Corsican revolution.

Born amid convulsions.

sica, though an insignificant island in the midst of the Mediterranean sea, happened at the time to be the theater of a bloody strife. The French had invaded the island to subdue the Corsicans and to make it a French province. It was the scene of wild disorder. Families were broken up and scattered. His mother was at the time following her husband in the camp. Her womanly and tender spirit was disturbed by all those passions which the dangers of conflict must arouse. With him she fled to the wild retreats of the mountains, and shared in the alternate hopes and fears which the varying fortunes of their party inspired. But two months previous to his birth the Corsicans were beaten, and the dominion of the island passed into the hands of the French. Thus at the very dawn of existence Napoleon was nursed from a bosom convulsed by the wild disorders of the times -the privations of the camp-the dangers of the battle-field-and all the horrors of a most sanguinary struggle. He was born with the sounds of war ringing in his ears; and though in infancy he could neither know nor appreciate the state of affairs, yet he doubtless inherited the feelings which at the time inspired the mother; and the conversations and tales of heroic daring to which the conflict gave rise, were repeated to him and gave bias to his opening mind. We are told that he always listened with the greatest

Mother of Napoleon.

Mother of Washington.

Scenery of Corsica.

eagerness, in the most tender years, to the stories about General Paoli, and to those heroic incidents with which the accounts of the revolution abounded. The mother, as she had shared in these scenes, was fond of relating them to her boy, and was thus unconsciously fostering in his young soul a taste for arms and conflict. The character and future conduct of the man, is greatly affected by the influence which the mother exerts during the first few years of life. If the mother possesses a strong mind, with marked characteristics, we almost invariably find them impressed upon the spirit of the child, as the seal leaves its impress upon the wax. The mother of Washington was eminent for her moral virtues and her deep-toned piety, and the man, amid the temptations of early life, the vicissitudes of the camp, and the cares of state, was steady to the teachings of his youth;

"Nor constant more the needle to the pole."

Napoleon was true to his lessons; and we find him in danger always brave, and in times of trouble always heroic, pursuing with an eastern devotion the love of glory which his mother's lips had inspired. The island of Corsica is filled with scenery the most wild and romantic. In the midst of this,

Napoleon passed his youth.

To a mind cold and

Influence.

Quiet retreat.

Pale, thoughtful boy.

unappreciative, dumb and unthinking, scenery can have few attractions, and over such a mind can exert but little influence. But a soul alive to the tones of nature's many-stringed harp, a soul that is stirred by the echoes of caverns, the voices of the winds, the roar of ocean and the stillness of the wood, is greatly moved by sublime scenery. Such a mind had Napoleon. From his earliest years he was reserved and contemplative, delighting in solitary walks and silent musings. A seat by the overhanging rock was more congenial to his tastes than youthful sports with a band of noisy companions. Alone he wandered upon the breast of the rugged mountain, and through the deep ravine; he sought the foaming cataract and the rocky cavern; he stood by the sea and mused on its lonely shore. There was, near his mother's house, a quiet retreat embowered in trees, in which he particularly delighted to pass his time. Here he spent many of the hours of boyhood, in silent meditation, or in reading, which at this early period was his chief delight. Even now, when a stranger visits the island, this spot is pointed out to him, and he can imagine the pale, thoughtful boy pursuing his meditations as of

yore.

Napoleon's first efforts at mental improvement were made in reading history. The aged and ven

Thrilling adventures.

General Paoli.

erable Paoli, the general-in-chief of the Corsicans, whose fortunes the father of Napoleon had followed, was accustomed often to visit the family, and our young hero was never tired of hearing from the lips of him who had been a chief actor in the scene, the accounts of those thrilling adventures with which that fierce struggle abounded. In these early years his spirit was fired with enthusiasm for deeds of noble daring, and often his feelings became so much excited that he would break forth in those short, impassioned sentences, for which in after years his addresses to his soldiers were remarkable. Such was the depth and penetration which was sometimes evinced by his remarks, that Paoli was filled with admiration at the sagacity which he displayed, and treated him more as a companion than as a child. He soon became familiar with all the history of the island, the claims of the contending parties, and the character of the leading men. Later in life, when he was about closing his studies at the military school at Paris, he prepared a history of Corsica, which he was on the point of publishing, when the opening scenes of the French Revolution called on him to lay aside the pen and take the sword. Thus perhaps fortune made him a warrior, rather than an author.

Akin to the stories which he heard of the Corsican

Taste for reading.

How acquired.

Count Marbœuf.

revolution, were the accounts of the fortunes of other nations which he found in history and biography. His passion for hearing stories from the lips of his friends, was transferred to searching for stories in the records of the past; and thus early in life was established a taste for reading which was the foundation of his future fortunate career. His appetite was fed by his daily acquisitions. He devoured books, such was his eagerness to know their contents. The surprising amount of knowledge which he had early in life obtained, and the habits of reflection and studiousness which he thereby acquired, were the means, as we shall soon see, of his promotion.

After the island had come into the hands of the French, governors were sent from France to preside over its political affairs. Among them was Count Marbœuf, who became intimate in the family of the Bonapartes. The thoughtful and studious air of Napoleon attracted his attention. His conversation seemed to be that of a person much beyond his years. He was surprised at the extent of his acquirements. He became convinced of the strong natural abilities and studious habits of this strange boy. He accordingly recommended him for promotion to one of the national schools.

There were at this time twelve provincial military schools in France, which were annually supplied by