but I can honestly say, in the words of the late Bishop of London, that "I have tried to write true history." J.H.R. [NOTE.--The references to Napoleon's "Correspondence" in the notes are to the official French edition, published under the auspices of Napoleon III. The "New Letters of Napoleon" are those edited by Léon Lecestre, and translated into English by Lady Mary Loyd, except in a very few cases where M. Léonce de Brotonne's still more recent edition is cited under his name. By "F.O.," France, No.----, and "F.O.," Prussia, No.----, are meant the volumes of _our_ Foreign Office despatches relating to France and Prussia. For the sake of brevity I have called Napoleon's Marshals and high officials by their names, not by their titles: but a list of these is given at the close of vol. ii.] PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION The demand for this work so far exceeded my expectations that I was unable to make any considerable changes in the second edition, issued in March, 1902; and circumstances again make it impossible for me to give the work that thorough recension which I should desire. I have, however, carefully considered the suggestions offered by critics, and have adopted them in some cases. Professor Fournier of Vienna has most kindly furnished me with details which seem to relegate to the domain of legend the famous ice catastrophe at Austerlitz; and I have added a note to this effect on p. 50 of vol. ii. On the other hand, I may justly claim that the publication of Count Balmain's reports relating to St. Helena has served to corroborate, in all important details, my account of Napoleon's captivity. It only remains to add that I much regret the omission of Mr. Oman's name from II. 12-13 of page viii of the Preface, an omission rendered all the more conspicuous by the appearance of the first volume of his "History of the Peninsular War" in the spring of this year. J.H.R. _October, 1902._ Notes have been added at the end of ch. v., vol. i.; chs. xxii., xxiii., xxviii., xxix., xxxv., vol. ii.; and an Appendix on the Battle of Waterloo has been added on p. 577, vol. ii. CONTENTS CHAPTER NOTE ON THE REPUBLICAN CALENDAR I. PARENTAGE AND EARLY YEARS II. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND CORSICA III. TOULON IV. VENDÉMIAIRE V. THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN (1796) VI. THE FIGHTS FOR MANTUA VII. LEOBEN TO CAMPO FORMIO VIII. EGYPT IX. SYRIA X. BRUMAIRE XI. MARENGO: LUNÉVILLE XII. THE NEW INSTITUTIONS OF FRANCE XIII. THE CONSULATE FOR LIFE XIV. THE PEACE OF AMIENS XV. A FRENCH COLONIAL EMPIRE: ST. DOMINGO--LOUISIANA--INDIA--AUSTRALIA XVI. NAPOLEON'S INTERVENTIONS XVII. THE RENEWAL OF WAR XVIII. EUROPE AND THE BONAPARTES XIX. THE ROYALIST PLOT XX. THE DAWN OF THE EMPIRE XXI. THE BOULOGNE FLOTILLA