96 CARNOT. 



hesitate to offer you the small means that remain to me. 

 It is little, certainly, to offer a sexagenary arm ; but I 

 have thought that the example of a soldier whose patriotic 

 sentiments are known, might rally to your Eagles many 

 men who are undecided what line to adopt, and who may 

 allow themselves to be persuaded, that in abandoning 

 them, they were serving their country. 



" There is still time for } ou. Sire, to conquer a glorious 

 peace, and to have the love of the great people restored to 

 you. — I am, &c."' 



The details that I have thought it right to give you, 

 relative to the circumstances connected with the writing 

 of this letter, will, I trust, undeceive those who, accus- 

 tomed to concentrate all their affections on the person of 

 Napoleon, fancied in Carnot's concluding words, a cruel 

 attack from the old democrat, prepared at long-shot dis- 

 tance, against the man who had confiscated the Republic 

 to his own advantage. In truth. Gentlemen, it required 

 a man to be very determined to substitute personal ques- 

 tions for the national weal, to blame the illustrious sexa- 

 genarian's offer to defend a fortress, when otherwise he 

 had, relative to capitulations, not long since resumed his 

 idea, expressed in the noble words of the famous Blaise 

 de Montluc to Marshal de Brissac : / would rather he 

 dead than see my name in such writings. 



Carnot started from Paris for Antwerp at the end of 

 January, without having even seen the Emperor. It 

 was time. Gentlemen, for the new governor could not 

 reach the fortress on the morning of the 2d of February, 

 but by threading the enemy's bivouacs. The bombard- 

 ment of the town, or rather the bombardment of our fleet, 

 for there were some English among the besiegers, began 

 the next day ; it lasted throughout the day of the 3d, 



