PARIS, 
506 
and will not drag you from your homes. Thofe whom 
I meet will range themfelves on my fide ; and the more 
numerous they are, the more certain will be my fuccefs.” 
That evening he flept at Gap, but his advanced-guard 
was ordered to proceed during the night. They reached 
the village of Mure, where they met the advanced-guard 
of the troops from Grenoble, who were approaching to 
oppofe the progrefs of Napoleon. General Cambronne, 
who commanded the troops of Napoleon, propofed a par¬ 
ley ; but he was anfwered that all communication was for¬ 
bidden. 
As foon as the invader was informed that his progrefs 
would be contefted, he refolved to put in practice a ruj'e- 
de-guerre, which, if it was not previouily concerted be¬ 
tween him and the officers who fo foon l'welled his ranks, 
does infinite credit to his talents and his courage. He 
proceeded towards the royal troops, accompanied only 
by two or three officers. They confided of a battalion of 
the 5th of the line, with a company of fappers and miners, 
comprifing about 800 men. Arriving within piftol-fhot, 
he alighted ; and, advancing on the right of the battalion, 
which apparently only waited the command of its officers 
to fire upon him, he bared his bofom, and thus addreffed 
them ; “ Behold me ! If there is one foldier among you 
who wiffies to kill his emperor, let him come forward 
from the ranks and fire upon me ” The effedt w'as inflan- 
taneous.' The arms of every foldier w'ere hurled on the 
ground and the air refounded with the cries of “ The em¬ 
peror for ever !” The guard and the foldiers rapturoufly 
embraced ; they eagerly tore off the white cockade, and 
enthufialfically mounted the national colours. Enchanted 
with this fuccefs, he formed them into a fquare, and ha¬ 
rangued them. “ Soldiers ! I come with a handful of men 
to deliver you from the Bourbons, from treafon, from 
feudal tyranny, and from the abufes which they have 
brought with them. The throne of the Bourbons is ille¬ 
gitimate, becaufe it is contrary to the will of the nation. 
It exifts only in the interefls of a few' families. Is not 
this true, comrades ?”—“ Yes, fire !” exclaimed a grena¬ 
dier; “ you are our emperor, and we will march with you 
to vidtory or to death!” 
Thus reinforced, he approached Grenoble. The garri- 
fon was compofed of the feventh and eleventh regiments 
of the line, the fourth hufiars, and the fourth of artillery. 
This was the very regiment in which, tu'enty-five years 
before, Napoleon had commenced his military career, and 
in which his memory w'as yet idolized. 
The feventh w'as commanded by colonel Labedoyere, 
who had lately received his appointment from the king, 
and the decoration of the legion of honour. He parti¬ 
cipated in the general dilfatisfadfion arifing from the in- 
adfivity and fuppofed difgrace of the army, and the 
threatened fubverlion of the conftitution. He had no¬ 
thing perfonally to complain of. He had no connexion 
with the confpiracy, and (hared in the general furprife 
when the landing of Napoleon was announced ; but, “ mil¬ 
led by illufions, by recolledtions, and by faife ideas of 
honour, his country fpoke a chimerical language to his 
heart,” and he fuddenly refolved to join the caufe of the 
adventurer. His foldiers were too well difpofed to fe- 
cond him; and he had fcarcely begun to acquaint them 
with his intentions and wiffies, uffien he was interrupted 
by the ffiout of “The emperor for ever!” He allowed 
them no time for reflection; but, fixing an eagle on a willow 
branch, he haftened to effedt his purpofe. 
The difaffedtion of Labedoyere was the fignal for ge¬ 
neral revolt. It ought not, perhaps, to be faid, that 
“ had he remained firm to his duty, the atrocious projedt 
of Bonaparte w'ould have failed, and France would not 
have been conduced to the brink of a precipice, the 
depth of which one trembles to fathom.” The whole 
army was ripe for revolt; and it is probable that not a An¬ 
gle battalion could have been induced to fire on their 
former leader. It is however certain, that the treafon of 
Labedoyere feduced thofe who were wavering, and aflured 
the fuccefs of the confpiracy. 
His forceibeing nearly doubled by the addition of La- 
bedoyere’s regiment, Napoleon fearlefsly advanced to¬ 
wards Grenoble, and at nine o’clock in the evening ar¬ 
rived at the luburbs. The gates were (hut; and the ram¬ 
parts were lined by the troops which compofed the garri- 
fon, whom the commandant, general Marchand, was 
vainly exhorting to refill the invader. The keys were 
fqrmally demanded. It was anfwered that Marchknd had 
carried them away. Some little delay occurring, a tu¬ 
multuous movement took place among the troops and 
the inhabitants who filled the ramparts. Napoleon was 
recognized at a little diftance. The intelligence was 
communicated with the rapidity of lightning. A fudden 
ffiout burft from every lip ; and the cannoneers, who (food 
at their pieces with lighted matches, extingnifhed them in 
an inftant, and joined in the acclamations. The engi¬ 
neers of Napoleon now prepared to force the gates. They » 
had fcarcely commenced their operations, when the whole 
garrifon threw down their arms, trampled the white 
cockade under foot, and, ruffling to the gates, tore them 
open. Napoleon entered Grenoble at ten o’clock, amidft 
an immenfe crowd compofed of the populace and the fol¬ 
diers, who thronged from every quarter eager to gaze 
upon him, and faiute him emperor. 
It was remarked, that in a few minutes every foldier 
had mounted the tri-coloured cockade. Thefe cockades 
vi'ere not new ; neither were they fupplied by Napoleon, 
nor purchafed at Grenoble ; they were the old colours 
under which they had formerly marched to victory, and 
which they had carefully concealed at the bottom of their 
knapfacks. The tattered and faded ribbands were (flown 
with enthufiafm : “ See,” cried the infatuated foldiers, 
“ they are the bine which we wore at Aufterlitz and at 
Marengo!” 
The mayor and civil authorities now prefented them¬ 
felves, and wiffied to conduct him to the government- 
houfe; but he declined their civility, and proceeded to 
the hotel of the Three Dolphins, which was kept by one 
of his old foldiers to whom he had formerly been much 
attached. Fie had fcarcely taken pofleffion of his apart¬ 
ments, when the approach of an innumerable crowd, ut¬ 
tering fome unintelligible fhouts, drew him to the bal¬ 
cony. The whole population of Grenoble was dragging 
along the remains of the gate of Bonne through which 
he had entered. “ We were not permitted,” cried they, 
“ to prefent you with the keys; but, inftead of them, here 
are the gates.” 
General Marchand, who had been arrefted by the fe- 
ditious foldiers, was now brought before him. Indignant 
at the infult which had been offered to this officer, Na¬ 
poleon ordered him to be immediately releafed, and 
prefled him to re-aflume the command of the town. “I 
may appeal to yourfelf,” replied the general, “ that I 
once ferved you faithfully. Your abdication releafed me 
from my allegiance to you ; and I have fince fworn fide¬ 
lity to the Bourbons. Here is my fword. I can again 
fubmit to become a prifoner, but I can never be a traitor.” 
Napoleon mufed for a moment. He was evidently and 
deeply affedted : “ General,” faid he, “ take back your 
fword. You have hitherto ufed it as a true foldier, and 
I refpedt you too much to urge you now to ufe it in a way 
which your confidence would difapprove. You are at li¬ 
berty to depart.” 
On the next day Napoleon gave audience to the muni¬ 
cipality, and chief officers of the troops, when the mayor 
delivered the following addrefs. “ Sire! The inhabit¬ 
ants of Grenoble, enraptured to behold again the con¬ 
queror of Europe, the prince with whofe name are aflo- 
ciated the molt glorious recolledtions, haften to lay at the 
feet of your majefty the tribute of their refpedt and their 
love. Attached to your glory and that of the army, they 
have lamented, with your brave foldiers, the unfortunate 
events 
