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

42 4X LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
cessary to state, was in general greatly exceeded. occasions. It was, indeed, a subject of complaint
Las Cases mentions his detecting such an overcharge amongst the servants of the crown, that though
in the gold fringe which adorned one of his state Bonaparte was in many respects attentive to their
apartulents. A still more curious anecdote respects interests, gave them opp)ortunities of acquiring
a watch which the most eminent artist in Paris had wealth, invested them with large dotations and enorders to finish with his utmost skill, in a style which dowments, and frequently assisted thenl with an
mnight become a gift from the Emperor of France to influence not easily withstood in the accomplishmlent
his brother the King of Spain. Before the watch of advantageous marliages; yet still the great exwas out of the artist's hands, Napoleon received penditure at which they were required to support
news of the battle of Vittoria. " All is now over their appearance at the imperial court, prevented
with Joseph," were almost his first words after re- their realizing any fortune which could provide
ceiving the intelligence. " Send to countermand the effectually for their family. This expense Bonaparte
order for the watch." * loved to represent, as a tax which he made his courProperly considered, this anecdote indicates no tiers pay to support the manufactures of France;
indifference as to his brother's fate, nor anxiety about but it was extended so far as to show plainly, that,
saving a petty sum; it was the rigid calculation of a determined as he was to establish his nobility on
professed accountant, whose habits of accuracy in- such a scale as to grace his court, it was far firom
duced him to bring every loss to a distinct balance, being his purpose to permit them to assume any real
however trivial the off-set may be. But although the power, or to form an existing and influential barrier
emperor's economy descended to minute trifles, we between the crlown. and the people. The same inare not to suppose that among such was its natural ference is to be drawn from the law of France consphere. On the contrary, in the first year of the cerning succession in landed property, which is in
consulate, he discovered and rectified an error in ordinary cases eqlally divided amongst the children
the statement of the revenue, to the amount of no of the deceased; a circumstance which must effecless than two millions of fiancs, to the prejudice of tually prevent the rise of great hereditary influence.
the state. In another instance, with the skill which And although, for the support of dignities granted
only a natural taste for calculation brought to ex- by the c'own, and in some other cases. an entail of
cellence by constant practice could have attained, a portion of the ftavoured person's estate, called a
he discovered an enormous overcharge of more than majorat, is permitted to follow the title, yet the
sixty thousand francs in the pay-accounts of the proportion is so small as to give no considerable
garrison of Paris. Two such discoveries, by the;weight to those upon whoum it devolves.
head magistrate, must have gone far to secure regu- The composition of Bonaparte's court was singular.
larity in the departments in which they were made, Amid his military dukes and marshals were einin future. gled many descendants of the old noblesse, who had
Attending to this remarkable peculiarity throws been struck out of the lists of emigration. On these'
much light on the character of Bonaparte. It was Bonaparte spread the cruel reproach, "I offered
by dint of his rapid and powerful combinations that them rank in my army-they declined the service;
he succeeded as a general; and the same laws of -I opened my ante-chambers to them —they rushed
calculation can be traced through much of his public in and filled them." In this tile emlperor did' not do
and private life. justice to the ancient noblesse of France. A great
The palace charges, and ordinary expenses of the many resunmed their natural situation in the military
emperor, were completely and accurately regulated ranks of their country, and a still greater number
by his imperial majesty's own calculation. He boast- declined, in any capacity, to bend the knee to him,
ed to have so simplified the expenditure of the an- whom they could only consider as a successful
cient kings of France, that his hunting-establishment, usurper.
though maintained in the utmost splendour, cost a The ceremonial of the Tuileries was upon the most
considerable sum less than that of the BIourbons. splendid scale, the public festivals were held with
But it must be recollected, first, that Napoleon was the utmost magnificence, and the etiquette was of
free from the obligation which subjected the Bour- the most strict and indefeasible character. To all
bons to the extravagant expenses which attended this Bonaparte himself attached consequence, as
the high appointments of their household; secondly, ceremonies characterizing the spirit and dignity of
that under the imperial government, the whole esta- his government; and he hafd drilled even his own
blishment of falconry was abolished; a sport which mind into a veneration for all those outward forms
is, in the opinion of many, more strikingly picturesque connected with royalty, as accurately as if they had
and interesting than any other variety of the chase; been during his whole life the special subject of his
and which, as it infers a royal expense, belongs pro- attention. There is a curious example given by
perly to sovereign princes. Monsieur Las Cases. Bonaparte, in good-hlluloured
The imperial court was distinguished not only by trifling, had given his follower the titles of your
a severe etiquette, but the grandees, by whom its highness, your lordship, and so forth, amidst which
principal duties were discharged, were given to it occurred to him, in a fit of abstraction, to use the
understand, that the utmost magnificence of dress phrase, "Yolr Majesty." The instant that the worl,
and equipage was require(d firom them upon public sacred to his own ears, had escaped him, the hulmour of frolic was enided, and he resumed a serious
+ The watch, half conmpleted, remained in fthe hands tone, with the air of o1.e who feels that he has let
of the artist, anlld is now the property of the D])ke of gWel- his pleasantry trespass upon an unbecoming and
lilgton. almost hlalloNed sublject,