Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/53

 COUNSELS OF BUKOoYNK. 21 ami .stress of war. Prince Napoleon quitted his chap. division, departed from the Crimea, went down ! to Constantinople, and left those who till then had been his companions in arms to imagine how gloomy their prospects must seem in the eyes of the augurs, when — whatever the cause — this gifted, this keen-witted member of the then reigning family proved no longer minded to stand fast with them in the conflict, and share their doubtful fortunes. Upon receiving intelligence of his cousin's departure, the French Emperor gave strong expression to the anger he felt; but I abstain from recording the measures he took in his rage, because they were not fol- lowed up, and there is consequently room for conjecturing that they may have been stayed from a sense of justice, after learning aright the condition of Prince Napoleon's health* The Prince returned to France. VT. Still, though under this weight of discouraging Natural -, . reluctance troubles, the irencli were so deeply committed to of the . 111 French to the enterprise of breaking into Sebastopol by the alter their ■*• * main plan path of the Flagstaff Bastion that, without the of siege, support of reasons adduced from outside their own camp, they could hardly perhaps have en- his health, though materials for doing so have been placed within reach of the curious by M. Rousset's book, vol. i. pp. 397 et seq.
 * I do not myself choose to touch any question respecting