The sun., 1893-05-07
SoME NEW BOOKS.
Another hoo. About Napoleon.

SOME NEW BOOKS
Another hook About Napoleon.
1t seems only tho other DAY that we dlrecte,
attention to the account OF Waterloo by Mr.
John {. Ropes. which is generally recognize,
as the most authoritative work on the cam
paign which ended in that battle. Now we have
another short but highly cred!'able book abou
Napoleon. also from the pen of n civilian. and
OF one who does not stint his admiration fol
the great Corsicau. This is by Mr.. WILLIAM
OCoSNon MoRRIs. who has beon invited Ia
contribute the volume on Napoleon to the
Heroes OF the Nations Series publishing b. the
Putnams. As regards the spirit In which the
author has approached his task. 1t reminds
one OF that of Theirs. Tho point OF Wow is
almost wholly French. and the 1mperlalist
bias is strong. The author dismisses
almost with contempt the Memoirs Of
Nine. do Hcmusat. and SO far as any
influence on his views are concerned.
tho remarkable historics by Lanfrey and
TaIne might as we'll not have been writ
ten. Lanfrey is described as Tacitus without
tho great Romans power. and as tho only
Mbeller OF Napoleon who has tried to rise to
the level OF history. Taine is classed as the
ablest Of the detTactors OF Napoleon. and re-
oeiyes the name Of the minute philosopher OF
ealumny. In Mr. Morrls's opinion. history hGs
. simple answer to oil such slanderers. He
insists that NAPOLEON could never have risen
to the heights he did. could never have done
the work he did. and could mover have ac-
oured his prodigous authority and influence
had he been monster OF soltlshness. mean
ness lust. and wckedness.
Il.
When was Napoleon Bonaparte born? Mr.
Norris thinks that the evidence that August
10. 170a. is tho true date greatly preponder-
atss. He admits. however that Col. Jung in
his work. "Bonnparte ct son Temps" hns
urged all that can be alleged for the earlier
date-more than year and q half earlier
Jan. z. 178S. The point is pronounced OF no
great Importance. except in so far as It sug-
gested q charge OF fraud against Napoleon's
parents. Stress is laid upon the fact that the
faculties through which Napoleon attained a
height never attained before in the m odern
world seem In no sense to have been duo
to his father. q man devoid OF eminent Parts.
though with certain turn for letters. and
perhaps for Italian craft and suppleness. but
indolent and without strength OF mind or
character. On the other hand. Napoleon's
mother. Letizia Ramolino. though woman OF
obscure birth. had many gifts Intelligence OF
high order, intense energy Of will and firm
ness OF purpose. combined with pen etrnton and
keenness Of thought-and these were marked |
qualities OF her second son. The anecdotes |
ofNapoleon,s childhood are not numerous or-of
special interest He seems to have been for |
ward. passionate. and yet self-contained: he |
did not give proof OF precocious talent
Through the interest OF the French viceroy OF |
Corsica. to whom his parents had paid obse-
ouious court, the lad was entered when ten |
years old-CoI, Jung says eleven years and a
half-as o cadet ut the military school OF
Brienne. This was q we'll known foun ndation
OF the Bourbon kings originally designed to
train sons OF tho poorer noblesse for the pro-
fession Of arms. but the sons OF the richer
classes. by freauenting it. had diverted the
institution from its purpose. Napoleon was
at this seminary from 1779 to 1874. and We
now begin to see what he was. through reml-
niscences OF real value. In appearance the
boy was o foreigner: no belonged to q
conquered and despised race he spoke
French badly and with strange ac-
cont He was at Brienne what Harvard
undergraduates used to denominate a
scrub No wonder that the uncouth Corr
Sican. with scarcely franc that he could call
bis own. became butt for school Jokes and
quips: NO doubt the dislike OF his fellows was
Increased By the contempt he showed for
French tastes and habits and by his Corsican
ways and sympnthles. Yet even at this period
OF checked development and repressed tom
dencies. some prognostics Of future eminencs
were discernible. The keen and powerful in
tellect OF the boy delighted In trains Of exact |
reasoning; ms u mathsm aticiRn hs was easily |
supreme. He studied history too. with as
Diduity. and his love OF Plutarch's Lives and OF
CBsars Commentaries foreshadowed his
career. He was not an adept in Greek or |
Latin. but. before he had loft Brionne. he had
begun to acquire mastery over the French
tongue which never. however. included
N mil In rft MEL tsa Dar 81. ,Lsl.
As to the moral side OF Napoleon's ..
1t was thus set forth in un :
unfavorable report by his instructors: :
he was "taciturn. fond OF solitude ca
PRECIOUS. naughty. extremely disposed to ,
sgotism. seldom speaking energetic in his
ready and sharp In repartoe, full OF
self-love. ambitious. and Of unbounded aspira- i,
Hons" From Brienne ho passed to the mill
fary school OF Paris. where ho spent only q
year Here again he seems to have kept
Aloof from his comrades and masters. Ono
Incident OF these days is significant The q
Paris school was ifllled with sons Of the no.
besse: and the silent Corscan youth ad-
dressed q memorial remarkable for good sense .
and boldnsss to the heads OF the house point .
ng out the evils OF luxury In an apprenticeship
Ior the ltfs OF camps. '
In 1875 Napoleon was made sub.lleutenant '
d artillery in tho regiment OF Ia Fere. and he '
,pent tho greater part Of tho next Ave G
rears at different military stations in France q
ls he was to demonstrate at Toulon. he be- c
,ame thoroughly versed in the science OF '
,is arm OF the service; he would doubtless q
iave been tho first OF artillery chiefs If his !
powers had not found an ampler scope and c
10 had not been the greatest Of the masters OF I
Tar His intellect, however. during these !
ears In garrison was not confined within tho '
arrow bounds Of his professional duties: he !
tudled military history with intense earnest .
ess: he became ono OF the most learned OF &
oldiers; and especially he pored for !aborious ]
ours over military maps and plans OF for 6
ressos tasks that gave token Of the coming q
trategist Nor were these tho limits OF his !
ager industry; he devoured treatises on law.
philosophy. theology. and tho art OF
overnment- Innumeratle extracts and II
Ot0a h. | I