XX. 1796. that it was to Napoleon's skilful disposition of the posts round the Tuileries that the success of the day was owing; but he himself never ceased to lament, that his first success in separate command should have been gained in civil dissension; and often said, in after times, that he would give many years of his !Bourrienne, life to tear that page from his history.1 * i. 96. His marriage with Josephine. The next event in Napoleon's career was not less important in his ultimate fortunes. On occasion of the general disarming of the inhabitants, after the overthrow of the Sections, a boy of ten years of age came to request from Napoleon, as General of the Interior, that his father's sword, which had been delivered up, should be restored to him. His name was EUGENE BEAUHARNOIS; and Napoleon was so much struck by his appearance, that he was induced not only to comply with the request, but to visit his mother, Josephine Beauharnois. Her husband had been one of the most elegant dancers of his day, and from that quality was frequently honoured with the hand of Marie Antoinette at the court balls. Napo * Though not gifted with the powers of popular oratory, Napoleon was not destitute of that ready talent which catches the idea most likely to divert the populace, and frequently disarms them even in the moment of their greatest irritation. When in command at Paris, after the suppression of this revolt, he was frequently brought in collision with the people in a state of the utmost excitement: and on these occasions his presence of mind was as conspicuous as his humanity was admirable. Above a hundred families, during the dreadful famine which followed the suppression of the revolt of the Sections in the winter 1795-6, were saved from death by his beneficence." On one occasion, he was trying to appease a mob in a state of extreme irritation, when a fat woman, bursting from the throng, exclaimed, "These wearers of epaulets, provided they fill their own skins, care not though the poor die of famine."-" My good woman," said Napoleon, who at that time was exceedingly thin, "look at me, and say which of us has fed the best." This at once turned the laugh on his side, and he continued his route 3 Las Casas, without interruption." D'Abran tes, ii. 28. ii. 173. CHAP. XX. 1796. leon, whose inclination already began to revert to the manners of the old régime, used to look around if the windows were closed, and say, "Now let us talk of the old court; let us make a tour to Versailles." From thence arose the intimacy which led Las Casas, to his marriage with that lady, and ultimately placed D'Abrantes, her on the throne of France.2 i. 173. iii. 314. * Napoleon, iii. 80. 191. Josephine, par Mad. 251. Her history had been very remarkable. She was i. 72. Scott, born in the West Indies; and it had early been pro- Las Casas, i. phesied, by an old Negress, that she should lose her 173, ii.190, first husband, be extremely unfortunate, but that she should afterwards be greater than a queen. 3* This 3 Mem. de prophecy, the authenticity of which is placed beyond a doubt, was fulfilled in the most singular manner. Crevier, i. Her first husband, Alexander Beauharnois, a general Scott, iii. in the army on the Rhine, had been guillotined 82, Note. during the Reign of Terror; and she herself, who was also imprisoned at the same time, was only saved from impending death by the fall of Robespierre. Her history, So strongly was the prophecy impressed on her able advenmind, that, while lying in the dungeons of the Con- fall of ciergerie, expecting every hour to be summoned to Robespierre. the revolutionary tribunal, she mentioned it to her fellow-prisoners, and to amuse them, named some of them as ladies of the bedchamber; a jest which she afterwards lived to realize to one of their number.5 + and remark ture at the 5 Mem. de Josephine, par Mad. The author heard this prophecy long before Napoleon's elevation Crevier, i. to the throne, from the late Countess of Bath, and the Countess of 252, 253. Ancram, who were educated in the same convent with Josephine, and had repeatedly heard her mention the circumstance in early youth. † Josephine herself narrated this extraordinary passage in her life in the following terms : "One morning the jailer entered the chamber where I slept with the Duchess d'Aiguillon and two other ladies, and told me he was going to CHAP. 1796. Her charac ter. Josephine possessed all the qualities fitted to excite admiration; graceful in her manners, affectionate in her disposition, elegant in her appearance, she was qualified both to awaken the love, and form the happiness of the young general, whose fate was now united with her own. Her influence in subsequent times, when placed on the throne, was never take my mattrass to give it to another prisoner. Why,' said Madame d'Aiguillon eagerly, will not Madame de Beauharnois obtain a better one?—No, no,' replied he, with a fiendish smile, she will have no need of one; for she is about to be led to the Conciergerie, and thence to the guillotine.' "At these words my companions in misfortune uttered piercing shrieks. I consoled them as well as I could; and at length, worn out with their eternal lamentations, I told them that their grief was utterly unreasonable; that not only I should not die, but live to be Queen of France. Why then do you not name your maids of honour?' said Madame d'Aiguillon, irritated at such expressions at such a moment. Very true,' said I; I did not think of that;-well, my dear, I make you one of them.' Upon this the tears of these ladies fell apace, for they never doubted I was mad. But the truth was, I was not gifted with any extraordinary courage, but internally persuaded of the truth of the oracle. "Madame d'Aiguillon soon after became unwell, and I drew her towards the window, which I opened to admit through the bars a little fresh air ;—I there perceived a poor woman who knew us, and who was making a number of signs, which I at first could not understand. She constantly held up her gown (robe); and seeing that she had some object in view, I called out ‘robe,' to which she answered, 'yes.' She then lifted up a stone and put it in her lap, which she lifted up a second time; I called out 'pierre,' upon which she evinced the greatest joy at perceiving that her signs were understood. Joining then the stone to her robe, she eagerly imitated the motion of cutting off the neck, and immediately began to dance, and evince the most extravagant joy. This singular pantomime awakened in our minds a vague hope, that possibly Robespierre might be no more. "At this moment, when we were floating between hope and fear, we heard a great noise in the corridor, and the terrible voice of our jailer, who said to his dog, giving him at the same time a kick, Get on, you cursed Robespierre.' That coarse phrase at once taught us that we had nothing to fear, and that France was saved."-Mem. de Josephine, i. 252, 253. XX. 1796. exerted but for the purposes of humanity; and if CHAP. her extravagance sometimes amounted to a fault, it was redeemed by the readiness with which she gave ear to the tale of suffering.' Napoleon himself said, 'Bourrienne, after he had tasted of all the greatness of the world, Scott, iii. that the chief happiness he had known in life had 83. flowed from her affection.** 3 i. 101. Bourrienne, viii. 372. and receives Army of berg, iii. 301. In the first instance, however, motives of ambition combined with a softer feeling to fix Napoleon's choice; Madame Beauharnois had formed an intimacy in prison with Madame Fontenoy, the eloquent Marries her, and beautiful friend of Tallien: and she was an the comacknowledged favourite of Barras, at that period the mand of the leading character of the Directory; though, with Italy. his usual volatility, he was not sorry of an opportunity of establishing her in marriage with the young general; and his influence, after the fall of Robes Hardenpierre, promised to be of essential importance to the rising officer. He married her on the 9th March, 1796; he himself being in the twenty-sixth, and she in the twenty-eighth year of her age. At the same time, he laid before the Directory a plan for the Italian campaign, so remarkable for its originality and genius, as to attract the especial notice of the illustrious Carnot, then minister at war. The united influence of these two directors, and the magnitude of the obligation which Napoleon had conferred upon them, prevailed. With Josephine he received the command of the Italian armies; and, twelve days after, set out for the Alps, taking with him two 4 Every thing I never saw "Josephine," said Napoleon, "was grace personified. she did was with a grace and delicacy peculiar to herself. her act inelegantly the whole time we lived together. Her toilet was a perfect arsenal; and she effectually defended herself against the assaults of time."-O'MEARA, ii. 101. 'Bourrienne, XX. 1796. 1 Las Casas, i. 173. Hardenberg, iii. 302. CHAP. thousand Louis-d'ors for the use of the army, the whole specie which the Treasury could furnish. The instructions of the Directory were to do all in his power to revolutionize Piedmont, and so intimidate the other Italian powers; to violate the neutrality of Genoa; seize the forts of Savona; compel the Senate to furnish him with pecuniary supplies, and surrender the keys of Gavi, a fortress, perched on a rocky height, commanding the pass of the Bocchetta. In case of refusal, he was directed to carry it by assault. His powers were limited to military operations, and the Directory reserved to themselves the exclusive power of concluding treaties of peace or truce; a limitation which was speedily disregarded Harden by the enterprising genius of the young conqueror.2 At this period, the military forces of the Italian States amounted to one hundred and sixty thousand men under arms, which could with ease have raised, from a population of nineteen millions, three hundred thousand. But, with the exception of the Piedmontese troops, this military array was of no real use; except when led on by French officers, the soldiers of the other Italian States have never been able to bear the sight of the French or Austrian bayonets. berg, iii. 302, 303. 3 Thiers, viii. 220. Napoleon, iii. 129, 130. which the Bitterly did Italy suffer for this decay in her national spirit, and extinction of her military courage. With the French invasion commenced a long period Calamities of suffering: tyranny, under the name of liberty; French in rapine, under the name of generosity; excitement among the poor, spoliation among the rich; clamour in public against the nobility, and adulation of them in private; use made of the lovers of freedom by those who despised them; and revolt against tyranny, by those who aimed only at being tyrants; general vasion brought on Italy. |