550 
PARIS. 
which lay before him. Now and then he raifed his eyes, 
and regarded Napoleon with a look of anxiety, pity, and 
affefHon. The emperor continued to pace the room with 
more rapid fteps; at length he fuddenly flopped. “ Well! 
this bulletin ?” he exclaimed. “ Here it is corrected,” 
anfwered the count. “ Let us fee,” faid the empefor. 
Regnault began to read it. The emperor frequently 
interrupted him. “ It was gained ! It was gained! The 
viftory was mine.” When the bulletin was concluded, 
he added, with a figh, “ It is loft ! and with it my glory.” 
He continued; “Let the minifters be convoked forth¬ 
with. I wifli the chambers to be made acquainted with 
every thing this very night.” 
Regnault now took his leave, but Maret remained with 
the emperor, who, notwithftanding his fatigue, gave 
audience to Cambaceres, Deeres, Caulincourt, and the 
two Carnots, who haftened to him as loon as they heard 
of his arrival, and eagerly proffered their fervices. Some 
of the minifters were of opinion that fomething (hould im¬ 
mediately be done, and, urged Napoleon to diflolve the 
chambers, and proclaim himfelf dictator. His brother 
Lucien infilled upon the meafure, as he knew the parties 
would fet themfelves to work, the moment they heard of 
the extent cf the difafter, to overturn the throne; but 
Napoleon would not confent. The danger of the cham¬ 
bers proceeding to extremities againft him, and even de¬ 
priving him of the crown, was hinted. To this he would 
not liften for a moment. He affirmed that the thing was 
impoffible ; and that they could not fo foon forget the oath 
which they had taken to him. At all events, the truth 
fhould be fairly told them; he would put their fidelity 
and patriotifm to the teft, and he did not doubt that he 
fhould afterwards be able to foil any attempt which they 
might make againft him. 
In the mean time the chambers met. Anxiety and 
fear fat on every countenance. The funds funk five 
per cent. M. de la Fayette, being made acquainted with 
■what was agitating at the palace, repaired immediately to 
the chamber of reprefentatives ; and, the prefident having 
taken the chair, he mounted the tribune. “ Gentlemen,” 
faid he, “for the firft time, during many years, you hear 
a voice which the old friends of liberty may yet recognize. 
The country is in danger, and you alone can fave it. The 
finifter reports which have been circulated during the laft 
two days are unhappily confirmed. This is the moment 
to rally round the national colours; the tri-coloured 
ftandard of 1789 ; the ftandard of liberty, equality, and 
public order. It is you alone who can now prote6l the 
country from foreign attacks and internal diflentions. 
It is you alone who can fecure the independence and the 
honour of France. Allow a veteran in the facred caufe 
of freedom, and a ftranger to the fpirit of faction, to fub- 
mit to you fome refolutions, which the dangers of the 
prefent crifis demand. I am allured that you will feel the 
neceffity of adopting them : 
“Art. 1. The chamber declares that the independence 
of the nation is menaced. 2. The chamber declares its 
fittings permanent: all attempts to diflolve it lhall be 
confidered high-treafon. 3. The army of the line and 
the national-guards who have fought, and ftill fight, for 
the liberty, the independence, and the territory, of France, 
have merited well of the country. 4. The minifter of the 
interior is invited to alfemble the principal officers of the 
Parifian national-guard in order to confult on the means 
of providing it with arms, and of completing this corps 
of citizens, whofe tried patriotifm and zeal offer a fure 
guarantee for the liberty, profperity, and tranquillity, of 
the capital, and for the inviolability of the national repre¬ 
fentatives.” 
Thefe propofitions were adopted without delay. The 
refolutions were then tranfmitted to the houfe of peers, 
and diredfed to be circulated through all the departments. 
In the houfe of peers, Carnot, the minifter of the inte¬ 
rior, appeared with a meflage from the emperor, informing 
them, “ That upon his arrival the emperor had convoked 
a council of minifters; that, after having deftroyed the 
elite of the Pruffian army at Fleurus, the army had fought 
a great battle, two days after, within four leagues of 
Bruflels ; that the allied army had been beaten through¬ 
out the day, and fix Englifli ftandards taken ; that the 
day was decided, when, upon the approach of night, fome 
diiaffefted perfons fpread an alarm, which the prefence of 
his majefty could not recover; the confequences of which 
had been difafters which could not be arrefted. That the 
army was aflembling under the walls of Avefnes and Phi- 
lippeville ; and, in ffiort, that his majefty had returned to 
Paris, to confer with his minifters, in order to fupply the 
army with materiel, and to confult the chambers about 
what meafures were necelfary in the prefent emergency. 
At this moment, the meflage from the houfe of reprefen¬ 
tatives was received, which was immediately read. Re¬ 
folutions, fimilar to thofe voted in the other houfe, were 
immediately agreed to. 
Thus terminated the meetings on the firft day after 
the accounts of the battle of Waterloo had reached them. 
Thefe, however, were only the public adis. In fecret 
there were fprings in motion which were to produce ftill 
more extraordinary and important deliberations and 
events. 
Meanwhile, the citizens of Paris anxioufly awaited the 
refult of the impending ftruggle ; and vaft numbers affem- 
bled on the walls, on the quays, and on the Boulevards. 
The whole population of the fuburbs was in motion, and 
a violent commotion was expedted. The chambers, how¬ 
ever, had taken the neceflary precaution of aflembling 
the national-guards, under general Durofnel, who im¬ 
mediately adopted meafures for preventing any tumult 
in the capital. 
We ffiall now return to the proceedings at the palace. 
Soon after the departure of count Regnault St. Jean 
d’Angeley, Fouche arrived, and profefled his deep regret 
at the events that had occurred, and his unfliaken fide¬ 
lity and affedlion. He tried to calm the agitation of the 
emperor ; and aflured him the evil was not irremediable. 
He aflerted that the parties were tranquil, and meditated 
no defign againft his perfon or authority, and that he 
might confidently rely on their zealous co-operation 
in re-organizing the army and defending the country. 
Napoleon very much doubted thefe aflertions of Fouche, 
He, however, appointed a meeting of the council at eight 
o’clock, when the ftate of the public feeling might be 
difcufl'ed, and the neceflary meafures adopted. It appears 
that the objeft of Fouche, in this bufinefs, was to gain 
time; and, to accompliffi this, it was neceflary to delude 
and impof'e upon his mafter, by a falfe report of the ftate 
of parties. Napoleon, however, had received a correct 
report of the proceedings of the different parties during 
his abfence, and of their prefent intentions and ftrength, 
from an agent of the private police which he had himfelf 
eftablifhed. 
At eight o’clock the minifters again aflembled ia 
council. Napoleon having joined them, the queftion of 
the diitatorffiip was refumed. Lucien faid, it was the 
only means of averting from his brother the difgrace 
which his enemies were preparing, and would alfo fave 
the country. This, however, was oppofed by Fouche 
and Carnot. Regnault fupported it, and Deeres and 
Davouft were inclined to the fame opinion ; but the 
refolutions of the chambers having now reached them, 
with a fummons from the reprefentatives, requiring the 
attendance of the minifters, the council broke up without 
coming to any determination. 
In the evening, an extraordinary meeting took place at 
the palace, com poled of the minifters holding departments 3 
the minifters of ftate; the prefident, and four members, 
of the chamber of peers ; the prefident, and four vice- • 
prefidents, of the reprefentatives ; the heads of the civil 
and military authorities of Paris, and fome ftate-council- 
lors, peers, reprefentatives, and citizens, who were 
invited by Napoleon. 
