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

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 17
which had been consolidated by the successive tial distinction, w\ere in general desirous of war, and
efforts of so mlany patriots inso man;y ages. A sld- most of' thenl, the pupils of the celebrated.Encyden revulsion seemed to take pl;ce in teiir general clojy)die, were doubly delighted to lend their swords
feelings towards tlieir neighllbors, and France, \\ Iho to the cause of' fiieedonm. The statesmen inagined
had so long dictated to all Europe in matters of that they saw, in the success of the American insturfashion, seemed now herself disposed to borrow the gelots, the total downfall of thle English empire,
more simple forms and fasllios of' ler ancient rival. or at least a fal descent fiom that pinnacle iof ditg.
The spirit of imitating the English was carried even inity which she had attained at thle pleace of' 1763,
to the verge of absurdity. Not only did Frenchilmen and they eagerly urged Louis XVI. to profit by tlhe
of quality adopt tile round hat and frock coat, whichl oppolrtunity, hitherto sought in vain, of humbling a
set etiquette at defiance-not only had they Eng- rival so formidable. In the courtly circles, and parlish carriages, dogs, and horses, but even Eng- ticularly in that which surrounded Marie Antoinette,
lish butlers were hired, that the wite, which %; as the American deputation had the address or good
the growth of France, might be placed on tile table fortune to become popular, by mingling in themn
with the grace peculiar to England. These were, with manners and sentiments entirely opposite to
indeed, the *mere ebullitions of fashion carried to those of courts and courtiers, and exhibiting, amid
excess, but, like the foam on the crest of the billow, the extremity of refinement, in dress, speech, and
they argued the depth and strength of the wave manners, a republican simplicity, rendered interestbeneath, and, insignificant in themselves, were for- ing both by the contrast, and by the talents which
midable as evincing the contempt with which the Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane evinced, not
French now regarded all those forms and usages only in the business of diplomacy, but in the interwhich had hitherto been thought peculiar to their course of society. Impelled by these and other
own country. This principle of imitation rose to comnbining causes, a despotic government, whose
such extravagance, that it was happily termed the subjects wvere already thoroughly imbued with opiAnglomania.+ nions hostile to its constitution in church and state,
XWhile the young French gallants were emulously with a discontented people, and a revenue well
employed in this mimicry of the English fashions, nigh bankrupt, was thrust, as if by fttality, into a
relinquishing the external signs of rank which al- contest conducted upon principles most adrerse to
ways produce some effect on the vulgar, men of its own existence.
thought and reflection were engaged in analysing The king, almost alone,, whetller dreadingp the
those principles of the British government, on which expense of a ruinous walr, whether alarmed already
the national character has been formed, and which at the progress of democratic principles, or w\\Iletie
have afforded her the means of rising from so many desirous of observing good faith with Engianrl;, conreverses, and maintaining a sway among the king- sidered that there ought to be a stronger mlotive ft:r,
doms of Europe, so disproportioned to her popula- war, than barely the opportunity of' waging it with I
tion and extent. success; the king, therefore, almost alone, opposed
To complete the conquest of English opinions, this great political error. It was not the onlly oceven in France herself, over those of French origin, casion in which, wiser than his counsellois, is e i
came the consequences of the American war. nevertheless yielded up to their urgency opinions
Those true Frenchmen who disdained to borrow the founded in unbiassed morality, and,mupretendlilng
sentiments of political freedom from England, might common sense. A good judgment, and a sounl
now derive them from a country with whom France moral sense, were the principal attribtutes oft Iis
could have no rivalry, but in whom, on the contrary, excellent prince, and happy it %would have been hladl
she recognized the enemy of the island, in policy or they been mingled with more confidence in ihilselt,
prejudice ternmed her own natural foe. The deep and a deeper distrust of others.
sympathy manifested by the French in the success Other counsels prevailed over the private opiniiol
of the Alerican insurgents, though diametrically of Louis-the war was commenced-successfdullv
opposite to the interests of their government, or carried on, and victoriously concluded. We lase
perhaps of the nation at large, was compounded of seen that the French auxiliaries brought witit them!l
too many ingredients, influencing all ranks, to be to America minds apt to receive, if not alreeady- illaovercome or silenced by cold considerations of poli- bued with, those principles of freedom for whvich
tical prudence. The nobility, always eager of mar- the colonies had taken up arms against thle mnothe
country, and it is not to be wondered if ilh re-' An instance is given, ludicrous in itself, but almost turned to France strongly prepossessed in ft'voulm oft
proplhetic,. whern connected with subsequent events. A a cause, for which they had encountered da-iger,
courtier, deeply infected with the fashion of the time, was and in which the3 had reaped honour.
riding beside the king's carriage at a full trot, without ob- The inferior offiers of tls French auxiliary;ll,
serving that his horse's heels threw the mud into the royal chiefly men of birth, agreably to the eFistii hlules
vehicle. " Vous e croltez, monsieur," said the king. of the French service, belonged, most of tem, t
The horsemnan, considetrinI tie words wrere'' Vos trot- of the French service, belonged, most of them, to
The horseman, considtering the words were " Voms trottce," and that the prince complimented his equestrian per- + By some young enthusiasts, thp assumptiuon of repubformance, ansuwered, "O t, sire, ed l'anglaise." The good- lican habits was carried to all the heights of revolutionary
humtoured monarch drew up the glass, and only said to the affectation and extravagance. SUgur mentions a young
gentleman itl the carriage, " Voiir/ see anglonzanlie bient coxcomb named Mauduit, who already distinguished hinforte!" Alas! the unlliappy prince lived to see the example self by renouncing the ordinary courtesies of life, and inof England, in hler most dismnal period, followed to a muach sisted on being called by his christian and surname, withmore formidable extent. out the usual addition of Monsieur.
VOL. vt.