This etext was produced by David Widger
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By CONSTANT
1895
After the brilliant successes obtained by the Emperor in such a shorttime, and with forces so exceedingly inferior to the great masses of theenemy, his Majesty, realizing the necessity of allowing his troops totake a rest of some days at Troyes, entered into negotiations for anarmistice with the Prince von Schwarzenberg.
At this juncture it was announced to the Emperor that General Blucher,who had been wounded at Mery, was descending along both banks of theMaine, at the head of an army of fresh troops, estimated at not less thanone hundred thousand men, and that he was marching on Meaux. The Princevon Schwarzenberg, having been informed of this movement of Blucher's,immediately cut short the negotiations, and assumed the offensive at Bar-sur-Seine. The Emperor, whose genius followed by a single glance all themarches and, operations of the enemy, though he could not be everywhereat once, resolved to confront Blucher in person, while by means of astratagem he made it appear that he was present opposite Schwarzenberg;and two army corps, commanded, one by Marshal Oudinot, the other byMarshal Macdonald, were then sent to meet the Austrians. As soon as thetroops approached the enemy's camp they made the air resound with theshouts of confidence and cheers with which they usually announced thepresence of his Majesty, though at this very moment he was repairing inall haste to meet General Blucher.
We halted at the little village of Herbisse, where we passed the night inthe manse; and the curate, seeing the Emperor arrive with his marshals,aides-de-camp, ordnance officers, service of honor, and the otherservices, almost lost his wits. His Majesty on alighting said to him,"Monsieur le Cure, we come to ask your hospitality for a night. Do notbe frightened by this visit; we shall disturb you as little as possible."The Emperor, conducted by the good curate, beside himself with eagernessand embarrassment, established himself in the only apartment the housecontained, which served at the same time as kitchen, diningroom, bedroom,cabinet, and reception-room. In an instant his Majesty had his maps andpapers spread out before him, and prepared himself for work with as muchease as in his cabinet at the Tuileries. But the persons of his suiteneeded somewhat more time to install themselves, for it was no easy thingfor so many persons to find a place in a bakehouse which, with the roomoccupied by his Majesty, composed the entire manse of Herbisse; but thesegentlemen, although there were among them more than one dignitary andprince of the Empire, were uncomplaining, and readily disposed toaccommodate themselves to circumstances. The gay good humor of thesegallant soldiers, in spite of all the combats they had to sustain eachday, while events every instant took a more alarming turn, was mostnoteworthy, and depicts well the French character.
The youngest officers formed a circle around the curate's niece, who sangto them the songs of the country. The good curate, in the midst ofcontinual comings and goings, and the efforts he made to play worthilyhis role of master of the mansion, found himself attacked on his ownterritory, that is to say, on his breviary, by Marshal Lefe