At the battle of Essling, 1809, the Duke of Montebello, Napoleon's good friend, was mortally wounded. Seeing him, Napoleon burst into tears. The duke, embracing Napoleon, reminded him of all the services he had done him, and then said, "In dying for you I have no cause to interest you on behalf of my wife and my children: it is a duty you owe to your glory to protect them, nor do I fear to change your intentions towards them by addressing to you the last reproaches of friendship. Your insatiable ambition will prove your downfall: you sacrifice without reason and regret those very men who serve you the best. You are no longer environed but by flatterers. I do not perceive one friend who dares to tell you the truth. You will be sold, you will be abandoned. Terminate speedily this war; it is the wish of your generals, and it is doubtless that of your people also. Forgive these home truths from a dying man."
As the duke pronounced these words, Napoleon wept bitterly.
拿破崙好朋友蒙泰貝洛在一八零九年的埃斯林戰役之中，受傷將死，拿破崙見了，傷心下淚。蒙泰貝洛抱着拿破崙，把過去為他效力的事一一重提，然後說：「我為你而死，不必以妻子兒女相託。為了你自己的榮譽，你有責任保護他們。我也不怕臨終對你善意相責，會改變你對我家人的態度。你野心無窮，終將失敗。你犧牲最能為你效力的人，毫無原因，毫無悔意。今天，你周圍只有脅肩諂笑之徒，沒有一個朋友敢進忠言。你將會被出賣，被拋棄。快終止這場戰爭吧：這是你手下將領的願望，也無疑是百姓的願望。請原諒垂死之人說的逆耳之言。」
蒙泰貝洛說話時，拿破崙痛哭流涕。