d
at Brienne to test the progress of the King's wards. He took a great
fancy to the little Buonaparte, and declaring that, though
unacquainted with his family, he found a spark in him which must not
be extinguished, wrote an emphatic recommendation of the lad, couched
in the following terms: "M. de Bonaparte (Napoleon), born August
fifteenth, 1769. Height, four feet ten inches ten lines [about five
feet three inches, English]. Constitution: excellent health, docile
disposition, mild, straightforward, thoughtful. Conduct most
satisfactory; has always been distinguished for his application in
mathematics. He is fairly well acquainted with history and geography.
He is weak in all accomplishments--drawing, dancing, music, and the
like. This boy would make an excellent sailor; deserves to be admitted
to the school in Paris." Unfortunately for the prospect, M. de
Keralio, who might have been a powerful friend, died almost
immediately.

By means of further genuflections, supplications, and wearisome
persistency, Charles de Buonaparte at last obtained favor not only for
Lucien, but for Joseph also. Deprived unjustly of his inheritance,
deprived also of his comforts and his home in pursuit of the ambitious
schemes rendered necessary by that wrong, the poor diplomatist was now
near the end of his resources and his energy. Except for the short
visit of his father at Brienne on his way to Paris, it is almost
certain that the young Napoleon saw none of his elders throughout his
sojourn in the former place. The event was most important to the boy
and opened the pent-up flood of his tenderness: it was therefore a
bitter disappointment when he learned that, having seen the royal
physician, his parent would return to Corsica by Autun, taking Joseph
with him, and would not stop at Brienne. Napoleon, by the advice of
Marbeuf and more definitely by the support of his friend the
inspector, had been designated for the navy; through the favor of the
latter he hoped to have been sent to Paris, and thence assigned to
Toulon, the naval port in closest connection with Corsica. There were
so many influential applications, however, for that favorite branch of
the service that the department must rid itself of as many as
possible; a youth without a patron would be the first to suffer. The
agreement which the father had made at Paris was, therefore, that
Napoleon, by way of compensation, might continue at Brienne, while
Joseph could either go thith