remiere, du chair a cannon."
After a battle, when he rode over the ground, he would smile, and say,
[26]"Ma foi, voyez une grande consommation." The day after the battle of
Prusse-Eylau, his valet thus describes his visit to the field of blood:
[27]"Il faisoit un froid glacial, des mourants respiroient encore; la
foule des cadavres et les cavites noiratres qui le sang des hommes avoit
laisse dans la neige faisoit un affreux contraste. L'etat Major etoit
peniblement affecte. L'Empereur seul contemplait froidement cette scene
de deuil et de sang. Je poussai mon cheval quelques pas devant le sien;
j'etois eurieux de l'observer dans un pareil moment. Vous eussiez dit
qu'il etoit alors detache de toutes les affections humaines, que tout ce
qui l'environnait n'existoit pour lui. Il parloit tranquillement des
evenemens de la veille. En passant devant une groupe des grenadiers
Russes massacres, le cheval d'un Aide-de-Camp avoit peur. Le Prince
l'appercevait: "Ce cheval, lui dit il, froidement, est un lache."

It cannot be doubted that such a man would sacrifice regiment after
regiment to obtain his purpose; we may indeed wonder, that when known to
possess such a heart, he was obeyed by his men: But a little thought, a
little reflection on the means he took to ingratiate himself with his
troops will remove this difficulty. Look also at his dispatches, his
proclamations, and orders; they appear the effusion of the father of a
family addressing his children: "Their country required the sacrifices,
which he deplored." All thought is at an end when they are thus attacked
on their weak side. At other times, the hope of plunder was held out to
them. The words, _glory, honour, their country, laurels, immortal
fame_--these words, fascinating to the ear of any people, are more
peculiarly so to the French. When conversing with an old French officer,
who had served under the Prince of Conde in the emigrant army, on this
subject, he made this remark: "Sir, you do not know the French;
assemble them together, and having pronounced the words _glory, honour
and your country_, point to the moon, and you will have an army ready to
undertake the enterprise." Napoleon was well aware of this weakness of
the French. He would ride through the ranks on the eve of a battle,
would recall their former victories to one body; make promises to a
second; joke with a third,--cold, distant, and forbidding at all other
times, he is described as affable in the ext