_The Names "Bonaparte" and "Napoleon."_--Among the many fabulous tales that
have been published respecting the origin of the name of _Bonaparte_, there
in one which, from its ingeniousness and romantic character, seems
deserving of notice.
It is said that the "Man in the Iron Mask" was no other than the twin (and
elder) brother of Louis XIV.; that his keeper's name was _Bonpart_; that
that keeper had a daughter, with whom the Man in the Mask fell in love, and
to whom he was privately married; that their children received their
mother's name, and were secretly conveyed to Corsica, where the name was
converted into _Bonaparte_ or _Buonaparte_; and that one of those children
was the ancestor of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was thus entitled to be
recognised not only as of French origin, but as the direct descendant of
the rightful heir to the throne of France.
The Bonapartes are said to have adopted the name of _Napoleon_ from
Napoleon des Ursins, a distinguished character in Italian story, with one
of whose descendants they became connected by marriage; and the first of
the family to whom it was given was a brother of Joseph Bonaparte, the
grandfather of Napoleon I. Many are the _jeux de mots_ that have been made
on this name; but the following, which I have just met with in _Littérature
Française Contemporaine_, vol. ii. p. 266., is perhaps the most remarkable.
The word _Napoleon_, being written in Greek characters, will form seven
different words, by dropping the first letter of each in succession,
namely, [Greek: Napoleôn, Apoleôn, Poleôn, Oleôn, Leôn, Eôn, Ôn]. These
words make a complete sentence, and are thus translated into French:
"Napoléon, étant le lion des peuples, allait détruisant les cités."