Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
Though the affairs of the new Government afforded abundant occupation to
Bonaparte, he yet found leisure to direct attention to the East--to that
land of despotism whence, judging from his subsequent conduct, it might
be presumed he derived his first principles of government. On becoming
the head of the State he wished to turn Egypt, which he had conquered
as a general, to the advantage of his policy as Consul. If Bonaparte
triumphed over a feeling of dislike in consigning the command of the
army to Kléber, it was because he knew Kléber to be more capable than
any other of executing the plans he had formed; and Bonaparte was not
the man to sacrifice the interests of policy to personal resentment. It
is certainly true that he then put into practice that charming phrase of
Molière's--"I pardon you, but you shall pay me for this!"
With respect to all whom he had left in Egypt Bonaparte stood in a very
singular situation. On becoming Chief of the Government he was not only
the depositary of all communications made to the Directory; but letters
sent to one address were delivered to another, and the First Consul
received the complaints made against the General who had so abruptly
quitted Egypt. In almost all the letters that were delivered to us
he was the object of serious accusation. According to some he had not
avowed his departure until the very day of his embarkation; and he had
deceived everybody by means of false and dissembling proclamations.
Others canvassed his conduct while in Egypt: the army which had
triumphed under his command he had abandoned when reduced to two-thirds
of its original force and a prey to all the horrors of sickness and
want. It must be confessed that these complaints and accusations were
but too well founded, and one can never cease wondering at the chain
of fortunate circumstances which so rapidly raised Bonaparte to the
Consular seat. In the natural order of things, and in fulfilment of
the design which he himself had formed, he should have disembarked at
Toulon, where the quarantine laws would no doubt have been observed;
instead of which, the fear of the English and the uncertainty of the
pilots caused him to go to Fréjus, where the quarantine laws were
violated by the very persons most interested in respecting them. Let us
suppose that Bonaparte had been forced to perform quarantine at Toulon.
What would have ensued? The charges against him would have fallen into
the hands of the Directory, and he would probably have been suspended,
and put upon his trial.
Among the letters which fell into Bonaparte's hands, by reason of
the abrupt change of government, was an official despatch (of the 4th
Vendemiaire, year VIII.) from General Kléber at Cairo to the Executive
Directory, in which that general spoke in very stringent terms of the
sudden departure of Bonaparte and of the state in which the army in
Egypt had been left. General Kléber further accused him of having
evaded, by his flight, the difficulties which he thus transferred to his
successor's shoulders, and also of leaving the army "without a sou in
the chest," with pay in arrear, and very little supply of munitions or
clothing.
The other letters from Egypt were not less accusatory than Kléber's; and
it cannot be doubted that charges of so precise a nature, brought by the
general who had now become commander-in-chief against his predecessor,
would have had great weight, especially backed as they were by similar
complaints from other quarters. A trial would have been inevitable;
and then, no 18th Brumaire, no Consulate, no Empire, no conquest of
Europe--but also, it may be added, no St. Helena. None of these events
would have ensued had not the English squadron, when it appeared off
Corsica, obliged the Muiron to scud about at hazard, and to touch at the
first land she could reach.
The Egyptian expedition filled too important a place in the life of
Bonaparte for him to neglect frequently reviving in the public mind the
recollection of his conquests in the East. It was not to be forgotten
that the head of the Republic was the first of her generals. While
Moreau received the command of the armies of the Rhine, while Massena,
as a reward for the victory of Zurich, was made Commander-in-Chief
in Italy, and while Brune was at the head of the army of Batavia,
Bonaparte, whose soul was in the camps, consoled himself for his
temporary inactivity by a retrospective glance on his past triumphs. He
was unwilling that Fame should for a moment cease to blazon his
name. Accordingly, as soon as he was established at the head of the
Government, he caused accounts of his Egyptian expedition to be from
time to time published in the Moniteur. He frequently expressed his
satisfaction that the accusatory correspondence, and, above all,
Kléber's letter, had fallen into his own hands. Such was Bonaparte's
perfect self-command that immediately after perusing that letter he
dictated to me the following proclamation, addressed to the army of the
East:
SOLDIERS!--The Consuls of the French Republic frequently direct
their attention to the army of the East.
France acknowledges all the influence of your conquests on the
restoration of her trade and the civilisation of the world.
The eyes of all Europe are upon you, and in thought I am often with
you.
In whatever situation the chances of war may place you, prove
yourselves still the soldiers of Rivoli and Aboukir--you will be
invincible.
Place in Kléber the boundless confidence which you reposed in me.
He deserves it.
Soldiers, think of the day when you will return victorious to the
sacred territory of France. That will be a glorious day for the
whole nation.
Nothing can more forcibly show the character of Bonaparte than the above
allusion to Kléber, after he had seen the way in which Kléber spoke
of him to the Directory. Could it ever have been imagined that the
correspondence of the army, to whom he addressed this proclamation,
teemed with accusations against him? Though the majority of these
accusations were strictly just, yet it is but fair to state that
the letters from Egypt contained some calumnies. In answer to the
well-founded portion of the charges Bonaparte said little; but he seemed
to feel deeply the falsehoods that were stated against him, one of which
was, that he had carried away millions from Egypt. I cannot conceive
what could have given rise to this false and impudent assertion. So far
from having touched the army chest, Bonaparte had not even received all
his own pay. Before he constituted himself the Government the Government
was his debtor.
Though he knew well all that was to be expected from the Egyptian
expedition, yet those who lauded that affair were regarded with a
favourable eye by Bonaparte. The correspondence which had fallen into
his hands was to him of the highest importance in enabling him to
ascertain the opinions which particular individuals entertained of him.
It was the source of favours and disgraces which those who were not in
the secret could not account for. It serves to explain why many men of
mediocrity were elevated to the highest dignities and honours, while
other men of real merit fell into disgrace or were utterly neglected.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
1800.
Great and common men--Portrait of Bonaparte--The varied expression
of his countenance--His convulsive shrug--Presentiment of his
corpulency--Partiality for bathing--His temperance--His alleged
capability of dispensing with sleep--Good and bad news--Shaving, and
reading the journals--Morning business--Breakfast--Coffee and snuff
--Bonaparte's idea of his own situation--His ill opinion of mankind
--His dislike of a 'tête-à-tête'--His hatred of the Revolutionists
--Ladies in white--Anecdotes--Bonaparte's tokens of kindness, and
his droll compliments--His fits of ill humour--Sound of bells--
Gardens of Malmaison--His opinion of medicine--His memory--
His poetic insensibility--His want of gallantry--Cards and
conversation--The dress-coat and black cravat--Bonaparte's payments
--His religious ideas--His obstinacy.
In perusing the history of the distinguished characters of past ages,
how often do we regret that the historian should have portrayed the hero
rather than the man! We wish to know even the most trivial habits of
those whom great talents and vast reputation have elevated above their
fellow-creatures. Is this the effect of mere curiosity, or rather is
it not an involuntary feeling of vanity which prompts us to console
ourselves for the superiority of great men by reflecting on their
faults, their weaknesses, their absurdities; in short, all the points of
resemblance between them and common men? For the satisfaction of those
who are curious in details of this sort, I will here endeavour to paint
Bonaparte, as I saw him, in person and in mind, to describe what were
his tastes and habits, and even his whims and caprices.
Bonaparte was now in the prime of life, and about thirty. The person
of Bonaparte has served as a model for the most skilful painters and
sculptors; many able French artists have successfully delineated his
features, and yet it may be said that no perfectly faithful portrait
of him exists. His finely-shaped head, his superb forehead, his pale
countenance, and his usual meditative look, have been transferred to the
canvas; but the versatility of his expression was beyond the reach of
imitation. All the various workings of his mind were instantaneously
depicted in his countenance; and his glance changed from mild to severe,
and from angry to good-humoured, almost with the rapidity of lightning.
It may truly be said that he had a particular look for every thought
that arose in his mind.
Bonaparte had beautiful hands, and he was very proud of them; while
conversing he would often look at them with an air of self-complacency.
He also fancied he had fine teeth, but his pretension to that advantage
was not so well founded as his vanity on the score of his hands.
When walking, either alone or in company with any one, in his apartments
or in his gardens, he had the habit of stooping a little, and crossing
his hands behind his back. He frequently gave an involuntary shrug of
his right shoulder, which was accompanied by a movement of his mouth
from left to right. This habit was always most remarkable when his mind
was absorbed in the consideration of any profound subject. It was often
while walking that he dictated to me his most important notes. He
could endure great fatigue, not only on horseback but on foot; he would
sometimes walk for five or six hours in succession without being aware
of it.
When walking with any person whom he treated with familiarity he would
link his arm into that of his companion, and lean on it.
He used often to say to me, "You see, Bourrienne, how temperate, and how
thin I am; but, in spite of that, I cannot help thinking that at forty
I shall become a great eater, and get very fat. I foresee that my
constitution will undergo a change. I take a great deal of exercise; but
yet I feel assured that my presentiment will be fulfilled." This idea
gave him great uneasiness, and as I observed nothing which seemed to
warrant his apprehensions, I omitted no opportunity of assuring him that
they were groundless. But he would not listen to me, and all the time I
was about him, he was haunted by this presentiment, which, in the end,
was but too well verified.
His partiality for the bath he mistook for a necessity. He would usually
remain in the bath two hours, during which time I used to read to him
extracts from the journals and pamphlets of the day, for he was anxious
to hear and know all that was going on. While in the bath he was