The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 337
much more than commenced. " I would have de- his throat ctr-A similar attempt made.-Georges #404
parted from thence (from subjugated Britain) to other conspirators tried-CoTndemned —and executed.carry the work of European regeneration (that is, Royalists silenced.-Moreau sent into exile.
the extension of his own arbitr-ary authority) from
south to north, under the republican colours, for I WIIILE Bonaparte was meditating the regencra.
was then chief consul, in the same manner which tion of' Europe, by means of conquering firstBritain,
I was more lately on the point of achieving it under and then the Northern Powers, a course of oppothe monarchical forrms." W~hen we find sachl sition to his government, and disatffection to his per.
ideas retaining hold of Napoleon's imagination, and son, was beginning to arise even among the soldiers
arising to his tongue after his irretrievable fall, it is themselves. The acquisition of the consulate for
impossible to avoid exclaiming, Did ambition ever life was naturally considered as a death-blow to the
conceive so wild a dream, alnd had so wild a vision Republic; and to that name lany of the principal
ever a termination so disastrous and humiliating i officers of the army, who had advanced themselves
It may be expected that something shoulld he here to promotion by means of the Reyolution, still held
said, upon the chances which Britain would have a grateful attachment. The dissatisfaction of these
had of defending herself successfully against the military menl was the more natural, as souse of them
army of invaders. We are willing to acknowledge might see in Bonaparte nothing more than a successthat the risk must have been dreadful; and that fnil adventurer, Iwho had raised himself high abosve
Bonaparte, with his genius and his army, must have the heads of his comrades and now exacted their
inflicted severe calamities upon a country which homage. As soldiers, they quickly passed from
had so long enjoyed tlhe blessings of peace. But murmurs to threats; and at a festive mseeting, which
the people were unanimous in their purpose of de- was prolonged beyond the limits of sobriety, a cofence, and their forces composed of materials to lonel of hussars proposed himself as the Brutus to
which Bonaparte did more justice when he came to remove this new Casar. Beilng expert at the use of
be better acqulainted with them. Of the three British the pistol, he undertook to hit his rmlark at fifty yards'
nations, the Esnglish have since shown themselves distance, during one of those reviews which were
possessed of the same steady valour which won the perpetually taking-place in presence of the first confields of Cressy and Azincourt, Blenheim and Minden sul. The affair became known to the police, but
-the Irish have not lost the fiery enthusiasm which was hushed up as much as possible by the address
has distingslished them in all the countries of Elrope of Fonch6, who saw that Bonaparte nmight be pre— nor have the Scots degenerated fiomn the stubborn judiced by the bare act of making public thast such
courage with whlich tlleir ancestors for two thousand a thing had.been agitated, however unthimkingly.
years maintainel their independence against a supe- The discontent spread wide, and was secretly
rior enemy. Even if London had.been lost, we augmented by the agents of the house of Bourbon;
would not, unider so great a calamity, have despaired and, besides the constitutional opposition, whose
of the freedom of the country; for the war would in voice was at times heard in the Legislative Body
all probability have assumed that popular and aa- and the Tribunrate, there existed nmalcontents without
tional character wshich sooner or later -wears out an doors, composed of two parties, one of whom coninvading army. Neithler does the confidence'with sidered Bonaparte as the enemy of public liberty,
which Bonaparte affirms the conviction of his winning wh3ilst the other regarded him as the sole obstacle
the first battle, appear so certainly well-founded. to the restoration of the Bourbons; and the most
This, at least, we knlow, that the resolution of the- eager partisans of both began to meditate on the
country was fully beit tlp to tIme halzald; and those practicability of removing him by any means, the
who remlember the pleriod will bear us witness, most violent and the most secret not excepted.
that the desire that the French wouldd niake the Those among the furious republicans, or enthuattempt was a general feeling through all classes, siastic royalists, who entertained such sentiments,
because they had every reason to hope that the excused them doubtless to their conscience, by
issue might be such as for ever to silenice the threat Napoleon's having destroyed the liberties, and
of invasion. usurped tle supremle authority, of the country; thus
palliating the complexion of a crime which can
CHAPTER XLVI. never be vindicated.
Thl'lese zealots, however, bore no proportion to
Disafectionte begis to arise ag-inst Napsolveo)n amsng the the great body of Frenchmen, who, displeased with
soldiery.-PcurIose of settissg up Moreau agtainst hi.- the usurpation of Bonaparte, and disposed to overCharactelr ojfi sreas.- a er ses eJ l estraigmeuiet-omyes throw it, if possible, held themselves yet obliged
Cadsordel, P-iheg-, urle othuker oyaisls, areded is to refi-ain folnm all crooked and indirect practices
France.-Desperate eliterprise of Georyes-De'eeted_-. against his life. Proposing to destroy his power in
Arrest of Mo-reale-o I'ichegru-anLd Georges.-Captain the same way in which it had been built, the first
Wlright.-Dizke d'Egzteis seized at Etteslheimsm —hurried and most necessary task of the discontented party
to Paris-transfierred to Vimcesnnes-2'ried by a MAii- was to find some military chief, whose reputation
tary Corssniissios, — Cozdemlned-and.execuited-Ulicer- might bear to be balanced against that of Napoleon;
sal horror of France (amd Europe.-Bonaparte's vindi- and no one could claim such distinction excepting
cation af hirs cidert- is dcefence considered-Picher AMoreau. If his campaigns were inferior to those of
found dead in hisprison-Attempt to.explain his death by his great rival in the lightning-like brilliancy and.,}r#tusg himn with suic2ide.-Captain Wrightfouled with
celerity of their operations, and in the boldness of
Ilte'morial de Ste-Jllne, vol. II, p. 361. combination on which they were founded, they were
VOL. VI, 43
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