BOOK THIRD.

The Allies demand a suspension of arms-Conferences of Lusigny-The allied troops take Soissons-Blucher unites all his corps d'arméeHe marches on Troyes towards Schwartzenburg-Rencontre of Napoleon and Blucher-Méry-sur-Seine-Blucher abandons the valley of the Seine, and advances on Paris by the valley of the Marne-Mortier and Marmont fall back upon Paris-Soissons is retaken by Mortier-Napoleon quits Schwartzenburg, and flies to Blucher-He overtakes him at La Ferté-sous-Jouarre-Blucher passes the Marne, pursued by Napoleon-Blucher hemmed in by the Emperor, Mortier, and Marmont, escapes by Soissons, abandons the Aisne, and retires upon Laon-Napoleon crosses the Aisne at Béryau-Bac, and attacks at Craonne the Russian and Prussian corps which came to cover Blucher-Battle of Craonne-Battle of LaonHalt of Napoleon at Rheims-Schwartzenburg marches on Paris, and advances to Provins-Tactics of the Emperor-He returns to Troyes to operate on the rear of the enemy-Panic of the allies-Schwartzenburg falls back upon Troyes and Dijon-Battle of Arcis-surAube-The Emperor's new plan of campaign-Decree for a levy en masse- -Apathy of France-March of Napoleon towards St. Dizier -Treaty of Chaumont-Concentration of the Allied Armies at Châlons-Their indecision-They march on Paris-Situation of Paris and of France-Flight of Marie-Louise.

I.

THE enemy retreated in all directions by forced marches from Troyes, which had now become the head quarters-general of Napoleon; and it was impossible to say how far they would be carried by the panic which seized them on the approach and at the name of the Emperor After a short repose, Napoleon, without driving them to absolute extremity, intended to cut up the scattered columns of their rear so effectually that terror alone should supply his place, while he returned, to attack the army of Blucher, for the third time.

Having halted for the night of the 17th at Nangis, in the cottage of a wheelwright, he received, in the character of nego

Proposed suspension of hostilities.-Conferences of Lusigny.

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ciator. the Prince of Lichtenstein, sent by the generalissimo, Prince Schwartzenburg, to demand a suspension of arms, with the view of giving time for serious negociations for peace. Napoeon, affecting greater confidence in the result of his victories than perhaps he really felt, complained of the encouragement given to the partisans of the Bourbons against him. Is it then a war against the throne," he exclaimed, “ instead of a war against the victor, that you intend to carry on? The Duke d'Angoulême is at the head quarters of the Duke of Wellington, and he is permitted to address from thence proclamations to the southern portion of my Empire, and even to my own soldiers? Can I believe that my father-in-law, the Emperor Francis, is so blind, or so unnatural, as to project the dethronement of his own daughter, and the disinheriting of his own grandson?"

The prince, however, re-assured the Emperor, dissipated his doubts, asserted that the residence of some princes of the house of Bourbon amongst the armies of Europe, was merely on sufferance: or, at the utmost, an admissible means of diversion between hostile forces; but the allies, he added, only wished for peace, and not to destroy the Empire. Napoleon declined any further explanation of his views, until he had taken counsel from the night. Fresh couriers might bring him. every hour additional reasons for demanding greater concessions; and with this idea he retired to rest

II.

Nothing occurred during the night but the arrival of a second aide-de-camp from Schwartzenburg, bearing a more precise requisition to open conferences for an armistice as the precursor of peace. Napoleon fixed the place of meeting for this purpose at the village of Lusigny, between Vandoeuvre and Troyes, and sent thither one of his most brilliant officers, M. de Flahaut. This envoy found there three of the allied generals, deputed to arrange with him the preliminaries of an armistice. These were General Duca on the part of Austria, General Schouwalof for Russia, and General Rauch for Prussia.

The allied troops capture Soissons.

While these officers were discussing the bases of a cessation of hostilities, and the portion of France over which it should extend, Napoleon, more confident in a successful operation than a political conference, re-formed his columns of attack, to complete the overthrow of the grand Austrian army; and he had already commenced his march for that purpose, when he was recalled, by the rumour of disaster, towards the army of Blucher.

Generals York and Saken, who had been cut off from the army of the Prussian general-in-chief, by the battles of Montmirail and Vauchamp, had retired precipitately, to the number of forty or fifty thousand men, to the plains that lay open before them, pursued by Mortier, who had been detached with only a few thousand men. Victory, however, increased his numbers, which were now sufficient to disperse the fragments of a conquered army, wandering on an enemy's soil. These remains, intending to cross the Aisne at Soissons, to take refuge in the north, and to rejoin the Belgian army, arrived under the walls of Soissons, at the same time that General Woronzoff, commanding the army of invasion of the north, had arrived there by another route. General Rusca, in defending Soissons against them, was killed on the breach; and the two armies of Saken and Woronzoff effected their junction in the conquered city. Strengthened by this coalition they took courage, and fell back upon Châlons, to rejoin the defeated army of Blucher, their general-in-chief. Thus recruited, Blucher resumed, with 60,000 men, his route, twice interrupted, towards Troyes, to fly to the assistance of Schwartzenburg; but was encountered by Napoleon at Méry-surSeine. A terrible shock signalized this unexpected meeting of the two armies. The town of Méry-sur-Seine crumbled beneath the bullets, and was consumed by the shells of both armies, leaving nothing but a ruined mass of blackened walls and smoking houses on the banks of the river.

Blucher, repulsed a third time by this unexpected shock, gave way, renounced his intended junction with the Austrians, regained the valley of the Marne, and advanced on Paris, for the purpose of recalling Napoleon to the defence of his capital.

Mortier and Marmont, with two weak divisions of 7,000 men each, operating between Paris and the Marne, fell back

Napoleon's operations against Blucher.

slowly on the capital. They had no other object than to gain time, and to give scope for the grand manœuvres of the Emperor

III.

On learning this, Napoleon, trembling for his capital and for his government, abandoned the Austrians to themselves, and traversing with his recruited troops the whole space lying between Troyes and Sezanne, he prepared to take Blucher once more in the rear, in the neighbourhood of Meaux, while Mortier and Marmont attacked him in front. Pushing on from Sezanne, he had already nearly reached Ferté-sous-Jouarre, the position where Blucher was held in check by Mortier and Marmont. The Prussian army, annihilated, was about to become the trophy of this combination. Relieved from this force, Napoleon was certain of an easy triumph over the Austrians. His army participated in his hopes, and enthusiasm accelerated their steps. In a few hours the Marne would engulf the wreck of Blucher and the Russians; but this general, divining the thoughts of Napoleon, and desirous of withdrawing him on his own track from the pursuit of Schwartzenburg, had forced the passage of the Marne, and burnt the bridges, before Napoleon could attain his object. From the heights which slope down towards the river, the Emperor saw the Prussian army defile in safety on the opposite bank, and directing its long columns towards the north.

IV

A terrible suspicion now seized the mind of Napoleon Should he allow Blucher, at the head of an unbroken army, to march round Paris, and spread terror through the capital? Or should he consume time and distance in following him, and thus give Schwartzenburg an opportunity of returning in mass, and unopposed, upon Fontainebleau? Paris appeared to him once more the heart of the Empire, which it was essential to cover; and he decided on crossing the Marne in pursuit of Blucher: but he lost two days in re-establishing the bridges, and passing his army to the other side of the river.

Σ

The garrison of Soissons opens its gates to the Prussians.

Then seeking on the map an intermediate point between Soissons and Rheims, he placed his finger on Fismes. He arrived there at day-break on the 4th of March. This movement placed Blucher between Napoleon on one side, Marmont and Mortier on the other, and Soissons and the Aisne in front. Soissons had been recovered by Mortier, and commanded the bridges of the Aisne. Blucher was, in short, a prisoner, and Napoleon thought he had nothing more to do than to dictate his capitulation.

V

But the best concerted plans are often frustrated by the chance of war. The weakness or timidity of the little garrison of Soissons had opened the gates of that city to the Prussians of the North, at a period when a further resistance of a few hours would have delivered a captive army into the hands of the Emperor and his generals. Blucher was received at Soissons by the army of Witzingerode and of Bulan, which increased his forces to 100,000 men. But he so much dreaded a fourth collision with the Emperor, that he retreated again from the Aisne, and proceeded by forced marches to Laon.

Another doubt now seized upon Napoleon. Ought he to fall back or pursue? Carried on by enthusiasm he pursued, and crossed the Aisne at Béry-au-Bac. On the 7th of March he encountered at Craonne the Russian and Prussian corps which were marching from Soissons to cover Blucher, after having saved him. Napoleon charged them at the point of the bayonet on the heights of Craonne, which were studded with batteries. The Russians died at their guns, after mowing down all ranks of our soldiers; but the survivors yielded to the repeated assaults of Napoleon, and fled in disorder towards Leon. Blucher was already there, worn-out, wounded, and astonished at so incessant a pursuit. The Emperor, whe had not given him a moment to breathe, was on the point of seizing him. The Prussian army experienced at that moment the discouragement arising from continual retreats after defeat. The fame of Napoleon weighed heavily on Blucher and his soldiers. Everything presaged the annihilation of these three