y seen
crowds of French footmen in rich liveries, high-born gentlemen with
their stars on their breasts, and gaping idlers looking wonderingly at
the change. But what feverish activity and toil had been required to
effect this! Paris--nay, all France, had to contribute their treasures.
Long lines of wagons had conveyed to Erfurt costly furniture, covered
with velvet and gilt ornaments, from the imperial _garde-meubles_ of
Paris, magnificent porcelain from Sevres, precious gobelins and silks
from Lyons and Rouen, rare wines from Bordeaux, tropic fruits from
Marseilles, and truffles from Perigord. Not only the castle, but also
the prominent private residences, had been decorated in the most
sumptuous style. An army of cooks and kitchen-boys had garrisoned the
basements and kitchens filled with the delicacies brought from the
principal cities of Europe.

France had adorned Erfurt as a bride ready to receive her lord, and the
German princes had come as bridesmen. Nearly every German state had sent
its sovereign or crown prince. There were the Kings of Saxony,
Wuertemberg, Bavaria, and Westphalia; the Dukes of Hesse-Darmstadt,
Baden, Weimar, Gotha, Oldenburg, Schwerin, and Strelitz, and more than
twenty of the petty sovereigns in which Germany abounded. For the first
time all seemed to be united, and to have one purpose. This was, to do
homage to the Emperor Napoleon.

He intended to come to Erfurt to meet again the friend he had gained at
Tilsit, the Emperor Alexander. Nearly eighteen months had passed since
the first meeting of the two monarchs. Since that time the morning sky
of their friendship had been overcast. The meeting at Erfurt was to
renew their former relations. Both emperors felt that they could not do
without each other, and they sought this meeting with equal eagerness.
Alexander desired to continue his war against Sweden for the possession
of Finland. Napoleon had not yet been able to bring the great struggle
in Spain to a successful end, and had, therefore, to remain at peace
with the only sovereign whose power and enmity he had still to fear.
Besides, the two emperors loved each other; they had exchanged at Tilsit
ardent vows. The world was aware of this, and could not but regard it as
a matter of course that the imperial friends longed to meet again. The
auspicious period was fixed for the 27th of September, 1808. The
appointed hour had struck; the cannon and the pealing of bells announced
the advent of