English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I. John Ashton
effect, which, however, I hope you will obviate.’
Bonaparte embarked five days after the receipt of Dugua’s letter; and, as may be supposed, without replying to it.
On August 18, he wrote to the Divan of Cairo as follows: ‘I set out to-morrow for Menouf, from whence I intend to make various excursions to the Delta, in order that I may, myself, witness the acts of oppression which are committed there, and to acquire some knowledge of the people.’
He told the army but half the truth: ‘The news from Europe,’ said he, ‘has determined me to proceed to France. I leave the command of the army to General Kleber. The army shall hear from me forthwith. At present I can say no more. It costs me much pain to quit troops to whom I am so strongly attached. But my absence will be but temporary, and the general I leave in command has the confidence of the government, as well as mine.’
At night, in the dark, on August 23, he stole on board: and who can wonder if the army expressed some dissatisfaction at his leaving them in the lurch? From the many works I have consulted, whilst writing this book, I can believe the words of General Danican (who has been before quoted) in ‘Ring the Alarum Bell!’—‘Immediately after Buonaparte’s midnight flight from Egypt, with the Cash of the army, he was hung in effigy by the Soldiers; who, in dancing round the spectacle, sang the coarsest couplets (a copy of which I have now in my possession) written for the occasion, to the tune of the Carmagnole, beginning: “So, Harlequin has at length deserted us!—never mind my boys, never mind; he will at last be really hanged; he promised to make us all rich; but, instead, he has robbed all the cash himself, and now’s gone off: oh! the scoundrel Harlequin, &c., &c.” ’
FLIGHT FROM EGYPT.
This charge against Napoleon, of running away with the treasure-chests, is, like almost all the others, of French origin. Hear what Madame Junot says, as it shows the feeling of the French army on this point, that some one had taken them (for Napoleon’s benefit): ‘A report was circulated in the army that Junot was carrying away the treasures found in the pyramids by the General in Chief. He could not carry them away himself’ (such was the language held to the soldiers), ‘and so the man who possesses all his confidence is now taking them to him.’ The matter was carried so far that several subalterns, and soldiers, proceeded to the shore, and some of them went on board the merchantman which was to sail with Junot the same evening. They rummaged about, but found nothing; at length they came to a prodigious chest, which ten men could not move, between decks, “Here is the treasure!” cried the soldiers; “here is our pay that has been kept from us above a year; where is the key?” Junot’s valet, an honest German, shouted to them in vain, with all his might, that the chest did not belong to his chenerâl. They would not listen to him.
‘Unluckily, Junot, who was not to embark till evening, was not then on board. The mutineers seized a hatchet, and began to cut away at the chest, which they would soon have broken up, had not the ship’s carpenter come running out of breath. “What the devil are you at?” cried he, “mad fellows that you are: stop! don’t destroy my chest—here’s the key.” He opened it immediately, and lo!—the tools of the master carpenter.’
Barre, of course, alludes to this alleged robbery, and Combe writes of his desertion of his troops as follows:—
Aboukir castle having won,
Our hero thought it best to run.
The bravest man will run away,
When it is dangerous to stay;
But, as he to his troops declared,
By him all dangers should be shared,
And that on no account he’d leave them,
’Twas proper he should now deceive them.
The cunning he display’d in fight,
He manifested in his flight.
On some pretence, it seems, he wrote
To certain generals a note,
Acquainting them with what he wanted,
The time and place, too, he appointed.
These generals, so well they fared,
The fame of his desertion shared. When to th’ appointed place they got, Nap was already on the spot; And, what of all things made them glad, The military chest he had! He left his army—but we find He left these words for them behind: ‘This parting grieves me sore, altho’ meant To be for only a short moment.’
BUONAPARTE LEAVING EGYPT.
For an Illustration of the above see the intercepted Letters from the Republican General Kleber to the French Directory respecting the Courage, Honor, and Patriotism of——, the Deserter of the Army of Egypt.
This caricature is presumably by Gillray, although it is not signed by him; and, as it was published on March 8, 1800, it is absolutely prophetic, for Napoleon is pointing to a future imperial crown and sceptre. This is especially curious, as it shows how, even then, the public opinion of England (of which, of course, the caricaturist was but a reflex) estimated him.
CHAPTER XVIII.
NAPOLEON’S ARRIVAL IN PARIS—HIS POPULARITY—DISSOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF FIVE HUNDRED—GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENE—NAPOLEON, SIÈYES, AND DUCOS NAMED CONSULS.
Napoleon arrived in Paris at, for him, a happy moment, for the Directory was then as good as defunct. There was a feeling that a strong hand was needed to guide the affairs of the nation, and Generals Moreau and Jubert had already been offered the post of First Magistrate of the Republic, and each had declined the honour. When Napoleon landed, he was hailed as The Man, and his arrival was telegraphed to Paris, where it created an immense sensation.
On the day after his arrival, he had an interview with the Directors, to whom he explained the state of the army in Egypt, and told them, how, having heard of the disasters that had befallen their armies, he had returned home to help them; but, although he was offered his choice of commands, he would have none of them, and lived quietly at Paris. The Council of Five Hundred even gave him a public dinner51—but he was steadily working out the ends he had in view.
What that was, was evident to the English people, for his aim was shown very amusingly in a caricature by an unknown artist (November 1799). Napoleon, who, even then, is represented as crowned, appears as a crocodile, in jackboots and sword, squeezing the life out of two frogs, whilst the dismay of the others is most comically rendered: a bodyguard of crocodiles, in military uniform, back up their leader.
On November 9, he was made commandant of the forces in Paris, which prepared him for the explosion of the 18th Brumaire, year 8 (November 10, 1799). The expulsion of the Council is most graphically told in the ‘Times’ of November 18, eight days after the event, showing how slowly news travelled then. The scene must have been painted by an eye-witness, for it gives the whole previous debate—which at last turned on Napoleon’s appointment as commandant. It is so well told, I cannot help giving it in its entirety.
‘Grandmaison. “We are only offering crossing and contradicting propositions, without coming to any decision: I move that you begin by declaring the appointment of Buonaparte to be unconstitutional.”
‘ “Yes, yes,” was resounded from several parts of the Hall.
‘L. (ucien) Buonaparte quitted the Chair, which he gave up to Chazal, and said, “I entreat the Council calmly to reflect on the commotion that has manifested itself. It may not be needless to represent”—(Here he was interrupted by a loud voice, who said, “Do not attempt to amuse us”)—“I propose” (continued