Napoleon sent to Elba

1814 The Journey of a Modern Hero to the Island of Elba, hand-coloured etching, published by J Phillips, London

Napoleon in 1814 has been forced to abdicate and has been sent to the Island of Elba, where he was effectively a prisoner while the Monarchy was returned to France.  

This cartoon shows a farce.  A sigh of relief!  We have peace again!

The little ditty runs as follows:

Farewell my brave soldiers, my eagle adieu; stung with my ambition, over the world ye flew
But deed of disaster so sad to rehearse, I have lived - fatal truth for to know the reverse.
From Moscow, from Lypsic the case it is clear, I was sent back to France with a flea in my ear.
A lesson to mortels regarding my fall; he grabs at a shadow by grasping at all.
My course it is finished, my race it is run, just where it begun
The Empire of France no more it is mine, because I can’t keep it I freely resign.

Do not count your chickens until they are hatched! Napoleon had a final card to play. After 10 months, in his classic manner, Napoleon decided suddenly to leave Elba. He returned quickly to Paris, picking up the army as he travelled through France. This return left us that unusual sentence – Able was I ere I saw Elba.

It also caused the newly-installed French King to flee ignominiously  to Belgium. 

Back in Paris, Napoleon prepared for the Battle of Waterloo where he intended to defeat the combined forces of the European Monarchs and take back his position as Emperor of the French.