Chapter I: Preface

This book is not intended to be a History of Napoleon the First, but simply to reproduce the bulk of the Caricatures and Satires published in England on our great enemy, with as much of history as may help to elucidate them.

The majority of the caricatures are humorous; others are silly, or spiteful--as will occasionally happen nowadays; and some are too coarse for reproduction--so that a careful selection has had to be made. Gillray and Rowlandson generally signed their names to the work of their hands; but, wherever a caricature occurs unsigned by the artist, I have attributed it, on the authority of the late Edward Hawkins, Esq., some time Keeper of the Prints at the British Museum, to whatever artist he has assigned it. I have personally inspected every engraving herein described, and the description is entirely my own.

Should there, by chance, be an occasional discrepancy as to a date, it has been occasioned by the inconceivable contradictions which occur in different histories and newspapers. To cite an instance: in three different books are given three different dates of Napoleon leaving Elba, and it was only by the knowledge that it occurred on a Sunday, and by consulting an almanac for the year 1815, that I was able absolutely to determine it.

The frontispiece is taken from a very rare print, and gives a novel view of Napoleon to us, who are always accustomed to see him represented in military uniform.

That my readers may find some instruction, mingled with the amusement I have provided for them, is the earnest wish of

JOHN ASHTON.

CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

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

CHAPTER II.

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

CHAPTER III.

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

CHAPTER IV.

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

CHAPTER V.

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

CHAPTER VI.

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

CHAPTER VII.

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

CHAPTER VIII.

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

CHAPTER IX.

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

CHAPTER X.

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

CHAPTER XI.

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

CHAPTER XII.

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

CHAPTER XIII.

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

CHAPTER XIV.

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

CHAPTER XV.

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

CHAPTER XVI.

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

CHAPTER XVII.

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

CHAPTER XVIII.

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

CHAPTER XIX.

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

CHAPTER XX.

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

CHAPTER XXI.

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

CHAPTER XXII.

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

CHAPTER XXIII.

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

CHAPTER XXIV.

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

CHAPTER XXV.

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

CHAPTER XXVI.

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

CHAPTER XXVII.

PATRIOTIC HANDBILLS 183

CHAPTER XXVIII.

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

CHAPTER XXIX.

PATRIOTIC HANDBILLS, ETC. 199

CHAPTER XXX.

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

CHAPTER XXXI.

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

CHAPTER XXXII.

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

CHAPTER XXXIII.

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

CHAPTER XXXIV.

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

CHAPTER XXXV.

INVASION SQUIBS AND CARICATURES, _continued_ 254

CHAPTER XXXVI.

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

CHAPTER XXXVII.

INVASION SQUIBS--VOLUNTEERS 279

THE EXILE _Frontispiece_

ENGLISH CARICATURE AND SATIRE

ON

NAPOLEON THE FIRST.