CHAPTER 1.
1769-1783.
Authentic date of Bonaparte's birth--His family ruined by the Jesuits--His taste for military amusements--Sham siege at the College of Brienne--The porter's wife and Napoleon--My intimacy with Bonaparte at college--His love for the mathematics, and his dislike of Latin--He defends Paoli and blames his father--He is ridiculed by his comrades--Ignorance of the monks--Distribution of prizes at Brienne--Madame de Montesson and the Duke of Orleans--Report of M.
Keralio on Bonaparte--He leaves Brienne.
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE was born at Ajaccio, in Corsica, on the 15th of August 1769; the original orthography of his name was Buonaparte, but he suppressed the during his first campaign in Italy.

His motives for so doing were merely to render the spelling conformable with the pronunciation, and to abridge his signature.

He signed Buonaparte even after the famous 13th Vendemiaire.
It has been affirmed that he was born in 1768, and that he represented himself to be a year younger than he really was.

This is untrue.

He always told me the 9th of August was his birthday, and, as I was born on the 9th of July 1769, our proximity of age served to strengthen our union and friendship when we were both at the Military College of Brienne.
The false and absurd charge of Bonaparte having misrepresented his age, is decidedly refuted by a note in the register of M.Berton, sub-principal of the College of Brienne, in which it is stated that M.Napoleon de Buonaparte, ecuyer, born in the city of Ajaccio, in Corsica, on the 15th of August 1769, left the Royal Military College of Brienne on the 17th October 1784.
The stories about his low extraction are alike devoid of foundation.