The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-11-08
HEART OF NAPOLEON.
1T WAS SYMPATHETIC AND GUIDED
A POETIC NATURE.

1T WAS SYMPATHETIC AND GUIDED
A POETIC NATURE.
He Was Kind and Considerable as He Was
Brave Recent Testimony For This Side
of the Great Soldiers Character, Which,
Has Not Always Been Recognized.
Speaking of Napoleon boyhood, one
who knows whereof he speaks says:
SIN his school days the grand homme'
gave many indications Of the very quail
tiles which procured for higr the splen-
did success which has brought him ev
serlasting fame. His love Of discipline,
order and power was shown by the
manner in which he controlled his
schoolmates and constituted himself
their leader, teaching them the art Of
war in mimic battles, constructing forts
and battlements Of snow in the play
ground in which many fierce engage
ment was fought and won, with snow
balls for cannon balls and ice pellets
for shot. It is recorded that he under
took to reform the laxity Of the college
letter to the Junior master, indicating
system that would do away with the
abuses, and that he applied these same
rules afterward to the schools of Fon-
tainebleau, Saint Cyr and Saint Ger
main. According to recent writer, on
one occasion he was directing perform
ance Of the tragedy Of Caesar's death
when the wife Of the college porter en-
deavored to force her way into the as
sembly Oh the strength Of her position,
but Napoleon made short work of her.
stRemove this woman, he cried, "who
brings into our midst the license of
the camp an order instantly obeyed
by his colleagues, much, it may be sup
posed, to the discontinue Of the good
woman.
That Napoleon was at heart great
poet there can be no doubt Nine. Re.
musar relates that he was lover Of
Ossian, was fond Of the twilight and
melancholy music The murmur of the
wind enraptured him, and he would di
late enthusiastically on the moaning Of
the sea and the wild beauty Of the
tempest. His powerful imagination
sought to grasp the unseen. He would
sometimes amuse himself, while passing
the evening in Josephine's drawing
room, by telling or listening to ghost
stories while the candles were shaded
and the singers present executed music
Of a low, sweet, weird description to
the accompaniment of stringed instru-
meats Doubtless this gift Of subtle
Imagination led Napoleon to suspect
where it was unnecessary and look for
a motive in every action of those around
him. He believed all men liars until he
proved them otherwise. He used to re-
late the story with great gusto that
when he was child one of his uncles
predicted of him that he would govern
the world, because he was an habitual
liar. Of M. de Metternich he once said,
''He approaches to being statesman, he
lies so well?'
Napoleon's life is an unending source
of inspiration to the painter: David,
Vernet, Scheffer, Steube and host of
others of his time have bequeathed to
us some of the great battles and Incl
dents Of his career on undying canvas.
To each picture is attached some inter-
esting story. During the italian cam
paign Napoleon was one night survey
ing the battlefield of Bassan0; the moon
illumined the sad scene of carnage; no
sound disturbed the deep silence save
the feeble groans Of the dying and the
means of the wounded. Suddenly dog
crept forward from dead body over
which he was keeping watch; the poor
| animal reiterated to his lifeless master,
and then again, as though reluctant to
| abandon his efforts Of reviving him,
/ yet DESTROYS Of avenging his death.
| Napoleon was deeply touched by the
faithful friendship of the animal, who
would not forsake his master like his
human friends. "What a lesson. for
man!'' cried Napoleon as he gazed on
the pathetic spectacle So strong was
the impression. made on his mind by
! that midnight episode Of the battlefield
that after IS years he related it when
!! banished to the rock of st. Helena.
Another instance of his real tender
ness for the suffering and oppressed was
during his Egyptian campaign. A poor
fellah had been murdered by a tribe OF
Arabs who had entered with an armed
band into a village and driven off the
herds. Napoleon Immediately commands
ed that a company of dromedaries and
horsemen should go in pursuit Of the
guilty party. One of the sheiks, sur
prised at the indignation Of the emper.
or, observed that it would not be wise
for him to embroil himself with the
Arabs, a dangerous people, for the sake
Of miserable fellah. "Was he, then,
thy cousin?" queried the sheik. 'More
than that, cried Napoleon, with We.
hemence, call those whom command
are my children!''
i Again, at the plague Of Jaffa, Napo.
leon visited the hospital and endeavored
to console the poor dying soldiers. Gros
has attempted to convey an idea of this
scene in his great painting Of The
Plague Of Jafa, = wherein he represents
Napoleon touching the eruption Of 9