earth by this new Prometheus, of which Time, the great destroyer, can
neither exhaust the force nor terminate the duration. That is what I
wonder at most of all, for I often think about it; and it is that
which absolutely proves to me the divinity of Christ!'

"Here the Emperor's voice assumed a peculiar accent of ironical
melancholy and of profound sadness: 'Yes, our existence has shone with
all the splendour of the crown and sovereignty; and yours, Montholon,
Bertrand, reflected that splendour, as the dome of the Invalides,
gilded by us, reflects the rays of the sun. But reverses have come;
the gold is effaced little by little. The rain of misfortunes and
outrages with which we are deluged every day carries away the last
particles; we are only lead, gentlemen, and soon we shall be but dust.
Such is the destiny of great men; such is the near destiny of the
great Napoleon.

"'What an abyss between my profound misery and the eternal reign of
Christ, proclaimed, worshipped, beloved, adored, living throughout the
whole universe! Is that to die? Is it not rather to live?'"

A more beautiful panegyric on the divinity of Christ has never been
pronounced. The thrilling and convincing conclusions evolved from the
mind of a great reader, a great thinker--a man, in fact, who had
studied and knew the human side of life, and could describe it with
flawless accuracy--are a complete refutation of the opinions expressed
either from prejudice or personal and political motives. Napoleon
conversed about religion with other men in a critical way, not always
with orthodox reverence, but certainly with the conviction that he had
a thorough knowledge of every phase of the subject. Perhaps he derived
pleasure from showing that he did not accept the popular doctrine
unreservedly.

His unorthodox view of the Catholic religion is shown by the fact that
in 1797 he endeavoured to get Pius VI. to suppress the Inquisition
throughout Europe. The Pope, in his reply, addressing the General as
his "very dear son," urges him to abandon the idea and assures him
that the charges made against the Holy Office are false. He further
says that the Inquisition is not tyrannical, and that sooner than
remove the Holy Office he would part with a province. Napoleon for a
time gave way, and it was not until 1808 that he issued a decree
suppressing the institution in France and confiscating its property.
This incident is another proof of Napoleon's humane attitude