Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Volume II

Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 182; Jomini, tom. xiii., p. 16, 24.

526

These disorders gave rise to many general orders from Napoleon; in one of them he said – "The first quality of a soldier is patient endurance of fatigue and privation; valour is but a secondary virtue. Several corps have quitted their positions; they have been deaf to the voice of their officers. Are, then, the heroes of Castiglione, of Rivoli, of Neumark no more? They would rather have perished than have deserted their colours. Soldiers, do you complain that your rations have not been regularly distributed? What would you have done, if, like the fourth and twenty second light demi-brigades, you had found yourselves in the midst of the desert, without bread or water, subsisting on horses and camels? Victory will give us bread, said they; and you – you desert your colours! Soldiers of Italy, a new general commands you; he was always in the foremost ranks, in the moments of your brightest glory; place your confidence in him; he will bring back victory to your colours." – Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 160.

527

In a proclamation issued to the armies, he said – "Soldiers! it is no longer the frontiers that you are called on to defend, the countries of your enemies are to be invaded. At a fit season I will be in the midst of you, and Europe shall be made to remember that you belong to a valiant race." – Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 162.

528

Jomini, tom. xiii., p. 35, 43; Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 182-6: Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 163.

529

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 167.

530

"Moreau did not know the value of time; he always passed the day after a battle in total indecision." – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 174.

531

For the terms of the armistice, see Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 185.

532

Jomini, tom. xiii., p. 355, 369; Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 342.

533

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 261.

534

"Europe was full of caricatures. One of them represented a boy of twelve years of age, and an invalid with a wooden leg; underneath which was written 'Buonaparte's army of reserve.'" – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 262.

535

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 263.

536

"The famous Necker solicited the honour of being presented to the first consul. In all he said he suffered it to appear, that he wished and hoped to have the management of the finances. The first consul was but indifferently pleased with him." – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 264. "During this conversation, the first consul made a rather agreeable impression on my father, by the confidential way in which he spoke to him of his future plans." – Mad. De Staël, tom. ii., p. 281.

537

Thibaudeau, tom. vi., p. 260; Jomini, tom. xiii., p. 176.

538

Jomini, tom. xiii., p. 177.

539

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 260.

540

Jomini, tom. xiii., p. 184; Thibaudeau, tom. vi., p. 264; Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 267; Dumas, tom. ii.

541

Apparently the guide who conducted him from the Grand Chartreux found the Chief Consul in better humour, for Buonaparte says, he conversed freely with him, and expressed some wishes with respect to a little farm, &c. which he was able to gratify. [Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 268.] To his guide from Martigny to St. Pierre, he was also liberal; but the only specimen of his conversation which the latter remembered, was, when shaking the rain water from his hat, he exclaimed, "There! see what I have done in your mountains – spoiled my new hat. Pshaw, I will find another on the other side." For these and other interesting anecdotes, see Mr. Tennant's "Tour through the Netherlands, Holland, Germany, Switzerland," &c. – S.

542

Joseph Petit, Fourrier des grenadiers de la garde, author of "Marengo, ou Campagne d'Italie," 8vo, an. ix. – S.

543

"Never did greater regularity preside at a distribution. Each one appreciated the foresight of which he had been the object. Not a soldier left the ranks; not a straggler was to be seen. The first consul expressed his gratitude to the Community, and ordered 100,000 francs to be delivered to the monastery, in remembrance of the service it had rendered him." —Memoirs of Savary, vol. i., p. 165.

544

"The infantry and cavalry passed one by one, up the path of the mountain, which the first consul had climbed, and where no horse had ever stepped; it was a way known to none but goatherds." – Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 271.

545

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 271; Jomini, tom. xiii., p. 185.

546

"Supposing it had proved quite impossible to pass the artillery through the town of Bard, would the French army have repassed the Great Saint Bernard? No: it would have debouched as far as Ivrea – a movement which would necessarily have recalled Melas from Nice." – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. i., p 272.

547

Jomini, tom. xiii., p. 188; Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 274.

548

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 202; Thibaudeau, tom. vi., p 286.

549

Jomini, tom. xiii., p. 198.

550