n condition that Spain
relinquished the slave trade north of the equator at once, and consented
to relinquish that south of the equator in five years' time; while it
would not issue a loan except on condition that Spain abolished the
whole trade immediately. Even these terms did not prevail with Spain,
and the most that she would grant at the congress was to relinquish the
trade at the conclusion of eight years.

Meanwhile Talleyrand was endeavouring to induce Great Britain to combine
with France in a joint mediation between Austria and Russia at the
congress, in the event of Russia demanding the duchy of Warsaw.
Wellington, while expressing himself in favour of an understanding,
refused to accept anything which might seem equivalent to a declaration
in favour of mediation by the two powers in every case. At the congress
itself Great Britain was first represented by Castlereagh, who was
succeeded in February, 1815, by Wellington. The two principal
difficulties were the questions of Poland and Saxony. The tsar desired
to erect the duchy of Warsaw, Prussia's share in the two partitions of
Poland in 1793 and 1795, into a constitutional monarchy attached to the
Russian crown, while Prussia, though not unwilling to resign her claims
to Polish dominion, wished to increase her territory by the
incorporation of Saxony in her monarchy. Austria was naturally averse
from any increase of strength in the states on her northern borders, and
she was also opposed to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy
in Poland which might serve as a centre for political discontent in her
own dominions. Even France urged this objection to a constitutional
Poland. Great Britain alone was willing to see an independent Poland,
but preferred to join France, Prussia, and Austria in demanding its
repartition between the two latter powers rather than its annexation to
Russia. All through October Austria, Great Britain, and Prussia
endeavoured to induce the tsar to withdraw his demand. Early in November
he won over the King of Prussia to whom he promised the kingdom of
Saxony, proposing to indemnify the Saxon king with a new state on that
lower Rhine which France was not allowed to have, but which no other
power desired.

[Pageheading: _THE RETURN OF NAPOLEON._]

It was no longer possible to resist Russia's claims on Poland, but
Austria was determined not to allow Prussia to receive the proffered
compensation. On December 10 Metternich notified t