ftood as it were upon his head, and complained foon after of a weight at his ftomach, attended with a fickness, and à bitter taste in his mouth. Thus he had continued for fome days with a fever; and Mr. Arnold found him, on the 19th of September, 1772, feverish, languid, and very fick at times, with a difagreeable bitter taste in his mouth.

In this condition he remained till Thursday, the 26th of November, 1772; when, at four o'clock in the morning, he complained of unusual fickness; and during a violent effort to vomit, in which he thought himself almoft choaked, though he did not then know the cause of that sensation; he voided the crown-piece, above twenty months after the day on which he fwallowed it. The piece of money for the first two or three days was so black, that the inscription, or fcarcely the impreffion, was perceivable. It never recovered its brightnefs, but ftill appears exceedingly dif coloured. Mr. Capon became much better both in health and spirits than he had long been, and had not any thing of that disagreeable taste in his mouth which he formerly complained of. He died July 5, 1799, and the crown-piece; which was put in a frame, and remains now in the poffef fion of his widow, is the fubject of much curiofity among travellers and visitors.

Interefting Particulars of NAPOLEONE BONAPARTE, Firf Conful of France, being an authentic Account of his moft Remarkable Inclinations, Wonderful Exploits, and Aftonifhing Attainment of Confular Dignity.

THIS furprizing hero was born in the town of Ajaccio

in Corfica, August 15, 1769. He is the fon of Charles Bonaparte and Letitia Raniolini, a lady of extraordinary beauty, who, with two of her daughters, was taken prisoner, in 1797, by an English armed veffel, during their passage

from

UNIL

H.

NAPOLEONE BUONAPARTE,

EMPEROR of the FRENCH

From an Original Model in Wax in the Possesion & Harry Grant Esq American Consul for Scotland.

NAPOLEONE BONAPARTE.

45

from France to Corfica. The elder Bonaparte, who was also a native of Ajaccio, was bred to the civil law, at Rome, and took part with the celebrated Paoli, in the ever-memorable struggle made by a handful of brave islanders, against the tyrannical efforts of Louis XV. and the infamous. fchemes of his minister Choiseul. On this occafion he not only laid afide the gown, but carried a mufket as a private centinel, after which he was made a major. On the conqueft of the island, he wished to retire, with the gallant chieftain who had so nobly struggled for its independence; but he was prevented by his uncle, a canon, who exercifed a parental authority over him. In 1773, a deputation from the three eftates was fent to wait on the king of France; and, on this occafion, Charles Bonaparte was felected to represent the nobles. He was foon after promoted to the office of procuratore reale of Ajaccio, where his anceftors, fuppofed to have been originally from Tufcany, had been fettled nearly two hundred years. His family was numerous; he had feven children: four fons and three daughters. It was his good fortune, however, to be cherished by the French; and both he and his family lived in the greatest intimacy with M. de Marboeuf, the Governor, who, on the death of his friend, Charles Bonaparte, continued to patronize his family, and placed his fecond fon, Napoleone, (now First Conful of France) at the Ecole Militaire, or Military Academy of Brienne in Champagne, under the direction of the Fathers, called Minims; where he was inftructed in the rudiments of mathematics by Father Patrault, whose name has ever fince been mentioned by his pupil with esteem and respect.

Born with taftes and inclinations of a fingular kind, Bonaparte lived entirely fequeftered in the midst of a hundred and fifty scholars, who compofed the fchool. Sullen, and even auftere, he always feemed to be fhut up within himself, and took no part in the sports or amufements of VOL. I. No. I.

G

his

his companions; he only at times mingled with them to difplay the bluntness of his character; and he even made it a point with himself to brave the threats of his masters: and often repelled, with the greatest coolness, the blows of his fellow-fcholars, after having provoked them by the most fevere raillery and farcafms. The idea of dependance foon appeared to him to have fomething difgraceful in it; and from a child he poffeffed republican principles. His companions were one day representing to him all that the French Government had done for his country, (Corfica) "Yes," replied young Bonaparte, " but France has ravished from us. our liberty!" On another occafion, when his companions were joking him upon the fame fubject, he replied, with a tone of indignation, "I hope one day to be in a fituation to restore to my country its liberty."

Mathematics, fortification, and particularly history of every class, were the subjects of his conftant and affiduous study.-Entirely devoted to improvement, he found no pleafure but in folitude. He had, in the great court of the College, a little garden, in partnership with two of his companions; but he foon gained the whole of it from them by force; he furrounded it with strong pallisades, and secured the entrance against every intruder. Some trees, which he had planted himself, in a short time afforded him, by their foliage, a retreat quite to his mind. When any of the other scholars prefumed to intrude upon his retirement, he would dart forward, with the fury of a lion, to repel the affailants, without regard to their numbers. His.com. rades at laft fucceeded, by entreaties, in making him quit this folitude, and join in their sports; fuch as the Olympic. games of Greece, and the exercifes of the Circus at Rome. He was the conductor of the whole, and directed the combatants. Thefe fports became ferious battles; in which clubs and stones were the weapons of combat. Many wounds were the confequence; which at length obliged the

mafters