The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-05

There he began to write. or, rather, to
dictate his memoirs, as he recalled the
events of his past life, and in this way
he accumulated a mass of-rather inco-
herent notes, which had been packed
away in boxes for more than eighty
years. namely. from 1919, when the
old soldier died, to 1900, when his
grandson, the present Prince of Augs-
bourg, finally decided to publish these
manuscripts. being impelled thereto in
some measure by his need of ready
money. 1t was the success of the Mer-
bot memoirs which first prompted him
to give the Marshafs "reminiscences to
the world, for he was not wealthy and
had five. daughters, for whom he was
anxious to find suitable husbands. FIRE.
quently he had summoned from Paris
to his small castle. in which he spent
tho entire year-partly because he pre-
ferred solitude to society-a young
man who arranged the vast mass of
documents. many of which were crude
and required TO be carefully edited.
That is how Alfred Boyer came to un-
dertake a work in which he very soon
became intensely interested.
No matter what estimate one may
place on 1t from the political stand
point. there is indeed sort of sorcery
about this Napoieonic epoch, from the
seductive spell of which hardly any
historian mas DGSn dDl0 " lEc0 HiIIlScAl
Moreover, the magic of this era had
made an unusually strong impression
on Boyer, because Predicts moral char
acter was quite as notable as his mil
itary genius. Among the portraits of
Napoleon's marshals, all of whom were
iIiustrious, though all were not equally
attractive, his ranks among the mob
lest and purest. Until he died this he
roic Prince of Augsburg manifested
on all occasions that frankness and
simplicity which would also doubtless
have been the most marked character
istics of Desaix II he had lived. FIRE.
det seems never to have coveted any
of the honors with which the Emperor
delighted to reward him. Indeed, what
time had he to enjoy them? Bona
parte, who knew how to value men.
kept him constantly employed both
during peace and war. When he was
| not fghting, F'redet filled the ONCE of
Judge. His proverbial honesty, kind
ness and religious fervor, a sentiment
extremely rare among the soldiers who
were children of the Revolution. com
bined to give him the appearance OF
medieval paladin.
While he lived It was impossible ia
be near him without loving him. He
had disarmed Marmont's envy and
Soult's sullenness, and had even caus-
ed the gloomy Macdonald to become
somewhat congental. These three mer
were his rivals. yet they have left or
record touching tributes to his admir-
able qualities. Moreover, after hi:
death his rare and seductive personal
ity worked like a miracle on the young
man, who seemed under hypnotic
spell, as he studied the title page OF
the memoirs and the enormous pack
age of proofs During these few min
utes he lived once more through the
two years which he had spent at this
dihcult task. He recalled how. aftel
passing his examination, he had de.
bated whether he should accept a po
| sition as librarian at a small salary
or take the advice of one OF his teach
ers and work at the memoirs of tn,
celebrated Marshal The latter worl
would provide hiIn for Eome tims will
board and lodging. and furthermore T..
would gain thereby a chance to max,
a name for himself and a few Thousand
francs or which he could support him
self in Paris until he received a deflnit,
appointment to a lucrative position.
boJLr knew nothing about the war
rior whose papers he intended Il. elias
sify, hds as soon as he was settled il
the old castle. which had not beef
changed in any way for the last three
IoUarters of a century. he began 1,
abandon himself to that hallucinatioI
(which takes possession of all student
while porting over records of the pas,
In an eloquent page Taine has describ