Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, born on August 15, 1771, and died on September 21, 1832. He is considered one of the most influential writers in the history of English literature and is often referred to as the founder of the historical novel genre.
Scott’s literary career spanned several decades, during which he produced a vast body of work encompassing novels, poetry, and non-fiction.
In addition to his novels, Scott was a prolific poet, producing numerous narrative poems and ballads that drew on themes from Scottish history and folklore. He also wrote biographies and histories, including a multi-volume biography of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Scott’s works were enormously popular during his lifetime and have continued to be widely read and studied. His influence on the development of the novel as a literary form, as well as on the romanticization of history and national identity, is widely acknowledged.
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Life of Napoleon Bonaparte V
Napoleon was not less original as a tactician than as a strategist. His manoeuvres on the field of battle had the promptness and decision of the thunderbolt. In the actual shock of conflict, as in the preparations which he made for bringing it on, his object was to amuse the enemy upon many points, while he oppressed one by an unexpected force of numbers.
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Life of Napoleon Bonaparte IV
Yet the British administration, while they had thus embraced a broader and more adventurous, but at the same time a far wiser system of conducting the war, showed in one most important instance, that they, or a part of them, were not entirely free from the ancient prejudices, which had so long rendered vain the efforts of Britain in favour of the liberties of the world.
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Life of Napoleon Bonaparte III
These advances towards universal empire, made during the very period when the pacific measures adopted by the preliminaries, and afterwards confirmed by the treaty of Amiens, were in the act of being carried into execution, excited the natural jealousy of the people of Britain. They had not been accustomed to rely much on the sincerity of the French nation; nor did the character of its present chief, so full of ambition, and so bold and successful in his enterprises, incline them to feelings of greater security.
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Life of Napoleon Bonaparte II
The young Napoleon had, of course, the simple and hardy education proper to the natives of the mountainous island of his birth, and in his infancy was not remarkable for more than that animation of temper, and wilfulness and impatience of inactivity, by which children of quick parts and lively sensibility are usually distinguished.
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Life of Napoleon Bonaparte I
On the execution of his task, it becomes the Author to be silent. He is aware it must exhibit many faults; but he claims credit for having brought to the undertaking a mind disposed to do his subject as impartial justice as his judgment could supply. He will be found no enemy to the person of Napoleon. The term of hostility is ended when the battle has been won, and the foe exists no longer. His splendid personal qualities-his great military actions and political services to France-will not, it is hoped, be found depreciated in the narrative.