Napoleon; and on the 27th of February he embarked in a brig
of war, followed by six light barks, and, stealing cautiously over the
Mediterranean, arrived on the 1st of March at Camres. He had with him
one thousand soldiers, and his three generals, Bertrand, Drouet, and
Cambronne. With these he proceeded onwards to Paris; and during several
days he marched without meeting any forces. On the 7th of March,
however, a body of seven hundred men presented themselves at the defile
of Vizille, near Grenoble; and the officer in command threatened to fire
on his party. But Napoleon was not afraid of being shot by
Frenchmen. Advancing alone, and throwing open his riding coat, he
remarked:--"Soldiers, it is I! Look upon me! If there is a man amongst
you who would slay his emperor, he comes with uncovered breast to offer
himself to his weapon!" Instead of the sound of musketry the loud
shout of "Long live the emperor!" rent the air; and, hoisting the same
standard with his own troops all marched together upon Grenoble. They
were soon after joined by Colonel Labedoyere, at the head of the seventh
regiment; and Ney was the next to join his ranks. Ney had been sent by
the French government to check his progress; and he had boasted that
he would bring Napoleon to Paris in an iron cage: but no sooner had he
reached Auxerre than he declared the Bourbon cause hopeless, and at the
head of 14,000 men joined his old emperor's standard. Finally, with the
exception of Marmont, Macdonald, and some other marshals, all the
army deserted the cause of the Bourbons. Louis fled from, and Napoleon
entered Paris in triumph.

Napoleon resumed the reigns of empire in the midst of the loud
acclamations of the Parisians; though there were many who preserved
an ominous silence. All, however, seemed to go well; for at an
extraordinary assembly in the Champ de Mai of the electoral colleges, a
new constitution was sworn to by the emperor and men of all parties. But
there was a storm arising in the horizon which was to shatter his throne
into pieces for ever. All Europe was preparing to crush his newly risen
power. Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia, and Holland entered into a
treaty, binding themselves to support the house of Bourbon; to preserve
inviolate the treaty of Paris; to bring into the field 150,000 men each;
and not to lay down their arms until Napoleon was for ever crushed.

THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO.

Napoleon saw the storm arising, and prepare