APPENDIX. No. I. ADDITIONAL NOTICES ON NAPOLEON'S EARLY CAREER. Volume III. page 21. Ir may be added to the meagre account given in the text, that Napoleon, though only a youth of twenty-four, was, on his return to Corsica in 1793, deeply involved in the politics of that island. For some time he held the same course with his venerated relative, Paoli, who, struck with his early talents and mode of expression, pronounced him to belong to those characters whom Plutarch records. About the same time, another remarkable person, the well-known statesman Count Pozzo de Borgo, was distinguished as a rising character in the same island. He was the relation, and originally the friend and companion, of Napoleon, and enjoyed, like him, great consideration among his countrymen. But when civil dissensions arose, the friendship between the two relatives was broken off. Pozzo de Borgo, who already held an important situation in the community of Corsica, adhered to Paoli. Napoleon embraced that side which espoused the cause of the French Republican party. He was at this time Lieutenant-Colonel of a regiment of the National Guard. The Colonel of the same regiment entertained different political sen timents from his young assistant; and upon one occasion, Napoleon drew up a part of the regiment which adhered to him, and fired upon his commanding-officer and the rest. After this skirmish, he was engaged in others, until the party of Paoli becoming superior, Napoleon was solemnly banished from his native island. He always blamed Pozzo de Borgo for having been active in procuring his exile; and with the strong love of revenge which is said to mark his country, never, amongst so many important affairs as afterwards required his attention, forgot his feud with his early rival. Wherever France obtained an ascendency, an abode there became dangerous to the object of Napoleon's hatred; to avoid which, Pozzo de Borgo was compelled to retreat from one kingdom to another, until at last he could only find shelter in England. But the fate of these two early acquaintances seemed strongly connected and interwoven. As Napoleon began to lose ground, the fortunes of his relative appeared to advance, and honours and advantages dropped upon him, in proportion to Napoleon's descent from eminence. It was even his remarkable destiny to have, from his influence in the Russian councils, no small share in deciding upon the destiny of his powerful persecutor. When the councils of the allies were wavering respecting the march to Paris, it was the arguments of Count Pozzo de Borgo which supported the Emperor of Russia in his resolution to adopt that decisive measure. In the same volume (III. p. 30,) mention is made of a "small Jacobin publication (by Buonaparte,) called Le Souper de Beaucaire, a political dialogue between Murat and a Federate, or Giróndist, in which the latter is overwhelmed and silenced by the arguments and eloquence of the friends of the people." This is an inaccurate account of the Souper de Beaucaire, of which the editor had not been able to find a copy. It has been since republished, and is of a tenor considerably different from what is above described. Murat, for example, is not a personage in the dialogue. The scene is laid at the period when the Federalists were making head against the Jacobin government in several of the towns of France, and particularly in Lyons and Marseilles. The date is 29th July, 1793. The plan of the work is as follows: A miscellaneous party is supposed to meet at a table d'hôte at Beaucaire, during the last day of the great fair held at that place. The company consists of a military man, being the author himself, two merchants of Marseilles, a native of Nismes, and an artisan of Montpellier. They fall naturally into a train of conversation concerning the probable issue of the civil war. The Marseillaise, who have just learned the bad success of their countrymen's attack upon Avignon, from which they had been driven by the Jacobins, after holding it for a short time, (see Vol. II. p. 257,) are inquisitive to know the state of the army of the democrats, under Cartaux ; and the information which they receive from the young soldier, is of a nature to strike them with apprehension. The Soldier. "The army of Cartaux was four thousand men strong when it assaulted Avignon, (then occupied by the Marseillaise army;) it now amounts to six thousand, and within four days will reach ten thousand men. It has never been repulsed from Avignon, since it never made a formal attack; the troops only manœuvred about the place, in order to ascertain where an attempt to force the gates, by means of petards, might be made to advantage; a few cannon were fired, to try the courage of the garrison, and it was then necessary to draw back to the camp, to combine the attack for the next morning. The Marseillaise were three thousand six hundred men ; they had a heavier and more numerous artillery, and yet they have been obliged to recross the Durance. That surprises you, but it is only veteran troops who can endure the uncertain events of a siege. We were masters of the Rhone, of Villeneuve, and of the open country; we had intercepted all their communications. They were under the necessity of evacuating the town, (Avignon,) were pursued by the cavalry, and lost many prisoners, and two guns." The Marseillaise endeavour to contrast these bad news |