Widger's Quotations from Project Gutenberg Edition of Memoirs of NapoleonVarious
History
Widger's Quotations from Project Gutenberg Edition of Memoirs of Napoleon
Various
Quotations
The Archbishop of Milan had come to Lyons, notwithstanding his great age, in
order to see the First Consul, whom he loved with such tenderness that in
conversation the venerable old man continually addressed the young general as
"my son." The peasants of Pavia, having revolted because their fanaticism had
been excited by false assertions that the French wished to destroy their
religion, the Archbishop of Milan, in order to prove that their fears were
groundless, often showed himself in a carriage with General Bonaparte.
The celebration of this sacrament at Notre Dame was a novel sight to the
Parisians, and many attended as if it were a theatrical representation. Many,
also, especially amongst the military, found it rather a matter of raillery
than of edification; and those who, during the Revolution, had contributed all
their strength to the overthrow of the worship which the First Consul had just
re-established, could with difficulty conceal their indignation and their
chagrin.
"Why did you quit the service?" resumed the First Consul, who appeared to take
great interest in the conversation.--"My faith, General, each one in his turn,
and there are saber strokes enough for every one. One fell on me there " (the
worthy laborer bent his head and divided the locks of his hair); "and after
some weeks in the field hospital, they gave me a discharge to return to my wife
and my plow."
PRIVATE LIFE OF NAPOLEON, V3, by Constant
[nc03v10.txt]3570
Her sudden appearance astonished, and even alarmed, Roustan and myself; for it
was only an extraordinary circumstance which could have induced Madame
Bonaparte to leave her room in this costume, before taking all necessary
precautions to conceal the damage which the want of the accessories of the
toilet did her. She entered, or rather rushed, into the room, crying, "The
Duke d'Enghien is dead! Ah, my friend! what have you done?" Then she fell
sobbing into the arms of the First Consul, who became pale as death, and said
with extraordinary emotion, "The miserable wretches have been too quick!" He
then left the room, supporting Madame Bonaparte, who could hardly walk, and was
still weeping. The news of the prince's death spread consternation in the
chateau; and the First Consul remarked this universal grief, but reprimanded no
one for it. The fact is, the greatest chagrin which this mournful catastrophe
caused his servants, most of whom were attached to him by affection even more
than by duty, came from the belief that it would inevitably tarnish the glory
and destroy the peace of mind of their master.
Women not residing in Boulogne were prohibited from remaining there without a
special permit from the minister of police. This measure had been judged
necessary on account of the army; for otherwise each soldier perhaps would have
brought a woman to Boulogne, and the disorder would have been indescribable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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