lowest that I could accept with honour.*

Before I began my

This proposal They refused.

last operations, I offered to sign on the basis of the ancient limits, provided they would cease hostilities immediately. was made by the Duke of Vicenza on the 8th. They said that even the signature of preliminaries would not put a stop to hostilities; that the war should last till all the articles of peace were signed. They have been punished for this inconceivable answer, and yesterday, on the 17th, asked for an armistice!

You may well imagine that on the eve of a battlef which I was resolved to win, or to perish, when, if I failed, my capital was taken, I would have consented to anything rather than run so great a risk. I owed this sacrifice of my pride to my family and to my people. But since they refused these terms; since the danger has been encountered; since everything has returned to the ordinary risks of war; since a defeat no longer exposes my capital; since all the chances are for me, the welfare of the empire and my own fame require me to make a real peace. If I had signed on the terms of the ancient limits, I should have rushed to arms in two years, and I should have told the nation that I had signed not a peace, but a capitulation. I could not say this in present circumstances, for, as fortune is again on my side, I can impose my own conditions. The enemy is in a very different position from that which he occupied when he made the Frankfort propositions; he must now feel almost certain that few of his troops will recross the frontier. His cavalry is worn out and low; his infantry is exhausted by marches and countermarches; he has lost all heart. I hope, therefore, to make a peace such as will satisfy a reasonable man; and I wish for no more than the conditions of Frankfort. Whisper that the enemy,

*The terms offered by the allies from Frankfort were what the French have called the "natural limits" of France, namely, the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Rhine.

The term "ancient limits" signifies the frontier of France before 1789, and, with slight modifications, her present frontier.-TR.

† Napoleon uses the word battle to signify his whole connected operations against Blücher.-TR.

finding himself embarrassed, has asked for an armistice, or a suspension of hostilities, which was absurd, as it would have deprived me of the fruit of my operations: add that this shows how thoroughly he is disheartened. Do not let this be printed, but let it be repeated in every quarter.

[843.

JOSEPH TO NAPOLEON.

Paris, Feb. 18, 1814, 11 P.M.

Sire,-I have received the letter in which your Majesty does me the honour of announcing to me the enemy's request for a suspension of hostilities, and your Majesty's determination to grant nothing until peace is signed. It is certain that they have been treating long enough to be ready to sign the preliminaries without delay; and as they themselves proposed the Frankfort conditions before crossing the Rhine, those conditions may well be accepted by both parties. With regard to your Majesty, it signifies little whether, at the time of signature, the enemy have recrossed the Rhine or not, if what he signs on this side of the river is what was proposed when he was on the other side. Such a signature will prove that he was wrong in not adhering to the terms which he had been the first to offer, and I consider the honour of France secured by the signatures of the conditions proposed at Frankfort, whether they be signed here or there, provided that the natural limits be recognised. It is plain that the enemy, confused by your Majesty's manoeuvres, wishes for a suspension of hostilities to have time to look about him and to collect his scattered troops, and that your Majesty is right in refusing it. I have represented things as they really are; and however eager, however devouring be the thirst for peace, every one will acknowledge the wisdom of your Majesty's conduct in requiring the immediate signature of the peace which was offered by the enemy at Frankfort.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE letters contained in this chapter extend from the 19th to the 26th of February inclusive. During these seven days Napoleon made only three marches, from Montereau to Nogent, from Nogent to Châtres, and from Châtres to Troyes, and fought no battle, except a hot skirmish with Blücher on the 23rd at Mery, between Châtres and Troyes, which seems to have been an accident, neitheir party being aware of the neighbourhood of the other.

His activity was probably relaxed by the prospect of peace, which at this time seemed not improbable, and might certainly have been attained if success had not raised his hopes and his demands, still more than failure depressed the allies. And the violent exertions of the previous nine days must have made some repose necessary.

Surville, opposite to Montereau, Feb. 19, 1814, 3 A.M. My Brother, I beat yesterday two divisions of the reserve under the Austrian General Bianchi, and the Würtemberg troops. Their loss in men was great; we took their colours, and from 3000 to 4000 prisoners; but the real subject of congratulation is, that I had the good fortune to carry the bridge before they could cut it.

I have sent back the Duke of Belluno on account of his ex

treme slowness and carelessness. I am glad that 1200 horses have left the depôt at Versailles. All the men belonging to the 1st cavalry corps, which is under the Duke of Ragusa, must be kept, as I intend them to remain on the Châlons road. They must all be sent from Versailles ort towards Meaux, to reinforce him. I think that you were wrong in permitting the Danish officer ‡ to communicate with his minister. You should have waited for my orders, and I should not have given them quickly. Even now I do not choose that he should go away without my express permission. I may keep him for a long time. All the men belonging to the guard of honour, and to the 10th hussars, must be forwarded to Compiègne to reinforce the Duke of Treviso's corps.

Surville, 8 A.M.

All the available soldiers of the old guard should be sent to the Duke of Treviso. Form a column of 1200 men, cavalry, infantry, and artillery, of the troops which belong to that Marshal, and send it to him.

[845.]

NAPOLEON TO JOSEPH.

Château de Surville, Feb. 19, 1814, 9 P.M.

My Brother, It has taken us the whole day to pass the horrible defile of Montereau. I have just thrown a bridge over the Seine, and another over the Yonne. General Roussel and his

*The bridge alluded to was the bridge over the Seine at Montereau. Victor had been ordered to seize it on the 17th, but had lost time in resting his men, and had found it occupied by the Würtemberg troops. Napoleon ordered him to leave the army. Victor answered that he would carry a musket. Napoleon, relenting, gave him a command in the guard. In the attack on Montereau on the 18th, both Victor and Napoleon exposed themselves like common soldiers. Napoleon resumed his earliest profession, and himself pointed many of his guns.-TR.

+ Illegible.-ED.

Joseph had allowed a Dane, carrying despatches from his Court to the Danish Minister, to enter Paris, accompanied and watched by a French officer.-TR.

cavalry, and General Gérard with the 2nd corps,* have reached Pont-sur-Yonne. General Allix is on his way to Nemours; General Charpentier is at Montereau. I suppose that General Boyer will reach Melun this evening, with a division of the guard, and that one of his brigades will be at Fontainebleau. My advanced guard is at Bray.

The Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia were at Bray. As soon as they heard that I had forced the bridge of Montereau, they ran away as fast as they could. Their whole army is terrified. The three sovereigns spent a few days at Pont, with Madame. They intended to reach Fontainebleau to-morrow, and in a very few days Paris: they cannot understand what is taking place. To-day we have snow, and the weather is rather severe. I am sending an article for the 'Moniteur' to the Empress, but you may put into the 'Moniteur,' as well as into the other newspapers, under the head of Provins, a notice of the precipitation with which the sovereigns quitted Bray. The Austrians protected my palace at Fontainebleau from the Cossacks. We have taken several convoys of baggage, and some carriages going towards Bray. Several hundred Cossacks have been taken in the forest of Fontainebleau. My advanced guard will reach Bray to-morrow.

Try to hasten the supplies of artillery horses. Ammunition must likewise be provided more quickly. They have only 40,000 rounds more at Vincennes. What is that if I fight a great battle? I shall consume between 80,000 and 100,000 ! The Duke of Ragusa is at Montmirail; the Duke of Treviso at Villars-Cotterets; General Grouchy is still at La Ferté-sousJouarre, with from 6000 to 7000 men. The Duke of Castiglione's corps must by this time amount to 15,000 men.† I conclude that he is about to march. Tell the minister to write to him

*The corps which had been Victor's.—TR.

This alludes to Augereau's army at Lyons.-TR.

Augereau at this time, and for some days longer, may be said to have held in his hands the destinies of France. He disobeyed the repeated orders of the Emperor to attack the enemy in flank, and march on Geneva. He was one of the causes of the failure of the campaign.-ED.