The Little Countess takes Arms for Her Defence.
THE EAGLE OF THE EMPIRE
A STORY OF WATERLOO
By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY
AUTHOR OF
"The Island of Regeneration," "The Island of the Stairs,"
"Britton of the Seventh," Etc.
With Frontispiece
By THE KINNEYS
A. L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers
New York
Published by Arrangements with GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
Copyright, 1915,
By GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
DEDICATION
Dedications have gone out of vogue save with the old fashioned. Theancient idea of an appeal to a patron has been eliminated from modernliterature. If a man now inscribes a book to any one it is that he mayassociate with his work the names of friends he loves and delights tohonor. There is always a certain amount of assurance in any suchdedication, the assurance lying in the assumption that there is honorto the recipient in the association with the book. Well, there is nomistaking the purpose anyway.
One of my best friends, and that friendship has been proved in war andpeace, at home and abroad, is a Bank! The Bank is like Mercy in moreways than one, but particularly in that it is twice blessed; it isblessed in what it receives, I hope, and in what it gives, I know.From the standpoint of the depositor sometimes it is better to receivethan to give. It has been so in my case and I have been able topersuade the Bank to that way of thinking.
Therefore, in grateful acknowledgment of the very present help it hasbeen to me in time of need and in public recognition of many courtesiesfrom its officers and directors, and as some evidence of my deepappreciation of its many kindnesses to me, I dedicate this book to
THE MOUNT VERNON TRUST COMPANY
of
MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK
PREFACE
The Battle of Waterloo, which was fought just one hundred years ago andwith which the story in this book ends, is popularly regarded as one ofthe decisive battles of the world, particularly with reference to thecareer of the greatest of all Captains. Personally some study has ledme to believe that Bautzen was really the decisive battle of theNapoleonic wars. If the Emperor had there won the overwhelming victoryto which his combinations and the fortunes of war entitled him he wouldstill have retained his Empire. Whether he would have been satisfiedor not is another question; and anyway as I am practically alone amongstudents and critics in my opinions about Bautzen they can bedismissed. And that he lost that battle was his own fault anyway!
However Napoleon's genius cannot be denied any more than his failure.In this book I have sought to show him at his best and als