Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Volume II

An Englishman will probably remember the sublime passage in "The Mariners of England: " —

"Britannia needs no bulwark, No towers along the steep; Her march is on the mountain-wave, Her home is on the deep."

59

"Brunet being unjustly accused of favouring the insurrection at Marseilles, was delivered up to the Revolutionary Tribunal at Paris, and perished on the scaffold." – Napoleon, Montholon, tom. iii., p. 21.

60

"An old and brave officer. His military knowledge was considerable, but he was confined to his bed by the gout half his time." – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 42.

"Happily, he allowed himself to be directed entirely by the young Buonaparte." – Thiers, tom. vi., p. 288.

61

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 42.

62

Jomini, tom. v., p. 204; Thiers, tom. vi., p. 283; Montholon, tom. iii., p. 30; Botta, tom. i., p. 190. General Dumerbion, in his despatch to the government, describing his successes, says, "It is to the talent of General Buonaparte that I am indebted for the skilful plans which have assured our victory."

63

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 48.

64

General Tilly. See Nouvelle Biog. de Bruxelles, 1822.

65

"In the despatch of Salicetti and Albitte to the Government, dated 24th August, they declare, that there existed no foundation for the charges made against him." – Jomini, tom. vi., p. 114; Bourrienne et ses Erreurs, tom. i., p. 27.

66

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 50; Las Cases, vol. i., p. 155; Louis Buonaparte, p. 14.

67

Buonaparte is represented by some writers as having at this period found his situation extremely embarrassing, even as regarded pecuniary means, in the capital of which he was at no distant period to be the ruler. Among others who are said to have assisted him was the celebrated actor Talma; and such may have been the case; but the story of Talma's having been acquainted with Napoleon at the Academy of Brienne, and at that early period predicting the greatness of "le petit Buonaparte," has been expressly contradicted by Louis, the ex-King of Holland, who was at this epoch in Paris along with his brother.

68

See ante, vol. i., p. 164.

69

The Memoirs published under the name of Fouché make this assertion. But although that work shows great intimacy with the secret history of the times, it is not to be implicitly relied upon. – S.

70

"Peut-être un jour, on vous nommerait un Bourbon." – Thiers, tom. viii., p. 10.

71

"Its authors were Lesage, Daunou, Boissy d'Anglas, Creuzée-Latouche, Berlier, Louvet, Lareveillèire-Lepaux, Languinais, Durand-Maillanne, Baudin des Ardennes, and Thibaudeau." – Thiers, tom. viii., p. 9.

72

Thiers, tom. viii., p. 13.

73

"La Harpe, Lacretelle, jun., Suard, Morellet, Vaublanc, Pastoret, Dupont de Nemours, Quatremère de Quincy, Delalot, Marchenna, and General Miranda, all either published pamphlets or made speeches in the sections." – Thiers, tom. viii., p. 15.

74

Pekins, a word of contempt, by which the soldiers distinguished those who did not belong to their profession. – S.

75

Muscadins, fops – a phrase applied to the better class of Sans-Culottes. – S.

76

"For several months, Napoleon, not being actively employed, laboured in the military committee, and was well acquainted with Carnot and Tallien, whom he saw daily. How, then, could Barras make them the proposal attributed to him?" – Louis Buonaparte, p. 17.

77

In 1796, the Directory appointed Berruyer commander of the Hôpital des Invalides, which situation he held till his death, in 1804.

78

Las Cases, tom. i., p. 161.

79

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 82.

80

See vol. i., p. 355.

81

Buonaparte was then in his twenty-sixth year. Josephine gave herself in the marriage contract for twenty-eight. – S.

82

A lady of high rank, who happened to live for some time in the same convent at Paris, where Josephine was also a pensioner or boarder, heard her mention the prophecy, and told it herself to the author, just about the time of the Italian expedition, when Buonaparte was beginning to attract notice. Another clause is usually added to the prediction – that the party whom it concerned should die in an hospital, which was afterwards explained as referring to Malmaison. This the author did not hear from the same authority. The lady mentioned used to speak in the highest terms of the simple manners and great kindness of Madame Beauharnais. – S.

83

"It was I who proposed Buonaparte for the command of the army of Italy, not Barras." – Carnot, Réponse à Bailleul.

"Napoleon owed the appointment to the command of the army of Italy to his signal services under Dumerbion." – Jomini, tom. viii., p. 49.

84

Napoleon, Memoirs, tom. iii., p. 91.

85

Victor Amadeus III. He was born in 1726, and died in 1796.

86

"The Neapolitan army was 60,000 strong; the cavalry was excellent." – Napoleon, Memoirs, tom. iii., p. 134.

87

Viz. in April, 1794. – See Napoleon, Memoirs, tom. iii., p. 28.

88

Napoleon states his fighting force, fit for duty, at about 30,000 men. – Montholon, tom. iii., p. 140; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 59, at 42,400.

89

Las Cases, tom. i., p. 162.

90

This reminds us of the liberality of the Kings of Brentford to their Knightsbridge forces —

First King. Here, take five guineas to these warlike men.

Second King. And here, five more, which makes the sum just ten.

Herald. We have not seen so much the Lord knows when! – S.

91

"The state of the finances was such, that the government, with all its efforts, could only furnish the chest of the army, at the opening of the campaign, with 2000 louis in specie, and a million in drafts, part of which were protested." – Napoleon, Montholon, tom. iii., p. 140; Thiers, tom. viii., p. 174.

92

"An idea of the penury of the army may be collected from the correspondence of the commander-in-chief, who appears to have once sent Massena a supply of twenty-four francs to provide for his official expenses." – Jomini, tom. viii., p. 96.

93

Napoleon, Memoirs, tom. iii., p. 54.

94

"He received a thrust of a bayonet in the abdomen: he was dragged into the streets, holding his bowels in his hands, and at length left on a field-bed in a guard-house, where he expired." – Montholon, tom. iii., p. 41; Botta, Storia d'Italia, tom. i., p. 271. Basseville, in 1789, was editor of the Mercure National. He published Elémens de Mythologie, &c.

95

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 43; Thibaudeau, Hist. Gen. de Napoleon, tom. i., p. 139; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 49.

96

"Salicetti was never the personal friend of Napoleon, but of his brother Joseph; with whom, in 1792 and 1793, he had been member for the department of Corsica." – Joseph Buonaparte, Notes sur les Mémoires de Bourrienne, tom. i., p. 238.

97

"I am particularly gratified with my reception by General Scherer; who, by his honourable deportment and readiness to supply me with all useful information, has acquired a right to my gratitude. To great facility in expressing himself, he unites an extent of general and military knowledge, which may probably induce you to deem his services useful in some important station." – Napoleon to the Directory, March 30.

98

Jomini, tom. viii., p. 62; Thiers, tom. viii., p. 329.

99

Thiers, tom. viii., p. 178; Lacretelle, tom. xiii., p. 153.

100

Napoleon, Memoirs, tom. iii., p. 145; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 70; Las Cases, tom. ii., p. 187.

101

"Napoleon placed himself on a ridge in the centre of his divisions, the better to judge of the turn of affairs, and to prescribe the manœuvres which might become necessary." – Jomini, tom. viii., p. 72.

102

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 145; Las Cases, tom. ii., p. 190; Thiers, tom. viii., p. 178.

103

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 146; Las Cases, tom. ii., p. 192; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 76.

104

Las Cases, tom. ii., p. 193; Montholon, tom. iii., p. 148; Thiers, tom. viii., p. 181.

105

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 148; Las Cases, tom. ii., p. 193; Lacretelle, tom. xiii., p. 59.

106

"Annabal a forcé les Alpes; nous nous les avons tournées!" – Napoleon, Montholon, tom. iii., p. 151.

107

"The rapidity of Massena's movements was a subject of astonishment and terror with the Piedmontese, who regarded him as a rebel. He was born at Nice, but attached himself early in his youth to the French service. The Revolution found him a sergeant in the Royal Italian regiment." – Lacretelle, tom. xiii., p. 161.

108

"General Stengel, a native of Alsace, was an excellent hussar officer; he had served under Dumouriez, and in the other campaigns of the North; he was adroit, intelligent, and active, combining the qualities of youth with those of maturity, he was the true general for advanced posts." – Napoleon, Montholon, tom. iii., p. 152.

109

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 151; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 93.

110

Murat was despatched to Paris with them, and the treaty for the armistice of Cherasco. His arrival, by way of Mount Cenis, with so many trophies, and the King of Sardinia's submission, caused great joy in the capital. Junot, who had been despatched after the battle of Millesimo by the Nice road, arrived later than Murat.

111

The treaty was concluded at Paris, on the 15th May. For a copy of it, see Annual Register, vol. xxxviii., p. 262.

112

Victor Amadeus died of apoplexy, in the following October, and was succeeded by his son, Charles Emanuel.

113

See Correspondence Inédite, tom. i., p. 85.

114

See the speech in the Moniteur, No. 233, 12th May.

115

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 162.

116

" – procul obscuros colles humilemque videmus Italiam. Italiam! primus conclamat Achates; Italiam! læto socii clamore salutant."

Virg. Æneid, Book III. – S.

"Now every star before Aurora flies, Whose glowing blushes streak the purple skies; When the dim hills of Italy we view'd, That peep'd by turns, and dived beneath the flood, Lo! Italy appears, Achates cries, And, Italy! with shouts the crowd replies."

Dryden.

117

"The army, on reaching the Adige, will command all the states of the House of Austria in Italy, and all those of the Pope on this side of the Apennines; it will be in a situation to proclaim the principles of liberty, and to excite Italian patriotism against the sway of foreigners. The word Italiam. Italiam! proclaimed at Milan, Bologna, and Verona, will produce a magical effect." – Napoleon, Montholon, tom. iii., p. 165.

118

It was dated Cherasco, April the 26th, and sufficiently proves, that notwithstanding all their victories, many of the soldiery, nay, even of the superior officers, were still alarmed at the magnitude of the enterprise on which Napoleon was entering with apparently very inadequate resources.

119

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 169; Thibaudeau, tom. i., p 206; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 117.

120

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 172.

121

Moniteur, No. 241, May 20.

122

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 173; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 126; Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 218.

123

"The loss of the French was only four hundred men." – Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 218.

124

Moniteur, No. 241, May 20.

125

"Vandémiaire and Montenotte," said the Emperor, "never induced me to look upon myself as a man of a superior class: it was not till after Lodi that I was struck with the possibility of my becoming a decisive actor on the scene of political events. It was then that the first spark of my ambition was kindled." – Las Cases, tom. i., p. 150.

126

Montholon, tom. iii., p, 178.

127

"How subtle is the chain which unites the most trivial circumstances to the most important events! Perhaps this very nickname contributed to the Emperor's miraculous success on his return from Elba in 1815. While he was haranguing the first battalion he met, which he found it necessary to parley with, a voice from the ranks exclaimed, 'Vive notre petit Caporal! – We will never fight against him.'" – Las Cases, tom. i., p. 170.

128

Thiers, tom. viii., p. 207.

129

"It was in memory of this mission, that Napoleon, when King of Italy, created the duchy of Lodi, in favour of Melzi." – Montholon, tom. iii., p. 179.

130

Botta, tom. i., p. 431; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 179; Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 234; Thiers, tom. viii., p. 208.

131

On the 20th, Buonaparte addressed the following remarkable order of the day to the army: —

"Soldiers! you have rushed like a torrent from the top of the Apennines: you have overthrown, dispersed, all that opposed your march. Piedmont, delivered from Austrian tyranny, indulges her natural sentiments of peace and friendship towards France. Milan is yours; and the republican flag waves throughout Lombardy. The Dukes of Parma and Modena are indebted for their political existence only to your generosity. The army which so proudly threatened you, can now find no barrier to protect it against your courage: neither the Po, the Ticino, nor the Adda, could stop you a single day: those vaunted bulwarks of Italy opposed you in vain; you passed them as rapidly as the Apennines. These great successes have filled the heart of your country with joy; your representatives have ordered a festival to commemorate your victories, which has been held in every commune of the republic. There your fathers, your mothers, your wives, sisters, and mistresses, rejoiced in your victories, and proudly boasted of belonging to you. Yes, soldiers! you have done much. – But remains there nothing more to perform? Shall it be said of us, that we know how to conquer, but not how to make use of victory? Shall posterity reproach us with having found our Capua in Lombardy? – But I see you already hasten to arms; an effeminate repose is tedious to you; the days which are lost to glory, are lost to your happiness. Well, then! let us set forth; we have still forced marches to make, enemies to subdue, laurels to gather, injuries to avenge! Let those who have sharpened the daggers of civil war in France, who have basely murdered our ministers, and burnt our ships at Toulon, tremble! The hour of vengeance has struck. But let the people of all countries be free from apprehension; we are the friends of the people everywhere, and more particularly of the descendants of Brutus and Scipio, and the great men whom we have taken for our models. To restore the capitol, to replace there the statues of the heroes who rendered it illustrious, with suitable honours, to awaken the Roman people, stupified by several ages of slavery – such is the fruit of our victories. They will form an historical era for posterity: yours will be the immortal glory of having changed the face of the finest part of Europe. The French people, free, respected by the whole world, will give to Europe a glorious peace, which will indemnify her for the sacrifices of every kind, which, for the last six years, she has been making. You will then return to your homes; and your countrymen will say, as they point you out – 'He belonged to the army of Italy.'" —Moniteur, No. 254, June 2.

On reading over this proclamation one day at St. Helena, the Emperor exclaimed – "And yet they have the folly to say I could not write!" – Las Cases, tom. iii., p. 86

132

Frederic, Duke of Parma, grandson of Philip V. of Spain, was born in 1751. On his death, in 1802, the duchy was united to France, in virtue of the convention of 1801.

133

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 173; Lacretelle, tom. xiii., p. 172; Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 211. See the Treaty, Annual Register, vol. xxxviii., p. 233.

134

Hercules III., Renaud d'Este, last Duke of Modena, was born in 1727 and died in 1797.

135

Lacretelle, tom. xiii., p. 187; Montholon, tom. iii., p. 187.

136

"The duke is avaricious. His only daughter and heiress is married to the Archduke of Milan. The more you squeeze from him, the more you take from the House of Austria." – Lallemant to Buonaparte, 14th May; Correspondence Inédite, tom. i., p. 169.

137

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 174.

138

"The republic had already received, by the same title, and placed in its Museum, the chefs-d'œuvre of the Dutch and Flemish schools. The Romans carried away from conquered Greece the statues which adorn the capitol. Every capital of Europe contained the spoils of antiquity, and no one had ever thought of imputing it to them as a crime." – Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 214.

139

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 174.

140

"Is it, then, so difficult for Sir Walter to justify the motive which induced Napoleon to prefer works of art? It was a motive too great and too praiseworthy to need justification." – Louis Buonaparte, p. 21.

141

On the 7th of May, Carnot had written to Buonaparte – "The executive Directory is convinced, citizen-general, that you consider the glory of the fine arts connected with that of the army under your command. Italy is, in great part, indebted to them for her riches and renown; but the time is arrived when their reign must pass into France to strengthen and embellish that of liberty. The National Museum must contain the most distinguished monuments of all the arts, and you will neglect no opportunity of enriching it with such as it expects from the present conquests of the army of Italy, and those which may follow," &c. —Correspondence Inédite, tom. i., p. 155.

142

Moniteur, 25th Floreal, 16th May.

143

See also Lacretelle's "Digression sur l'enlèvement de statues, tableaux, &c." —Hist., tom. xiii., p. 172.

144

See Letter of the Directory to Buonaparte, May 7; Correspondence Inédite, tom. i., p. 145; and Montholon, tom. iv., p. 447.

145

"Je crois qu'il faut plutôt un mauvais général que deux bons. La guerre est comme le gouvernement —c'est une affaire de tact." —Correspondence Inédite, tom. i., p. 160.

146

"You appear desirous, citizen-general, to continue to conduct the whole series of the military operations of the present campaign in Italy. The Directory have maturely reflected on this proposition, and the confidence they have in your talents and Republican zeal, has decided this question in the affirmative." – Carnot to Buonaparte, 21st May; Correspondence Inédite, tom. i., p. 202.

147

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 196.

148

It has been alleged, that in a farce exhibited on the public stage by authority of Buonaparte, the Pope was introduced in his pontifical dress. This, which could not be looked on as less than sacrilege by a Catholic population, does not accord with the general conduct of Buonaparte. See, however, "Tableau des Premières Guerres de Buonaparte," Paris, 1815, par Le Chevalier Mechaud de Villelle, p. 41. – S.

149

"The pillage lasted several hours; but occasioned more fear than damage; it was confined to some goldsmiths' shops. The selection of the hostages fell on the principal families. It was conceived to be advantageous that some of the persons of most influence should visit France. In fact, they returned a few months after, several of them having travelled in all our provinces, where they had adopted French manners." – Napoleon, Montholon, tom. iii., p. 200.

150

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 227.

151

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 227.

152

"The examples of the Imperial Fiefs and Lugo, though extremely severe, were indispensable, and authorised by the usage of war." – Jomini, tom. viii., p. 156.

153

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 204; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 140.

154

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 206.

155

Napoleon, Memoirs, tom. iii., p. 209.

156

Daru, Hist. de Venise; tom. v., p. 436; Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 257.

157

Moniteur, No. 267, June 17; Montholon, tom. iv., p. 121.

158

Thiers, tom. viii., p. 225.

159

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 213; Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 275.

160

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 221; Thiers, tom. viii., p. 236.

161

"Il parcourut avet le grand-duc la célèbre galerie et n'y remarqua que trop la Vénus de Medicis." – Lacretelle, tom. xiii., p. 190.

162

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 226; Pommereuil, Campagnes de Buonaparte, p. 78.

163

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 222.

164

The following letter appears in the journals as an intercepted despatch from Beaulieu to the Aulic Council of War. It seems worthy of preservation, as expressing the irritated feelings with which the veteran general was certainly affected, whether he wrote the letter in question or not. It will be recollected, that D'Argenteau, of whom he complains, was the cause of his original misfortunes at Montenotte. See ante, p. 52. "I asked you for a general, and you have sent me Argenteau – I am quite aware that he is a great lord, and that he is to be created Field-marshal of the Empire, to atone for my having placed him under arrest – I apprise you that I have no more than twenty thousand men remaining, and that the French are sixty thousand strong. I apprise you farther, that I will retreat to-morrow – next day – the day after that – and every day – even to Siberia itself, if they pursue me so far. My age gives me a right to speak out the truth. Hasten to make peace on any condition whatever." —Moniteur, 1796, No. 269. – S.

165

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 229; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 163.

166

See Correspondence Inédite, tom. i., p. 12; Montholon, tom. iv., p. 372; Jomini, tom. viii., p. 388.

167

"That retreat was the greatest blunder that ever Moreau committed. If he had, instead of retreating, made a détour, and marched in the rear of Prince Charles, he would have destroyed or taken the Austrian army. The Directory, jealous of me, wanted to divide, if possible, the stock of military reputation; and as they could not give Moreau credit for a victory, they caused his retreat to be extolled in the highest terms: although even the Austrian generals condemned him for it." – Napoleon, Voice, &c., vol. ii., p. 40. See also Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 157.