NAPOLEON’S PROMOTION--HIS POVERTY--JUNOT’S KINDNESS--REVOLT OF
THE SECTIONS--NAPOLEON’S SHARE THEREIN--MADE GENERAL OF THE
INTERIOR--INTRODUCTION TO JOSEPHINE--SKETCH OF HER LIFE.
For the capture of Toulon, Bonaparte was speedily promoted; indeed, his
superior officer, Dugommier, in his report, said, ‘Reward and advance
this young man, otherwise he will find means to advance himself.’
He afterwards joined the army at Nice, and was sent on a secret
diplomatic mission to Genoa; on his return from which he was arrested
and thrown into prison, where he remained a fortnight before he
obtained his release. He was without any employment during the
remainder of 1794, and till the autumn of 1795. He was then in very
poor circumstances financially, and Madame Junot gives a graphic
picture of his distress at this time.[24] ‘Bonaparte’s servant informed
Mariette that the general was often in want of money;’ but, he added,
‘he has an aide-de-camp who shares with him all he gets. When he is
lucky at play, the largest share of his winnings is always for his
general. The aide-de-camp’s family sometimes sends him money, and
then almost all is given to the general. The general, adds the man,
loves this aide-de-camp as dearly as if he were his own brother.’ The
aide-de-camp was Junot, who got a commission after Toulon.
The wretched Boney, we are told,
Reduced, and shivering with the cold,
To public houses used to rove,
And warm his hands before a stove;
Nay, in Corrozza, it is said,
A large score still remains unpaid.
He in an humble garret slept,
Which never very clean was kept,
Hence got he a disorder, which
The vulgar people call the ‘itch.’
Long might have been poor Nap’s dejection
But for a pending insurrection;
For now was entertained th’ intention
Of overturning the Convention.
The party by Barras were led,
He of the rebels was the head;
But, neither brave nor skilful reckon’d,
He wish’d to have an able second.
This task, by many, as we find,
Was conscientiously declin’d;
For every one of them well knew,
A dreadful slaughter must ensue.
Barras said in a thinking mood,
‘I know a rascal fond of blood--
A little Corsican blackguard,
But now to find him may be hard.’
Then, having mentioned Boney’s name,
They all agreed upon the same;
And Tallien gladly undertook
For the said Corsican to look.
Soon Boney on their honors waited,
Though all in rags as it is stated;
And, matters being quick concluded,
No ‘saucy doubts or fears’ intruded;
Nap with a horse was soon provided,
And regimentals he beside had.
This scheme began they to contrive
In seventeen hundred, ninety five.
And of October, we may say,
The fourth was now a fatal day!
For, lo! the insurgents sallied out,
And desolation spread about;
All honest opposition fail’d
And blood-stain’d tyranny prevail’d.
Men, women, children, at a bitter rate
The cries of ‘Treason,’ did reiterate,
But nothing could their fury quell,
For women, men, and children fell!
Now, owing to this revolution,
Was formed another Constitution;
Nap this assembly went to meet,
And laid his _trophies_ at their feet:
These trophies were _eight thousand carcases_,
Among the wounds, too, many a mark was his.
A _second_ victory like this,
Was to Barras extatic bliss.
And Nap, for bravery extoll’d,
No longer a blackguard was called;
But as a hero now regarded,
Was amply by Barras rewarded.
In this life there is many a change,
As unexpected and as strange:
Then let us hope that this day’s sorrow
May be tranquillity to-morrow:
For, mark you how our hero rose,
Who wanted money, shoes, and clothes;
All those he had--and, what is more,
His garret chang’d for a first floor;
And such, too, was his happy lot,
That he a place for Lucien got;
Who, after this notorious slaughter,
Had married an innkeeper’s daughter.
This is the satirist’s account of the revolt of the Sections, and
Bonaparte’s part therein. When applied to, he accepted the command, but
declared that he must act untrammelled, and not like Menon, who failed
through having three representatives of the people to counsel him. This
was agreed to, and Barras was chosen chief, with Napoleon under him.
The insurgents numbered some 40,000, the troops but 7,000; and such was
the moderation of the latter, that when the insurrection was quelled,
there were but seventy or eighty of the people killed, and between
three and four hundred wounded.
He was then made General of the Interior, and consequently Governor of
Paris, and this position led him more into society.
It is now that we come to a great epoch in his life, his meeting with
Josephine, which came about in a somewhat singular manner. At one of
his levées, a boy of twelve years, or so, called upon him. The lad
was Eugène de Beauharnais, son of a general of the Republic, who was
executed a few days before the death of Robespierre, and his errand was
to petition Napoleon that his father’s sword might be given to him.
To quote Napoleon’s own words, ‘I was so touched by this affectionate
request, that I ordered it to be given to him. On seeing the sword he
burst into tears: I felt so affected by his conduct, that I noticed
and praised him much. A few days afterwards, his mother came to return
me a visit of thanks; I was struck with her appearance, and still more
with her _esprit_.’ He was always meeting her in society, especially
at Barras’s house; and this intimacy, ripening into affection,
brought about their marriage. The following series of eight plates,
illustrating her life, were drawn by Woodward.
[Illustration: A PLANTER’S DAUGHTER.]
[Illustration: A FRENCH COUNTESS.]
Josephine (Marie Josephine Rose de la Pagerie) was born at Martinique,
according to De Bourrienne, on June 23, 1763, but others say it was
the same day of the month, only four years later. She was the daughter
of a planter in that island, and was a Creole, _i.e._ one born in a
French West Indian settlement. She was fourteen years old when she was
brought to France by her father, and being very graceful and pretty,
it was not long before she was married, which was to the Vicomte de
Beauharnais, on December 13, 1779. The union was not at first a happy
one. She went to Martinique, to see her mother, and stayed there about
fifteen months. Her husband was a general in the army of the Rhine,
but was singled out by Robespierre as a victim of his tyranny, was
imprisoned and beheaded. Josephine was also imprisoned, and it was at
La Force that she met with Madame Tallien--‘Nôtre Dame de Thermidor,’
as Arsène Houssaye calls her--who was also in prison. Here, uncertain
as to their fate, the female prisoners played at mock trials and
executions (for the trials always ended in condemnation), and day
by day their numbers grew less, as they were taken away to the real
tragedy which they had rehearsed. Scandal (French before it became
English) says that Barras, smitten by her charms, had her released on
condition that she became his mistress. Here is one French account:[25]
‘A cette époque, la jeune veuve du malheureux vicomte de Beauharnais,
mort sur l’échafaud, languissait aux Magdelonettes, où, depuis
longtems, elle était détenue comme suspecte. Intimement liée avec
Hoche, elle le pria de parler pour elle à Barras, alors tout-puissant.
Celui-ci ne connaissait la vicomtesse que de réputation; il voulut la
voir, et lui rendit visite dans sa prison.... Barras, séduit par la
conversation et les charmes personnels de la jeune veuve, devint, à la
première visite, et son protecteur, et son ami. Deux jours après, elle
fut rendue à la liberté.’
[Illustration: A WIDOW.]
[Illustration: A PRISONER.]
[Illustration: A LOOSE FISH.]
[Illustration: BARRAS’ MISTRESS.]
That Josephine gave rise to this scandal, is probably owing to her
intimacy with Madame Tallien and Barras. Barras, she was bound to
be grateful to, for by his means, a part of her husband’s property
was restored to her; but it was Tallien who, at his wife’s entreaty,
obtained the liberty, both of Josephine and Duchesse d’Aiguillon.
Madame Tallien’s receptions were the most brilliant in Paris, where
the prettiest and wittiest women met the men most distinguished in any
way, and common gratitude, at least, would have led Josephine to the
assemblies of her dear friend, who had shared her imprisonment, and
obtained her release.