The Prose Works of Sir Walter Scott, Bart: Life of Napoleon Buonaparte

French Revolution, was thought necessary; and the single volume, on a theme of such extent, soon swelled into two.

As the author composed under an anonymous title, he could neither seek nor expect information from those who had been actively engaged in the changeful scenes which he was attempting to record; nor was his object more ambitious than that of compressing and arranging such information as the ordinary authorities afforded. Circumstances, however, unconnected with the undertaking, induced him to lay aside an incognito,' any farther attempt to preserve which must have been considered as affectation; and since his having done so, he has been favoured with access to some valuable materials, most of which have now, for the first time, seen the light. For these he refers to the Appendix at the close of the Work, where the reader will find several articles of novelty and interest. Though not at liberty, in every case, to mention the

1 [This work was begun in the summer of 1825; the failure of the Author's booksellers, Messrs Constable and Co., which occurred in January, 1826, necessarily involved the disclosure of their private transactions with Sir Walter Scott; and he himself made the public confession of his being the sole writer of the Waverley Novels, at the first dinner of the Edinburgh Theatrical Fund Association, on the 23d of February, 1827.]

quarter from which his information has been derived, the Author has been careful not to rely upon any which did not come from sufficient authority. He has neither grubbed for anecdotes in the libels and private scandal of the time, nor has he solicited information from individuals who could not be impartial witnesses in the facts to which they gave evidence. Yet the various public documents and private information which he has received, have much enlarged his stock of materials, and increased the whole work to more than twice the size originally intended.

On the execution of his task, it becomes the Author to be silent. He is aware it must exhibit many faults; but he claims credit for having brought to the undertaking a mind disposed to do his subject as impartial justice as his judgment could supply. He will be found no enemy to the person of Napoleon. The term of hostility is ended when the battle has been won, and the foe exists no longer. His splendid personal qualities—his great military actions and political services to France -will not, it is hoped, be found depreciated in the narrative. Unhappily, the Author's task involved a duty of another kind, the discharge of which is due to France, to Britain,

to Europe, and to the world. If the general system of Napoleon has rested upon force or fraud, it is neither the greatness of his talents, nor the success of his undertakings, that ought to stifle the voice or dazzle the eyes of him who adventures to be his historian. The reasons, however, are carefully summed up where the Author has presumed to express a favourable or unfavourable opinion of the distinguished person of whom these volumes treat; so that each reader may judge of their validity for himself.

The name, by an original error of the press, which proceeded too far before it was discovered, has been printed with a u,-Buonaparte instead of Bonaparte. Both spellings were indifferently adopted in the family ; but Napoleon always used the last,' and had an unquestionable right to choose the orthography which he preferred.

EDINBURGH, 7th June, 1827.

1 [Barras, in his official account of the affair of the 13th Vendémiaire, (Oct. 5, 1795,) calls him General Buonaparte; and in the contract of marriage between Napoleon and Josephine, still existing in the registry of the second arrondissement of Paris, dated March 9, 1796, his signature is so written. No document has ever been produced, in which the word appears as Bonaparte, prior to Napoleon's appointment to the command of the Army of Italy.]

CONTENTS

OF VOLUME EIGHTH.

VIEW OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

CHAP. I. View of the State of Europe after the Peace of Ver-
sailles. Ancient System of the French Monarchy-Causes
of its Decay-The Nobles-The Church-The Com-
mons-Their increase in Importance,

CHAP. II.-State of France continued.-State of Pub-

lic Opinion.-Tendency of the French Literature.—

Anglomania. Share of France in the American War.-

Disposition of the Troops who returned from America,..

CHAP. III.-Proximate Cause of the Revolution.-De-

ranged State of the Finances.-System of Turgot and

Necker.-Necker displaced-Succeeded by Calonne.

-Assembly of the Notables.-Calonne dismissed.-

Archbishop of Sens Administrator of the Finances.-Bed

of Justice.-Resistance of the Parliament.-Vacillating

Policy. Royal Sitting.-Archbishop of Sens retires,

and is succeeded by Necker.-He resolves to convoke