File:Bonaparte and the consulate (1908) (14592319849).jpg

Identifier: bonaparteconsula00thib (find matches)
Title: Bonaparte and the consulate
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Thibaudeau, Antoine-Claire, comte, 1765-1854 Fortescue, George Knottesford, 1847-1912 Thibaudeau, Antoine-Claire, comte, 1765-1854
Subjects: Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 France -- History Consulate and First Empire, 1799-1815
Publisher: London : Methuen
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ts and republicans, nobles and menof the middle classes, all mixed together and received on a foot-ing of perfect equality. To each guest the First Consul wouldsay a few words, in the course of which some would speak tohim of their private concerns, while the more adroit seized theopportunity to express their respect or admiration. After seeing the First Consul the guests passed on to paytheir respects to Madame Bonaparte. Many great ladies from all the countries of Europe werepresented to her, such as Mesdames Dorset, Gordon, Newcastle,Cholmondelcy, Zamoiska, Potocka, Castcl-Forte, Dolgorukov,Galitzin, etc. On Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday, there were dinners,to which twelve to fifteen guests were invited, followed by areception by Madame Bonaparte. These parties, at first thinly attended, became more andmore thronged. Card tables were introduced, and the FirstConsul himself often joined in a game. There was less freedomand more etiquette at Saint Cloud than at Malmaison ; the former
Text Appearing After Image:
BONAPARTE AND HIS COURT 9 was not taken as a mere summer residence, for the First Consultook up his residence there in the autumn of 1801, and did notreturn to Paris until the 15 Pluviôse (4th February 1802).One of his objects, no doubt, was to be less in view of the wholeworld, and more difficult of approach. He may even havedesired to give some little trouble to those whose duty or whoseservice made it necessary for them to see him. Power imposedits element of charlatanry even on so great a man as Bonaparte.Little by little his surroundings became a copy of Versailles, acopy, in fact, of all Courts. Nothing caused so much annoyance to the greater part ofthose who came to see him as the I\Iass which preceded theaudience. Many of those who came to Saint Cloud had beenamong the most active persecutors of priests and bitterest enemiesof any sort of religious services ; many others had forgotten allabout such things, and did not know what to do. In reality, this Mass was a simple piece

Note About Images