New-York tribune., 1909-09-12

evapOrate from a portrait so doggedly dr,,.
In other words. this historian. eminentlv :,
spectabIe in everything that implies Indus,-
and accuracy, is not as interesting as We vorr
like him to be. He does everything but III,
die the reader OF course. it is not improbss
that his book will improve as he carries il a.
ther. taking up 8Iirabeau in the two remsi.
ina. volumes as "The Opponent OF Arbitr,.
Government and "'The Defender OF the Cons,
tutionaI Monarchy In any case the inqui,
NAV safely turn TO Professor Fling for a tn.
oughgoing statement Of all the facts
The Comte de Rambuteau was one Of TN.
men born to be useful in a great period. but n.
hidden by nature to fill a spectacular role ID
came Of a good family. married a daughts-
the Comte de Narbonne. served as one of X
poIeon's chamberlains for three years. hell
turn the prefectures OF three departments ~.
as prefeCt Of the Seine under Louis PhiIIpe b
served well of the people Of Paris He was q,
deed. a conscientious and highly capable adm.
istrator. and it was with just pride that al q.
end of a long and labOriOus life he looked ts.
upon his work in the reorganization Of the h,s
pitaIs. asyIu5ns. schools, prOviient institute,
and other public fabrics committed to his car
in the capital for some fifteen years. Hehwe
who perforned inestimable services in the ~.
toration Of the Place de la Concorde, the Pas
de Justice and the Hotel de Vile He was
hard worker. a good man and steady going
everything that he did. His Memoirs" edit,
by his grandson with pious care. are not q.
vOluminOus and they are generally readass
but they would not. perhaps, have called q
preservation in book form save for their il
clusion Of certain notes on Napoleon. They a.
friendly notes. RambUteau, in his tempsr.
fashion, loved his imperial master. "Taa
never was the least misunderstanding beJTa
U.S." he says. and his recoIlectOns present n.
poIeon in an advantageous light. though B
abates nothing Of the great mans frequent s
pIosiveness. a characteristic passage is III
one on a dramatic episode in council:
I remember also the crushing onslaught he mi
one day on Portals. I had noticed that, on his
to the meeting. he looked absent minded and ds
satisfied He was scarcely seated when he rla
out: What must you think. Nessieurs Of a IA
who invested with the confidence of his uax-
summoned TO his councils to enliEhten him and l
before him all his various doubts and obiectz
should vet make common cause with his masis
enemies. should possess secret information Of ts'
CulpabIe plots. should be the conuddnt OF the r.
serious plots on the part OF 81 roreIsn soveraz
lending them the support NOT merely Of his sis1.,
bus of his actual Concurrence Monsieur Porz-i
il whom j now CruNllct E1lr culic1Sa
Have YOU a knowledge Of the brief OF the P
accommodating the Emperor Have ven g
it Credence? Have You. instead of keeping @
news secret actually pedI.ed ~ 2Fouhdt 10 9
wish these gentlemen 10 sit in judgment on y1H
PORTALS WAS thunderStrucE. RE could AE-
stamner out some excuses and protest his good e
The Emperor continued: ''YCu VIII be good sno-s
to retire Monsieur; Won are unworthy OF my s-
fidenCa IL is we'll for YOUR good father that u
dead: YOUR conduct would have killed him. an
is only his memory which shields You asains, p
Just anger
The even temperament of Rambuteau lend;
greater value TO all that he has 10 say am
Napoleon. Enthusiast that he was. he ns7E
theless saw clearly and judged sanely. HIS CT
tributiOns TO the literature OF Napoleon a.
Slight but authentic
In "The Favorite OF Napoleon" We have
translation of those Memoirs of MadenoE@
George" which were described az some lensa Z
our Paris correspondent when they were IN
published by NJ. Cheramy. Her relations "
the Emperor especially have already been o..
with in The Tribune They furnish forth z
salient episodes in her narrative II IS Z.
that she did not have more 10 say about hsf =
on the stage. She was a great tragic aclsN
so great that when age and stOutness had 0'
taken her she was still able at her fareWeA =
formance. In 1S49. to eclipse Rachel. VIII ?
peared with her on that memorable eVsI--
She never completed her Memoirs" leaving U
touched any number of themes on Vhch =
was well qualified to speak 70 the point Ia"
is. however. enough in the fragment tha' :
left to beguiIe the reader. and her gtmps@ I
Napoleon are by themselves precious to stli'--
Of him in his private lifa.