Now that the head was struck off Napoleon’s lance, the Czar repulsed all notion of a Regency, but declared that he was ready to grant generous terms to Napoleon if the latter abdicated outright.  “Now, when he is in trouble,” he said, “I will become once more his friend and will forget the past.”  In conferences with Napoleon’s representatives, Alexander decided that Napoleon must keep the title of Emperor, and receive a suitable pension.  The islands of Corfu, Corsica, and Elba were considered for his future abode:  the last offered the fewest objections; and though Metternich later on protested against the choice of Elba, the Czar felt his honour pledged to this arrangement.[452]

Napoleon himself now began to yield to the inevitable.  On hearing the news of Marmont’s defection, he sat for some time as if stupefied, then sadly remarked:  “The ungrateful man:  well! he will be more unhappy than I.”  But once more, on the 6th, the fighting instinct comes uppermost.  He plans to retire with his faithful troops beyond the Loire, and rally the corps of Augereau, Suchet, and Soult.  “Come,” he cries to his generals, “let us march to the Alps.”  Not one of them speaks in reply.  “Ah,” replies the Emperor to their unspoken thoughts; “you want repose:  have it then.  Alas! you know not how many disappointments and dangers await you on your beds of down.”  He then wrote his formal abdication: 

“The allied Powers having declared that the Emperor was the sole obstacle to the re-establishment of peace in Europe, the Emperor, faithful to his oaths, declares that he renounces, for himself and his heirs, the thrones of France and Italy, and that there is no sacrifice, not even that of life, which he is not ready to make for the interest of France.”

The allies made haste to finish the affair; for even now they feared that the caged lion would burst his bars.  Indeed, the trusty secretary Fain asserts that when on Easter Monday, the 11th, Caulaincourt brought back the allies’ ratification of this deed, Napoleon’s first demand was to retract the abdication.  It would be unjust, however, to lay too much stress on this strange conduct; for at that time the Emperor’s mind was partly unhinged by maddening tumults.

His anguish increased when he heard the final terms of the allies.  They allotted to him the isle of Elba; to his consort and heir, the duchies of Parma, Placentia and Guastalla, and two millions of francs as an annual subsidy, divided equally between himself and her.  They were to keep the title of Emperor and Empress; but their son would bear the name of Duke of Parma, etc.  The other Bonapartes received an annual subsidy of 2,500,000 francs, this and the former sum being paid by France.  Four hundred soldiers might accompany him to Elba.  A “suitable establishment” was to be provided for Eugene outside of France.[453] For some hours Napoleon refused to ratify this compact.  All hope of resistance was vain, for Oudinot, Victor, Lefebvre, and, finally, Ney and Berthier, had gone over to the royalists:  even the soldiery began to waver.  But a noble pride held back the mighty conqueror from accepting Elba and signing a money compact.  It is not without a struggle that a Caesar sinks to the level of a Sancho Panza.