150 PROOEEDI>JGS OF THE CANADIAN' INSTITUTE. 



equally with the English, entitled to the credit of victory, perhaps 

 more so. 



The French, again, believe that their idol would have annihilated 

 both English and Prussians had there not been treason. They know 

 that the Prussians were defeated and the English surprised, and why 

 they themselves were ultimately beaten they have never understood. 



Examination of the facts should inform us which of the two first 

 opinions is correct and give us an explanation for the third. This 

 examination we propose to make briefly, but fairly and dispassionately. 



The story we have to tell may be called the "Di-ama of Waterloo." 

 It consists of a Prologue and Pour Acts. We propose to narrate it 

 in that manner. 



PROLOGUE. 



Napoleon left Elba on the 26th February, 1815. He landed at 

 Cannes on the 1st March. He arrived at Fontainebleau on the 20th 

 March. That is, in three weeks he was master of France. The first 

 prominent man who joined him was General Labedoyere. We shall 

 meet his name again. 



The army and the Marshals declared for the Emperor on the 22nd 

 of March. 



But the Boiirbons had been in power since the preceding May. 

 A few of the Marshals and a poi'tion of the superior officers remained 

 true to them. In the interval, also, they had broken up the old 

 Napoleonic organization. They had replaced the Tricouleur by the 

 White Lilies. They had changed the designations of the vai'ious 

 regiments, studious in every thing, Mrs. Partingtons as they were, 

 to use their feeble broom against the tide of modei'n feeling. But 

 thex-e were with the colours on the 1st April 223,972 men, 155,000 

 of whom were i-eady to take the field. 



The evidence as to the condition of these men seeujs to establish 

 that they were well uniformed and armed. Napoleon claimed that 

 they wei'e not so, but it seems that his statements were incori-ect on 

 this point. 



Here is afforded the opportunity of presenting the real obstacle in 

 the way of forming a fair judgment of the occurrences we are about 

 to relate. 



Napoleon published two versions of the campaign of 1815 : the 

 first, by General Gourgaud, in 1818; the second in 1820, as Memoires 



