At the very beginning we feel its heat and boiling intensity beneath the coolness and rigidity of his technical and positive instructions.
"When I plan a battle," said he to Roederer, "no man is more spineless than I am.

I over exaggerate to myself all the dangers and all the evils that are possible under the circumstances.

I am in a state of truly painful agitation.

But this does not prevent me from appearing quite composed to people around me; I am like a woman giving birth to a child.[1172] Passionately, in the throes of the creator, he is thus absorbed with his coming creation; he already anticipates and enjoys living in his imaginary edifice.

"General," said Madame de Clermont-Tonnerre to him, one day, "you are building behind a scaffolding which you will take down when you have done with it." "Yes, Madame, that's it," replied Bonaparte; "you are right.