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。