The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-04-22
NAPOLEON, 1905, By BoUILLoN.

NAPOLEON, 1905, By BoUILLoN.
the commission was read, discussed, and
passed on, clause 10y clause. On the 9Th of
March, 1903 the Code Civile DIES Francois
was completed and published. 1t consisted
of twenty-five hundred and eighty-one ar
ticles. These were arranged under three
heads: The Rights of Persons; the Laws
of Property; and the Methods of acquiring
Property In the code the elements of Ro-
man Law and the law-customs of the
French people were blended with singular
skill. Though in the political vicissitudes
of France many notifications and not
little patchwork were added thereto, the
code itself gained in the estimation OF
mankind 1t was disseminated by the I'm
perial conquests into the greater part of
Europe, and was adopted by one people
after another. The Code Napoleon be
came the basis of Jurisprudence, not only
in France, but in Sicily, Holland, Bel
gium, the Rhine provinces, Switzerland,
Poland, and in all the countries dominated
by the Latin races in Europe and America.
At the date of his coronation, Napoleon
was thirty-five years, three months and
seventeen days of age. He was in his
very prime. Physically he had tri-
umphed over that attenuation and ut
ter swarthiness which had marked his
younger years. On his first issuance to
public notice. and down to the time of
the Consulate, he had worn a haggard
look which, added to his thinness and
his low stature, made him almost n spec
ter. In the year of his marriage, he was
described by an observant lady-as report
ed in Stendhal--as 1.-THE thinnest and
queerest being l ever met" In another
place the same authority says of him: He
was so scrawny that he inspired pity
But with the qualification of his ambitions
and desires, he became plump and beauti-
full He had at last recovered from the
cutaneous disease which he had contracted
from handling an infected hammer fallen
from the hands of gunner at the batteries
before Toulon 1t had required the long
and persistent services of the eminent Cor
visart to cure him of his malady.
OF all the descriptions of the person OF
Bonaparte, that of Meneval, his secretary,
is doubtless the most correct and satisfy.
ing. He says of the Emperor, that, though
small of stature, his person was well knit
and symmetrical The bust was longer
relatively than the legs. The head was
large, and the skull finely developed The
neck was short, and the shoulders proper
tionally broad. The chest was round and
full, indicating a robust constitution. The
limbs, both arms and legs were perfect
The Emperor was as proud as was Lore
Byron of his small plump hands and TIA
pering fingers. His forehead was broad
and high; his eyes easily kindled with
passion and flashed lightnings. His com
plexion was pallid; bronzed at first; al
ways of the Italian hue. His dark hair be
came thin on the top of his head, and thu
height of the forehead was seemingly in
creased. Meneval, for thirteen years In
innate with his misunderstanding closely
his every mood and feature-says "Hil
head and bust were in no way inferior IL
nobility and dignity to the most beautiful
statue of antiquity"
Napoleon was capable of all the passions
He showed the inner fires. His anger wa
easily aroused. He would storm and scowl
but there was always under the tempest ,
strenuous self-control The steel sinew
of his relentless will held him back eve
from rashness of action. When he was an
gered or crossed, n sort of rotary muscula
maelstrom appeared i'm his forehead ant
between his brows. His nostrils would
dilate under his passion, and his flerc,
gray eyes CLEAN hell. Afterwards h,
would be tranquil, smiling, insinuating
gracious, caressing. Sometimes he would
break out in hooking, sardonio laugh
thing hollow and dangerous, echoinJ
through Europe.
The new Imperial system quickly diff
fused itself abroad. Wherever the infiu
ence of France extended, the politica
transformation was easily effected. TIL,
Cisalpine Republic was converted into tn
kingdom of Italy. This Napoleon woul'
make an appanage of his own. For fou
months, sixteen hours daily, he wrough
at the establishment of the new regime ii
France. He then sped to Milan, and OF
the 26th OF May, 1906, was crowned KinI
of Italy. The ceremonial was in the grea