is to be moved by nothing but an
invasion; and it would be almost as rational to wait the
growth of an oak, as to wait the signing of your commission;
but it shall be done in my own way. I have means which can
make the tardy quick, and open the eyes of the blind. You
_shall_ be a subaltern in the Guards, unless you are in too
much haste to be a general, and get yourself shot by some
Parisian cobbler in the purloined uniform of a rifleman. But,
let me tell you one fact, and I might indorse this piece of
intelligence, 'Secret and Confidential,' to the English
cabinet, for even our great minister has yet to learn it--_the
Allies will never reach Paris_. Rely, and _act_ upon this.
They might now enter the capital, if, instead of bayonets,
they carried only trusses of straw. The road is open before
them, but they will look only behind. The war was almost a
feint from the beginning. The invasion was the second act of
the farce--the retreat will be the third. Poland has been the
_true object_; and, to cover the substantial seizures there,
has been the trick of the French invasion. I predict that, in
one month from the date of this letter, there will not be an
Austrian or Prussian cartridge found in France. Potsdam and
Schoenbrunn know more on the subject at this moment than the
duke. I write to you as a friend, and by Mariamne's especial
order, to take care of yourself. I have seen the retreats of
continental armies in my time; they are always a scene of
horrors. Follow the army so long as it advances; then all is
well, and even the experience of service may be of use to you.
But, in this instance, the moment that you find it come to a
stop, turn your horse's head to any point of the compass but
the front, and ride to the nearest seaport. The duke is a
brave man, and his army is a brave army; but both will be
instantly covered with all the obloquy of all the libelers on
earth. If you have met him as man with man, you have doubtless
been captivated with his manners, his wit, his animation, and
his accomplishments. I have known him long and well. But
Europe, within a month, will decry him, as a fugitive, a fool,
and a dastard. Such is popular wisdom, justice, and knowledge.
A pupil of the first warrior of Prussia and of modern ages,
and wanting only experience to do honour to th