the Austrians at Austerlitz and dictates peace.  Six months after the Prussian Cabinet, excited by a patriotic but rash and ill-calculating party, has recourse to arms, not from any generous policy, but because she sees herself outwitted by Napoleon, who refuses to cede to her Hanover in perpetuity.  Prussia begins the war and calls on Saxony, who always moved in her orbit, to join her.  To the Elector of Saxony this war (in 1806) appeared then ill-timed and too late; but with that good faith, nevertheless, which invariably characterized him, he remained faithful to his engagement and furnished his quota of troops to Prussia.  The Saxon troops fought nobly at the battle of Jena.  This battle annihilates all the power of Prussia, and lays Saxony entirely at the mercy of the Conqueror; but Napoleon not only treats Saxony with moderation, but with rare generosity; he does not take from her a single village, but aggrandizes her and gives to her the Duchy of Warsaw and to her Sovereign the title of King.  Saxony becomes in consequence a member of the confederation of the Rhine and is bound to support the Protector in all his wars offensive and defensive.  The Russian war in 1812 begins:  every German state, Austria and Prussia in the number, furnishes its contingent of troops.  The campaign is unsuccessful, the climate of Russia having annihilated the French Army, and Napoleon returns to Paris.  Saxony is now exposed to invasion and harassed by the incursions of the Cossacks.  The King of Saxony is perplexed in what manner to act, so as to ensure to his subjects that protection which was ever uppermost in his thoughts; feeling however with his usual sagacity that every thing would ultimately depend on the dispositions of Austria, he repairs himself to Prague, in order to have an interview with one of the Austrian ministers, and to sound that Cabinet.  Austria however still vacillates and declines stating what her intentions are.  Napoleon returns from Paris, defeats the Prussians and Russians at Bautzen and re-occupies all Saxony.  He then writes to the King of Saxony to desire him to return immediately to his dominions and to fulfil his engagements.  What was the King to do?  Austria still refusing to declare herself, was he to sacrifice his crown and dominions uselessly to the vengeance of Napoleon, to please the Emperor of Russia and King of Prussia, who for aught he knew might patch up a peace the next day? and this was the more probable from their having been beaten at Bautzen, which circumstance also might with equal probability induce Austria to coalesce with, instead of against France.  All the other members of the Confederation of the Rhine remained staunch to Napoleon and poured their contingents into Saxony; was he to be the only unfaithful ally and towards a Monarch who had always treated him with the strongest marks of attachment and regard? and when neither Russia nor Prussia were likely to give him the least assistance?  He therefore returned to