the empire. He heard of it; it worried him. He
left us, saying: 'Adieu, my children; guard the outposts; I shall return
to you,' Bah! without him nothing went right; the generals lost their
heads, the marshals talked nonsense and committed follies; but that was
not surprising, for Napoleon, who was kind, had fed 'em on gold; they
had got as fat as lard, and wouldn't stir; some stayed in camp when they
ought to have been warming the backs of the enemy who was between us and
France.

"But the Emperor came back, and he brought recruits, famous recruits; he
changed their backbone and made 'em dogs of war, fit to set their teeth
into anything; and he brought a guard of honour, a fine body
indeed!--all bourgeois, who melted away like butter on a gridiron.

"Well, spite of our stern bearing, here's everything going against us;
and yet the army did prodigies of valour. Then came battles on the
mountains, nations against nations--Dresden, Luetzen, Bautzen. Remember
these days, all of you, for 'twas then that Frenchmen were so
particularly heroic that a good grenadier only lasted six months. We
triumphed always; yet there were those English, in our rear, rousing
revolts against us with their lies! No matter, we cut our way home
through the whole pack of the nations. Wherever the Emperor showed
himself we followed him; for if, by sea or land, he gave us the word
'Go!' we went. At last, we were in France; and many a poor foot-soldier
felt the air of his own country restore his soul to satisfaction, spite
of the wintry weather. I can say for myself that it refreshed my life.
Well, next, our business was to defend France, our country, our
beautiful France, against, all Europe, which resented our having laid
down the law to the Russians, and pushed them back into their dens so
that they couldn't eat us up alive, as northern nations, who are dainty
and like southern flesh, have a habit of doing--at least, so I've heard
some generals say. Then the Emperor saw his own father-in-law, his
friends whom he had made kings, and the scoundrels to whom he had given
back their thrones, all against him. Even Frenchmen, and allies in our
own ranks, turned against us under secret orders, as at the battle of
Leipsic. Would common soldiers have been capable of such wickedness?
Three times a day men were false to their word--and they called
themselves princes!

"So, then, France was invaded. Wherever the Emperor showed his lion
face, the enemy retre