their gates. Marmont, Mortier, and Joseph
Buonaparte placed themselves with some forces in and around the city for
its defence; but on the 30th they were driven from their positions, and
then Paris was delivered into the hands of the Russians and Prussians.
When Napoleon heard of the fall of Paris he was hastening to its relief,
and astounded at the news he returned to Fontainbleau. He still clung
to hope, and talked of vindicating his rights by the sword, but his
marshals refused to support him, and some hinted that he was no
longer emperor. Then his proud spirit was humbled, and he drew up a
declaration, which stated that as he was the sole obstacle to the peace
of France, he was willing to resign his crown, and leave her shores, if
the succession of his son and the regency of the empress were ensured
by the allied sovereigns. But this could not be: his unconditional
abdication was demanded, and as there was no alternative, he signed a
treaty on the 11th of April, which declared him and his descendants to
have forfeited the throne of France for ever. By this treaty the island
of Elba was assigned to him in full sovereignty, and on the 20th of
April he departed with four hundred of his guard to lord it over this
island instead of a world. Thus expired the dynasty of Napoleon: a
dynasty founded in blood, and which, therefore, by the immutable law of
the Ruler of the universe, was doomed to perish. Before Napoleon signed
his abdication, the senate, hitherto obsequiously submissive to him, had
decreed that he had forfeited the throne of France, and had created a
provisional government, charged with the office of re-establishing the
functions and administration of the state. The installation of this
provisional government was signalized by an address to the French
armies, in which they were told that they were no longer the soldiers
of Napoleon, that the senate and all France had released them from
their oath. Subsequently it was resolved by the senate that the Bourbon
dynasty should be restored; and Louis XVIII. soon after arrived from
England, whither he had been residing in rural retirement, and made
his solemn entry into Paris. A definitive treaty of peace was signed
at Paris between Louis and the allies on the 30th of May and peace was
again restored to the distracted world.

TREATY OF PEACE.

The treaty of peace and amity signed at Paris, secured to France its
boundaries as they existed in January, 1792. The