Bon Bon

Soleil d'Austerlitz par Alchimie des Sons

Napoléon: Le 13 vendémiaire

Bautzen by Paul Girardet

La Cantinière France : son histoire / par G. Montorgueil ; imagée par Job, 1898.

I read a lot of things that are very critical of Napoleon and I admit to myself that the writer is correct about all of it. Then we get people who knew him and loved him so much, such as Larrey.  If Larrey likes you, that says something. Napoleon’s servants loved him. Even people who at some point said Get lost! to Napoleon ended up crying like babies at his state funeral in 1840.

He was a charismatic man who could also intimidate everyone in the room. He could be very kind, charming and seductive. He was repetitive, opinionated and boring (St. Helena). He was emotional, he was stoic. He was temperamental. He was an actor. He had a good sense of humor and was funny unintentionally sometimes, because he couldn’t help it.

Even someone who hated him, Chateaubriand, said he was not really a cruel person. Even Mme de Staël warned him of an assassination plot when he was on Elba.

This short book is very good, the whole thing is quotable.

--I attacked his detention of the English travellers: which he justified on the score of retaliation, for our making prizes at sea before declaration of war. replied, that this had been in a manner sanctioned by long use. He said, "Yes, to you who gain, but not to others who suffer from it; and if you make new laws of nations, I have a right to do the same. Je suis sûr que vous croyez en Angleterre qu'au fond j'avois raison, puisque j'ai montré du caractère en ça. Eh! je suis un peu corsaire comme vous autres." [I'm sure you in England believe that deep down I was right, since I showed some character in this matter. Eh! I'm a bit of a privateer like you all.]

--On my expressing my surprise at the admirable sang froid with which he bore the change of his situation, he said, "C'est que tout le monde en a été, je crois, plus étonné que moi : je n'ai pas une trop bonne opinion des hommes, et je me suis toujours méfié de la fortune : d'ailleurs j'ai peu joui: mes frères ont été beaucoup plus rois que moi. [It's because everyone has been, I think, more astonished than I: I don't have a very high opinion of men, and I've always been wary of fortune: besides, I've had little enjoyment: my brothers have been much more kings than I.]They have had the enjoyments of royalty, whilst I have had little but its fatigues." He asked if I knew his brother Lucien, and what success his poem had had? said he was a clever man, but doubted his understanding sufficiently the "finesses" of the French language for an epic poet. “C'est de tous mes frères celui qui a le plus de talent; mais c'est un homme qui m'a fait beaucoup de mal: son mariage étoit pour moi, qui voulois fonder une dynastie, une chose terrible—d'aller se marier avec une femme du peuple, une jolie femme de Paris, &c." [Of all my brothers, the one who has the most talent; but he was a man who did me a lot of harm: his marriage was, for me, who wanted to found a dynasty, a terrible thing—to go and marry a common woman, a pretty woman from Paris, etc."] He had done everything to prevent it, "mais il a toujours eu un travers pour les femmes." [he always had a weakness for women.]

--On my mentioning Naples, he said, "Vous verrez donc sûrement le Roi de Naples—c'est un bon militaire; c'est un des hommes les plus brillants que j'ai jamais vu sur un champ de bataille. Pas d'un talent supérieur, sans beaucoup de courage moral, assez timide même pour le plan des opérations—mais le moment qu'il voyoit l'ennemi, tout cela disparoissoit—c'étoit alors le coup d'œil le plus rapide, une valeur vraiment chevaleresque—D'ailleurs un bel homme, grand, bien mis, et avec beaucoup de soin: quelque fois un peu fantasquement—Enfin un magnifique Lazzarone." ["You will surely see the King of Naples—he is a good soldier; he is one of the most brilliant men I have ever seen on a battlefield. Not of superior talent, without much moral courage, rather timid, even, in the planning of operations—but the moment he saw the enemy, all that disappeared—then was the quickest glance, a truly chivalrous valor—Moreover a handsome man, tall, well dressed, and with great care: sometimes a little fancifully—In short, a magnificent Lazzarone."] I asked if he did not make a fine charge with the cavalry at the battle of Leipsic, on the first day? He replied, “Parbleu, il les menoit toujours méme trop bien, il les faisoit trop tuer—et toujours en avant lui-même—C'étoit vraiment un superbe spectacle de le voir dans les combats à la tête de la cavalerie." [“Parbleu, he always led them, even too well, he makes them kill too much—and always in front, himself—It was truly a magnificent sight to see him in battle at the head of the cavalry.”] He shewed more animation in speaking on this than on any other topic in the whole course of conversation, and seemed quite to dwell on it with pleasure. He said, “Vous verrez aussi la Reine; c'est une belle personne, et très-fine." ["You will also see the Queen; she is a beautiful person, and very fine."]

Memorandum of two conversations between the Emperor Napoleon and Viscount Ebrington at Porto Ferrajo, on the 6th and 8th of December, 1814, published in 1823.

During the First Restoration, the Grand Duke (Constantine) dined one day at the King's home with a small family gathering....the conversation, especially at that time, was bound to turn to Napoleon. The Duchess of Angoulême and Monsieur would have no good things to say about him, and the King invited the Grand Duke to express his opinion on this extraordinary man. The Prince, with his customary frankness, acknowledged Napoleon's great qualities, without, however, remaining silent on the criticisms he had earned. The King then said, "Napoleon has done enormous things for the glory and happiness of France, and if I can make her happy, it will be by following the documents he left behind." As he said these words, the king was seated in the chair and at the table used by the former emperor, and he added, "I wish I had as sharp a mind as the one whose seat I now occupy and whose table I use for my work, but I feel inferior to him."

Mémoires du comte de Moriolles sur l'émigration, la Pologne et la cour du grand-duc Constantin, 1902.

Thanks for posting the books you received and own yourself. I am an addict for these books and have seen some that I can't wait to read! Many of them are on archive.org. Archive.org is like an academic library, otherwise we wouldn't find these books anywhere. Even hathitrust, google and gallica wouldn't let you read them if they aren't in the public domain. But archive does; you can borrow them.

During the maneuvers at Tilsit, the Grand Duke, following Emperor Napoleon in the wake of the French troops, was greatly astonished to hear cries of "Long live Prince Constantine!" Napoleon wanted to know the reason. Immediately, a number of officers and soldiers stepped forward from the ranks, surrounded Grand Duke Constantine, and, with an outpouring of gratitude, acknowledged themselves as belonging to the same Auvergne regiment that had owed him so much obligation in Italy. Napoleon applauded this display of enthusiasm and, raising his voice, said to the Prince, "I thank you in the name of the French army. If it had to fear your valor, it would always have to esteem your generosity." His Highness often told me that this moment was one of the most beautiful of his life.

Mémoires du comte de Moriolles sur l'émigration, la Pologne et la cour du grand-duc Constantin, 1902.

After peace was signed, Napoleon summoned the Grand Duke to his residence. Having obtained his brother's permission, the prince went to Bonaparte's house, finding him alone. The monarch's face held an infinitely gracious expression. After thanking the Grand Duke for his promptness in accepting his invitation, he presented him with a magnificent sword, saying: "Receive, young man, this token of the attachment and esteem I will always have for you, as friend or as foe. It is also a testament to the gratitude I owe you for the consideration you showed to the wounded Frenchmen or prisoners whom fate had placed in your hands."

Napoleon added so many flattering things to this, he so ingratiated himself with the Grand Duke, that the latter, recounting this anecdote to me, said, "If, at that moment, that devil of a man had ordered me to jump out of the window, I would not have hesitated for a minute; but, scarcely had I left his apartment, my exaltation subsided and I saw nothing but the ease with which great men can incite fanaticism in those whose minds they wish to turn."

Mémoires du comte de Moriolles sur l'émigration, la Pologne et la cour du grand-duc Constantin, 1902.

The conferences at Tilsit gave Grand Duke Constantine the opportunity to meet frequently with the Emperor of the French, whom he disliked but whose great qualities he admired; the latter treated the Grand Duke with consideration and even with a kind of friendship. Napoleon knew the delicacy and humanity with which the prince had always treated the prisoners who had fallen into his hands, and he was grateful for it. He always addressed him as "young man" and affected a tone of familiarity and jest with him. One day, when Grand Duke Constantine had accompanied his brother to a troop review which Napoleon also attended, the latter asked him, after the maneuvers, to demonstrate a few lancer maneuvers, the uniform of which the prince was wearing that day. Immediately, the Grand Duke began to prance about, brandishing his lance, then he charged, lance first, at Napoleon and brought his horse to a complete halt just two paces away, in the manner of the Poles and Turks. The Emperor, who had not expected such a maneuver, could not hide his fear; he turned deathly pale, his chin trembled, and to avoid showing his weakness, he turned the reins and galloped away.

(google translation)

Mémoires du comte de Moriolles sur l'émigration, la Pologne et la cour du grand-duc Constantin, 1902.

Thomas Manning was a guy studying to speak Chinese. He tried to go to China. I think he only made it to Nepal, but anyway, he's in Paris in 1802.

I had scarcely finished my breakfast & read three pages of Boileau before in came Mr Gillet with a ticket for me of admission into the antichambers of the Tuilleries to see Bonaparte & his court & the grand review of his troups in the Cour of the Palace. When we arrived at the Palace we found a difficulty of passing the Guard at the gate as it was rather late & the Palace was supposed sufficiently full of spectators. What plea do you think prevailed? That Mr G was an officer under Governement? No. That he had the billet of the Préfet of the Police (which happened to be the case)? No, but twas this: "Nous sommes Etrangers; nous sommes des Anglois, Citoyen!"

Well, having entered the palace & passed the Guard at the foot of the staircase by the same plea, we placed ourselves in the Antichamber & I had again the satisfaction of seeing the Premier Consul go by, clad in his simple blue uniform. Oh, what a God-like face! When he returned from the review, a lady who stood near me, stopt him & addressed him on the subject of some plan or invention she or her husband had discovered, & gave me a full opportunity of contemplating his divine countenance. After he was retired, crowds of courtiers passed by to the levé, chiefly military in various & most splendid uniforms, Conseillors d’État, Senators, Ministers, Ambassadors, the Prince of Orange &c. His court is, I believe, the most brilliant in Europe.