REVOLUTION. 



twenty years before, been characterise of the country, fo 

 that it was almoft deaf to this new demand. 



In the mean time the mighty edifice which Bonaparte had 

 erected out of the ruins of the independence and liberties 

 of the continent, and which had been cemented by the blood 

 of hundreds of thoufands, was falling to pieces ; the victory 

 of Leipfic, by freeing the minds of the princes of Ger- 

 many from all apprehenfions of his power, proved how 

 eager they were to rcfume their legitimate character and au- 

 thority. Wurtemburgh deferted him, and made her peace 

 with the allies ; and the confederation of the Rhine was 

 diflolved ; fo that, to ufe his own words, no fovereigns re- 

 mained attached to him except the king of Denmark and 

 the king of Naples. 



Holland, which had long groaned under French tyranny, 

 early in the month of November broke her (hackles, dif- 

 mifled the conllituted authorities, eilablifhed a provifional 

 form of government, and by the aflillance of Great Britain 

 fhe was at length enabled to hold up her head as a free and 

 independent nation, recalling her hereditary prince, and in- 

 verting him with new powers, and higher titles than the 

 members of the houfe of Orange had formerly exercifed and 

 claimed. Rather before this period the allied troops, under 

 the command of the crown prince, had entered Hanover, 

 which they liberated from French thraldom, much to the 

 fatisfattion of the inhabitants, and by the end of November 

 almoft all the itrong places between the Elbe and the Rhine 

 were in pofleflion of the allies, and fuch as were not, were 

 clofely invelled. On the ill of December they ifl'ued their 

 famous proclamation, which, from its juflice and moderation, 

 probably did them as much, or more, fervice, than any of 

 their victories. " The allied powers," fay they, " do not 

 make war upon France, but againlt that preponderance 

 which, to the misfortune of Europe and of France, the 

 emperor Napoleon has too long exercifed beyond the limits 

 of his empire. 



" Victory has conducted the allied armies to the banks of 

 the Rhine. The firfl ufe which their imperial and royal 

 majeflies have made ot victory, has been to offer peace to 

 his majefty the emperor of the French. An attitude 

 ftrengthened by the acccfiion of all the fovereigns and princes 

 of Germany has had no influence on the conditions of that 

 peace. Thefe conditions are founded on the independence 

 of the French empire, as well as on the independence of the 

 other Hates of Europe. The views of the powers are juil 

 in their object, generous and liberal in their application, 

 giving fecunty to all, honourable to each. 



" The allied fovereigns defire that France may be great, 

 powerful, and happy ; becaufe the French power, in a (late 

 of greatnefs and (Irength, is one of the foundations of the 

 focial edifice of Europe. They wi(h that France may be 

 happy, that French commerce may revive, that the arts 

 (thofe bleflings of peace) may again flourifh, becaufe a 

 great people can only be tranquil in proportion as it is happy. 

 The allied powers confirm to the French empire an extent of 

 territory which France, under her kings, never knew ; be- 

 caufe a valiant nation does not fall from its rank, by having 

 in its turn experienced reverfes in an obftinate and fan- 

 guinary contefl, in which it has fought with its accullomed 

 bravery." 



Immediately after the ifluing of this declaration, the 

 allies having completed their arrangements, eroded the 

 Rhine for the purpofe of invading France ; as, however, the 

 ftrong fortrcfles near Mcntz rendered the paffage in this 

 place rather difficult, they preferred pafling through Swit- 

 zerland, by the inhabitants of which country they were 

 hailed as friends, and afforded every aflillance. 



Vol. XXX. 



The allied a™y entered Switzerland on the ZOt'n of De- 

 cember, penetrate! to Zurich and Berne, and eroded the 

 Rhine at Bade without firing a (hot, and before the end of 

 the year detachments of the allies made their way to Lan- 

 gres, in Champagne, which was about too miles within the 

 old French frontier. The year 1814 opened with an inva- 

 fion of France, not only by the allies in the eaft and north, 

 but on the fouth by lord Wellington, while the Auftrian 

 forces in Italy, aided by the naval exertions of Great 

 Britain, and by detachments from ourgarrifons in the Medi- 

 terranean, completely kept the viceroy in check. Every 

 event tended to fhew that Bonaparte's power was tottering, 

 and he mud have been convinced that he had only one thing 

 to depend on, -viz. his own perfonal prowefs. He accord- 

 ingly left Paris on the 25th of January to take command of 

 the armies, and on the id of February a great battle wa& 

 fought between him and maifhal Blucher, which was decided 

 in favour of the allies, and the retreat of Napoleon from his 

 pofitions about Brienne, with the lofs of 4000 prifoners, 

 was the confequence of his defeat. 



On the 7th of February the pofition and town of Troyes 

 was taken pofleflion of by the allies ; this town was thought 

 to be of great importance to their caufe, on account of its 

 refources, its population, and of the number of road* lead- 

 ing to it from different parts of France. At this period ne- 

 gociations were carrying on at Chatillon-fur Seine for the 

 purpofe of effecting a peace, during which the allies had 

 gained feveral conquefts over the French armies. B Jnaparte 

 had been beaten in feveral engagements with Blucher and 

 prince Schvvartzenburg, whofe armies, at the clofe of Fe- 

 bruary, were at Troyes and Chalons, while he himfelf was 

 at Rheims. On the 19th of March the negociations were 

 to terminate, and on that day Napoleon refufed the terms 

 that were offered him, though by thofe terms he would have 

 continued at the head of the French, with dominions as ex- 

 tenfive and powerful as had ever been enjoyed by any of the 

 former monarchs. 



On the day that the conferences at Chatillon were termi- 

 nated, the French army moved upon Arcii, behind which 

 the corps commanded by field marfhal count Wrede was 

 polled. 



The allies, under Schwartzcnburg, concentrated on the 

 Aube, near Pougy and Arcis, and a general attack was 

 made by the allies on the 20th, in which the enemy was de- 

 feated at all points, with great lofs, and Arcis was taken. 



At this juncture, Napoleon formed the defperate and ex- 

 traordinary plan of pafling between the two armies of the 

 allies, and of firiking at their communications with the 

 Rhine, intending at the fame time to liberate the garrifon 

 of Metz. For this purpofe he moved by Chalons on Vitry 

 and St. Dizier, his head-quarters being, on the 2 2d, at Ob- 

 comte, between the two latter places. This bold and cha- 

 racteristic refolution was formed in the expectation that it 

 would alarm the allies fo much for their own fafety, as not 

 only to draw them away from Paris, but actually entangle 

 them in the very difficulties with the profpect ot which he 

 endeavoured to terrify them ; — this movement wa6 fortu- 

 nately defeated by their refolution of marching upon Paris, 

 a refolution which was — confidering the time and circum. 

 fiances in which it was taken — one oi' the gr; ndeft that ever 

 entered into the mind of man, and does the higheft honour 

 to the names of the emperor Alexander and prince Schwart- 

 zcnburg; — to which of thofe grout mi n tli idea fuggelled 

 itfelf, perhaps they themfelvea are not confcious ; but it is 

 certain they both eagerly adopted it, and muil equally (hare 

 in the glory of that great cnteipiifo in which they rifked 

 themfelves and their armies for the deliverance of mankind. 



R For 



