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Article A PAGE FROM THE HISTORY OF NAPOLEON.* ← Page 12 of 13 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Page From The History Of Napoleon.*
from Russia xvas the commencement of disasters ; the French campaign finished them . Napoleon hacl retired to Fontainbleau , surrounded by scarcely a thousand men , the xvreek of his Imperial Guard . The allies occupied Paris ; and it was in vain that Macdonald and Caidaineourt raised tlieir x'oice in the council of monarchs ,
held at Talleyrand ' s hotel , in favour of a regency of the dynasty of Napoleon . M . de Talleyrand had decided that question in a single sentence , when replying to the Emperor Alexander : " Sire , everything which is not of Napoleon or Louis XVIII . is an intrigue . Napoleon has noxv become impossible . " Louis XVIII . quitted Hartxvell for Paris ; Napoleon , on
the contrary , prepared to depart for Elba . It xvas a great and sad departure ; for on the clay of his quitting France , all those men who had been trained by him , had risen through his bounty , and been taken from the lowest ranks , meanly left Mm , and hastened to bow to the rising sun . The whole of that morning the emperor walked , solitary and
alone , in a part of the park whence he coulcl hear the travellingcarriages of his military staff depart . The most servile of the evening before were the most hasty to leax * e the folloxving day . The emperor returned at tAvelve from his feverish walk , and found the palace of Francis I . almost deserted : here and there a single soldier might be seen silently Aveeping in the deep embrasure of a Avindow .
The chief officers , the great dignitaries , had disappeared ; they were travelling on the road to Paris , ancl on the following day surrounded the king ' s throne . Napoleon hastily traversed several apartments . His valets were preparing for his OAVU departure : the carriage was already packed .
The Marshal Bertrand AA'as inscribing the names of those who volunteered to share the exile of the emperor ; and the number was large . All at once a young man crossed the emperor , and stopped respectfully before him . He looked pale and sad in his black uniform as an hussar ; Ms dark eye was moist , and his manner jaded .
The emperor started on beholding him . " Ah ! " said he " is it you , Kervegan ?" " Yes , sire . " A bitter smile played upon the features of Napoleon . "I knoAV what you would ask of me , " said he . " You never loA'ed me , —you were attached to the Bourbons from your birth , —you only served your country in me , —that country has passed into other hands , —you return to your master , —it is quite right .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Page From The History Of Napoleon.*
from Russia xvas the commencement of disasters ; the French campaign finished them . Napoleon hacl retired to Fontainbleau , surrounded by scarcely a thousand men , the xvreek of his Imperial Guard . The allies occupied Paris ; and it was in vain that Macdonald and Caidaineourt raised tlieir x'oice in the council of monarchs ,
held at Talleyrand ' s hotel , in favour of a regency of the dynasty of Napoleon . M . de Talleyrand had decided that question in a single sentence , when replying to the Emperor Alexander : " Sire , everything which is not of Napoleon or Louis XVIII . is an intrigue . Napoleon has noxv become impossible . " Louis XVIII . quitted Hartxvell for Paris ; Napoleon , on
the contrary , prepared to depart for Elba . It xvas a great and sad departure ; for on the clay of his quitting France , all those men who had been trained by him , had risen through his bounty , and been taken from the lowest ranks , meanly left Mm , and hastened to bow to the rising sun . The whole of that morning the emperor walked , solitary and
alone , in a part of the park whence he coulcl hear the travellingcarriages of his military staff depart . The most servile of the evening before were the most hasty to leax * e the folloxving day . The emperor returned at tAvelve from his feverish walk , and found the palace of Francis I . almost deserted : here and there a single soldier might be seen silently Aveeping in the deep embrasure of a Avindow .
The chief officers , the great dignitaries , had disappeared ; they were travelling on the road to Paris , ancl on the following day surrounded the king ' s throne . Napoleon hastily traversed several apartments . His valets were preparing for his OAVU departure : the carriage was already packed .
The Marshal Bertrand AA'as inscribing the names of those who volunteered to share the exile of the emperor ; and the number was large . All at once a young man crossed the emperor , and stopped respectfully before him . He looked pale and sad in his black uniform as an hussar ; Ms dark eye was moist , and his manner jaded .
The emperor started on beholding him . " Ah ! " said he " is it you , Kervegan ?" " Yes , sire . " A bitter smile played upon the features of Napoleon . "I knoAV what you would ask of me , " said he . " You never loA'ed me , —you were attached to the Bourbons from your birth , —you only served your country in me , —that country has passed into other hands , —you return to your master , —it is quite right .