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

APPENDIX. opposing their schemes; I always felt this, and al- zils fol five years. This demand was reasonable, ways supported the Turks, although I hated them and could not, therefore, have been refused.1 I as barbarians. If' Russia," he added, " organizes observed that such a proceeding would not have Poland, she will be irresistible." Napoleon here been consonant with our political systemn, and that i took a rapid view of the military character of the the King of Portugal, aware of this, woutld have nations of Europe, and without reference to what resisted, the more especially as, when placed on he had just said respecting the Russians, declared the throne, he no longer wanted our assistance. the French and English were the only troops de- "The demand should have been made in the serving notice for their discipline and moral quali- first instance," said he, " when you might have ties. "The Austian and Prussian," he said, "were asked anything; but it is now too late; and you much inferior: in fact, real strength and efficiency Isave only to blame your ministers, who have totally were confined to the English and French." The neglected the interests of England. Russia, Ausremainder of his harangue (for his habit of not wait- tria, Prussia, have all been gainers; England alone ing for, or indeed listening to replies, renders con- has been a loser. You have even neglected that versation an inapplicable term), was employed upon poor kingdomll of HIanover. Why not have added the present state of England, which he considered three or four millions to its population? Lord was mlOst calamitous, and as produced by the im- Castlereagh, got among the monarchs, became a policy of mixing with continental affairs. The courtier, and thought more of their aggrandizement, dominion of the seas, and the maintenance of a than the claims of his country. Your good fortunes, monopoly of commerce, he considered as the et mes fautes, mes imprtedences, have brought only true foundation of our national prosperity. about a state of things which even Pitt never dared "Whatever might be the bravery of our troops, to dream of; and what is the result? your people their lirited number would for ever prevent us are starving, and your country is convulsed with from becomning a great military power. Volzs avez riots. The situation of England is most curious. toujours votre bravoure des siecles; mnais, avec She has gained all, and yet she is ruined. Believe quarante-cinq mille, vonzs ne serez janmais puis- the opinion of a man accustomed to conrsider polisance militaire.-In sacrificing maritime affairs, we tical subjects: England should look wholly to were acting like Francis I. at the battle of Pavia, commerce and naval affairs; she never can be a whose general had made an excellent disposition of continental power, and in the attempt must be his army, and had placed forty-five pieces of cannon ruined. Maintain the empire of the seas, and you (an unheard-of battery at that time) in a situation may send your ambassadors to the courts of Europe that must have secured the victory: Francis, how- and ask what you please. The sovereigns are ever, his grand sabre a la main, placed l.inself at aware of yotur present distressed situation, and inthe head of his gendarmerie and( household troops, s!lt you." He repeated, " Forty-five thousand men between the battery and the enemy, and thereby will never make you a military power; it is not in lost time advantage his superiority of artillery gave the genius.of yollr nation. None but the very dregs him; tllhs," said he, "seduced by a temllporary of the nation enlist in yollr army; the profession is success, you are masking the only battery youi not liked." He would not listen to an observation possess, your naval pre-eminence.,While thiat respecting the great channel of supply from the nliremains, you Inay blockade all Emrope. I wvell litia to thle line, which lie seemed to confound with know thle effect of blockade. WVith two small the vollunteers.,woodentl machines, you distress a line of coast, and! Napoleon contimued his observations by saying, place a country in the situation of a body rubbed "'The suspension of the Habeas Coripus would not over with oil, and thus deprived of the natural prove a remedy fir the riots; people must have perspiration. I," says lie, "am now sifferling in fotod; the stagnation of commln-rce dimlinishes your nmy face fiomn this obstruction to perspiration, and exports, and your mannfacturtrs are starving. It is blockade has the same effect upon a nation. llhat absurd to describe the evils as temporary. VWelhave you gained by the war? you llave gained pos- lesley is right in that, the distress is general, and session of rmy person, anid had ai opportunity -,f must he lasting. Stopping the evils by sulspendling exhibiting an exnample of ungenlerousness. By plact- the Habeas Corpus, is applying topical reJnedies ing the Bourbons on the throne, youl have distui bed when the disease is in the system: topical remedies the legitimacy of kings, for I anl the natural sove- will onlyv remove topical elruption; the comlplaint reign of France. You conceived that none but Na- extenlds over the whole body.-There is not a man poleon colld shut the ports of Europe against you, of abilitv in the cabinet. Lord Chatham unlderstood bult now every petty sovereign insults you with the true interests of England when he said,'If we plohlibitory regnlations upon your commerce.-L'An- are just for tsventy-four hours, we must be ruined.' gleterre est chzcAue depuis qu'elle s'est mnlke des Immense extension of conlmerce, combined witls affaires due continent.-You should have been reductions and reforms, could alone have prevented aware of the advance I had made towards the ir- the present crisis in England. For his part, he provement of manufacture throughout my empire, wished that all was tranquil and settled, as that was and secured the repaymelt of your expenses during his only chance of being released." "A large t the war, by a forced extension of your trade. Who army," he remarked, "was moreover inconsistent placed thle King of Portugal on bis throne? Was with our free constitution, to which we were, with it not England'? Had you not, therefore, a right reason, so much attached." I remarked, that the to be reimbursed, and that reimbursement might superior importance to England of maritime conhave been found in the exclusive trade to the Bra- cerns was fully acknowledged by our ministers, and VOL. vI. 1Y7

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Title
The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.
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Scott, Walter, Sir, 1771-1832.
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Page 849
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New York,: Leavitt & Allen,
1858.
Subject terms
Napoleon -- Emperor of the French, -- 1769-1821.

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"The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott." In the digital collection Making of America Books. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/acp7318.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 14, 2025.
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