1830.] 



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MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE, DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN. 



Narrative of the War in Germany and 

 France, by the Marquess of Londonderry , 

 4to. ; 1 830. This is an animated narra- 

 tive though not very lucid in arrangement, 

 nor always clear in the details of the two 

 memorable campaigns, which terminated in 

 the first dethronement of Napoleon. The 

 story is limited pretty closely to military 

 matters, and the writer, full of professional 

 prepossessions, makes his pages ring with 

 valour, and glory, and laurels ; and drains 

 the vocabulary of all its laudatory terms to 

 pour them upon the gallantry of the allies. 

 The author, then General Charles Stewart, 

 was despatched by his brother, Lord Castle- 

 reagh, to the King of Prussia, to re-open 

 our diplomatic relations, and to act in com- 

 munication with Lord Cathcart, who was 

 with the Emperor of Russia, and Mr. 

 Thornton, ambassador at the court of Swe- 

 den. Though invested with no military 

 command, he was warranted by the general 

 nature of his commission, and impelled by 

 martial ardour to mingle in the mtlees of 

 the field, and observe the conduct of all 

 his very business was to gather materials 

 for the series of despatches, which constitute 

 the staple of the present volume. 



During the suspension of hostilities in the 

 summer of 1813, the Prince Royal of Swe- 

 den joined the allied troops, and as England 

 subsidized him to the amount of two mil- 

 lions, some right was thus acquired of look- 

 ing sharply after his conduct. Bernadotte 

 was of course an object of suspicion, and, 

 with General Stewart, nothing short of see- 

 ing him in actual conflict with the French, 

 was likely to remove unfavourable impres- 

 sions. He recorded his feelings at the first 

 interview, in a phrase of some emphasis and 

 fancy " he clothed himself," says he, " in 

 a pelisse of war, but his under garments 

 were made of Swedish objects and peace." 

 Subsequent facts confirmed the plain truth 

 of this remark ; Bernadotte took no part in 

 the second campaign the invasion of 

 France but kept his troops in Holstein, 

 manifestly with the view of securing that 

 country as his share of the general spoil, 

 which he anticipated would soon be to be 

 divided. His conduct previously to the 

 battle of Leipsic, General Stewart hints was 

 very equivocal ; and takes credit to himself 

 for forcing him, if not to a change of pur- 

 poses, certainly to a more complete com- 

 mittal of himself in hostility with the 

 French, and does not hesitate to maintain 

 that he might have done more than he did 

 on one of the busy days before the battle of 

 Leipsic. On the 16th, two days before that 

 battle, encouraged by Blucher, he ventured 

 to dispatch a note to him, written in pretty 

 abrupt terms, urging him to march forth- 

 with, or he would repent of it for ever. This 

 note led to an interview a day or two after ; 

 Bernadotte took him aside, and in a low 



M.M. New Series VoL.IX. No. 52. 



tone said " Comment ! General Stewart, 

 quel droit avez-vous de m'ecrire ? Ne rap- 

 pelez-vous pas que je suis le Prince de 

 Suede, un des plus grands generaux de 

 rdffe ? et si vous etiez a ma place, quepen- 

 seriez-vous si quelqu'un vous ecrivoit comme 

 vous m'avez ecrit ? Vous n'etes pas accrt- 

 dite pres de moi ; c'est par mon amitie que 

 vous ties id ; et vous m'avez donne beau- 

 coup de peine." The general excused him- 

 self on the urgency of the case. " Eh 

 bien," replied Bernadotte, " voulez-vous que 

 nous soyons amis ? Vous savez, mon ami, 

 F amitie que je vous porte ; pourquoi ne pas 

 causer ensemble des dispositions militaires ?- 

 Dites-moi vos pensies ; mais ne m'ecrivez 

 plus, je vous en prie de grace." He was 

 with difficulty dissuaded from entering into 

 a capitulation to allow Davoust and his 

 troops to return to France ; , and actually 

 dismissed the French officers, who were his 

 own prisoners, insisting on his right to do 

 as he pleased with them. Throughout the 

 whole campaign he was tenacious of his own 

 plans, and exceedingly disposed to think 

 himself treated with less respect than was 

 due to his military reputation. The details 

 relative to Bernadotte indeed are by far the 

 most attractive portion of the volume. 



A summary is given of a conversation of 

 some interest between Napoleon and Gene- 

 ral Meerveldt. Meerveldt had been taken 

 prisoner a day or two before the battle of 

 Leipsic, and, after the battle, was dismissed 

 on parole, and charged with propositions of 

 peace to the Emperor of Russia. In a per- 

 sonal interview, Napoleon told him he would 

 give up Dantzic, and other towns, and retire 

 behind the Saale ; resign Hanover to En- 

 gland, ensure the independence of Holland, 

 and separate Italy from France. But En- 

 gland, he added, would never make peace 

 without insisting upon what he would not 

 consent to, a limitation of the French navy. 

 General Meerveldt then inquired if he would 

 resign Erfurth as well as the other for- 

 tresses ? Napoleon hesitated. The general 

 then said, the resignation of the protectorate 

 of the Rhine was necessary. Napoleon re- 

 plied, it was impossible ; but on being told 

 that Bavaria had withdrawn from his pro- 

 tection, and that other members were nego- 

 tiating with the allies, he exclaimed " Then 

 the protectorship of the confederation ceases 

 of itself. As to Spain, it was a question of 

 dynasty je n'y suis plus therefore, that 

 question is decided." 



At the close of this volume, when gather- 

 ing up all his reminiscences, the marquess 

 states there are " two points he wishes to 

 record as deeply rooted in his memory." 

 We were amused with them perhaps some 

 of our readers will also be. " I was the 

 only individual present, when I saw En- 

 gland's king clothe his august ally, the 

 Emperor of Russia, with the robes of the 



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