THE DEATH OF MARSHAL NEY. 179 



" Without these terms is there a human being, who believes I 

 would not have died sword in hand, joined and supported by all the 

 brave and virtuous that remained in France ? 



" It is then in direct contradiction to this capitulation I am now 

 under arrest ; and as a soldier, an Englishman, and an honourable 

 man, I demand of you my instant and unqualified liberation. 



" MICHEL NEY." 



After several visits to the Tuileries, his Grace found leisure, in the 

 intervals of his splendid entertainments at the Palais de TElyse/e 

 Bourbon, to reply to the unfortunate writer. His answer must ever 

 be considered as a stain upon the national character. With the ca- 

 suistry worthy of a pettifogging lawyer, he observed that the 12th 

 Article applied only to the military authority established in Paris, and 

 was not intended to tie up the hands of the French government. 



That this was a most treacherous and Jesuitical interpretation of 

 the 12th Article, must alone be evident to every unbiassed mind, but 

 a few moments' consideration will place its injustice in a still stronger 

 light. 



Marshal Ney was clearly included in the terms of Article 12, for 

 he had his residence in the capital, in law and fact. The army and 

 the inhabitants of Paris, possessing a certain force, stipulated with the 

 generals of the allied armies for their safety and inviolability. The 

 competency of that force being thus admitted, terms were assented 

 to, which precluded all further resistance. But can it for a moment 

 be supposed that the object of the besieged was to obtain a mere 

 temporary protection a respite for 48 hours ? and that the same 

 army which had kept in awe a hundred thousand men, surrendered 

 at discretion to a government the nation abhorred, and which had not 

 a soldier at its command without the co-operation of the allies. 



Such a machiavelian doctrine is contrary to all reason, and such a 

 principle once established might cover the earth with scaffolds. Eng- 

 land, who prides herself on her advanced state of civilization, cannot 

 suffer such destable maxims to be promulgated, and must view with 

 horror their advocate and author. 



Ney was informed of his sentence late at night, and was hurried 

 to execution early the next morning. The sentence was carried into 

 effect on the 7th December, 1815, in a clandestine manner, near the 

 observatory, for all who were in any way connected with this detest- 

 able transaction, appear to have been ashamed of it. 



When Ney reached the place of execution, he walked .firmly from 

 the coach to the fatal spot, and refusing to have his eyes blinded, 

 calmly faced the detachment ; taking off his hat with his left hand, 

 he exclaimed, " Je proteste solemnellement devout Dieu et devout les 

 hommes de I'miquite de monjugement I'histoire mejugera." Then plac- 

 ing his hand upon his heart, he added, "Soldiers, straight to the heart 

 Five la France !feu!" He fell dead upon the spot, twelve balls hav- 

 ing taken effect. Thus perished one of the greatest men France could 

 boast, exhibiting to the last moment that undaunted courage which 

 had ever distinguished him in battle. It needed not to wait for pos- 

 terity, as Ney predicted the justice of his death is already decided. 



