PARLEY ATTENDS A REVIEW IN HYDE PARK, AND RELATES SOME PASSAGES IN THE
LIFE OF MARSHAL SOULT.--CONCLUSION.
"PETER PARLEY had begun to recover from the fatigue which he had
undergone, and was thinking of once more crossing the Atlantic, and
returning to the enjoyment of his quiet home, when one morning at
breakfast, Major Meadows announced that there was to be a grand review
in Hyde Park, on a scale of such splendour, that Peter Parley must see
it before he left town.
"The day fortunately turned out one of the most beautiful that could be
conceived, and the crowds of persons who assembled to witness the grand
military display, were very great. It was estimated by some of the
military officers, who are accustomed to form pretty accurate notions
of vast bodies of men, that at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, there
were not less than two hundred thousand spectators present, in and
around the Park.
[Illustration: MARSHAL SOULT'S STATE CARRIAGE.]
"Early in the day the troops began to arrive, and by ten o'clock all
the regiments to be reviewed were on the ground. Shortly after, the
Duke of Wellington, Lord Hill, and a great number of English military
officers, as well as Marshal Soult, and all the foreign ambassadors,
attended by their brilliant suites, arrived, and were every where
received with great cheering.
"At half-past eleven her Majesty arrived accompanied by her suite in
four carriages, each drawn by four horses, and escorted by a detachment
of Life Guards. She was attended by her Aides-de-Camp in full military
uniform. The arrival of the royal party was announced by a discharge
of cannon, the band striking up the national anthem, and the soldiers
presenting arms as her Majesty approached.
"The great attraction among the foreign visitants was Marshal Soult,
who, as usual, excited much attention. As he rode close past the spot
where Peter Parley and his friend Major Meadows had taken their stand,
his stirrup broke, and we feared he would have fallen from his horse,
but the Marshal is a good rider, and quickly recovered. Peter Parley
afterwards saw a curious anecdote in the newspapers connected with this
accident. On learning what had happened, Sir H. Vivian immediately
dispatched a messenger to the saddlers to the Ordnance, to procure a
pair of stirrups to replace the broken one. It happened, singularly
enough, that the Saddlers had in their possession the stirrups which
Napoleon used in many of his campaigns; so that Marshal Soult, during
this review, actually did what was next to standing in his master's
shoes!
"Seeing that Peter Parley was very much interested in the Marshal,
Major Meadows, who had been engaged in the Peninsular war, and had
fought against him in some of his most celebrated battles, continued,
when our attention was not completely occupied by the evolutions of the
troops, to relate many most interesting anecdotes of his distinguished
career.
"'Marshal Soult,' said Major Meadows, 'is a very singular man, Mr.
Parley, and like many of Napoleon's generals, rose from the very
humblest rank. He entered the army as a private soldier, and, after
serving some time in this capacity in a royal regiment of infantry, he
became sub-lieutenant of grenadiers.
"'He afterwards rose through the various ranks, till in 1796 he was
appointed general of brigade, and sent to join the army of Italy. Here
he soon won for himself new laurels, and his fame attracted the notice
of Napoleon, who henceforth honoured him with his personal esteem.
"'On the eve of the memorable battle of Austerlitz, in which he was
entrusted with the command of the centre of the army, Napoleon, as
usual, called his marshals together to explain his plans to them, and
to give them instructions for their guidance. To the others he was
minute in his directions, in proportion to the importance of the posts
assigned to them. When he came to Soult, however, he merely said, 'as
for you, Soult, I have only to say, act as you always do.'
"'In the midst of the battle, an aide-de-camp arrived with an order
that the Marshal should instantly push forward and gain certain
heights. 'I will obey the Emperor's commands as soon as I can,' replied
Soult, 'but this is not the proper time.' Napoleon, enraged at the
delay, sent a second messenger, with more peremptory orders. The second
aide-de-camp arrived just as the Marshal was putting his column in
motion. The manoeuvre had been delayed because Soult observed that his
opponents were extending their lines, and, consequently, weakening
their centre. Complete success attended the attack. Napoleon, who, from
the elevated position which he occupied, saw the attack, instantly
perceived the reason for the delay, and the brilliancy of the movement,
and riding up to Soult, complimented him in the presence of his staff,
who, but a few minutes before, had seen him angry at the supposed
disobedience, saying, 'Marshal, I account you the ablest tactician in
my empire!'
"'After the battle of Eylau, Napoleon was very much discouraged at
the loss he had sustained, and wished to fall back, so as to form a
junction with the other corps of his army. Against this resolution
Soult warmly protested, telling the Emperor, that from what he had
seen, he expected the enemy would retreat during the night, and thus
leave the French army in possession of the field. Napoleon complied
with the Marshal's advice, and every thing took place just as he had
foretold. So that it was to the sagacity of Soult that the French army
owes the honour of the victory of Eylau.
"'In 1808, Soult, now Duke of Dalmatia, was entrusted with the command
of the army in Spain, and his first movement was to pursue the gallant
Sir John Moore in his memorable retreat towards Corunna. Under the
walls of that town he engaged the British army, but, after a sharp
contest, was completely repulsed. The British general, however, was
killed in the action, and was buried in the citadel, his corpse wrapped
in a military cloak, and the guns of his enemy paying his funeral
honours. Marshal Soult, with that noble feeling which can only exist in
minds of true greatness erected a monument to his memory, near the spot
where he so nobly fell.
"'To the Duke of Dalmatia Napoleon entrusted the command of the army,
when the defeat of the French at Vittoria had placed the Peninsula
at the mercy of the Duke of Wellington. After a series of conflicts,
which covered the British army and its able general with glory, Soult,
finding the cause of his imperial master hopeless, gave up the contest
and returned to Paris.
"'Soult afterwards fought at Waterloo, but without that distinction
which might have been expected from his old renown. After this battle,
which for ever stamped the fate of Napoleon, and showed Wellington the
greatest general of the age, Soult retired to the country, and lived
for some years in seclusion. He was however recalled, and created a
peer of France by Charles X.'
"Such was Major Meadows' account of this celebrated man. To Peter
Parley he was an object of great interest, because his presence
recalled the remembrance of some of the spirit-stirring events in
which he had been a participator; not that Peter Parley is an admirer
of military genius or delights in military renown. He would rather do
honour to the humblest benefactor of the human race than the greatest
general that ever lived. With him the glory of James Watt, the inventor
of the steam-engine, far outshines the lustre of a Soult, or a Ney,
or an Alexander! and he would rather be the author of the Waverley
Novels than be crowned with the blood-stained laurels of a Napoleon or
a Wellington!
"Peter Parley is one of those who hope the time is now come when the
sound of war will be heard no more, and nations, instead of wasting
their energies in deeds of blood, will strive to rival each other only
in the peaceful pursuits of commerce and the arts."
* * * * *
"Peter Parley must now bid his young friends good bye! When he meets
them again he hopes to find them all equally willing to be pleased and
as patient and attentive to the tales which he tells them, as they have
been to his 'VISIT TO LONDON DURING THE CORONATION OF QUEEN VICTORIA.'"
[Illustration]
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LIST OF PLATES.
I.--THE CORONATION OF QUEEN VICTORIA.
II.--HER MAJESTY LEAVING BUCKINGHAM PALACE.
III.--MARSHAL SOULT'S STATE CARRIAGE.
IV.--HER MAJESTY'S STATE CARRIAGE.
V.--THE PROCESSION APPROACHING WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
VI.--HER MAJESTY LEAVING HER PRIVATE APARTMENTS IN
WESTMINSTER ABBEY.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
End of Project Gutenberg's Peter Parley's Visit to London, by Peter Parley