sistance than that of other Prussian generals; for which Buonaparte designed to send him prisoner to Dijon, and was with difficulty deterred from so disgraceful an act of cruelty. Rapp, indeed, pretends that Blucher had taken advantage of a reported armistice to alter his position very much for the better; and this ruse is condemned with the most virtuous indignation. But the worthy aide-de-camp describes a similar and more successful manoeuvre on the part of the French with the highest exultation and applause, and forgets that he attributed no less an event than the victory of Austerlitz to cheating the Austrians out of a bridge. It is evident that Blucher's real offence was one which he continued to repeat till the enemy was safely lodged at St. Helena.

The account of Josephine, subsequently to her divorce, is also very unfavourable to her husband. She is frequently represented as sacrificing herself voluntarily for his glory. General Rapp gives a more probable account of the matter.

"All the members of the Imperial family were, however, averse to the Austrian alliance. They dreaded the subtlety of the Vienna court, and foresaw that it would consent and lend itself to any thing the Emperor might require, until a favourable opportunity should occur, when the mask would be thrown off, and Austria would be foremost in bringing about his ruin; but the marriage was determined on, and remonstrances were useless. I was appointed to be present at the ceremony: this was no trifling favour, for a great part of the court was obliged to mingle with the crowd. I must confess, however, that I had no right to expect it, as I had indulged in some reflections on the divorce, which had been reported to the Emperor. I felt for Josephine, who had always proved herself amiable, simple, and unassuming. She was banished to Malmaison: I frequently visited her, and she made me the confidant of her sorrows. I have seen her weep for hours together; she spoke of her attachment for Bonaparte, for so she used to call him in our presence. She regretted the close of her splendid career: this was very natural." P. 151.

It is perfectly useless to talk about the kindness of this man's heart: that his temper was not unaccommodating, especially when successful and flattered, is no more than might be expected. The General gives some entertaining instances of the wit by which Buonaparte was amused.

"One evening, after the battle of Wagram, we were playing at vingt-et-un. Napoleon was very fond of this game: he used to try to deceive those he was playing with, and was much amused at the tricks he played. He had a great quantity of gold spread out upon the table before him. "Rapp," said he, "are not the Germans very fond of these little Napoleons?"-" Yes, Sire, they like them much better than the great one," P. 25.

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"One day I was soliciting him for the promotion of two officers: I will not make so many promotions,' said he; Bertheir has already made me do too much in that way.' Then turning to Lauriston; Lauriston,' said he, we did not get on so fast in our time; did we? I continued for many years in the rank of Lieutenant! That may be, Sire, but you have since made up famously for your lost time. He laughed at my repartee, and my request was granted." P. 140

At length we entered the Polish capital; the King of Naples had preceded us, and had driven the Russians from the city. Napoleon was received with enthusiasm. The Poles thought the moment of their resuscitation had arrived, and that their wishes were fulfilled. It would be difficult to describe the joy they evinced, and the respect with which they treated us. The French troops, however, were not quite so well pleased; they manifested the greatest repugnance to crossing the Vistula. The idea of want and bad weather inspired them with the greatest aversion to Poland; they were inexhaustible in their jokes and epigrams on the country. They nevertheless beat the Russians in the marshes of Nasielsk, at Golymin, at Pultusk, and subsequently at Eylau.

"At a review, during which the Poles were pressing upon our troops, a soldier, in a loud tone of voice, vented imprecations on the country and the bad weather. A young female who was standing by said:-" You are very ungrateful to dislike our country; for we like you very much." You are very kind," replied the soldier; "but if you wish me to believe you, you must give a good dinner to me and my comrade here." The friends of the young woman took the two soldiers home and regaled them.

"The French soldiers were particularly fond of passing their jokes at the theatre. One evening, when the curtain was very late of rising, a grenadier, who was among the spectators, became impatient at the delay. "Begin!" he called out, from the further end of the pit; "begin directly, or I will not cross the Vistula.”

"M. de Talleyrand, who was driving in his carriage at a short distance from Warsaw, stuck in the mud, and twelve hours elapsed before he could be extricated. The soldiers who were much out of humour, enquired who he was. The minister for foreign affairs replied an individual of his suite. Why does he come to a country like this with his diplomacy?' said one of the soldiers.

"The French troops used to say that the four following words constituted the whole language of the Poles:-Kleba? niema; vota? sura: (some bread? there is none; some water? we will go and fetch it.) This was all that was to be heard in Poland.

Napoleon one day passed by a column of infantry in the neighbourhood of Nasielsk, where the troops were suffering the greatest privations, on account of the mud, which prevented the arrival of provisions. Papa, kleba?' exclaimed a soldier. Niema, replied the Emperor. The whole column burst into a fit of laughter: they asked for nothing more.

I relate these anecdotes, because they shew the kind of spirit

which animated our troops. These brave veterans deserved more gratitude than they obtained.

Napoleon was amused with these jokes, and he smiled whenever allusion was made to the reluctance of the army to cross the Vistula." P. 118.

The last of these anecdotes furnishes one among a hundred instances of the skill with which Buonaparte managed his troops. With one part of human nature he was thoroughly acquainted: he knew what might be done by appealing to the vanity of mankind; and his bulletins, his promotions, his regular visits to the wounded, were regarded by him as so many of his military resources, and may be considered as so many instances of his military skill. But of the deeper feelings and more violent passions Napoleon knew nothing. He could not even perceive that he was detested throughout Europe, and that his tyranny would make more soldiers in Germany than his conscription made in France. Rapp declares that he gave the Emperor full notice of the state of the public mind, and that the march to Moscow was unpopular among the leading men in the army. Buonaparte arrived at Dantzic, and sent immediately for the governor.

"He asked me several questions respecting the duty of the fortress. When he was dressed, and his valet-de-chambre had left the room, he said, 'Well, General Rapp, the Prussians have become our allies, and the Austrians will shortly be so too.' Unfortunately, Sire,' replied I, we do a great deal of mischief as allies; I receive complaints against our troops from all quarters.' That is merely a passing cloud,' said he: I shall see whether Alexander really intends to go to war; I will avoid it if I can.' Then, changing the conversation all at once, he said, Did you observe how queer Murat looked? he seems ill. I replied, No, Sire, he is not ill, but out of humour. Why out of humour?' said he; is he not satisfied with being a King ? He says, he is not a King Why, then, does he act so like a fool? He ought to be a Frenchman, and not a Neapolitan.'" P. 165.

"In the evening I had again the honour of supping with Napoleon, the King of Naples, and the Prince de Neufchatel. Napoleon maintained silence for a long time: at length he suddenly asked how far it was from Dantzic to Cadiz. Too far, Sire,' I replied. Ah! I understand you, General,' said he; but we shall be further off a few months hence.'-' So much the worse,' I added. The King of Naples and the Prince de Neufchatel did not speak a word. I see, Gentlemen,' said Napoleon, that you do not wish for war. The King of Naples does not like to leave his beautiful kingdom, Berthier wishes to hunt at Gros Bois, and General Rapp longs to be back to his superb hotel in Paris. I must confess,' I observed, Sire, that your Majesty has not spoiled me; I know very little of the pleasures of the capital."

"Murat and Berthier continued to observe profound silence: they seemed to be piqued at something. After dinner they told me that I had done right to speak as I did to Napoleon. But,' replied I, you should not have allowed me to speak alone.' P. 167.

Rapp seems to have been fully sensible of the boundless ambition of his master. The foregoing is not the only occasion upon which the passion is alluded to and censured. At their first interview after the return from Elba, Buonaparte still talked of the sovereignty of the world, and said that he should have recovered it by the battle of Dresden, if every one had done his duty. In short, if the reader wishes to be thoroughly disgusted with the love of conquest, we recommend a careful perusal of the Memoirs of Count Rapp. They are somewhat unconnected and desultory, like the remarks which we now venture to make upon them; and there is more egotism and self-applause than we expect in the writings of the brave. But the battles in which the biographer was engaged, namely, the whole chain of victories from Ulm to Borodino, are as important as the defence of Dantzic is stupid and tiresome; and if the ex-governor can be excused for the unnecessary length at which he dwells upon this scene of his exertions, the remainder of the volume will stand in need of no apology, Dantzic was defended obstinately against a blockading, and bravely against a besieging force: but we do not feel bound to believe all that the governor tells us of his prodigies of valour and skill; and in common with every admirer of well-told battles, we regret that Rapp was shut up in a fortress, instead of qualifying himself to describe Lutzen, Bautzen, Dresden, and Leipsic, as he has described Aspern, Smolensko, and Borodino. We extract a few of the most striking passages.

"The affair of Smolensko took place. The battle was obstinate, the cannonade violent. The Russians, taken in flank and enfiladed, were defeated. They could not defend those walls which so many times had witnessed their victories; they evacuated them; but the bridges and public buildings were a prey to the flames. The churches in particular poured out torrents of fire and smoke. The domes, the spires and the multitude of small towers which arose above the conflagration, added to the effect of the picture, and produced those ill-defined emotions which are only to be found on the field of battle. We entered the place. It was half consumed, of a barbarous appearance, encumbered with the bodies of the dead and wounded, which the flames had already reached. The spectacle was frightful. What a train is that of glory!

"We were obliged to turn our views from these scenes of slaughter. The Russians were flying; our cavalry rushed to the pursuit, and soon came up with the rear-guard. Korff attempted

to make a stand; he was overwhelmed. Barclay came forward with his masses. We, on our side, received reinforcements; the action became terrible: Ney attacked in front, Junot on the flank: the enemy's army would have been cut off if the Duke had pressed forward. Wearied with not seeing him appear, Murat ran to him, • What are you about? Why do you not come on?' My Westphalians are wavering.' I will give them an impetus.' The King of Naples put himself at the head of a few squadrons, charged, and overthrew every thing that opposed him. • There is thy Marshal's staff half gained; complete the work, the Russians are lost. Junot did not complete it; whether from fatigue or distrust, the brave of the brave slumbered amidst the sound of the cannon, and the enemy, who were coming up to support their rear, again fell back on their line. The engagement became terrible; the brave Gudin lost his life, and the Russian army escaped us. Napoleon visited the places where the battle had been fought. 'It was not at the bridge-it is there-at the village, where the eighth corps ought to have debouched-that the battle hinged. What was Junot doing?' The King of Naples endeavoured to extenuate his fault the troops, the obstacles, all the customary commonplaces were employed. Berthier, who had always loved the Duke, interested himself for him; Caulincourt did the same. Every one pleaded to the utmost in favour of a brave man who could be reproached with nothing but a moment of forgetfulness. But the advantages we had lost were too great. Napoleon sent for me. 'Junot has just lost for ever his Marshal's staff.'" P. 190.

:

The battle of Borodino was still more terrific, and is described, if possible, with greater spirit.

"Night came on. I was in attendance; I slept in Napoleon's tent. The part where he slept was generally separated by a partition of cloth from that which was reserved for the aide-de-camp in attendance. The Emperor slept very little: I waked him several times to give him in reports and accounts from the advanced posts, which all proved to him that the Russians expected to be attacked. At three in the morning he called a valet de chambre, and made him bring some punch; I had the honour of taking some with him. He asked me if I had slept well; I answered, that the nights were already cold, that I had often been awaked. He said, We shall have an affair to day with this famous Kutusow. You recollect, no doubt, that it was he who commanded at Branau, in the campaign of Austerlitz. He remained three weeks in that place, without leaving his chamber once. He did not even get on horseback to see the fortifications. General Benigsen, though as old, is a more vigorous fellow than he. I do not know why Alexander has not sent this Hanoverian to replace Barclay.' He took a glass of punch, read some reports, and added, Well, Rapp, do you think that we shall manage our concerns properly to-day?'- There is not the least doubt of it, Sire; we have exhausted all our resources, we are obliged to conquer.' Napoleon continued his discourse, and replied: Fortune is a liberal mistress; I have often