Warden^ s Letters on NapoUon. 



609 



as It so often is, tcitli laurels: such a field 

 as that of Waterloo can hardly find ade- 

 quate (gratitude in the hearts of Ennlibh- 

 it»en." — To this observation Najjoleon 

 made no reply, nor did lie give an un« 

 pleasant look. — But he changed the 

 suhject. 



"Where," said he, "were you edu- 

 cated?" — I rejjlied, ♦'in Edinburgh." — 

 *'You have very eminent professors 

 there I know: I renieniher Doctor 



Br 



town's system was in repute durinj; my 

 first Italian campaign. I have read of 

 your other men of note, and I wish you 

 would call them to my recollection by re- 

 peating their names.'' — I accordingly 

 Mentioned Black in chemistry; Monro 

 ih anatomy and surgery, and Gregory in 

 pliysic; but, at the same time, I observed, 

 that, wtile I particularized these distin- 

 guished characters whose pupil I was; I 

 could name others of equal merit in the 

 different schools of the British empire. — 

 •'_I never knew," said Niipoleon, "but 

 Ane^hysician who was infallible in his 

 diagnostics. He was ceitain in his dis- 

 covery of the nature and seat of a dis- 

 ease: his name was Dubos ; but, strange 

 i6 siiy, he could not prescribe ; and con- 

 Sfequently would never undertake the 

 treatment or cure of a complaint whose 

 character his acumen could so accurately 

 penetrate." I observed, that he had 

 a very able surgeon with him in Egypt, 

 Aionsieur Lerry. — "Yes," he answered, 

 *• he was excellent in his field-arrange- 

 ments; but I have had men with me who, 

 ill scientific knowledge, were superior to 

 him." «'Mi. Percy," I said, "who 

 jViined you on the morning of the battle 

 of Austerlitz, had the reputation of su- 

 perior professional talents." — "Ah!" he 

 exclaimed, witli a glow on his coun- 

 tenance, *'how did you know thai?" " I 

 tiiust either have read of it in Lerry's 

 publication, or heard it mentioned hy 

 General Btrtrand."— He continued. 

 ; "It was my intention in France to 

 liave classed your profession into three 

 divisions. I iiavc always respected it: 

 his a science, and inort' than a science; 

 bec.iuse It requires a knowledge of se- 

 verii! : cheniistry, anatomy, botany, and 

 physic. — For the first cL-is--, I should have 

 selected the most emineiit of the pro- 

 fession." — "But how, general, would you 

 jpave discovered them ?" — " By their repu- 

 iaition, income, and the figure which they 

 made in the world." — ''But wuuld not 

 that plan be liable to objection? many 

 men of merit live in obscurity."— "Then 

 there let them remain," he said, '"whyt 

 tBlse arc they fie iuti If I were to chuse 



a surgeon from your fleet, should not I 

 take him from the Northumberland in 

 preference to the little brig?" — "There 

 general, you may also be mistaken."—^ 

 "No, no, no; a man of talent in everj^ 

 station and condition in life will discover 

 himself. Depend upon it I should be 

 safe, in a general sense, in adopting my 

 own plan. The first ranks should have 

 had some honorary marks of distinction, 

 exclusive of that respect in private life 

 wiiich their education will always com« 

 maud. The third class should be humble 

 in the extreme; nor would they have, 

 been permitted to administer any thing* 

 beyond the most inoffensive medicines.* 

 "Perhaps, sir," I remarked, "aftet^ 

 such an arranjiement, you might, a©*' 

 cording to our English custom, have sub* 

 mitttd future candidates to an examina- 

 tion.'' " Yes," lie replied, " that migKt"; 

 have been ri;:bt." ■ '^ 



"A physician," continued he, "np* 

 pears to me to resemble a general oflicef.' 

 He must be a man of observation anil' 

 discernment, with a penetrating eyeif 

 Possessed of these qualities, he will dis-* 

 cover the strength of the enemy's posia' 

 tion. Thus far. Doctor Dubos could go^^ 

 and no farther. A sagacious practitioner' 

 will just employ sufficient force to dis- 

 possess the enemy of his strong hold: a 

 force beyond that might injure the 

 citadel. Now, I think, if you carry 

 your mercury too far, you must do mis- 

 chief: so 1 say of the practice of Sai»^ 

 grado." — I then expressed to him my 

 surprize at the general good health which- 

 he had uniformly experienced during the 

 singular vicissitudes of his extraordinary 

 life. «'Yes," he said, "my health bai 

 been very good. When the Italian army 

 was encamped in the vicinity of swamps^ 

 many suffered by fever, while I hud not 

 any complaint ; as I observed tcmperanco 

 and a generally abatemious ballancing 

 between my appetite and the powers <ii 

 mv digestive organs. 1 had, at the same 

 time, exercise sufficient, both of tliebody 

 and the mind." — ''It was reported, 

 however, that you were very ill On your 

 return from P'gypt." — "I was very thin; 

 and at that time subject to a bad cnugli. 

 For my recovery I was indebted to Doc- 

 tor Corvibart, who blistered me twice on 

 the chest." 



BLtJNDEnS AT WATEIILOO. -i 



. Napoleon, it seems, was compietfeiy 

 ignoiaiit of the movement made froitf 

 Frasnes, by Count Erioii, (Drouel,) on 

 the IGtti. For, when he appeared near 

 Ligny, Napoleon actually deployed a co- 

 luiiiii of French to oppose liim. mistakine 



