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

LIFE -OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 639
mediately recovering himself, treated it as a vain the treaty on the subject of Antwerp; the chief
threat held out to intimidate him, and said it would utility of which, to his empire, mast have been in
be most for the interest of A ustria to join in procur- the fuiture wars which he meditated with Britain
ing him a peace on his own terms, since otherwise It was seeking war through peace, not peace by war.
he might again be forced to cross the Rhine. The Such reasoners were no doubt in many cases preAustrian prince retired without reply; and from that judiced against Napoleon's person, and inclined to
mo'nent, it has been supposed, the emperor resigned consider his government as a usurpation. But others
his son-in-law, without further effort in his favour, amongst them allowed that Napoleon, abstractedly
to the consequences of his own ill-timed obstinacy. considered, was not a worse man than other conCaulaincoulrt, in the meantime, played the part querors, but that a. run of success so long uninterof an able minister and active negotiator. IHe kept rupted had made war and conquest so familiar to
the negotiation as long afloat as possible, and, in the his soul, that, to use an expression of the poet, the
meanwhile, used every argument to induce his " earthquake voice of victory " was to him the nemaster to close with the terms of the allies. At length, cessary and indispensable breath of life. This passion
however, he was compelled to produce a coentre- for battle, they said, might not make Napoleon
projet, which he hoped might have. at least the effect hateful as a man, for much, far too much, allowance
of prolonging the negotiation. is made in modern morality for the thirst of military
But the plan he offered was not only too vague to fame; but it must be allowed that it rendered him
serve the purpose of amusing the allies, but too in- a most unfit monarch for those with whose blood
consistent with the articles adopted by all parties as that thirst was to be staunched. Such reflections are,
the basis of the conference, to be a moment listened however, foreign to our present purpose.
to. He demanded the whole line of the Rhine- It was not the least remarkable contingence in
he demanded great part of that of the Waal, and the these momentous transactions, that as Caulaincourt
fortress of Nimeguen, which must have rendered the left Cllhtillon, he met the secretary of Bonaparte
independence of Holland purely nominal-he requir- posting towards him with the, full and explicit
ed Italy, and even Venice, for Eugene Beauharnais, powers of treating which he had so long vainly solialthough this imtportant article was not only in abso- cited. Had Napoleon adopted this final decision of
lute contradiction to the basis of the treaty, but submitting himself to circumstances but one day
peculiarly offensiv~e and injurious to Austria, whom earlier, the treaty of Chtatillon might have proceeded,
it was so much Bonaparte's interest to conciliate. and he would have continued in possession of the
The possession of Italy embraced, of course, that of throne of France. But it was too late.
Switzerland, either directly or by influence; so that
in filture wars Austria would lie open to the incursions of France along her whole frontier, and, CHAPTER XCII1.
while concluding a victorious treaty upon French
gr-mnl, wo.ld have been placed in a...rse situationDifficulties of Bonaparte-He marchestpon Blclcher: who
grsuon 1, would hlave been placed in a vorse situation is in possession of Soissons-Attacks the place without
than by that which Bonaparte himself dictated to success.-Battle of Craonnle, on 7th mIarch, attended
her at Canpo Fornlio! There were stipulations, be- by no decisive result. - Blucher retreats on Laon.sides, for itldenmnities to J&rmire, the phantom-king Battle of Laon on7 the 9th. —Napoleon is comrpellel to
of Westphalia; to Louis, Grand Duke of Berg; and withdraw on the 11th, with great loss.-He attfacks
to E,,gene, in compensation of his alleged rights on Rheims, wt/hi h is evacuated by the Russiamns.-Defeat at
the Grand Duchy of Frankfort. Nay, as if deter- Bar-swtr-Aube of the French divisions uonder Oudinzot
nined to show that nothing which he had everdone, and Gura ld, wzho, with Macdonald, are forced to reeven though undone by himself, should now be con- treat upon the great read to Paris.-Sh2ittrtzeEbero
sideredl as null, witlhout exactiln compensation at wishes to retreat behind the AuIe -b,,t the Emperor
the Ase of the rest of Eu- Alexander and Lord Castlereagh opposing the measure,
the expense of' the rest of' Europe, Bonaparte deit is determined to proceed upon Paris.-Napoleon occurounded an inidemnnitv for his brother Joseph, not in-.
pies Arcis. —Battle of Arcis on the 20th. —Napoleo,, is
deed fir the crown of Spain, but for that very throne joined, in the night after the battle, by Macdosalad, Ouof Napl.es, froIm which he had himself displaced him, diriot, and GCrard-Nevertheless he retreats along both
in order to make room for M!urat! The assembled sides of the Aube, with little loss.
congress received this imperiots communication
with equal surprise and displeasure. They instantly THE sword was now again brandished, not to be
declared the congress dissolved; and thus termi- sheathed or reposed, until the one party or'the other
Dated the fears of many, wvho considered Europe should be irretrievably defeated.
as in greater danger friom any treaty that could be The situation of Bonaparte, even after the victory
made with Bonaparte, than from the progress of his i of AMontereau, and capture of Troyes, was most
arms against the allies. discouraging. If he advanced on the grand army
It was the opinion of such men, and their number I of the allies, which he had in front, there was every
was very considerable, that no peace concluded likelihood that they would retilre before him, wvastwith Napoleon could be permanent, andl that any ing his force in skirmishes, without a possibility of
immediate terms of composition could be only an', his being able to force them to a general action;
armed truce, to last until the Emperor of France while, in the meantime, it might be reckoned for
should feel himself able to spend the remainder of certain that Blucher, master of the Marne, would
his life iti winn ng back again the conquests which march upon Paris. On the contrary, if Napoleon
he had spent the earlier part of it in gaining. They moved with his chief force against Blucher, he haid,
insisted that this was visible, from his breaking off, in like manner, to apprehend that Schvartzenberg