660 
tlistory. them, he abandoned this 
PONE Ss nan cme ote 
tinue his retreat to Luneville. By the middle of Ja- 
nuary, the Cossacks, who had entered France in great 
erm the gave a clear proof, in what a defenceless 
state it was, by pushing on between Epinal and Nancy, 
unsupported by any regular troops. 
The second French army, under the command of 
Marmont, was opposed to Blucher, whose had 
crossed the Rhine near Coblentz and Manheim ; but 
he found it necessary to retreat before the Prussian ge- 
neral, and take up a position behind the Saare. Even 
here he could not long continue; for by the end of 
January he had fled to Verdun, while Victor was at 
Commency ; and the additional which Bonapart 
had under the command of Mortier and Mac- 
; donaid, were at Chaumont and Namur, The allies, at 
ikea —— Lorraine, as far as the Meuse, all 
Alsace, Franche Compté, and t of Burgundy. 
Such, however, was the aubhvaien a of Baenpaens 
‘that he had not yet quitted Paris. Notwithstanding the 
tations of his force, and the favourable dispo- 
sition of the French, which were given in the French 
official news his means to cope with the allies 
were soi uate, that he resolved to sue for peace. 
The allied sovereigns had taken up their head quarters 
at Chatillon ; and thither Caulincourt, Bonaparte’s mi- 
nister, was directed to proceed. But peace was not 
, even by the most sanguine ; for though the 
allies were sincerely disposed towards it, and the Em- 
peror of Austria was suspected of a leaning towards his 
son-in-law, which retarded his cordial co-operation with 
~ them, yet the character of Bonaparte left no doubt, that 
his sole object was delay, in order to augment his for- 
ces ; and , if he were again successful, his conduct 
would be as ambitious and overbearing as before. A 
congress, however, was held at Chatillon, which was 
attended by the allied sovereigns in person, and by 
Caulincourt on the of Bona , and Lord Castle- 
— on the part of Great Britain. 
n consequence of the rapid advance of the allies, the 
more young and active members of the Bourbon famil 
left England, and embarked for the continent tow 
the end of January. This step they took entirely of 
their own accord, since none of the allied powers had 
given them reason to believe that they would declare 
or support Louis XVIII. On the contrary, they had 
solemnly not to interfere in the internal go- 
vernment of France, and were even disposed to treat 
with Bonaparte. But the Bourbon princes knew their 
adherents were numerous in different parts of France, 
and these they wished to increase and animate by their 
‘presence and example. 
of- ‘The situation of 1 Bonaparte, already extremely em- 
the national barrassing, was rendered still more so, by the stoppage 
bank. of the.national bank of France. By the report e 
directors, it appeared that their ready money amounted 
only to £600,000, which, from the ess of the 
holders of notes-to obtain payment, would be exhaust- 
ed ina very few days. In order therefore to prevent the 
draining of the bank, it was announced, that whatever 
number of notes might be presented for payment in the 
course of the day, not more than the value of £20,000 
would be paid ; and that no-one would be paid, unless 
he were the bearer of a number delivered to him by the 
mayor of his quarter. This measure was by no means 
calculated to remedy the evil effectually ; and even as 
far as it was efficacious, it only produced an evil of 
Congress at 
FRANCE! 
pana ya wren mg) oe, Pao ame 
Atlength, havi: Maria Louisa 
regent, left Paris on the 25th of nuary. The French leaves 
armies were retreating from different quarters towards ‘ join 
Chalons on the Marne, for the of i 
within the em the Meuse. — allied armies were 
concentrating eeasy same point. Blucher 
by the way of Nancy Toul, and Schwartzenberg, 
who had the chief command of the Austrian and Rus- 
sian armies, by and Chaumont, About the 
beginning of Feb , these ~— armies came 
entirely ito communication with other, when two 
of Austrians were placed under the command of 
Blucher. ‘This general immediately made his disposi= 
tions for attacking the French, who rested their 
at Dienville, their centre at La Rotherie, and their 
near Tremilly. After somepartial movements and ope~ 
rations, by which part of the allies got possession of an 
important position, which in vain 
to recover, a most t took place at pie of 
La Rotherie. Bonaparte led on his in person, Rotherie. 
and at first was successful ; but the allies, ing under : 
the eye of their sovereigns, and animated by the exam- 
ple of Blucher, who bore a deadly hatred to Bonaparte, 
opposed them with superior firmness and perseverance. 
The battle lasted till ten at night, when the Russians ? 
remained masters of Ia Rotherie,: th the French 
held the ground beyond it, and at midni + 5 
the 
Ist of Feb ; were in ion of the hei 
Brienne, paves ra their Night hed diane at 
commencement of the Bonaparte, fully 
mer ape ws wae es wrgegieninnens 4 
e many desperate attempts to regain it, but being 
deponedligdibenbar te person, he was in all of them 
uns 3; and at last he was to retreat 
with a loss of 40 pieces of cannon, and 4000 prisoners. 
He retreated first to Troyes, and afterwards to Nogent. 
On the 5th of February, Marshal Macdonald was de- 
feated by D’York, between Vitrey and Chalons. _ 
The allies followed the beaten and retreating foe as 
rapidly as they could. On the 7th of February, they 
entered Troyes, where Prince Schwar' fixed his 
head quarters, Marshal Blucher about 20 miles a 
to the north of this town. The Fre beheld Indifference 
these disasters of their monarch, and the advance and of the 
successes of the allies in general, with equal indifference. French. 
Notwithstanding Bonaparte painted in the most dread- 
ful colours the cruelties 
quire them to rise in favour of the Bourbons ; and even 
in some cases, as 
parte at Chatillon, 
pressions of the 
sov As therefore 
, in favour of their im 
felt no affection for Bona~ 
pearance, almost 
coethent that wee santyicigaanialite ni 
Bonaparte finding himself. Y 
both the allied armies, pursued his usual plan of direct 
ing his whole force, first against one singly, in the 
if he succeeded, of overwhelming the other: and as 
