549 
PARIS. 
page alone remained. The confequences of Waterloo 
filled it! 
That the French army, and their chief, fought with 
the greateft bravery, is a fait undeniable and juft. The 
enthufiafm of the former was never more confpicuous 
than at Waterloo. The plans’of their leader, to accom- 
plifh the objeft which he had in view, were fkilfully laid; 
but, confidering the abilities of his opponents, and his own 
peculiar fituation, they were hazardous and dangerous. 
They were, however, all in charafter of the man,and alfo of 
the nation. But his faults, as a general, do not take away 
from the perfonal bravery of liimfelf and his troops. All 
expofed tiiemfelves in the molt refolute manner 5 and the 
prifoners faid they never faw the emperor expofe himfeif fo 
much ; that he feemed to court death, in order not to outlive 
a defeat fraught with fuch fatal confequences. The idle fto- 
ries about his cowardice on this daydeferve no attention. 
They are the tricks of fome vain Frenchmen, who want to 
make it appear that their countrymen were defeated 1'olely 
becaufe their leader was unworthy of his troops. It would 
be doing an aft of great injuftice to thofe who conquered 
him, to give any credence to fuch ltories. At Waterloo 
he was worthy of his troops. His vanity at the com¬ 
mencement of the battle, and defpair at the end, made 
him expofe himfeif more than he had done in any other 
aftion. He afterwards, indeed, forfook the troops, but 
not till they could face their foes no longer. The duke 
of Wellington did juftice to Napoleon’s courage, as well 
as to his judgment: “ He fought the battle,” faid the 
duke in a private letter to his mother, “ with infinite Ikill, 
perfeverance, and bravery. Never was I in a harder-fought 
battle; never was I obliged to exert myfelf fo much, and 
never was I fo near being beaten.” 
Napoleon proceeded rapidly on his way to Paris, where 
he arrived about nine o’clock in the evening of the 20th. 
During his ablence, the different parties into which the 
miniftry and chambers were divided had not been idle ; 
but, as long as he was at the head of the armies, they 
found it impoffible to accomplifh any thing prejudicial 
to his interefts. 
Fouche appeared to be at the head of one cf the par¬ 
ties. Another party wifhed the duke of Orleans to be at 
the head of the government. A confiderable number 
were attached to the principles of La Fayette, and delired 
a republican form of government. There were very few 
royalifts in either chamber. The majority of the cham¬ 
bers, however, were only waiting to know the event of 
the campaign, in order to declare themfelves. Napoleon, 
before he joined the army, had diligently watched the 
formation and defigns of thefe parties, and had had feve- 
ral conferences with his brother Lucien and fome friends, 
refpefting the meafures it would be advilable to adopt 
in cafe he fhould meet with any difa'fters in the field ; but 
nothing was finally determined upon, although Lucien 
was of opinion, that, if the emperor was unfortunate, he 
fhould make ule of his conftitutional privilege and diffolve 
the chambers, and thereby deprive his enemies of the 
power,of injuring him. 
The inhabitants of Paris had pafied two days in painful 
furmife and trembling expeftation ; but, in the afternoon 
of the 20th, it began to be whifpered that affairs were not 
going on well, and that the army had fuftained fome ter¬ 
rible reverfe. Every one haftened towards the Tuileries, 
anxioufly inquiring what was the news. The molt alarm¬ 
ing reports were circulated, and the whole city was in 
the-utmoft confufion. Late in the evening, three car¬ 
riages, covered with duft, entered the courts of the palace 
of the Elyfee, and the gates were immediately clofed be¬ 
hind them. The crowd preffed forward to fee who were 
in them. General Drouet defcended from the firft, and, 
advancing to a friend that flood by, took him by the hand 
and faid, “ We are all loft!” The third carriage now 
drew up, in which was Napoleon. He alighted, and, rufti- 
ing up the flairs, entered the apartments of the palace, 
without fpeaking a word, or looking at a Angle perfon. 
Von. XVIII. No. 1264.. 
As he approached the door of the faloon he fuddenly 
flopped, and calling a look of anguifh on Drouet, ex¬ 
claimed, “ Dilhonoured ! difgraced !” He then threw 
himfeif on a fofa, and riling again he entered his cabinet. 
Having taken fome refrelhment, which was a little foup, 
he ordered his fecretary, M. St. Didier, to write to the 
duke of Balfano (Maret,) and to the count Regnault de 
St. Jean d’Angeley, requiring their immediate prefence. 
He again threw himfeif in his clothes on the fofa ; and, or¬ 
dering one of his pages to wake him as foon as the mi- 
nifters arrived, fell alleep. 
In the interval, an interelling interview took place be¬ 
tween M. St. Didier and general Drouet, during which 
Drouet gave St. Didier the following particulars of the bat¬ 
tle of Waterloo: “ After the firft advantages, at CharleToy, 
and tliebrilliant affair of Fleurus, we loft every thing, from 
two evident caufes; to which a third might be added, 
w'hich was more ftrongly felt, but not fo well proved. 
The firft of thefe caufes is the inflexibility of the emperor, 
who, at the end of two days of viftory, was defirous of 
aftonilhing the world, of giving confidence to France, 
and fpreading conllernation over Europe, by a third de- 
cilive triumph. This was a fublime but frantic projeft, 
W'hich mull neceffarily enthrone the conqueror in the 
opinion of the world, or, if vanquilhed, lead him to a 
fcaffold : a projeft which w'as feen into by the-prudent 
Wellington, and which he difconcerted by leading on its 
heroic and extravagant author to the very gulf in which 
his power, his influence, and almoft his very glory, were 
to expire. In reality, the third battle, which we call the 
battle of Mont St. Jean, from the name of the village 
which w’as the principal fcene of aftion, and which the 
Englilh will call the battle of Waterloo, from another vil¬ 
lage occupied by them,' and the Prulfians that of La Belle 
Alliance, from the name of a caftle which was occupied 
as the head-quarters of Blucher ;—this third aftion, after 
balancing the viftory by turns, which made it (if I may 
ufe the exprefiion) fly backward and forward from the 
French colours to thofe of the allies, from noon till eight 
in the evening, has demonltrated how’ the negative qua¬ 
lity, patience, could difconcert the combinations of a 
raftt and impetuous general. Here then is the fecond 
caul’e of our defeat. The prudent conqueror of Salamanca, 
of Touloufe, of Vittoria, by a manoeuvre worthy his 
immortal genius (though it was purchafed with the lofs 
of fome of his choiceft troops,) conftrained the fiery viftor 
of the Pyramids, of Marengo, of Aufterlitz, of Fried- 
land, of Jena, to lower his humble laurels before thofe 
whom he had fo often vanquilhed. I lhall attribute the 
third caufe of our defeat to intrigue, to corruption, to 
treafon, Thefe, united together, produced miftruft, mif- 
underftanding, fear, and diforder. Hiftory will fearch 
into thefe fources, which I can but point out; but to 
which the allies (whole bravery I am neverthelefs very 
ready to admit), and above all the private enemies and 
the perfonal competitor of Bonaparte, undoubtedly owe 
their fuccefs. Let them make halte to fecure their 
triumph, and to make the bell ufe of their viftory ; for 
the lion is not dead, but only wounded.” 
When the minillers arrived, and Napoleon awaked, 
the night was far advanced. As the fecretary placed 
himfeif at the table, to take notes of the proceedings, 
Napoleon remarked his palenefs and agitation. “ What!” 
faid he, “Drouet has been informing you of the affair. 
An evil which may be repaired is not a great one ; and, 
even if it were irreparable, we fhould fitbmit with becom¬ 
ing refignation. Sit down and write.” 
The bulletin of the battle of Mont St. Jean was now 
drawn up. Napoleon diftated the greater part of it, and 
then gave it to Regnault to correft. The emperor then 
paced the room with rapid ftrides, biting his nails, and 
taking fnuff every moment. The correftion of the bul¬ 
letin was finifhed. Maret had a cold and referved air; 
Regnault was more affefted. He Hood at the table, un- 
confcioufly drawing lines with his pencil on the bulletin 
7 A which 
