HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



181 



views and objects of an individual, 

 whose unwearied and unsatiated 

 ambition leaves no time for reflec- 

 tion or repose ; whose successes 

 identify their glory and renown 

 with his own, and who. by wis- 

 dom in council, greatness of en- 

 terprizc, and promptness in ac- 

 tion, puts it almost out of iho 

 course of things, that he should ever 

 meet with a reverse of fortune. 

 Thus circumsta ced, can we won- 

 der, that armies of (iifterimt nations 

 follow him wherever he shall choose 

 to lead, — secure that honours, and 

 spoils, and glory await them : — 

 that successive levies, to an incalcu- 

 lable amount, and capable of illimi- 

 table extension, push on the veterans 

 to the field : — that dependent sove- 

 reigns crouch before him, court 

 his alliance, and serve in his ranks : 

 — that terror and dismay should 

 lead his van ; and, finally, that he 

 should meet with a feeble resist- 

 ance, and an easy prey, in every 

 quarter on which he pours hh 

 strength. 



Nor need we wonder, if, while the 

 successes which we have in our pre- 

 ceding pages most unwillingly com- 

 memorated have dazzled and con- 

 founded the powers opposed to him, 

 that the adulation and praise bestow- 

 ed upon Bonaparte by France was 

 excessive, and knew no bounds, in 

 the addresses which the various con- 

 stituted bodies of the French go- 

 vernment presented to the emperor, 

 upon the event of the battle of Aus- 

 terlitz, he is hailed as the greatest 

 conqueror the world ever knew ; — 

 fresh assurances are given to him of 

 the devotion of his people, and of 

 their willingness to sacrifice their 

 lives and fortunes to his wishes. — 

 Nor are these profters unmixed with 

 ^leudid and llattering statements 



of the interior condition of France. 

 The progress of her marine, the 

 encouragement of agriculture, and 

 of manufactures, the prosperous 

 condition of her remaining colonies 

 — the increase of commerce — the 

 attention paid by government to 

 the line arts, and the instruction 

 and education of the people. The 

 state of the public buildings — high 

 ways and canals — arc all blazon- 

 ed forth in the most captivating co- 

 lours-.w'.ulc the condition of the pub- 

 lic revenue is said to be most flou- 

 rishing: — with what truth, and upon 

 what foundation, it is not so eas}' to 

 determine. 



That upon the whole the national 

 credit was raised upon the assump-' 

 tion of the imperial crown by Bo- 

 naparte, can hardly be doubted ; 

 but that it was so, to such an ex- ' 

 tent as would warrant the splendid 

 efiusions of M. Champagny, the re- 

 porter of the state of France at the 

 close of the present year, certainly 

 may, and must, when we consider 

 that the destruction of her marine 

 had placed commerce out of her 

 reach; and that, besides, the absolute 

 necessity of trade to the existence, 

 in any flourishing degree, of manu- 

 factures and even agriculture ; the 

 enormous levies on foot, and the 

 successive conscriptions, called and 

 calling forth, must cause both to 

 continue, in what they have been 

 for some time, namely, a very lan- 

 guishing state. It is true, that 

 some fine roads, grand public build- 

 ings, inland navigations, and exten. 

 sive manufactories have been pro- 

 jected, and have even in some in- 

 stances been perfected, but our in- 

 formation, upon the interior of 

 France, leads us to believe that nei- 

 ther the commerce, the arts, the 

 manufactories, nor the agriculture, 

 N 3 are 



