The Yellowstone journal., 1894-12-21
NAPOLEON Al BRlENNE.
ne Had Great Difficulty In Learning o
Speak French.

Speak French.
On New Years day, 1879, the Bo
napartes arrived at Autun. For three
months the young Napoleon was train
ed in the use of French. Prodigy as he
was, the difficulties of that elegant and
polished tongue We're scarcely reached.
1t was with most imperfect howi-
edge of their lan:uage and a sadly de-
fective pronunciation that he made his
appearance among his future school
mates at Brienne. There were 100 of
them, although the arrangement and
theory of the institution had conten-
plated only 120, of whom half were to
be foundctioners. The instructors wClv
Minim priests, and the life was rs So
we're as it could be made with such .
clientage under halt educated and III
expert need monks. In spite Of al ci.
forts TO the contrary. however, tA1 I-ac'
had an air Of elegance. There was Z Ger
tain schoolhoy display prnrnr:iorate e
the pocilc' money Uf the young noGia'
and "a very keen discrimination amoH-
themselves IS to rank, social gual-,r
and relative importance. Those famlIl..
with the TuthicssuCss Of boys i'll then
treatment of one another can easily coG.
ceive what was the reception of TN
newcomer, whose nobility was unknown
and unrecoguized in France, and who's
means were 0f the scantiCst.
1t appears that the journey from Cor
sica through Florence and Nlarseilles
had already wrought marvellous change
in the boy Napoleon : teacher at Autun
described his pupil as having brought
with him a sober, thoughtful character
He played with no one and took HI
walks alone. But he was apt and vain.
of his aptitude. In three months he
learned the rudiments of French, to use
common phrases with some fluency, ano
to write easy exercises.
The boys of Autun, says Able Chardon.
on one occasion brought the sweeping
charge of cowardice against all inhabit-
ants of Corsica in order to exasperate
him. IF they had been but four to
one, was the calm, phlegmatic answer
of the 1O-yeas old boy. they would
never have taken rsica, but when they
were 10 TO - "1-t you had fine
general-Paoli," interrupted the mar
rator. ''Ies, size, N,.- the reply, ut
tered with an air of discomfort and f..
the very embodiment of ambition. -
would much l.e to emuiat" rim. TIE
description oi the uulc...u fa.E ~
he then appeared Is ror Aattering-his
complexion salloU. lis hair tih. his
figure slight, his expression lustcr!css
his manner insignificant Moreover, h.
spoke broken.French with an Italian AZ
cent
During his sons preparatory studies NJ
Autun the father had been busy at Yer
sailles with further "supplications,
among them one for supplement from
the royal purse to his scanty pay as dele
gate. the other for the speedy settlement
OF his now potorious claim. The former
Of the two was granted not merely to
NJ. de Bonaparte, but to his two col
leagues, in view of the excellent be
| havior' r''-otherwis subserviency - oi
the Corsican delegation at Versailles.
When in addition the certificate of Ma
poleon's appointment finally arrived,
| and the father set out 10 place his sol
| with a proper outfit in his new school,
| he had no difficulty in securing suf
| ficient money TO meet his immediat,
| and pressing necessities, but more wa,
not forthcoming. Professor Sloane''
Life of Napoleon" in Century.