XII. 1814. him at all points, made a last effort to retake La Rothière CHAP. at the head of the Young Guard, led by himself in person and Oudinot. The Guard marched with the utmost resolution into a tremendous fire, and, after a desperate struggle, succeeded in expelling the enemy from the village, part of which they held till ten at night. This effort was merely to cover the retreat, which had become necessary, as the line was elsewhere forced back. Already the French were falling back at all points, and at ten the Young Guard abandoned La Rothière, and a long and dreary winter night put an end to this murderous conflict. The 1 Sir Chas. killed and wounded on each side in this terrible battle Lord Castlewas nearly equal, amounting to about 5000 to each party. 2, 1814; But in addition to this the Allies took 2000 prisoners and Cast Cor. 73 guns, which decisively proved that the victory was on Thiers, xvii. their side. The next day Napoleon withdrew across the Burgh. 117. Aube at Lesmont, and hastened to Troyes, on the great 266-268. road to Paris.1 * This brief notice of the important military operations which took place at this eventful crisis is essential to understand correctly the still more important diplomatic transactions of the period, in which Lord Castlereagh and * "Napoleon drew up his army in two lines before the village of La Rothière, occupying the village, and neglecting much stronger ground in the rear about Brienne, evidently showing he means to play his last stake with desperation. He led on his Young Guard himself to wrest the village of La Rothière from the gallant corps of Sacken, by whom it had been taken. But three repeated efforts were ineffectual. All agree that the enemy fought with great intrepidity. Napoleon seems to have set his life on a die, as he exposed himself everywhere, and had his horse shot under him. He had the mortification, however, of witnessing a battery of the Young Guard taken close by him. If Marshal Blucher was not long since immortalised, this day would have crowned him in the annals of fame. Whatever were the apprehensions entertained by many of the result of the Prince of Wirtemberg's attack, the Marshal steadily pursued that combination upon which the result of the day depended. This foresight, judgment, and decision, is done justice to by all the Allied army. The Russian artillery are spoken of in the highest terms of praise. The ground was so covered with snow, and so deep, that they were obliged to leave half their guns in the rear, and by harnessing double teams to the other half, they contrived to bring them forward, and get a sufficient number into action. The Allies had about 70,000 or 80,000 men in the battle. The other corps of the army, which are not enumerated in the report, were not up. The enemy are supposed to have had about the same strength."-SIR CHARLES STEWART to LORD CASTLEREAGH, Brienne, February 2, 1814, MS. Stewart to reagh, Feb. ix. 229; 265-266; 118; Lond. CHAP. XII. 1814. 51. State of counsels on reagh's ar rival. Jan. 29. The Sir Charles Stewart bore so great a part. When they arrived at the Allied headquarters on the field on the 29th January, the very day of the combat of Brienne, they found the Council of Sovereigns and Ministers disthe Allied tinctly divided into two parties; the one of which was Lord Castle- clear for pushing the war to the utmost extremity, and not treating till Paris was in their hands, and France was not only weakened so as to be no longer formidable, but so thoroughly humbled as no longer to aspire to be so. other was desirous of avoiding such extreme measures, and wished rather to gain time to leave the French Emperor a respite to reflect, and if possible secure the throne for himself and his descendants. At the head of the first party was the Emperor Alexander, who was fired with the desire of returning in Paris the visit paid at Moscow, and he was cordially seconded by the King of Prussia and Marshal Blucher, who were smarting under the still more serious wrongs inflicted during six years of bondage. At the head of the other party was M. de Metternich, who, naturally of a moderate temperament, inclined to diplomacy rather than war, was actuated by the desire, unavoidable in his circumstances, to secure the throne of France for the son of Marie-Louise, and felt that the interests of Austria were far from calling for the entire destruction of a power which might hereafter be required as a barrier against its gigantic and hourly increasing northern neighbour. These two parties were nearly equally balanced in point of numbers and political weight, so that it was difficult to say with which the superiority would remain. This state of matters greatly augmented the influence of Lord Castlereagh in the Congress; for he was in a manner the umpire to whom both parties looked, and whose decision would come to tell with decisive effect upon the decisions of the entire body. And his arrival at this critical moment was not only fortunate, but almost providential; for we have the authority of the British ambassador at the Austrian court for the assertion, that XII. 1814. the divisions between the Allies had become so serious, CHAP. that but for that event the alliance would probably have fallen to pieces; and the diplomatists at both the Russian and Austrian courts expressed the greatest joy at his 'Thiers, arrival. Alexander requested and arranged a private in- 236. terview with him first. Lord Castlereagh had a private meeting with the Emperor Alexander according to his desire; and in confiden * "With relation to the enemy, our situation is as good as possible; among ourselves quite the reverse. Everything which has been so long smothered is now bursting forth. Your presence is absolutely providential. If you come without partiality or prejudice, as I make no doubt you do, in spite of all the pains taken to prevent it, you will be able to perform everything; and no words are sufficient to express the service you will render. I am most anxious that you may come.”—Lord Aberdeen to Lord Castlereagh, Fribourg, January 6, 1814; Castlereagh Correspondence, ix. 142, 143. "I hope this may meet you well advanced upon your journey, and I hasten to assure you of the great joy and delight with which I learned your intention by your private letter of the 22d. I lost no time in reporting and explaining it to the Emperor, who received a courier at the same time from Count Lieven." -LORD CATHCArt to Lord Castlereagh, January 6, 1814; Castlereagh Correspondence, ix. 143. "The Emperor Alexander, before his departure, desired to see me, and expressed the great satisfaction he had felt in the confidence which was reposed in him by the Prince Regent and his Government, and particularly in expressions to that effect in several of your Lordship's (Castlereagh's) despatches; asked me with some solemnity whether the same confidence still subsisted in regard to him, and whether he was considered as engaged in this great cause with as little bias to self-interest as at least any other power. I answered that I was certain the same confidence existed, and the same admiration of the principles upon which his Imperial Majesty had acted, and which had conducted him thus far. 'If so,' said the Emperor, 'I will engage you to ask Lord Castlereagh to see me before he sees any minister of mine or of any other power, on the business which brings him here. We all mean and wish to accomplish the same object, but shades of difference may exist as to the means; and we claim, as the power with which Great Britain has acted throughout all this business, to deliver our sentiments to the British Cabinet minister first.' He expressed great satisfaction at your appointment. He said that he would not ask me to propose this to you in my own name, as he did not wish to lead me into any negotiation separate from Lord Aberdeen or Sir Charles Stewart, but that I should deliver his message confidentially from himself to your Lordship, and I have delivered it accordingly. His Imperial Majesty was aware that this would not be easy if you were to arrive at headquarters before his return, and therefore thought that you might oblige him by not arriving before him. I have stated this in detail that you may fully understand what is meant. The moment I have your leave after you arrive I will acquaint the Emperor, and your reception will be without any sort of form. Your Lordship's decision to come is the most fortunate event that can be conceived, and has given us all the greatest joy.”—LORD CATHCART to Lord CastleREAGH, Fribourg, January 8, 1814; Castlereagh Correspondence, ix. 148, 149. VOL. II. R xvii. 235, CHAP. XII. 1814. 52. The Emperor Alexander's conversation with Lord tial communication on the subject with Lord Liverpool he explained clearly the state of affairs, and the dangers to which the Alliance was exposed from the disunion of the great powers. "I think," said Lord Castlereagh, "our greatest danger at present is from the chevalresque tone in which the Emperor Alexander is disposed to push Castlereagh, the war. He has a personal feeling about Paris a part from all political or military combinations. He seems to seek for the occasion to enter with his magnificent Guards the enemy's capital, probably to display in his clemency and forbearance a contrast to that desolation to which his own was devoted.* The idea that a rapid negotiation might disappoint this hope added to his impatience. I hope that this is abated, and that we may not suffer from his precipitancy. You may estimate some of the hazards to which affairs are exposed here when one of the leading monarchs in his first interview told me that he had no confidence in his own minister, and still less in that of his ally. There is much intrigue, and still greater fear of it. Russia distrusts Austria about Saxony, and Austria dreads Russia about Poland, especially if she is mistress of the question after peace. I have got some length with both parties upon this subject, and I shall try The * A striking instance of Lord Castlereagh's penetration in discovering character, when it is recollected these words were written three months before the Allies entered Paris. XII. but I traced little disposition to an effort, and no appa- CHAP. rent interest, about the old family. A retreat now would be very inconvenient. I am confident our advantages 1814. are solid, with management; but we must not undervalue our difficulties, with a line of waggons rolling night and day in our rear from Berlin, Bohemia, and Hungary, which a small corps of cavalry thrown round our flank might at once arrest, if strength is thrown too much in advance. It is right you should know my channels as to Bernadotte. They were Russian as well as Austrian, and from men who would not take the alarm without some cause. The Emperor attacked Charles (Sir Charles Stewart) in a good-humoured manner as to my informant. Charles admitted he was one, and that he had heard it from his (Bernadotte's) own people. His Imperial Majesty expressed himself, even to him, that he did not consider the Bourbons as the most worthy. On the other hand, Noailles and the emigrants here say the Emperor has given them encouragement, promised them not to make peace, and only desired that they might not hoist the white cockade within the Allied positions. The Em-tlereagh to peror, on the other hand, told me that he had given them Lord Liverno encouragement; and from the marked approbation he gres, Jan. expressed of your having given them none, I presume that Cast. Desp. this is the fact. The enclosed extract will show you what 214. Bernadotte's language is."1 1 pool, Lan 30, 1814; xvii. 212 53. of the con gress of Chatillon. The congress met at Chatillon on February 3d. The plenipotentiaries named were, for France M. de Caulain- Composition court, for Austria M. de Stadion, for Russia M. de Razumoffskoi, for Prussia M. de Humboldt, for Great Feb. 3. Britain Lord Cathcart, Lord Aberdeen, and Sir Charles Stewart, the accredited ministers at the courts of St Petersburgh, Vienna, and Berlin. + Neither M. de * A remarkable expression when taken in connection with the Emperor Alexander's words to Bernadotte at the conference at Abo in 1812, that the throne of France would be given au plus digne in the event of Napoleon being dethroned. See ante, c. vii. § 57, and WILSON'S Russian Campaign, p. 113. +"MY LORD,-The Allied sovereigns having agreed to open preliminary con |