Desperate situation of the Emperor.

also outflanked Mortier, and by the successive espousal of their cause by the generals and corps that were at a distance from the Emperor, had manœuvred with perfect freedom to surround Napoleon completely in his last asylum. The roads. to Fontainebleau were closed on all parts. The Russians extended before Paris to Melun and Montereau. Another army of Alexander's guarded Essonne and the passage of that river; the roads of Chartres and Orleans were intercepted by numerous corps. All the country between the Seine, the Marne, the Yonne, and the Loire, was occupied by the Austrian army, which had followed, from halting-place to halting-place, our retreat on Paris. The small army of Augereau, driven out of Lyons and thrown back on Franche-Comté, could no longer even disturb the rear guard of the Austrians; and the space was thus gradually narrowing around him who had ravaged the world; while 200,000 men, arranged in columns of attack for the last two days and nights, were about to pounce upon the last remnant of Napoleon's guard.

XXXII.

Informed of this resolution of the allies and of their manœuvres, Napoleon summoned Caulaincourt; and, whether sincere in his show of energy, or wishing it to appear that he only yielded on the advice of his friends, he stated his determination to extricate himself from this circle of enemies by a sortie at the head of his 30,000 men. Caulaincourt represented to him the extreme danger of such a step to the country, to the army, and to himself. "Danger!" cried the Emperor; "do you think I fear it? Ah! my life is a heavy burden, of which I should be happy to be relieved. An useless life without an object-a life which I will no longer support. But before involving that of others, I wish to question them as to their opinion of this desperate resolve. Call around me the marshals and generals who still remain. I wish to know, in short, if my cause is their cause, and whether the cause of my family is no longer the cause of France. I will be guided by their opinion!"

General Berthier's advice to Napoleon.

XXXIII.

This opinion had been sufficiently made known to him by the decisive scenes of the two first abdications, and the solitude which was forming around him, and it was evident he only wanted a pretext for again resigning himself, in apparent obedience to a moral violence, exercised against his own will by his last companions in arms. He wished to secure himself against the opinion of posterity and of France, that it might be said of him, and that he himself might be one day enabled to say: "I wished, and could still have fought and conquered, but they would not allow me to do so. The throne and country have been delivered up by them, not by me." For, if it had been otherwise, is it likely that so consummate a general would have allowed himself to be reduced to 20,000 men, abandoned by his lieutenants, and surrounded in a forest by 200,000 soldiers, before giving battle? History cannot accept as truths the pretences of pride when driven to the last extremity. In these cases the truth lies in deeds, not words, and the deeds of Napoleon at Fontainebleau, after the first day, give evidence of a disposition to negociate, not to fight, while his resolves exhibit the position of a diplomatist, not the manœuvres of an old general.

XXXIV.

Berthier, hitherto faithful, though wearied, came with the marshals and commanding officers. Their looks were constrained, sorrowful, and embarrassed. Their opinions had been given three days before, and they did not wish to repeat them, but rather desired to leave their confirmation to the course of events. Berthier asserted, in a few words and in an official manner, the growing and insurmountable dangers of their situation. "Fontainebleau will be completely surrounded in a few hours," said he. "I know it," replied the Emperor, as if the truth was unpleasant to him. "The question is not of the enemy, but of you and me. I have offered

my abdica

Napoleon's angry conference with his generals.

tion; but they now impose upon me the abdication of my family. They wish me to depose my own wife!-my son !and all who belong to my family! Will you allow it? I have the means of cutting my way through the lines that surround me; I can traverse and arouse the whole of France; I can repair to the Alps, rejoin Augereau, rally Soult, recall Suchet, and reaching Eugene in Lombardy thus pass into Italy, and there found with you a new empire—a new throne —and new fortunes for my companions; until the voice of France shall recall us to our country. Will you follow me ?"

XXXV.

The countenances of his generals had already expressed their sentiments; their voices now unanimously answered him, that what he proposed was to carry civil war from province to province throughout France, to draw the armies of Europe by millions into the last retreats of the independence of the country, and to change their native land into an universal field of battle and rapine! There could be no glory where all patriotism was wanting; and how could the conquerors of the world stoop to imitate the adventurers of the middle ages, by going in search of foreign thrones, after having abdicated that of the universe?

The Emperor irritated, or pretending to be so, desired

them to leave him to his reflections.

The marshals accordingly left. "What men!" said he to Caulaincourt, again seating himself before his maps; "what men! they have neither heart nor soul! I am ruined by the selfishness and ingratitude of my brothers in arms rather than by fortune. All is at an end! Depart, and confirm the two

abdications."

Caulaincourt set out a third time for Paris; and nothing now remained but to stipulate on behalf of Napoleon and his family for those conditions, more or less generous, which the allied sovereigns should feel disposed to grant, on this surrender of the world.

BOOK NINTH.

Treaty of Fontainebleau of the 11th of April-Return of Caulaincourt and Macdonald-Napoleon refuses to sign the treaty-Rumours of poisoning-Ratification of the treaty-Life of Napoleon at Fontainebleau-Journey of Marie-Louise-Her residence at Blois-Struggles of Marie-Louise against the brothers of the Emperor-Her departure from Blois the 16th April-She returns to her father-Last days of Napoleon at Fontainebleau-The farewell and address of Napoleon to his Guard-The Author's opinion of Napoleon.

I.

THOUGHTS crowded, and resolutions struggled with each other in the mind of the Emperor when left to himself. Caulaincourt had scarcely departed, when Napoleon sent an aide-decamp after him to Paris, with a letter to this effect:-" Come back; bring me my abdication; I am vanquished; I am a prisoner of war; I yield to the fate of arms; no treaty; a simple cartel is enough."

In the evening another messenger conveyed to Caulaincourt the order to discontinue all negociation.

In the course of the night a third message reached him to this effect-" I order you to bring me my abdication. At all events no stipulation for money. 'Tis humiliating!" Seven couriers in twenty-four hours harassed Napoleon's negociator, with orders and counter-orders of this nature. He repented having abdicated. He had given authority, by his own consent, for his forfeiture and that of his family. He better liked the condition of a prisoner of war, and deposition by foreign arms, than a treaty and voluntary abdication. He might recriminate at a subsequent period upon the former, but he could not protest against the latter. He was right now, with reference to his future prospects; but, like all inconsistent men, he was right against himself. He had twice signed his

own condemnation.

Treaty of Fontainebleau.

II.

His negociator at Paris, and the marshals who seconded him, listened no more to these tergiversations of his mind. They continued, in his behalf, to negociate for him and for his, conditions the most worthy of his past greatness, and best calculated for his future security. Their own honour required that these conditions should appear worthy of the man, whose life and honour they had guaranteed on forsaking his colours. On the 11th the treaty was signed at Paris by the allied powers, which gave to Napoleon an intermediate station between the condition of a king and that of a private individual: too great if he was no longer anything but a soldier; too narrow and too menacing if he was still a monarch; concession to the terror of his name, or imprudence from the magnanimity of Alexander. Diocletian, after the Empire, only wished for a garden in Illyria; Charles V. a convent in Estremadura. The blood of France and of Europe very soon effaced this treaty, which ran as follows. It marks a halt in the destiny of Napoleon and in the calamities of France.

III.

"TREATY OF FONTAINEBLEAU OF APRIL 11, 1814.

"His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon on the one part, and their Majesties the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, the Emperor of all the Russias, and the King of Prussia, stipulating in their own names, as well as in that of all the allies, on the other; having named for their plenipotentiaries, viz.-His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon, the Sieurs Armand-Augustin Louis de Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza, his grand equerry, senator, minister of foreign affairs, Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honour, Knight of the Orders of Leopold of Austria, of Saint Andrew, of Saint Alexander Newsky, of Saint Anne of Russia, and of several others; Michael Ney, Duke of Elchingen and Marshal of the Empire, Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honour, Knight of the