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THE HISTORY OF

armies reached Preuss-Eyran, near Warsaw. The possession of the town was contested obstinately, but at nightfall was in occupation of the French. On the following morning the battle began by the French troops charging the Russian line in two columns, but without effect. Many hours of hard fighting followed, the French onsetting with the fiery zeal of crusaders, and the Russians receiving them with great courage. Finally, the village of Schloditten having been occupied by Ney, was regained by the Russians at ten at night, and was the last scene of this eventful strife, in which both claimed with equal justice the victory. If any thing, the scale will incline to the Russian general, who hail but 64,000 men, while Napoleon mustered 92,000. There were 47,000 dead, of which 27,000 are supposed to have been French. Both nations had proved themselves so well matched in desperate resolution, that the Russian general's desire of an armistice was instantly agreed to by Buonaparte, on the 25th June, 1807.

The Emperor Alexander having repaired to Tilsit, he and Napoleon met on the 25th June. When Buonaparte chose to unbend, his fascination of manner was deemed irresistible, and this appeared in the case of the young and open-minded