ing the miserable inhabitants, plundering and destroying whatever came into their hands.

11. The Battle of Salamanca.- Happily British soldiers would not now behave like wild beasts. Wellington had none others to lead. Before long he came up with a French army at Salamanca. The French general moved his troops in an awkward way across the field of battle. At last,' said Wellington, 'I have him.' He ordered his men to advance, and gained a complete victory. He had gained no such victory before. He went to Madrid, where the Spaniards received him with the greatest honours. King Joseph fled before him. Wellington, however, did not quite conquer Spain in this year. He carried his army to Burgos, and laid siege to it. But the French armies gathered round him, and he had to go back to Portugal. Yet even this failure, as it seemed, was the beginning of success. The French armies had to leave the south of Spain, in order to meet Wellington in the north, and the south of Spain was thus set free from their presence.

12. Napoleon's Russian Campaign.-Whilst Wellington was fighting at Salamanca and Burgos, Napoleon was marching through Russia. The Russians retreated before him. There was one tremendous battle, after which he reached Moscow. He expected that the Russians would make peace when he had taken Moscow, but instead of making peace they set fire to Moscow. Napoleon and his army had nowhere to shelter themselves against the bitter cold of the Russian winter which was coming on. Even if they had been able to keep themselves

warm at Moscow, they had not provisions enough to feed on till summer came, as they had been so sure that the Russians would submit that they had not brought large stores with them. There was no help for it. They had to go back for hundreds of miles. Soon the snow began to fall, and the bitter frosty wind swept over the level plains. For a time they struggled on. Then they began to give way. The hard frost was bad enough to bear when they were on the march, but it was terrible at night, when they had to lie down on the snow round large fires of wood which, large as they were, were not enough to warm them. Every morning when they started some of their comrades were left behind frozen to death. Others lagged behind, worn out with cold and fatigue, and dropped dead upon the snow. Fewer and fewer they grew as they struggled on, with pale and hunger-stricken faces. Of 400,000 men who had entered Russia, only 20,000 came out. Napoleon's grand army was destroyed.

13. The Uprising of Prussia and the Battle of Vittoria. The pursuing Russian army advanced into Prussia. Prussia and its king resolved to rise against Napoleon. From one end of the land to the other the cry arose for deliverance. From field and city the volunteers poured forth, to be drilled and disciplined, that they might fight worthily for their Fatherland. Napoleon came amongst them with a new army, for the most part composed of young lads. His extraordinary military skill enabled him to beat the Russians and Prussians in two great battles. Then the Austrians joined his enemies.

One other battle he succeeded in winning. But the number of his enemies and their fierce hatred were too much for him to bear up against. At Leipzig, in a tremendous battle lasting for three days, he was utterly defeated, and with the small remnants of his army he made off for France before the year was over. Germany was free. That year Wellington had struck down Napoleon's lieutenants in Spain as surely as their master had been struck down on the plains of Northern Germany. He had now a finer and more numerous army than he had ever had before. As he crossed the little stream which separated Spain from Portugal, he stood up in his stirrups and waved his hand, crying out, Adieu, Portugal!' He marched along the road that led to France. At Vittoria he came upon the French army, in which was King Joseph himself. Joseph had abandoned Madrid, to fight one last battle for the throne which had brought nothing but misery to him. He was utterly defeated. There was a long siege of St. Sebastian. At last it was taken, and then Spain was as free as Germany.

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14. Napoleon's Last Struggle.-In the first months of 1814 Napoleon struggled hard at least to maintain his power in France. He fought with even more than his usual skill. In the north the united armies of Russia, Prussia, and Austria pushed on. They were often beaten, but they pushed on still. They were too many to be overcome. last they reached and entered Paris. Napoleon abdicated, and was sent to the Isle of Elba, off the coast of Italy, where he might continue to call him

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self Emperor. The Peace of Paris restored peace to all Europe. Lewis XVIII., the brother of the King Lewis who had been executed, came back to be King of France. In the south, Wellington had reached Bordeaux after further victories. His last battle where he defeated the French was fought at Toulouse.

15. Wellington's Military Career.-The English general was now Duke of Wellington. He had rendered services to his country which no honours could repay. When there were few men in Europe who did not despair, he did not despair. He was hopeful, because he believed that wrong-doing and cruelty could not prosper for ever. He fought not for glory but for duty.

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CHAPTER XLII.

FROM THE PEACE OF PARIS TO THE DEATH OF GEORGE III.

(1814-1820.)

1. The American War and the Return of Napoleon. The army which had served Wellington so well, and which as he said 'could go anywhere and do anything,' was not allowed to rest. It was sent to America. Unhappily England was at war with the United States. Fortunately the war came to an end after it had lasted two years. In 1815, the year after the end of the great war, the Peninsular army was really wanted in Europe when it was not to be had. Napoleon escaped from Elba and landed in France. The restored king had governed so unwisely that Napoleon was welcomed by the soldiers and by a great part of the people. He entered Paris in triumph, and was once more Emperor of the French.

2. The Battle of Waterloo. The other nations of Europe were not likely to be so well pleased. They knew that Napoleon had always picked quarrels with them before, and that if he had time to get together a large army he would probably pick a quarrel with them once more. They did not want to run the chance of being conquered again, and they knew that if they were conquered by him he would show them no mercy. They therefore declared that they would have no peace with him. England, Prussia, Austria, and Russia joined in this declara