and the horrors of the Beresina to the | by two decrees which appeared early 13. A nearer and more efficacious ally was presented to Napoleon in the Polish provinces. The continuance of the war in their neighbourhood, the sight of the Russian prisoners, the certainty of the advance of the French troops, and the exaggerated reports everywhere diffused of their successes, had, notwithstanding the measured reserve of his language, excited the utmost enthusiasm for the French Emperor in the gallant inhabitants of that ill-fated monarchy. Of this disposition, so far as it could be done without embroiling him with Austria, he resolved to take advantage. His policy towards that country uniformly had been, to derive the utmost aid from the military spirit of its subjects which could be obtained, without openly proclaiming its independence, and thereby irrevocably embroiling him with the partitioning powers. In addition to the Polish forces organised under former decrees, and which now amounted to above twenty thousand men, he took into his pay a regiment of light horse raised by Prince John Sulkowski; subsequently decreed the formation of a Polish-Italian legion, and the incorporation of one of their regiments of hussars with his Guards; and authorised the provisional government at Warsaw to dispose of royal domains in Polish Prussia to the extent of eighteen millions of francs, and Prussian stock to the extent of six millions. His cautious policy, however, shortly after appeared in a decree, by which the commissary-general at Warsaw was enjoined to limit his requisitions to the territory described by the original decree establishing his powers, which confined them to Prussian Poland. By these means, though he avoided giving any direct encouragement to rebellion in the Russian and Austrian provinces of the partitioned territory, he succeeded in generally diffusing an enthusiastic spirit, which, before the campaign opened, had brought above thirty thousand gallant recruits to his standards. This disposition was strongly increased 14. The headquarters of Napoleon, in the first instance, had been fixed at Osterode, on the margin of one of the lakes which form the feeders of the Drewenz; but, on the representations of the learned and humane Larrey, that that situation was low and unhealthy for the troops, he moved to Finkenstein, where all the important negotiations which ensued during the cessation of active hostilities were conducted. The Guard were disposed around the Emperor's residence; and not only that select corps, but the whole army, were lodged in a more comfortable manner than could have been anticipated in that severe climate. After a sharp conflict in the end of February, the important fortified post of Braunsberg, at the entrance of the river Passarge into the FrischeHaff, was wrested from the Prussians by Bernadotte, and the tête-de-pont there established secured all the left of the army from the incursions of the enemy. On the left bank of that river no less than four corps of the army were cantoned, while all the points of passage over it were occupied in such strength as to render any attempt at a surprise impossible. Secure behind this protecting screen, the French army constructed comfortable huts for their winter quarters, and all the admirable arrangements of the camp at Boulogne were again put in force amidst the severity of a Polish winter. The streets, in which they were disposed, resembled in regularity and cleanliness those of a metropolis. Constant exercises, rural labours, warlike games, and reviews, both confirmed the health and diverted the minds of the soldiers; while the inexhaustible agricultural | pared the warfare in which he had * "The officers of the staff have not had their clothes off for two, some even for four . ་ 10 HISTORY OF EUROPE. [CHAP, XLV.. ing the hospitals. Thirty thousand | hands of the enemy, the supplies by * While occupying these cantonments, a truce in hostilities, as usual in such cases, took place between the advanced posts of the two armies, and this led to an incident equally characteristic of the gallantry and honourable feelings of both. The Russian and French outposts being stationed on the opposite banks of a river, some firing, contrary to the usual custom, took place, and a French officer advancing, reproached the Russians with the discharge, and a Russian officer approaching him, requested him to stop the firing of his people, in order that, if necessary, they might determine by single combat who was most courageous. The officer assented, and was in the act of commanding his men to cease firing, when a ball pierced him to the heart. The Russian officer instantly rushed forward, and cried out to the French soldiers-"My life shall make reparation for this accident-let three marksmen fire at me as I stand here;" and turning to his own soldiers, ordered them "to cease firing upon the enemy, whatever might be his fate, unless they attempted to cross the river." Already a Frenchman had levelled his piece, when the subaltern next 16. During the pause in military operations which took place for the three succeeding months, the active mind of Napoleon resumed the projects which he had formed for the internal amelioration of his immense empire. Early in March he wrote to the minister of the interior as to the expedience of granting a loan, without interest, to the mercantile classes who were labouring under distress, on the footing of advancing one-half of the value of the goods they could give security over; and he announced his design of establishing a great bank in connection with the state for the purpose of lending sums to manufacturers or merchants in difficulties, on the security of their unsold property. The utmost pains were at the same time taken to neutralise the effect of the gloomy reports sent to Paris from the army as to the losses and disasters of the campaign; and Napoleon wrote to the minister of police that they were all exaggerations or falsehoods, and that the position of France was never more prosperous. But although he made these representations to his ministers, Napoleon was not the less aware himself of the imminence of the danger. in command struck it down with his sword, ↑ "My officers," said he, "know as much Orders were given to put all the for- | it; the important and difficult subject tresses on the Rhine in a posture of of the liberty of the press occupied his defence, and "train battalions," as he serious thoughts, and engrossed much called them—that is, battalions of of his correspondence with the miniswaggoners were organised in Paris, ter of the interior.* and forwarded to the army, which it was calculated they would reach in two months. Nor were diplomatic efforts overlooked. Orders were sent to the French ambassadors at the courts of Madrid and Constantinople to use their endeavours to obtain the removal of certain restrictions which existed on French manufactures, and which, in the mortal commercial struggle between France and England, it might be of importance to have recalled. The bridge recently built in front of the Champ-de-Mars received the name of Jena-an appellation destined to bring that beautiful structure to the verge of destruction in future times; a statue was ordered to be erected to d'Alembert, in the hall of the Institute; the prize formerly promised to the ablest treatise on galvanism was directed to be paid to the author who had deserved 17. His projects, for political improvements were still more important. The project for establishing a university for literary and political information was discussed; † a prize of twelve thousand francs (£480) was announced for the best treatise on the means of curing the croup, which at that period was committing very serious ravages on the infants of France, and of which the child of the Queen of Holland had recently died; a daily correspondence was carried on with the minister of finance, and long calculations, often erroneous, but always intended to support an ingenious opinion, were transmitted to test the accuracy and stimulate the activity of the functionaries in that important department. In that department the great improvement of keeping accounts by double entry was adopted from the example * "An effective mode of encouraging literature, understanding by that word, not rature," said Napoleon, "would be to estab- merely the belles-lettres, but history and lish a journal, of which the criticism is en- geography. It should consist of at least lightened, actuated by good intentions, and thirty chairs so linked together as to exfree of that coarse brutality which charac- hibit a living picture of instruction and directerises the existing newspapers, and is so tion, where every one who wishes to study contrary to the true interests of the nation. a particular age should know at once whom Journals now never criticise with the inten- to consult, what books, monuments or chrotion of repressing mediocrity, guiding inex- nicles to examine; where every one who perience, or encouraging rising merit; all wishes to travel should know where to retheir endeavour is to wither, to destroy. I ceive positive instructions, both as to the am not insensible to the danger, that in government, literature, and physical producavoiding one rock you may strike upon tions of the country which he is about to another. It may doubtless happen, that if visit. It is a lamentable truth, that in this they dare not criticise, they may fall into great country a young man who wishes to the still greater abuse of indiscriminate study, or is desirous of signalising himself panegyric; and that the authors of those in any department, is obliged for long to books with which the world is inundated, grope in the dark, and literally lose years seeing themselves praised in journals which in fruitless researches before he discovers the all are obliged to read, should believe them- true repositories of the information for which selves heaven-born geniuses, and, by the he seeks. It is a lamentable fact, that in this facility of their triumphs, encourage still great country we have no depot for the premore despicable imitation. Articles should servation of knowledge, on the situation, be selected for the journals where reasoning government, and present state of different is mingled with eloquence; where praise for portions of the globe; but the student must deserved merit is tempered with censure for have recourse either to the office of foreign faults. Merit, however inconsiderable, should affairs, where the collections are far from be sought for and rewarded. A young man complete, or to the office of the minister of who has written an ode worthy of praise, and marine, where he will with difficulty find any which has attracted the notice of the minisone who knows anything of what is asked. ter, has already emerged from obscurity; the I desire such institutions; they have long public is fixed; it is his part to do the rest.”— formed the subject of my meditation, beNapoleon to the Minister of the Interior: 19th cause in the course of my various labours April 1807. BIGNON, vi. 262, 264. I have repeatedly experienced their want." + "You should occupy yourself with the-Napoleon to the Minister of the Interior: 19th project of establishing a university for lite- | April 1807. Bignon, vi. 267, 269. of commerce, first by the recommendation of the Emperor,* and, after its advantages had been fully demonstrated by experience, formally enforced by a decree of the government. Nor, amidst weightier cares, were the fine arts neglected. The designs for the Temple of Glory ordered by the decree of 9th November from Posen, were submitted to the Emperor's consideration, and that one selected which has since been realised in the beautiful peristyle of the Madeleine; while all the departments of France were ordered to be searched for quarries of granite and marble capable of furnishing materials of durability and elegance for its interior decorations, worthy of a monument designed for immortal duration.+ 18. The official exposition of the finances of France during this year exhibited the most flattering prospect in the accounts published; but the picture was entirely fallacious, so far as the total expenditure was concerned, * "The good order which you have established in the affairs of the treasury, and the emancipation which you have effected of its operations from the control of bankers, is an advantage of the most important kind, which will eminently redound to the benefit of our commerce and manufactures."-Napoleon to the Minister of Finance: Osterode, 24th March 1807. In truth, however, what the Emperor here called the emancipation of the treasury from the bankers, arose not so much from the regulations of the minister of that department, as from the extraneous sources from whence the chief supplies for the army were now derived, and which rendered the anticipation of revenue by discounting longdated treasury bills at the bank of France unnecessary. He admitted this himself in the same letter-"I am now discharging the arrears of the army from the beginning of October 1806, to the end of February 1807; we shall see hereafter how this will be arranged with the treasury: in the mean time, the payment comes from Prussia, and that will put us greatly at ease." The pay thus extracted from the conquered states amounted to the enormous sum of 3,300,000 francs, or £132,000 a-month, supposing 150,000 men only so maintained, which for these five months alone was no less than 16,500,000 fr., or £660,000 sterling.-BIGNON, iv. 274, 276. because a large portion of the supplies theon, Notre-Dame, or, above all, St Peter's at Rome? Everything in the temple should be in a chaste, severe, and durable style; it should be fitted for solemnities at all times, at all hours; the imperial throne should be a curule chair of marble, seats of marble for the persons invited, an amphitheatre of marble for the performers. No furniture should be admitted but cushions for the seats; all should be of granite, of marble, and of iron. With this view, searches should be made in all the provinces for quarries of marble and granite. They will be useful, not merely for this monument, but for others, which I have it in view to construct at future times, and which by their nature will require thirty, forty, or fifty years for their construction.' Not more than 3,000,000 of francs (£120,000) should be required, the temples of Athens having not cost much more than the half of that sum; fifteen millions have been absorbed, I know not how, in the Pantheon, but I should not object to an expenditure of five or six millions for the construction of a temple worthy of the first city of the world."-Napoleon to the Minister of the Interior: Finkenstein, 18th April 1807. BIGNON, vi. 270, 272. It was from this determination of the Emperor that the present exquisite structure of the Madeleine took its rise; but his real design in the formation, on 80 + "After having attentively considered," durable and gigantic a scale, of this noble said Napoleon, "the different plans submit- monument, was, as already mentioned, still ted to my examination, I have not felt the more extensive than the honour of the Grand smallest doubt on that which I should adopt. Army; and he in secret intended it as an exThat of M. Vignon alone fulfils my wishes. piatory monument to Louis XVI., Marie AnIt is a temple which I desire, and not a toinette, and the other victims of the Revochurch. What could you erect as a church | lution.-Ante, Chap. XLIV. § 17, note; and which could keep its ground against the Pan- | Las Cases, i. 370, 371. |