cessful. Various deputations from the royalists had
found their way to the headquarters, both of Blucher and Schwartzenberg,
before the middle of March, and expressed sentiments of this nature. As
yet, however, none of the Allies had ventured to encourage directly the
hopes of the Bourbon party. They persisted in asserting their resolution
to let the French nation judge for themselves under what government they
should live; and to take no part in their civil feuds. Talleyrand
himself was in correspondence with the Czar; but, in his letters, he, as
far as is known, confined himself to urging the advance of the armies. A
billet from him was delivered to Alexander just before the final rush on
Paris begun: it was in these words--"You venture nothing, when you may
safely venture everything--venture once more."

De Pradt, and many other of those statesmen whom Napoleon, in latter
days, had disgraced or disobliged, were, ere this time, labouring
diligently in the same service. It must be admitted that he, like the
falling Persian, was

"Deserted in his utmost need
By those his former bounty fed;"

but he had brought himself to this extremity by his scorn of their
counsels; nor even at the eleventh hour did his proud heart dream of
recalling confidence, by the confession of error.

On the 26th of March, the distant roaring of artillery was heard at
intervals on the boulevards of Paris; and the alarm began to be violent.
On the 27th (Sunday) Joseph Buonaparte held a review in the Place
Carousel; and the day being fine, and the uniforms mostly new, the
confidence of the spectators rose, and the newspapers expressed their
wishes that the enemy could but behold what forces were ready to meet
and destroy them. That same evening the Allies passed the Marne at
various points; at three in the morning of the 28th, they took Meaux;
and at daybreak, "the terrified population of the country between Meaux
and Paris came pouring into the capital," says an eye-witness, "with
their aged, infirm, children, cats, dogs, live-stock, corn, hay, and
household goods of every description. The boulevards were crowded with
waggons, carts, and carriages thus laden, to which cattle were tied, and
the whole surrounded with women." The regular troops now marched out of
the town, leaving all the barriers in charge of the National Guard. The
confusion that prevailed everywhere was indescribable.

On the 29th, the Empress, her son, and most of th