The Corsican a Diary of Napoleons Life in H1s Own Words

TH E COR S ICAN

AD iary ofNapo leo n’

s L ife inH 1s Own W o rds

And they have dared t o say that I co u ld n o t write!”

”2.

B OSTON AND NEW YOR K

HOUGH TON M IFFL IN COM PANY

t eminerginz 1913255 (t amb rib ge1 9 1 0

COPY R I G H T,1 9 1 0 , B Y R . M . JOH NSTON

A L L R I G H T S R E SE R V ED

P u b l i shed No vemb er 1 91 0

! CI. A27 8 1 1

PREFA CE

A FEW words are needed to explain What this b ookis, and What it is not .The matter, with the exception of the few bracketed

passages, i s derived entirely from Napoleon’s own words,

written and spoken . But there are abbreviations, andtranspositions ofwords and of dates .The abbreviations are not shown, for the reason that

they are of constant recurrence, and this general warning is therefore substituted for the usual typographical

indication .

The transpositions ofdate are made fo r the purposeof maintaining the journal form , and belong, in all except

rare cases, to o n e ofthe two following classes : first, theplacing ofthe details of an event that were written a dayo r two after it, at the very day of that event ; secondly,the placing ofa statement uttered at St . Helena forwardunder the date of the event itself . Of this second class

there are not many instances .

There are also a number ofcases ofcomposite texts,as for instance the speech to the Council ofAncients o nthe 1 9th of Brumaire, o r that to the Polish officers o nthe retreat from Leipzig, each made up from several ver

sions . Once for all, the warning is given that such is the

case, as from the nature ofthe book the footnotes co vering this, and the other matters mentioned, appeared to

be ou t ofplace ; they would have been longer than thetext itself .

vi PREFACE

Two minor points also require notice : that the dates interms ofthe revolutionary calendar have been modernizod ; and that the names and titles ofindividuals ment io n ed have been used with no attempt at uniformity ;thus Ney may be referred to under that name long after

he had become Duke of Elchingen, and Prince oftheM o skowa . In an appendix the Napoleonic titles are

tabulated, so that the reader can always refer back ifnecessary .

In conclusion , what truth this b ook conveys is n o t tobe sought according to those rules fo r the treatment ofhistorical documents which it avowedly contravenes, but

in such psychological illumination ofa great career andcharacter as the method employed has rendered possible .

F o r objectively Napoleon rarely, if ever, speaks the truth

yet subjectively how can he speak otherwise ?R . M . JOHNSTON.

CAM B RIDGE , M a ss Sept , 1 91 0.

A D iary ofNapo leo n 5 L ife

1 769—1 795

A ugu st 1 5 th, 1 769 . B irth at Ajacci o .

I was called Napoleon ; that, fo r centuries past, hadbeen the name given to the second son in our family .

A pri l, 1 779 . M i li tary scho o l at B ri an n e.

I entered Brienne, and was happy. My mind was b e

ginning to work ; I was anxious to learn, to know, to get

on ; I devoured books . I soon became the talk oftheschool . I was admired, envied ; I was conscious ofmypowers ; I enjoyed my superiority .

Octo ber 1 2th , 1 783 . (To Charles Buonapart e . ) My dear

father : Your letter, as you may well imagine, gave melittle en ough pleasure ; but as your return to Corsica is

necessitated by your illness and by that of a fami ly thatis so near to me, I can but approve, and must try to console myself .

J u n e 25 th , 1 784 . My brother lacks the courage t o facethe dangers ofaction, and regards the military professionfrom the garrison point ofview .

J u ly 7th . My dear father arrived here on the 21 st with

Luciano and the two young ladies . Joseph is in the class

ofrhetoric, and could do better if he would only work.

Octo ber 29th . (At Brienne) every one said of me : That

boy is no good except at geometry . I was not very pOpular. I was dry as parchment .

4 THE CORSICAN [1 784—87

Octo ber 3 oth . L eaves B ri en n efor the M ilitary Co llege atP aris .

M arch 98th , 1 785 , Paris

We have lost o u r father, the sole support of o u r youth .

Our country has lost a keen , enlightened, and honest citi

zen . It was so decreed by the Supreme Being !

(To Madame Buonaparte . ) My dear mother : It is foryou to console us, the event demands it . Our affection,o u r devotion, will be doubled , to make you forget, so far

as it is possible, the incalculable loss ofa beloved husband .

Octo ber 30th . Second lieuten an t ofarti llery, regimen t ofLa Fere.

A pri l 26th , 1 786 , ValenceTo -day Paoli enters hi s sixty-first year . The Corsicans

have already, in a just cause, shaken off the yoke oftheGenoese ; they can do as much with that ofthe French .

Amen !

M ay3d. Always solitary among men, I am here, withindoors, dreaming, and giving full vent to all my melan

cho ly . T o what will it drive me to-day ? To thoughts of

death . Still at the dawn of life , I may hopefo r many daysto come . It is now six o r seven years since I last saw my

country . Wh at madness, then , drives me to self-destruo

tion ? Doubtless it is the hollowness oflife . If o n e is to

die, why not kill one’s self ? What spectacle awaits me

when I return to my own peOple ? My compatriots

laden with chains, and kissing in fear the hand thatstrikes them !

9th . Virtue and the love oftruth are not enought o enable a man to argue against Rousseau . He was

human ; and so , o n e may easily believe, liable to erro r.

m . 1 5—1 8] A DIARY ” 5

Ju ly 29th . (To M . Borde, bookseller, Geneva . ) Sir

This is to request you t o forward me the M emo i rs ofM me.

de Valen s (sic) , sequel to the Confessi on s ofJ . J . Rous

seau . Pray send me also the H i story ofthe R evo lu ti o n s ofCorsica, and a list ofbooks you may have relating to theisland of Corsica, or that you could get for me quickly .

I will remit the correct amount on hearing from you .

Address your letter : Monsieur Buonaparte, Officer ofartillery, regiment of La Fere, Valence, Dauphine.

September 20th , Lyons

I leave Lyons with even more reluctance than I didValence . I like the place so much, I would be content tospend the rest of my days here ; fb u t a man must follow hi s

fate, and must accept the conditions of his profession . A

soldier can be constant to nothing but hisflag.

A pri l 2d, 1 787 . Napoleone Buonaparte, second lieu

tenant in the regiment ofLa Fére artillery, begs Msgr .Marshal de Segur for leave of absence for five and a half

months from the l 6th of May next .

November 22, Paris :

I had just left the Italian Opera and was facing thewalks of the Palais Royal . I had reached the n o n gateswhen my eyes fell on a woman . The time ofday, herappearance, her youth , all showed clearly enough what

she was . I stared at her ; she stopped . Her hesitation

encouraged me, and I spoke to her I spoke t o her, I,who so loathe her vile trade, I, who have always felt myself contaminated by a single glance !

!

You will be

cold, I said, how can you go out there — Ah, Monsieur,hope keeps me warm . I must finish my evening . The

indifference with which she spoke, the calmness of her

6 THE CORSICAN [1 787—91

reply, aroused my interest, and I turned back with her .Y o u don

’

t look very strong ; I am surprised that yo u

can stand doing what you do .

—Well , Monsieur, o n e must

do something for one’s living — That may be, but surely

you could find some employment suited to your health ?— No, Monsieur, I must earn the money .

'

I was interested, pleased ; here at last was a woman whowould answer my questions, a result which previouslyI had not always attained !

J u ly l st , 1 788, Auxonne :

I have no interests outside my work . I get into fulldress only once a week . Since my illness I sleep verylittle, incredibly little ! I go to bed at ten, and am up at

four . I have but o n e meal a day, a practice that agrees

well with me .

A pri l l st , 1 789 . This year has begun hopefullyfo r rightthinkers, and after all these centuries offeudal barbarismand political slavery it is surprising to see how the word

L i berty sets minds on fire that appeared to be demoral ized

under the influence of lux ury, indulgence, and art . While

France is being regenerated, what will become ofusunfortunate Corsicans1 6th , Ajaccio :

My shattered health will prevent my return to the

mgimen t before the 1 5 th of October .

J u ly 1 4th . Captu re ofthe B asti lle, Fren ch R evo lu ti o n .

A ugu st 28th , 1 790 . Friday nigh t a gibbet was erectedo n the quay with thi s inscription over it : L a L an tern e de

P aris .

Feb ru ary 6th , 1 791 , St . Vallier

Ivy will cling to the first met tree, that, in afew words,

m'r . 1 8 -21 ] A DIARY 7

is the whole history of love . What i s love ? The realiz ation ofhis weakness that sooner or later pervades thesolitary man, a sense both ofhis weakness and of his immortality : the , soul finds support, is doubled, is forti

fied; the blessed tears ofsympathy flow, there is love .

8th, Serve

Everywhere the peasants stand firm ; in Dauphine,specially so . They are ready to di e for the Constitution .

The women are royalist . This is not surprising, for Lib

erty is lovelier than any ofthem and eclipses them all !

The Patriotic Club would do well to present Mirabeauw ith a complete Corsican dress, that is to say, cap, coat,breeches, dagger, pistol, and gu n ; it wouldmake a fin e

impression .

A pri l 24th , Auxonne

Louis is studying hard, learning to write French ; I amteaching him mathematics and geometry . He reads his

tory .‘He will turn out extremely well . He has already

acquired quite the French manner, polish, vivacity ; hecan enter an assembly, b ow gracefully, propound the

customary questions with all the seriousness and dignityofa man ofthirty . I see well enough that he will turn out

the best ofus four . It must be said, however, that noneof us has had so good an education

J u n e l st . The royalist orators have undoubtedly done

much towards overturning the monarchy, for after spend

ing all their breath in empty argumentation , they inva

riab ly finish up by declaring that a republican government is impossible because it is impossible !Ju ly 27th , Valence :

8 THE CORSICAN [ 1 791 - 92

Is it to b e war ?The country is fu ll ofzeal , ofenthusiasm . Two weeks

ago , in a meeting oftwenty-two clubs from the threeDepartments , a petition was drawn up demanding thatthe king be brought to trial . At the banquet o n the 1 4th ,

I proposed the health of the p atriots ofAuxonne .

September 2oth , Corte, in Corsica

M . Volney is here, and in a few days we shall starttogether o n a tour of the island . M . de Volney ’s reputa

tion in the republic ofletters is founded on hi s Voyage i nEgypt .

Feb ruary l st , 1 792, Ajaccio

In these stormy days the duty ofa good Corsican is toremain at home . The general in command has offered me

a commission as adjutant major ofa vo lu n teer battalion .

A pri l . War ofthe Fi rst Co ali ti o n . I'

l

M ay 29th , Paris

I arrived yesterday . Paris is in a state ofgrave agitation . The national guards o n duty to protect the king at

the Tu ileries have been doubled.

There is a vast amoun t ofdesertion among army officers . From every point ofView the situation is mostcritical .

J u n e 1 4th . The country is distracted by fanatical

parties ; it is difficult to seize the thread ofsuch complexevents ; how it will all turn o u t is more than I can guess,but the aspect ofthings is very revolutionary .

1 8th . No news ofthe army .

20th . Le t us follow this rabble ! Seven to eight thou

sand men , armed with pikes , axes , swords , guns , spits ,pointed sticks , marched to the Assembly to present a

m . 21—22] A DIAR Y 9

petition . Thence they proceeded to the king . The gardenof the Tuileries was closed, and was guarded bynational guards . They broke down the gates, entered

the palace, placed guns in position Opposite the king’slodging, smashed through four doors, and presented to

the king two cockades, one white, the other tricolour .

Choose, they said, reign here, o r at Coblentz ! The

king stood it well, and placed a red cap o n his head .

H ow could they let the rabble in (to the Palace yard) ?

They ought to have mowed down fou r or five hundred ofthem with cannon, and the others would still be running .

When I was told that Loui s had put a red cap on h is

head I concluded that his reign was over, for in politicsan act that degrades can never be lived down .

Ju ly 3d. I am bound to say that our leaders are a poorlo t ofmen. Seeing the whole business close to, shows

clearly enough how little worth while it is to attempt to

win the favour ofthe people . Each one pursues his individual interest and tries to excel in horrors ; intrigues are

to-day as base as ever they were . It is enough to destroy

all ambition .

A ugu st 7 th . All the symptoms are that violence will

break out ; many people are leavmg Paris .

I have been working a good deal at astronomy duu ng

my stay here . It ’s a splendid amusement, and a superbbranch of science ; with my knowledge ofmathematics itrequired very little effort to learn . It is a great acquisi

tion .

l 0th . I lodge Rue du Mai l , Place des Victoires .At th e sound of the tocsin, and at the news that the

Tuileries were attacked, I started for the Carrousel .

1 0 THE CORSICAN [1 792—93

Before I had go t there, in the Rue des Petits Champs , Iwas passed by a mo b ofhorrible looking fellows paradin ga head stuck o n a pike . Thinking I looked t o o much ofa gentleman , they wanted me to shout V ive la Nati on !

which I promptly did , as may easily be imagined .

The palace was being attacked by the vilest rabble .

After the palace had been captured and the king had

withdrawn to the Assembly, I ventured cautiously intothe gardens . Never since that day, no, not o n all my hat

t lefields, have I had such an impression ofmasses ofdeadmen as the Swiss then produced o n me .

As I witnessed the storming of the Tuileries and the

captu re ofthe king, I was far from thinking that I shouldo n e day stand in his place, and that that palace would be

my abode !

After the victory ofthe Marseillais, I came across onewho was on the point ofkilling a Garde du Corps . I saidto him : Man ofthe South , let us save this unfortunatefellow ! —Are yo u a Southerner ?— Yes ! —All right, we

will save him !

September 22d. Proclamati on ofthe Fren ch Repu b lic.

Octo ber 1 8th , Ajaccio :

I wanted to get to Bonifacio to restore order, but thegeneral has sentfo r me, and I shall have to go to Corte .

The latest news is to the effect that the enemy haveevacuated Verdun and Longwy ; our men are n o t going

to sleep . Savoy and Nice are ours , Sardinia will soon beattacked .

J an u ary 1 1 th , 1 793 , Olmet te

(To the municipal officials ofBonifacio . ) We shall

reach your city to-morrow, under orders from General

mm. 22—24] A DIARY 1 1

Paoli . I shall have two companies with me . I know yourgood will and patriotism, and do not doubt you willbestir yourselves to providefo r the troops .

BU ONA PA R TE ,

Lieutenant-Colonel of the

National Volunteers of Ajaccio .

J u ly. Revo lt ofso u thern Fran ce agai n st the R epu b lic.

A ugu st . The su pper at B eau cai re.

I happened to be at Beaucai re on the last day ofthefair, and chanced to sup with two merchants from Mar

seilles, one from Nimes, and a Montpellier manufacturer .

(The Soldier . ) Y o u see what civil war means ; we rend,we hate, we kill one another ! Why should you fear the

army ? The army respects Marseilles because no city has

sacrificed more for the general good . Think better ofus,and you will have no better friends . Believe me, shake

offthe yoke of the handful of rascals who are carrying you straight down the path of counter-revolution ;reestablish your old authorities ; accept the constitution ;and the army will immediately march offto make theSpaniards, who are too much puffed up with a few suc

cesses, dance the Carmagn o le.

28th . Occu pati on ofTo u lo n by the B ri ti sh .

September 1 6th , in front of Toulon .

It is the guns capture fortresses .

1 9th . Three days after my arrival the army had its

artillery organiz ed .

Octo ber 25 th . The guns are beginning to do things .November 1 4th . The plan for the capture of Toulon which

I have presented to the generals is the o nly practical one.

1 2 THE CORSICAN [1 793—95

28th . Thi s is the battery ofthe men without fear !29th . What is this youn g man

’s name

(Ju n o tDHe w ill get o n .

3 0th . The enemy, realizing the importance ofthe batt ery , attacked it in strong force , carried it, and spiked

the guns . Half an hour later we recaptured it . General

Dugommier fought with truly republican courage .

December 7 th . We are much in the same position . The

army is strong .

1 7th . Go and rest, we have captured Toulon ; day aftert o -morrow you shall sleep there .

24th . The enemy beat a very hasty retreat . We have

captured most oftheir baggage . If the wind had held

them u p another four hours, they were lost .

J an u ary 4th , 1 794, Marseilles

I shall have guns placed at the fort so as to commandthe city . The batteries are in an absurd state .

20th . Within a fortnight I hope to get the coastfrom the R hOn e to the Var in good shape .

Febru ary 1 2th . They have spent lots of money o n the

coast and made a bad jo b ofit .A pri l l st . I n command ofthe arti llery, army ofthe A lps.

2d. We open the campaign with men .

J u n e 20th . The army ’s objective is the valley of theStura .

J u ly 23d. R evo lu ti on ofThermidor.

A ugu st 7 th , Antibes :

(T o the representatives Alb i t te and Saliceti . ) Y o u have

relieved me from duty and ordered me under arrest . Y o u

have branded me without a sentence, o r sentenced me

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

1 4 THE CORSICAN [1 795

my ideas of glory o n their stem . That man is my evil

genius . NO, I can forgive ; but forget, that is another

matter .

M ay 1 8th . Day ofthe I st ofP ra iri al.If we continue t o drag o u r revolution through the mud

in this way , o n e will soon be ashamed ofbeing a Frenchman . (Barras) is at this moment at the end ofthe boulevard with a considerable body oftroops , and intends ,so he told me, to Open with shell . I advised him not todo it

J u n e 22d. I am appointed brigadier-general in thearmy ofthe West . I am ill, which compels me to ask forleave .

Tod ay the Constitution is being read in the Co n ven

tion .

J u ly l st . In the present situation ofEurope theKing ofSardinia obviously must want peace . We must carry the

war into his country , and manoeuvre the Austrians into

such a position that we can eventually operate against

them . The army of Italy must drive the enemy from

Loano, threaten Piedmont, conquer Lombardy , pene

trate into the Tyrol , and effect its junction with the army

ofthe Rhine .

1 2th . There is an astounding rev ival ofluxury , pleasure , and art . The women are everywhere .

1 8 th . Junot is here, going the pace , an d Spendin g as

much ofhis father’s money as he can . Marmont is at the

siege ofMainz .

24th . The news from the South is distressing . Let us

hOpcfo r a stron g and well-organized government that willput a s to p to all this .

m . 25—26] A DIARY 1 5

25 th . (To Joseph Buonaparte) . It must be on purpose that you make no mention ofDesirée (Clary) Idon ’t even know if she is still alive .

A u gu st 1 7th . I have been ordered for duty in the armyofthe V endée : I refused .

20th . I am appointed to the topographical bureau of

the CommitteeW W. I could , for the asking,get sent to Turkey as general to reorganize the artillery

ofthe Grand Seigni or .Everything is quiet here for the moment, but it may be

that a s torm is brewing .

25 th . (To Joseph . ) I hope a consulship can be o h

t ain ed for you .

The primaries'

are to be convened to elect a third ofthe legislature .

29th . The army of the Interior has accepted the Const i tu t io n . Some of the Sections of Paris are demanding

that the troops be withdrawn, and the decree repealed .

September 5 th . The Committee think s that I cannot

leave France so long as the war continues . I shall bereinstated in the artillery .

If I stay here, I may possibly get , b i t ten with the notion

ofgetting married .

6th . (To Joseph . ) The consulship of Chio is vacant

but yo u told me you had no use for an island . I hope

fo r something better .To-day the primary assemblies fo r Paris are meeting

there are many posters, but we hope all will go offquietly .

I am very pleased with Louis ; he fulfils all my hopes ;he ’s a good fellow, but then he is built after the same

fashion as I am : vivacity, wit , health, talent, trust


worthi n ess , benevolence, — he has everythingfo r him .

Y o u know, my dear fellow, that I live only for the happi

n ess ofmy own family .

7 th . All is quiet . It is a mistake to view the situation

tragically . The Republic, powerful abroad , wi ll soon

succeed in re'

establishing order at home .

1 1 th . The primary assemblies refuse to accept the

decree .

27th . There is considerable uneasiness, and much in

flammable material .

Octo ber 3d. (1 1 Vendémiaire .)Paris is ablaze since this morning . I must be cautious .

I have little enough influence .

4th . (1 2 Vendémiaire . )I am going o u t to get news .

I found several deputies in a state ofgreat alarm,

among others Camb acérés . They expected to be attacked

next day, and did n’

t know what to do ; my reply was ,Give me cannon . This suggestion paralyzed them .

The night passed , and no decision come to .

5 th (1 3 Vendémiaire) , mo rn i n gThe news was very bad . They then put the matter

in my hands, and set to discussing whether they had the

right to repel force by force . Do yo u intend to wait ,said I , — until the people give you permission to fire

at them ? Y o u have appointed me , and I am compro

mised; it is only fair that I should do the busin ess my

o wn way . On that I left the lawyers to drown themselves i n their own flood ofwords, and go t the troo pso n the move .

m . as] A DIARY 7

6th , 2 A . M

(To Joseph . ) At last, it’

s all over, and my first thought is

to send yo u the news . The royali sts were getting bolderevery day . The Convention had o rdered the SectionL epellet ier to be disarmed ! but the Section resisted the

troops . Menou was immedlately relieved from duty . The

Convention appointed Barras to command the army ; and

the Commi ttees selected me as secon d in gommand. We

made o u r arrangements ; the enemy at tagE d us ; wekilled great numbers of them . We have disarmed the

Sections . Good fortune is with me . My love to Eugeni e

and to Julie .

1 1 th . I am appointed general second in command ofthe army of the Interior .

20th . A citoyen Billon has asked fo r Paulette’s hand ;he has no money ; I have written to Mamma that it iso u t of the question .

25 th . I am appointed to command in chief the army ofthe Interior .

1 796

M arch 9th . This nineteenth day of the month ofVentOse in the fourth year ofthe Republic, this deed of marriage between Napoleone Buonaparte, general- ia -chief ofthe army ofthe Interior, twenty-eight years ofage , bornat Ajaccio, Department of Corsica, domiciled in Paris,Rue d

’

A n t in , son of Charles Buonaparte, gentleman, and

ofLetizia R amo lin i ;And Marie Joseph Rose Detascher, twenty-eight years

ofage, born in the island ofMartinique, in the WindwardIslands, domiciled in Paris,Rue Chantereine, daughter ofJoseph Gaspard Deta scher, captain ofdragoons, and ofRose Claire Desvergers de Lannois , his wife .

1 1 th . (To the Directoire . ) I had asked citoyen Barras

to inform the Directoire of my marriage with the ci t oyenne Tascher Beauharnais . The trust which the Dirce

toire has reposed in me made it a duty to inform it ofallmy actions . This is o n e more bond that draws me to o u r

co untry ; it is a pledge ofmy firm resolve to seek salvation only in the Republic .

2l st . Departurefor I taly.

27th , Nice :

Soldiers ! you are naked and starving ; the Government

owes yo u much and can give yo u nothing . Among these

rocks , your patience, you r courage, are admirable ; but n o t

o n e ray ofglory can shine down o n yo u . I will lead yo uinto the most fertile plain ofthe earth . Weal thy cities

,

great provinces , w ill be in your power ; an d there await

E T . 26] A DIARY 1 9

yo u honour, glory, and riches . Soldiers of Italy, will yourcourage, will your constancy fail ?

28th . (To the Directoire . ) I joined the army a few

days ago ; yesterday I assumed command . I have in

formed the troops, in your name, ofyour satisfactionwith their conduct and their patience . This pleased the

men, and especially the officers, very much . One battal

ion has mutinied, because it had neither boots n o r pay .

I ordered the grenadiers under arrest29th . General Alexandre Berthier is appointed chief

Ofstaff to the army OfItaly .

A pri l 6th , Albenga :

I have shifted headquarters to Albenga. This move

ment has drawn the enemy o u t ofwinter quarters . Theyhave moved their outposts up to Dego . The King ofSardinia is displaying much activity

The destitution of the army is alarming . I have many

difficulties to overcome, but it can be done . The absolute

misery ofthe army has broken its discipline, and withoutdiscipline there can be n o victories . The Piedmontese are

strong in infantry ; the Austrians have Ihave actually men .

At Oneglia I found some statuary ofconsiderablevalue . I ordered an auction, from which we may derive

or francs .

1 1 th . Fightin g began at eight o ’clock this morning . Ishall attack . To-morrow we will advance o n the enemy

all along o u r right .

1 2th , Carcare

V ive lai

R épu b li qu e! This day, 23d of Germinal, the

divisions ofGeneral Masse’na and ofGeneral Laharpe

20 THE CORSICAN [1 796

attacked the Austrians , who, under the command ofGeneral Beaulieu, numbered and occupied the impor

tant position ofMontenotte . The republicans defeated

the Austrians completely, killing and wounding 3 000 men .

A t n ight :

I have just been over the battlefield ; there were prisoners and dead o n all sides .

1 4th . (T o the Directoire . ) The campaign ofItaly hasbegun . I owe yo u an account of the battle of Monte

notte .

General Beaulieu , with o n e division , attacked the right

ofo u r army . On the (1 2th ) at daybreak, Beaulieu and

Laharpe engaged, when Massena appeared o n the

enemy ’s flank and rear, spreading destruction and panic .

The rout ofthe enemy was complete .

1 5 th . (To the Directoire . ) To—day I have to inform

you ofthe battle ofMillesimo . The enemy, surrounded

o n all sides, had no time even to surrender ; o u r columns

scattered death , panic, and flight . General Provera,with

the body he commanded, surrendered at Co sseria . Our

soldiers pursued the enemy o n all sides u nflaggingly . We

have in this glorious battle taken 7000 to 9000 prisoners,22 guns , and 1 5 flags .

The chef de brigade ofthe 3 9th having been killed , Ihave appointed citoyen Lannes to replace him .

l 6th . (To the Directoire . ) To-day I must render yo u

an account of o u r action at Dego . We estimate the

enemy ’s loss at 2000 men . Major Murat contributed

largely t o o u r success .

The enemy are much stronger than we anticipated ,fight well , and outnumber us in cavalry and artillery.

v


23d, Carru

(To General Colli . ) Sir : The D irectoire has reserved to

itself the right ofnegotiating peace ; the plenipotentiariesofthe king your master must therefore proceed to Paris .The military and moral situation ofthe two armies makesan armistice pure and simple entirely o u t ofthe question .

I must decline, o n vague presumptions , to suspend my

march . There is, however, a way ofattaining your Object ;it is by placing me in possession ofConi, Alessandria, andTortona . This proposal is a very moderate one .

24th . An armistice for o n e month , guaranteed by the

possession oftwo fortresses , would be of great service tothe Republic . It would give me time enough to overrunAustrian Lombardy .

(To the Directoire . ) Y o u cannot conceive the state that

this army is in, it has no bread , no discipline . Our lack

ofcarts , o u r bad horses, o u r rapacious commissaries, havereduced u s to absolute destitution . The life I lead is u n

believable ; worn o u t wi th my day’

s work, I have to sit up

all night to administer , and to proceed in person every

where to restore order . Our starving soldiers commit ex

cesses that make one ashamed to be a man . I shall makesome terrible examples . I will restore order, or cease to

command these bandits . I have to face men with

only infantry and 3 5 00 cavalry .

Citoyen Junot, my aide-de-camp , w ill present 21 flags

t o yo u . The army ofItaly in sending yo u these standards ,certificates ofits valour, charges me to assure yo u ofitsdevo t ion to the Constitution.

26th , Cherasco :

All goes well . The pillage has decreased . This first

m . 26] A DIARY 23

excess of an army that lacked everything is wearing

off. The wretched men are excusable ; they have reachedthe promised land, and cannot but be at it . To—morrow

some ofthe men who have rifled a church will be shot . It isa painful thing to have to do, and costs me many pangs ;horrors have been committed that make me shudder ; for

t u n ately the Piedmontese army in its retreat behaved

even worse . This splendid country'

will be of great help to

us ; from Mondovi alone we can raise a million .

(To the army . ) Soldiers ! In fifteen days you have wo nsix victories, captured twenty-o n e flags, fifty-five guns,several fortresses, conquered the richest part of Pied

mon t ; you have made prisoners ; you have killed

or wounded nearly men .

Until now you have fought for barren rocks . Lackingeverything, you have accomplished eve rything . You

have won battles without cannon, crossed rivers without

bridges, made forced marches without boots, bivouacked

without brandy, and often without bread . Only the

phalanx ofthe Republic, only the soldiers ofLiberty,could endure the things that you have suffered .

But, soldiers, you have really done nothing, if there

still lies a task before you . As yet, neither Milan n o r

Turin is yours . Our country has the right to expect

great things of you ; will you be worthy of that trust?There are more battles before yo u , more cities to capture,more rivers to cross . Y o u all burn to carry forward theglory ofthe French people ; to dictate a glorious peace ;and to be able, when you return to your villages , to ex

claim with pride : I belonged to the conquering army ofItaly !”

24 TH E CORSICAN [1 796

Friends , that conquest, I promi se, shall be yours ; butthere is a condition you must swear to observe : to respect

the people you are liberating ; to repress horrible p illage .

All plunderers will be shot without mercy .

People ofItaly, the French army is here to break yourchains ; yo u may greet it with confidence .

28th . (To the Directoire . ) Y o u will find herewith

the armi stice agreed on last night between General La

Tour, commanding the Piedmontese army, and myself .

Ceva, Coni, and Alessandr ia are in o u r power . If you

should fail t o come to a settlement with Sardin ia, I can

hold these fortresses and march onTurin . Meanwhile, to

morrow I move against Beaulieu . I shall seize Lombardy,and before a month has passed I expect to be in the

mountains of the Tyrol . As to Sardinia, you can dictate

whatever conditions ofpeace yo u choose, since I am in

possession ofthe chief fortresses . If yo u will continue totrust me and to give my plans your approval, success is

certain : Italy is yours .

(To General Laharpe . ) Startfo rAcqui at once, and pursue the Austrians ; they are withdrawing and will cross

the Po .

29th . (To the Directoire . ) My columns are moving ;Beaulieu is retreating ; I hope I shall catch him . I shall

raise several millions from the Duke ofParma . He willsend you pr0 po sals fo r peace , but don

’t be in a hurry

give me time to make him pay the expenses ofthe campa ign . If yo u should n o t conclude peace w ith the KingOf Sardinia , if your inten tion is to dethrone him , yo u must

play with him fo r several weeks , and notify me at once ;I can then seize Valenza and march o n Turin.

m . 26] A DIARY 25

M ay l st , Acqui

(To Faypo u lt , at Genoa . ) We are at Acqui since yesterday . Beaulieu

’s retreat is so rapid that we have failed to

reach him . Send me a memorandum, geographical, his

t o rical, political, and topographical, o n the imperial fiefsin the neighbourhood of Genoa. Send me a memorandum

o n the Dukes of Parma, of Piacenza, and of Modena,thei r troops, fortresses, and resources ; send me also a

schedule ofthe pictures, statues, cabinets, and curios ofMilan, Parma, Piacenza, Modena, and Bologna . The

Duke of Parma was to have concurred!

in the peace we

made with Spain ; how was it this was not done ?

Send 6000 pairs ofboots to Tortona immediately .

6th , Tortona :

(To the Directoire . ) Yesterday we were cannonading

the Austrians beyond the Po . This river is wide and very

difficult to cross . My plan is to cross it as near Milan aspossible, so as to leave no further obstacle between meand that capital . To-day we march o n

! Piacenza . If Iwere to wait for a couple ofpontoon bridges, I am certainwe should n o t get over in July ; my plan is to cross with

rafts and flying bridges .

It would be ofadvantage if you could send me—three o rfour artists ofrepute to select the things we want to sendto Paris .

Since the campaign opened, General Berthier, chief of

staff, has been constantly by my side in action, and atnight at his desk ; it is impossible to display greater en

ergy , together with zeal, courage, and technical knowledge .

7th . Castel San Giovanni

The Austrian army had i ntrenched itself to cover the


Milanese . After various military and diplomatic feints

to persuade it that I intended to cross at Valenz a, I havemade a forced march with 5 000 grenadiers and 1 5 00 horse

o n Castel San Giovanni .9 A . 1 1 . At the crossing of the Po

We have reached the crossing ofthe Po , where the enemy shows about 1 5 0 cavalry ; the infantry must still bein the direction ofValen za . The general-in -chief is there

fore determined to cross at once with the advance guard .

We jumped into the boats . Chef de brigade Lannes,brave and intelligent, was first on the bank . The divi

sions ofthe army are hurrying their march, since o u r

movement is n ow unmasked .

Aftern o o n

All the advance guard and Laharpe’

s division are

across the Po .

8th . Beaulieu , perceiving o u r movement, realizes too

late that his fortifications at Pavia are u seless, and

that the French republicans are not so foolish as was

Francis I !

9th . (To Carnot . ) Beaulieu has been surprised ; his

moves are weak , and he constantly walks into the traps

that are set for him . What we have captured from the

enemy is incalculable . I am sending yo u twenty pictures

by the greatest masters , Correggio, M ichael Angelo . I

o we yo u special thanksfo r your attentions to my wife ; Icommend her to your care ; I love her madly . I hope, if all

goes well , t o send about ten millions to Paris , which mightbe useful for the army ofthe Rhine . Since Stengel ’ s deathI have n o t o n e single general offi cer of artillery who fights .

arr . 26] A DIARY 27

I need two or three adju tan t -generals who have dash anda firm resolve not to execute scientific retreats.

A t n ight

The enemy is retreating on Lodi .

1 1 th , Lodi :

We made our way into Lodi, and found the bridgeswept by 30 guns. The fire was very hot . As soon as the

troops got up they were formed in solid column, sup

ported by the grenadi er battalions, the men cheeringfo rthe Republic . The bridge, 200 yards in length, was at

tacked . The enemy’s fire was terrible . The head ofo ur

column appeared to waver . Generals Berthier, Massena,Lann es, rushed to the front and carried uncertain fortune

with them . Our stalwart column broke down all resist

ance ; in a flash, the hostile army was scattered .

The battle of Lodi has conquered Lombardy for theRepublic .

Even i n g (The grenadiers acclaim General Bonaparte

as the li ttle corporal.)1 4th . (To the Directoire . ) Yesterday I sent one divi

sion to Milan ; Beaulieu is at Mantua.

I think it un wise to divide the army of Italy in two ;it is against the interests ofthe Republi c to give it totwo generals . The move o n Rome, Leghorn, Naples, is a

small matter . There should not only be a single general,but he should be unfettered in his judgment and Operations . I have conducted this campaign without consulting

any one ; I would have done no good b adI been guided by

another’

s opinions . I have had some measure of success

because my moves have been as quick as my thoughts . Ifyou put shackles o n me, you must be prepared for poor


results . Every man has his own fashi on of making war .

General Kellerman n has had a longer experience and will

do better than I ; but he and I together wi ll on ly make amess of it . If I am to render real service to the coun try,I must have your absolute confidence . I feel that it

requi res much courage to write yo u this letter ; it wouldbe so easy to accu se me ofambition o r pride .

1 7th, Mi lan :

The tricolou r flag floats over Milan, Pavia, Como, and

all the cities Of Lo mbardy . Orders are issued to equip thedivisions with all they need , so that they may soon resume

active Operations and carry them through with the rapidity and dash that have given us o u r victories .

I have sent off to Tortona at least two millions ’ worth

ofjewels and silver ingots .2ot b . Soldiers ! Y o u have rolled down from the

Apennines like a torrent ; yo u have overthrown and scat

tered all that Opposed your advance . Milan is yours, and

the republican flag floats over Lombardy . The P0 , the

Ticino, the Adda, could n o t stay your advancefo r a singleday . Yes, soldiers, yo u have accomplished much ; but is

there nothing left to do ? Come, forward ! We have more

forced marches to make, more enemies to conquer, more

lau rels to win , more wrongs for which to claim revenge .

2l st . We have imposed 20 millions offrancs o n theMilanese .

22d. The troops are marching towards the passes oftheTyrol . The Austrian army receives reinforcements da ily .

Q5 Ih ,2 A . M . :

(To General Berthier . ) I am just back from halfway to

Pavia . We met about a thousand peasants at Binasco,


28th , Brescia

Any village in which the tocsin is rung shall be burneddown .

We are n ow o n the territory ofthe Venetian republic, aneutral country, in which indi viduals and property must

be rigidly respected .

3 oth , Valeggio :

To-day Massena’

s and A u gereau’

s divisions attacked

the passage ofthe Mincio . The enemy have been com

plet ely defeated along the line of this river, which was

crossed by a part ofo ur troops wi th water up to theirarmpits . The enemy left us five guns and the store ofmedicines for their ambulances . They are in full retreat

all along the line .

(To Carnot . ) I am in despair ; my wife doesn’t come,

some lover keeps her in Paris . I cu rse all women, but Iembrace my excellent friends .

3 l st , Peschiera :

The enemy has crossed the Adige, and only the garri

son ofMantua remains, which will soon be destroyed bythe unhealthiness ofits marshes ! V ive la R épu b liqu e The

Austrians are driven entirely o u t ofItaly .

J u n e l st . (To the Directoire . ) I could n o t name all the

soldiers who have di stinguished themselves fo r courage .

Nothing could equal their bravery . You would suppose

that once at their bivouac they would at least sleep ;n othing ofthe sort, every man sets to work spinningyarns o r drawing up the next

i

day’

s plan ofoperations .The other day I was watching a demi-brigade filing by,a light infantryman steps up to my horse : General ,says he, we must do so and so . Rascal , I answered,

m . 26] A DIARY 3 1

shut your mouth, will you ?— H e promptly vani shed ; Isentfo r him ln -va1n ; what he had said was precisely what

I had given orders to do .

I am sending off from Milan to-morrow o n e hundred

carriage horses, the finest that could be foun d in Lom

bardy ; they will replace the mediocre hacks that drawyour carriages at present .

5 th , Roverbella :

The general-in -chief has gone to Milan ; headquartersremain at Roverbella.

7th , Milan :

(To theDirectoire . ) When Beaulieu perceived that we

Were marching o n the Min cio, he seized the fortress ofPeschiera, which belongs to the Venetians . Two dayslater, the action at Borghetto and the passage of the

l\/I in cio placed it in our hands . The proveditore came to

offer me hasty explanations ; I received h im stiffly, anddeclared that I would march on Venice in person to pro

test to the Senate against so patent an act of bad faith .

There was great alarm in Veni ce . If you wish to extract5 or 6 millions from Venice, here is a pretext all ready toyour hand . If your policy goes beyond this, my advicewould be t o keep the matter open and to wait for afavo urab le moment, for we must n o t have everybody o n

our hands at once .

I shall soon be at Bologna . Is it your wish that I shouldthen grant an armistice to the Pope, in return for 25 mil

lions in money, 5 millions in fo odst ufls, 3 00 pictu res,statues and MSS . in proportion ?

8th . We have surrounded the city of Mantua . This

fortress is unapproachable for the moment because oftheflooded state of the rivers .


1 1 th . Lombardy is perfectly qui et . Political songs

are in every mouth . The people are becoming used to

Liberty . It might be worth whi le to form a Lombardbattalion .

The general- in -chief understands that, notwithstandi ng

his repeated orders, looting still continues . Such in famousconduct makes it impossible longer to delay employing

drastic methods . It is therefore ordered that any soldier,

ofwhatsoever rank, caught in the act, shall be shot .1 5 th, Tortona

The Emperor is saying to everybody that in August he

will ree'

nter Italy . H is troops are everywhere o n the

march , even in Poland .

(To Faypo u lt , at Genoa . ) I am sending you General

Murat , my aide-de-camp ; please take him to the Senate

immediately so that he may present the letter which he

will show you . If yo u were to present it, it would taketwo weeks to get an answer, and it is necessary to com

mu n icate after a fashion that is more likely to electrify

these gentlemen .

20th , Bologna

We are in Bologna since yesterday . We have made 700

prisoners and found 40 guns . The Cardinal Legate is a

prisoner ofwar . Chef de brigade Lannes commands theinfantry ofthe advance guard ; General Murat the ad

vance guard itself .

2l st . The Modena pictures have started . Citoyen

Barthelemy is now engaged selecting the Bologna ones .

He expects to take about fifty . Mon ge , Berthollet , a ndTho u in are at Pav ia, at work enriching o u r natural his

tory specimens . I hOpe they will n o t overlook a complete

m . 26] A DIARY 3 3

collection of snakes whi ch seemed to be well worth the

journey .

An intercepted letter . from Vienna states that GeneralWu rmser will command the army in Italy . One division

has already occupied the passes of the Grisons .

I have given the Cardinal Legate leave to proceed to

Rome . I told him that if the Pope would send us peace

proposals and would pay a contribution of war promptly,he might perhaps find a support yet in the French Repub

lic . The heat is excessive ; and we have not one moment

to spare for recrossing the Po and concentrating our troops

against the Austrians . I shall be at Leghorn on the 29th ;I hOpe we shall liave concluded an armistice with thePope by then .

! As we shall have concluded this armistice

more with the do g days than with the Pope, my feeling is

against making peace, so that in September, if we prosper,we can seize Rome .

26th , P ist o ja :

(To the Directoire . ) Y o u will find herewith the condi

tions of the armistice with the Pope . M . D’

A z ara had the

impudence t o offer us five millions in money and threemillions in foodstuffs . Seeing he could get

!

no abatement

o u t ofme, he turned to the Government Commissioners,an d worked them so well that he discovered our secret ,which is the impossibility of our marching to Rome . On

that we could only get 20 millions out of him, by makin g

a march on Ravenna . I had always stipulated that we

should get the treasure of Our Lady ofLoretto, which, Ithought, was agreed ; but he so twisted and turned that

We had to accept one million instead . This manner of n e

go t iat in g three handed is very prejudicial to the interests


ofthe Republic . This negotiation , in which the Republichas lost 1 0 millions, has been extremely disagreeable to

me . There was n o di fficulty as to the other conditions

save for the MSS . , which they did n o t want to give up ; on

that score, too, we had to come down from two o r three

thousand to five hundred .

J u ly 2d, Bologna

I saw at Florence the famous Venus, fo r which thereshould be room in our Museum , and a collection ofanat omical models in wax which it would be desirable to

acqui re . Fontana is wi lling to undertake having these

copiedfo r us . It would cost little, and would be ofadvantage to us in a matter so useful to humani ty .

Our art commissioners behave well and work hard .

The scientists have garnered a fine harvest at Pavia.

I am startingfo rMantua . I expect to open the trencheso n the 9th . The enemy will probably manoeuvre torelieve the fortress ; we shall then engage, if necessary.

5 th , Roverbella :

(To GeneralDespin oy . ) Hurry o n the artillery ; don’t go

to sleep among the pleasures ofMilan ; and whatever youdo , don

’t write letters to upset o ur poor chi ef ofstaff,who, ever since yo u mentioned a lovely actress who

awaits him in Milan, is dying ofimpatience to get there .

(To Josephine . ) I am dead tired . Please start at oncefo rVerona ; I need yo u ,fo r I feel as though I were going tobe seriously ill . A thousand kisses . I am in bed .

9th , Verona

(To General Despin oy . ) I am in a rage with every o n eat NI ilan . Nothing gets here, no artillery, no officers ,no gunners . I am sending you an aide-de—camp to stir

A DIARY 3 5

things up . In the present situation days equal centuries .

There is a company of artillery I have been expecting thislast century ; it has stopped o n the way . I had ordered 600,

horses to Coni ; they are all dead on the road I suppose,as I haven ’t heard a word ofthem .

1 1 th , Marmirolo :

(To Faypo u lt . ) I have not yet seen M . Cattaneo ; when

I do I shall not forget to put him to sleep, and to inspirethe Senate with a little more confidence . The hour of

Gen oa has not struck, because the Austrians are growi ng

in numbers and we shall soon have a battle . The policy

of the Directoire as to Genoa does not as yet seem qu ite,

clear.1 2th, Verona

(To the Directoire . ) Would it not be as well to start alittle quarrel at once with theMinister of Venice in Paris,so that as. soon as I have taken M an tua I can make anoppo rtunity for asking them, as yo u des1re I should, fo rseveral millions ?

1 7th, Marmiro lo

(To Josephine . ) I have received ,your letter, ado rable

friend, and it has filled my heart with joy . I thank you

for troubling t o send me news ofyourself . Since,leaving

you, I have been c onstantly sad . Your kisses, your tears,your playful jealousy , haunt my mind ; and the charms

ofthe incomparable Josephine set a bright and burningflame blazing in my heart and in my senses . When shall

I be free from all worries, from all business, so as to spendmy ho urs near you, with nothing to do but to love yo u ,

and nothing to think of but to tell it and to prove it you ?Since I first knew yo u , I adore you more and more every


day, which proves the untruth ofLa Bruyere ’s maxim ,

that love comes suddenly . All things in nature run their

course , and vary in their growth . Ah ! I implore you, let

me witness some ofyour defects ; be less beautiful , lessamiable , less tender, less good, —above all , above all ,never be jealous, never weep ; your tears affect my reason

and scorch my blood .

1 8th . I passed the night under arms . A bold and

fortunate stroke would have given me Mantua ; but the

waters in the lake began to go down rapidly, so that thecolumn in the boat

'

s was n o t able to disembark . I was inthe village ofVirgil, o n the shore ofthe lake, by a silverymoon light ; and I could nOt cease thinking ofJosephinefo r one moment .1 9th . We attacked Mantua yesterday . We warmed

it up with two batteries firing red-hot shot, and with

mort ars . All through the night the wretched city was

blazing, a horrible but grand spectacle . We captured sev

eral outworks , and shall open o ur trenches to—night . I

start to-morrow fo r Castiglione with headquarters, andexpect to sleep there .

22d, Castiglione

(To Josephine . ) The situation ofthe army makes mypresence here n ecessary ; it is o u t ofthe questionfo r me togo so far as M ilan . Come, quickly, and join me ; be happy

and wi thout fear .29th , Montechiaro, mo rn i n gThe enemy have forced o u r positions at La Corona . An

effort will be made fo r their recapture . We must attack

them , and defeat them .

Aftern o o n : General A ugereau is to retreat o n Roverbella .


raised the siege of Mantua, and am here with nearly the

whole army . I shall seize the first opportunity ofengagingthe enemy, and thereby settling the fate ofItaly . We are

worn out ; I have killed five horses .We have had reverses, but victory is inclined to rejoin

o u r standards .

6th , Castiglione

All through the 2dWu rmser was concentrating, draw

ing all the troops he could from Mantua, ranging them

between Solferino and the Chiese . He brought together

men . The fate ofItaly was still in suspense .

I also gave orders for concentrating my columns . Iproceeded in person to Lonato ; imagine my surprise when

a flag came in summoning the commandant ofLonato tosurrender because, so it was said , he was surrounded !

There were, in point offact, columns in touch with o u r

outposts, and the Bresci a road was cut . I realized that

these troops could be only the débris ofa division that hadbeen cut offand was trying to force its way through o u r

lines . The position was an awkward o n e, as I had n o t

more than 1 200 men with me . I ordered the officer with

the flag to be brought before me and his eyes unbandaged .

I informed him that if, within the space ofeight minutes ,his division had n o t surrendered , I should give no quarter .

The officer was astounded at seeing me there, and a mo

ment later his column laid down their arms ; it was 4000

strong .

On the 3d, at daybreak, the armies were in presence . I

ordered o u r troops to fall back so as t o draw the enemy

towards us while Serrurier was turning VVu rmser’

s left .

The moment we saw Serrurier’

s division, I ordered Adju

arr . 26] A DIARY 3 9

tant-General Verdi er to attack . After a heavy cannonade

the enemy’s left was routed . A ugereau attacked their

centre ; Massena their right . We were victorious all along

the line .

We have, therefore, in five days, fought another cam

paign . Wu rmser has lost 70 guns, all his transport,to prisoners, 6000 killed and wounded .

At night , o n the battlefield :

The moonlight was lovely ; suddenly, from out the deep

solitude ofthe night, a dog, crawling from under a deadman ’s clothes, dashed at us, but only to return quicklyto his lair, howling plaintively . He licked his master’s

face, then turned o n us again ; it seemed as though he both

asked for help and cried out for vengeance . Whether it

was my mood, o r the place, the hour, the incident itself,or something unaccountable, yet I can truly say that

never anything on a field of battle moved me so much .

Involuntarily I stopped to watch . Perhaps, said I to myself, the man has friends , and he lies here abandoned by

all except his do g ! What a lesson for nature to read us

through the act of a dog !

8th, Verona :

Here we are, back in our old positions . The enemy’s

retreat has carried them far into the Tyrol . The Austrian

army has vanished like a dream, and threatened Italy is

at peace once more .

1 3 th , Brescia :

The Court of Rome believed we were lost, and sent a

legate to Ferrara . I haveordered this Cardinal to come toheadquarters .

1 4th . (To the Directoire . ) I think it as well, Ci toyen s

40 TH E CORSICAN [1 796

Directeu rs, to give yo u my opin ion ofthe generals o n

duty with thi s army :Berthier : talent, energy, courage , force , everything .

A u gereau : strong character, courage, firmness, energy

has much experience ofwar, is liked by the soldiers , and isfortunate in what he undertakes .

M assén a : active, indefatigable ; has boldness, instinct,and decision .

Serrurier : fights like a soldier ; lacks initiative ; firm ; has

too low an Opinion ofhis men ; is ill .Despin oy : flabby, no energy, no boldness ; is n o t made

for warfare ; is not liked by his men , and won ’t lead them

into action ; but high-minded, intelligent, and sound in

politics ; good for a home command .

Sauret : good, very good soldier ; not enough education

fo r a general ; not lucky .

A b b at u cci : not fit to command fifty men .

Garni er, Meunier, Casabianca : incapable ; not fit to

command a battalion in so lively and difficult a campaignas this .

M acqu art : a good fellow ; no talent ; dash .

Gaultier : good for o fli ce work ; has never seen activeservice .

How many blunders Murat has committed for the sake

ofplacing his headquarters in a castle where there werewomen !

1 8th . My wi fe has arrived .

In four o r five days the invincible army ofItaly willOpen a n ew campaign . We shall force the passes oftheTyrol and conclude the war in Germany .

E T. 27] A DIARY 41

3 l st . (To Josephine . ) I am just starting for Verona .

I had expected a letter from yo u ; it makes me most

anxious . You were not very well when I left you ; I beg

of you don’t keep me in such anxiety . Three days and

no letter ; I have written several . Your absence is horrible, the nights are long, boresome, dull, the days are

monotonous .

To-day, alone with my thoughts, my work, my business, with men and their vain projects, I have n o t a singleline from you to press to my heart .

The headquarters have moved ; I start in an hour.September 3d, Ala

(To Josephine . ) We are on the march, adorable friend .

We have swept back the enemy ’s outposts . The troops

are gay and in high spirits .

No letters from you,— I am really worried ; however,I am told you are well, that you have even made anexcursion on the lake of Como . Every day I am waitingimpatiently a letter with news from

,you ; you know how

precious it will be . Away from you I don ’t exist ; the

happiness of life is at the side ofmy gentle Josephine .

Think of me ! Write often, very often ; it’s the only cure

for absence .

6th , Trent

6000 or 7000 prisoners , 25 guns, 7 flags, these are the

results of the battle of Roveredo, one ofthe most successful ofthe campaign . At eight O’clock in the morning ofthe 5 th M assén a occupied Trent . W

'

u rmser abandoned

the city to seek refuge towards Bassano . General V au b o is

is pursuing the enemy . I shall reach Bassano on the 8th .

If the enemy stand their ground, there will be a battle .


9th , Bassano

Our march oftwenty leagues in two days has com

pletely disconcerted the enemy . We have captu red five

flags ; chef de brigade Lannes took two wi th hi s own hand .

We are pursuing a division of8000 men, all that is leftofthe formidable army whi ch , a month ago, threatenedto drive us from Italy . In six days we have fought two

battles and four engagements . We have captured 21 flags ,and have taken priso ners . We have covered more

than 45 leagu es .

Chef de brigade Lannes to be brigadier-general .l oth , Montebello

(To Josephine . ) We have never met with such great

and steady successes . Italy, the Friuli , the Tyrol, are safe

fo r the Republic . In a few days we shall meet ; that will

be the sweetest reward fo r all my troubles and labours .A thousand burning and loving kisses .

1 5 th , Verona :

I like the Poles . The partition of Poland was an iniqui

tous deed that cannot stand . When I have finished the

war in Italy, I will lead the French myself and force the

Russians to reestablish Poland .

1 7th . (To Josephine . ) I write frequently, dear friend ,and you very seldom . Yo u are perverse, and wi cked ,very wicked , and your conduct is frivolous . Don

’t you

think it ’s a li ttle t o o bad to deceive a poor husband ,a tender lover ? Must b e lose every claim because he

is at a distance, loaded with work , fatigue , and care ?Without his Josephine, without her love , what wouldthere be left o n earth ? What could he livefo r ? Adieu ,adorable Josephine, o ne ofthese nights your door will

err . 27] A DIARY 43

burst open ; the ru sh of a jealous man, and I am in you rarms !

26th , Milan

(To Cardinal Mattei . ) Sir, I am persuaded because ofyour high character, which is praised by every o n e , to

permit yo u to return to Ferrara, and to draw the veil over

your conduct last month .

I shall assume that you merely forgot for a moment

a principle which your knowledge of the Scriptures will

recall to you : that the priest who intervenes in political

matters forfeits the privileges ofhis position . Return to

your b isho prlc ; practise virtue ; and don’t ever meddle in

politics .

Octo ber 1 st . The army ofobservation is strong

the blockadin g army 9000. The Emperor will have

men in six weeks .

2d. (To the Directoire . ) Venice is alarmed, and ishatching something with the King ofNaples and thePope . We can do nothing with them till Mantua is ours .

The King of Naples has men on foot .

The Grand Duke of Tuscany is a cipher, from everypoint of View .

The Duke ofParma behaves fairly well ; he also is aelpher, from every point of View .

Rome is strong o n the score of fanaticism .

If yo u insist o n making war against Rome and Naples,we must be reinforced with men . Keep n ego t ia

tions with Rome open until we are ready to march on that

proud city .

(To His Majesty the Emperor ofGermany . ) Your

Majesty, Europe wants peace . This disastrous war has


lasted too long . I have the honour ofwarning yourMajesty that unless plenipotentiaries are sent to Paris,my orders from the Directoire are to fill in the port ofTrieste . I hope that your Majesty will restore peace and

repose to the world .

(To General Kellermann, at Lyons . ) However muchthe 4oth may be needed at Lyons , it is indispensable that

it should be sent here . On the who le , I think it will pay

better to risk some fist icu fl’s in Lyons, but to maintain

o ur conquest ofItaly .

Think this over, my dear general , with your usual pa

t rio t ic sentiments ; send us help as promptly as yo u can ,ifyo u want us to continue sending you francs .

8th . (To the Directoire . ) Myhealth is so shattered that

I must ask yo u to find me a successor .1 1 th . The national colours ofthe Lombard legion are

green, white, and red .

Large bodi es ofthe Emperor’s t roops are moving in theTyrol .

The ra ln s still cause much sickness in o u r rank s .

1 2th . (To the Directoire . ) Y o u doubtless assumed

that your commissaries would steal , but do their work ;they steal so impudently that had I a month to spare ,there is n o t o n e I could not have shot . I am constantly

having them arrested ; but the judges are bought up :

this is a fair, everything is for sale .

Thevenin is a thief ; he flaunts his extravagance in o u r

faces ; he has sen t me several fine horses that I needed ; I

took them , b u t cannot make him accept paymen t . Have

him arrested ; keep him six months in prison ; he is good

fo r francs in cash .


ters are as frigid as fifty years o ld ; they suggest fifteen

years ofmarriage . They convey the friendship , the senti

ments, ofthe winter oflife . Fie , Josephine ! It is w ickbd,it is bad , it is treasonable ofyou ! What more can yo u doto make me unhappy ? Love me n o more ? Eh ! That ’s

already done ! Hate me ? Well , let it be ! Everything

degrades save hatred . But indifference, with its marblepulse, its steady stare, its even step

2l st , Ferrara :

(To Cardinal Mattei . ) The Court of H ome has declined

the offers of the Directoire ; it is arming, it wants war ; itshall have it . But I o we to my country, to humani ty, to

myself, o n e last effort to bring the Pope to sentiments

more moderate and more in keeping with his sacred

Office . Go to Rome, see the Holy Father, enlighten him

as t o his true interests . An arrangement is still possible .

24th , Verona :

The bishop cardinal of Ferrara, a Roman prince with a

revenue of francs , gives all t o the people and lives

in his church . I have sent h imto Rome o n the pretext ofnegotiating, but really to get rid ofhim : he was delightedwith hi s mission .

The Pope ’s folly is incredible . My intention is to get as

far as Ancona under cover of the armistice, and there to

decTare myself. The art ofthe thing will be to keep o n

jugglingfo r the present, so as to deceive the o ldfo x .

25 th . (To Carnot . ) Y o u will have seen by my brother’s

(Lucien ) letter, what a hothead he is . He go t himself

compromised several times in ’

93 , notwithstanding myconstan t advice . He was bound he would b e a Jacobin .

As Corsica is now free yo u would oblige me by ordering

m . 27] A DIARY 47

him there, since hi s wrongheadedness makes his stay withthe army ofthe Rhine no longer possible .

26th . I have appointed M u iro n , Su lkowsky, and Duroc

my aides-de-camp .

November 2d. (To Massena . ) Send me a galloper every

three hours with news . We are ready to move forward .

3d. The enemy have crossed the Piave .

5 th . Last night General Vau b o is fell back o n Rove

redo .

7th , Rivoli

Soldiers ! I am no longer proud of you ! Y o u have

shown no discipline , n o steadiness, no courage ; yo u have

abandoned every position . Men of the 3 9th and of the

85 th , yo u are no longer Fren ch soldiers . Chief ofstaff,put o n their flags : They are n o lo nger ofthe army ofI taly l1 3 th , Verona

I am doing my d so is the army . My feelings are

torn, but my conscience is at rest . us help ! Send us

help ! 0 effectives, 3 000

prese mber 1 5 00 .

At 3 o’

clock in the morni 1 l th , hearing that

the enemy had camped at Villanova, we marched from

Verona . On the 1 2th, at dawn, we found the enemy .

They had men, and we General A u gereau

got possession ofthe village ofCaldiero , and M asséfi ofthe hill o n the enemy’s flank . But the rain was all for o ur

Opponents, (and they remained) masters of the position .

The weather is still bad . The army is harassed with

fatigue and short of boots . I have led it into Verona,which we have just reached . For to-day we must rest the

troops . To-morrow we can act .


The pick ofthe army is wounded ; all our generals areOffduty . The army ofItaly, n ow a handful ofmen, is atthe last gasp . J o u b ert , Lannes, Lanusse , Victor, Murat,Chabot, Dupuy, Rampon, Pijon , Chahran , St . Hilaire,are wounded . The few who are left feel death inev itable

with such depleted ranks . Perhaps the knell of brave

A ugereau , of indomitable M assén a, of Berthier, my own,is about to ring .

We shall make o n e last effort .

(To Josephine . ) I love you no longer ; indeed , I hate

you . Y o u are a wicked woman , stupid , tactless, and fool

ish . Y o u have stopped writing to me ; yo u don’t love

your husband ; you know how much pleasure your letters

give him , and you don’t write him so much as six hap

hazard lines .

How is your day spent, madame ? Wh at are the impor

tant matters that give yo u no time to write to your good

lover ? What passion stifles the love, the tender and co n

stant love, that you promised him

Seriously , I am anxious, dear friend, at n o t hearing

from yo u . Quick, write me four pages, and some ofthosesweet things that fill my heart with sentiment and pleasu re .

Soon I hope to clasp you in my arms, and to cover yo uwith a million kisses as burning as the equator .

1 4th , Villafranca

Should General V au b o is be attacked at Rivoli, he is toresist stiffly, and hang o n till night . The army is makinga movement to cross the Adige and attack the enemy

to-morrow .

1 9th , Verona

(To the Directoire . ) I am so exhausted that I cannot give

E T . 27] A DIARY 49

you the detail of the movements preceding the battle ofArcola, which has just decided the fate of Italy .

Getting information that Marshal A lvin t zy was march

ing on Verona, I slipped away along the Adige with

A ugereau’

s and Massena’s divisions . At Ronco, I threw a

bridge of boats . I hoped t o strike at Villanova and capture the artillery and baggage of the enemy, and attacktheir rear . The enemy, however, had thrown several reg

imen t s into the village ofArcola, in the midst of themarshes and canals . This vi llage held our advance guard

in check all day . Generals Verdier, B o n , Verne, and

Lannes were put o u t of action .

A ugereau , seizing a flag, carried it to the end of the

bridge . Cowards,— he shouted to his men, do you fear

death ? He staid there several minutes . We had got to

carry the bridge . I went t o the front myself . I asked the

soldiers if they were still the victors ofLodi . My appearance produced such an impression on the men that I

decided to attempt the passage once more . General

Lannes , already twice wounded, return ed and received a

third wound . General V ign o lle was wounded . We had to

give up the frontal attack o n the village, and wait for the

arrival ofGeneral Gu ieu ’

s column from Albaredo . It didnot come up till night .

At earliest dawn the fighting was renewed with great

spirit . On the left M assén a routed the enemy and pur

sued them to Arcola . The trophies of the battle ofArcolaare 4000 o r 5 000 prisoners, 4 flags, 1 8 guns . Two ofmyaides-de-camp were killed, Elliot and M u iro n , both Ofli

cers ofgreat promise .

(To Carnot . ) There was never a more desperate fight


than at Arcola . I have hardly any generals left ; their

devotion and courage are unparalleled . Lannes came to

the battlefield from a sick-bed . On the first day he Was

twice wounded ; he was lying o n a bed ofsuffering when hewas informed that I myself had gone to the head ofthecolumn . He jumped out ofbed, got o n a horse, and soughtme out . As he couldn

’t stand o n his feet, he had to remain

o n horseback ; and at the head of the bridge ofArcola ashot struck him down senseless . I can assure you that all

that was needed to give us a victory . Y o u must send us

reinforcements promptly, fo r we cannot repeat what wehave already accomplished . You know what the French

temperament is, rather inconstant . Our splendid

demi-brigades, weakened by so many victories, are now

but ordinary troops .

22d. (To Josephine . ) I am just offto bed , dear littleJosephi ne, my heart full of your adorable face, and in

bitter sorrow at being kept so long from your side ; but I

hOpe to be better situated in a few days, and to be able to

give yo u proof ofthe ardent love with which yo u havefilled me . Cruel woman ! You no longer write to me, yo uno longer think ofyour good friend . Don ’t yo u know that ,deprived ofyo u , of your love, there is no peace, n o happi

ness, no lifefo r your husband ? Heavens ! how happy Iwould be watching you making your charming toilet ; a

little shoulder, a little white breast, so firm and so soft,and above it all that fascinating little face in its Creole

handkerchief ! Life, happiness, pleasure , are onlywhat yo umake them . To live with Josephine is to live in Elysium ,

kisses o n your mouth , your eyes, your shoulder, your

breast .

m . 27] A DIARY 5 1

27th , Milan

(To Josephine . ) I arrive at Milan, I rush to your roomI had left everything to see you, to press you in my arms,

yo u were not there, you were junketing in other cities ;

yo u run away when I come ; you care no more for your

dear Napoleon . Your love was a caprice ; inconstancy

makes you indifferent .Accustomed as I am to danger, I know where to find a

remedyfo r the worries and woes ofexistence . My misfo rtune is incalculable ; I was entitled not to expect it .

I shall stay here till the afternoon ofthe -29th . That

need not interfere with your arrangements ; amuse your

self ; happiness was madefo r yo u . All the world is happy

if it can please you ; your husband alone is unhappy . Ah !

Josephine ! Josephine !

December 5 th . (To Lalande . ) I have received your letter.I have immediately forwarded the one inclosed fo r theMilan astron omer . Whenever I am able to render a ser

vice to science, I gratify my own feelings and am sure that

I amacquiring honour . Among all the sciences astronomyis the o n e which has rendered the greatest services to rea

so n and to commerce . To share the night between a

beautiful woman and a lovely sky ; to spend the daychecking observation by calculation, that is happiness

o n earth .

8th . (To the Proveditore ofthe Republic of Venice . )Sir : I have failed to recognise in the note which you

have handed me the conduct ofFrench troops, but haverather seen that of those ofthe Emperor, who have everywhere committed horrors at which I shudder .

The style ofthe note issued from Verona is that ofa


poor student ofrhetoric . Eh ! good God! Mr . Pro vedi

tore, the evils ofwar are bad enough , I assure yo u , not to

magnify them a hundred fold, and to broider o n them

ridiculous fairy tales !

I give the lie in due form to any o n e who dares assert

that there has been o n e s ingle woman raped by the

French troops in Venetian territory . One would imagine,from the ridiculous note handed to me, that n o t o n e

church , not o n e woman , in the provinces ofVerona andBrescia, has been respected ! Y o u threaten me with riot

ing and the rising ofthe cities . This looks very like defiance . Are yo u authorized to take this step by your

government ? Does Venice wish to declare agains t us ?

2l st , Verona :

The general-ia—chief has reviewed Massena ’s andA u gereau

’

s divisions . He has seen w ith pleasure the goodcondition ofthe troops, but with regret the scarcity ofbayonets .

I had sooner see a soldier without his breeches thanwithout his bayonet .

28th , Milan

A lvin t zy’

s army is on the Brenta and in the Tyrol . The

army ofthe Republic is along the Adige, an advanceguard in front ofVerona and of Legnago . Mantua is

closely blockaded .

The art ofwar lies in calculating odds very closely tobegin with, and then in adding exactly, almost mathe

mat ically ,the factor ofchance . Chance will always

remain a sealed mysteryfo r average minds .

5 4 THE CORSICAN [ 1 797

1 3 th , 9 A . i t . Verona

(To General Jo u b ert , at Rivoli . ) Let me know as soon

as you can ifthe enemy in front ofyo u number morethan 9000 men . It is very important I should be able to

j udgc whether it is a mi nor movement , meant to deceiveus . The enemy show about 6000 men in the direction ofVerona .

3 P . M

The enemy’

s movement is unmasked ; his forces are

mov ing on Rivoli .

Night

General Joubert having concentrated to defend the

plateau ofRivoli, the general-in -chief is moving the

greater part ofMassena’s division to support him .

1 7th, Roverbella

(To the Directoire . ) On the 1 4th we won the battle ofRivoli . We captured prisoners , several flags, and

some guns . On the 1 4th General A u gereau attacked the

enemy at An ghiari . He captured 2000 prisoners and 1 6

guns ; but in the night the enemy got away towardsMantua . A u gereau got within cannon-shot , attacked

St . George , but failed to carry it . I arrived in the night

with reinforcements, which led t o the battle ofLa Favori ta , from which battlefield I am writing . The results ofthis battle are 7000 prisoners . So here, ln three o r fourdays , is the fifth army ofthe Emperor destroyed .

1 8th , Verona :

I reached Rivoli (o n the 1 4th) at 2 A . M . I immediatelyordered the important position ofSan Marco to be reo ccup icd; and lined the plateau ofRivoli with artillery . At

daybreak the fighting was fast and furious . Joubert with

arr . 27] A DIARY 5

the 3 3d supported his light infant ry . A lv in t z y didn’

t

suspect that I had arrived in the night . Our left was

briskly attacked, it fell back, and the enemy pushed

in on our centre . The 1 4th held them up with great

pluck .

On the 1 6th brave General Provera asked to surrender .The army ofthe Republic has therefore in the space offour days made nearly prisoners, taken 20 flags,

60 guns, and killed or wounded at least 6000 men . All our

demi-brigades covered themselves with glory . It is saidthat the Roman legions could march 24 miles a day ; o u r

brigades cover thirty, and do some fighting in between

times .

1 9th . A regiment is never destroyed by the enemy,sir ; it is immortalized !

20th . (To the Directoire . ) I move 5 000 men over the

Po to—morrow, who will march straight on Rome . I send

you 1 1 flags taken from the enemy in the battles of Rivoli

and La Favorita . Bessieres , who will hand them to you,

is a brave and distinguished officer .

22d. (To Cacau lt , at Rome . ) Ci toyen M i n i stre : Pray

leave Rome six hours after receiving this letter . They

have made you stand endless humiliations ; now you can

leave .

(To Cardinal Mattei . ) The words of peace with which Isent you to the Holy Father have been stifled . It is time

the curtain fell on this ridiculous comedy . Whatever hap

pens, the Holy Father may stay in Rome in full security .

As chief priest of religion he is assured of protection, both

fo r himself and his church .. I shall see that no attempt is

made to touch the religion of our fathers .

I 5 6 THE CORSICAN [1 797

28th . Nothing new at Mantua . On the 3d we shall

Open with shell .The weather is horrible, rain in bucketsfo r 48 hours .Feb ru ary l st , Bologna :

The armistice has been broken by the Roman government ; I therefore declare that the armistice of the 2d ofMessidor is at an end .

The French army is entering Papal territory ; it will

be true to its principles and will protect religion and thepeople .

2d. Cap i tulati on ofM an tu a .

3d, Faenza :

I have made a point ofdisplaying French generositytowards Wurmser, a general 70 years ofage who hasbeen very unfortunate . Besieged in Mantua, he made

two o r three sorties ; they were all unlucky ; he led them

all in person .

4th , Forli :

Soldiers of Victor’s division , I am not pleased with yo u !The only glory yo u can reap in o u r present expedition

is that which comes of good conduct . I therefore order :

every soldier convicted ofany injury to persons o r property ofthe conquered shall be shot at the head ofh isbattalion .

1 0th , Ancona

(To Josephine . ) We have been at Ancona these last

two days . I have never been so bored as by this sorry

campaign .

1 5 th , Macerata

(To the Directoire . ) Ancona is a very good port , w ithin24 hours ofMacedonia and ten days ofConstantinople .

s

A

ZET . 27] A DIARY”

5 7

We must keep Ancona when peace is made,and maintain

it under the French flag ; it will give us a hold o n Tur

key .

The treasure ofLoretto amounted to three ml llio n s

francs . They left about o n e million behind . I am sending

yo u in addition the Madonna and all the relics . The

Madonna is made of wood .

Our troops‘

will reach Foligno to-night . Here is what Iexpect to do : I will grant the Pope peace provided he cedes

Bologna, Ferrara, Urbino, and Ancona, and that he pays

us three millions fo r the treasure of Loretto and fifteen

millions that he owed us o n the armistice treaty . If he

doesn ’t accept , I shall go to Rome .

1 6th . (To Josephine.) Y o u are sad ; yo u are ill ; yo u have

stopped writing ; yo u want to go to Paris . Do yo u love

your friend no longer ? This thought makes me wretched .

Sweet friend, life has become unbearable since hearln gthat yo u are sad .

Perhaps I can get a peace with the Pope soon , and beback at your side ; it is my most ardent wish .

A hundred kisses . Nothing equals my love save myanxiety .

J; 1 7th , Tolentino

The army is within three days ’ march ofRome ; I amnegotiating with the gang of priests ; doubtless St . Peter

will once more save the capitol !

1 8th . I hear from Venice that Prince Charles hasreached Trieste, and that the Austrians are everywhere

in motion .

1 9th . (To the Directoire . ) Herewith the treaty of peace

which has just been signed between the French Republic


and the Pope . I start to-nightfo rMantua . We shall soon

be across the Piave .

M arch 6th , Mantua

(To the Directoire . ) When yo u receive this letter we

shall be in active operations again . A ten days ’ armistice

Jaas been proposed to me, which I have declined .

The Pope has ratified the treaty ofpeace concluded atTolentino . Our situation in Italy appears very sat isfactory . This is not yet the moment for carrying o u t your

instructions as to Venice .

l oth , Bassano

Soldiers of the army ofItaly ! The capture ofMantuagives you an eternal claim to the gratitude ofo u r country .

Y o u have been victorious in fourteen pitched battles and

seventy engagements ; you have captured more than

prisoners and 25 00 guns ; you have fed , supplied ,and paid the army ; you have remitted 3 0 millions to the

Public Treasury . Y o u have enriched the Museum ofParis with three hundred objects, the products of 3 0 cen

t u ries .

But your work is not complete . A great destiny is

yours : the country reposes in you its dearest hopes . Of

all o u r foes the Emperor alone still faces us ; he has ac

cepted the wages of the merchants ofLondon ; his policyhas become that ofthose perfidio u s islanders who , immune from the dangers ofwar, laugh at the woes ofthecontinent .

The Directoire has made every effort to restore peaceto Europe . B u t Vienna has turned a deaf car. The house

ofAu stria, whichfo r three centuries past has lost in everywar some portion ofi ts power, will be reduced a t the close

E T . 27] A DIARY 5 9

ofthis sixth campaign to accept the peace it shall pleaseus to grant, and will fall to the rank ofthe lesser powers,which it already touched when it accepted the salary of

England .

1 1 th . Our advance guard reached Felke yesterday, butfound no enemy .

1 3 th , Conegliano

We are over the Piave . The enemy is retreating and is

apparently taking po sition behind the Tagliamento .

1 6th , P . M . , Valvasone

This morning we reached the Tagliamento, and foundPrince Charles with men in line . Serrurier and

Bernadotte forced their way over . We captured 8 guns .

1 7th . The passage of the Tagliamento is auspicious ;but the further I advance into Germany, the more troopswill be accumulated against me. I can ’t do everythingwith men .

20th , Palmanova

We have forced the line ofthe Isonz o.2l st , Goritz :

Write to!

Boudet to approve placing on the flag ofthe5 7th demi—brigade : ! The terrible 5 7th demi-brigade, thatnothing can stop .

”

It is easy enough to say to a general , go to Italy, winbattles , and sign peace at Vienna . But the doing of it is

not so easy . I have never paid the least attention to the

plans sent t o me by the Directoire . Only fools could take

stock in such rubbish . As to Berthier, yo u see what he

is : he ’s an ass ! Well , he it is who does everything, he it is

who reaps a large share ofthe glory ofthe army ofItaly !


22d. In a week I may reach Klagenfurt, fifteen posthouses from Vienna . If the Rhine is not crossed soon , we

shall be unable to maintain ourselves .

25 th . Are we over the Rhine yet ? My movement

has got to be unmasked , and the enemy will at once

realize the danger . They will withdraw everything from

the Rhine to concentrate on me .

28th , Villach :

The demi-brigades are expressly forbidden to carry

with them more women than the laundresses the law pro

vides for . Every woman found with the army and n o t

duly authorized shall be publicly whipped .

Sl st , Klagenfurt

(To the Archduke Charles . ) Brave soldiers wage war,but hope for peace . Has not this o n e n ow lasted six years ?

Have we not killed enough peOple ? Europe, which had

taken up arms against the French Republic, has laid them

down . Is there no hOpe, then, ofcoming t o terms, andmust we continue to cut each other

’

s throats ?

If the overture I have the honour ofmaki ng can savethe life ofo n e single individual , I shall be more proud ofthe civic crown I should earn than ofthe sad glory thatcomes ofmilitary success .A pri l l st . I have sent offthe letter to Prince Charles .

Should his reply be favourable, and the Court ofViennabe inclined for peace, I shall take it o n myself to sign a

convention . With men more, I would have car

ried the army through to Vienna almost posthaste .

3d, Friesach :

Prince Charles is drawing in all the troops he can to

cover Vienna .


Everything leads me to think we have reached the

moment fo r concluding peace, and we must do so . If,contrary to my expectations , the negotiations went off,I should be very embarrassed as to what to do next .

9 th . All goes well .(To the Most Serene Doge of Venice . ) All the Venetian

mainland is in arms . The watchword ofthe peasants yo uhave armed is : ! Death to the French !” Is it your belief

that because I am in the centre ofGermany I am unableto compel due respect for the greatest Power in the world

Do you think the legions ofItaly will quietly submit tothe massacres you have stirred up ? The blood ofmycomrades shall be avenged . I send you this letter by my

first aide-de-camp . War o r peace ! We are n o t living in

the days ofCharles VIII !

(This) letter is for Junot to take to Venice, and to get

answered within 24 hours . It would be dangerous to give

time for the Venetian troops to assemble .

l 6th , Leoben

(To the Directoire . ) I am sending yo u by Adju tan t -General Leclerc this dispatch o n the negotiations . Pray send

him back at once . All the officers I send to Paris staythere t o o long ; they spend their money, and kill them

selves with fast living .

General M erveldt and Count di Gallo are great sticklers

for etiquette ; they always want to put the Emperor b e

fore the Republic ; I have declined flatly .

We have reached the matter ofrecognition . I toldthem the Republic did n o t want to be recognised ; it is inEurope what the sun is o n the horizon ; those who can

’

t

see it mus t take their chances .

EST . 27 ] A DIARY 3

On the 1 5 th M . di Gallo came to see me at eight in the

morning : he said he desired to have some spot neutralized

so that we could continue o u r negotiations in correct

form . We selected a garden with a summer-house in the

middle ; we have declared the place neutral, a farce which

I took part in to soo the the childish vani ty of these peo

ple . This so -called neutral spot is in the midst of the

bivouacs ofour divisions .When o n e wants to open a campaign there is nothing

can stand as an obstacle, and a river has never been a

real obstacle . If Moreau wants to cross the Rhine, he

will cross ; if he had already crossed it, we could dictate

our conditions ofpeace imperiously ; but the man whofearsfo r his reputation is certain to lose it . I have crossedthe Julian Alps over three feet of ice ; I have carried my

artillery through places where never a cart has passed .

Had I thought only of the repose of my army and my

private interests, I should have stopped on the banks of

the Isonzo ; I threw myself into Germany to disengage thearmy ofthe Rhine . I am at the gates ofVienna, and itshaughty court has sent its plenipoten tiaries to my head

quarters .1 8th , Castle of Eggenwald

His Majesty the Emperor and the Directoire have con

cluded peace preliminaries .

1 9th . (To the Directoire . ) I expect to send you withinthree days , by General M assén a, the Emperor

’s rat ifica

tion . I shall quarter the army in Venetia. As for myself,I ask for rest . I have justified the trust yo u confidedin me. I have accounted myself as nothing in all I have

done ; and now I have thrown myself on Vienna, hav


ing won more glory than should make me happy, andwith the splendid plain s ofItaly behind me ; just as I b egan the previ ous campaign by seeking bread for an army

which the Republic could n o longer feed . I insist , there

fore , that together w ith the ratification ofthe peace prelimin aries yo u should send me leave to return to France .

3 oth , Trieste :

The conduc t ofthe Venetians gets each day worse andworse ; we are really in a state of war . The Senate hassent me a deputation ; I treated it as it deserved . I told

them to drive o u t the English minister ; to hand us twenty

millions, and all merchandise belonging to the English .

M ay 3d, Palmanova :

I can see no other course than to obliterate the Vene

tian name from the earth .

1 3 th, Milan :

Order t o General B aragu ay d’

H illiers to enter Venice

and seize all military positions .

1 4th . I have just received from the Directoire the rati

ficat io n ofthe peace preliminaries .The citizens ofVeni ce are under the protection ofthe

French Republic .

I am organizing the Cisalpine Republic ; I have four

committees working hard at framing the Const itution .

(To the national guards ofthe Cisalpine Republic . )Yours is the task , brave comrades, ofconsolidating theliberty ofyour country .

It is the soldier who founds republics , it is the soldier

who maintains them . Without armies , wi thout force,without discipline, neither political independence n o r

civil liberty can exist .

2m . 27] A DIARY 65

1 5 th . H eavens ! how scarce men are ! There are in

Italy 1 8 millions of men, and I can barely find two, Dan

dolo and Melzi !

20th , hi omb ello

General B aragu ay d’

H illiers has occupied Venice .

J u n e 3 oth . (To the Directo ire . ) I have this moment

received (a copy of) Dumo lard’

s resolution . This motion ,which the Assembly has ordered to be printed, is directed

against me . I had a right, after concluding five treaties ofpeace, and after dealing the last blow to the Coali tion, to

expect , if not a civic triumph, yet at least to be left in

peace ; but I see myself denounced, persecuted, hounded

down by every means, I whose reputation is part of that

ofmy country !After having earned a decree that I had deserved well

of my country, I should not have been subjected to such

absurd and atrocious accusations . I repeat the deman d Ihave already made to retire . I want to live in peace, if

the daggers of Clichy spare me .

I understand why Bonaparte is accused ; it ’s for concluding peace . But I warn you, I speak in the name of

men ; the time when cowardly lawyers and low

chatterers could send soldiers to the guillotine has

passed, and if you drive them to it , the soldiers of Italy

will march to the Clichy gate with their general : but, if

they do, look out for yourselves !

The general-in -chief appoints citoyen Eugene Beau

harnais supernumerary sub-lieutenant in the l st hussars,and his aide-de-ca in p . This young and talented citiz en is


the so n ofGeneral Beauharnais , whose loss will long bemourned by his country .

J u ly 4th . I am receiving so many letters from all parts

ofthe Republic that I cannot answer them all . The esteemofhis fellow citizens is the only worthy reward for the services rendered by a soldier to his country

1 4th , Milan

Soldiers ! I know that yo u feel deeply the misfortunesthat threaten our country ; but it will not run any real

danger . Mountains lie between us and France ; yo u

would surmount them as rapidly as the eagle, to main

tain the Constitut ion , to defend liberty, to protect the

government and all republicans .

Soldiers , dismiss all uneasiness , and let us swear on o u rnew standards : Eternal war o n the enemies ofthe Republic and ofthe Constitution !1 7th . The Emperor is trying to gain time . What is his

motive ? It is difficult to imagine, unless it lies in thedi rection ofthe Clichy Club , and the return ofthe royalist s . What is the use ofo ur constant victories ? Theblood we have shed for the country is made useless by

internal factions .

23d. Without question the Court ofVienna hopeseverything from time, and expects to make a useful

diversion in favour ofEngland .

27 th . (To the Directoire . ) General A ugereau has asked

leave to proceed to Paris, where he has business t o attendto . He will inform yo u verbally ofthe absolute devotion ofthe soldiers ofItaly to the Constitution and tothe Directoire .

98th . The tone ofthe notes handed to the French

m . 28} A DIARY

plenipotentiaries, the protests, the extraordinary demands

they con tain, the movements ofAustrian troops, everything, in a word, points to war .

29th . There is much dissension between the Council of

Five Hundred and the Directoire .

It appears that Hoche is about to embark fo r Ireland .

A ugu st l st . The agitati on i n Paris continues ; the gen

tlemen are divided among themselves . The army of

Sambre et Meuse has declared itself vigorously . General

Desaix is here ; he assures me that the army ofthe Rhineis at o n e with the army ofItaly . General Serrurier has

just arrived ; he is indignant at the royalist agitation .

1 6th . The Emperor is apparently concentrating all his

forces on Italy . The large number ofrecruits, togetherwith the prisoners we have sent back, will enable him to

place a formidable army in line against me .

The time is fast coming when we shall realiz e thatreally to destroy England we must seize Egypt

General A u gereau has been appomted to command the

1 7th (Paris) military division .

28th . (To citoyenne Marie Dau ran n e, laundress of

the 5 1 st of the lin e . ) Worthy citoyenne : The general

in -chief, in making public your civic and courageous

deed at the crossing of the Piave, in saving at the risk

of your own life one ofo u r brave companions in arms, hasawarded yo u a civic crown . You will find engraved o n i t

the record ofa deed that honours not you only but yoursex ; you may add to it your own name, and that of the


brave man whose li fe yo u saved, but whose name we do

not know .

September 4th . Revo lu ti on ofFru ctidor; B arrasl

and

A ugereau .

6 th . (To the Minister ofForeign Affairs . ) It wouldbe impossible to carry o n so weighty a discussion with

more timid negotiators, worse logicians , o r men less in

flu en t ial with their own court . When they have said

Those are o ur instructions, they have done their utmost .

I said t o them : If your instructions stated that it isnow actually night-time, would yo u ask us to accept it

Yes terday they proposed that we should give them

Romagna, Mantua, and the Venetian state . I asked them

how many miles from Paris their army was, and I go t

vigorously angry at the impertinence of such pr0 po sals .

In private conversation I told them that I would give

them my opinion confidentially, to them , because they

knew better than outsiders that I was n o t given to gasco n adin g,

— and that it was that two weeks after the

campaign opened I should be very close to Vienna .

7th . The army is warned to be ready to move o n

the 24th .

8th . The plenipotentiaries continue willing ni llin g, say

ing unsaying, —somewhat disconcerted by my measures .

I have moved Dumas ’ cavalry forward .

1 2th . (To the Directoire . ) Herewith you will find

my proclamation t o the army announcing the events ofthe 1 8th ofFructidor . Y o u may reckon that here are

men who can by their o wn effort safeguard the

measures yo u have taken to place liberty o n solidfo u ndations .


tury , t o be driven to the support ofbayonets to save thecountry !

25 th . (To the D irectoire . ) An officer arrivedfrom‘

Paris

day before yesterday ; he has let it be known that he

left Paris the 1 2th , and that there was anxiety there ast o h ow I would take the event ofthe 1 8th ofFructidor ;he was armed with a sort ofcircular to all the divisionalgenerals ofthe army .

From this it clearly appears that the Government is

acting towards me very much as it acted towards Pichegru after Vendémi aire . I ask yo u , Ci toyens Di recteu rs, to

replace me and to accept my resignation . No power o nearth can make me continue to serve the Government

after this horrible display ofingratitude, whi ch I was eutitled not to expect .

I am also in need oftuning my mind once more tothe opini on ofthe public . I have t o o long wielded ex cep

t io n al power . I have always used it fo r the good ofthecountry, despite what those may think who doubt my

rectitude . My reward must lie in my own conscience and

the Opinion ofposterity . Now that the country is paci

fied and freed from danger, I can leave the post confidedto me without any ill effects .

Great events hang by a thread . The able man turns

everything to profit, neglects nothing that may give him

o n e chance more ; the man ofless ability , by overlooking

just o n e thing, spoils the whole .

Octo b er l st . After dinner I had a private conversation

with Count C o b en z l. He said that the Emperor might

give us the Rhine, if we made great concessions in Italy ;

E T . 28] A DIARY 7 1

his proposals were absurd . My health is ruined, and

nothing can replace good health, which is essential to

carrying on war . I can barely get into the saddle, and

need two years’

rest .

6th . The negotiations are at a standstill ; the Austrians

ask for too much . In twelve days we shall be in the field .

l 0th . At last the peace negotiations look like coming

to a head . To-night peace will be signed, o r the n ego t ia

tions will be broken off.Then a war with England will openfo r us a wider, more

essential , more splendid field ofopportunity . The Eng

lish nation is worthier than the Venetian, and its libera

tion will forever consolidate the liberty and the happi

ness of France ; or if we can compel the government to

make peace, the advantages which we shall secure for o u r

commerce all over the world will mark a great step in the

consolidation of liberty and national prosperity . As for

me, there is nothing left but to return from whence Icame, to take up the plough of Cincinnatus, and to set

the example of obedience to the laws and of aversion from

military rule, which has destroyed so many republics .

l 6th , Campo'

Formio :

Count Co b en z l and I met for our concluding session in

a room where, according to Austrian custom , a dais had

been installed with a chair ofstate representing that ofthe Austrian Emperor . On entering I asked what this

meant, and (o n being told) , I said to the Austrian minis

ter : Come, before we begin , you had better have that

chair taken away, because I have never yet seen a chair

set higher than others without immediately wanting to

get into it .

72 THE CORSICAN [ 1 797

Count Co b en z l, is that your ultimatum ? Before th ree

months are over I shall have smashed your monarchy, as

I now smash this tray ofglasses . I break offn ego t iations .

1 8th , Passariano

Peace was signed o n e hour after midnight at Campo

Formio . I am qui te sure there will be much criticism andcarping .

November 2d. The army ofEngland is already formed .

5 th . General Hoche had some good maps ofEngland ,which might be got from his heirs .

9th . About half the troops will pass through Milan o n

the 1 1 th ofDecember o n their way t o France to form then ucleus ofthe army ofEngland .

Order for Generals Massena, Bernadotte, Brune,Joubert, Victor, Rampon, Gardanne, Belliard, Lannes ,to be ready to start to take up commands in the army of

England .

1 3 th . I am offto-morrow for Rastadt, to exchangerat ificat io n s, to execute the clauses ofthe treaty , and to

take part in the Congress ofthe Empire .

My wife expects to start o n a trip to Rome in two o r

three days .

26th , Rastadt

(To the Directoire . ) As yo u perceive , I have travelled at

breakneck speed , and I am not a little surprised to findthat the Emperor ’s booby plenipotentiaries are n o t here

yet, except General M erveldt . General Berthier has

handed me the treaty ofpeace, which this time, I am sure ,will please the plenipotentiaries of the Emperor, for it is

all splendour and gil t edges !

m . 28] A DIARY 73

3 0th . To -morrow we complete everything relating to

the secret clauses ; in which case I shall start that very

night .

December 26th , Paris

(To the President ofthe National Institu te . ) I am honoared by the vote of the distinguished members ofyoursociety . I am only t o o conscious that before becomingtheir equal I must long remain their pupil . Were thereany stronger way ofexpressing the esteem in which I hold ,

them , I would use it .The real conquests , those that leave no regrets behind,

are those made over ignorance . The most honourable

o cc pat io n , that which is most useful to nations , is to help

on the diffusion ofhumane ideas . Henceforth the realstrength of the French Republic must consist in not fail

ing to make every new idea her own .

3 1 st . On my return from Italy I took up my abode in

a little house,Rue Chan tereine . The Municipality of Paris

ordered its name changed to Rue de la Victoire .

J an u ary l st , Paris

Paris has a short memory . If I remain longer doing

nothing , I am lost . In this great Babylon o n e reputationquickly succeeds another . After I have been seen threetimes at the theatre, I shall n o t be looked at again ; I shalltherefore not go very frequently .

9th . I have laid a number ofproposals before the Dircetoire relating to the composition of the army ofEngland .

1 1 th . All go ev ell. We are working hard at the reo r

gan iz at io n of o u r navy, and at the formation ofthe'army of England . Kleber, Desaix, Gouvion Saint-Cyr ,Lefebvre, Champ io n n et , are to be ofthe army . Joubert

has gone to Holland .

29th . I will n o t remain here ; there is nothing to be

done . They will listen to nothing . I realize that if I

stay myk reputation will soon be gone . All things fade

here, and my reputation is almost forgotten ; this little

Europe affords too slight a scope ; I must go to the Orient ;all great reputations have been wo n there . If the success

ofan expedition to England should prove doubtful , as Ifear, the army ofEngland will become the army oftheEast, and I shall go to Egypt .

The Orient awaits a man !Febru ary 7 th . I leave t o -morrow to inspect the Atlantic

coast . I shall be back in twelve days .1 2th , Dunkirk

It is said that the Dutch have numbers offast-sai l

1m . 28]i

A DIARY 75

ing flatboats ; we must obtain from 1 5 0 to 25 0, with as

many gunboats as possible . We must then get these

vessels to Dunkirk at once, so as to be able to leavethat port a month h ence, with men, artillery, sup

plies , etc .

23d, Farl s

Whatever we do, we cannot command the sea for sev

eral years to come . To effect a landing in England with

out controlling the sea is the boldest and most difficultmilitary operation ever attempted . It would seem, then,that the expedition to England is not feasible . We must

therefore merely keep up the pretence of it, and coneen

trate our attention and o u r resources on the Rhine, o r

else undertake an expedition to the Levant so as to

threaten the trade with India . And if none ofthese operaat io n s is feasible, I can see no other course than to make

peace with England .

M arch 26th . (To the Min ister of the Interior . ) Pleasegive positive orders that all the Arabic type we have

be packed immediately, and that citoyen L angles takecharge of it . I also beg you to give orders that the Greek

type be packed ; I know we have some, as Xenophon is

being printe’

d ; and it won’t matter so very much if Xeno

phon is held up for three months .

3 0th . I have just heard from Admiral B ru eys ; he left

Corfu o n the 25 th of February with six French and

five Venetian men of war . I hope these ships can start

again two weeks after their arrival .

A pri l 5 th . (To Monge . ) We shall take one third of the

Institute and many scientific instruments with us . I placethe Arabic printing-press under your special care .


1 4th . I would like to take with me citoyen P ivero n ,

wh o was fo r many years the ki ng ’

s agent at the court

ofTippo o Sahib . We could try to get him through toIndia .

1 7th . (To Vice-Admiral B ru eys . ) I expect to join yo uduring the first week of Floreal . Have a good bedfo r me,as I expect to be sick during the whole journey . Get

good supplies .

1 8th . (To Eugene Beauharnais . ) Y o u will start at

four o’

clock o n the 3d ofFloréal . You should reachLyons on the 4th before noon . Travel in mufti, and don

’t

let it be known that you are my aide-de-camp . Y o u will

give out everywhere that I am going to Brest .

(To General Kleber . ) Orders for General Kleber and hisstaff to proceed at once t o Toulon, where he will receive

further instructions .

28th . Bonaparte, member ofthe National Institute,general-in -chief ofthe army ofEngland,orders General Regnier to embark the men ofhis divi

sion at Marseilles o n the 6th ofMay on the transportsthat w ill be there ready for him .

M ay 1 0th , Toulon :

Soldiers ofthe army of the Mediterranean !Y o u are a wing ofthe army ofEngland ! Y o u have

fought among mountains, in plains, before fortresses ; but

you had yet to carry o u t a naval campaign . The Roman

legions that yo u have sometimes rivalled , but never

equalled , fought Carthage o n this very sea and o n the

plains ofZama . Victory never forso ok them .

Soldiers ! Europe is watching you !1 1 th . (To Admiral B rueys . ) As the fleet is made up of


ashore . We have few fortresses in Europe so strong and

scientifically planned as Malta . The Grand Master asked

for a suspension of hostilities o n the morning of the 1 2th .

At midnight his representatives came aboard the Orien t

and concluded the convention, which I inclose you here

with .

l 6th , o n board the Ori en t

The fleet is working out ofthe harbour, and we expectto be o n o u r way once more on the 1 9th .

22d, at sea :

(Proclamation to the army . ) Soldiers ! You are about

to attempt a conquest, the effect ofwhich will be incalcu lab le o n civilization and the commerce ofthe world !Y o u are about to deal England the most certain and

telling blow she can suffer, until the time comes whenyou can strike her death-stroke . No t many days after

o u r arrival , the M ameluk beys , who have exclusively

favoured English commerce, who have injured o u r mer

chants and tyrannized over the wretched inhabitants ofthe Nile, will have ceased to exist .

The people among whom we are going are Mahometans ;the chief article oftheir creed is : God is Go d, and Ma

bomet is his prophet . Do not contradict them ; deal w iththem as we have dealt with the Jews , with the Ita lians ;show respect for their muftis and their imams, as yo u

have fo r rabbis and bishops . The legions ofRome prot ected all religion s . Y o u will meet with customs differentfrom those ofEurope ; yo u must learn to accept them .

The firs t c ity we shall see was built by Alexander. Our

every step w ill evoke memories ofthe past worthy oftheemulation ofFrenchmen .


3 oth . (To the Pasha ofEgypt . ) The Directoi re of theFrench Republic has on several occasions requested the

Sublime Porte to puni sh the beys of Egyp t for the damage which they have caused to French merchants .

The French Republic has decided to send a powerful

army to put a stop to the piracy ofthe beys of Egypt .Y o u , who should be the master ofthe beys, but whomthey hold powerless and without authority at Cairo,should greet my arrival with joy . Come and meet me,therefore, and join me in cursing the unholy race of the

beys .

J u ly 1 st , offAlexandria !

The expedition was off Alexandria at dawn . An English

fleet, described as very strong, was here three days ago ;and left a packet for transmission to India.

Admiral , we have not o n e moment to lose . Fortune has

given me three days ; if I'

do n’

t profit by it we are lost .

To-morrow I must be in Alexandria .

The wind was very strong and the sea very rough ; Idecided, however, to land at once . We spent the day in

preparations .

The coast near Alexandria, 1 1 P . M

I disembarked with General Kleber and a part ofthetroops at 1 1 P . M . We immediately began our march onAlexandria .

J u ly 2d. At daybreak we caught sight of Pompey ’s

column . The walls of the Arab city were lined with men .

General Kleber picked out the point of the wall at


which his grenadiers were to scale it, but received a shot

in the head that stretched him senseless . The grenadiers

ofhis division , spurred by this event, fought their wayinto the town .

The o ld harbour of Alexandria can shelter a fleet , how

ever large ; but there is a place in the channel where there

is no more than 1 5 feet ofwater, which makes the sailorsdoubt whether the 74 ’

s can get in . This affects my plans

very seriously .

(Proclamation) Bonaparte, member of the Nation al

Institute, general-in -chief,People ofEgypt : Y o u will be told that I have come to

destroy your faith ; believe it n o t ! Answer that I am hereto maintain your rights, to punish usurpers , and that I

respect even more than do the M ameluks, God, his

Prophet, and the Koran !

Tell them that in the eyes ofGod all men are equal ;wisdom

,talent, and virtue alone make the inequality of

mankind . And what wisdom , what talent, what virtue ,distinguish the M ameluks and entitle them to the exclu

sive enjoyment ofall that makes life lovely and pleasant ?

To whom belong the great estates To the M ameluks .

To whom belong lovely slaves, splendid horses, fine houses?To the M ameluks . If Egypt , then , is their farm , let them

display the lease that God has granted them . But Go d is

just and mercifu l un to his people . All Egyptians w ill becalled o n to fill public stations ; the most wise , the most

virtuous , the best educated , will govern the country, and

t he people will be happy .


Is it not we who destroyed the Pope who urged waragainst all Mussulmans Is it not we who destroyed the

Knights ofMalta because they foolishly believed thatGod had bidden them wage war against all Mussu lmans ?Is it not we who in cen turies past have befriendedthe Gran d Seignior, may God fulfil his wishes, and

been the enemy of his enemies ? Have not the M ameluks,

o n the contrary, always revolted against the authority ofthe Grand Seignior, which they still refuse to recogni se ?

They act merely at their own pleasure .

Let those who arm on behalf ofthe M ameluks and fight

against us beware, and three times beware ! For themthere is no hOpe : they will perish !

It is a bit quackish !3d, Alexandria :

(To Gen eral Desaix . ) You will probably not meet morethan a few squadrons of cavalry ; mask your cavalry ;don ’t use your fieldp ieces . Save them for the day when

We shall have to fight four or five thousand horse .

(ToAdmiral B ru eys . ) The general-in -chief feels certain

that you have already had the channel sounded . He

wants the fleet to be brought into port . It is essential that

the fleet should be sheltered from the superior forces thatthe En glish may have in these seas . The Admiral is to

notify the general-in—chief to-morrow whether the fleet

could defend itself against a superior force ofthe enemyif it were anchored across the bay ofAboukir .l 0th , El R aman yeh :

Desaix had a skirmish with about a thou sand mountedM ameluks this morning . The coun try is splendid .


t h . The general- in -chief’

s intention is to attack theenemy reported in Ch o b raky t at daybreak .

1 5 th , Chahour

We met and defeated the enemy yesterday . Murad

Bey w ith 3 000 o r 4000 mounted M ameluks, twenty guns ,and a few gunboats attempted to hold the crossin g at

Cho b rakyt . The army was drawn up w ith each divisionin battalion squares , baggage in the centre, the guns in

the battalion intervals .

l t , The Pyramids

At dawn we met their advance guard , which we droveback from village to village . At two in the afternoon we

discovered the intrenchments and the enemy ’s army .

Soldiers ! Forty centuries behold you !

The instant Murad Bey perceived Desaix’ movement

he decided to attack . One ofhis bravest beys at the headofa picked body ofcavalry charged down like lightning o nour two divisions . We let them come to within fifty paces ,and mowed them down with a hail ofbullets and grapethat stretched great numbers o n the battlefield . They

pushed right into the intervals between the two divisions ,where they were caught by a crossfire that completedtheir defeat .

Our columns ofattack , u nder the command ofbraveGeneral Rampon , rushed o n the intrenchments , in the

face ofa heavy artillery fire , with their u sual dash , when

the M ameluks (again) charged them . They came o u t ofthe earthworks at full gallop ; o u r columns had just time to

halt, face outwards , and receive them with their bayonetsand a storm ofbullets . In a flash the field was coveredw ith their bodies . Our troops soon carried the intrenchments .


22d, Gyz eh

(To the Sheiks and Notables of Cairo . ) Y o u will judge

ofmy sentiments by the proclamation which I inclose .

Yesterday the M ameluks were for the most part killed

o r made prisoners, and I am in pursui t ofthe few whosurvive . Send over to this bank what boats you have,

and a deputation to announce your submission . Have

bread,meat, straw, and forage collected for my army, and

be without uneasiness, for no o n e could wish you better

than I .

26th , Cairo

No news from Fran ce since o u r departure .

(To Joseph . ) Be kind to my wife . Go and see her o ccasio n ally . I am asking Louis to give her good advice .

I wish Désirée all happiness if she marries Bernadotte .

She deserves it . I embrace your wife and Lucien . I am

sending a handsome shawl to Julie . Don ’t be quite so

unfaithful to her ; she is an excellent woman ; make her

happy .

28th . Perree should be sent o u t with three frigates,having o n board : a company of actors ; a corps de bal

let ; three o r four marionette showmen for the people ;a hundred o r so French women ; the wives ofall whoare employed here ; 20 surgeons, 3 0 chemists, 1 0 physi

eiau s .

I will colonize this country . I am twenty-nine n ow,

and shall then be thirty-five ; that’s nothing ; six years

gives me long enough , if all goes well , t o reach India .

‘

3 1 st . Severity is needed to govern the Turks ; I order

five orsix heads to be sliced offevery day in the streetsofCairo . Up till n ow we have had t o behave mildly so as


to counteract the reputation of terror that preceded us ;at present it is , o n the contrary, better t o assume the

tone that commands obedience with these people, fo rwith them obedience signifies fear .

A ugu st l st . B attle ofthe Ni le Nelso n and B ru eys .

Adju tan t -General Bribes is t o occupy Damanhour . He

will disarm the city, and wi ll have the heads offive ofthechief inhabitants cut off; o n e chosen from the lawyerswho have behaved worst, and the four others from the

most influential people . He is specially enjoined to see

to the clearing of the canal to Alexandria that begins at

El R amanyeh so that the Nile may enter it .

1 5 th . (To Rear-Admiral Gan teaume . ) The account

ofwhat yo u have been through is truly horrible . If you

have come out alive , it is clearly that yo u are destined

by fate to avenge o u r navy and our friends ; o n this I con

gratulate you . This is the only cheering thought that has

occurred to me since I received your report day before

yesterday, thirty leagues from Cairo . Y o u are to as sume

command ofall that is left ofo u r naval forces in Egypt .Y o u will do your utmost to withdraw from the Bay ofAboukir anything we may have left there . I imagine that

by this time the English haf' e moved their shatteredships away .

(To General Kleber . ) I have just received the news ofthe battle ofthe l st . I promptly returned to Cairo . Things

are not quite settled yet in these parts ; but every day

there is a perceptible improvement, and I am justified in

thinking that very soon we shall be really masters ofthecountry . Our enterprise demands more than o n e sort ofcourage .


What improvements, approved ofby the people, can beintroduced in these matters ?

(To General Menou . ) Don’t put the sailors forward .

Try to inspirit them and to dispel their belief in the su

perio rity ofthe English .

September 8th . (T o the Directoire . ) I await n ews from

Constantinople . I cannot be back in Paris , as I had promised, in October ; but it is only a matter ofa few months .Everything here is going well . The country is quiet and

getting used to us . For the rest , let time work . Since o u r

departure I have n o t heard o n e word from you , n o r from

the ministers , nor from a single person who is related to

me . My dispatches have, I expect, been more fortunate

than yours .

Octo ber 4th . No news from Eu rope .

(To General Kleber . ) I regret t o hear you are n o t well .

Desaix has reached Syo u t . He drove the M ameluks into

the desert, and part ofthem have reached the oases .Ibrahim Bey is at Gaza , an d threatens in vasio n ;

'

it will notcome to anyt hing ; but we, who are n o t threatening any

body, might very well dislodge him from where he is .

Believe me when I say that I hopefo r your speedy cu re,and that I rate high your good-will and your friendship .

I fear that we have had a little misunderstanding ; you

would be doing me an injustice if yo u doubted that this

gives me much concern . In the land ofEgypt, clouds ,when we have any, pass away in six hours ; if there should

seem to be any between us , they will pass in three . My

high regard fo r you is at least equal to that which yo uhave o n occasion manifested fo r me .

(To the French Commissioners to the Divan . ) The o h

E T . 29] A DIARY

ject for which the Divan has been convened is tentative,the intention being to accustom the notables of Egypt

to the idea ofassemb lies and legislation . You must tell

them that I have convened them to obtain their advice,and to ascertain what can be done for the benefit ofthepeople, and what they themselves would do had they the

power which conquest has given us .7 th . (To the Directoire . ) The Porte has appointed

Djez z ar pasha of Acre and general-in chief of all Syria.

He has taken n o notice ofthe overtures I have made .Our consuls have been arrested everywhere, and theOttoman Empire is full ofmartial sounds . Yo u will notabandon your army in Egypt ; you will send us help and

news ; and you will do all that I have urged to place alarge fleet in this sea . When I know for certain what the

Porte intends, when the country is more settled and o u r

fortifications are completed, which will be before long,I may decide to return to Europe ; especially if news

reaches me that the continent is n o t at peace .

l 6th . (To General M an sco u rt . ) Pray forward me the

report that mentions the rumour ofan insurrection in thegarrison. If a demi—brigade under my orders muti n i es , I

will disband it, and I will have every'

o fli cer who fails to

maintain discipline shot .

1 8th . No t the least bit of news from France . Bour

rienne ! what am I thinking of

(B o u rrien n e : In truth that’

s rather difficult, you thinkofso many things !)I don ’t know whether I shall ever see France again, but

if I do, my sole ambition is to fight o n e great campaign in

Germany, in the plains ofBavaria, to win a great victory,


and to avenge France for her defeat at Blenheim . After

that I will retire to the country and live quietly .

2l st . The Turkish army is concentrating at Damascus,and, it is reported, will amount to men .

22d. (T o General Bon . ) It is essential for us to attack

the insurgent quarters . Bombard the mosque . A ll armed

men caught in the streets are to be killed at sight .

23d. Order fo r levelling the grand mosque in thecourse ofthe night by breaking down some ofthe pillarsif possible .

(To General Berthier . ) Please order the commandant

ofthe town to have the heads ofall prisoners caught inarms cut off. They are to be taken to-night to the bankofthe Nile between B o u laq and o ld Cairo ; the bodies canbe thrown into the river .

(To Louis Bonaparte . ) I inclose yo u an order for the

commandant at Alexandria to send you off o n a brig, the

V2] o r the I nde'

pendan t .

We have been busy these last two days appeasing a

revolt in Cairo . I was compelled to throw shells intoa quarter which the insurgents had barricaded . About a

thousand Turks have been killed .

’

To-day everything is

calm and orderly again . Good-bye, good health ; a pros

pero u s journey .

November 20th . (To General Desaix . ) We have got

French and English gazettes to the l 0th ofAugust ; upt ill then there was no new development in Europe ; I amsendin g them o n .

Decemb er l 0 th . (To General Dommart in . ) The gen

eral-in -chief acknowledges receipt ofthe request ofchefde brigade Gro b ert to return to France . The general-in

JET . 29] A DIARY 89

chief’s reply is that in V 1 ew of the fact that citoyen Gro b ert

got his step as chef de brigade in Paris, and without even

having heard a shot fired, his intention is that you should

keep this officer continuously o n outpost duty .

21 st . (Order . ) At noon each day the regimental bands

shall play in the public square, opposite the hospital,pieces of music that will cheer the patients and recall

the great events offormer campaigns .23d. I leave to-morrow .

29th , Suez

Order for the commanding officers of engineers and artillery to accompany the general-in -chief o n a survey of the

Suez Canal .

J an u ary 2d, B elb evs

I am working to determine the line along which a water

way can be run to join the Nile and the Red Sea . This

waterway once existed , for I have found traces ofit atseveral points .

8th , Cairo :

(Order . ) Citoyen Boyer, surgeon , who has been so

cowardly as to refuse help to some wounded becausethey were supposed to be infected, is unworthy ofbeinga French citizen . He is to be dressed in women ’s clothes,and paraded through the streets ofAlexandria o n a

donkey , with a board on his back, o n which shall be

written : Un urorthy ofbei n g a Fren ch ci ti z en — he fears

death . After which he is t o be placed in prison, and sent

back t o France by the first ship .

25 th . (To Tippo o Sahib . ) Y o u have already learned

ofmy arrival o n the shores ofthe Red Sea w ith an innumerable and inv incible army, anxious t o free you from

the iron yoke of England .

I take the first opportunity ofletting yo u know that Iam anxious that yo u should sen d me information through

Moka and Muscat as to your political situation . I hope

vo u can send to Suez o r to Cairo , some able and trustworthy person with whom I can discuss matters .28th . (To General hI arn i o n t . ) I can

’

t u nderstan d

Commissary Michaud’

s o b st in acv in remaining in a

house when the plague is in it ; why doesn’

t he go into

m . 29] A DIARY 9 1

camp out towards Pompey ’s column? Put the 75 th in the

grove where you camped so long with the 4th light in

fan t ry ; it can be barracked there, and all communicationwith Alex andria cut off. As to the unlucky demi-brigadeoflight infantry, have the men strip and take sea-baths ;they must be rubbed from head to heel ; they must wash

their clothes and keep themselves clean . Give orders tohave the men wash their feet, their hands, their faces,every day .

Febru ary 5 th . I have just heard of the arrival at Alexandria ofa merchantman from Ragusa with a cargoofwine, and with letters for me from Genoa and fromAncona ; it is the first news from Europe since eight

months .

The troops are now on the march across the desert .’

(To Kleber . ) At last we have news from France . Jour

dan has left the Legislative Assembly and is in command

of the army of the Rhine . Jo u b ert has the army of Italy .

Steps have been taken to recruit the armies ; it appearsthat all young men ofeighteen years ofage are called o n ,

and are known as conscripts . Europe is arming on all

sides . 3

l 0th . I have observed the Ramadan, which beganyesterday, with the greatest ceremony ; I carried out the

duties which formerly devolved on the Pasha .

(To the Directoire . ) When you read thi s letter I may

be standing among the ruins of the temple of Solomon .

Djez z ar Pasha, an o ld man 70 years of age, is a ferocious

person , who has unbounded hatred ofthe French . He

has treated with disdain the friendly advances which Imade .


On the 29th ofBrumaire I sent him a letter ; he had themessenger ’s head chopped off . Egypt was inundated with

firman s that revealed Djez z ar’

s hostile intentions and

an nounced his arrival . His advance guard occupied El

Aryeh , where there are a few good wells and a fort in the

desert .

There was therefore no choice . I was challenged ; Ipromptly decided to carry the war into the enemy ’s coun

try .

, 1 7 th , in front ofEl AryehThe divisions ofthe army started from different points

to meet at El Aryeh , where we have now established co ntact with the enemy . The M ameluks, supported by a body

ofDjez z ar Pasha’s troops, were there . Regnier

’s division

came up and immediately attacked the M ameluks, killed

about 400, and n o w holds the rest blockaded in the fort .

Y o u are not my friend! —The women !— Josephine !

If you were my friend , yo u would long ago have toldme what I have just learned from Junot, there is a true

friend . Josephine ! and I am six hundred leagues away

yo u ought to have told me ! Josephine ! t o deceive

me in such a fashion ! she ! Let them beware ! I willwipe out these dandies and exquisites ! As for her a

divorce . Yes, a divorce, publicly, scandalously ! I must

wri te, I know everything ! It ’s your fault , yo u ought

to have told me !

My reputation ? Eh ! I don ’t know what I wouldn ’t

give if only what Junot has told me were not true I love

that woman so ! IfJosephine is guilty , a divorce mustseparate us forever . I will not be the laughing-stock ofall

94: THE CORSICAN [1 799

7 th . (To Abdallah -Aga, commandant ofJaffa .) God

is merciful and longsuffering !

Bonaparte, general- in—chi ef, informs yo u that he IS i n

Palestine for n o other purpose than to drive o u t the

troops ofDjez z ar Pasha . Jaffa is completely blockaded,

and in two hours o u r batteries will break down your wallsand shatter your fortifications . His heart is touched by

the su fl’erin g that would result to the city were it cap

t u red by assault . He offers his safeguard to the garrison

and protection to the city, and will therefore delay Opening fire until seven o ’clock this morning .

8th . At dawn , I summoned the governor to surrenderhe had my messenger ’s head cut off, and made n o reply .

At seven , we opened fire ; at o n e, I judged the breach to

be practicable . General Lannes made the arrangementsfo r the attack ; Adjutant Netherwood with ten riflemen

led the way . At five , we were in possession ofthe city,which was sacked for twenty-four hours and given up to

all the horrors ofwar, which never appeared more hidcous .

9th . (To General Berthier . ) Summon the art illerycolonel, get from him the names of the twen ty principal

artillery officers ; have him take them with him to thevillage where the battalion is that is goin g t o Cairo . There

they are to be placed in the fort until further orders . When

they have started for the village, order the adjutant-gen

eral o n duty to take the artillerymen down to the coast,and to have them all shot, taking every precaution to pre

vent their escaping .

1 8th , Moun t Carmel

Captain Smith , with two English men -of-war has ar

m . 29] A DIARY 95

rived at St . John ofAcre from Alexandria . Acre will be

surrounded to-night .

23d, in front ofAcre(To Sidney Smith . ) Do not doubt my desire ofshowing

you every courtesy and ofmaking myself useful to any ofyour compatriots who may be Victims of the mischance

of war .

29th . Since our arrival in front of Acre, plenty reigns

in o u r camp . We have Opened trenches against the city,and the work is being pushed o n energetically . We have

established a breaching battery, and have Opened fire onthe wall ; we hope to carry the place very quickly .

A pri l 4th . (Order . ) All soldiers who in the course of

to-day and to—morrow bring in cannon-balls found in

the Open will receive 20 sous for each cannon-ball .5 th . We are very short of cannon-balls . Commodore

Smith with his two ships , the Theseu s and the Tiger, hasjust returned after being away ten days .

8th . We have now been a fortnight in front of Acre ,where we hold Djez z ar Pasha blockaded . The great

quantity of artillery which the English have thrown into

the town, with a reinforcement ofgunn ers and officers,together with o u r own lack Of guns , has delayed its capture . But yesterday the two English men-of—war got annoyed with us, and fired more than 2000 shot, which has

given us a good supply .

1 4th . The siege progresses . We have run a gallery

beyond the counterscarp , 3 0 feet below the ditch, which

is now only 1 8 feet from the wall . We have not fired a

shotfo r two weeks ; the enemy blaze away like mad ; andwe merely pick up their cannon-balls humbly, pay 20


sous for them , and pile them up so that we already have

about 4000 . That will be enough to pour in a ho t fire

for twenty- four hours , and to batter a fine breach . I

am waiting before giving the signalfo r the sappers to beready to blow up the counterscarp at the end ofa doublesap that runs st raight to a tower ; we are still 5 0 feet fromthe counterscarp , which is a matter ofa couple ofnights .There are many French e

'

migre'

s and Engli sh in the town ;we are dying to get at them ; the chances are it wi ll be o nthe 2l st .

1 8th . The Jan issaries ofDamascus, wi th the cavalry ofDjez z ar, the Arabs , and the M ameluks ofIbrahim Bey ,crossed the Jordan to relieve Acre ; they have been com

pletely defeated in engagements at Nazareth , Safed , and

Cana, and in the battle of Mount Thabor .1 9th . (To citoyen Fourier . ) Tell the Divan that when

this letter reaches yo u , Acre will be ours , and that I shallbe o n my way t o Cairo . I am as anxious to be there as

you are to see me . One ofthe first things I shall do willbe to convene the Institute and to see whether we cannotdo something t o extend the bounds of human knowledge .

2l st . Mr . Smith is firing away ho t and heavy .

(Order . ) The general-in -chief, as a mark ofhis greatsatisfaction with the 3 00 brave men commanded by Briga

dier-General Junot , who, in the engagement at Nazareth ,

held in check 5 000 cavalry, captured 5 flags , and covered

the battlefield with dead , orders :

A medal worth 5 00 louis is Offered fo r the best pictu rerepresent ing the battle ofNazareth .

In this picture the Fren ch shall be shown in the uni

forms ofthe 2d light infa n try and 1 4th dragoons .


morrow we shall get o u r 24-pounders u p so as t o make a

breach , and as soon as it is practicable we shall deliver

a general assault en masse.

8th . Last night at ten o’clock we captured the breach

tower .

9th . This wretched clump ofhovels has cost memany lives and much time . But things have gone so far

that we must make a last attempt . If I succeed , as I hopeand believe, I shall raise and arm all Syria . I shall march

o n Damascus and Aleppo . As I advance, I shall swell myranks with all the discontented ; I shall announce the endofslavery and ofthe tyrannous rule ofthe pashas . I shallreach Constantinople at the head ofan armed multitude .

I shall establish in the East a new and great Empire . If Ifail in the last assault I mean to deliver, I shall leave at

once, as time is pressing . I cannot reach Cairo before the

middle of June .

As Kleber’s division is on the point ofarriving , the in

tention ofthe general-in—chief is that as soon as this division is rested it shall move to the breach to attack and

capture the city .

Night .

The troops will leave camp at two o ’clock in the morn

ing and march to the positions allotted to them in the

plan ofattack .

l 0th . We have carried the principal parts ofthe wall ,(but) the enemy have built a second wall abutting o n

Djez z ar’

s palace . We should have t o sap through the

town , to Open trenches before every house, and to lose

more lives than I am w illin g to lose . In any case , the sea

m . 29] A DIARY 99

son is too far spent . My object is accompli shed ; Egyptcalls me .

I am planting a battery of 24-pounders to raze Djez

zar ’s palace and the principal buildings of the town ; I shallblaze away about a thousand shells , which, in so smalla space, will do considerable damage . With Acre reduced

to a heap ofstones, I shall recross the desert, so as to beready for any European o r Turkish army that attempts

t o disembark in Egypt in July or August .

l 6th . We have razed the palace of Djez z ar and crushed

the city under our shell fire .

1 7th . Soldiers ! With the swiftness ofan Arab hostyou have crossed the desert that separates Africa from

Asia. The army that was marching to invade Egypt is

destroyed ; you have captured its general, its material, its

waterskins, and its camels . On the battlefield ofMountThabor, you dispersed a horde that had gathered from

the extreme parts ofAsia for the pillage of Egypt .A few days more and you hoped to capture the pasha

himself in his palace ; but at this season ofthe year thecitadel of Acre is not worth the loss of even a few days ;the brave lives its capture would cost are needed for moreimportant operations .

20th . (To the Divisional Generals . ) The assembly

will be beaten at seven o’clock at night by one drum only

fOr each company . General Murat with all the cavalrywill not start until eleven o ’clock at night .

I have been through some trying moments . I allowedmy imagination to interfere with my practice ; but I think

St . John of Acre has killed it . I shall take good care not

to let it run away with my judgment again !


27th , Jaffa

We reached Jaffa o n the 25 th . Detachments have been

starting o n the march to Egyp t these last two days . I

shall stay here a few more days to have the fortifications

blown up .

28th , Jaffa

There were fourt een o r sixteen ill ofthe plague . I assembled a medical board , they said the sick would die

in twenty-four hours . I determined to wait that time

rather than leave them to the Turks, who would cut offtheir noses and ears . At the end of the time only o n e

o r two were alive, and they were dying when my army

marched .

J u n e 9th , Salheyeh

We got over the deser t pretty well . The English com

modo re who has summoned Damietta to surrender is a

lunatic . As he has always been in command offiresh ips,he has no notion ofthe manners that are calledfo r in animportant command . The allied army ofwhich he speakswas destroyed in Acre .

1 5 th, Cairo :

My entry took place in the midst ofan immense throngthat lined the streets, ofall the muftis riding o n their

mules, because the Prophet had a preference for riding

these beasts, of all the bodies ofJan issaries, ofthe agas ofpolice, ofthe descendants ofAbou Bekr , ofFatima, andofthe descendants ofmany saints revered by true b elievers . The chief merchants walked in front , as well as the

Coptic Patriarch ; the procession was closed by the Greek

auxiliaries .

(To General Desaix . ) I am here with part ofthe army .


and o n e leagu e from B esen t o n ay . Get all the information

yo u need, and try t o place yourself so that instantly o n

my order yo u can march rapidly o n Edkou o r Birket ; and

as it is quite likely that communications will be cut , get

plenty ofmen o u t recon noitring so as to kn ow what I amdoing and where I am ; and should circumstances point

to a movement that yo u are free t o make, and yo u think

it likely from your information that I would have o r

dered you to make it , yo u can go ahead .

21 5 t . (To the Divan of Cairo . ) They are begin

ning to disembark at Aboukir ; I am not interfering with

them . There are Russians o n the fleet, people who hold

in horror those who believe in the unity of God because,according to their lies, they believe that there are three

Gods .

22d. The enemy’s fleet has been reinforced by 3 0

ships . Their army is in position in front ofAboukir ; I amstarting in two hours to reconnoitre .

24th . At the well between Alexandria and Aboukir .(To General Murat . ) Take command ofall the cavalry .

The advance guard will march on the enemy at two o ’clock

in the morning ; no drums wi ll be beaten .

25 th , near Aboukir :

At seven o ’clock we were in presence oftheenemy, whowere in position o n e league in front ofthe fort ofAboukir .We attacked them , completely defeated them , captu red

their redoubts, intrenchments , and camp . The enemy ran

into the sea in an attempt to reach their ships three quar

ters ofa league away . They were alldrowned , the most

horrible sight I ever w i tnessed . ‘Ve have captured the

general - in -chief who is wounded, his n ame is Mustafa

m . 99—30] A DIARY 1 03

Pasha ; I shall take him to Cairo with me . We had 1 00

killed and 400 wounded , among the latter General Mu rat .

The battle ofAboukir is one ofthe most successful I haveseen . Of the army which the enemy di sembarked , not a

man has escaped . This victory, which will have so much

influence o n the fortunes ofthe Republic, is due chiefly toGeneral Murat .

27th . (Order . ) The general-in -eh ief, as a mark of hissatisfaction with General M u rat

’

s cavalry brigade, whichcovered itself with glory at the battle of Aboukir , directs

the commanding officer ofthe artillery t o hand over tothis brigade the two English fieldpieces which had been

sent by the Court ofLondon as a present to Constantin o ple, and that were captured in the battle .

The names of each ofthe three regiments of this brigade, the 7th hussars, the 3d and 4th dragoons, and the

names ofGeneral Murat and ofAdjutant-General R o iz e,shall be engraved on each gun ; on the breach shall beinscribed : B attle ofA b ouki r.

A u gu st 1 1 th , Cairo

I have English gazettes to the l 0th ofJune . France

declared war against the Emperor o n the 1 3 th ofMarch .

Jourdan has been defeated at Feldkirch and has with

drawn across the Rhine . Scherer, who had been given the

army ofItaly, has been beaten at Rivoli, and is backacross the Mincio . Mantua is blockaded .

If ever I have the luck to set foot in France again, thereign ofchatter is over .1 6th . (Order . ) The commandants ofprovinces will

make known by a circular in Arabic sent to all villages,


the pomp with which the festival ofthe Prophet has beenobserved in Cairo . A ll the army, carrying a great num

ber oftorches , proceeded to the house ofSheik El B ekry ;the general- ia -chief had dined with him , as had Mustafa

Pasha and the principal Officers made prisoners at the battle ofAboukir . The general-in -chief was present at the

reading of various Arabic poems in honour ofthe Prophet,after whi ch, surrounded by the principal sheiks, he at

tended worship and ordered the genealogy ofthe Prophetto be read . The Pasha and the Turkish prisoners could

n o t overcome their surprise at seeing the respect professed

by the French for Islam and the law ofthe most holy ofProphets .

1 9th, Menouf

(To General Kleber . ) I am convinced that there is no

hostile fleet ofany size in the Mediterranean . Please start

for Rosetta at once . I have to confer with you o n mat

ters ofextreme importance .

22d, Alexandria

I leave to-night for France .

(To General Kleber . ) You will find herewith an order

fo r assuming comman d ofthe army . I am taking with

me Generals Berthier, Lannes , Murat, A ndréo ssy , and

Marmont , citoyens Monge and Berthollet .

I inclose you the English papers to the 1 0th ofJune .

Y o u w ill see that we have lost Italy ; that Man tua, Turin ,and Tortona are besieged . I have reason to expect that

the first'

n amed fortress w ill hold out u ntil the end ofNovember . I hope , if fate is propitious, to reach Europe

before the beginning ofOctober .Accustomed as I am to view the good Opinion ofposter


the two ships were at once invaded by a crowd, n o twi th

standing repeated and pressing warnings ofthe dan gerofn o t observing the laws ofquarantine .

9 th . The quarantine officers gave us a clean bill, andat noon we went ashore, the forty-seventh day since o ur

departure from Alexandria .

On the same day General Bonaparte startedfo r Paris ;o n his way he was received with demonstrations ofjoythat showed the political effect ofhis un expected return .

l 0th , A ix :

Ci toyen s Directeu rs Since leaving France I have re

ceived only o n e dispatch from you ; it foun d me in front ofAcre , and from that moment I judged that I could not re

main absent from France much longer . I obtained copies

Of the English gazettes t o the 6th ofJune, and from themlearned ofthe defeats ofJourdan in Germany and ofScherer in Italy . I started immediately, that very hour ,with the frigates La M u i ro n and L a Carrere, although both

slow sailers . I did n o t stop to reckon the risk ; my duty

was to proceed wherever I might be most useful . That

being my view, I would have wrapped myself in my cloakand started in an Open boat, if I had had n o frigates . Ihave made my way through the English cruisers . I have

landed at Frejus safely . I shall be in Paris nearly as soonas my letter .

1 5 th . A rri va l i n P ari s , ru e de la Vi cto ire.

No further relations between us ! She shall n o t set footin my house ! What do I care what people will say? They

will gossipfo r o n e o r two days , and talk ofsomething elsethe third . Fo rgivc her Never

arr . 3 0] A DIARY 1 07

Well ! well ! She is here ! Don ’t believe that I have forgiven her ; never while I live . I wanted to doubt !Her truthfulness ! I drove her o u t when I arrived . And

that fool Joseph who was here

But what could I do ? As she came down the staircase

in tears, I saw Eugene, Hortense, who were following her

sobbing . 1 was not given a heart for nothing, and I can

n o t remain unmoved when I see tears flowing . Eugen e

followed me to Egypt ; I have accustomed myself to

look o n him as my adopted son ; he is so brave, he is such

a good b oy ! Hortense is just coming o u t ; all who know

her speak highly of her . I confess, I was deeply moved, Icould n ’

t resist the sobs of those two poor children ; I said

to myself : Are they to be the victims oftheir mother ’s illconduct? I stopped Eugene . Hortense turned back with

her mother ; I said nothing . How could I help it ? Every

man is weak !

1 7th . So you believe that the thing can be done

22d. I have already learned a good deal : but we shallsee . I think I shall have Bernadotte and Moreau against

me . I am not afraid ofMoreau ; he is soft, has no energy .

But Bernadotte ! He has IVI o o rish blood in his veins ;he is bold and enterprising ; he is related by marriage

to my brothers ; he dislikes me ; I am pretty sure he

will be against me . Well, we have only just arrived, we’ll

see .

24th . Patience ! The pear is nearly ripe .

Novemb er l st . Well, B o u rrien n e, I ’

ll bet that you can’

t

guess with whom I breakfasted to-day, eh? With Berna

dotte, and the joke is that I invited myself . Yes . You

would have seen the whole business if you had come to the


Théfitre Fran gais with me last night . I ran right i ntoBernadotte as we were coming o u t , and upon my word,not knowing what o n earth to say to him o n the spur ofthe moment , I asked him if he would join o u rparty to-day .

He replied that he would , and as we were then in front ofhis house in the rue Cisalp ine, I plain asked himfo r a cup.Ofcoffee and said I would be delighted to have some talkwith him . He made himself quite pleasant to me . What

do you think ofit, B o u rrien n e ? No , no, I was right, yo umay be sure ; it will compromise him with (the D irecteur)Gohier . Remember o n e thing : always take the first steptowards your enemies an d put o n a good countenance,otherwise they think you are afraid and are encouraged .

t 6th . (Brumaire

To subvert a representat ive form ofgovernmen t is acriminal pr0po sal in this century ofenlightenment andliberty . (Vive Bonaparte ! Peace ! Peace !) I raise my

glass to the union ofall Frenchmen !7th . (Brumaire

Well , general, what is your Opinion as to the state of theRepublic

(Jourdan : Unless some more stable order can be evolved

we shall have to despair ofsaving the country . )We need a stronger government . Don

’t be uneasy ; all

will be done in the interests ofthe Republic .

8th . (Brumaire

When it comes t o conspiracy , everything is permis

sible .

I have accepted an invitation to dine with Gohier to

morrow : but yo u may be sure I shan’t go . I regret his

1 1 0 THE CORSICAN [1 799

Lib erty, victory , and peace will restore to the French

Re public the rank she formerly held in Europe , and that

only ineptitude o r treason could make her lose . Vive la

R épu b liqu e /

Night :

It is peace we have conquered : that is what must besaid in every newspaper, every theatre ; what must be

repeated in prose, in verse, even in ballads .

Things went pretty well to-day . We ’ll see t o -mor

row .

1 0th . (Brumaire The two Co u n ci ls meet at Sai n t

Clo ud.

9 A . M Place de la Concorde

To—morrow we shall sleep in the Luxembourg, o r finishhere .

2 R M Saint CloudThe wine is drawn ,we must drink it . A ugereau , remem

ber Arcola !

(To the Council ofAn cients . ) Ci toyen s Repre’

sen tan ts

The existing circumstances are extraordinary ; yo u are o n

a volcano . Yesterday I was living quietly in Paris when

yo u charged me to carry o u t your decreefo r transferring(the session ofthe Legislature to Saint Cloud) . I immedi

ately called together my comrades , and we flew to your

help . Well , t o -day , I am already overwhelmed with cal

umny . Cae sar, Cromwell , a military government , are

spoken of. Had I aimed at a military government , wouldI have lent my support to the n ational representatives ?

T he Republic is wi thou t a governmen t . The Council ofFive Hundred is divided against itself . There is only the

5 5 1 30] A DIARY 1

Coun cil of Ancients . It is from that Coun cil I derive mypowers : it isfo r you to take steps, speak, I am here to

carry o u t your measures . Let us save liberty ; let us save

equality !

(A voice : And what about the ConstitutionThe Constitution Y o u yourselves have torn it up . Y o u

broke it on the 1 8th ofFructidor ; you broke it o n the 22dof Floréal ; yo u broke it on the 3 0th ofPrairial . Not a soulrespects it any longer . I will speak o u t . Since my return,I have been surrounded with intrigues . Every faction hasapproached me . Andmen who arrogantly describe themselves as the only patriots have urged me to thrust the

Constitution aside .

(Several voices : Names ! names !)Outspokenness of a soldier agitation (increasing

confusion and noise) victories Constitution broken

Caesar, Cromwell, tyrant— that’

s all I have to say to

you .

—Liberty ! Equality !— You forget the Constitution !Hypocrites, intriguers I am not I will abdi

cate from power the instant the Republic is free from

danger . The God ofWar and the God of Fortune iswith me !

(B o u rrien n e : Come away, general : you don’t kn ow

what yo u are saying . )My friends will follow me !

And you, brave grenadiers , if any speaker dares to apply the word o u tlaw to your general, let the thunders of

war crush him instantly .

So I talked a lot ofnonsense, did I ?(Well, yes, general . )


I had rather talk to soldiers than t o lawyers . Thosemade me nervous . I am not accustomed t o assembli es ; itmay come in time .

4 P . M

I entered the Council of Five Hundred, alone, um

armed . The daggers ofthe deputies are at once raisedagainst their liberator . Twenty as sassins rush at me .

(Down with the tyrant ! Dictator ! Dictator ! Outlaw

him !)P . M

To arms ! My horse ! Soldiers ! can I trust you ? I wi llbring them to reason !(Murat : Grenadiers, forward ! Vive la République !

Vive Bonaparte !)5 P . M

The Co u n ci l ofF ive H u ndred i s cleared by the tro ops .

1 1 R M

I have tried not to be the man ofa party . Conserva

tive, paternal, liberal ideas have been restored to their

rightful place among us .

(Proclamation ) On my return t o Paris I found the

Government divided , and all men agreed o n this truth ,that the Constitution was half ruined and could n o t

save the cause ofliberty . All parties came to me, told

me their plans , revealed their secrets, and asked fo r mysupport : I refused to be the tool ofany party .

The Council ofAncients summoned me ; I answeredits appeal . I thought i t my duty to my fellow ci t izens ,to the soldiers who are dying with o u r armies , t o the na

t io n al glory purchased wi th their blood , to accept the com

1 1 4 THE CORSICAN [ 1 799

Y o u have worked a long time in the Ministry ofP inance

(Gaudin : Twenty years , general .)We need your help . Come, take the oath , we are in a

hurry .

1 2th . People ofFrance : Swear with us to be true tothe Republic one and indivisible, founded o n equality,liberty, and the representative system .

The Consuls of the Republic

BONA PA RTE , ROGE R DU COS , SIE YES .

1 5 th . Every day must be marked by o n e step forward

in the creation ofa general system of finance .

24th . (To General Jourdan . ) I have received your

letter ofthe 20th . Y o u were vexed at the events ofthel oth . But the worst is over now, and I am more thananx ious to see the victor ofFleu ru s remain in the paththat will lead us to organization, true liberty , and hap

p in ess .

Y o u must rally to the mass ofcitizens . Is not the plaindesignation French citizen equal to that ofroyalist. ofClichien , ofJ aco b i n , ofFeu i llan t, and ofthose thousandand o n e denominations born ofa factious spirit that fo rten years past have threatened t o plunge the nation into

an abyss from which it is time it should be drawn for

ever .

Sieyes thinks that he alone can arrive at truth ; when anobjection is raised , he replies as though he were inspired ,and there ’

s an end to the matter .

(Sieyes : Do yo u want to be king , then

m . 3 0] A DIARY 1 1 5

December l st . The Minister of War will take steps for

having at least 1 00 fieldp ieces of the army ofItaly horsedand made ready for active service as rapidly as possible .

Have a plan drawn up for placing all flags captured

from the enemy under the dome of the I n vali des have the

chronology of the victories of the Republic engraved o n

marble tablets .

4th . The Minister of Warwill send for Generals Moreau

and Clarke to draw up a plan ofOperations fo r the newarmy of the Rhine . It will be reinforced .

5 th . Concentrate at Lyons the remnants ofthe demibrigades ofthe 8th military division that were formerlywith the army ofItaly, and reorganize them so that inthree or four months we canfOrm an army of reserve .

6th . If Sieyes goes to the country, draw up the plan

ofa constitution quickly ; I will push it through .

7th . Inform General Moreau that the Consuls thinkthere i s urgent need he should join the army.

l 4th . The Con sti tu ti on i s bei ng drawn up .

Citoyen Dau n o u , Sit down there, (and write . )The decision ofthe Fi rst Consul shall be sufficient !(Sieyés : my only wish is to retire . )1 5 th . A constitution should be short and obscure .

741" (To the People of France . ) A constitution is submitted

to you . It will bring to an end the uncertainties whichattended the provisional government in all its dealings,exterior

,military, and interior . 8 i

The Constitution is based o n the true principles of re

presentative government, on the sacred rights of property,

ofequality, ofliberty .


The powers it provides for are strong and stable, as

they should be t o guarantee the rights of citizens and the

i nterests ofthe State .

Citizens,the Revolution is now anchored to the princi

ples which gave it birth . The Revolution is finished .

BONAPA RTE , ROGE R Du co s , Smr t s .

1 8th . I trust that the ensuing campaign will be morehonourable to the French arms than the last .

21 st . The object of the Republic in prosecuting the

war is to bring about a peace . It is on the army com

manded by General Moreau that rests the Republic’s

chi ef hope of peace for the moment . The Government has

absolute confidence in the zeal and military capacity ofGeneral Moreau .

22d. Considering the present condition ofthe army ofItaly , the Consuls ofthe Republic declare : that GeneralMassena is intrusted with extraordinary powers . Hemay suspend and dismiss any general who has lost hisconfidence . He may disband corps and cashier officers for

insubordination .

25 th . (To His Majesty the King ofGreat Britain andIreland . ) Called by the wishes ofthe French nation tothe first magistracy ofthe Republic, I think it proper,o n taking up my duties, to notify Your Majesty ofthefact in person .

Is the war thatfo r eight years past has devastated thefour quarters ofthe world to be eternal Is there no possibilify ofcomin g to an agreement ? H ow can the two most

enlightened n ations ofEurope , both more powerful thanis needed to secure their safety and independence , sacri

fice to some vague notion ofsuperiority the interests of


ofthe 63d of the line . Let them remember how I oncetrusted them !

26th . (To Lucien Bonaparte, Minister ofthe Interior . )If war were n o t a necessity, my first care would be to

found the prosperity ofFrance o n the communes . It is a

much simpler matter, when reconstructing a nation , to

deal with one thousand ofits inhabitants at a time instead ofstriving romantically for the individual happinessofevery o n e . In France a commune stands fo r 1 000inhabitants . To work at the prosperity ofthecommunes is to work at the prosperity oftheinh abitants, while simplifying the question , and reducingthe difficulty by the proportion that exists between

and

The Minister ofthe Interior will carefully consider thefollowing ideas :L‘

Before the Revolution the commune belonged t o the

lord and to the priests ; the vassal and the parishioner had

no right to the roads ; no ditches , n o r fieldsfo r pasturingtheir cows o r their sheep . Since 1 790 , when , suddenlyand righteously, these common rights ofcommunicationand pasturage were snatched from the hands ofthe feudallord , each municipality has , under the protection ofthelaws , become a real person , having the right to hold , to

acquire , and t o sell property , and t o perform every deed

known to o u r law fo r the benefit ofthe municipa l community . France was therefore suddenly divided into

individualities , each o n e ofwhich was subject toall the instincts ofthe proprietor , wh ich are to increase

his possessions , to improve his products , t o swell his reve

n u e . The root ofthe prosperity ofFran ce , therefore , layat that point .

P

A DIARY 1 1 9

The reason why nothing has grown from this root is

this : that an individual proprietor is always alive t o his

interests, while a community is, on the contrary, sleepy and

sterile ; the interests of an individual are a matter of simple

instinct ; those of a commune demand virtue, and virtue

is rare . Since 1 790 the communes are but

orphans , heiresses of the old feudal privileges, neglected

o r plundered these ten years by the municipal tutors ofthe Convention and ofthe Directoire . They have stolen

from the roads, from the pathways, from the trees, from

the churches . What would become of the communes if this

went o n another ten years The first duty ofa Ministerofthe Interior is to stop an evil which will otherwise infect these members of the social body .

The first condition, when dealing with a great evil, is to

diagnose carefully its gravity and its incidents . The Min

ister of the Interior will therefore begin by drawing up a

general schedule of the situation of the communes

of France . We have never had such a schedule . Here are

the principal heads to be set down .

There will be three classes : Communes that are in

debt ; communes whose accounts balance ; communes with

assets . The last two classes are n o t numerous, and thei r

case is n o t pressing . The real question is how to clear thecommunes that are in debt .

The Schedule will show

Details ofproperty accruing to the commune afterthe division ofcommunal property .

Details ofthe loans, of outstanding debts, and ofdates ofpayment .

Valuation ofrevenu es under specified heads, asrents, leases, etc .


Charges other than those that are strictly com

mu n al, as payments to hospitals, charities, etc .

Details ofthe roads with a general indication ofthose that are useful and those that might be sold .

Condition Of the rectories , churches, and annexes .Detai ls ofrebates to be go t from owners offoreshore

who have plundered the commune .

Timber, and ofwhat kind, that might profitably besold .

Whether leases, rights offishery and ofpasturingmight be made more remunerative .

When this schedule is drawn up , the prefect will be noti

fied that the whole effort of the administration must bebrought to bear o n the communes that are in debt, and

that the mayors who do n o t come into line with these

ideas of communal improvement must be removed . The

prefect is to visit these communes at least twice a year,and the sub-prefect four times a year, under penalty ofremoval from office . A monthly report shall be sent t o

the minister ofwhat is being done and ofwhat remains tobe done in these communes .

Suggestions may be sent in to me for a prize to be

awarded to mayors who free their communes from debtwithin two years, and the Government will appoint aspecial Commissioner to administer every commune that

is not free in five years .

In five years , therefore , there will be only two classes ofcommunes in France : Communes with assets ; communes

whose accounts balance . Havin g reached this first level

lin g u p , the efforts ofthe minister and ofthe communesw ill be directed towards bringing up the communes whose

J an u ary 1 2th , Paris

On the first day of each decade there shall be held a gen

eral council offinance ; on the fou rth day a council ofmi litary administration ; o n the sixth day a council of naval

admini stration . On the 8th day ofeach month there shallbe a council ofjudic ial administration ; o n the 1 8th , o n e

fo r foreign affairs ; and o n the 28th , o n e for internal and

police matters . These Councils w ill meet at the First Consu l

’

s at half-past nine in the evening .

When I want to close offone matter, I push in its file,and pull out another . I never get them mixed up , and they

never bother nor fatigue me . If I want t o sleep , 1 push in

all the files at once, and I’

m asleep .

1 3 th . Four millions are all important t o us in the pre

sent situation . Perhaps we could raise them at Hamburg .

1 4th . (To citoyen Gaudin . ) General Moreau complainsthat his drafts o n Bale have not been honoured . His army

is in absolute want . It is urgent to send him money .

Couldn ’t you get some drafts o n Marseilles o r Co r

sica

1 5 th . (T o brave Leo n . ) I have received your letter, my

brave comrade ; there was no necessity to remind me ofyour deeds . Since the death ofbrave Benezette yo u are

t he bravest grenadier ofthe army . One ofthe hundredswords I am giving t o the army goes to yo u . All the men

agreed that yo u were the model ofyou r regiment . I am

err . 30] A DIAR Y 1 23

anxious to see yo u ; the Minister ofWar will issue an order

to that effect . I regard you as my son .

General Mur‘

at will give him a brevet as sub-lieutenantin the Consular Guard, and will write him a letter.

25 th . I intend to organiz e a Reserve army, of whichthe command will go to the First Consul .

Febru ary 7th . (Order . ) Washington is dead . That

great man fought against despotism . He established the

liberty ofhis country . His memory will always be trea

sured by the French people, as it will by the free men ofboth continents, and especially by the French soldiers

who , like him and the American soldiers, are fighting for

equality and liberty .

The First Consul therefore orders that, for the space of

ten days, a black crape shall be draped o n the standards

and guidons ofthe Republic .1 3 th . (To General Hedouville . ) Inform Bourmont that

he must surrender his guns within twenty-four hours

ofyour summons, and 3000 muskets within three days .On his refusal put yourself at the head of your troops

and don ’t take your boots offtill you ’ve destroyed

him .

1 8th . At the palace of the TuileriesTo be here is nothing, we

’

ve got to stay here !

(To General Brune . ) From what you write aboutGeorges (Cado udal) I shall be glad t o see him in Paris .

Send me a list ofthe leaders . Frotté has been capturedwith all his staff ; I had refused to negotiate with him . At

this writing he should be shot ; so that peace is pretty well

established in Normandy .


27th . Announce the Civil Code for next session . Give

me the names ofmen who can carry through the work,and draw up a decree .

M arch 1 st . There will be a grand parade of all thetroops ofthe garrison in the Court ofthe Tuileries everydecade .

5 th . I saw Georges thi s morn ing ; he looks a burlyBreton who might be turned to some useful accountfo rhis country .

Will it be peace ? Or wi ll it be war ? That is still very

uncertain . However, the Emperor negotiates with some

politeness ; so far as manners go it all looks well .

8th . (Proclamation ) People of France, you want peace .

Your Government desires it even more ardently than yo u .

Our first hopes, o u r constant endeavours, have been to

secure it . The En glish Government has betrayed the secret

ofits horrible poli cy . T o tear France asunder ; to destroy

her navy and her ports ; to efface her name from Europe ;to reduce her to the rank ofa second rate power ; to dividethe nations of the continent so as to seize their commerce

and enrich herself with their spoils : these are the hideous

successes for whi ch England lavishes her gold , her pro

mises , and her intrigues . If any Power still insists on at

tempting the fate ofarms, the First Consul has promisedpeace ; he will conquer it at the head ofthose warriors hehas more than once led t o victory . With them he will

know how to find once more the fields of their former

exploits ; but in the midst ofbattle he will invoke peace ,and he swears to fight fo r nothing but the happiness ofFran ce and the repose ofthe world .

1 2th . (To General Massena . ) The campaign will soon


not yet sent my baggage offI am daily expecting decisiveinformation from Vienna .

5 th . The First Consul would be gratified by the sup

pression ofthe couplet that alludes to him in the Tab leaudes Sab i n es .

(To cit oyen Fouche.) The Consuls intend that the

journals L e B ien I nformé, L es H ommes li bres , and L es Dé

fen seu rs de la P atri e be suppressed . Inform Mr . (Tom)Paine that the police are aware that his conduct is n o t

good ; at the first complain t he will be sent to America,hi s own country .

9th . (To General Berthier . ) The Reserve army which

you command is t o establish harmony between the armies

of the Rhine and of Italy in view of the Operations thatare about to take place . It is to be the centre ofa grandline ofwhich the right is at Genoa and the left o n theDanube .

f(To Gen eral’

M assén a . ) The army ofthe Rhine willopen the campaign between the 1 0th and 20th ofthismonth . As soon as this is done, General Lecourbe will be

transferred to the comman d ofGeneral Berthier ; he willcross the St . Gothard and descend into Italy . At the same

moment part ofthe Reserve army will enter the Valais,and thence cross into Italy , either by the Simplon o r by

the St . Gothard .

2l st . (Proclamation to the youth ofFrance . ) Young

Frenchmen : If you are burning t o belong to an army

that is intended to bring the wars ofthe Revolution toa close, by securing the independence, the liberty . and

the glory ofthe great nation : to arms ! to arms ! Rush toDijon !

E T . 30] A DIARY 7

Generally speaking , the best way to praise me is to doall things that inspire the n ation, the youth, the army,with heroic sentiments .

24th . (To Carnot . ) The army of Italy is in contact

with the Austrian army . The Reserve army must not

lose a single hour . Therefore pray order General Ber

thier to move the army as rapidly as possible to Geneva .

I have nothing new by the semaphore from Bale to-day .

Repeat the order to General Moreau to attack the en

emy .

F 25 th . (To General Berthier . ) Everything is going

smoothly here, and the instant yo u think my presence nec

essary because of events either on the Rhine or in Italy, I

can start one hour after receiving your letter . I regret to

see that residing in Dij on makes you melancholy . Cheer

Up !

27th . (To General Berthier . ) My plan is no longer

to cross the St . Gothard ; I think that move possible andwithin the bounds of prudence only if Gen eral Moreau

should win some success over the enemy . Besides, Milan

may not be our objective after all, for we may have to

hasten to Tortona to relieve M asséna , who, if he has been

defeated, has doubtless shut himself up in Genoa, where

he has food for thirty days . We shall therefore have to

cross by the St . Bernard .

There is no greater coward than I when I am drawingu p a plan ofcampaign . I magnify every danger, every dis

advantage that can be conceived . My nervousness is pain

ful ; not but that I show a cool face to those who are about

me . I am like a woman in the throes of childbirth . When


once my decision is made, however, I forget all , except

what may carry it through to success .

I love power ; but I love it as an artist, as a mus icianloves his v iolin . I love to draw sounds from it, chords,

harmony !

M idn ight

I am waiting impatiently for news from the Rhine and

from Italy .

hI ay 1 st . (To Carnot . ) Please send an intelligent staffo r engineer officer to General Suchet and then o n to

General Massena. He will inform them that the Reserve

army is in full march fo r the passes ofthe Alps, and willdebouch in Piedmont o n the 1 1 th ofMay .

2d. (T o Berthier . ) The enemy is far from suspecting

your march . I have sure information that at Vienna

and in Italy they are laughing at o u r Reserve army ; they

think August will be here before it is ready, and that it ismerely a levy of conscripts to fi ll the ranks ofthe armyofthe Rhine .

3d. (To the Presidents ofthe Tribunals ofthe Departmen t ofthe Seine . ) While France was torn by factions, justice was badlyadministered , as Was indeed inevitable . F o r ten years have these conditions lasted ; it is for

you to bring them to an end . Y o u are never to ask to

what party the man who demands justice belongs ; but

yo u are to weigh the rights ofa ll men with severe impart iality . It is for the army t o secure peace with foreign

countries ; it is for Justice to secure peace between our citi

zens . You are appointed for life ; no o n e has the right to

remove yo u ; yo u are responsible for your judgments only

to your conscience ; you will be a s impassive as the law .

1 3 0 THE COR SICAN [1 800

The situation of the army ofItaly is somewhat critical ;Massena is cooped up in Genoa with rations that will lastti ll the 25 th o r 26th . The army ofMelas appears to bequite large . I greet you cordially .

(To Massena . ) The Reserve army is marching fast.

I leave to-night . I count o n you to hold out as long as

yo u can , but at the least until the 3 0th .

9th , Geneva

(To the Consuls ofthe Republic . ) I reached here at

midnight . The whole army is mov ing and in good order .

I note with pleasure that Paris is calm . But in any case,I repeat , strike hard at any o n e , whoever he may be,who shows the first signs of wobbling .

What I witnessed on my journey through France is

indescribable . Had I not frequently changed my route

I would have been another eight days getting here .

1 1 th . (To Saliceti . ) Write to Malta by every ship , and

give them news from Europe, insisting o n the fact that

France and Europe confidently expect them to hold their

posts to the last mouthful ofbread .

1 2th , Lausanne

(T o General Dupont . ) Give orders that , beginning to

morrow, in every demi-brigade the conscripts shall be

made to fire a few shots, shall be shown with which eye to

aim , and how t o load a musket .

1 3 th . I have news from Massena up to the 3 0th . He

was completely surrounded in Genoa, and fighting every

day .

1 4th . (To General Desaix . ) My dear Desaix : I re

ceive your letter this very moment . Here yo u are at last ;splendid news fo r the whole Republic, but especially fo r

£1 30] A DIARY 1 3 1

me who hold yo u in the esteem due to men of your talent,and in a friendship which my heart

,so o ld now and kn ow

ing mankind but too well, feelsfo r no one else .

On my arrival in France I found the Republic lost ; the

Vendee was at the gates of Paris ; the fleet instead of beingat Toulon was at Brest , and dismantled ; Brest was even

threatened by the English . I have had to destroy the

Vendee, find money, refit the fleet . But don ’t let us talk

of those things ; come and join me as qui ckly as yo ucan .

(To the Consuls of the Republic . ) I wish yo u to have

printed in the J ou rn al Ofi’ici el that Generals Desaix and

Davout have arrived at Toulon, with a few words added

to the effect that these generals maintained, after my de

parture, the reputation they had wo n in the campaigns of

Holland and the Rhine .

1 5 th . (To the Consuls . ) The advance guard com

manded by General Lannes is at this moment crossing theSt . Bernard . Hold back the news from the army for a.fewdays ; merely say that it is in full march .

1 6th . (To Josephine . ) I am just starting fo r St .Maurice, where I shall sleep . I have had no letters from

you ; that’

s not nice ; I write to you by every courier . Athousand tender things, my good little Josephine, for you

and for yours .

g 1 7th, Martigny

I have just arrived at Martigny . I shall stay the ni ghthere in hopes of getting news of the capture ofFort Bardto-morrow morning .

1 8th . We are struggling against ice, snow, storms, and

avalanches . The St . Bernard , amaz ed at the sight ofso


great a multitude attempting to pass so rapidly, places

Obstacles in o u r way . No t since Charlemagne has so large

an army been seen here . A third ofour fieldp ieces areover . General Berthier is at Aosta . In three days the

whole army will have crossed .

1 9th . (To the Consuls . ) I hear from General Suchetthat the enemy are showing signs of being disturbed at

the movement’

ofthe Reserve army, and that they havesent a detachment towards Berthier . I see that I am

reported in the papers as writing to my mother that I

should be in Milan in a month . It doesn’t sound like

me . I often don ’t say what I know , but I never pro

phesy what will happen . I wish yo u to send a note to

the M o n i teu r o n thi s subject, written in a bantering tone .

20th . On the St . Bernard

The St . Bernard was covered with snow , and the

climb was very stiff . General Marmont , in commandofthe artillery, employed two methods . The first was

to take a tree-trunk hollowed o u t like a trough in which

the 8-pounders and howitzers were placed ; a hundred

men hitched to a cable dragged it, takin g two days to

cross the St . Bernard . In the worst places the men

were cheered o n by the drums beating the charge , a

striking spectacle ! The First Consul descended the St .Bernard sitting o n the snow, crossing precipices and

sliding over torrents by this means .

24th , Aosta :

On the 1 9 th , Melas was at Nice, still unsuspecting .

Ou r artillery continues crossing the St . Bernard . Fort

Bard , at the mouth ofthe valley , makes the passage ofthe artillery very diffi cult .


J u n e l st , Novara

The First Consul arrived at the Ticino o n the mornin g

ofthe Sl st . The enemy showed a considerable force ofcavalry and a few guns on the left bank . General Murat

go t a battery in position, and a cannonade followed fo ran hour . After six hours ’ work we got nearly 1 5 00 men

and two guns over .

Murat is n ow halfway to Milan .

3d, Milan :

General Murat reached Milan o n the 2d. He immedi

ately surrounded the citadel . Three hours later the First

Consul and his staffmade their entry , surrounded by acrowd displaying the greatest enthusiasm .

Night

Our movement has been so rapid that it was only

twenty-four hours before o u r entry that the people ofMilan knew the Freneh were in Italy .

4th . (To Talleyrand . ) Please have a pamph let printed

with the following title : L etter ofa patri o ti c memb er oftheGerman i c b ody o n the po licy ofthe H o u se ofA u stri a . The

object is to show that Austria has always striven to en

large herself at the expense and to the detriment oftheEmpire . It would be a good thing t o have th is letter

printed in German and to have it distributed broadcast

in Germany .

I see no objection to your sending some dresses t o theQueen ofSpain ; yo u may spend about a thousand louisfo r this purpose . However, see that proprieties are o h

served and that nothing ridiculous is done .

(To General Bernadotte . ) I w ill say nothin g more , mydear General , than that we are in Milan , that we have

E T . 301 A DIARY 1 35

captu red the enemy’s train, 3 00 field and siege guns, all

their hospitals and magazines .

Moreau is holding hi s own near Ulm .

Capture that rascal Georges dead or alive . If yo u evercatch him, have him shot within 24 hours .

5 th . (Speech to the priests ofMilan . ) It was my wi shto meet yo u here so as to be able to inform you in person

of my sentiments towards the Roman, Catholic and Apos

tolic faith . Convinced as I am that it is the only faith

that can assure real happiness to a well-ordered society

and strengthen the foundations of good government, Iassure you that at all times and in every way I shall en

deavo u r t o protect and defend it . Ministers of a religion

which is also mine, I regard you as my dearest friends .

My firm intention is that the Christian religion , Catholic

and Roman, shall be maintained untouched . Now that

power is in my hands I am resolved to put everything

in operation to secure and guarantee the faith . Have no

alarm because of the way in which the late Pope was

treated : the misfortunes ofPius VI were partly due tothe wretched intrigues ofhis advisers and partly to thecruel policy of the Directoire . When I am able to discuss

matters with the new Pope I hope I shall be fortunate

enough to remove every obstacle that may still remain in

the way of a reconciliation between France and the head

of the Church .

6th . Our men are over the Po and hold the position ofStradella ; the enemy

’s army is therefore cut off.

7th . Most of the army will be concentrated by to

morrow . There is nothingMelas can do but t o o fl’er battle,and he has no retreat open save the fortresses of A lessan

dria and of Tortona .


8th . (To General Berthi er . ) General Murat has sent

me some intercepted dispatches that give us interesting

part iculars . A letter from Melas to the Aulic Council ofthe 5 th ofJune from Tur in states that Massena cap i t ulated o n the 4th . It looks as though the enemy could n o t

complete their concentration at Alessandr ia before the

1 2th o r 1 3 th . Send detachments forward rapidly and

crush everything yo u come across . The advance guard

can move as far as Voghera .

9th . (To Carnot . ) I still fail to see how Melas can get

o u t ofit : either he must attack us at Stradella, and be defeated and destroyed ; o r he can attempt to get over the

Po , the Sesia, and the Ticino, and will get n o better result .

His position is somewhat amusing, and if Genoa had

held o u t only 72 hours more but little of his army would

ever have go t away .

I start in an hour to cross the Po on my way to Stradella .

l 0th , Stradella

General Ot t got from Genoa to Voghera in three forcedmarches with ofthe besieging troops . He was reinforced by 4000 o r 5 000 men detached by General Melasto guard the Po . The advance guards ofthe two armiesmet about noon . The enemy held the heights in front ofCasteggio . Determined fighting took place and lasted all

day . The 96th decided the long uncertain result with a

bayonet charge . The enemy left 3 000 killed and wounded ,6000 prisoners , and 5 guns o n the field . Their rout was

complete .

1 4th . B attle ofM arengo .

1 5 th . Torre dei Garoffo li


with fugitives and wounded : the battle appeared to belost . The enemy were allowed to continue their advanceas far as the village ofSan G iu lan o , where Desaix

’ divi sion

had been deployed , with eight fieldp ieces o n its front , and

two bat talions thrown back and in column o n the wings .

All the fugitives were rallying behind . The enemy were

already making mistakes that presaged their catastrophe,

they were ext ending their wings t o o much . The presence

ofthe First Consul was restoring the morale ofthe troops :My lads , he called o u t , remember that my habit is to

sleep o n the battlefield !

With shouts ofV ive la R épu b liqu e ! V ive le P remi erCo n su l ! Desaix moved forward by his centre at the charge .

In a moment the enemy ’s line was broken . General Keller

fi

mann, who, with his brigade ofheavy cavalry, had beenprotecting the retirement ofo u r left wing all day, chargedat just the right moment , and so hard that 6000 grena

diers , with General Zach , chief ofstaff, were made prisoners , while several generals were ki lled .

The whole army followed up this attack . The enemy ’s

right was cut Off ; surprise and panic seized their ranks .The Austrian cavalry moved to the centre to protect their

retreat . Brigadier-General Bessieres , at the head oftheCassecou s and the grenadiers ofthe Guard , bravely andpromptly charged them and broke through them , which

completed the rout oftheir army .

We have captured 1 5 flags , 40 guns , and 6000 o r 8000

prisoners . More than 6000 ofthe enemy remained o n thebattlefield . General Berthier had his clothes full ofbullet sand several ofh is s taffwere un horsed . But a grave loss

fo r the army , andfo r the whole Republic takes all rejo ic

EDT . 30] A DIARY 1 3 9

in g from o u r hearts : Desaix was struck by a bullet just as

his division went into action; he was killed On the spot .

He lived just long enough to say to youngLebrun who was

near him : Go tell the First Consul that I die regretting

I have not lived long enough to be known to posterity ! ”

H e had joined headquarters only three days before ; hewas ardent for the fray, and the day before he had several

times repeated to the officers of his staff : ! It is long since

I fought in Europe . The bullets will have forgotten me ;something will happen .

” When, in the midst of heavy

firing, the news ofDesaix ’ death was brought to the FirstConsul, he merely said :

! Why may I not weep His

body has been removed to Milan for embalming .

Little Kellermann made a very lucky charge ; it was in

the nick of time ; we owe him a lot . To think that great

events turn o n such things !

(To Kellermann . ) Your charge was pretty good !

l 6th , Marengo(To the Consuls . ) The day following the battle of

Marengo General Melas sent a request to o u r outposts

that he might send General Skal to confer with me, and m

the course of the day the inclosed convention was agreed

o n , and was signed in the night by General Berthier and.

General Melas . I hope the French people will be pleasedwith its army . I shall be at Milan to-night .(To His Majesty the Emperor and King . ) I have the

hon our ofwriting to Your Majesty to communicate thewish ofthe French people to bring to an end the war thatdesolates our countries . It is on the battlefield ofMarengo,in the midst of suffering and surrounded by corpses,


that I beg Your Majesty to listen t o the cry of sufferin g .

It isfo r me to urge Your Majesty, as I am nearer the fieldofconfl ict . The arms ofYourMajesty have earn ed enoughglory

,and control enough territory . What reasons can

Your Majesty ’s min i sters allegefo r continuing hostili tiesI thi nk it my duty to propose to Your Majesty : that the

armistice be extended to all the armies ; and that n ego tia

tors be instructed o n both sides .1 7th, Milan :

I have just reached Milan, somewhat fatigued .

Some Hungarian grenadi ers and German prisoners pass

ing by, who had already been prisoners in the campaign sof1 796 and 1 797 , recogni zed the First Consul . Many

began to shout, with apparent enthusiasm :! Vive Bona

parte !”

What a thi ng is imagination ! Here are men who don’t

know me, who have never seen me, but who only knew ofme, and they are moved by my presence, they would do

anything for me ! And thi s same incident arises in all een

t uries and in all countries ! Such is fanaticism ! Yes , imagimation rules the world . The defect ofour modern in st it utions is that they do not speak to the imagination . By

that alone can man be governed ; without it he is but abrute .

1 8th . To-day, whatever o u r Paris atheists may say, Iam going in full state to the TeDeum that is t o be sung in

the Cathedral ofMilan .

An impo smg and splendid ceremony !


I only gain—

battles , but Josephine by her sweetness, winsevery heart . Josephine the most amiable and the best

ofwomen !4th . I ! a royal maggot ! I am a soldier, I come from the

people, I have made myself ! Am I to be compared withLouis XVI ? I listen to everybody, but my own mind ismy only counsellor . There are some men who have done

France more harm than the wi ldest revolutionaries,the talkers, and the rationalists . Vague and false thinkers,a few lessons ofgeometry would do them good !My policy is to govern men as the great number wish to

be governed . That, I think, is the way to recogn ise the

sovereignty of the people .

1 4th . To the 1 4th ofJuly ! To the French people, theso vereign ofus all !24th . (To His Majesty the Emperor . ) I have received

the letter which Your Majesty has sent me by Count St .

Julien The peace preliminaries it contains wi ll soon, IhOpe, be followed by a final peace .

25 th . When a Frenchman has to choose between a policeman and the devil , he is for the devil, but when it is

between the devil and fashion , he follows fashion, and pro

vidin g the government does well, all that it does will be inthe fashion .

28th . At Marengo Desaix had a presentiment of his

death . I could see that he was gloomy, and as at the crisisthere was much anxiety , I go t offmy horse and said tohim , let us sit down here fo r a moment o n the gras s toshow o u r confidence . It was at that moment that Desaix

said t o me, the bullets don’

t recognise me n o w .

3 0th . Well , Junot , so you were fool enough t o get caught

m . 30] A DIAR Y 1 43

by those En gli sh . What do yo u want to do ? Shall

I send yo u to the army of the Rhine ? You need to put o n

another ten years .

The impact of an army, like the total ofmechanical coefficients, is equal to the mass multiplied by the velocity.

A battle is a dramatic action which has its beginni ng,its middle, and its conclusion . The result of a battle depends o u the instantaneous flash ofan idea . When yo u

are about to give battle concentrate all your strength,neglect nothing a battalion often decides the day .

In warfare every opportunity must be seized ; for for

tune is a woman : if yo u mi ss her to-day, you need not

expect t o find her to-morrow .

There is nothing in the military profession I cannot do

for myself . If there is no one t o make gunpowder, Iknow how to make it ; gun carriages, I know how to

construct them ; if it is founding a cannon, I kn ow that ;o r if the details of tactics must be taught, I can teach

them .

The presence of a general is necessary : he is the head,he is the all in all ofan army . It was not the Roman army

conquered Gaul, but Caesar ; it was not the Carthaginians

made the armies of the Republic tremble at the very gatesofRome, but Hannibal ; it was not the Macedonian armymarched to the Indus, but Alexander ; it was not the

French army that carried war to the Weser and to the Inn,but Turenne ; it was not the Prussian army that defended

Prussia during seven years against the three stron gestPowers of Europe, but Frederick the Great .Concentration of forces, activity, activity with the


firm resolve to die gloriously : these are the three great

principles ofthe military art that have always made.

fo rtune favourable in all my operations . Death is nothing ;but to live defeated and ingloriously, is to die every

day .

I am a soldier, because that is the special faculty I wasborn with ; that is my life, my habit . I have commanded

wherever I have been . I commanded , when twenty-threeyears o ld, at the siege of Toulon ; I commanded in Paris

at Vendémiaire ; I carried the soldiers ofthe army ofItalywith me as soon as I appeared among them ; I was born

that way .

A ugu st 1 2th . (Decree . ) The Minister ofJustice willcall together at the ministry citoyens Tronchet, Bigot de

Préamen eu , and Portali s, to confer on the draft oftheCivil Code .

1 3 th . Wealth cannot confer a privilege . I have n o intention ofpreaching collectivism ; I am speaking betweenourselves ; I even want to have rich men, fo r that is theonly way ofsupporting the poor ; but I cannot admit thatwealth is entitled to social o r political distinction .

H ow can a state be well governed without the aid of

religion Society cannot exist save with inequality of fo rtune, and inequality offortune cannot be supported witho u t religion . When a man dies ofhunger by the side ofanother who is gorged , he cannot accept that disparity

without some au thority that shall say to him :!

God has

decreed it thus : there must be rich and poor in the world ;but in the hereafter, and for all eternity , it will be the other

way about . ”

I t was by becoming a Catholic that I pacified the Ven


that it would raise no objection to admit his envoys to the

Congress ofL u n év ille , o n the basis ofa truce at sea.

Octo ber 1 7th . T o govern France, after ten such ex

t rao rdin ary years , is no easy task !

November 22d. (T o Savary ) Kindly startfo r Brest tomorrow . You will t ake with yo u citoyen Jerome Bona

parte, whom yo u will put o n board Admiral Gan teaume .

Stay there until that rear-admiral has made sail and is o u t

ofsight .(To Rear-Admiral Gan teaume . ) I am sending yo u cito

yen Jerome Bonaparte, to serve his apprenticeship at sea .

Y o u know that he needs a firm hand, and has lost time

to make u p . Insist o n his carrying o u t every o n e of the

duties ofthe profession he has entered .

December l st . If I die four o r five years hen ce , the ma

chine will be in order, it will run . If I die before then , Idon ’t know what would happen .

(Devaismes : We should make some general First Co n

sul . )

You don ’t want a general in that position ; yo u want a

civilian . The army will obey a civilian better than it will

a soldier . If three o r four years from n ow I were dying inmy bed , ofa fever, and if to crown my romance I were tomake my will , I would warn the nation against a militarygovernment ; I would tell it to choose a civilianfo r its firstmagistrate .

9th . Order salutes ofall the artillery in the shore batt eries and ships at Calais and Boulogne to announce the

victory ofHohenlinden .

24th . I had been greatly occupied with business all day,and in the evening was sleepy and tired . I threw myself

m . 3 1 ] A DIARY 47

o n a sofa in my wife’s salon, and fell asleep . Josephine

came down some time after, awoke me, and insisted that

I should go to the theatre . Y o u know that when women

take a thing into their heads, they will go through with it,and yo u must gratify them . Well I got up much against

my inclination, and went in my carriage, accompanied by

Lannes and Bessieres . I was so drowsy that I fell asleepin the coach . I was asleep when the explosion took place ;and I recollect when I woke experiencing a sensation as if

the vehicle had been raised up , and was passing through a

great body of water . The contrivers ofthis were a mannamed St . Régent, Imo lan , and some others . They got a

cart and barrel resembling that with which water is sup

plied through the streets ofParis, with this exception, thatthe barrel was put crossways . This he had filled with gun

powder, and placed it nearly in the turning ofthe streetthrough which I was to pass . Possibly my coachman

may have assisted by driving furiously round the corner,as he was drunk and not afraid ofanything . He was so

far gone that he thought the report ofthe explosion wasthat ofa salute fired in honour ofmy visit to the theatre .

25 th . They want to attack the Revolution by destroying me ; I will defend it because I am the Revolution !3 1 st . (General, you are taking longer over your meals !

Already ! - The corruption of power !

Jan u ary 2d, Paris

Moreau is not more than five days’ march fromVienna,and in control ofall the magaz ines of the enemy .

M . de C o b en z l, the Emperor’s plenipotentiary at Luné

ville, has declared, in a note dated the 3 l st ofDecember,that he was prepared to negotiate a separate peace .

Austria is thus free from the influence ofthe English Governmen t .

9th . (To General Moreau . ) I need not express b e

much interest I have taken in your skilful and b eau t ifu .

manoeuvres ; you have surpassed yourself this campaign .

The wretched Austrians are very obstinate ; they were

counting on the ice and snow ; they don’t really know yo u

yet .

1 3 th . (To Forfait . ) Ci toyen M i n i stre Kindly draw me

up a report o n Madagascar . Pray order Vice-Admiral

B ru i x to The Hague . His special business will be to con

cert measures with the Dutch Minister ofthe Navyfo rthe expedition to the Cape ofGood Hope .

1 5 th . The great thing is to support (the army in) Egyp t .

1 9th . (To Talleyrand . ) Please prepare the draft ofatreaty with Switzerland , so as to obtain the session ofthe ,

Valais up to Brieg .

l t . A courier arrived from Russia yesterday , who had

done the journ ey in fifteen days ; he brought me a very

frien dly letter in the Emperor’ s own hand . Russia is in

clin ed t o be hostile to England .

1 5 0 THE CORSICAN [ 1 80 1

men to Occupy Taranto, Brindisi , and all the smallerports ofthe peninsula beyond the line Taranto Brindisi .27 th . (To the Emperor ofRussia . ) The pride and ar

ro gan ce ofthe English are un paralleled . I wi ll bring

together, as Your Majesty appears to wish , 3 00 o r 400

gunboats in the ports ofFlanders , where I will collect anarmy . I have given orders for concentrating an armyin Brittany that can be put o n board ship at Brest .

The English have attempted to land in Egypt . The

interest ofall the Mediterranean andBlack Sea Powers isthat Egypt should remain in the possession of France .

The Suez canal , which would join the Indian Ocean to theMediterranean is already surveyed ; the work is easy

and will not take long, it wi ll confer in calculable bene

fits o u Russian commerce .

M arch l st . Lafayette is an obstinate political mono

maniac ; he cannot understand me ; I regret it, because he

is an honest man . I wanted to make him Senator ; b e re

fused . Let him go his own way then , I can get o n without

him .

4th . There shall be held in Paris, each year, an ex hib ition ofthe products ofFrench industry .

90th . Do yo u know why I allow such free discussionin the Council ofState? It ’s because I ’

m the best ofthemall in an argument . I let them attack me because I know

how to defend myself .

I am a doctor oflaws !(To aTrib u n e . ) Why don

’t you come and discuss things

wi th me in my study We might have little fireside co n

versat io n s .

l t . If the minutes ofthe Council ofState are well

arr . 3 1 ] A DIARY 5 1

drafted, they will constitute a document worthy ofpost erity . If we turn over the minutes ofthe reign of LouisXVI , we find only chatter . The little slips our juristsmake must not appear in ours, for during protracted ses

sions inattention may occur at times . As fo r me, a manof the sword and of finance, not a jurist but a legisla

tor, my opinions matter little . In an argument I may saythings that fifteen minutes later I disapprove ; but I do

not wish to be made to appear any better than I am .

The woman owes ob edience to her husband . The civil

magistrate should have a formula covering the woman ’s

oath of obedience and faithfulness . She must be instructed

that o n passing out ofthe care ofher family she entersunder that ofher husband . The civil magistrate celebrates

marriage wi thout any solemnity, which is t o o arid . There

should be some moral appeal ; look at the priests .

(A Councillor ofState : Did the old laws prescribe obedien ce P)The angel declared it to Adam and Eve . In the mar

riage ceremony it was said in Latin, so the woman under

stood nothing . But the word is well suited t o'

Paris, Wherethe women think they can do what they like . I don ’t say

that it will have any effect on all of them , but it Will o nsome .

(To Portalis . ) If you were in power, yo u would permitn o divorce, fo r it comes to the same thing t o make it sodegrading to apply for it that none but a man with a

brazen face would do so . That ’s you r scheme, isn’

t it?

(Portalis : If we were dealingwith a brand new people I

would n o t admit divorce . )

1 52 THE CORSICAN [1 80 1

If the marriage is unh appy, should not the civil law,

whi ch has n o cognizance ofthe lofty sacramental theory,provide for the happiness ofthe individuals ?(Portalis : Man is sociable, and marriage is in nature . )I deny that ! Marriage does not derive from nature

,but

from society and from morality . I do not accept the Opinion that the family proceeds from civi l law, and civil law

from the law ofnature .

Divorce was bound t o come into o u r legislation, freedom

ofreligion implied it ; but it would be a great misfortune ifit became a national habit . What becomes of the family

when it is broken asunder ? What are husbands and wives

who, after having lived in the closest union that nature

and law can tie, suddenly become strangers, yet unable to

forget o n e another ? What are children without a father,who cannot join in the same embrace their disunited

parents ? Ah ! let us do nothing to encourage divorce ! Of

all social habits it would be the most fatal . Let us n o t

brand with shame the man who demands it ; but let usrather pity him as the victim ofa great misfortune . And

custom must frown down the sad resource which the law

cannot refuse to the unfortunate .

2 A . M .

Come , come , citoyens, wake up ; it’s only two o ’clock ;

we mus t earn the money the French people pay us !M a rch 29d. (To General Murat . ) Should the n ego t ia

tions drag , enter the Neapolitan state, place your head

quarters a t Aquila , and raise all obstacles . If o n your

arrival the King declines to accept the moderate terms

proposed by ci toyen Alquier, march o n Naples .

A pril l t . The Emperor ofRussia died o n the n ight

1 5 4 TIIE CORSICAN [1 80 1

25 th . (T o the men ofthe l st Artillery . ) Soldiers, your

conduct in the citadel ofTurin is known throughoutEurope . Y o u forced your way into a fortress in a diso r

derly and tumultuous manner, disregarding the French

flagwhich floated there . Y o u killed the brave officerwhose

duty it was to defend it . You passed over his body . Y o u

are all guilty ! The officers who failed to keep yo u under

control are unfit to command yo u . The flag which yo u

have deserted , to which you refused to rally, will be placed

in the temple ofMars and hung with crape . Your regiment

is disbanded !

3 0th . Cardinal Caprara is coming to Paris as papal

legate .

Octo ber 6th . (To Talleyrand. ) I inclose the rat ificat io n s

ofthe peace preliminaries signed at London o n the l st ,and of the secret clause .

l 0th . (To His Holiness the Pope . ) I have received

Cardinal Caprara, Your Holiness’ legate, with great plea

sure . Peace has been signed with England , Portugal,Russia, and the Porte . I hasten to send this information ,well knowing the interest Your Holiness takes in the b ap

p in ess and peace ofnations .(To the Emperor of Russia . ) In the peace preliminaries

happily signed between France and England it is provided

that Malta shall be restored to the Order under the pro t ec

tion ofa great Power . Will Your Majesty let me knowyour views relatively t o the island and to the Order ofMalta, ofwhich your august father was recognised asG rand Master .

December l st . (To Lucien Bonaparte . ) I can'

t in the

least make o u t the conduct ofthe Cabinet ofMadrid .

3m . 32] A DIARY 1 5 5

Please express to Their Majesties my extreme di ssat isfaction with the wrongful and illogical action ofthe Prince ofPeace . Dur ing these six months past thi s minister has not

spared us insulting notes and rash steps ; all that could be

done against France, he has done ; speak out and tell the

Queen and the Prince ofPeace that if thi ngs go on thi sway the end will come like a thunderbo lt.

Jan u ary 7th , Paris

(To Joseph Bonaparte .) T o -morrow, at midn ight, Istart for Lyons . I thi n k General Bernadotte has gone to

Amiens . Whether he has o r not, I want him to tell you if

it would suit him to go to Guadeloupe as captain-general .1 3 th , Lyons

I took sixty-ni ne hours to get t o Lyons ; from Lyons toParis everything is covered with snow . I arrived at nine

o’

clock at night, and have every reason t o be satisfied with

the marks of attachment that the people ofLyons aregiving me, and ofthe activity I find in their workshops,and in their minds, to restore the prosperity ofthe ch iefmanufacturing city ofthe Republic .

1 4th . The cold here is excessive . I am spending mymornings, from six till twelve, receiving the prefects and

o tab les ofthe neighbouring departments . In confer, nees ofthis sort o n e has to talk at length . To-n ight the

City gives a concert and a ball ; I am starting in an hour .

My satisfaction with all I see of the people ofLyonsand of southern France continues .

l 6th . It is very fine but very cold . The internal im

provement ofthe Republic is very apparent since twoyears ago . Lyons must have increased its populat ion by

people in 1 800 and 1 801 . All the manufacturers

ofSt . Etienn e and ofAn n onay with whom I ta lked re

ported that their works were in full swing . On the 1 8th

I shall rev iew six demi-brigades ofthe army ofthe West .


A pri l 9th . (To Port alis . ) The intention ofthe fi rst

Consul is t o present each archbishop and bishop , at his

consecration, with a cross, a crozier, and a mitre . Y o u will

therefore arrange to have these articles ready in time,and

bought as cheaply as possible .

1 9th . Note the insolence ofthe priests who, in the division ofauthority with what they call the temporal power,reserve for themselves the dominion ofthe mind , ofthenoble part ofman, and have the pretension ofleaving medominion over the body . They keep the soul and throw

me the carcase !

There will be no stable political conditions until we have

a teaching body acting o n fixed principles . So long as men

are not taught from chi ldhood whether to be republican

o r monarchist, Catholic o r freethinking, the state will

n o t be a nation .

M ay 4th . In every country force bows to the civilianvirtues . The bayonets fall before the priest who speaks

in the name ofreligion, and before the man ofscience . Iforetold that a military government would never take in

France unless the nation were degraded by fifty years ofignorance . Every attempt would fail , and their authors

would be the first victims . It is n o t as a general that Igovern , but because the nation believes that I have civil

ian qualities that make me fit for governing, otherwise the

government could not maintain itself . I knew what I was

about when , as a general , I assumed the title ofMemberofthe Institute ; my meaning was clear even t o the lastdrummer ofthe army .

We cannot argue o n the analogy ofthe dark ages . We

are thirty millions of men held together by enlightenment ,

m . 32] A D IARY 1 5 9

property, and commerce ; three o r four hundred thousand

soldiers are nothing in su ch a mass . The soldiers them

selves are the children ofthe citizens . The army is thenation .

The distinctive mark ofthe soldier is that all his desiresare despotic ; that of the civilian is that he submits every

thing to discussion, to truth, to reason .

7 th . The bishops who have not yet taken the oath will

take it Sunday next in the chapel ofthe First Consul .This chapel shall be arranged in the First Consul ’s study .

The Archbishop ofParis will consecrate it at ten ; at elevenhe will say mass . The bishops will take the oath after the

gospel has been read .

9th . The Co n su late ren ewedfor ten years .

Senators : The testimonial ofyour esteem contained inyour debate ofthe 8th will remain forever engraved in myheart . My reputation and my happiness would seem to

have marked as the term ofmy public life a momentWhen the peace ofthe world has been attained . But the

glory and the interests of the private citizen must be sub

dued when the interest of the State and the good opinion

ofthe public call on him . You have decided that I owe a

new sacrifice to the people ; I will make it .

1 2th , Saint Cloud :

Gobain, a grenadier, has committed suicide because of

a love affair ; he was, however, a good soldier . This is the

second incident of this nature in the regiment within a

month . The First Consul directs that there shall be in

sert ed in the Guard’

s orders

That a soldier must overcome grief and the melancholy

oflove ; that there is as much courage in supporting with


firmness the affl ictions ofthe soul as there is in standingsteady under the grape of a battery ofguns . To give one ’sself up to grief without resistance , to kill one

’s self to

escape it , is t o abandon the battlefield defeated .

1 4th, Paris

By v irtue ofclause 87 ofthe Constitu tion concerningmilitary rewards, and to recompense distinction and ser

vice among civilians , a Legion ofHonour shall be instit u ted.

Where is the republic, ancient o r modern , that has n o tgranted honours Call them t rifles if yo u like, but it is by

t rifles that men are influenced . I would not utter su ch a

sentiment as thi s in public, but here, among statesmen

and thin kers, thin gs should be spoken of as they are . In

my Opinion the French do n o t carefo r liberty and equality ; they have but o n e sentiment, that ofhonour . Therefore that sentiment must be gratified ; they must be given

distinctions . Do yo u suppose you can persuade men to

fight by a process ofanalysis? Never ; that process is val idonly fo r the man ofscience in his study . The soldier de

mands glory, distinction, rewards .

A ugu st 6th . The Minister ofthe Interior is directed ,apart from the Simplon , to build roads over the MontCenis, and the Mont Genevre, and t o improve the o n e

over the Pass ofTenda .

(To Jerome . ) I have received your letter, Mr. Mid

shipman . I am anxious to hear that yo u are aboard your

corvette , o n the high seas, which yo u must make yourroad to glory . I am willing yo u should die youn g, but n o tifyo u live ingloriously , useless to your country, without

I GQ THE CORSICAN [1 802

Embassy . He must constantly keep o n a higher level

than the ambassadors ofother nations, be surroun ded bya numerous suite, and be seen in public only with great

di splay.

Our trade must be protected in every way . Whenever

public attention is drawn t o the French Ambassador, care

must be taken never to shock local customs and mann ers,but it must be shown, o n the contrary, that we respectthem .

Lastly, the Ambassador is expected to secure preciseinformation for the ministers o n the various pashali ks .

We must even get posted about Persia .

22d. The vicar ofSt . Roch, in a moment ofbad judgment, has declined to hold a service for Mlle . Chamero i ,

o r even to open hi s churchfo r her (funeral) . The Archbishop ofParis has ordered the vicar ofSt . Roch into retirement for three months so that he may be reminded

that Jesus Christ commanded that we should pray even

fo r our enemies , and so that meditation may recall him toa sense ofhis duties and that he may reali ze that all thesuperstitious practices that degraded religion by their

stupidity have been proscribed by the Concordat and by

the law ofthe 1 8th ofGerminal .

The priests are no longer to be feared in o u r time ; theylost all their power o n the day when their supremacy in

science passed to the layman .

Every two years there shall be executedfo r and at theexpense ofthe Government four historical pictures andtwo statues . The pictures shall measure five metres by

m . 3 3 ] A DIARY 1 69

fou r, and shall be purchasedfo r francs . The statues shall be two metres high, and shall be purchased for

francs . The Government will supply the marble .28th . The relations between France and England are

the treaty of Amiens, all the treaty of Amiens, nothi ng butthe treaty ofAmiens !

All the evils, all the plagues that afflict mankind comefrom London .

3 1 st, Rouen

(To the Consul Cambaceres . ) It is five in the afternoon . I got o u horseback at eight this morning to inspectthe heights about Rouen . The Archbishop , who is much

loved and esteemed, was obliging enough t o say mass for

us ; but he gave us neither holy water n or a sermon . We

shall make up to—morrow, which is All Saints’ day . I have

just received the officials, and have had to talk much andlong . I am very pleased with the sentiments of the country .

Novemb er 2d, RouenF

.

I was present yesterday at a fete given me by the city .

There was a very large and fine company. To-morrow

night I shall be at a fete given by the Commerce of Rouen .

Thursday there will be a parade . I shall see the marketFriday, market day . I shall start for Havre immediately,reaching there Saturday or Sunday . I shall return byDieppe and by Beauvais, where I will stop the night .

(To Joseph Bonaparte . ) My compliments to Madame

Joseph . She gets such handsome daughters that we must

be consoled at her n o t presenting yo u with a fine boy .


I am as pleased with Rouen as I was with Lyons . The

city ’s demonstrations have touched me . Everything o n e

sees here is fine and does o n e good . I really love thi s beau

tiful,excellent Normandy ; it is the real France .

(To Cardinal Fesch . ) You must delay n o longer and

proceed to your archbishopric . Do not forget that in the

station to which yo u are called you will be the focus ofalleyes . Be strict in your morals and hold yourself as you

should, and devote yourself exclusively to the duties ofyour office .

3d, Elbeuf

This morning at eight o ’clock I started for a visit toElbeuf, whi ch is nothing but o n e great factory . I found

everything in good shape . Its prosperity has increased by

a third since 1 788 .

4th . I have held a parade which was very goo d . I wasdelighted with the appearance ofthe troops .6th . I arrived at Havre at six o

’

clock this evening .

I was surrounded by throngs ofpeople all the way andhad to make frequent stops . It would be difficult to realize the manner in which I am received . In every v illage,at the church doors, the priests under their dais, sur

rounded by many people, sing hymns and throw incense .

The illumination ofHavre was very striking . I am severaldays behi nd o n my journey, but it is n o t easy to do otherwise .

1 0th , Dieppe

I arrived at Dieppe last night . The city was very taste

fully illuminated , but owing to petty municipal pride Iam lodged in a wretched house in which all the chimneys

smoke .


wear the Orders ofa monarchy England no longer recogn ises . It is a perpetual insult to the French people, and

the time has comefo r quiet in Europe . It really looks as

though there were not a peace between the two countries,but only a truce, and the English Government is entirely

to blame .

3 0th . My power proceeds from my reputation , and

my reputation from the victories I have wo n . My powerwould fall ifI were not to support it with more gloryand more victories . Conquest has made me what I am ;only conquest can maintain me .

Friendship is only a word ; I love nobody ; no, n o t even

my brothers . Perhaps Joseph a little ; even then it’s a

matter ofhabit, it ’

s because he is my elder . -Du ro e ?

Ah, yes, I love him ; but why His character attracts me :

he is cool, dry , severe ; and Duroc never sheds tears . As

fo r me, you don ’t suppose I care ; I know perfectly well

I have no real friends . As long as I remain what I am,

I shall have as many as I need so far as the appearancegoes . Let the women whimper, that

’

s their business , but

for me, give me no sentiment . A man must be firm , have

a stout heart, o r else leave o n o n e side war and govern

ment .

J an u ary 1 2th , Pari s

Until I was sixteen I would have fought for Rousseauagainst all the supporters ofVoltaire . Now it ’

s the other

way about .

25 th . Josephine is always afraid I may fall seriously inl ove ; she doesn

’t realize that love was not made for me .

For what is love ? A passion that leaves the universe o none side, to place the loved one on the other . And, surely,such an exclusion is not in my character !

I have always enjoyed the analytic process, and if Ifell seriously in love I would analyze my feelings step by

step .

Febru ary l 0th . (To Regnier . ) Notwithstanding the pro

hib it io n , Mme . de Stael will arrive at Melun on the 1 5 th .

Please order a police agent there to make her return to

the frontier at once, and to take her to the country either

ofher late husband o r of her father . The intention of theGovernment is that th is in t rigu in g foreigner should not

stay in France, where her family is already responsible

for enough evils .

20th . British troops continue to occupy Alexandria

and Malta ; this gave the Government good ground for

complaint ; but it appears the transports that are to bring

them back to Europe are now i n the Mediterranean .

M arch 1 1 th . Are all the efforts I have made for liberating Italy to remain unfruitful ? I s that country irrevo


eably fated to remain nothing ? The feebleness of the

Government at Milan surpasses all’

that can be imagined .

(To Chef de brigade Colbert . ) Y o u will proceed to

Russia . Y o u will hand the inclosed letter to the Emperor .

In conversation yo u will emphasize the esteem in which

Russians are held in Paris . Dwell on liberal and philo

sophic ideas when talking with the Emperor . In case

war with England should be mentioned, yo u can say that

in View ofthe exi sting antipathy the French nation isperfectly readyfo r a conflict . Be civil to the diplomaticcorps, to the English minister just like the others . Y o u

will speak ofthe First Consul as very busy planningcanals , starting manufactories, and working at matters

ofpublic education .

Go, sir, ga110 p , and don’t forget that the world was

made in six days . You can ask me for anything yo u like,except time .

(To the Emperor ofRussia . ) A more serious contest

has arisen with England . Under the prov isions ofthetreaty ofAmiens she was held to evacuate Malta withinthree months

,and France o n her side to evacuate Taranto

within the same period . I have faithfully evacuated Ta

ranto . On inquiring why Malta was n o t evacuated , Ireceived the reply that there was as yet no Grand Master :

that was adding a clause to the treaty . The Grand Master

is appointed : I am told it was necessary to awa it theaccession ofYour Majesty , to which I agreed , and whichis n o w accomplished ; I n ot ified the British Cabinet to

this cfl’

ect . Then Englan d raised the mask and informed

me that she wished t o hold Malta for seven years .


1 3 th . The British Ambassador has just left Paris .

23d. The intent ion ofthe Government is that GeneralSt . Cyr should march immediately from Rimini , wi th his

corps , t o enter the states ofthe King ofNaples . On reaching Taranto General St . Cyr will start throwing up fortificat io n s at once .

I have just given orders to General Mortier to enter the

Electorate ofHanover with a corps of men.

26th . If the English want to make us jump the ditch,

we will jump . They may capture a few frigates o r a few

coloni es , but I will strike terror in London, and I pro

phesy that before the war is over they will weep tears ofblood .

J u n e 20th . From the date ofthese presents no colonialproduce coming from English colonies shall be admittedto French ports, nor shall any merchandi se coming di

rect ly or indirectly from England .

96th Amiens :

I arn ved here Saturday at seven in the evening . I am

sending to Paris the four swans presented to me by the

city ofAmi ens according to an ancient custom ; I expectto have them placed in the ponds at the Tuileries .

J u ly 1 st , Calais :

I went to Boulogne, which I reached at ten o’clock at

night . I employed the day, starting o n horseback at three

in the morning, in inspecting the port . I had the gun

boats o u t and they had a brisk engagement with two

English frigates which finally bore off, o n e havin g lost ananchor .

TO-day I breakfasted at Ambleteuse , and thence rode

along the coast . In a marsh I discovered a very favourable

EST . 3 3 ] A DIARY 7 ]

spot for my plans, at the poi nt that is nearest to England .

I returned to Calais on horseback ; it is nine O’clock, and

I am going to dine .

I saw all the merchant and the Government ships ; Itook a boat to inspect Fort Rouge ; so I am free to start

to-morrow for Dunkirk, where I shall find my wife and the

Ministers of the Interior and ofForeign Affairs . I shallstay there three days to catch up current business, andto give my suite some rest .

5 th , Dunkirk :

I have Spent the last two days in the saddle or at sea .

To -day I have done n o ridi ng, which has rested us all .

7th , Lille :

I reached Lille at S1X 1 1 1 the evening .

(To Regnier . ) I think it would be well for the prefect

ofpolice to draft a circular t o the booksellers to preventtheir selling books until seven days after sending yo u a

Copy, so that in the case ofpernicious works, like the bookofcitoyen Salis, The Co rrespo nden ce ofL o u i s XVI , andthe poem P i ty, they can be stopped .

1 1 th , Ostend

I have crossed parts of Belgium and am pleased with

the attitude ofthe people . Yesterday I visited Ostend,

and visited several points that are of importance to the

town and its inhabitants . I am just starting o n my way

along the coast to Blankenberghe . To -night I shall reachBruges, where my wife has preceded me .

1 7th, Ghent

I was present yesterday at a splendid fete given by theCommerce ofGhent in the market-place . TO-day I pro

eeeded in full state t o the cathedral to attend mass .

1 72 TH E CORSICAN [1 803

23d, Brussels

I am here since two days, but have n o t gone o u t .

Fete given by the municipality, that seemed to me

badly managed . Five o r six times more people than the

place could hold .

Oh !what an ugly headdress !

Who fiddled your hair like that

No children Perhaps it ’s not your fault . See that

yo u get some !

26th . All the Belgian ladies were presented to my wife

to-day . Illuminations are blazing in the A llée Verte. Hav

ing spent the day in the saddle, I prefer attendi ng to myletters whi le the ladies have gone off.

The way in whi ch the troops are placed near Boulogne,Etaples, and Ambleteuse is very important, and an essen

tial feature ofthe operations ; fo r the troops wi ll haveto embark and disembark frequently : their embarkation

must be very prompt . From the giv ing ofthe order to itsexecution there must be only an hour o r two .

A ugu st 4th , Namur

Mortier has just sent me a Latin MS . by Leibnitz ad

dressed to Louis XIV proposing the conquest ofEgypt .It is a very curious work .

93d, Saint Cloud :England will never get other terms from me than

those ofAmiens ; I will face everything , but I will neverconsen t to her holding anythin g in the Mediterranean .

From Malta, Nelson holds all Italy blockaded . By the

help ofGod and a good cause , the war, however u nfo rtunate i t may b e , will never make the French people b ow


hearing of the good spirit ofthe troops and of the zealwith whi ch they work at their naval tactics .

3 0th . (T o Re ar—Admi ral Deeres . ) Please collect at

Rochefort and Brest the transports fo r the expedi tiont o Ireland .

November 5 th , Boulogne

I arrived unexpectedly at Boulogne on Friday at o n e

o’clock . I set to inspecting with the liveliest interest the

preparationsfo r o u r great expedition ; at midnight I wasstill at it . I am in barracks in the centre of the camp o n

the seashore, where the eye can measure the space that

separates us from England .

9th . I spent Sun day visiting o u r new ports at Amble

teu se and Wimereux , and in manoeuvring the troops .

I inspected to day, in the closest detail, the naval work

shops ; their condition is as bad as it well could be . I

have just converted some barracks into a naval arsenal .

I have to look after the smallest details in person .

I have spent some hours in inspecting the troops man

by man .

Our fleet, whi ch already numbers o n e hundred men-ofwar, remains at anchor in the bay, and the English don

’t

dare to close in to short range . Lord Keith is apparently

in command and has several 64’

s ; he has suffered some

damage even at long range .

I passed some part oflast night in making the troopsperform night evolutions ; these manoeuvres may often

be profitably undertaken by well-trained and disciplined

troops against a milit ia .

Things are taking o n a formidable appearance .

1 1 th . The sea is heavy , and the rain is un ceas ing . I


Spent yesterday in the port inspecting, there is always

something t o see .

1 2th . Rain in torrents! I spent all day yesterday in

boats o r o n horseback . It seems to agree with me . I have

never had such good health .

I hope I shall soon reach the goal that Europe is watch

i n g . We have the i nsults of six centuries t o avenge .

l 6th . From the cliff at Ambleteuse I had a sight of theEnglish coast . I could make o u t houses and movement .

The thing is a ditch, and with a pinch of courage it can

be jumped .

December 7th , Paris

The combined fleets will start (in March) , and . reach

Boulogne (in April) .

At the end ofFebruary I shall be at Boulogne withmen . With a good wind we need the fleet for

only twelve hours .

29th . I start to-morrow at six in the morning for

Boulogne . I shall be back for the opening session oftheLegislative Body .

J an u ary l st , Boulogne

To-morrow at eight I shall inspect the whole flotilla .

As I go o n board the first cutter, the Admiral’s ship will

fire a salute of 60 guns .

2d, Etaples :

This country resembles that of[Eolus !4th , Boulogne :

(To the Consul Cambaceres . ) There is no objection to

a sword being presented to General Junot, and it is n o t

unseemly that a plain statement of the fact should be

made public . Beyond that the thing would be absurdOne might well ask : What would the city ofParis do atthat rate for the general who first set foot in Englan d ?

The City ofLondon gave Nelson a sword after the battleofthe Nile . I say this n o t in the sense that General Junotdoes n o t deserve a sword , but that he has done nothi ng

noteworthy since becomin g governor of Paris .

1 2th , Paris :

The land tax must be cu t down by 1 0 millions offrancsin the budget of1 804 . This reduction will act as a pas s

port fo r the new tax o n alcohol . One must know where

to give , and where to take .

l 0th . Lyceums and secondary schools are going up

everywhere .

Feb ru ary 1 8th , Malmaison

(To General Soul t . ) These last eight days we have been


found that were to have been used in attacking me o n the

road between Malmaison and Paris .

M arch l st . P ichegru was arrested yesterday . He was

not able to use either his pistols or his dagger . He fought

with hi s fistsfo r half an hour against three o r four pickedpolicemen .

8th, Malmaison

We are making arrests every day . I think it is certain

that Georges and a few ofhi s men are still in Paris .9th , Paris :

The case against Moreau and P ichegru is being worked

up by the Criminal Tribunal ofthe Seine .

1 0th . (To General Berthier . ) Please give orders to

General Orden er, whom I place at your disposal , t o start

t o -night for Strassburg . He is to proceed to Ettenheim,

to surround the city, and to seize the Duke d’

E n gh ien ,

Dumo u riez , an Engli sh colonel, and any other persons

in the party .

1 2th , Malmaison

(To General Soult . ) Paris is still held closed by thepolice, and will be kept so until these ruffian s are allunder arrest . I may tell yo u , in the strictest confidence,that I hope t o get Dumo u riez . The rascal is near o u r

frontiers .

(To General Marmont . ) As soon as yo u reach the

camp , form a line ofbattalions, and spend eight hoursin reviewing t he men o n e by o n e ; listen t o their com

plaints, inspect their arms , and see that nothing is missing .

These reviews of seven o r eight hours are very profitable ;they accustom the men t o remain under arms , and show

them that their officers are not dissipating, but are co n

m . 34] A DIARY 1 79

cerned for their welfare, a thing that inspires the soldi er

with much confidence .

1 4th . In the present s ituation ofEurope my policyaims straight at England . I have at Boulogne 1 000 gun

boats and flat b o at s that will carry men and

horses .

1 9th Citoyen General Murat I have received yourletter . If the Duke de Berry were in Paris at the house ofM . de Co b en z l, and if M . d

’

Orléan s were staying with the

Marquis di Gallo, not only would I have them arrested

this very night and shot, but I would also have these am

b assado rs arrested and make them suffer the same fate ;the law of nations would n o t be seriously affected .

There is no other prince in Paris than the Duke

d’

E n gh ien , who will arrive at Vincennes to-morrow . Get

that well into your head, and don’t listen to anything you

may hear to the contrary .

20th . The ci—devan t Duke d’

E n gh ien , accused of hav

ing carried arms against the Republic,ofhavmg been andstill being in the pay of England, ofplotting with thatPower against the security, internal and external , of the

Republic, shall be tried by a court-martial of seven members appointed by the governor of Paris, assembled atVincennes .4 P . M .

(To General Murat . ) The Duke d’

En gh ien is to be

taken to the fort ofVincennes, where arrangements havebeen made to receive him . He is travelling under th e

name ofPlessis .p . M .

(To citoyen Harel . ) A person whose name is to re


main unknown to you is to be sent to the fort whi ch

y o u command ; place him in the room that is vacant,taking proper precautions against his escape . The imten

tion ofthe Government is that everythi ng relating t o himshould be kept very secret, and that no questions should

be addressed t o him as to hi s identity, o r the reason fo rhi s arrest .

(To citoyen Réal . ) Apparently the Duke d’

En gh ien

started at midnight o n the 1 7th . He will therefore soon

be here . I have just issued the decree of which I enclose

yo u a copy . Proceed to Vincenn es at once to examine the

prisoner . H ere are the questions to put to himHave yo u borne arms against your country

Have yo u accepted the pay ofEngland ?What knowledge have yo u of the plot formed by Eng

land for overturning the Government ofthe Republic ?On that plot meetin g with success, were you not to enter

Alsace, and even march on Paris , in given circumstances

You must take wi th you the public prosecutor, who is

to be the major ofthe special gendarmerie, and you mustinstruct him to put thi ngs through quickly .

21 st . E x ecu ti o n ofthe Duke d’

E nghi en .

I will respect the judgment ofpubli c Opinion when it iswell founded ; but when capricious it must be met with

contempt . I have behind me the will ofthe nation and anarmy of men . With that I can command respectfor the Republic . I could have had the Duke d

’

En gh ien

shot publicly ; and if I have n o t done so, I held back n o t

from fear, but to prevent the secret adherents ofhis Housefrom breaking o u t and ruining themselves . They havekept quiet ; i t is all I ask ofthem .


to inform yo u ofmy views, hoping that yo u will conformwith them .

Love your husband and your family ; be obliging ; accus

tom yourself to the habits ofthe city ofRome ; and bepersuaded that ifat the age you have now reached yougive way to bad advice, you can no longer count o n me.

1 4th . The General Coun cils ofDepartments , theElectoral Colleges, and all the great Bodies ofthe State,demand that an end should be made ofthe hopes oftheBourbons by securing the Republic from the upheavals

ofelections and the uncertainty attendin g the life ofanindi vidual .

1 5 th . It is not as a general that I rule, but because thenation believes I have the civilian qualifications for

governing . My system is quite simple . It has seemed to

me that under the circumstances the thing to do was to

centrali ze power and increase the authority Of the Governmen t , so as to constitute the Nation . I am the con

st itu en t power .

I can best compare a constitution to a ship ; ifyou allowthe wind t o fill your sails, you go you know not whi ther,according to the wind that drives yo u ; but ifyo u makeuse ofthe rudder, you can go to Martinique with a windthat is driving yo u to San Domingo . No constitution has

remained fixed . Change is governed by men and by cir

cumstan ces . If an overstrong government is undesirable,

a weak o n e is much worse .

25 th . Senators : I have constantly kept in mind your

address ofthe 6th ofGerminal ; I have carefully medit ated o n it . Y o u have decided that the heredity oftheSupreme magistracy was necessary to protect the French

arr . 3 4] A DIARY 1 83

people from the plots of o u r enemi es and from the dis

sensions of conflicting factions . I therefore invite yo u to

disclose your intentionsfully .

M ay 1 8th . P roclamati o n ofthe Empire.

(To the Consul Cambaceres . ) Citoyen Consul : your

title is about to change ; your functions and my confidence

in yo u remain unchanged . Y o u will continue to display

in the high dignity ofArch Chancellor ofthe Empire, asyou did in that ofConsul, the wisdom in counsel and thedistinguished talent that have made your share so large

in all that I may have accomplished .

Settle the titles to be given to the Senators and high

dignitaries ofthe Empire .Call the high dignitari es H ighn ess, the Senators E x

cellen cy.

The Senate as a body is to be known as Sén at Oonservateu r . In private, use M on si eu r, and to the Ministers

as well .

Everything that can increase the happiness ofthecountry is completely bound up with my own . I accepta title that you believe will be of service to the nation . Iwill submit to the people the law concerning the hered

i tary power . I hope that France will never regret thehonours she has showered on my fami ly .

The members of the Senate, ofthe Council ofState, andofthe Tribunate, the presidents and secretaries of theLegislative Body, and the president of the Court ofAppeal will take the oath to the Emperor in person .


90th . For the moment I shall exclude two ofmy b rothers from the succession, o n e ofthem because, despitehis intelligence, he has contracted a masquerade marriage ; the other because he has had the impudence, with

o u t my consent, to marry an American . I will reinstate

them if they give up their wives .

29th . Y o u Frenchmen love monarchy . It is the only

government yo u really like . I will bet that you , MonsieurRému sat , are a hundred times more comfortable now that

yo u address me as Si re.

J u n e 3d, Saint Cloud

Russia, which has assumed mourni ng for the Duked

’

En ghien , has thereby reminded Europe ofthe assassination ofPaul I , which was nearly forgotten .

1 8th . The trial ofthe conspirators has started muchgossip in Paris . The more than

'

merciful judgment oftheweak Tribunal of the Seine will be carried o u t as soon

as the lawful period for entering an appeal has expired .

Although I have pardoned several persons, there will stillbe a dozen rufli an s who cannot be pardoned and who

must meet their fate . As to General Moreau, although

he was n o t condemned to death, he has been di shonoured

by the verdict .July l st . Imagine the effect ofthe Emperor and hi s

family decked in their imperial robes and exposed to the

effects ofthe weather, the mud , the dust, o r the rain !

What a jokefo r the Parisians , who are so keen t o ridiculeeverything, and who are used t o seeing Che

'

ron at the

Opé ra and Talma at the Theatre Fran ga is play the Em

pero r a good deal better than I can . It has been suggested

that the ceremony should take place at the Church ofthe


the success wou ld mean so much , I shall wait for the plan

yo u are to send me .

l t , Pont-de-Briques(To Josephine . ) Madam and dear wife : It is n ow four

days since I left yo u . I have spent them in the saddle

and otherwise active, without any ill effect o n my health .

The wind freshened to-night, and o n e ofo ur gunboatsdragged its anchor and struck o n the rocks about o n e

league from Boulogne ; I thought all would be lost, theship and the crew, but we were able to save them . The

sight was a grand one ; alarm guns were being fired ; the

shore seemed to blaze with fire ; the sea roared furiously ;all through the night we anxiously awaited the destruction

or the safety ofthe unhappy men . My soul was in com

munion with Eternity, the Ocean, and Night ! At five in

the morning the weather cleared ; all were saved ; and I

went to bed under the impression ofa romantic and epicdream ; a state that might have suggested t o me my own

solitude, were it not that fatigue and my soaked condi

tion had left me with no other desire than sleep .

27 th . Yesterday I reviewed the whole flotilla . Com

pared with that of England , o u r situation is most favour

able . The war has no ill effect o n France, because ofitsweighi ng so heavily o n England , and I have here around

me men, and 3 000 cutters and gunboats, that

only await a favourable breez e to carry the Imperial

eagle to the Tower ofLondon . Time and Fate alone can

tell what will come ofit all .3 0th . Order for the return to England ofLo rd Tweed

dale , an English prisoner at Verdun, as a tribute t o thetalents and character ofMr . Fo x .

an . 34—3 5 ] A DIARY 1 87

A ugust 3d. There are signs of a coalition forming ; Ishall not give them time to complete it ; it is not right

that Austria, by such equivocal conduct, should holdmen at attention o n the shores ofthe Channel .

The court ofVienna wi ll have to come out of its ambiguo u s attitude, and if Vienna is so mad as to attempt the

fortune ofwar again, and listen to the suggestions ofLondon, woe betide the Austrian monarchy !

6th .

‘ The police commissioner at Boulogne is an excel

lent young man, but very young ; at his age it is not po ssible to realize the depth of human perversity .

1 7th . The ceremony went off splendidly yesterday,exceptfo r a high wind . The spectacle was novel and im

posing . Rarely have so many bayonets been seen t o

gether . fSeptember 3d, Aix-la-Chapelle

I must have a talk with Villeneuve about the great

p lan his fleet is to carry o u t .

6th . (To Vice-Admiral Gan teaume . ) If you could

carry men and 1 000 horses to Ireland in Novem

ber, it would be fatal to o u r en eml es . Tell me ifyou couldbe ready , and what are the probabilities of success .Have a talk with the Irish general O

’

Co n n o r about the

points where we might disembark .

I have no naval commanders . I would like to create

a few rear-admirals, but I would prefer t o select the men

who showed most promise, regardless ofseniori ty .

1 2th . Castle of La Haye, near Guelders

I am here to-day in a little castle o n the border oftheEmpire . I visited Crevelt yesterday, and am going toVenloo this morning . It was time this country was looked


up both from the point of view ofmilitary fort ificationand ofadministration .

(T o Deeres . ) The navy must be tuned up by making

a few examples . It’

s the only way to get a navy . Every

naval expedition we have attempted since I have been at

the head ofthe Government has failed, because the ad

mirals see double and have picked up the idea, I don’t

knowwhere, that you can make warwithout running risks .

I have sent you some reports on St . Helena .

1 5 th , Cologne :

(To the Pope . ) Holy Father : The excellent influence

whi ch the reestablishment ofthe Christian reli gion hashad o n the habits and character ofmy people leads me tobeg Your Holiness to give me a new proof of your interest

in me and in this great nation, in o n e ofthe most importantevents recorded in the annals ofhumanity . I ask you to

'

give the sanction ofreligion to the ceremony attendingthe consecration and coronation ofthe first Emperor ofthe Fren ch .

Treat the Pope as though he had men .

27th . (T o Marshal Berthi er . ) My Co u sin :The expedi

tion t o Ireland will take place . You must confer with

Marshal A ugereau o n the matter . We have at Brest

transports for men . General Marmont is ready

o n his side w ith He will attempt to land in Ire

land and will be under the orders ofMarshal A ugereau .

At the same time the Grand Army will embark at

Boulogne, and will make every efl’

o rt to cflect a landing

in Kent . The navy holds o u t hopes ofbein g ready o n the22d ofOctober.


tense,yes, I love her ; she and her brother always take my

side, even against their mother, when she gets angry about

some girl o r such trivial matters . If Hortense should ask

to see me while I was in the Council ofState , I would goo u t t o receive her . If Madame Murat (Caroline Bona

parte) asked fo r me, I would n o t go o u t . With her it ’

s

always a pitched battle ; to bring a chit ofa woman ofmyown family to reason, I must needs deliver harangues as

long as ifshe were the Senate and the Council ofStatetogether . They say my wi fe is unfaithful , and that theattentions ofher children are forced . Well ! so be it !

They treat me like an o ld uncle, and it makes the pleasant

side ofmy li fe ; I am getting o ld, I ’

m thirty-six, I need

rest .

They say I am going t o give Italy t o Eugene : so helpme, I am not mad enoughfo r that ! I think myself capableofgoverning Italy, and even the Venetian state ! My wifeis a good wife, who does them no harm . She merely playsthe Empress a little, has diamonds, fine dresses, the t rifles

ofher age . I have never loved her blindly . If I have

created her Empress, it was but bare justice . Yes, she

shall be crown ed ! She shall be crowned if it cost s me

men !

And then you are always talking to me about my death !

My death ! Always , my death ! A very unpleasant idea

to have constantly thrust under one ’s nose ! If I could n o t

find a little happiness in my family life , I should be a very

unfortunat e being . My death ! My death ! Always mydeath ! Eh ! may the un iverse break up after I ’

ve gone,if I am always t o have the thought ofdeath before me .

I speak to yo u as a friend , as the president ofthe Com

m . 3 5 1 A DIARY 1 91

mit tee ofthe Interior . I know yo u , but I don’

t know the

other persons who revolve about Joseph . How o n earth

could he have gone to Fouche, a little while ago , to com

plain that Madame Joseph would have to carry the train

of the Empress at the Coronation Well, if the restive

ness of Joseph comes from the acrid blood that flows in

his veins, he must retire to the country . He enjoys the

rustic life and pastoral poetry ; let him go offand composeidylls .

5 th , Saint Cloud

(To Cardinal Fesch .) It is absolutely necessaryfo r thePope to accelerate his journey . I am willing to postpone

things till the 2d of December, which is my latest possible

date . If the Pope is not here by then, the Coronation will

take place, and the Consecration will be deferred . It isn o t possible to detain in Paris the troops and the depart

mental deputations, amounting to persons .

December 1 st , Paris :

I ascend the throne to which the unan imous votes ofthe Senate, the People, and the Army have called me,my heart full ofthe destinies of a Nation which I, fromthe midst of camps, first proclaimed great .

My descendants will long fill this throne.

2d, Notre Dame . The Coron ati o n .

I swear that I wi ll govern with the sole purpose of securing the interests, the happiness, and the glory oftheFrench people .

5 th , Paris .

Soldi ers, here are your standards ; these eagles must

always be your rallying points .

27th . Deputies ofthe Departments to the Legislative

1 92 TH E CORSICAN [1 804

Body,Tribunes, and Members ofthe Council ofState,

I have come among yo u to preside over your opening

session . I have sought to lend a more imposing dignity

to your labours . Prince, magistrates , soldi ers, citiz ens,each in hi s own sphere, will have but o n e aim,

—the inter

ests ofthe country . Ifthi s throne, to whi ch Providenceand the will ofthe people have called me, is precious in myeyes, it is for the sole reason that by it alone can the most

precious rights ofthe French nation be preserved . With

o u t a strong and paternal government, France would have

to fear a return ofthe evils from which she once suffered .

Weakness in the executive power is the greatest calamity

ofnations . As soldier, o r First Consul, I had but o n e

purpose ; as Emperor, I have none other : the prosperityofFrance .

If death does not surprise me in the midst ofmy labours,I hope to leave to posterity a renown that may alwaysserve as an example, o r as a reproach, to my successors .


2l st . (To Marshal Berthier . ) I regret to find every day

proposals placed before me for the quick promotion ofstaffofficers, lieutenants ofn o t more than two, three , o rfour years ’ service . They th ink themselves veterans if

they date back to 1 799 . And yet there is no regiment

that does not average eight captains dating from 1 792,

wounded , and who have fought in every campaign . Icount seven ofthem in the 1 st regiment, eight in the 3d,fourteen in the 4th , fourteen in the 5 th , fifteen in the 6th ,and so on .

22d. (To Vice-Admiral Villeneuve . ) I am awaitingthe news of your departure with impatience .

(T0 General Lauriston . ) It is intended that the Toulonfleet shall combine with two other fleets . It is essential

that it should weigh anchor by the 26th ; hasten its de

parture by every possible means ; let nothing delay yo u .

Encourage the admi ral t o keep steadily o n towards hi s

objective, and to avoid hesitation in an operation ofwhi ch the result is so vital to the future ofFrance . My

admirals lack boldness ; they mistake frigates fo r line ofbattle ships, and merchant vessels fo r hostile fleets . Decisio n must be shown , and once the fleet is o u t it must

fly straight to its mark and not go into port o r turn back .

A pri l 3d, Troyes

Word has just come from Toulon stating that the fleet

has sailed .

7 th , Chalons-sur-SaOn e

I reckon that with the weather we are having and withthe wind prevailing when the fleet started, Nelson has

probably returned to Maddalena or some port ofSardinia .

m'r . 35 ] A DIARY 5

.1 1 th , Lyons

(To Gan t eaume .) A message from Cadiz ofthe 29thstates that Admiral Gravina is ready to sail with 8 ships

and 2 frigates, which wi ll bring the fleet ofAdmiralVilleneuve up to 20 of the line . Y o u will find 8 Span i sh

and 4 French ships at Ferrol : I expect, therefore , that yo u

can start from the point ofconcentration with 5 0 lineof battle ships . The destinies of the world are in your

hands .

(To ,

Vice-Admiral Ver Huell . ) I intend to concentratethe Dutch flotilla at Ambleteuse . The hour of glory is

perhaps on the point ofstriking ; it is all a matter of afewchances, ofa few incidents .20th , Stupinigi

(To Deeres . ) Admiral Nelson has once more beentaken in about o u r fleet . I am beginning to feel a little

easier about it . You will see that Admiral Villeneuve is

not under instructions to return immediately, but to

wait thirty-five days so that the Brest fleet may have

time enough to join him . By Heaven ! stir them up !

22d. (To M adame M ére. ) Mr . Jerome Bonaparte has

arrived at Lisbon with the woman with whom he is

living . I have ordered this prodigal son to Milan . Miss

Patterson, who is with him, has prudently got her brother

with her as an escort . I have ordered her sent back toAmerica . I shall treat the boy harshly if, in the one iat erview I give him, he shows himself unworthy of hi s

family and wishes to continue his liaison . Unless he is

disposed to wipe o u t the dishonour he has attached to my

name 1 n abandoning his flag and his nationality for an

u nworthy woman, I shall wash my hands of him, and per


haps I shall strike an example to show young soldiershow sacred are their duties and how serious is the crime

ofabandoning their flagfo r a woman .

23d. Villeneuve join ed Gravina Off Cadiz o n the 1 0th .

(To Deeres . ) Keep the event at Cad iz , and the depart

u re ofthe fleets secret . See that the Dutch gazettes publish that a French fleet has landed men in Egypt ;that the Admi ral manoeuvred very skilfully so as to throw

Nelson offthe track ; that he made a show ofpassing thestraits (of Gibraltar) , but that at night he turned back

and sailed along the African coast .

24th . (To Camb acérés . ) My Cousin : I think theCouncil ofState is not attending sufficiently to o u r manufactures ; it is n o t ideali sm makes countries prosper

o u s .

(To Fouche. ) Have some well written articles pub

lished deriding the military movements ofthe Russians,the interview ofthe Emperor ofRussia with the EmperorofAustria , and the absurd reports , phantoms born ofthefogs and the spleen ofEngland . Get active, and keep

public opin ion up . Tell the editors that although I am

far away, I still read the papers , and that if they continue

o n the present tack I shall close their accounts .

(To Marshal Soult . ) Let me know whether the horses,the supplies, the men , will all be ready fo r embarkationin two weeks . Don ’t reply in terms ofmetaphysics , butinspect your magazines and depots .

26 th . (To Marshal Davout . ) Don’t let appearances

send yo u to sleep . It may take me two months to travel

down to Milan , but only a very few days to get b ack

from Milan to Boulogne .


l ived with an actor , and that the diamonds she displays so

ostenta tiously were given her by Potemkin and are the

price ofher dishonour . Y o u can get information abouther, and make her a laughingstock . She posesfo r a cleverwoman ; she is o n friendly terms with the Queen ofNaples,and , which is equally surprising, with Mme . de Stael .26th . A ssumpti on ofthe I ron Crown as K i ng ofI taly.

Dio mi la donna, guai a chi la tocca !

27th . The coronation took place yesterday with much

pomp . The cathedral was splendidly decorated . The

ceremony went Offjust as well as in Paris, with this difference, that the weather was splendid . When I took the

Iron Crown and placed it o n my head , I added these

words :!

God gave it me, touch it who dares !” I hOpe I

was prophesying !

3 oth . (To Deeres . ) Why are you so anxious I shouldcome back to Paris Nothing is better adapted to conceal

my plans and deceive the enemy than my absence . It will

give them confidence, and they will allow a few more ships

to get away t o distant seas .

(To Fo u ché . ) Have some caricatures made : an Eng

lishman , his purse in his hand , begging the various Powerst o accept his money, etc . That is the note t o strike . Have

printed in Holland that adv ices from Madeira state that

Villeneuve met a convoy of1 00 Engli sh merchantmenboundfo r India, and captured it .J u n e l st . I shall unite the territory ofGenoa to my Em

pire .

(To Fouche. ) I read in a paper that a tragedy o n HenryIV is to be played . The epoch is recent enou gh to

excite political pas sions . The theatre must dip more

may. 3 5 ] A DIARY 1 99

into antiquity . Why not comml ss1 o n R ayn o u ard t o write

a tragedy o n the transition from primitive t o less prim

i t ive man A tyrant would be followed by the Saviour

of his country . The oratorio Saul ” is on precisely that

text, a great man succeeding a degenerate king .

7th . Anxious t o confer o n o u r stepson, Prince Eugene,an emphatic testimonial ofour confi dence in his devotionto ourselves, and also to provide during our absence for

the government of o u r kingdom ofItaly, we hereby designate and appoint him by these presents Viceroy ofoursaid kingdom .

(Instructions for Prince Eugene . ) M y Cousin : In entrusting you with the government ofour kingdom ofItaly, we cannot too strongly reco mmend that you should

use circumspection and prudence . Our Italian subjectsare of a more dissembling character than are French

citizens . There is but one sure way of keeping theiresteem an d ofhelping them, which is to give your com

plete trust to no o n e , and to let nOn e know what yo uthink ofthe ministers and high officials about you .

Make show of a good Opinion of the people you govern,and all the more when yo u discover motives to the con

t rary . A time will come when yo u will realize that there

is little enough difference between one nation and an

other .

Speak as little as possible ; yo u have not sufficientknowledge, and your education has been too much

neglected fo r yo u to plunge into impromptu debate .

Learn how to listen, and remember that silence often pro

duces as much eflect as knowledge . Don’t blush to ask

questions . Though a Viceroy, you are but twenty-three


years o ld, and whatever flattery may tell yo u , people are

perfectly aware ofjust how much yo u know , and think

better ofyo u fo r what yo u may become, than for whatthey know yo u to be .

Don ’t preside over your Council ofState frequently ;you have t o o little kn owledge to do so with success .9th . Lucien prefers a di shonoured woman , who bore

him a chi ld before they were married, to the honour ofhisname and of his family . I can only lament such an aberration in a man whom nature endowed w ith talents . Anunexampled egotism has drawn him away from a splendid

career, away from the path ofduty and honour .28th , Piacenza :

Nelson has sailed fo r America ; Villeneuve’s objectiveis so hard to guess that even Nelson, after victualling at

Barbadoes, wi ll n o t thi nk himselfat fault letting three o rfour days slip by, as Villeneuve cannot be attacked in the

bay ofMartinique . I calculate that Villeneuve shouldstart for Ferrol between the 9th and the 29th ofJune,before Nelson could sight him . I shall hasten my returnby a few days, because I think that possibly Nelson

’s

arrival in America might decide Villeneuve to start for

Ferrol .

J u ly 1 3 th , Fontainebleau

I arrived at Fontainebleau 85 hours after leaving

Turin . I lost three hours at the Mont Cenis, and I tre

quently stopped o n e o r two hoursfo r breakfast , and o n e

o r two hoursfo r dinner , o n account ofthe Empress , whi chcost me another eight o r nine hours .

1 4th . Our papers are publishing a gen ealogy oftheHouse of Bonaparte which is both flat and ridiculous .


6th . (To Daru . ) My intention is to turn Art specially

in the di rection ofsubjects that would tend t o perpetuatethe memory ofthe events Of the last fifteen years . It isastonishing, for instance, that I have n o t been able to get

the Gobelins to give up Sacred History and to employ

their artists o n those numerous actions ofall sorts thathave wo n glory for the army and for the nation, the

events that have created o u r throne .

8th . The combined fleet has been in action near Ferrol ;it has accomplished its object by effecting its junction

with the Ferrol squadron . The fleet gave chase to the

enemy, and for four days remained in possession of the

field ofbattle .

9th . (TO Barbé M arb o is . ) Reassure the financiers ;explain to them that no imprudent risk wi ll be run ; that

matters are going too favou rably at presentfo r fooli shlyhazarding the happiness and prosperity of my people .

Undoubtedly I shall land at the head ofmy army . Every

body must see that this is necessary ; but neither I nor my

army will disembark unless we have every chance in our

favour .

1 1 th . The fleets have come to anchor at Corunna.

Lauriston writes that they will keep o n , that the captains

and crews are all right, that Villeneuve , who is n o t withouttalent, is too slow in making up hi s mind .

1 3 th . (To Cambaceres . ) Y o u wi ll read in the M on i teu r

some articles that will make yo u think war with Austriais coming . The fact is that this Power is arming . I wanther to disarm ; if she won

’t, I shall pay her a little v isit

with men which she will n o t soon forget . H o w

ever, if any o n e asks yo u , and in your speeches , say that

2m . 3 5 ] A DIARY 203

yo u don’t believe in it, because I have had ample warning .

For it would Obviously be sheer folly to make war o n me .There is certainly not in all Europe a finer army than the

one I command to-‘

day .

Pont-de-BriquesI have made up my mind : I will either attack Austria

and reach Vienna before November to face the Russians,should they put in an appearance ; o r else my will, and

that is the word, is that there should be but o n e Austrian

regiment in the Tyrol . I want to be left to conduct my

war against England in qui et .Boulogne

(To Deeres . ) Send a special messenger to Ferrol . I n

form Admiral Villeneuve of my di ssatisfaction at hi s

losing precious time .

(To Villeneuve . ) Inform Admiral Gan teaume of your

departure by a special courier . Never will a fleet have

faced risks for a more important object , and never will

my soldiers and sailors have an Opportunity of sheddingtheir bloodfo r a greater and more no ble result . We mightall of us well die content for the sake of helping on the

invasion of the Power that has for six centuries oppressed

F rance . Such are the sentiments that should animate

you, that should animate all my soldiers . England has

not more than four line ofbattle ships in the Downs .(To Josephine .) It is not often o n e hears from yo u .

Y o u forget your friends, which is wrong . I did not

know that the waters ofPlombieres had the sameeffect as those of Lethe . It seems to me that it was

drinking these same Plombieres waters once made you

say ,! Ah, Bonaparte, if ever I die, who will there be to


0

love yo u ? That was a very long time ago , wasn’t it ?

Everythi ng passes , beauty, wi t , sentiment , even the sun,all but o n e thing that is endless ; the goo d I wish yo u ,

your happiness . I cannot be more loving even if yo u laugh

at me for my pains . Good-bye, dear friend . I had the

English cruisers attacked yesterday ; everythi ng passed

offwell .20th . The weather is very unsettled ; there is much

rain . The combined fleets left Ferrol with 34 sail ofthe

At thi s moment a division of the flotilla is working

around Cape Grisn ez in action with the English .

On the 2dNelson was still Off Cape St . Vincent ; he wasapparently short ofprov isions .22d. I believe that Villeneuve hasn ’t enough

’

in him

to command a frigate . He has no decision and n o moral

courage . Two Spani sh ships have been in collision , a few

men are sick o n his own ships, add t o that two days ofunfavourable winds, an enemy

’s ship reconnoitring, a

report that Nelson has joined Calder : and his plans are

changed ,when , taking these facts one by o n e, they amount

to nothing . He has n o t the experience ofwar , n o r the

instinctfo r it .(To Villeneuve . ) I hope yo u have reached Brest .

Start ; lose n o t a minute , and , with my combined fleets,sa il up the Channel . England is ours . We are all ready ,everything is embarked . Appear here fo r twenty-four

hours , and all is over .

23d. I perceive the urgency ofcoming t o a decision .

In reality there is no point in demanding an explanation

ofAustria . M y mind is made u p .

206 THE CORSICAN [ 1805

ofColonel Beaumont ; he will proceed directly to Mainz ,

where he will change horses only . He will pass through

Frankfort, reconnoitring Offenbach o n the way ; will go

toW tirz b u rg, reconnoitre it, staying a day and a half and

hav ing a look at the roads between that place, Mainz ,and the Danube, getting some notions ofthe débouchéso n Ulm, Ingolstadt , and Ratisbon . He will proceed from

there t o Bamberg, and must plan t o reach Strassburg

o n the 1 1 th ofSeptember .26th . Prince Murat is appointed lieutenant ofthe

Emperor, commander-in -chi ef of the army in the absence

ofHis Majesty .

29th . How small England will become when Francegets two o r three admirals who are willing to face

death !

3 1 st . Everything has gone ; I shall be ready o n the 27thofSeptember . I have given the army ofItaly to Massena .

Austria is very insolent, and is redoubling her efforts .My fleet has gone into Cadiz .

September 2d. I start in o n e hour fo r Paris .4th , Malmaison :

(To Vice-Admiral Deeres .) Admiral Villeneuve has

touched the limit ! The thing is unthinkable ! Send me

a report covering the whole expedition . Villeneuve is a

low rascal who must be ignominiously cashiered . With

o u t plans , without courage, he would sacrifice everythin g

to save his skin !

1 3 th , Saint Cloud

The Austrians crossed the I n n o n the l 0th . The Elector

ofBavaria retired to \V ii rz b u rg.

E T . 3 6] A DIARY 207

My plan was to concentrate 40 or 5 0 battleshi ps at

Martinique b y movements concerted from Toulon, Cadiz,Ferrol , and Brest ; then have them return suddenly to

Boulogne ; get control ofthe straitsfo r fifteen days ; havemen and horses ready ; disembark in Eng

land, seize London and the Thames . This plan almost

succeeded . Had Admiral Villeneuve, instead ofgoinginto Ferrol, merely effected his junction with the Spanish

squadron, and made sail for Brest to join Admiral Ganteaume , my army was over, and there was an end to Eng

land . To carry o u t this plan, it was necessary to collect

men at Boulogne, a flotilla of4000 boats, and immense stores ; get all this on board ship , and yet prevent

the enemy from guessing my intentions : this seemed im

possible . IfI was to succeed itwas by doing the reverseofwhat seemed obvious . If 5 0 ships of the line were goingto cover the passage ofthe army to England, all that weneeded at Boulogne were transports ; and the immense

display ofgunboats and floating batteries ofvariouskinds was absolutely useless . Collecting 4000 vessels ofthis sort was Opposing cannon to cannon, ship ofwar toship of war ; and the enemy were taken in . They believed

I‘

intended to force the passage by means ofthe flotilla,and never realized my actual plan . When, after my fleet

had failed to carry o u t its manoeuvre, they perceived the

danger they had run, fear seized on the Cabinet of Lon

don, and every thinking man admitted that England had

never been so near disaster .

1 8th . (To Marshal Massena, commanding in chief the

army ofItaly , at Valeggio . ) Y o u have nearly men

under your orders ; that is o n e third more than ever I had .


I have full confidence in your courage and ability . Win me

some victories .

23d. I leavefo r Strassburg t o -morrow at half-past four

in the morning .

26th , StrassburgThe whole army is across the Rhine . We shall soon be

manoeuvring .

27th . Events are moving rapidly . The Austrians are

at the déb o u ehés ofthe Black Forest . Heaven keep themthere ! My only anxiety is lest we frighten them away .

If I am lucky enough , and the Austrians remain asleepthree o r four days more o n the Iller, I shall be aroun d

them , and I hope that only deb ris w ill escape me .

29th . The King ofPrussia has called up his reservists .The weather is glorious ; I hOpe I shall have a fine

autumn .

(To Marshal Ney . ) I assume yo u have reached Stutt

gardt . Marshal Lannes is marching o n Ludwigsburg ; he

can move rapidly to support yo u if it should be n eces

sary . Prince Murat is marching o n Rastadt . Keep him

informed ofeveryt hing .

3 oth . Soldiers ! The war ofthe Third Coalition hasbegun . The Austrian army has crossed the Inn , has

broken all treaties , has attacked o u r ally and driven him

from his capital . You have been compelled t o rush to

the defence ofo u r frontiers by forced marches . But yo uare already across the Rhine . We will not stay o u r march

u ntil we have secured the independence Of the Germanicbody , succoured o u r allies , and confounded the pride of

o ur unjust aggressors !


part of them , with their standards and artillery, has been

captured .

I am marchi ng to get behind Ulm . Each day becomes

more crit ical , and if the enemy make a few mistakes , the

consequences may be disastrous .

(To Marshal Soult . ) Lannes’ grenadiers will not stop

till they reach Zusmarshausen , and to—night I shall move

Su chet’

s di vision according to the reports that reach me

before two o’clock . Allow no halts , and make up your

mind to move night and day until yo u have captured

their main body . The least you can send me is 3 000 o r

4000 prisoners .

4th . (To Prince Murat . ) I have ordered d’

H au tpo u l

t o Wertingen . I shall sleep at Augsburg w ith the Guard ,where I expect Marshal Soult has already arrived . Cut

the main road from Augsburg to Ulm ; push General

Walther between Augsburg and Landsberg, and place

Marshal Lannes so that if Augsburg is attacked at daybreak his three divisions could get there .

l 0th , Zusmarshausen

The weather has broken , there is much rain . The fight

at Wertingen is very creditable t o the dragoons and

the cavalry . It’s a minor success , and very gratifying

to Murat , who was in command . I hold the enemy sur

rounded at Ulm ; they were defeated last night by Ney’

s

corps .

No army has ever marched with greater good will , dash ,and confidence .

The Emperor rev iewed the dragoons at Zusmarshausen .

He ordered Marcate , ofthe 4 th dragoons , who is o n e of

m . 36] A DIARY 1 1

the bravest men in the army, to be b rought before him .

At the passage ofthe Lech he saved the life of hi s captain , who, a few days previously, had reduced him to the

ranks . His Majesty gave him the Legion of Honour .

1 l th , Augsburg

The army ofPrince Ferdinand is o u tflanked, and PrinceMurat with the dragoons and the corps ofMarshal Lannesand Marshal Ney is pursuing him . Marshal Bernadotte

should reach Munich to—day .

1 2th . The Austrian army is completely demoralized .

Our worst regiments of chasseurs attack, with odds

against them , heavy cuirassier regiments and rout them ;the infantry make no stand at all .

(To Josephine . ) My army holds Munich . On one side

the enemy are beyond the Inn ; I have the other army of

men penned on the Iller . The enemy are beaten

and don ’t know what they are about . It all looks like the

most successful, the shortest, and the most brilliant cam

paign ever fought . I start in o n e hour for Burgau .

(To Marshal Soult . ) To-night , if my information from

Munich warrants it, I shall move one of Davout’s divi

sions to Landberg, where it will be at your disposal .

See that your aide—de-camps and adjutants kill their

horses . It is not a question of defeating the enemy , but

of not a single man escaping . When yo u reach Mem

mingen assemble your generals and tell them that I ex

peet, in such important circumstances, that nothing will

be left undone that can make our success more complete

and more absolute ; that the event must be ten times more

glorious than Marengo, and that in the most remote ages

posterity must relate what each one of them accomplished ;


that if I had intended merely to defeat the enemy we

need not have undertaken such marches and such fatigues , but that I must capture them .

P . M

I have just received a dispatch from Prince Murat .

The enemy hold Ulm with men .

The Emperor was at the bridge over the Lech whenGeneral M armo n t

’

s corps passed . He ordered each regi

ment to form circle, spoke to the men about the position

ofthe enemy , told them a great battle would soon befought, and that he had complete confidence in them .

He delivered these harangues under awful weather conditions . A heavy snow was falling, and the men were in

mud up to their knees ; but the words ofthe Emperorwere so viv id that the men , as they listened , forgot their

fatigues and hardshi ps, and only showed impatience to get

into battle .

1 5 th , Elchi ngen

The weather is dreadful . The Emperor has n o t taken

his boots off these last eight days .

1 9 th . (T o Josephi ne . ) I have been rather overdone,my good Josephine . Eight days spent in the soaking rain

and with cold feet have told o n me a little ; but I have

stayed indoors the whole ofto-day and am rested .

I have accomplished my object ; I have destroyed the

Austrian army by simple marching . I have made

prisoners , taken 1 20 guns , more than 90 flags , and more

than 3 0 generals .

I am o n the point ofmarching aga inst the Russians ;they are ruined . I am satisfied with my army . I have lost


There are no generals to lead them from whom I have

any glory to win . My whole anxiety shall be to obtainthe v ictory with the least possible efl u sio n ofblood : mysoldiers are my children !

22d, Augsburg

The march ofPrince Murat from Albeck to Nurembergamazes us all . Fighting every inch ofthe way

,he has

outmarched and overtaken the enemy , who had two daysstart ofhim . The result of this marvellous activ ity has

been the capture of1 5 00 wagons , 5 0 guns , andmen, including those who surrendered with General Wer

neck, together with a great number offlags, and 1 8 generals , ofwhom 3 were killed .

23d. I am thoroughly rested after these last two nights,

and am startingfo r Munich t o -morrow .

27th , Munich

I am manoeuvring against the Russian army , which is

in considerable strength behind the Inn . In another two

weeks I shall have Russians , and Austrians

in front ofme . I shall beat them , but probably n o t with

o u t some loss .

3 0th , Braunau

I t is snowing heavily .

Novemb er 2, Ried

It has turned cold , there is a sharp frost . This dry

weather has the advantage ofbeing healthier and betterfor marching .

3d, Haag

We are in full march . All is going well ; my enemies are

probably more worried than I am .

m . 3 6] A DIARY 21 5

5 th , Linz

My advance guard is within six days ’ march ofVienna .

M urat keeps in touch with the enemy .

6th . (To Prince Murat . ) The officer yo u have sent meis such a fool that he could explain nothing, and your

letter gives no details, so that I can’t tell whether the

enemy are retreating or are . in position, the number of

guns, and what part ofOudin o t ’s divisi on was engaged .

1 3 th , Burkersdorf :

I entered Vienna this morni ng .

1 4th , Schoenbrunn :

Marshal So u lt ’s corps passed through Vienna at nine

o ’clock this morning ; Marshal Davout ’s is passing throughnow .

1 5 th . All o u r columns are in Moravia at several days ’

march from the Danube .

(To Prince Joseph Napoleon . ) I am now manoeuvringagainst the Russian army, and have not had occasion to

be very satisfied with Bern adotte . He has lost me a day,and the fate of the world may depend o n a day . I

should much like to see Junot , fo r I am each day morefirmly convinced that the men I have trained myself are

far and away the best . I am still very pleased with Murat,Lannes, Davout, Soult, Ney , and Marmont . I intend tomake the generals and officers who have served me well

so rich that there can be no excuse for their dishonouring

the most noble ofprofessions by their greed, whi le drawing down o n themselves the contempt ofthe soldiers .

l 6th . (To Josephine . ) I am writing to M . d’

H arv ille

that you can proceed to Baden , from there to Stuttgardt ,and from there to Munich . Be gracious, but accept all


the honours : it is to yo u they are due, while from yo u

there is nothing due save what pleases yo u . I am Off tojoin my advance guard . The weather is horrible, with

much snow ; all is going well , however .20th . Marshal Soult will move to Austerlitz .23 , E rifu n

(To Talleyrand . ) I think the Austrians have more im

port ant matters o n hand than the abduction oftheElectress . Supposing they did abduct her, what the dev ildo yo u suppose they could do with her P I shall soon be

at Vienna, as I have decided to give my troops a muchneeded rest .

25 th . (To the Emperor ofRussia . ) Sire : I am sending

my aide—de-camp , General Savary , to convey my compli

ments o n the occasion ofyour joining your army . I have

commissioned him to express all the esteem I have fo ryo u , and my anxiety to find Opportunities fo r provingh ow high I value your friendship . I hope yo u will receive

him with that graciousness which is peculiarly your own ,

and will hold me as o n e who desires to do what may be

agreeable t o yo u .

26th . The Emperors ofGermany and ofRussia are atOlm

'

utz . The Russian army is receiv ing reinforcements .

28th . General Caffarelli w ill see that all arms are

cleaned in his div ision , that the men have their cartridges ;there w ill be a pitched batt le . He must speak t o h is

brigadiers and colonels , and he is t o start with his div ision

at o n e o’clock in the morning .

Well , Marbot , how man y mounted chasseurs are there

in my Guard? Are there 1 200 ?


came up to him and said : Sire , keep o u t ofthe fir ing,I promise yo u in the name ofthe grenadiers , that yo uneed n o t fight otherwise than as a spectator, fo r we willbring yo u the standards and the guns ofthe Russian armyt o celebrate the anniversary ofyour coronation .

” When

the Empe ror returned to his own bivouac , a straw shantywithout a roo f that the grenadi ers had built fo r him ,

he

said : ! This is the most glorious night ofmy life ; but Iregret that so many ofthese brave fellows will be lost .They really are my chi ldren .

”

2d, Austerlitz

As the sun rose the plateau of Pratzen could be dis

t in gu ished, and the enemy moving down from it, like a

torrent rushi ng to the plain .

How long wi ll it take yo u to occupy the plateau ofPratzen?

(Soult : Less than twenty minutes . )If that is so, we w ill wait fifteen minutes more .

Prince Murat, Marshals Lannes and Soult start offata gallop . Each marshal rejoined his corps . The Emperor

said , as he passed along the front ofseveral regiments :! Soldiers, we must finish this campaign with a thunderbolt that will shatter the pride ofo u r enemies . ” At oncethe shakos were hoisted o n the men

’s bayonets , and

acclamations ofV ive l’Empereu r were the real signal fo rOpening the batt le .

3d. Well done , soldiers ! In the battle ofAu sterlitzy o u have accomplished all I expected ofyour valour ; yo uhave crowned your eagles w ith immortal glory . An army

of men commanded by the Emperors ofRussiaand ofAustria has been dispersed o r captured in less than

E T . 36] A DIARY 1 9

four hours . What escaped your arms was drowned in the

lakes . Forty flags, the standards of the Russian Imperial

Guard, 1 20 guns, 20 generals, more than prisoners

are the result ofthi s eternally glorious battle . This

famous infant ry, that outnumbered yo u , was unable to

resist your attack, and henceforth you have no rivals to

fear .

Soldiers ! When we have completed all that is necessary

to secure the happiness and prosperity ofo u r country, Iwill lead you back to France ; there you will be the con

stant objects ofmy loving care . My people will hail your

return with joy, and you will have but t o say ,! I was at

the battle of Austerlitz,” to hear the reply,

! He is one ofQ,the brave

The battle of Austerlitz is the most splendid of all Ihave fought . I have fought thirty battles of the same

sort , but none in which the victory was so decisive, and so

little in doubt . The infantry ofthe Guard was not sentinto action, — the men were weeping with rage .

To -night I am lying in a bed , in the beautiful castle ofCount Kauni tz , and I have changed my shirt, which Ih adn ’t done for a week past . I shall get two o r three

hours’ sleep .

The Emperor of Germany sent Prince Liechtenstein to

me this morning to ask for an interview . We may possibly

get peace before long .

4th . (To Talleyrand . ) The Emperor of Germany has

asked me for an interview, which I have granted ; it lastedfrom two till four o ’clock . I will tell you what I think of

him when I see you . He wanted t o make peace o n the


spot ; he attacked me with fine sentiments ; I defendedmyself

,a manner of fighting which , I can assure you , I

did n o t find very difli cu lt . He asked mefo r an armistice,whi ch I granted ; the conditions are to be drawn up to

night .

1 0th , Brunn

(To the Empress Josephine . ) It is a long t ime since I

heard from yo u . Do the festivities ofBaden , ofStuttgardt ,and of Munich make you forget the poor soldiers who live

splashed with mud , blood, and rain?

I am starting very soon for Vienna . The peace is being

negotiated . Good-bye, dear friend .

1 9th . (To Josephine . ) Mighty Empress, I have hadn o t o n e single line from you since yo u left Stras sburg .

Y o u have passed through Baden, St u t tgardt, and Mun ich

without writing me o n e word . That is not very nice, n o t

very loving .

I am still at Brunn . The Russians have gone . There

is an armi stice . In a few days I shall be able to see how

I am coming o u t . Deign from the height of your splen

dours t o take a little notice ofyour slaves .20th , Schoenbrunn :The weather is very cold ; winter is co ming o n , but it is

s till fine . It is curing o u r wounded , and setting up the

army . We are rest ing, and gettin g into shape again .

We have already moved a part ofthe arsenal ofViennat o Braunau , and many valuable objects . Peace will u n

doubtedly be concluded .

23d. (To Talleyrand. ) I have received you r letter

ofto-day , and see wi th pleasure that yo u expect t o co n

clude . But I expressly instruct yo u not to mention


But a few months have passed since you were at the

gates ofNaples . I had good grounds for suspecting thetreason hatching there , and fo r avenging the insults wehad already suffered . Again I was generous . I allowed

the neutrality ofNaples ; I ordered yo u to evacuate

that kin gdom and for the third time the House ofNaples was saved .

Shall we pardonfo r the fourth time Shall we trustfo rthe fourth time a Court without faith, without honour,without judgment? No ! No ! The dynasty ofNaples hasceased to reign ; its continued existence is incompatible

with the repose ofEurope and the honour ofmy Crown .

Forward , soldiers ! Hurl into the waves , if they should

await yo u , the feeble battalions ofthe tyrants ofthe seas ;show the world how we chastise perjury . Send me word

promptly that all Italy is subject t o my laws, that the

most lovely land o n earth is freed from the yoke ofthemost perfidio u s ofnations, that the sanctity oftreatiesis vindicated , and that the spirits ofmy brave soldiers ,slaughtered in the ports ofSicily o n their return from

Egypt after escaping the dangers ofshipwreck, ofthedesert , and ofbattle, are at last appeased .

Soldiers ! my brother will lead yo u ; he knows my plans ;he carries my authority ; he has my complete confidence ;encircle him with yours .

3 1 st , Munich :(To Prince Joseph . ) I have reached Munich . I propose

seizing the kingdom ofNaples . Start fo r Rome fortyhours after receiving this letter ; and le t your first dispatch

inform me that yo u have entered Naples .

I have asked for the hand ofPrincess Augusta, daughter

m . 3 6] A DIARY 223

of the Elector ofBavaria, a very pretty girl , fo r PrinceEugene . The marriage is settled . I have asked fo r an

other princess for Jerome.

(To Prince Eugene . ) My Cousin : I have arrived atMuni ch . I have arranged a marriage for you with Prin

cess Augusta . The matter is public . The Princess called

o n me this morning, and we had a long talk . She is very

pretty . I am sending you her portrait o n a cup, but itdoesn ’t do her justice .

J an u ary 2d, Muni ch

Yesterday the Elector was proclaimed King .

3d, 2 P . M .

(To Prince Eugene . ) My Cousin : No t later than

twelve hours after the receipt ofthis letter you must startfor Muni ch, travelling posthaste .

7 th . (To Cardi nal Fesch . ) On the 1 3 th ofNovemberthe Pope wrote me a letter of the most ridiculous , most

insane, character : those people think I am dead ! I am

a religious man , but I am n o t a bigoted idiot .

For the Pope I am Charlemagne, because like Charle‘

magne I unite the Crowns ofFrance and ofthe Lombards,and my Empire touches the East . I will reduce the Pope

to be the mere bishop ofRome .

9th . I had long ago decided o n a marriage between my

son Prince Eugene, and the Princess Augusta , dau ghter

ofthe King ofBavaria . The Elector ofRatisbon willmarry them o n the 1 5 th ofJanuary . Princess Augusta is

o n e ofthe most lovely and accomplished persons ofhersex .

1 4th . The betrothal and marriage ofPrince Eugenetook place yesterday .

1 9 th , Stuttgardt :I am very impatient to be b ack in Paris . I arrived in

S tuttgardt last nigh t a t six o ’

clock .

27 th , Paris :

I arrived in Paris yesterday at midnight and incognito .


ment , the ecclesiastic and the mi litaryTrCo n stan t in e was

the first to establish , by means ofthe priests , a sort ofcivilian state ; Clov is succeeded in founding the French

monarchy only with this same support . Monks are the

natural enemies ofsoldi ers, and have more than onceserved to check them . The lay order will be strengthened

by the creation ofa teaching body, and even morestrengthened by the creation ofa great corporation ofmagistrates .

I think it is unnecessary to take into consideration a

system ofeducationfo r girls , they can get n o better teaching than that oftheir mothers . A public education doesn o t sui t them , for the reason that they are n o t called o n

t o live in public ; fo r them habit is everythin g, and marriage is the goal .

If we are to establish the nation, we must hasten to

regulate by means ofcodes the principal fields oflegislation . The Civil Code, though imperfect, has done much

good . Every o n e is familiar n ow wi th the first principles

ofconduct , and governs his property and business accordi ngly .

4th . In the report o n burials I see that in the average

year there are deaths in Paris ; that is enough fo ra splendid battle .

I have declined to commit myself t o issuing ticketsfo rthe serv ice in my chapel ; I think the seats should go to

the first comer‘s .

At Cairo , and in the desert, the mosques are inns aswell ; as many as 6000 persons may shelter and eat in

them ; o r even use the fountains and water fo r bathing .

Our ceremony ofbaptism comes from this ; it could not

mar . 36] A DIARY 227

have arisen in our climate, in whi ch water is not precious

enough, this year we are deluged . When water failsthe Egyptians baptize wi th sand . As for me , it is not the

mystery of the Incarnation that I see in religion, but the

mystery of social order . Heaven suggests an idea of

equality which saves the rich from being massacred by the

poor . To look at it another way, religion is a sort of in

o cu lat io n o r vaccine which, while satisfying our sense ofthe supernatural , guarantees us from the Charlatans andthe magicians : the priests are better than the Caglio stro s,the Kants

,and all the dreamers of Germany .

I need a special Tribunal t o judge public functionariesfor certain infractions of the laws . There must be somearbitrary exercise of power in such a matter, and this

should n o t be left in the hands ofthe Sovereign, becausehe will either abuse it or neglect to use it . I complain

every day ofthe number of arbitrary acts I am made tocommit ; they would come with more propriety from such

a tribunal . I want the State t o be governed accordingto law, and that the things that have to be done despite

the law should be legalized by the operation of a du lyconstituted body .

Forty-eight hours after peace with England is signed,I will shut out foreign produce and manufactures, andissue a Navigation Act that will exclude all but Frenchships from our ports . There will be a tremendou s outcry,but in six years ’ time we shall be in the fu llest pros

perity .

6th . (To Joseph . ) Shoot without pi ty any laz z aroni


who indulge in dagger play . You can keep an Italian

population down only by holy fear. Impose a war co n

t rib u t io n of3 0 millions on the kingdom . Your policy 1 8

t o o hesitating .

8th . I shall grant the duchies Of Cleves and Berg toPrince Murat .

9th . (To Prince Eugene . ) Instruct your engineers to

reconnoitre the roads from Zara and from Ragu sa to

Constantinople .

1 1 th . In the teaching body we must imitate the classi

ficat io n s of military rank . I hold strongly t o the idea ofa corporation , because a corporation never dies . There

need be no fear that I want to bring back the monks ; even

if I wanted t o I couldn ’t . The v ices and scandal that

arose among the monks are well known ; I had o ppo rtu

n it iesfo r forming my own opinion in that matter, havingbeen in part educated by them .

I respect what religion holds in respect ; b u t as a states

man I dislike the fanaticism Ofcelibacy ; it was o n e ofthemeans whereby the Court ofRome attempted to rivetthe chains ofEurope by preventing the cleric from beinga citizen . M ilitary fanaticism is the only sort that is ofany use to me ; a man must have it t o get himself killed.

My principal object in instituting a teaching body is to

have some means ofdirecting political and moral Opinion .

1 4th . Holland is without an executive head ; she shouldhave o n e ; I shall give her Prince Louis . Instead ofa GrandPensionary there will be a king .

20th . I think the teaching body should include about

persons . The essential thing is that the members

ofthe University , for that is what we will call i t , should


nothing . I am also willing that his salary should be as

high as you want it , because it is the Bank that will

pay 3-A pri l 1 st , Malmaison

(To Marshal I inclose yo u the M on i teu r;

yo u w ill see what I am doing for yo u . I make only o n e

condition , which is that you get married , and that is a

condi tion that goes with my friendship . Your liaison has

lasted too long ; it has become ridiculous ; and I am entitled

to hope that he whom I have named my companion in

arms , whom posterity will always place at my side, wi ll

not continue to show such an extraordinary example ofweakness . I insist, therefore, that yo u should marry ;otherwise I shall refuse to receive you . Y o u are fifty yearso ld, but yo u belong to a family that reaches eighty, and

it is during these next thirty years that the comfort s ofmarriage will be ofmost service to yo u .

Y o u know that you have no warmer friend than I am,

but yo u also know that the first condition ofmy friend .

ship is that it should be based o n my esteem . Until now

yo u have deserved it . Continue to do so by concurring

in my plans , and by becoming the stem ofa good andgreat family .

1 4th , Saint Cloud(To Prince Eugene . ) My so n , yo u are working t o o

hard ; your life is t o o monotonous . It is all right for yo u ,

because work should be your pleasure ; but you have a

youn g wife , who will soon be a mother . I think you ou ght

t o arrange things so as to spend the evenings with her and

so as t o have a small social circle . Why don’t yo u go to

the theatre once a week in the State b o x ? Y o u must have

m . 3 6] A D IARY 3 1

a little more gaiety about you ; it is necessary for the

happiness ofyour wife, and your own health . One can

get through a lot ofwork in very little time . I lead the

life you lead, but my wife is o ld and doesn’t need mefo r

her amusement ; and yet it is quite true to say that I

have more pleasures and dissipation than yo u . A young

woman needs amusement, especially when in that condi

tion .

1 8th , Paris

The Opera costs the Government francs a year ;we must keep up an institution that flat ters the national

vanity .

M ay Sl st , Saint Cloud

(To the King of Naples . ) Y o u trust the Neapolitans

too much, especially in the matter ofyour kitchen andyour personal guards, which means that yo u are taking

chances of being poisoned o r assassinated . Y o u have n o t

known enough ofmy domestic arrangements to realizethat , even in France, I have alwaysbeen guarded by mymost faithful and my Oldest soldiers .N0 one should enter your room at night except your

aide—de-camp , who should sleep in the room next to your

bedroom ; your door should be locked o n the inside, and

you should not let your aide-de-camp in before having

recognised his voice, and he should n o t knock at your door

un til after closing the door of his room , so as to be sure no

one can follow him . These precautions are important ;they are not troublesome, and they inspire confi dence,quite apart from the fact that actually they may saveyour life . Y o u should regulate your way ofliv ing thisway once and fo r all . Don ’t be obliged to adept it in


an emergency,whi ch would be humiliating both for yo u

an d for those about yo u . Trust my experience .

J u n e 3d.

(To the King ofNaples . ) I have read your speech , andyo u must permit me to say that I find some ofits sent en ces bad . Y o u compare the attachment ofthe Neapolitan s to you with that ofthe French t o me ; it soundslike an epigram ! What afl

'

ect io n do yo u expect from a

people for whom yo u have done nothing, among whom

you are by right ofconquest, at the head of o r

foreigners ? As a general rule the less yo u speak,di rectly o r indi rectly, ofme and ofFrance in your do cumen t s, the better .

5 th . (To Joseph . ) Y o u will understand that if I havegiven the titles ofDuke and Prince to Bernadotte, it waso u t of considerationfo r your wife ; fo r I have generals inmy army who have served me better, and inwhom I placemore reliance .

7 th . (To Joseph . ) I can send yo u no reinforcements .I can ’t coop up my whole army in Naples .

(To Talleyrand . ) I have asked yo u fo r a report o n thePrussian forces . I have no use fo r the information yo uhave sent me . I need a complete statement as t o the

army ofthe King ofPrussia .

J u ly 4 th . Up to the present the negot iations with

England have made n o headway . By acquirin g the Cape

ofGood Hope England will forever insure her cont rol ofIndia . But if England held Malta and Sicily , she would

'

erect an insurmoun table barrier between the Adriatica nd Constantin ople . I t would be difficult ever to accedeto such a condition .


English ,and you give up two thirds ofyour kingdom to

them ! There are n o t two soldierl ike ideas in your wholeCouncil ofM inisters . It would cause yo u useless pain ifI were t o tell you all I think .

26 th . (T o Joseph . ) What is the meaning ofthi s nat io n al guard ofNaples ? It is leaning o n a reed , perhapseven placing a weapon in the enemy ’s hands . Oh ! how

little yo u know men ! Come, take some vigorous decision .

The whole art ofwar consists in a well thought o u t andprudent defensive, and in an offensive that is bold and

rapid .

3 0th . (To Prince Joachim Murat . ) Wesel can belong

to none other than a great Power . As to the guaran teefo ryour children, your arguments are pitiful and made me

shrug my shoulders ; I blushfo r you . I hope that you are

a Frenchman ; so will your children be ; any other idea

would be so dishonouring that I must ask you never to

mention such a thing again . It would be a very ex t rao r

din ary thing, if after all the benefits the French nation

h as showered o n you , yo u thought ofplacing your children in such a way that they might injure France . Once

more,never speak o n that subject again, it

’s t o o ridicu

lous !

A ugu st 1 st . (T o the King ofHolland . ) Circumstances

may make i t necessaryfo r yo u t o form a camp ofDutchtroops at Utrecht .

2d. (To Prince Joachim . ) Your public utterances

must be reassuring . I can hardly express the pain your

letters cause me ; your heedlessness is enough t o drive me

to despair .

Dupont’s division is moving to the Inn ; yo u must give

an . 3 6—37] A DIARY 73 23 5

it no orders of any sort . Y o u don ’t know what I amdoing . Keep quiet . With a Power like Prussia we cannot

proceed t o o gently .

5 th . The English are getting more accommodating .

Lord Lauderdale and Lord Yarmouth are the negotiators .

The first arrived this morning .

1 2th . The illness of Mr . Fox makes the negotiations

with England drag .

1 7th, Rambouillet

(To the K in g ofNaples . ) It would be a good thing if theNeapolitan rabble attempted a revolt . So long as you

have n o t made an example you will not be their master .

Every conquered nation should revolt at least once, and

I would View an in surrection at Naples as the father ofafamily views measles in his children , providing the patient

is not t o o much weakened . It marks a healthy crisis .

1 9th . (To Fouche. ) If you know where GeneralDumoulin is, send for him and question him abou t a lady

named K ei lenfels , whom he married two mon ths beforeabducting M lle . d

’

Eckhardt . I have no power over thejudges, and there must be an exemplary punishment for

so detestable an offence . Does this general realize that

the Criminal Court will condemn him to the galleys ?

How can he have been so unmindful ofthe laws ofhonour P The whole business is very humiliating for the

French army .

23d. (To the King of Naples . ) I have received your

letter ofthe 1 3 th . I regret that you anticipate never

meeting your brother again , save in the Elysian Fields .

It is a simple enough matter that I should n o t have the

same sentimentsfo r you at forty as I had at twelve !

THE CORSICAN

29th , Saint Cloud

The negotiations drag . The outcome is very doubtful .3 1 st . (To the Princess Augusta . ) My Dau ghter : I have

read your letter ofthe l 0th ofAugu st with great pleasure .

I thank yo u fo r all your compliments . Take great care ofyourself in your present state, and t ry n o t to give us a

daughter . I could give yo u the recipe, but yo u wouldn’t

believe me : it is to drink a little pure wine every day .

September 5 th . The altered conditions in Europe make

it necessary that I should seriously consider the situation

Of my armies .(To Marshal Berthier . ) Send engineer officers to recon

n o itre carefully and in all directions the débouchés oftheroads leading from Bamberg to Berlin .

8th . (To Lucchesini . ) I always carry my heart in my

head . I shall undertake a war against Prussia only forthe honour ofmy country and the security ofmy allies .If your young officers and women at Berlin want war,they shall have it ; I am preparing to satisfy them . But

all my ambitions turn o n It aly ; there is a mistress whosefavours I will divide with none .

l oth . The attitude of Prussia is st ill provocative . They

are dying t o be taught a good lesson .

(To Caulaincourt . ) Have all my field glasses over

hauled . Send offsixty horses from my stables to-morrow ,

including eight ofmy saddleho rses . Do this as secret ly

as possible . T o -morrow have my baggage carts go t ready .

On e ofthem must carry a tent and an iron b ed. The tent

must be stout , and n o t a grand opera ten t . Y o u can add

afew t h ick carpets . Y o u will send offwith the horses t omorrow my li ttle campa ignin g chai se .


would be as well to have your newspapers speak of meas at Paris, occupied in amusements , in hunting, and in

negotiating .

1 7 th . I have just go t the news ofthe death ofMr. Fo x .

In the present state ofthings , it is the death ofa manwho is regretted by two nations .1 9th . The situation is becoming more critical daily .

My Guard has started by stage, to travel from Paris toMainz in six days .

24th . (To Joachim Murat, Grand Duke ofBerg . )Send your horses to Bamberg rapidly . Wait fo r me atMainz , which you can leave o n e hour after my arrival ,so that yo u can reach Bamberg o n the l st ofOctober atnoon .

28th , Mainz

I arrived thi s morning .

29th . There is no declaration ofwar yet .M idn ight

(To Marshal A ugereau . ) Do n o t unmask your move

ment .

3 oth . (To the King ofW i i rtemb erg . ) I should like to

see Your Majesty . I shall be at W i irz b u rg o n the 2d ofOctober, at Bamberg o n the 5 th . I should much like , under

existing circumstances , to have an hour’s conversation .

I would have been glad t o await Your Majesty ’s v isit at

Mainz , if I were n o t the most complete slave, compelledto obey a heartless master : the calculation ofevents andthe nature ofthings .As fo r myself, Your hI ajcs ty must see that no man is

less able than I t o make precise arran gements a t this

moment . No t that war is declared yet ; I have n o t heard

E T . 3 7] A DIARY 23 9

that M . Laforest has left Berlin ; I am told that a Pru ss1anOfficer has been sent to me by the King of Prussia with aletter ; for three days past I have been hearing about him,

but I have not yet seen him .

Octo b er l st . I start to-night at nine .

3d, Wii rz b u rgI reached Wi i rz b u rg yesterday .

5 th . The armies are in touch . We shall soon have

fighting . The King ofWii rtemb erg came here two daysago . He can ’t make heads o r tails ofwhat is going o n .

The Duke ofBrunswick has written him a very perniciousletter, t o the tune of the German nationalistic excitement .All my columns are marchin g . I start to-night for Bam

berg .

(To Marshal Soult . ) I am debouching in Saxony with

my whole army in three columns . You lead the right ;half a day’s march behind yo u is the corps ofMarshalNey, and one day

’s march behind you are Bava

rians ; all of which totals more than men . Marshal

Bernadotte leads the centre ; behind himMarshalDavout’s

corps is marching, with the greater part of the Reserve

Cavalry and my Guard ; which totals over men .

(B ernadotte) will debouch through Kronach . The 5 th

corps leads my left, and is followed by the corps of Marshal A ugereau . They will come through Coburg and

Saalfeld, and will make u pwards of men . The day

you reach Hof, the rest of the army will be in line with

you . I shall hold myself in general at the centre . With so

great a preponderance in numbers , and so closely co n cen

t rat ed, yo u will realize that my purpose is not to jump at

chances but to attack the enemy, wherever they choose

to make a stand, with double their numbers .


My information to-day seems to show that if the

enemy are manoeuvring , it is against my left ; their prin

c ipal forces appear to be at Erfurt . I cannot urge yo u too

strongly to communicate with me very frequently, and toinform me ofall yo u can hear from the Dresden road .

Y o u can see what a splendid manoeuvre it would be to

move towards that city in a battalion square ofmen . All this demands some skill, however, and some

happenings .

1 0 P . M .

I am leaving for Bamberg . All our corps are marching .

I am in excellent health , and in great hopes of soon

b rmgi n g this business to a good end .

6th . Soldiers ! The orders were already issuedfo r yourreturn to France . Triumphal festivities awaited yo u .

But just as we were lulled by a sense offalse security , newplots were brewing under the mask of friendship and ofalliance . Cries ofwar have been raised in Berlin . These

two months past we are daily more loudly challenged .

The same faction , the same vertigo , that carried

Prussia to the plains ofChampagne fourteen years ago ,dominate their councils . They want us to evacuate

Germany at the sight oftheir arms . Fools ! Let themlearn that it would be a thousand times more easv to destroy the great capital than t o smirch the honour ofthechildren ofthe great nation and its allies ! Then theirschemes were dashed to pieces ; in the pla ins ofChampagne they foun d only death , defeat , an d shame . But

the lessons ofexperien ce fade away , and w ith some menhatred and jealou sy n ever die .

Soldiers ! No t o n e ofyo u would wish t o rega in France


very frequent communication that we can achieve the

best result s . We are at the crisis ofthe campaign ; theydid not anticipate what we are attempting to do ; wo e

betide them if they hesitate and if they lose a single day .

4 P . M . :

(To Marshal Lannes . ) My Cousin : I am displeased

at you r hav ing entered Coburg yesterday : your in stru c

tions were to occupy it thi s morning, and in force .

March as rapidly as yo u can o n Grafenthal . Marshal

A ugereau will follow yo u at half a day’s march . I myself

shall reach Lobenstein at 2 A . M .

l 0th , Ebersdorf, 5 A . M . :

On the 9th the Prussian general Tau en z ien , with 6000

Prussians and 3 000 Saxons, was attacked by the advanceguard ofthe army commanded by the Grand Duke ofBerg, and was routed .

(To the Grand Duke ofBerg . ) General Rapp has

brought me your good news oflast n ight . MarshalLannes will attack Saalfeld t o -morrow .

Your chief task tod ay is to make use ofyesterday ’s

success for picking up all the prisoners and information

you can ; then to reconnoitre Auma and Saalfeld, so as tolearn the movements ofthe enemy posit ively .

(To Marshal Soult . ) Here is what I can make o u t

that the Prussians intended to attack , and that their left

was to debouch by Jena , Saalfeld , and Coburg . Whatever

the enemy may do , I shall be delighted if they attack me ;if they le t me a t tack them , I shall n o t miss them ; if they

turn offtowards Magdeburg , yo u will be at Dresden b e

fore them . I hope very muchfo r a battle . After a battle

I can ge t to Dresden o r Berlin before them .

arr . 37 ] A DIARY

Schleiz, P . M .

The sound of the guns can no longer be heard .

6 P . M . :

(To Marshal Soult . ) My Cousin : I believe thatMarshal Lannes attacked Saalfeld t o -day . There has

been a brisk cannonade , but it lasted only two hours ;I don ’t know the result . As soon as I am secure on myleft things will get lively .

1 2th, Auma, 4 A . M . :

Order for Marshal Davout t o march o n Naumburg as

rapidly as he can .

Marshal Lannes is marching on Jena .

(To Marshal Lannes . ) I have received , with great

pleasure,the n ews of your action on the l 0th . I had heard

the sound of the guns and moved a division in you r direc

tion to support yo u . The death of Prince Louis ofPrussiaseems like a punishment ofHeaven , for he is the realauthor ofthe war .All the intercepted correspondence we get shows that

the enemy have lost their heads . They are debating night

and day, and don’t know what decision to come to . Y o u

perceive that my army is massed, and that I am o n their

road to Dresden and Berlin . Our skill n ow will consist

in attacking everything we meet, so as to beat the enemy

in detail and while they are concentrating . When I saythat we must attack all we meet, I mean that we must

attack everything that is o n the march and not in an

advantageous position .

A . M .

I am getting into the saddle en ro u te for Gera . The

Prussians have hardly a chance left . Their generals are


perfect idiots . It is inconceivable how the Duke ofBrunswick, who has a reputation , can direct the operations ofhis army in so ridiculous a fashion .

1 3 th , Gera, 2 A . M . :

(To the Empress . ) I am t o -day at Gera, my dear

friend ; my affairs go o n prosperously, and as I had hoped .

With the aid ofGo d, things will assume a terrible complexion , within a few days , for the poor King ofPrussia,whom I pity personally because he is a good man . The

Qu een is at Erfurt with the Ki ng . If she wants to see a

battle, she can indulge that cruel whim . I am wonderfully

well, fatter than when I started, and yet I get over twentyo r twenty-five leagues each day, o n horseback, in car

riages, in every sort ofa way . I go t o bed at eight, I am

up again at midn ight ; sometimes it occurs to me that yo u

have not yet gone to bed !

Within three o r four days we shall fight a battle wh ich

I shall win . It will take me t o the Elbe , perhaps to the

Vistula . There I will engage a secon d battle , whi ch Ishall also win . Then then but that ’s enough

,

and we mu st not romance . Clarke, in o n e month you will

be governor ofBerlin , and yo u will be quoted as havingbeen in o n e year and in two different wars , governor ofVienna and of Berlin .

(Bulletin) Consternation reigns at Erfurt where the

K ing, the Queen , and t he Duke ofBrunswick still are .

But while they deliberate the French army is marching .

Ever since the campaign Opened the weather has been

splendid, the country full ofsu pplies , t he soldiers healthya nd s tron g . The men cover ten leagues in a day

’

s march ,

wi thout a s traggler ; the army has never been so fi t .


carried o u t some splendid manoeuvres against the Pru s

sians . I wo n a great v ictory yesterday . They numbered

men ; I made prisoners , captured 1 00

gun s and some flags . I was faced by the King ofPrussia ;I nearly captured him and the Queen as well . I have

bivouacked these last two days, and am in splendid health .

The Duke ofBrunswick, General Ruchel are killed ;Prince Henry ofPrussia is severely wounded ; many generals and Officers of rank are wounded . The losses oftheFrench army are comparatively slight . Marshal Davout,at Naumburg, prevented the enemy from passin g . He

fought there all day and routed over men . His

army corps covered itself with glory . The Queen ofPrussia was pursued by a squadron ofhussars ; she had toseek refuge in Weimar, and left only three hours before

o u r advance reached the plac e.

1 6th ,Weimar

,7 A . M .

(To Marshal Davout . ) My Cousin : I con gratulate yo u

with all my heart o n your splendid conduct . I regret the

brave men yo u have lost ; but they are dead o n the field ofhonour . Inform your corps and your generals ofmy satisfact io n . They have forever acquired a claim o n my

esteem and my gratitude .

Erfurt has capitulated ; there are prisoners ,

among them the Prince ofOrange and Field MarshalIVI o ellendo rf.1 7 th . The Emperor is quartered in t he palace of

Weimar, occupied b u t a few days previously by the

Queen of Prussia . I t appears that what was sa id ofher

E T . 3 7] A D I A R Y 247

is true : she was here t o fan the flames of war . She is a

pretty woman , but lacking sense, and incapable offoreseeing the consequences of what she is doing .

1 9th . The first object ofthe campai gn 1 s accomplished ;Saxony, Westphalia, and all the country on the left bank

of the Elbe, are freed from the presence ofthe Prussianarmy . That army , defeated and relentlessly pursued fo rmore than fifty leagues, is now without guns , without

transport, without generals , reduced to less than a third

ofwhat it was a week ago ; and, which is even worse, ithas lost its morale an d

'

self-co n fiden ce .

20th . The Grand Duke ofBerg, with Marshals Soultand Ney , has invested Magdeburg .

(To Marshal Soult . ) Don’t let yourself be blinded by

good fortune, and keep o n your guard .

21 st . (To Marshal Bernadotte . ) The Emperor is ex

t remely dissatisfied at your n o t carryin g out the order you

received yesterday to march on Kalbe . His Majesty

reminds you in this connection that yo u took no part in

the battle ofJena . The Emperor has made up his mind

t o let you know his views on the matter, because he is not

accustomed to have his manoeuvres spoiled by ~

empty

disputes of etiquette .

22d, Dessau :

I am across the Elbe ; all is going well .

Immediately aft er the battle the King ofPrussia sentme an aide-de-camp with a letter . To-day he has sent me

Marquis Lucchesini . I had him stopped at the outposts,and sent Duroc to find out what he wanted . I am await

ing h is return . The King seems to have made up his mind

to make peace . I am willing ; but that will not hinder my


going to Berlin, which I expect to reach in four o r five

days .

23d, Wittenberg

(To Marshal Davout . ) Order your march so as toenter Berlin o n the 25 th at noon .

(To Marshal Bernadotte . ) I have your letter . It is n o t

my habit to recriminate over the past, since it cannot

be altered . Your corps was not in the battle, and that

might have proved disastrous .

25 th , Potsdam :

(Bulletin) The Emperor reached Potsdam yesterday,and took up his quarters in the Palace ; in the evenin g

he visited the new palace ofSans Souci , and all the position s around Potsdam . He remained some time in the

room of the great Frederick, which is still furnished and

hung as it was when he died .

26th . (To the army . ) We have reached Potsdam and

Berlin even before the renown ofyour v ictories . We havecaptured prisoners, 65 flags , including those ofthePrussian Royal Guard , 6000 cannon , 3 fortresses , more

than 20 generals . And yet more than half ofyo u can complain ofhav ing had no opportunity Of firing a shot .Soldiers ! The Russians boast that they are marching

against us , we will move t o meet them , we will spare them

half the journey !

The Emperor has visited the tomb ofFrederick theGreat . I le has presented t o the Invalides at Paris , Freder

ick’

s sword , his ribbon of the Black Eagle, his General’

s

sash , and the standards carried by his Guard in the SevenYears ’ \Var .


quickly they will be too late . The Russians are still faraway , but an encounter is possib le .

6 th ,9 P . M .

~ (To the Empress . ) I have received the

letter in which yo u appear vexed about what I say ofwomen . It is true that I hate in triguing women above all

things . I am accustomed to kind , soft, amiable women ;they are those I am fond of. If they have spoiled me itis n o t my fault but yours . But yo u will see that I have

been kind to o n e who has shown herself good an d kind

hearted , Mme . de Hat zfeld . When I showed her her hus

band ’s letter, she sobbed and , with the greatest emotion

and naivete, said :! Yes , that is h is writing .

”

T o hear

her reading i t was pitiful . It was most painful , and I said

t o her :! Well , Madam , throw the letter in the fire ; then

it wi ll n o longer be in my power t o harm your husband .

”

She burned the letter and seemed very happy . Her hu s

band has n o t been troubled since ; two hours later it would

have been all up with him . So you see that I do likewomen who are good , kind , and naive ; but then they are

the only ones who are like yo u .

9 th . (To the Empress . ) Good news ! Magdeburg hassurrendered ; and at L i i b eck , o n the 7 th , men , who

fo r a week had escaped , were taken prisoners . So the

whole army is captured ; Prussia has n o t men left

beyond the Vistula .

L ti b eck was stormed by the Gran d Duke ofBerg , thePrince ofPonte Corvo , andMarshal Soul t . The slau ghter

was awful . On the following day what was left ofB 10cher

’

s corps , men , surrendered .

1 l th . (To Sultan Selim . ) Most High , Most Excellent ,

E r . 37 ] A DIARY 25 1

Most Powerful , Most Magnanimous and Invincible

Prince, great Emperor of the Mussulmans , Sultan Selim,

my very clear an d perfect friend , may Go d increase your

glory and power !

On the very day when our enemies summoned you to

give up Moldav ia and Wallachia, on the plea ofmy disasters, I was gaining a memorable victory at Jena, and

marching to further triumphs . The troops ofPrussia areeither destroyed o r captured . The whole country is mine .

With men I am pursuing my successes and I will

not make peace until you are once more in possession of

the Principalities . Take courage . Fate has declared that

your Empire is t o stand ; it is my mission to save it ; and Idiv ide with you the fruits ofmy victories . The momenthas come when the Sublime Porte must recover its energy

and send forth its armies . I know that the Russians are

withdrawing their forces ; they are marching o n me ; I will

seek them out forthwith .

Given in o u r Imperial Palace of Berlin, this 1 l th day ofNovember, 1 806 .

21 st . The British Isles are declared in a state ofblockade . All commerce and correspondence with the British

Isles are hereby forbidden .

(To Champagny . ) I have read some extremely badstanzas that are being sung at the Opera . Is there a de

liberate intention , then , in France , to degrade literature?

Convey my displeasure to M . de Lucay, and forbid an y

thing being sung at the Opera that is unworthy of that

great theatre . An Obvious thing to have done was tohave ordered a fine cantata to celebrate the 2d of Decem


ber . As literature belongs to your department , I think

yo u had better look after it, for really what they a re

singing at the Opera only degrades it .

23d. The Emperor spent the day in reviewing the

infantry ofthe 4th Corps . He made promotions and distributed rewards in all the regiments .

I assembled the Officers and men ; I asked themwho haddone well ; and I promoted those who could read and write .

25 th , K ii st rin

I hope to get news from the outposts to—day .

27th , M iserit z , 2 A . M .

(To Josephine . ) I am entering Poland ; this is its first

city ; to-night I shall be at Posen . After that I w ill sendto have yo u come to Berlin , so that yo u may reach there

the very day I return . My health is good ; the weatheris rather bad, we have had rain for three days .

Yesterday the Grand Duke ofBerg was following hardon the Russians, and was o n e day

’s march from Warsaw .

29th , Posen :

The Poles are exceedin gly well disposed . They are

forming corps ofhorse and foot with great activity . They

show eagerness to recover their independence : the nobility ,clergy and peasants are all ofthe same min d .

Decemb er 1 st . TO -morrow I go to a ball given me by thenobili ty . All the ladies have been presented t o me ; it is

the first time since the destruction ofPolan d that theyhave attended an official funct ion . All the educated

people speak French , and the peasants love France .


(To Josephine . ) Th isi

is the anniversary ofAusterlitz . I have been to a ball ; it is raining ; I am well . I love

yo u and want you . The weather has n o t yet turned cold .

All these Polish women are French . There is only o n e

woman in the world fo r me ; do you kn ow her by anychance ? I could draw her port rait ; but I should have to

flatter t o o much before yo u would recognise her ; how

ever, truth b e told , my.

heart could only find nice things

t o say to yo u . These solitary nights are very long .

5 th . (To the King of Naples . ) Send me all the Polishofficers you have . Poland is in full insurrection . Troops

are being raised o n all sides .

9th . (To the Grand Duke of Berg . ) Have proclama

tions printed urging the soldiers ofPrussian and RussianPoland to desert and to range themselves under their own

national flag, and have them distributed everywhere by

o u r outposts .

l 0th . Boots ! Boots ! Give your most prompt attention

t o the matter .

(To Josephine . ) I am pretty well . The weather is very

changeable . I love y o u , and want you badly . Good-bye ,dear friend ; I shall write t o you t o come with at least asmuch pleasure as yo u w ill come .

1 2th . (To Champagny . ) Literature needs encourage

ment . Y o u are its offi cial head . Propose some means ofshaking up the various branches ofliterature that have solong distinguished o u r country .

7 P . M : Pa ’

er , the famous musician , is here with hiswife and Brizzi ; they perform a lit t le music fo r meevery even ing .

1 4th . (To the G rand Duke ofBerg . ) With such a

arr . 3 7 ] A DIARY 5

large force of cavalry you should be able to cut the road

from Pultusk to Koenigsberg, and inflict some damage

o n the enemy’s rearguard . Your cavalry should crush

them , and throw them into utter confusion , and give

them the idea that you have mounted men , which

is what you had better say openly . Always speak of the

cavalry as men , and ofthe infantry asIf the enemy retire , my infantry will be useless ; we canonly get at them with cavalry , and that is your business .

1 5 th . (To Cambaceres . ) My Cousin : I have received

your letter of the 4th of December . I have a lso the

pamphlet o n Poland , which appears to be fairly good .

See if M . d’

H au terive couldn ’t write a little book under

the title : The threeparti ti o n s ofP o land Y o u need not give

away 700 copies ; that is unnecessary ; better sell them .

(To Louis , King of Holland . ) Send me all English re

ports that are circulating in your trading centres . The

blockade will ruin many commercial cities , Lyons , Amsterdam, Rotterdam ; but we must get past this stage ofuncertainty ; we must be done with the thing . Keep

your warships fully equipped , as that keeps the English

at work . All my efforts are o n land ; it is w ith my armiesthat I expect t o reconquer the Cape and Surinam . Come,show energy ! Energy ! It is only by defying the Opinionsof the weak and the ignorant that one can achieve the

happiness of a nation .

1 9th Warsaw

I arrlved at Warsaw at midn ight .23d, near Okunin

Order for Marshal Lannes ’ light cavalry t o cross thebridge over the Narew t o -night .


29th , Golymin

(To Josephine . ) Only o n e line, dear friend ; I am ina wretched barn . I have defeated the Russians ; I have

captured their baggage , 3 0 guns , and 6000 prisoners .

But the weather is awful ; it is raining and the mud is

u p t o o u r knees . In a co u ple of days I shall be (back)at Warsaw and will write .

(T o Cambaceres . ) Y o u wi ll see from the bulletins the

brilliant successes we have obtained over the Russian

army . Had it not been for inclement weather they

would have been even greater . I think the campaign

is over . The enemy have retired behind swamps and

deserts . I am going into winter quarters .3 l st , Pultusk :

(To Josephine . ) I laughed heartily over your last

letter . Y o u exaggerate the attractions of the beauties of

Poland .

(To Fouche. ) R ayn o u ard might easily produce good

work if only he could get well into the spirit ofthe tragedyofthe Ancients : Fate pursued the family ofthe Atridae,and the heroes were guilty yet n o t criminal ; they shared

the crimes ofthe gods . In modern narrative this ideacould n o t be employed , but only the force Of circumstances in its stead ; a policy may lead to a catastrophe

without any real crime being committed .

If Chenier indulges in the least sally I shall order him

sent t o the islan d ofSainte Marguerite . The time fo rjoking has passed . Let him behave ; that

’s the only privi

lege he’

s go t .


All your wishes shall be complied with . Your country

w ill become more dear to me ifyo u take compassion o n

my poor heart . N .

1 4th . Until the affairs ofPoland are definitely regulated by a treaty ofpeace , the administration shall beent rusted to a Prov isional Government .

1 sth . (To the Countess Walewska . ) Marie, my sweetMarie , my first thought is for you , my first wish is to see

yo u again . Y o u will come again , will yo u not Y o u have

promised that yo u would . If not, the eagle would wing

its way t o yo u !

23d. (To Josephine . ) It is out ofthe question that Ishould allow women to undertake such a journey : bad

roads, unsafe , and quagmires . Go back to Paris ; be gay

and happy ; perhaps I shall soon be back myself . I

laughed over your saying that yo u had taken a husband

to live with him ; in my ignorance I supposed that the

wife was made for the husband, the husband for hi s

country , his family, and fame ; excuse my ignorance , o n e

is always learning at the hands ofo u r pretty women .

Good-bye , dear friend ; pray believe that I regret notbe ing able to send for you ; say t o yourself : Here is a proof

of how precious I am to him .

27 th . (To Baron La B o u illerie . ) I wish yo u to buy

5 per cents when they fall below 78, and that no o n e

should know it is yo u buying .

The enemy seem t o be manoeuvring with a view to

holding Elbing . Su ch being the case , I am ra ising my

camps to make a countermarch . It appears that General

Bennigsen commands the army n ow .

arr . 37] A DIARY 9

-28th . (To the King of Naples . ) M on sieu rmon Frere It

was not w ithout keen emotion that I received the letterof Your Majesty and your good wishes for my happiness .

Your destiny, my'

successes, have placed vast countries

between us : you in the south touch the Mediterranean ; Itouch the Baltic ; but by the combination of our efforts

we tend towards the same result . Your kingdom is rich

and populated ; by the grace of Go d it will become power

ful and happy . Accept my most sincere wishes fo r theprosperity of your reign, and always rely on my fraternal

affection .

3 0th . I am starting, in the saddle, at 5 A . M .

Orders for headquarters to. move immediately, to reach

Makow to-night .

Przasnysz

As the enemy are pushing the Prince of Ponte Corvo’s

corps, we must keep close to the wind so that they can’t

get away again . We shall have news to-night .

3 1 st , Willenberg :

The whole army is marching .

F ebru ary l st . (To the Empress . ) Your letter of the

20th of January has pained me ; it is altogether too de

pressed . The mischief is that you ’ve got no religion !

Y o u say that happiness makes your joy : that is not gener

ous ; you should say the happ'

of others makes my

joy : that is not conjugal ; yo u ld say, the happiness

ofmy husband makes my jo y : that is not maternal ; youshould say the happiness of my children makes my joy ;and since the nations, your husband , your children can

not be happy without a little glory , you must n o t say fie

to it . Josephine, your heart is excellent , but your mind is


weak ; your instinct is sure, but your reason ing not alto

gether so .

Come, no more quarrelling ; I want yo u gay and con

tented with your lot , and obeying not with tears and

scolding , but with a joyous heart, and not unhappily .

Good-bye, dear friend , I am offto my outposts to-night .

I am manoeuvring against the enemy ; unless they

retreat promptly I may possibly cut them off.2d. I have just finished reading Lacretelle ’s H i sto ry

ofthe Di recto i re.

3d, Passenheim

Up to the present we keep pushing the enemy b ack .

One can see that o u r movement has alarmed them ; and

that they are trying to meet it . The country reports from

all sides are to the effect that they are in full retreat .

5 th , SchlittI am pursuing the Russian army . I have driven it from

every position . I shall throw it back beyond the Niemen .

7th , Eylau :

Parts of the two armies passed the night ofthe 6th tothe 7 th in each other

’

s presence . The enemy retreated

during the night .

At dawn the French advance guard started and go tinto contact with the enemy ’s rearguard between the

wood and the little town ofEylau . Several regiments ofthe enemy

’

s light infantry that held i t were attacked and

in part captured . We soon reached Eylau and found the

enemy in position .

9 th . We had a great battle yesterday ; victory is mine ,

but my losses are very heavy ; the enemy’s losses , which


columns . Meanwhile Marshal Davout’

s corps was de

b o u ching o n the enemy’

s flank . The snow, which fell

at intervals through the day , had also retarded his ad

vance and the formation of his attack .

The victory , long uncertain , was wo n when Marshal

Davout gained the plateau and o u tflan ked the en emy,who , after desperate efforts to regain their ground , fell

back in retreat .

The army w ill return t o its cantonments and take upwinter quarters again .

1 4th . The country is covered with dead and wounded .

1 8th , Landsberg :

The army is going into quarters . I am anxious it should

have a month o r six weeks’ rest .

The battle ofEylau was at first claimed as a victory byseveral of the enemy ’s generals . At Koenigsberg this was

believed during the whole of the morning ofthe 9th .

M arch l st , Osterode :

(To the King ofNaples . ) The staff, colonels , offi cers ,have not undressed in two months , some n o t in four ; Imyself have gone two weeks without getting out ofmyboots ; we are in the midst ofsnow and mud , withoutwine ,without brandy, without bread , eating potatoes and

meat , making long marches and countermarches , without

any kind ofluxury , and fighting with bayonets and

grapeshot ; the wounded often compelled to go fifty leagues

in open sleighs . Therefore it is a pretty poor joke to

compare us with the army ofNaples , making war in alovely country, where o n e can get wine, o il, bread , cloth,sheets , social life , and even women . After having de~

stroyed the Prussian monarchy, we are fightin g against

m'r . 3 7] A DIARY 263

what is left ofthe Prussians,against the Russians, the

Kalmucks, the Cossacks, the northern tribes that long

ago invaded the Roman Empire . We are making war inthe strictest sense of that term . In the midst of these

great fatigues we have all been more or less sick . Asfo rmyself I have never been stronger, and have become

fatter .

5 th . I am displeased with the absurd notes insertedin the M o n i teu r . Berthier wrote from the battlefield,in a state offatigue, and with no idea that his messagewould get into print .

1 1 th . (To General Clarke . ) Colonel Aubert’s report

makes me laugh . We may conclude that that officer,finding himself in a fire that was too ho t for him, lost his

head ; that is the thing to say to M . de Bray . The battle

was won by four o ’clock in the afternoon, when Marshal

Davout was fully engaged . I was rather exposed to ar

tillery fire, but it was necessary . It is possible that to a

person who did not realize what was happenin g the battle

appeared doubtful ; but I , kn owmg that my columns were

arriving, could be anxious only about the half hour’s snow

we got . Asfo r French having been routed, that is

a horrible calumny ; a few laggards and wagons took to

fl ight because the cry was raised that the Cossacks were

o n them ; it resulted in the - stampede of800 o r 900 led

horses . The colonel has magnified this into the flight ofmen . Had he been at Marengo, at Rivoli, and at

twenty other battles I have fought, he would understandthat to go under fire and to encourage the troops in per

so n is not of necessity to consider that a battle is lost .

In any case, it’s all a pack oflies ; this officer was pre


sumab ly not there , for I was not o n footfo r one momentofthe battle .

1 2th . (To Talleyrand . ) I have rations ofbiscuit at Warsaw ; it takes eight days to get from Warsaw to Osterode ; perform miracles and be sure to sen d

us rations a day . T o defeat the Russians is child’s

play, provided I can get bread . The importance oftheduty I set you is greater than all the negotiations in the

world .

1 3 th . The weather is cold again . There is nothing new,

small outpost affairs ofno importance . We are resting

a little . I am making use ofthis to secure supplies , toblockade Dantzig, and to make ready for its siege .

1 4th . An alliance with Russia would be very valuable .

Only women and children are capable ofsupposing that(I) would go and lose myself in the deserts ofRussia .

1 5 th . The Munich Gazette states that the Russians

wo n the battle ofEylau .

20th . (To Daru . ) I have received y our letter ofthe1 8th of March . I do not share your views in any part icu

lar . Order all the employés to rejoin . I have been makingwar for a good long time . Carry o u t my orders without

discussion . Your arguments are bad ; I have been telling

yo u so fo r three months ; yo u persist in your opinion .

Y o u say that we can withdraw one o r two employés from

Erfurt ; my purpose is to withdraw every o n e . Repeat

you r orders . If I accepted all your arguments I would n o t

have 6000 men with the army ; and if I accepted the

arguments ofevery governor ofa fortress my whole armywould not suffi ce t o hold the country . The question fo ryou is not, therefore , is such and such an cmployé useful


sinister effect o n me when I read his letters . Tell him thatit is contrary to etiquette , and that one never writes t o a

superior displaying the tokens ofa personal grief .A pr il 2d, Finkenstein :

I have placed my headquarters here, in a countrywhere forage is plentiful , and where my cavalry can be

maintained . I am in a splendid castle with chimneys ina ll the rooms , which is a very pleasant thing .

4th . I am offto-night at a gallop for Warsaw , which

I shall reach to-morrow . I shall stay two days to give

audiences to the Persian and Turkish ambassadors , and

to make some administrative arrangemen ts .

(To the King ofHolland . ) A prince who in the first

year ofhis reign gets so great a reputation for b en evolence is a prince who in the second year is despised . The

affection inspired by kings must be a virile o n e , a blend

ofrespectful fear and of high esteem . When it is said ofaking that he is a good man , the reign is a failure .

Your quarrels with the Queen are known to the public .

Show in your private life the paternal and soft character

that yo u display in your administration , and in you r ad

ministration the rigour you display in your family life .

Y o u treat your youn g wife as though she were a regiment .

Le t her dance as much as she likes , she is just ofthe age .

I have a wife offorty , and from the battlefield I writeto her t o go and dance, but you expect a young woman

oftwenty to live in a Cloister, to be like a nurse , alwayswashing the baby ! Y o u put t o o much ofyourself in yourprivate , and n o t enough in your public , l ife . I t is only the

interest I feel in yo u makes me tell yo u all this . Y o u

ought to have been given a wife , like some ofthose I have

m . 3 7] A DIARY 267

known in Paris . She would have fooled you when your

back was turned , andkept you at her knees . It is not my

fault , fo r I have told her so .

As for the rest, you may do foolish things in your own

kingdom ; that is all right : but I have no intention that

yo u should do the same in mine . You offer your Orders

to everybody ; many individuals who have not the least

claim have written to me about them . I am annoyed that

you do not perceive how this transgresses what is due

from you to me . My intention is that none of my subjects

shall wear your Orders, as I myself am resolved n o t to

wear them . If you ask for my reasons , my answer must

be that you have as yet accomplished nothing to deserve

that men should wear your portrait on their breasts .

6th . (To Cambaceres . ) I have received your letter of

the 27th of March , and regret to see that your health

is not good . If you would stop drugging yourself yo uwould be a great deal better ; but it

’

s the inveterate habit

of the inveterate bachelor !

1 2th . (To M . Talleyrand, Prince ofBenevento . )General Gardanne wishes to proceed to Persia . Maret

will draw up his credentials and instructions . They turn

o n (the following) pointsInvestigate the resources ofPersia from the military

point of View , studyin g particularly the obstacles that

would have to be overcome by a French army of

men marching to India with the help of the Persian and

Turkish governments . Deal with Persia ln regard to‘

England by urging her to prevent the passage of English

dispatches and messages, and t o hamper the trade of the

East India Company in every way possible .


1 3 th . The trenches have been opened against Dantz ig . I hope t o have the city in a month , if o ur gunpo wder

holds o u t .

1 4th . (T o Joseph . ) Since you ask fo r my views o n

Neapolitan affairs, I must tell yo u that I do n o t like the

preamble (t o the decree) for the suppression of the monas

teries . In matters that touch religion , the wordin g should

be in terms ofreligion and n o t ofphilosophy . That is the

great art ofthe ruler, o n e which the man ofletters doesnot possess . The secret of it lies in giving to each edict

the style and the character ofthe special craftsman itinvolves . Now a learned monk , who should be in favourofthe suppression ofthe monasteries , would not haveexpressed himself in that manner . Men will accept mis

fortune ifinsult be n o t added .

1 9th . (Notes ) There have been historiographers of

France , but it is true to say that they have accomplished

nothing . And yet an institution ofthis sort might serve apurpose ; but it would be best to avoid the word bi stori

o grapher. It is accepted that the historian is a judge whois t o be t he organ ofposterity , and so many qualities, somany perfections , are expected ofhim that it is diffi cult t obelieve that a good history can be made to order . What

can b e obtained to order from men ofwell-regulatedt alent are historical monographs , the results oflaboriousresearch , se t t ing o u t authent ic documen ts , w ith criticalobservations that tend t o clear u p o u r View ofevents . Ifthese researches and these documents are framed in a

good narra t ive , a piece ofwork ofthis sort w ill hear somesort ofresemb lan ce to his tory , and yet its au thor would

n o t b e a historian in the sense in which we use the word .


ofthe crown . He takes very little heed ofthe advicethat I give him , but I continue offering it to him , and

in time experience will show him that he has made

many mistakes . I am very well . We are at last getting

signs ofsummer .l oth . (To Josephine . ) I have your letter . I don

’t

know what you mean by ladies who correspon d with me .

I love only my little Josephine , good , sulky , capricious ,who can quarrel gracefully , as she does everything else,for she is always fascinating except when she is jealous ,and then she becomes a little devil.

l t . There should be at Toulon better frigates than

the M a i ro n . I want that ship , which brought me back

from Egypt , to be kept as a monument, and placed so

that it may be preserved , if possible ,fo r several centuries .I would feel a superstitious foreboding if any misfortunehappened to the frigate .

926th . Dantzig has fallen : o u r troops entered the city

this morning .

J u n e 5 th . Marshal Ney sends me word that he was

attacked this morning at six . Is i t a real attack P I shall

know in a few hours . I have ordered my cavalry to con

centrate . We shall soon be o n the move .

It would suit me if the enemy are sparing me the trou

ble ofseeking them o u t . I had intended t o open opera

tions o n the 1 0 th .

6 th . The armies are manoeuvring . It looks as though

the enemy did n o t know what they are about, since

after havin g allowed us to capture Dantzig they arenow jamming themselves up against o u r fortified positions .

m . 37] A DIARY

8 P . M

What will the enemy do ? Will they continue marching

on Allenstein, while we still occupy Liebstadt? All this

may result in some curious events . I shall reach Saal

feld in an hour .

7 th , Saalfeld

I am still guessing as to what the enemy really in

tended . To-day I am bringing together at Mohrungen

my infantry and cavalry reserves ; I shall try to get at

the enemy and fight a general action to finish the busi

ness .

(To Bernadotte . ) You will find Talleyrand at Dantzig .

Y o u had better reassure him , as he is fairly frightened .

8th , Alt Reichau

I made a feint against the enemy this morning at eight.

They showed about 20 guns, infantry, and 7000

o r 8000 cavalry .

1 3 th , Eylau

(T o the Grand Duke ofBerg . ) If the enemy should

show up at Domnau to-day yo u might still push Mar

shal Soult o u t towards Koenigsberg, placing Marshal

Davout between Domnau and Koenigsberg, to oppose

the march ofthe enemy ’s army .

The enemy ’s movements are quite undecided .

3 P . M

(T o Marshal Lannes . ) I want your whole corps in

position at Domnau, with outposts towards Friedland .

9 P . M

(To Lannes . ) My staff officer has just come in . He does

not give me suffi cient information to judge if it is the

27Q THE CORSICAN [1 807

enemy ’s army that is debouching at Friedlan d, o r only

a detachment . Marshal Mortier is moving his cavalryto support yours, and is startin g with his corps . Subjectto the information I may receive, I shall send Marshal

Ney to your support at o n e in the morning .

1 4th , bivouac n ear P o sthen en

At three we heard the cannon . The enemy was de

b o u ch in g by the bridge at Friedland.

(Orders ) Marshal Ney will command o n the right,supporting the position ofGeneral Oudin o t . Marshal

Lannes will be in the centre, from Heinrichsdorf t o aboutopposite Po sthen en . The grenadiers ofOudin o t will beara little to the left, to draw the enemy in that direction .

Marshal Lann es w ill deploy o n as great a depth as he can ,and may therefore form two lines . Marshal Mortier willbe o n the left . General Victor and the Imperial Guardwill be in reserve and will form behind Po sthen en . I will

be wi th the reserve . The advance must always be rightwing forward, and it must be left to Marshal Ney to

begin the movement ; he will wait fo r my orders beforeadvancing .

As soon as the right goes forward , the artillery must

redouble its fire along the whole line in the proper direc

tionfo r protecting this wing .

Have yo u a good memory

(Marbot : Pret ty fair, sire . )lVell, what ann iversary is this to-day , the 1 4th ofJune ?(Tha t ofMarengo . )Y es , yes , tha t ofMaren go ; and I am going to drub the

Russians , jus t as I drubbed the Austrians


pa ign , we have captured 1 20 guns, 7 flags , killed,wounded , o r captured Russians, taken the en

emy ’s magazines , ambulances , and hospitals , the fortress

ofKoenigsberg, 3 00 ships that were in its port ladenwith military supplies, muskets that England

had sent to arm o u r enemies .

From the banks ofthe Vistula we have darted to thoseofthe Niemen with the swiftness ofthe eagle . At Auster

litz yo u celebrated the anniversary ofthe coronation ;this year yo u have worthily commemorated the battle ofMarengo which brought the war ofthe Second Coalitiont o an end .

Frenchmen , yo u have been worthy ofyourselves andofme . Y o u will return to France covered with laurels ,and after hav ing secured a glorious peace containing

guaranteesfo r its permanence . The end must come , and

o u r country must be able t o l ive quietly, freed from the

malign influence ofEngland . The rewards I will grantwill prove all my gratitude and my affection for yo u .

24th . The Emperor ofRussia is within a league, and ,I am told , desires an interview . I do n o t much care about

it, and yet I shall n o t refuse . Things are quite differentn ow .

Duroc went offat three in the afternoon to present mycompliments to the Emperor Alexander .

95 th . I have just seen the Emperor Alexander in the

midst ofthe Niemen o n a raft o n which was erected a

splendid pavilion . I am very pleased with him ; he isa handsome and excellent young Emperor

, and has more

intelligence than is genera lly supposed . He is coming to

stay in the town ofTilsi t .

E T . 3 7] A DIARY 275

3 0th . The Emperor ofRussia and the King ofPrussiaare both staying here, and dine with me every day .

J u ly 3d. (To Fo u ché . ) See to it that n o more abuse

ofRussia takes place, directly or indirectly . Everything

points to our policy being brought into line with that ofthis Power on a permanent basis .

5 th . TheQueen of Prussia had decided ability, a good

education and fine manners ; it was she, really, had reigned

for more than fifteen years ; and, in spite of all my effortsand skill, she retained command of o u r conversation, and

always go t back to her subject, perhaps even too much

so, and yet with perfect propriety and in a manner that

aroused no antagonism . In truth , the matter was an

important o n e fo r her, and time was short and precious .

I proceeded to call o n her, but she received me on the

tragic note, like Chimene Sire, Justice ! Justice ! Mag

deb u rg ! She continued after this fashion, which em ~

b arrassed me very much ; at last, to shift the ground, Iasked her to sit down, there is nothing that cuts into a

tragic scene better, for when people are seated, it becomes

a comedy . She had o n a superb collar of pearls ; so I com

plimen t ed her on them :— Ah ! what lovely pearls !

6th . The beautiful Queen of Prussia dines with me

to-night .

(To the Emperor ofRussia . ) I am sending a summaryto your Majesty ofthe difii cu lt ies our negotiators havemet with , and a mez z o termi n e that disposes of them . Ihope Your Majesty will approve,fo r I should be glad tohear that the treaty of peace can be signed this very day .

7th . (To Josephine .) The Queen ofPrussia dined with


me yesterday . I had to defend myself from making someconcessions she wanted t o obtainfo r her husband . I was

merely gallant, and stuck to my policy . She is very agree

able .

She was tormenting me for Magdeburg ; she wantedto obtain a promise from me . I kept refusing politely .

There was a rose o n the chimney ; I took it, and offered it

to her . She drew her hand back, saying If it is with

Magdeburg !— I answered at o n ce z— But, Madam , it

is I am offering the rose ! After this conversation I co n

ducted her to her carriage ; sheaskedfo r Duroc, whom sheliked, and began t o cry , saying : I have been deceived !

I have just concluded peace . People tell me I am wrong

and that I shall be taken in ; but , faith , we have made

enough war, and must give the world repose .

9th . The Emperor Alexander and I parted t o -day after

spending twenty days together here . We gave o n e an

other tokens ofthe greatest friendship .

l 0th , Koenigsberg :

I am staying in the o ld castle , cradle ofthe Prussianmonarchy .

1 8th , Dresden

(T o Josephine . ) I reached Dresden yesterday at five

in the evening . I was o n e hundred hours in my carriage

without getting o u t . Here , I am the guest ofthe King ofSaxony , with whom I am very pleased . I am n ow halfwayback t o yo u . On e ofthese fine nights I shall turn u p atSaint Cloud like a jealous husband ; be warned

Q7S THE CORSICAN [1 807

century has reverted to the ignorance and the brutish

ness ofthe ninth century? Does he take me fo r Louisle Debonnaire ?

The present Pope has too much power ; priests are n o t

made to rule ; let them follow the example ofSt . Peter,St . Paul , and the holy Apostles , who were certainly worth

any Julius , Boniface, Gregory , o r Leo . Jesus Christ de

clared that his kingdom was n o t ofthis world . Why will

n o t the Popes render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s ?

Is he something greater o n earth than was Jesus Christ ?

But is there anything in common between the interests

ofreligion and the prerogatives of the Court ofRome ?Is religion to be based o n anarchy, on civil war, o n revolt ?

Is that preaching the doctrine ofJesus Christ ? The Popethreatens me with an appeal to the people . In truth , I

begin to blush and t o feel ashamed at all the foolery that

the Court of Rome makes me endure ; and perhaps it will

not be long, if they insist o n creatin g disturbances in my

States , before I refuse t o recognise the Pope as anything

more than bishop ofRome , the equal of , and o n the samerank as the bishops ofmy States . I would n o t hesitate

to convene the Gallican , Italian, German , and Polishchurches in a Council , to settle affairs without the Pope,and to protect my people against the pretensions oftheCourt ofRome . My crown proceeds from God and from

the will ofmy people ; only t o God and to my people am Ianswerablefo r it . For the Court ofRome I shall alwaysbe Charlemagne , and n ever Louis le Débonna ire .

Holy Father , this letter was n o t in tended to b e seen by

Your Holiness . I intreat yo u to put an end t o this quar

rel . The Emperor ’s complaint is justified .

”

E T . 37] A DIARY 9

Send this letter to the Pope, and inform me when M .

Alquier presents it .

29th , Saint Cloud

I have reached Paris in good health . A year ago Iarranged the marriage of Prince Jerome with the Princess

Catherine of Wi i rtemb erg ; it is to take place some time

this month .

A ugu st 2d. Unless England accepts the mediat ion ofRussia, Denmark will have to declare war against her, o r

I shall declare war against Denmark .

1 2th . (To Champagny . ) I would like you to write a

confidential letter to M . de Metternich in some such terms

as these : What vertigo has seized people at Vienna ?

What enemy threatens you Y o u are calling the whole

population to arms ; your princes beat up the country like

knights errant ; what would yo u say if your neighbours

did the same Do you wish to bring on a crisis Knowing

as we do that you have no alliance wi th Russia, the help

of England is clearly of n o service to yo u . The Emperor

cannot understand what you are about ; up to the present

he has taken no military steps . Can you inform me con

fiden t ially what it all means, and how we can prevent a

crisis occurring ?”

Make your letter pleasant, guarded in terms, con

fiden t ial in form but let them perceive clearly what will

happen .

26th . The English disembarked near Copenhagen o n

the l 6th . They are bombarding the city .

September 7th , Rambouillet

(To Eugene . ) Your aide-de-camp Bataille has lost his

dispatches ; he deserves to be punished ; place him under


arrestfo r a few days . I t is allowablefo r an aide-de-campto lose his breeches travelling, but never his dispatches

nor his sword .

l 6th . (To the Emperor Alexander . ) I thank Your

Majesty for your splendid gift offurs . I have nothing sofine to offer in return . I hOpe , however, that some poree

lain from Sevres which I am sending may prove accept

abl e .

I have no news from England , and have no idea as to

her policy . I am getting my fleet and my flo t illas ready,and I think the moment is n o t far offwhen we shall be ableto drive the English from the Continent .

28th , Fontainebleau

(To General Savary, at St . Petersburg . ) I have your

letter ofthe 9th . M . de Champagny is replying to it in

detail .

I had no notion you could be so gallant as now appears .However, the furbelowsfo r your fair Russian ladies shallbe sent . I wish to pay the account myself. When yo u

present them , you can say that I happened t o Open thedispatch in which you asked for them , and that I insisted

o n choosin g them myself . Y o u know my taste in frills

is pretty good . Talleyrand will sen d them some actors

and actresses .

Herewith yo u will find two letters for the Empress .You will only present them after hav ing first ascertained

that they w ill be politely received , an d answered .

Octo b er l s t . (T o Prin ce Eugene . ) My Son : The Em

press is sending a wreath ofHortensias to the V i cerez' rze.

I would like yo u to have i t valued, without the Princess’

knowledge , by some good jewellers , and to let me know


pire . The carrying o u t of these great works is as n eces

sary t o the prosperity ofmy people as it is to my o wn

satisfaction .

I also attach the utmost importance and the greatest

glory to stamping out pauperism . One must not live

w ithout leaving some evidence behind to commend one ’smemory to posterity .

1 5 th . (To Jerome Napoleon , King ofWestphalia . )My Brother : I inclose yo u herewith the Constitution ofyour kingdom . This Constitution embraces the condi

tions o n which I abandon my rights, wo n by conquest ,over your country . You must observe it strictly . DO n o t

listen to those who will tell you that your people, accus

t omed to servitude, will accept your benefits with in

gratitude . What the people ofGermany impatientlyexpect is that men who are not born noble, but who have

ability,should have an equal right to your regard and to

employment ; it is that all kinds ofserfage, and the intermediate stages between the sovereign and the people,should be entirely abolished . The benefits of the Code

Napoleon , the publicity oftrials, the establishment ofthejury , will distinguish your monarchy .

23d, Milan :

I have been at Milan these last two days .24 th . (To Joseph . ) I saw Lucien fo r several hours at

Mantua and talked with him . His manner ofthinkingand speaking are so far removed from mine that I could

hardly tell what he wanted . If only he would divorce

Mme . Jo u b erstho n I would n o t interfere with his tastes

o r affections .

Here is wha t I propose z let him promise to send his

m . 3 8] A DIARY 283

daughter t o Paris, and place her entirely at my disposal,for there is n o t a moment to lose, events are developing

rapidly, and my destiny must be accomplished .

Decemb er 6th , Venice :

(To Marshal Victo r . ) I have received the letter in

which yo u inform me that Prince Augustus is behavingbadly in Berlin . I am n o t surprised , because he has no

sense . He spent his time paying his attentions to Mme .

de Sta '

e’

l at Coppet, and could only have got bad notions

in that quarter . See that he is informed that the first time

he chatters yo u will have him arrested and sent to a

castle, and that youwill send him Mme . de Stae’

l for conso

lation . There is nothing so flat as these Prussi an princes !

(TO Maret . ) I see by your reports that conversationstill turns on subjects that must pain the Empress, and

that are in every way improper .1 7th , Milan :The British Isles are declared to be in a state of block

ade by sea as well as by land .

23d. (T0 General Clarke . ) Order General Dupont to

have his headquarters at Valladolid on the l 0th ofJanuary, to concentrate his corps there, keeping an eye

quietly o n the bridge over the Douro, and placing a de

t achmen t at Salamanca as though he intended to move

on Lisbon .

Order Marshal Moncey to organize the corps ofo b servation of the Atlantic Coast, and to enter Spain at once,

so that his leading division may reach Vittoria on the1 5 th of January .

J an u ary 4th , Paris

(To Jerome . ) I see that yo u propose giving the Fu rst

en stein property,with francs a year, toM . Lecamu s .

I cannot imagine a more absurd step . Since my reign b egan I have never ventured on a more arbitrary act . There

are more than ten men who have saved my life and to whom

I grant pensions ofn o t more than 600 francs . I haveMarshals who have won ten battles, who are coveredwith wounds, and whose reward has been less than what

yo u are giv ing to M . Lecamu s . If M . L ecamu s has

francs a year, what must I give to Marshals Berthier,Lannes , Bernadotte, who have wo n the throne o n which

yo u sit at the price ofcountless woundsFeb ru ary 2d. (To the Emperor of Russia . ) General

Savary has just arrived , and I have spent many hours

w ith him , talking about Your Majesty .

An army of men , made up ofRussians , OfFrench , perhaps even w ith a few Austrians, marching byway ofConstan t inople o n India , would no sooner reachthe Euphrates than England would tremble and be o n herkn ees t o the Cont inent . I am all ready in Dalmatia , and

so is Your Ma jesty o n the Danube . On e month after wehad con cluded an agreement o u r armies could be o n the

Bosphorus . The shock would reverberate to India , and

En gland would be con quered.

(To Caul aincourt . ) Y o u w ill find herew ith a letterfo rthe Emperor Alexander . I have no doubt that Tolstoi


95 th . (T o de Tournon . ) Proceed to Madrid by the

quickest way, and hand my letter to the King . Y o u willawait the answer, spending five o r six days in Madrid .

When yo u write by the courier ofM . de Beauharnais you

will give only vague information and nothing that could

raise the suspicion that y o u are informed as to my plans .

M arch 5 th . I may possibly start for Spain in less than

a week . I have men within 3 0 leagues ofMadrid .

Junot w ith men is in control ofLisbon and Portugal , and yet I have n o t brought a single man from the

Grand Army back t o France . I have nearly men

in Poland and o n the Oder . This year’s conscription is

being levied . But my expenses are enormous !

l 6th . (To the Grand Duke ofBerg . ) Continue to

talk smoothly . Reassure the K ing, the Prince of Peace,the Prince ofthe Asturias , the Queen . The great thing is

t o reach Madrid , t o rest your troops, and to collect sup

plies . Say that I shall soon be there to arrange and co n

ciliate everything .

25 th . We have reached the fifth act ofthe play , andshall soon get to the cl imax .

27 th . (To Louis Napoleon , King ofHolland . )l

Mybrother, the King ofSpain has just abdicated ; the PrinceofPeace has been put into prison ; an insurrection hasbroken o u t in Madrid . The Grand Duke ofBerg presumab ly entered the city o n the 93d at the head of

men . This bein g the state ofthings , I have thoughtofplacing y o u o n the throne ofSpain . Reply ca tegorically

what yo u have t o say t o this proposal .3 0 th . (To the G ran d Duke ofBerg . ) I have received

your letter, and those ofthe King ofSpain . Ge t the

a n . 38] A DIARY

Prince OfPeace o u t of the clutches of those people . Idon

’

t want any harm to happen to him . The King says

he is going to your camp . I am waiting to hear that he is

safely there before givin gyyo u instructions . You did right

in n o t reco gn 1 z 1n g the Prince of the Asturias . Get K ing

Charles IV into the Escurial if you can , treat h im with

the h ighest'

respect , and declare that he continues to gov

ern Spain until I recognise the revolution . I highly ap

prove all you have done .

A pri l 5 th , Bordeaux

I arrived here just when no one was expecting me .

9th . (To the Grand Duke ofBerg . ) I perceive that, as

a rule, yo u attach t o o much importance to the Opinion ofthe city of Madrid . It is not for

'

the sake of complying

with the whims ofthe population ofMadrid that I havebrought together such large armi es in Spain .

It is desirable that the Prince of t he Asturias should

come to meet me, in which case I would await him at

Bayonne .

1 2th . I am just starting for Bayonne . When I judge

the moment has come, I shall arrlve ln Madrid like a

cannon-ball .

1 5 th , Bayon'

ne

I reached Bayonne yesterday . I am expecting the

Prince ofthe Asturias, who now styles himself FerdinandVII ; he is near the frontier . I am also expecting theunfortunate Charles IV and the Queen .

1 7th . King Charles IV left the Escurial on the l 4th

he will therefore reach Burgos to-day or to-morrow . I

hope to see him here .

(To Prince Murat . ) If there should b e any excitement,

288 TH E.

CORSICAN [1 808

yo u can give out in the newspapers that the Frencharmies have moved into Spain for an expedi tion to Africa

,

and that I am to direct their movements in person from

Madrid ; that the Prince of Peace, thi nking I would in flu

ence the King, and influence him unfavourably to himself,became alarmed , and that all the trouble has come from

this .

(To Marshal B essmres . ) Ifthe Prince ofthe Asturiasshould attempt to turn back at Burgos, have him placed

under arrest, and send him to Bayonne .

1 8th . I have nearly men here in provisional

regiments . What with drill and exercise they are im

proving daily . They are all fine big boys oftwenty, andI am very pleased with them .

1 9th . The interests ofmy House and of my Empiredemand that the Bourbons should cease to reign in Spain !

Countries where monks (rule) are easy to conquer !

It might cost me men !

25 th . The Prince ofthe Asturias is here ; I am treatinghim well . I receive him at t he head of the stairs , but do

not accompany h im (to the door) .

The King and Queen will be here in a couple of days .The Prince ofPeace arrives to-night . The unfortunate

man excites pity . For a month he was between life anddeath , under constant threats . He never changed his

shirt during all that time, and had grown a beard seven

inches long .

96 th . (To Murat . ) It is time t o show energy . I assume

you will n o t spare the Madrid mob if it budges . A man

at the head of soldiers should n o t write such a


everything . It surpasses all o n e could imagine . They are

both ofthem dining w ith me . The Prince Of Peace lookslike a bull ; he is rather like Daru .

(To Charles IV . , ofi eri n g hi s arm. ) Lean o n my arm , I

am strong .

(To the Queen . ) Perhaps Your Majesty thinks I amgoing t o o fast

(The Queen : Well, sire, that is rather your habit !)

If this thing were going t o cost me men

I wouldn’t do it ; but it won’t take it ’s mere

child ’ s play . I don’t want to hurt anybody, but when

my great political chariot is rolling , it’s as well to stand

from under the wheels .

2d. As the Prince ofthe Asturias is not accommodating, it must all end in a crisis and an act ofmediation .

(To Murat . ) I am pleased with King Charles and the

Queen . I shall send them to Compiegne. I intend to

place the King ofNaples o n the Spanish throne . I propose

giv ing yo u the throne ofNaples o r of Portugal . Let meknow what yo u think ofit immediately , fo r the wholebusiness must be finished in o n e day .

5 th . (To the Prince ofthe Asturias . ) If you have notrecognised your father as your rightful sovereign before

midnight. and notified Madrid to that effect, you will betreated as a rebel .

6 lb . King Charles is an honest and good man . By the

treaty he transfers all his rights over the Spanish Crownto me .

The wors t ofthe jo b is done .

arr . 38] A DIARY 1

An insurrection broke o u t in Madrid on the 2d. Thirty

or forty thousand people collected in the streets, and in

the houses , firing from the windows . Two battalions of

the fusiliers ofthe Guard , with 400 o r 5 00 horse, restoredorder . More than two thousand Of the mob were killed .

1 8th . Order for the Grand Duke of Berg to move

General Dupont with his first division towards Cadiz .

2 1 st . All the talk about a divorce does a great deal ofharm ; it is as improper as it is hurtful .

28th . (T o Deeres . ) If we have 1 9 ofthe line in theMediterranean ; 3 in the Adriatic, at Ancona ; 20 at Flush

i n g ; 25 at Brest, Lorient , and Rochefort ; 2 at Bordeaux ;8 at Cadiz and Lisbon ; total 77 French ships, to which

add 1 0 that the King of Holland has in his port ; 1 for

Denmark ; 1 2 of the Emperor of Russia in the Baltic ;1 1 which the Emperor ofRussia has at Lisbon and Toulon20 ofthe Spaniards : total 5 4 ; this would form a mass of1 3 1 ships ; and if we were to deduct the 1 2Russians in the

Baltic, it would leave 1 1 9 under my direct control, and

backed up by camps Of7000 men at the Texel, ofmen at Antwerp , of men at Boulogne, of

at Brest, of at Lorient and at Rochefort, of6000Spaniards at Ferrol, of men at Lisbon, ofmen at Carthagena, of at Toulon, Of at

Reggio, and of at Taranto . That looks to me like

a chess board on which, without asking much ofFortune,o r demanding extraordinary skill from o u r seamen , we

should get very good results .

3 1 st . The bottom of the great questi on 1 5 : who shall

have Constantinople?

J u n e 3d. I have dictated orders for energetic steps to


be taken at Santander . That city apparently needs an

example . As the insurrection looks serious, we must act

with large numbers .

7 th . Dupont should have reached Cordova to-day .

9th . The King of Naples arrived here yesterday . He

is recognised as King ofSpain , and will start for Madrid .

He has already accepted the oaths ofallegiance ofseveralgrandees ofSpain who are here, ofthe deputation fromthe Council ofCastille , of the Council ofthe Indies , andofthe Inquisition .

Saragossa has raised the standard of revolt .

1 3 th . (To Murat . ) I am sending General Savary tohelp yo u . I regret your illness from every. point ofView .

1 6th . General Lefebvre found the army ofthe rebelsofSaragossa, commanded by Palafox , o n some heights .

General Le febvre marched straight on the enemy, struck

them in flank , and did great execution .

1 7th . (To Cambaceres . ) My Cousin : I hear that ext ravagan t reports are circulated at Fouche

’

s . Since the

rumours ofa divorce were first started , I am told thatit is a constant topic at his receptions , although I have

expressed my opinion o n the matter to him ten times .

Have a talk w ith Fouche’ and tell him it is time peoplestopped Speaking in this way, and that the thing is scandalo u s .

3 0 th , Marracq

It is very desirable that Saragossa should surrender

promptly ; i t appears that such an event would greatly

influence the submission Of Spa in .

J u ly l s t . Ifi t is t ru e tha t (the t roops from) the campOfG ibral tar have marched o n Cordova , i t may b e that


dispersed their army . The army charged to the shout ofV i ve l

’

Empereu r, and N0 mo re B o u rb o n s i n E u rope.

1 9 th , Bayonne

(To Joseph Napoleon , King Of Spain . ) l\ly Brother

Y o u should not be surprised at havin g t o conquer your

kingdom . Philip V and Henry IV had to conquer theirs .

Keep your spirits up , don’t allow yourself t o be depressed,

and never for o n e moment doubt but that matters will

finish better and more quickly than yo u imagine .

25 th , Toulouse :

Austria is arming , but denies it ; she is therefore arming

against us . She is spreading the report that I demand

some ofher prov inces : she is therefore trying to cloak asa rightful defence an unprovoked and hopeless attack .

Since Austria is arming , we t o o must arm . I am therefore

ordering the Grand Army to be reinforced . My troops

are concentrating at Strassburg , Main z , Wesel .

3 1 st , Bordeaux

(T o Joseph . ) I don’t like the tone ofyour letter ofthe

24th . There is no question ofdying, but offighting, andofbeing victorious . I shall find in Spain the pillars ofHercules , n o t the bounds ofmy power . In all my militarycareer I have seen nothing more cowardly than these mobs

Of Spanish soldiers .Y o u must support Dupont . Don

’t be uneasy as to the

outcome Of all this business .A ugu st l st . I can see from the report of the cuirassier

officer that Dupont ’s corps will have to retreat . The

whole thing is inconceivable .

2d. Bru te ! Fool ! Coward ! Dupont has lost Spain to

save his baggage !


It ’s a spot on my uniform !

3d. (To General Clarke . ) The inclosed documents are

for you alone ; read them with a map, and yo u will be able

to judge whether there was ever anything since the world

was created so senseless, so stupid, and so dastardly !

Here are the Macks and the H o hen lo hes justified ! One

can see clearly enough , by General Dupont’s own report,

that all that happened resulted from his inconceivable

folly . This loss of picked men, with the moral

effect which it is bound to have, has made the King take

the grave decision of falling back towards France . The

influence which it will have on the general situation pre

vents my going to Spain in person ; I am sending Marshal

Ney there .

(To Joseph . ) The knowledge that yo u have beenthrown into the midst ofevents that are beyond yourrange ofexperience and of character grieves me, my dearfriend . Dupont has covered our standards with infamy .

An event like this makes my presence in Paris necessary.

I feel the sharpest pang at the thought that at su ch a

moment I cannot be at your side and in the midst of my

soldiers . Let me know that you are keeping your spiritsup , that yo u are well , and getting used to soldiering,here is a splendid opportunity for studying the business .

5 th , R o ehefo rt :I have ordered the l st corps of the Grand Army, the

6th corps and two divisions ofdragoons back to Mainz .

6th . Lisbon is threaten ed by an English expedition

and by an insurrection . Part of the Spanish army has

gone over to the English, and the ‘

sit u at io n looks very

grave .


l 6 th , Saint Cloud

What is going o n in Spain is lamentable . My army is

not commanded by generals who have made war, but bypostal inspectors .

21 st . Defeat ofJ u n o t at V imi ero .

22d. (T o Pauline . ) And how are you feeling , lovely

princess ; are you very tired?What are yo u doing to-day?

(To Marshal Davout . ) As the English have landed

large forces in Spain , I have recalled the l st and 6th corps

and three divisions ofdragoons from the Grand Army , soas t o complete the conquest ofthat country this w inter .Dupont has dishonoured o u r arms ; his stupidity is only

equalled by his cowardice . When you (get the details) it

will raise the hair ofyour head . I will do them good jus

tice , and if they have stained o u r uniform they will have

t o wash it o u t .

29th . Russia and Austria have recognised the King of

Spain . It is clear that nothing will happen in October ;but as to what may be hatched this winter to explode in

the spring , that is another matter . —And so life go es ,making and unmaking .

3 oth . (Note o n Spanish affairs . ) It needs a long ex

perien ce ofwar to perceive its principles ; o n e must haveundertaken many offensive operations to realize how

the slightest incident means encouragement o r discour

agemen t , brings about o n e resul t o r another . In warfare

me n are n othing, a man is everything .

Septemb er 3d. (To M . Cretet . ) Give orders for the city

ofMetz t o entertain the t roops when they pass . As thecity cannot afford i t , I will grant three francs per man ,

b u t it must all be done in the name ofthe city . I wish


27th Erfurt

I arrived this morning at nine .

29 th . Your Emperor Alexander is as obstinate as a.

clam !— That infernal Spanish business is costing me

dear !

Octo b er l st . (To Alexander . ) What you are suggesting

I should do really represents a policy ofconcessions ; ifIadopted it, Europe would treat me like a little b oy . Is it

the act ofa friend , ofan ally, to propose that I shouldabandon the only position from which I can threaten

Austria in flank if she should attack me while my troops

are in the south ofEurope ? If you absolutely insist o nmy evacuating (Prussia) , I shall consent ; but if I do, in

stead ofgoing into Spain I shall settle Austria ’s busi

ness first .

3d. Erfurt is very brilliant .

5 th . (To the Empress . ) Conversations lasting whole

days are not doing my cold much good . However, all is

going well . I am pleased with Alexander, and he oughtto be pleased with me : if he were a woman I think Icould have him at my feet . I shall soon be back ; take

good care ofyourself ; I shall expect to find you plump

and in good colour.

9 th . I am just back from hunting over the battlefield

ofJena . We breakfasted o n the spot where I bivouacked .

I went t o the ball at Weimar . The Emperor Alexanderdanced , but I didn

’

t . Forty years ofage are forty

years !

1 2th . (Treaty ofalliance . ) His Majesty the Emperor

ofthe French , King ofI taly , and His Majesty the Empero r ofall the Russias , desirous ofbinding more close ly

PET .

’

3 9] A DIARY

and of making more durable the alliance between them,

confirm and renew the treaty of alliance concluded at

T ilist .

1 3 th . (To Joseph . ) You need me there .

1 9th , Saint Cloud

!(To General Junot, Duke ofAbrantes . ) The Minister

of War has shown me all your reports, and in particular

your letter of the 1 5 th of October . You have done nothing that is dishonourable . You have brought me back

my soldiers , my standards, and my guns . I had hoped,however, that you would do better . Y o u secured the

convention, not so much by your foresight as by your

courage, and the English are right in blaming the general

who signed it . I have now made public my approval of

your conduct ; what I write confidentially is for you alone .

Before the end of the year, I intend myself to place yo u

once more at Lisbon .

21 st . Berthier started for Bayonne to-day ; I shall be

there In a few days .

Y 22d. The Civil and Commercial Codes, and the Code

ofProcedure, have met with success . The Criminal Codewill come before the Legislative Body this session . The

Civil Code is the code of the century ; i t s provisions not

only preach toleration, but organize ,it, toleration the

greatest privilege ofman .

L iberty is the need of only a small class, endowed by

nature with higher faculties than common men . Equal

ity, on the contrary, is what appeals to the mass .

November 3d, Bayonne :

I have just arrived. As I rode at a gallop through some

considerable part of the Landes I am a little tired .


4 th , Tolosa

I shall start t o—morrow at five , and shall reach Vittoria

in the night . I want to cover not more than four or five

leagues o n t he same horse . I intend to enter Vittoria incognito ; that is why I shall get there at night . The

n ew s will n o t be out till morn i ng . At nine a salute ofsixty guns may be fired .

7 th , Vittoria :

Troops are comin g in daily. The Guard arrived to -day.

I am very busy .

l oth , Cubo, 8 P . M

(To Joseph Napoleon , King of Spain . ) My Brother : Ishall start at o n e in the morning so as to reach Burgos

before dawn ; there I will make my arrangementsfo r theday, for a victory is nothing, it must be turned to ac

count .

While I think i t unnecessary that there should be any

ceremony made fo r me , I thin k it necessary that thereshould befo r you . As t o me, it does not fit my business

ofsoldiering ; in any case I don ’t want any . It seems to

me that deputations from Burgos should wait o n you and

give yo u a good reception .

1 6th , Burgos :

Marshal Ney attacks Aranda to-day, and Marshal

Bessieres, who is marchin gfo r the same point , will immediat ely cover the plain w ith cavalry up to the mountainsofMadrid .

Blake ’ s army of men has been defeated at

Espinosa and Reinosa .

1 8th . (To M . de Champagny . ) I have read Miss Pa t

terson’

s le tter . I will see her child with pleasure , and will


of9000 men was in po sition at the Somosierra , and 4000at Sepulveda . We defeated those at Somosierra, capturedtheir guns, 5 0 transport wagons , and a great number ofprisoners .

December 4th , Madrid

Madrid has capitulated, and we occupied it at noon .

From the date ofthe publication ofthe present decree,feudal dues are at an end in Spain . The tribunal oftheInquisition is abolished as infringing o n the sovereign

power and civil authority . From the l st of January next,the custom houses between province and province shall

be suppressed and carried to the frontiers .

1 1 th , Chamartin :

(T o Alexander , Prince ofNeuchatel . ) My Cousin : Sendo n e ofyour staff officers to Talavera so as to get news ofwhat the English are doing .

22d, Madrid

I am starting immediately to operate against the E u

glish , who appear to have received reinforcements and to

be making a show ofboldness .The English move is extraordinary . It is clear that

they have left Salamanca . It is probable that they have

sent their transports to Ferrol , with the idea that a retreat

o n Lisbon would be dangerous .

The whole ofthe Guard is o n the march . We shall

probably reach Valladolid o n the 24th o r Q5 th .

Aftern o o n , Pass ofthe Guadarrama(Napoleon passes astride o n a gun in the midst ofa

terrific snowstorm . The soldiers : Convicts sufier less than

We do ! Shoo t him down , damn him !)

m . 3 9] A DIARY 3

Espinas, even i n gI have crossed the Guadarrama with a part of the

Guard in rather disagreeable weather .

23d, Villacastin

(To Joseph . ) The En glish appear to be at Valladolid .

Put in the Madrid newspapers that English are

surrounded and lost .

26th , near the Douro, floods, mud, rain

If the English remained in their positions to—day it is all

up with them .

(Sir John Moore, near Valladolid : I am in a hornet’

s

nest, and Go d knows how I shall get o u t of it . )3 l st , Benavente :

My advance guard is near Astorga . The English are

flying as fast as they can, and are abandoning their sup

plies and baggage .

J an u ary 1 st , near Astorga, arrival ofthe co u ri er from

P ari s .

2d,Astorga

We have found 800 dead horses along the road and

much baggage, with supplies . The Guard is returning toBenavente, and I am coming back closer to the centre ofmy armies .

6th , Benavente

(To Joseph . ) I thank you for your good wishesfo r thenew year . I have no hope as yet that Europe will be

pacified this year . I have so little hope ofit that I signeda decree yesterday to raise men .

Happiness ? Ah ! ofcourse ! There ’s little enough

question ofhappiness these days !7 th , Valladolid

I have left the Duke of Dalmatia with men to

pursue the English .

8 th , Morning paradeAh , yes . I know , you all want to get back to Paris , to

your bad habits , and your mistresses ! Well , I mean to

keep yo u w ith the colours till you’re eighty !

9 th . (To Josephine . ) Moustache has brought me your

letter of the S l st of December . I perceive , dear friend ,

that yo u are worried, that you are in a state ofblackanxie ty . Austria w ill n o t make war o n me . If she doe s , Ihave men in Germany , and as many o n the Rhine ,


man w ithout honour, yo u disbelieve in Go d, you have

betrayed everyone , to you nothing is sacred , you would

sell your own father ! Yo u suppose , without rhyme or

reason , that my Spanish affairs are going wrong . You de

serve that I should smash yo u l ike a glass , but I despise

yo u t o o profoundly to put myself to that trouble !

(Talleyrand : What a pity that so great a man should

be so ill—bred !)29th . (To Mette rnich . ) Well ! this is something new

at Vienna ! What does it mean Has a spider stung yo u

Who is threatening you Whom are you aiming at DO

you want t o set the world aflame again P

Metternich has almost become a statesman , he lies verywell .

(Austria) wants to get slapped ; she shall have it , o n

both cheeks . If the Emperor Francis attempts any hostile

move , he will soon have ceased to reign . That is clear .

Before another ten years mine will be the most ancient

dynasty ofEurope .

Feb ru ary 1 1 th . My memory will n o t store a single

alexandrine verse ; but I do not forget one syllable of theregimental returns . I always know where my troo ps are . I

am fond oftragedy ; but were all the dramas of the worldthere , o n o ne side ofme , and the regimental returns o n theother, I would n o t so much as glance at the dramas , while

every line ofmy regimental returns would be read withthe closest attention .

lll a rch 9th . I am leav ing my be st troops w ith Joseph ,and am starting alone for Vienna w i th my li ttle conscripts ,my name , and my long boots .

ZET . 39] A DIARY 3 07

1 4th , Rambouillet

(To Maximilian Joseph , King ofBavaria . ) My Brother

If war should break o u t , your troops must be employed

vigorously . The Prince Royal, however distinguished he

may be by his natural gifts, has never conducted military

Operations, and is therefore not competent to command .

I should be depriving myself of the services ofyourmen if I had not a firm and able commander at their

head . I have selected an Old soldier, the Duke ofDantzig,for this duty . At this day the Bavarian army is too large,and the circumstances too serious , fo r me to speak lessthan frankly to Your Majesty . After the Prince Royal

has won his promotions through six o r seven campaigns,he will be fit to command .

23d, Paris

A French Officer has been stopped at Braunau, and hisdispatches, though sealed with the arms of France, have

been forcibly taken by the Austrians .

24th . All the infantry of the Guard coming from Spain

will proceed to Paris by coach .

3 0th . My intention is to carry my headquarters toRatisbon and to concentrate my whole army there .

A pri l l 0th . Intercepted dispatches addressed to M . de

Metternich , an d his demand for passports, show clearly

enough that Austria is on the point of beginning h o st ili

ties, if she has not already done so ; ifshe attacks beforethe 1 5 th everything must fall back on the Lech .

1 92th . (To the Prince of Neuchatel . ) The semaphore is

just giving me , at 8 P . M the first half ofyour dispatch,from which it would appear, according to a letter ofM .

Otto, that the Austrians have crossed the Inn and dew

clared war . I shall start in two hours .


1 5 th , Strassburg

In an hour I shall cross the Rhine .

l 6th , Ludwigsburg :

(To Alexander, Prince ofNeuchatel . ) I have receivedyour dispatch stating that yo u are moving Oudin o t

’

s

corps to Ratisbon . You state no reasons for so e x t rao rdi

nary a move that weakens and di sperses my forces .

1 7th , Donauwerth , 4 A . M

I have absolutely no kn owledge ofthe whereabouts ofthe Duke OfA uerstadt .

I t appears that the Duke ofDantzig is retreating o nEisenfeld .

8 A . M .

(T o the Duke ofDantzig . ) Le t me know your personal

View as t o where the mass ofthe enemy ’s forces is situated .

1 0 A . M

(To the Duke ofA uerstadt . ) I have just reached

Donauwerth . I hear that you are at Ratisbon . My in

tention had always been to concentrate behind the Lech .

Fall back w ith all your troops o n Ingolstadt .(To the Duke of Rivoli . ) Y o u will receive in the night

orders to march t o -morrow7 at two in the morning with

your whole corps and that ofGeneral Oudi n o t . The o h

jcet ofyour march will be to get contact with the restofthe army , to catch the enemy in a false manoeuvre , andto destroy his columns .

6 P M

(To Davout . ) Since arriving here this morning I have

sent yo u General Savary , my aide-de-camp Vence , an

art illery offi cer, a Bavarian major, and have ordered

Genera l von Wrede and the Duke ofDantzig, to both of

3 1 0 THE CORSICAN [ 1 809

with his three divisions , and cut offthe enemy . The

Emperor will be with him .

24th , Imperial headquarters , Ratisbon

Soldiers, yo u have done all that I ex pected ! Y o u havebalanced numbers by courage . Y o u have gloriously

marked the difference that lies between the soldiers ofCaesar and the armed hordes ofXerxes .In a few days we have triumphed in three pitched bat

tles, at Thann, at Abensberg and at Eckmiih l, and in the

actions ofFreising, ofLandshut, and ofRatisbon . B e

fore another month has elapsed we shall be in Vienna .

27th , M iihldo rf:We are n ow in Austria and covering long days

’ marches .

3 0th , Burghausen :

(To Prince Eugene, commanding the army ofItaly . )I regret to see that yo u have abandoned the line of thePiave . In warfare o n e sees one

’

s own deficiencies , but

n o t those ofthe enemy . You should have held o n until

the enemy actually attempted t o force the passage ofthePiave .

War0is a serious business in which o n e risks one ’s

Own reputation and that ofone ’s country ; a reasonableman should examine himself and decide whether o r no he

is fitted fo r it . I know that in Ita ly you affect a greatcontempt ofMassena ; had I sent him there things wouldn o t have happened as they have . Massena has military

ta lents to which we may well doff o u r ha t s ; we must

forget his foibles ; every man has some . I made a mistake

in giving yo u the command ofthe army ; I should haveplaced yo u under Massena in command ofthe cavalry .

Kin gs ofFrance , even reigni n g Emperors , have often

E T . 3 9] A DIARY 3 1 1

enough commanded a regiment or a division under the

orders of an o ld Marshal . I think that if yo u are hard

pressed you should write asking the King ofNaples tojoin the army ; he could leave his government to the Queen .

Y o u could hand the command over t o him, and place

yourself under his orders ; that would be highly proper,and would have a good effect . It is a simple enough matter that you should know less of warfare than a man who

has been waging itfo r sixteen years . I am not vexed atyour mistakes, but I am at your not writing and posting

me, so that I can advise you, and direct your movements

from here . If you only knew history you would also know

that quips serve no good purpose, and that the greatest

battles of which we know were lost through following

the Opinions ofthe armies .M ay 4th , Enns :

I crossed the Traun yesterday . There has been an en

gagemen t at Ebelsberg in which we took 6000 prisoners .

6th . (To Josephine . ) Dear friend : I have received

your letter . The bullet that struck me did not wound me ;it just grazed the tendon of Achilles . My health is excellent and there is no cause for worry . My affairs are going

well .

9th , S . Po elten

I shall be in sight of Vienna to-morrow at noon . The

inhabitants are armed, and appear inclined t o defend

themselves . We shall see if we are to have a repetition

ofthe Madrid business .1 2th , Schoenbrunn

We took possession ofthe suburbs on the 1 0th , and ofthe city to-day, after a bombardment .


(Decree . ) Napoleon , Emperor ofthe French , King ofItaly, Protector ofthe Confederation ofthe Rhin e, etc .

Whereas Charlemagne, Emperor ofthe French, o u r

illustrious predecessor, when donating various coun ties to

the bishops ofRome, granted them by way offiefs andfo rthe greater benefit ofhi s states ; and whereas Rome didn o t cease, by the said donations , from be ing a part ofhisEmpire ; and whereas nothi ng that we have put forward

fo r the purpose ofconciliating the safety ofo u r armies,the tranquillity and prosperity ofo u r people, the dignityand integrity ofo u r Empire with the temporal claims ofthe Popes, has been ofany efl’ect ; we hereby decree :The States ofthe Pope are annexed to the French

Empire .

1 7th . The immense quantity Of material necessaryfo rthrowing a bridge over the Danube is already as sembled .

I hope to cross o n the 1 8th and 1 9th , and to di sperse thearmies between the Danube and Moravia .

1 9th , Ebersdorf :

The Emperor hopes the bridge will be ready to-morrow forenoon , and that the whole army will reach the left

bank in the course ofthe day .

22d, bivouac, island ofLo bauThe nearest v illages are Aspern, Essling, and Enzers

dorf . To cross a river like the Danube in the presence ofan enemy knowing the ground thoroughly, and havin g the

sympathies ofthe inhabitants , is o n e ofthe most difficu lt military operations conceivable .

It was all over with the Austrian army when at 7 A . M .

a staff officer reached the Emperor and informed him that,owing to a sudden flood ofthe Danube which had carried


Marshal so brutally and with such scant respect ought to

be hanged . With his remnant oflife he clu n g to me ; hewanted only me , thought only Of me . A sort ofinstinct !Fo r surely he loved his youn g wife and his children more

than he did me ; yet he never spoke ofthem , which was

because he exp ected no help from them . But I was his

protector; for him I was some vague and superior power ;I was his Providence , and he was imploring .

(To Mme . Lannes , Duchess ofMontebello . ) My

Cousin : The Marshal died this mornin g ofwounds received on the field ofhonour . My sorrow is as deep asyours . I lose the most distinguished general in my armies ,my comrade in arms during sixteen years , he whom I

considered my best friend . His family and his children

w ill always have a special claim to my protection . It is

to assure yo u ofthis that I have written yo u this letter,fo r I am conv inced that nothing could lighten the griefthat you must feel .

J u n e 5 th , SchoenbrunnI am here to review the Guard , which is superb . There

are 60 guns , 4000 sabres, and ofthe finest infantryin Europe .

9th . (To Jerome Napoleon , K ing ofWestphalia . ) Ex

perien ce w ill teach yo u the difference between reportsspread by the enemy and reality . I have never, in the

whole ofthe sixteen years during which I have exercisedcommand , given counter-orders t o a regiment, because I

always wait until matters are ripe and understood beforeI begin Operation s . Don

’

t be so nervous ; there is n othing

t o b e alarmed about ; i t is all empty noise .

1 1 th . (To General Clarke . ) I t seems to me that the

E T . 3 9] A DIARY 3 1 5

Span l sh operations are being poorly conducted , and so

poorly conducted that I foresee a catastrophe unless more

vigour is imparted to the movements ofthe columns . TheEnglish have been given enough respite to form another

army at Lisbon . It is the English we have to fear ; they

alone, unless the army is managed differently, will bringit to a catastrophe before many months .

1 2th . I believe that in German Schoenbrunn meansthe beautiful fountain ; the spring i n the park produces

delicious water which I drink every morning . Do you

also like fresh water?

(Colonel Sainte Croix : Faith , n o , Sire ; I prefer a good

glass of Bordeaux o r ofChampagne . )Send the Colonel 1 00 bottles ofBordeaux and as many

ofChampagne .

1 4th . (To Count Fo u ché . ) I have received a wretched

scrawl from that blackguard Palafox . I am displeased

that you should have accepted it, had it translated, and

thereby allowed it to become known that he was at Vin

cen n es, instead ofleaving that fact unpublished . This

blackguard is stained with the blood of 4000 Frenchmenwhom he barbarously slaughtered at Saragossa . Let him

remain at Vincennes, forgotten, without pen o r paper,and unable to secure the intervention in his favour of the

most bitter enemies of France .

1 6th . (To Josephine . ) On the 1 4th , anniversary ofMarengo , Eugene wo n a battle at Raab in Hungary againstthe Archduke John ; he captured 3 000 prisoners , severalguns , four flags, and has pursued the enemy far on the

road t o Baden .

1 7th . (To Joachim Napoleon . ) I received Your Ma


jesty’

s letter ofthe 8th ofJune . I would much like tohave yo u here . But in the present state ofthings it isbetter that yo u should n o t be too far away from Naples .

In another campaign , when things are quite settled inyour direction , it will be possible to call you to the

army .

20th (To Eugene . ) The art ofquestioning prisonerscomes with experience and the practice ofwar. What hesaid appears uninteresting to yo u ; had I questioned himI would have Obtained much information about theenemy.

Be ready to start, as soon as my orders reach you, to

take part in the great battle .

3 oth . (To F o u ché . ) Find o u t who infl uences the Prus

sian Minister . The stupid and infamous reports he sends

to his Court are inconceivable . Is he a fool , o r is he ma~

licio u s, o r is he taken in by some intriguin g person at

Paris? He writes to Berlin that my position is desperate,that the discontent in France is at the highest pitch, and

the refrain ofthe whole is that Prussia should pay nomore money . The man must be very silly o r very ill

intentioned .

J u ly 2d, Islan d ofLobauThe army ofPrince Charles is ranged in battle oppo

site ; I shall cross o n the night ofthe 4th .

4th . Notwithstanding his redoubts and intrenchments,I hope , with the help ofGod, to crush the army ofPrinceCharles .

9 P . 111

I am delighted w i th this storm . What a splendid night

for us . The Austrians can’

t see o u r preparations .


ofthe Emperor, ridiculous title in warfare ! Y o u must

be a soldier, and again a soldier, and always a soldier !

Y o u must bivouac with your outposts, spend night and

day in the saddle , march with your advance guard so

as to get information , o r else remain in your seraglio .

Y o u wage war like a satrap . By Heaven ! is it from me

you have learned that ?— from me, who with an army

of men live wi th my skirmishers

Y o u have much ambition , some intelligence, a few good

qualities, but spoiled by silliness, by great presumption , and have n o real knowledge . In God’s name

keep enough wits about you to write and speak with

propriety .

1 8th . After matters are settled here, I hope that Spain

will not hold us up very long . But it is to be feared that

the English will attempt something, and I can see verylittle brains to take care ofthings there .A u gu st 3d. (To the Polish deputation . ) One does what

o n e can . Poland is a question o n which all negotiations

with Russia fail . Russia sees quite well that she is vuln erab le only through Poland . If I were Emperor ofRussia I would never consent to the least increase oftheDuchy ofWarsaw ; just as I would meet death , and ten

armies behind me, in defence ofBelgium ; and more thanthat I would raise an eleventh army ofwomen and childrento fight and t o defend the interests ofFrance .

I know that the reestablishment ofPoland would balance Europe, but yo u must see that Russia would never

consent u nless her armies were totally destroyed . The

reestablishmen t ofPoland is n o t , at this momen t , withinthe power ofFrance . I w ill not make war o n Russia .

E T . 401 A DIARY 3 1 9

1 5 th . (Message to the Senate . ) Senators, we have

thought proper to acknowledge in the most marked

manner the special services rendered to us in the cam

pa ign j ust concluded by our cousins, the Prince ofNeuchatel and the Dukes of A u erstadt and of Rivoli . We

have therefore erected the castle ofChambord into aprincipality, under the style of principality of Wagram , to

be possessed by our cou sin the Prince of Neuchatel andby his descendants . We have erected the castle ofB rii hlinto a principality, under the style of principality of Eek

miih l, to be possessed by o u r cousin the Duke ofA u erstadtand his descendants . And we have erected the castle of

Thouars into a principality, under the style of principal

ity ofEssling, to be possessed by our cousin the Duke ofRivoli and his descendants .

(To General Clarke . ) I have your letter ofthe 8th . Idon ’t exactly understand the event in Spain (Talavera) ,o r what took place . The King says thatfo r a month pasthe has manoeuvred with men against

Write to him that it is his own fault ; they don’t under

stand the art ofwar at Madrid .

27th . The conferences at Altenburg still continue, but

it appears that the English raid on Zeeland has given the

Austrian negotiators new hopes, o r makes them delay .

September 6th . (To Fouche. ) Maret will send you acollection of all the banknotes . You will find herewitha decree on the subject . I want you to start man ufacturing these notes in all denominations, to total not more

than 1 00 millions . It is by means ofthis paper moneythat Austria was able to make war on me ; and it is by

the same means that she may be able to renew it . That


being the case, my policy, in time ofpeace as in time ofwar

,is to dest roy this paper money and t o force Austria

to come back to a metallic currency, which would nat

u rally compel her to reduce her army and the insane ex

penditu re by means of which she has threatened the safety

ofmy dominions . Iwish this business to be carried throughwi th the utmost secrecy . My object, however, is far morepolitical than a matter ofspeculation or profit . There isno quiet to be loo ked for in Europe so long as the HouseofAustria can supply itself with loans of 3 00 o r 400 mil

lions by the credit ofits paper money .

l 0th , Schoenbrunn

(To Champagny . ) I inclose the letter written to me

by the Austrian Emperor . I do n o t exactly understand

the object ofhis step , unless the letter is a passport toenable his aide-de-camp to reach Vienna and have a co n

versation with me . The aide-de-camp says that the Em

pero r has declared that he approves the proposed bases,and is disposed t o make sacrifices . I replied that the Em

pero r of Austria is always of the Opinion ofthe last speaker,and that in five o r six years he would begin the war again

and become once more the tool of England . After that

the aide-de-camp made the usual Austrian speeches and

spoke Of an alliance . I told him that the House of Aus

tria had always rejected it ; that we were two bulls strug

gling for the love ofItaly and Of Germany ; and that solong as Austrian sentimen t remained what it was , there

cou ld be no possible understanding .

23d. (To Maret . ) I do n o t propose giving the Emperor

ofAustria the title ofApostolic .

”

Y o u will make b elieve that yo u understood this title to belong t o the Em


difficult to estimate the enemy’s numbers, and as a rule,o n e is apt instinctively t o exaggerate the number . B u t

if o n e is foolish enough to accept an inflated estimate

Of the enemy ’

s forces , then every cavalry colonel o n re

connaissance espies an army, and every captain oflightinfantry battalions . Again I repeat that in war moraleand o p 1mo n are half the battle . The art ofthe greatcaptain has always been to make his troops appear very

numerous to the enemy, and the enemy’s very few to his

own . So that to-day, in spite ofthe long time we havespent in Germany, the enemy do not know my real

strength . We are constantly striv ing to magnify our num

bers . Far from confessing that I had only men

at Wagram , I am constantly suggesting that I hadIn my Italian campaigns, in which I had only a handfuloftroops ,

'

I always exaggerated my numbers . It served

my purpose, and has not lessened my glory . My generals

and practised soldiers could always perceive, after the

event , all the skilfulness ofmy Operations, even that ofhav ing exaggerated the numbers ofmy troops .1 2th . At parade to-day a young man of seventeen , the

so n ofa Lutheran pastor ofErfurt, tried to get near me .

Some officers stopped him , and as the boy showed co n

fusion , suspicion was aroused , he was searched , and a

dagger was found o n him . I have ordered him to be

brought before me .

What did yo u want ofme ?(Staps : To kill you) .What have I done t o yo u ? Who made yo u my judge ?

(I wanted to bring the war t o an end . )

E T . 40] A DIARY 323

Why didn ’t yo u go to the Emperor Francis?

(He ? What for ? He doesn’t count . And if he died

another would succeed him ; but after you the French

would disappear from Germany .)Do you repent ?

(NO !)Would you do it again ?

(Yes !)What, even if I spared you ?

(To Fouche.) The wretched boy, who seems to bepretty well educated, told me that he wanted to assas

simate me to rid Austria ofthe presence ofthe French .

I could find in him no traces ofreligious or ofpoliticalfanaticism . He seemed to have no clear idea ofwhoBrutus was . His excitement prevented my finding o u t

more . He will be questioned after he has cooled down

and fasted . Possibly it all amounts to nothing .

I have sent you the news of this incident to prevent its

importance being exaggerated . I hope nothing will be

said about it ; if there should be talk, make o u t that the

fellow is insane . If there is none , keep the matter a

close secret . There was n o scene at the parade ; I myselfhad n o notion that anything had happened .

1 4th . Peace was signed at two o ’clock by Champagnyand Prince Liechtenstein .

1 5 th . The individual named Staps , arrested in the

courtyard ofSchoenbrunn with a dagger in his possession,shall be tried by court-martial .

21 st , Munich :

(T o the Empress . ) I arrived here yesterday, and in

go od health . I shall stop o n e day in Stuttgardt . Y o u shall


have twenty-four hours’ notice ofmy arrival at Fon

t a in eb leau . I am impatient to see yo u again .

22d. (To the Empress . ) Dearfriendz I start in o n e hour ;I shall reach Fo n ta in eb leau o n the 26th o r 27 th ; yo u may

go there with a few of your ladies .26th , Fontainebleau

I have arrived ; it is ten o’clock in the morning . The

weather is lovely .

Novemb er 23d, Paris

(To General Clarke . ) Summon a council ofthe Guardto go over the account s and get it into shapefo r the Spanish campaign . I propose going to Spain with nearly

men . I want the Guard all ready to start about

the 1 5 th of January .

3 0th . The divo rce qu esti o n .

(To Josephine . ) Will yo u do it ofyour own free will ,o r won ’t yo u ? My mind is made up !December l st . Josephine sent me word that she con

sented . As we were sitting down to dinn er she suddenly

uttered a cry and fainted .

3d. I have annexed Tuscany to the Empire . Its people

are worthy ofit because oftheir good character and ofthe attachment their forefathers have always shown us,and ofthe services they have rendered to European civil iz afi o n .

(To the Empress . ) I am going t o Paris , dear friend .

I want to hear that yo u are happy . I shall see you sometime this week . I have received your letters which Ishall read in the carriage .

1 5 th . (T o Prince Camb aeércs . ) My Cousin : We have

ordered the convocation ofa privy council t o be held


1 7th , Trianon

(To the Empress Josephine . ) I think, dear friend , that

you were weaker than you should have been to-day .

Y o u have shown courage ; you must keep it up ; yo u must

not give way to a dangerous melancholy ; yo u must be

happy, and look after your health , which is so precious

t o me . If you are attached to me , if yo u love me, yo u must

show strength . Y o u cannot doubt my const ant and lov

ing friendship , and yo u would only show how little yo u

know me if yo u thought that I could be happy unless yo u

are . Good-bye, dear friend, sleep well , remember that

I want you to .

1 8th . My expenses are enormous and I really mustconsider reforms . My army , o n its present basis, would

eat up three times the actual revenue ofFrance .

1 9th . (To the Empress . ) I have just received your

letter . Savary tells me that you do nothing but cry ; it ’

s

very wrong ofyou . I hope that yo u were able to get out

t o -day . I have sent yo u some game from my b ag . I will

come and see you when you let me know that you are

more reasonable , and that your courage has returned .

Good-bye, dear friend , I also am sad tod ay ; I want tohear that yo u are contented , and are regaining your

balance . Sleep well .

(To Marshal A ugereau . ) I have received your letterofthe 1 1 th ofDecember, with the capitulation ofGerona,which your aide-de-camp has handed me . Your news

gives me a double pleasure , because ofthe importance ofthe fortress , and because it is yo u have captured it .

22d. (To the Empress Josephine . ) I would have come

t o see yo u t o -day had it n o t been necessary fo r me to

E T . 401 A DIARY

call o n the King of Bavaria who has just arrived in ParisI hOpe to see yo u t o -morrow .

27 th . (To Josephine . ) Eugene tells me yo u were quitesad yesterday ; it is very wrong of yo u , dear friend, and

contrary t o what you had promised . I amvery bored atseeing the Tuileries again ; this great palace seems empty

and I feel isolated .

3 l st . To-day there is a grand parade ; I shall see all

my Old Guard with sixty artillery trains .

(To Alexander I , Emperor ofRussia . ) My Brother : Ihave received a second note from your Chancellor Roman

z off; it grieves me . Why turn back to matters that were

disposed of by my letter from Vienna ? After all this,I don ’t know what people want ; I cannot destroy chi

meras or tilt against clouds . I leave it to Your Majesty

to decide which ofus holds closer to the language of allian ce and friendship . A beginning of suspicion mean s

that Erfurt and Tilsit are already forgotten .

1 81 0

J an u ary l st , Paris :

Hereafter the Popes shall swear allegiance to me, as they

did to Charlemagne and his predecessors . They will not

be inducted until after my consent, as the use wasfo r theEmperors ofConstantinople to confirm them . But from

the present Pope I demand nothing ; I ask him fo r nooath , not even to recognise the ann exation ofRome toFrance ; I have no need for it .

1 7th , Trianon :

(To Josephine . ) D’

A uden arde , whom I sent to yo u this

morning , tells me that since you reached Malmaison all

your courage has gone . And yet the place is full ofo u rlove, which must and can never change , at least o n myside . I want to see you very much ; but I must be surethat you will be strong and n o t weak ; I feel the sameway, a little , myself, and it makes me suffer horriblyGood-bye , Josephine, good-night ; you would be ingrate

t o doubt me .

Feb ru ary 6th , Paris

A council was held a few days back at which opinions

were divided as to the Russian and Austrian princesses .

(To Champagny . ) I must ask yo u to get the courier

offt o Russia , according to my instructions, before goingt o bed . Do n o t mention t o -night ’s session . T o -morrow

night, after yo u have concluded w ith Prince Schwarzenberg, yo u will send offa second one, announcing that I

3 3 0 THE CORSICAN [1 81 0

me wish t o serve and honour yo u . May I hope that yo uwil l look favourably o n the step I have taken in begging

the Emperor your father to intrust your happiness to

me ? May I flatter myself that your approval will n o t

be wholly determined by duty and obedience t o you rparent s ? If only Your Imperial Highness will manifest

some little partialityfo r me I am determined , by makingit my constant effort to please you in all things, t o succeed

in making myself agreeable to yo u sooner o r later ; that

is my object, o n efo r which I beg the favour ofYour Imperial Highness .

M arch 4th . (To the Deputation ofthe Senate . ) Sen

a t o rs, I am touched by the sentiments yo u have expressed .

The Empress Maria Louisa will be a tender mother for

the French Nation , and in so doing will make my happi

ness . I rejoice that Providen ce has called me t o reign

over this loving and responsive Nation that I have ever

found so faithful and so good t o me through the events

ofmy life .

1 l th . (To Fo u ché . ) I had told yo u t o prevent the news

papers from writ ing about the Empress Josephine , yet

they do almost nothing else : to-day again the P u b lici ste

is full ofit . See to it that the papers t o -morrow don ’t

republish the P u b lici ste’

s news .1 6th . (T o Champagny . ) Make up the courier

’s bag

fo r St . Petersburg . In form the Duke ofVicenza that thegrievances ofRussia appear ridiculous t o me ; that hemust talk to the Emperor straight ; that the Emperor

does me an injustice in believ ing that there wa s a double

negotia t ion ; that I kn ow enough n o t to have don e such

a thing ; that i t was only when i t became clear that the

E T . 40] A DIARY 3 1

Emperor was not master in his own family, and that he

was not acting up to o ur agreement of Erfurt, that we

opened a negotiation with Atu stria , a negotiation begun

and concluded in twenty-four h ours, because Austria

had sent her Ambassador full powers that covered the

case .

20th . I am startingfo r Complegn e .

28th , Compiegne

(To Francis 1 , Emperor of Austria . ) M on sieur mon

Frere et B eau Pere Your Majesty’s daughter arrived here

two days ago . She fulfils all my expectations and during

these two days I have not ceased to give and to receive

from her the proofs of the tender sentiments that unite

us . We suit one another perfectly . I shall make her hap

p in ess, and shall owe mine to Your Majesty .

To morrow we start fo r Saint Cloud , and o n the 2d ofApril we will celebrate the ceremony of o u r marriage

at the Tuileries .

(To the Archduke Charles . ) My Cousin : I owe many

thanks t o’

Y o u r Imperial Highness fo r having consentedt o act as my representative at my marriage with the

Archduchess Maria Louisa . She arrived here two days

ago, and I have very sincerely renewed to her the pro

mises that you made in my name .

Your Highness knows that my high regard fo r youdates back many years, and is founded on your high quali

ties and actions . I am anxious to mark it by some sub

st an t ial token, and so beg you to accept the Grand Eagleofthe Legion of Honour . I also beg you to accept themedal ofthe Legion ofHonour, which I myself wear,and which is worn by twenty thousand soldiers who have


been mutilated or distinguished o n the field ofbattle .

The o n e is a tribute to your talent as a general , and the

other t o your rare courage as a soldi er .

A pri l 2l st , Comp iégn e :

(To the Empress Josephine . ) Dear friend : I have re

ce ived your letter ofthe 1 9th ofApril ; it is in bad taste .

I am always the same ; men like me never change . I t

pleases me to hear that you propose going to Malmaison ,and that you are happy ; it would make me so to hear

from you and to reply . I leave yo u t o judge who is the

better and more friendly, yo u o r I . Good-bye, dear friend ;keep well , and be fair to yourself and to me .

28th . (To the Empress Josephine . ) Don’t listen t o the

gossips ofParis ; they are good-fo r-nothings who are farfrom knowing the real facts . My sentiments for you

are unchangeable and I am anxious to hear that you are

happy and contented .

M ay 20th , Bruges :

(To Josephine . ) I want to see you . If yo u are at Mal

maison at the end ofthe month I shall come to see yo u .

I expect to reach Saint Cloud o n the 3 oth . My health

is excellent , all I need is to have yo u happy and well .

23d, Lille

(To Louis , King ofHolland . ) It is time I should

kn ow whether yo u really intend being an affliction fo rHollan d , and by your folly bringing that country t o ruin .

I will n o t permit yo u t o send a minister t o Austria . I will

not allow yo u to dismiss the Frenchmen who are in your

service . I shall n o t mainta in an ambassador in Holland

any longer, but leave only a charge d’

affa ires . Don’

t

write me any mo re ofyour platitudes ; I have been listen


November 4th , Fontainebleau

The colonial produce placed o n the market at theLeipzig fair was conveyed in 700 carts from Russia ; whichmeans that t o -day the whole trade in colonial produce

goes through Russia, and that the 1 200 merchantmen

that were masked by the Swedish , Portugese, Spanish,and American flags, and that were escorted by twentyEnglish men-Oi -war, have in part discharged their car

goes in Russia.

23d, Paris

(To General Savary . ) In to-day’s number the Jou rn al

de l’

Empi re states that I was having a statue ofthe Em

pero r ofAustria made in Vienna, doubtless with a Viewt o placing it in some public square ofParis . Don ’t fail

to tell M . Etienne that the next time he allows such stuff

to get into print I shall discharge him from the editor

ship ofthe paper .The Germans are so notoriously silly that I am sur

prised that Etienne, who ought t o know better, should be

taken in . Why n o t repeat, o n the authority ofthe Germanpapers, that I kiss the slipper of the Princess Louisa, whom

I don ’t even know ?There is a thing with extreme absurdity to recommend it . It is the newspapers ofParis thatshould state what I am doing , not the gazettes of Vienna .

December 5 th . The Russians are throwing Up many

earthworks o n the Dwina and even o n the Dniester .

(To Champagny . ) Let me have o n the 1 5 th ofDecember a statemen t showing the strength ofthe troops ofthe Confederation ofthe Rhine , including the Duchy ofWarsaw , another for the Russian army , and another for

the Austrian .

E T . 41 ] A DIARY 3 3 5

26th . We have news from London up to the 22d, show

ing that Massena still occupied Santarem ; there had been

a few skirmishes in which the English had been repulsed,and Lord Wellington had fallen back on his positions atLisbon .

J an u ary 5 th . The Emperor desires that M . Barbier

should send him as soon as possible the results ofhisinvestigations as to whether there are instances ofEmpero rs hav ing suspended o r deposed Popes .

Yesterday, at the Council ofState, I took occasion toask Count Portalis whether he had seen a libel by the Pope

now circulating here incenting to rebellion . After hesi

tating, this Councillor ofState admitted that he had ,whereupon I dismissed him from my Council , deprived

him ofhis offices, and exiled him forty leagues from Paris .F eb ru ary 28th . (To Alexander, Emperor ofRussia . ) I

have commissioned Prince Tsehern itchefto present mycompliments to Your Majesty . My sentiments havenot changed , although I realize that Your Majesty is

no longer my friend ; o u r alliance is already broken in

the eyes Of England and ofEurope ; even if it still subsisted in Your Majesty ’s mind , as it does in mine, this

widespread Opinion would do the greatest harm . I re

main in my o ld position , but I am struck by these o h

v io u s facts , and by the Opinion that as soon as an o ppo r

t u n i ty presents itself Your Majesty is ready to come t o

an understanding with England , which is equivalent tobeginn ing war between o u r two Empires .

M arch 9 th . (T o the Prince ofNeuchatel . ) Please writea personal letter to Gen eral Suchet expressin g my sat isfac t ion w ith his conduct. in the recent campa ign , and

sta ting that I expect much from him in pushing the siege


etiquette . Corv isart sent her about her business . At last,after considerable friction , the child came to ; he had Only

been scratched o n the head by the irons . The Empress

had thought it was all over with her ; she was convinced

that she would be sacrificed for the child ; and yet I had

said that the opposite should be done .

21 5 t . The child is perfectly well ; the Empress as well

as can be expected ; she has already slept a little and taken

a little nourishment .

22d. Monge, Berthollet , Laplace, are thoroughgoing

atheists . My belief is that man sprang from earth heated

by the sun and combined with electric fluids .

A pri l 2d. The Emperor Alexander is already far from

the ideas ofTilsit ; every suggestion ofwar has its originin Russia . Unless the Emperor turns the current backvery promptly, it will certainly carry him away next

year in spite ofhimself, in spite ofthe interests ofFrance,and ofthose ofRussia ; I have so often watched the process that my experience ofthe past unfolds the future tome . It is all an opera setting with the English pulling the

wires .

1 3 th . I have appointed the 2d ofJune next fo r thebaptism ofthe King ofRome, which will be celebrated atNotre Dame , where the Empress and I will proceed in

state t o render thanks t o Go d for his birth . After the

ceremony I shall di n e at the H Otel de Ville ofmy goodcity ofParis , and w ill attend the illuminations . On the

same day a Te Deum will be sung throughout the Empire .

M ay 27 th , Caen

I cannot appoint a commander- in -chief for all my armies

in Spain , because I can fi nd n o o ne fi t for the j ob .

a n . 41—42] A DIARY 3 3 9

J u n e 23d, Saint Cloud

So many horses have,been bought up for Spain and

for army remounts, that France has been drained Ofhorses .

J u ly 5 th . (To Marshal Davout . ) Colonial produce com

ing from Sweden3and from Prussia must be confiscated,

because it comes from England ; all colonial produce

must be confiscated, wherever it comes from, because

it all comes from England . Issue orders and see to it

that all colonial produce is confiscated wherever it comes

from .

1 5 th , Trianon

(To Maret . ) There are no American ships ; all the so

called American ships are English, o r chartered o n Eng

lish account ; if the American minister maintains the

contrary, he doesn’t know what he is talking about .

A u gu st 1 8th , Paris

Gentlemen , deputies of the department ofthe Lippe,the city ofMunster belonged to an ecclesiastical princedeplorable result ofignorance and superstition ! You hadn o fatherland . Providence, that has enabled me to restore

the throne ofCharlemagne, has by a n atural course

brought you back, together with Holland and the Han

seat ic cities, within the fold ofthe Empire . From the

moment when yo u became Frenchmen, my heart makes

no difference between you and the other parts ofmy dominions . As soon as circumstances permit I shall feel

a keen satisfaction in Visiting your country .

September 25 th , o n board the Charlemagn e offFlushing :

We have been thirty-six hours without communication


with the land because a storm sprang up . It did not pre

vent my eating and sleeping well . The sea was rough,

but the anchorage is a good one . As the weather is modcrating . I expect to put the fleet through evolutions

to-morrow .

3 oth , AntwerpI arrived t o -day at o n e in the morning, very pleased

with my fleet, with its appearance, its morale, and its

manoeuvring power .

November l st , Wesel

The Empress Maria Louisa has only francs ;she settles her accounts every week ; she goes without

dresses and accepts all sorts ofdeprivations so as n o t toget into debt .

3d, Dusseldorf

T o -morrow I shall review several regiments ofcuirassiers at Cologne . After that I go straight to Paris .6th , Cologne :

If Russia will disarm I am perfectly willing t o do thesame ; it would quiet Prussia and reassure the world ; butshe must n o t show us displeasure, a thing which , as b etween great Powers , always implies war .December 2d, Paris

(To Davout . ) I reply t o o n e ofyour last letters . TheGermans complain that at Rostock yo u declared that

yo u would know how to prevent Germany becoming asecond Spain ; that so lon g as yo u were in command . no

o n e would venture to stir . There is no parallel betweenSpain and the prov inces ofGermany . Spain would longsince have been conquered without her En glish

and her 1 000 leagues ofcoas tline , and without the 1 00


French crews shouted Vive Eliza ! Vive l’

Empereur !”

The thing is t o o ridiculous !

1 9th . His Majesty wants the most detailed accounts

we have in French ofthe campaign Of Charles XII inPoland and in Russia .

J an u ary 1 6th , Paris

(To the Prince of Neu chat el and of Wagram . ) My

Cousin : Everything that belongs to your staff and to

general headquarters must be assembled at Mainz b e

tween the 1 5 th of February and the l st ofMarch .

24th . I propose hav 1 n g 201 6 carts, 4 battalions total

ling 2424 carriages, 4 battalions ofo x teams making

1 224 carts, one battalion ofox teams for the kingdom Of‘

Italy with 3 06 carts ; grand total 1 7 battalions with closeo n 6000 vehicles, and carrying 5 5 00 t o 6000 tons, equal

to one million rations of flour, or enough to supply an

army of men for two months .

Febru ary 1 8th . (To Marshal Marmont . ) Y o u are supe

rior to the enemy, and yet instead oftaking the initiativeyou accept the defensive . You are constantly moving

your troops and fatiguing them . That is not the art ofwar . The capture Of Ciudad Rodrigo is a check for you .

1 9th . (To Marshal Bessieres . ) Start the 3d regiment

ofthe grenadiers of the Guard t o -morrow, the 2oth , fo rMetz, without going through Paris . The regiment will

take its guns and wagons w ith it . Order the Polish light

horse to Compiegne to-morrow. Keep the secret, so that

the Poles shall not know where they are going . Take good

care t o make these movements at night and that the troops

do not know their destination .

2l st . Order for the Prince of Eckmuhl to begin hismovement immediately .


24th . (To the Emperor Alexander . ) After the arrival

ofthe courier sent Off by Count Laur iston o n the 6th ofthis month, I decided to have a talk with Colonel Tscher

n itchefo n the unfortunate events Of the last fifteen

months . It lies entirely with Your Majesty to settle

everything . I hope Your Majesty will never doubt myan xiety to display every proof ofmy highest regard .

M arch 28th . (To Prince Eugene, Viceroy ofItaly . )Get everything readyfo r a start, as in three o r four daysI will send for yo u to come to Paris, and it may be that

from Paris you will proceed directly to Glogau , and from

Glogau to your army corps . I must n o t leave yo u in ign o ran ce ofthe fact that I concluded an alliance with Austria several months ago, and that she will make common

cause with me, and furnish me with a contingent of

men .

A pri l 23d. (To the Prince ofNeuchatel . ) We are getting closer to war, and must increase in firmness and v igi

lance . Here are my instructions : It is in conformity with

the spirit ofthe treaty that no Prussian general o r Officer should command in Berlin ; there must be n o Prus

sian troops in the city ; it must be under the control ofa French general . The best way ofinsuring the tranquill ity ofPrussia is to leave her incapable ofmaking asingle movement .

The Duke ofBelluno must always show the greatestrespect fo r the King and the Prussian government ; thismay be carried to the point ofaffectation o n all ceremonialand similar occasions .

M ay 4th . (T o Berth ier . ) On Tuesday yo u may hand

over to the M inister ofWar all business relating to the

3 46 THE CORSICAN [1 8 1 2

decide o n o n e ofthe two following alternatives : they willeither retreat into the interior so as to concentrate fo rbattle , o r they w ill take the offensive .

8th , Dantzig

(T o Josephine . ) It w ill always be with the greatestinterest that I hear from yo u , dear friend . I hOpe the

waters will do yo u good , and I look forward with pleasu re

to seeing yo u o n your return . I will attend to all the

matters you refer to .

l 0th , Dantzig :

T o—morrow I startfo r Koenigsberg, which I shall reach ’

at 2 A . M . o n the 1 2th .

1 3 th , Koenigsberg :

(To Berthier . ) I send you a letter of t o -day’

s date from

Commissary Deschamps which reveals the bad situation

ofthe 2d corps for provisions . It is entirely the fault ofthe Duke ofReggio and ofthe commissary . Tell the

Marshal that it is most important he should have his

supplies assured .

1 5 th . I am inclined to think the first shot will be

fired o n the 22d o r 23d. To -morrow I shall carry my head

quarters to Wehlau .

1 6th . (To Berthier . ) Write to the Duke of Elchingen

that his corps should not leave the route marked o u t fo rit, and that it is carrying devastation everywhere .

1 7th , Insterburg

(To Eugene . ) Step your advance until further orders ,

fo r above all things yo u must have prov isions . Let meknow what amount ofbread you had o n the evening ofthe 1 9 th . I shall decide then whether t o order yo u fo rward . In this country bread is the chief thing .

m . A DIARY 347

(To Davout .) I assume yo u have supplies for twentyfive days .

22d, Imperial headquarters , Wilkowy skl(Proclamation to the Grand Army . ) Soldiers ! The

second Polish war has begun ' the first ended at Fried

land and Tilsit . At Tilsit Russ1 a pledged an eternal alli

ance with France, and war on England ! To-day her oath

is broken . She refuses all explanations ofher strange conduct unless the French eagles recross the Rhine . Fate

draws Russia on ; her destiny must be accomplished !Does she then think us degenerate ? Are we no longer

the soldiers ofAusterlitz ? She places us between dishonour and war ; can our choice be in doubt? Forward,then, across the Niemen , and let us carry the war o n

to her own soil !

The Emperor orders the marshals and generals in

command of army corps, of divisions and of brigades , and

colonels , to take all measures for maintaining the strict

est discipline and for preventing the disorders that are

beginning to ravage the country .

24th , Kovno :

(To the Prince of Neu chatel . ) Tell the King of Naples

that until he reaches the steppes he had better not en

cumber himself with too much cavalry ; he must use the

cuirassiers as little as possible ; he only has to brush aside

the enemy ’s light troops, and to try for news in the di

rection of Vilna .

29th , Vilna :

We entered Vilna yesterday ; the enemy had evacuatedthe town after burning the bridge and immense quantities ofstores .

3 48 THE CORSICAN [ 1 81 2

3 0th . We are still anxiously awaiting the arrival ofo u rtransport trains from Tilsit .

(To Marshal Davout . ) Herewith is a report ofGeneralB o rdeso u lle, which shows the movement ofDo kt o u rof’scorps o n Ochmian a ; try to discover the direction Of theRussians .

J u ly l st . (To the Emperor Alexander . ) After having

fo r eighteen months constantly refused to give me anexplanation, Your Majesty has at last, through your

Minister , placed a summons before me to evacuate

Prussia as a preliminary to an understanding . A few

days later this M inister askedfo r his passports, and threetimes repeated that demand . From that moment I was

in a state ofwar with Your Majesty, and by that stepYour Majesty was taking from Prussia that very inde

penden ce which it appeared that Your Majesty wished

to guarantee while pointing o u t to me the Caudine

Forks . I pity the wickedness ofthose who could giveYour Majesty such advice . But however it may be, never

shall Russia use such language to France ; it might possi

bly be accepted in the mouth ofthe Empress Catherineand addressed t o the last ofthe Kings ofPoland .

War has therefore begun between us . Go d himself can

n o t undo what is done ; but I shall always be ready tolisten t o proposals fo r peace , and when Your Majestyreally attempts to cut loose from the influence Of menwho are the enemies ofyour family , ofyour glory , and ofthat ofyour Empire, yo u will always find me ofthe samemind and ofequal friendship .

3d. The whole ofthe Guard is at Vilna . The Vice

roy’

s corps is here .


with the 2d, 3d, and part ofthe l st corps, and all hiscavalry .

1 9th , Glo u b o ko ie

I have just get fresh news from Drissa . The enemy

have abandoned their fortified camp . Their movements

seem very uncertain .

22d. The King ofNaples is marching on Polotsk and hasoverrun the whole ofthe right bank ofthe Dwina withhis cavalry .

(To the Prince of Neuchatel . ) Reply to General Jomini

that it is absurd t o say there is no bread when we have

25 tons offlour a day . Instead of complaining let him beu p at four in the morning, proceed to the mills and to the

baking ovens in person , and have rations ofbreadbaked every day ; if he goes to sleep, o r if he whines, he

will get nothing .

We shall soon have a b at t le that will eat up an enormous

amount ofpowder and supplies : how are we to replenisho u r stores P Must we send empty wagons back to Vilna ?

That would mean a month or six weeks before we could

get them to the front again .

24th , Kamen

The enemy appear t o be at Vitebsk ; we are marchingthere .

25 th , B iechenko v itch i

The Prince ofEckmuhl was in action o n the 23d at

M o h ilef; I have no details . Bagration attempted to forcehis way through but was thrown back .

26th . I am starting immediately . If the enemy hold

their positions we shall have a battle day after t o -mor

row.

E T . 42—43 ] A DIARY 3 5 1

29th , VitebskThe enemy are retreating o n all sides ; we cannot catch

them up .

A u gu st l st . General Guyon ’s light cavalry brigade haspushed as far as Nevel, and found nothing ; the Viceroy

has also pushed out detachments as far as Velije .

2d. Nothing new .

6th . I propose marching straight on the enemy, prob

ably by the left bank ofthe Dnieper, capturing Smolenskand bringing the Russ1an army to battle if it chooses to

rema ln l n its present position .

7th . (To Barbier . ) The Emperor would like a few

amusing books . If there are any good new novels, or Oldones he has not read , or some interesting memoirs , you

might send them on, for we have spare time here that is

n o t easy to kill .

l 0th . My information is that the enemy have com

pletely withdrawn ; we have pushed out parties for several

leagues and have not seen them .

1 5 th, bivouac at B o y'

arin t so va

I am marching on Smolensk . We may have a great

b attle to-morrow . The advance guard was engaged yes

terday , and the 27th Russian diV 1 s1 o n was smashed .

1 8th , Smolensk :

I am just in, the heat is Oppressive and there is muchdust, which is rather tiring . The whole of the enemy

’s

army was here ; it was under orders to fight, but didn’t

dare t o . We had to force our way into Smolensk .

The Russian army, which is very discouraged and dis

satisfied, is retreating in the direction ofMoscow .

23d. (To the Countess de Montesquiou . ) I have re


ce ived the King (ofRome’s) portrait, and think it a good

likeness . I have pleasu re in taking this opportunity to

express all my satisfaction fo r the good care that yo utake ofhim .

(To Marshal Davout . ) On hearing from yo u to-night

I shall move the Guard forward so that if the enemy willwaitfo r us we can give battle .

26th , Do ro go b o u je

After throwing up earthworks , batteries , and redoubts,and after announcing their i ntention ofholding them,

the enemy, as usual, have shown the white feather . Weare now in this town, which is sizable, that is to say

has eight or ten churches . The country is good , and

people say it remains fertile all the way t o Moscow . The

heat is excessive, the weather splendid . Reports state

the enemy are resolved to make a stand at V iazma .

29th , V iazma :

We have reached V iazma . The enemy continue their

retreat on Moscow .

September l st , Velitchevo .

The enemy are across the main road in front oftheKing ofNaples and o u r advance guard .

2d, Ghjia tsk :

(To the Prince ofNeuchatel . ) My Cousin : Order theKing ofNaples , the Prince ofEckmuhl , the Viceroy,Prince Poniatowski , the Duke ofElchingen , to take aday ’s rest, t o get in their stragglers , to have a roll-call at

three in the afternoon , and to let me know precisely the

number ofmen they can place in lineThe staff is useless ; not o n e ofthe o fl‘icers does his duty

properly , n o t the provost-general , nor the quartermaster .


their gu ns ; the heroic devotion ofMontbrun , ofCau laincourt, who found death in the midst oftheir glory ; o u rgunners , in the open and without cover, firing against a

heavier artillery protected by earthworks ; and o u r brave

infantry , at the most critical moment , not in need oftheir general ’s steadying voice, but calling o u t to him! It ’s all right ! your soldiers have sworn they will co n

quer , and they will !”

The Russian army ofAusterlitz would not have beendriven from the field of Borodino .

9th , M o ja isk :

(To Francis I , Emperor ofAustria . ) I take the earliestOpportunity of informing Your Majesty ofthe fortunateresult ofthe battle fought on the 7th of September at thevillage of Borodino . Knowing the personal interest Your

Majesty is good enough to take in me , I wished to an

nounce the event myself ; and to add that my health is

perfect . I estimate the enemy ’s loss at o r

they had t o men in line . I lost 8000o r killed and wounded . I captured 60 gu ns and a

large number ofprisoners .l oth . We are in great need of French muskets ; we want

them at Vilna , at Minsk , at Smolensk, and at the abbey

near the battlefield , to arm the stragglers and the wounded

who have lost theirs .

1 3 th , Borisovka

We had marched but a few miles from M o jaisk when

we were astonished t o find ourselves , notwithstandingo u r proximity to o n e ofthe great capitals ofthe world ,in the midst ofa sandy and absolutely desert waste .

E T . 43 ]i

A DIARY 3 5 5

The army crossed the place with difficulty . Our horses

were harassed and worn o u t with hunger and thirst , fo rwater was as scarce as forage . The men suffered verymuch .

1 4th, Moscow

We arrived a t Moscow in the evening .

1 5 th . Thefire ofM o scow begi n s .

1 8th . We are following the enemy, who have with

drawn beyond the Volga . We have found immense quantities ofvaluables in Moscow, which was a beautiful city .

Russia will not recover from her loss in two hundred years .

Without exaggeration it must amount to a thousand mil

lions offrancs .20th . (To the Emperor Alexander . ) M o n sieu r men

Frere: The beautiful and splendid city of Moscow no longer

exists . R o st o pchin has burnt it down . Four hundred

incendiaries have been caught in the act ; all declared

they were start ing fires by order ofthe Governor and ofthe Chief ofPolice : they were shot . The fire seems tohave died o u t at last ; three quarters ofthe houses havegone, a quarter remains. Such conduct is atrocious and

aimless . Was the object to deprive us of a few resources ?

Well, those resources were in cellars that the fire did not

reach . Even then the destruction ofone of the most beautiful cities in the world, the work ofcenturies , fo r soslight an object , is inconceivable . If I supposed that such

things were being done under the orders ofYour Majesty,I should not write this letter ; but I hold it impossiblethat any o n e with the high principles of Your Majesty,such heart, such right feelings, could have authoriz ed

these excesses , unworthy as they are of a great sovereign

and a great nation .


I have conducted the war against Your Majesty withn o animosity . A line written to me before o r after the

last battle would have stopped my march , and I would

gladly have foregone the advantage ofentering Moscow .

If anything of o u r o ld friendship remains, Your Majestywill take this letter in good part . In any case I shall de

serve thanksfo r rendering this account Of what is happening in Moscow .

Despite the poet’s art , all the imaginary details oftheburning ofTroy can never equal the reality ofthat ofMoscow . The city was built ofwood , the wind was verystrong, all the fire engines had been removed . It wasliterally an ocean offire !23d. I have just levied a conscription of men

in France , and of in Italy . The result of the battle

of Borodino and o u r entry into Moscow must n o t reduce

o u r energy .

Octo ber 4th . The enemy’s movement towards Kief

shows clearly that they are expecting reinforcements from

the army ofMoldavia . To march against them would be

to Operate in the line oftheir reserves, and without anysupporting positions . Moscow, now that it is burned

down and deserted by its inhabitants , is ofno use t o us ;it cannot even accommodate o u r sick and wounded .

If the army is t o fall back o n Smolensk , is it wise tofollow u p the enemy and t o run the risk , while executing

a movement that would look like a retreat , oflosing several thousand men in the face ofan army that kn owsthe country, that has many spies, and a large force oflightcavalry


teach the students every day at such hours as may be appointed . There shall also be a professor ofgrammar, andofhi story and mythology applied to the dramatic art,who shall instruct especially those pupils who are intended

for the Théat re Fran gais .

1 8th . (To Berthier . ) Inform the King of Naples that

the whole army is moving . The Duke ofIstria with thecavalry ofthe Guard will march four leagues beforecamping ; I shall start in person to-ni ght .

The Guard wilLb ivo u ac in square aroun d the Emperor’s

quarters .1 9th . General Sebastiani , placed about one league to

the left of the King of Naples , was caught napping by a

horde ofCossacks, at five in the morning ofthe 1 8th . He

lost six guns at his bivouac . The enemy’

s infantry then

marched on the rear ofthe King ofNaples, to cut himoff. The King ofNaples , at the head ofthe carabiniersand cuirassiers , broke them and cut them up .

The army is in motion ; to-morrow we shall decide to

blow up the Kremlin and to march by Kaluga o r by

V iazma , so as to arrive before severe weather sets in , and

get into winter quarters . All is going well .

Well , Rapp , we are retiring o n Poland ; I shall find good

winter quarters ; I hope Alexander will make peace .

(Rapp : The natives say we shall have a severe winter . )Bah ! bah !with your natives ! Look ! See how fine it is !

20t h , T ro it zko ie :

(To Berthier . ) Order the Duke of Treviso to start the

invalids ofthe corps ofthe Prince ofEckmuhl , ofthe Vice

m . 43 ] A DIARY 3 5 9

roy, of the dismounted cavalry, and of the Young Guard

at daybreak to-morrow At two in the morning he will

set fire to the Kremlin . When the Kremlin is well alight

in several places the Duke of Treviso will move by the

M o jaisk road . At four o ’clock the artillery officer detailed for this service will blow up the Kremlin . On his

way he will set fire to all abandoned wagons, w 1 ll have

as many bodies as possible buried, and will smash all the

muskets he may find .

2l st , K rasn o ie

The Duke of Elchingen will command the rearguard .

23d, Borovsk

The natives are amazed at the weather of the last three

weeks . We are having the sunshine and lovely days ofthe trip to Fontainebleau . The army is in a very rich

country that is comparable with the finest of France and

Germany .

26th . (To Berthier . ) Write to the Duke ofAbrantesto inform him that the Russian army had marched on

Malo-Y aro slavet z ; that its advance guard reached it o n

o n e bank at the same moment as ours did on the ‘other ;that the city lay o n the enemy ’s side and on a consider

able height , so that an engagement followed which lasted

the whole of the 24th ; that while our advance guard was

engaged the whole Russian army came up ; that on our

side the Prince ofEckmiihl’s troops reinforced those Ofthe Viceroy ; that we remained in possession of the bat

t lefield. Write further that on the 25 th the army was

deployed ; the Russian army faced us about one league

behind Malo-Yaro slavet z , but the necessity of moving

the wounded who are with the army made the Emperor

decide to march towards M o jaisk,


3 0th , Ghjat sk

The general headquarters train will move forward as

far as it can go . The division ofthe Old Guard willremain here all day to rally its stragglers .

Novemb er l st , V iazma

The 8th corps will reach Do ro go b o uje-

to-morrow, where

it will find headquarters . We shall be in great need of

provisions at Do ro go b o u je .

3d, Semb vo :

The weather continues very fine, which is most for

t u n ate .

(To Maret . ) You must buy all the horses you can get,and above all buy them at once .

5 th , Do ro go b o uje

Order for the 5 th corps to march t o—morrow behind

the Viceroy , and to presson for Smolensk .

6th . (To Berthier . ) Write to the Prince ofEckmuhlthat if, as I fear, at nine o

’

clock this morning his corps

has no supplies, he must move ten o r twelve leagues from

Smolensk on the Yelv ia road . The country is said to be

good and full ofprovisions . This move will be all themore useful as there is no forage at Smolensk .

7 th , M ikhailovka(To Berthier . ) Write the following letter to the Duke

ofBelluno , not cipheredI have shown the Emperor your letter ofthe 2d. His

Majesty ’s orders are that yo u should concentrate your

six div isions , attack the enemy at once , drive them b e

yond the Dwina and reoccupy Polotsk .

Ciphered

This movement is ofurgent importance . In afew days


getting possession of that point, to make for the Bere

z ina .

20th , Orcha

We have found here about 60 guns that are quite useless to us . My health is excellent . I have no news from

Marshal Ney ; I have given him up .

I have two hundred millions in my cellars ; I wou ld

give all of it for Ney !

Baran :

My anxiety about Ney has passed ; he has just joined

2l st .

r

We have no maps .

23d, Bobr

(To Berthier . ) Send an aide-de-camp to the Duke ofReggie to tell him that I am impatient to hear from him

in the course of to—night that he controls a passage over

the Berezina'

and that he is throwing bridges .

24th . (To Berthier . ) Order General Z ayo n chek to

transfer 200 horses, and more if he can , t o General So r

bier . If this draft is not made , when I pass to-morrow

I shall order every carriage and transport wagon of his

corps to be burnt .

General Dombrowski , who held the bridge of B o risof,allowed his position to be forced on the 2l st . The Duke

ofR eggie arrived o n the 23d, recaptured the city, and

defeated the two Russian divisions that were there . But

the bridge is burnt ; we hope to build another to-day . The

weather is cold . I am anxious to get news from Vilna andfrom Paris .

E T . 43 ] A DIARY 3 63

25 th , L o chn it sa

The Duke of Belluno will reach Kostritsa about noon,and will be ready to cross the river to—night .

General E b lé has arrived with a number ofengineers .27th , Studienka :I have just crossed the Berezina ; but the river is full of

floating ice and our bridges are therefore very insecure .

The army that had been facing Schwarzenberg tried to

prevent our passage , and is to-night concentrated on the

right bank opposite B o risof. The cold is very severe ; thearmy is excessively fatigued .

29th , Z an ivki :

(To Maret . ) I have received your letter of the 25 th

in which there is not a word of French news, nor of Span

i sh . This makes two weeks during which I have heard

nothing and am i n the dark about everything .

Yesterday we were sharply engaged with Admiral

Tch ich agofand Wittgenstein . We defeated the first

named , who attacked us on the right bank o n the B o risofroad . The latter, who attempted to carry our bridges

o ver the Berezina, was contained . The Duke ofR eggiewas wounded , and many other generals .

The army is numerous but in a frightful state ofdisb andmen t . We need two weeks to reform the men into

regiments , and where can we get two weeks Cold and

privation have broken up the army . We shall soon reach

Vilna ; can we stay there Yes , if we can hold o n for eight

days ; but if we are attacked during the first eight days,it is doubtful whether we can stay there . Food ! food !

food ! Otherwise there are no horrors which this um

disciplined mo b is not capable of wreaking o n the city .


Possibly the army cannot be rallied short ofthe Niemen .

In this state ofthings I may decide that my presencein Paris i s necessary for the safety ofFrance , ofthe Empire , ofthe army itself . Give me your Opinion . I am

anxious that there should be no agents offoreign powersat Vilna . The army is not good to look at now . As to

those who are in the city , they must be got o u t of the way ;

yo u might say to them that yo u are going to Warsaw,

and that I am too , and convey them there , starting at a

fixed hour .

3 0th , P lech t chen n isky

If rations of bread are n o t awaiting us at Vilna,I am sorry for the city . An abundance of supplies is the

only thing that can bring back discipline . The Governor

can meet me to let me know the position ofthings . Thearmy is horribly worn o u t . This is the 45 th day

’s march .

December 2d, Selitché

M . de Montesquiou will start immediately fo r Paris ,and will hand the inclosed letter to the Empress . He will

announce everywhere the arrival of Russian pris

oners an d the victory at the Berezina , where we captured6000 Russian prisoners, 8 flags, and 1 2 guns .

3d, M o lo det chn a :

(Bulletin) Until the 6 th ofNovember the weather wasperfect and the movement ofthe army was carried o u t withcomplete success . On the 7 th the cold set in ; from that

moment we lost several hundred horses at each night ’sbivouac . On reaching Smolensk we had already lost animmense quantity ofcavalry and artillery horses . The

cold became more intense , and between the 1 4th and 1 6 th

3 66 THE CORSICAN [1 8 1 2

During all these events the Emperor constant ly marched

in the midst ofthe Guard , the cavalry commanded by theDuke Of Istria , the infantry by the Duke ofDantzig . Our

cavalry was so reduced that it became necessary t o form

all the Officers wh o were still mounted into four companiesof1 5 0 men each . Generals acted as captains , and colonels

as corporals . This Sacred Squadron, commanded by

General Grouchy, and under the orders of the King ofNaples , kept the closest watch over the Emperor.

His Majesty ’s health has never been better .

4 th . There seems to be nothing ofmuch import anceabout Spain in the M o n i teu r. The defence ofthe citadel ofBurgos is a fine feat ofarms . Lord Wellington hasdrawn back to Operate against the army ofAndalusia .

If we lose a battle there , affairs in that country wouldbecome critical .

(To Maret .) If yo u cannot make the necessary com

missariat arrangements at Vilna, we must prepare to cvac

uate everything, and first and foremost the military chest .

We have three o r four millions here . I am informed that

there is twice as much at Vilna ; have all removed to

Dantzig .

5 th , B in it sa

(To the Prince ofNeuchatel . ) The inclosed decree ist o be published in orders two o r three days after my de

parture . Circulate the report that I am proceeding to

Warsaw with the 7 th and the Austrian corps . Five o r

six days later, as circumstances may dictate , the King

ofNaples can issue an order informing the army that Ihave had to proceed to Paris and have left him in com

mand .

m . 43 ] A DIARY 3 67

Smo rgo n i

[(To Prince Eugene . ) I have received your letter . Do

your duty and trust me . I am always the same , and knowbest what is good for you . Never doubt my paternal

affection .

1 4th , Dresden

(To Franc1 s I , Emperor of Austria . ) I am stopping for

a moment at Dresden to write to Your Majesty and togive you my news . In spite of severe hardships my health

has never been better . I started on the 4th from L ithu

ania, after the battle of the Berezina, leaving the Grand

Army under the command of the King -ofNaples, the

Prince of Neuchatel still acting as chief ofstaff . In fourdays I shall be in Paris ; I shall stay there through the

winter to attend to my most pressing affa irs .I have every confidence in t he sentiments of Your

Majesty . Our alliance is a permanent arrangement so

advant ageous to o u r countries that ‘I feel certain Your

Majesty will carry out all the engagements entered into

at Dresden to assure the triumph of the common cause

and t o lead us promptly to a suitable peace .

1 8th , Paris :

(To the Prince ofNeu chatel . ) I note with regret thatyou did not stop seven or eight days at Vilna, so as to take

advantage of the clothing stores and rally the army a

little .

1 9th . I am working incessantly at reorganising all my

resources . I have already got an army of men in

the neighbourhood of Berlin and the Oder .

26th . (To General Clarke . ) We must assume that the

whole of the artillery belonging to the cavalry and t o the


l st , 2d, 3d, 4th , and 6th corps is lost . If necessary I willset the naval arsenals at work o n art illery material ; that

would be better than requisitions . One o r two ships more

o r less are of no weight o n e way or the other, but the

slightest deficiency ofartillery might be a very seriousmatter .

29th . (To Pope Pius VII .) Holy Father : I hasten tosend one ofthe Officers of my household to express allmy gratifi cation at what the bishop ofNantes has toldme of the satisfactory condi tion ofYour Holiness ’ health ;for I had been for a moment alarmed this summer o n

hearing that Your Holiness had been seriously indi sposed .

The new residence ofYour Holin ess will give us an o p

po rt u n ity for meeting, and I have it much at heart to

declare that, notwithstanding all that has passed , I have

always maintained the same sentiments of friendship

for Your Holiness . Perhaps we can now reach a settle

ment ofall those questions that divide State and Church .

I , on my side , am altogether disposed that way , so that

it will depend entirely o n Your Holiness .

3 0th . (To Berthier . ) I have received your dispatch

ofthe 2l st , also your memorandum : actu al lo sses; I shall

consider it most anxiously . This year’s conscription is

splendid : I had about o r men o n parade

Sun day .


General York I immedi ately decided to issue an addressto the nation , whi ch will be o u t to-morrow, and to raise

an extraordi nary levy . I have formed a corps ofo b servation ofthe Elbe which is concentrating at Hamburg,and will have a strength of60 battalions ; I have given thecommand to General Lauriston . I have formed a corps

of observation in Italy, which is concentrating at Verona,and that will have a strength of 40 battalions ; I have

given the command to General Bertrand . I have formed

a first corps of observation ofthe army of the Rhine, of60 battalions , commanded by the Duke of Ragusa, whose

headquarters will be at Mainz . I shall form a 2d corps ofobservation of the Rhine , which wi ll also have 60 bat

talions . I am calling to the colours conscripts left

over from 1 81 0, so that we shall have men of over 21 years

of age . The conscription of1 81 4 w ill give us men,

and will be lev ied some time in February .

1 8th . The Emperor ofRussia has just appointed Baronvo n Stein Minister ofState ; he admits him to his inmostcouncils

,together with all the men who want to revo lu

t io n iz e Germany .

22d. (To Prince Eugene . ) My son : Assume the com

mand ofthe Grand Army . I regret I did not give it yo u

when I left . I am persuaded that your retirement would

have been less rapid , and that I should not have suffered

such heavy losses . Past ev ils are without remedy .

23d. (To Vice-Admiral Count Decres . ) I cannot bring

myself t o a reduction ofmy naval armaments ; I amn o t so situated as t o weigh 1 2 o r 1 5 millions against

the moral effect that such a ret renchment would produceo n my navy and o n o u r enemies .

m . 43 ] A DIARY 1

24th . (To Caroline Murat , Queen of Naples . ) The King

left the army on the 1 6th . Your husband is very brave

on the battlefield, but weaker than a woman or a monkwhen out of sight of the enemy . He has no moral courage .

He has been frightened ; he has never for one moment

been in danger of losing what he can only hold from me

and with me . Show him the absurdity of his conduct . Ican still forgive him the harm he has done me .

1

29th . I have a superb corps of marines on

the march, in which not one soldier has less than a year’s

service .

In the coming campaign I shall sweep the enemy backbeyond the Niemen .

F ebru ary 8th . (To Marshal Kellermann . ) I approve

the steps you have taken for putting down the in su rrec

tion in the Grand Duchy ofBerg .

l 0th . (To Maret , Duke of Bassano . ) Write t o M . de

Saint Marsan that the levying of troops now proceedingin Prussia gives us just cause for uneasiness, and that Idesire that all should remain quiet .

(To Prince Eugene . ) Make the Prussians stop re

cru it in g .

1 4th . Gentlemen , deputies of the departments to the

Legislative Body : The war rekindled in northern Europe

proved a favourable Opportunity ’ for the English to act

in the Peninsula . They have made great efforts ; but all

their hopes have been deceived . I penetrated into Russia .

The French arms were constantly victorious , in the batt le s

of Ostrovno, of Polotsk, of M o hilef, of Smolensk , of the1 Fo r the dat e ofthis an d several o ther let ters, see John sto n , Na

po leon i c Empi re, vo l . ii, p . 1 46 .


Moskova, ofMalo-Yaro slavet z . The Russian armies were

not once able to hold their ground against our eagles :

Moscow fell into o ur hands . After the frontiers of Russia

had been pierced and the weakness of her armies had been

proved , hordes ofTartars turned their parricide handsagainst the most fertile provinces of the vast Empire to

the defence ofwhi ch they were summoned . In the space

ofa few weeks , notwithstanding the tears and the despairofthe unfortunate Muscovites , they burned down morethan 4000 of their most prosperous villages , more than

fifty Oftheir finest cities , thus satisfying an o ld standing

hatred on the plea of retarding our march and ofsurroun ding us with a desert . We triumphed over these obstacles ;even the fire of Moscow , which in four days ingulfed the

frui t of the labour and accumulations of forty generations,di d n o t affect the security of o u r position . But the ex

cessive and premature severity of winter bore down o u r

army in a frightful calamity . In the space of a few nights

all was changed , I suffered great losses ; my spirit wouldhave been broken , if, in such circumstances , I could have

allowed myself to think ofanything but the interests, theglory, and the future of my people .

The mi sfortunes brought o n us by the severity ofwinter have served to reveal to their fullest extent the grand

eu r and solidity of this Empire . It is with the most lively

sense ofsatisfaction that we have seen o u r subjects of

the kingdom of Italy , ofwhat was formerly Holland , ofthe new departments , rivalling the French in showingthat their hope , their future , and their interest lie in the

consolidation and triumph of the Great Empire .

I need great resources to face all the demands imposed


sult from a Pru ssian village or city , have it burned down ;even Berlin , if it does not behave well . The cavalry is

being rapidly trained in France , but we need the whole

ofApril yet .9th . (To Prince Eugene .) I can

’t see why you gave

up Berlin . Your movements are so hasty that yo u have

not been able to take up the line of march assigned to

yo u . You might have gained us three weeks ,whi ch would

have been ofthe greatest advantage in both the politicaland the military sense .

l oth . This is a most alarming state Of things ! What aremuskets? Almost nothing ; we need to

arm the levy of 1 81 5 , and to have a reserve of in

store .

l 1 th . (To Prince Eugene . ) It is time we began to

make war . Our military Operations are ridiculed by ourallies at Vienna and by o u r enemies in London and St .

Petersburg, because o u r army consistently retreats a week

before the approach of the enemy ’s infantry, at the sight

oftheir light—horse, o r even o n mere rumours .

1 7th . (To Prince Eugene . ) My So n : I inclose you

a Hamburg bulletin of the 1 2th from which yo u will seethat 200 Cossacks are going to take possession ofthe wholeof the 3 2d military district . A number of gun boats have

been sunk ; it means a loss ofmany millions ; i t will meaninsurrection in all that lies at the back of the Elbe . It all

comes from the fact that from the left bank ofthe riveryou have no longer any hold on the enemy .

2oth . I have news from Breslau the 1 2th . The Prus

sians were arming but still kept up appearances , and myMinister was being treated with all due regard .

m . 43 ] A DIARY 5

23d. (To Prince Eugene . ) I see in the Prince of Eckmiih l

’

s reports that General Regnier ’s corps numbers only

2000 men ; I had always supposed it totalled I

also see that Dombrowski ’s corps is reduced to 3 00 men ;I had always supposed, from your reports, that it num

bered 3 000 .

28th . (To Marshal Ney . ) The Prince of E ckmi ih l

has blown up the bridge at Dresden which has had the

double effect ofangering the inhabitant s and of drawingthe enemy in that direction . The Viceroy has coneen

t rated on Wittenberg, Magdeburg , and the lower Elbe .

Prussia has raised the standard and declared war .

A pri l 8th , Saint Cloud :

(To General Clarke . ) Continue the inquiry into General L o iso n ’

s conduct . The time has come for making

examples ; the generals show the greatest insubordination ;this affects the glory of my arms and the lives of my soldiers . See that the small newspapers state that General

Loison , who left the army without leave, is under arrest, and that General Lacroix , who abandoned his post,has been arrested and will be tried by strict martial law .

1 l th . (To Prince Eugene . ) I shall probably reach Er

furt at the head of men between the 20th and

22d. I cannot judge what your movements should be .

Manoeuvre o n that assumption, and see that o u r com

mu n icat io n s remain open .

1 2th . I intend to refuse my right and to let the enemy

reach Bayreuth , making the converse movement to that

ofJena, so that if the enemy should reach Bayreuth Iwould be at Dresden before them and cut them OfffromPrussia .


1 3 th . If to-morrow’s news confirms the fact that theenemy are executing an important movement , I shall

start instantly .

1 7th , Mainz

I travelled to Mainz in 40 hours , in good health and

without accidents . I shall stay several days in Mainz to

look after matters that require my attention .

20th . (To Frederick Augustus , King of Saxony . ) Your

Majesty’s letter pains me . Your Majesty ’s friendship

for me is gone ; for which I hold the enemies ofo u r causein you r cabinet responsible . I need all the cavalry and all

the officers . I have stated my views with the franknessYour Majesty knows , to y our aide-de-camp . Whatever

the event , Your Majesty may rest assured ofmy esteem .

24th . If I had another cavalry I could settle

matters very quickly .

26th , Erfurt :

The Guard is in column between Erfurt and Weimar.

Fo r the moment the great thing is to effect my junction

with the Viceroy . To-night I shall move headquarters to

A u erstadt .

(To Prince Cambaceres . ) I think the Minister of P0lice should send his reports to you , and that yo u should

show the Empress only such matters as she may well

kn ow : it is useless to place before her things that wouldonly alarm her, and put wrong ideas in her head . The

same holds good with the other ministers : they should

n o t speak to the Empress ofth ings that would give heranxiety o r pain .

27 th . I hope the Viceroy will be at Querfurt to-day,and o u r junction effected .


ters to Lutzen . The enemy tried to prevent our debouching

o n the plains ofLut zen , and had assembled a largeforceofcavalry there . Our infantry , supported by many bat

t eries, drove it back some four leagues . The enemy, who

had few gun s , did us little damage .

The first cannon-shot of the day inflicted a heavy loss

o n us . The Duke ofIstria was struck in the body by acannon- shot , and fell stone dead . I write this in haste so

that yo u may inform the Empress and also his wife , to

prevent the news reaching her through the newspapers .Make it quite clear to the Empress that the Duke OfIstria was nowhere near me when he was struck .

2d. B attle ofLutzen .

(To Marshal Marmont .) Headquarters are at Lutzen,and the Guard also . The Viceroy is at M arkran n s tadt ;

General Lauriston is marching o n Leipzig, which he will

probably reach in a couple ofhours . All our informationpoints to the enemy retiring towards Leven kau .

At 9 A . M . , the sound offiring being heard in the dircetion ofLe ipzig, the Emperor started at a gallop . The

enemy were defending the bridges in front ofLe ipzig .

But at 1 0 , the enemy debouched in the direction ofKajain several dense , black columns ; they covered the hori

zon . The enemy were showing very large numbers ; theEmperor promptly prepared to meet them . The Viceroy

received orders to come into line o n the left ofthe Princeofthe M o skowa ; but he needed three hours t o carry out

h is movement . The Prince ofthe M o skowa formed his

five div isions in line , and sustained the shock ; in half an

hour the struggle became terrific . His Majesty moved

E T . 43 ] A DIARY 3 79

in person with the Guard behind the army to support the

Prince ofthe M o skowa’

s right . The village ofKaja wasseveral times taken and lost . The battle stretched over

a line of two leagues covered with smoke , and fire , and

clouds of dust . The Prince of the M o skowa , General

So uham, General Girard, were everywhere, meeting every

emergency .

We could n ow see in the distance the first flashes and

the dust of the advance of General Bertrand’s corps . At

the same moment the Viceroy was coming into line o n o u r

left , and the Duke ofTaranto was attacking the villageo n which the enemy’s right rested . The enemy now re

doubled their efforts on our centre ; once more they

carried the village of Kaja ; our centre was beginning to

give way .

It ’s nothing, my lads , keep steady !

A few battalions were disbanded , but our brave boys

rallied at the sight of the Emperor, shouting : Vive l’

Em

percur !

There was not a moment to lose . The Emperor ordered

the Duke ofTrev iso to march o n the village ofKaja with1 6 battalions ofthe Young Guard , to charge straight in ,to recapture the village , and t o clear o u t all its defenders .

At the same moment His Majesty ordered his aide-decamp , General Drouot , to concentrate a bat tery of 80guns o n the front ofthe Old Guard , which was formedin echelons like four redoubts , to support o u r centre,wi th

all the cavalry massed behind . The fire became t remen

dous . The enemy gave way on all sides . The Duke of


Treviso carried Kaja, broke the enemy, and continued

his advance , his drums beating the charge . Cavalry; in

fan t ry , artillery , all the enemy began to retreat .

His Majesty cannot praise too hi ghly the spirit and

courage of the army .

3d. (From our Imperial Camp at Lutzen . ) Well done,soldiers ! Y o u have achieved all that I expected ofyou !Your hi gh spirit and your courage have stood in the stead

ofall we lacked . Y o u have shed new lustre o n the glory ofmy eagles ; you have shown all that the French race can

do . The battle ofL ii t z en will rank higher than the battles of Austerlitz , of Jena, ofFriedland , and of the Moskowa !

We will hurl these Tartars back into that frightful

clime whence they must never more depart . Let them

remain in their frozen steppes , the abode ofslavery, ofbarbarism , and ofcorruption ,where man is reduced to thelevel ofthe brute ! You have deserved well ofcivilizedEurope . Soldiers ! Italy , France , and Germany tender

yo u their thanks !

4th . The Prussian and Russian armies are 1 1 1 fligh t’

in

the direction ofRochlitz . I am moving the army onDresden .

Nothing could equal the courage , the good—will , the

devotion that all these young soldiers show me ; they are

full of enthusiasm .

6th , Colditz :

The Viceroy defeated the corps ofM ilo rado v itchyesterday at Gersdorf, but we have got very few pris

oners .


The King ofSaxony made a triumphant entry intoDresden yesterday ; he is dining with me to-day .

1 4th . I have precise information as to B li icher’

s move

ments ; he is marching on Bautzen by the Breslau road .

The Russians and Prussians are said t o be together . Their

rearguard shows men with many guns, and is

covering the little city ofBautzen .

1 5 th . The Prince ofthe M o skowa and General Lauris

t o n started two days ago from Torgau to turn Bautzen .

1 7th . Information from every quarter shows conclu

sively that the enemy is resolved to fight .

(To Francis I , Emperor ofAustria . ) I am deeply

touched by the sentiments ofpersonal interest in me expressed by YourMajesty , which I reciprocate and (therefore) deserve . IfYourMajesty is interested in my happiness , let Your Majesty promote it . If it be necessary I am

resolved to die at the head of all generous Frenchmen

rather than become the laughing-stock ofthe English ,and help my enemies triumph . Your Majesty should

consider the future and not destroy the results ofthreeyears ’ friendship , n o r sacrifice the happiness ofthe presentgeneration to petty considerations , why should I not

say the happiness ofa most sincerely attached part ofYour Majesty ’s own family . I hope Your Majesty will

never doubt my ent ire devotion .

(Instructions fo r General Caulaincourt . ) Le t me

know , from headquarters , what is said . By finding

o u t the v iews ofthe Emperor Alexander we will end bycoming to an arrangement . In any case , my intent ion

is t o build him a golden bridge to escape from the in

t rigu es ofMetternich . If I am t o make sacrifices I prefer

E T . 43 ] A DIARY 3 83

they should be for the benefit of the Emperor Alexander,

wh o is meeting me in fair fight, and of the King of

Prussia, wh o has the support of Russia, than that they

should profit Austria, that has played false, and that

under the guise of mediation wants to arrogate to her

self the right of disposing ofeverything after first takingwhat suits her .

You must try and establish a direct negotiation on this

basis .1 8th . I am leaving Dresden with all the Guard to at

tack the enemy, who have concentrated all their forces,and who have been reinforced on the Breslau road by

B arclay de T o lly’

s corps . They have left nothing to cover

Berlin .

24th , Goerlitz

(Bulletin . ) The Emperor left Dresden o n the 1 8th , and

arrived in front of Bautzen on the 1 9th at 1 0 A . M . He

spent the day reconnoitring the enemy ’s position .

On the 2oth at 8, the Emperor took up his station on the

height behind Bautzen . At noon the artillery opened fire .

General Bonet occupied the village of Nieder Kayna ,and by a charge carried a plateau that gave him control

ofthe centre of the enemy ’s position ; the Duke ofReggiocarried the hills , and at seven O ’

clock in the evening the

enemy had been driven back to their second position .

At eight o ’clock in the evening the Emperor entered

Bautzen , and was received by the inhabitants and by the

authorities with such sentiments as might be expected

from allies happy at being delivered from Stein, from

Kotzebue , and from the Cossacks . This engagement ,

which, were it not for its sequel, might well be Called the


battle of Bautzen , was only the prelude to the battle ofWurschen .

At five o ’clock in the morning ofthe 2l st the Emperortook up his station o n a hill three quarters ofa leaguebeyond Bautzen . At eleven o ’clock the Duke ofRagusaadvanced some 2000 yards and opened a terrific cannon

ade . The Guard and the reserves , infantry and cavalry ,were masked and had convenient débouchés for advan c

ing to the right or to the left as events might develop .

The enemy was by this means kept in doubt as to the

real point of attack .

In the meanwhile the Prince of the M o skowa had

driven the enemy from the village ofKlix , and pushedeverything in his front steadily back to Pre ilit z . At ten

O ’clock he carried that village ; but , on the enemy’s re

serves being thrown in , the Prince of the M o skowa was

driven back .

The Duke of Dalmatia go t into action at one in the

afternoon . The enemy, who had discovered all the danger

with which they were threatened by the turn the battle

had taken , attempted to check the Duke ofDalmatia’s

attack . The crisis of the battle was clearly at hand . By

facing left the Emperor, in the space oftwenty minutes,with the Guard , the four divisions of Latour M au b o u rg

and a great number of guns , reached the flank oftheenemy , which was the centre ofthe Russian army .

The enemy were obliged t o weaken their right to repelthis new attack . The Prince of the M o skowa seized this

instant t o resume his forward movement . Turning the

allied army , be pressed o n towards Wurschen . It was n ow

three in the afternoon , and with the army still quite nu


burg, it is proper that you should immediately draw up

a declaration of war against Sweden for my approval .

The Duke of Reggio w ill reach Hoyerswerda to-night,on the march to Berlin .

J u n e l st , Neumarkt :

(To Caulaincourt . ) I have no dispatch from you later

than the o n e sent at 3 A . M . As I am getting into the

saddle to advance along the Einsdorf road , I hope to hear

from you there . I want to be informed the instant thatthe orders go o u t , o n both sides , for suspending hostilities .

You must see how important it is fo r me to get this informat ion , as i i there should n o t be a suspension ofhost ilit ies , military dispositions must be madefo r t o -morrow .

I still urge you to try for a direct negotiation . I want

peace, a solid peace , but o n honourable terms .

Bubua has reached Liegnitz ; he has conferred with the

Duke of Bassano . The House ofAustria appears somewhat exacting ; we must be ready to face her in the field .

2d. (To General Clarke . ) This armistice arrests the

tide of my victories . I decided to accept itfo r two reasons : my lack ofcavalry which prevents my dealing heavyblows , and the hostile attitude ofAustria . That Court,in the most friendly , tender , I might almost say senti

mental terms , actually presumes tofo rce me ,fo r fearofthe army it has concent rated at Pragu e , to give up Dal

matia and Istria , and even what lies beyond the Isonzo .

I t demands , further, the left bank of the Inn , and Salzburg , and even one half ofthe Grand Duchy ofWarsaw,

leaving the other half to Prussia and Russia . And these

m . 43 ] A DIARY

benefits are to be secured by the mere display ofmen and without actual hostilities .

If possible I shall delay till September , and then strikehard .

(To Maret . ) We must gain time . To gain time without

making Austria hostile we must stick to our text of the

last six months , that we can do anything provided Aus

tria is o u r ally .

4th . The armistice was signed to-day at two in the

afternoon .

6th , Liegnitz

(To General Count Bertrand . ) I have received your

letter . It is true that I was not satisfied with the way

in which you drew up your troops, nor with the way in

which you evacuated the plateau in front of Jauer, when

you had not more than 29 battalions in your front, While

yo u had Pegri’

s and Morand’s divisions still intact . On

more than o n e occasion you have shown conspicuous

talent , but war can be conducted only with energy, de

cisio n , and constant resolution ; there must be no ex peri

men t in g, no hesitation . Maintain strict discipline, and

when you go into action show confidence in your men .

7th , Hagenau :

(To the Empress Maria Louisa . ) M adame ai chére

Ami e: I have received the letter in which you inform me

that you received the A rchchan cello r while‘

still in bed :

my will is that , in no circumstance , for no reason what

ever, should you receive any one whomsoever while still

in b ed. It is not permissible until past the age of thirty .

(To the Countess of Montesquiou .) I am pleased to

hear that my son is growing and continues to give bright


promise . I can only express my satisfaction for all thecare you bestow upon him .

The death ofthe Duke of Friuli has grieved me . In

twenty years it was the only occasion o n which he had

failed t o guess what would please me .

8 th , Bunzlau :

(To Cambaceres . ) My Cousin : The Grand Equerry

has presumably written to Count R ému sat to get us some

actors for Dresden . I would like this to be talked about

in Paris , as it would have a good effect in London and inSpain , by making them think we are amusing ourselves

in Dresden . The season is not well suited for the theatre,so that you need not send us more than six or seven actors .

1 3 th , Dresden

(To General Savary . ) The tone ofyour correspondencedispleases me : you are always worrying me about theneed for peace . I know more about the situation of my

Empire than you do , and your manner ofwriting producesa disagreeable effect o n me . I want peace , and am more

concerned to get it than any one else : your discourses o n

that topic are therefore wasted ; but I shall never conclude a dishonourable peace , nor o n e that would mean

another even more bitter war in six months . Don ’

t re

ply ; these matters don’t concern you ; don

’t interfere in

them .

1 5 th . (To Cambaceres . ) It would appear that the Min

ister ofPolice wants to make me pacific . No good can

come ofit , and it hurts my feelings , because it suggeststhat I am not pacific . I am n o t a rodomont ; I do n o t

make ofwar my occupation , and nobody is more pacificthan I am .


Well , what do you mean by peace ? What are your

condi tions ? Do yo u want to strip me ? Do yo u want

Italy , Brabant , Lo rraine P I w ill n o t surrender one inchofterritory ; I make peace o n the basis ofin statu quoante bellum . I will give yo u nothing because yo u have

not defeated me ; I will give Prussia nothing, because she

has betrayed me . Illyria has cost me men ; if you

want it , you must spend an equal amount .

Do yo u know what is going to happen ? Y o u will n o t

make war against me .

(Metternich : Y o u are lost , sire ; that was my presenti

ment when I came here ; now, I am certain of it . )And it ’s my father-in - law concocts this scheme ! It

is my father-in -law has sent you here ! Ah ! Metternich,

h ow much has England paid you to play such a part

against me P

3 oth . I have at this date, men without mus

kets .J u ly l st . The armistice may be prolonged till the 1 5 th

ofAugust .(To Marshal Soult . ) Start before ten o

’clock t o -night .

Travel incognito , using the name ofo n e ofyour aides-decamp . Y o u can get to Paris o n the 4th ,where yo u can stay

with the Minister of War ; go with him to see the Arch

chancellor, who will post yo u . Stop n o t more than l Q hoursin Paris , and proceed thence to take up the command ofmy armies in Spain . Y o u will take all measures necessaryfo r re '

e'

s tablishing our affairs in Spain .

3d. I cannot ye t understand the Spanish busin ess .I don ’

t know whe ther we have really lost a batt le (Vit

toria) , what corps were engaged , n o r what has become of

ZET . 43 ] A DIARY 391

the King and the army . It is difficult to imagine anythingso extraordinary as what is happening in Spain .

1 5 th . The armistice is prolonged until the 1 5 th of

August through the mediation of Austria .

20th . Ou r disasters in Spain are as ridiculous as they

are great , even the English think so , But the army has

not lost it s prestige . The army of Spam had no general,

and was burdened with a King . I am bound t o admit

that the fundamental mistakes lie at my own door .

22d. I am just back from a journey of fifty leagues

through lower Lusatia .

I suppose the Empress has started and will sleep ton ight at Chalons . She will probably not reach Mainz

before the 25 th , when'

I expect to be already there .

5

25 th . The Emperor will startfo r Mainz in his carriageat 2A . M . with the Prince of Neuchatel, R o u stan o n the

box .

27th , Mainz

I covered the distance in 42 hours . The Empress 1 s i n

good health .

There must be from t o conscript de

serters in France .

28th . There is nothing left to do in Europe these last

two hundred years ; it is only in the Orient a man canaccomplish great things .

99th . (To the Prince of Neuchatel . ) Tell the Duke of

Castiglione that I shall leave here on the night of the l st ,arriving at W ii rz b u rg on the morning of the 2d; that I

shall inspect the two divisions , all I can see of his corps

at W ii rz b u rg, as well as the citadel , and then proceed


to Bamberg, where , o n the evening of the 2d, I shall in

spect the other two di visions ; that on the 3d I will see

the division at Bayreuth , the o n e at H of, and GeneralM ilhaud

’

s cavalry, so that on the night ofthe 3d to the4th I can be back at Dresden . Notify General Pajo l sothat I may fin d escorts everywhere, but care must betaken to keep it secret . It must be given o u t that it is

the Prin ce ofNeu chatel travelling .

The Duke of Dalmatia entered Spain o n the 24th at

the head of his army numbering nearly men with

a numerous artillery . He was marching on Pamplona to

raise the siege .

3 l st . (To General Clarke .) Give orders that all the

wives ofgenerals , officers, and administrators , all theloose women , includi ng those who go dressed as men ,wh o are at Bayonne o r in the departments of the Landes

and of the Lower Pyrenees coming from Spain , be removedbeyond the Garonne immediately . Specifically, the wivesof Generals G F and V are to be sent not

only beyond the Garonne but to their homes .

A ugu s t 4th , Dresden

There is nothing doing at the Congress ofPrague . An

English agent is intervening . There can be no result,and the Allies intend to denounce the armistice o n the

l oth .

9 th . (To General Savary . ) It is probable that Austria

will declare war on the 1 1 th o r 1 2th . That Power has had

a beaut iful dream in which she saw herself recovering allshe has lost in twenty years ! She wants everything, even

Venice !


Goerlitz

The Austrians have crossed the Elbe and are marching

I know not where . I may possibly move straight into

Bohemia to catch the Russians napping .

90th , Zittau

I crossed the moun tains yesterday and reached Gabel .

(To General Co rb in eau .) Push your cavalry o u t as far

as you can o n the road to Lauben . We are manoeuvring,and must close up for giving battle .

I am afraid a dispatch I sent t o the Duke ofTarantohas been intercepted, and that the enemy

’s eyes will be

Opened .

22d, L o ewen b erg

People will be anxious in Paris, and the Allies will not

fail to spread bad reports . I am far from hav ing given up

my Bohemian enterprise . The worst feature ofthe situation is the lack ofconfidence ofthe generals : whenever Iam absent they imagine the enemy are in large numbers .

23d, Goerlitz :

The troops that are here can reach Dresden on’

the

25 th , or, if there is less urgency, on the 96th .

24 th . I am now marching on Dresden to attack theforces ofthe enemy that have moved in that dierct io n .

The army that I sent towards Berlin should have reached

that city to-day . It appears that two regiments ofV Vest

phalian hussars have gone over to the enemy bag and

baggage .

Baut zen , 3 P . M

I have reached this place w ith the Guard . To -morrowby two o ’

clock in the afternoon I can t hrow forty thou

m . 44] A DIARY 3 95

sand men into Dresden ; day after to-morrow

more .

95 th , Stolpen

I have just arrived at Stolpen . V andamme’

s troops

are already nearing Dresden . I want as little show made

as possible so that the enemy may n o t suspect the arrival

of these troops, and the operations we are undertaking .

The Old Guard will arrive at eleven .

(To Marshal Saint Cyr . ) Y o u must hang on . I shall

reach you early in the morning .

The reports about the Duke of Reggio are so confused

that I can form no Opinion as to what they mean . The

letter says that o n the l t and 22d we had some minor

successes ; but it is clear from the official dispatches thato nly a few shots were fired on the 20th and 21 st .

26th , 4 A . M

Yesterday at midnight the whole ofthe enemy’s army

was in sight ofDresden, and Marshal Saint Cyr fearedan att ack for this morning .

On the Dresden road, 9 A . M

We are just arriving at Dresden, the enemy face the city .

27th , Dresden

I won a greatl

victory at Dresden yesterday over the

Austrian, Russian, and Prussian armies commanded by

the Emperor ofAustria, the Emperor of Russia, and theKing of Prussia . Many prisoners, flags, and guns are

being brought in .

The enemy are not retreating . If they remain in posi

ti on, my intention is to turn their left, and the King of

Naples will carry out this operati on with the 38 battalions ofthe Duke of Belluno .


29th . The news ofthe death ofMoreau is coming infrom every quarter ; it is probably true .

3 0th . (To the Prince of Neu chatel . ) Write to the Duke

ofTreviso to support General Vandamme, if he is pressed .

Send an officer to General Vandamme to find o u t what isgoing on, and give him orders to return at once .

September 1 st . The Duke of Taranto is at Goerlitz

to-day . If he continues his retreat, I shall have to move

to his support ; I cannot allow h im to be driven back b e

yond Bautzen .

The misfortune that has overtaken the l st corps could

not well be foreseen . General Vandamme, who seems to

have been killed, had left no posts in the mountains, and

had no reserves an ywhere ; he ran into a corner withoutseeing what he was doing .

2d. (To B erthier . ) Inform the Duke of Re ggio that Ilearn with great displeasure that, making no use of his

three corps, he has retired under the guns ofWittenberg ;that perceiv ing his hesitation I had already sent the Prince

ofthe M o skowa to take command of his army .

3d. I shall be at Bautzen t o—morrow morning to join

the Duke ofTarauto and his army ; the enemy are pursuinghim briskly and appear very confident ; I shall attack them

in the cou rse ofthe day and try to drive them back toReichenbach , and after the battle I shall make a forced

march on Berlin .

(To Gen eral Count Friant . ) On your march towards

Bautzen you will find many stragglers and plunderers b e

longing to the 3d, 5 th , and 1 l th corps who have throwntheir muskets away . Turn them back o n Bautzen, where

muskets will b e served o u t to them .

3 98 TH E CORSICAN [1 81 3

(To the Duke ofBassano .) Tell the Count of Narbonne

that his di spatches are ridiculous and only prove one

thing, that he has no experience ofwarfare . Is it ex

t rao rdin ary that there should be some confusion in a for

tress that has just served as the rallying point for a de

feated army ? Tell h im to use more sensible language in

his letters than,fo r instance, his formula about speakingthe truth , as though it were not everybody

’s duty to

speak the truth, and as though everybody did not actually

speak it . Protestations ofspeaking the truth suggest thatit is not always spoken . Try as politely as possible to

make him see all this ; but really he is writing to the chief

of staff in a ridiculous manner . He should not go offintoamazement at everything he sees, but state it simply ,

and all will be mended ; the Prince ofthe M o skowa’

s army

will presently move away ; the enemy will be dislodged

from the right bank ; the general in command of the ar

tillery will send guns ; Count Daru will send equipment

clothes will come in from all sides ; the depots will be

armed and equipped ; the thing is only momentary .

20th . (To Marshal Marmont . ) The weather has beenso awful yesterday and through the night that we can’t

possibly move . It is unlikely that the enemy ’s infantry

will attempt to advance . It they should, I will support

you and we will give them battle, which would suit uswell , but appears not to be what they want .

22d, Hartau :

I am sleeping at Hartau . I attacked and pushed back

t he enemy, who are now retreating o n Bautzen .

' 23d. (To Count Daru . ) The army is n o t properly fed ;i t would be a delusion to think i t is . Twenty-four ounces

m . 4 4] A DIARY 99

ofbread, one ounce of rice, and eight of meat are not enoughfor a soldier . Now we are getting only eight ounces of

bread, three of rice , and eight of meat .

24 th . The enemy will probably retreat t o -night and

cross the Spree . If they don ’t cross to—night , they cer

t a in ly will to-morrow when they see large forces being

deployed against them . I should lose several days to no

purpose .

3 0th , Dresden

At noon on the 28th the Swedes attempted to recap

ture Dessau ; the Swedish Guard lost 1 5 00 men, and failed

completely .

Octo ber 9ld. It would be the best possible news to hear

that the enemy are running their heads into Leipzig

with men ; the war would soon be over then ; but

I imagine they know my methods too well to take anysuch risks .

8d. (To Berthier . ) Write to the Prince ofthe M o skowa

that the reports are false , that Bavaria has not abandoned

o u r alliance, on the contrary .

(To Marmont .) The current rumours are false . You

must act with the greatest prudence . Above all , you must

support the Prince of the M o skowa . The King of Naples

with the 2d, 5 th , and 8th corps will oppose everything

that comes out of Bohemia .

I repeat that to cover Leipzig, since you are there,

to prevent the Elbe being crossed between Wittenberg

and Torgau , to support the Prince of the M o skowa ,those

are your chief objects . The rest will come after .

(To Savary . ) I have received your ciphered letter of

the 27th . It ’

s very good of you to look after the Bourse ;

400 THE CORSICAN [1 81 3

what concern ofyours is it if prices are falling ? Peoplewho sell Government bonds at 60 will have to buy themback at 80 . The less yo u interfere in such matters the

better . It is natural that there should be more or less ofa fall in prices under such circumstances as these ; let

them go o n their own way . Who is hurt by it Only those

who are soft enough to sell . What does it matter if Govern

ment bonds drop to 6 francs , provided the interest is

regularly paid . The o n e thing needed to make things

worse is for you to mi x yourself up with them , and to act

as though yo u attributed some importance to the matter .

As for me , I don’t .

6th . Order for the Duke ofCastiglione to march o n

Le ipzig .

The whole ofthe army ofSilesia, commanded by General B lii cher, has slipped away towards Wittenberg . He

threw a bridge in the night at Wartenberg . General Ber

trand fought fo r twelve hours ; the enemy attacked himseven times without dislodging him . At night , seeing

that the enemy were being reinforced , General Bertrandretreated .

I shall reach Meissen to-night at the head ofmen , w ith my advance guard at the fork ofthe Le ipzigand Torgau roads .

7 th . (T o Berthier . ) Write t o the King ofNaples thathis principal object must be to retard the en emy ’s ad

vance towards Le ipzig , so that we may a ll close in o n

Leipzig together, hold the enemy a t a distance from it,o r, if necessary , fight a pi tched battle .


t h . All my in formation points to General Blucher’s

having moved o n Halle during the l 0th . Wittgenstein

has been engaged with the King ofNaples at Borna .

3 P . M

We have seized the enemy ’s bridges over the Elbe, and

it appears that the Berlin army crossed back to the right

bank . In the other direction the King ofNaples ocenpied the position ofCro eb ern this morning , and is holdin g it ; I have instructed him to hold it the whole ofto-morrow the 1 3 th . To—morrow at noon we shall have

men concentrated w ithin reach ofLeipzig .

4 P . M

The King of Naples estimates the enemy in his front

at men . If he can hold o u t through the 1 3 th with

o u t reinforcements , I shall march o n Leipzig and bring

the enemy to battle .

(To Marshal Marmont . ) March so that yo u can send

help to Leipzig, and take your orders from the King as

to coming into action . We seem to have reached the

crisis ; n ow all depends on fighting hard .

1 3 th , 5 A . M .

The Bavarian army has joined the Austrian , and they

are threat ening the Rhine .

(To Ney . ) I have drawn back all the Guard so as tomarch on Le ipzig t o -morrow ; the King ofNaples is covering the city . I have moved the Duke ofRa gusa there ,which will give the King ofNaples men . I think

we must concentrate as quickly as we can . There will

certainly be a great battle at Leipzig .

1 0 A . 1 1

(To Marmont . ) It is to be feared that Blucher may

m . 44] A DIARY O3

debouch at Halle, or at some other point . It is important

that the army of Silesia should not approach Le ipzig

nearer than two leagues .

You are to dispose your troops on two ranks instead

ofthree . The enemy, who are used to seeing us in three

ranks, will think our battalions one third lar‘ger . Issue

precise orders for carrying out these instructions .

(To Joachim Napoleon , King of Naples . ) I have re

ceivedyour letter . The Duke of Ragusa will reach Hohen

leina this morning at eight . It is very important that

yo u should not make use ofthis marshal, for if you do,you would have to weaken your line at a very critical

moment in the event of B lijcher’

s debouching through

Halle . That is the sort of movement that brings about the

loss ofbattles ; they are won only by strengthening theline at the critical moment . Take good care not to u se

the 6th corps except as a last resource, for all the indica

tions are that the army of Silesia is in the neighbour

hood ofHal le .

l 4 th . I shall start for Leipzig at seven .

7 A . M

(To Macdonald . ) I hope you will arrive early . We shall

undoubtedly be attacked to-morrow by the army ofB 0hemia and the army ofSilesia . March rap i dly therefore,and if you should hear them , move towards the sound ofthe guns . The army of Silesia is debouching through

Halle .

Reudnitz

(T o Marmont . ) Headquarters are at Reudnitz . I am

sending you an account of the battle fought by GustavusAdolphus that deals with the positio ns yo u occupy.


1 5 th . The enemy engaged the Ki ng of Naples yester

day with men ; they delivered six attacks and

were driven back each time . The 5 th cavalry corps , in

part made up ofcavalry from Spain , made some splendidcharges . Not only did the King of Naples maintain his

positions, but he even recovered some groun d he hadevacuated in the night in order to concentrate .

1 6th , 7 A M

(To Marmont . ) As I am on the point of attacking the

Austrians , I think you should come up in reserve about

half a league from the city , with your divisions in eche

lons ; you can move from there on Lindenau , if the enemy

should make a serious attack o n that side , which appears

highly improbable . I shall draw yo u into line as soon as

I have estimated the enemy ’s numbers and seen that we

can bring them to action . Or, again , you could move to

support General Bertrand if, which is u nlikely, the enemyappeared on the Halle road .

At nine in the morning the grand army of the Alli es

advanced against us . I t s movement tended constantly

to extend t owards the right . At noon the enemy’s sixth

attack had been thrown back .

The Emperor ordered the Duke ofReggio to move o nWachau with two div isions of the Young Guard ; orderin g the Duke ofTrev iso at the same time t o move on Lieb ertwo lkv it z with two other divisions ofthe YoungGuard ,and to seize the wood o n the left ofthe village . He also

pushed forward in the centre a battery of 1 5 0 guns under

the command ofGeneral Drouot .This combined movement resulted as was hoped . The


decided to draw them on to another battlegroun d . At

two o’

clock in the morning ofthe 1 8th he fell back twoleagu es towards Le ipzig and there firmly awaited the

onset of the enemy .

At nine o’

clock our pickets report ed them advan c

in g at every point . At ten o’clock the artillery opened

fire .

Throughout the day the repeated efforts ofthe enemyto carry Connewitz and Pro b stheyda failed . The Duke of

Tarant o was o u tflan ked at Holzhausen .

At five in the afternoon the Emperor threw in the re

serve artillery and developed all o u r fire against the enemy

wh o were pushed back the distance ofo n e league .

While this was happening the army ofSilesia had foughtits way into the suburbs of Halle , and the Saxon army ,horse

,foot , and guns , with the V Vij rtemb erg cavalry,

passed over to the enemy . This treachery n o t only opened

a gap in our line, but placed the enemy in possession of

the important passage intrusted to the Saxon army ,which carried its infamy to the point ofimmediatelyturning its forty guns against Du ru t te

’

s division . A mo

mentary disorder ensued ; the enemy crossed the Partha

and pushed o n t o Re udnitz , which they occupied ; they

were only half a league from Leipzig .

At six the Emperor issued his orders for the next day .

But at seven General Sorbier and General Du lan lo y ,

commanding the artillery of the army and ofthe Guard ,reported at his bivouac with an account ofthe ex pen diture ofammunition during the day . They stated that

the reserve supplies were exhausted , and that there re

mained not over rounds . This state ofthings made

m . 44] A DIARY 07

a movement towards one ofour two great magazinesnecessary ; the Emperor . decided for Erfurt .

By this decision the French army was compelled to

abandon the fruits of two victories , in which it had ac

quired such glory in defeating the far more numerous

armies ofthe whole Continent .1 9th , Lindenau :

The Emperor had ordered the engineers to mine the

great bridge between Leipzig and Lindenau so as to blow

it up at the last moment ; part of the army was still o n

the further side with 80 guns and a train of several hun

dred wagons .

The head ofcolumn of this part of the army , on seeingthe bridge blow up , supposed it had fallen into the power

ofthe enemy . A cry of dismay went up from the ranks :! The enemy are in our rear ; the bridge is cut !

” The um

fortunate men broke their ranks and sought all means

ofescape . The Duke of Taranto swam across ; Count

Lauriston , less lucky, was drowned ; Prince Poniatowski,on a spirited horse, plunged in and was never seen again .

It is impossible as yet to estimat e the loss involved by

this unfortunate accident , but the disorder it has caused

in the army has completely altered the appearance of

things . The victorious French army will reach Erfurt

with all the appearance of a defeated army . The enemy ,shaken by the battles of the 1 6th and 1 8th , have taken

heart owing to the disaster of the 1 9th and have assumeda victorious attitude .

I could see clearly enough the fatal hour coming ! Mystar was growing paler ; I felt the reins slipping from my


fingers ; and I could do nothing . Only a thunderstroke

cou ld save us . I had , therefore, to fight it o u t ; and day

by day , by this o r that fatality , o ur chances were b e

coming more slender !

20th , o n the road to WeissenfelsA dispatch must be sent to the Duke ofValmy , who

will send a semaphore message stating that after much

fighting, ofwhich the honour remains with us, I ammarching o n the Saale ; that the Emperor is in good

health .

23d, Erfurt

Order fo r General Sebastiani to start . He is to pushback the Cossacks and reestablish commun ications with

Erfu rt .

It seems to me highly improper that in the address

ofthe Municipal body ofParis to the Empress the conduct ofMaria Theresa should have been recalled : itshows lack of tact .25 th , Gotha :

I shall proceed to Mainz , and concentrate the army o nthe frontier . The treachery ofBavaria, which is as in co nce ivab le as it was unexpected , has upset all my plans , andcompels me to bring the war nearer to o u r frontiers .

I am writing to the Minister of War o n the subject ofa levy of to men which I need . With the

whole ofEurope under arms , when everywhere marriedas well as unmarried men are being raised and everybody

is in arms against us, France is lost unless she does the

same .


Novemb er l st . (To Maria Lo uisa . ) Madam and b e

loved wife : I am sending you twenty standards captured

by my armies at the battles ofWachau, ofLe ipzig, andofHanau ; they are a tribute I delight to pay yo u . Pray

see in them a mark ofmy satisfaction with your conductduring the regency which I intrusted to yo u .

2d, Mainz :

I have arrived at Mainz . I am trying to rally, to rest,and reorganize the army .

3d. (To Prince Cambaceres . ) My Cousin : Talk with

the Councillors of State and Senators who are nervous .

I am told in many quarters that they are showing great

lack of courage . I regret n o t being in Paris, so that peo

ple might see me more cool and more calm than in any

event ofmy life .

(To Savary . ) The alarms and apprehension at Paris

amuse me ; I thought you capable of facing the truth . I

shall defeat the enemy quicker than you think .

My presence is too much needed w ith the army at thismoment for me to leave it . When it is necessary I shall

come to Paris .

7 th . I leave to-night for Paris .

l 0th , Saint Cloud :The Director of the conscription promises men .

As are not enough , I must have more .

The conscription of 1 8 1 5 is estimated at men ;I shall be able t o levy1 9 th . I am working at present o n raising men .

1 4th , Palace ofthe TuileriesSenators , I thank you for your sentiments . One year

ago all Europe was marching wi th us ; now all Europe is

1 131 44] A DIARY 41 1

marching against us . The reason is that the opinion of

the world is governed either by France o r by England .

We should therefore have everything to fear were it n ot

for the courage and power of the nation . Posterity will

declare that the great and critical events that face us

were not superior to France nor to me .

1 5 th , Saint Cloud :

Order, in the event of the English reaching the ch étteau

ofMarracq , that the chateau and all the buildings b elonging to me there be burnt down , so that they may not

sleep in my bed . All the furniture may be removed and

stored at Bayonne .

1 7th . I am informed by semaphore that the peopleofAmsterdam have risen in insurrection .

December 1 4th , Paris

I regret to see that the epidemic continues ; is there no

hope that the cold weather will check it P

1 5 th . We are badly off for muskets .

1 7th . (To Coun t Montalivet . ) You will find herewith

a schedule of unemployed workmen drawn up

by the Prefect of Police ; I intend to provide them with

work . It is difficult to believe that there can be in Paris3 5 0 braid makers, 700 hatters, 1 200 locksmiths, 5 00 car

pen ters, 2000 ironsmiths, 2000 carriage bu ilders, 3 00

shoemakers, without employment, when complaints are

constant that we cannot get any fo r the war administ rat io n o r for the Guard . In any event, I intend

doubling, tripling employment, rather than leave them

without any .

20th . (To Marshal Mortier . ) Brussels is surrounded by

Russian Cossacks, Dutch Cossacks, and, I suspect, afew


local Cossacks ; your mounted division must be quicklyput in order so as to get after them .

Q I St . The chief of staff will inform the Duke of Bel

luno that he must form his corps into three di visions with

o u t fail on the l st of January, even if he has no more than

3 000 men in each division .

96th . The enemy have debouched by B ath and are

marching o n Belfort, which their advance guard prob

ably reached on the 84 th . It is absolutely necessary to

move the Guard, horse and foot, with the reserve artillery ,to Reims . If the news should become more u rgen t , I will

give orders for the infantry to travel by stage, but sofarthis does not appear to be necessary .

3 1 st . The Legislative Body , instead ofhelping to saveFrance, is helping on her ruin , and is false to its duties

I carry out mine and dissolve it .This is my decree , and if I were assured that its con

sequence would be that the people ofParis would marchto massacre me in the Palace ofthe Tuileries , still I wouldmaintain it ; for that is my duty . When the French people

placed their fate in my hands, I considered the laws under

which I was asked to govern ; had I thought them in

sufficient I would not have accepted . Let no o n e imagine

that I am a Louis XVI !


let yo u reach headquarters ; the Russians and English

w ill want to prevent o u r comin g to an explanation and

understanding with the Emperor ofAustria . You must

try to get the views of the Allies, and to let me know what

you find out daily , so that I may be able to draw up instru ct io n s for yo u , instructions for which I have no data

at present . Do they want to reduce France to her o ld

frontiers Italy is untouched, and the Viceroy has a good

army . In another week I shall have collected enough mento fight several battles , even before the arrival ofmytroops from Spain . The pillaging ofthe Cossacks willdrive the inhabit ants to arms and double our numbers .

If the nation supports me the enemy are o n the road to

ruin . If Fortune betrays me my resolve is taken, I am

n o t wedded to the throne . I shall abase neither the nation

nor myself by accepting shameful terms .

The thi ng is to know what Metternich wants . It is notthe interest ofAustria to push things to ext remes ; onestep more and the leading role will escape her .

I am starting for the army . We shall be so close that

your first reports will reach me without loss of time . Send

me frequent cou riers .

7 th . (To Joseph . ) My Brother : I have received you r

letter . It is too full of subtleties to fit my present situation .

Here is the question in two words . France is invaded , Europe is all in arms against France , but especially against

me . Y o u are no longer King ofSpain . What will you do PWill yo u , as a French prince , support my throne ? If so

you must say so , write me a straightforward letter thatI can publish , receive the officials , and display zeal fo rmy cause and fo r that ofthe King ofRome , good-will

IE T . 44] A DIARY 1 5

towards the Regency of the Empress . Can you not bring

yourself to this Haven ’t you enough good sense to do

this

Otherwise you must retire quietly to a chateau fortyleagues from Paris . If I survive , you can live there quietly .

If I die , you will be assassinated o r arrested . You will be

useless to me , to the family, to your daughters, to France,but you will be doing no harm and will not embarrassme . Decide at once , choose your path .

8th . Communications with Mainz are cut .

l 0th . (To Marshal Macdonald . ) You must see how im

portant it is to delay the enemy’s advance . Use the for

esters, the game-keepers , the national guards , to harass

the enemy as much as possible .

1 2th . General B ii low is concentrating at Breda . Gen

eral Blucher , with the army of Silesia, has debouched

by Coblentz, and is marching o n Metz . A third body,commanded by Prince Schwarzenberg, has debouched

by B é‘de .

No preparations are to be made for abandoning Paris ;if necessary we must be buried under its ruins .1 7th . I am sending cavalry , infantry , and artillery to

Ch étlo n s, where I expect to place my headquarters verysoon .

(To Marshal Victor . ) The Emperor disapproves you r

abandoning Nancy . His Majesty orders you not to leave

the line of the Moselle without fighting . It is bringing the

enemy down on us, and doing us the greatest harm .

1 8th . I continue receiving, through the police, the

most alarming news from the north .


Fo r 800 guns I need three o r four hundred thousand

rounds ; I wonder if the artillery department has thoughtofthi s ? If I had had rounds at Le ipzig o n the n ight

ofthe 1 8th I should to—day be master of the world .

21 5 t .,(To General Savary .) Start the Pope offbefore

five in the morning . The adjutant can say that he is

taking him to Rome , where he is to be dropped like ashell .

23d. (To General Coun t Belliard . ) I shall take the offensive . Try to have information for me when I reach

Cha‘lons as to where the enemy’s infantry is placed, so

that I may fall o n it . Keep the news ofmy arrival secret .Don ’t take any risk with dispatches so that nothing may

be intercepted , and nothing known of my arrival .24th . King Joseph is to command the National Guard

ofParis as my lieutenant-general .26th , Chalons :

(To Berthi er . ) Y o u must get information as to what

the enemy are doing at Saint Dizier : who is in command,and what are their numbers If there are only or

men , we can beat them , and if we succeed in this ,the whole state ofafl’a irs would be changed . If, o n the

contrary , we give them long enough to concentrate , we

should stand no chance at all . Get two or three hundred

thousand bottles ofw ine and brandy at Vit ry to serveo u t to the army to-day and t o—morrow . If there should

be nothing but champagne , take it just the same ; better

we should have it than the enemy .

Vi try-le-Fran ga is :

\Ve can crush the en emy by o u r great superiority in

artillery . I expect to get 3 00 guns into line to-morrow .


All the inh abitants are fleeing to the woods . There are no

peasants left in the villages . The enemy consume every

thing, take all the horses , all the cattle, all the clothi ng

and rags of the peasants ; they strike everybody, men and

women , and commit a great number ofrapes . I hopesoon to draw my people from this miserable state and

from this truly horrible suffering . The enemy should

think ofthis twice, for Frenchmen are not patient ; theyare courageous by natu re , and I expect to see them form

in g themselves into free companies .

I shall be at Troyes to-morrow . Perhaps Blucher’s

army w ill operate between the Marne and the Aube .

3d, Troyes :

I expect to get men from the army ofSpainday after t o -morrow .

4 th . (T o Caulaincourt . ) Prince Schwa rz enberg’s re

port is moonshine . There was no batt le . The Old Guard

was not o n the field ; the Young Guard was n o t engaged .

We lost a few guns that were taken in cavalry charges .

It appears that the whole ofthe enemy ’s army was i n

line , and that they regard it as a battle ; if they do , it is

n o t much to their credit . They had not more than

ofus in their front , and we held o u r positions all day .

6 th . (To General Clarke . ) You told me that the artillery

had a great number ofpikes : have them served o u t to thenational guards who are collecting near Paris . They will

serve for the third rank . Have regulations printed o n

how to handle them . Send pikes to the departmentsalso ; they are better than pi tchforks , and in any case

they are short even ofpitchforks in the cities .

m 44] A DIARY 9

I shall be at Nogent early to-morrow ; I can thereforecover Paris .

7th , Nogent

(To Cambaceres .) I have your letter of the 6th . I seethat instead of encouraging the Empress you are dis

co u ragin g her . Why lose your head What is the mean

in g ofthese M i sereres and forty hour services in theChapel ? Are you getting insane in Paris ?

Subject to the news I get , I expect to march at daybreakwith the 6000 cavalry of the Guard and the foot

ofthe Old Guard . But as I cannot risk a false move, Imust wait for precise information .

8th . (To Marmont .) Cut the Montmirail road and

send news as quickly as you can . I cannot believe theenemy are marching on the Epinay road .

(To King Joseph . ) If, owin g to circumstances I can

not foresee, I should move to the Loire, I would n o t leavethe Empress and my son far from me, because whateverhappened they would be seized and taken to Vienna . It

would be all the more certain to happen if I were no

longer alive .

I confess that your letter of the 7th at 1 1 P . M . hurt me,because I can distingui sh no reason in your ideas , andbecause you follow the chatter and the Opinions of a lotofu n reflect in g people . If Talleyrand any way con

n ected with the idea ofleaving the Empress in Paris ifo u r troops evacuate the city, it means that some t reach

ery is being hatched . I repeat it , be on your guard

against that man . I have had dealings with him during

sixteen years . At one time I even held him in high


regard ; but now that Fortune hasfo r a while abandonedo ur House , he is assuredly its greatest enemy . Stick tomy advice . I know more than do all those people .

If news should come of a lost battle and ofmy death,you would receive it before my ministers . Send the Em

press and Kin g of Rome to Rambouillet ; order the Senate ,the Council of State , and all the troops to rally o n the

Loire ; leave in Paris the Prefect, or an Imperial Commis

sio n er, o r a Mayor . Never let the Empress o r the King

ofRome fall into the hands of the enemy . I feel that I

had rather my son were strangled than see him brought

up at Vien na as an Austrian prince ; and’

I have a h igh

enough opinion ofthe Empress to believe that she thinksthe same way, as much as a woman and a mother can .

I have never seen A ndromaqu e performed wi thout grievin g for the fate ofAstyanax surviving his House, andwithout thinking it happiness for him not to survive hi s

father . Y o u don’t know the French nation : the results

ofwhat might occu r during these great events is incalcu lab le .

(To Daure .) The army is dying of starvation , although

we have marked our route in flames and in blood in

order to get food . And yet if I were to credit your re

ports , the army is fed . The Duke of Bellun o has nothing ;General Gérard has nothing ; the cavalry of the Guard is

dying ofhunger .9 th . (To Savary . ) Send twenty picked gendarmes and

twenty Paris gendarmes to arrest the stragglers and to

decimate them , that is to shoot one in ten .

I had to work hard through the night and was unable


field . Al l this was effected with only one half of the Old

Guard engaged . I am writing to the Empress to have a

salute of 60 gun s fired . Our loss is slight . The infantry

ofmy Guard, my dragoons, my horse grenadi ers , didwonders .

1 2th . The enemy have crossed the Marne at Ch é‘

rteau

Thierry and burned the bridge . The Old Guard surpassed

by a great deal all that could be expected ofa pickedbody . It really was the Head ofMedusa !1 3 th . I cannot believe that Prin ce Schwarzenberg will

ru n his head into Fontainebleau while we retain control

ofthe bridge '

a t No gen t ; the Austrians are too well ac

q u a in ted w ith my manner of operating, and have carriedits marks fo r t o o man y years ; they must surely realizethat if they leave us in possession of the bridge at No

gent I shall debouch o n their rear, in the same way as

I have at this point .I am not yet clear as to my movefo r to-day . I tremble

at the thought that these miserable Russians may set

fire to Fontainebleau by way ofreprisals .Ch z

‘

tteau—Thierry

The conduct ofthe King ofNaples is vile, and that ofthe Queen defies description . I hope to live long enough

to avenge myself and to avenge France for such an o u t

rage and such horrible ingratitude .

(To Caulaincourt . ) As the King ofNaples has declaredwar on me , yo u will kindly notify the Neapolitan Ambassador that he is to quit Paris w ithin 24 hours , and theterritory ofthe Empire as promptly as possible .

1 4 th . It is three o’

clock in the morning and I am start

A 1 44] A DIARY’

23

ing for Montmirail, thence to attack Blucher, wh o hasdebouched .

Montmirail

I left Chateau-Thierry at three th ls morning, and

reached Montmirail just as the enemy were arriving at

its gates . I marched straight on the enemy, who formed

line near the village of Vauchamps . I defeated them,

took 8000 prisoners , 3 guns , and 1 0 flags , and drove them

to Etoges . I did not lose 300 killed and wounded . This

splendid result was due to the fact that the enemy had

n o cavalry, while I had 6000 or 8000 excellent horse , with

which I constantly menaced them and o u tflan ked them,

while all the time I crushed them with grape from 1 00

guns .

1 5 th , 3 A . M

I shall start at the earliest dawn and shall reach LaFert é -sous-Jouarre with my Guard quite early .

I am moving on Meaux to operate against the Aus

t rlan s who have crossed the Seine at Bray and No

gent .

La Ferte-sous-Jouarre

We shall probably have a great battle with the Aus

t rian s on the 1 7th , 1 8th, o r 1 9th in the neighbourhood of

Guignes . I shall get to Meaux with the cavalry oftheGuard early this evening . I am not sure that the in

fan t ry ofthe Guard can get there, but I hope it will atall events get beyond La Ferte.

1 6th , Meaux , 8 A . M

I am starting for Guignes. and shall attack the enemyt o -morrow .

424 TH E CORSICAN [1 81 4

Guign es

I arrived here at three in the afternoon . We are going

into camp th is evening so as to reach Nangis to-morrow

at dawn .

1 7th , Nangis , 3 P . M

The whole ofthe enemy ’s Grand Army, Austrians

and Russians , Bavarians and Wurt emb ergers , are re

crossing the Seine in all directions with the utmost haste .

To-night there probably will not be a single man left o n

thi s side . But I shall have to lose precious time in re

pairing the bridge at Montereau .

(To Caulaincourt , Duke ofVicenza . ) I had given you

a free hand to save Paris , and to avoid us a battle which

would be the nation ’s last hope . That battle has been

fought ; Providence blessed o u r arms . I have made

o r prisoners ; I have captured 200 gun s , many

generals , and destroyed several armies . Yesterday I b e

gan to cut in to the army ofPrince Schwarzenberg, and Ihope to destroy it before it recrosses o u r frontiers . Your

atitude must correspond with all this ; yo u must try

your best fo r peace ; but yo u are t o sign nothing witho u t my orders , because I alone know my real situation .

I am certainly in a stronger position than when the Allieswere at Frankfort . To—day all is changed ; I have wo ntremendous successes over them , and su ch victories as are

unmatched in a n o t undistinguished military career oftwenty years .

1 8th . (To Berthier . ) Convey my displeasure to the

Duke ofBelluno at his not hav ing carried o u t the order

that directed him to proceed to Montereau . He must

explain the reasons why he did not carry o u t this order,


have him fire a salute of1 00 guns in honou r ofthe vietories ofChampaubert and ofMontmirail .1 9th ,

Surv ille : v

Yesterday I routed two reserve div isions of the Austrian general Bianchi and the Wurtemb ergers ; they lost

heavily . We took several flags and 3 000 o r 4000 pris

oners . And, whi ch is most important , I had the good

luck to carry the bridge before they could destroy it . Ihave dismissed the Duke ofBelluno , di ssatisfied with hisexcessive slown ess and negligence .

(T o Caulaincourt . ) I am so moved at the sight of the in

famous prOpo sal that you send me , that I feel dishonoured

at merely being in such a position that such a proposal

can be made . I will send yo u my instructions from Troyes

o r Chatillon ; but I think I had almost sooner lose Paris

than see such propositions made to the French people .

Y o u are always talking about the Bourbons , I had

sooner see the Bourbons back in France , with reasonable

conditions , than such infamous proposals as yo u have

transmitted

(To Savary . ) The newspapers are stupidly written .

Is it sensible , at such a moment as this , to say that I had

small numbers , that I won only because I surprised the

enemy , and that we had three to one against us ? You

must have lost your heads in Paris to say such things,

while I am saying everywhere that I have men,

while the enemy believes it, and it is essential to keep on

repeating it continually .

It has taken us all day t o get through this wretched

defile ofMontereau . It is snowing , and the weather is

rather rough .

arr . 44] A DIARY 427

20th . Since their defeat at Montereau the enemy

have evacuated Bray and No gen t , and are hastily re

treating on Troyes . What are their intentions Do they

intend to call in Blucher and Offer battle at TroyesMontereau

(To General Clarke . ) I send you four flags ; two should

have come in with the prisoners , which makes SIX. There

are four more Russian ones which we can’t find ; but by

fair count we had ten . You can present them to the Em

press . We will try to find the four m i ss ing Russian ones ,but if we can t find them in time , replace them by four

other Russian flags . It would be a good thing to have

a parade of the National Guard , and to carry the flags

along their front, with the band .

No gen t

I have just reached No gen t . The enemy are in great

luck because the heavy frost has enabled them to cut

across country ; they would otherwise havelost half their

baggage and artillery .

2l st . (To Marshal A u gereau , at Lyons . ) My Cousin

The Minister ofWar has submitted your letter ofthe1 6th to me . This letter grieves me profoundly . What !

Were yo u not in the field six hours after being joined by

the first troops coming from Spain ? Six hours ’ rest was

enough . I wo n the engagement at Nangis with a bri

gade of dragoons coming from Spain , which had not n u

bridled all the way from Bayonne . You say that the six

battalions of the Nimes division are deficient in uniformsand equipment, and don

’t know their drill ; what a poor

reason is that , A u gereau ! I have destroyed of the

enemy wi th battalions made up of conscripts, with no


cartridge-boxes and badly clothed ! You say that the

National Guards are wretched : I have 4000 of them herecoming from Angers and Brittany , in round hats , with

no cartridge—boxes , w ith wooden shoes , but with goodmuskets ; and I have turned them to go od use . You go

on to say that you have no money : and where do you

expect to draw money from ? We shall get some only

when we recapture o u r tax-collecting offices from the

enemy . You have no teams : seize them everywhere .

Y o u have no magazines : this is ridiculous . I order yo u

to get into the field twelve hours after the receipt ofthisdispatch . If yo u are still the A u gereau ofCastiglione ,keep your command ; if your sixty years weigh t o o heavily

on you, quit it, and hand it over to your senior general

officer . The country is threatened and in danger ; it canonly be saved by boldness and zeal , and n o t by u seless

middle courses . You must have 6000 good troops as a

starting-point : that is more than I have , and yet I have

destroyed three armies , made prisoners , captured

200 guns , and three times saved the capital . Get to the

front with your firin g- line . It is no longer a case for act

ing as in recent years , but you must again put on your

boots and your resolution of’

93 ! When the French see

your cocked hat w ith the skirmishers , and see yo u exposing yourself foremost to the enemy

’

s fire , you can do

what yo u l ike with them .

(To Francis I , Emperor ofAustria . ) M o n sieu r mo n

F rerc ct trés Cher B cau -I ’crc I did what I could to avoidt he ba ttle that has just been fought . Fortune has smiled

o n me : I have destroyed the Russian and Prussian army

commanded by General B l'

ucher, and later the Prussian


25 th , Troyes

As soon as I can make o u t what Blucher is up t o , Ishall t ry to get in his rear and cut him off.26th . If I had had a train often pontoons , the war

would now be over, and the army ofPrince Schwarzenberg would n o longer exist ; I would have captured eight

to ten thousand wagons and beaten his army in detail .

But I was unable to cross the Seine for lack of boats .

Blucher is moving towards Sezanne, a few cannon-shots

were exchanged last night . The Prince ofthe M o skowa

crossed the Aube at Arcis this morning to fall o n Blucher’s

rear .

27th . I am starting for Arcis to manoeuvre againstthe troops that are advancing towards La Fert é Gaucher .

(To the King ofNaples .) I shall not speak ofmy displeasure at your conduct , which was precisely Oppositeto what it should have been . It all comes from your

weak disposition . Y o u are a good soldier o n the battle

field , but otherwise yo u have no decision , no courage .

Turn to advantage an act oftreachery which I put downto fear, so as to serve me by a mutual understanding .

I rely o n yo u , o n your repentance , o n your promises .

If yo u act otherwise , yo u may count o n having to regreti t . I imagine yo u are not o n e ofthose who believe thelion is dead .

1

Arcis-sur-Aube

(To King Joseph . ) I shall sleep at Herbisse . I shall beat Fere Champenoise t o -morrow morning at nine .

I have received the engrav ings ofthe King ofRome .

This let ter is wro n gly da ted Jan . 20. 1 8 1 3 . in the Co rrespo n den ce .

See Jo hn s t o n , Napo leo n ic Emp i re, vo l . ii , p . 1 40 .


Please substitute fo r the legend : God guard my father

and France,”

this one : !

I pray to Go dfo r my father andfor France .

” It is more direct . I also wish you to have

some copies made showing the King in the uniform of

the National Guard .

M arch 1 st , Jo u arre

The enemy have crossed back to the right bank ofthe Marne , but I got up in time to cannonade their rearguard . To-morrow I must see what we can do . I have

no information yet as to where they are moving .

‘

2d. I have been held up here for many hours because

ofthe difficulty ofrepairing the bridge .

7 P . M

Our bridge will be finished at u lne . By midnight Ishall have got 6000 cavalry over, and pushed them on

after the enemy . The coun try people say that their trans

port is in difficulties in the marshes of Cocherel ; that theenemy ’s army is in such a state that men weep and throw

their muskets away in despair . I hope we may have a

good day to-morrow .

4 th , Bezu

(To General Clarke . ) I have crossed the Marne ; Imoved to Ch é teau—Thierry ; I pushed my advance guard

as far as Rocourt , and I have come (here) to sleep .

Y o u forward me letters of Marmont that tell me no

thing ; the excessive vanity ofthis marshal stands o u tin all his dispatches ; nob ody values him highly enough ;it is he has done everything, has advised everything ; it

is regrettable that with his talents he can ’t get rid of this

foolish side , o r at all events keep it sufficiently underco ntrol and out of sight .


B lticher appears t o be extremely embarassed and con

st an t ly changes direction . I hope this will lead to some

good result .

5 th , Fismes

I supposed that the Duke ofRagusa had reached Soissons yesterday ; but the commandant was v ile enough

t o evacuate without firing a shot . He evacuated with all

his men with the honours of war and four guns . I am

sending orders to the Minister of War to have him ar

rested, tried by a court-martial , and shot . He must be

shot in the middle of the P lace de Greve, and the execut ion

must be made a conspicuous event . Five generals can be

appointed to try him . Without any doubt the enemy’s

army was lost and would have been destroyed . As it is , I

shall have to manoeuvre and lose much time throwing

bridges .

Berry-au -bac, j, P . M

Win t z in gero de’

s corps tried to prevent our crossing,but , o n o u r infantry appearing , only Cossacks and Bask

irs remained to face us . We charged across the hand

some bridge over the river Aisne .

6 th . To-day I am marching o n Laon t o drive away

the troops ofthe Crown Prince ofSweden and ofBlucher,o n which we are daily inflictin g serious losses .7 th , Craonne :

I have defeated Wintzingerode , Langeron , V o ro n z of,together w ith the remains ofSacken . I have t aken 2000

prisoners , some can non , and driven them from Craonne

t o the A n ge Gardi en . Craonne is a glorious success . The

Du ke ofBelluno and General Grouchy were wounded .

M y advance guard is nearing Laon .


You always write as though peace depended o n me,and yet I have sent yo u the documents . If the Parisians

want to see the Cossacks they will repent , and yet the

truth must be told . I have never sought the applause of

the Parisians ; I am n o t an operatic performer .

(To Prince Eugene . ) I inclose yo u a copy ofa veryextraordinary letter I have received from the King of

Naples . Such sentiments are inconceivable at a moment

when I , when France , are being assassinated . Send an

agent to this extraordinary traitor and sign a treaty withhim in my name . You can do what you think bestfo r thispurpose ; nothing must be omitted in the actual situationthat may bring the Neapolit ans into line . Afterwards wecan do as we please ,fo r after such ingratitude and in suchcircumstances nothing is binding . To emb arass him I

have given orders t o have the Pope sent to his outposts ,through Parma and Piacenza .

M i dn ight

I am starting with the Old Guard .

1 4th , Re ims :

I arrived at Reims yesterday . I recaptured the city,

took twenty guns , much transport , and 5 000 prisoners .(To Savary . ) You send me no news ofwhat is going o n

in Paris . A Re gency is being discussed , an address , an d

a thousand foolish and ridiculous intrigues that proceed

at best from the brain ofa fool l ike Miot . These people have forgotten that I cut Gordian knot s after the

fashion ofAlexander . They had better remember that

I am t o -day the same man that I was at Wagram an d

at Aus terli tz ; that I will permi t no in trigues in the State ;that there is no authority b u t mine , and that in the case

1m . 44] A DIARY 43 5

ofurgent events it is the (Empress) Regent in whom mytrust reposes .

(To Joseph . ) I have received your letter of the 1 2th

ofMarch . The National Guard ofParis is a part of thepeople of France , and so long as I live I intend to be

master everywhere in France . Your character and mine

are opposite ; you like to cajole people and to follow their

Opinions . I prefer to be cajoled and t o have my viewsfollowed . To -day as at Austerlitz , I am the master . Iimagine that they can perceive the difference between

the time of Lafayette when the mob was sovereign and

to-day when it is I .

1 6th . (To King Joseph . ) I am going to manoeuvre in

such a way that you may be several days without news

from me . Should the enemy advance o n Paris with forces

so large as to make resistance impossible , send the Regent

(and) my son in the direction of the Loire . Don ’

t leave

my son ’

s side , and remember that I would sooner know

him in the Seine than in the hands of the enemies of

France . The fate ofAstyanax as prisoner of the Greekshas always seemed to me the most unhappy in history .

1 7th . There are three possible courses :

On e is to march o n Arcis , thirteen leagues ; we could

get there to-morrow, the 1 8th ; this is the boldest and the

result is incalculable ;To move on Séz an n e ;The third would be to march straight on Meaux by

the highroad . The third is the safest because it takes us

rapidly towards Paris , but is also the one that has no

moral efl’ect , and leaves everything to the chance of a

great battle . But , if the enemy have or


men , su ch a battle would be a fearfu l risk , while if we

move towards Troyes and strike in at their rear , while theDuke ofTaranto retreats disputing every position , wemay stand a much better chance .

Epernay

To-morrow before dawn I shall start for Arcis-sur

Aube ; I shall be there day after to-morrow at noon , to

strike the enemy ’s rear .

20th , Plancy :

I crossed the Aube yesterday . I then moved straight

o n Mery . I attacked the town and occupied it at 7 P . M .

The Emperor Alexander was at Arcy o n the 1 8th . He

only staid an hour ; we were nearly face to face .

(To Berthier . ) Write at once to the Duke ofTaran t oto move everything o n Arcis , even General Gérard , eventhe National Guards .

During the fight at Arcis-sur-Aube I did all I cou ld

to meet with a glorious end defending the soil ofourcountry inch by inch . I exposed myself continuously .

Bullets rained all around me ; my clothes were full ofthem ; but not o n e touched me . I am condemned to l ive !

23d, Chfiteau du Plessis :

(To Berthier . ) Send a gendarme in disguise to Metz ,send another o n e to Nancy, and o n e to Bar, with letters

fo r the mayors . Inform them that we are ope rating

a gainst the enemy’

s communications , that the moment

has come fo r a levy en masse, t o ring the tocsin , to arrest

everywhere the enemy ’

s offi cers and commissaries , t o a t

t ack the convoys , to seize the magazines and reserves ofthe enemy ; le t them immediately publish this order in


I had showered favours , he has authorized them to wear

the white cockade , and soon he will try to substitute it

fo r o u r national cockade . In a few days I shall attack

him in Paris . I count o n you

(A pause ; silence . )Am I right

(Vive l’

Empereu r ! Vive l’

Empereu r ! To Paris ! TO

Paris !)We will go and prove to them that the French nation

is mistress of her o wn soil ; that if we have long been

masters among others , we will always be so here , andthat we are able to defend o u r colours , our independence ,and the integrity ofour country . Communicate what Ihave said to your men .

4 th . (To Berthier . ) Order the Dukes ofRagusa, ofTreviso , ofReggio , ofConegliano , to report at the palaceto-night at ten , and to arrange so as to be back at their

posts before dawn .

(Declaration . ) The allied Powers having ann ounced

that the Emperor Napoleon is the sole obstacle to t he

reestablishment ofpeace in Europe , the Emperor Napoleon , mindful ofhis engagements , declares that he isready to descend from the throne , to give up France and

even life itself for the good of the country , inseparable

from the rights of his so n , those of the regency oftheEmpress , and the main tenance ofthe laws ofthe Empire .

Done in o u r palace ofFo n ta in eb leau the 4 th ofApril ,1 8 1 4 .

5 th . (To Berthier . ) Order General T relliard, who is near

Nemours , to march to-morrow towards Pi thiviers . Tell

E T . 44] A DIARY 439

him that we shall move through Malesherbes on Pithiviers .He could join us if we had to fight .

Order General Friant to start..t o-morrow morning at

six for Malesherbes with the division of the Old Guard .

The artillery will follow immediately after the Old

Guard .

l 0th . I cast about for an uncomfortable corner of earth ,where I might profit by the errors that would certainly

be made . I pitched on the island of Elba . It was the

choice of a soul of adamant . My character is certainly

curious , but a man cannot be extraordinary without beingunlike others ; I am a fragment of rock hurled into space .

1 1 th . The Emperor Napoleon renounces for himself,his heirs and successors , all right of sovereignty over

the French Empire , the Kingdom ofItaly, and all othercountries .

The island of Elba, chosen as his abode by the EmperorNapoleon , shall, during his lifetime, be an independentprincipality .

The French Imperial Guard shall furnish a detach

ment of 1 200 to 1 5 00 men to serve as an escort . H . M .

the Emperor Napoleon may keep for his own guard 400

men wh o shall volunteer for this service .

1 3 th . Providence has decreed it , I shall live ! Who

can fathom the future ? In any case , my wife and my so n

will be enough for me .

1 6th . (To Countess Walewska . ) Marie, I have re

ceived your letter ofthe 1 5 th . I am profoundly touched

by the sentiments you express , they are worthy of your

noble spirit . If you go to the baths of Lucca I would be

very glad indeed to see you and your son . Never doubt me .

440 THE CORSICAN [1 8 1 4

l gth . (To the Empress Maria Louisa . ) My good Lo uise ,I have received your letter ; I understand all the griefthere is in it , and it increases my own . I am glad to see

that Corvisart encourages you . I am very grateful tohimfo r it ; his noble conduct justifies the high opinion Ihad ofhim . Please tell him so from me . Have him send

me little bulletins about you at frequent intervals . Try

to go at once to the baths ofAix , which I am told Corvisart recommendsfo r you . Keep well ; preserve your health

for your son , who needs your care . I am start ing fo rthe island ofElba , and will write t o you from there . Iwill get everything ready t o receive yo u . Write t o mefrequently . Address your letters to the Viceroy and to you r

uncle , if, as it is said , he is to be Grand Duke ofTuscany .

20th . (Farewell to the Guard . ) Soldiers ofmy OldGuard , I have come to say good-bye . During twenty

years I have always met yo u o n the path ofhonourand ofglory . In these last as in prosperous days you

have never ceased to be the pattern ofcourage and ofloyalty . With men like yo u o u r cause was n o t lost .

But the war was interminable ; it would have meant

civil war , and France would have been even more n u

happy . I therefore sacrificed all our interests to those

ofthe country I am leaving . Y o u , my friends , must

continue to serve France . Her happiness was my only

thought ; i t will always be the object ofmy hopes ! DO

not pi ty my fate ; if I have consented to survive it is

still to work for your fame ; I mean to write down thosegreat things that we have done together ! Good-bye , mychildren ! I wish I could press yo u all to my heart ; let

me at all events embrace your standard !— Good-bye


5 th . It will be an island ofrest !7 th . (Orders fo r General Count Drouot . ) Find o u t

from the sub—prefect what is the system of administra

tion .

Have the flag ofthe island hoisted in every parish tomorrow, and turn this into some sort. ofa festival .I think that the governor should communicate a note,

stating that my flag has been hoisted , to the governments

Of Naples , Rome, Tuscany, and Genoa .

Convene the sub-prefect, the navy commissioner, the

chief registrar, the war commissary , the collector ofrevenue , and other persons who can give me information o n

the administration ofthe island , to a coun cil to-morrow .

Inform the intendant ofmy dissatisfaction at the dirtystate of the streets .

9th . Eh ! My island is none too big !

29th . Death ofJ o sephi n e a t M alma i so n .

J u ly 1 l th . (To Count Bertrand . ) Ask Cardinal Fesch

whom I could appoint consul at Civ ita-Vecchia . That

port , Leghorn , and Genoa are the most important points .1 7th . (Note fo r the Grand Marshal . ) Write tomy

brother Lucien that I have his letter ofthe 1 l th ofJune ; that I am touched by the sentiments he expresses ;that he must n o t be surprised at my n o t answering , as

I write to no o n e . I have n o t even written to Madame

(Mere) .

24th . (To Count Bertrand . ) Order the A bei lle, if the

weather is fine , to start to-night for Civita-Vecchia .

She w ill carry le tters fo r the consul at Naples and for

Cardinal Fesch . Instruct the A b e ille n o t t o rema in more

than two o r three days at Civita-Vecchia and t o get all

m . 414—45 ] A DIARY 443

the information possible about the journey of Madameand of Princess Pauline .

A u gu st 2. (Note for General Bertrand . ) As I am

not at present well enough established for entertaining

I shall wait for the arrival of the Empress or of PrincessPauline , which should be early in September, for having

the fireworks . I want the town to give a ball at its

own expense on the public square in which a wooden

booth can be erected , and to invite the officers of theGuard . Outside the booth there should be musicfo r thesoldiers to dance to , and there must be a few barrels of

wine so that they may have something to drink . Ialso want the town to marry two young people and set

them up . The Grand Marshal and officials will witnessthe marriage, which is to take place at High Mass .9th . (To Bertrand . ) Colonel Lecz in ski , who is leaving

to-day , will carry a letter from me to the Empress atAix . Write to M én eval t o tell him that I expect the Em

press at the end ofAugust ; that I want her to bring myson , and that it is curious I don

’t hear from her, which

must arise from her letters being intercepted .

26th . (To Bertrand . ) I believe I have told you to ask

Princess Pauline not to bring the pianist, but only two

good singers , as we have a good violinist and a good

pianist here .

One ofmy mules has just been drowned , which . is a

considerable loss , and arisesfrOm there not being a smallpump at the stable . Have o n e pu t in .

28th . I have news from the Empress to the l 0th of

August . She is to write care ofM . Senno and will send her

letters to Genoa under cover to M . Constantin Gatelli .


September 2d. (To Bertrand . ) Write to Princess Paulin e

to say that I have received all the letters from Naples ;tell her that I am annoyed at having had letters sent me

through Stahremb erg unsealed , as though I were a pris

oner and he my gaoler ; I think this way ofdoing thingsis offensive and absurd , and insultin g both to me and

to them .

9th . I have received a most sentimental letter from

the King of Naples ; he declares that he has already writ

ten several t imes , but I doubt it . It appears that the

French and Italian questions are disturbing him, and

making him amiable .

20th . My w ife no longer writes to me . My son is

snatched away from me . No such barbarous act is re

corded in modern times .

3 0th . The Co ngress ofV i en n a assemb les .

Octo ber l oth . (To Ferdinand , Grand Duke of Tus

cany . ) M o n si eu r mo n F rere ci tre’

s cher On cle : Having

received no news from my wife since the l 0th ofAugust ,nor from my son for six months , I have intrusted this

letter to Cavaliere Colonna . I beg Your Royal Highness

to let me know whether I may send a letter t o the Empress once a week , and receive in return her news and aletter from the Countess ofMontesquiou , the governess

ofmy son . I flatter myself that in spite ofevents thathave so changed many persons , Your Royal Highness

still retains some degree offriendship for me .

No vemb er 1 4 th . Any n ews ofthe Congress ? Do yo u

think they have i t in mind t o exile me I will never permi t them to carry me off.December 1 l th . (To Count Drouot .) Take great care

Jan u ary l st , Elba

Well , o ld grumbler, are you getting tired ofit?(No , sire , but it

’s not very exciting !)You are wrong . You should take things as they come .

It won ’t last forever !

2d. (To Drouot . ) Order the A b ei lle to take in supplies

for a week this evening . Eight sailors ofthe Guard areto go on board , so as to cruise to-morrow offCape St.André and observe the movements ofthe French shipsthat appear to be cruising around the island . The captain in command ofthe A bei lle will have an additional1 00 francs a month until he can be given a larger ship .

Get him a good glass if he hasn ’t o n e .

3d. (Note ) On Sunday there will be a ball in the

large reception room . The invitations must cover the

whole island , though they must n o t include more than

200 persons . There must be refreshments, but no ices

because ofthe difficulty of getting them . The whole

must n o t cost more than 1 000 francs .

On Sunday the 1 5 th the Academy might inaugurateits theat re and give a masked ball . On the 22d I may

give another ball . On the 20th there might be a second

masked ball at the theatre .

Feb ru ary l 6 th . (To General Drouot . ) Order the brig

into port t o be careened an d have its copper bottom

overhauled , and its leaks stopped . and generally put

m . 45 ] A DIARY 447

into seaworthy condition . Have it painted like the Eng

lish brigs . I want it in t he bay and ready , as I have said,by the 24th or 25 th ofthis month .

Order M . Pons .to charter two large-sized vessels for a

month , brigs or xebecs of more than 90 tons .

1 8th . Drouot , all France regrets me and wants me .

In a few days I shall leave the island .

24th . Ah ! France ! France !

26th . I am leaving the island of Elba .

Twenty-four hours before weighing anchor only Ber

trand and Drouot knew the secret .

28th , at sea :

I shall reach Paris without firing a shot .

M arch l st , Golfe Jouan :

(To the army . ) Soldiers ! we were not defeated !

Soldiers ! In my exile I have heard your voice . I have

come to you through every obstacle , every danger . Your

general , called to the throne by the vo ice ofthe peopleand raised on your bucklers , is back among you ; come to

him ! Pluck offthe colours that the nation has proscribed,and that , fo r twenty-five years , were the rallying pointof all the enemies of France . Put on the tricolour cockade ;you wore it in our great days . Here are the eagles you

had at Ulm , at Austerlitz , at Jena, at Eylau , at Friedland ,at Tudela, at Eckmuhl , at Essling, at Wagram , at Smo

lensk , at the M o skowa , at Lutzen , at Wurschen , at Mont

mirail ! Do you believe that the little handful of French

men wh o are so arrogant to-day can support their sight

They will return whence they came ; there let them reign


as they pretend that they did reign these last nineteen

years .

Soldiers , rally aroun d the standard ofyour chief ! Victory w ill advance at the double ! The Eagle , with thenational colours , will fly from steeple to steeple to thetowers ofNotre Dame . Then will yo u be able to display

your honourable scars . Then will yo u be able to claim the

credit ofyour deeds , as the liberators ofyour country .

In your old age , surrounded and honoured by your fellow

c itizens , all will respectfully listen while you narrate your

great deeds ; yo u will be able to say w ith pride :! And I

also was o n e ofthat Grand Army that tw ice entered thewalls ofVienna, of Rome , ofBerlin , of Madrid , ofMoscow,

and that cleansed Paris from the stain left on it by trea

son and the presence ofthe enemy !”

6th , Gap :Citizens , I am deeply touched by your demonstrations .

Your hopes w ill be fulfilled ; the nation’s cause w ill triumph

once more . You are right to call me your Father; I live

onlyfo r the honour and for the happiness ofFrance . Myreturn dispels all your anxieties , guarantees your pro

perty . T o -day equality among all classes , and the rights

yo u enjoyed for twenty—five years and that o u r fathersso longedfo r, become once more a part ofyour existence .

9th , GrenobleCitizens , when in my exile I learned all the misfo r

tunes that weighed o u the nation , that the rights ofthepeople were trampled o n , and that I was reproached fo rmy inactiv i ty , I lost n o t a moment , I embarked o n a frail

vessel , I crossed the sea amid the warships ofvarious nations , I landed o n the soil ofthe fatherland , and I though t


power is more o r less extensive as the nations they go v

ern decide . Sovereignty is hereditary only because thatis the interest ofthe people . Apart from this doctrine

I do n o t recognise legit imity .

I have given up the idea ofthe Gran d Empire , ofwhich ,in fifteen years , I had only laid the foundations . Hence

forth the happiness and consolidation ofthe French Empire w ill be the object of all my thoughts .

I thank my good city of Paris fo r its sentiments . Itgave me special pleasure to enter its walls o n the anni

versary of a day , four years ago , on which the people ofthis capital gave me such touching evidence ofits interest in the affections nearest my heart . To be here I had

to come on in advance ofmy army , and to trust myself

unattended to that national guard which I myself created,

and that has so fully attained the object ofits creation .

I am amb it io n s ofretaining its commandfo r myself .27th . (To Davout . ) Establish workshops in Paris fo r

mounting 400 muskets a day , with spare parts . It w ill

give the city employment .

29th . From the date ofthe present decree the slavetrade is abolished .

3 0th . (To General Rapp . ) At the time when you came

back from Egypt , at the time that Desaix was killed , youwere only a soldier ; I have made a man of yo u . I shall

never forget your conduct o n the retreat from Moscow .

Ney and yo u are among’

the few whose souls are as tempered steel . And at your siege ofDantzig yo u did morethan the impossible .

A pri l l st . The work offifteen years is undone , it can

E T . 44] A DIARY 45 1

n o t be begun afresh . It would take twenty years and the

sacrifice of twenty millions of men . In any case, I need

peace and can obtain it only by victories ; I will not raise

false hopes in you ; I allow it t o be said that there are n ego t iat io n s , but there are none . I foresee a difficult struggle,a long war . To maintain it the nationmust support me ;but in return it w ill demand liberty, it shall have it .

The situation is a new o n e . I ask for nothing better than

advice , a man is not at forty-five what he was at thirty

The repose ofa constitutional monarch may sui t me . It

would suit my son even better .

(To Francis I , Emperor of Austria . ) At a moment

when Prov idence has placed me once more in the capital

ofmy State , my keenest w ish is soon to see my wife andmy so n . My efforts will tend exclusively to consolidate

the throne that the love of my people has restored to me ,and some day to transmit it , settled on unshakeable

foundations, to the child whom Your Majesty has gu arded

with paternal affection . As the maintenance of peace is

essential to my object I have nothing more at heart than

to maintain it with all the Powers , but I attach special

importance t o maintaining it with Your Majesty .

1 1 th . We must assume that the enemy will declare

war about the 1 st to the 1 5 th of May .

1 8th . A great number of Frenchmen have followed the

Count de Lille : for instance , Marshal Victor, Generals

B o rdeso ul le and Maison . A hint was thrown out to them

that they might return ; they answered that it would be

at the head of men .

(To Marshal Massena . ) I have read your proclamation

with pleasure . I am very anxious to see you . If the state


ofyour health un fi ts yo u for anything save to return to

the south , I will send yo u back there from Paris .22d. I propose presenting eagles to all the regiments

at the Assembly ofMay , which will take place about the25 th of that month .

(Co n sti tu tio n al A ct . ) Napoleon by the grace ofGodand the Constitution Emperor of the French , to all pre~

sent and to come greeting .

Since we were called , fifteen years ago, by the wi ll ofFrance to the government ofthe State , we have , at varion s times , at tempted to improve its constitutional

forms according to the necessities and desires of the nation,and by taki ng advantage of the lessons ofexperience.Our object then was to organize a great European federalsystem that we had adopted as conforming with the spiritofthe age and as favouring the advance ofcivilization .

From n o w o n our object will be only to increase the pros

perity ofFrance so as to strengthen civ il liberty . From

this it follows that several modifications must be madein the constitutions and other laws that govern this Em

pire .

27th . (To Marshal Ney .) Order magazines to be

formed at Avesnesfo r men andfo r horse s

for 1 0 days .

(T o General Bertrand . ) Send o n e ofmy campaigningoutfits off t o Compiegne .

M ay 9 th . (To Count M o llien . ) It is ofthe utmostimport ance that the funds due to the regiment sfo r clothing expenses should be paid in w ithin a week . I have

men that are useless because I have. n o money

to clothe and equip them . The fate ofFrance lies there ;


the indignation which his grandmother the Queen ofS icily showed at Vienna . He w ill dwell particularly o n

the separation of the Prince Imperial from his mother,

from Mme . de Montesquiou , o n his t ears as he left her,o n the apprehensions ofM me

,de Montesquiou fo r the

safety , fo r the life of the young Prince . He will keep

within bounds o n this last point . He w ill mention thedistress of the Empress at being separated from the Em

pero r . She was thirty days without sleep at the time ofthe Emperor’s embarkation . He will insist on the fact

that in reality the Empress is a prisoner, since she is not

allowed to write to the Emperor .J u n e 1 st . Gentlemen , Electors, Deputies ofthe army

and navy to the Champ de M ai

Emperor, Consul , soldier, I hold all from the people .

In prosperity , in adversity , o n the battlefield , in council ,o n the throne , in exile , France has been the one and only

object ofmy thoughts and ofmy deeds .Frenchmen, yo u are returning to your departments .

Tell the citizens that we are at a great moment , that with

union , energy , and perseverance we shall emerge vic

t o rio u s from this struggle of a great people against its

oppressors . Tell them that the foreign kings whom I haveplaced o n their thrones , o r who owe me the preservationoftheir crowns , who, in the days ofmy prosperity , allbegged my alliance and the protection ofthe Frenchpeople , are to-day aiming their blows at me .

Frenchmen , my will and my duties are those oftheFrench people ; my h o n o u r,

_my glory , my happiness ,

can be none other than the honour, the glory , and the

happiness ofFrance .

E T . 45 ] A DIARY 5

3d. Prince Jerome is to serve with the rank of lien

tenant-general . He must join the army at once .

(To Marshal Davout .) Herewith you will find a copy

of my orders for the cavalry of the army . Marshal

Grouchy will command it . All unemployed generals are

at his disposal . Order Marshal Grouchy t o be at Laon

on the 5 th so that we may open the campaign o n the

l 0th .

(To Marshal Soult . ) Draw up a planfo r the movementofthe corps ofGeneral Gérard from the Moselle toPhillippeville, masking it as much as possible from the

enemy . We should be there on the 1 2th , by making long

days ’ marches .

My Guard will all be at Soissons on the 2l st .

7th . (To Soult . ) G ive positive orders for stopping allcommunications along the whole ofthe northern Rhineand Moselle frontiers ; not a stage or carriage must

pass .

I think you had better start to-morrow night . You will

go straight to Lille, incognito so far as possible, and make

all arrangements . You must get the latest information as

to the enemy ’s positions .

My travelling carriage must be made ready, withoutany one ’s know ing it, so that I can start two hours afterissuing my orders .

1 1 th . I leave t o -night to place myself at the head ofmyarmy .

(To Marshal Davout .) Send for Marshal Ney ; if he

wants to be in the first fighting, tell him to get to

Avesnes , where my headquarters will be on the 1 4th .


1 2th , Laon

Neither at Laon nor at Soissons have I found any ofthe stores that were promised me for the armyAvesnes

The in fantry of the Imperial Guard will bivouac a

quarter ofa league in front ofBeaumont and will beranged in three lines . Each army corps will march with its

sappers leading, and the bridging material collected by the

generals . The corps must be well closed up and in good

order . Moving o n Charleroi every Opportunity must beseized for getting forward and crushing any hostile bodies

that may b e manoeuvring o r attempting to attack the

army .

1 4 th . To -night I shall move headqu arters‘t o Beaumont .

To -morrow, the 1 5 th , I move o n Charleroi, where the

Prussian army is , which will result in a battle o r the

enemy ’s retreat . The army is Splendid , and the weather

pretty good ; the country seems well disposed .

(To the army . ) Soldiers ! This is the anniversary ofMarengo and ofFriedland , that twice decided the fateofEurope . Then , as after Wagram , as after Austerlitz ,we were too generous ; we believed in the protestationsand in the oaths ofthe princes whom we left o n theirthrones ! And now, coalized against us , they are aiming

at t he independence and the most sacred rights ofFrance . They have begun an unjust aggression . F o r

ward ! Let us march against them ; are n o t they and

we the same men PSoldiers ! Y o u were o n e against three at Jena against

these same arrogant Prussians ; at Montmira il , yo u wereo n e against six . Madmen ! A moment

’

s prosperity has


myself before noon . I shall attack the enemy if they are

there, and reconnoitre to Gembloux . There , according to

events , I will come to a decision , perhaps at three this

afternoon , perhaps at night .

(To Marshal Count Grouchy . ) I shall reach Fleurus

between ten and eleven ; if the enemy hold Somb refl'

e Ishall attack them , and even at Gembloux and take that

position , as I intend to start to-night and operate w ithmy left wing, commanded by Marshal Ney, against theEnglish . All my information points to the Prussians n o t

being able to oppose us with more than men .

3 P . M . .

I t may b e that in three hours the result ofthe campaign will be decided . If Ney carries o u t his orders well,not a gun oftheir armies will escape me .

The right wing made up ofthe 3d and 4 th infantryand 3d cavalry corps , commanded by Marshal Grouchy ,

was in position along the hills at the back ofFleurus .At three o ’clock General Lefo l’s division ofGeneral Vandamme’ s corps go t into action and carried Saint Amand ,from which it drove the enemy at the point ofthe bayon et . On the extreme right Marshal Grouchy and GeneralPajo l fought a t the v illage of Sombreffe . The enemy had

o r men in line , with many guns .At seven o ’clock we had carried all the villages ; the

enemy st ill occupied the plateau ofBussy in force . The

Emperor moved forward with the Guard t o the villageOf Ligny . Eight battalions ofthe Guard advanced w iththe bayonet , wi th four squadrons ofthe body-guard ,General Delo rt

’

s and General M ilhaud’

s cuirassiers and

E T . 46] A DIARY 9

the horse grenadiers of the Guard in support . The Old

Guard advanced with the bayonet against the enemy’s

columns on the heights of Bussy , and in an instant covered

the field ofbattle with dead . At ten o ’clock the battle

was over and we were in possession of the field .

1 7th , near Ligny , 1 1 A . M

(To Grouchy . ) While I start after the English, yo u

must pursue the Prussians .

On the road from Quatre Bras to Genappe, 4 P. M

Fire ! fire ! they are the English !

6 P . M . , Farm of the Belle Alliance

The Emperor orders that the army be ready to attack

at nine in the morning .

1 8th , Battlefield ofWaterlooA . M . :

There are ninety chances in o u r favour .

I tell you Wellington is a bad general , the English are

bad soldiers ; we will settle the matter by lunch time .

(Soult : I S incerely hope so(Order . ) As soon as the army is in position , about one

o’

clock, when the Emperor gives the order to Marshal

Ney, the attack will commence for capturing the village

ofMont Saint Jean , where the crossroads are . Count

d’

Erlo n will open the attack .

At three in the afternoon the Emperor ordered the Guard

forward to the plateau which the 1 st corps had occupied

at the beginning ofthe battle . The Prussian division,

the advance of which was ant icipat ed , opened fire on the

skirmishers ofCount de Lobau along all o u r right flank .


This morning we had ninety chances in o ur favour ; westill have sixty . And if Grouchy moves quickly , B ti low ’

s

corps will b e completely destroyed .

The Emperor intended to push home an attack on

Mont Saint Jean which should have been decisive, but

by o n e ofthose impatient movements so frequent in o u r

military history and that have so often been fatal to us ,the reserve cavalry , seeing the backward movement made

by the Engl ish to avoid our artillery fire from which

they had already suffered heavily , advanced to the plateau of Mont Saint Jean and charged the enemy . This

movement , which , made at the right moment and sup

ported by the reserves, would have decided the battle,made without supports and before matters were settledo n the right became fatal . All our cavalry became en

gaged in mutual support . There , fo r three hours , manycharges were delivered in which we broke several squaresofBritish infantry and captured six flags , which , however,did not compensate the losses suffered by o u r cavalry

from grape and musketry . We could not engage o u r re

serves until we had disposed ofthe flank attack ofthePrussian corps .

Troops ! Where do yo u expect me to find them ? Do

you want me to make them

This attack con tinued and developed perpendicularly

t o o u r right flank . The Emperor sent General Duhe sme

w i th the Young Guard a nd several reserve batteries .

The enemy were checked anddriven back ; they were spent

THE CORSICAN [1 81 5

raise conscripts ; I can arm them with the musketsofroyalists and ill-disposed national guards ; I w ill raise alevy en masse in the Lyonnais , Dau ph in é , Burgundy , L o r

raine,Champagne ; I will crush the enemy ; but everybody

must help me, and n o t deafen me . I am startingfo r Laon :I shall doubtless find troops there . I have not heard from

Grouchy ; unless he is captured , as I fear, he is , 1 shall

have men in three days . Write and tell me what

cfl’ect this horrible scrimmage has had on the Chamber . Ithink the deputies will realize that their duty , in this

great crisis , is t o join me in saving France . See that they

support me as they should ; above all courage and firmness .

2l st , Paris :

I had had no food for three days ! I was extremelytired . As sdomas I arrived I jumped in to my bath , and

had something to eat .

(Lavalette : He came to me with a frightful , epileptic

laugh !)Ah !my God !

The army did wonders ; it was seized with a panic . Neybehaved like a madman . I am exhausted . I must have

two hours ’ rest . I am bursting , here !

Well , all is n o t lost . I shall inform the Chamber ofwhat has occurred . I hope that this step will rally them

around me . After that I shall go offagain .

(Message to the Chamber ofRepresentatives . ) Mr .

President : After the batt les ofLigny and ofMon t Sa intJean , and after having arran ged for rallying the army a t

Avesnes and Philippev ille , for the defence ofthe fron

E T . 45 ] A DIARY 463

tier fortresses, and ofthe cities ofLaon and Soissons , Ihave come to Paris to concert measures for the national

defence with my minist ers , and to come to an under

standing with the Chamber concerning all that the safety

ofthe country demands .I have appointed as a Committee the Minister of For

eign Affairs, Count Carnot, and the Duke of Otranto to

renew and continue the negotiations with the Powers, so

as to discover their real intentions and t o put an end to

the war, providing that is compatible with the independ

ence and honour of the Nation .

My political existence is at an end .

22d, mo rn i n g

If they mean to usefo rce with me, I shall not abdicate .I must be left to come to my decision in peace . Tell them

to wait .

I, P . M

Lucien, write : When I began the war to maintain thenational independence, I counted on the unanimous sup

port of every individual , of every official . I had good

reason to anticipate success . Circumstances appeared to

be changed . I offer myself as a sacrifice to the hatred ofthe enemies of France . I only hope that their declaration

may prove sincere, and that their hostility is solely to my

person . Le t all unite for the public safety and to remain

an independent nation . I proclaim my son, under the

style of Napoleon II , Emperor of the French .

They have forced me to 1 t !


(Vive l’

Empereu r ! Vive l’

Empereu r !)They have done so muchfo r me ! Will the people everknow h ow much this night ofindecision and of agony hascost me ? I had to give in , and once done, it is done ; I amnot for half measu res .

I could not be, I would not be, a king of the mob !

23d. Ah , wretched man ! What have yo u written there ?

Strike it out, sir, strike it o u t quickly ! A battle of thespurs ! What a mistake ! What a calumny ! A battle of the

spurs ! Ah ! poor army ! brave soldiers ! Y o u never foughtbetter !

24 th . They are debating, the hounds, with the enemy

at our gates !

(To Hortense . ) Malmaison is yours . Will you grant

me hospitality there

25 th . (To Barbier . ) The Grand Marshal requests M .

Barbier to bring to Malmaison to-morrowsome books o n America ;a schedule of all that has been printed about the Em

pero r during his various campaigns .

The great library must be invoiced to an American firm

that can ship it to America by way ofHavre .Malmaison

(To the army . ) Soldiers ! Although absent , I shallfo llow your footsteps . Every regiment is known t o me, andI shall render just ice to its courage when it gains a suc

cess over the enemy . We have been calumniated, yo u

and I . Those who are incapable ofjudging yo u have seenin the proofs ofdevotion you have given me a zeal ofwhich I was the sole Object ; le t your future successes showthat i t was above all o u r country yo u served in obeying


A u gu st 4 th , on board H . M . S . B elleropho n

I solemnly protest here, in the face ofheaven and ofmen , against the violation ofmy most sacred rights , in disposing ofmy person and ofmy liberty by force . I came on

board the B elleropho n freely ; I am n o t the prisoner, I am

the guest of England . From the instant I boarded the

B elleropho n I was at the hearth of the British people . I

appeal to History ! It will place o n record that an enemy

who du ring twenty years waged war against the Britishpeople came freely in his misfortune to seek a refuge

under their laws ; and what more striking proof could he

display of his esteem and of his trust ? And how did Eng

land reply to such magnanimity ? She pretended to hold

o u t the hand ofhospitality to her enemy , and when hehad placed himself in her power, she slew him !

Wh atever shall we do in that remote spot ? Well , we

will write o u r Memoirs . Yes , we shall have to work ; and

work is the scythe oftime . After all , a man must aecom

plish his destiny ; that is my great doctrine . Well , let mine

be fulfilled !

7 th , o n board H . M . S . No rthumb erland; departu refo rSt . H elen a .

Here I am , Admiral , at your orders !

They can call me what they like (General Bonaparte) ,they cannot prevent me from being myself .

1 3 th , at sea

What time is it Let ’s play vi ngt ct n u .

Septemb er 4 th . V endémi a i re , even Montenotte , did not

convince me that I was a really great man ; it was on ly

after Lodi that the idea took possession ofme that I migh t


easily become a decisive actor on o u r political stage .

Then flashed the first spark of high ambition .

6th . I returned from the campaign ofItaly not worthmore than francs of my own ; I might easily have

brought back ten o r twelve millions, and I should have

earned them ; I never handed in any accou nts , nor was Iever asked for any . I expected, on my return, some great

national reward ; but the Directoire put the matter on one

side . My proclivity was for creating and not for possess

ing . My property lay in glory and fame : the Simplonfor the people ; the Louvre for the foreigners , were to me

more of a property than the private domains . I bought

diamonds for the Crown ; I repaired the royal palaces ; Icrammed them full of furniture ; and I found myself on

occasion thinking that the money spent by Josephine o nher hothouses or gallery was a positive injury for my

Botanical Gardens o r my Paris Museum .

1 4th . I did not usurp the crown ; it was in the gutter andI picked it o u t ; the people placed it o n my head : their actmust be respected .

1 8th . What latitude are we in ? What longitude ? What

is the run since yesterday

28th . In revolutions a man can be sure ofnothing exceptwhat he is doing ; it would not be reasonable to affirm thatthings might n o t have turned out differently .

Octo ber 8th . The men of 1 81 5 were not the men of 1 792.

The generals were afraid of everything . I needed some one

to lead the Guard : had Bessieres or Lannes been there I

should not have been defeated . Soult did n’

t have a good

staff .

,1 7th . L andi n g at St . H elen a .

ST . HELENA

Octo ber 24 th , 1 81 5 . What infamous treatment theyhave held in store for us ! This is the agony of death !

T o injustice, to violence , they add insult and slow t o r

ture ! If I was so dangerous , why did n ’

t they get rid ofme A few bullets in my heart o r in my head would havesettled it ; there would have been some courage at least

in such a crime ! If it were not for you andfo r your wivesI would refuse everything here save a soldier’s rations .

How can the Sovereigns ofEurope permit the sacrednature of sovereignty to be attainted in me Can ’t they

see that they are killing themselves at St . Helena ? I have

entered their capitals as a conqueror ; had I been moved

by such motives , what would have become of them ?

They all called me their brother, and I had become so by

the will of the people , the sanction ofvictory, the character ofreligion , the alliances ofpolicy and offamily :No vember 1 6th . Y o u don

’t know men ; they are difficu ltto judge precisely . Do they know , do they realize them

selves fully Had I continued prosperous , most ofthosewho abandoned me would probably never have suspected

their o wn treachery . In any case, I was more deserted

than betrayed ; there was more weakness about me than

treason ; they were the regiment ofSt . Peter, — repentance and tears may stand a t the gates ! Apart from that ,

who ha s there been in history with more partisans , more

friends ? Who has been more popular, more beloved

Who ever left behind more ardent regrets ? Look a t

470 THE CORSICAN [1 81 5—1 6

ing ! We struggle here against the tyranny of the gods,

and the hopes ofhumanity are with us ! M isfortune itselfknows heroism , and glory ! Only adversity was wanting

to complete my career ! Had I died o n the throne,in

the clouds of my allmigh t in ess, I would have remaineda problem for many ; as it is, thanks to my misfortunes .

I can be judged naked .

Decemb er 6th . Well , we shall have sentries under o u r

windowsfo r dinner at Longwood ; they would like to compel me to have a foreign officer at my table, in my room ;I must n o t ride o u t on horseback without o n e ; in a word

we must not take o n e step , under penalty of an insult !

J an u ary 1 , 1 81 6 . In this accursed island o n e cannot

see the sun o r the moonfo r the greater part ofthe year ;always rain o r fog . One can

’

t ride a mile without being

soaked ; even the English , accustomed as they are to

dampness , complain ofit .1 5 th . We have no superflu ity here , except oftime .

22d. On my return from the army ofItaly, Bernardinde St . Pierre came to call on me, and almost at once

turned the conversation o n the subject ofhis poverty .

During my boyhood I had dreamed ofnothing but Pauland Virginia , and , flattered by a confession that I as

sumed to be confidential and due to my great reputa

tion , I speedily returned his call , and discreetly left a

little roll oftwenty-five louis o n the mantelpiece .

Febru ary 7 . News ofthe death ofM u rat a t P iz z a.

The Calabrese have been more humane , more generous ,than those who sent me here !8 th . It was fated that Murat should do us injury . I

would have taken him to Waterloo , but the French army

E T . 46] A DIARY 47 1

was so patriotic, so honest , that it is doubtful if it could

have been brought to swallow the disgust and horror thatwas felt for those who were traitors . I did not think I had

the power to maintain him there , and yet he might have

meant victory . For what was it we lacked at certain

moments of the day T0 break in three o r four English

squares , and Murat was admirable at that business ,he was the very man fo r it ; there was never seen a moredetermined, fearless, brilliant leader at the head of cav

alry .

1 7th . If I hadn ’t been fool enough to get myself beaten

at Waterloo, the business was done ; even now I can’t see

how it happened but there , don ’t let ’

s talk about it

any more !

M arch 3d. I frightened them pretty well with my in

vasio n of England , didn’t I ? What was the public talk

about it at the time Well, you may have joked about it

in Paris , but Pitt wasn’t laughing in London . Never was

the English oligarchy in greater peril !

I had made a landing possible ; I had the finest army

that ever existed, that of Austerlitz ; what more can be

said ? In four days I could have reached London ; Iwould not have entered as a conqueror but as a liberator ;I would have acted the part

,

ofWilliam III again, butwith greater generosity . The discipline of my army

would have been perfect ; and it would have behaved in

London as it might in Paris . From there I would have

operated from south to north, under the colours of the

Republic, the European regeneration which later I was on

the point ofeffecting from north to south , under monarchical forms . The Obstacles before which I failed did


not proceed from men but from the elements : in the south

it was the sea destroyed me ; and in the north it was the

fire of Moscow and the ice ofwinter ; so there it is , water,air, fire, all nature and nothing but natu re ; these were the

Opponents ofa universal regeneration commanded byNature herself ! The problems of Nature are insoluble !

7th . Coun t Lascases Chambellan ofthe S . M . Long

wood ; into his polac : very press .

Count L ascases, Since sixt wek , y learn the english

and y do not any progress . Sixt week do fourty and twoday . If might have learn fivt y word for day , i could knowit two thousands and two hundred . It is in the dictionary

more of fourty thousand ; even he could most twenty ; but

much oftems . Fo r know it o r hundred and twenty weekwhich do more two years . After this you shall agree that

the study one tongue is a great labour who it must do into

the young aged . Longwood , this morning the seven march

thursday one thousand eight hundred sixt een after na

t iv ity the Lors Jesus Christ .

1 1 th . The Emperor ofRussia is intelligent , pleasing,well-educated , can fascinate easily ; but one has to be on

one ’s guard, he is a real Greek ofthe later Empire .

Greece awaits a liberator . What a splendid wreath ofglory is there ! He can in sci ib e his namefo r eternity w iththose ofHomer, of Plato , ofEpaminondas ! I myself wasperhaps not far from doing it ! When at the time ofmycampaign ofItaly I touched the shores of the Adriatic , Iwrote t o the Directoire that I could look o u t over the Em

pire ofAlexander .


he said , in a contemptuous manner I believe the gen

eral has never read Lo rd Chesterfield ; meaning, that I was

deficient in politeness, and did not know how to conduct

myself at table .

1 9th . I have no reason to complain ofthe English soldiers o r sailors ; on the contrary , they treat me with great

respect, and even appear to feel for me . Moore was a

brave soldier, an excellent officer, and a man oftalent .20th . England and France have held in their hands the

fate ofthe world , especially that ofEuropean civiliz ation .

How we have injured o n e another !

2l st . They want to know what I wi sh I ask for my

freedom , o r for the executioner ! Tell your Prince Regent

what I say . I no longer ask for news ofmy son since theyhave had the barbarism to leave my first request unan

swered.

It is hard , all the same , to find myself w ithout money ;I might make arrangements to have an annual credit on

Eugene of7000 or 8000 napoleons . He could not verywell refuse ; he has had perhaps more than 40 millions from

me, and it would be casting a slur on his personal charac

ter to doubt him .

26th . Well , after all said and done , circumstances

might have led me to accept Islam , and as that excellent

Queen ofFrance used to say : How you do go o n ! But Ishould have wanted something worth my while , a t

least u p to the Euphrates . A change ofreligion , which isunpardonable fo r personal mo t ives , may perhaps be ac

cepted when immense political resul ts depend o n it .

Henry IV rightly said : Paris is worth a mass . To think

E T . 46] A DIARY 475

that the Empire of the East , perhaps the dominion of all

Asia, was the matter Ofa turban and a pair of baggytrousers ; for really that was all it came to .

Constantinople alone is an Empire ; whoever possesses

it can rule the world .

28th . Had I not won at Austerlitz, I would have had

the whole of Prussia o n my back . Had I not triumphed

at Jena, Austria and Spain would have risen behind me .

Had I not succeeded at Wagram , a far less decisive vic

tory, I had t o fear that Russia would abandon me , that

Prussia would revolt,and the English were already in

front of Antwerp . I made a great mistake after Wagram

in not striking Austria down even lower . She remained

too powerful for our security ; she eventually destroyed us .

Austria had come into my family ; and yet thismarriagewas fatal to me . I stepped on to an abyss covered with

flowers .

29th . My dear friend, you and I , in this place, are al

ready in the next world ; we are conversing in the Elysian

Fields .

M ay l st . They may change, and chop , and suppress ,but after all they will fin d it pretty difficult to make me

disappear altogether . A French historian cannot very

easily avoid dealing with the Empire ; and , if he has a heart ,he will have to give me back something ofmy own . I

sealed the gulf ofanarchy, and I unravelled chaos . I purified the revolution , raised the people , and strengthened

monarchy . I stimulated every ambition , rewarded every

merit , and pushed back the bounds of glory ! All that

amounts to something !

1 0th . It is most remarkable how the revolution sud


den ly produced so many great generals , P ichegru , Kleber,Massena , Marceau , Desaix , Hoche ; and nearly all ofthemrankers ; but there the effort of Nature seemed to stop , she

has produced nothing since .

1 6th . Well , my dear fellow, things go t pretty hot ; I was

angry ! They have sent me something worse than a gaoler ;Sir Hudson Lowe is an executioner ! Well , I received himto-day with my face ofthun der, head down , and earsback ! We stared like two rams o n the point of butting

at one another ; and my emotions must have been quite

violent , for I felt my left calf twitching . That is a great

symptom with me , and hadn’t occurred for a long time .

Y o u say, sir, that your instructions are more terrible

than those ofthe Admiral . Are they t o kill me by thesword , or by poison I am prepared for anything from

your M inister ; here I am , slaughter your victim ! I don’t

know how yo u can manage the poison ; but as for the

sword yo u have already found the way . I warn yo u that

if, as yo u have threatened , yo u intrude o n my privacy,the brave 5 3d will n o t pass in except over my body .

~ On

learning ofyour arrival I flattered myself that I shouldfind in yo u an army offi cer who , having been on the Con

t in en t and hav ing witnessed its great struggles , would

have behaved w ith propriety towards me ; I made a profound mistake . Your nation , your government , you your

self, w ill be covered with Opprobrium because ofme ; andyour children t o o ; that w ill be the verdict ofposterity .

What subtlety ofbarbarism could go further , s ir, than

that which led you a few days ago to inv ite me to yourt able under the qualification ofGeneral Bonaparte , tomake me the amusement and the laughing-stock ofyou r


precaution , a mere defensive ; and it is just that which

differentiates us from yo u , ladies , a fundamental dist in c

tion of sex and ofeducation : you are made for love , and

yo u are taught to say n o . We , o n the contrary , glory in

saying yes , even when we should not . And there is the key

ofour difference in conduct . We are n o t and cannot be ofthe same sort in life .

If I were starting at night in a chaisefo r a distant journey, to my great astonishment there would Josephinebe, waiting in it ready dressed , although it had not beenarranged that she should go .

—But you can ’t possibly

come ! I am going too far ; it would fatigue yo u t o o much !— Not in the least , answered Josephine . And I must

start at once . Well , I’m quite ready But yo u need

a whole paraphernalia .

— No t at all , she said ; I have

everything . And generally I had to give in .

After all said and done , Josephine gave her husband

happiness , and was always his tenderest friend , always

and in all events showing submission , devotion , absolute

self-sacrifice . And I have always thought ofher w ithtender affection and keen gratitude .

Madame (Mere) was too parsimonious ; it was ridicu

lous . I even offered her a large monthly allowance if only

she would disburse it . She was quite ready to take it , buto n condition she could keep it . In reality it was all merely

an excess ofprudence on her part ; she was always afraidoffinding herself penniless some day . She had knownnecessity , and could never free her mind from the memory

ofthat terrible time . I t is only fair to say , however, thatshe gave a great deal ofmoney to her children in secret ;she is such a good mother !

m . 46] A DIARY 479

And yet this same woman from whom it is so diflzi cu lt

to extract a five franc piece would have given her all to

help my return from Elba ; and after Waterloo she would

have given me all she possessed to help reestablish my

affairs ; she offered it me ; she would have sentenced her

self to black bread without a murmur .

20th . I am sad, bored, ill ; sit in that armchair, keep

me company .

2l st . What shall we read to-night You all agree on

the Bible It is really most edifying ; they wouldn’t

guess what we ’re doing, in Europe !

J u n e 1 st . When any one of my ministers, or other high

personages, had blundered badly, and it was necessary to

get annoyed, really angry, furious , I always took care to

have a third party present at the scene ; my rule was that

when I had decided to strike , the blow should fall on a

good many ; the one on whom it fell was neither more nor"

less resentful ; while the witness, whose face and embar

rassmen t were worth seeing, would go offand discreetlyspread far and wide what he had seen and heard : a healthy

terror circulated through the veins of the social body

Things went better ; I had to punish less frequently ; Iprofited much and without doing much harm .

4th . I have been scolded for my laziness to-day, so

here I am back at work to attack several points at once ;there will be something for everybody . I shall tackle

the Consulate with M o n tho lo n , Gourgaud can have some

other epoch , or separate battles, and little Emmanuel

(Las Cases) can prepare the documents and materials forthe period of the coronation .

8th . Everything proclaims the existence of a God ; that

O


beyond doubt ; but all our religions are clearly the offspring ofmen . A man can swear to nothing that he will do

l n his last moments ; yet undoubtedly my belief is that I

shall die without a confessor . Assuredly I am far from being

an atheist ; yet I cannot believe all that is taught , in spite

ofreason , without being dishonest and a hypocrite . Under

the Empire, and particu larly after the marriage wi th

Maria Louisa, the greatest efforts were made to persuademe to go to Notre Dame in ful l state for communion ,after the manner of o u r kings ; I refused flatly ; my faith

was not strong enough fo r it to do me any good, and yetwas t o o great to commit a sacrilege in cold blood . To

know whence I come , what I am , whither I go , is beyond

me, and yet there it is ! I am the clock that exists but does

not know itself . I can appear before God’

s tribunal , I canawait his judgment without fear . I worked only fo r theglory , the power, the splendour ofFrance ; there all myfacu lties , my efforts, my time were given . That could not

be a crime ; to me it appeared a virtue !

1 0th . Fox came to France immediately after‘

the

treaty ofAmiens . He was workin g at a history oftheStuarts , and asked my permission to search in o u r diplo

matic archives . I ordered that he should be given accessto everything . I received him frequently ; I knew ofhistalents by reputation ; I quickly found in him a lofty soul ,a good heart, large , generous , liberal views , an ornament

ofhumankind ; I became attached to him . We conversed

freely , leaving prejudices aside , o n a variety ofsubjects,and when I wanted t o rub i t in I would remind him oftheinfernal machine , I would say that his Ministers had triedto assassinate me ; he used to get quite heated arguing


vels ofEgypt : I had already erected my pyramid in thesea ; I would also have had my lake Moeris . My grand o hjcet was to be able to con centrate all o u r naval forces so as

to aim a great stroke at the enemy . I was, so to speak,laying o u t the field so that the two nations could grapple

with o n e another bodily ; and the result could not be in

doubt ,fo r we would have been more than forty millions ofFrench against fifteen millions of English ; the end would

have been a battle ofActium .

l 6th . (To Hudson Lowe . ) Shall I tell you what wethink ofyou ? We believe you capable ofanything, Imean anything ; and so long as you live with your hatred ,

we shall live with o u r thoughts . The most evil deed ofyour Mini ster was n o t sending me to St . Helena, but mak

ing you its governor . Y o u are a greater plague than all

the afflictions of this hideous rock !

21 st . The English trembled when we occupied Egypt .

We were revealing to Europe the real way oftaking Indiafrom them . They are not quite easy yet, and they arequite right .22d. Man loves the supernatural . He meets deception

halfway . The fact is that everything about us is a miracle .

Strictly speaking , there are no phenomena, for in nature

everything is a phenomenon : my existence is a phen ome

n o n ; this log that is being put into the chimney is a phe

n omen o n ; this light that illuminates me is a phenomenon ;my intelligence , my faculties , are phenomena ; for they all

exist, yet we cannot define them . I leave you here , and I

am in Paris , entering the Opera ; I bow to the spectators ,I hear the acclamations , I see the actors , I hear the music .

Now if I can span the space from St . Helena, why not

m . 46—47] A DIARY 483

that of the centuries Why should I not see the future likethe past P Would the o n e be more extraordinary, more

marvellous than the other No, but in fact it is not so .

25 th . Can it be possible that the Emperor of Austri a,whose daughter I married, who solicited that marriage o n

his knees, to whom I twice restored his capital, who has

in his keeping my wife and my son, should send a commls

sio n er here without one single line for me, without the

least little scrap of a bulletin on the health of my son

29th , at dinner

Gentlemen, Santini there, wanted to murder the gov

cruorQ

What, thief You meant to kill the governor If that

idea gets into your head again , you will have me to deal

with ; you’

11 see what I ’

ll do to you !

A ugu st 4th . A man must have accomplished all that

I have , to realize fully the difficulty ofdoing good . It

sometimes needed all my power to succeed . If it was a

question of extending the Tuileries gardens, of repairingthe sewers, ofcarrying through a public improvement,all my en ergy was necessary ; I had to write six, ten letters

a day, and get hot and angry . I have spent as much as 3 0

millions on sewers which nobody will ever thank me for .

Archimedes would promise anything if only he could

place his lever ; I would have done as much wherever Icould place my energy, my perseverance , and my bud

gets . With budgets one could create the world .

1 8th . (Hudson Lowe : But, sir, you don’t know me !)

Eh ! And where could I have known you indeed ? I have

not met you o n a field ofbattle . You were only good for

hiring murderers . Look at that camp where your soldiers


are . If I went to them and said : The oldest soldier ofEurope asks you for a bit of you r rations , I should get

a share oftheir dinner . I, who have governed the world ,know what sort of people are employed on such duties .

Only men with no sense ofhonour accept them . You do

well to ask to be relieved . It will be good for you, andfo rme !

(To Admiral Cockburn . ) Lowe’s faults come from his

ways oflife . He has only commanded foreign deserters,Piedmontese, Corsicans, Sicilians, all renegades , traitors to

their country, the lees , the scum of Europe . Had he com

man ded men, Englishmen , he would treat with respect

those who are entitled to honour . All these details are

degrading . Were yo u to stretch me o n the burning coals

ofMontezuma o r ofGuatimozin you could n o t ext ract

from me gold I do not possess . In any case , who is askingan ythi ng ofyo u Wh o has asked yo u to feed me If you

stopped your provisions an d I were hun gry , these brave

soldiers would take compassion o n me . I could go to the

mess oftheir grenadiers , and I am sure they would n o t

deny the first, the oldest soldier of Europe . In a fewyears your Lord Castlereagh , your Lord Bathurst and the

others, you who are speaking, will be buried in dust and

forgotten ; o r, ifyour names are known it will only befor the insults yo u have accumulated against me .

1 9th . That governor came here yesterday to annoy

me . He saw me walking in the garden , and in consequenceI could n o t refuse to see him . He wanted to enter intosome details w ith me , about reducing the expenses ofthe establishment . He had the audacity to tell me that

things were as he found them , and that he came up to


have reached the limit with my eyes ; but never in my

work . And so I almost killed poor M én eval ; I had to re

li eve him and put him out as a convalescent with Marie

Louise , with whom his duties were a real sinecure .

29th . Y o u want to know the treasures ofNapoleon ?They are enormous , it is true , but in full View . Here they

are : the splendid harbour ofAntwerp , that ofFlushing,capable of holding the largest fleets ; the docks and dykes

ofDunki rk , ofHavre , ofNice ; the gigantic harbour ofCherbourg ; the harbour works at Venice ; the great roadsfrom Antwerp to Amsterdam , from Mainz to Metz , fromBordeaux to Bayonne ; the passes ofthe Simplon

, ofMont Cenis , of Mont Genevre , ofthe Corniche, that givefour openings through the Alps ; in that alone you might

reckon 800 millions . The roads from the Pyrenees to the

Alps , from Parma to Spezzia , from Savona to Piedmont ;the bridges of Jena , of Austerlitz , of the Arts , ofSevres ,ofTours , ofLyons , of Turin , ofthe Isere , ofthe Durance,ofBordeaux , ofRouen ; the canal from the Rhine to theRhone , joining the waters ofHolland to the M editerra

nean ; the canal that joins the Scheldt and the Somme,connecting Amsterdam and Paris ; that which joins the

Rance and the Vilaine ; the canal ofArles , ofPavi a , ofthe Rhine ; the draining ofthe marshes ofB o u rgo in g, ofthe Cotentin , ofRochefort ; the rebuilding ofmost ofthechurches pulled down during the Revolution , the building

ofnew ones ; the construction ofmany industrial establishmen t sfo r putt ing an end to pauperism ; the construetion ofthe Louvre , ofthe public granaries , of the Bank ,ofthe canal ofthe Ourcq ; the water system ofthe cityofParis , the numerous sewers , the quays , the embellish

E T . 47] A DIARY 7

ments and monuments of that great city ; the public im

pro vemen t s ofRome ; the reest ablishment of the manufactories ofLyons . Fifty millions spent on repairing andimproving the Crown residences ; sixty millions

’ worth of

furniture placed in the palaces of France and Holland, at

Turin, at Rome sixty millions’ worth of Crown diamonds ,

all ofit the money of Napoleon ; even the Regent, theonly misssin g one ofthe o ld diamonds ofthe Crown ofFrance , purchased from Berlin Jews with whom it waspledged for three millions ; the Napoleon Museum , valued

at more than 400 millions .

These are monuments to confound calumny ! History

will relate that all this was accomplished in the midst ofcontinuous wars, without raising a loan, and with the

public debt actually decreasing day by day .

Octo b er 2l st . After all said and done , Mme . de Stael is

a woman ofgreat talent , very distinguished, of very keenintelligence : she has won her place . It might be said that

if, instead ofcarping at me, she had taken my side, itwould have been useful to me .

3 0th . I must admit that I was spoiled ; I always gave

orders ; from my birth power was mine, I already re

jected a master or a law .

Novemb er 6th . I was always searching for a man for my

navy, without ever finding him . That business has about

it a certain technicality, a certain specialness, that always

held up my plans . The instant I put forward any newidea, immediately Gan teaume and the whole of the naval

section were on my back . Sire , you can’t do that .

And why ? I was pulled up sharp . How can o n e main

tain a discussion with people who speak a different lan


guage ? How often have I reproached them with the abuse

ofthis in the Counci l ofState ? To hear them o n e

would have to be born in the navy to understand any

thing about it . It was in vain I struggled, I had to give

in to their unanimity , not, however, without warningthem that I left it o n their consciences .

9th . Sidney Smith is a brave officer . He is active,intelligent, intriguing, and indefatigable ; but I believe

that he is half insane . Had it n o t been for that, I wou ld

have taken Acre in spit e ofhim . He dispersed proclama

tions amongst my troops , which certainly shook some ofthem , and I therefore published an order stating that

he was mad, and forbidding all communication with him .

Some days after he sent, by means of a flag oftruce , alieutenant with a letter containing a challenge to me to

meet him at some place he pointed o u t , in order to fight

a duel . I laughed at this and sent him back an intimation

that when he brought Marlborough to fight with me, Iwould meet him . Notwithstanding this, I like the char

acter ofthe man .

1 1 th . Democracy may run mad, but it has a heart , it

can be moved ; an aristocracy always remains cold, an d

never forgives .

1 6th . I am assured that it is through (Wellingt on) that

I am here, and I believe it . I cert a inly gave him a bad

quarter ofan hour . That usually would appeal to a greatsoul ; but his has n o t responded . Ah ! o ld Blucher was

worth a fine candle ; without him I don’t kn ow where

His Grace would be n ow ; but at all event s I would n o t behere .

25 th . I have spent the day working o u t fortification

490 THE CORSICAN [1 81 6—1 7

Console yourself, and console my friends . My body, it

is true, is delivered over to the hatred of my enemies ;they omit nothing that may satisfy their revenge ; they

are killing me by pin pricks ; but Providence will not per

mit this to continue much longer .

As all the indications are that yo u will not be allowedto see me before yo u leave, receive my embrace, the assurance of my esteem and ofmy friendship . Be happy !

Your devoted, NA POLE ON .

29th . This governor is totally unfit to fill the situationhe holds . He would employ cunning in saying, Good-day !I think he would eat his breakfast the same way .

3 0th . Ah , Warden , how do yo u do ?

I certainly enjoy a good state ofhealth . With respect

to the English language I have been very diligent : I now

read your newspapers with ease . In o n e paper I am called

a liar , in another a tyrant , in a third a monster, and in

o n e ofthem , which I really did n o t expect , a coward !J an u ary l st , 1 8 1 7 . To bear misfortune was the only

thing wanting to my fame . I have worn the imperial crown

ofFrance , the iron crown ofItaly ; England has now givenme a greater and more glorious o n e, for it is that worn

by the Saviour ofthe world, the crown ofthorns .6 th . What is electricity, galvanism , magnet ism? There

lies the great secret ofnature . Galvanism works in silence .

I believe that man is the product of these fluids and ofthe atmosphere ; that the brain pumps in these fluids

and produces life ; that the soul is made up ofthem , and

that after death they return to the ether whence other

brains pump them .

9 th . The Paris police terrifies more than it hurts . The

m . 47] A DIARY 9 1

post-office is a good source ofinformation , but I am notsu re that the advan t age

'

compen sates the evil . It was not

possible to read every letter, but those ofthe persons Ispecified and of my ministers were unsealed . Fo u ché ,

Talleyrand , never wrote ; but their friends, their creatures ,wrote, and by (such a person

’s) letter o n e could see what

Talleyrand or Fouchehad in mind .

Febru ary 3d. The Bishop ofNantes was an excellentconfessor for Maria Louisa ; he gave her good advice ,explained how it was I could eat meat o n fast days , and

when I pushed the Empress hard she would tell me all

that passed between them . Fesch said to her : If he eats

meat, throw your plate at his head ! And Fesch would

more likely have made me a Turk than a Christian . If

I had had to be converted , I think that the Bishop of

Nantes is the only man who could have succeeded ; but

I have read too much hist ory and handled t o o manyreligions for that !

6th . My life here, were we in Europe andwere I not a

slave, would suit me very well . I would like to live in the

country and develop my estate . It is the best life there

is : a sick sheep supplies food for conversation . At the

island ofElba, with plenty (ifmoney and means of entertaining, living in the midst ofthe scientific men of Europeas their centre , I would have been very happy .

28th . He must indeed be a barbarian who would deny

to a husband and a father the consolation ofconversingwith a person who had lately seen , spoken to, and touched

his wife and child, from whose embraces he is for ever

separated by the cruel policy of a few . The Anthro

po phagi of the South Seas would not do it . Previous to


devouring their vi ctims, they would allow them the con

solation ofseeing and conversing with each other . Thecruelties which are practised here would be disavowed

by cannibals !

Nature in forming some men, intended that they should

always remain in a subordinate situation . Such was Berthier . There was not so good a chief ofsta ff in the world ;but change hi s occupation , and he was not fit to commandfive hundred men .

M arch 3 d. In spite ofall the libels , I have no fear whatever about my fame . Posterity wi ll do me justice . The

truth will be known ; and the good I have done will be

compared with the faults I have committed . I am not

un easy as to the result . Had I succeeded, I would have

died with the reputation ofthe greatest man that everexisted . As it is, although I have failed , I shall be con

sidered as an extraordinary man : my elevation was

unparalleled, because unaccompanied by crime . I have

fought fifty pitched battles, almost all ofwhich I havewo n . I have framed and carried into effect a code oflaws that will bear my name to the most di stant poster

ity . I raised myself from nothing to be the most powerfulmonarch in the world . Europe was at my feet . I have

always been ofOpinion that the sovereignty lay in thepeople . In fact, the imperial government was a kind ofrepublic . Called to the head ofit by the voice ofthenation , my maxim was, la carriere est o u verte au x lalen s

w ithout distinction ofbirth o r fortune , and this system

ofequality is the reason that your oligarchy hates me somuch .

6 th . I was afraid there was bad news about my wife .


number of buttons there ought to be in front of a jacket,

how many behind, and the manner in which the skirtsought to be cut . No t a tailor in the army knew better

than King Frederick ho w many measures ofcloth ittook to make a jacket . In fact, I was nobody in comparison with them . They continually tormented me with

questions about matters belonging to tailors, of which Iwas entirely ignorant , though , in order not to affront

them , I answered just as gravely as if the fate of an armydepended upon the cut ofa jacket . The King of Prussiachanged his fashion every day . He was a tall , dry lookingfellow, and would give a good idea ofDon Quixote . At

Jena, hi s army performed the finest and most showy ma

n oeu vres possible , but I soon put a stop to their cogli o n eri e,and taught them that to fight and to execute dazzling

manoeuvres and wear splendid un iforms were very dif

feren t affairs . If the French army had been commandedby a tailor , the King of Prussia would certainly have

gained the day , from his superior knowledge in that art !

Women , when they are bad , are worse than men .

‘The

softer sex , when degraded, falls lower than the other .

Women are always much better or much worse than men .

l t . I can ’t sleep .

23d. Gourgaud , my friend , I can’t walk any longer .

J u n e 2d. A singular thing about me is my memory .

As a boy I knew the logarithms ofthirty o r forty numbers ;in France I not only knew the names ofthe officers of allthe regiments , but where the corps had been recruited ,had distingu ished themselves ; I even knew their spirit .

3d. The 32d demi-brigade would have laid down itslife for me because , after Lonato , I wrote : The 3 9d was

E T . 47 ] A DIARY 95

there : I was easy. The influence ofwords over men isastounding !

1 sth . My own opinion is that I ought to have died at

Waterloo ; perhapsa little earlier . Had I died at Moscow,

I should probably have had the reputation of the greatestconqueror ever known . But the smiles offortune wereat an end . The misfortune is that when a man seeks

the most for death, he cannot find it . Men were killed

around me, before , behind, everywhere, but no bul letfor me .

1 4th . Marching on Landshut I met B essreres retreat

ing . I ordered him to march forward . He objected that

the enemy were in force . Go ahead, said I, and he

advanced . The enemy seeing him take the offensive

thought he was stronger than they and retreated . In war

that is the way everything goes . It is moral force more

than numbers that wins the victory .

1 7th . Hudson Lowe says that I am the most subtle

man in the world . I know how to put o n a mild l ittle ex

pression when I want t o get around anybody . That is how

I wo n over O’

M eara . I shammed sick to receive Lord

Amherst so that, as he was just leavmg, the gpvern o r

couldn ’t undo the effect of all that I had said to him ; Iwo n his Lordship, whom I knew to be a not very in telligent person .

I wish to have no relations with Sir Hudson . Let him

leave me in peace, for in ages to come his children will

blush at their own,name . Ah ! good Heavens ! how mis

taken you are, nobody could be less subtle than I ! On the

contrary , my failing is that I am t o o easy-going . Ah !

rascally governor !t


A ugu st Qd. Hudson Lowe formerly thought that n o

thing which passed here would be known in Europe .

He might as well have attempted to obscure the light ofthe su n wi th his hat . There are still millions in the world

wh o are interested in me .

It is not the coat makes the gaoler, but manners andpoint ofview .

24th . Misfortunes , yo u see , follow one another, and

when misfortune comes , everything goes wrong . If only

the battle of Vittoria had come earlier I would havesigned peace, but it came at the very moment when I wasboun d not to . When the Allies saw that I had lost the

battle, my artillery , my baggage, and that the Englishwere marching into France , they concluded that I was

lost . The French did not do much for me then . At the

time of Cannae the Romans redoubled their efforts, but

that was because every individual stood in fear of death ,ofrape , ofpillage . That is making war, but in modern

campaigns everything is sprinkled with rosewater .

1 Q8th . Jesus was hanged , like so many fanatics Who

posed as a prophet, a messiah ; there were several every

year . What is certain is that at that epoch op in ion wassetting towards a single God , and those who first preached

the doctrine were well received : circumstances made for

it . It is just like in my case, sprung from the lower ranks

ofsociety I became an emperor, because circumstances,Opinion , were with me .

September 3d. If (Hudson Lowe) had his will , he would

order me to breakfast at a certain hour, dine at another,go to bed at a time prescribed by h im, and come himself

to see it carried into execution . All will fall upon himself

498 THE CORSICAN [1 81 7—1 8

The Queen of Bavaria was pretty, I enjoyed her society .

One hunting-day the King started early, I promised to

join him , but I went to see the Queen and staid an hour

and a half . It caused talk, and the King was very angry,and when they met again he scolded her . She replied

Should I have shown him the door P I paid dearfo r mygallantry afterwards,fo r they followed me o n my journeyto Italy, where they were always after me ; they had car

riages that were breaking down every minute : I had to

take them into mine ; they were with me at Venice, yet ,in reality, I was not annoyed because it gave me a following ofkings .December 21 st . Whatever they say , I can make o r u n

make the reputation ofthe governor . All I choose to sayofhim , ofhis bad behaviour, ofhis ideas ofpoisoning me,will be believed .

25 th . War is a singular art ; I can assure yo u thatfighting sixty battles taught me nothing I did not know

at the first o n e . The essential quality ofthe general isfirmness, and that is a gift from heaven .

J an u ary 7th , 1 81 8 . What I admire in Alexander the

Great is not his campaigns, which we have no means ofjudging, but his political instinct . His going to Ammon

was a. profound political stroke ; he thereby conqueredEgypt . Had I remained in the East, I would probably

have founded an Empire , like Alexander , by going to

Mecca as a pilgrim , where I would have bowed the

knee and offered prayers , but only if it had been worth

while !

1 3 th . What weariness every day ! What martyr

dom !

E T . 48] A DIARY

29th . To be a good general a man must know mathe

maties ; it is Of daily help in st raighten ing one’s ideas .

Perhaps I owe my success to my mathematical co n ceptions ; a general must never imagi ne things, that is the

most fatal of all . My great talent, the thing that marksme most, is that I see things clearly ; it is the same with

my‘telpqi e

n ce, for I can distinguish what is essential in a

question from every angle . The great art in battle is

to change the line ofoperations during the course ofthe engagement ; that is an idea ofmy own ,and quitenew .

The art of war does not require complicated ma

n oeu vres ; the simplest are the best, and common sense is

fundamental . From which one might wonder how it is

generals make blunders ; it is because they try to be clever .

The most difficult thing is to guess the enemy ’s plan, to

sift the truth from all the reports that come in . The rest

merely requires common sense it ’

s like a boxing-match,the more yo u punch the better i t is . It is also necessary to

read the map well .

F ebru ary 1 8th . You have the impudence to talk oftheconscription in France ; it wounds your pride because it

fell upon all ranks . Oh, how shocking, that a gentleman’s

son should be obliged to defend his country, just as if hewere one of the mob !

The conscription did not crush a particular class like

your press-gang, nor the rabble, because they were poor"

.

My rabble would have become the best educated in the

world . All my exertions were directed to illuminate the

mass of the nation instead ofbrutaliz ing them by ign orance and superstition .


M ay 1 4th . (To O’

M eara . ) So you are going to leave

us,doctor ? Will the world believe that they have been

cowardly enough t o attack my doctor

J u ly 95 th . (T o O’

M eara . ) The crime will be aecom

plished more quickly . I have lived too long fo r them .

Your ministry does not lack courage ; when the Pope was

in France, I would sooner have cut offmy right arm thanhave signed an order for the removal of his surgeon .

When you arrive in Europe you will either go yourself

o r send to my brother Joseph . Y o u will inform him that

I desire that he shall give yo u the parcel containing theprivate and confidential letters ofthe Emperors Alexanderand Francis , the King of Prussia, and the other sovereigns

ofEurope, which I delivered to his care at Rochefort .

Y o u will publish them , to cover those sovereigns with

shame . When I was strong , and in power, they begged

fo r my protection, and licked the dust from under myfeet . Now, i n my old age, they basely oppress me, and

take my wife and child from me . Farewell , O’

M eara , we

shall never meet again . Be happy !

September 26th . Place that dear child next to his

mother, there , on the right, nearer to my chimney . You

recognise her by her colour : it ’s Marie Louise ; she holds

her so n in her arms . And the other, yo u recognise it P

It ’s the Prince Imperial . The other two are ofJosephine :I loved her so dearly ! You are examining that big clock PIt was the great Frederick ’

s alarum ; I took it from Pots

dam , that was all Prussia was worth ! My mantelpiece

is not very sumptuous , as you see . My son ’s bust , two

chandeliers , two silver gilt Cups , two decanters for eaude Cologne , nail scissors , a small lookingglass . It is far

5 02 THE CORSICAN [1 81 9—20

Doctor, it moves me too much , leave me !

28th . My patent ofnobility dates from Millesimo,

from Rivoli . My family’s is older . Only the genealogist

Joseph can t rk e its origin ; he pretends that we descend

from I don ’t know how many obscure tyrants . After my

reverses , I was only a Jaco b in .

November 1 8th . What can I do?

(A n t ommarch i : Exercise

Where ? Among the redcoats ? Never ! H ow else ?

Hoeing the earth Yes , doctor, you are right ; I will hoe

the earth .

J u ly 26th , 1 820 . Y o u are very attached t o me, doctor

yo u spare nothing to relieve me ; but all that is n o t the

same as a mother ’s care . Ah ! mamma Letizia !

A u gu st 1 0th . Has a man the right to kill himself Yes,

ifhis death injures no one, and if life is a burden to him .

When is life a burden to a man ? When it yields him

only suffering and grief . But as suffering and griefchan ge constantly , there can be no moment at which aman has the right to kill himself . That moment could

only be at death ’s very door, because only then could

it be proved that life was but a tissue ofaffliction andsuffering .

September 1 8th . Happiness lies in sleep ; our necessities

disappear with insomnia .

Octo ber 2d. The second book ofthe [Eneid is consideredthe masterpiece ofthat epic ; it deserves its reputationfrom the point of view ofstyle, but n o t at all from thatofrealism . The wooden horse may come from a popular

tradition , but the tradition was absurd and unworthy ofan epic poem . There is nothing ofthe sort in the Iliad ,

arr . 5 1 ] A DIARY 5 03

where everything conforms to reality and to the practice

ofwar .1 4th . The art ofmedicine, my dear doctor, is none

other than that of putting the imagination to sleep , of

soothing it . That is why the ancients decked themselves

o u t in robes and gowns that catch the eye and impose o n

o n e . Y o u have given up the gown, and it is a mistake .

Who knows ? If yo u yourself appeared before me sud

den ly with an enormous wig, a toque, a trailing robe, I

might take you for the god of health, although you are

only that of drugs .

22d. My power lasted only a flash oftime, but nevermind, it was full, it was gorged w ith useful institutions ; Iconsecrated the revolution ; I infused it into o u r laws .

25 th . Perhaps death will soon put a term to my suffer

ings .

27th . Well, doctor, how do you think I am ? a littlebetter ? The fact is the pills They have done their

work The devil ! doctor, you preach the (doctrine of)pills with more unction than they do that of legitimity

nowadays . DO yo u take any yourself

(A n t ommarchi : Sire, there are well-tested drugs . )Like those Corvisart used to give the Empress , bread

crumb pills that worked miracles just the same . Marie

Louise used to praise their good effects to me every day .

They are all the same .

(A n t ommarch i : No, sire . )Eh ! but I belong to your shop t o o ! I have practised !

Water, air, cleanliness, that was the foundation ofmydispensary . I never got much beyond those remedies .

You laugh at my methods P All right, laugh away .


Your colleagues in Egypt did just the same ; but ex perience proved that my flannel and brush were more use

than their pills .

November l 6th . Well, doctor, is thi s the end I amgoing to get well, I suppose ? A doctor would rather diethan n o t try to persuade a dying man that he is n o t i ll !

What , pills A quinine mixture, like at Mantua

1 9th . What a pleasant thing is rest ! My bed has b ecome a place of happiness fo r me ; I would not exchangeit for all the thrones ofthe universe . What a change !

H ow I have fallen ! I , whose activity knew no bounds,whose mind never slumbered ! I am plunged in a stupor,in a lethargy ; I have to make an effort to raise my eyelids .Decemb er 8th . Desaix was devoted, generous , tor

men t ed by the thi rst for glory ; his death was o n e ofmymisfortunes . He was skilful , alert, bold ; he made light offatigue, and even less ofdeath : he would have followedvictory t o the ends ofthe earth . Brave Desaix !

26th . Y o u want to get me into the garden Very well .

I am very weak, my trembling legs will hardly ho ldme up .

Ah , doctor, how tired I am ! I feel this fresh air Ibreathe is doing me good . Never having been sick, never

hav ing taken medicine, I can hardly have an opinion

about such matters ; the state I am n ow in appears infactso extraordinary t o me that I can scarcely realize it .

The newspapers report the death ofPrincess Elisa .

Well , yo u see, Elisa points the way ; death which appeared

to have forgotten o u r family, has begun to strike it ; my

turn cannot be long delayed . The first ofo u r fami ly whowill follow Elisa t o the grave is that great Napoleon who


A pri l 2d. A comet ! It was the omen foretold the death

Of Caesar ! a

5 th . Ah , why did the bullets spare my life if it was only

t o lose it in this wretched way

6th . I have always shaved myself, never has any person

placed a hand on my cheek . Now that I am helpless , Imust make up my mind to it .

1 2th . Thanks for your services , doctor ; it’s lost labour .

Doctor Arnott, don’

t people die of weakness ? How

can a man live eating so little

1 3 th . (A n t ommarch i with pills . )Are they well wrapped up , covered They won’t poison

my mouth ? Really ? (To Marchand . ) Well, here yo u are,rascal, swallow them . He needed medicine, didn

’t he ,doctor, and my pills will do him good ? Give him some

more n ow ; asfo r me , I won’

t touch them again .

1 5 th . I have nothing but satisfaction t o express with my

beloved wife, Maria Louisa ; I shall retain my tender sen

t imen t s for her till my last breath ; I beg her to watch and

protect my son from the pitfalls that still surround his

young days .

I bequeath to my son the objects specified in the schedule hereto . I hOpe this slight legacy will be dear to him ,

as recalling the memory ofa father whom the wholeworld will tell him of.Marchand will keep my hair, and will have a bracelet

made ofit that is to be sent t o the Empress Maria Louisa .

l 6th . I wish my ashes to rest by the banks oftheSeine , in the midst of the people ofFrance whom I lovedso dearly .

m . 5 1 ] A DIARY 5 07

I have written too much . Ah, what suffering ! What

oppression ! I feel! at the left end of the stomach a painthat is unbearable You ought to marry, doctor .

Marry an Englishwoman, her ice-cold blood will moderate

the fire that devours you ; you will become less obstinate .

Give me the potion !

1 9th . Y o u are n o t mistaken, my friends, I am betterto-day ; but none the less I feel the end drawing near .

When I am dead you will all have the sweet consolation of returning to Europe . Y o u will see your relatives ,your friends there, while I shall meet the brave in theElysian Fields . I will relate the last events ofmy lifeto them .

21 st . I was born in the Catholic faith, I wish to carryo u t the duties it imposes and to receive the consolation it

gives .

24th . I have written t o o much , doctor ; I am collapsing,I can

’t go On .

25 th . (To M . Lafitte . ) Monsieur Lafitte : I handed

you , in 1 81 5 , as I was leaving Paris , a sum of six millions

for which you gave me a duplicate receipt ; I have can

celled one, and I charge Count M o n tho lo n to present the

other to you, in order that you may hand the said sum to

him after my death .

(g 28th . After my death, which cannot be far off, I wantmy body to be opened ; I also want, I exact, that no Eng

lish doctor shall touch me . I further wish you to take my

heart , place it in spirits ofwine, and take it to my dearMarie Louise at Parma . You will tell her that I loved hertenderly, you will relate to her all yo u have seen , all that

concerns my situation here , and my death .


M ay 2d, 2 A . M

Stein gel ! Desaix ! M assén a ! Ah, victory is ours ,haste, press home the charge ; they are ours !

3d, 3 P . M . .

Y o u have shared my ex ile, yo u will be faithful tomemory, yo u wi ll do nothi ng to inju re it .5 th . P . M . :

head army

R M

TH E

A PPENDIX I

NAPOLEONIC T ITLES

JOSEPH BONAPARTE , K in g ofNaples, and K ing ofSpain .

LOU I S BONAPARTE , K in g ofH o llan d .

JE ROM E BONAPARTE , K in g ofWestphalia .

CAROL INE BONA PARTE , Q u een ofNaples.

EUGENE BEAUHARNAIS , V iceroy ofI taly .

H ORTENSE B E A UR A RNA rs , Q u een ofH o llan d .

JOACH IM M URAT, Gran d Duke ofBerg, and K ing ofNaples .

B ER 'rR rER ,

B E se R E s ,

CAULAINCOURT ,CH A M PAGNY .CLARK E ,

DA V OU 'r,

DROUET,DUROC,FOUCH E,JUNOT,K EL LERMANN,LANNE s,

LE FE B V RE ,

M ACDONALD,

M ARE T ,

M ARM ONT ,M A ssENA ,

M ONCE Y ,

M ORTI ER,M OUTON,

Duke ofCast iglio n e .

Prin ce ofPo n te Co rvo , and Crown Prin ce ofSweden .

Prin ce ofNeu chatel, andPrin ce ofWagram.

Duke ofI stria .

Duke ofV icen za .

Duke ofCado re.

Duke ofFeltre .

Duke ofA u erstadt , and Prince ofEckmuhl.Co u n t d

’

Erlo n .

Duke ofFriu li .Du ke ofOtran to .

Duke ofA b ran t és .

Duke ofValmy .

Duke ofM o n teb ello .

Duke ofDan t z ig.

Du ke ofTaran to .

Duke ofBassan o .

Duke ofRagu sa .

Duke ofRivo li, and Prin ce ofEssling.

Duke ofCo n eglian o .

Duke ofTreviso .

Co u n t ofLo b au .

Duke ofE lchin gen , and Prin ce ofthe M o s

kowa .

Duke ofReggio .

Duke ofRo v igo .

Duke ofDalmat ia .

Duke ofAlb u fera .

Prin ce ofBen even t o .

Duke ofBellun o .

APPENDIX 1 1

TH E BONAPARTE M ARRIAGES

CHARLE S BONAPARTELETI Z IA R AM OLINO

JOSEPH INE BEAUHARNAI SI

(1 ) Eu gen e, m. Augu sta ofBavaria .

(2) H o rtense, m. Lo u is Bo n aparte.

—Jo seph m. Ju lie Clary .

Desiree Clary m. Bern ado t te.

—NAPOLEON m. (1 ) Jo sephin e Beauharn ais .

(2) M arie Lo u ise .

K ing ofRome.

-Lucien .

—Lo ui s m. H o rtense Beauharn ais .

—Jerome m. (1 ) M iss Pat terso n .

(2) Ca therin e ofWu rtemb erg.

—Eli sa m. Prin ce B aciocchi .

—~Pau lin e m. (1 ) Gen . Leclerc.

(2) Prin ce Bo rghese .

—Caro line, m. Jo achim M urat .

5 1 4 INDEX

Bataille , 279.

Ba thu rst , 484 .

Bau t zen , 382—385 , 3 93 -3 97 .

Bavar ia , M a x . J o s . , K in g of, 224 , 241 ,307, 497, 498.

Bavar ia, Q u een of, 498.

Bavaria , Prin cess A ugu st a, see A u

gu sta .

Bayo n n e, 281 , 285 , 287, 299, 486 .

Bayreu t h, 241 .

Beau caire , 1 1 .

Beau harn a is, V ct e de , 66 .

Beau harn a is, M . de, 286.

Beau harn a is , E u gen e, see E u gen e .

Beau harn ais , Ho rten se, see H o rt en se.

Beau harn a is, J o seph i n e, see Jo sephme .

Beau l ieu , 20—24, 27, 3 1 .

Beaumo n t , 456.

Beaumo n t , Co l . , see M u rat .

Beau vo isin , 1 65 .

Beker, 465 .

B elb eys, 90.

Belfo rt , 412.

Bellegarde, 61 .

B ellerop h o n , 465 , 466.

Be lliard , 72, 41 6 .

Bellu n o , Duke of, see Vict o r.

Ben aven t e , 303 , 304 .

Ben even t o , Prin ce of, see Tal leyran d.Ben ezet te, 1 22.

Ben n igsen , 25 8.

Berezin a, 3 62-365 , 367.

Berg , 228, 3 71 .

Berg, G ran d Duke of, see M u rat .

Berl i n , 242, 243 , 3 73 , 3 74, 381 ,

385 , 393 .

Bern ado t te , 59, 1 07, 1 08, 1 34,

1 5 6, 1 93 , 21 1 , 21 5 , 232, 239, 245 , 247

250 , 25 9, 271 , 284, 3 1 7, 432.

Bern ardin de S t . P ierre, 470.

Berthier, 1 9, 25 , 27, 28, 3 7, 40, 48, 5 3 ,5 9, 72, 88, 94, 1 04 , 1 21 , 1 25 - 129 , 1 32

1 39, 1 78, 1 88, 1 93 , 1 94 , 225 , 230, 236,

263 , 284, 299, 302, 307, 308, 3 1 9, 329 ,

33 6, 343 , 344 , 346—35 3 , 35 7- 362, 365 .

3 67-3 60, 3 91 , 392, 3 96—400, 41 3 , 41 6,424, 43 3 , 436-4 38. 489 , 492.

Bertho lle t , 32, 1 04, 338 .

Bertran d , 3 70, 3 79, 387, 400 , 404, 442444 , 44 7 , 449 , 452, 488 .

Berry-au -b ac , 432.

B erry , Du ke of, 1 79.

B erwick , 5 3 .

B esen to n ay. 1 02.

Bessieres , 55 , 1 38, 1 47, 23 7, 261 , 288.289, 293 , 300, 343 , 358, 366, 467, 495 .

Bezu , 43 1 .

Bran ch ) , 426.

Bib le , 479 .

B i cco ca , 21 .

B i ech en k o vi t ch i , 350.

B igo t de P réamen eu , 1 44 .

B i l lo n , 1 7.

B in asco , 28, 29 .

B i n i t sa, 365 .

B irket , 1 0 1 , 1 02.

Black Fo rest , 208 .

Blake , 300 .

Blan ken berghe, 1 71 .

Blen heim, 88.

Blucher, 249, 250, 382, 400-403 , 41 5 ,41 7, 421 , 423 , 427, 428, 430, 432, 488.

Bo br,3 62.

Bo lo gn a, 25 , 3 1 , 32, 34, 45 , 56, 5 7.B o n . 49 , 88, 93 .

Bo n aparte, Ho u se of, 200, 201 .

Bo n aparte, Caro l in e, 1 90, 3 71 .B o n aparte, Charles , 3 , 4 .

B o n aparte , E liza , 341 , 342, 504 .

Bo n aparte, Jerome , 1 46, 1 5 3 , 1 60 , 1 95 ,1 96, 269, 279, 282, 284, 3 1 4, 3 1 7, 345 ,45 5 .

Bo n aparte, Jo seph, 3 , 1 5 , 1 7, 43 , 83 ,93 , 1 33 , 1 53 , 1 56, 1 63 , 1 66, 1 88, 1 91 ,21 5 , 222, 227, 228 , 23 1

—237, 254, 259,262, 267, 269, 282, 292—296, 299—3 05 ,369, 4 1 4—41 6, 41 9, 420, 430, 433 , 435 ,461 , 500, 501 .

Bo n aparte, Let izia, 4, 1 95 , 442, 443 ,478, 479, 502.

Bo n aparte , Lo u is , 7, 1 5 , 1 6, 83 , 88,228, 235 , 25 5 , 266, 267, 269 , 286, 332.

Bo n apart e. Lu cren , 3 , 46 , 1 1 3 , 1 1 8,

1 45 , 1 54, 200, 282, 442, 463 .

B o n aparte , P au l in e, 1 3 , 1 7, 443 , 444 .

B en et , 383 .

B o n ifacc io , 1 0.

Bo rde, 5 .

Bo rdeau x , 287 , 294 . 45 1 , 486.

Bo rghese , Prin ce , 23 7.

Bo rghese, Prin cess, see Bo n aparte,P au l in e .

Bo rghet t o , 3 1 .

B o ri sof, 3 63 .

B o r iso vka . 3 54 .

B o rm ida , 1 3 7,

B o rn a , 402.

B o ro d in o , 3 53—35 7.B o ro vsk , 3 5 9.

INDEX

B o u det , 59.

B o u laq , 88 .

B o u lo gn e , 1 70, 1 72—1 76, 1 85 , 1 86,203 , 207 .

Bo u rbo n s , 1 81 , 288, 294, 43 3 , 441 .Bo u rg des Nti es, 429 .

Bo u rmo n t , 1 23 , 45 7.

B o u rri en n e , 87, 88, 1 07, 1 08, 1 1 1 .

B o yari n tso va , 35 1 .Bo yer, 90.

Brau n au , 21 4, 307 .

Bray, 263 , 427.

Bre i ten au , 397 .

Brescia , 30, 3 7, 39.

Breslau , 3 74 , 383 .

Brest , 1 3 1 , 1 74.

Brewin g , 85 .

Briare, 441 .

Bribes, 84.

Bridges, 486.

Brieg , 1 48 .

Brien n e, 3 , 41 7.

Brin disi , 1 50.

Brist o l , 1 65 .

Brizzi, 254.

B ru eys , 69, 75 , 76, 81 , 84.

Bru ges , 1 71 , 3 32.

B ru i x , 1 48, 1 73 .

Brumaire, 1 08- 1 1 3 .

Bru n e , 72, 123 .

B rii n n ,21 6, 220 .

Bru n sw ick, 239, 244 , 246.Bru ssels, 1 72, 45 7.B u b n a , 386, 429.

Bu it rago , 301 .

B ii low , 41 5 , 43 3 , 460.

Bu n zlau , 388.

Bu rgau , 21 1 .

Bu rghau sen , 3 1 0.

Bu rgo s, 281 , 300.

Bu rkersdo rf, 21 5 .

Bu ssy , 458, 45 9 .

Cacau lt , 5 5 .

Cadiz, 1 95 .

Cado re , Duke of, see Champagny.Cado u dal , 123 , 1 24, 1 34, 1 77.Caen , 338.

Caesar, 143 .

Caffare l li , 97.

Caglio st ro , 227.

Cairo , 83 , 85 , 88, 90, 98, 1 03 , 104.

Ca la is, 1 70, 1 71 .Calder , 204 .

Caldiero , 47.

1 55

Cambaceres, 1 6, 1 45 , 1 5 7, 1 63 , 1 76, 1 83 ,1 96, 202, 255 , 256, 292, 324, 3 76, 3 77,387, 388, 41 0, 41 9 .

Campo Fo rmio , 71 , 72, 221 .

Can a , 96.

Can a ls, 281 , 486 ,

Cape ofGo o d Ho pe, 69, 1 48, 255 .

Caprara , 1 54.

Carcare , 1 9.

Carn o t , 26, 30, 46, 49, 1 25 , 1 27, 1 28, 1 36,463 .

Carru, 22.

Casabian ca, 40.

Casteggio , 1 36 .

Cast e ln o vo , 3 7.

Cast el San G iovan n i , 25, 26.

Carthage , 76 .

Castano s, 3 1 0 .

Cast e l Cerio lo , 1 37.Cast iglio n e, 36, 38, 39, 1 1 7.

Cast iglio n e , Du ke of, see A ugereau .

Cast lereagh , 484.

Cat t an eo , 35 .

Cat herin e ofW u rtemb erg , 279, 348.

Cau lain co u rt , 236, 284, 321 , 330, 382,385 , 386, 41 3 , 41 8, 422, 424, 426, 437,45 3 .

Cervo n i , 37 .

Ceva, 21 , 24.

Chabo t , 48 .

Chaho u r, 82.

Chahran ,48, 1 29.

Chalo n s, 1 94.

Chamart in , 302.

Chambo rd, 3 1 9 .

Ch amero i , M lle . , 1 62.

Champagn y, 209, 25 1 , 254, 279—281 , 300,320, 323 , 328

—330, 334.

Champau bert , 421 , 425 , 426.

Ch ampi o n n et , 74.

Chan t erein e , R u e, 73 .

Charlemagn e , 1 32, 1 73 , 224 , 278, 3 1 2,

328, 339.

Ch a rlemagn e, t h e, 339.

Charlero i, 45 6, 45 7.

Charles IV ofSpain , 286—290.

Charles V I I I ofFran ce , 62.

Charles XI I ofSweden , 342.

Charles XI I I ofSweden , 333 .

Charles , Archduke, 5 7, 59-61 , 221 , 309,3 1 6, 3 3 1 .

Chat eau du Plessis , 436.

Chat eau -Thierry, 422, 43 1 .Chat il lo n , 426.

Chen ier, 256.

5 1 6 INDEX

Cherasco , 22.

Cherbo u rg , 1 73 , 481 , 482, 486.

C h éro n , 1 84 .

Ch iese, 38.

Ch io s, 1 5 .

Chivasso , 1 33 .

Ch o b rakyt , 82.

Chr is t , 278, 496.

Cin cin n a t u s, 71 .

Cisalpin e Republ ic, 64.

Ciu dad Ro drigo , 3 43 .

Clarke , 1 1 5 , 244 , 283 ,

345 , 3 67, 369, 3 75 , 3 77, 392, 41 8, 43 1 .

Clary, E u gen ie , 1 7 .

Clary , D és xrée , 1 5 , 83 .

Clary , Ju l ie , 1 7, 83 .

Clau sel , 473 .

Cleves, 228.

Clichy, 65 .

Clo u et , 457 .

C o b en z l , 70—72, 1 48, 1 79.

Co bu rg , 239 , 242.

Co ckbu rn ,473 , 484, 493 .

Co chere l , 43 1 .Co de, 1 24, 1 44, 226 , 299, 469 .

Co lbert , 1 68.

Co ldit z, 380 .

Co l li , 22.

Co lo gn e ,

Co lo n n a , 444 .

Comet , 505 .

Como , 28 1 .

Compiegn e , 290, 33 1 , 332.Co n egl ia n o , 59 .

Co n eglian o , Duke of, see M o n cey .C o n federa t io n oft h e Rhin e, 341 .Co n i, 22, 24.

Co n salv i , 1 53 .

Co n script io n , 91 , 499 .

Co n servat o ry , 35 7, 358 .

Co n s tan t in o ple , 56, 1 61 , 1 62, 228, 232,291 , 475 .

Co n t in en t al b lo ckade, 25 1 , 255 , 277,283 , 3 39 .

Co pen hagen ,279.

Co ppe t , 283 .

C o rb i n eau , 394 .

t h e , 77.

Co rdo va,292.

Co rfu , 75 , 85

.

C o rn e nlle , 469 .

C o rn igh an o , 1 29 .

Co rn wal l is , 1 85 .

Co ro n a t io n , 1 91 , 1 92.

Co n egg i o , 20.

Co rsagl ia , 21 .

Co rs ica , 3—6 , 8, 46, 501 .Co rt e , 8.

Co ru n n a , 202.

Co rv isart , 33 7, 338, 440 , 503 .

Co ssacks , 349, 361 , 365 , 3 73 , 374, 41 1 , 41 8.Co sseri a , 20.

Co u n c i l ofSta te , 1 5 0, 1 5 1 .Co u r de Fran ce, 43 7.Crao n n e , 432.

Crassu s , 293 .

Cretet , 296 . 297.

Crevelt , 1 87.

Cu bo , 300 .

Cu esta , 293 .

Czart o ri sk i , 25 3 .

Dalesme , 441 .

Da lmat ia , Duke of, see So u lt .

Daman ho u r . 84 .

Damascu s, 88 .

Damiet t a , 1 00.

Dan do lo , 65 .

Dan t zig , 264, 265 , 267, 269 , 270, 341 , 345 ,346 .

Dan t zig, Du ke of, see Lefebvre .

Daru ,201 , 264 , 290, 3 1 3 , 398 .

Dau n o u , 1 1 5 .

Dau ran n e , 67 .

Dau re , 420.

Davo u t , 1 3 1 , 1 96, 21 1 , 21 5 , 239. 243 , 246 ,248, 262, 263 , 3 1 9, 339 , 340, 342,347, 348, 35 0, 352, 3584360, 3 75 , 381 ,449 , 45 0 , 45 5 .

D’A z ara , 33 .

Deeres , 1 74. 1 88, 1 96, 1 98 , 203 , 206, 291 ,329

,341 , 3 70.

Dego ,1 9, 20,

Delign e t t e , 93 .

Delo rt , 458.

Denmark , 279.

Desa ix , 67 , 74 , 81 , 86, 88, 1 00, 1 01 , 1 30 ,1 3 1 , 1 38 , 1 3 9, 1 42, 476, 504, 508.

Desaix , qu a i , 1 73 .

Deschamps , 346 .

Desen zan o , 3 7 .

Desp i n o y, 29 , 34 , 40 .

Dessau , 247, 399 , 40 1 .

Deva i smes , 1 46 .

D ieppe , 1 64 .

D ijo n , 1 27 .

D irec t o ire , 1 8-25 , 27431 , 33 , 35 , 39 , 43

45 , 48, 54-62, 65 -70, 72, 74, 79, 85—87,9 1 , 1 06 .

Divo rce, 1 5 1 , 1 52, 291 , 292.

5 1 8 INDEX

Fo l ign o , 5 7.Fo n t a in eb leau , 200, 280 , 281 , 324 , 334.

Fo n t an a, 34 .

Fo rfa i t , 1 48, 1 40 .

Fo rli , 1 9.

Fo rt u n e, 467 , 474.

F o u ch é , 1 26, 1 5 3 , 1 5 7, 1 61 , 1 91 , 1 96-1 98,235 , 249, 25 6, 269, 275 ,292, 3 1 9,

449, 463 , 491 .Fo u rier, 96 .

F o x , 1 86 , 225 , 235 , 238, 480, 481 .

Fran c is I, Kin g ofFran ce , 26 .

F ran C i s , Empero r, 43 , 44 , 63 , 1 1 7, 1 39,1 40, 1 42, 1 96, 21 9, 221 , 3 1 7, 320 , 323 , 33 1 ,334 , 354, 367, 369, 483 .

Fran kfo rt , 409 .

Freder ick t h e Great , 1 43 , 248, 485 , 500.

Freder ick , K in g ofSaxo n y , 367, 382.

Frederick W il l iam III, 208, 23 7, 239 ,24 1 , 244 , 246 , 247 , 275 , 383 , 493 , 494 .

Freisin g , 309 .

Freju s, 1 05 , 441 .

Fren ch R evo lu t io n , 7- 1 6

,125 , 1 47, 15 7 .

Frian t , 396, 439.

Friedlan d , 271 -273 , 380 .

Frien dsh ip , 1 66 .

Friesach , 60 .

Fr iu l i, Duke of, see Du ro c.

Fro t t é , 1 23 .

Fru ct ido r. 68, 70.

Fursten st ein , 284 .

Gallo , 62, 63 , 1 79 .

G an teaume , 84, 1 46 , 1 87, 1 93- 1 95 , 201 ,203 , 207, 488.

G ap , 448.

Gardan n e, 72, 267.Gardn er, 201 .

Garn ier, 40.

G atelli , 443 .

Gau d in , 1 1 4 , 122.

Gau l t ier, 40.

Gaza , 86, 93 .

Gemb lo ux , 458.

Gen eva , 1 30 .

Gen o a, 4 , 25 , 3 5 , 1 29 , 1 30, 1 36.

Geomet ry , 3 , 7 .

Geo rge I I I , 1 1 6, 1 1 7.

G eo rge , Prin ce Regen t , 465 , 474.

G era, 243 , 244 .

G erard , 420, 436, 45 5 , 45 7, 473 .

German y , 340, 341 .Gero n a, 326 .

G ersdo rf, 380.

G eyers b erg , 397.

Ghen t , 1 71 .

Gh j i a t Sk , 352, 360.

G irard, 3 79 .

G lo ry , 467, 469, 470.

G lo gau , 344 .

G lo u b o k o i e, 35 0.

G o bain , 1 59 , 1 60.

Go belin s, 202.

Go d , 479, 480.

G o do y, see P rin ce ofPeace.

Go er li tz, 393 , 394, 397.Go h ier,Go lfe J o u an , 44 7.

G o lymin,256.

Go rit z, 59 .

Go tha , 408.

Go u rgau d , 479, 494 .

Go vernmen t , 69, 1 1 8, 121 , 1 22, 1 40 , 1 461 58

, 1 82, 1 84, 1 99,282

, 321 .

Go zzo , 77.

Gran vi lle, 1 73 .

G rav ma , 1 95 , 1 96.

Greece, 472.

Gren o ble , 448, 449.

Gren v i l le , 1 65 .

Gro b ert , 88 , 89.

Gro u chy, 365 , 432, 458—460, 462, 481 .Gu adarrama , 302, 303 .

Gu adelo u pe, 1 56.

G u i eu , 49, 61 .

Gu ign es, 423 , 424.

Gu st avu s Ado lphu s, 403 .

Gu t t s t adt , 273 .

Gu yo n , 35 1 .

Gyu lai, 221 .Gyz eh , 83 .

Haag ,214.

Hab its , 6, 23 1 .

Hagen au , 387.

Halle , 402-404, 406.

Hambu rg , 3 74, 381 , 385 .H an an , 409 .

Han n iba l , 1 43 , 485 .

H an o ver, 225 .

Hare ] , 1 79.

H artau , 398.

Harvi lle , 21 5 .

H a t zfeldt , 225 , 250.

H au tpo u l, d ’ , 21 0 .

Havre , 1 64 , 1 73 , 486 .

H edo u v i l le ,123 , 1 69 .

He i lsberg, 273 .

H e in richsdo rf, 272.

INDEX

Hen ry IV , 1 81 , 1 98, 294, 474 .

Hen ry, P r in ce , ofPru ssia , 246.

Hist o ry, 229, 268, 475 , 481 , 487, 492.

Ho che, 67, 72, 476.

H of, 239.Ho hen l in den , 1 46.

Ho hen lo he, 249, 295 .

Ho llan d, 228, 332.

Ho lzhau sen , 406.

Ho rten se, 1 07, 1 89, 1 90, 266, 267,464 .

Human ity, 468, 480.

Hu n gary, 341 .

Ibrahim B ey, 86, 96.

I kaz n i , 349.

Iller, 21 1 .

Imagin at io n , 1 40, 482, 483 , 503 .

Imo lan , 1 47.

In dia, 285 .

In go lst adt , 209, 308.

I n n ,21 1 .

In qu isit io n , 302.

In st erbu rg , 346 .

In st it u t e ofEgypt , 85 .

In st it u t e ofFran ce, 321 .Irelan d, 1 87, 1 88.

Isar, 209 .

Iso n zo , 59, 63 .

It a lian Opera, 5 .

Ivan , 337.

I vern o is , 1 65 .

Ivrea, 1 33 .

Jaffa , 93 , 94, 1 00.

Jau er, 387.

Jen a , 242—247, 25 1 , 253 , 273 , 380, 475 , 485 ,494.

Jo hn , Archdu ke , 3 1 5 .

J omin i , 350, 393 .

Jo sephin e, 1 8, 26, 30, 34-36, 40—5 1 , 56,5 7, 83 , 92, 93 , 1 06, 1 07, 1 3 1 , 1 33 , 1 42, 1 47,

1 67, 1 85 , 1 89- 1 91 , 1 93 , 203 , 204, 209 , 21 1

21 3 , 244, 245—247 , 250, 252, 254,256—259, 265 , 275 ,

304, 3 1 1 , 3 1 3 , 3 1 5 , 3 1 7 , 323-328,

442, 477 , 478, 497, 5 00 .

Jo u arre, 43 1 .

Jo u b erst h o n , 282.

Jo u b ert , 53 , 54, 72, 74, 91 .

Jo u rdan , 1 03 , 1 06, 1 08, 1 1 4.

Ju den b u rg ,61 .

Ju ll ien , 1 01 .

Ju n o t , 1 2—1 4, 22, 62, 92, 96 , 1 05 , 1 42, 1 76,

21 5 , 265 , 281 , 286, 296, 299, 35 7, 359.

5 1 9

Kaja, 378-380.

K al i t ch y , 1 55 .

Kalmu cks, 273 .

Kalu ga , 35 7 .

Kamen , 3 50.

Kan t , 227.

Kau n it z, 21 9.

K ei lenfels , 235 .

Keit h , 1 74.

Kel lerman n , M arshal , 28, 44, 371 , 373 ,408.

Kel lerman n , Gen eral, 1 39.Ken t , 1 88.

Kief, 35 6, 35 7.Kilmain e , 3 7 .

K i rgen er , 385 .

Klagen fu rt , 60 .

K léb er , 74, 76, 79, 84, 86, 91 , 98, 1 01 , 1 04,1 05 , 1 45 , 476, 505 .

Klein , 245 .

Kleist , 429 , 433 .

Klix , 384.

Kn o belsdo rf, 241 .

Ko en igsberg , 255 , 262, 276, 346.

K o scz i u sk o , 249.

Ko t zebu e, 383 .

K o u rak in e, 321 .

K o u t o u soff, 35 7.

Ko vn o , 347 .

K o z i elt u sk i , 301 .

K rasn o i e , 3 59.

Kremlin , 3 58, 3 59.

Kro n ach , 241 .

K ii stri n , 249, 252.

L a B o u i llerie, 258.

L a B ru yere , 36.

L a Co ro n a , 36, 3 7 .

Lacret el le , 260 .

Lacro ix , 375 .

L a Favo ri ta , 53 .

Lafaye t t e, 1 50, 435 .

L a Fere, 4 .

L a Ferte-so u s-Jo u arre, 423 .

Lafi t t e , 507 .

Lafo rest , 239 .

Laharpe, 1 9 , 20, 24, 26.

L a H aye , 1 87 .

Lalan de, 5 1 .

Lan dsberg, 21 0, 21 1 , 262.

Lan dshu t , 309 .

Lan gero n , 432.

L an gles , 75 .

Lan n es, 20, 26, 27 , 32, 42, 48-50, 53 , 72,77, 93 , 94, 97, 1 04, 1 3 1 , 1 47, 1 61 , 208,

5 20 INDEX

21 0, 21 1 , 21 5 , 21 8, 242, 243 , 245 , 249,255 , 27 1 , 272, 284 , 3 1 3 , 3 1 4, 467, 473 .

Lan u sse , 48.

Lao n , 432, 433 , 45 6.

Laplace , 1 65 , 338 .

L a R o t li iere , 41 7.

L as Cases , 472, 489, 490.

L a To u che Treville , 1 85 .L a To u r, 24.

Lat o u r-M au b o u rg , 401 .

Lau ben . 394 .

Lau derda le , 235 .

Lau rist o n , 1 94,407.

Lau san n e , 1 30.

Lavale t te , 462.

L aw , 69, 85 , 1 22, 1 24, 1 28, 1 29, 1 44 , 1 50 ,1 5 1 , 227, 299 .

Learn in g , 73 .

Lebru n , 45 3 .

L ecamu s , 284.

Lech, 209 , 21 1 , 308.

Leco u rbe, 126.

L ecz i n sk i , 443 .

Lefebvre , M arshal , 74, 265 , 308, 365 .Lefebvre , Gen . , 292.

Legen dre, 305 .

Legho rn , 27, 33 .

Leg io n ofHo n o u r, 1 60.

Legn ago , 52, 5 3 .

Leibn it z, 1 72.

L e ign i t z , 386, 387.

Leipzig ,334 , 3 77, 3 78, 399 , 400,

Lelo ba , 1 01 .Leo ben , 61 , 62.

L eo n , 1 22.

Lesegn o , 21 .

L even kau , 3 78.

Libert y, 6 , 32, 299 .

Liebert , 1 77.

Liebst adt , 271 , 397.Liechten st ein , 21 9, 221 , 323 .

Lign y , 458, 481 .Lin den au , 407.

Lin z, 21 5 .

Lippe , 339 .

Lisbo n , 281 , 283 , 295 , 299, 335 .

Li tera t u re , 25 1 , 252.

Livin gs t o n , 1 81 .

Lo an o , 1 4 .

Lo bau , 3 1 2, 3 1 3 , 3 1 6.

Lo bau , C t e . de, see M o u t o n .

L o ch n i t za , 3 1 3 .

Lo di, 27 .

L o ewen b erg , 327.

Lo i so n , 3 75 .

Lombardy, 1 4, 24 , 32.

Lo n at o , 3 7, 38, 494.

Lo n do n , 58, 1 70.

Lo ngwo o d , 470, 481 .Lo n gwy , 1 0.

Lo ret t o , 33 , 5 7 .

Lo u is XV I , 9, 1 0, 1 42.

Lo u is XVIII , 1 45 , 45 1 .Lo u is le Débo n n a ire, 278.

Lo u is, Prin ce ofP ru ss ia , 243 .

Lo u isa , Q u een , 241 , 244 , 246, 247, 249,25 7, 275 , 276.

Lo ve, 6, 7 , 3 6, 1 67.

Lo we, Hu dso n , 476, 477, 482-484, 483 ,495-498, 505 .

L ii b eck , 25 0.

Lu cay , 25 1 .Lu cca , 43 9.

Lu cchesin i , 236, 247 .

Lu dwi gsbu rg , 209, 308.

Lu n ev i l le, 1 46 , 1 49.

L ii t z en , 3 77—380.

Lyo n s, 5 , 1 41 , 1 5 6, 1 5 7, 1 95 , 255 ,M acdo n ald, 3 79, 394, 396, 403 , 406, 407,41 5 , 436.

M acera ta , 5 6.

M ack, 295 .

M acqu art , 40.

M adagascar, 1 48, 1 49 .

M adrid , 287, 288, 301 , 302.

M afli iers , 1 73 .

M agdebu rg , 247, 250.

M ai da, 23 4.

M ain z, 1 4 , 238, 376, 396, 41 0, 486 .

M aiso n , 45 1 .

M a it lan d , 465 .

M akow , 259.

M alesherbes, 439.

M almai so n , 125 . 3 32, 464 .

M alo -Y aro slavet z . 3 59 .

M al ta, 69, 77, 78, 81 , 85 , 1 30, 1 54, 1 67,1 68 , 232.

M ameluk s , 78-81 , 92.

M an n ers, 473 . 474, 493 .

M an t u a ,27, 30, 3 1 , 34

—38, 52, 54, 56, 58,68, 1 03 -1 05 .

M an sco u rt , 87 .

M an u fac tu res . 85 , 1 49, 1 56, 1 96.

M arbo t , 21 6, 272.

M arcaria . 3 7 .

M arcat e , 21 0, 21 1 .

M arceau . 476 .

M archan d , 506 .

522 INDEX

H u i ro n , la , 1 06, 270.

M u n ich , 21 1 , 21 4, 21 5 , 220 , 222, 323 .

M u n s t er, 33 9.

M u rad B ey, 82.

M u rat , 20, 21 , 32, 40, 48, 99 , 1 02- 1 04, 1 1 2,

1 23 , 1 33 , 1 34 , 1 36, 1 49, 1 52, 1 79, 1 93 ,

205—208, 21 0—21 5 , 21 8, 228 ,238, 242,

245 , 247, 249, 25 0, 252-255 , 261 , 271 ,

285—293 , 3 1 1 , 3 1 5 , 321 , 349—35 3 , 358 , 365 ,3 67, 3 71 , 3 93 , 395 , 401 -4 05 , 422, 43 0,43 4 , 444, 470, 471 , 473 .

M u sca t , 90 .

M u S i c , 254 .

M u stafa Pasha, 1 02—1 04.

Namu r, 1 72.

Nan cy, 436 .

Nan g is , 424 .

Naples, 27, 1 70, 221 , 222, 290 .

Naples , Kin g of, see Bo n aparte, J oseph , an d M u rat .

Napo leo n , see St . Napo leo n .

Narbo n n e , C t e ., 398.

Narew, 255 .

Naumbu rg, 243 , 245 , 246, 3 77Navy, 487, 488.

Nazaret h, 96, 97 .

Nelso n , 84, 1 72, 1 76, 1 85 , 1 93 , 1 93—1 97,200 , 204 .

Netherwo o d, 94 .

Neufch a tel, P rin ce of, see Berthier.

Ney, 208—21 1 , 21 5 , 239, 245 , 247, 270, 272,285 , 295 , 300, 346 , 349, 352, 35 3 , 359,3 6 1 , 362, 3 73 , 3 75 , 3 77—3 79, 38 1—383 , 385 ,393 , 3963 99, 402, 430, 449, 450, 452,455 , 45 7—459 , 462, 481 .

N ice, 1 0, 1 8, 1 61 , 486.

N ieder Kayn a , 383 .

Niemen , 260, 273 , 274.

N i le , 78.

No gen t , 41 9 , 427.

No ns , 1 05 .

No rman dy , 1 64 .

No rth umb erla n d , 466 .

No vara , 1 33 , 1 34 .

Nu remberg, 21 4 .

Ochmian a , 348 .

O'

Co n n o r, 1 87 .

Oku n in , 25 5 .

O ld G u ard , 327, 4 1 8, 419 , 422, 434, 437,43 04 4 1 , 4

5 9, 401 .

O lme t te , 1 0

O'

M eara , 473 , 405 , 497 , 500 .

O t ran to , Duke of, see F o uch é .

On egl ia, 1 9.

Opera , 23 1 .Oppo rtu n i ty, 70 .

Oran ge , Prin ce of, 246 :Orcha , 361 , 3 62.

Orien t , 74, 75 , 77, 78, 85 , 98.

Orlean s, Duk e of, 1 79.

Orsay, qu a i d '

, 1 73 .

Ost en d , 1 7 1 .

Ost ero de, 262, 264.

O t t , 1 36 .

Ot t o,307, 329.

Ou di n o t , 21 5 , 272, 308, 346, 383 ,386, 393 , 395 , 396 , 404, 438 .

Ou rcq can al , 1 73 .

Pae’r, 254.

P a in e, 1 26 .

P ajo l , 392, 458.

P a lafo x , 292, 301 , 3 1 5 .

Palais Ro yal , 5 .

Palman o va, 5 9, 63 .

Pamplo n a , 392.

P ack , 4 , 1 1 .

P apacy , 33 , 3 9, 43 , 46, 55—58, 3 12, 328,33 6.

Parma , 25 , 486.

P arma , D uke of24 ,P artha , 405 .

Pas sarian o , 72.

Pas sen heim, 260 .

Pat t erso n , M iss , 1 95 , 1 96 , 300 , 301 .Pau l , Czar, 1 52, 1 53 , 1 84 .

Pau l in e , 1 81 , 1 82, 296 .

Pavia , 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 1 97 .

Peace , Prin ce of, 1 53 , 1 54 ,286—288, 290.

P egr i , 387.

Peo ple, 467.

P errée , 83 .

Pers ia , 1 62, 267.

Pesch iera , 30, 3 1 .

P faffen ho fen , 309 .

P h i l ip V , 294 .

P h i l ippevil le , 46 1 .

P iacen za, 25 , 200 .

P iacen za , Duke of, 25 .

P iave, 59, 67, 3 1 0 .

P i ch egru , 1 65 , 1 77, 1 78, 476.

P iedmo n t , 1 4, 1 61 .

Pi llage , 21 -23 , 44 , 53 .

PiJOD , 48 .

Pi n ey , 41 7 .

P i t t , 1 65 , 481 .

F i re, 3 0 1 .

Pirn a , 397.

INDEX

P i sto ja, 33 .

Pit hiviers, 438, 439.

Piu s VII, 1 54, 1 88, 1 91 ,224,277 , 278, 368,434 .

P ivero n , 76.

P lech t ch en n i sky , 364.

Plombieres , 203 .

Plymo u th, 1 65 .

P 0 , 24—26.

Po lan d, 42, 252-254, 258, 3 1 8, 333 . 357,3 58, 409.

Po l ice, 490.

Po lo t sk, 35 0, 360.

Pompey ’s Co lumn , 79, 91 .

Po n iat owski, 253 , 352, 353 , 405 , 407.Po n s, 447.

Po n t de B riqu es, 1 85 , 203 .Po rt alis, 1 44, 1 52, 1 58.

Po rt o Ferrajo'

,441 .

Po rt u gal , 277, 281 , 290.

P o sth en en , 272.

Po st Offi ce , 491 .Po t sdam , 248.

P o u ssi elgu e , 1 01 .

Po verty , 1 44.

Pragu e, 392.

P rei li t z , 384.

Pressbu rg, 221 .

Pro vera, 20, 55 .

Pru ss ia , 225 , 232, 240, 340.

Pru ssia , Kin g of, see FrederickW i ll iam III .Przasn ysz, 259 .

Pu ltu sk , 255 , 256.

Pyramids, 82.

Raab , 3 1 5 .

Racin e, 469, 501 .

Ragu sa, 228 .

Ragu sa , Duke of, see M armo n t .Ramadan , 9 1 .

Rambo u ille t , 23 5 , 279, 307, 329.

Rampo n ,37 48, 72, 82.

Rapp , 341 , 358, 450.

Rastadt , 72.

Rat isbo n , 307—3 1 0 .

R ayn o u ard, 1 99, 256.

Réal , 1 80 .

R ed Sea , 90 .

Reggio , 45 .

Reggio , Du ke of, see Oudin o t .Regn ier, 76, 92, 1 67, 1 71 , 1 73 , 1 77, 234,3 75 , 401 .

Reichen bach , 393 .

Reims , 434 .

5 23

Rein o sa, 300.

Re ligio n , 43 , 78, 80, 81 , 1 02, 1 35 , 1 44 ,1 45 , 1 58, 1 59, 1 62, 1 88, 226, 229, 288,480, 496, 507 .

R ému sat , 1 84, 388.

R en dn i t z , 403 .

Revo lu t io n , 41 3 .

R h é n e , 1 2.

Ri ed , 21 4 .

Rimin i , 1 70 .

R ivo l i , 3 7, 47, 48, 54, 5 5 , 1 03 , 1 1 7.Rivo li , Du ke of, see M assen a .

Ro chefo rt , 295 , 465 .

Ro hr, 309 .

R o i z e , 1 03 .

Romagn a , 68.

R oman z o fi'

, 285 , 327.

Rome, 27, 5 5 , 285 , 302, 487.

Rome, Kin g of, 33 7, 338, 352, 41 4, 41 9,420, 430, 43 1 , 435 , 45 1 , 45 3 , 454, 463 ,491 , 500, 506.

Ro n co , 49 .

R o set t a , 1 01 , 1 04 .

Ro st o ck, 340.

R o stOpch in , 355 .

Ro t terdam, 255 .

Ro u en ,

Ro u sseau , 4, 5 , 1 67.

R o u st an , 396.

Ro verbel la , 3 1 , 34, 36, 54.

Ro veredo , 41 , 42, 47.

Ro vigo , Duke of, see Savary.

R ii ch el , 246.

Ru rik , 1 28.

Ru ssia , 333 , 340 .

Saalfeld , 239, 242, 243 , 271 .Sacken , 41 7, 421 , 432, 433 .

Safed , 96.

St . Aman d,458.

St . Bern a-rd, 1 27, 1 3 1 , 1 32.

St . 296, 299 .

St . Cyr , 74, 1 70, 3 73 , 395 , 401 .' St . Dizier, 41 7.S t e . Cro ix, 3 1 5 .

St e . M argu erite, 256 .

St . E t ien n e, 1 56.

St . Geo rge, 54.

St . Germain ,285 .

St . Go t thard, 1 26, 127.St . Helen a, 1 88, 466.

St . H ilaire, 48, 261 .

S t . Jo hn , see A cre.

St . M alo , 1 73 .

S t . Ma rsan , 3 71 .

524 INDEX

S t . Napo leo n , 497 .

S t . Petersbu rg , 345 .

S t . P o elt en , 3 1 1 .

S t . Q u en t in , 1 49.

S t . R egen t , 1 47.

S t . Va lery , 1 65 .

Salh eyeh , 1 00.

Sal ice t i , 1 2- 1 4 , 3 7, 1 30, 320.

San G i u lan o , 1 3 7, 1 38.

San M arco , 5 4.

San s So u ci , 248.

San tan der, 289, 292.

San tarem , 335 .

San t in i , 483 .

Sarago ssa , 292.

Sardin ia, 1 0, 1 4, 1 9, 24 .

Sau ret , 3 7, 40 .

Savary , 1 46, 265 , 280, 281 , 284, 292, 308,334 , 341 , 388, 426,

Savo n a , 486.

Savo y , 1 0.

Sch e i fi i i n g , 61 .

Scherer, 1 03 , 1 06.Schle iz, 243 .

Schlit t , 260 .

Scho en bru n n , 21 5 , 220, 3 1 1 , 3 1 4, 3 1 5 ,

3 1 7, 320 , 322.

Schwarzen berg , 328, 363 , 401 , 418, 422,424 , 425 , 429, 430.

Schwerin ,249 .

Sc ien ce , 73 .

Scipio , 485 .

Sco t lan d, 1 65 .

Scriva , 1 3 7.

Sebas t ian i , 349, 358, 408.

Ségu r, 5 .

Selim ,Su ltan , 250, 25 1 .

Semb vo , 360 .

Sen n o , 443 .

Sepu lveda . 302.

Serru ri er, 21 , 3 7, 38 , 40, 59, 67 .

Serve , 7 .

Ses ia ,1 33 .

Sev res , 280.

Sezan n e , 421 , 430 , 435 .

Shakespeare, 469.

S ic ily , 232.

S ieyes , 1 1 4—1 1 6 , 1 5 7 .

S implo n , 126 , 1 60 , 486.

Skaisg irren , 273 .

Skal , 1 39 .

S lavery , 400 .

Smi th , S . ,94 , 95 , 488 .

Smo len sk, 35 1 . 354 , 356 , 360, 361 , 364 .

Smo rgo n i , 367.

Somety , 227.

So isso n s, 432, 433 , 456.So ld iers , 30, 3 1 , 1 54 .

So lferin o , 38, 39.

So lomo n , 91 .

Somb refi'

e, 458.

Somo sierra , 3 01 , 302.So rbier, 362, 406 .

So u h am , 1 77 3 79 .

So u lt , 1 76—1 78, 1 96,209 21 6, 21 8,230 , 241 , 243 , 245 , 247. 304, 369,3 84, 385 , 390, 392, 45 5 , 467.

Spa in , 3 1 8, 340 , 341 .

Spa in , Q u een of, 1 34.

Spezz 1 a , 486 .

Spree, 399 .

S tae‘l, M me. de, 1 67, 1 73 , 198, 265 , 269,283 , 487.

S t ah remb erg , 444 .

Staps , 322, 323 .

S tein , 3 70, 383 .

S te i n gel , 26, 508 .

S t ephan ie ofBaden , 233 .

Stet t in , 249 .

S t o ckach , 1 29 .

S t o lpen , 394 .

S t radella , 1 35 , 1 36.

St rassbu rg, 208, 308.

St u dienk a , 3 63 , 365 .

St i i p i n ig i , 1 95 .

St u t tgard t , 21 5 , 220, 224.

Su chet , 1 28 , 1 32, 21 0, 336, 473. lSu ez, 89, 90 , 1 50.

Su icide, 4, 502.

Su lk owsky, 47 .

Su rin am, 255 .

Sw iss Gu ard, 1 0.

Sw it zerlan d, 1 43 .

Syo u t , 85 .

Syria , 87.

T iger, 95 .

T i ls i t , 273 , 274—276, 327, 339, 348, 493 ,494 .

T i ppo o Sahib, 76, 30.T i t le , 321 .

T o by,469 .

T o len t in o , 5 7, 58.

To lo sa , 300.

T o ls t o i , 281 , 284.

T o rgau , 3 97.

To rt o n a , 22. 25 , 28, 32. 1 04. 127 , 134.

T o u lo n , 1 1—1 3 , 69, 76, 85 , N4.

To u lo u se, 294 .

526 INDEX

W alewska, Mme . , 25 7, 258, 439.

Wallachia , 25 1 .

‘V a lt h er, 21 0.

W ar , 52, 127, 1 28 , 1 43 , 1 44 , 1 66, 262, 263 ,

269, 296 , 306, 3 1 0, 31 1 , 3 1 6, 3 1 8, 321 ,322, 498, 499 .

Warden , 490 .

Warsaw, 253 , 255-25 7, 264, 266, 334, 364,386.

Washin gt o n , 1 23 .

Wa terlo o , 459, 470, 471 , 479, 481 , 495 .

Weal th , 1 44 .

Wehlau , 346 .

\ Veimar, 246, 249, 298, 376, 3 77. Xen o pho n , 75 .

Weissen fels, 3 77, 408.

Well in g t o n , 3 35 , 365 , 459, 488. Y armo u th , Lo rd, 235 .

Wern eck , 21 3 , 21 4 . Y elvi a , 360.

Wert in gen , 209, 21 0. Y o rk v. Warten berg , 370, 433 .

Wesel , 340 .

W h itwo rt h, 1 65 , 1 69 .

W i lk o wysk i , 347 .

W i llen berg , 259.

W i llo t , 1 65 .

W imereu x , 1 74, 1 85 .

Wi t ten berg, 248, 400 .

W i t tgen s tein , 363 , 402.

W i t z n igerode, 432, 433 .

Wo lkersdo rf, 3 1 7.

Women , 5 , 7, 1 4, 1 72, 1 93 , 230, 23 1

256, 494 .

Wo rds , 495 .

Wo rk, 1 22, 485 , 486.

Wrede, 308 .

W u rmser, 33 , 38, 39.

Wu rschen , 384, 385 .

W u rt emb erg , 209 .

W u rtemb erg , Kin g of, 238, 239.

Wu rzbu rg ,238, 23 9.Wu rzen , 401 .

Wyn dham, 1 65 .

Z ach, 1 38 .

Z ama , 76 .

Z an i vk i , 363 .

Z ajo n ch ek , 362.

Z ara, 228.

Z eelan d , 3 1 9.

Z i t tau , 394 .

Z n aym,3 1 7.

Z u smarshau sen ,

The Corsican a Diary of Napoleons Life in H1s Own Words

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