The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

698 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
connected with the cause and family of the Bour- the white flag, which floated on the Tuileries and
bons. The sounds excited no corresponding senti- replaced the three-coloured banner.
mnents among the soldiers. At length about noon a It was late in the evening ere Napoleon arrived
galloping of horse was heard. An open carriage in the same open carriage, which he had used since
appeared, surrounded by a few hussars, and drawn his landing. There was a singular contrast betwixt
by four horses. It came on at full speed; and Na- his entry and the de parture of the king. The latter
poleon, jumping from the vehicle, was in the midst was accompanied by tile sobs, tears, and kind
of the ranks which had been formed to oppose him. wishes of those citizens who desired peace and
His escort threw themselves from their horses, tranquillity, by the wailing of the defenceless, and
mingled with their ancient comrades, and the effect the anxious fears of the wise' and prudent. The
of their exhortations was instantaneous on men, former entered amid the shouts of armed columns,
whose minds were already half made up to the pur- who, existing by war and desolation, welcomed
pose which they now accomplished. There was a with military acclamations the chief, who was to
general shout of Vive.NTapoleon!-The last army restore them to their element. The inhabitants of
of the Bourbons passed fromr their side, and no the suburbs cheered in expectation of employment
filrther obstruction existed betwixt Napoleon and and gratuities, or by instigation of their ringleaders,
the capital, which he was once more-but for a who were chiefly under the management of the pobrief space-to inhabit as a sovereign. lice, and well prepared for. the event. But among
Louis XVIII. had anticipated too surely the de- the immense crowds of the citizens of Paris, who
fection which took place, to await the consequence turned out to see this extraordinary spectacle, few
of'its actual arrival. The king departed fiolm Paris, or none joined in the gratulation. The soldiers of'
escorted by his household, at one in the morning of the guard resented their silence, commanded the
the 20th March. Even at that untimely hour, the spectators to shout, struck with the flat of their
palace was surrounded by the National Guards, and swords, and pointed their pistols at the multitude,
many citizens, who wept and entreated him to re- but could not even by these military means extort
main, offering to spend the last drop of their blood the expected cry of Liberty and Napoleon, though
for him. But Louis wisely declined accepting of making it plain by their demeanour, that the last, it'
sacrifices, which could now have availed nothing. not the first, was returned to the Parisians. In the
Escorted by his household troops, he took the way court of the Carrousel, and before the Tuileries, all
to Lille. Marshal Macdonald, returning fiom the the adherents of the old imperial government, and
fatal position of Melun, assumed the command of those who, having deserted Napoleon, were eager
this small body, which was indeed augmented by to expiate their fault, by now being first to acknowmany volunteers, but such as considered their zeal- ledge him, were assembled to give voice to their
ous wishes, rather than their power of rendering welcome, which atoned in some degree for the siassistance. The king's condition was, however, lence of the streets. T'hey crowded around him so
pitied and respected, and he passed through Abbe- closely, that he was compelled to exclaini,-" My
ville, and other garrison towns, where the soldiers friends, you stifle me!" and his adjutants were obliged
received him with sullen respect; and though indicat- to support him in their arms up the grand staircase,
ing that they intended to join his rival, would neither and thence into the royal apartments, where lie reviolate his person nor insult his misfortunes. At ceived the all-hail of the principal advisers and
Lille he had hoped to make a stand, but Marshal abettors of this singular undertaking.
Mdrtier, insisting upon the dissatisfied and tumullt,- Never, in his bloodiest and most triumphant field
ary state of tle garrison, urged him to proceed, for of battle, had the terrible ascendancy of Napothe safety of his life; amtl, compelled to a second leon's genius appeared half so predominant as durexile, lie departed to Ostenud, and from thence to ing his march, or rather his journey, fiom Cannes to
Ghent, where le established his exiled court. Mar- Paris. He who left the same coast, dlisguised like
shal Macdonald took leave of his majesty on the a slave, and weeping like a woman, for lear of asfi'ontiers, conlscious that by emigrating he must lose sassination, returned in grandeur like that of the
every prospect of serving in future either France or returning wave, which, the farther it has retreated,
her monarch. The household troops, about two is rolled back on the shore with the more terrific
hunodedi excepted, were also disbanded on the and overwhelming violence. His looks seenled to
firontiers. T'Illey had been harassed in their march possess the pretended power of northern magicians,
thither by some light horse, and, in their attempt to anld blunted swords and spears. The Bravest of
regain their homes in a state of dispersion, some the Brave, who came determined to oppose him as
were slain, and almost all were plundered and in- he would a wild beast, recognized his superiority
sulted. when confironted with him, and sunk again into his
In the meanwhile, the revolution took full effect at satellite. Yet the lustre with which Napoleon
Paris. Lavalette, one of Bonaparte's miost decided shone was not that of a planet duly movning in its
adherents, hastened fronm a place of concealment to regular sphere, hbut that of a comet, inspiring toreassume the management of the post-office in the bodings of pestilence and death, and,
name of Napoleon, an office which lie had enjoyed -with fear of change,
during his former reign. 1ie was thus enabled to Perplexing nations.
intercept the royal proclam;ations, and to annoulnce The result of his expedition was thus sunmmed
to everiy dlepartment officially the restoration of the by one of the miost eloquent and best-informed Briemperor. Excelmlans, the oatli of' fealty to the irg, t ish statesnmen.*
ai toute ipreuve, scarce dry upoln lhis lips, took dow i Sir James Mackintosh.