The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-06-09
V l

40 remarkable was Napoleon's per-
sonal appearance that all of his
associates who left records OF
their contact with hiHl were at
pains to describe him miis -tely. \
serving man naturally has the best adj
vantages for observing his master, and
the pen portraits drawn by Constant,
who was attached to the person Of the
emperor as first valet de chambre, have
especial interest because they depict
Napoleon under q variety Of circum-
stances. The quotation following is
from Walter Clark's translation Of Con-
stant's memoirs, published in 1855:
'.On his return from Egypt the en-
peror was very thin and sallow, his
skin was copper cOlored, his eyes
sunken, and his figure, though perfect,
also very thin. The likeness is excel
lent in the portrait which Horace Yer
net drew in his picture called y Re
view of the First Consul Oh the Place
du Carrousel.' His forehead was very
high and bare; his hair thin, especially
on the temples, but very fine and soft
and rich brown color; his eyes deep
blue, expressing in an almost incredible
manner the various emotions by which
he was affected, sometimes extremely
gentle and careSsinS sometimes severe
and even infleXible His mouth was
very fine, his lips straight and rather
firmly closed, particularly when irri-
tated. His teeth, without being regu-
lar, were very white and sound. and he
never suffered from them. His nose
of Grecian shape was well formed and
his sense of smell was perfect His
whole frame was handsomely proper
toned, though at this time his extreme
leanness prevented the beauty of his
features being especially noticed and
had an injurious effect on his whole
physiOgnOmy.
ut would be necessary to describe
his features separately, one by one, in
order to form correct idea Of the
whole and comprehend the perfect reg
ularity and beauty of each. His head
was very large, being twenty-five
inches in circumference; it was a little
longer than broad, consequently a little
fattened on the temples; it was SO ex
tremcly sensitive that I had his hats
padded and took the trouble to Wear
them several days in my room to break
them. His ears We're small, perfectly
formed and well set. The cmp2rors
feet were also very tender, and | had
his shoes broken by boy Of the ward
robe called Joseph, who wore exactly
the same size as the emperor.
Ills height was > feet inches 8
lines. French measure and equal to
5 feet 6 inches EngIish.1 He had q
rather short neck, slopng shoulders,
broad chest almost free from hairs,
well shaped leg and thigh, small foot
and well formed fingers entirely free
from enlargements or abrasions. His
arms were finely nodded and well hung
to his body. His hands were beautiful,
and the nails did not detract from
their beauty. He took the greatest care
of them, as in fact CT his whole per
son, without fOppishness, however. He
often bit his nails slightly, which was
sign of Impotence or preOccupation.
Later on he grew much stOutcr. but
without losing any of the beauty of his
=
somer under the empire than under
the consulate; his skin had become very
white and his expression animated.
THE emperor during his moments,
or, rather, during his long hours, of
labor and meditation was subject to q
peculiar spasmOdic movement, which
seemed to be a nervous affection and
which chung to him all his life. 1t con-
sisted IN raising his right shoulder fire.
Quently and rapidly, and persons who
were not acquainted with this habit
sometimes interpreted this as a gesture
Of disapprobatiOn and dissatisfaction
and inquired with anxiety in what way
they could have offended him. He. how
ever, was not at all affected by it and
repeated the same movement again and
again without being conscious of it,
Less fiattering in some points is the
impression given by the wife of cue
of NapoleOn's favorite generals, the
Duchesse dAbrantes A1me. JunoD. in
whose family circle Napoleon was an
intimate both in Corsica and in France
during boyhood and after he became
prominent. Describing him in 1893,
when he was only subordinate officer
without battle to his credit, the
Duchesse d'Abrantes says:
"At that period of his life Bonaparte
was decidedly ugly. He afterward I'M
derwent total change. l do not speak
Of the Elusive charm which his glory
spread around him, but l mean to say
that gradual physical change took
place in him in the space of seven
years His emaciated thinness was con-
verted into fulness of face, and his
complexion. which had been yellow
and apparently unhealthy, became
clear and comparatively fresh: his fea-
lures, which We're angular and sharp,
became round and filled out AS to his
smile, it was always agreeable The
mode OF dressing his hair. which has
such droll appearance as we see it in
the prints of the passage of the bridge
OF Arcola, was then comparatively sim
pie. for the young men Of fashion (the
muscadins), whom he used to rail at so
loudly at that time, Wore their hair
very long. But he was very careless Of
his personal appearance. and his hair,
which was i'll combed and i'll powdered,
gave him the look of Il sloven His lit
tie hands, too, underwent great meta
morphosis. When | FIRST saw him they
were thin, long and dark. but he was
subsequently vain of the beauty of
them, and with good reason In short,
when recOllect Napoleon entering the
courtyard of the Hotel de III Tranquil
in
drawn over his forehead and his ill
powdered hair hanging over the collar
OF his gray greatcoat, which afterward
became as celebrated as the white
plume of Henry ". without gloves, be-
cause he used TO say they were Il use
less luxury, with boots i'll made and ill
blackened. with his thinness and his
sallow complexion-in fine. when !
recollect him at that time and think
what hn agt n