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

APPENDIX. 831
more so, as it would deprive his enemies of so con- are drains for the fresh water of the country to
venient a base of operations, for the preparation of the sea. The sluice-gates are opened for its
the means for attacking France. The discontent in egress at low water, and shut to prevent the ingress
Belgium, and the Prussian provinces on the Rhine, of the salt water at the return of the tide. It is
also amongst the Saxon troops who had served in evident, therefore, that we could have laid the
his army, were known.* T'he mutinous spirit of country under water, and so covered their forthese troops appeared to he in concert with the tresses on two or three sides, which would premovements of the French forces on the frontiers; so vent the necessity of their having large garrisons
much so, that they were disarmed and sent to the to defend themn.* But salt-water inundation ruins
rear.t In the former, the discontent was particu- the soil for several years, and it was determinlarly favoured by the number of French?fficers and ed only to employ it as a last resource; and in
soldiers, who had been discharged as aliens from the the meantime the sluice-gates were merely kept
French army, in which they had served, nearly since shut to prevent the egress of the fresh-water, which
the Revolution, and now gave themselves little care in that wet season soon accumulated; and tie fieshto conceal their real sentiments and attachments. water inundation only destroyed the crops of one
The flight of Louis from Lille, through Flanders, season.
added to this feeling in Belgium-such appeared to About 20,000 labourers, called in by requisitions
be the prevailing spirit. The force the British had on the country, were daily employed on the works,
to keep it in check, and resist an invasion, amounted in;addition to the working parties furnished by the
only to 6 or 7000 men, tnder the orders of Sir Tho- troops. The necessary artillery and stores were
mas Graham, consisting chiefly of second battalions, supplied from England and Holland. Troops arrived
hastily collected, a great portion of our best troops daily and were immediately moved to the frontiers,
not having yet returned from America. There were where, froln the movements that were constantly
also in Belgium the German Legion, together with taking place, it is probable that exaggerated accounts
8 to 10,000 men of the new Hanoverian levies. The i were transmitted to the enemy. By these vigorous
organization of the Belgian troops had been just and prompt measures, confidence became restored
commenced, so that the force of the Prince of Orange — the panic amongst the people of Belgium was
might amount to about 20,000 men. removed-they saw that their country was not to be
The Prussian general, Kleist, who commanded given up without a severe struggle-It fixed the
on the Rhine and Meuse, had 30,000 men, after- wavering, and silenced the disaffected. In less
wards augmented to 50,000, which, however, in- than a month, most of the frontier places were safe
cluded the Saxons.*' from a coup-de-main.
These generals had immediately agreed to act in The Duke of Wellington had arrived at Brussels
concert; but from what we have mlentioned, had froam Vienna, early in April, and immediately inNapoleon concentrated 36,000 men at Lille on the I spected the frontier and the fortresses; after which,
1st April, which he says was possible for him to he agreed on a plan of operations with the Prussians,
thave done,tt and advanced into Belgium, it is cer- i by which they concentrated their troops along the
tainly probable he might have obtained the most Sambre and Meuse, occupying Charleroi, Namur,
important results; for the Prince of Orange, who I and Liege, so as to be in communication with his
hIad united his troops at Ath, Mons, and Tournay, i left. The Prussians had repaired the works round
wals not strong enough to have covered Brussels, Cologne, which assured their communications with
and must have either fallen back on Antwerp, or Prussia, and gave them a t(te-de-pont on the Rhine.
r;,lmed a julnction with the Prussian general, Kleist. The small fortress of Jaliers afforded them the
Thie intelligence of Napoleon having landed at command of the Roer on the same line, and they
Cannes on the 1st March reached Brussels on the held Maestricht on the Lower Meuse. It was
9:h. Preparations were immediately made for the important to occupy Liege and Nanmlr, though
det-elnce of the country. The British troops under their fortifications had been destroyed. They afGeneral Clinton concentrated, with their allies, near forded a facility to act rapidly on either side of the
Ath, Mons, anld rournay; and these places, with. Meuse, and a choice of the strong positions along
Ypres, Ghent, and Oudenarde, were ordered to the banks of that river. The disaffection in the
be put ill a state of defence consistently with the provinces on the Rhine, which had been recently
exigence of the moment. To effect this, every use added to Prussia, was considered even greater than
was miade of what remained of the old fortifications. in Belgilum. The fortress of Luxemloulrg was the
New works were added, and by taking advantage great key which Prussia possessed for their preof the great system of defence in that country, which serration; and her interest would havs led her to
is generally under the level of some canal, or the make thatbher dep6t and base of operations, for the
sea, and cansequently capable of being inundated. invasion of France: but besides being so far distant
The sluices which conmmanded the inundations were from Brussels, that armies occupying such distant
cTrveired by strong redoubts. I points could not act in concert, the roads in that
The inlndation of the country near the sea, admits part of the country, between the Meuse and the
e f being made in two ways. The canals or rivers Moselle, were in a state almost impracticable fbr
artillery, and for the general communication of an
S Lir. ix, pp. 58 -61. army. On the other hand, the roads and commtuxfit MaOuing, p. 5.
**Ibid. pp. 1-3. f The salt-water inundation could be raised at Ghent, so
tt Moantholon, ol. ii, p. 281. Liv. ix, p. 53. as to place the Great Square five feet under water.
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