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LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

king of the Jews , that his person was distinguishable astowering over those of all around him, so in the midst ofthousands of strong warriors, arrayed in glittering garmentsand bright arms, stood pre-eminent, Murat. In any otherman, such taste for dress and personal display, would havebeen thought theatrical and frivolous; but allied, as it wasin him, with unaffected manners, and such conspicuous,dashing, chivalrous valour,—elegance and beauty becamecombined to form a character and a whole, such as our mostapproved historians and novelists have been praised forgiving to Paladins and kings of old ;—the best of these werepersonified in Murat.

It must not, however, be supposed that Napoleon would,for a single day have deprived himself of the services ofMurat, merely for the display of an unimportant pageant,which might have been executed by another of his officersless useful to him. Napoleon had another, and a moredelicate mission to entrust to his friend, who had now ac-quired his entire confidence. Only a few weeks previouslyto his departure to take the command of the army of Italy,Napoleon had been married to Madame de Beauharnais,and for this excellent and amiable lady he entertained apassion amounting to idolatry. His departure from Paris had been so urged by the government, that proper arrange-ments could not be made for his being accompanied by hiswife; moreover, the nature of the first operations, thecrossing of the Alps, and the uncertainty of events renderedit unadvisable for Madame Buonaparte to undertake thejourney.

Not the stir, and occupation, not all the excitement of hiscommand and glorious success, could any way consoleNapoleon for the bereavement be endured. But now thathe was triumphant; that the fruits alone of victories gainedwere to be enjoyed, Murat was sent to bring to him his