|
Posted by Francis on December 2, 2007, 3:03 am
Please log in for more thread options
in another little villa
near by. I lived with them, and every day we went to dine with the
emperor. During two years, our troops had been concentrating in full
view of England, and every one expected an attack. The camp at Boulogne
was erected on the sea-side, and resembled a long and regularly-built
city. Each hut had a little garden, flowers, and birds. In the middle of
the camp, on an elevation, stood the emperor's tent; near by, that of
Marshal Berthier. All the men-of-war on the water were drawn up in a
line, only waiting the signal of departure. In the distance we could see
England, and its beautiful ships that were cruising along the coast
seemed to form an impenetrable barrier. This grand spectacle gave us for
the first time an illustration of an unknown, hitherto not-dreamed-of
power that stood opposed to us. Here every thing was calculated to
excite the imagination. This boundless sea might soon transform itself
into a battle-field, and swallow up the _elite_ of the two greatest
nations. Our troops, proud in the feeling that there were no obstacles
for them, made impatient by two years' repose, glowing with
| 
XML site map