Brewer's: Napoleon III

Few men have had so many nicknames.

MAN OF DECEMBER, so called because his coup detat was December 2nd, and he was made emperor December 2nd, 1852.

MAN OF SEDAN, and, by a pun, M. Sedantaire. It was at Sedan he surrendered his sword to William I., King of Prussia (1870)

MAN OF SILENCE, from his great taciturnity

COMTE D'ARENENBERG, the name and title he assumed when he escaped from the fortress of Ham BADINGUET, the name of the mason who changed clothes with him when he escaped from Ham. The emperor's partisans were called Badingueux, those of the empress were Monti-joyeaux.

BOUSTRAPA is a compound of Bou[logne], Stra[sbourg], and Pa[ris], the places of his noted escapade. RANTIPOLE = harum-scarum. half-fool and half-madman.

VERHUEL. A patronymic, which cannot be here explained.

There are some very curious numerical coincidences connected with Napoleon III. and Eugénie. The last complete year of their reign was 1869. (In 1870 Napoleon was dethroned and exiled.)

Now, if to the year of coronation (1852), you add either the birth of Napoleon, or the birth of Eugénie, or the capitulation of Paris, or the date of marriage, the sum will always be 1869. For example.

1852 Coronation 1852 1852 1852

1809 Birth of Napoleon. 1826 Birth of Eugénie. 1853 Date of marriage. 1871 Capitulatin of Paris.

1869 1869 1869 1869

And if to the year of marriage (1853) these dates are added, they will give 1870, the fatal year.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894

Napping

Napiers Bones