daughter of his Highness
Abd-El-Kader. The Prince of Joinville was adored by the nation, on
account of his famous victory over the English fleet under the command
of Admiral the Prince of Wales, whose ship, the "Richard Cobden," of 120
guns, was taken by the "Belle-Poule" frigate of 36; on which occasion
forty-five other ships of war and 79 steam-frigates struck their colors
to about one-fourth the number of the heroic French navy. The
victory was mainly owing to the gallantry of the celebrated French
horse-marines, who executed several brilliant charges under the orders
of the intrepid Joinville; and though the Irish Brigade, with their
ordinary modesty, claimed the honors of the day, yet, as only three of
that nation were present in the action, impartial history must award the
palm to the intrepid sons of Gaul.

With so numerous a family quartered on the nation, the solicitude of
the admirable King may be conceived, lest a revolution should ensue, and
fling them on the world once more. How could he support so numerous a
family? Considerable as his wealth was (for he was known to have amassed
about a hundred and thirteen billions, which were lying in the caves
of the Tuileries), yet such a sum was quite insignificant, when divided
among his progeny; and, besides, he naturally preferred getting from the
nation as much as his faithful people could possibly afford.

Seeing the imminency of the danger, and that money, well applied, is
often more efficacious than the conqueror's sword, the King's Ministers
were anxious that he should devote a part of his savings to the carrying
on of the war. But, with the cautiousness of age, the monarch declined
this offer; he preferred, he said, throwing himself upon his faithful
people, who, he was sure, would meet, as became them, the coming
exigency. The Chambers met his appeal with their usual devotion. At a
solemn convocation of those legislative bodies, the King, surrounded by
his family, explained the circumstances and the danger. His Majesty,
his family, his Ministers, and the two Chambers, then burst into tears,
according to immemorial usage, and raising their hands to the ceiling,
swore eternal fidelity to the dynasty and to France, and embraced each
other affectingly all round.

It need not be said that in the course of that evening two hundred
Deputies of the Left left Paris, and joined the Prince John Thomas
Napoleon, who was now advanced as far as Dijon: two hundred and