Napoleon arrived in Paris at four o'clock on the morning of the 21st June, and alighted at the Elysée Bourbon. He immediately sent for Caulaincourt: his agitation was such that he could scarcely articulate, but he managed as usual to throw the blame of his disaster upon others; and his devoted friend Marshal Ney got his full share. "The army," said he, "has performed prodigies; but a sudden panic seized it, and all has been lost. Ney conducted himself like a madman; he caused my cavalry to be massacred. I can do no more. I must have two hours of repose, and a warm bath, before I can attend to business." After the bath he became more collected, and spoke with anxiety of the Chambers, declaring that nothing but a dictatorship could save the country-that he would not seize it, but he hoped the Chambers would offer it, as he believed the majority of the Deputies were in his favour. He had sadly mistaken, however, the temper of the Chambers. That very day, on the motion of Lafayette, they declared the independence of the nation menaced; their sittings permanent; and any attempt to dissolve them, high treason; and assumed the functions of government. These resolutions, which at once destroyed the Emperor's power, were carried by acclamation by the Deputies. Prince Lucien made an eloquent speech, accusing the House with ingratitude to his brother. "You accuse us of ingratitude towards Napoleon !" replied Lafayette: "have you forgotten what we have done for him? Have you forgotten that the bones of our children, of our brothers, every where attest our fidelity-in the sands of Africa, on the shores of the Guadalquivir and the Tagus, on the banks of the Vistula, and in the frozen deserts of Muscovy? During more than ten years, three millions of Frenchmen have perished for a man who wishes still to struggle against all Europe. We

have done enough for him. Our duty now is to save the country." It was soon evident that Lafayette, in these words, expressed the sentiments of the House.. No sooner were they uttered than cries of "Let him abdicate! let him abdicate!" were heard from the benches. And in the evening sitting the cry for the abdication of the Emperor became so universal and pressing, that Napoleon next morning, the 22ud, signed an abdication in favour of his son, whom he proclaimed under the title of Napoleon II, Emperor of the French; and then retired to Malmaison, the scene of his early happiness with Josephine. On the abdication being received a struggle at once commenced between the Imperialists and the Republicans for power; but it was soon brought to an end by the arrival of the Allies. Within ten days after the battle of Waterloo Paris was surrounded by the forces of Wellington and Blucher, who refused to acknowledge the right of Napoleon to abdicate in favour of his son, and restored the government of Louis XVIII. On the 3rd of July, terms of capitulation were agreed upon with the Allied Generals, and on the 7th their forces took triumphant possession of Paris, and next day Louis made his public entry into his capital. Directly in the face of the twelfth article of this capitulation, the brave Marshal Ney was afterwards condemned and shot on the 6th of December, in the garden of the Luxembourg.

Meanwhile, Napoleon soon found that he was little else than a prisoner at Malmaison, and was anxious to proceed to America. This desire being very acceptable to the provisional government, they afforded him every facility for carrying it out-providing him with an escort to Rochefort, where two frigates were prepared to carry him across the Atlantic. Accordingly, on the 29th of June, Napoleon left Malmaison with a large

>

number of carriages, laden with the most precious articles which he could collect from palaces within his reach, and travelled with great pomp and dignity to Rochefort, where he arrived on the 3rd July. But he found the French coast so rigidly guarded by the British cruisers that there was no possible chance of avoiding them; and, after having for ten days anxiously considered every possible project of escape, he resolved to throw himself on the generosity of the British government. Accordingly, on the 14th, Count Las Cases and General Lallemand waited on Captain Maitland, of the Bellerophon, to intimate the Emperor's resolution to come on board his ship, and to ascertain the conditions on which he would be received. At the same time the Captain received the following letter from Napoleon, addressed to the Prince Regent:

"Royal Highness,

Rochefort, 13th July, 1815.

A victim to the factions which distract my country, and to the enmity of the greatest powers of Europe. I have terminated my political career, and I come, like Themistocles, to throw myself upon the hospitality of the British people. I put myself under the protection of their laws; which I claim from your Royal Highness, as the most powerful, the most constant, and the most generous of my enemies. NAPOLEON."

Captain Maitland stated, "I have no authority whatever for granting terms of any sort, but all that I can do is to carry him and his suite to England, to be received in such manner as his Royal Highness may deem expedient." On these terms, then, Bonaparte surrendered himself to Captain Maitland; and he and his suite came on board the Captain's ship next morning, the 15th, at six o'clock. When Napoleon came on the quarter-deck, he pulled off his cocked hat, and, addressing the Captain in a firm tone of voice, he said, "I am come to throw myself on the protection of your Prince and laws." He

was received with the greatest respect, but without any distinguished honours.

The Bellerophon immediately set sail for England, and entered Torbay on the 24th. On the 26th, she was ordered round to Plymouth Sound, but Napoleon was not allowed to land, but, on the contrary, the strictest orders were given by government to cut off all communication with the shore and other ships, and to watch with the greatest care to prevent all possibility of escape Indeed, his disregard for truth and the obligation of treaties was so notorious, and had been so recently exemplified in his return from Elba, that it was obviously utterly out of the question to think of leaving him now to enjoy unrestricted liberty, especially in any part of Europe. The Allied Sovereigns, therefore, irrevocably resolved that he should be removed to the island of St. Helena. In the meantime, Napoleon was the object of intense interest to multitudes who flocked from all parts of the surrounding country, and crowded in boats around the vessel to get a glimpse of him. The ex-Emperor courteously appeared on deck day after day, and politely acknowledged their cheers by frequently bowing.

On the 31st of July, Admiral Lord Keith and Sir Henry Bunbury announced to Napoleon the final resolution of the British government, forthwith to convey him to St. Helena as his future residence, and that he was not to be allowed any higher rank than that of a General. He listened with patience to the reading of Lord Melville's letter, and then calmly but earnestly protested against being sent as a prisoner to St. Helena, and against the title given him-General Bonaparte · and claimed the right of being treated as a Sovereign prince; but it was in vain, either in regard to his cir cumstances or the position of the British government. He was, however, permitted to select four officers

as companions, together with his surgeon, and twelve domestics to attend him. He chose Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, and Counts Montholon and Las Cases, and for his surgeon Dr. O'Meara, whom he found in the Bellerophon. Bertrand and Montholon were accompanied by their wives and children. On the 7th of August the fallen Emperor was transferred from the Bellerophon to the Northumberland, Sir George Cockburn's flag ship; and next morning they sailed for St. Helena, which they reached on the 16th October, 1815.

Longwood-house was fixed upon as Napoleon's residence in St. Helena; but as it required considerable extention to afford suitable accommodation for him and his friends, he remained about two months at a romantic cottage called the Briars till the necessary alterations were completed. On the 9th of December he removed to Longwood, where he spent the remainder of his eventful life in the enjoyment of privileges and comforts which strikingly contrasted with the stern severity he was wont to exercise towards his own state prisoners. The British government gave the most express instructions that he should be treated with all the indulgence consistent with security against his escape. Still the fact that he was a prisoner chafed his proud spirit, and caused much altercation between him and Sir Hudson Lowe, the governor of the island, whose unbending manner and rigid temper of mind were little calculated to soothe the irritation the fallen Emperor felt at his degradation.

In 1820, Napoleon's health evidently began to decline, and towards the end of that year decided symptoms of his father's disease-cancer in the stomach-manifested themselves. In February, 1821, he became rapidly worse, but obstinately refused to take medicine to which he had a great dislike. It was now evident to all that