oleon.
The continued gratification of the French vanity, by the fame of
victories and the conquest of nations, completed the effect on the
manner and habits of the people, which the events of the revolution had
begun. Napoleon well knew, that in flattering this ruling propensity, he
took the whole French nation on their weak side, and he had some reason
for saying, that their thirst for martial glory and political influence
ought to be a sufficient apology to them for all the wars into which he
plunged them.

It is impossible to spend even a few days in France without seeing
strong indications of the prevailing love of military occupations, and
admiration of military merit. The common peasants in the fields shew, by
their conversation, that they are deeply interested in the glory of the
French arms, and competent to discuss the manner in which they are
conducted. In the parts of the country which had been the seat of war,
we found them always able to give a good general description of the
military events that had taken place; and when due allowance was made
for their invariable exaggeration of the number of the allied troops,
and concealment of that of the French, these accounts, as far as we
could judge by comparing them with the official details, and with the
information of officers who had borne a part in the campaign, were
tolerably correct. The fluency with which they talked of military
operations, of occupying positions, cutting off retreats, defiling over
bridges, debouching from woods, advancing and retreating, marching and
bivouacking, shewed the habitual current of their thoughts; and they
were always more willing to enter on the details of such operations,
than to enumerate their own losses, or dwell on their individual
sufferings.

A similar eagerness to enter into conversation on military subjects, was
observable in almost all Frenchmen of the lower orders, with whom we had
any dealings. Our landlord at Paris, a quiet sickly man, who had no
connection with the army, and who had little to say for himself on most
subjects, displayed a marvellous fluency on military tactics; and seemed
to think that no time was lost which was employed in haranguing to us on
the glory and honour of the French army, and impressing on our minds its
superiority to the allies.

Indeed, the whole French nation certainly take a pride in the deeds of
their brethren in arms, which absorbs almost all other feelings; and
which is the