English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I. John Ashton
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the Capitulation,
This miscreant selected then
One thousand and four hundred men,
Whom they determin’d to assassinate—
A testimony of surpassing hate;
And Boney was, with general voice,
For executioner their choice.
Indeed the choice was very good,
For Boney was a man for blood.
In sets, it was these wretches’ lot,
To be brought forward to be shot:
Nap gave the order with composure,
The loaded guns were pointed so sure
A dreadful carnage soon ensued—
A carnage—horrible when view’d.
Yet, gallant Boney, with delight, Remain’d spectator of the sight. Nay, more, himself vers’d in hypocrisy, He thought he might perhaps some mock’ry see: So ‘Pardon! pardon!’ loud he said, To know if they were really dead; Some, who had counterfeited death, Rose up, and were deprived of breath! Poor souls! they knew not when he said it His word was not deserving credit. However two there were more wise, } Who, having put on death’s disguise, } Could not be tempted thus to rise, } But tarried till the wolves were gone, And then—a father found his son!
CHAPTER V.
NAPOLEON’S PROMOTION—HIS POVERTY—JUNOT’S KINDNESS—REVOLT OF THE SECTIONS—NAPOLEON’S SHARE THEREIN—MADE GENERAL OF THE INTERIOR—INTRODUCTION TO JOSEPHINE—SKETCH OF HER LIFE.
For the capture of Toulon, Bonaparte was speedily promoted; indeed, his superior officer, Dugommier, in his report, said, ‘Reward and advance this young man, otherwise he will find means to advance himself.’
He afterwards joined the army at Nice, and was sent on a secret diplomatic mission to Genoa; on his return from which he was arrested and thrown into prison, where he remained a fortnight before he obtained his release. He was without any employment during the remainder of 1794, and till the autumn of 1795. He was then in very poor circumstances financially, and Madame Junot gives a graphic picture of his distress at this time.24 ‘Bonaparte’s servant informed Mariette that the general was often in want of money;’ but, he added, ‘he has an aide-de-camp who shares with him all he gets. When he is lucky at play, the largest share of his winnings is always for his general. The aide-de-camp’s family sometimes sends him money, and then almost all is given to the general. The general, adds the man, loves this aide-de-camp as dearly as if he were his own brother.’ The aide-de-camp was Junot, who got a commission after Toulon.
The wretched Boney, we are told,
Reduced, and shivering with the cold,
To public houses used to rove,
And warm his hands before a stove;
Nay, in Corrozza, it is said,
A large score still remains unpaid.
He in an humble garret slept,
Which never very clean was kept,
Hence got he a disorder, which
The vulgar people call the ‘itch.’
Long might have been poor Nap’s dejection
But for a pending insurrection;
For now was entertained th’ intention
Of overturning the Convention.
The party by Barras were led,
He of the rebels was the head;
But, neither brave nor skilful reckon’d,
He wish’d to have an able second.
This task, by many, as we find,
Was conscientiously declin’d;
For every one of them well knew,
A dreadful slaughter must ensue.
Barras said in a thinking mood,
‘I know a rascal fond of blood—
A little Corsican blackguard,
But now to find him may be hard.’
Then, having mentioned Boney’s name,
They all agreed upon the same;
And Tallien gladly undertook
For the said Corsican to look.
Soon Boney on their honors waited,
Though all in rags as it is stated;
And, matters being quick concluded,
No ‘saucy doubts or fears’ intruded;
Nap with a horse was soon provided,
And regimentals he beside had.
This scheme began they to contrive
In seventeen hundred, ninety five.
And of October, we may say,
The fourth was now a fatal day!
For, lo! the insurgents sallied out,
And desolation spread about;
All honest opposition fail’d
And blood-stain’d tyranny prevail’d.
Men, women, children, at a bitter rate
The cries of ‘Treason,’ did reiterate,
But nothing could their fury quell,
For women, men, and children fell!
Now, owing to this revolution,
Was formed another Constitution;
Nap this assembly went to meet,
And laid his trophies at their feet: These trophies were eight thousand carcases, Among the wounds, too, many a mark was his. A second victory like this, Was to Barras extatic bliss. And Nap, for bravery extoll’d, No longer a blackguard was called; But as a hero now regarded, Was amply by Barras rewarded. In this life there is many a change, As unexpected and as strange: Then let us hope that this day’s sorrow May be tranquillity to-morrow: For, mark you how our hero rose, Who wanted money, shoes, and clothes; All those he had—and, what is more, His garret chang’d for a first floor; And such, too, was his happy lot, That he a place for Lucien got; Who, after this notorious slaughter, Had married an innkeeper’s daughter.
This is the satirist’s account of the revolt of the Sections, and Bonaparte’s part therein. When applied to, he accepted the command, but declared that he must act untrammelled, and not like Menon, who failed through having three representatives of the people to counsel him. This was agreed to, and Barras was chosen chief, with Napoleon under him. The insurgents numbered some 40,000, the troops but 7,000; and such was the moderation of the latter, that when the insurrection was quelled, there were but seventy or eighty of the people killed, and between three and four hundred wounded.
He was then made General of the Interior, and consequently Governor of Paris, and this position led him more into society.
It is now that we come to a great epoch in his life, his meeting with Josephine, which came about in a somewhat singular manner. At one of his levées, a boy of twelve years, or so, called upon him. The lad was Eugène de Beauharnais, son of a general of the Republic, who was executed a few days before the death of Robespierre, and his errand was to petition Napoleon that his father’s sword might be given to him. To quote Napoleon’s own words, ‘I was so touched by this affectionate request, that I ordered it to be given to him. On seeing the sword he burst into tears: I felt so affected by his conduct, that I noticed and praised him much. A few days afterwards,