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XXII. PAOLI AND NAPoleon.

GENERAL PAOLI, who had lived in England ever since the termination of that civil war 2 in which Charles Buonaparte served under his banner3, was cheered, when the great French Revolution first broke out, with the hope that liberty was about to be restored to Corsica. He came to

Paris, was received with applause as a tried friend of freedom, and appointed governor 10 of his native island", which for some time he ruled 12 wisely and happily. But as the revolution advanced 13, Paoli, like most other wise men, became satisfied 14 that license 15 was more likely 16 to be established 17 by its leaders 18, than law and rational liberty; and, avowing 19 his aversion to 20 the growing 21 principles 22 of Jacobinism 23, and the scenes 24 of tumult 25 and bloodshed 26 to which they gave rise 27, he was denounced 28 in the National Assembly 29 as the enemy of France. An expedition 30 was sent to deprive him of his government 31, under the command 32 of La Combe, Michel, and Salicetti, one of the Corsican deputies 33 to 34 the Convention 35; and Paoli called on 36 his countrymen to take 37 arms in his and their own defence.38

Buonaparte happened 39 at that time (1793) to have leave of absence 40 from his regiment, and to be11 in Corsica

1 Beendigung. 2 Bürgerkrieg, m.
wiedergeben. 7 Beifall.

5 durch.
10 Statthalter. 11 Geburtsinsel, f.

27

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29 Na

14 überzeugen. 15 Frechheit. 16 wahrscheinlich. "7einführen. 18 Führer. 19 offen gestehen. 20 Widerwille, m., gegen. 21 zunehmen. 22 Grundfab. 23 Jacobinismus, m. 24 Auftritt. 25 Tumult, m. (Gen.—es). 26 Blutvergießen. Veranlassung geben zu. 28 verschreien. tional Versammlung. 30 Kriegsheer, n. "Statthalterschaft. 32Oberbefehl. 33 Bevollmächtigt. 35 Convent, m. 36 auffordern. express by the Adverb gerade.

34 für.

67 ergreifen.
39
38 Vertheidigung.
40 Urlaub haben. sich befinden.

41

on

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a visit 43 to 44 his mother. He had fitted up 45 a little reading-room 46 at the top 47 of the house as the quietest part of it, and was spending his mornings in 48 study 49, and his evenings among his family and old acquaintances, when the arrival of the expedition threw the island into convulsion.50 Paoli, who knew him well, did all he could to enlist51 him in 52 his cause. 53 He used, among other flatteries 54, to clap 55 him on the back, and tell him he was "one of Plutarch's men.' But Napoleon had satisfied himself that Corsica was too small a country to maintain 56 independence57-that she must fall under the rule 58 either of France or England; and that her interests 59 would be best served 60 by adhering to 61 the former. He therefore resisted all Paoli's offers 62, and tendered 63 his sword to the service 64 of Salicetti. He was appointed 65 provisionally 66 to 67 the command 68 of a battalion 69 of national guards 70; and the first military service7 on 72 which he was employed 73 was the reduction 74 of a small fortress, called the Torre di Capitello, near Ajaccio. He took 75 it, but was soon besieged 76 in it, and he and his garrison77, after a gallant 78 defence, and living for some time on 79 horseflesh 80, were glad 81 to evacuate 82 the tower 83 and escape to the sea. The English government 85 now began to reinforce 86 Paoli; and the cause of the French party 87 seemed for the moment to be desperate.88 The Buonapartes were banished 89 from Corsica; and their mother

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44 bei. 45 einrichten.

zimmer, n. 47 unter dem Giebel. 48 mit.
sten erschüttern. 51 gewinnen. 52 für.
55 klopfen. 56

84

46 Lese

49 Studiren. 50 im Inner

53 Sache, f. 54 Schmeichelei. behaupten. 57 Unabhängigkeit. 58 Herrschaft. 59 Vortheil, m. 60 61 fördern. Anhänglichkeit an. 62 Antrag. 63 anbieten zu. 64 Dienst. 65 bestellen. 66 vorläufig. 67 zu. 68 Befehl. 69 Batallion, n. 70 Volksgarde, f. "Kriegsdienst. 72 für. 73 beschåftigen. 74 Eroberung. 75 einnehmen. 76 belagern. 77 Besaßung. 78 tapfer. von. 80 Pferde= fleisch, n. 81 froh. 82 räumen. 83 Thurm, m. 4 sich flüchten. 85 Re= gierung. 86 verstårken. 7 Partei, f. 88 hoffnungslos. verbannen!

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and sisters took refuge first at Nice 91, and afterwards at Marseilles, where for some time they suffered all the inconveniences 92 of exile 93 and poverty. Napoleon rejoined 94 his regiment. He had chosen France for 95 his country 996; and seems, in truth, to have preserved 97 little or no affection 98 for his native soil.99. Lockhart's Life of

Napoleon.

XXIII.

NAPOLEON AT TOULON.

BUONAPARTE's first military service occurred1 in the summer of 1793. The king of France had been put to death? on the 21st of January in that year; and in less than a month afterwards, the Convention had declared war against England. The murder3 of the king, alike imprudent and atrocious, had, in fact, united the princes of Europe against the revolutionary cause5; and within France itself, a strong reaction' took place. The people of Toulon, the

great port and arsenal of France on the Mediterranean, partook 10 these sentiments; and invited the English and Spanish fleets off 12 their coast to come to their assistance 13, and garrison 14 their city. The allied admirals took possession 15 accordingly of Toulon; and a motley 16 force 17 of English, Spaniards, and Neapolitans, prepared 18 to defend the place. In the harbour and roads 19, there were about twenty-five ships of the line 20, and the city contained immense naval and military stores 21 of every description 22,

91

95

Nizza. 92 Beschwerde.

90 Zuflucht with the Pronoun Possessive.
93 Verbannung. 94 sich wieder begeben zu. zu.
Zuneigung. Geburtsland, n.

wahren.

1

9

98

99

an. 10 theilen. "Ansicht.

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gråßlich. 8 Statt

3

Ermordung.

7 Rückwirkung. 12 vor. er kommt mir zu

13

say, fell into fallen in. 2 hinrichten. 5 say, the cause of the revolution. 6in. finden Hülfe he comes to my assistance. 14 Besaßung werfen in. 16 burt. 17 Mad)t. 18 Anstalten treffen. 19 Rhede, f., used in sing. say, stores (Vorråthe) for the navy, etc. 22Art, f.

20 Linienschiff, n.

21

15 Besiz.

so that the defection 23 of Toulon was regarded as a calamity 24 of the first order 25 by the revolutionary go

vernment.

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This event occurred in the midst of that period which has received the name of the reign of terror.26 The streets of Paris were streaming with 27 innocent blood. Robespierre was glutting 28 himself with murder. Fear and rage were the passions that divided mankind; and their struggles 30 produced31 on either side 32 the likeness 33 of some epidemic34 frenzy.35 Whatever else the government wanted, vigour to repel 36 aggressions 37 from without 38, was displayed 39 in abundance.40 Two armies 41 immediately marched upon Toulon; and after a series44 of actions45, in which the passes in the hills behind the town were forced 47, the place was at last invested 48 and a memorable 49 siege 50 commenced.

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It was conducted 51 with little skill 52, first by Cartaux, a vain coxcomb53, who had been a painter, and then by Doppet, an ex-physician 54 and a coward.55 To watch 56 and report 57 on 58 the proceedings 59 of these chiefs 60, there were present in the camp several representatives 61 of the people, as they were called,-persons holding 62 no military character or rank, but acting as honourable 63 spies for the government at Paris. The interference 64 of these personages on this, as on many other occasions, was productive of65 delays, blunders 67, and misfortunes; but the terror

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23 Abfall. 24 Unglück, n. say, of the highest signification Bedeutung. 26 Schreckensherrschaft. 27von. 28 überladen. 29 Wuth, f. 3o Kampf,m.

31

30

32

erzeugen. 2 say, on both sides. sinn. 36 zurücktreiben. 37 Anfall.

33 Bild, n.

38 außen.

auf.

34 ansteckend.
39 entfalten.
44 Reihe, f. 45
49 denkwürdig.

35 Wahn40 Fülle, f. Gefecht, n. 50 Bela

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46 Paß, m. 47 erstürmen. 48 einschließen.

54 Urzt

57 berichten. 58 über. 59 Ver=

gerung. 51 leiten. 52 Geschick, n. 53 Gect, m. (Gen.—en). außer Praxis. 55 55 Feigling. 56 wachen. fahren, sing. 60 Haupt, n. 61 Stellvertreter. 62 52 bekleiden. 63 ehren= werth. Einmischung. 65 verursachen. Verzögerung. Fehler, m.

64

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which their ready 68 access 69 to the despotic government inspired 70, was often, on the other hand, useful in stimulating 72 the exertions of the military." The younger Robespierre was one of the deputies at Toulon, and his name was enough to make his presence formidable.

Cartaux had not yet been superseded74 when Napoleon Buonaparte made his appearance75 at head quarters 76, with a commission77 to assume 78 the command of the artillery.79 It has been said that he owed 80 his appointment81 to the private 82 regard 83 of Salicetti; but the high testimonials 84 he had received from the Military Academy 85 were more likely 86 to have served him; nor is it possible to suppose that he had been so long in the regiment of La Fere without being appreciated 87 by some of his superiors.88 He had, besides, shortly before this time, excited attention by a pamphlet 89, called the "Supper of Beaucaire," in which the politics of the Jacobin party were spiritedly 90 supported; and of which he was afterwards so ashamed 91, that he took great pains 92 to suppress it. However this may have been, he was received almost with insolence 93 by Cartaux, who, strutting about 94 in a uniform 95 covered with gold lace 96, told him his assistance was not wanted 97, but he was welcome to partake 98 in his glory.

The commandant 99 of the artillery, on examining 100 the state of affairs 101, found much to complain of. They were still disputing which extremity 102 of the town should be the chief object 103 of attack, though at the one there were two

80

68 schnell. 69 Zutritt. 7o einfldßen. 71 andrerseits.
73 Militår, n. 74 abrufen. 75 erscheinen.
77 Auftrag. 78 übernehmen. 79 Geschüß, n.
62 persönlich. 83 Achtung. 84 Zeugniß, n.
is more likely, served. 87 würdigen.

72 anspornen.

76 im Hauptquartier. verdanken. 81 Bestallung. 85 Schule. 86 say, have, as 88 Vorgeseht. 89 Flugschrift.

90 geistvoll. 91 sich schåmen, with Gen. 92 sich Mühe geben. 93 Ueber= muth, m. 94 umher stolziren. 95 Uniform, f. plural. 97 brauchen. 98 Theil nehmen an. tersuchen. Ding, n. (pl.—e). 102 Ende, n.

101

99

100

96 Borte, f., take the Befehlshaber. un= 130 Hauptziel, n.

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