of Paris, followed by deputations from all the principal towns of France, poured in without delay, expressive of the highest loyalty. The national feeling was enthusiastic. All classes vied with each other in expressions of attachment. Patriotic contributions were largely made towards repairing the losses of the country.

The Emperor had to replace the whole of the artillery with their trains. He had all his cavalry to remount, and half his infantry to renew. He employed day and night in reading the returns and reports which shewed what his situation was; and then set vigorously to work to collect the materials of a new army. A decree of the Senate empowered him to anticipate the conscription of 1814. The first ban of national guards, who had been placed in frontier garrisons as militia, forming a body of one hundred thousand men, were converted into regular soldiers of the line. Forty thousand seamen, whose time was merely idled away in seaport towns, were formed into corps of artillery men. Large draughts of men were drawn from Spain, the state of the war at the moment permitting this measure. For the purpose of replacing the cavalry, artillery, and materiel of the army, Napoleon drew largely on his private treasure; and notwithstanding his great expenses of the preceding year, he provided twelve millions without any addition to the national burdens. Horses were purchased in every quarter. The arsenals were in fine condition, and furnished abundance of artillery, which only required mounting. The works for the supply of everything connected with the military service were doubled. In the month of April, 1813, Napoleon had increased his army by three hundred and fifty thousand men, fully equipped. He held besides large garrisons in Dantzic, Thorn, Custrin, &c., augmented as they now were by the remains of his grand army, which had taken refuge there. He had besides an active levy in Italy, and still maintained a very large force in Spain. He was, in fact, at the head of a force little inferior to that which he had wielded when he undertook the conquest of Russia, and meditated assuming the exalted station of arbiter of the destiny of Europe.

While carrying on his active preparations for war, Napoleon had made a last effort to settle his differences with the Pope. He felt that he had need of all his popularity, and that his schism with the church was a stumbling block in the way of many good catholics. On the 19th of January, 1813, he left St. Cloud under the pretext of a hunting party, and suddenly presented himself to the Pontiff at Fontainebleau. On this occasion, Napoleon employed all the powers of persuasion and fascination which he possessed in order to induce Pius VII. to close with his views. He succeeded so well that eleven articles were agreed upon, and signed both by himself and the Pope

I I

before the close of the interview; but the quarrel soon broke out afresh. No sooner was the influence of the Emperor's presence removed, than the Pope began to repent the concessions he had made, and accordingly took umbrage at the insertion of the articles of agreement in the "Moniteur;" where they were put forth as containing a new Concordat. He declared that the articles were only preliminaries to a Concordat, and refused to abide by them. The attempt to heal this breach therefore failed, and the ecclesiastical differences commenced with greater bitterness than ever.

Meanwhile the storm was gathering all over Europe. Before describing the movements of the coalition of 1813 against Napoleon, it is, however, necessary to detail the chief events of the important campaign of 1812 in the Peninsula. In January, 1812, Lord Wellington, perceiving that the favourable moment for action was come, issued from his stronghold of defence in Portugal, and took Ciudad Rodrigo by storm. He followed up his success by investing Badajoz in March. This important city was firmly and skilfully defended by the French, but was stormed and taken by Lord Wellington on the night of the 6th of April. The deadly conflict, the sanguinary triumph, and the subsequent horrors perpetrated for two days and nights on the wretched inhabitants, form a history of all the varieties of human passion, from sublime and devoted courage, down to the most ferocious cruelty and appalling brutality. Five thousand British, soldiers and officers, fell during this siege. The conquest was, however, fraught with the most important consequences; for Badajoz was the key to all offensive operations of the allied armies of Spain, Portugal, and England. The victory of Salamanca on the 22nd of July opened to Wellington the road to Madrid; he entered the capital in August, while King Joseph retired to Valencia. The Spanish government failed to support Lord Wellington at this important juncture. He was repulsed before Burgos, which he had invested in September; and the skilful operations of Soult endangered his communications with Portugal. The British general in consequence once more retreated into the latter country. The state of Spain, therefore, in the beginning of 1813 was favourable to Napoleon; the retreat of the English army permitting him to withdraw from the Peninsula four regiments of his guards, and one hundred and fifty skeletons of battalions, which he used as the means of disciplining his new conscripts.

Early in March, a treaty, offensive and defensive, was signed between the King of Prussia and the Emperor of Russia, who met, by appointment, on the 15th of March, at Breslau. "The meeting," says Scott, "was affecting betwixt the two sovereigns, who had been such intimate friends, and had always retained the same personal

attachment for each other, although the circumstances of controlling necessity had made them enemies at a period when it was of importance to Russia to have as few foes as possible thrown into the scale against her." Nothing can shew more clearly than this sentence the real feeling of all the kingly allies of the French Emperor. Sir Walter also informs us, that the King of Prussia began to weep, and that Alexander, endeavouring to console him, said,-" Courage, my brother!-these are the last tears Napoleon shall make you shed." On the following day, Prussia declared war against France. Napoleon received the declaration with perfect calmness. "It was better," he said, "to have a declared enemy, than a doubtful ally." The command of the Prussian army was conferred upon Blucher. The youth of every class rushed to fill the ranks. The students of the universities formed themselves into battalions and squadrons. The whole nation was eager for the war. The Russians had not only taken Warsaw, and overspread the whole of Prussian Poland, but, relying on the friendly dispositions of Prussia, had already left the various fortresses containing French garrisons behind them, and advanced towards the Oder and the Elbe. The Crown Prince of Sweden marched towards the approaching seat of war with an army of thirty-five thousand men, and awaited his expected junction with some of the Russian and German corps, in order to assume the offensive, and compel Napoleon to make head at once against the Swedish forces on the left flank of the French army, and the armies of Russia and Prussia in front. Three Russian flying corps spread along both sides of the Elbe. The French retreated everywhere to concentrate themselves under the walls of Magdeburg and other fortified places, which they still held. Hamburg, Lubeck, and other towns declared for the allied sovereigns, and received their troops. The French General Morand made a bold effort to stop the defection, and occupied Luneburg, which had also joined the allies, with four thousand men; but his corps was surprised by the Russians, and killed or taken prisoners to a man on the 2nd of April. Prince Eugene, in like manner, marched suddenly from Magdeburg with the view of surprising Berlin, which had been evacuated by the French, but was driven back, defeated, and obliged to shut himself up in Magdeburg, where he was blockaded. Even the King of Denmark, the firm friend of Napoleon, shewed some signs of wavering in his friendship at this period, and began to treat with the allies; but the negociation fell to the ground. The King of Saxony, unable to cope with the surrounding host of enemies, retired to a place of safety in Franconia; and his army separated from the French, and throwing themselves into Torgau, offered to stipulate for a neu

trality. Davoust retreated from Dresden, after blowing up the fine bridge. The French garrisons in Thorn, Spandau, and Crenztochau, surrendered to the allies.

The Emperor of Austria, who had openly deserted Napoleon during the disasters of the Russian retreat, now assumed the semblance of friendship; but Napoleon was not at all deceived by the hollow pretence. He well knew that the alliance or hostility of his imperial father-in-law would depend on his own victories or defeats. In the meanwhile, the most conciliatory language was held towards him by the Austrian court; but M. de Narbonne, his ambassador at Vienna, had the penetration to discover the secret policy of Austria, and the engagements which were a few months afterwards made public under the name of the quadruple alliance. M. de Metternich so far threw off the mask as to declare that Austria would neither unite with Napoleon in fighting for the Poles, nor in preserving to him his title of Head of the Confederation of the Rhine. The English government prepared for new efforts in the Peninsula, and English gold supported the war throughout Europe.

The rapid progress of his allied enemies hastened the preparations of Napoleon. He had meditated the coronation of Maria Louisa as Empress, and of his infant son as King of Rome, but the pressure of events prevented it. From motives of policy, as well as of precaution (the latter suggested by Mallet's conspiracy), he, on the 30th of March, solemnly proclaimed the Empress regent of the empire during his absence in the impending war. On the 14th of April, he gave a friendly audience to the Prince of Schwartzenburg, ambassador from Austria; and on the following day, the 15th of April, 1813, he left Paris for Mayence, where he arrived on the 16th at midnight.

MOVEMENTS OF THE FRENCH

ARMY-COMBATS OF WEISSENFELS AND POSERN-DEATH OF BESSIERES-BATTLE OF LUTZEN-NAPOLEON AT DRESDEN-AUSTRIA ASSUMES THE OFFICE MEDIATOR BATTLE OF BAUTZEN-DEATH OF DUROC ARMISTICE

OF

NAPOLEON.

GRANTED BY

On

THE progress of the armies of Russia and Prussia was interrupted by the rapid approach of Napoleon. He spent only eight days at Mayence, employed in organising his young conscripts, and then advanced by hasty marches towards Dresden. On the 25th of April, his headquarters were at Auerstadt. the 29th, he left Erfurt at the head of eighty thousand men. Forty thousand more, under Prince Eugene, were marching from Magdeburg to join him. The army of the allied sovereigns was collected towards Leipsic, and occupied the direct route of Napoleon's advance. The numbers on both sides were nearly equal, but Napoleon was greatly inferior to the allies in cavalry. An important change had recently occurred in the command of the Russian army, by the death of the veteran Kutusoff, who had been succeeded by Wittgenstein.

Sharp actions occurred on the 29th of April and the 1st of May, at Weissenfels and Posern, in both of which the French had the