may took possession of the royalists; and when
they learned that Napoleon had already arrived in Lyons, that its
inhabitants had received him with enthusiasm, and that its garrison had
also declared for him, their panic knew no bounds.

The royalist leaders assembled at the house of Count de la Pere, for the
purpose of holding a last great discussion and consultation. The most
eminent persons, men and women, differing widely on other subjects, but
a unit on this point, assembled here with the same feelings of patriotic
horror, and with the same desire to promote the general welfare. There
were Madame de Stael, Benjamin Constant, Count Laine, and Chateaubriand;
there were the Duke de Nemours, and Count de la Pere, and around them
gathered the whole troop of anxious royalists, expecting and hoping that
the eloquent lips of these celebrated personages who stood in their
midst would give them consolation and new life.

Benjamin Constant spoke first. He said that, to Napoleon, that is, to
force, force must be opposed. Bonaparte was armed with the love of the
soldiers, they must arm themselves with the love of the citizens. His
appearance was imposing, like the visage of Caesar; it would be
necessary to oppose to him an equally sublime countenance. Lafayette
should, therefore, be made commander-in-chief of the French army.

M. de Chateaubriand exclaimed, with noble indignation, that the first
step to be taken by the government was to punish severely a ministry
that was so short-sighted, and had committed so many faults. Laine
declared, with a voice tremulous with emotion, that all was lost, and
that but one means of confounding tyranny remained; a scene, portraying
the whole terror, dismay and grief of the capital at the approach of the
hated enemy, should be arranged. In accordance with this plan, the whole
population of Paris--the entire National Guard, the mothers, the young
girls, the children, the old and the young--were to pass out of the
city, and await the tyrant; and this aspect of a million of men fleeing
from the face of a single human being was to move or terrify him who
came to rob them of their peace!

In her enthusiastic and energetic manner, Madame de Stael pronounced an
anathema against the usurper who was about to kindle anew, in weeping,
shivering France, the flames of war.

All were touched, enthusiastic, and agitated, but they could do nothing
but utter fine phrases; and all that fell from the eloquen