Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/504

 466 Readings in European History * Napoleon early developed the ability to judge men and assign them to their appropriate spheres. Before he left Brienne his father visited him, bringing his younger brother Lucien, together with the news that his brother Joseph was planning to give up the clerical career he had chosen and become a soldier. Although not yet fifteen years old, Napoleon writes of the matter to his uncle as follows : 419. Napo- My dear Uncle : n ht^to I am wr iti n g t0 inform you that my dear father has just character. passed through Brienne on his way to place Marianne [i.e. Napoleon's sister, filise] in the convent at St. Cyr, after which he will take measures to regain his health. He ar- rived here on the 21st instant with Lucien. The latter he left here. He is nine years old and three feet eleven inches and six lines tall. He is in the sixth form so far as his Latin goes, and he is about to take up the various other branches. He knows French very well, but he has forgotten Italian altogether. I hope that he will now write you more fre- quently than when he was at Autun. I am convinced that my brother Joseph has not written to you; and how could you expect him to when he only writes a few lines to my dear father, when he writes at all ? As to the career which he proposes to embrace, the eccle- siastical was, as you know, the first that he chose. He per- sisted in that resolution until now, when he proposes to go into the king's service. He is wrong in this for several reasons. First, as my dear father observes, he has not the cour- age necessary to face the dangers of an action, and his feeble health would not permit him to bear the fatigues of a campaign. My brother only looks at military life from the standpoint of a garrison. Yes, my dear brother would be a good garrison officer ; he is well made and has that light spirit which adapts him to frivolous compliments. He would always shine in society, but in battle — that is what my father is doubtful about. . ..