Now， in 1809， however full these atlases， they are clearly imprinted on Napoleon's mind he knows not only the total and the partial summaries， but also the slightest details； he reads them readily and at every hour； he comprehends in a mass， and in all particulars， the various nations he governs directly， or through some one else； that is to say， 60，000，000 men， the different countries he has conquered or overrun， consisting of 70，000 square leagues[68]. At first， France increased by the addition of Belgium and Piedmont； next Spain， from which he is just returned， and where he has placed his brother Joseph；southern Italy， where， after Joseph， he has placed Murat； central Italy， where he occupies Rome； northern Italy， where Eugène is his delegate； Dalmatia and Istria， which he has joined to his empire；Austria， which he invades for the second time； the Confederation of the Rhine， which he has made and which he directs； Westphalia and Holland， where his brothers are only his lieutenants； Prussia， which he has subdued and mutilated and which he oppresses， and the strongholds of which he still retains； and， add a last mental tableau， that which represents the northern seas， the Atlantic and the Mediterranean， all the fleets of the continent at sea and in port from Dantzic to Flessingen and Bayonne， from Cadiz to Toulon and Ga？ta， from Tarentum to Venice， Corfu， and Constantinople.[69] - On the psychological and moral atlas， besides a primitive gap which he will never fill up， because this is a characteristic trait， there are some estimates which are wrong， especially with regard to the Pope and to Catholic conscience. In like manner he rates the energy of national sentiment in Spain and Germany too low. He rates too high his own prestige in France and in the countries annexed to her， the balance of confidence and zeal on which he may rely. But these errors are rather the product of his will than of his intelligence， he recognizes them at intervals； if he has illusions it is because he fabricates them；left to himself his good sense would rest infallible， it is only his passions which blurred the lucidity of his intellect. - As to the other two atlases， the topographical and the military， they are as complete and as exact as ever； No matter how much the realities they contain will swell and daily become ever more complex， they continue to correspond to it in their fullness and precision， trait for trait.
V. His Imagination and its Excesses.
His constructive imagination. - His projects and dreams. -Manifestation of the master faculty and its excesses.
But this multitude of information and observations form only the smallest portion of the mental population swarming in this immense brain； for， on his idea of the real， germinate and swarm his concepts of the possible； without these concepts there would be no way to handle and transform things， and that he did handle and transform them we all know. Before acting， he has decided on his plan， and if this plan is adopted， it is one among several others，[70] after examining， comparing， and giving it the preference； he has accordingly thought over all the others. Behind each combination adopted by him we detect those he has rejected； there are dozens of them behind each of his decisions， each maneuver effected， each treaty signed， each decree promulgated， each order issued， and I venture to say， behind almost every improvised action or word spoken. For calculation enters into everything he does， even into his apparent expansiveness， also into his outbursts when in earnest； if he gives way to these， it is on purpose， foreseeing the effect， with a view to intimidate or to dazzle. He turns everything in others as well as in himself to account - his passion， his vehemence， his weaknesses， his talkativeness， he exploits it all for the advancement of the edifice he is constructing.[71] Certainly among his diverse faculties， however great， that of the constructive imagination is the most powerful. 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.[72]
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. I am always living two years in advance."[73] His response came with "incredible vivacity，" as if a sudden inspiration， that of a soul stirred in its innermost fiber. -Here as well， the power， the speed， fertility， play， and abundance of his thought seem unlimited. What he has accomplished is astonishing， but what he has undertaken is more so； and whatever he may have undertaken is far surpassed by what he has imagined. However vigorous his practical faculty， his poetical faculty is stronger； it is even too vigorous for a statesman； its grandeur is exaggerated into enormity， and its enormity degenerates into madness. In Italy， after the 18th of Fructidor， he said to Bourrienne：
"Europe is a molehill； never have there been great empires and great revolutions， except in the Orient， with its 600，000，000inhabitants."[74]
