INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES. 149 paid for his insolence; he received an order to quit Milan in ten hours; this was followed by another directing him to retire to his country house about thirty miles from Milan, there to remain for six months; a guard of six soldiers, was sent to enforce this order, and to be maintained at the expense of the offender. The journey of Bonaparte from Italy to Paris, was marked by some interesting incidents. Affecting great simplicity, his equipage was that of a private gentleman, having no attendants but two generals, two aids, a secretary and physician. At Geneva, he was surrounded by immense crowds, who flocked from all quarters to see the man, of whom they had heard so much; having dined with the French resident, he proceeded on, relays of horses being in waiting. He passed the night at Mondon, where he was received with the greatest honour by the celebrated colonel Weiss, bailiff of the place, well known by his political and philosophical writings, his zeal in support of liberal principles, and his profound admiration of Bonaparte. Near Avenche, his carriage broke down, which occurrence compelled him to walk several miles: of the crowd of spectators who collected to behold the conqueror of Italy, one of them speaks of him as follows: "I had an opportunity of being very near to him, and he seemed to me always to be talking to those around him as if he was thinking about something else: he has the mark of great sense in his countenance, and an air of profound meditation, which reveals nothing that is passing within; he seems constantly big with deep thought, which will, some day or other, influence the destinies of Europe. A burgess of Morat, a man about five feet ten inches high, observed with astonishment the figure of the general. How small a stature for so great a man!' cried he, loud enough to be heard by one of the aids-de-camp. He is exactly the height of Alexander,' said some one. 'Yes,' said the aid-decamp, and that is not the only trait of resemblance.' 150 INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES. "At Faubroun, à little village nine miles from Berne, he supped with a large party, who had, out of curiosity and respect, accompanied his train; and after that he went on to Soleure. All the towns through which he passed in the night were illuminated. At Basle he stopped some hours, walked round the town, and received a long and fulsome address from the burgomaster. In passing through Lausanne, they had prepared a great fete for him, which he did not seem to enjoy; three citizens stopped his carriage and presented to him three young women, who repeated some fine complimentary verses, which they had got by heart; an immense crowd assembled about him, and testified great joy by their shouts and acclamations. He thanked them with great good humour, but seemed to have more need of sleep than of compliments: he appeared, indeed, every where to shew a profound contempt for popular opinion and popular applause. He spoke very little to strangers through his whole journey, and seemed to be sensible that every word he said would be noted." The government of Berne had sent a deputy to him at Milan, who accompanied him on his journey, and had a son with him, à boy about thirteen years old, and of very quick parts, much above his age. Bonaparte seemed always very fond of talking to him. He found him one day with a map of Switzerland."What are you looking at there ?" said the general. "Some parts of my own country which I am not acquainted with," replied the youth. "Do you know that part?" said Bonaparte, pointing to Porentrui."That does not belong to us," replied the youth."We mean to give it you," returned the general.And what do you mean to ask in exchange ?" said the boy. "Nothing," said Bonaparte, "we will make you a present of it." "Nothing" returned the youth, thoughtfully. "Ah! Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." Bonaparte immediately turned to his father, and said, "Take care of the boy's education; he will be no common man, some day or other." . INCIDENTS AND ANecdotes. 151 When he came near to the little village of Faubroun, which is surrounded with thick fir-trees, he got out of his carriage and walked to the inn, humming the tune of " Paisible bois." He talked very freely with the landlord, and asked him if he paid many taxes? "No," said the man, "we hardly know what they are."-"Have you no land of your own?" "Yes, about fifty pounds a year." "Do you pay no taxes for that?" "Yes, the tythes and quit-rent, which are no more than the annual wages of one of my husbandmen; I reckoned that in the expense of working my land, and I paid for it accordingly." "Does your government levy no tax upon the land?" How then does it pay its expenses ?" produce of its domains, which is not only sufficient for the purpose, but leaves a balance every year.""You are very well satisfied with your government then, I suppose?" "And so I ought to be," replied the landlord," with a government which does great good to the poor and no harm to the rich." "If all this be true," said Bonaparte, turning to one of his officers, "these are the happiest people in the world." "None." "With the Bonaparte made a stop at Rastadt, to open the conferences of the congress which was to be held at that place; and whilst he was there he was introduced to count Ferzen, the envoy of Sweden to the congress, and notorious for his attachment to royalty, and his hatred to the French revolution. Bonaparte received the count coolly, but with civility, and instantly asked what minister the court of Sweden had at Paris; to which the count, with evident confusion, replied "None." I am surprised, said the general, that your king should have sent a person to represent him at this congress, who was known to be essentially disagreeable to every French citizen! Would not the king, continued he, be offended, if a minister from France should be sent to Stockholm, who had attempted to excite the subjects of his majesty to insurrection? And upon what principle, then, has he sent men, too * 152 REMAINED IN RETIREMENT AT PARIS. well known for their attachment to the old court, to face the ministers of the first nation on earth, and which too well knows how to maintain its dignity? Irritated and confused, the count retired, observing that he should report to his majesty the language addressed to him. Bonaparte believed that, "to be esteemed a god, a man must not live with mortals." He was sensible. that no man was ever thought a hero, by his footman. Accordingly, whilst he remained at Paris, he lived in great retirement. He occupied a small house, in a retired street, received very little company; avoided all places of public resort, and never went abroad but in a plain carriage with two horses; he never appeared but twice at any public assembly. He occasionally, however, dined with the different ministers of state; and was cautious of giving any offence to the directory, who before he left Italy had appointed him to the command of the army of England. It seems to have been the policy of Bonaparte to acquire popularity, by appearing not to seek it, or even to esteem it; and he accordingly treated popular applause with an apparent indifference, approaching almost to contempt. Although always decided in his expressions of contempt for royalty, and his attachment to republican doctrines, he affected great moderation, and openly avowed his aversion to the principles as well as the conduct of the jacobins. He dreaded their power as a party, but considered that as individuals they might be useful to his own purposes. He regarded them as useful instruments in the hands of others, but as greatly to be dreaded when left to their own direction. In the constitutions of Italy, which were framed entirely by his direction, as little of the popular leaven was incorporated as possible; and the governments were organized by officers of his own appointment. Before he left Milan, he ordered all the popular societies to be suppressed, and constantly addressed the military, not only as the liberators and deliverers of HIS PRESENTATION TO THE DIRECTORY. 153 Italy, but as the guardians and preservers of the governments he had established there. The treaty of peace was dictated by him, and he is said to have advised the directory to pursue the policy of making separate treaties with the allied powers, and thereby break up the coalition; and also that of affecting great moderation, and of making peace with the emperor of Austria upon such reasonable conditions, as might induce the other powers to treat when they perceived that even the vanquished obtained favourable terms. The presentation of Bonaparte to the directory, after his return from Italy, was an august and splendid ceremony. To view the general, who by his valour and prowess, had vanquished the most formidable armies ever sent into the field against France, scattered the imperial eagles, defeated the plans of a coalition of despots, whose hostile designs aimed at the subjugation of France, supported the independence and extended the power of his country, was an occasion the most momentous, and required a display corresponding with the national feeling and gratitude. The great court of the Luxembourg, covered with immense awnings, the walls decorated with hangings of national colours and military trophies, was the place selected for this grand and magnificent national fete. At one end of the court was erected an altar, surmounted with the statues of liberty, equality and peace, with the different standards which had been taken from the enemy; seats in a semicircular form were arranged on each side of the altar, forming a vast ampitheatre, which was to be occupied by the national authorities, and conservatory of music; the colours of the different armies of the republic were suspended from the walls. The people rushed to the spot like the movement of mighty waters, when the barriers which have restrained them are suddenly broken down; the court and windows of the palace were lined, and a vast multitude filled all the neighbouring streets, not |