登陆注册
5145800000014

第14章 ITALY--MILAN--VIENNA--VENICE(2)

The Sardinian king was crushed, and the army found itself in possession of food, drink, and clothes to a surfeit. Bonaparte's pride at his success was great but not over-weening.

"Soldiers!" he cried, "you have done well. So have I. Hannibal crossed the Alps. We didn't; but we got here just the same. You have provided yourselves with food and clothes, and declared a dividend for the Treasury of France which will enable the Directory to buy itself a new hat through which to address the people. You have reason to be proud of yourselves. Pat yourselves on your backs with my compliments, but remember one thing. Our tickets are to Milan, and no stop-overs are allowed. Therefore, do not as yet relax your efforts. Milan is an imperial city. The guide-books tell us that its cathedral is a beauty, the place is full of pictures, and the opera-house finished in 1779 is the largest in the world. It can be done in two days, and the hotels are good. Can you, therefore, sleep here?""No, no!" cried the army.

"Then," cried Napoleon, tightening his reins and lifting his horse on to its hind-legs and holding his sword aloft, "A Milan!""How like a statue he looks," said Lannes, admiringly.

"Yes," replied Augereau, "you'd think he was solid brass."The Austrian troops were now concentrated behind the Po, but Napoleon soon outgeneralled their leaders, drove them back to the Adda, and himself pushed on to the Bridge of Lodi, which connected the east and west branches of that river.

"When I set out for the P. O. P. E.," said Napoleon, "I'm not going to stop halfway and turn back at the P. O. We've got the Austrians over the Adda, and that's just where we want them. I had a dream once about the Bridge of Lodi, and it's coming true now or never.

We'll take a few of our long divisions, cross the Adda, and subtract a few fractions of the remainder now left the Austrians. This will destroy their enthusiasm, and Milan will be ours."The words were prophetic, for on the 10th of May the French did precisely what their commander had said they would do, and on the fourteenth day of May the victorious French entered Milan, the wealthy capital of Lombardy.

"Curious fact," said Napoleon. "In times of peace if a man needs a tonic you give him iron, and it builds him up; but in war if you give the troops iron it bowls 'em down. Look at those Austrians; they've got nervous prostration of the worst sort.""They got too much iron," said Lannes.

"Too much tonic is worse than none. A man can stand ten or twenty grains of iron, but forty pounds is rather upsetting.""True," acquiesced Napoleon. "Well, it was a great fight, and I have only one regret. I do wish you'd had a Kodak to take a few snap-shots of me at that Bridge of Lodi. I'd like to send some home to the family. It would have reminded brother Joseph of old times to see me dashing over that bridge, prodding its planks with my heels until it fairly creaked with pain. It would have made a good frontispiece for Bourrienne's book too. And now, my dear Lannes, what shall we do with ourselves for the next five days? Get out your Baedecker and let us see this imperial city of the Lombards.""There's one matter we must arrange first," said Augereau; "we haven't any stable accommodations to speak of.""What's the matter with the stalls at the opera-house?" suggested Napoleon. "As I told the troops the other day, it's the biggest theatre in the world. You ought to be able to stable the horses there and lodge the men in the boxes.""The horses would look well sitting in orchestra chairs, wouldn't they?" said Augereau. "It's not feasible. As for the boxes, they're mostly held by subscribers.""Then stable them in the picture-galleries," said the general. "It will be good discipline.""The people will call that sacrilege," returned Augereau.

"Not if we remove the pictures," said Bonaparte. "We'll send the pictures to Paris."Accordingly this was done, and the galleries of France were thereby much enriched. We mention these details at length, because Napoleon has been severely criticised for thus impoverishing Italy, as well as for his so-called contempt of art--a criticism which, in the face of this accurate version, must fall to the ground. The pictures were sent by him to Paris merely to preserve them, and, as he himself said, a propos of the famous Da Vinci, beneath which horses and men alike were quartered: "I'd have sent that too, but to do it I'd have had to send the whole chapel or scrape the picture off the wall.

These Italians should rather thank than condemn me for leaving it where it was. Mine was not an army of destruction, but a Salvation Army of the highest type.""You made mighty few converts for a Salvation Army," said Talleyrand, to whom this remark was addressed.

同类推荐
  • 大沙门百一羯磨法

    大沙门百一羯磨法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 语资

    语资

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 犍稚梵赞

    犍稚梵赞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 如意轮陀罗尼经

    如意轮陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 白喉条辨

    白喉条辨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 金刚秘密善门陀罗尼经

    金刚秘密善门陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 斩天

    斩天

    东方安乃是岚武大陆红叶城城主东方啸林的第三个孩子,自小体弱多病,无法修炼武道。在一次外出散心的过程中,东方安不慎失足坠下山崖,待他醒过来后,发现自己躺在一个山洞之中,身上也没有任何伤痕。随后,他看到了一名麻衣老者出现自他的面前。一番交谈之后,东方安终于明白发生了什么。这名老者乃是天道盟太上长老天云子,他在追捕以为名叫无相老祖的初级武帝的过程中,发现了挂在树上奄奄一息的东方安。天运子在救下东方安之后,发现东方安乃是难得一见的纯阳体质。随后,天运子将无相老祖的灵魂以太古纯阳大阵封印在东方安体内。
  • 精灵之伊布传说

    精灵之伊布传说

    带着可以八种形态转化的伊布,阿布表示无论你出什么,他都有克制你的精灵。书友群:557281857
  • 现代乖女古代疯

    现代乖女古代疯

    穿越不是她自愿的,一切只是意外。在妓院混吃混喝也不是她愿意的,一切只是无奈。(总不能饿死在古代吧!)回到现代的家是她的愿望,没想到如此容易的回去了,可是……为什么她又回古代了!真是剪不断理还乱啊~情节虚构,切勿模仿。
  • 慈悲客栈:最催人泪下的前世今生

    慈悲客栈:最催人泪下的前世今生

    三界轮回的死角,是一处客栈,这世上心有慈悲的人,在最悲痛的时候,便可见到,这里的客人,可以以命换命真真切切的回到过去,弥补当年的遗憾。女主角林素身为华夏的长乐公主,为了换取救治瘟疫的药品,同意为魏国国君弹一首琴曲。岂料魏国准备的古琴上绷着吹毛可断的琴弦,林素问喝下魏国国君给她的忘忧酒,忍痛弹完一曲之后便昏了过去。醒来时便已来到了慈悲客栈,并且完全忘记了自己喜欢的那个人。她得到了经营慈悲客栈的资格,每天听着过客们以命换命的故事,并等待着某个人来接她走。
  • 刁蛮小姐惹上嚣张拽少

    刁蛮小姐惹上嚣张拽少

    “喂!你干嘛这么嚣张?你拽什么拽呀!别以为你是这儿的校草就不得了了!别以为你是学生会会长我就是怕了你了!本小姐告诉你!我南宫灵惹上你了!”这是嚣张小姐的强势宣誓,也彻底的惹火了腹黑冷酷校草,且看这对冤家如何斗智斗勇,爆笑上演女追男的故事!
  • 无尽大魔王

    无尽大魔王

    【精华简介】无尽维度的空间里,我就是至高无上的大魔王!【话唠简介】白钧成了魔王,干扰队友完成任务是他提升实力的唯一途径。在第N次破坏线索被队友围起来的时候,白钧皱着眉头,做出沉思状,片刻后毅然决然的骂道:“都赖这个坑比死亡空间,没让我吃饱饭!”死亡空间:“???”【书友群:670829793,欢迎各位大佬莅临~】
  • 听雪洗剑录

    听雪洗剑录

    加入天下第一剑派=平步青云+荣华富贵?夜雨发现,根本不是这样的QAQ麻烦越来越多,痛苦更是越来越多。好在,朋友也是越来越多。世道风云变幻,有人举火待东风,有人高处不胜寒。雪落百丈崖,执剑沧海行!
  • 雄鹰精神

    雄鹰精神

    一部职场生存与发展的启示录;一部团队竞争力与执行力的提升宝典。充满传奇色彩的鸟中之神——雄鹰,天空当之无愧的霸主,智慧、雄健、坚韧、傲视群雄的象征。拥有雄鹰的优秀品质和职业精神面对社会,拥有雄鹰的良好心态和强健体魄搏击人生。
  • 都市无敌医圣系统

    都市无敌医圣系统

    他,医术超群,济世度人;他,医卜星相,无所不精;他,魅力四射,美女如云;他,还掌控着无数权贵和富豪的命运;……天降无敌医圣系统,林浩从此开启了不一样的人生。