cal
gossip of France than to that of Italy. So too the history of the
Crimean War seems to belong _par excellence_ to that of Russia. It
was undertaken by England and France as allies, joined afterwards
by a Sardinian army under General La Marmora, by the Turkish troops
under Omar Pasha, and by an Egyptian contingent; but as we are
now engaged on the personal history of the emperor and empress,
I will rather here tell how Napoleon III., having formed a camp
of one hundred thousand soldiers at Boulogne, on the very ground
where his uncle had assembled his great army for the invasion of
England, decided to ascertain, through his ambassador in London,
if it would be agreeable to Prince Albert to visit that camp and
see the manoeuvres of his army. Finding that the invitation would be
acceptable to the prince, he addressed him the following letter:--

July 3, 1854.

MON FRERE,--Your Royal Highness knows that putting in practice
your own idea, and wishing to carry out to the end the struggle
with Russia that we have begun together, I have decided to form an
army between Boulogne and St. Omer. I need not tell your Highness
how pleased I should be to see you, and how happy I should be to
show you my soldiers. I am convinced, moreover, that personal ties
will strengthen the union so happily established between two great
nations. I beg you to present my respectful homage to the queen,
and to receive this expression of the esteem and sincere affection
I have conceived for you.

With this, _mon frere_, I pray God to have you in his holy keeping.

NAPOLEON.

The prince accepted the invitation, addressing the emperor as "Sire
et mon frere." The queen entirely approved the visit, and Baron
Stockmar predicted much advantage from it, "inasmuch," he said,
"as the good or evil destiny of the present time will directly and
chiefly depend upon a rational, honorable, and resolute alliance
between England and France."

Prince Albert met the emperor at Boulogne, Sept. 4, 1854. The Duke
of Newcastle, who was in attendance on Prince Albert, wrote to a
friend that tears stood in the emperor's eyes when he received
his guest as he stepped upon French soil; and the prince wrote
that evening to the queen:--

"The emperor has been very nervous, if we are to believe those who
stood near him and who know him well. He was kindly and courteous,
and does not look so old nor so pale as his portraits make him, and
is much gayer than he is gen