The romance of royalty; . front ; the balls and bullets fell at our has kept a ball that fell near him. Some ofthe soldiers wept on seeing how calm he remained. The first flush of joy this victory brought toFrance was soon dispelled by news of the disastersthat quickly followed. Overwhelming in number,well disciplined, invincible, the Prussians swept theirenemy before them at Wissembourg, Worth, Forbach,and Spickeren ; scenes long memorable for the sicken-ing carnage that had paved the way to victory. Newsof the national defeat was received in Paris, at firstwith surprise, and later
The romance of royalty; . front ; the balls and bullets fell at our has kept a ball that fell near him. Some ofthe soldiers wept on seeing how calm he remained. The first flush of joy this victory brought toFrance was soon dispelled by news of the disastersthat quickly followed. Overwhelming in number,well disciplined, invincible, the Prussians swept theirenemy before them at Wissembourg, Worth, Forbach,and Spickeren ; scenes long memorable for the sicken-ing carnage that had paved the way to victory. Newsof the national defeat was received in Paris, at firstwith surprise, and later with the wildest consterna-tion. Indifi^erent to sleep, unable to eat, too restlessto remain in their homes, their vanity wounded, theirhigh expectations crushed, the people walked aboutthe streets by night like mournful phantoms insome doomed city ; but as day after day broughtthem tidings of fresh disaster their stupor gaveplace to anger, and as they read the telegramsposted at the newspaper offices, or listened to the. THE TKINCK IMPERIAL. [Idciiigpage 546. ttbe IRomance of tbe Scconb JEinpire 547 volcanic utterances of those who denounced theEmperor, the Empress, and the Government, theirfierce oaths and fervid maledictions sounded as themutterings of a coming storm. Like her husbands subjects, the Empress had beenstunned at news of the first defeat of the Frencharmy ; then summoning her courage and determinedto do her duty, she hurriedly left the palace of by night, and not without fear of beingattacked on her way, drove to the Tuileries, whichshe reached at two oclock on the morning ofAugust 8 th. A Council was immediately heldwhich lasted until daybreak, at which it was resolvedto call an assembly of the Legislative Body, and totake steps to protect the capital. As Regent, theEmpress addressed the people. Having referred tothe defeat they had suffered, she said : Let therebe but one party among us, that of France ; let usfollow but one banner, that of our honou
Size: 1325px × 1886px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectnapoleo, bookyear1904
