ined
to pass the Spree in front of the enemy, and they permitted him to do
so, rather than come down from their position. He took up his quarters
in the town of Bautzen, and his whole army bivouacked in presence of the
allies. The battle was resumed at daybreak on the 22nd; when Ney on the
right, and Oudinot on the left, attempted simultaneously to turn the
flanks of the position; while Soult and Napoleon himself directed charge
after charge on the centre. During four hours the struggle was
maintained with unflinching obstinacy; the wooded heights, where Blucher
commanded, had been taken and retaken several times--the bloodshed, on
either side, had been terrible--ere, the situation of both flanks being
apparent, the allies perceived the necessity either of retiring, or of
continuing the fight against superior numbers on disadvantageous ground.
They withdrew accordingly; but still with all the deliberate coolness of
a parade: halting at every favourable spot, and renewing their
cannonade. "What," exclaimed Napoleon, "no results! not a gun! not a
prisoner!--these people will not leave me so much as a nail." During the
whole day he urged the pursuit with impetuous rage, reproaching even his
chosen generals as "creeping scoundrels," and exposing his own person in
the very hottest of the fire. By his side was Duroc, the grand master of
the palace, his dearest--many said, ere now, his only friend. Bruyeres,
another old associate of the Italian wars, was struck down in their
view. "Duroc," whispered Napoleon, "fortune has a spite at us this day."
A few minutes afterwards, Duroc himself was mortally wounded. The
Emperor instantly ordered a halt, and remained all the afternoon in
front of his tent, surrounded by the guard, who did not witness his
affliction without tears. From this time he would listen to no reports
or suggestions.--"Everything to-morrow," was his invariable answer. He
stood by Duroc while he died; drew up with his own hand an epitaph to be
placed over his remains by the pastor of the place, who received 200
napoleons to defray the expense of a fitting monument; and issued also a
decree in favour of his departed friend's children. Thus closed the
22nd. The allies being strongly posted during most of the day, had
suffered less than the French; the latter had lost 15,000, the former
10,000 men.

They continued their retreat into Upper Silesia; and Buonaparte advanced
to Breslau, and released the garrison of Glogau