1811.] NAPOLEON'S SON. 181 just been formally annexed to France. The Pope had been carried captive to France, and the Papal States now belonged to the French Empire. Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam were the three great capitals of the world - empire. Sweden was not strong enough to resist his power, Austria was at peace. For the throne of restless Spain, Joseph Bonaparte was still contending, but Napoleon had no fears in that quarter. As yet Russia was following his lead, but it was evident she was fast "slipping out of the leading-strings of Tilsit." When Alexander of Russia had heard of Napoleon's marriage with Maria Louisa, he had exclaimed, “The next thing will be to drive us back into our forests." He was not far wrong. Russia had not been active enough in closing her northern ports to British trade. To press yet closer this "Continental system," as it was called, was Napoleon's only hope of still crushing England. If Alexander would not submit, Alexander must be made to submit. Napoleon was feeling more secure than ever just now. A son had been born to him in March 1811, and he had presented the baby Napoleon to his people, as King of Rome. For this child of the great empire was reserved the saddest of fates.1 "Now begins the finest epoch of my reign," the Emperor had cried in his joy, at the birth of a son. 1 See Book V. chapter 14. 182 THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. [1812. He did not know, that it was the moment of his decline. It was August 16-the day after his birthday, when the little Napoleon was six months old— that Napoleon sketched to his ministry his whole plan of the great Russian campaign, which had long been occupying his mind. He was going to invade Russia with an overwhelming force, and compel her to close every port to English ships. Now was the time to strike, for the Peninsular war was at its height, and England was already at war with the United States. A tremendous force was collected, numbering 600,000 men. There were Austrians, Italians, Poles, Prussians, as well as French-all the soldiers of the empire. There were crowned heads in command, and tried generals. Such a host had never been seen before in modern history. On May 16, 1812, Napoleon himself arrived at Dresden, with his wife Maria Louisa and the little child-king of Rome. Here the Emperor of Austrią came to meet them, and various crowned heads paid court to the man who, for the last time, was figuring as the "king of kings." A fortnight later, he was on his way to Russia at the head of his Grand Army. Arrived at the banks of the Niemen-the river forming the boundary between Russia and Prussia-Napoleon stopped. He was not very far from Tilsit, where he had made peace with Alexander on the raft in this same 1812.] THE CONTINENTAL SYSTEM. 183 river. Would it be peace again with the Tsar or war? He issued a proclamation to his soldiers. "Soldiers," it ran, "Russia is dragged on by her fate her destiny must be fulfilled. Let us march, let us cross the Niemen; let us carry war into her territories." In a very different spirit Alexander was addressing his troops on the farther side. 66 Soldiers," he was saying, "you fight for your native land. Your Emperor is amongst you. God fights against the aggressor." Alexander spoke truly when he said, "I have learnt to know him now. Napoleon or I: I or Napoleon we cannot reign side by side." 38. THE SHANNON AND THE CHESAPEAKE. "Old England's sons are English yet, old England's hearts are strong, And still she wears her coronet aflame with sword and song. -MERIVALE. NAPOLEON had closed all European ports against British commerce. But as the fleet of Great Britain was supreme upon the seas, she made answer that henceforth no colonial goods should be obtainable in France except through British ships. The United States of America, as a neutral nation, taking neither the side of England, nor of 184 WAR BETWEEN ENGLAND AND AMERICA. [1812. France in their terrific struggle, resented this action, for it stopped their direct trading with France. Indeed it paralysed all trade, and in June 1812 the United States declared war on Great Britain. It was a bold challenge. England indeed had her hands full with Napoleon in Europe; but even now her triumph was beginning. Napoleon was already on his fatal march to Moscow; Wellington had seized the two frontier fortresses 1 of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. But England had the greatest navy in the world-a thousand sail; and the United States had the smallest-about twenty ships. The young Republic was full of confidence in their newly found strength; they had lost the guiding hand of Washington, who always upheld peace with the mother country. It was somewhat natural to find that England, rich in her traditions of Nelson and Trafalgar, thought but little of this challenge, until one day the startling news reached her, that five of her ships of war had been captured by the United States. Something must be done at once, to wipe out this unlooked-for disgrace, that had fallen on the British flag. One strong unassuming English sailor now took the matter into his own hands. Captain Broke, of H.M.S. Shannon, had spent the winter off Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he heard of the declaration of 1 See Book IV. chapter 39. 1813.] A NAVAL DUEL. 185 war between the two countries. He at once began to drill his gunners more severely than ever, until he made every one of them a good shot. The discipline on board his ship was splendid. His crew had worked with him for the last seven years; they had shared hardships and dangers together; and there was complete understanding between master and man. All were alike burning with desire to meet the ships of the United States. The Shannon herself was not a large ship. She carried thirtyeight guns and 284 men. She bore the marks of her service in the icy regions of the north. "Her sides were rusty, her sails were weather-soiled; a solitary flag flew from her mizzen-peak, and even its blue had become bleached by sun and rain and wind to a dingy grey.” In May 1813 the Shannon lay off Boston. Captain Broke determined to end the naval dispute by a single challenge of ship to ship. As antagonist he chose the Chesapeake, a ship larger than the Shannon, and carrying more men. On Tuesday, June 1, he despatched a letter to Captain Lawrence of the Chesapeake, which had been lying for months past in Boston Harbour. As the Chesapeake appears now ready for sea,' ran the challenge, "I request that you will do me the favour to meet the Shannon with her, ship to ship, to try the fortune of our respective flags. Choose your terms and place, and let us meet." Captain Lawrence was a formidable foe. He had |