CHAPTERI:CORSICATOBRIENNE
  1769—1779
  Napoleon’sfather,CharlesBonaparte,wasthehonoredprogenitorofthirteenchildren,ofwhomthemanwhosubsequentlybecametheEmperoroftheFrench,bysomecuriousprovisionoffate,wasthesecond。ThattheinfantNapoleonshouldhavefollowedratherthanledtheprocessionissoforeigntothenatureofthemanthatmanyworthypersonsunfamiliarwiththetruefactsofhistoryhavebelievedthatJosephwasapurelyapocryphalinfant,or,assomehavesuggested,merelyanadoptedchild;butthatNapoleondiduponthisoccasioncontenthimselfwithsecondplaceisanincontrovertiblefact。Norisitentirelyunaccountable。Itishardlytobesupposedthatatruemilitarygenius,suchasNapoleonisuniversallyconcededtohavebeen,wouldplungeintothemidstofagreatbattlewithoutfirsthavingacquaintedhimselfwiththepossibilitiesofthefuture。
  Areconnoitreofthefieldofactionisthefirstdutyofasuccessfulcommander;andhenceitwasthatNapoleon,notwishingtorushwhollyunpreparedintothebattleoflife,assignedtohisbrotherJosephthearduoustaskoffirstenteringintotheworldtoseehowthelandlay。Josephhavingfoundeverythingtohissatisfaction,NapoleonmadehisappearanceinthelittleislandofCorsica,recentlycomeunderFrenchdominationthe15thdayAugust,1769。Hadhebeenborntwomonthsearlier,wearetold,hewouldhavebeenanItalian。Hadhebeenbornahundredyearslater,itisdifficulttosaywhathewouldhavebeen。Asitwas,hewasbornaFrenchman。Itisnotpleasanttocontemplatewhattheman’sfuturewouldhavebeenhadhebeenbornanItalian,norisiteasytopicturethatfuturewithanyconfidencebornofcertainty。SincethedaysofCaesar,Italyhadnotproducedanygreatmilitarycommander,anditisnotlikelythatthepowerswouldhavechangedtheirscheme,confirmedbysixteencenturiesofobservance,inNapoleon’sbehalf——afactwhichNapoleonhimselfrealized,forheoftensaidinhislatterdays,withashudder:"IhatetothinkhowingloriousIshouldhavebecomehadIbeenborntwomonthsearlierandenteredtheworldasanItalian。IshouldhavebeenanotherJoseph——notthatJosephisnotagoodman,butheisnotagreatman。Ah!Bourrienne,wecannotbetoocarefulintheselectionofourbirthdays。"
  ItisthetestimonyofallwhoknewhiminhisinfancythatNapoleonwasagoodchild。Hewasobedientandrespectfultohismother,andsometimesatnightwhen,onaccountofsomeindigestiblequalityofhisfoodorothercause,itwasnecessaryforhisfathertomakeaseriesofforcedmarchesupanddownthespaciousnurseryinthebeautifulhomeatAjaccio,holdingtheinfantwarriorinhisarms,certainpremonitionsofhisson’sfuturecareerdawnedupontheparent。Hisanguishwasvoicedincommandingtones;hiswails,likehissubsequentaddressestohissoldiers,wereshort,sharp,clear,anddecisive,norwouldhebrooktheslightesthaltinthesemidnightmarchesuntilthedifficultieswhichstoodinhispathhadbeenovercome。Hisconfidenceinhimselfatthisearlyperiodwasremarkable。Quicktomakeuphismind,hewastenaciousofhispurposetotheveryend。
  Itisrelatedthatwhenbarelysevenmonthsold,whilesittinginhisnurse’slap,bymeansofsignswhichshecouldnotfailtocomprehend,heexpressedthedesire,which,indeed,ischaracteristicofmosthealthyChildrenofthatage,topossessthewholeoftheoutsideworld,nottomentionthemoonandothercelestialbodies。
  ReachinghislittlehandsoutinthedirectionoftheContinent,lyingnotfardistantoverthewatersoftheMediterranean,hemadethisdemand;andwhile,ofcourse,hisdesirewasnotgrantedupontheinstant,itisthetestimonyofhistorythatheneverlostsightofthatcherishedobject。
  AfterprovidingNapoleonwithelevenotherbrothersandsisters,CharlesBonapartedied,andlefthisgoodandfaithfulwifeLetitiatocareforthefuturegreatnessofhisfamily,ataskrenderedsomewhatthemorearduousthanitmightotherwisehavebeenbythelackofincome;butthegoodwoman,whohadmuchofNapoleon’snatureinhermake—up,wasequaltotheoccasion。Shehadhersonstohelpher,andwasconstantlybuoyedupbytheexpresseddeterminationofhersecondchildtoplaceherbeyondthereachofwantinthatfuturedaywhenthewholeworldlaygrovellingathisfeet。
  "Donotworry,mother,"Napoleonsaid。"LetJosephandLucienandLouisandJeromeandthegirlsbeeducated;asforme,Icantakecareofmyself。I,whoattheageofthreehavemasteredtheItalianlanguage,haveafuturebeforeme。IwillgotoFrance,andthen——"
  "Well!whatthen?"hismotherasked。
  "Nousverrons!"Napoleonreplied,turningonhisheelandwalkingoutofthehousewhistlingamilitarymarch。
  FromthisitwillbeseenthateveninhisinfancyNapoleonhadhisideasastohisfuturecourse。Anotheranecdote,whichistakenfromtheunpublishedmemoirsofthegrandsonofoneofhisCorsicannurses,illustratesinanequallyvividmannerhow,whileamereinfantinarms,hehadapassionforandaknowledgeofmilitaryterms。EarlyonemorningthesilencewasbrokenbytheincipientEmperorcallingloudlyforassistance。Hisnurse,rushingtohim,discoveredthatthepointofapinwasstickingintohisback。
  Hastilyremovingthecauseofthedisturbance,sheendeavoredtocomforthim:
  "Nevermind,sweetheart,"shesaid,"it’sonlyanastypin。"
  "Nastypin!"roaredNapoleon。"BythereverednameofPaoli,IswearIthoughtitwasabayonet!"
  Itwas,nodoubt,thisearlyrealizationoftheconspicuousparthewastoplayinthehistoryofhistimethatmadetheyouthfulBonapartereservedofmanner,gloomy,andtaciturn,andpronetoirritability。Hefeltwithinhimthegermoffuturegreatness,andsobecameimpatientofrestraint。Hecompletelydominatedthehousehold。Joseph,hiselderbrother,becameentirelysubjecttotheimperiouswillofthefutureEmperor;andwheninfancyNapoleondreamedofthosebattlestocome,Josephwasalwayssummonedtotakeanactivepartintheimaginaryfight。NowhewasthebridgeofLodi,and,lyingflatonhisback,wasforcedtopermithisbloodthirstybrothertogallopacrosshim,shoutingwordsofinspirationtoabandofimaginaryfollowers;againhewasforcedtoposeasasnow—cladAlpforNapoleontoclimb,followedlaboriouslybyLucienandJeromeandtheotherchildren。ItcannotbesupposedthatthiswasalwayspleasingtoJoseph,butheneverfalteredwhenthedemandwasmadethatheshouldact,becausehedidnotdare。
  "Youbringupthegirls,mother,"Napoleonhadsaid。"LeavetheboystomeandI’llmakekingsofthemall,ifIhavetosendthemovertotheUnitedStates,whereallmenwillsoonbepotentates,andtheirrulersmerelyservants——chosentodotheirbidding。"
  Once,Josephventuringtoasserthimselfastheeldestson,Napoleonsmiledgrimly。
  "Andwhat,pray,doesthatmean?"heasked,scornfully。
  "ThatIandnotyouamtheheadofthefamily,"repliedJoseph。
  "Verywell,"saidNapoleon,rushingbehindhim,and,byarapidlyconceivedflankmovement,givingJosephagoodsoundkick。"Howdoestheheadofthefamilylikethefootofthefamily?Don’teverprateofaccidentsofbirthtome。"
  FromthattimeonJosephnevermurmuredagain,butobeyedblindlyhisbrother’sslightestbehest。HewouldhavepermittedNapoleontomowhimdownwithgrape—shotwithoutcomplaintratherthanrebelandincurthewrathwhichheknewwouldthenfalluponhishead。
  AtschoolthesamedefianceofrestraintandcontemptforsuperiorstrengthcharacterizedNapoleon。Here,too,histaciturnnaturehelpedhimmuch。Ifhewereaskedaquestionwhichhecouldnotanswer,hewoulddeclinetospeak,sothathisinstructorswereunabletostatewhetherornothewasinignoranceastothepointunderdiscussion,andcouldmarkhimdownconscientiouslyascontumeliousonly。Henceitwasthathestoodwellinhisstudies,butwasneverremarkablefordeportment。Hisfavoriteplaything,barringhisbrotherJoseph,wasasmallbrasscannonthatweighedsomethirtyoddpounds,andwhichisstilltobeseenontheislandofCorsica。Ofthisheoncesaid:"I’dratherhearitsreportthanlistentoaGermanband;thoughifIcouldgetthembothplayingatthesametimethere’dbeoneGermanbandlessintheworld。"
  Thisremarkfounditsparallellateronwhen,placedbyBarrasincommandofthedefendersoftheConventionagainsttheattacksoftheSectionists,NapoleonwasaskedthechairmanoftheAssemblytosendthemoccasionalreportsastohowmattersprogressed。Hisreplywasterse。
  "Legislators,"hesaid,"youaskmeforanoccasionalreport。Ifyoulistenyouwillhearthereportofmycannon。Thatisallyou’llget,anditwillbeallyouneed。Iamhere。Iwillsaveyou。"
  "Itisapoortimeforjokes,"saidarepresentative。
  "Itisaworsetimeforpaperreports,"retortedNapoleon。"Itwouldtakemelongertowriteoutalegislativereportthanitwilltocleanoutthemob。Besides,Iwantitunderstoodatthisendofmycareerthatautograph—huntersaregoingtogetleft。"
  Asheturned,Barrasaskedhimastohisintentions。
  "Whereareyougoing?"heasked。
  "Tomakeanoiseintheworld,"criedNapoleon;"aurevoir。"
  Thathehadimplantedinhimtheessentialelementsofagreatfighterhisschool—companionswerenotlonginfindingout。
  Whennotmorethanfiveyearsofagehefellinlovewithalittleschoolmate,and,beingjeeredatforhisopenlyavowedsentiments,hethreatenedtothrashthewholeschool,addingtothelittlemaidenthathewouldthrashheraswellunlessshereturnedhislove,alineofargumentwhichcompletelywonherheart,particularlyinviewofthefactthatheprovedhissinceritybyfulfillingthatpartofhisassumedobligationswhichreferredtothesubjugationoftherestoftheschool。Itwasuponthisoccasionthatinreferencetohiscarelessnessofdress,hisschoolmatescomposedtherhyme,"NapoleondimezzacalzettaFal’amoreaGiacominetta。"
  which,liberallytranslated,means,"Hi!LookatNap!Hissocksdownofhisshin,IsmakinglovetolittleGiacomin。"
  TothisNapoleon,ontheauthorityoftheMemoirsofhisFather’sHiredMan,retorted:
  "Iwouldadviseyou,benotindiscreet,OrIwillyankYOURsocksrightofyourfeet。"
  Allofwhichgoestoshowthatatnotimeinhisyouthwashetobetrifledwith。Inpoetryorapitchedbattlehewasquiteequaltoanyemergency,andhiscompanionswerenotlonginfindingitout。
  SopassedtheinfancyofMr。Bonaparte,ofCorsica。Itwas,afterall,muchliketheextremeyouthofmostotherchildren。Ineverythingheundertookhewasfacileprinceps,andinnothingthathesaidordidisthereevidencethathefailedtoappreciatewhatlaybeforehim。Avisitortothefamilyonceventuredtheremark,"I
  amsorry,Napoleon,foryoulittleCorsicans。YouhavenoFourthofJulyorGuyFawkesDaytocelebrate。"
  "Oh,asforthat,"saidNapoleon,"Iforonedonotmind。IwillmakenationalholidayswhenIgettobeaman,andatpresentIcangetalongwithoutthem。What’stheuseofFourthofJulywhenyoucanshootofffireworkseveryday?"
  Itwasapertinentquestion,thevisitordepartedmuchimpressedwiththeboy’sprecocity,whichwasrendereddoublymemorablebyNapoleon’shumorindischargingfifteenpoundsofwaddingfromhiscannonintothevisitor’sbackashewentoutofthefrontgate。
  AttheageofsixNapoleonputasideallinfantilepleasures,andateightassumedallthedignityofthatage。HeannouncedhisintentiontoceaseplayingwarwithhisbrotherJoseph。
  "Iamnolongerachild,Joseph,"hesaid;"Ishallnolongerthrashyouinplay。Here—afterIshalldoitinsoberearnest。"
  Whichnodoubtiswhy,in1779,Napoleonhavingstuckfaithfullytohispromise,Josephheartilysecondedhisyoungerbrother’sdemandthatheshouldleaveCorsicaandtakeacourseofmilitaryinstructionatBrienne。
  "IshallnodoubtmissmydearbrotherNapoleon,"Josephsaidtohismother;"butIwouldnotstandinthewayofhisadvancement。Lethimgo,eventhoughbyhisdepartureIamdeprivedofallopportunitytoassisthiminhispleasinggamesofwar。"
  CHAPTERII:BRIENNE
  1779—1785
  Aswehaveseen,theyoungCorsicanwasonlytenyearsofagewhen,throughtheinfluenceofCountMarboeuf,anoldfriendoftheBonapartefamily,hewasadmittedtothemilitaryschoolatBrienne。
  ThosewhowerepresentatthehourofhisdeparturefromhomesaythatNapoleonwouldhaveweptlikeanyotherchildhadheyieldedtotheimpulsesofhisheart,andhadbenotdetectedasmileofsatisfactionuponthelipsofhisbrotherJoseph。Itwasthissmilethatdrovealltenderemotionsfromhisbreast。TakingJosephtooneside,herequestedtoknowthecauseofhismirth。
  "Iwasthinkingofsomethingfunny,"saidJoseph,palingslightlyasheobservedthesternexpressionofNapoleon’sface。
  "Oh,indeed,"saidNapoleon;"andwhatwasthatsomething?I’dliketosmilemyself。"
  "H’m!——ah——why,"falteredJoseph,"itmaynotstrikeyouasfunny,youknow。Whatisajokeforonemanisapttobeaseriousmatterforanother,particularlywhenthatotherisofataciturnandirritabledisposition。"
  "Verylikely,"saidNapoleon,dryly;"andsometimeswhatisajokeforthemanofmirthislikewiseintheendaseriousmatterforthatsamehumorousperson。Thismayturnouttobethecaseinthepresentemergency。Whatwasthejoke?IfIdonotfinditahumorousjoke,I’llgiveyouapartingcaresswhichyouwon’tforgetinahurry。"
  "Iwasonlythinking,"saidJoseph,uneasily,"thatitisaverygoodthingforthatlittleferry—boatyouaregoingawayonthatyouaregoingonit。"
  HereJosephsmiledweakly,butNapoleonwasgrimasever。
  "Well,"hesaid,impatiently,"whatofthat?"
  "Why,"returnedJoseph,"itseemedtomethatsuchatirelesslittleworkerastheboatiswouldfinditveryrestfultotakeaNap。"
  ForaninstantNapoleonwassilent。
  "Joseph,"saidhe,ashegazedsolemnlyoutofthewindow,"Ithankyoufromthebottomofmyheartforthis。Ihadhadregretsatleavinghome。AmomentagoIwasreadytobreakdownforthesorrowofpartingfrommyfavoriteAlp,frommyhome,frommymother,andmylittlebrasscannon;butnow——nowIcangowithaheartsteeledagainstemotion。Ifyouaregoinginforhumorofthatkind,I’mgladI’mgoingaway。Farewell。"
  Withthis,pickingJosephupinhisarmsandconcealinghimbeneaththesofacushions,Napoleonimprintedakissuponhismother’scheek,rushedaboardthecraftthatwastobearhimtofame,andwassoonbutamemoryinthelittlehouseatAjaccio。"Partingissuchsweetsorrow,"murmuredJoseph,ashewatchedthelittlevesselboundingovertheturquoisewatersoftheimprisonedsea。"Ishallmisshim;
  buttherearethosewhowaxfatongrief,and,ifIknowmyself,Iamofthatbrand。"
  ArrivedatParis,Napoleonwasnaturallyawe—strickenbythesplendorsofthatwonderfulcity。
  "IshallneverforgetthefirstsightIhadofParis,"hesaid,yearslater,whenspeakingofhisboyhoodtoMadameJunot,withwhomhewasenjoyingatete—a—teteinthepalaceatVersailles。"IwonderedifI
  hadn’tdiedofsea—sicknessonthewayover,asIhadseveraltimeswishedImight,andgottoheaven。Ididn’tknowhowliketheotherplaceitwasatthattime,yousee。Itwaslikeanenchantedland,aWorld’sFairforever,andthepricesIhadtopayforthingsquitecarriedouttheWorld’sFairidea。Theywereenormous。Wearywithwalking,forinstance,Ihiredafiacreanddroveaboutthecityforanhour,anditcostmefiftyfrancs;butIfellinwithpleasantenoughpeople,oneofwhomgavemeaten—francticketentitlingmetoaseatonaparkbench——forfivefrancs。"
  MadameJunotlaughed。
  "AndyettheyclaimthatbuncoisapurelyAmericaninstitution,"shesaid。
  "Dame!"criedNapoleon,risingfromthethrone,andwalkingexcitedlyupanddownthepalacefloor,"IneverrealizeduntilthismomentthatIhadbeenswindled!Bourrienne,sendFouchetome。Irememberthemandistinctly,andifheliveshehasyettodie。"
  Calmingdown,hewalkedtoMadameJunot’sside,and,takingherbythehand,continued:
  "Andthenthetheatres!Whatrevelationsofdelighttheywere!I
  usedtogototheTheatreFrancaiswheneverIcouldsneakawayandhadthemoneytoseatmewiththegodsinthegalleries。Bernhardtwasthenplayingjuvenileparts,andCoquelinhadnotbeenheardof。
  Ah!mydearMadameJunot,"headded,givingherearadelicatepinch,"thosewerethedayswhenlifeseemedworththeliving——whenoneofataciturnnatureandpronetoirritabilitycouldfindrealpleasureinexistence。Ohtobeunknownagain!"
  Andthen,MadameJunot’shusbandhavingenteredtheroom,theEmperoroncemorerelapsedintoamoodysilence。
  ButtoreturntoBrienne。Napoleonsoonfoundthatthereisagulfmeasurablebynocalculabledistancebetweenexistenceasthedominatingforceofafamilyandlifeasanewboyataboarding—
  school。Hefoundhispositionreversed,andhebeganforthefirsttimeinhislifetoappreciatethevirtuesofhisbrotherJoseph。HewhohadbeenthevictoriousgeneralcrossingtheAlpsnowfoundhimselftheAlp,withadozenvictoriousgeneralscrossinghim;hewhohadbeenthegunnerwasnowthetarget,andhispresentinabilitytoexpresshisfeelingsinlanguagewhichhistormentorscouldunderstand,forhehadnotyetmasteredtheFrenchtongue,kepthiminastateofbeingwhichmaywellbetermedvolcanic。
  "Isimplyragedwithininthosedays,"NapoleononcesaidtoLasCasas。"Icouldhaveswallowedmyfoodrawanditwouldhavebeencookedonitswaydown,Iboiledso。Theytookmeforasnow—cladAlp,when,asamatteroffact,IwasasmallVesuvius,withatemperaturethatwouldhavemadeTabascosauceseemlikeicedwaterbycontrast。"
  Histreatmentatthehandsofhisfellow—studentsdidmuchtoincreasehisirritability,buthekepthimselfwellinhand,bidingthetimewhenhecouldrepaytheirinsultswithinterest。Theyjeeredhimbecausehewasshort——shortofstatureandshortoffunds;
  theytwittedhimonbeinganalien,callinghimanItalian,andaskinghimwhyhedidnotseekoutapositioninthestreet—cleaningbureauinsteadofendeavoringtoassociatewithgentlemen。Tothistheboymadeaspiritedreply。
  "Iamfittingmyselfforthat,"hesaid。"I’llsweepyourParisianstreetssomeday,andsomeofyouparticleswillgowiththerestofthedustbeforemybroom。"
  Helittleguessedhowpropheticwerethesewords。
  Again,theytormentedNapoleononbeingthesonofalawyer,andaskedhimwhohistailorwas,andwhetherornothisgarmentswerethelostsuitsofhisfather’sclients,theresultofwhichwasthat,thoughbornofanaristocraticfamily,theboybecameapronouncedRepublican,andsworeeternalenmitytothehigh—born。Anotherresultofthisattitudetowardshimwasthatheretiredfromthecompanionshipofallsavehisbooks,andhebecameintimatewithHomerandOssianandPlutarch——familiarwiththeriseandfallofemperorsandempires。Challengedtofightaduelwithoneofhisclassmatesforasupposititiousinsult,heaccepted,and,havingthechoiceinweapons,choseanexaminationinmathematics,theonefirstfailinginademonstrationtoblowhisbrainsout。"Thatisthesaferforyou,"hesaidtohisadversary。"Youaresuretolose;buttheafter—effectswillnotbefatal,becauseyouhavenobrainstoblowout,soyoucanblowoutacandleinstead。"
  Whatevercameoftheduelwearenotinformed;butitistobepresumedthatitdidnotresultfatallyforyoungBonaparte,forhelivedmanyyearsaftertheincident,asmostofourreadersareprobablyaware。Hadhenotdoneso,thisbiographywouldhavehadtostophere,andcountlessreadersofourowndaywouldhavebeendeprivedofmuchentertainingfictionthatisevennowbeingscatteredbroadcastovertheworldwithNapoleonasitshero。Hisloveofbookscombinedwithhisfondnessformilitarylifewasnevermorebeautifullyexpressedthanwhenhewrotetohismother:"WithmyswordatmysideandmyHomerinmypocket,Ihopetocarvemywaythroughtheworld。"
  ThebeautyandsimplicityofthisstatementisnotatallaffectedbyJoseph’sflippantsuggestionthatbythisNapoleonprobablymeantthathewouldreadhisenemiestosleepwithhisHomer,andthenusehisswordtocuttheirheadsoff。Joseph,aswehavealreadyseen,hadbeencompletelysubjugatedbyhisyoungerbrother,anditisnottobewonderedat,perhaps,that,withhisyoungerbrotheratasafedistance,heshouldmanifestsomejealousy,andaffecttotreathissentimentswithanunwarrantedlevity。
  ForNapoleon’sself—imposedsolitudeeverythingatBriennearrangeditselfpropitiously。Eachofthestudentswasprovidedwithasmallpatchofgroundwhichhecoulddowithashepleased,andNapoleon’suseofhisallottedsharewascharacteristic。Heconverteditintoafortifiedgarden,surroundedbytreesandpalisades。
  "NowIcanmopeinpeace,"hesaid——andhedid。
  IthasbeensupposedbyhistoriansthatitwasherethatNapoleondidallofhisthinking,mappingouthisfuturecareer,andsomeofthemhavetolduswhathethought。Hedreamedoffuturegloryalways,oneofthemstates;butwhetherupontheauthorityofapalisadeoratiger—lilyisnotmentioned。Othershavegivenushissoliloquiesashepassedtoandfrointhislittleretreatalone,andheardonlybythestarsatnight;butforourselves,wemustbeaccurate,anditisduetothereaderatthispointthatweshouldconfess——havingnostarsinourconfidence——ourentireignoranceastowhatNapoleonBonapartesaid,did,orthoughtwhensittinginsolitudeinhisfortifiedbower;thoughifourcandidimpressionisdesiredwehavenohesitationinsayingthatwebelievehimtohavebeeninParisenjoyingthesightsofthegreatcityduringthoseperiodsofsolitude。Boysareboysinalllands,andaknowledgeofthatpeculiarspeciesofhumanbeings,theboarding—schoolboy,isconvincingthat,givenaprospectoffiveorsixhoursofuninterruptedsolitude,noyouthofproperspiritwouldfailtoavailhimselfoftheopportunitiesthusofferedtoseelife,particularlywithacitylikePariswithineasy"hooky"distance。
  ItmustalsoberememberedthattheFrenchhadatthistimeabolishedthehereafter,alongwiththeideaofaDeityandallpertainingthereto,sothattherewasnothingbeyondapurelytemporaldisciplineandlackoffundstointerferewithBonaparte’senjoymentofallthepleasureswhichPariscouldgive。Oftemporaldisciplineheneedhavehadnofear,since,itwasperforcerelaxedwhilehewasmasterofhissolitude;asforthelackoffunds,historyhasshownthatthisneverinterferedwiththefulfilmentofNapoleon’shopes,andhencethebeliefthatthebeautifulpictures,drawnbyhistoriansandpaintedbymastersofthebrush,ofNapoleoninsolitudeshouldberevisedtoincludeafewaccessories,drawnfromsuchportionsofParisianlifeaswillreadilysuggestthemselves。
  Inhisstudies,however,Napoleonrankedhigh。Hismathematicalabilitiesweresomarkedthatitwasstatedthathecouldsquarethecirclewithhiseyesclosedandbothhandstiedbehindhisback。
  "TheonlycircleIcouldnotsquareatthattime,"saidhe,"wasthefamilycircle,beinginsufficientlyprovidedwithincometodoso。I
  mighthavesucceededbetterhadnotJoseph’sappetitegrowntoofastforthestrengthofmypocket;thatwastheonlyrespect,however,inwhichIeverhadanydifficultyinkeepingupwithmydearelderbrother。"Itwashere,too,thathelearnedtheinestimablyimportantmilitaryfactthattheshortestdistancebetweentwopointsisinastraightline;andthathehadfullymasteredthatfactwasoftenpainfullyevidenttosuchofhisschoolmatesasseemedtoforcehimtomeasurewithhisrightarmthedistancebetweenhisshoulderandtheendsoftheirnoses。Norwasheutterlywithoutwit。Askedbyacribbingcomradeinexaminationwhatacorollarywas,Napoleonscornfullywhisperedback:
  "Amathematicalcamelwithtwohumps。"
  InGermanonlywashedeficient,muchtotheirritationofhisinstructor。
  "Willyoueverlearnanything?"askedM。Bouer,theGermanteacher。
  "Certainly,"saidNapoleon;"butnomoreGerman。IknowtheonlywordIneedinthatlanguage。"
  "Andwhat,pray,isthat?"
  "Surrender;that’sallI’lleverwishtosaytotheGermans。ButlestIgetitwrong,praytellmetheimperativeformofsurrenderinyournativetongue。"
  M。Bouer’sreplyisnotknowntohistory,butitwasprobablynotonewhichtheMasterofEtiquetteatBriennecouldhaveentirelycommended。
  SohelivedatBrienne,thoroughlymasteringthescienceofwar;
  acquiringamilitaryspirit;makingnofriends,butcommandingultimatelythefearsomerespectofhisschool—mates。Oneortwoprivateinterviewswithlittlearistocratswhojeeredathimforhisancestryconvincedthemthatwhilehemightnothavehadillustriousancestors,itwasnotunlikelythathewouldintimedevelopillustriousdescendants,andthejeeringsandsneeringssoonceased。
  TheclimaxofBonaparte’scareeratBriennewasin1784,whenhedirectedasnowballfightbetweentwoevenlydividedbranchesoftheschoolwithsucheffectthatoneboyhadhisskullcrackedandtherestwerelaidupforweeksfromtheirwounds。
  "Itwasawonderfulfight,"remarkedNapoleon,duringhiscampaigninEgypt。"ItookgoodcarethatanoccasionalmissentballshouldbowloffthehatofM。Bouer,andwheneveranyparticularlyaristocraticaristocrat’sheadshoweditselfabovetheramparts,anavalanchefelluponhisfacadewithadull,sickeningthud。IhaveneverseenanAmericancollegefootballgame,butfromallIcanlearnfromaccountsinthePariseditionsoftheAmericannewspaperstheeffectsphysicalinourfightandthatgameareaboutthesame。"
  In1784,shortlyafterthisepisode,NapoleonleftBrienne,havinglearnedallthatthoseinauthoritytherecouldteachhim,andin1785heappliedforandreceivedadmissiontotheregulararmy,muchtothereliefofJoseph。
  "IfhehadflunkedandcomebacktoCorsicatolive,"saidJoseph,"I
  thinkIshouldhaveemigrated。Ilovehimdearly,butI’mfonderofmyself,andCorsica,largeasitis,istoosmalltocontainNapoleonBonaparteandhisbrotherJosephsimultaneously,particularlyasJosephisdistinctlywearyofbeingusedasanunderstudyforagorybattle—field。"
  CHAPTERIII:PARIS——VALENCE——LYONS——CORSICA
  1785—1793
  ThefeelingamongthelargerboysatBrienneatNapoleon’sdeparturewasmuchthesameasthatexperiencedbyJosephwhenhissoonto—be—
  famousbrotherdepartedfromCorsica。Thesmallerboysregrettedhisdeparture,sinceithadbeenoneoftheirgreatestpleasurestowatchNapoleondiscipliningtheupperclassmen,butBonapartewasasgladtogoastheeldersweretohavehim。
  "Brienneisgoodenoughinitsway,"saidhe;"butwhat’stheuseoffightingchildren?It’smerelyawasteoftimecrackingayoungster’sskullwithasnowballwhenyoucangooutintotherealworldandletdaylightintoaman’swholesystemwithafewouncesofgrape—shot。"
  HehadwatcheddevelopmentsatParis,too,withthekeenestinterest,andwassufficientlyfar—seeingtoknowthatthetroublesoftheKingandQueenandtheiraristocraticfriendsbodedwellforamanfondofamilitarylifewhohadsenseenoughtobeontherightside。Thatittookanabnormaldegreeofintelligencetoknowwhichwastherightsideinthosetroublousdayshealsorealized,andhencehecultivatedthattaciturnityandpronenesstoirritabilitywhichwehavealreadymentioned。
  "Ifithadnotbeenformytaciturnity,Talleyrand,"heobserved,whenintheheightofhispower,"Ishouldhavegotitintheneck。"
  "Gotwhatintheneck?"askedTalleyrand。
  "Theguillotine,"rejoinedtheEmperor。"Itwasthefreedomofspeechwhichpeopleofthosesanguinarydaysallowedthemselvesthatlandedmanyafineheadinthebasket。Asforme,Isimplyheldmytonguewithbothhands,andwhenIweariedofthatIcalledsomeoneintoholditforme。IfIhadfilledthenewspaperswith’InterviewswithNapoleonBonaparte,’andarticleson’WhereisFranceat?’withmonographsintheleadingreviewseverymonthon’WhyIamwhatIam,’andallsuchstuffasthat,I’dhavecondensedmycareerintooneortwoyears,andendedbyhavingmyheaddivorcedfrommyshouldersinamostcommonplacefashion。Taciturnityisabigthingwhenyouknowhowtoworkit,andsoispronenesstoirritability。Thelatterkeepsyoufrommakingfriends,andIdidn’twantanyfriendsjustthen。TheywereluxurieswhichIcouldn’tafford。Youhavetolendmoneytofriends;youhavetogivethemdinnersandcigars,andsendbonbonstotheirsisters。Afriendinthosedayswouldhavemeantbankruptcyoftheworstsort。
  Furthermore,friendsembarrassyouwhenyougetintopublicoffice,andtrytomakeyouconspicuouswhenyou’dinfinitelyprefertosawwoodandsaynothing。Itookmylonelinessstraight,andthatisoneofthereasonswhyIamnowtheEmperorofFrance,andyourmaster。"
  BeforeenteringthearmyayearataParisianmilitaryschoolkeptBonapartebusy。There,asatBrienne,hemadehisinfluencefelt。
  Hefoundhisfellow—pupilsatParislivinginastateofluxurythatwasnotinaccordwithhisideasastowhatasoldiershouldhave。
  Whetherornothisnewschool—mates,afterthetime—honoredcustom,tossedhiminablanketonthefirstnightofhisarrival,historydoesnotsay,butBonapartehadhardlybeenattheschoolaweekwhenhecomplainedtotheauthoritiesthattherewastoomuchluxuryintheirsystemforhim。
  "Cadetsdonotneedfeather—bedsandeider—downquilts,"hesaid;
  "andasforthesumptuousviandswehaveservedatmealtime,theyareutterlyinappropriate。I’dratherhaveaplateofBostonbakedbeansorsteamingbuckwheatcakestoputmymindintothatstatewhichshouldcharacterizethethinkingapparatusofasoldierthanadozenoftheboucheesfinancieresandlobsterNewburgsandothermade—
  disheswhichyouhaveonyourmenu。Made—dishesanddelicatebeveragesmakeonemellowandgenialofdisposition。Whatweneedisthekindoffoodthatwilldestroyouramiabilityandputusinaframeofmindcalculatedtomakewillingtokillourbestfriends——
  nay,ourownbrothersandsisters——ifoccasionarises,withasmilingface。Lookatme。IcouldkillmybrotherJoseph,dearasheistome,andnevershedatear,andit’sbuckwheat—cakesandwafflesthathavedoneit!"
  Likewiseheabhorreddancing。
  "Awaywithdancingmen!"hecried,impatiently,atonetimewhenintheheightofhispower,tohisMinisterofWar。"SupposewhenIwascrossingtheAlpsmysoldiershadbeenofyourdancingsort。HowfarwouldIhavegotifeverytimethebandplayedatwo—stepmygrenadiershaddroppedtheirgunstopirouetteoverthosesnow—whitewastes?Letthediplomatsdothedancing。Forsoldiersgivemementowhomthepolkaisaclosedbookandthewaltzanabomination。"
  Holdingtheseviews,henaturallyfailedtowinthesympathyofhisfellowsattheParisschoolwho,youngnoblesforthemostpart,couldnotunderstandhispointofview。So,havingnothingelsetodo,heappliedhimselfsolelytohisstudiesandtoreflection,anditwasthehappiestmomentofhislifeuptothattimewhen,havingpassedhisexaminationsforentrancetotheregulararmy,hereceivedhiscommissionasasecondlieutenant。
  "Nowwe’reoff!"hesaidtohimself,ashesurveyedhimselfinthemirror,afterdonninghisuniform。
  "Itdoesnotsetverywellintheback,"remarkedoneofthemaidsofthepensioninwhichhelived,glancinginatthedoor。
  "Itdoesnotmatter,"returnedBonaparte,loftily。"AslongasitsetswellinfrontI’msatisfied;foryoushouldknow,madame,thatatruesoldiernevershowshisback,andthatisthekindofamilitarypersonIam。Afalsefrontwoulddoforme。Iamnotinsoldier,whichinafter—yearsitwillinterestyoutoremember。Whenyouarewritingyourmemoirsthiswillmakeaninterestinganecdote。"
  FromthisitistobeinferredthatatthistimehehadnothoughtofMoscow。ImmediatelyafterhisappointmentBonaparterepairedtoValence,wherehisregimentwasstationedandwhereheformedastrongattachmentfortheyoungdaughterofMadameduColombier,withwhom,historyrecords,heatecherriesbeforebreakfast。Thiswashissoledissipationatthattime,buthisfelicitywassoontobeinterrupted。HisregimentwasorderedtoLyons,andBonaparteandhislovewereparted。
  "Dutycallsme,mydear,"hesaid,onleavingher。"IwouldstayifIcould,butIcan’t,and,onthewhole,itisjustaswell。IfI
  stayedIshouldmarryyou,andthatwouldneverdo。Youcannotsupportme,norIyou。Wecannotliveoncherries,andasyetmyallowanceisaningrowingone——whichistosaythatitgoesfrommetomyparent,andnotfrommyparenttome。Therefore,myonlylove,farewell。Marrysomeoneelse。Thereareplentyofmenwhoarefondofcherriesbeforebreakfast,andthereisnoreasonwhyonesoattractiveasyoushouldnotfindalover。"
  Theunhappygirlwassilentforamoment。Then,withanill—
  suppressedsob,shebadehimgo。
  "Youareright,Napoleon,"shesaid。"Go。Gowheredutycallsyou,andifyougettiredofLyons——"
  "Yes?"heinterrupted,eagerly。
  "Tryleopards!"shecried,rushingfromhisembraceintothehouse。
  Bonaparteneverforgavethisexhibitionofflippancy,thoughmanyyearsafter,whenhelearnedthathisformerlove,whohadmarried,ashehadbadeherdo,andsuffered,wasfacetofacewithstarvation,itissaid,ontheauthorityofoneofhisex—valet’smemoirs,thathesentheraboxofcandiedcherriesfromoneofthemostexpensiveconfectionery—shopsofParis。
  AfterabriefsojournatLyons,NapoleonwassummonedwithhisregimenttoquellcertainpopulartumultsatAuxonne。Therehedistinguishedhimselfasahandlerofmobs,andlearnedafewthingsthatwereofinestimableadvantagetohimlater。Speakingofitinafter—years,heobserved:"Itismyopinion,mydearEmperorJoseph,thatgrape—shotistheonlypropermedicineforamob。Somepeopleprefertoturnthehoseonthem,butnoneofthatforme。Theyfearwaterastheydodeath,buttheygetoverwater。Deathismorepermanent。I’veseenmanyarioter,maderespectablebyagoodsoaking,returntothefrayafterhehaddriedout,butinallmyexperienceIhaveneverknownamanwhowasoncepuncturedbyadischargeofgrape—shotwhotookanyfurtherinterestinrioting。"
  Aboutthistimehebegantoregulatehistaciturnity。Onoccasionshehadopinionswhichheexpressedmostforcibly。In1790,havinggonetoaneveningreceptionatMadameNeckar’s,heelectrifiedhishostessandherguestsbymakingaspeechofsomefivehundredwordsinlength,toolongtobequotedhereinfull,butsofullofimportanddeliveredwithsuchanairofauthoritythatLaFayette,whowaspresent,paledvisibly,andMirabeau,drawingMadamedeStaeltooneside,whispered,tremblingwithemotion,"Whoisthatyoungperson?"
  Whetherthisnewlyacquiredtendencytobreakinuponthereservewhichhadhithertobeenthesalientfeatureofhisspeechhadanythingtodowithitornotwearenotaware,butshortlyafterwardsNapoleondeemeditwisetoleavehisregimentforawhile,andtoreturntohisCorsicanhomeonfurlough。Ofcourseanaffectingscenewasenactedbyhimselfandhisfamilywhentheywereatlastreunited。Letitia,hisfondmother,wepttearsofjoy,andJoseph,shakinghimbythehand,rushed,overcomewithemotion,fromthehouse。Napoleonshortlyafterfoundhimweepinginthegarden。
  "Whysosad,Joseph?"heinquired。"AreyousorryIhavereturned?"
  "No,dearNapoleon,"saidJoseph,turningawayhisheadtohidehistears,"itisnotthat。Iwasonlyweepingbecause——because,inthenatureofthings,youwillhavetogoawayagain,and——the——theideaofpartingfromyouhasforthemomentupsetmyequilibrium。"
  "Thenwemustproceedtorestoreit,"saidNapoleon,and,takingJosephbytherightarm,hetwistedituntilJosephsaidthathefeltquiterecovered。
  Napoleon’sstayatCorsicawasquiteuneventful。Fearinglestbygivingwaytoloveoffamily,andsittingandtalkingwiththemintheluxuriouslyappointedparlorbelow—stairs,heshouldimbibetoostrongaloveforcomfortandease,andthusweakenhissoldierlyinstincts,aswellasbreakinuponthattaciturnitywhich,aswehaveseen,wasthekeynoteofhischaracter,hehadsetapartforhimselfasmallroomontheatticfloor,wherehespentmostofhistimeundisturbed,andatthesametimemadeJosephsomewhateasierinhismind。
  "Whenhe’sup—stairsIamcomparativelysafe,"saidJoseph。"IfhestayedbelowwithusIfearIshouldhaveareturnofmynervousprostration。"
  Meantime,Napoleonwaspromotedtoafirstlieutenancy,andshortlyafter,duringtheReignofTerrorinParis,havingoncemoreforthemomentyieldedtoanimpulsetospeakoutinmeeting,hedenouncedanarchyinunmeasuredterms,andwasarrestedandtakentoParis。
  "Itwasafortunatearrestforme,"hesaid。"ThereIwasinCorsicawithbarelyenoughmoneytopaymywaybacktothecapital。
  Arrested,theStatehadtopaymyfare,andIgotbacktoactivepoliticalscenesonafreepass。Asforthetrial,itwasafarce,andIwastriumphantlyacquitted。Thejurywasoutonlyfifteenminutes。IhadsolittletosayformyselfthatthejudgesbegantodoubtifIhadanyideasonanysubject——or,asoneofthemsaid,havingnoheadtomention,itwouldbeuselesstotryandcutitoff。
  Hencemyacquittalandmyfeelingthattaciturnityisthemotherofsafety。"
  ThencametheterribleattackofthemobupontheTuileriesonthe20thofJune,1792。NapoleonwaswalkinginthestreetwithBourriennewhentheattackbegan。
  "There’snothinglikealamp—postforanoccasionlikethis,itbroadensone’sviewsso,"hesaid,rapidlyclimbingupaconvenientpost,fromwhichhecouldseeallthatwenton。"Ididn’tknowthatthiswastheroyalfamily’sreception—day。DoyouwanttoknowwhatIthink?"
  "Mummistheword,"whisperedBourrienne。"Thisisnotimetohaveopinions。"
  "Mummmaybetheword,butwateristhebeverage。Mummistoodry。
  Whatthiscrowdneedsisagoodwettingdown,"retortedBonaparte。
  "IfIwereLouisXVI。I’dturnthehoseonthesetramps,andkeepthematbayuntilIcouldgetmylittlebrasscannonloaded。WhenI
  hadthatloaded,I’dletthemhaveafewballshotfromthebat。
  Thisiswhatcomesofbeingabornking。Louisdoesn’tknowhowtotalktothepeople。He’sallrightforastate—dinner,butwhenitcomestoamass—meetingheisnotinit。"
  AndthenastheKing,togratifythemob,puttheredcapofJacobinismuponhishead,themanwhowasdestinedbeforemanyyearstooccupythethroneofFranceletfallanejaculationofwrath。
  "Thewretches!"hecried。"Howlittletheyknow!They’veonlygivenhimanotherhattotalkthrough!They’llhavetodotheirworkalloveragain,unlessLouistakesmyadviceandtravelsabroadforhishealth。"
  Thesewordswereprophetic,forbarelytwomonthslaterthesecondandmostterribleandportentousattackuponthepalacetookplace——
  anattackwhichNapoleonwitnessed,ashehadwitnessedthefirst,fromaconvenientlamp—post,andwhichfilledhimwithdisgustandshame;anditwasuponthatnightofriotandbloodshedthathegaveutterancetooneofhismostfamoussayings。
  "Bourrienne,"saidhe,aswithhisfaithfulcompanionshelaboriouslyclimbedthefiveflightsofstairsleadingtohishumbleapartment,"Ihatethearistocrats,asyouknow;andto—dayhasmademehatethepopulaceaswell。Whatistherelefttolike?"
  "Alas!lieutenant,Icannotsay,"saidBourrienne,shakinghisheadsadly。
  "What,"continuedNapoleon,"isthegoodofanything?"
  "Igiveitup,"returnedBourrienne,withasigh。"Ineverwasgoodatriddles。WhatISthegoodofanything?"
  "Nothing!"saidNapoleon,laconically,ashetookoffhisuniformandwenttobed。
  CHAPTERIV:SARDINIA——TOULON——NICE——PARIS——BARRAS——JOSEPHINE
  1793—1796
  GreatnessnowbegantodawnforNapoleon。Practicallypenniless,inagreatandheartlesscity,eventhelowerclassesbegantoperceivethatherewasonebeforewhomtherelayabrilliantfuture。
  Restaurateurs,laundresses,confectioners——alltrustedhim。AninstanceoftheregardpeoplewerebeginningtohaveforhimisshowninthepatheticinterviewbetweenNapoleonandMadameSansGene,hislaundress。
  "Hereisyourwash,lieutenant,"saidshe,afterclimbingfiveflightsofstairs,basketinhand,tothemiserablelodgingofthefutureEmperor。
  Napoleonlookedupfromhisbooksandcountedtheclothes。
  "Thereisonesockmissing,"saidhe,sternly。
  "No,"returnedSansGene。"Halfofeachsockwaswashedaway,andI
  sewedtheremaininghalvesintoone。Onegoodsockisbetterthantwobadones。Ifyoueverlosealeginbattleyoumayfindtheoddonehandy。"
  "HowcanIeverrepayyou?"criedNapoleon,touchedbyherfriendlyact。
  "I’msureIdon’tknow,"returnedMadameSansGene,demurely,"unlessyouwillescortmetotheCharityBall——I’llbuythetickets。"
  "And,pray,whatgoodwillthatdo?"askedBonaparte。
  "ItwillmakeLefebvrejealous,"saidMadameSansGene,"andmaybethatwillbringhimtothepoint。Iwanttomarryhim,but,encouragehimasIwill,hedoesnotpropose,andasinrevisingthecalendarthegovernmenthasabolishedleap—year,Ireallydon’tknowwhattodo。"
  "Icannotgototheball,"saidNapoleon,sadly。"Idon’tdance,and,besides,Ihaveloanedmydress—suittoBourrienne。ButIwillflirtwithyouonthestreetifyouwish,andperhapsthatwillsuffice。"
  Itishardlynecessarytotellthereaderthattherusewassuccessful,andthatLefebvre,thusbroughttothepoint,marriedMadameSansGene,andsubsequently,throughhisownadvancement,madehertheDuchessofDantzig。TheanecdotesufficestoshowhowwretchedlypoorandyethowfullofinterestandusefultothoseabouthimNapoleonwasatthetime。
  InFebruary,1793,achangeforthebetterinhisfortunesoccurred。
  Bonaparte,incooperationwithAdmiralTurget,wasorderedtomakeadescentuponSardinia。WhatimmediatelyfollowedcanbestbetoldinBonaparte’sownwords。"Mydescentwasallright,"hesaidafterwards,"andIhadtheSardinesallreadytoputinboxes,whenTurgethadafitofsea—sickness,losthisbearings,andleftmeinthelurch。TherewasnothingleftformebuttogobacktoCorsicaandtakeitoutofJoseph,whichIdid,muchtoJoseph’sunhappiness。
  ItwaswellforthefamilythatIdidso,forhardlyhadIarrivedatAjacciowhenIfoundmyoldfriendPaoliwrappingCorsicaupinabrown—paperbundletosendtotheKingofEnglandwithhiscompliments。ThisIresisted,withtheresultthatourwholefamilywasbanished,andthosefoolsofCorsicansbrokeintoourhouseandsmashedallofourfurniture。Theylittleknewthatthatfurniture,ifinexistenceto—day,wouldbringmillionsoffrancsascuriosifsoldatauction。ItwasthusthatthefamilycametomovetoFranceandthatIbecameinfactwhatIhadbeenbybirth——aFrenchman。IfIhadremainedaCorsican,Paoli’streacherywouldhavemademeanEnglishman,towhichIshouldneverhavebecomereconciled,althoughhadIbeenanEnglishmanIshouldhavetakenmorerealpleasureoutofthebattleofWaterloothanIgot。
  "AfterthisIwasorderedtoToulon。TheFrenchforcesherewerecommandedbyGeneralCartaux,whohadlearnedthescienceofwarpaintingportraitsinParis。HeoughttohavebeencalledGeneralCartoon。HebesiegedTouloninamostimpressionisticfashion。He’dbombardandbombardandbombard,andthenleavethepublictoguessattheresult。It’sallwellenoughtobeanimpressionistinpainting,butwhenitcomestowarthepublicwantmoredecidedeffects。WhenIgotthere,asabrigadier—general,IsawthatCartauxwaswastinghistimeandammunition。HisideaseemedtobethatbyfiringcannonalldayhecouldsodeafentheenemythatatnighttheFrencharmycouldsneakintoToulonunheardandcapturethecity,whichwas,tosaytheleast,unscientific。IsawatoncethatCartauxmustgo,andIsoonmanagedtomakelifesounbearableforhimthatheresigned,andamannamedDoppet,aphysician,wasplacedincommand。DoppetwasworsethanCartaux。Wheneveranybodygothurthe’dstopthewarandprescribefortheinjuredman。Ifhecouldhaveprescribedfortheenemythey’dhavediedingreaternumbersIhavenodoubt,but,liketheidiothewas,hepractisedonhisownforces。Besides,hewasmoreinterestedinsurgerythanincapturingToulon。Healwaysgavetheambulancecorpstherightofline,andIbelievetothisdaythathisplanofroutingtheEnglishinvolvedasuddenrushuponthem,takingthembysurprise,andthesubsequentamputationoftheirlegs。Theworstfeatureofthesituation,asIfoundit,wasthatthesetwomen,fallingbackupontheirrightsasmysuperiorofficers,refusedtotakeordersfromme。
  Icalledtheirattentiontothefactthatrankhadbeenabolished,andthatinFranceonemanwasnowasgoodasanother;buttheywerestubborn,soIwrotetoParisandhadthemremoved。ThencameDugommier,whobackedmeupinmyplans,andToulonasaconsequenceimmediatelyfellwithadull,sickeningthud。"
  ItwasduringthissiegethatBonapartefirstencounteredJunot。
  Havingoccasiontowriteanotewhileunderfirefromtheenemy’sbatteries,Napoleoncalledforastenographer。Junotcametohim。
  "Doyouknowshorthand?"askedthegeneral,asabombexplodedathisfeet。
  "Slightly,"saidJunot,calmly。
  "Takethismessage,"returnedthegeneral,coolly,dictating。
  JunottookdownBonaparte’swords,butjustashefinishedanotherbombexplodednearby,scatteringdustandearthandsandalloverthepaper。
  "Confoundedboors,interruptingagentlemanathiscorrespondence!"
  saidBonaparte,withanangryglanceatthehostilegunners。"I’llhavetodictatethatmessagealloveragain。"
  "Yes,general,"returnedJunot,quickly,"butyouneedn’tmindthat。
  Therewillbenoextracharge。It’sreallymyfault。Ishouldhavebroughtanumbrella。"
  "Youareanoblefellow,"saidNapoleon,graspinghishandandsqueezingitwarmly。"Intheheydayofmyprosperity,ifmyprosperityevergoesa—haying,Ishallrememberyou。Yourname?"
  "Junot,General,"wasthereply。
  Bonapartefrowned。"Ha!ha!"helaughed,acridly。"Youjest,eh?
  Well,Junot,whenIamJupiterI’llrewardyou。"
  Lateron,discoveringhiserror,BonapartemadeamemorandumconcerningJunot,whichwasthefirstlinkinthechainwhichultimatelyboundthestenographertofameasamarshalofFrance。
  Therehavebeenvariousotherversionsofthisanecdote,butthisistheonlycorrectone,andisnowpublishedforthefirsttimeontheauthorityofM。leComtedeB——,whosegrandfatherwasthebassdrummeruponwhosedrumJunotwaswritingthenowfamousletter,andwhowasafterwardsennobledbyNapoleonforhisservicesinEgypt,where,onedark,drizzlynight,hefrightenedawayfromBonaparte’stentafiercebandofhungrylionsbypoundingvigorouslyuponhisinstrument。
  AboutthistimeNapoleon,whohadbeenspellinghisnameinvariousways,andparticularlywitha"u,"asBuonaparte,decidedtosettlefinallyupononeformofdesignation。
  "Peoplearebeginningtobotherthelifeoutofmewithrequestsformyautograph,"hesaidtoBourrienne,"anditisjustaswellthatI
  shouldsettleonone。IfIdon’t,they’llwantmetowriteoutacompletesetofthem,andIhaven’ttimetodothat。"
  "Buonaparteisagood—lookingname,"suggestedBourrienne。"ItisbetterthanBonaParte,asyousometimescallyourself。IfyousettleonBonaParte,you’dhavereallythreenames;andasyoudon’twritesocietyverseforthecomicpapers,what’stheuse?NewspaperreporterswillrefertoyouasNapoleonB。ParteorN。BonaParte,andthepublichatesamanwhopartshisnameinthemiddle。Parteisagoodnameinitsway,butit’stooshortandabrupt。Fewmenwithshort,sharp,decisivenameslikethatevermaketheirmark。
  LetitbeBuonaparte,whichissortofhigh—sounding——itmakesamouthful,asitwere。"
  "IfIdropthe’u’theautographwillbeshorter,andI’llgaintimewritingit,"saidNapoleon。"ItshallbeBonapartewithout’u。’"
  "Humph!"ejaculatedBourrienne。"Bonapartewithoutme!Ilikethat。
  MightaswelltalkofDr。JohnsonwithoutBoswell。"
  BonapartenowwenttoNiceaschiefofbatallioninthearmyofItaly;buthavingincurredthedispleasureofasuspicioushomegovernment,hewasshortlysuperseded,andlivedinretirementwithhisfamilyatMarseillesforabrieftime。Herehefellinloveagain,andwouldhavemarriedMademoiselleClery,whomheafterwardsmadeQueenofSweden,hadhenotbeensowretchedlypoor。
  "This,mydear,"hesaid,sadly,toMademoiselleClery,"isthebeastlypartofbeingtheoriginalancestorofafamilyinsteadofadescendant。I’vegottomakethefortunewhichwillenrichposterity,whileI’dinfinitelypreferhavingarichunclesomewherewho’dhavethekindnesstodieandleavemeamillion。There’sJoseph——luckyman。He’sgoneandgotmarried。Hecanaffordit。Hehasmetofallbackon,butI——Ihaven’tanybodytofallbackon,andso,forthesecondtimeinmylife,mustgiveuptheonlygirlIeverloved。"
  WiththesewordsNapoleonleftMademoiselleClery,andreturnedtoParisinsearchofemployment。
  "Ifthere’snothingelsetodo,IcandisguisemyselfasaChinamanandgetemploymentinMadameSansGene’slaundry,"hesaid。"There’snodisgraceinwashing,andinthatwayImaybeabletoprovidemyselfwithdecentlinen,anyhow。ThenIshallbelongtothelaunderedaristocracy,astheEnglishhaveit。"
  ButgreaterthingsthanthisawaitedNapoleonatParis。FallinginwithBarras,amemberoftheConventionwhichruledFranceatthistime,helearnedthatthefeelingfortherestorationofthemonarchywasdailygrowingstronger,andthattheroyalistsofPariswereagreatmenacetotheConvention。
  "They’llmobusthefirstthingweknow,"saidBarras。"Thememberslooktometosavethemincaseofattack,butImustconfessI’dliketosubletthecontract。"
  "Giveittome,then。I’mtemporarilyoutofajob,"saidNapoleon,"andthelifeI’mleadingiskillingme。Ifitweren’tforTalma’skindnessinlettingmeleadhisarmiesonthestageattheOdeon,withaturnatscene—shiftingwhentheyarenotplayingwardramas,I
  don’tknowwhatI’ddoformymeals;andevenwhenIdogetasandwichaheadoccasionallyIhavetosendittoMarseillestomymother。Givemeyourcontract,andifIdon’tsaveyourConventionyouneedn’tpaymearedfranc。Ihatearistocrats,andIhatemobs;
  andthisbeinganaristocraticmob,I’llgointotheworkwithenthusiasm。"
  "You!"criedBarras。"Amanofyoursize,orlackofit,savetheConventionfromamoboffiftythousand?Nonsense!"
  "DidyoueverhearthatlittleslangphrasesomuchinvogueinAmerica,"queriedNapoleon,coldlyfixinghiseyeonBarras——"aphrasewhichinFrenchruns,’Petit,maisOMoi’——or,astheyhaveit,’Little,butOMy’?Well,thatisme。{1}Besides,ifIamsmall,thereislesschanceofmybeingkilled,whichwillmakememorecourageousinthefaceoffirethanoneofyourbiggermenwouldbe。"
  "Iwillputmymindonit,"saidBarras,somewhatwonoverbyNapoleon’sself—confidence。
  "Thanks,"saidNapoleon;"andnowcomeintothecafeandhavedinnerwithme。"
  "Saveyourmoney,Bonaparte,"saidBarras。"Youcan’taffordtopayforyourowndinner,muchlessmine。"
  "That’spreciselywhyIwantyoutodinewithme,"returnedNapoleon。
  "IfIgoalone,theywon’tservemebecausetheyknowIcan’tpay。
  IfIgoinwithyou,they’llgivemeeverythingthey’vegotonthesuppositionthatyouwillpaythebill。Come!Enavant!"
  "Vousetesunbouchonnier,vraiment!"saidBarras,withalaugh。
  "Awhat?"askedNapoleon,notfamiliarwiththeidiom。
  "Acorker!"explainedBarras。
  "Verygood,"saidNapoleon,hisfacelightingup。"Ifyou’llorderabottleofBurgundywiththebirdIwillshowyouthatIamlikewisesomethingofanuncorker。"
  ThisreadinessonNapoleon’spartinthefaceofdifficultycompletelycapturedBarras,andasaresulttheyoungadventurerhadhisfirstrealchancetomakeanimpressiononParis,where,onthe13thVendemiaire(orOctober4,1795),heliterallyobliteratedtheforcesoftheSectionists,whosesuccessintheirattackupontheConventionwouldhavemeanttherestorationoftheBourbonstothethroneofFrance。PlacedincommandofthedefendersoftheConvention,Napoleonwithhiscannonsweptthemobfromthefourbroadavenuesleadingtothepalaceinwhichthelegislatorssat。
  "Don’tfireovertheirheads,"saidhetohisgunners,asthemobapproached。"Bringourargumentsrightdowntotheircomprehension,andrememberthatthecomprehensionofaroyalistislargelyaffectedbyhisdigestion。Therefore,gunners,letthemhaveitthere。IftheseassassinswouldescapeappendicitistheywouldbetteravoidthegrapeIsendthem。"
  Theresultistoowellknowntoneeddetaileddescriptionhere。
  SufficeittosaythatBonaparte’sattentionstothedigestiveapparatusoftheriotersweresoeffectivethat,intokenoftheirappreciationofhisservices,theConventionsoonafterwardsplacedhimincommandoftheArmyoftheInterior。
  HoldingnowthechiefmilitarypositioninParis,Bonapartewasmuchcourtedbyeveryone,buthecontinuedhissimplemanneroflivingasofyore,overlookinghislaundryandotherbillsasunostentatiouslyaswhenhehadbeenapoorandinsignificantsubaltern,anddailywaxingmoretaciturnandpronetoirritability。
  "Youarebecominggloomy,General,"saidBarrasonemorning,asthetwomenbreakfasted。"Itistimeforyoutomarryandbecomeafamilyman。"
  "Peste!"saidNapoleon,"manoffamily!Ittakestoolong——itistedious。Familiesaredelightfulwhenthechildrenaregrownup;butIcouldnotenduretheminastateofinfancy。"
  "Ah!"smiledBarras,significantly。"ButsupposeItoldyouofaplacewhereyoucouldfindafamilyreadymade?"
  Napoleonatoncebecameinterested。
  "Ishouldmarryit,"hesaid,"fortrulyIdoneedsomeonetolookaftermyclothing,particularlynowthat,asamanofhighrank,myuniformsholdsomanybuttons。"
  ThusithappenedthatBarrastooktheyoungherotoareceptionatthehouseofMadameTallien,whereheintroducedhimtothelovelywidow,JosephinedeBeauharnais,andhertwobeautifulchildren。
  "Thereyouare,Bonaparte,"hewhispered,astheyenteredtheroom;
  "thereisthefamilycomplete——onewife,oneson,onedaughter。Whatmorecouldyouwant?Itwillbeyoursifyouaskforit,forMadamedeBeauharnaisisverymuchinlovewithyou。"
  "Ha!"saidNapoleon。"Howdoyouknowthat?"
  "Shetoldmeso,"returnedBarras。
  "Verywell,"saidNapoleon,makinguphismindontheinstant。"I
  willseeifIcaninvolveherinamilitaryengagement。"
  Which,astheworldknows,hedid;andonthe9thofMarch,1796,NapoleonandJosephinewereunited,andthehappygroom,writingtohismother,announcinghismarriageto"theonlywomanheeverloved,"said:"SheistenyearsolderthanI,butIcansoonovercomethat。TheopportunitiesforafastlifeinParisareunequalled,andIhaveanideathatIcancatchupwithherinsixmonthsiftheConventionwillincreasemysalary。"
  CHAPTERV:ITALY——MILAN——VIENNA——VENICE
  1796—1797
  AfterahoneymoonoftendaysNapoleonreturnedtowork。AssumingcommandofthearmyofItaly,hesaid:"Iamatlastinbusinessformyself。Keepyoureyesonme,Bourrienne,andyou’llwearbluegoggles。You’llhaveto,you’llbesodazzled。WewillsetoffatonceforItaly。Thearmyisinwretchedshape。Itlacksshoes,clothes,food。Itlackseverything。Idon’tthinkitevenhassense。Ifithaditwouldstrikeforlowerwages。"
  "Lowerwages?"queriedBourrienne。"Youmeanhigher,don’tyou?"
  "NotI,"saidBonaparte。"Theycouldn’tcollecthigherwages,butiftheirpaywasreducedtheymightgetitonceinawhile。Wecanchangeallthis,however,byinvadingItaly。Italyhasallthingstoburn,fromstatuarytoLeghornhats。InthreemonthsweshallbeatMilan。Therewecanatleastprovideourselveswithfinecollectionsofoil—paintings。Meantimeletthearmyfeedonhopeandwrapthemselvesinmeditation。It’spoorstuff,butthere’splentyofit,andit’scheap。Onholidaysgivethepoorfellowsextrarations,andifhopedoesnotsustainthem,cheerthemupwithpromisesofdrink。
  TellthemwhenwegettoItalytheycandrinkinthesceneryinunstintedmeasure,andmeanwhilekeepthebandplayingmerrily。
  There’snothinglikemusictodriveawayhunger。Iunderstandthatthelamentedking’sappetitewasseriouslyaffectedbytheMarseillaise。"
  Tohissoldiershespokewithequalvigor。
  "Soldiers,"hesaid,"sartoriallyspeaking,youareapoorlot;butFrancedoesnotwantatailor—madearmyatthisjuncture。Wearenotabouttogoondressparade,butintogrim—visagedwar,andthepatchesonyourtrousers,ifyoupresentaboldfronttotheenemy,needneverbeseen。Youarealsohungry,butsoamI。Ihavehadnobreakfastforfourhours。TheRepublicowesyoumuch;butmoneyisscarce,andyoumustwhistleforyourpay。Theemigreshavegoneabroadwithallthecirculatingmediumtheycouldlaytheirhandson,andtheGovernmenthasmuchdifficultyinmaintainingthegoldreserve。Formypart,Ipreferfightingforglorytowhistlingformoney。Fightingisthebetterprofession。Youaremen。Leavewhistlingtoboys。FollowmeintoItaly,wheretherearefertileplains——plainsfromwhosepregnantsoiltheolivespringsattherateofamillionbottlesayear,plainsthroughwhoselovelylengthsthereflowriversofChianti。FollowmetoItaly,wherethereareopulenttownswithclothing—storesoneveryblock,andchurchesgalore,withtheirpoor—boxesburstingwithgold。Soldiers,canyouresistthealluringprospect?"
  "Vivel’Empereur!"criedthearmy,withonevoice。
  Napoleonfrowned。
  "Soldiers!"hecried,"Rememberthis:youaremakinghistory;
  therefore,praybeaccurate。IamnotyetEmperor,andyouareguiltyofananachronismofamostembarrassingsort。Somemenmakehistoryinawarmroomwithpenandink,aidedbyguide—booksandcollectionsofanecdotes。Leaveanachronismsandinaccuraciestothem。Forourselves,wemustcarveitoutwithourswordsandcannon;wemustrubricateourpageswithourgore,andpunctuateourperiodswithourbayonets。Letitnotbesaidbyfutureagesthatweheldourresponsibilitieslightlyandwerecarelessoffacts,andtothatenddon’trefertomeasEmperoruntilyouaremorefamiliarwithdates。WhenwehavefinishedwithItalyI’lltakeyoutothelandwheredatesgrow。Meanwhile,resteztranquille,astheysayinFrench,andbreathealltheairyouwant。Francecanaffordyouthatinunstintedmeasure。"
  "ViveBonaparte!"criedthearmy,takingtherebukeingoodpart。
  "Nowyou’reshouting,"saidNapoleon,withasmile。"You’reagoodarmy,andifyoustickbymeyou’llweardiamonds。"
  "Wehaveforgottenonething,"saidBarrasafewdayslater,ontheeveofNapoleon’sdeparture。"Wehaven’tanycasusbelli。"
  "What’sthat?"saidNapoleon,whohadbeensobusywithhispreparationsthathehadforgottenmostofhisGreekandLatin。
  "Causeforwar,"saidBarras。"Wherewereyoueducated?IfyouaregoingtofighttheItaliansyou’vegottohavesomeprincipletofightfor。"
  "That’spreciselywhatwearegoingtofightfor,"saidNapoleon。
  "We’reabankruptpeople。We’regoingtogetsomeprincipaltosetusupinbusiness。WemaybeabletofloatsomebondsinVenice。"
  "True,"returnedBarras;"butthat,afterall,ismerehighwayrobbery。"
  "Well,allI’vegottosay,"retortedNapoleon,withasneer——"allI’vegottosayisthatifyourDirectorycan’tfindsomethingintheattitudeofItalytowardstheRepublictotakeoffenceat,thesooneritgoesoutofbusinessthebetter。I’llleavethatquestionentirelytoyoufellowsatParis。Ican’tdoeverything。Youlookafterthecasus,andI’lltakecareofthebelli。"
  Thisplanwasadopted。TheDirectory,afterdiscussingvariouscausesforaction,finallydecidedthatanattackonItalywasnecessaryforthreereasons。First,becausethealliancebetweenthekingsofSardiniaandAustriawasamenacetotheRepublic,andmustthereforebebroken。Second,theAustriansweretooneartheRhineforFrance’scomfort,andmustbedivertedbeforetheyhaddrunkallthewineofthecountry,ofwhichtheFrenchwereveryfond;and,third,HisHolinessthePopehadtakenlittleinterestinthenowinfidelFrance,andmustthereforebehumiliated。Thesewerethereasonsforthewarsettleduponbythegovernment,andastheywereassatisfactorytoNapoleonasanyothers,hegavetheorderwhichsetthearmyofItalyinmotion。
  "Howshallwego,General?"askedAugereau,oneofhissubordinates。
  "OvertheAlps?"
  "Notthistime,"returnedNapoleon。"Itistoocold。Thearmyhasnoear—tabs。We’llskirttheAlps,andmaybetheskirtwillmakethemwarmer。"
  Thisthearmyproceededatoncetodo,andwithinamonththefirstobjectofthewarwasaccomplished。
  TheSardiniankingwascrushed,andthearmyfounditselfinpossessionoffood,drink,andclothestoasurfeit。Bonaparte’sprideathissuccesswasgreatbutnotover—weening。
  "Soldiers!"hecried,"youhavedonewell。SohaveI。HannibalcrossedtheAlps。Wedidn’t;butwegotherejustthesame。Youhaveprovidedyourselveswithfoodandclothes,anddeclaredadividendfortheTreasuryofFrancewhichwillenabletheDirectorytobuyitselfanewhatthroughwhichtoaddressthepeople。Youhavereasontobeproudofyourselves。Patyourselvesonyourbackswithmycompliments,butrememberonething。OurticketsaretoMilan,andnostop—oversareallowed。Therefore,donotasyetrelaxyourefforts。Milanisanimperialcity。Theguide—bookstellusthatitscathedralisabeauty,theplaceisfullofpictures,andtheopera—housefinishedin1779isthelargestintheworld。Itcanbedoneintwodays,andthehotelsaregood。Canyou,therefore,sleephere?"
  "No,no!"criedthearmy。
  "Then,"criedNapoleon,tighteninghisreinsandliftinghishorseontoitshind—legsandholdinghisswordaloft,"AMilan!"
  "Howlikeastatuehelooks,"saidLannes,admiringly。