InFebruary1815，whileeverythingwaspreparingatElbafortheapproachingdepartureofNapoleon，MuratappliedtotheCourtofViennaforleavetomarchthroughtheAustrianProvincesofUpperItalyanarmydirectedonFrance.Itwasonthe26thofthesamemonththatBonaparteescapedfromElba.Thesetwofactswerenecessarilyconnectedtogether，for，inspiteofMurat’sextravagantideas，henevercouldhaveentertainedtheexpectationofobligingtheKingofFrance，bythemereforceofarms，toacknowledgehiscontinuedpossessionofthethroneofNaples.SincethereturnofLouisXVIII.theCabinetoftheTuilerieshadneverregardedMuratinanyotherlightthanasausurper，andIknowfromgoodauthoritythattheFrenchPlenipotentiariesattheCongressofViennawereespeciallyinstructedtoinsistthattherestorationofthethroneofNaplesinfavouroftheBourbonsoftheTwoSiciliesshouldbeaconsequenceoftherestorationofthethroneofFrance.IalsoknowthatthepropositionwasfirmlyopposedonthepartofAustria，whohadalwaysviewedwithjealousytheoccupationofthreethronesofEuropebythesingleHouseofBourbon.
Accordingtoinformation，fortheauthenticityofwhichIcanvouch，thefollowingweretheplanswhichNapoleonconceivedatElba.AlmostimmediatelyafterhisarrivalinFrancehewastoordertheMarshalsonwhomhecouldbestrelytodefendtotheutmosttheentrancestotheFrenchterritoryandtheapproachestoParis，bypivotingonthetriplelineoffortresseswhichgirdthenorthandeastofFrance.Davoustwas’inpetto’singledoutforthedefenceofParis.He，wastoarmtheinhabitantsofthesuburbs，andtohave，besides，20，000menoftheNationalGuardathisdisposal.Napoleon，notbeingawareofthesituationoftheAllies，neversupposedthattheycouldconcentratetheirforcesandmarchagainsthimsospeedilyastheydid.Hehopedtotakethembysurprise，anddefeattheirprojects，bymakingMuratmarchuponMilan，andbystirringupinsurrectionsinItaly.ThePobeingoncecrossed，andMuratapproachingthecapitalofLombardy，NapoleonwiththecorpsofSuchet，Brune，Grouchy，andMassena，augmentedbytroopssent，byforcedmarches，toLyons，wastocrosstheAlpsandrevolutionisePiedmont.There，havingrecruitedhisarmyandjoinedtheNeapolitansinMilan，hewastoproclaimtheindependenceofItaly，unitethewholecountryunderasinglechief，andthenmarchattheheadof100，000menonVienna，bytheJulianAlps，acrosswhichvictoryhadconductedhimin1797.Thiswasnotall：numerousemissariesscatteredthroughPolandandHungaryweretofomentdiscordandraisethecryoflibertyandindependence，toalarmRussiaandAustria.ItmustbeconfesseditwouldhavebeenanextraordinaryspectacletoseeNapoleongivinglibertytoEuropeinrevengefornothavingsucceededinenslavingher.
BymeansoftheseboldmanoeuvresandvastcombinationsNapoleoncalculatedthathewouldhavetheadvantageoftheinitiativeinmilitaryoperations.Perhapshisgeniuswasnevermorefullydevelopedthaninthisvastconception.Accordingtothisplanhewastoextendhisoperationsoveralineof500leagues，fromOstendtoVienna，bytheAlpsandItaly，toprovidehimselfwithimmenseresourcesofeverykind，topreventtheEmperorofAustriafrommarchinghistroopsagainstFrance，andprobablyforcehimtoterminateawarfromwhichthehereditaryprovinceswouldhaveexclusivelysuffered.SuchwasthebrightprospectwhichpresenteditselftoNapoleonwhenhesteppedonboardthevesselwhichwastoconveyhimfromElbatoFrance.ButthemadprecipitationofMuratputEuropeonthealert，andthebrilliantillusionvanishedlikeadream.
Afterbeingassuredthatallwastranquil，andthattheRoyalfamilywassecureagainsteverydanger，Imyselfsetoutatfouro’clockonthemorningofthe20thofMarch，takingtheroadtoLille.——NothingextraordinaryoccurreduntilIarrivedatthepost—officeofFins，infrontofwhichweredrawnupagreatnumberofcarriages，whichhadarrivedbeforemine，andtheownersofwhich，likemyself，wereimpatientlywaitingforhorses.Isoonobservedthatsomeonecalledthepostmasterasideinawaywhichdidnotappearentirelydevoidofmystery，andIacknowledgeIfeltsomedegreeofalarm.Iwasintheroominwhichthetravellerswerewaiting，andmyattentionwasattractedbyalargebillfixedagainstthewall.ItwasprintedinFrenchandRussian，anditprovedtobetheorderofthedaywhichIhadbeenfortunateenoughtoobtainfromtheEmperorAlexandertoexemptposthorses，etc.，fromtherequisitionsoftheAlliedtroops.
Iwasstandinglookingatthebillwhenthepostmastercameintotheroomandadvancedtowardsme.\"Sir，\"saidhe，\"thatisanorderofthedaywhichsavedmefromruin.\"——\"Thensurelyyouwouldnotharmthemanbywhomitissigned？\"——\"Iknowyou，sir，Irecognisedyouimmediately.