Page:Napoleon (O'Connor 1896).djvu/388

372 description of him which M. Lévy has drawn up from several different sources, at the period when he was at the zenith of his glory and his power:

"The 'pleasure of the table' did not exist for the Emperor. The simplest food was what pleased him best, such as æufs au miroir (a form of poached egg); French beans in salad, no made dishes, a little Parmesan cheese, a little Chambertin mixed with water, was what he liked best. 'In a campaign or on a march,' he wrote to Duroc, Grand Marshal of the Palace, 'let all the tables, including mine, be served with soup, boiled beef, a roasted joint, and some vegetables; no dessert.' Twelve minutes was the time allowed at Paris for dinner, which was served at six' o'clock. Napoleon used to quit the table, leaving the Empress and the other guests to continue their repast. His breakfast, which he ate alone at half-past nine, never lasted more than eight minutes. It was served on a little round mahogany table, without a napkin."

Now let me contrast with this picture of Napoleon this other, after he had passed under subjection to Marie Louise:

"He who has hitherto regulated his existence by his business, was now compelled to conciliate, sometimes even to sacrifice his business to the tastes, to the desires, sometimes even the caprices of his wife. His habit had been to lunch alone, rapidly, at the corner of a table, when business