The History of Napoleon BuonaparteLockhart, J. G. (John Gibson)
History
The History of Napoleon Buonaparte
Lockhart, J. G. (John Gibson)
France -- Kings and rulers -- Biography; Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821
The announcement of the armistice with Austria put an end, in effect, to
all hostile demonstrations on the continent, the Peninsula alone
excepted. The brave Schill (as has already been said) was happy enough
to fall in the field: his followers, being at last compelled to
surrender at Stralsund, were treated as rebels, and died with the
constancy of patriots. The Duke of Brunswick, who had by this time
obtained considerable successes in Franconia, found himself abandoned,
in like manner, to the undivided strength of Napoleon. At the head of a
few regiments, whose black uniform announced their devotion to the one
purpose of avenging their former sovereign, the Duke succeeded in
cutting his way to the Baltic, where some English vessels received him.
Germany, in apparent tranquillity, awaited the result of the
negotiations of Vienna.
Napoleon, a few days after he returned from Moravia to Schoenbrunn,
escaped narrowly the dagger of a young man, who rushed upon him in the
midst of all his staff, at a grand review of the Imperial Guard.
Berthier and Rapp threw themselves upon him, and disarmed him at the
moment when his knife was about to enter the Emperor's body. Napoleon
demanded what motive had actuated the assassin. "What injury," said he,
"have I done to you?" "To me, personally, none," answered the youth,
"but you are the oppressor of my country, the tyrant of the world; and
to have put you to death would have been the highest glory of a man of
honour." This enthusiastic youth, by name Stabbs, son of a clergyman of
Erfurt, was, justly--no doubt--condemned to death, and he suffered with
the calmness of a martyr.
Buonaparte led at Schoenbrunn nearly the same course of life to which he
was accustomed at the Tuileries; seldom appearing in public; occupied
incessantly with his ministers and generals. The length to which the
negotiations with Austria were protracted excited much wonder; but he
had other business on hand besides his treaty with the Emperor Francis,
and that treaty had taken a very unexpected shape.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account