514 
PARIS. 
fterling per annum for each cavalry-foldier, and twenty- 
pounds per annum for each infantry-foldier, that may be 
wanting to complete the number ftipulated.) 
III. The high-contraCting parties foletnrrly engage not 
to lay down their arms but in agreement with each other, 
nor until Bonaparte fhall be wholly and completely de¬ 
prived of the power of exciting difturbances, and of 
being able to renew his attempts to obtain the chief 
power in France. 
VII. As the engagements entered into by the prefent 
treaty have for objeCt to maintain the general peace, the 
high-contra£ting powers agree to invite all the powers of 
Europe to accede to them. 
VIII. As the prefent treaty is Amply and folely entered 
into with a view to fupport France, and every other 
threatened country, againft the attempts of Bonaparte 
and his adherents, his molt Chriftian majefty fhall be fpe- 
cially invited to accede thereto ; and, in the event of his 
majefty’s claiming the force fpecified in Article II. he 
fhall make known what afliftance his circumftances 
enable him to contribute towards the objeCt of the pre- 
l'en t treaty. 
IX. The prefent treaty fhall be ratified, and the ratifi¬ 
cations exchanged, within the period of one month, or 
l'ooner if poflible. In teftimony whereof the refpeClive 
plenipotentiaries have figned and fealed the fame. 
Russia.— Count Rafumowfky ; Count Neflelrode. 
Austria.— Prince Metternich ; Baron Weffenberg. 
Prussia. —Prince Hardenberg ; Baron Humboldt. 
Great Britain. —Wellington.” 
The eighth article of the treaty, which invites the ac- 
celfion of the king of France, feemed to include a deter¬ 
mination in the allies, not merely to attack the ufurped 
power of Bonaparte, but to re-inftate the Bourbons on the 
throne, thus interfering with or denying the right of the 
French to choofe their own form of government. But, to 
force any particular dynalty or form of government on a 
people is inconfiftent with the fundamental principles of 
the Britifh conftitution, and the liberal policy on which 
it has been the pride of England ever to adt: when, there¬ 
fore, the ratification of the treaty by the prince-regent 
wasfent to Vienna, the following explanatory declaration 
accompanied it, a declaration highly honourable to the 
Britifh government: “ The underfigned, on the exchange 
of the ratifications of the treaty of the 25th of March laft, 
on the part of his court, is hereby commanded to declare, 
that the eighth article of the faid treaty, wherein his molt 
Chrillian majefty is invited to accede, under certain ftipu- 
lations, is to be underftood as binding the contracting 
parties, upon principles of mutual fecurity, to a common 
effort againft the power of Napoleon Bonaparte, in pur- 
fuance of the third article of the faid treaty ; but is not 
to be underftood as binding his Britannic majefty to pro- 
fecute the war with the view of impofing upon France any 
particular government. However folicitous the prince- 
regent mult be to fee his molt Chriftian majefty reltored to 
the throne, and however anxious he is to contribute, in 
conjunction with his allies, to fo aufpicious an event, he 
neverthelefs deems liimfelf called upon to make this de¬ 
claration, on the exchange of the ratifications, as well in 
confideration of what is due to his molt Chriftian majefty’s 
interefts in France, as in conformity to the principles 
upon which the Britilh government has invariably rege¬ 
lated its conduct. Castlereagh.” 
At this time an event occurred at Vienna which caufed 
confiderable lenfation. Several perfons arrived in the 
villages near Schcenbrun, the refidence of the little ex- 
king of Rome. Among them was Count Montefquieu, a 
near relative of the governefs of the child. He contrived 
to gain admittance into the palace, under the pretence 
of vifiting his aunt; and, corrupting forne of the do- 
meftics, he formed the plan of carrying off the fon of Na¬ 
poleon. The time was appointed ; carriages were ordered 
to be in waiting, and relays were befpoken at every poll 
to the very frontiers of France. A chambermaid over¬ 
heard fome fufpicious language from one of the women 
who attended on the young prince, and immediately 
hallened to the imperial palace to put the court on its 
guard. In the mean time, the police had been informed 
of the whole plot, and fullered it to proceed to the laft 
moment, that they , might fecure all the accomplices. 
Every thing was prepared. A maid had the little Napo¬ 
leon in her arms, and, attended by one of the chief of 
the confpirators, was juft llepping into the carriage, 
when the officers appeared, and the whole band was ar- 
refted. It was probably with the hope of the fuccefs of 
this plot, that Napoleon had fo diligently difleminated 
the account that the king of Rome and his mother would 
foon arrive at Paris. 
All the powers of Europe now began to arm ; and the 
different roads in Germany and Pruffia were covered 
with troops marching to the French frontiers. The Bri¬ 
tilh government fent ftrong reinforcements to the troops 
in the Netherlands ; and on the 6th of April a meffage 
from the prince-regent was delivered to each lioufe, com¬ 
municating the information, that “ the events which had 
recently occurred in France, in direCt contravention of 
the engagement concluded with the allied powers at Paris 
in the courfe of the laft year, and which threatened con- 
fequences highly dangerous to the tranquillity and inde¬ 
pendence of Europe, had induced his royal highnefs to 
give directions for the augmentation of his majefty’s land 
and fea forces; and that he had deemed it incumbent 
upon him tolofe no time in entering into communications 
with his majefty’s allies, for the purpofe of forming l'uch 
a concert as might mod effectually provide for the general 
and permanent fecurity of Europe.”' 
Although Napoleon well knew that he had deceived 
the French people, by afferting that he was fupported by 
the Auftrians, he yet hoped that Auftria would ultimately 
prove his friend. He could not conceive that Maria 
Louifa and her fon were not certain pledges of an alliance 
which had only been broken by a momentary exafperation. 
His minifters partook of thofe fentiments, and flattered 
themfelves with the hope that thedifafters of their country 
were at an end ; and that they fhould at length be permitted 
to enjoy that rational liberty for, which they had con¬ 
tended fo long, and facrificed fo much. They hoped that 
the powers of Europe would leave them to choofe the go¬ 
vernment which fuited them, provided they remained 
faithful to the ftipulations of the Treaty of Paris. On the 
very day, however, on which they entered upon the func¬ 
tions of their office, the Declaration of the Allies (13th 
of March) arrived at Paris, which overwhelmed them 
with furprife and difmay. At firft they doubted its au¬ 
thenticity ; but, when the proofs of its genuinenefs 
crowded upon them, they faw the fituation in which 
they were placed. A council was called, and it was im¬ 
mediately refolved to publilh a vindication of the conduCt 
of Napoleon in re-feizing the throne; to ftate to the 
world the moderation of his views, and his determination 
to abide by the treaties already formed ; to tranfmit di¬ 
rect overtures of conciliation to every European court, 
and to propofe to the acceptance of the French a Confti¬ 
tution which would fatisfy every friend of liberty, and 
endear the emperor and his government to the hearts of 
his fubjeCts. 
On the day after his entry into Paris, Napoleon reviewed 
his troops in the Place du Caroufel. After having palled 
through the ranks, and noticed every foldier whofe perfon 
he recollected, he formed them into a fquare, and ad- 
drefled them as follows : 
“ Soldiers! I arrived in France with fix hundred men, 
becaufe I calculated upon the love of the people, and on 
the remembrance of the veteran foldiers. I was not 
deceived in my expectation. Soldiers ! I thank you. 
Glory like that which we are about to acquire is every 
thing to the people, and to you 1 My glory is, that I have 
known and valued you ! 
Soldiers ! the throne of the Bourbons was illegitimate, 
5 becaufe 
