eon; and the march recommenced. Early in the morning they
passed through the town of Grasse, and halted on the height beyond
it--where the whole population of the place forthwith surrounded them,
some cheering, the great majority looking on in perfect silence, but
none offering any show of opposition. The roads were so bad in this
neighbourhood, that the pieces of cannon which they had with them were
obliged to be abandoned in the course of the day, but they had marched
full twenty leagues ere they halted for the night at Cerenon. On the
5th, Napoleon reached Gap. He was now in Dauphiny, called "The cradle of
the Revolution," and the sullen silence of the Provencals was succeeded
by popular acclamations; but still no troops had joined him--and his
anxiety was great.

It was at Gap that he published his first proclamations; one "To the
Army," another "To the French people," both no doubt prepared at Elba,
though dated "March 1st, Gulf of Juan." The former, and more important
of the two, ran in these words--"Soldiers! we have not been beaten. Two
men, raised from our ranks,[69] betrayed our laurels, their country,
their prince, their benefactor. In my exile I have heard your voice. I
have arrived once more among you, despite all obstacles, and all perils.
We ought to forget that we have been the masters of the world; but we
ought never to suffer foreign interference in our affairs. Who dares
pretend to be master over us? Take again the eagles which you followed
at Ulm, at Austerlitz, at Jena, at Montmirail. Come and range yourselves
under the banners of your old chief. Victory shall march at the
charging step. The Eagle, with the national colours, shall fly from
steeple to steeple--on to the towers of Notre Dame! In your old age,
surrounded and honoured by your fellow-citizens, you shall be heard with
respect when you recount your high deeds. You shall then say with
pride--I also was one of that great army which entered twice within the
walls of Vienna, which took Rome, and Berlin, and Madrid, and
Moscow--and which delivered Paris from the stain printed on it by
domestic treason, and the occupation of strangers."

It was between Mure and Vizele that Cambronne, who commanded his
advanced guard of forty grenadiers, met suddenly a battalion sent
forwards from Grenoble to arrest the march. The colonel refused to
parley with Cambronne; either party halted until Napoleon himself came
up. He did not hesitate for a moment. He di