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

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 6i2
There was then read to the Council a decree of least shadow of popular representation, of everythe Senate for a new conscription of three hundred thing approaching to freedom of debate or right of
thousand men, to be levied upon those who had remonstrance, and, by a recent act of despetic inescaped the conscription of former years, and who novation, had even robbed them of the power of
had been considered as exempted from the service. chusing their own president. He is said also to
There was a deep and melancholy silence. At have exerted his authority over individuals by a
length a counsellor spoke, with some hesitation, practice similar to that practised by James the
though it was only to blame the introductory clause Second upon menlbers of parliament, called closet
of the senatorial decree, which stated the invasion ing, admitting individuals of the Legislative Body
of the fiontiers as the cause of this large levy. It to private interviews, and condescending to use towvas, he suggested, a declaration too much calculated ward them that personal intercession, which, coming
to spread alarm. from a sovereign, it is so difficult to resist. But'" And wherefore," said Napoleon, giving way to these arts proved unsuccessful, and only tended to
his natural vehemence, and indicating, more strongly show to the world that the Legislative Body had
than prudence warranted, the warlike and vindic- independence enough to intimate their desire for
tive purposes which exclusively occupied his breast, peace, while their sovereign was still deterimined
-" wherefore should not the whole truth be told? on war. A. commission of five of their snemberst,
Wellington has entered the south; the Russians me- distinguished for wisdom and moderation, were
nace the northern frontier; the Prussians, Austrians, appointed to draw up a report upon the state of the
and Bavarians threaten the east. Shame! —Vel- nation, which they did in terms respectful to Napolington in France, and we have not risen in mass leon, but such as plainly indicated their conviction
to drive him back. All my allies have deserted that he would act wisely to discontinue his schemes
me; the Bavarians have betrayed me-They threw of external ambition, to purchase peace by disclaimthemselves on my rear to cut off my retreat-But ing them, and at the same time to restore to the
they have been slaughtered for their pains. No subject some degree of internal liberty. They sugpeace-none till we have burned Munich. A trium- gested, that in order to silence the complaints of tile
virate is formed in the north, the same which made allied monarchs, which accused France of aiming at
a partition of Poland. I demand of France three general sovereignty, the emperor should mlake a
hundred thousand men —I will form a camp of a solemn and specific declaration, abjuring all such
hundred thousand at Bordeaux-another at Metz- purposes. They reminded him, that when Louis
another at Lyons. With the present levy, and what XIV.. desired to restore energy to the nation, he
remains of the last, I will have a million of men. acquainted them with the efforts he had made to
Bat I must have grown men —not these boy-con- obtain peace, and the effect answered his wvishes.
scripts, to encumber the hospitals, and die of fatigle They recommended the example to Napoleon. It
upon the highways-I can reckon on no soldiers now was only necessary, they said, that the nation should
save those of France itself." be assured, that the war was to be continued for the
" Ah, sire," said one of the assentators, glad to sole object of the independence of the French people
throw in a suggestion which he supposed wvould suit and territory, to reanimlate public spirit, and induce
the mood of the time, " that ancient France must all to concur in the general defence. After other
remain to us inviolate." arguments, tending to enforce the same advice, the
"And Holland i" answered Napoleon, fiercely. report concludetd with recommending tllhat his ma"' Abandon Holland! sooner yield it back to the sea. jesty should be supplicated to maintain the active
Counsellors, there must be an impulse given-all and constant execution of the laws, which preserve
nmust march-You are fathers of families, the heads to Frenchimen the rights of liberty, and security both
of the nation; it is for you to set the example. They of person and property, and to the nation the fiee
speak of peace; I hear of nothing but peace, when exercise of its political privileges.
all around should echo to the cry of war." Like the mute prlince, who recovered his speech
This was one of the occasions on which Bona- when his athter's life -was endangered, tile extremity
parte's constitutional vehemence overcame his polli- of the national distress thus gave thllepower of retical prldence. We might almost think we hear the meonstrance to a public body, which hald hitherto
voice of the Scandinavian deity Thor, or the war- been only the passive agents of the vill of a desgod of Mexico, clamorous for his victims, and de- potic sovereign. Yet, comparing the naturle of tlhe
manding that they be unblemished, and worthy of remonstrance with the period of extrelity at which
his bloody altar. But Bonaparte was unable to it was made, Napoleon rmulst have felt somewhat in
inspire others with his own martial zeal; they only the situation of the patriarch of UZ, the friend s of
foresaw that the nation must, according to the sys- whose former prosperity came in the moment of his
tem of its ruler, encounter a most perilous danger, greatest distresses with reproaches instead (A'assistand that, even in case of success, when Napoleon ance. The Legislative Body had been at least silent
reaped laurels, France would only gather cypress. and acquiescent during the wonederfiul peio(t of1
This feeling was chiefly predominant in the Legis- Bonaparte's success, and they now chose that of his
lative Body assembly; as every representative, adversity to give him unpalatable advice, instead of
which emanates however remotely from the people, aiding in this energency to inspire the nafion with
has a natural aptitude to espouse their cause. confidence. A philosophical monarch would neverIt is true, that the emperor had, by every precan- theless have regarded the quality of the course r{ -
tion in his power, endeavoured to deprive this part commended more than the irritating circmstmtulces
of the state, tile only one which had retained the of time and manner in which it was given;,ail