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

732 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
Like skilful anglers, the Provisional Government the world, and were silent where they could not
had been gradually drawing their nets around Na- applaud.
poleon, and it was now time, as they thought, to Thus, the reign of the Emperor Napoleon was
drag him upon the shallows. They proceeded to completely ended. But, before adverting to his
place him under a sort of arrest, by directing Ge- future fate, we must complete, in few words, the
neral Becker, an officer with whom Napoleon had consequences of his abdication, and offer some rebeen on indifferent terms, to watch over, and, if marks on the circumstances by which it was exnecessary, to restrain his movements in such a man- torted and enforced.
ner, that it should ble impossible for him to make The Provisional Government had sent commishis escape, and to use measures to induce him to sioners to the Duke of Wellington, to request
leave Malmaison for Rochefort, where the means passports for Napoleon to the States of America.
were provided for his departure out of France. The duke had no instructions firom his government
Orders were at the same time given for two frigates to grant them. The Prussian and English gener-als
to transport him to the United States of America; alike declined all overtures made for the establishand the surveillance of General Becker and the ment, or acknowledgment, either of the present
police was to continue until the late emperor was provisional administration, or any plan which they
on board the vessels.'his order was qualified by endeavoured to suggest, short of' the restoration of
directions that all possible care should be taken to the Bulrbons to the seat of government. The proinsure the safety of Napoleon's person. A cor- visional commissioners endeavoured, with as little
responding order was transmitted by Davoust, who, success, to awaken the spirit of national defence.
giving way to one of those equivocal bursts of feel- They ha'd lost the road to the soldiers' hearts. The
ing, by which men compromise a conflict between thoughts of patriotism had in the army become intheir sentiments and their duty or their interest, re- dissolubly united with the. person and tile qualities of
fused to sign it himself, but ordered his secretary Napoleon. It was in vain that deputies, with scarfs,
to do so, which, as he observed, would be quite the and proclamations of public right, and invocation of
same.+ the ancient watchwords of the Revolution, endeaNapoleon submitted to his destiny with resigna- voured to awaken the spirit of 1794. The soldiers
tion and dignity. He received General Becker and federates answered sullenly, "Wily should we
with ease, and even cheerfulness; and the latter, fight any more? we have no longer an emperor."
with feelings which did him honour, felt the task Meanwhile, the royalist party assumed courage,
committed to him the more painfthl, that he had and showed themselves in arms in several of the
experienced the personal enmity of the individual departments, directed the public opinion in many
who was now intrusted to his custody. About others, and gained great accessions from the constiforty persons, of different ranks and degrees, ho- tutionalists. Indeed, if any of the latter still connourably dedicated their services to the adversity tinued to dread the restoration of the Bourbons, it
of the emperor, whom they had served in pro- was partly from the fear of reaction and retaliation
sperity. on the side of the successful royalists, and partly
Yet, amid all these preparations for departure, because it was apprehended that the late events
a longing hope remained that his exile might be might have made on the mind of Louis an impression
dispensed with. He heard the distant cannonade nnfhvourable to constituttional limitations, a disgust
as the var-horse hears the trumpet. Again lie to those by wrhorn they were recommended and supoffered his services to march against Blucher as a pot-ted, and a propensity to resume the arbitrary
simple volunteer, undertaking that, when he had measures by which his ancestors had governed their
repulsed the invaders, he would then proceed on kingdomn. Those who nourished those apprehensions
his journey of expatriation. He had such hopes could not bout allow, that they were founded in the
of' his request being granted, as to have his horses fickleness and ingratitude of the people themselves,
brought out and in readiness to join the army. who had shown themselves unworthy of, and easily
But the Provisional Government anew declined induced to conspire against, the mild and easy rule
an offer, the acceptance of which would indeed of a limited monarchy. But they involved, neverhave ruined all hopes of treating with the allies. theless, tremendous consequences, if the king should
Fouch6, on hearing Napoleon's proposal, is said be disposed to act upon rigorous and vindictive
to have exclainied, "Is he laughing at us!" Indeed principles; and it was such an apprehension on the
his joining the troops would have soon made part of some, joined to the fears of others for perhim master of the destiny of the Provisional Go- sonal consequences, the sullen shame of a third
vernment, whatever might have been the final party, and the hatred of the armytothe princes whom
result. they had betrayed, which procured for the ProviOn the 29th of June, Napoleon departed from sioinal Government a show of obedience.
Mailmaison; on the 3d of July he arrived at It was thus that the Chambers continued their
Rochefort. General Becker accompanied, him, resistance to receiving their legitimate monarch,
r-r does his journey seem to have been marked though unable to excite any enthusiasm save that
by any circumstances worthy of remark. Where- expressed in the momentary explosions discharged
ever he came, the troops received him with within their own place of meeting, rwhich gratified
acclamation; the citizens respected the misfor- no ears, and heated no brains hut their own. In the
tunes of one who had been well nigh master of meanwhile, the armies of Soult and Grouchy were
driven und(er the walls of Paris, where they were
V JMmorial de Ste-HelIle, vol. I, p. 10.-Note. speedily followed by the English and the Prussians.