now
given to Witgenstein; while that of the Prussians was entrusted to a
leader, whose name was hailed as the sure pledge of unremitting activity
and indomitable perseverance. This was Blucher, an officer originally
trained under the great Frederick, whose exemplary conduct after the
battle of Jena has already been mentioned. The brave old man had, since
that catastrophe, lived in utter retirement. The soldiery had long
before bestowed on him the _nom-de-guerre_ of _Marshal Forwards_, and
they heard of his appointment with universal delight. Addicted to
drinking, smoking, and gambling, and little conversant with the higher
branches of war as an art, Blucher was at first despised by Napoleon.
But his technical deficiencies were abundantly supplied by the skill of
Scharnforst, and afterwards of Gneisenau; and he himself possessed such
influence over the minds of his men in the day of action, and was sure
to rally them so rapidly after defeat, and to urge them on so keenly
when fortune was more favourable, that ere long the Emperor was forced
to confess that no one gave him so much trouble as that "debauched old
dragoon." Blucher hated the very names of France and Buonaparte with a
perfect hatred; and, once more permitted to draw his sword, he swore
never to sheathe it until the revenge of Prussia was complete.

The Crown Prince of Sweden landed with 35,000 men at Stralsund, and
advanced through Mecklenburg, while the sovereigns of Russia and Prussia
were concentrating their armies in Silesia. It was announced and
expected that German troops would join Bernadotte, so as to enable him
to open the campaign on the lower Elbe with a separate army of 100,000.
Lord Wellington was about to advance once more into Spain, with his
victorious veterans. Three great armies, two of which might easily
communicate with each other, were thus taking the field against him at
once; and yet, such was Napoleon's pride or obstinacy, that he would
make no sacrifice whatever to secure the assistance of Austria. He still
adhered to his resolution of entering into no general peace which should
not recognise Joseph as King of Spain; and refused absolutely to listen
to any proposals which included the cession either of Illyria or the
Tyrol. Ere he once more left Paris, he named Maria Louisa Regent in his
absence; but this was a circumstance not likely to have much weight with
the wavering counsels of the Austrian.

While Napoleon's military preparati