty." Some young generals, amongst those who earnestly longed for Napoleon II., in their fanaticism for his father, and not to belie their recent enthusiasm, opposed some vague objections. Military men in France are heroic soldiers in causes still on foot-rarely martyrs to those that are fallen. The council replied, that there was no hope in a battle, and no guarantee for Paris in case of a prolonged defence under its walls.

66

Fouché, Carnot, Grenier, Caulaincourt, and Quinette, armed with this deliberation of the chiefs of the army, which covered their responsibility to the Chamber, authorised Davoust the same night to conclude a capitulation. It was in vain that the orators of the Napoleon party in the Chamber murmured some imprecations against the necessity of the case, and some insinuations of treason against Fouché; the latter, shielded by the revolutionary and military authority of Carnot and the marshals, braved their murmurs.

Davoust sent a flag of truce to the army of Blucher, who replied with the brutality of a barbarian, that he would listen to no proposal of peace until the army had laid down its arms.

Capitulation of Paris.

He insulted Davoust in his replies, by gross and calumnious insinuations respecting depredations unjustly attributed to this officer at Hamburg, while executing the orders of Napoleon, against the navy and commerce of the Hanseatic Towns.

XV

Fouché, who corresponded with the English general by the intervention of his confidant, Colonel Macirone, an Italian, formerly aide-de-camp of Murat, requested Wellington to interrede with Blucher and incline him to negociate. Wellington wrote to the Prussian general that it would be rash in them alone to invest Paris on all sides; and that an armistice was their best military measure, to give time to the Russian and Austrian armies to come up to their assistance. Blucher, influenced by his colleague, and by another negociator of Fouché, General Tromelin, agreed to a suspension of arms, on condition that the French army should retire to a distance of forty leagues from Paris. Wellington crossed over to the left bank of the Seine, at Argenteuil, to strengthen Blucher during these negociations. The chateau of St. Cloud, Napo leon's palace of repose after his triumphs, was appointed by the two generals for the place of conference. M. Bignon, minister of foreign affairs, M. Bondy, prefect of Paris, and General Guilleminot, major-general of the army under Davoust, met Wellington and Blucher there, at four o'clock on the even ing of the 3rd July.

This was precisely the hour when Napoleon had at length quitted Malmaison, and stept unknown into a common carriage, to proceed to the shore of the ocean. The evacuation of Paris by the French army, and its retreat behind the Loire, constituted the first article of the convention. The second stipulated that the English and Prussian armies should protect the actual authorities in Paris, as long as they should exist. The artillery and ammunition were delivered to the allies.

It was in fact a real capitulation, vainly adorned, to save the national honour, with the title of a convention; but every thing had unfortunately been sacrificed at Waterloo.