who is said to be the most
beautiful and amiable woman of all Germany. I am desirous to find out
whether the rumor is true, and to see her face to face. But in order to
do so a battle--a victory is necessary. Afterward I shall invite her to
meet me, and I suppose she will bow to the conqueror of her country,
notwithstanding her pride, and accept the invitation. Ah, she shall
accustom herself to recognize me, whom she calls a usurper, as emperor,
and peer of other sovereigns. Gentlemen, I count on your active
co-operation. You, marshals, and my brave army, are to be the
_postillions d'amour_, to conquer for me an interview with the beautiful
queen! You are to wake up the Russians from their winter sleep, and
bring them our morning greeting with cannon! All the preparations are
completed. The Confederation of the Rhine, Italy, Spain, and France,
have furnished us with troops, and we have now two hundred thousand
enthusiastic and invincible soldiers, while Russia and Prussia together
are scarcely possessed of half as many. They are, moreover, exhausted
and demoralized. Let us renew the struggle; and when I say struggle, it
means _victory_!"

BOOK III.

CHAPTER XXVII.

TILSIT.--NAPOLEON AND ALEXANDER.

A cry of dismay resounded in the camp of the Prussians and Russians--of
exultation in that of the French. Another battle had been fought, and
Napoleon had won a brilliant victory. On the 14th of June, 1807, a
decisive action had taken place between the French and the united
army--the battle of Friedland had gained Napoleon a new laurel-wreath,
and brought an overwhelming defeat upon unhappy Prussia. The Russians,
enraged at the loss of the battle, furiously denounced Prussia, for the
sake of which Russia had been involved in this war; they asked the
Emperor Alexander to put an end to the disastrous and self-sacrificing
war by making peace with France.

The same measure was urged by the adherents of the French party in the
camp and in the suite of King Frederick William. They asserted that
only unconditional submission, however humiliating it might be, could
save what was still to be saved; that the king ought to throw himself at
the feet of the victor of Friedland and implore him to restore his
crown. Such was the advice of the discouraged and despairing--of those
who always had regarded the war against France as a fatal mistake, and
who now, amidst the general consternation, were overjoyed that their
pre