"Nous écrivons l'histoire de Napoléon d'après les monuments du temps offi ciels ou privés, publics ou secrêts. Aux tableaux, aux esquisses plus ou moins fidèles dont il a déjá été le sujet, et où il a été, suivant les uns, trop maltraité par la haine, ou, d'après d'autres, trop exalté par l'admiration, nous opposerons un tableau où il se peindra lui même par ses actes, ses correspondances, ses proclamations, ses discours, ses conversations, ses confidences, ses écrits; tantôt on se bornera à les citer, tantôt on en rapportera textuellement les passages les plus marquants et les plus caractéristiques.

"On a écrit tant de mal et tant de bien de Napoléon, qu'il nous sera bien permis, à notre tour, de dire librement notre pensée sur ses actions. Sa gloire et sa renommée ont eu trop d'éclat pour qu'elles ne puissent pas supporter des observations qui paraîtraient même avoir quelque caractère de sévérité. Nous ne per. drons jamais de vue que nous écrivons l'histoire; nous ne voulons donc ni flatter les mânes de l'homme célèbre qui en est l'objet, ni encore moins insulter à sa mémoire. Nous ne nous inquiétons pas de plaire ou de déplaire à aucun parti. Du reste, nous le répétons, ce sera Napoléon lui-même qui composera la plus grande partie de notre ouvrage; c'est lui qui s'y peindra dans les diverses situations de sa vie, qui se jugera à charge et à décharge, et qui préparera l'arrêt de la postérité."

66

To return to M. de Bausset. His first chapter comprises a picture of Napoleon's domestic habits and manners. The emperor admitted men of eminence in the science and the arts, to converse with him, at the hour of breakfast. He chatted, sometimes, immediately after this repast-which did not engross more than eight minutes,-with the most felicitous and fascinating gaiety. But being often entirely taken up with affairs of state, he passed many breakfasts and dinners, without uttering a single word." The dinner of the palace was regularly served at six o'clock; and their majesties dined alone, except on Sunday, when all the imperial family were admitted to the banquet. The meal commonly occupied from fifteen to twenty minutes. Napoleon preferred the most simple dishes, and he used only Burgundy wine diluted. It was reported, that he drank an enormous quantity of coffee; but, according to our author, he restricted himself to two cups a day. The intensity of his meditations, or conferences in his closet, proved now and then, a highly inconvenient circumstance, for those who had the honour of being his companions in the dining-room. He too often forgot the hour; while all waited, with such sensations as hunger rarely fails to produce. In the nineteenth chapter of his first volume, M. de Bausset states the following instance of this evil:

"It happened one day, or rather one evening, that Napoleon forgot the announcement which had been made to him, until eleven o'clock; and, on leaving his closet, he said to Josephine; I think it is rather late?-Past eleven o'clock replied she, laughing. 'I thought I had dined,' said Napoleon, setting down to table. This self-denial was a virtue, which Josephine had to exercise, on more than one occasion. Napoleon was perfectly right, when he said: 'I win nothing but battles; and Josephine, by her goodness, wins all hearts.'

"I shall not be blamed, then, for saying, that the evening when Napoleon came to table, to dine after eleven o'clock, the dinner remained on the table during the five hours of delay; and the only precaution which was taken, was, to fill the dishes with boiling water every quarter of an hour. It was necessary to

adopt that plan, because Napoleon might have left his closet at an instant, and there would not have been time to serve the table. Thanks to the importance of the habits of sovereigns, I may finish this note, by observing, that there were twenty-three chickens, which were successively put on the spit, and placed on the table; and that was the only change that was made in the dinner."

We shall cite a little more of this evidence about the domestic

"The Emperor again retired, after dinner, to his closet, and to labour; for 'rarely,' he said, do I put off till to-morrow, that which may be done to day.' The Empress descended into her apartments, by a private staircase, which served for a communication to the two floors, and to the two apartments. On enter ing, she was received by her ladies of honour, others who were privileged, and the officers of her household. Card-tables were set out for form's sake, and to dispel formality and dulness. Sometimes, Napoleon entered the interior apartments of the Empress; and conversed with as much simplicity as freedom, perhaps with the ladies of the palace, or perhaps with one of us; but, in general, he remained only a short time. The officers on duty, ascended to assist at the evening audience, and to receive his orders for the morrow. Such was the habitual life that the Emperor lived at the Tuileries; and its uniformity was never deranged, except when there was a concert, a play, or a hunt.”

"The remains from the Emperor's table, furnished that of the chamber-women of the Empress, the stewards, and the valets of the Emperor, &c. The remains from the other tables, served for the other persons employed and maintained within the palace. The footmen were not of this number. They were clothed, and received a crown a day, for wages, and provisions. The ordinary livery be longed to them, after a year of service; and the grand one, after two years."

The Prefect of the palace, had his place, of course, in the imperial train, when Napoleon went to Italy, to set the iron crown on his head. M. de Bausset was delighted with the convenient and magnificent style, in which they journeyed. Every where they were sumptuously fed and lodged; all the etiquette of the Tuileries was observed: the Emperor received deputations; surveyed fortifications; reviewed troops, with the utmost intelligence, grace, and condescension: the Empress presided at splendid balls and concerts, and won all hearts: the worthy Prefect, himself, composed an address to Josephine, in French, for an Italian bishop; and his notice of this event, is too good a specimen of his peculiar tournure, as a writer, to be omitted here:

“M. Dolphino, c'est ainsi que se nommait l'évêque de Bergame, n'était pas embarrassé de parler à l'empereur; mais sa politesse lui prescrivait de parler en français à l'impératrice Joséphine, qui n'entendait pas l'italien. Peu versé luimême dans la langue française, il me pria de lui faire une seule phrase d'un débit facile. Heureux de trouver l'occasion d'adresser à cette excellente princesse, par l'organe d'un autre, les sentimens de respect et de reconnaissance dont j'étais pénétré, je m'empressai de céder à la demande de l'évêque de Bergame, et, mêlé parmi les autres officiers de la maison, j'attendis avec une douce agitation le moment où le clergé italien serait introduit. Ce moment arriva, et l'évêque, que j'avais eu soin de préparer, prononça parfaitement bien ce petit discours."

At Alexandria, M. de Bausset saw Jerome Bonaparte-who had left his frigate at Genoa, in order to visit Napoleon-quit the Emperor's apartment with an agitated countenance. The in

view between the brothers, had been vive, lively, on the side

of the elder; and the conversation was supposed to relate to the marriage which Jerome had contracted in Baltimore. At Genoa, the all-seeing Prefect witnessed Cardinal Maury's egress from the imperial palace, after the conference in which he settled with Napoleon the point of his return to France. Nothing could be inferred from the calm physiognomy and firm step of the Cardinal, whose face, as the Abbé Arnault well observed, always seemed to have been cut in stone--taillé dans la pierre. On the return, the Emperor hastened back, himself, from Turin to Paris, with all possible speed; leaving his faithful Bausset, with a delightful party of courtiers, to jog on at their leisure. The Prefect names his fellow-travellers, of both sexes; and, truly, the list excites our envy, as most of them are known to us, either personally or by reputation, as excellent company :

"Nous n'étions," says he, "pressés par aucun devoir; nous avions ordre d'arriver à notre aise, et nous profitâmes largement de la permission. Un courier nous précédait de quelques heures, faisait préparer les chevaux, et s'arrêtait dans les lieux que je lui avais désignés, pour y retenir une auberge entière pour déjeûner et le soir pour coucher; nos repas étaient apprêtés par les gens du service de la bouche, qui précédaient aussi de quelques heures. Philippe de Ségur et moi nous partions une heure avant les dames, et nous nous emparions de l'auberge choisie par notre courier; nous en faisions un véritable palais de souve rain; des gardes étaient placés à la porte: Philippe de Ségur faisait les logemens, les autres arrangemens étaient dans mes distributions. Nos compagnons de voyage trouvaient tout en bon ordre, et la gaieté la plus douce et la plus aimable présidait à nos repas."

We pass over the chapter in which M. de Bausset repeats some shrewd critical strictures of Napoleon, on the tragedy of the Templars; and expresses his own persuasion, founded on the strongest reasons, that his master really meditated the invasion of England, when he first made demonstrations from the camp at Boulogne. With regard to this matter, however, the following creditable anecdote, contained in the fourth chapter, would show that something like despair had succeeded to hope or design :

"A few days after our return from the Rhine, the Emperor being at St. Cloud, I asked him during his breakfast, if he would be pleased to receive M. Denon, inspector of medals, who was desirous of presenting those which he had struck in commemoration of the achievements of the memorable battle of Austerlitz. In accordance with his command, I introduced M. Denon, who held in his hands a number of medals. The series commenced with the departure of the army from the camp at Boulogne, on its march to the Rhine. The first represented, on one side, the bust of Napoleon; and, on the other, a French eagle holding an English lion.. What does this mean?" said Napoleon. Sire,' said M. Denon, it is the French eagle, stifling with his talons, the lion; which is one of the attributes of the arms of England.' I was seized with admiration, when I saw Napoleon throw the golden medal with violence to the end of the chamber, saying to M. Denon-Vile flatterer! How dare you say the French eagle stifles the English lion? I cannot launch upon the sea, a single petty fishing-boat, but she is captured by the English. It is, in reality, the lion that stifles the French eagle. Cast the medal in the foundry, and never bring me such another.""

After mentioning the campaigns of 1807, M. de Bausset enters into details concerning the ordinary tenor of Napoleon's days, when he was with the armies, which are interesting enough to be transcribed, though they must be taken with some grains of allowance. It is not easy to imagine, that the great captain enjoyed a constitution so miraculously adapted to his pursuits, that one hour of slumber sufficed to repair the waste of twenty-four hours of such fatigue as he underwent :

"Napoleon's manner of living, when with the army, was simple and without show. Every individual, whatever might be his station, had a right to approach and address him concerning his interests; he heard, interrogated, and decided at once; if it was a refusal, the reasons were explained in a manner which softened the disappointment. I was never able to behold, without admiration, the simple soldier quit his rank, as his regiment filed off before the Emperor, approach him with a serious measured step, and presenting arms, place himself immediately before his commander. Napoleon always received the petition, read it entirely through, and granted all proper requests. That noble privilege which he had bestowed upon bravery and courage, inspired every soldier with a feeling of his consequence and of his duty, and, at the same time, served as a curb to restrain those among the superiors, who might have been inclined to abuse their power. "The simplicity of Napoleon's character and manners was particularly remarkable, when the march was easy, and uninterrupted by action; always on horseback, in the midst of his generals, his gallant aid-de-camp, the officers of his household, and of his staff of young and valiant officers, his gaiety, I had almost ventured to say his good fellowship, diffused itself into every heart. He often gave the command to halt, and set down under a tree with the Prince of Neufchâtel. The provisions were set before him, and every body, even from the page up to the greatest officers, one way or another, got every thing that he required. It was truly a fête for every one of us. Napoleon, by dismissing from about him every thing which had any resemblance to intrigue, had inspired the whole of his household with a feeling of affection, of union, and of reciprocal good will, which made all our situations comfortable. The frugality of Napoleon was such, that his taste gave the preference to the most simple, and the least scasoned dishes; as œufs au miroir and haricots en salade. His breakfast was almost always composed of one of these dishes, and a little Parmesan cheese. At dinner he eat little, rarely of ragoûts, and always of wholesome things. I have often heard him say, that 'however little nourishment people took at dinner, they always took too much. Thus his head was always clear, and his labour easy, even when he rose from table. Gifted by nature with a perfectly healthy stomach, his nights were as calm as those of an infant; nature, also, had bestowed on him a constitution so admirably suited to his station, that a single hour of sleep would restore him, after twenty-four hours fatigue. In the midst of the most serious and urgent events, he had the power of resigning himself to sleep at pleasure, and his mind enjoyed the most perfect calm, as soon as directions were given for the necessary arrangements.

"Every moment of the day was a moment of labour for Napoleon, when even with the army. If he ceased for an instant to consult the charts, to arrange the plans of battle, and to meditate upon the prodigious combinations which it was necessary to employ, in order to move, with mathematical precision, a mass of from four to five hundred thousand men, be occupied himself with the domestic administration of the empire. Several times in the course of the week, a messenger arrived at the imperial quarters, from the council of state, charged with despatches from all the ministers, and never was the labour of inspection postponed until the morrow; every thing was examined during the day, signed, and forwarded; all things moved on together. The days which succeeded a skirmish, an action, or a battle, were employed in receiving the reports from the different corps of the army, in uniting together all the isolated facts, in distributing to each his proper share of the glory, in digesting, in a word, those immortal bulletins, which,

through their concision, clearness, order, and manly simplicity, present a classic model of military eloquence. It is in those brilliant archives, that the titles of the French army to renown are for ever engraved. By a remarkable singularity, those bulletins, sent to Paris to be printed, were read and admired by all France, before they reached the army, which only became acquainted with them on the arrival of the French journals from the capital. It must be regretted, however, that several of those documents, especially those which have reference to the beautiful Queen of Prussia, should have been written with anger, and without courtesy and they would even be without excuse, if the violent and injurious provocations which Napoleon received, were not remembered."

At Strasburg, our Prefect noted, immediately after the first interview between Prince Jerome Bonaparte and the Princess of Wurtemberg, the new spouse of the Prince, that her eyes were moistened with tears; a circumstance, from which he concluded, that she expected more cordiality than she experienced. "It is the common misfortune," adds our observer, "of a personage so exalted, to be condemned to perpetual self-restraint. To find happiness and domestic peace, we must resort lower down, or to the humbler circles." Shakspeare consecrated the sentiment, "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown:"-it is confirmed by all history; and to judge, not merely from M. de Bausset's pointed testimony, but from private and equally authentic information, it had rarely been more signally exemplified, than it was in the instances of the lord of the European continent, and the beneficent and brilliant Josephine. With regard to the latter, he expresses the belief, that she was much happier at Malmaison, after her divorce, than she had been at the Tuileries, where "her life was harassed by an infinity of trifling constraints and court details." On the subject of her separation from Napoleon, he is minute and particularly interesting, from personal knowledge. He thinks that the idea of that event occurred to the husband, two years before it took place, that is, on the death of the infant Prince Napoleon, eldest son of the Queen of Holland, whom the Emperor fondly loved, and had adopted. Rumours reached the ears of Josephine, soon after, and filled her with just alarm. M. de Bausset,-always on the alert in scenting a state-affair,-discovered the direction of the wind, during the negotiations with Austria, in 1809, when Bonaparte was at Schoenbrunn. He perceived, that his master was specially earnest to impress the Austrian Prince John, and Count Bubna, in their conferences, with a favourable idea of his manners and person. He more than suspected, from this and other indications, that the true secret article of the peace under discussion, was the marriage of Napoleon with the Archdutchess Maria Louisa. On his return to Paris, the following transactions formed the dénouement, or eclaircissement. We make a free use of his anecdotes on this topic, because it is curious in a historical point of view; and, as far as he is to be trusted at all, he should be received as the best authority in relation to it: