A Voice from St. Helena, 
may say; but J think that England, en- 
ecumbered with a national: debt; whieh 
will take forty years of peace and com- 
meree to pay off, may be:compared to, a, 
man who has: drunk large quantities of 
brandy to give him courageand strength; 
but afterwards, weakened by the stimu- 
has! which had imparted: energy, for the 
moment, he totters:and finally falls; his 
pewers entirely exhausted by the unna- 
tural means used to excite them.” 
1 BANA PRUSSIA. 
“ PT gave Hanover to the Prussians,” 
continued lie, ‘f on purpose to embroil 
them with you, produce a war, and shut 
you out from the continent. The King 
of Prassia was blockhead enough to be- 
Neve that he could keep Hanover, and 
still-remain at’ peace with you. He 
made war upon me afterwards, like a 
madman, indaced by the queen and 
prince Louis, with some other young 
men, who persuaded him that Prussia 
was strong enough, even without Russia. 
A’ few weeks convinced him of the con- 
trary.” 
DIFFERENT SOVEREIGNS. 
'Heenlogized theking of Saxony, who 
he said wasa truly good man; the king 
of Bavaria, a plain good man; the king 
of Wirtemberg, a man of considerable 
talent, but unprincipled and wicked. 
“* Alexander and the Jatter,” said he, 
‘*are the only sovereigns in Europe pos- 
sessed of talents.” 
JOSEPH BONAPARTE. 
Napoleon conversed about his brother 
Joseph, whom he described as being a 
most excellent character. ‘ His vir- 
tues and talents are those of a private 
character; and for such, nature intended 
him: he is too good to be a great man. 
He has no ambition. He is very like 
mé in person, but handsomer. He is 
extremely well informed, but his learn- 
ing is not that which is fitted for a king; 
nor is he capable of commanding an 
army.” 
id MOREAU. 
“Moreau,” said he,“ was an excel- 
lent general of division, but not. fit to 
command a large army.” ' 
" ). DESAIX AND KLEBER. y 
Of all the generals Lever had unde 
me, Desaix and Kleber possessed the 
greatest talents; especially Desaix, as 
Kleber only loved glory,inasmuch as it 
was the means of procuring him riches 
‘and pleasures; whereas Desaix loved 
‘glory for itself, and despised every thing 
else. Desaix was wholly wrapt up in 
war and glory. ‘To him riches and plea- 
sure were valueless, nor did he giye them 
Montuc_y Mas. No, 370, 
‘superior talent. 
641 
a moment's thought... He was. a little 
black-looking man, about an.inch shorter 
than Lam, always badly dressed, some- 
times, even sagged, and. despising com- 
fort or, convenience. ,, When in Egypt, 
I made him a) present of a complete 
field-equipage several, times, but he al- 
ways lostit. Wrapt.upin a cloak, De- 
saix threw himself under a gun, and 
slept as contenitedly, as if he were ina 
palace. For him luxury had no charms. 
Upright and honest in all his proceed- 
ings, he was called by the Arabs, the 
just sultan, He wasintended by nature 
for a great general... Kleber and Desaix 
were a lossirreparable to France. Had 
Kleber lived, your army in Egypt would 
have perished. Had that imbecile Me- 
nou attacked you on your landing with 
twenty thousand men, as he might have 
done, instead of the division Lanusse, 
your army would have been only a meal 
forthem. Your army was seventeen or 
eighteen thousand strong, without ca- 
valry.” Asked him if it were true that 
Desaix had, a little before his death, 
sent a message of the following’ purport 
to him. ‘‘ Tell the first consul, that I 
regret dying before I have done suffici- 
ent to make my name known to poste- 
rity.” Napoleon replied, ‘ it was true,” 
and accompanied it with some warm 
eulogiums on Desaix. 
LASNES. 
“ Lasnes, when [ first took him by 
the hand, was am ignorantaccio., His 
education had been much» neglected. 
However, he improved greatly; and to 
judge from the astonishing progress he 
made, he would have been a general of 
the first class. He had great experi- 
encein war. He had been in fifty-four 
pitched battles, and in three hundred 
combats of different:kinds. He was a 
man of uncommon bravery; cool.in the 
midst of fire; and possessed of a clear, 
penetrating eye, ready to take advantage 
. of any opportunity which might present. 
iiself. . Violent and hasty in his expres- 
sions, sometimes even in my présence, 
he wasardently attached to me. In the 
midst of his anger he would not suffer 
any person to join him in bis remarks. 
On that account, when be was in a cho- 
leric mood, it-was dangerous to speak to 
him, as he used to.come.to me in his 
rage, and say, that such and such per- 
sons were not to be trusted." As a gene- 
ral, he was greatly superior to Moreau, 
or to Soult.” 
#4 MASSENA, 
* Massena,” said he, “ was a man of 
He generally, how- 
ever, 
