P A 
ufed. The council broke up in diforder, and the king 
defpairing and broken hearted. The two chambers, how¬ 
ever, continued firm in their attachment to the king, 
notwithftanding the critical ftate of affairs 5 and, on the 
17th, they voted two loyal addrefies to his majefty, which 
were prefented by deputations on theeveningof the 18th. 
Meanwhile the troops remained at Melun, and a battle 
was expected on the next day. The number of national 
guards, volunteers, and other troops, collected to flop 
the march and cruffi the hopes of the invader, was eflima- 
ted at not lefs than 100,000 men. The bell fpirit feemed 
to prevail amongft them. They appeared devoted to the 
caufe of the king, and eager to meet and repel his anta- 
gonitt. A powerful artillery ftrengthened their pofitions. 
Relying on their numbers, they had left the town, the 
rocks, and the foreft, of Fontainebleau unguarded, pre¬ 
ferring the flat plains of Melun, where the whole of their 
army might a£l at once againll the comparatively fmall 
band of the invader. Napoleon had at that time with 
him only 15,000 veteran troops; but other divifions were 
either following him, or advancing to fupport his right 
and left flanks on parallel lines of march. 
Early on the morning of the 21ft, preparations were 
made 011 both fides for the encounter which was expected 
to take place. The French army was drawn up in three 
lines, the intervals and the flanks armed with batteries. 
The centre occupied the Paris road. The ground from 
Fontainebleau to Melun is a continual declivity, fo that, 
emerging from the foreft, a clear profpedt of the country 
prefents itfelf; and, on the other hand, th-ofe who are in 
the valley can eafily defcry whatever appears on the emi¬ 
nence. An awful fllence pervaded the king’s army, bro¬ 
ken at times by peals of martial mufic, intended to confirm 
the loyalty of the troops by repeating the popular airs of 
Henry Quatre, and La Belle Gabrielle, or by the voice of 
the commanders and the march of divifions to their appoin¬ 
ted ground. All was anxious expectation. The chiefs 
were confcious that a moment would decide the fate of 
the Bourbon dynafty; and the troops were fecretly awed 
at the thought of meeting in hoftility the man whom they 
had been accuftomed to obey. 
On the fide of Fontainebleau no found was heard as of 
an army ruffling to battle. If the enemy was advancing, 
his troops evidently moved in fllence. “ Perhaps his 
heart has failed him, and he has retreated,” was the fecret 
ardent wifh of the friends of the Bourbons. At length a 
light trampling of horfes became audible. It approached. 
An open carriage, attended by a few huflars and dragoons, 
appeared on the ikirts of the foreft. It drove down the 
hills with the rapidity of lightning. It nearly reached 
the advanced polls, when the efcort threw down their 
arras, and rufhed forward to embrace the king’s troops. 
Surprifed at this unexpected manoeuvre, the foldiers were 
for a moment irrefolute. The carriage now reached them. 
The traveller was immediately recogniled : “ The empe¬ 
ror for ever!” burft from every mouth. “Napoleon! 
Napoleon the Great!” fpread from rank to rank; for, 
bareheaded, Bertrand feated at his right, and Drouet at 
his left, Napoleon continued his courfe ; now waving his 
hand, now opening his arras to the foldiery, whom he 
called his friends, his companions in arms, whofe honour, 
whofe glories, whofe country, he now came to reftore. 
All difcipline was forgotten, difobeyed, and infulted. 
The commanders-in-chief took flight. Thoufands rufhed 
on his paflage. Acclamations rent the fky. At that mo¬ 
ment his own guard defcended the hill. The imperial 
march was played •. the eagles were once more difplayed, 
and they, whofe deadly weapons were to have aimed at 
each other’s life, embraced as brothers, and joined in uni- 
verfal fhouts. In the midft of thefe greetings, Napoleon 
parted through the whole of the royal army, and, placing 
himfelf at its head, purfued his courfe to Paris. 
Louis had anticipated this refult, and at one o’clock 
on the morning of the aoth quitted Paris. His refolution 
was, however, fo fuddenly formed, and executed with 
R I S. 511 
fuch hafte, that his portfolio, containing his correfpon- 
dence with the duchefs d’Angouleme for many years, 
was found on the table in his apartment; and in his 
drawers were his correfpondence with Louis XVI. a medal 
which he was in the daily habit of wearing, and many 
things calculated to compromife the fafety of numerous 
individuals. Healfoleft (what Napoleon found extremely 
convenient) about two millions of the public money in 
the hands of the different receivers. The houfehold-troops 
alone had fufficient loyalty to accompany the fugitive. 
They ef'corted him to the frontiers with a fidelity which 
did them much credit. 
When the departure of the king wds known, aftonifli- 
raent and fufpenfe feemed to have deprived the inhabi¬ 
tants of Paris of the power of action. All the authorities 
were withdrawn ; yet the moft perfedl and mournful tran¬ 
quillity, fora time, prevailed. At thst moment the battle 
was fuppofed to be contefting at Melun, on which depen¬ 
ded the fate of France; and each party, fearful of com¬ 
mitting itfelf too foon, anxioufly awaited the refult. 
The bank continued its payments as ufual, without 
one moment’s interruption. Though it was an eftabliffi- 
ment of all others moft fenfible to the influence of poli¬ 
tical changes, it did not fuftain the flighted fhock. 
By degrees every ftreet and fquare became crowded 
with anxious inquirers. Every avenue leading to the 
Tuileries was thronged. As the partifans of Louis and 
Napoleon came in contafl, fcenes of confufion began. The 
cries of “ The king forever !” refounded from a thoufand 
voices, but they were drowned amid the fhouts of “ The 
emperor for ever !” From reproaches the parties pro¬ 
ceeded to blows ; but the national guard interfered, and. 
by its moderation and firmnefs prevented the eft’ufion of 
blood. About noon the national guard, at the command 
of their new colonel, aflumed the tri-coloured cockade. 
The triumph and approach of Napoleon were proclaimed,, 
and foon afterwards fome of the troops who had marched 
out to oppofe the Corlican returned bearing his colours. 
It was now ludicrous to obferVe the activity of the fhop- 
keepers in removing every veftige of royalty. Before 
evening innumerable figns prettily adorned with lilies 
had vanished, and a thoufand eagles, appearing as it were 
by magic, proudly ftretched their wings over the portals 
of the houies. Ribands and rings of a violet colour had 
long been worn by the Bonapartifts, and that interefting 
flower had appeared in the button-hoie of lome of the 
boldeft of the conlpirators ; but now it feemed as if the - 
whole country had been laid under contribution, to fur- 
nifti the bouquet which adorned every bofom, or was 
worn in the hat with all the oftentation of a cockade. 
At two o’clock general Excelmans arrived at the Tui¬ 
leries, and, relieving the national guard, tore down the 
flag of the Bourbons and hoifted that of the empire. 
This was the fignal for greater tumult. The inhabitants 
of the fuburbs of St. Marceau and St. Antoine affembied 
in the Caroufel, and endeavoured to force the gates 
which feparate that fquare from the courts of the palace. 
Had they effected their purpofe, the late refidence of Louis 
would probably have been levelled with the ground. 
They were, however, bravely refilled by the national guard. 
At length more numerous bodies of troops began to 
pour in by different and oppoffte gates; and, as almoll 
every detachment appeared to efcort feveral carriages, 
the attention of the crowd was completely occupied, and- 
the cry was continually railed that the emperor ap¬ 
proached. 
All the general officers then at Paris had fet out early 
in the morning, with the municipal corps and fome grand 
dignitaries, to meet him whom a twelvemonth ago they 
had branded as a tyrant, whom the day before they 
had ftigmatifed as an ufurper, but whom they profeiled 
themfelves eager to falute to-day as their emperor. A 
long file of led-horfes and magnificent equipages accom¬ 
panied them, dellined for the ufe of Napoleon. He re¬ 
ceived them With apparent cordiality, but refufed to ac- 
5 cept 
