Walter Scott - Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Volume II

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 14. – Nothing can be more inaccurate than to term the Souper de Beaucaire a Jacobin pamphlet, although it is unquestionably written to urge the Federalists to submit to their inevitable fate, and avert extremity by doing so in time. The work is nearly free from the cant language of the day. There is no mention of liberty, equality, fraternity, or the rights of man, &c. – no abstract discussion of political principles. The whole merits of the dispute betwixt Paris and the departments are hurried over with little or no argument. Buonaparte urges the Marseillois to submission, not because the principles which dictated their insurrection were erroneous, but because they had not means to maintain successful resistance; not because they had been confuted by the Jacobins in argument, but because they were unequal to the task of contending with them by force. In after time, however, he called in and destroyed every copy of the Souper de Beaucaire which could be found, so that only one remained, from which the recent reprint of Monsieur Pancoucke has been executed. – S. – As remarkable specimens of Napoleon's easy style and habits of thinking, the opening and closing parts of this pamphlet are given, translated into English, in No. III.of the Appendix to this volume.

His lordship died the 7th of April, 1831.

In 1797 created Baron Keith. He died in 1823.

See ante , vol. i., p. 300.

This letter appeared in the Moniteur , 10th December, 1793. But as the town of Toulon was taken a few days afterwards, the Convention voted the letter a fabrication. – S. – "This was unfair; for it was genuine, and gave a just idea of the opinion that prevailed when it was written, respecting the issue of the siege, and of the difficulties that prevailed in Provence." – Napoleon, Memoirs , vol. i., p. 22.

Las Cases, vol. i., p. 140.

It was to Gasparin that Napoleon was indebted for the triumph of his plan over the objections of the committees of the Convention. He preserved a grateful recollection of this circumstance, as appears by his will. It was Gasparin, he used to say, who had first opened his career. – Las Cases, vol. i., p. 144.

Las Cases, vol. i., p. 147.

Las Cases, vol. i., p. 154.

Napoleon says six thousand. – Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 17.

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 24.

Jomini, tom. iv., p. 223; Toulongeon, tom. iv., p. 88; Napoleon's Memoirs, vol. i., p. 25; Rivington's Annual Register, 1793, p. 415.

Moniteur, 28th December.

"Amongst those who chiefly distinguished themselves are the citizens Buonaparte, commandant of the artillery, Arena, and Gervoni." – Dugommier to the Minister of War .

Rivington's Annual Register, 1793, p. 415.

James's Naval History, vol. i., p. 115; Thiers, tom. vi., p. 59. – "The total number borne away amounted to 14,877." — Mémoires de Joubert , p. 75.

Mr. Graham of Balgowan, now Lord Lynedoch. He marched out on one of the sorties, and when the affair became hot, seized the musket and cartouch-box of a fallen soldier, and afforded such an example to the troops, as contributed greatly to their gaining the object desired. – S.

Jomini, tom. iv., p. 226; Lacretelle, tom. xi., p. 189.

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 13; Jomini, tom. iv., p. 226; Las Cases, vol. i., p. 153.

Las Cases, vol. i., p. 152.

"Dugommier wrote to the Committee of Public Safety, soliciting the rank of brigadier-general for him, and concluded with these words, 'Reward this young man, and promote him, for should he be ungratefully treated, he will promote himself.'" – Napoleon, Montholon , tom. iii., p. 15.

Dugommier was killed on the following November, by the bursting of a field-piece. Napoleon bequeathed to his descendant 100,000 francs, "as a testimonial of gratitude for the esteem, affection, and friendship of that brave and intrepid general."

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 30.

An Englishman will probably remember the sublime passage in "The Mariners of England: " —

"Britannia needs no bulwark, No towers along the steep; Her march is on the mountain-wave, Her home is on the deep."

"Brunet being unjustly accused of favouring the insurrection at Marseilles, was delivered up to the Revolutionary Tribunal at Paris, and perished on the scaffold." – Napoleon, Montholon , tom. iii., p. 21.

"An old and brave officer. His military knowledge was considerable, but he was confined to his bed by the gout half his time." – Napoleon, Gourgaud , tom. i., p. 42.

"Happily, he allowed himself to be directed entirely by the young Buonaparte." – Thiers, tom. vi., p. 288.

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 42.

Jomini, tom. v., p. 204; Thiers, tom. vi., p. 283; Montholon, tom. iii., p. 30; Botta, tom. i., p. 190. General Dumerbion, in his despatch to the government, describing his successes, says, "It is to the talent of General Buonaparte that I am indebted for the skilful plans which have assured our victory."

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 48.

General Tilly. See Nouvelle Biog. de Bruxelles , 1822.

"In the despatch of Salicetti and Albitte to the Government, dated 24th August, they declare, that there existed no foundation for the charges made against him." – Jomini, tom. vi., p. 114; Bourrienne et ses Erreurs , tom. i., p. 27.

Montholon, tom. iii., p. 50; Las Cases, vol. i., p. 155; Louis Buonaparte, p. 14.

Buonaparte is represented by some writers as having at this period found his situation extremely embarrassing, even as regarded pecuniary means, in the capital of which he was at no distant period to be the ruler. Among others who are said to have assisted him was the celebrated actor Talma; and such may have been the case; but the story of Talma's having been acquainted with Napoleon at the Academy of Brienne, and at that early period predicting the greatness of " le petit Buonaparte ," has been expressly contradicted by Louis, the ex-King of Holland, who was at this epoch in Paris along with his brother.

See ante , vol. i., p. 164.

The Memoirs published under the name of Fouché make this assertion. But although that work shows great intimacy with the secret history of the times, it is not to be implicitly relied upon. – S.

"Peut-être un jour, on vous nommerait un Bourbon." – Thiers, tom. viii., p. 10.

"Its authors were Lesage, Daunou, Boissy d'Anglas, Creuzée-Latouche, Berlier, Louvet, Lareveillèire-Lepaux, Languinais, Durand-Maillanne, Baudin des Ardennes, and Thibaudeau." – Thiers, tom. viii., p. 9.