Peace

proposals.

will last until the 15th of December, after which the provisions and salt meat will last five weeks. There remained 40,000 horses, 168,000 oxen, and 410,000 sheep."

It is also stated that the English in Paris had received notice that they could have passes to leave the city. On the 28th of January, 1871, Paris capitulated, and on the following morning the Germans occupied the forts.*

On the 2nd of February the Times gives the terms of peace proposed by Germany :

"The conditions of peace as announced by Count Bismarck to M. Favre include the cession of Alsace and Lorraine, with Belfort and Metz, the payment of a pecuniary indemnity of ten milliards of francs, the cession of Pondicherry, in the East Indies, and the transfer of twenty first-class men-of-war. M. Favre has referred the decision to the National Assembly."

On M. Thiers and M. Favre devolved the task of trying to obtain a reduction of these demands, and Count von Beust relates that when he met Prince von Bismarck at Gastein in 1871, the Prince

"spoke a great deal of the French war and of his negotiations with Thiers and Jules Favre. 'The truce was coming to an end,' said Bismarck, 'and I said to Thiers:

Écoutez, Monsieur Thiers, voilà une heure que je subis votre éloquence; il faut une fois en finir; je vous préviens que je ne parlerai plus français, je ne parlerai qu'allemand." "Mais, monsieur," answered Thiers, “nous ne comprenons

The city of Paris had to pay an indemnity of 200,000,000 francs.

pas un mot d'allemand." "C'est égal," I replied, "je ne parlerai qu'allemand." Thiers then made a magnificent speech. I listened patiently, and answered in German. He and Favre went up and down the room, wringing their hands in despair, for half an hour. At last they yielded, and did exactly what I wanted. Upon this I at once spoke French again.""

By the treaty finally signed at Frankfort on the 10th of May, and ratified by the French National Assembly on the 18th, the French had to cede Alsace and Lorraine and to pay an indemnity of five milliards of francs, of which one had to be paid down. In September, 1873, the entire payment was completed, and the German army of occupation was withdrawn. It is to the persistence of M. Thiers that the retention of Belfort by France was due.

The series of articles on 'The Scientific Organization of the Army' were continued, papers appearing on January 7th and 28th, February 11th, and March 4th, 1871.

War literature.

Metz.'

War literature occupied considerable space during 1871 in the Athenæum. 'The Fall of The Fall of Metz: an Account of the Seventy Days' Siege and of the Battles which preceded It,' by G. T. Robinson, special correspondent of the Manchester Guardian, is reviewed on the 4th of March: "Here, as elsewhere, the Prussians successfully played the game of brag, The game of only hundreds being posted where the

brag.

French supposed there were thousands, campfires being lit where there were no camps, and wooden cannon being placed in battery to restrain the besieged......It is clear that the Prussian works could have been easily forced at any point; that there was still plenty of food left in Metz when it capitulated, but neither had proper perquisitions been made, nor had the supply in store been distributed Marshal regularly; that Bazaine was selfish and selfindulgent, that he thought only of his own comfort-only once showing himself to the troops, and never visiting the hospitals; and that the siege would have been prolonged could the army have found a leader to head them, and seize the authority of which Bazaine was unworthy."

Bazaine.

Experiences

of the War,'

My Experiences of the War between France by Archibald and Germany,' by Archibald Forbes, is reviewed Forbes. on the 22nd of July. The contents of Mr.

Forbes's book originally appeared in the Daily News and the Morning Advertiser. The surNapoleon at render of the Emperor Napoleon after Sedan at Sedan. the now celebrated weaver's cottage is thus described :

"A little after nine there came up at the trot, from Donchery, a half-troop of the 1st Sleswig Cuirassier regiment of Life Guards. The Cuirassiers, with trained celerity, formed a semicircle round the house. The

burly lieutenant dismounted two of his men, and, without a glance at the sitting party or the semblance of a salute, marched them close up to the cottage wall, just behind the Emperor's chair; halted them; gave loudly the command 'Draw swords'; and then gave them their orders in an undertone. I noticed the Emperor glance backward at this arrangement, as if he did not half like it. There was a flush on his face, the first evidence of emotion he had manifested."

'The Campaign of 1870-1: republished from the Times, by Permission,' is noticed on the 29th of July: "It is bare justice to say that the book is full of able and impartial criticism,— that it is skilfully put together, that the style is pleasant, and that it affords the greatest amount of information in the smallest possible space."

In addition reviews appeared of 'Napoleon Fallen a Lyrical Drama,' by Robert Buchanan ; 'What I Saw of the War at the Battles of Speichern, Gorze, and Gravelotte,' by the Hon. C. Allanson Winn; From Sedan to Saarbrück,' by an Officer of the Royal Artillery; 'Letters on Military Organization,' by Lord Elcho ; 'Diary of the Besieged Resident in Paris,' reprinted from the Daily News; 'Journal of the Siege of Paris,' by the Hon. Capt. Bingham ; 'The War Correspondence of the Daily News, 1870'; 'Shut up in Paris during the Siege,' by Nathan Sheppard; 'Paris under the Commune,'

The Campaign of 1870-1.'

Mr. Sampson
Low, jun.

by J. Leighton; 'The Story of the Commune,' by a Communalist; and many others.

Mr. Sampson Low, jun., of the firm of Low, Son & Marston, died on March 5th, 1871. He was much respected by all who had dealings with the publishing house of which he was long an active member, and his death at the early age of forty-eight was a cause of general regret. The Athenæum on the 11th states: "His book 'Charities of on the 'Charities of London,' which has run London.' through many editions, has merits above those of a mere compilation, and has more than once been noticed in these columns. It was followed by a 'Handbook' to the Charities, from the same hand." Mr. Low "greatly contributed to the successful establishment of the Metropolitan The fire fire-escape system, which was up to recent escape system. times wholly supported by public subscrip

Prof. De
Morgan.

tions......It was only after years of labour that that useful institution was brought to the high state of efficiency in which it was finally handed over, nearly four years since, to the Board of Works."

Augustus De Morgan died at his residence in Merton Road, Regent's Park, on the 18th of March, in his sixty-fifth year. The Athenæum of the 25th states: "Born at Madura, in Southern India, in June, 1806, Augustus De Morgan belonged to a family several of whose members