tfVOlSlOf THE SOUL OF NAPOLEON . .:'r .• -1/ A'<. //<//•., J A. THE REAL NAPOLEON Front an eiigrmiiig by Vigiieiix THE SOUL OF NAPOLEON BY HAMIL GRANT AUTHOR OF " SPIES AND SECRET SERVICE"; EDITOR OF "THE LAST DAYS OF THE ARCHDUKE RUDOLPH" PHILADELPHIA GEORGE W. JACOBS & CO. PUBLISHERS PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BV THE RIVERSIDE PRESS LIMITED EDINBURGH NOTE ON THE GABRIELLI PORTRAIT OF NAPOLEON We invite the reader's attention to the so-called. Gdbrielli portrait ofNapoleon, executed by Vigneucc, and here presented as a frontispiece. This portrait was emphatically declared by the relatives of the Corsican—including the Emperor's mother, his sisters, and his uncle, Cardinal Fesch—to have been the only one which bore anything like a truthful resemblance to their august kinsman. Prince Gabrielli, its original owner, and a distinguished contemporary and visitor of Napoleon, attached great value to the work on this account. As will be seen, it bears small resemblance to accepted portraits of the Emperor. The majority of the artists who have transmitted to us the traditional face of the Conqueror—ascetic, severe and somewhat scowling—sought, it would seem, to flatter Napoleon, regarding whose early Classical obsession they were fully informed, by giving to portraits of their illustrious sitter those attributes of feature and expression with which sculptors represent Romans of the heroic age. The portrait by Vigneux datesfrom 1807, ivhen Napoleon had well outgrown his worship of Antiquity. Genius, we may be certain, in any case, has no specific facial type. H. G. "Le plus bel eloge de cet homme extraordinaire c'est que chacun veut en parler, et que tous ceux qui en parlent, n'importe comment, croient de s'agrandir." Pozzo DI BORGO. CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAOB The Genesis or Napoleon . .17 The Rule of Heredity —Alan the Supersimian —Role of the Spinal Column —A Cynical Truism—Napoleon's Splendid Equipment—Lord Acton's View—Social Origins of the Bonapartes —Their Middle-class Status —The Nursery of Fame —Corsica and its Natives —Napoleon's Regard for his Island Home —Bonaparte's Ligurian Avcestry —King Theodore of Corsica —His Relationship to the Bonapartes— Paoli and Bonaparte pire —The Bonapartes as Men of Law —A Lawyer's Importance in Ajaccio —Ancestral Preten- sions of Bonaparte pire —Phenomenal Types and New Blood—Factious of the Mala and Buona Parte —Ajaccio and Napoleon's Ancestors —The Aristocrats of the Pale — The Provincialism of the Bonapartes —Their Love of Learning—Their Esprit de Foyer —The Spirit of the Clan —Napoleon's Mania of Superiority —His Jealousy of Famous Men —His Opinion about CcBsar, Hannibal, Alexander —Relations with his Master Generals —Le Harnais Militaire — Napoleon's Master Passion CHAPTER II The Imperial Student . .49 Napoleon's Academic Training —The Curriculum at Brienne —The Classical and Language Course —On Literary Style —The Mathematical Studies —Religious Instruction — At the icole Militaire —The Subaltern-Student of Auxonne —Importance of History —Formation of Literary Tastes — What Rousseau taught Napoleon —Machiavelli a Favourite —Was Bonaparte a Mason?—Some Literary Attempts — His "Heart's Library" —Some English Books CHAPTER HI The Imperial Critic . 61 Frenchmen and Coriieille — Value of Napoleon's Criticism — His Literary Likes and Dislikes —His Opinion of Corneille and Moliere —A Discussio>i of Tragedy —Napoleon and Raynouard—Concerning Voltaire —A Reading by Talma — Napoleon and the Public Taste —Love and Tragedy —A Literary Ghost—The Emperor's Criticism of the Mneid, Book II. —His Opinion of the Iliad—Dislike of Shakespeare — A Hypercritical View 10 CONTENTS CHAPTER IV PAGE The Imperial Theatre . .75 Talma and Bonaparte —The Actor coaches the First Consul — The Emperor coaches the Actor—Friendly Relations of the Twain —Napoleon on Critics and his Love for Cinna — Concerning Mademoiselle Mara and her Sister—An Un- expected Scene —Mademoiselle Bourgoin and Chaptal —Ayi Imperial Rebuke CHAPTER V Mademoiselle George . .87 Standards of Beauty—Lessifig's View—George an Ama- zonian Type —Her Attraction for Bonaparte —Their First Meeting at Saint-Cloud—Affected Nervousness of the Actress —Napoleon as a Lover —Espionage of Talleyrand— Bonaparte criticises the Actress —His Generosity to George —A Visit to the Titileries —Josephine's Fit of Jealousy —Napoleon's Coronation —George visits an Emperor— Napoleon and his Bonnes Fortunes — Where George dis- appointed her Lover—Her Veneration for Napoleon —A Costly Rendezvous CHAPTER VI Napoleon and Weimar .... 105 The Cult of Napoleon —Goethe on the Corsican —The Congress of Erfurt —Honouring the Sage —Lannes, Maret and Goethe —Presentation to the Emperor—Ecce Homo ' — The Emperor and Werther —Politics and Fate —Napoleon's Manoeuvre —Miiller on the Interview —Talleyrand's Version of the Meeting—Preparations for Erfurt —An Imperial Opinion upon Athalie —Goethe and Dedication —Talleyrand on Napoleon's Learning — Johann von Miiller — The Emperor on Christianity — Tragedy, the School of Kings — Wieland is presented—Les genres tranches —History and Romance — Wieland at the Palace —Tacitus and the Annals —Napoleon's Opinion — Wieland's Eloquence —The Great Painter of Antiquity—Livy and Tacitus —The World's Happiest Age ? CHAPTER VII The Imperial Art-Patron . 129 A Specious Sentiment—Art, Merit, and the Napoleonic Cult—The Corsican's Native Materialism —A Political " Monument—Artists a " Waspish Lot —Art to Order — Feeding the Fraternity —Economy in Public Architecture — — CONTENTS 11 PAGE Chapter VII. contd. A Napoleonic Art—The Emperor's Dislike of Architects — Some Prices paid to Famous Artists —The Corsican a Con- noisseur without Pretensions —Insistence on the Napoleonic Legend—How to hurt Englishmen —The Imperial Reclame —Napoleon's Art Collectiofi at La Malmaison —A List of Pictures CHAPTER VIII David, the Imperial Painter . 141 David in 1797—His Meeting with Bonaparte —A Visit to the Atelier —A Soldier's Blunt Criticism — " These Military " Philistines —David's Promotion —Bonaparte crossing the Alps—David and his School —A Lover of the Limelight — David and the Coronation —A Painter's Whole Ambition — Girard and the Coronation Picture —A Happy Suggestion —Pauline Bonaparte and Gerard—Napoleon's Satisfaction —David and the Legion —The Douglas Portrait of the Emperor—David and the Peerage CHAPTER IX Canova and Napoleon . .157 Canova a Great Philanthropic Spirit —Bonaparte and the Sculptor —Canova' s Independence —The Condition of Rome —Modelling the First Consul—Napoleon as a Sculptor's Subject —An Heroic Statue of the Corsican —Mars and Venus —The Ingenue Pauline —A Chatsworth Treasure— Canova and the French Capital—A Bust af Marie Louise —The Farnese Hercules —The Pope's Art Patronage —The Borghese Marbles —The Sculptor's Style —Napoleon and Rome —The Corsican's Cautiousness —Art and Religion —Protestants and Catholics —Arrogance of the Priests — " Napoleon on CcBsar — " The Great Man of the Great People —The Corsican and the Pope —Canova' s Advice to the Emperor—Oligarchic Venice —A Candid Admission —The Day of Wagram—Canova and Marriage —Monsieur de Bouclon's Canonisation CHAPTER X The Imperial Musician . .179 Napoleon on Music —Italian Musicians versus German— National Value of Opera —Napoleon no Musician —His Plans for the Musical Art —The Eroica Symphony of Beethoven —Salaries of Official Singers —A Siirprise for Vatican Celibates —La Belle Grassini—The Southern Temperament—Grassini's Disobedience —Proud Monsieur Paer—Grassini, Wellington and Napoleon —An Intellectual Singer 12 CONTENTS CHAPTER XI PAGE Religion of Napoleon . .189 Modern Views of Religiosity —Newman and Manning— Alen and the Atheistic View—Napoleon after the Egyptian Campaign —Real Value of Religion —The Corsican's " Essential Unbelief—"An Instinct of Spiritualism —A Sound German View—The Chevalier de Beauterne —A Napoleonic Press-Agent—The Napoleonic Expression — " Man's Simian Disposition —" Christ is no Man —Beau- terne's Puerilities —Cardinal Fesch on his Nephew— Religion postulates a Calvary —Monsieur de Norvins — Napoleon's Mind too positive for Belief—His Taste for Religions Discussion — The Murder of Enghien —Napoleon's Cynical Explanation —His Choice of National Religious — His Political Horror of Atheists CHAPTER XII The Imperial Educationist . .205 Action, the Royal Quality in Man—The Necessity of Religious Training —Dislike of Precocity in Children — Geography and History essential in Early Years —Linguistic Talent no Test of Mentality —Are the Classics valuable ? "Bending the Mind to Labour" — Value of Geometrical Studies —The Age of Puberty and its Mystic Revolutions — The Imperial Catechism —Monsieur de Portalis, imperio- maniac —Napoleon and God —Some Questions and Answers —Contempt for Ordinary Intelligence —Cardinal Caprara's Rdle —Napoleon and his Opportunity —The Super-Caligula CHAPTER XIII Napoleon and Journalism . .217 The Press after Brumaire —Difference between French and English Journalism — Wholesale Suppression of Sheets — Liberty of the Press ceases — Newspaper Morality — Napoleon's Journalistic Precis —Monsieur Fi6vie, Chief Censor —Le Moniteur becomes Official Organ —Napoleon's Private Paper — Value of Official Organs —Government's Duty to the Nation —Liicus a non Lucendo —A Newspaper without News —Monsieur Suard, Editor —Le Journal des Dibats —Napoleon and Fractious Editors —Le Mercure de France —Monsieur de Chateaubriand—Napoleon's own Press Agency—Beugnot and the Emperor—Les Idiologues —La Route d'Antibes —The Adaptable Sub-Editor—The — CONTENTS 13