English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I. Volume 1 (of 2) — A Closer Reading

HAPTER I. PAGE BIRTH AND GENEALOGY--HIS OWN ACCOUNT--MAJORCAN OR GREEK EXTRACTION--ENGLISH BIOGRAPHIES 1

DESCENT FROM THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK--ANAGRAMS, ETC., ON HIS NAME--THE BEAST OF THE APOCALYPSE--HIS MOTHER’S ACCOUNT OF HIS BIRTH 7

COUNT MARBŒUF, HIS PUTATIVE FATHER--POVERTY OF THE BONAPARTE FAMILY--EARLY PERSONAL DESCRIPTION OF NAPOLEON--HIS OWN ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF--SATIRISTS’ NARRATION OF HIS SCHOOL-DAYS 15

NAPOLEON AT THE ÉCOLE MILITAIRE--PERSONAL DESCRIPTION--_PUSS IN BOOTS_--VISIT TO CORSICA--SOLICITS SERVICE IN ENGLAND-- REPORTED VISIT TO LONDON--SIEGE OF TOULON 22

NAPOLEON’S PROMOTION--HIS POVERTY--JUNOT’S KINDNESS--REVOLT OF THE SECTIONS--NAPOLEON’S SHARE THEREIN--MADE GENERAL OF THE INTERIOR--INTRODUCTION TO JOSEPHINE--SKETCH OF HER LIFE 29

JOSEPHINE’S DRESS AND PERSONAL APPEARANCE--HER REPUTED CONNECTION WITH BARRAS--MARRIAGE WITH NAPOLEON--HER TASTES AND DISPOSITION 36

NAPOLEON MADE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMY OF ITALY--HIS SHORT HONEYMOON--HIS FIRST VICTORY--STATE OF THE FRENCH ARMY--THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN--FRENCH DESCENT ON IRELAND--ITS RESULT-- STATE OF ENGLAND 43

NAPOLEON DESPOILS ITALY OF HER WORKS OF ART--THE SIEGE OF MANTUA --WÜRMSER’S SURRENDER--EARLIEST ENGLISH CARICATURE OF NAPOLEON --INVASION OF ENGLAND--LANDING IN PEMBROKESHIRE--NELSON’S RECEIPT TO MAKE AN OLLA PODRIDA--‘THE ARMY OF ENGLAND’ 48

CARICATURES ABOUT THE FRENCH INVASION--FOX’S FRENCH PROCLIVITIES --PATRIOTISM IN THE COUNTRY--EXPEDITION TO EGYPT--NELSON’S BLUNDERS--LANDING IN EGYPT--NAPOLEON AS A MAHOMETAN--HIS PROCLAMATIONS 54

CONDUCT OF FRENCH SOLDIERY--NAPOLEON’S HATRED OF ENGLAND--THE EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN--DESTRUCTION OF THE MAMELUKES--BATTLE OF THE NILE--TARDY NEWS THEREOF 64

RECEPTION OF THE NEWS OF THE BATTLE OF THE NILE--NELSON SENDS FRENCH ADMIRAL’S SWORD TO THE CITY OF LONDON--VARIOUS CARICATURES ON THE BATTLE--TYPICAL JOHN BULL 69

REVOLT AND MASSACRE AT CAIRO--CARICATURES OF THE CAPTURE OF FRENCH SHIPS--FIGHTING FOR THE DUNGHILL, ETC.--PRICE OF BREAD AND CONSOLS IN 1798 77

REPORTED ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE NAPOLEON--HIS AMOUR WITH MADAME FOURÉS--THE EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN--THE ‘SAVANTS’--CARICATURES ON THEM 82

TAKING OF JAFFA, AND MASSACRE OF SOLDIERS--DE BOURRIENNE’S ACCOUNT--NAPOLEON’S OWN VERSION 88

THE MASSACRE AT JAFFA, _continued_--ENGLISH EVIDENCE THEREON-- SIEGE OF ST. JEAN D’ACRE--CAPTURE OF NAPOLEON’S BATTERING TRAIN --FAILURE OF THE SIEGE, AND RETREAT TO JAFFA 95

RETREAT FROM JAFFA--POISONING OF FIVE HUNDRED SOLDIERS-- DIFFERENT ENGLISH AUTHORITIES THEREON--NAPOLEON’S OWN STORY, ALSO THOSE OF LAS CASES AND O’MEARA--RETREAT TO CAIRO 100

THE OLD RÉGIME AND THE REPUBLICANS--THE ‘INCROYABLES’--NAPOLEON LEAVES EGYPT--HIS REASONS FOR SO DOING--FEELING OF THE ARMY --ACCUSED OF TAKING WITH HIM THE MILITARY CHEST 109

NAPOLEON’S ARRIVAL IN PARIS--HIS POPULARITY--DISSOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF FIVE HUNDRED--GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENE-- NAPOLEON, SIÈYES, AND DUCOS NAMED CONSULS 117

NAPOLEON TAKES THE LEAD--SIÈYES AND DUCOS ARE DEPOSED-- CAMBACÉRÈS AND LEBRUN NAMED SECOND AND THIRD CONSULS-- NAPOLEON’S LETTER TO GEORGE THE THIRD--REPLY TO SAME 123

BATTLE OF MARENGO--DEATH OF DESAIX--SAID TO HAVE BEEN ASSASSINATED--NAPOLEON’S LOVE FOR HIM--SOUP KITCHENS AT PARIS --LAVISH EXPENDITURE OF NAPOLEON’S GENERALS 129

PLOTS AGAINST NAPOLEON’S LIFE--THAT OF OCTOBER 10, 1800--THAT OF DECEMBER 24, 1800--NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED AND INJURED-- NAPOLEON’S PORTRAIT 136

GENERAL FAST--ADULTERATION, AND COMPULSORY SALE OF STALE BREAD --WAR IN EGYPT--THE BOULOGNE FLOTILLA--NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE--RATIFICATION OF PRELIMINARIES--RECEPTION IN ENGLAND-- GENERAL REJOICINGS 141

THE PEACE OF AMIENS--CESSION OF TRINIDAD AND CEYLON-- INTERNATIONAL VISITS--FOX’S TRIP TO FRANCE, AND RECEPTION BY NAPOLEON 150

LORD WHITWORTH AS PLENIPOTENTIARY--HIS EQUIPAGE--ENGLISH VISIT PARIS--UNSETTLED FEELING--NAPOLEON BEHAVES RUDELY TO LORD WHITWORTH 160

GENERAL UNEASINESS--CARICATURES THEREON--ADDINGTON’S NEPOTISM --NAPOLEON’S DISCOURTESY TO LORD WHITWORTH--TRIAL OF JEAN PELTIER 168

THE _ULTIMATUM_--LORD WHITWORTH LEAVES PARIS--DECLARATION OF WAR--CARICATURES PREVIOUS THERETO--SURRENDER OF HANOVER 175

PATRIOTIC HANDBILLS 183

ATTEMPT AT MEDIATION BY RUSSIA--MARTIAL ENTHUSIASM IN ENGLAND-- ENROLMENT OF VOLUNTEERS--PATRIOTIC HANDBILLS AND SONGS 192

PATRIOTIC HANDBILLS, ETC. 199

INVASION SQUIBS, _continued_--BONAPARTE’S TEN COMMANDMENTS, ETC. 205

INVASION, _continued_--‘BRITONS, STRIKE HOME’--BONAPARTE’S WILL 213

INVASION SQUIBS, _continued_--‘BRITONS TO ARMS’--BRAGGADOCIO-- NAPOLEON’S EPITAPH 222

INVASION SQUIBS, _continued_--‘HARLEQUIN INVASION’--‘BOB ROUSEM’S EPISTLE’--NAPOLEON’S TOUR TO BELGIUM 232

INVASION SQUIBS, _continued_--THE BOTTLE CONJUROR--PIDCOCK’S MENAGERIE 244

INVASION SQUIBS AND CARICATURES, _continued_ 254

INVASION SQUIBS, _continued_--TALLEYRAND’S DISINCLINATION TO INVADE ENGLAND 266

INVASION SQUIBS--VOLUNTEERS 279

THE EXILE _Frontispiece_

ENGLISH CARICATURE AND SATIRE

BIRTH AND GENEALOGY--HIS OWN ACCOUNT--MAJORCAN OR GREEK EXTRACTION--ENGLISH BIOGRAPHIES.

Curiously enough, it has never been practically settled whence the ancestors of Napoleon Bonaparte came. He, himself, cared little for the pride of birth, and when, during his Consulate, they manufactured for him a genealogy descending from a line of kings, he laughed at it, and said that his patent of nobility dated from the battle of Montenotte.