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which springs up in the soul at the sight of power iniquitously obtained, or tyrannically exercised, was palsied by the frequency of its unchecked recurrence, or stifled by the dread of the powerful aggressor; men ceased to think of glory and honour, hoping and wishing only for quiet permission to breathe; force threatened to become the measure of political rectitude, and the glow of liberty and boldness of independence dwindled into puny caution or unworthy compromise. Such, until very lately, was the aspect of the world; and every year added to its darkness and gloom. The uncombined and disjointed opposition successively made by the enemies of France all of them as much at variance with each other as with the foe of all-served only to confirm and extend the power of the general oppressor, who trampled, in easy succession, upon the mis-timed and mis-directed efforts made against him. At length, a daughter of the imperial house of Hapsburgh gave an heir to Bonaparte, Prussia was beaten down to the earth, Russia was in compulsory hostility with this country, the Confederation of the Rhine was confirmed, Sweden had received her actual sovereign from the mandate of France, Denmark withheld under the recollection of the bombardment of Copenhagen, and Spain, feeble, jarring, and to appearance exhausted, had seen the flower of her own armies defeated and dispersed, and that of her ally compelled to leave her shores, with the loss of its brave but most unfortunate leader. These causes of triumph for the oppressor, and despair for the human race, either co-existed, or so nearly co-existed, that their effects were precisely the same as if they had all pressed upon mankind at once. Britain, alone, bared her arm for the contest, and never for a moment was either dismayed or deceived. The first link which the arrogant ambition of Bonaparte struck from the chain of his alliances, was the gigantic strength of Russia. With that scornful defiance of danger and difficulty, that proud reliance on his fortune, which so long supplied to him the place of a good angel and a righteous cause, Bonaparte led the armies of France beyond the Volga. He calculated upon the same rapidity of victory which had attended him elsewhere, and doubted not that the same blind terror and hurried submission would follow his success. But he was deceived in the character of the Russian Government and of its Sovereign. In place of the pusillanimity he expected to find exhibited by a government which he was pleased to term semi-barbarous, he found firmness and fortitude, sagacity and perseverance. The hardy Russian was neither to be dispirited by reverses nor wearicd by tails. It is his character to suffer long and to suffer pa

tiently. Without the fiery impetuosity of the French, or the sustained enthusiasm of the British temperament, he is inferior to neither in the rugged defiance of danger, and superior to both in the endurance af the physical hardships of climate and want. Bonaparte had never calculated upon these species of strength, or upon the stubbornness of the resistance to which it would lead. He cannot be said to have made any rational calculation whatever, but, with preposterous rashness, had shut his eyes and ears against every thing but victory, instant and decisive. No provision had been made for temporary disaster, far less for permanent defeat and retreat; and the consequences of the Russian system of hostilities were precisely such as might have been expected. Whether the burning of Moscow is to be ascribed to the mistaken policy or fury of the French, or to the sublime devotedness of the Russians, continues still a matter of doubt, both parties disclaiming the act; but the effects of that measure decided the fate of the campaign and of the French army. Without any adequate provision for retreat, Bonaparte was compelled to retreat through a climate which he well denominated frightful, and pursued and intercepted by a victorious, exasperated, and unweariable enemy. The conduct of the Emperor Alexander, during the whole of this sanguinary contest, was distinguished equally by fortitude, humanity, and good sense. The moment the progress of his military successes rendered it necessary for him to carry his victorious troops across the Prussian frontier, he addressed that kingdom, then in alliance with France, in that tone of moderation which it is delightful to trace throughout every one of his public declarations, and upon which the wisdom and forbearance of his conduct on all occasions furnish the noblest commentary. "It is beneath his character," he says, "to permit any endeavour to be made to induce the people to resist the oppression, and to throw off the yoke which has weighed them down for twenty years. It is their government whose eyes ought to be opened by the actual situation of França. Ages may elapse before an op-. portunity equally favourable again presents itself; and it would be an abuse of the goodness of Providence not to take an advantage of this crisis, to reconstruct the great work of the equilibrium of Europe, and thereby to ensure public tranquillity and individual happiness."

Although Bonaparte, by dint of unexampled activity, was enabled to take the field early in April, with a force hardly inferior to that which had perished amid the snows of Russia, yet his invincibility was dissolved. He had now exhibited proofs of rashness, improvidence and folly, not only incom

patible with his former fame, but sinking far below the ordin ary standard of human infirmity and error; and the tone assumed upon the Continent began to give proof of an impres sion, that the fortunes of the French Ruler were altered, if not fallen. On the other hand, Russia had ascended precisely in the same proportion that France had sunk; and the confederacy of that power, of Great Britain and Sweden, now presented a point of union to all neighbouring states, which was not overlooked. Prussia first led the way. The admir able Declaration, by which Austria explained and vindicated the decisive measure of her junction with the Allies, was hardly less important to the success of the great cause, than the accession of strength which it derived from her armies. Wholly free from sophistry and diplomatic cant, its facts are perspicuous, its reasoning masterly, and its tone, at once dispassionate and decided, exhibits precisely that spirit which we wish to see animating so illustrious a member of the European Commonwealth. The individual whom, in an evil hour, he raised to the rank of his son-in-law, is treated with the external forms of decency and respect; but the lash is not the lighter that is made of silk. His personal crimes-his murders, his imprisonings, his falshoods-these are passed over, because the Emperor of Austria owed respect to himself: but the picture of his arrogance and ambition, his usurpations and bad faith as a sovereign, is drawn in the deepest and darkest colours, and yet with a soberness of tint which impresses the strongest conviction of the truth of the likeness. With a spirit worthy of this manifesto, the Emperor of Austria brought forward his mighty means. The termination of the Armistice was further distinguished by the active co-operation of the Crown Prince of Sweden, whose good faith was now most gloriously established, and whose military skill and excellent army added importantly to the strength of the confederacy. At this time, also, the illustrious but unfortunate Moreau arrived from America. He left his retirement to resume his proper rank among mankind, and brought his splendid talents to the support of freedom and Europe.toub

Shortly after the rupture of the Armistice, Bonaparte was compelled to retire into Dresden, which he had strongly fortified, with almost the whole of his army. Here the Allies resolved to attack him; and, on the 26th of August, the united Russian, Prussian, and Austrian army made a bold, effort to carry the city by storm, but it proved too strong, and they were necessitated to give up the enterprize. The Allies, however, did not retire, and next morning, the 27th, the, French army came out and attacked them, when a desperate

engagement took place, the result of which was, that the Allies were compelled to retreat, but which they did in the best order, merely observed by the French cavalry.

It was here that the brave and ever to be lamented Moreau was mortally wounded. A shot from a French battery carried off both his legs. He survived only a few days, and was in the act of dictating a letter to the Emperor of Russia, expressing his gratitude for the many favours he had received from his Majesty, when the hand of death reached him, and he closed his eyes for ever without a groan, deeply la mented by the whole army, and particularly by the Emperor of Russia, who derived the most powerful assistance from the talents of this great man.

From this period the affairs of the Allies went on most prosperously. The gallant Prussian General Blucher completely defeated the enemy in Silesia, in several engagements. At the battle of Katzbach the Prussian army covered itself with glory;" and these brave soldiers, in a short time, drove the French completely out of the beautiful country of Silesia. The astonishing old veteran Blucher, who is nearly eighty, in performing this important service, took 18,000 prisoners, 103 pieces of cannon, and an immense quantity of baggage, ammunition waggons, &c. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded is represented to have been very great.

On the 30th of August, the corps of General Vandamme, notorious for his crimes, were totally defeated and destroyed in Bohemia. Vandamme himself was wounded and made prisoner. General Haro, Aide-de-Camp of Bonaparte, Generals Gingot and Heimbrodt, and Prince Reuss, were also wounded. A great quantity of artillery and ammunition waggons, and several thousand prisoners, were taken. The remainder of the corps, which was 30,000 strong, were either killed or destroyed. This great result was brought about by the enemy having been attacked on all sides with great vigour, and the most unparalleled gallantry displayed by the allied troops. The ability of General Kleist, and the heroic conduct of Count Osterman, contributed in a great degree to this complete victory. A

The Prussian and Swedish army, commanded by the Crown Prince, was opposed to the French army under Marshal Ney, 70,000 strong, which menaced Berlin. Several engagements took place betwixt these armies, in which the Crown Prince was always successful. On the 6th of September, a severe battle was fought near Donnewitz, the result of which was, that Ney was defeated, with the loss of 16 to 18,000 prisoners, 60 pieces of cannon, some hundreds of am

munition waggons, &c. and compelled to retreat. and compelled Neygons, &c. and no attempt to advance, and the Crown Prince

crossed the Elbe with his army Tull o

The unfortunate city of Hamburgh was occupied by the French under Davoust, who fortified it in the strongest manfrer, a division of the Allies keeping it in a state of blockade. Every species of oppression and barbarity were exercised upon wretched inhabitants by the ruffian than who had them in

The situation of the French at Dresden bore a strong semblance to that in which they were placed at Moscow. Bonaparte seemed quite perplexed; he knew not what plan to adopt in order to extricate himself from the difficulties which surrounded him, and which were hourly increasing. His communication with France was totally destroyed, his army in considerable distress, his magazines nearly exhausted, and the country in which he was, utterly without the means of replenishing them. Thus circumstanced, he at length found himself under the mortifying necessity of retracing his steps to the Rhine, by endeavouring to force his way through the ring with which the Allies had encompassed him. Wishawar On the 7th of October, Bonaparte quitted Dresden, leaving a garrison of a few thousand men in it, and the whole sick and wounded of his army The King of Saxony and his family accompanied him. The re The French army was principally assembled at Rochlitz, and soon after moved forward. On 1915 199 the ever-memorable days of the 16th and 18th of October, the decisive conflict took place, near Leipsic, in which upwards of 500,000 men were engaged on both sides. The defeat of the French was complete; and the sun which ro rose upon Bonaparte on the morning of the 18th of October, the yet untamed leader of an immense and powerful army, saw him a its setting a broken and defeated fugitive.