fly from France, the other would put France out of the pale of the law.  I should compromise everybody, and by dint of the repeated “Behold he comes!” I should feel the temptation to set out.  America would be more suitable; I could live there with dignity.  But once more, what is there to fear?  What sovereign can, without injuring himself, persecute me?  To one I have restored half his dominions; how often has the other pressed my hand, calling me a great man!  And as to the third, can he find pleasure or honour in humiliation of his son-in-law?  Would they wish to proclaim in the face of the world that all they did was through fear?  As to the rest, I shall see:  I do not wish to employ open force.  I came in the hope of combining our last resources:  they abandoned me; they do so with the same facility with which they received me back.  Well, then, let them efface, if possible, this double stain of weakness and levity!  Let them cover it over with some sacrifice, with some glory!  Let them do for the country what they will not do for me.  I doubt it.  To-day, those who deliver up Bonaparte say that it is to save France:  to-morrow, by delivering up France, they will prove that it was to save their own heads.’”

The humiliating scenes which rapidly succeeded one another; and which ended in Napoleon’s unconditional surrender, may be briefly told.  As soon as possible after his arrival at Paris he assembled his counsellors, when he declared himself in favour of still resisting.  The question, however, was, whether the Chambers would support him; and Lafayette being treacherously informed, it is said by Fouche, that it was intended to dissolve the Chambers, used his influence to get the chambers to adopt the propositions he laid before them.  By these the independence of the nation was asserted to be in danger; the sittings of the Chamber were declared permanent, and all attempts to dissolve it were pronounced treasonable.  The propositions were adopted, and being communicated to the Chamber of Peers, that body also declared itself permanent.  Whatever might have been the intentions of Bonaparte, it was now manifest that there were no longer any hopes of his being able to make his will the law of the nation; after some vacillation, therefore, on 22d June he published the following declaration: 

To the French people

Frenchmen!—­In commencing war for maintaining the national independence, I relied on the union of all efforts, of all wills, and the concurrence of all the national authorities.  I had reason to hope for success, and I braved all the declarations of the powers against me.  Circumstances appear to me changed.  I offer myself a sacrifice to the hatred of the enemies of France.  May they prove sincere in their declarations, and really have directed them only against my power.  My political life is terminated, and I proclaim my son under the title of: 

Napoleon ii.,