第892章

"I， military！ I am so， because I was born so； it is my habit， my very existence. Wherever I have been I have always had command. Icommanded at twenty-three， at the siege of Toulon； I commanded at Paris in Vendémiaire； I won over the soldiers in Italy the moment Ipresented myself. I was born for that."[42] Observe the various features of the same mental and moral structure among different members of the family. (Speaking of his brothers and sisters in the "Memorial" Napoleon says)： "What family as numerous presents such a splendid group？" - "Souvenirs"， by PASQUIER(Etienne-Dennis， duc)， chancelier de France. in VI volumes， Librarie Plon， Paris 1893. Vol. I. p. 400. (This author， a young magistrate under Louis XVI.， a high functionary under the Empire， an important political personage under the restoration and the July monarchy， is probably the best informed and most judicious of eye-witnesses during the first half of our century.)： "Their vices and virtues surpass ordinary proportions and have a physiognomy of their own. But what especially distinguishes them is a stubborn will， and inflexible resolution. . . . All possessed the instinct of their greatness."They readily accepted "the highest positions； they even got to believing that their elevation was inevitable. . . . Nothing in the incredible good fortune of Joseph astonished him； often in January， 1814， I heard him say over and over again that if his brother had not meddled with his affairs after the second entry into Madrid， he would still be on the throne of Spain. As to determined obstinacy we have only to refer to the resignation of Louis， the retirement of Lucien， and the resistances of Fesch； they alone could stem the will of Napoleon and sometimes break a lance with him. -Passion， sensuality， the habit of considering themselves outside of rules， and self-confidence combined with talent， super abound among the women， as in the fifteenth century. Elisa， in Tuscany， had a vigorous brain， was high spirited and a genuine sovereign， notwithstanding the disorders of her private life， in which even appearances were not sufficiently maintained." Caroline at Naples， "without being more scrupulous than her sisters，" better observed the proprieties； none of the others so much resembled the Emperor； "with her， all tastes succumbed to ambition"； it was she who advised and prevailed upon her husband， Murat， to desert Napoleon in 1814. As to Pauline， the most beautiful woman of her epoch， "no wife， since that of the Emperor Claude， surpassed her in the use she dared make of her charms； nothing could stop her， not even a malady attributed to the strain of this life-style and for which we have so often seen her borne in a litter."- Jerome， " in spite of the uncommon boldness of his debaucheries， maintained his ascendancy over his wife to the last." - On the "pressing efforts and attempts" of Joseph on Maria Louise in 1814， Chancelier Pasquier， after Savary's papers and the evidence of M. de Saint-Aignan， gives extraordinary details. - "Mes souvenirs sur Napoléon， 346， by the count Chaptal： "Every member of this numerous family (Jér？me， Louis， Joseph， the Bonaparte sisters) mounted thrones as if they had recovered so much property."[43] Burkhardt， "Die Renaissance in Italien，" passim. - Stendhal， "Histoire de la peinture en Italie"(introduction)， and" Rome， Naples， et Florence，" passim. - " Notes par le Comte Chaptal"： When these notes are published， many details will be found in them in support of the judgment expressed in this and the following chapters. The psychology of Napoleon as here given is largely confirmed by them.

[44] Roederer， III， 380 (1802).

[45] Napoleon uses the French word just which means both fair， justifiable， pertinent， correct， and in music true.

[46] "Mémorial."

[47] De Pradt， "Histoire de l'Ambassade dans la grande-duché de Varsovie en 1812，" preface， p. X， and 5.

[48] Roederer， III.， 544 (February 24， 1809). Cf. Meneval， "Napoléon et Marie-Louise， souvenirs historiques，" I.， 210-213.

[49] Pelet de la Lozère，" Opinions de Napoléon au conseil d'état，"p.8. - Roederer， III.， 380.

[50] Mollien， "Mémoires，" I.， 379； II.， 230.-Roederer， III.， 434. "He is at the head of all things. He governs， administrates， negotiates， works eighteen hours a day， with the clearest and best organized head；he has governed more in three years than kings in a hundred years." -Lavalette， "Mémoires，" II.， 75. (The words of Napoleon's secretary on Napoleon's labor in Paris， after Leipsic) "He retires at eleven， but gets up at three o'clock in the morning， and until the evening there is not a moment he does not devote to work. It is time this stopped， for he will be used up， and myself before he is."- Gaudin， Duc de Ga？te， "Mémoires，" III. (supplement)， p.75. Account of an evening in which， from eight o'clock to three in the morning， Napoleon examines with Gaudin his general budget， during seven consecutive hours， without stopping a minute. -Sir Neil Campbell， "Napoléon at Fontainebleau and at Elbe，" p.243. "Journal de Sir Neil Campbell a'