nded to be communicated to the council of ministers, related
but imperfectly the fatal issue of the battle: the other, for the
prince alone, gave him a recital, unhappily too faithful, of the rout
of the army. He concluded however: "All is not lost. I suppose I shall
have left, on re-assembling my forces, a hundred and fifty thousand
men. The federates and national guards, who have heart, will supply me
with a hundred thousand men; the _depot_ battalions, with fifty
thousand. Thus I shall have three hundred thousand soldiers, to oppose
to the enemy immediately. I shall supply the artillery with horses by
means of those kept as articles of luxury. I shall levy a hundred
thousand conscripts. I shall arm them with the muskets of the
royalists and ill-disposed national guards. Dauphiny, the Lyonese,
Burgundy, Lorraine, and Champagne, I shall levy in mass. I shall
overwhelm the enemy: but it is necessary for me to be assisted, and
not perplexed. I am going to Laon. No doubt I shall find men there. I
have heard nothing of Grouchy; if he be not taken, as I am afraid he
is, in three days time I may have fifty thousand men. With these I
could keep the enemy employed, and give time to Paris and France, to
do their duty. The English march slowly. The Prussians are afraid of
the peasantry, and dare not advance too far. Every thing may yet be
repaired. Write me word of the effect, that the horrible result of
this rash enterprise produces in the chamber. I believe the deputies
will feel, that it is their duty on this great occasion, to join with
me, in order to save France. Prepare them, to second me worthily."

The Emperor added with his own hand: "Courage, and firmness."

While I was despatching these letters, he dictated to M. de Bassano
instructions for the major-general. When he had finished, he threw
himself on a sorry bed, and ordered preparations to be made for our
departure.

A postchaise half broken to pieces, a few waggons and some straw, had
just been prepared, as nothing better was to be had, for Napoleon and
us; when some carriages belonging to Marshal Soult entered the town.
These we seized upon. The enemy having already some scouts in the
neighbourhood of Philippeville and Marienbourg, two or three hundred
fugitives of all sorts were collected, to form an escort for the
Emperor. He set off with General Bertrand in a calash. It was thus
Charles XII. fled before his conquerors after the battle of Pultowa.

The Emper