the story of mankind-第69章

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one　had　shed　a　tear　when　in　the　year　1806　the　sad　remains　of

the　Holy　Roman　Empire　were　carted　to　the　historical　dustbin

and　when　the　last　relic　of　ancient　Roman　glory　was　destroyed

by　the　grandson　of　an　Italian　peasant。　But　when　the　Napoleonic

armies　had　invaded　Spain；　had　forced　the　Spaniards　to

recognise　a　king　whom　they　detested；　had　massacred　the　poor

Madrilenes　who　remained　faithful　to　their　old　rulers；　then

public　opinion　turned　against　the　former　hero　of　Marengo　and

Austerlitz　and　a　hundred　other　revolutionary　battles。　Then

and　only　then；　when　Napoleon　was　no　longer　the　hero　of　the

revolution　but　the　personification　of　all　the　bad　traits　of　the

Old　Regime；　was　it　possible　for　England　to　give　direction　to

the　fast…spreading　sentiment　of　hatred　which　was　turning　all

honest　men　into　enemies　of　the　French　Emperor。



The　English　people　from　the　very　beginning　had　felt

deeply　disgusted　when　their　newspapers　told　them　the　gruesome

details　of　the　Terror。　They　had　staged　their　own　great

revolution　（during　the　reign　of　Charles　I）　a　century　before。

It　had　been　a　very　simple　affair　compared　to　the　upheaval　of

Paris。　In　the　eyes　of　the　average　Englishman　a　Jacobin　was

a　monster　to　be　shot　at　sight　and　Napoleon　was　the　Chief　Devil。

The　British　fleet　had　blockaded　France　ever　since　the　year

1798。　It　had　spoiled　Napoleon's　plan　to　invade　India　by　way

of　Egypt　and　had　forced　him　to　beat　an　ignominious　retreat；

after　his　victories　along　the　banks　of　the　Nile。　And　finally；

in　the　year　1805；　England　got　the　chance　it　had　waited　for　so

long。



Near　Cape　Trafalgar　on　the　southwestern　coast　of　Spain；

Nelson　annihilated　the　Napoleonic　fleet；　beyond　a　possible

chance　of　recovery。　From　that　moment　on；　the　Emperor　was

landlocked。　Even　so；　he　would　have　been　able　to　maintain

himself　as　the　recognised　ruler　of　the　continent　had　he　understood

the　signs　of　the　times　and　accepted　the　honourable　peace

which　the　powers　offered　him。　But　Napoleon　had　been　blinded

by　the　blaze　of　his　own　glory。　He　would　recognise　no　equals。

He　could　tolerate　no　rivals。　And　his　hatred　turned　against

Russia；　the　mysterious　land　of　the　endless　plains　with　its

inexhaustible　supply　of　cannon…fodder。



As　long　as　Russia　was　ruled　by　Paul　I；　the　half…witted　son

of　Catherine　the　Great；　Napoleon　had　known　how　to　deal　with

the　situation。　But　Paul　grew　more　and　more　irresponsible

until　his　exasperated　subjects　were　obliged　to　murder　him

（lest　they　all　be　sent　to　the　Siberian　lead…mines）　and　the　son　of

Paul；　the　Emperor　Alexander；　did　not　share　his　father's　affection

for　the　usurper　whom　he　regarded　as　the　enemy　of　mankind；

the　eternal　disturber　of　the　peace。　He　was　a　pious　man

who　believed　that　he　had　been　chosen　by　God　to　deliver　the

world　from　the　Corsican　curse。　He　joined　Prussia　and　England

and　Austria　and　he　was　defeated。　He　tried　five　times

and　five　times　he　failed。　In　the　year　1812　he　once　more　taunted

Napoleon　until　the　French　Emperor；　in　a　blind　rage；　vowed

that　he　would　dictate　peace　in　Moscow。　Then；　from　far　and

wide；　from　Spain　and　Germany　and　Holland　and　Italy　and

Portugal；　unwilling　regiments　were　driven　northward；　that　the

wounded　pride　of　the　great　Emperor　might　be　duly　avenged。

The　rest　of　the　story　is　common　knowledge。　After　a　march

of　two　months；　Napoleon　reached　the　Russian　capital　and

established　his　headquarters　in　the　holy　Kremlin。　On　the　night

of　September　15　of　the　year　1812；　Moscow　caught　fire。　The

town　burned　four　days。　When　the　evening　of　the　fifth　day

came；　Napoleon　gave　the　order　for　the　retreat。　Two　weeks

later　it　began　to　snow。　The　army　trudged　through　mud　and

sleet　until　November　the　26th　when　the　river　Berezina　was

reached。　Then　the　Russian　attacks　began　in　all　seriousness。

The　Cossacks　swarmed　around　the　‘‘Grande　Armee''　which

was　no　longer　an　army　but　a　mob。　In　the　middle　of　December

the　first　of　the　survivors　began　to　be　seen　in　the　German　cities

of　the　East。



Then　there　were　many　rumours　of　an　impending　revolt。

‘‘The　time　has　come；''　the　people　of　Europe　said；　‘‘to　free　ourselves

from　this　insufferable　yoke。''　And　they　began　to　look

for　old　shotguns　which　had　escaped　the　eye　of　the　ever…present

French　spies。　But　ere　they　knew　what　had　happened；　Napoleon

was　back　with　a　new　army。　He　had　left　his　defeated　soldiers

and　in　his　little　sleigh　had　rushed　ahead　to　Paris；　making

a　final　appeal　for　more　troops　that　he　might　defend　the　sacred

soil　of　France　against　foreign　invasion。



Children　of　sixteen　and　seventeen　followed　him　when　he

moved　eastward　to　meet　the　allied　powers。　On　October　16；

18；　and　19　of　the　year　1813；　the　terrible　battle　of　Leipzig　took

place　where　for　three　days　boys　in　green　and　boys　in　blue

fought　each　other　until　the　Elbe　ran　red　with　blood。　On　the

afternoon　of　the　17th　of　October；　the　massed　reserves　of　Russian

infantry　broke　through　the　French　lines　and　Napoleon

fled。



Back　to　Paris　he　went。　He　abdicated　in　favour　of　his　small

son；　but　the　allied　powers　insisted　that　Louis　XVIII；　the

brother　of　the　late　king　Louis　XVI；　should　occupy　the　French

throne；　and　surrounded　by　Cossacks　and　Uhlans；　the　dull…eyed

Bourbon　prince　made　his　triumphal　entry　into　Paris。



As　for　Napoleon　he　was　made　the　sovereign　ruler　of　the

little　island　of　Elba　in　the　Mediterranean　where　he　organised

his　stable　boys　into　a　miniature　army　and　fought　battles　on　a

chess　board。



But　no　sooner　had　he　left　France　than　the　people　began

to　realise　what　they　had　lost。　The　last　twenty　years；　however

costly；　had　been　a　period　of　great　glory。　Paris　had　been　the

capital　of　the　world。　The　fat　Bourbon　king　who　had　learned

nothing　and　had　forgotten　nothing　during　the　days　of　his

exile　disgusted　everybody　by　his　indolence。



On　the　first　of　March　of　the　year　1815；　when　the　representatives

of　the　allies　were　ready　to　begin　the　work　of　unscrambling

the　map　of　Europe；　Napoleon　suddenly　landed　near

Cannes。　In　less　than　a　week　the　French　army　had　deserted

the　Bourbons　and　had　rushed　southward　to　offer　their　swords

and　bayonets　to　the　‘‘little　Corporal。''　Napoleon　marched

straight　to　Paris　where　he　arrived　on　the　twentieth　of　March。

This　time　he　was　more　cautious。　He　offered　peace；　but　the

allies　insisted　upon　war。　The　whole　of　Europe　arose　against

the　‘‘perfidious　Corsican。''　Rapidly　the　Emperor　marched

northward　that　he　might　crush　his　enemies　before　they　should

be　able　to　unite　their　forces。　But　Napoleon　was　no　longer　his

old　self。　He　felt　sick。　He　got　tired　easily。　He　slept　when　he

ought　to　have　been　up　directing　the　attack　of　his　advance…

guard。　Besides；　he　missed　many　of　his　faithful　old　generals。

They　were　dead。



Early　in　June　his　armies　entered　Belgium。　On　the　16th

of　that　month　he　defeated　the　Prussians　under　Blucher。　But

a　subordinate　commander　failed　to　destroy　the　retreating　army

as　he　had　been　ordered　to　do。



Two　days　later；　Napoleon　met　Wellington　near　Waterloo。

It　was　the　18th　of　June；　a　Sunday。　At　two　o'clock　of　the

afternoon；　the　battle　seemed　won　for　the　French。　At　three　a

speck　of　dust　appeared　upon　the　eastern　horizon。　Napoleon

believed　that　this　meant　the　approach　of　his　own　cavalry　who

would　now　turn　the　English　defeat　into　a　rout。　At　four　o'clock

he　knew　better。　Cursing　and　swearing；　old　Blucher　drove

his　deathly　tired　troops　into　the　heart　of　the　fray。　The　shock

broke　the　ranks　of　the　guards。　Napoleon　had　no　further　reserves。

He　told　his　men　to　save　themselves　as　best　they　could；

and　he　fled。



For　a　second　time；　he　abdicated　in　favor　of　his　son。　Just

one　hundred　days　after　his　escape　from　Elba；　he　was　making

for　the　coast。　He　intended　to　go　to　America。　In　the　year

1803；　for　a　mere　song；　he　had　sold　the　French　colony　of

Louisiana　（which　was　in　great　danger　of　being　captured　by

the　English）　to　the　young　American　Republic。　‘‘The　Americans；''

so　he　said；　‘‘will　be　grateful　and　will　give　me　a　little　bit

of　land　and　a　house　where　I　m