Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume III.Scott, Walter
History
Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume III.
Scott, Walter
France -- History -- 1789-1815; Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821
The town of Tilsit was now declared neutral. Entertainments of every
kind followed each other in close succession, and the French and
Russian, nay, even the Prussian officers, seemed so delighted with each
other's society, that it was difficult to conceive that men, so
courteous and amiable, had been for so many months drenching trampled
snows and muddy wastes with each other's blood. The two Emperors were
constantly together in public and in private, and on those occasions
their intimacy approached to the character of that of two young men of
rank, who are comrades in sport or frolic, as well as accustomed to be
associates in affairs, and upon occasions, of graver moment. They are
well known to have had private and confidential meetings, where gaiety
and even gallantry seemed to be the sole purpose, but where politics
were not entirely forgotten.[284]
[Sidenote: THE KING OF PRUSSIA AT TILSIT.]
Upon the more public occasions, there were guests at the imperial
festivities, for which they contained small mirth. On the 28th, the
unfortunate King of Prussia arrived at Tilsit, and was presented to his
formidable victor. Buonaparte did not admit him to the footing of
equality on which he treated the Emperor Alexander, and made an early
intimation, that it would only be for the purpose of obliging his
brother of the North, that he might consent to relax his grasp on the
Prussian territories. Those in the King's own possession were reduced to
the petty territory of Memel, with the fortresses of Colberg and
Graudentz. It was soon plain, that the terms on which he was to be
restored to a part of his dominions, would deprive Prussia of almost all
the accessions which had been made since 1773, under the system and by
the talents of the Great Frederick, and reduce her at once from a
first-rate power in Europe to one of the second class.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account