justice; and Count de Jaucour, minister of marine.

The talents of Fouché, Talleyrand, and Richelieu were universally acknowledged; the others were little known. The object of the King was to include the leading men of all parties, and thus inspire universal confidence. In this he would have succeeded had it not soon appeared that the councils of the moderate and liberal part of the ministry were uniformly thwarted by the violence of their associates and the secret machinations of the court, and that it was impossible for such discordant materials as the regicide Fouché, the revolutionary Talleyrand, and the despotic and vindictive princes, ever to amalgamate. Suspicion and fear usurped then the place of confidence and hope.

Lewis was thus reseated on the throne of his ancestors. But was he surely seated there? It is undeniable that he was restored, not by the affection of his subjects, but by the bayonets of foreigners. Notwithstanding the display of unbounded enthusiasm and joy which has just been described, it was too evident that the majority of the nation harboured many pre-possessions against him. The latter period of his former government had been marked by such general inquietude and disaffection, that, had not Napoleon escaped from Elba, the throne of the Bourbons could not have been upheld another twelvemonth.

These inquietudes and this disaffection were not allayed, they were on the contrary much increased by the company in which the monarch returned, and the leaning towards the old system which his public declarations unfortunately betrayed.

Was he then, or could he be securely seated on his throne? This altogether depended upon himself.

Notwithstanding the errors of his government, he was personally respected. Had he been permitted to follow the dictates of his own heart, or had he possessed sufficient resolution to judge and act for himself in opposition to the entreaties and even the menaces of his family, he would soon have been popular in France, and might have established his throne on so sure a basis as to defy the attack of every foreign or domestic foe.

The people were tired of the changes of the revolution, yet resolved not to lose all its benefits. Their military mania, which before constituted his greatest danger, was subdued, or destroyed. The people wished for peace, moderate freedom, and an assurance that no retrospective scheme of vengeance should endanger their possessions or their lives.

The unbiassed inclination of the King would lead him to adopt a system, that would have 2 A

VOL. II.

given all the assurance required, and he then would have reigned beloved and idolized by his subjects.

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He undoubtedly returned under the most unfortunate circumstances. He was forced on the people by foreigners; the blood of the French had too liberally flowed in the contest; and as the price of his restoration, he was obliged to lay many heavy burdens on his people, and to subscribe to conditions humiliating to the glory of France. Yet had he on his return dismissed all those whose evil counsels had before seduced him ; had he principally removed from his intimate confidence those of his own family of whom the nation was most suspicious; had he adopted the charter, and followed with good faith all its principles; had he published an universal amnesty, and solemnly declared that neither the persons nor the property of any of his subjects should be endangered on account of their former political opinions, or conduct, they would have submitted to the sacrifices which the Allies demanded, and rallied round the throne of the constitutional monarch.

Whether the King of France has acted this wise and patriotic part, or, by again listening to the absurd counsels of the vindictive and the bigotted, has once more endangered his throne, prepared for the renewal of the most dreadful calamities,

and perhaps sealed the ruin of his country, the author does not now inquire. This may possibly form the subject of a future work.

Lewis might have been, and still may be powerful, beloved, and happy. May he be wise ere it is too late to retrieve his errors !

356

CHAP. VIII.

Operations of the Bavarian, Austrian, and Russian

Armies.

WHILE the English and Prussians were availing themselves of all the advantages which resulted from the decisive affair of Waterloo, and rapidly marching on Paris, the other troops of the Allies were advancing in various directions. The Bavarians forming the advanced corps of the Russian 'army and the Austrian army of the Rhine, passed that river at Manheim on the 19th of June, and on the 24th had reached the Saare without opposition.

At Sarreguemines they found some resistance. The place was carried by storm; the French were so closely pursued that they had not time to destroy the bridge, and the Bavarians crossed the Saare with trifling loss. On the 25th Prince Wrede, who commanded this advanced corps, advanced to Chateau-Salines, and on the 26th arrived in the neighbourhood of Nancy.

A deputation from the city here met him, consisting of the municipality and officers of the na