Star.
London, England, 1822-12-30 00:00:00

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FURTHER EXTRACIS
RNAL. rnom LAS,CASES
JOU

PERSONAL RISKS OP NAPOLEON.
After the passage of the Mincio, Napoleon, having
concerted all his plans, pursued the enemy in every
direction, entered a castle on the lift bank of the
river. He was troubled with the head-ache, and he
used a foot bath. A large detachment of the enemy,
in great confusion, art ived, having ascended the river
as tar as the castle. Napoleon was there, and only a
few persons were with him; the sentinel on duty at'
the gate had just time to close it, exclaiming 4g To
arms r and the General of the Army of Italy, in the
arms of victory, was compelled to escape through the
back gates of the garden, with but one boot on.
In the .ame campaign, Napoleon incurred another
imminent risk. Wurmser, who had been compelled
to throw himself into Mantua, and who was debouch-
ing suddenly on an open plain, learned from an old
woman, that only a few moments before his arrival,
the French General, with but a few followers, had
stopped at her door, and that he had fled at the sight
of the Austrians. Wurniser immediately dispatched
parties of cavalry in every 'direction, calculating with
certainty on the precious capture. 44 But," said the
Emperor, " I must do him this justice—he gave par-
ticular orders that I should not be killed or harmed
in any ay." Fortunately for the young General, his
happy star and the swiftness of his horse combined
to save him.
WAR AND GREAT COMMANDERS.
" The fate of a battle," observed the Emperor, " is
the result of a moment, of a thought: the hostile
forces advance with various combinations; they at-
tack each other, and fight for a certain time; the cri-
tical m-ment arrives, a mental flash decides, and the
least reserve accomplishes the object." He spoke of
Lutzen, Bautzen, &c. and afterwards, alluding to Wa-
terloo, he said, that had he followed up the idea of
turning the enemy's right, he should easily have Sue-
ceeckd ; he, however, preferred piercing the centre,
and separating the two armies. But all was fatal in
that enagetnent; it even assumed the aprearance.of
absurdity ; yet, never theless, he ought to have gained
the victory. Never had any of his battles presented
less doubt to his mind ; and he was still at a loss to
account for what had happened. Grouchy, he said,
had lost himself; .ley appeared bewildered, and
his countenance sufficiently expressed the remorse
he felt for rontainbieau and Lons-le-Saulnier ; Derlon
was useless; in short, the Generals were no longer
themselves. If, in the evening, he had been aware of
Grouchy's position, and could have thrown himself
upon it, he might, in the morning, with the help of
that fine reser,ye, have repaired his ill success, and,
perhaps, even have destroyed the allied forces by one
of these miracles, those turns of fot tune which were
familiar. to him, and which would have surprised no
one. But he knew nothing of Grouchy ; and, besides,,
it was n, a ea .y to act with decision amongst the wrecks'
of the at.; y. It would be difficult to imagine the con-1
dition of the Fiend) army on that disastrous night—
it was a torrent dislodged from its bed, hurling away
everything in its course.