campaign near Dresden.

He made some of his

soldiers, disguised as enemies, attack him unawares and plunder him of all his baggage. When Fayolle returned to Dresden, he related his misfortune, the battle in which he had been, and in short all his misadventures, pretty much in the style of Falstaff. To conclude the joke, he was conducted back to his lodging, where he found all his baggage and the pretended robbers, who laughed heartily at his expense; as did also the Emperor, when the joke was related to him.

CONVERSATION OF NAPOLEON WITH ONE OF HIS OFFICERS IN THE ISLAND OF ELBA.

"I CONSIDER it certain," said he, "that the kings who fought against me are no longer guided by the same unity, the same views, the same interests. Alexander must esteem me: he must be able to estimate the difference between Louis XVIII. and myself. I would give him Poland and a great deal more if he wished it; he knows I have been always more inclined to tolerate his ambition than to restrain it. Prussia, and the petty kings of the Rhenish Confederation, will follow the lot cast by Russia. If I had Austria on my side, she would secure me all second rate powers. As to the Austrians, I do not know what they would do: they never treated me candidly. I suppose I could keep Austria in order by threatening to deprive her of Italy. Italy is very grateful, and much attached to me: if I were to ask that country for a hundred thousand men, and five millions of money, I should have both the men and the money. If they were to force me to make war, I could easily revolutionize the Italians:

I would grant them whatever they wish-independence or Eugene. Murat is ours: he has little brains: nothing but hand and heart: but his wife will guide him. As to England, we should have shaken hands from Dover to Calais if Mr. Fox had lived; but as long as that country continues governed by the principles and partisans of Mr. Pitt, we must be as hostile as fire and water. From England I expect no quarter, no truce. England knows that, the instant I placed my foot in France, her influence would be driven back across the seas. As long as I live, I will wage war of extermination against her maritime despotism."

ORIGIN OF THE SPANISH GUERILLA TROOPS.

THIS undisciplined body of troops annoyed the French army, who invaded Spain in 1811 and 1812, very much, by intercepting the provisions and stores which were sent from France over the Pyrenees. Mina, a chief, had under his command three thousand of these men, who, divided into small parties, from their knowledge of the country, dispersed and assembled in a few hours time. Mina was a member of the Spanish university: a nephew of his commenced this destructive method of weakening the enemy with his companions, most of them young men of education. The nephew was killed in a skirmish, and the uncle took the lead; and of so much importance was he considered by the enemy that a plan was formed by four French generals to entrap him and his followers, particularly as a large quantity of stores were expected from Bayonne, which they apprehended would fall into the clutches of this daring leader and his hardy companions. By four different routes they imagined that he might be

surrounded, and by closing, be taken with his party. The wily Mina, however, was not only aware of this plot laid for him, but was also on the watch to attack the convoy, amounting to two thousand men. By the mode of dispersing his troops in small parties, he soon got clear of the French forces, and by reassembling at an appointed place on the Pyrenees, he was enabled to attack the convoy, of which he killed nine hundred, took six hundred prisoners and all the stores: king Joseph's secretary, disguised as a peasant, was killed. Thus the skill, courage, and dexterity of Mina, with a band of undisciplined men, defeated a body of two thousand French soldiery, and took an immense quantity of stores. Many like feats have been performed by the other Guerilla chiefs; and, as a convincing proof of their activity, the French could not send a bag of letters without a guard of two hundred and fifty horse and foot: nor could this Guerilla force be readily destroyed; for, acquainted with the different passes in the mountains and the by roads through the country, they could assemble at any given point, or disperse without the possibility of defeat. As this description of force was self-appointed, and acknowledging no control, although at all times found prepared to conform to the chieftain's orders, no exact account could be taken of their numbers; they were, however, very generally estimated at fifteen thousand men they lived by rapine, of course were no expense to the state: they were dressed as each man could afford, and armed as they could obtain weapons: some mounted, some on foot ;-but all equally ferocious and hardy. From this stock were after. wards obtained many able officers and excellent soldiers for the Spanish army.

THE GOLDEN SADDLE.

On a complaint being made to Napoleon, respecting the inferior quality of some saddles and harness, the Emperor said to Bessières: "If the commissary thought these articles bad, he had a right to reject them."'—“That is not the question," said Bessieres, "it is mere malignity on the commissary's part;— the articles are good, and the contractors only desire to prove it; they are honest people of my country, and I interest myself for them;-if their demand was not just, I should be the first to object to it." This defence of the contractors was uttered by Bessières with some warmth. The emperor replied, smiling, "Do not repeat the same to others, or it will be said, that your protégés, as an inducement to you to make their saddles pass, have presented you with a golden one."

POLICY AND PRESENCE OF MIND OF NAPOLEON AT THE BATTLE OF LODI.

IN arranging the line of battle, it was the privilege of the Parisian guards to attend the general in chief, who wore their uniform. They attended Buonaparte as his personal guards at the battle of Lodi. In the tremendous attack upon the bridge, he called to them to advance: they hesitated; upon which he instantly threw off his uniform, and demanded the regimental dress of another corps who were advancing. The Parisian guards felt ashamed and indignant:-they rushed forward and carried the bridge.

ATROCIOUS CONSPIRACY OF FERDINAND VII. TO DETHRONE HIS FATHER CHARLES IV. OF SPAIN.

THE abdication of Charles IV. took place on the 19th of March, 1808, when that sovereign was under constraint, and in circumstances which led him to entertain fears for his life. On the 21st of March he issued the following protest:

"I protest and declare that my decree of the 19th of March, by which I abdicated the crown in favour of my son, was an act extorted from me against my will, to prevent greater evils, and to avoid the effusion of the blood of my beloved vassals. In consequence, it ought to be regarded as null and of no value.-I, the King.

Aranjuez, March 21st, 1808.

Ferdinand, also, by an instrument dated at Bayonne, 6th May, 1808, renounced the crown in favour of his father; and this act was formally published to the Spanish nation on the 10th of May.

In a letter from General Monthion to the Grand Duke of Berg, dated 23d March, 1808, an account is given of a conversation he had with Charles IV. in which he stated,

"That this revolution had been very premeditated; that much money had been distributed to bring it about, and that the principal personages were his son and M. Caballero, minister of justice; that his majesty had been violently forced to abdicate the crown to save the life of the queen and his own; as he knew well, if he had not taken this step, they would both be assassinated that night."