endeavouring to reach the flank of MacMahon's army. On the 27th August the French marshal, who ought to have reached the Meuse, was only at Le Chêne le Populeux: the delay must be explained by the bad condition of the troops, who only marched 22 miles in two days, and the misconduct of some of the regimental officers; this delay proved fatal, for the German armies, numbering about 24,000 men, were marching on with astonishing rapidity, and the Crown Prince of Saxony reached the Meuse in time to fall upon the vanguard of the French when they should cross it; the Crown Prince of Prussia arrived on the line of march of the French by the 28th. MacMahon, now warned of his danger, determined to cross the Meuse and to go on to Carignan by Montmédy, but the Prussians advanced and drove back the French as they arrived on the river, with terrible loss, and shut off the road to Montmédy. MacMahon, with his disheartened troops, then collected behind the Chiers. Here, with his 110,000 men, with Balan and Bazeilles in front, and Sedan to the right of the Meuse, he waited the attack, the emperor, it is said, still sanguine as to the result. On the morning of the 31st August the battle began, every step was disputed, every position the scene of a bloody contest; the emperor himself fought bravely and cheered on his men, but all was in vain, the French line after a struggle of several hours gave way, and was "driven headlong into the town, smitten by the weight of a crushing artillery." Firing was still kept up on the town, until a flag of truce was waved from its undefended walls, in token that a parley was desired. A council of war was held in Sedan; with almost one voice it was agreed that the position was hopeless, and that the terms of the King of Prussia must be submitted to. An army of

95,000 men, eagles, flags, horses, and arms in immense numbers were the trophies of this disastrous day! Napoleon also surrendered himself prisoner, and has been assigned a residence at Wilhelmshöhe by the King of Prussia. MacMahon was badly wounded. Upon the receipt of this terrible defeat great agitation prevailed in Paris: the deposition of the emperor and the proclaiming of a Republic was demanded. A little later the Republic was proclaimed, and the new ministry thus constituted:

General Trochu...President of the Government, with full military powers for the national defence.

M. Jules Favre...Minister of Foreign Affairs.

M. Gambetta......Minister of the Interior.

General Leflo ...Minister of War.

M. Fourichon ...Minister of Marine.

M. Crémieux ...Minister of Justice.

M. Picard.........Minister of Finance.

M. Jules Simon..Minister of Public Instruction and Religion. M. Magnin .......Minister of Agriculture.

M. Dorian .........Minister of Public Works.

The Republic was proclaimed at Lyons and at other large towns, and perfect order reigned.

The Empress and the Prince Imperial retired to England. It is believed that before the memorable battle of Sedan, communication, by means of a subterranean telegraph to Mezières, had been kept up between Marshals MacMahon and Bazaine, for on the 31st August the latter tried to break through the German lines and to advance to Thionville; the attempt was unsuccessful, both on that and on the following day, but the Germans sustained heavy losses. A few days later Bazaine received news of the capitulation of Sedan,

but he refused to listen to the idea of surrender, and although his prospects must even then have seemed hopeless, he prepared to defend the fortress. He held out for more than seven weeks, keeping the army of the enemy which surrounded Metz in check; but he could not break through their lines, and was obliged to succumb to famine. On the 27th October the whole French army, consisting of 3 marshals of France, 6,000 officers, 173,000 men, and immense quantities of munitions of war, besides one of the strongest fortresses in Europe, were the trophies of a capitulation which, although different to that of Sedan, was even a greater national disaster. The terms of the capitulation of Metz, agreed upon by the commanders of the respective armies, were as follows:

"Art. 1. The French army placed under the orders of Marshal Bazaine are prisoners of war.

"Art. 2. The fortress and the town of Metz, with all the forts, the material of war, the provisionments of all kinds, and everything that is the property of the State, will be surrendered to the Prussian army in the state in which it is at the time of the signature of this convention. On Saturday, October 29th, at midday, the forts of St. Quentin, Plappeville, St. Julien, Queuleu, and St. Privat, as well as the gate Mazelle, on the road to Strasbourg, be made over to the Prussian troops. At ten o'clock on the morning of the same day, the artillery and engineer officers, with some noncommissioned officers, will be admitted into the said forts, to occupy the powder magazines and to discover the mines.

"Art. 3. The arms, as well as all the material of the army, consisting of flags, eagles, cannon, mitrailleuses, horses, war chests, equipages of the army, munitions, etc., will be left at

Metz, and in the forts, at military offices established by the Marshal Bazaine, to be remitted immediately to Prussian Commissioners. The troops without arms will be conducted, arranged according to their regiments and corps, in military order, to the place appointed for each corps. The officers will then re-enter freely into the interior of the entrenched camp, or at Metz, on condition of giving their word of honour not to quit the place without the orders of the Prussian commandant. The troops will keep their knapsacks, tents, coverings, etc.

"Art. 4. All the generals and officers, as well as the military employés having the rank of officers, who give their parole in writing not to bear arms against Germany, or to act in any way contrary to her interests until the end of the present war, will not be made prisoners of war. They will preserve their arms and personal effects. In recognition of the courage of which the army and the garrison gave proof during the campaign, it is also permitted to those officers who choose captivity, to take with them their swords and personal effects.

"Art. 5. The military surgeons will, without exception, remain behind in charge of the wounded. They will be treated according to the Convention of Geneva, as will be the "personnel" of the hospitals.

"Art. 6. Questions of detail concerning the interests of the town are treated in the appendix to this protocol.

“Art. 7. Any article which is doubtful shall be interpreted in favour of the French army."