stance. He knew what to do, and he flew to his mark. He would shorten a straight line to come at his object. 3. Horrible anecdotes may, no doubt, be collected from his history, of the price at which he bought his successes; but he must not therefore be set down as cruel, but only as one who knew no impediment to his will; not blood-thirsty, not cruelbut woe to what thing or person stood in his way; not bloodthirsty, but not sparing of blood, and pitiless. He saw only the object the obstacle must give way. Sire, General Clarke cannot combine with General Junot, for the dreadful fire of the : ΕΙ 66 Austrian battery.". -"Let him carry the battery." - 'Sire, every regiment that approaches the heavy artillery is sacrificed. Sire, what orders?". 'Forward, forward!" ་ 4. In the plenitude of his resources every obstacle seemed to vanish. "There shall be no Alps," he said; and he built his perfect roads, climbing by graded galleries their steepest precipices, until Italy was as open to Paris as any town in France. Having decided what was to be done, he did that with might and main. He put out all his strength. He risked everything and spared nothing-neither ammunition, nor money, nor troops, nor generals, nor himself. 5. If fighting be the best mode of adjusting national differences (as large majorities of men seem to agree),* certainly Bonaparte was right in making it thorough. "The grand principle of war," he said, "was, that an army ought always to be ready, by day and by night, and at all hours, to make all the resistance it is capable of making." He never economized his ammunition, but on a hostile position rained a torrent of iron, shells, ball, grape-shot, to annihilate all defence. He went to the edge of his possibility, so heartily bent was he on his object. 6. It is plain that in Italy he did what he could, and all that he could; he came several times within an inch of ruin, and his own person was all but lost. He was flung into the marsh at Ar'cola. The Austrians were between him and his troops, in the mêlée, and he was brought off with desperate efforts. At *As intelligence increases, and Christian principles prevail, it is to be hoped that men will not be so unanimous in this agreement. Lona'to, and at other places, he was on the point of being taken prisoner. 66 7. He fought sixty battles. He had never enough. Each victory was as a new weapon. My power would fall, were I not to support it by new achievements. Conquest has made me what I am, and conquest alone can maintain me." He felt, with every wise man, that as much life is needed. for conservation as for creation. We are always in peril, always in a bad plight, just on the edge of destruction, and only to be saved by invention and courage. 8. This vigor was guarded and tempered by the coldest prudence and punctuality. A thunderbolt in the attack, he was found invulnerable in his intrenchments. His very attack was never the inspiration of courage, but the result of calculation His idea of the best defence consisted in being still the attacking party. My ambition," he says, "was great, but was of a cold nature." 66 9. Everything depended on the nicety of his combinations; the stars were not more punctual than his arithmetic. His personal attention descended to the smallest particulars. "At Montebello I ordered Kellermann to attack with eight hundred horse, and with these he separated the six thousand Hungarian grenadiers before the very eyes of the Austrian cavalry. This cavalry was half a league off, and required a quarter of an hour to arrive on the field of action; and I have observed it is always those quarters of an hour that decide the fate of a battle." 10. Before he fought a battle, Bonaparte thought little about what he should do in case of success, but a great deal about what he should do in case of a reverse of fortune. The same prudence and good sense marked all his behavior. His instructions to his secretary at the Tuileries are worth remembering: "During the night enter my chamber as seldom as possible. Do not awake me when you have any good news to communicate; with that there is no hurry. But when you bring bad news, rouse me instantly, for then there is not a moment to be lost." 25 EMERSON. 1. THERE are three lessons I would writeThree words—as with a burning pen, In tracings of eternal light, Upon the hearts of men. 2. Have Hope! Though clouds environ now, And gladness hides her face with scorn, 3. Have Faith!- Where'er thy bark is driven, The inhabitants of earth. 4. Have Love! - Not love alone for one, But man, as man, thy brother call; And scatter, like the circling sun, Thy charities on all. 5. Thus these lessons on thy soul, grave Hope, Faith and Love, and thou shalt find Strength when life's surges wildest roll, Light when thou else wert blind! From the German. CXXXII. ELIJAH'S INTERVIEW. 1. ON Horeb's rock the prophet stood, The Lord before him passed; A hurricane in angry mood Swept by him strong and fast; The rocks were shivered in its course: "T was but the whirlwind of his breath, 2. It ceased. The air grew mute a cloud Came, muffling up the sun, When, through the mountain, deep and loud, An earthquake thundered on; "T was but the rolling of his car, The sickening sun looked wan and dead: 'T was but the terror of his eye, 4. At last, a voice all still and small Yet rose so shrill and clear, that all In heaven and earth might hear; And God himself was there; For, O! it was a Father's voice, That băde the trembling heart rejoice. ANON. CXXXIII. INTERVIEW OF RASSELAS, HIS SISTER NEKAYA, 1. THEY came on the third day, by the direction of the peasants, to the hermit's cell: it was a cavern in the side of the mountain, overshadowed with palm-trees. The hermit sat on a bench at the door,58 to enjoy the coolness of the evening. On one side lay a book146 with pens and paper, on the other mechanical instruments of various kinds. 2. They saluted him with great respect, which he returned like a man not unaccustomed to the forms of courts. “My children," said he, "if you have lost your way, you shall be willingly supplied with such conveniences for the night as this cavern will afford. I have all that nature requires, and you will not expect delicacies in a hermit's cell." 3. They thanked him; and, entering, were pleased with the neatness and regularity of the place. His discourse was cheer ful without levity, and pious without enthusiasm. 4. At last Imlac began thus: "I do not now wonder that your reputation is so far extended; we have heard at Cairo of your wisdom, and came hither to implore your direction for this young man and maiden in the choice of life." 5. "To him that lives well," answered the hermit, "every form of life is good; nor can I give any other rule for choice, than to remove from all apparent128 evil.” 6. "He will remove most certainly from evil," said the prince, "who shall devote himself to that solitude13 which you have recommended by your example." 7. "I have indeed lived fifteen years in solitude,” said the hermit, "but have no desire that my example should gain any imitators. In my youth I professed arms, and was raised by degrees to the highest military rank. I have traversed wide countries at the head of my troops, and seen many battles and sieges. 8. "At last, being disgusted by the preferments of a younger officer, and feeling that my vigor was beginning to decay, I resolved to close my life in peace, having found the world full of snares, discord and misery. I had once escaped from the pursuit of the enemy by the shelter of this cavern, and therefore chose it for my final residence. I employed artif ́icers to form it into chambers, and stored it with all that I was likely to want. 9. "For some time after my retreat, I rejoiced like a tempestbeaten sailor at his entrance into the harbor, being delighted with the sudden change of the noise and hurry of war to stillness and repose. When the pleasure of novelty went away, I employed my hours in examining the plants which grow in the valley, and the minerals which I collected from the rocks. |