XXXIII. 1836. signation to its decrees, and neither demeaned himself by CHAP. complaint, nor struggled to alter his fate. A stranger to all political intrigues, and dividing his time between works of religion and charity and the fatigues of the chase, he had discouraged the attempt of the Duchess de Berri, and uniformly dissuaded any similar undertaking by others. He believed that his grandson would be restored to the throne of his fathers; but he looked for his restoration to the justice of Heaven and the repentance of his people, not to any combination of princes or efforts of human power. But the end of this simple and expiatory life was now approaching. For some years past the habitual residence of Charles and his court had been at Prague in Bohemia,-the British Government having, at the solicitation of Louis Philippe, suggested their removal from Holyrood after the expedition of the Duchess de Berri. He had gone with the Duchess de Angoulême and his household to Gratz in Styria, in the end of October, with a view to enjoying the pleasure of shooting in the pine-clad mountains in its vicinity. Winter set in early in these elevated regions; but still the exiled King enjoyed vigorous health, and at the age of seventy-nine he had, on the 5th November, the day of his fête, been on a long shooting expedition on foot in the hills at a considerable distance. In the evening, however, he was seized with an attack in his bowels, at first slight, but which soon showed symptoms of Asiatic cholera. He sunk rapidly, and expired without suffering or murmur at one o'clock on the following morning, surrounded by his weep- Nov. 6. ing family, who had undergone so many tragedies in their calamitous career. Born at Versailles on the 9th October 1757, he was in his eightieth year when he died, and he was interred without pomp in the church of the Capuchin monks near Gratz. The church of the same order at Vienna contained the remains of the son of xix. 237, 239; Cap. Napoleon. These members of the royal and imperial ix. 150, 154. races alike found their final resting-place in a foreign land, VOL. V. 2 s 1 Ann. Hist. CHAP. under the care of a poor order of monks, in the midst of their fathers' enemies. XXXIII. 75. Louis Napoleon at Strasburg: his early life. 1836. The hand of fate was on the curtain in this eventful Attempt of year, but it was not drawn up, and the actors in the great drama which was to succeed only appeared as it was for a moment raised. Only a week before the last of the Bourbons who sat on the throne of France died, exiled and discrowned, in a foreign land, sheltered by his enemies from his own people, the representative of a new dynasty appeared on the French territory, and LOUIS NAPOLEON commenced that adventurous career which, after many reverses, has ended in the restoration of the imperial throne. This young prince, the only surviving son of Louis Napoleon, king of Holland, the younger brother of Napoleon, was beyond all doubt, after the death of the Duke of Reichstadt at Vienna, the heir and representative of the great name and boundless inheritance of his immortal uncle. His mother, the Duchess of St Leu, vividly impressed with these magnificent prospects, had, during the whole period of the Restoration, been the centre of all the conspiracies which had for their object the restoration of the imperial line; and young Louis Napoleon, with his brother, who died in the attempt, endeavoured to excite a revolution in their favour in Italy, shortly after the fall of Charles X. in 1830. Foiled in that attempt, he still persisted in his projects with that determined perseverance which so often works out its own destiny, and by never despairing of fortune, at last conquers it. He commenced the composition of works calculated to enlist the public sympathies in his favour by uniting the democratic and imperial parties under the same banner, and holding it out as the only one which could restore liberty and glory to France.1 These works, especially Les Réveries Politiques, and Des Idées Napoléonnés, are very remarkable for the reflection and thought which they exhibit, and they were singularly calculated to attain their object from the skilful 1 Cap. ix. 162, 163; Ann. Hist. xix. 242, 243. XXXIII. combination which they present of much that was real, CHAP. with everything which could be figured that was alluring, in the maxims of the imperial government.* 1836. 76. tions for the For some years back the Duchess of St Leu, with her son, had lived in Switzerland, and their residence, the PreparaChâteau of Arenenburg, in the county of Berne, was the attempt at centre of all the Napoleon party, and of that portion of the Republicans, by no means inconsiderable, who, warned by their repeated failures when acting alone, deemed it expedient to unite their forces with the more warlike and better disciplined bands of the Napoleonists. The great affluence of refugees of all parties from France, in the course of 1836, into Switzerland, in consequence of the operation of the severe laws of the preceding September, led to the general belief among these exiled adventurers that the time had now arrived when, by a united effort of both parties, it might be possible to overturn the throne of Louis Philippe, and open the way to the imperial crown. Accordingly, a conspiracy, having extensive ramifications in the military of France, was formed, of which the threads centred in the Château of Arenenburg, and which had for its object the overthrow of Louis Philippe, and the restoration of the imperial line in the person of Louis Napoleon. Strasburg naturally presented itself as the place where the inroad might best be attempted, both from its vicinity to the headquarters of the disaffected in Switzerland, and from its being a fortress of the first order, opening the way into the heart of France, and adjoining the provinces where Republican ideas were most prevalent, * "Je voudrais un Gouvernement qui procurât tous les avantages de la République sans entraîner les mêmes inconvéniens, un Gouvernement qui fût fort sans être despotique, libre sans anarchie, indépendant sans conquêtes, -le peuple ayant la souverainté réelle et organisée comme source élective, comme contrôle, et comme rectification de tous les Pouvoirs; deux Chambres composant le pouvoir législatif, la première élue, mais l'une exigeant certaines conditions de services rendues ou l'expérience de la part des éligibles."— Rêveries Politiques, par LOUIS NAPOLEON, 27, 49. In Louis Napoleon's career, from first to last, literary and political, there are decided proofs of that fixity of ideas and moral resolution which are the characteristics of greatness, and the heralds either of success or ruin in this world. 1836. CHAP. and the memory of Napoleon was still held in most venXXXIII. eration. This place was further recommended by the presence in it of the fourth regiment of artillery, commanded by Colonel Vaudrey, a warm partisan of the young Prince, and whose influence with his men rendered it probable that they would all, with their leader, range themselves under his standard. The plan was, to electrify the garrison of Strasburg by the sudden appearance of the young Prince among them; to rally to his colours the whole national guard of Alsace, which it was well known might be relied on; and, with the united force, march direct on Paris, and overthrow the monarchy of Louis Philippe, as Napoleon had done that of Louis. XVIII. Authentic evidence exists that this conspiracy had such extensive ramifications in France that it was very near succeeding, and that the throne of the Citizen King depended on the fidelity of a few companies in the garrison of Strasburg.1* 1 Hist. de L. Napo leon, i. 21, 22; Ann. Hist. xix. 243, 244; Cap. ix. 165, 166. 77. Breaking out of the Oct. 30. Everything being prepared, and extensive ramifications of the conspiracy established in the garrison of Strasburg, conspiracy. Louis Napoleon, on the evening of the 28th October, entered that fortress in disguise, accompanied by a few trusty friends. On the morning of the 30th, the Prince, dressed in the well-known costume of Napoleon, made his appearance at the gate of the barracks of the fourth * The following letter from a leading Republican at Paris at this period to Louis Napoleon, illustrates the views of that extreme party, and the chances of the Prince's success:-" Nous ne jouissons pas du présent, car l'avenir nous effraye le Pouvoir depuis six ans n'a rien fondé; il a réprimé les nobles passions, énervé les cœurs, sans inspirer ni sécurité ni confiance; et comment l'aurait-il pu, lui qui n'a ni l'appui des siècles ni celui que donne la sanction du peuple, ni même le prestige d'une glorieuse origine? Le plus fort n'est jamais assez fort pour être toujours maître, s'il ne transforme la force en droit, et l'obéissance en devoir. La vie du Roi est journellement menacée; si l'un de ces attentats réussissait nous serions exposés aux plus graves bouleversemens, car il n'y a plus en France ni parti qui puisse rallier les autres, ni un homme qui inspire une confiance générale. Dans cette position, Prince, nous avons jeté les yeux sur vous; le grand nom que vous portez, vos opinions, votre caractère, tout nous engage à voir en vous un point de ralliement pour la cause populaire. Tenez-vous prêt à agir; et quand le temps sera venu, vos amis ne vous manqueront pas."- Vie de LOUIS NAPOLEON, i. 21, 22. XXXIII. 1836. regiment of artillery. He immediately advanced to the CHAP. colonel, who said to his men, in a loud voice: "Soldiers! a great revolution is commencing at this moment. The nephew of the Emperor is before you! He comes to put himself at your head. He has arrived on the soil of France to restore to it liberty and glory. The time has come when you must act or die for a great cause--the cause of the people. Soldiers of the fourth regiment of artillery! can the nephew of the Emperor count on you?" At these words an indescribable transport seized upon the men ; "Vive l'Empereur!" was heard on all sides; the sabres leapt from their scabbards, and glittered in the air; and amidst the clash of arms and cheers of the men, the voice of Louis Napoleon could not for some time be heard. At length, the colonel having made a signal for silence, he advanced, deeply affected, and said: "It was in your regiment that the Emperor, my uncle, made his first essay in arms with you he was illustrated in the siege of Toulon; and it is your brave regiment which, on his return from the island of Elba, opened to him the gates of Grenoble." Then, taking the eagle from the officer who held it, he said, "This is the symbol of 1 Vie de French glory, which should also henceforth be of its freedom." At these words the acclamations redoubled; and 23, 24; L the whole regiment, with proud steps, in the highest state 132, 133; of excitement, and to the sound of military music, marched 171; Ann. out of the barracks to rally the remaining regiments of 244, 245. the garrison.1 Louis Na poleon, i. Blanc, v. Cap. ix. Hist. xix. success. The Prince, at the head of this regiment, proceeded 78. to the headquarters of the Governor-General, when he Its rapid was received by the soldiers presenting arms, and exclaiming "Vive l'Empereur!" He immediately went upstairs to the General, who was just risen, and, offering to embrace, invited him to join the movement. He was, however, coldly received by the General, who refused to join the movement, and was in consequence put under arrest, and left under guard of some of the revolted regi |