there never darted from any one of them a single ray auspicious to real liberty. This nest of old hornets, warmed into life by the new revolution from the torpidity to which they had long been condemned, speedily intimated that they had neither for gotten to buzz nor to sting. It was soon evident that they were suspicious of Buonaparte's authority, and dissatisfied with the Additional Act, or newmodelled constitution. Their brief intercourse with the emperor was marked by a scrupulous and captious jealousy on the part of the Chamber, and by sullen haughtiness on that of Napoleon. On the first meeting of the June 4. Chamber, they chose for their president Lanjuinais, the same who had in the preceding year drawn up the reasons which rendered Buonaparte unworthy to reign. The choice could not be agreeable to Napoleon. In a mis-timed fit of illhumour, he caused the temporary president who made the communication to be told, that he would learn the emperor's pleasure the next day, by applying to the chamberlain or page in waiting. The Chamber took fire at this reference, and the sitting was suspended until a categorical answer was obtained from the emperor. A sort of apology was given by the ministers, the obnoxious answer was explained into a mistake, and the imperial ratification of the appointment of the president, couched in the laconic phrase, "I approve," was presented in atonement. A representative, called Sibuet, indulged himself in a jacobinical boutade on the equality to be observed among the representatives of the people, and on the atrocity of recognizing in the Chamber the epithets of princes, dukes, batons, and so forth. He proceeded to invite these dignitaries to a surrender of their invidious titles, when, fortunately, it was discovered that the orator was reading his extemporary burst of eloquence on the subject of liberty and equality, from a manuscript copy, upon which point of form the delicate discussion was quashed in its commencement. A bickering also took place between Carnot and the Chamber, upon their demanding from him a list of the persons nominated to the peerage, which he declined to communicate till the session had commenced. A great deal of clamour and violence ensued, in the course of which the newly elected president in vain rung his tocsin, in order to procure order. The next meeting of the assembly was nearly as stormy as the first; the terms of the oath to be taken by the deputies was scrutinized as accurately as if it had stood any chance of being long binding. It was carried by the imperialists that fidelity should be sworn to the constitution, and to the emperor, without mention of the nation, as contended by the jacobins. June 8. But the most blunt expression of their mistrust of the emperor, was given upon the proposal of the parasitical Felix-Lepelletier, that they should decree to Buonaparte the title of Saviour of the Country. One member exclaimed, that the title was not yet merited, since the country was not saved; and, in consequence of a general clamour, the Chamber passed by acclamation to the order of the day. These disputes occurring so immediately on convening the Chambers, and at such an important national crisis, made it plain that there remained much to be disputed between Buonaparte and his representative government. The imperialists, in case of a collision among the bodies composing the legislature, which these proceedings gave much reason to apprehend, placed little confidence in the House of Peers, although they were considered as effectually the partisans of Buonaparte, because their greatness was so immediately the work of his own creation, that it could have little influence with the nation. In stead of a body of hereditary legislators, distinguished by high birth, long descent, ample fortunes, and an education corresponding to their rank and expectations, in which particulars the British House of Peers may be compared to a grove of oaks, the growth of ages, and superior to the force of tempests, this upper chamber of Buonaparte was a crop of mushrooms, whom the rain of one night had brought up, and whom the frost of the next might reduce to their primitive nothingness. But the partisans of Buonaparte knew that his "voice was in his sword," and that, should he return from the contest with the allies victorious, former experience had taught him, how speedily the clamours of five hundred bold talkers is silenced by half the number of bayonets, June 7. quested their assistance in finance, and demanded from them a general example of confidence, energy, and patriot ism. The address, which replied to this speech, was carried with great ease in the Chamber of Peers; for that respectable assembly had fallen at once into the quiet, regular habits of dispatching public business, which so long characterized the senate of the former empire. But the Chamber of Representatives was composed of less tractable materials. The very mention of the address called up once more Monsieur Sibuet, with his speech against titles, June 10. which he had now got by heart, and to which the Chamber, therefore, was under the necessity of listening. The motion was got rid of with difficulty, and an address, in reply to the speech of Napoleon, was carried through, after many fierce debates; but which, whatever the friends of Buonaparte could do, retained a strong tincture of the sentiments of the opposite party. The Chamber promised unanimous support in repelling the foreign enemy. But in allusion to the constitutions of the empire, which were It was, however, necessary that Buonaparte should for the present address the spirits which he had call-recognized by the Additional Act, they ed together, with the confidence which old legends say that wizards must use to the fiends they have evoked, and whom they dread even while they command them. He surrendered, in the pre. sence of both Chambers, the absolute power, with which circumstances had invested him since his return. He professed himself a friend to liberty. He mentioned the coalition of monarchs against France, the commencement of the war by the capture of the Melpomene by an English ship of war, and the internal divisions of the country. He stated the strong necessity there was for regulating the freedom of the press, re announced, that national deliberation would, as speedily as possible, point out the defects and imperfections which the urgency of the national situation had either produced, or suffered to subsist without correction. Having thus intimated their dissatisfaction with the constitution, as modelled for them by Buonaparte, and their intention of reconsidering it, they added a moderating hint against the fervour of his ambition, in case the war should prove successful. "The nation," they said, "nourishes no scheme of ambition. Not even the will of a victorious prince will be sufficient to draw it on beyond the limits of just defence.” Buonaparte, in his reply, suffered neither of these galling topics to pass unnoticed. He proceeded to school this unmanageable assembly into a respect for the constitution with which they proposed to tamper. "The constitution," he said, "was the pole-star in the tempest.' All public discussion tended to diminish the necessary confidence which ought to be reposed in it. Respecting the hint given to him to resist all inducements to foreign conquest, he observed, that the nation had not at present to dread the seductions of victory-they were to struggle for existence. "The crisis in which we are placed is imminent. Let us not imitate the conduct of the Roman empire, which, pressed call hands by barbarians, made itself the laughing stock of posterity, by occupying itself with the discussion of abstract discussions, while the battering ram shook the gates of the metropolis." Thus parted Buonaparte and his Chambers of Legislature, he to try his fortune in the field of battle, they to their task of altering and modifying the laws, and inspiring a more popular spirit and air into the enactments he had made, in hopes that the dictatorship of the jacobins might be once again substituted for the dictatorship of the emperor. All men saw that the im perialists and republicans only waited till the field was won that they might contend for the booty; and so little was the nation disposed to sympathize with the active, turbulent, and bustling demagogues by whom the contest was to be maintained against the emperor, that almost all predicted with great unconcern their probable expulsion, either by the sword of Buonaparte or of the Bourbons. CHAP. XIII. Insurrection of La Vendee.-Motion of Seguevel.-Death of La Roche-Jaquelein, and Capitulation of the Royalists.-Preparations of the Allies.-The Position of their Armies.-Forces of Wellington-Of Blucher.-Preparations of Buonaparte.-His Plan of Attack.-He fortifies the Frontier on the Austrian Line.-Calls his best Generals around him.-Concentrates his Army at Avesnes-His Address to them.-Commences the Campaign-Takes Charleroi, and compels Ziethen to retire.-Battle of Ligny under Fleurus-Dreadful Conflict.-Prussians finally defeated.-Imminent Danger of Blucher.-He effects his retreat unmolested.-Ney attacks the Advanced Guard of Wellington at Quatre Bras.-The British Army comes up-Severe Action.-The French take the Wood-But are dislodged by the Guards-And finally compelled to retire.-Loss on either Side.-The Duke of Wellington retreats-Is pursued by the French-Skirmish at Genappes.—The British arrive on the Field of Waterloo, and bivouac for the Night. We are now to consider the preparations of the allies, contrasted with those of Buonaparte. But, before entering on this important field, it is proper to discuss the internal disorders, which, breaking out in the west of the kingdom, had some share in embarrassing and paralyzing the efforts of Napoleon. We have already mentioned the unsuccessful attempt of the Duke of Bourbon to raise in arms the inhabitants of La Vendee. But D'Autichamp, Suzannet, La Roche-Jaquelein, Sassineau, and other chiefs of the royal party, proved subsequently more successful. The necessity of drawing troops towards the frontiers obliged Napoleon to withdraw some of the forces stationed in La Vendee and the neighbouring departments, and about the middle of May there was a general insurrection of the inhabit ants in the royal cause. Brittainy, Poitou, Anjou, and Maine, were the scenes of a variety of conflicts fought at Aizenai, at Aiquillon, at Legé, in the marshes near St Gilles, and at various other points, between the royalists and the soldiers of Buonaparte, of which the result varied according to circumstances. The object of most of these skirmishes was to secure or intercept the quantities of arms and ammunition which the English vessels landed at different points for the service of the insurgents. The minister at war saw himself compelled to send a considerable body of forces to the scene of action, which were commanded by Generals Lamarque and Travot. They were empowered to treat the insurgents with the utmost severity, and when, after the restoration of Louis, they were in danger of being called to |