Napoleon and His Times, Volume 1E. L. Carey & A. Hart, 1838 |
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admiration affair amusing army arrived artillery Austria Auzoni Baron Stein battle of Bautzen battle of Eylau beautiful Berthier blood brave cabinet camp campaign Colonel command conversation countenance courage court Dalbe dear Caulincourt death despatches Dresden Duke de Vicenza Duroc Empe Emperor Alexander empire enemy enemy's equerry Ettenheim exclaimed expression eyes Eylau feeling field of battle fire Fouché France French Frogère Gorlitz Gourgand Grand grenadiers guard hand head heart honor horse imperial King of Saxony Kourakin lady Larrey look Madame Majesty marching ment mind mission morning Moscow Murat Napoleon Narbonne never night o'clock observed officer orders palace Paris peror person Petersburg Plombières poor Prague present Prince pursued the Duke rank recollections replied Russian Saint-Dizier scene sent Sire smile soldiers sovereign thousand tion tone took troops Tuileries turned uttered these words victory whilst wish wounded young
Popular passages
Page 42 - It is not a matter of indifference to me to observe the character of that man, who was born a sovereign. A woman turns the head of the Autocrat of all the Russias ! All the women in the world would not make me lose an hour. Continue to acquaint me of everything ; let me know the most minute details. The private life of a man is a mirror in which we may see many useful lessons reflected.
Page 207 - Our real enemies, they who had vowed our destruction, were England, Austria, and Sweden. There was a determined resolution to exterminate Napoleon, and consequently all negotiations proved fruitless. Every succeeding day gave birth to a new conflict. In proportion as we accepted what was offered, new pretensions rose up ; and no sooner was one difficulty smoothed down than we had to encounter another. I know not how I mustered sufficient firmness and forbearance to remain calm amidst so many outrages....
Page 153 - Only those who knew Napoleon in the intercourse of private life can render justice to his character. For my own part, I know him, as it were, by heart ; and in proportion as time separates us, he appears to me like a beautiful dream. And would you believe that, in my recollections of Napoleon, that which seems to me to approach most nearly to ideal excellence is not the hero, filling the world with his gigantic fame, but the man, viewed in the relations of private life.
Page 208 - The punishment is yet to come," murmured the Duke. " I was convinced of the uselessness of my efforts, and plainly perceived the Machiavelic after-thought which protracted these lingering discussions without any intention of bringing them to a result. I accordingly wrote to the Emperor, assuring him that these conferences, pompously invested with the title of a congress, served merely to mask the irrevocably fixed determination not to treat with France ; that the time we were thus losing was employed...
Page 14 - ... attention. I sat with my head resting, on my hand, and with my eyes cast down, in a state of complete abstraction. My capricious fancy unfolded before me the magnificent basin of Antwerp, the port, and the spacious dock-yards. Two fine vessels, gaily decked out, were to be launched that day, the one in the morning, and the other in the evening. Napoleon was about to present to the people of the Netherlands the grand-niece of their celebrated Christina; and a series of truly regal fetes were to...
Page 101 - Very well, sir ; mount your horse — and, stay — ' added he, calling the officer back, ' tell General Lasalle that it will be agreeable to me that you should be the person selected to announce to me the success of these movements.' " This orderly officer was the son...
Page 105 - the lot of the meanest peasant in my empire. At my age he has discharged his debts to his country, and he may remain at home, enjoying the society of his wife and children ; while I, I must fly to the camp and engage in the strife of war. Such is the mandate of my inexplicable destiny.
Page 241 - Caulincourt,' continued he, holding out his hand. " I go, Sire, — dead or alive I will gain entrance into Paris, and will speak to the Emperor Alexander. " The Emperor then took the road to Fontainebleau, and I repaired to Paris. I will tell you how he fulfilled that mission ; it is very curious. My head is burning," said the Duke, raising his hand to his forehead. " I am quite feverish. I should live a hundred years before I could forget these scenes. They are the fixed ideas of my sleepless nights....
Page 206 - After remaining for some moments silent, he thus resumed: — ' Tell them — I impress upon them, with all the authority we are entitled to exercise, that peace can be durable only inasmuch as it shall be reasonable and just towards all parties. To demand absurd concessions, — to impose conditions which cannot be acceded to consistently with the dignity and importance of France, is to declare a deadly war against me. I will never consent to leave France less than I found her. Were I to do so,...
Page 104 - I may say my momentary, duty of alleviating that bitter anguish — of sharing that silent grief, which the sufferer cannot and will not express, and which he fears to betray either by word or look. " We left Saint Cloud for Mentz on the 15th of April, 1813, at four in the morning. When the carriage started, the Emperor, who had his eyes fixed on the Castle, threw himself back, placed his hand on his forehead, and remained for some time in that meditative attitude. At length, rousing himself from...