New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-08

Gates his hero is the manner in which the latter
developed his spiritual tortuosity side by side
with his cleyerness as a man of action. He
fitted to deal with men in the bulk. TO hurl
companies Of them like so many bullets against
a given point; he had the gift for handling them
in the field. which is one OF the obviously pre-
eminent gifts of a great general; but ne nad also
the gifts which qualified him to fight his battles
to the last and most complex situation within
the chambers Of his brain. His mind acted with
a peculiar snuosity 1t wound itself around a
question with an almost uncanny subtiety' an
almost bloodless indifference to the merits Of this
cause or that and a calm absorption in the OBJ
ject to be gained by the playing of one force
against another Look at that from one point
Of view and II appears no more than the
gift OF any great nature which might also be
noble. But Professor Sloane reverts to the less
engaging side Of the question when he says:
mo one had ever understood better than Bona
parte the possibilities of political influence In
military career. Not only could he benz the
bow Of Achilles. but he always had an extra
string" There you have the Janus to whom
allusion has already been made. man from
whom high sngeness Of aim was never to be
expected 1t is on this note that PROFESSOR
Sloane terminates his first volume, leaving Ma
poleon in his court at Montebello and foreshad-
owing in that decorative interlude between more
martial episodes the regal and then Imperial
splendors which were soon to follow IL IS
strange personality and yet II owe Professor
Sloane anything owe him refreshing sense
of human tangibilty about his hero The style
OF this Life" is measured and straightforward
as has already been indicated. 1t keeps Ma
poleon we'll In sight as a man and never re-
moves him away into that theatrical atmosphere
which has so often defeated the purpose of his
torians They have tried to work backward ana
to show that Napoleon's career was one homo
geneous drama as heroioal and extraordinary at
the rise Of the curtain as at It's fall. AS mat
ter of fact, the curtain did not rise until Touon
and 1893, and busy as Napoleon was up to that
crucial time II Is idle to see him as dramatic llg
ure In French politics and war until he actually
becomes one. Professor Sloane realizes this. and
he writes throughout these earlier chapters In
the vein OF the following passage. bearing upon
Napoleon's sojourn at Valence
During the first months Of his garrison SER
vice Bonaparte as an apprentice. saw arduous
service In matters Of detail. but he threw OF
entirely the darkness and reserve Of his charac-
ter taking a full draught from the trimming
CUP Of pleasure On January 10. 1856. he was
finally received lieutenant The novelty. the
absence of restraint, the comparative emancipa-
ton from the arrogance and Sights to which he
had hitherto been subject. good news from the
family in Corsica all these elements combined
to intoxicate for a time the boy OF sixteen. The
strongest will cannot forever repress the eX-
uberance of budding manhood There were balls,
and with them the first experience Of gaantry.
The young officer even took dancing lessons.
Moreover In the drawing rooms of the Able
Saint-Ruf and his friends. for the first time he
saw the manners and heard the talk OF refined
socIety-provincal to be sure. but excellent"