The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-27

and melancholy, and the first syllables which he
uttered showed this Proteus recalled to himself,
and tanned BIZ two words. "Hapess exist
ence" he exclaimed; then pausng seemed to
muse, and after a while continued lis bat
too true: comedian OF tragedian all for me is an
affair Of acting and costume 80 1t has been hth
erto, and such it is likely to continue. How H.
tigniDg aud how petty il is 10 posc--aways to
pose. in profile for this party in full face for that
according to their notions. TO guess at the
imaginings Of drivelers, and seem to be what
they think one ought to be. To study how to
place them between hope and fear-dazzle them
with the prestige Of names and distances, OF
dates and bulletins-be the master OF all, and
not know what to do with them; and after all
this 10 be as weary as am--tis too bad
"Ihe moment | sit d0wn7--heS crossed his
legs, and leaned back in his chair" ennui seizes
me- 70 be obliged to hunt for three days in
yonder forest would throw me nto mortal Ian
guor. Activity is to me necessity; mist keep
moving myself aud make others move, but I'll
be hanged ii 1 know whittier. You see, then,
disclose my inmost thoughts to you. Plans
have, enough and to spare, for the lives of a
score OF emperors. | make one every morning,
and another every evening; my Imagination
wearies not but before some three or four of
my plans could be carried out, should be used
up body and mind our little lamp Of life burns
not long before it begins to flicker. And now,
to speak with entire trankness am sure that
the world would be happier even it all my plans
were put in execution! 1t would certainly be u
somewhat finer thing than il il, Ssr magnificent
uniformity would reign throuHhoutit. am not
philosopher; and in the aifair of common
sense, ! am bound to own that the Florcntine
secretary was a master to us all am no pro-
decision, and execution Immediately follows;
the shortness Of life forbds us to stand still
When ! shall have passed away, there will b.
comments enough on my actions to exalt me if
succeed to disparage me if fail. Paradoxes
are already rife--they are never Wanting in
France--but | shall still them to silence Wide
live when am gone-no matter. My object
is to succeed for that have some capacity
My Had compose in action; every day adds an
episode"
As he spoke these latter words, he rose from
his seat with light elastic movement, and
seemed altogether another person. When re-
lieved from the turmoil of passion, he became
gay, cheerful, and at the same time unaffected
and natural He made no effort to disguise, nor
did he seek TO exalt and idealise himself az he
did afterwards in the conversations at st. He
lena to meet some philosophic conception, or
to fill up the portrait Of himself which he do
sired to bequeath to posterity. lie was far from
anything of this Sort in simple reality, he was
himself as it were, turned inside out. After a
slight pause, he advanced step or two towards
the Pope, who had not moved, and smiling with
an expression half-serous, half-ironicai, pro-
ceeded in new vein, in which were blended
something Of the elevated and the petty, of the
pompous and the trivial, as was often his usage
oil fba ~, l,b;
often exhibited by this most versatile genius
"Birth is everything: those who appear on
this worlds stage poor and friendless, have
desperate struggle to maintain. According to
the quality of their minds, they turn to action
or to self-destruction. When they have resolu-
ton to set to work, as ! have done, they often
play the winning game. A man must live he
must conquer Il position, and make for himself an
abiding place. | have made mine as a cannon
ball does; so much the worse for those who
stood in my ways Some are content with lit
tie, Others never have enough: men eat accord
ing to their appetites and ] have large one
Mark me, when was at Toulon, had not the
price of II pair of epaulettes; but instead of
them had on my shoulders my mother, and
know not how many brothers. All these are
know tolerably well provided for and rs to Jo-
sephine, who, it is said. married me from pity,
we are about to crown her in the very teeth of
Raguedeau, her notary, who once told her that
had lost my commission and my sword, and
was not worth a ducat; and faith he was not
far wrong! But now, what is it that rises up
in perspective before mel An imperial mantle
and crown. To me what ARE such things
"a costume n mere actors costume | SHALL
wear them for the occasion, that's enougl tiien
resuming my military frock, I'll get on horse
back. On horseback, said Ii-yes, and perhaps
for life; but scarcely shall | have taken ur nv
new position when | shall run the risk of being
pushed off my pedestal. Ia that state TO be
envied! There are but two classes of men,
those whoihave something, and those who have
nothing. The first take their rest, the Others re-
main awake As perceived this when starting
in the race of life, have reached the goal thus
early. ! know of but two men who attained il
after having set out at the age of forty, and they
were Cromwell and Rousseau Had the one
had but farm, and the other few hundred
frances and domestic, they would neither have
commanded, preached, or written. There are
various sorts Of ar.isis-in building, in forms, in
colors, in phrases. ! am an artist in battles:
had executed eighteen of what are called veto
ries before the age of thirty-fve have a right
to be paid for my work, and if paid with throne,
il cannot be called dear. But, after ALL a throne,
what is ~ Two or three boards fashioned in
this form, or that, and nailed together, with
strip Of red velvet TO cover them By itself it
is nothing It's the man who sits upon it that
makes its force. I Still, throne or no throne,
shall follow my vocation: you shall see some
more of my doings, You shall see dynacties
date from mine, "parpenH" though / be and
elected yes, elected like yourself, and chosen
from the crowd. On that point, at all events,
we may shake hands.
So saying, he advanced and held out his hand
The Pope did not decline the courtesy; but
there was an evident constraint in his manner az
he almost trembllngly reached to him the tips Of
his fingers. lie seemed under the influence of
a complex tide of emotion. He was moved
somewhat, perhaps, by the tone of bonhomie that
pervaded the latter remarks, and by frankness
of the advance which concluded them but the
dominant feeling was evidently of sombre cast
arising from reflection on his own position,
and still more on that ofso many Christian com.
munities abandoned TO the caprices of gelfish-