"
The next day the Emperor, as we may now call him, was about to march on
Paris, when Messrs. Ruinart and Moet were presented, and requested to be
paid for 300,000 bottles of wine. "Send three hundred thousand more to
the Tuileries," said the Prince, sternly: "our soldiers will be thirsty
when they reach Paris." And taking Moet with him as a hostage, and
promising Ruinart that he would have him shot unless he obeyed, with
trumpets playing and eagles glancing in the sun, the gallant Imperial
army marched on their triumphant way.
CHAPTER V.
THE BATTLE OF TOURS.
We have now to record the expedition of the Prince of Nemours against
his advancing cousin, Henry V. His Royal Highness could not march
against the enemy with such a force as he would have desired to bring
against them; for his royal father, wisely remembering the vast amount
of property he had stowed away under the Tuileries, refused to allow
a single soldier to quit the forts round the capital, which thus
was defended by one hundred and forty-four thousand guns
(eighty-four-pounders), and four hundred and thirty-two thousand
men:--little enough, when one considers that there were but three men
to a gun. To provision this immense army, and a population of double the
amount within the walls, his Majesty caused the country to be scoured
for fifty miles round, and left neither ox, nor ass, nor blade of grass.
Pages:
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548