Memoirs of Napoleon, Vol. 2 of 2 (Classic Reprint): His Court and Family: His Court and Family (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from Memoirs of Napoleon, Vol. 2 of 2: His Court and Family

The Emperor's return to Paris - Conduct of the Emperor's sisters - Painful interview between the Emperor and J unot - The red livery - Murat and J unot - Duel forbidden by the Emperor - Reconciliation between Junot and N apoleon - Cardinal Maury - Corneille and Racine - The Emperor's judgment - Féte at the Hotel de Ville - Junot appointed commander of the Gironde - Parting interview with the Emperor - Junot's unhappi ness - Kingdom of Westphalia erected - Suppression of the tribunate Career of conquest - Bombardment of Copenhagen - Proclamation.

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This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Memoirs of Napoleon, Vol. 2 of 2: His Court and Family

David was also one of our most useful cicerones. Although he and Robert did not very cleverly understand each other's vernacular tongue, they were both versed in the language of science, which needed no interpreter between them. I indulged a few moments of pride in the triumph of French talent over foreign prepossession. The name of David produced at first rather a singular effect; but the mist of prejudice speedily dispersed in presence of the head of our regenerated school, and David was not only received, but sought after by all that was noble or enlightened in Paris, even from the most distant lands. It was, however, in his own gallery that the victory was completed. His Belisarius was there to be retouched, which is not the less a fine picture for being somewhat inferior to Gerard's. There is poetry in the old soldier recoiling with surprise and pity at the sight of his aged General, blind, and soliciting alms. It must, I think, have been this picture which inspired Le Mercier's admirable cantata, for I can call it nothing else, which Garat has so finely set to music.

We visited the Gobelins and other manufactures of Paris, and extended our excursions to some leagues distance, to Jouy, Virginie, Versailles, &c, and amongst other curiosities the steam-engine of Chaillot, called the Perrier waters, which Paris owed to the skill of two brothers of that name in 1778.

A circumstance, not generally known, relating to the Perrier waters, is the controversy between two highly celebrated men on the subject of the original company's proceedings. Beaumarchais and Mirabeau were the parties in this paper war, which degenerated into virulence and abuse for want of temper on both sides; not content with carrying it through the medium of the journals, pamphlets were circulated, which are now extremely scarce, and not to be met with at all in the shops. Mirabeau accused Beaumarchais of making a stock-jobbing affair of it. The fact is, that several proprietors having treated with the government, the latter came into sole possession, and the pumps were placed under the direction of public functionaries.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.