Rowlandson gives us (November 29, 1813) ‘Dutch Nightmare, or the Fraternal Hug, returned with a Dutch Squeeze,’ which represents Napoleon lying on a state bed, suffering the tortures of nightmare, his incubus being a very heavy Dutchman, who sits upon his breast calling out, ‘Orange Boven,’ and puffing his smoke right into the face of his victim. Mr. Grego credits Rowlandson with the ‘Head Runner of Runners from Leipsic Fair’ (March 2, 1814), but both the design and drawing manifestly show that it is not by him. On the contrary, its internal evidence clearly shows it to be a German engraving, and much earlier in date, the town in the background being labelled Maynz. Napoleon is here represented as a running courier, and the speed at which he is going is shown by his being able to keep pace with a hare. The top of his staff is Charlemagne--or, as in the etching, Carolus Magnus. In his rapid flight he is losing from his wallet all the things entrusted to him--Italy, Holland, Switzerland, the Rheinbund, &c. [Illustration: HEAD RUNNER OF RUNNERS, FROM LEIPSIC FAIR.] His flight from Leipsic was well caricatured, and one episode, the premature blowing up of the bridge over the Elster, came in for severe comment. Colonel Montfort had orders to blow up the bridge, which was mined, as soon as the last of the troops had passed over. He, however, entrusted this duty to a corporal and four miners. The corporal, hearing shouting and cannonading, thought the allies were in possession of the city and pursuing the French forces. He therefore fired the bridge, which blew up, cutting off the retreat of four _corps d’armée_, and more than 200 cannon. Of course, the men so circumstanced had no option but to yield themselves as prisoners, after many had been driven into the river and drowned. At Dresden still our hero staid, Because to budge he was afraid, And when he did, it was to meet At Leipsic, a severe defeat: The bridge here, as the story goes, Nap wished to blow up with his foes; This to a col’nel he imparted, Who was, perhaps, too tender hearted. For to a captain, (so we’ve heard) The Colonel the task transferred, And he a corporal employ’d, By whom the bridge should be destroy’d; But scarce had Nap the bridge passed thro’, When, helter skelter, up it flew! It seems the truth cannot be traced; Either the corp’ral was in haste, Or by some means, ’tis suspected, ’Twas just as Boney had directed; For the Explosion soon confounded His waggon loads of sick and wounded: And by these means, as oft he did, He got of them immediate rid. [Illustration: NAPOLEON’S FLIGHT FROM LEIPSIG.] ‘Bonaparte’s Bridge, to the Tune of This is the House that Jack built’ (December 1, 1813), supposed to be drawn by _la Nourrice du Roi de Rome_, is in eight compartments, which are thus described:-- This is the bridge that was blown into air. These are the Miners who had the care Of mining the Bridge that was blown into air.