132 Historical Particulars of Napoleon . [Dec. 1 ; 
became less murderous, but nearly as 
despicable, and equally as unjust: the 
revolt of the Sections was soon the 
proof of it. Danican commanded them; 
but he was not the man that was requi- 
site for citizens, who ■were not to be 
feared, and never will be, so long as 
there are troops of the line to oppose 
them. In this truth consists the 
strength of kings. 
Barras confided to me the defence 
of the Convention. In that defence I 
had either my head to lose, or my for¬ 
tune to make. I made my fortune and 
preserved my head. Ignorance and 
bad faith have judged the 13th Bru- 
maire; the following is the truth di¬ 
vested of artifice: 
I had to defend the Convention; 
the spirit of the Sections armed against 
it was faltering and irresolute. The 
slightest success might render them 
courage and energy. To alarm them 
at first sight was to gain the day; l 
threw terror on the steps of St. Roch, 
and all was dispersed. This movement 
was dictated by humanity and a sense 
of duty. If I had left the Sections to 
hem themselves in the cul-de-sac Dau¬ 
phin, I should have been constrained 
to pour in grape-shot among them, or 
leave them forcibly to carry away the 
members of the Convention. As Gene¬ 
ral I performed my duty; as a French¬ 
man, I spared my fellow citizens. 
Some days afterwards, I married 
Madame de Beauharnois. This mar¬ 
riage soon obtained for me the chief 
command of the army of Tfaly. 
Antiquity has, perhaps, nothing to be 
compared with the warlike feats of that 
memorable campaign. The courage 
and intrepidity of the French soldiers 
were carried to the highest degree to 
which human courage and intrepidity 
can go.’ I knew the French to be brave, 
but I did not imagine they were so 
eminently intrepid. Their history, 
although full of high deeds, had shown 
nothing to me in comparison with the 
passing the bridges of Lodi and of Ar¬ 
eola. I confess even that similar pas¬ 
sages ought very rarely to be attempted. 
There was more than boldness, there 
was rashness in the attempt. Had 
success not crowned the effort, it would 
have been inexcuseable. 
From this eminent intrepidity, re¬ 
cognised in the French soldier, may be 
dated the inconceivable boldness of my 
other exploits. It was proved to me 
that I might undertake every thing 
with such men. This conviction, I 
confess, enlarged my desires and my 
character. 
The victories of Areola and of Lodi, 
delivered to me 20,000 Polish prisoners 
who served in the Austrian army. I 
gave a proof of my knowledge of the 
human character, by suspecting them 
capable of serving me. I enrolled 
them under my banners, and it was 
one of thebest calculations I ever made; 
the services which they have since ren¬ 
dered me are the immortal proof of it. 
It was not precisely on the victories 
of Areola and Lodi that must be 
dated the intimate conviction which I 
had, of being one day able to become 
the arbiter of the destinies of France. 
I was yet no more than a soldier: 
and at this epoch a soldier who had 
only his sword for a weapon, weighed 
but very little in the balance of the 
Directors, veterans of the revolution, 
destroyed in their attempts to crush 
whoever gave the least umbrage to their 
ambition. I alone felt at that time, 
that it was necessary above all, to 
create protectors and friends in my 
favour, whose united assistance might 
overaAve the hatred and jealousy of the 
Directory. It was then that a part of 
the contributions levied on Italy, be¬ 
came of great assistance to me. With 
that I purchased creatures in all classes, 
and Avas soon in a state AAdiich enabled 
me no longer to crawl along step by 
step by the orders of the Directory. 
They began to perceive the little value 
I put upon the plans of campaigns which 
they traced out for me. It is true that 
this inclination of deviating from the 
orders emanating from the Directorial 
cabinet served marvellously the inte¬ 
rests of France. In the number of 
those instructions given to carry on the 
campaign, there were many of them 
which were sure guarantees of a defeat; 
tlie cabinet of Vienna could not have 
done more for its interest. The Abbe 
Sieyes has since assured me that a part 
of those instructions were gh r en me to 
ensure my defeat, and thereby put a 
term to my growing influence. 
The Directors alarmed by the rapid 
flight which I took, thought it was high 
time to occupy themselves as soon as 
possible in preparing my downfall. 
Many circumstances of my conduct in 
Italy seemed to furnish the materials for 
this purpose. 
I owe it to my own honour and to 
that of my Son, to enter here into some 
details; these details are besides essen¬ 
tially within the province of history. 
They 
