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begin to understand those anxious British mothers who used
to drive their children to bed with the threat that ‘‘Bonaparte；
who ate little boys and girls for breakfast； would come and get
them if they were not very good。'' And yet； having said these
many unpleasant things about this strange tyrant； who looked
after every other department of his army with the utmost care；
but neglected the medical service； and who ruined his uniforms
with Eau de Cologne because he could not stand the smell of
his poor sweating soldiers； having said all these unpleasant
things and being fully prepared to add many more； I must
confess to a certain lurking feeling of doubt。
Here I am sitting at a comfortable table loaded heavily
with books； with one eye on my typewriter and the other on
Licorice the cat； who has a great fondness for carbon paper；
and I am telling you that the Emperor Napoleon was a most
contemptible person。 But should I happen to look out of
the window； down upon Seventh Avenue； and should the endless
procession of trucks and carts come to a sudden halt； and
should I hear the sound of the heavy drums and see the little
man on his white horse in his old and much…worn green uniform；
then I don't know； but I am afraid that I would leave
my books and the kitten and my home and everything else to
follow him wherever he cared to lead。 My own grandfather
did this and Heaven knows he was not born to be a hero。
Millions of other people's grandfathers did it。 They received
no reward； but they expected none。 They cheerfully
gave legs and arms and lives to serve this foreigner； who took
them a thousand miles away from their homes and marched
them into a barrage of Russian or English or Spanish or
Italian or Austrian cannon and stared quietly into space while
they were rolling in the agony of death。
If you ask me for an explanation； I must answer that I
have none。 I can only guess at one of the reasons。 Napoleon
was the greatest of actors and the whole European continent
was his stage。 At all times and under all circumstances
he knew the precise attitude that would impress the spectators
most and he understood what words would make the deepest
impression。 Whether he spoke in the Egyptian desert； before
the backdrop of the Sphinx and the pyramids； or addressed
his shivering men on the dew…soaked plains of Italy； made no
difference。 At all times he was master of the situation。 Even
at the end； an exile on a little rock in the middle of the Atlantic；
a sick man at the mercy of a dull and intolerable British governor；
he held the centre of the stage。
After the defeat of Waterloo； no one outside of a few
trusted friends ever saw the great Emperor。 The people of
Europe knew that he was living on the island of St。 Helena
they knew that a British garrison guarded him day and night
they knew that the British fleet guarded the garrison which
guarded the Emperor on his farm at Longwood。 But he was
never out of the mind of either friend or enemy。 When illness
and despair had at last taken him away； his silent eyes continued
to haunt the world。 Even to…day he is as much of a force
in the life of France as a hundred years ago when people
fainted at the mere sight of this sallow…faced man who stabled
his horses in the holiest temples of the Russian Kremlin； and
who treated the Pope and the mighty ones of this earth as if
they were his lackeys。
To give you a mere outline of his life would demand
couple of volumes。 To tell you of his great political reform
of the French state； of his new codes of laws which were
adopted in most European countries； of his activities in every
field of public activity； would take thousands of pages。 But
I can explain in a few words why he was so successful during
the first part of his career and why he failed during the last
ten years。 From the year 1789 until the year 1804； Napoleon
was the great leader of the French revolution。 He was not
merely fighting for the glory of his own name。 He defeated
Austria and Italy and England and Russia because he； himself；
and his soldiers were the apostles of the new creed of
‘‘Liberty； Fraternity and Equality'' and were the enemies of
the courts while they were the friends of the people。
But in the year 1804； Napoleon made himself Hereditary
Emperor of the French and sent for Pope Pius VII to come
and crown him； even as Leo III； in the year 800 had crowned
that other great King of the Franks； Charlemagne； whose example
was constantly before Napoleon's eyes。
Once upon the throne； the old revolutionary chieftain became
an unsuccessful imitation of a Habsburg monarch。 He
forgot his spiritual Mother； the Political Club of the Jacobins。
He ceased to be the defender of the oppressed。 He became the
chief of all the oppressors and kept his shooting squads ready
to execute those who dared to oppose his imperial will。 No
one had shed a tear when in the year 1806 the sad remains of
the Holy Roman Empire were carted to the historical dustbin
and when the last relic of ancient Roman glory was destroyed
by the grandson of an Italian peasant。 But when the Napoleonic
armies had invaded Spain； had forced the Spaniards to
recognise a king whom they detested； had massacred the poor
Madrilenes who remained faithful to their old rulers； then
public opinion turned against the former hero of Marengo and
Austerlitz and a hundred other revolutionary battles。 Then
and only then； when Napoleon was no longer the hero of the
revolution but the personification of all the bad traits of the
Old Regime； was it possible for England to give direction to
the fast…spreading sentiment of hatred which was turning all
honest men into enemies of the French Emperor。
The English people from the very beginning had felt
deeply disgusted when their newspapers told them the gruesome
details of the Terror。 They had staged their own great
revolution （during the reign of Charles I） a century before。
It had been a very simple affair compared to the upheaval of
Paris。 In the eyes of the average Englishman a Jacobin was
a monster to be shot at sight and Napoleon was the Chief Devil。
The British fleet had blockaded France ever since the year
1798。 It had spoiled Napoleon's plan to invade India by way
of Egypt and had forced him to beat an ignominious retreat；
after his victories along the banks of the Nile。 And finally；
in the year 1805； England got the chance it had waited for so
long。
Near Cape Trafalgar on the southwestern coast of Spain；
Nelson annihilated the Napoleonic fleet； beyond a possible
chance of recovery。 From that moment on； the Emperor was
landlocked。 Even so； he would have been able to maintain
himself as the recognised ruler of the continent had he understood
the signs of the times and accepted the honourable peace
which the powers offered him。 But Napoleon had been blinded
by the blaze of his own glory。 He would recognise no equals。
He could tolerat