Tuileries, with the whole army of France enthusiastic in his favour. The efforts made at a counter-revolution by the Bourbons in the provinces signally failed, and Napoleon, with fortune at his back, seemed to have seized once more permanently the imperial sceptre.
British troops despatched to Belgium.
Subsidies to European Powers.
But England again stood like a lion in his path.
On the 6th of April the Prince Regent announced
formally to the House of Commons the events
which had occurred. War was approved unanimously
by the Lords, and only thirty-seven
members could be found to vote against it in the
Commons. The nation to a man put forth its concentrated
strength. An enormous sudden demand
took place for transports to carry over troops and
munitions of war to Flanders, which it was intuitively
seen must be the battle-ground whereon the future
peace of Europe was to be decided. The House of
Commons provided the sinews of war with unbounded
liberality. The property-tax, producing 15,000,000l.,
was renewed. Subsidies were voted to the extent of
11,000,000l. to Austria, Russia, Prussia, Hanover,
Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, and the Netherlands;
and all Europe in a few weeks bristled with bayonets.
Napoleon sought to obtain popularity by conceding
a constitution; but no reflecting man had much confidence
in these paper declarations. Caulaincourt
tried in vain to open negotiations for peace; but
his couriers were stopped on the frontiers. It was
intimated to him that the Allied Sovereigns would
not swerve from their resolutions: "all Europe had
declared war against Bonaparte." The Emperor
Alexander was especially moved, and said that
