fifteen thousand under Suchet, and forty thousand with Soult. They form in all a hundred and thirty thousand men, and with them I am still erect. I will rest on that sword which has visited every capital of Europe: I will inscribe on my eagles, 'Independence and our Country,' and they will again become terrible." But during the night he received the most decisive proof of the universal defection of his generals. All, with the exception of a few young, generous, and ardent men, represented the continuance of the war as impossible; and in fact, during the five days which had elapsed since the battle of Paris, the allied forces had so accumulated both on his front and flanks, that retreat even had become out of the question. Still the iron soul of Napoleon refused to yield; and it was only after several painful altercations between him and his marshals that, with an agitated hand, and in almost illegible characters, he wrote and signed the absolute and unqualified resignation of the throne.* "Observe," said he, when he affixed his signature, "it is with a conquering enemy that I treat, and not with the provisional government, in whom I see nothing but a set of factious traitors." their post without leave, or asking permission; one after another they all slipped away, totally forgetting him to whom they owed everything, but who had no longer anything to give. The universal complaint was, that his formal abdication was so long of appear. ing. 'It is high time,' it was said by every one, 'for all this to come to an end; it is absolute childishness to remain any longer in the antechambers of Fontainebleau, when favours are showering down at Paris;' and with that they all set off for the capital. Such was their anxiety to hear of his abdication, that they pursued misfortune even into its last asylum; and every time the door of the Emperor's cabinet opened, a crowd of heads were seen peeping in to gain the first hint of the much-longed-for news." No sooner was the abdication and the treaty with the Allies signed than the desertion was universal; every person of note around the Emperor, with the single and honourable exceptions of Maret and Caulaincourt, abandoned him: the antechambers of the palace were literally deserted. Berthier even left his benefactor without bidding him adieu ! "He was born a courtier," said Napoleon, when he learned his de21. And now commenced at Fon-parture: 'you will see my vice-containebleau a scene of baseness never ex- stable a mendicant for employment ceeded in any age of the world, and from the Bourbons. I feel mortified which forms an instructive commentary that men whom I have raised so high on the principles and practice of the in the eyes of Europe should sink so Revolution. Let an eyewitness of these low. What have they made of that hideous tergiversations, an ardent sup-halo of glory through which they have porter of the Revolution, record them; they would pass for incredible if narrated from any less exceptionable source. 'Every hour after this," says Caulaincourt, was marked by fresh voids in the Emperor's household. The universal object was how to get first to Paris. All the persons in office quitted 66 "The allied powers having declared that the Emperor Napoleon is the sole obstacle to the re-establishment of a general peace in Europe, the Emperor Napoleon, faithful to his oath, declares that he renounces, for himself and his heirs, the throne of France and Italy: and that there is no personal sacrifice, not even that of life itself, which he is not willing to make for the interests of France.-Fontainebleau, April 6, 1814." Moniteur, April 12, 1814; and CAPEFIGUE, X. 515. hitherto been seen by the stranger? + What must the sovereigns think of such a termination to all the glories In the general scramble, Constant, the Emperor's private valet, who had served him faithfully for fourteen years, took the opportunity to secrete one hundred thousand francs with which he had been intrusted, and which he buried in the forest of Fontainebleau. The fraud was detected the night before the Emperor set out for Elba, and the money given up by Constant, from the place where he had secreted it. He set off immediately for Paris, accompanied by Rustan, the Mameluke, who had been the Emperor's constant companion ever since he returned from Egypt. What is very remarkable, Constant details all these facts himself, giving them of course the best colouring he could.-CONSTANT'S Memoirs, vi. 101, 112; and FAIN, ii. 150. of my reign!" Alexander was so impressed with this universal baseness, that he said to Caulaincourt, who recounted it to him, "Add to that, that they owed him everything-rank, celebrity, fortune. I verily believe if Kutusoff had lived, and we had proposed to put him on the throne, they would have exclaimed, 'Vive Kutusoff!' What a lesson to us sovereigns! There is no Tartar who would have dishonoured himself by such baseness. Think of the noble blind peasant, Patrowik. Think of Moscow, and its splendid palaces, thrown as a holocaust to our country. What a contrast between these effects of a sublime patriotism and the conduct we see around us!" 22. Nothing remained now but to conclude the formal treaty between Napoleon and the allied powers; and it was signed on the 11th April. By it Napoleon renounced the empire of France and the kingdom of Italy for himself and his descendants; but he was to retain the title of Emperor, and his mother, brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces, those of princes and princesses of his family. The island of Elba having been selected by him as his place of residence, it was erected into a principality in his favour: the * Charles Albert, Count of Nesselrode, was born at Lisbon in 1770. His father, who was descended of an ancient and noble family of German extraction, was plenipotentiary in that capital to Catherine II. Empress of Russia. Early destined to the diplomatic line by the choice of his father, and the rapid discernment of rising talent which distinguishes the cabinet of St Petersburg, Nesselrode made his first entrée into public life as an attaché to the French embassy at Paris in 1801, when Napoleon was First Consul. He little thought amidst the succession of reviews, fêtes, and pageants, which then surrounded the throne of the victorious general, that he was destined to sign, in the very same capital, the treaty which told of his overthrow! His remarkable abilities and vast erudition, which were marked even at that early age, soon, however, occasioned his transfer to the inner chancery, or private council, of the Russian empire. The Emperor Alexander carly appreciated the importance of his services, and accordingly he accompanied that prince on his important interview with Napoleon at Erfurth, in 1808. From this period he became, as it were, the head of a middle body in Russian diplomacy, equally removed from the ardent patriotism of the old national party, which beheld with undisguised pain duchy of Parma and Placentia was secured to the Empress Marie Louise and the prince her son, in full sovereignty: two million five hundred thousand francs (£100,000) a-year was provided for the annual income of the Emperor Napoleon, to be reserved from the revenue of the countries he ceded; and two millions more inscribed on the great book of France, to descend after his decease to his heirs-the first being a provision for himself, the second for his family: the ex-Empress Josephine was to receive a million of francs yearly (£40,000) from the great book of France. All the movable estate of the princes and princesses of the Emperor's family was to remain with themselves; but the furniture of the palace and diamonds of the crown were to revert to France. Fifteen hundred of the Old Guard were to escort the Emperor to his place of embarkation; and he was to be at liberty to take with him four hundred soldiers to form his body-guard. Finally, the Poles in the service of France were to be at liberty to return to their own country, with their arms and baggage. The treaty bore the signatures of Caulaincourt, Macdonald, Ney, Metternich, Nesselrode,* and Hardenberg. To this the subjection of the cabinet of St Petersburg to the dominion of Napoleon, and the ambitious dreams of the Greek enthusiasts, who aimed at planting the cross on the dome of St Sophia. Moderate and rational in his views, with extensive knowledge and great address, he soon became indispensable to Alexander-whose views he divined, whose character he studied, to whose interests he was devoted. In 1812, though not as yet the head of the imperial chancery, he had the chief direction of its foreign diplomacy. He was present at the interview at Abo between Alexander and Bernadotte. In 1813 his influence openly appeared; he accompanied the Emperor to Germany in the memorable campaign of that year, and signed the convention of Reichenbach with England on the 15th June 1813. He had a great share in the delicate negotiation which, in the succeeding mouths, led to the accession of Austria to the grand alliance, and ultimately occasioned the fall of Napoleon; and bore an active part, when military measures were resumed, in the difficult task of keeping Bernadotte to his diplomatic engagements. He signed, with the other plenipotentiaries of the Allies, the treaty of Chaumont, and subsequently that of Paris in the French capital. Since that time he has been almost the Metternich of ready there; but nothing was to be heard but stifled groans from the bed of the Emperor. Soon, however, his domestic surgeon Ivan, who had so long attended him in his campaigns, 66 treaty Lord Castlereagh, on the part of England, acceded, "but only to be binding upon his Britannic Majesty with respect to his own acts, but not with respect to the acts of third parties."* 23. A terrible catastrophe had well-appeared in the utmost consternation, nigh terminated at this period the life and stated that he had been seen, and the sufferings of Napoleon. His shortly after going to bed, to rise departure for Elba had been fixed for quietly, pour a liquid into a glass, and the 20th April; and in the interim, lie down again; and Ivan had recogwhile he was totally deserted by all but nised in the phial, which was left on a few domestics and his faithful Guards, the table, a subtle poison, a composiit became evident to those around him tion of opium and other deadly subthat some absorbing idea had taken stances, prepared by Cabanis, the celepossession of his mind. He recurred brated physician, which he had given constantly to the last moments of de- the Emperor during the Moscow reparted greatness; his conversation to treat, at his own desire, and which, his intimate friends was entirely upon as long as the danger lasted, he had the illustrious men of antiquity who, constantly worn round his neck. When in circumstances similar to his own, Caulaincourt seized his hand it was alhad fallen by their own hands; in the ready cold. Caulaincourt," said he, close of his career, as in its outset, he opening his eyes, "I am about to die. dwelt on the heroes of Plutarch, and I recommend to you my wife and my their resolution not to survive misfor- son,-defend my memory. I could no tune. The apprehensions of his atten- longer endure life. The desertion of dants were increased when they learned my old companions in arms had broken that on the 12th, the day after the sig- my heart." The poison, however, nature of the treaty, he had directed either from having been so long kept, the Empress Marie Louise, who was on or some other cause, had lost its origiher way from Blois to join him, to de- nal efficacy; violent vomiting gave lay the execution of her design. On him relief; he was with great diffitaking leave of Caulaincourt that night, culty prevailed on to drink warm water; after a mournful reverie he said, "My and after a mortal agony of two hours, resolution is taken: we must end: I the spasms gradually subsided, and he feel it." Caulaincourt had not been fell asleep. "Ivan," said he, on awakmany hours in bed when he was sud- ing, "the dose was not strong enough denly roused by Constant, the Em--God did not will it;" and he rose, peror's valet, who entreated him to come quickly, for Napoleon was in convulsions, and fast dying. He instantly ran in; Bertrand and Maret were al Russian foreign affairs, and continued to en- There can be no doubt now of the accuracy of the preceding account, for Napoleon himself gave precisely the same account | pale and haggard, but composed, and seemed now to resign himself with equanimity to his future fate.† 24. Meanwhile the imperial court at of the matter to Montholon at St Helena. "Since the retreat from Moscow," said he, "I carried about with me poison, suspended from my neck in a case covered with silk; it was Ivan who prepared it by my order, while under fear of being taken by the Cossacks. At present (at Fontainebleau), my life belonged no longer to my country; the events of the preceding days had made me master of it. Why suffer so much? I hesitated not; I leapt out of bed, and mixing the poison with a little water, I drank it with a sort of happiness. But time had weakened its efficiency. Tremendous pains drew from me some groans; they were heard; aid arrived; it was not the will of God that I should yet die; St Helena was in my destiny."-MONTHOLON, Captivity of Napoleon, ii. 37. and that she Blois, where the Empress Marie Louise had a dozen mistresses; and the King of Rome had been since could now expect nothing but rethe taking of Paris, was the scene of proaches and bad usage from him. selfishness more marked, desertions Overcome partly by these insinuations, more shameless, than even the saloons and partly by her own facility of charof Fontainebleau. Unrestrained by the acter and habits of submission, she, too, presence of the Emperor, the egotism followed the general example. Her and cupidity of the courtiers there ap- French guards were dismissed, and repeared in hideous nakedness, and the placed by Cossacks; she took the road fumes of the Revolution expired amidst from Orleans to Rambouillet, where the universal baseness of its followers. she was visited successively by the EmNo sooner was the abdication of the peror her father, and the Emperor AlexEmperor known, than all her court ander; and at length she yielded to abandoned the Empress; it was a their united entreaties, and agreed to general race who should get first to abandon Napoleon. A few days after, Paris, to share in the favours of the she set out for Vienna, taking the King new dynasty. Such was the desertion of Rome with her, and neither ever that, in getting into her carriage on saw Napoleon more. the 9th April, at Blois, to take the 25. Amidst the general and humiliroad to Orleans, no one remained to ating scene of baseness which disgraced hand the Empress in but her chamber the French functionaries at the fall of lain. The Empress, the King of Rome, Napoleon, it is consolatory, for the were forgotten the grand object of honour of human nature, to have some all was to get away, and to carry with instances of a contrary character to rethem as much as possible of the public count. Carnot remained faithful at treasure, which had been brought from his post at Antwerp till the abdication Paris with the government. In a few of Napoleon was officially intimated; days it had all disappeared. At Or- and then he announced his adhesion to leans, the remaining members of the the new government in an order of the Emperor's family also departed: Ma- day to the garrison, in which he concluddame, Napoleon's mother, and her ed with the memorable words, which so brother, the Cardinal Fesch, set out completely define the soldier's dutyfor Rome; Prince Louis, the ex-king "The armed force is essentially obediof Holland, for Switzerland; Joseph ent; it acts, but never deliberates." Yet and Jerome soon after followed in the he was not insensible to the evils which same direction. The Empress at first had rendered the farther sway of Nadeclared her resolution to join Napo-poleon insupportable in France, and leon, maintaining that there was her post, and that she would share his fortunes in adversity as she had done in prosperity. The wretched sycophants, however, who were still about her person, spared no pains to alienate her from the Emperor. They represented that he had espoused her only from policy; that she had never possessed his affections; that during the short period they had been married he had * There was too much foundation for this scandal. Though women had no lasting power over Napoleon, and never in the slightest degree influenced his conduct, he was extremely amorous in his disposition, so far as the senses were concerned; and his infidelities, though carefully conducted to avoid observation, were very frequent, both before and after his marriage with Marie Louise. said "The return of the Bourbons produced in France a universal enthusiasm; they were received with an effusion of the heart which is inexpressible; the enthusiasm was universal. The ancient republicans did not feel it the least; Napoleon had in a particular manner oppressed them." Soult was one of the last to give in: his adhesion is dated Castelnaudery, 19th April, nine days after the battle of Two instances, in particular, are mentioned by Constant, which occurred at St Cloud recently before this period; and, what was very remarkable, both the ladies, one of whom was of rank, came to visit him at Fontainebleau during the mournful scenes which passed, though neither saw him on that occasion. Both afterwards visited him at Elba. -CONSTANT's Mémoires de Napoléon, vi. 92-97. * tle; keep it for my sake. Return to Paris, and serve the Bourbons as faithfully as you have served me." Amidst the general and hideous defection of the other marshals,‡ it is refreshing to find one man who preserved unscathed, amidst the revolutionary furnace, the honour and fidelity of his Scottish ancestors, which had so long bound the Highlanders, more steadily even in adverse than in prosperous fortune, to the house of Stuart. Toulouse, and when, in reality, there| Bey, which I have often worn in batwas no alternative, as the whole nation had unequivocally declared itself. Of the few who remained faithful to the Emperor at Fontainebleau, it is impossible to speak in terms of too high admiration. Caulaincourt, after having nobly discharged to the very last his duties to his old master, at his earnest request returned to Paris, a few days before he departed for Elba, and bore with him an autograph letter from Napoleon to Louis XVIII., strongly recommending him to the service of the restored monarch. The Emperor obviously thought, and justly, that his presence there was indispensable to watch over the performance of the treaty of Fontainebleau. Generals Bertrand, Drouot, and Cambronne, Maret, General Belliard, Baron Fain, General Gourgaud, Colonel Anatole Montesquiou, Baron de la Place, Generals Kosakowski and Vonsowitch, remained with him to the last at Fontainebleau; and Bertrand shared his exile, as well at Elba as at St Helena. Macdonald, though the last of his marshals to be taken into favour, was faithful to his duty he did not forget his word pledged on the field of Wagram [ante, Chap. LIX. § 59]. Napoleon was so sensible of his fidelity that, on the morning when he brought him the ratification of the treaty of Fontainebleau to sign, he publicly thanked him for his affectionate zeal, and lamented the coldness which had at one period estranged them from each other. He had derived one benefit from his misfortunes-he had learned who were his real and who his false friends.+ "At least," said the Emperor, "you will not refuse one souvenir-it is the sabre of Mourad * "Essentially obedient, the army has nothing now to do but to conform to the will of the nation."-SOULT's Proclamation, Castelnaudery, 19th April 1814; Moniteur, 24th April; and BEAUCHAMP, ii. 501. "L'unico ben, ma grande, Che riman fra' disastri agl' infelici, 26. The last scene of this mighty drama was not unworthy of the dignity of those which had preceded it. When the day for setting out drew nigh, Napoleon in the first instance refused to move, and even threatened to renew the war, alleging that the allied powers had broken the compact with him, by not permitting the Empress Marie Louise and his son to accompany him. Upon the solemn assurance of General Koller, the Austrian commissioner, that the absence of the Empress was of her own free will, he agreed to take his leave. The preparations for his departure were at length completed, and the four commissioners, on the part of the allied sovereigns, who were to accompany him, appointed-viz. General Koller on the part of Austria, General Schouvaloff on that of Russia, Colonel Campbell on that of England, and Count WaldburgTruchess on behalf of Prussia. The Emperor then at noonday descended the great stair of the palace of Fontainebleau, and, after passing the array of carriages which awaited him at the door, advanced into the middle of the Augereau, at Valence, on the Rhone, thus addressed his soldiers: "Soldiers! the Senate, the just interpreter of the national will, worn out with the despotism of Buonaparte, has pronounced, on the 2d April, the dethronement of him and his family. A new dynasty, strong and liberal, descended from our ancient kings, will replace Buonaparte and his despotism. Soldiers! you are absolved from your oaths; you are so by the nation, in which the sovereignty resides: you are still more so, were it necessary, by the abdication of a man who, after having sacrificed millions to his cruel ambition, has not known how to die as a soldier."-AUGEREAU, 16th April; Moniteur, 23d April 1814. B |