Show Napoleons Latin A detachment from one of the French armies under Napoleon was once passing pass-ing through a small town in a Roman Catholic part of Germany when the troops being in want of provisions the general sent to require a certain amount to be furnished furished by a convent at a very short distance from the town The superior consulted with the monks and all agreed in not complying com-plying with the generals request but It was resolved that an apologetic letter let-ter should be written in Latin Napoleon Na-poleon not having had a classical education edu-cation did not understand a word of it and gave it to his secretary to read The secretary gathered that it was a refusal of the supplies How cried the general do the rascals dare not only to refuse my demands de-mands but also to write me in Latin He then directed his secretary to write them as follows Friponibus de moni bus si vous ne men envoyibus instan tibus je mettrai le feu a votre con ventibus et je vous feral pendibus toutibus This may be freely trans lated thus You rascally monksibus i you do not sendibus it to me in stantlybus I will burn down your con ventibus and hangibus you allibus The monks seized with a mortal panic I at gonaut once sent the desired supplies Ai |