on. His brilliant moves and trenchant strokes
astonished the world. With less than 30,000 men he had burst into
Bluecher's line of march, and scattered in flight 50,000 warriors
advancing on Paris in full assurance of victory. It was not chance,
but science, that gave him these successes. Acting from behind the
screen of the Seine, he had thrown his small but undivided force
against scattered portions of a superior force. It was the strategy of
Lonato and Castiglione over again; and the enthusiasm of those days
bade fair to revive.

His men, who previously had tramped downheartedly over wastes of snow
and miry cross-roads, now marched with head erect as in former days;
the villagers, far from being cowed by the brutalities of the
Cossacks, formed bands to hang upon the enemies' rear and entrap their
foragers. Above all, Paris was herself once more. Before he began
these brilliant moves, he had to upbraid Cambaceres for his unmanly
conduct. "I see that instead of sustaining the Empress, you are
discouraging her. Why lose your head thus? What mean these _Miserere_
and these prayers of forty hours? Are you going mad at Paris?" Now the
capital again breathed defiance to the foe, and sent the Emperor
National Guards. Many of these from Brittany, it is true, came "in
round hats and _sabots_": they had no knapsacks: but they had guns,
and they fought.

Could he have pursued Bluecher on the morrow he might probably have
broken up even that hardy infantry, now in dire straits for want of
supplies. But bad news came to hand from the south-west. Under urgent
pressure from the Czar, Schwarzenberg had pushed forward two columns
from Troyes towards Paris: one of them had seized the bridge over the
Seine at Bray, a day's march below Nogent: the other was nearing
Fontainebleau. Napoleon was furious at the neglect of Victor to guard
the crossing at Bray, and reluctantly turned away from Bluecher to
crush these columns. His men marched or were carried in vehicles, by
way of Meaux and Guignes, to reinforce Victor: on the 17th they drove
back the outposts of Schwarzenberg's centre, while Macdonald and
Oudinot marched towards Nogent to threaten his right. These rapid
moves alarmed the Austrian commander, whose left, swung forward on
Fontainebleau, was in some danger of being cut off. He therefore sued
for an armistice. It was refused; and the request drew from Napoleon a
letter to his brother Joseph full of contempt for the allies (Februa