Mr. Urban,--The following singular coincidences may furnish matter for reflection to the curious. It has been generally admitted that the Roman Empire, after passing under _seven_ different forms of government (or _seven_ heads), was divided into _ten_ kingdoms in Europe (the ten horns of Daniel and John); and that, notwithstanding the various changes Europe has undergone, the number of kingdoms was generally about ten. It is not a little surprising that the _Heads of the Family of Napoleon_, who has effected such a change in the same Empire, _are exactly seven_, viz.:-- 1. Napoleon. 2. Joseph, King of Italy. 3. Louis, King of Holland. 4. Jerome. 5. Murat, Duke of Berg and Cleves. 6. Cardinal Fesch. 7. Beauharnais, the adopted son of Napoleon. And also that _the Members of the New Federation are just ten_, viz.:-- 1. Bavaria. 2. Wirtemberg. 3. Baden. 4. Darmstadt. 5. Nassau. 6. Ysembourg. 7. Hohenzollern. 8. Aremberg. 9. Salm. 10. Leyen. It is also remarkable that in the _man’s name_, NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE, there are precisely three times six letters:-- Napole on Buon aparte 6 6 6 = 666 And in his name is contained the name given by John to the King of the Locusts, who is called ‘Apoleon,’ or ‘the Destroyer.’ Even the date of his birth was disputed, for some said he was born on February 5, 1768--in his marriage registry it is the same, and he used to tell De Bourrienne, his school-fellow, that he was born on August 15, 1769, and it is so noted in the registry of his entrance into the military school at Brienne in 1779, and the Ecole Militaire in 1784, besides being the date used in all documents necessary to his promotion. But probably his mother knew somewhat about it, and Madame Junot says,[13] speaking of Madame Lætitia Bonaparte, ‘I recollect she this day told us that, being at Mass on the day of the fête of Notre Dame of August, she was overtaken by the pains of childbirth, and she had hardly reached home when she was delivered of _Napoleon_, on a wretched rug.... I know not why,’ said she, ‘it has been reported that Paoli was Napoleon’s godfather. It is not true; Laurent Jiubéga[14] was his godfather. He held him over the baptismal font, along with another of our relations, Celtruda Buonaparte.’[15] CHAPTER III. COUNT MARBŒUF, HIS PUTATIVE FATHER--POVERTY OF THE BONAPARTE FAMILY--EARLY PERSONAL DESCRIPTION OF NAPOLEON--HIS OWN ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF--SATIRISTS’ NARRATION OF HIS SCHOOL-DAYS.