Anecdotes of Bonaparte.
Whilstthe French troops were encamped at Boulogne, public attention was much excited by a daring attempt at escape made by an English sailor. This person, having escaped from the depôt, and gained the borders of the sea, the woods on which served him for concealment, constructed, with no other instrument than a knife, a boat, entirely of the bark of trees. When the weather was fair, he mounted a tree and looked out for the English flag; and having at last observed a British cruiser, he ran to the shore, with the boat on his back, and was about to trust himself in his frail vessel to the waves, when he was pursued, arrested, and loaded with chains. Everybody in the army was anxious to see the boat; and Napoleon, having at length heard of the affair, sent for the sailor, and interrogated him. “You must,” said Napoleon, “have had a great desire to see your country again, since you could resolve to trust yourself on the open sea in so frail a bark: I suppose you have a sweetheart there.”—“No,” said the sailor, “but a poor and infirm mother, whom I was anxious to see.”—“And you shall see her,” said Napoleon—giving at the same time orders to set him at liberty, and bestowing on him a considerable sum of money for his mother; observing, that she must be a good mother who had so good a son.
At the siege ofSt.Jean d’Acre, in Egypt, Bonaparte had three aides-de-camp (or officers) killed in advancing with his orders to the same point. It was necessary to send a fourth. He had no officers near him but Eugene Beauharnais and Lavalette. He called the latter, and, without being overheard by the former, said to him,“Il faut y aller; je ne veux pas y envoyer cet enfant et le faire tuer si jeune; sa mere me l’a confie; vous, vous savez ce que c’est que la vie.”—Lavalette set off, and, contrary to every expectation, returned safe and sound.
During the tour of Napoleon and Maria Louisa in Holland, in 1810, the burgomaster of one of the towns which they visited caused the following inscription to be posted on the triumphal arch through which their Imperial Majesties were to pass:
“Il n’a pas fait une Sottise,En epousant Marie-Louise.”
“Il n’a pas fait une Sottise,En epousant Marie-Louise.”
“Il n’a pas fait une Sottise,
En epousant Marie-Louise.”
Napoleon no sooner read the inscription, than he inquired for the burgomaster, and addressed him thus: “So,M.le Maire, they cultivate the French muses in Holland?”—“Sire,” answered the burgomaster, “I write a few verses.”—“Ah! you are the author, then,” said the emperor: “here, do you take snuff? (presenting a snuff-box surrounded with diamonds) take this, and
Quand vous y prenez une prise,Rappelez vous de Marie-Louise.”
Quand vous y prenez une prise,Rappelez vous de Marie-Louise.”
Quand vous y prenez une prise,
Rappelez vous de Marie-Louise.”
Catching Rabbits.Bacon says, “A company of scholars going to catch conies, carried one with them, which had not much wit, and gave in charge that if he saw any, he should be silent, for fear of scaring them; but he no sooner espied a company of rabbits than he cried aloud ‘Ecce multi cuniculi;’ which he had no sooner said, but the conies ran to their burrows; and he being checked by them for it, answered, ‘Who would have thought that the rabbits understood Latin?’”
Downto the reign of “Old Queen Bess,” the greater part of the houses infashionableLondon had no chimneys. The fire was kindled against the wall, and the smoke found its way out in the best manner that it could, at the windows, or at the door; but generally “reclined in blackness” in the room.