began with an attempt to turn their right, but Barclay de Tolly anticipated this movement, and repelled it with such vigour, that a whole column of 7000 dispersed and fled into the hills of Bohemia for safety.  The Emperor then determined to pass the Spree in front of the enemy, and they permitted him to do so, rather than come down from their position.  He took up his quarters in the town of Bautzen, and his whole army bivouacked in presence of the allies.  The battle was resumed at daybreak on the 22nd; when Ney on the right, and Oudinot on the left, attempted simultaneously to turn the flanks of the position; while Soult and Napoleon himself directed charge after charge on the centre.  During four hours the struggle was maintained with unflinching obstinacy; the wooded heights, where Blucher commanded, had been taken and retaken several times—­the bloodshed, on either side, had been terrible—­ere, the situation of both flanks being apparent, the allies perceived the necessity either of retiring, or of continuing the fight against superior numbers on disadvantageous ground.  They withdrew accordingly; but still with all the deliberate coolness of a parade:  halting at every favourable spot, and renewing their cannonade.  “What,” exclaimed Napoleon, “no results! not a gun! not a prisoner!—­these people will not leave me so much as a nail.”  During the whole day he urged the pursuit with impetuous rage, reproaching even his chosen generals as “creeping scoundrels,” and exposing his own person in the very hottest of the fire.  By his side was Duroc, the grand master of the palace, his dearest—­many said, ere now, his only friend.  Bruyeres, another old associate of the Italian wars, was struck down in their view.  “Duroc,” whispered Napoleon, “fortune has a spite at us this day.”  A few minutes afterwards, Duroc himself was mortally wounded.  The Emperor instantly ordered a halt, and remained all the afternoon in front of his tent, surrounded by the guard, who did not witness his affliction without tears.  From this time he would listen to no reports or suggestions.—­“Everything to-morrow,” was his invariable answer.  He stood by Duroc while he died; drew up with his own hand an epitaph to be placed over his remains by the pastor of the place, who received 200 napoleons to defray the expense of a fitting monument; and issued also a decree in favour of his departed friend’s children.  Thus closed the 22nd.  The allies being strongly posted during most of the day, had suffered less than the French; the latter had lost 15,000, the former 10,000 men.

They continued their retreat into Upper Silesia; and Buonaparte advanced to Breslau, and released the garrison of Glogau.  Meanwhile the Austrian having watched these indecisive though bloody fields, once more renewed his offers of mediation.  The sovereigns of Russia and Prussia expressed great willingness to accept it; and Napoleon also appears to have been sincerely desirous for the moment of bringing his disputes to