claret, by dipping his finger in the glass, and making him suck it. Sometimes he would daub the young Prince's face with gravy. The child would laugh heartily at seeing his father as much a child as he was himself, and only loved him the more for it. Children invariably love those who play with them. I recollect that once when Napoleon had daubed the young King's face, the child was highly amused, and asked the Emperor to do the same to Maman Quiou, for so he called his governess, Madame de Montesquiou.' Rowlandson's idea of the royal infant is given in a caricature (published April 14, 1811) called, 'Nursing the Spawn of a Tyrant, or Frenchmen Sick of the Brood.'1 Maria Louisa is aghast at her offspring, who, screaming, threatens her with a dagger. She thus pours out her woes: 'There's no condition sure, so curst as mine! Day and night to dandle such a dragon-the little angry cur snarls while it feeds; see how the blood is settled in its scarecrow face; what brutal mischief sits upon his brow. Rage and vengeance sparkle in his cheeks; the very spawn and spit of its tyrant father. Nay, now I look again, he is the very picture of his grandfather, the Devil!' This must have been pleasant for Napoleon to hear, which he evidently does, as he is but partially concealed behind a curtain. Some one (name unknown, August 20, 1811) has given us, 'The Deputeys apointed by the Legislative Body, doing Homage to the King of Rome in the Nursery at St. Cloud.' His gouvernante, Madame de Montesquiou, presents him to the Deputies, who kneel and kiss him, saying: 'Madam Governess-not one of us can behold without a most lively interest, that August Infant-on whom rest so many Destinies, and whose Age and Charming Qualities inspire the most tender sentiments in the French and sur 1 See next page. rounding Nations.' The lady replies: 'Monsieurs-I for the polite and flattering encomiums you are NURSING THE SPAWN OF A TYRANT, OR FRENCHMEN SICK OF THE BROOD. pleased to bestow on me-I thank you in the name of the young prince, whose Charms are inexpressible, and regret that he cannot add his personal sentiments to those which I entertain, to the Legislative Body.' In another portion of the picture the foul linen of the precious child is being washed and hung to dry. CHAPTER XLIX. A NAVAL ENGAGEMENT-NAPOLEON'S TOUR IN GERMANY-DECLARATION OF WAR WITH RUSSIA-ENTRY INTO WILNA-SMOLENSKO-BORODINO -ENTRY INTO MOSCOW-BURNING OF THE CITY-NAPOLEON'S RETREAT. THE next caricature requires some little explanation. We find in the 'Courier' of September 20, 1811, the following paragraph:-' Dover, September 19. Early this morning we heard a heavy firing on the opposite shore; it continued at times all the morning, and was very hot about one o'clock; the wind is to the southward, and eastward, which makes us hear very plain; no news has arrived as to the cause; by some it is conjectured that Buonaparte is at Boulogne, and by others, that the flotilla is out, and some of our cruisers firing at them. It still continues, though not so heavy as in the early part of the day.' Details did not arrive till the 22nd, and then the 'Courier' published an account of the naval engagement off Boulogne, on which the caricature is evidently grounded: 'The cause of the incessant firing on the French Coast, is now ascertained to be an engagement between the Naiad, 3 sloops, and a cutter, and 7 large French praams, each as large as a frigate, II gun brigs, and other small craft, 27 in all. The following letter gives an account of the engagement :-We took the Port Admiral in his praam, but afterwards ran off-However we took another, and brought her away-Buonaparte saw the engagement—he was in a boat with Marshall Ney.' All accounts, though they do not agree in the number of French vessels engaged, are singularly unanimous as to the presence of Napoleon and Ney. 'The first glorious exploit of the Invincible Flotilla. Devils among the Flats, or Boney getting into Hot Water (unknown artist, September 20, 1811), represents one of the Flotilla returning much damaged, and full of corpses, only the captain and a steersman alive on board. Napoleon, who is in another boat, is in a fearful rage, tries to get at him, and is restrained by one of his marshals (Ney)— who remarks, 'Ma foi, take care, your Majesty will be in hot water up to the chin'—from throwing himself into the boiling water. You scoundrel,' says he, 'how dare you run away when you were 27 to 5. I'll order the guns of the batteries to sink every one of you.' But the captain excuses himself, 'Eh bien, mais, mon Empereur, you tell us de Jack Anglais be men, mais, by Gar, we find dem Devils.' To which a man in Napoleon's boat replies, 'Very true Monsieur Ney, de devils Jack Bulls make hot water all over de Vorld.' The spirit of Nelson appears, like a comet in the sky, darting lightning at the Flotilla. The year 1812 was not fruitful in caricature of Napoleon. In May, accompanied by Maria Louisa, he visited the eastern part of France, met the King and Queen of Saxony at Freyburg, and entered Dresden in state. There he met the Emperor and Empress of Austria, the King of Prussia, and the Kings of Saxony, Naples, Würtemberg, Westphalia, and Bavaria, besides a heap of smaller potentates. The Emperor of Russia was not present; he had concluded an alliance with Sweden against France, an alliance which was afterwards, during this year, joined by Great Britain. In June, Napoleon visited Dantzig, and left it on the 11th. As a final measure, Count Lauriston was sent to Alexander, to see if the difference could be patched up, but the breach was made inevitable by the refusal of that monarch, or his ministers, to see him. This decided Napoleon, and, from his head-quarters at Wilkowisky, he issued the following proclamation: 'Soldiers! the second war of Poland has commenced. The first was terminated at Friedland and Tilsit. At Tilsit, Russia swore eternal alliance with France, and war against England. She has openly violated her oath; and refuses to render any explanation of her strange conduct, till the French eagles shall have repassed the Rhine, and, consequently, left their Allies at her discretion. Russia is impelled onward by fatality. Her destiny is about to be accomplished. Does she believe that we have degenerated? that we are no longer the soldiers of Austerlitz? She has placed us between dishonour and war: the choice cannot for a moment be doubtful. Let us march forward then, and, crossing the Niemen, carry the war into her territories! The second war of Poland will be to the French arms as glorious as the first; but our next peace must carry with it its own guarantee, and put an end to that arrogant influence which, for the last fifty years, Russia has exercised over the affairs of Europe.' In No. I of a series of caricatures on the Russian campaign, published in April 1813, and seemingly by G. Cruikshank, is represented, 'The Parting of Hector-Nap, and Andromache, or Russia threatened.' Napoleon's horse is waiting for him, the windows are crowded with ladies to see the departure. Napoleon is ecstatic at the sight of his little son, who is held aloft by Maria Louisa. The young King of Rome flourishes a sword, and says, 'I will kill the people, as my Papa does.' His mother wishes him to 'Kiss him, then, my dear! and he will bring you some of the naughty Russians to kill.' Napoleon bids 'Farewell! I go, I'll see, I'll conquer. On my return I'll greet our Son with a new Title. That's right, my boy, cause war to rage |