Kings and rulers > Life of Napoleon Bonaparte

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 13
suffered so much for their country,perished thus mis¬
erably by the order of its idol! !
On the 23d of August, 1799, Napoleon conferred
the command of the army on General Kleber, and
returned to Paris. During his absence in Egypt, it
is well known how much France missed his military
genius, and with what rapturous acclamations he was
hailed on his return.
Many weighty motives existed for effecting a
change at this critical period, which might have
operated upon the mind of Bonaparte, or any other
chief who had the good of bis country at heart. He
found its government enfeebled to the utmost impo¬
tence of childhood, the prey of perpetual caprice and
revolutions. He found it without an army, and
without the resources for procuring one. He found
all public spirit evaporated, and the people in a
state of civil war with each other. But, what was
most wounding to the becoming pride of a warrior,
he found all the conquests he had gained in Europe
nearly wrested from his country, and subject to the
severe requisitions of those armies be had discomfited.
Let us now mark the reverse: by a blow equally
illegal, but equally necessary, he boldly put himself
in possession of the supreme power, and in six months
he new-modelled the constitution, revived the national
credit, re-animated the public spirit, and from every
quarter concentrated the abilities of every man of
talent and courage ; subdued every civil insurrection,
and in six weeks, by gaining the battle of Marengo,
re-conquered all that had been lost. Never was a
campaign so well planned and so completely executed.
The year 1800 tecminated triumphantly for the
French arms in Italy. And having made peace with
Austria, Napoleon was now at liberty to bend his
undivided attention towards England; for whatever
might be his hopes of effecting an important blow
against this country, be knew the appearance might