The Napoleon of the People | Page 7

us; and just to let him see that we were his
children, and that it was not in us to shirk or flinch, we used to walk
just as usual right up to the sluts of cannon that were belching smoke
and vomiting battalions of balls, and never a man would so much as say,
"Look out!" It was a something that made dying men raise their heads
to salute him and cry, "Long live the Emperor!"
Was that natural? Would you have done this for a mere man?
Thereupon, having fitted up all his family, and things having so turned
out that the Empress Josephine (a good woman for all that) had no
children, he was obliged to part company with her, although he loved
her not a little. But he must have children, for reasons of State. All the
crowned heads of Europe, when they heard of his difficulty, squabbled
among themselves as to who should find him a wife. He married an
Austrian princess, so they say, who was the daughter of the Caesars, a
man of antiquity whom everybody talks about, not only in our country,
where it is said that most things were his doing, but also all over
Europe. And so certain sure is that, that I who am talking to you have
been myself across the Danube, where I saw the ruins of a bridge built
by that man; and it appeared that he was some connection of
Napoleon's at Rome, for the Emperor claimed succession there for his
son.
So, after his wedding, which was a holiday for the whole world, and
when they let the people off their taxes for ten years to come (though
they had to pay them just the same after all, because the excisemen
took no notice of the proclamation)--after his wedding, I say, his wife

had a child who was King of Rome; a child was born a King while his
father was alive, a thing that had never been seen in the world before!
That day a balloon set out from Paris to carry the news to Rome, and
went all the way in one day. There, now! Is there one of you who will
stand me out that there was nothing supernatural in that? No, it was
decreed on high. And the mischief take those who will not allow that it
was wafted over by God Himself, so as to add to the honor and glory of
France!
But there was the Emperor of Russia, a friend of our Emperor's, who
was put out because he had not married a Russian lady. So the Russian
backs up our enemies the English; for there had always been something
to prevent Napoleon from putting a spoke in their wheel. Clearly an
end must be made of fowl of that feather. Napoleon is vexed, and he
says to us:
"Soldiers! You have been the masters of every capital in Europe, except
Moscow, which is allied to England. So, in order to conquer London
and India, which belongs to them in London, I find it absolutely
necessary that we go to Moscow."
Thereupon the greatest army that ever wore gaiters, and left its
footprints all over the globe, is brought together, and drawn up with
such peculiar cleverness, that the Emperor passed a million men in
review, all in a single day.
"Hourra!" cry the Russians, and there is all Russia assembled, a lot of
brutes of Cossacks, that you never can come up with! It was country
against country, a general stramash; we had to look out for ourselves.
"It was all Asia against Europe," as the Red Man had said to Napoleon.
"All right," Napoleon had answered, "I shall be ready for them."
And there, in fact, were all the kings who came to lick Napoleon's hand.
Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Poland, and Italy, all speaking us
fair and going along with us; it was a fine thing! The Eagles had never
cooed before as they did on parade in those days, when they were
reared above all the flags of all the nations of Europe. The Poles could
not contain their joy because the Emperor had a notion of setting up
their kingdom again; and ever since Poland and France have always
been like brothers. In short, the army shouts, "Russia shall be ours!"
We cross the frontiers, all the lot of us. We march and better march, but
never a Russian do we see. At last all our watch-dogs are encamped at

Borodino. That was where I received the Cross, and there is no denying
that it was a cursed battle. The Emperor was not easy in his mind; he
had seen the Red Man, who said to him, "My child, you are going a
little