'^■-:v::;^^:M'te / -/ s- ^ r, ] ^>/ ^^ P ^ *^ \*} . * r^ ni '•> 1 IMEMOUIAt DK SAINTE HELENE. OF THE PRIVATE LIFE AND CONVERSATIONS OF THE AT SAINT HELENA. BY THE COUNT DE LAS CASES. TWO VOLS. IN DNE. LEXINGTON, K. PRINTED BY THOMAS SMITH. ir PREFACE. Circumstances the most extraordinary have lon^ kept me near the most extraordinary man of mod- ern times. Admiration made me follow him with- out knowing him, and love attached me to him as soon as I did know him. The world is full of his glory, his deeds, and his monuments ; hut no one knows the true shades of his character, his private qualities, or the natural disposition of his soul. This great void I undertake to fill up, and for such a task 1 possess advantages unexampled in history. I collected and recorded, day by day, all that I saw of Napoleon, all that I heard him say during the period of eighteen months in which 1 was con- stantly about his person. In these conversations, which v/ere full of confidence, and which seemed to pass, as it were, in another world, he could not faW to beportrayed by himself as if in a mirror, in every point of view, and under every aspect. Henceforth the world may freely study him : there can be no error in the materials. The particulars here collected are, with regard to arrangement, in a state of great confusion ; they remain nearly in the order in whicli I noted them down at St. Helena. On recovering my manuscript, a short lime ago, when it was restored to me by thQ English Gorcrnmenf, I at first intended to have ar- ranged it in a new form and in a certain degree of connexion. But I was compelled to renounce this design: on the one hand^ the state of my health pro- hibited application ; on the other, I felt myself con- trolled by time. I considered the speedy publica- tion of my work as a sacred duty to the memory of ]iim whose loss I deplore. I also hope it may alFord pleasure to those who loved him, and force respect from those who were his enemies. Finally, I hav« a third and no less important object in this publica- tion, namely, that it will afford an opportunity of defence to those who may find any thing stated in it of which they may imagine they have cause to complain : the public will judge, and history will speak, with greater certainty. COUNT LAS CASES,. MY RESIDENCE WITH THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON AT ST. HELEJTd. INTRODUCTION. It is my intention to record daily all that the Eraperoa Napoleon did or said while I was about his person ; but, be- fore I commence my diary, I hops to be excused for oiFer- inj a few preliminary remarks, v/hichmay be not altogeth-' er useless. I never commenced the perusal of any historical work without first wishing to know the character of the author, his situation in society, and his political and domestic rela- tions ; in fact, all the important circumstances of his life ; conceiving that nothing but a knoAvledge of these matters could furnish a key to his writings, or a safe ground of con- fidence in his statements. I therefore proceed to supply in my turn, that which I always sought for in others; an4 in presenting this diary, relate a few facts respecting my past life : I was scarcely twenty-one years of ag'e when the Revo- lution broke out, and had just been made a Lieutenant de Vaisseau, which corresponded with the rank of a field offi- cer in the line ; ray family was at court, and I had beea recently presented there myself. 1 was not rich ; but my name and rank in life, togetiier with ray professional pros- pects, were likely, according to the calculating spirit of the times, to enable me to marry according to my wishes. It was at such a moment that our political troubles burst forth. One of the principal vices in our system of admission to the service, was that of depriving us of the benefits of a solid and finished education. Withdrawn from school at the early age of fourteen, abandoned from that instant to 1* J * 3IY REsiniiA'CE urn; ourselves, and launchml, as it were, on a wide waste, how was it possible to attain tlio slightest notion ol'social organi- sation, public rig-lits, or the duties of civil life J Thus, prompted by noble prejudice, rather than by a just seose of duty, above all led on by a natural fondness for iG^enerous resolves, I was ainoag-st the first to hasten abroad and join our Princes ; to3;ive, as it was said, tLe Monarch from revolutionary fury, and to defend our hereditary rig-! its, which ^ve could not, it was asserted, yet abandon without shame. From the mode in wliich ue jjad been ed- ucated, it required either a\ery strong head, or a very weak mind, to resist the torrent. The emigration soon became g-eneral ; tliis fatal meas- ure is but too well known to Europe ; nor can its folly, as a political blunder and a social crime, llnd any excuse in the present day, except in the unenlightened but upright char- acter of most of those by whom it was undertaken. Defeated on our own frontiers, discharged and disbanded hy foreigners, rejected and proscribed by the laws of our country, numbers of Us reached ih-;gland, whose Ministers^ lost no time in landing on the shore of Quiberon. Being so fortunate as not to disembark, I had, after my return, t'itnc to redect on the horrii)ie_ alternative of hghting against our country under foreign banners ; and, fi'om this moment, my ideas, principles, and projects were either disconcert- ed or entirely changed. Despairing cf events, abandoning the world and my nat- ural sphere, I devoted myself to study; and, under a bor- rowed name, Avent through a second course of education in- attempting to assist that of others. After a lapse of some years, the treaty of Amiens, and the amnesty offered by the First Consul, x-e-opeued to us the gates of France, i had no longer any property there ; the laws had disposed of my patrimony ; but can any tJiing make us forgot our native soil, or destroy the charm of breathing the air of our own country ! I hurried back, and was grateful for a pardon, rendered more acceptable, since I could say with pride I received it withoiit having any motives of self-reproach. When mon- archy was proclaimed soon after, my situation and senti- ments were of the most singular description, i found my- self a soldier, punished for a cause that had triumphed. Ev- ery day brought us back to our former ide«s ; all that had ■been dear to our principles and prejudices was renewed ; and yet delicacy and honour rendered it a kind of duty in us to keep at a distance. It was in vain tiiat the new government loudly proclaim- ed the union of all partie s; and equally so, that its chief THE KMPEUOK NAPOLEOA'. 7 h&J declared he would no longer recognize any but Freaeh- inen in France ; in vain hati old friends and former com- panions offered mo the advantages of a new career to be <;hosea by myself. Unable lo subdue the conflicting feel- ings wliiqh agitated my mir^d, 1 obstinately persevered in a system of self-denial ; and devoting all my time to litera- tui-e, I coraposed, under a feigned name, an historical work that re-established my fortune ; after which, I passed five or six of the happiest years of my life. IMeanwhile, unprecedented events succeeded each other with extraordinary rapidity ; they w^ere of such a nature, and bore so peculiar a character, that it became imi)ossi- ble for any person whose heart possessed the least predi- lection for Vi'iatever was great or noble, to view them with indiiterenee. The glory of our country was raised to a pitch unknown in the history of any ether people ; the ad- niinistr?^cion of affairs was unexampled, not less by its en- ergy luau the consequences it produced ; a simultaneous impulse, which was suddenly given to every species of in- dustry, excited the emulation of all at the same moment; i}»e army was unrivalled, striking terror abroad and crea- ring a just pride at home. Every day added to the niimber of our trophies, while nu- mei'ous monunients proclaimed our exploits ; the victories of Austerlitz, Jena, and Friedland ; the treaties of Pres- burgh and Tilsit had constituted France the first of nations, and made her the arbitress of Europe. It was a signal honour to be a Frenchman ; and yet all these exploits, la- bours, and prodigies, were the work of one man. For my own part, whatever might have been my former preposses- sions and prejudices, I was now filled with admiration ; and, as we all know, there is but one step from admiration to affection. It was precisely at this period that the Emperor called some of the first families of France round his throne, caus- ing it to be circulated anaongst the rest, that he would con- sider tiiose who remained aloof as bad Freiichmen. I did not hesitate for an instant ; I have, said I to myself, fulfill- ed the obligation of my natural oath, that of my birtli and education, to which 1 have continued faithful until its ex- tinction. Our princes, too, were no longer thought of; we even doubted their existence. The solemnities of religion, the alliance of Kings, all Europe and the splendour of France, henceforth taught me that I had a new sovereign. Had those who preceded us, mzAe so long a resistance to such powerful efforts, before rallying round the first of the Capets ] I answered therefore for myself, that, happy in be- ing thus enabled to obey a call wh^ch removed me with 8 fiV RESIDENCE WITH honour from the delicate situation in which I was placed, F freely and spontaneously transferred the zeal, loyalty, and attachment which I had constautiy cherished for my old inasters, to the new sovereign ; the result of this step was my immediate admission at court. la this state of things, I felt extremely anxious that my recent protestations should be ratified by deeds. The En- g-lish had invaded Flushing- and threatened Antwerp ; I tiierefore hastened to assist in the defence of the latter place as a volunteer ; and, on the subsequent evacuation of Flushing, my nomination to the ofiice of chainberiain called rne near the person of the Emperor. Being desi- rous of adding some more useful occupation to tue duties of tliis honouraDle post, I solicited and obtained a seat m the Council of State. Hence followed several conadential missions: I was sent to Holland at the period of its union to the French Empire, in order to receive whatever rela- ted to the naval viepartment ; then to Illyria for the purpose of liquidating the pu'olic debt ; and afterwards over half the Empire to superintend establishments cf public beneficence. During our late misfortunes, I received some consoling proofs, that the inhabitants of the countries to which 1 had thus been sent, were not dissatisfied with my conduct. Providence had however placed a limit to our prosperity. The catastrophe of Moscow, the disasters of Leipsic, and the siege of Paris, are well known. I commanded in that city one ofthe legions which acquired honours by its severe losses on the 31st of March. When the capitulation took place I gave up the command, feeling that other duties were to be performed near the person of my sovereign, but could not reach Fontainbleau in time : — the Emperor had ab- dicated, and was succeeded by the King. My situation now became more singular than it had been twelve years before. The cause for which I bad sacrificed my fortune, for which I remained so long in exile, and six years in a state of self-denial at home, was at length tri- umphant; but, nevertheless, the point of honour and other Cionsiderations were about to prevent my reaping any ben- efit from the event ! What could be more capricious than rny fate 1 Two revolutions had been effected in opposition to each other : — by the first I lost my patrimony ; by the second I might have been deprived of life: neither onenoi* the other had been favourable to my fortune. Vulgar minds will only perceive an unfortunate tergiversation of opinions in this wayward destiny, while the lovers of intrigue will as- sert that I was twice a dnpe : only the few %vill compreliend my motives, and do justice to my actions. Be this as it may, ihose early friends, whose esteem was not lesiened by Uj* THE EUPfcRQR NAPOLEON. 9 fine of conduct I had pursued, haviug now become all pow- erful, invited me to join them : it was impossible to o">ey the generous call; disgusted and disheartened, I resolved that mypubliclife should terminate. Ought I to have exposed myself to the false judgment of those who wei'e watching my proceedings ] Could every body see what was passing ia my mind. Having now become a Frenchman even to enthusiasm, and unable to endure that national degradation of which I was a daily witness amidst foreign bayonets, I determined to endeavour to divert my thoughts at a distance from the scene of calamity. Having, therefore, gone to pass a few months in England, how altered did every thing appear there I On reflection, I found that it was myself who had undergone a great change. I had scarcely returned, when Napoleon appeared on our coasts ; he was transported to the capital as it were by mag- ic, and this without battles, excesses, or effusion of blood. I thought I saw the stain brought on us by foreign hands ef- faced, and all our glory restored. Destiny had ordered otherwise ! No sooner did I hear of the Emperor's arrival, than 2 spontaneously repaired to attend on his person. I was pre- sent at the abdication ; and, when the question of his re>- moval was agitated, I requested permission to participate in his fate. Such had been till then the disinterestedness and simplicity, some will say folly, of my conduct, that, not- withstanding my daily intercourse as an officer of the house? hold and member of his council, Napoleon scarcely knew me. " Do you know whither your offer may lead youl" said he, in his astonishment. " I have made no calculation about it," I replied. He accepted me, and I am at St. Helena. I have now made myself knotvn ; the reader has my cre- dentials in his hand : a host of contemporaries are living-— it will be seen whether a single individual amongst tliem stands up to invalidate them : I therefore begin my task. Return of the Emperor to the Elysee, after the Battle of Waterloo. Tuesday, June 20th, 1815. — Heard of the Emperor's re- turn to the Elysee Palace: placed myself in immediate at- tendance there. Found M M. Montalembert and Moutho- ion there, brought by the same sentiment. Napoleon had just lost a great battle ; so that the safety of the nation thenceforth depended on the wisdom and zeal t>f the Chamber of Representatives. The Emperor, still c^>ve»ed with dust from the field of Waterloo, was on tba 10 31 Y RESIDENCE WITH point of harrying into the midst of them, there to expose onr dangers and resources, and to declare that his personal interests should never be a barrier to the happiness of France, thence to guit Paris immediately. It is said that several persons dissuaded hijn from this step, by leading him to apprehend an approaching ferment amongst the deputies. It is as yet impossible to comprehend every report that circulates with regard to this fatal battle: some say there is manifest treason; others, a fatality, without example. Thir- ty thousand men under Grouchy lost their way and were too late, taking no part in the engagement; the army, vic- torious till the evening, was it is said suddenly seized with a panic towards eight o'clock, and became broken in an instant. It is another Crecy, another Azincourt, !* every one trembles aad thinks all is lost ! The Abdication. 21st. — The best intentioned and most influential mem- bers of the national representation, have been tampered with all last evening and all last night by certain persons, 'who,if their word is to be taken produce authentic docu- ments and demi-official parpers guaranteeing the safety of France, by the mere abdication of the Emperor as they pre- tend. The above opinion had become so strong this morning, that it seemed irresistible : the president of the assembly, the first men in the state, and^the Emperor's particular friends, come to supplicate that he will save France by ab- dicating. Though by no means convinced, yet the Empe- ror aaswers with magnanimity : — he abdicates ! This circumstance causes the greatest bustle round the Elysee ; the multitude rushes towards the gate, and testi- fies the deepest interest; numbers penetrate within the hall, while some even of the popular class scale the wails ;' some in tears, others in a state approaching to distraction, • I had put in tl;e text, V7ie veritable Jmirnse des Eperons,f (* real day of sputij aiitl must not omit to state wiiat ied to its Weiiig fxpuiiscd. Tiie Ein(>ei-or wlio alone knew I kept a journal at St. Hcletia, one day f xpre.«- cd a wish thut I should read a few pages lo him : on coming lo this expression, inadveriently thrown it>,'ie suddenly exclaimed, "What have you done ! Erase, era-ie, sir quickly ! Unejownee des Eperona.! what a CRlumny! a day of spi;rs !" sftid he again, "ah! uufortuna:e ;uiny ! brave men! jou never fouRht better!' Tlien aftrr a pause of a fe ». mome'its. he add< d in a lone Vfn forgive them [ But as to France, will f Ac evorsurmounf the effects of that il|.-y VIII* and »y>«» of Krxnce. The French were comp etely rout- ed on this oecf>siori, and the celebrated Biyard taken prisoner while covering the retreat; 'his was s )precipi'Jte th.it theday was ever after styhd Lajoitniec itct i"/)f loHj, (or day of spursj bec'us.-, as stuted by contemporary historians^ iBe i'lenvh avmy nia'le niKjcus^' of their f;>uvj than lances,— JErf-'iT. THE feMPEROR NAPOLEON. 11 oYowtl np to the Emperor, who is walking tran(}uilly in the garden, and make offers of every description. Napoleon alone is calm, constantly replying tl at they should in fu- ture apply this zeal and tenderness to the good of their country. I presented the deputation of Representatives, in the course of the day: it came to thank the Emperor for his devotedness to the national interests. The documents and state-papers, which have produced such a powerful sensation, and brought about the grand event of this day, are said to be official communications of M M. Fouche and Mctternich, in which the latter guaran- tees Napoleon II. and the regency, in case of the abdica- tion of the Emperor. These communications must have been long carried on unknown to Napoleon. M.Fouche must have a furious partiality for clandestine operations. It is well known that his first disgrace, vvliich took place sev- eral years ago, arose from his having opened some negotia- tions with England of his own accord, withoutthe Emperor's knowledge : he has in fact always shown the greatest obli- quity in affairs of moment. Grant that his present mysteri- ous acts do not prove fatal to cur country ! Deputation of the Chamber of Peers — Caulaincourl — Fouche^ 22d. — Went heme lo pass a few hours at my own house ; in the course of this day the deputation of the Peers was presented: a portion of the Provisional Government was named in the evening. Caulaincourt and Fouche, who were of the number, happened to be with us in the anti- Chamber: we complimented the first on his nomination, which was, indeed, only to congratulate ourselves on the public good ; his reply was full of alarm. " We applaud the choice hitherto made," said we. " It is certain," observed Fouche with an air of levity, " that I am not suspected." — " If you had been," rudeiy rejoined the deputy Boulay de la 3\Ieurthe, who was also present, " be assured v/c should not JiaVe named you." The Provisional Government presented to the Emperor. 23d and 24th. — The acclamations and interest without, Continued at the Elysee. I presented the members of the Provisional Government to the Emperor, who, in dismiss- ing them, directed the Duke Decres to see them cut. The Emperor's brothers, Joseph, Lucien, and Jerome, were in- troduced frequently through the day, and conversed with him for some time. As usual, there was a great multitude of people collected round the palace in the evening : their pumbers were con- 12 MY RESIDENCE WITH star.tly increasing. Their acclamations and the interest shown fop the Emperor created Cijnsiderable uneasiness amongst the different factions. The fermentation of the capital now became- so great, that Napoleon determined to d^^art on the following day. The Emperor qiiits the Eiysee. 25th. — I accompanied the Emperor to Malmaison, and again requested permission to follow his fiUure fortunes. My proposal scoDied to cr';ate astorashmeat, for I wasslill unly known to him by my eaiployments ; hut he acce-ttdthc offer. 26th. — My wife came to see me ; she had divined my in- tentions : it became a somewhat delicate task to avow them, and still more difficult to convince her of their propriety, " My dear frieiid," said I, "in following the dutiful dirtaies of my heart, it is consoling to reflect that your interesrs are pot thereby prejudiced. If Napoleon II. is to govern us, I lea*, e you strong claims to his protection; sliould heaven order it ditferently, i shall have secured you a glorious asy- lum, a name honoured witli some esteem. At all events we shall meet again, at least in abetter world." After (ears and even reproaches, which could not hut he gratifying, she consented to my departure, exacting a promise howev- er, that I would allow her to join me witbout loss of limc. From this moment, she manifested a courage and strength of mind, that would have animated myself in case of neces- sity. The Mlnnler of Marine comes to MahHCiison. 27th. — I went to Paris for a short time, with the Minis- ter of Marine, who came to Malmaison, on business res- pecting the frigates destined for the Emperor. He read me the instructions drawn out for the commanders, said his Majesty depended on my zeal, and intended taking me with him ; adding, that he would take care of my family during my absence. Napoleon II. is proclaimed by the Legislature. Sent for my son to his school, having determined that he should accompany me. We prepared a small parcel of clotbes and linen, then proceeded to Malmaison accompa- nied by my wife, who returned immediately. The road had now become rather unsafe owing to the approach of the enemy. 28th. — Beinit desirous to make some other arrangements .before our departure, the Duchess de Fovigo t( "1. mc and m% sou to Paris ia her carriage. I found M M. de Vertiliaa TUE EMl'EROK NAPOLEGiS,'. 13 tv.iJ de Quitry at my liouse ; these were the last friends I embraced; they were terrified. The agitation and uncertainty hourly increased in the capital, for the enemy was at the gates. On reaching Mahnaison, we saw the bridge of Chatou in flames ; guards were posted round the palace, and it became prudent to remain within the park walls. I went into the Emperor's room, and described hdw Paris had appeared to me ; stating the general opinion that Fouche openly betrayed the national cause ; and that the hopes of all patriots were, that his Majesty would this very night join the army , w ho loudly called for him. The Empe- rer listened to me with an air of deep thought, but made no reply, and withdrew soon after. Js'apoleon quits Mahnaison, and departs for Roch/urt. 29th and 30th. — A cry of long live the Emperor ! was continually heard on the great road to St. Germain : it pro- ceeded from the troops who passed under the walls of Mal- maison. • Towards noon General Becker came from Paris, seat by the Provisional Government ; he told us with feelings of in- dignation, that he had received a comniission to guard and watch Napoleon.* • On my return to Europe chance threw tlie following documents in raywag, ^ative to the above circunnstance. I transcribe thun here because I believe tlity 'TTe unliiiown to the public. 1 hey have been copied from the orieinsl*, and re^ quire uu commentary. Copy of a letter from the Commission of Government to Marshal Prince d'EftJi' niUhl, Minister at War. Paris, June 27th, 1815. Sir,— Such is the state of affairs, that it is indespensahle for Nafioleon ti, de«j(de. on departing and proceeding to the Isle of Aix. If he does not detetmine to, do, soon your notifying to him the annestd resoluticns, y«" ai^e to cause him to be watched at Malinaison to prevent his escape. Fgr this purpose, yoti will place a requisite portion of gendarmerie and troops of the line, at the disposal of Gen- eral Becker, so as to guard «il the avenues le.K!ing to Malmaison in every dire gulated. Every means will be employed to render the result of the negotiation sat- ivfsctory to him. The honour of France is interested in it ; but, in the ineantimc, allpossible precautions must be taken for the personal security of Naiw.eou, at;d that he does not quit the place which is temporarily assigned hini. The President of the Commission of Governmt nt. Signed, 1 HE DUKE OF OTRANTO: Letter from the Minister at War, to General Decker. Paris, June 27th, 1815. Sir,— I have the honour of transmitting to you the annexeil resolutions which the Commission of Government tlistrgesjou to notify fo tli'» Emperor Napoleon ; ob- serving to his Majesty that circumstances are so imperious as to make it indispen- sable he should decide on setting out for the Isle of Aix. These resolutions, oh- •erves the Commission, have been made as much for the safety of his person, as foe the interest of the State, which must evi r be dear to him. If his Majesty does oot make up his mind, on these resolutions b.ing notified to bim, it is the intention of the Commission of Governiuent, that the necissary ste^j shall be taken to prevent the escape of his Majesty, and every atterept against his I have to repeat, General, thst these resolutions have been adnpled for the inter- est of the slate.aiid for the personal sattty of the Emptror; uUo, that the Co-i'- miision of Goveinn^ent considers tlie.r prmnjit eieiutioii as iiidispensaUo lor the tuture welfare of his Msjesty and his famil). I have the honour i*> he, 8tc. JI. B. The obovr letter remined without any «irn»ture ; .it the monu-ntof ■ei'dlng it off, the Piuice of Kckmuhl observt.i to his secretary, • 1 will never ^gii tins letter-sign it y(Dir»«lf, that will U- sufTiCPnt. ' llie secretary express ed himself equally incapableof .nutting his naine to such a coiiununication. Was it senior not ?—U»i»isii point Vkbicbl cannot de»ide. THE E3IPER0R NAPOLEON, 16 ment, by General Becker, offering to place himself at the head of the army, merely in the rank of a citizen, adding^, that after having repulsed Blucher, he would continue his route. On the refusal of this offer, we left Malmaison ; the Emperor and a part of his suite taking the road to Rochfort by Tours ; 1 and my son, with Messieurs Montholon, Planat, and Resigny, proceeded towards Orleans, as also two or three other carriages. We reached this place early on the 30th, and got to Chatellerault at midnight. July 1st and 2d. — We passed through Limoges on the 1st, at four in the afternoon ; dined at Rochefaucault on the 2d, and reached Jarnac about seven. We slept liere, owing to the obstinacy of the post-master, which forced us to re- jnaiu till next day. 3d. — VVe could not set out before five o'clock. On ac- count of the misconduct of the post-master, who not con- tent with detaining us all night had recourse to secret means for keeping us still longer ; we were obliged to pro- ceed almost at full speed to Cognac, where the post-master and inhabitants received us very differently. It was easy to perceive that our journey occasioned a great deal of agita- tion amongst all parties. On reaching Saintes, towards eleven o'clock, we nearly fell victims to the fury of some miscreants, collected by an ofQcer of the royal guard, a na- tive of that place, whom Napoleon's return had displaced. This person had prepared an ambuscade for us, and had even laid a plan for our assassination. We were arrestad by them, but a part of the national guard interfered, and conducted us as prisoners to an adjoining inn. It was said that we were carrying off the treasurcsof the State, and therefore merited death. Some of them, who pretended to be tlie most distinguished inhabitants, and above all, the women, were the most outrageous, and called for our immediate execution. We saw these females defile in succession before some windows that were open near our temporary prison, in or- der that their insults should not be lost on us. It will i^carccly be ci'edited that they went so far as to grind their teeth in sign of hatred, and from vexation at seeing the in- difference we displayed ; yet they formed the fashionable circle of Saintes ! Could Real be in the right, when he told the Emperor, during the hundred days, that as for jacobins, he had a right to know something of them ; protesting that the only difference between the blacks and whites was, that the former wore v/ooden shoes and the latter silk stockings. Prince Joseph, who wes passing through Saintes unknown ^o us, came to increase the interest of our adventure. He 'vas also arrested, and conducted to the Prefecture ; but highly respected i6 3IV RE^IDE^'CE WITH The windows of the inn faced a larje squ'Sire, whicli cop* tinued to be filled with an agitated and hostile rabble, who were extremely violent and abusive. I found an old ac- quaintance in the underprefect, who was thus enabled to state who we were. Thercarriage in which we travelled was next examined ; while we were ourselves retained in a sjjecies of solitary confinement. I obtained leave, however, tb visit the Prince about four o'clock. While on my way to the prefecture, and though guarded Ijy a non-commissioned officer, several individuals address- ed me : some put notes secretly into my hands; others whispered somethiug friendly ; while all united in assurinc^ rae we might feel perfectly tranquil, for the patriots and well-intentioned iniiabitants would protect us. -Towards the evening we were allowed to depart; and by this time things had so totally changed, that we left the inn aiuidst the most lively acclamations ; fem.ales of the low- er classes, in tears, kissed our hands ; many persons offered to accompany us, that we might avoid the enemies of the- Emperor, wiio, they said, lay in wait to murder us, at a short distance from the town. This singular transition was in some degree due to the arrival of numbers of country peo- ple and federates, who gave an immediate turn to public opinion. 4th. — On approaching Rochefort we met a party of gen- darmerie, who, on the report of our reception at Saintes, had been deepatched to meet us. We arrived at this place ai)out two o'clock in the morni^ig : the Emperor had reach- ed iton the precediag evening.* Prince Joseph arrived in the afternoon ; when f conducted him to the Emperor. I profited by the first moment of leisure toinfcjrm the Pre- sident of the Council of State why I absented myself. " Ra- pid and important events," said I, " obliged me to quit Par- is without tlie necessary leave of absence. The peculiari- ty and importance of tliecase led to tiiis irregularity : be- Aigin attendance on the Emperor at the moment of his de- parture, it was ifnpossible to see the great man, who had governed us witli so much splendour, and who banished him- self to facilitate the tranquillity of France, of whose powcf nothing now remains but its glory and name ; — I repeat, that I could not allo'.v him to depart without yielding to the desire of following his steps. During the days of liis pros- perity he condescended to bestow some favours on me ; I liow owe him all that I can offer, whether of sentiment ui- of action." " The followinfj i« the Pmppfor'j Itinerary during thf juuniey —Left Paiis on the 29th Jiine.antt sU-jit at Hamliouilln ; at 'I'ours on the.SOth ; and xt Niort uii ipe 1st July. I^lt Nioit on the 2d, and reached Hochefort oil the CJ ; remain'.'d tqere tilitli^; 8th; emb4rktd onboard the Bellerophjii on the lS(ii. iUK EMFEUOn. napolkox. 17 5t'a— 7th. — At Rocliefort the Emperor no longer wore a military dress. He lived at the prefecture : numbers were constantly grouped round the house : and acclamations con- tinued to be frequently repeated. The Emperor appeared two or three times at the balcony. Numerous proposals were made to him, both by generals who came in person, and others who s6nt emissaries. During our stay here, the Emperor has led the same sort of life as if at the Thuilleries : we do not approach his person, more frequently : he scarcely receives- any persons but Bertrandand Sarary ; so that we are reduced to reports ?,nd conjectures as to all that concerns him. It is however, evident, that, in the midst of this state of agitation, he con- tinues calm and resolute, even to indifference, without ma- nifesting the least anxiety. A lieutenant of our navy, who commands a Danish mer- chant-ship, has generously offered to save the Emperor. He proposes to take him on board alone : engages to conceal iiis person in such a way that it will escape the severest scrutiny ; and moreover, will immediately set sail for the United States. He demands but a small sum by way of indemnifying his ownersfor any loss they may sustain through his enterprise. Bertrand agrees under certain conditions which he has drawn out in my name. I have signed this fictitious bargain in presence, and under thie eyes, of the maritime prefect. Embarkation of the Emperor. ,v. 8th — The Emperor proceeded to Fourras in the evening, I&Uowed by the acclamations of the people wherever he -passed. He slept on board the Saal,* which he reached about eight o'clock. I did not arrive till a much later hour, hav- ing had to accompany Madame Bertrand in another boat, and from a different point. 9th. — I attended the Emperor, who disembarked at an early hour in the Isle of Aix : he visited all the fortifica- tions, and returned onboard to breakfast. 10th. — I was despatched towards the British cruisers, with the duke de Rovigo, early in the morning, to know whetlier they had received the passes, which had been pro- mised to us by the Provisional Government, to proceed to the United States. The answer was, that they had not ; but that the matter should be instantly referred to the com- mander-in-chief. Having stated the supposition of the em- peror's setting sail with the frigates under flags of truce, it was replied, that they would be attacked. We then spoke * The name of one of the frigates destined to reswTe Nspoieop o'd bwiid,— Kfl, 2* It. Mr RESia>E.\"CE WITil of his passage in a neutral bottom ; and vverc told in reply, thai ail neutrals would be strictly examined, and, perhaps, even conducted to an English ] When, a short time after, it was asked, whether v/e understood Eng- lish, I allowed the Duke of Rovigo to reply in the negative. Our situation was quite sufficient to remove any scruples I might have otherwise entcTtair»ed* rerndering tiiis little de- ception very pardonable. I only mention this circumstance, because, as I remained a fortnight amongst these people, I was compelled to impcse a tiresome restraint upon myself, to avoid disclosing what I had concealed in the first instance. In fact, though I could read the lang-uage with facility, yet, owing to an absence of thirteen years, and consequent want of practice, it was with considerable difficulty I understood English when spoken. Ilth. — All the outlets being blockaded by English ships r>f war, the Emperor seemed extremely uncertain as to ■which plan he would pursue. Nwutral vessels, and chasce- viarees,* manned by young naval officers, were suggested for his conveyance ; propositions also continued to* be made from the interior. ]2th. — The Emperor disembarked at the Island of Aix, amidst criee of exultation on every sid6. He quitted the frigates in consequence of the commandant's having refijs- ed to sail ; whether from weakaess of character, or owing to his having received fresh orders from the Provisional Gov- ernment, is nut kaown. Many were of opinion that the at- tempt might be made with some probability of success ; but it must be allowed that the wiuda still continued unfavorable. 13th. — Prince Joseph visited his br«ther in the course of the day. Towards eleven at pi'glit the Emperor was on the point of ertibarking in one of the chasse-marees : two hav- ing been prepared, and some property and attendants al- ready on board. M.de Planat was in one of them. • Small vesaels not unlUte logi^rts, and Uiuatl; empJoyed as coastinj: wneliin Pwnce.— Kd. THE EMPEROn KAPOLEOy. IS 14th. — I ret.uracd tp the Eelleroption at four in tLe morn- ing, accompanied by General Lallemand, to ascertain whether any answer had been received/ Tlie Captain told lis he expected it every moment ; adding, tliat if the Empe- ror woiild embark immediately for England, he Lad in-' structinns to convey him thither. He still farther declar- ed it as his private opinion, and several captains who were present expressed themselves to the same efl'ect, that there was not the least doubt of Napoleon's meeting with an possible respect and good treatment ; that there, neither the king nor his ministers exercised the same arbitrary au- tliority as those cf the Continent; that the English people ])ossessed a generosity of sentiment and liberality of opin- ion, far above sovereignty itself. I replied, tliat 1 would re- Tnrn and communicate the Captain's offer to the Emperor, as well as the whole of his conversation. I added, that 1 Ihoiiirht I had a siifljcient knowledge of the Emperor Napo- Jeon's character to induce a belief, that he would not feel much hesitation in proceeding toEnglandthus confdentially, so as to be able to continue his voyage to the United States. 1 described all France, south of the Loire,as being in a bla^e; stated the propositions hourly made to him from various di- rections ; his determination not to become either the cause or pretext of a civil war; the generosity shewn by him in abdicating, merely to render the conclusion of a peace more easy ; and the firm resolution he had taken, to banish him- self in order to make it more prompt and complete. General Lallemand, who, from having been condemned to death, was interested on his own account in the determi- nation that might be made, asked Captain Maitland, whom he formerly kneiv in Egypt, and whose prisoner, I think, he ■ liad been, if persons implicated in the civil dissensions of his country, like himself, and going thus voluntarily to Eng- land, had any reason to fear being ever delivered up to France. The Captain replied, tliat they had not : repelling the doubt as an insult. Previous t© our separating, the con- ference was summed up, by my repeating, that it was possi- ble, from 'the state of afiairs and big own intentions, the Empei-or would avail himself of Captain Maitland's offer, so as to get safe conducts for America. The latter begged it to be understood, that he would not guarantee the permis- sion wc demanded, being granted ; upon which we depart- ed. To say the truth, 1 did not myself think it would be given; but the Emperor, wishing to lead a life of tranquillity in future, had resolved to be a stranger to political con- cerns ; we therefore conceived the probability of not being allowed to leave England without much uneasiness ; but our fe?ars and conjectures went no farther. It is very likely 20 MY RESIDENXE WlTtt tliat Captafn Maitland was of the same opinion : at all e-- vents, I will do him, as well a:-; the uther officers, the justice to believe, tliey ^^'ere honest and sincere in the description they gave vis of tiie sentimehls of the people of England. We reached the island at eleven o'clock ; meanwhile the storm approached, and time became precious: it was ne- cessary to decide one way or another. The Emperor hav- inf^ assembled us in a soi-t of council, all the chances of es- cape were discussed : that of the Danish vessel seemed im- practicable, and the chasse-marees were lio longer thought of; the English cruisers were not to be foi-ced ; so that there seemed only two altornaiives — either to renew the war, or to accept t'ne offers of Cr.ptain T.Iaitland ; the latter was chosen. On reaching the BeilerophoUjWC said, we shall be at once on Britishgrouud : the English will then find them- selves bound by the ties of hospitality, which are held sacred amongst the most barbarous nations ; we shall also be under \he civil rights and privileges of the country. The pcoplr; of England will not be so insensible to their glory as not to seize so fortunate a circumstance with avidity ; upon this, jVapoleon wrote the following letter to the Prince Regent: " RovAL Highness. — Exposed to the factions which di- vide my country, and to the hostility of the greatest powers of Europe, 1 have closed my political career. I come, like Themistocles, to seek the hospitality of the British nation. I place myself under the protection of their laws, which I claim from your Roy aV Highness, as the most powerful, the most constant, and the most generous of my enemies. (Signed) " Napoleom.'- I set out about foiir o'clock, with my son and General Go'urgaud, to' go on board the Bellcrophon, whence I was not again to return. My mission was to announce the com- inn- of his Majesty on'the following morning; and moreover, to deliver the letter above quoted to Captain Maitland.— General Gourgaud was commissioned to carry the Empe- ror's letter to the Prince Regent immediately, arid to pre- sent it in person. Captain Maitland i-ead Nilpoleorl's let- ter., which he greatly admired. Two other captains were permitted to take copies of it, to be kept secret till it be- came public ; after which no time was lost in preparing to despatch Gourgaud in the SlAn^y, a sloop of war, forming' part of the squadron. Soon after the Slaney had parted company with the Belle- ".Kpphon, and while I was seated in the caLptain's cibin of 'the latter with my son, Captain Maitland, who had gone to issue some orders, suddenly entered, and with a counte- THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 21 liance expressive of deep concern, exclaimed, " Count Las Cases, I am deceived when I treat with yon. The conse- quence of detaching one of my ships is, as I have just heard, that Napoleon has escaped. Should this be the case, it will place me in a dreadful situation with my Government." — Tliese words startled me : I would have given the world had they been true. The Emperor had made no engage- ment ; I was perfectly sincere ; and would, thercft)re, have most willingly become the victim of an event of which 1 was quite innocent. I asked Captain Maitland, with the utmost coolness, at what hour the Emperor was said to have set out. He had been so astonished, that he had not given himself time to inquire; but went out again to ascertain lihis point, and, on returning, said, "at 12 o'clock." If that be the case, I replied, the Slaney's departure can do no harm, as you have only just sent her away ; but do not be uneasy, for I left the Emperor in the island of Aix at four o'clock. " Are you sure of that 1" said he. On my repeat- ing the fact, he turned to some officers who were with liira, and observed, in English, that the intelligence must be false, as I was too calm, and seemed to be sincere ; and that I had, besides, pledged my word on the subject. The English cruisers had numerous sources of information on our coast ; I was subsequently enabled to ascertain that they were minutely infermcd of all our proceedings.* Nothing was now thought of but preparing for the next day. Captain Maitland having asked whether I wished his boats to be sent for the Emperor, I replied, that the separa- tion was too painful for the Frecch seamen, not to let them have tlie satisfaction of attending him to the last moment. Embarkation of J'^apoleon on hoard the Bellcrophon. 15th. — At day-light, one of our brigs, the Epervier. was seen under weigh, and coming towai-ds the Bellerophon, having a flag of truce flying. Both wind and tide being contrary. Captain Maitland sent his barge to meet her. — Seeing the boat return, the Captain v/as extremely anxious to discover, with his spy-glass, whether the Emperor was on ' Wbile onour pswafje to St. Helenn, Admiral Cockburn placed bis library at rur disposal. One of oiir party in turning over tbe leaves of a volume of the Lii- lyclo/ieflia liiitaiiniro, found a letter from I-a Koihelle, addressed to the comnnart!- iiig officer of tbe Kiiglish tqiiadron : it .contained, word for word, the^whole of our »ft';iir relative to the Danisb !>bip , the miimeut ofher projected departure, future iiitfiiliuns, hu. We pawed this letter from band to hand, taking care that it sbouM he replaced where first discovered. It gave us very little information ; we were aware of tbe uuderstanding which exislert both in and out of France, but were desirous of seeing s pi oof of it so much to the point. Hdw did this letter happen |o get on Ix^rd the Nortbumberland ? Capinin Maithind had doubtlete, when transferring us to that ship, also delivered up the dfK'uments concerning our cap- ture. This was the letter which occasioni-d so much alarm on the part ol the Cap- "taifl, rchtive lo the supposed escape of the Emperor, soon after my embavUatian. :22 Mi" RESIDEiVCE WITH board ; Jie frequently bcjjgcd I tvouIJ look myself, but I could not as yet reply with certainty : at length the matter was placed beyond farther doubt, as tlie Emperor came a- longside, surrounded by all his attendants. 1 stood at the ;?anc:way to present Captain Maitiand, to whom he said, '-I come on board your ship, to place myself under the protec- tion of the laws ofEng-land." The captain then led him into his cabin, of which the Emperor was immediately put in possession. All the officers of the Bellerophon were pre- sented to him soon after : this ceremony over, he came out of the cabin, and visited every part of" the ship during the morning. I related the alarm felt by Captain Maitiand the preceding evening, relative to his escape ; the Emperor did, not see the matter in the light in which it had appeared to me—" What had he to fear :-" he asked in an emphatic and dignified manner — " were not you in his power T' Towards four o'clock, the Superb, a seventy-four gun ship, bearing the flag of Kear-admiral Hotham, the com- mander on the station, anchored close to the Bellerophon. The admiral came to visit the Emperor, and remained to ♦dinner. From the questions asked by Napoleon relative to his ship, he expressed a wish to know whether his Majesty would condescend to go on board the following day ; upon which the Emperor said he had no objection, and would therefore breakfast with the Admiral accompanied by all his attendants. 16th. — Accompanied the Emperor on boai'd the Superb : all the honours, excspt those of firing cannon, were liber- ally done ; we went roardthe ship, and examined the most trifling objects ; every thing seemed to be in admirable order. Admiral Hotham evinced, througliout, all the re- finement and grace of a maji of rank and education. On our return to the Bellerophon she got under weigli, and made sail for England : this event took place twelve days after our departure from Paris. On our leaving the Bellerophon in the morning to visit the Superb, the Emperor stopped sliort in front of the guard drawn up on the quarter-deck to salute him. He made them perform several movement^?, ^ving the word of com- mand himself: having desired them to charge bayonets, and perceiving this motion was not performed altogether in the French manner, he advanced into the midst of the soldiers, piU the weapons aside with his hands, and seized a musquet from one of the rear rank, with which he went through the exercise himself according to our metliod. A s\idden movement and change of countenance amongst the officers and others wlio were present, sufficiently expressed their astonishment at seeing the Emperor tlius carelessly THE EMI'EROR NAPOLEON. 2b place himself amidst English bayonets, some of Tvhlch came in contact with his. person. This circumstance produced amost strikinf^ eifect. On returning^ from the Superb, we were indirectly questioned on the subject, and asked whe- ther the Emperor had ever acted in the same way with his own soldiers ; while the greatest surprise was expressed at his confidence. Not one amongst the officers had formed any idea of sovereigns who could thus explain and execute their own commands ; it was therefore easy to perceive they had no just conception of the personage now before them, notwithstanding his having been so marked an ob- ject of attention and curiosity for above twenty years. 17th — 18th. — Though nearly a calm, we lost sight of land. 19th. — The wind being very strong, though not favoura- ble, we proceeded at the rateof nine miles an hour. 20th — 22. — We continued our course, with winds that \vere by no means favourable. The Emperor was not long ahiongst his most inveterate enemies, those who had been continually fed with rumours ho less absurd than irritating, without exercising all the in- fluence of glory over them. The captain, officers, and crew soon adopted the etiquette of his suite, shewing him exactly the same attention and respect: the Captain ad- dressed him either as Sire or yo^ir Majesty ; when he ap- peared on deck, every one took off his hat, and remained imcovei'ed while he was present — this was not the case at first. There was no entering his cabin, except by passijig the attendants : no persons but those who were invited ap- peared at his table. Napoleon was, in fact, an emperor, on board the Bellerophon. He often appeared on deck, conversiag either with some of his suite or the officers of the ship. Of all those who had followed the Emperor, I was per- haps the person of whom he knew the least: it has already been seen that, notwithstanding my employments near his person, I had enjoyed but little immediate intercourse with Napoleon ; since our leaving Paris he had scarcely spoken to me, but I was now addressed very frequently. The occasion and circumstances were highly favourable to me ; I was sufficiently acquainted with Ihe English lan- guage to be able to give various explanations as to what was passing around us. I had been in the navy, and could afford the Emperor any information he reqv.ired relative to the manoeuvres of the ship, and state of the weather. I bad been ten years in England, and had formed definite notions of the laws, manners, and customs of the people, which en- abled me to reply to the Emperor's questions with facility. ^i MY RESIDENCE WITH My Historical Atlas, too, had stored my mind with a iiuai' ber of facts, dates, and coincidences, upon which he always found me prepared to answer. A part of my time was occupied in drawing uptlie follow- ing summary of our situation at Rochefort, and the notions which had dictated the determination of the Emperor. Summary dictated by JVapoleon himself. The English squadron was not strong; there were two sloops of war olf Bordeaux ; they blockaded a Fi-euch cor- vette, and gave chase to American vessels, which sailed daily in great numbers. At the Isle of Aix we had two fri- gates well armed ; the Vulcan corvette, one of the largest vessels of its class, and a large brig, lay in the roads ; the v/hole of this force was blockaded by an English seventy- four of the smallest class, and an indifferent sloop or two. There is not the least doubt that by risking the sacrifice of one or two of our ships, we should have passed, but the se- nior captain was deficient in resolution, and refused to sail; the second in command was quite determined, and would liave made the attempt ; the former had probably received secret instructions from Fouche, who already openly be- trayed the Emperor, and wanted to give him up. However that may be, thei'e was nothing to be done by sea. The Emperor then landed at the Isle of Aix. "Had the mission been confided to Admiral Werhiiel," said Napoleon, "as was promised on our departure from Paris, it is probable he would have sailed." The officers and crews of both frigates were full of attachment and en- thusiasm. The garrison of Aix was composed of fifteen hundred seamen, forming a very fine regiment ; the officers were so indignant at the frigate not sailing, that they pro- posed to fit out two chasse-marces of fifteen tons each : the midshipmen wished to navigate them ; but when on the point of patting this plan into execution, it was said there would be great difficulty in gaining the American coast without touching on some point of Spain or Portugal. Under these circumstances the Emperor composed a species of council, from amongst the individuals of his suite: here it was represented that we could no longer calculate on the frigates or other armed vessels ; that the chasse- marees held out no probable chance of success, and could only lead to capture by the English cruisers in the open sea, or to falling into the hands of the allies : only two alterna- tives remained ; that of inarching towards the interior, once more to try the fate of arms; or that of seeking an asylum in England. To follow up the first there were fif- ^en hundred Bearaen, full of zeal and williug to act : the THE EMPEROR If APOLEOJT. 2i> comniaiitlarit of the Island was an old officer of the army of Egypt, entirely devoted to Napoleon : the Emperor would have proceeded at the head of these to Rochefort, where the corps would have been increased by the garrison, which was also extremely well disposed : the garrison of La Ro>- chelle, composed of four battalions of federated troops, had offered their services : with these we might then have join- ed General Clai]sel,so iirmly fixed at the head of the army at Bordeaux, or General Laraarque, who had performed prodigies, with that of La Vendee ; both these officers ex- pected and wished to see Napoleon: it would have been exceedingly easy to niaiotain a civil war in the interior. But Paris was taken, and the Chambers had been dissolved; there were, besides, from five to six hundred thousand of the enemy's ti'oops in France ; a civil war could therefore have no other result than leading to the destruction of all these generous men who were attached to Napoleon. This loss would have been severe and irreparable : it would have destroyed the future resources of the nation, without pro- ducing any other advantage than placing the Emperor in a position to treat and obtain stipulations favourable to his interests. But Napoleon had renounced sovei-eigRty ; he only wanted a tranquil asylum ; he abliorred the thought of seeing all his friends perish to attain so trifling a result ; he was equally averse to become the pretext for the provin- ces being ravaged ; and above all, he did not wish to de- prive the national party of its truest supports, which would sooner or later re-establinh the honour and independence of France. Napoleon's only wisJi was to live as a private individual in future : America was the most proper place, and that of his choice. But even England, with its posi- tive laws, might also answer ; and it appeared, from the nature of my first interview with Captain Maitland, that the latter was empowered to convey the Emperor and suite to England to be equitalily treated. 'From this moment we were under the prelection of British laws : and the people of England were too fond »f glory to lose an opportunity wliich thus presented itself, and that ought to have formed the proudest page of their history. It was therefore resolvr ed to surrender to the English cruisers, as soon as Captain Maitland should positively declare Lis orders to receive us. On renewing the negotiation, he clearly stated that be had the authority of his Qovernment to receive the Emperor, if he would com.e on board the Bellerophon, and to convey him as well as his suite to England. Napoleon went on board, not that he was constiained to it by events, since he could have remained in France ; but because he wished to live as a private individual, would uo longer meddle Ts'ith 3 26 MV UESIDENCE WITH public aflairs, and had determined not to enribroil those of France. He would, most assuredly, not have adopted this plan had he suspected the unworthy treatmeiit which was preparing for him, as every body will readily feel convinc- ed. His letter to the Prince Xiegeut fully explains his con- fidence and persuasion on tlic subject. Captain JViaitland, to whom it was officially communicated before the Empe- ror embarked on board his ship, having made no remarks on the above document, had, by this circumstance alone, recognized and sanctioned the sentiments it contained. 23d. — Saw L'shant at tour in the morning, having passed it in the night. From the moment of approaching the C^han- nel, sjiips of the line and frigates were seen sailing in vari- ous directions. The coast of England was discovered to- wards evening. 24th. — We anchored at Torbay about eight in the morn- ing ; the Emperor had risen at six, and went on the poop, whence he surveyed the coast and anchorage. I remain- ed by his side to give the explanations he required. Captain Maitland immediately dispatched a messenger to Lord Keith, the commander-in-chief at Plymouth. Gen- eral Gourgaud rejoined us : he had been obliged to give up the letter for the Prince Regent; he Lad not only been refused permission to land, but prohibited from all comnm- nication. This Avas a bad omen, and the first indication of those numberless tribulations which followed. No sooner had it transpired that the Emperor was on board the Bellerophon, than the bay was covered with ves- sels and boats full of people. The owner of a beautiful country-seat in sight of the ship sent his Majesty a present of various fruits. 25th. — The concourse of boats and crowds of spectators continued without intermission. The Emperor saw tliem from the cabin windows, and occasionally shewed himself on deck. On returning from tlic shore. Captain Maitland handed me a letter from Lady C, enclosing another from jny wife. My surprise was extreme, and not less than my satisfaction ; but the former ceased Vrhcn 1 reflected that the length of the passage had given the French papers time to transmit an account of what had occurred to a consider- able distance, so that whatever related to the Emperor and his suite was already known in England, where we had even been expected for five or six days before. My wife hastened to address Lady C on the subject, and the latter wrote to Captain Maitland, to whom she enclosed my let- ters, without knowing him. My wife's letter bespoke feelings of tender affliction ; but that of Lady C, who, from being iuliondon, had heard THE EMl'EROR NAPOLEON. .Z i our future destiny, was full of reproaches — "I was not my own master, thus to dispose of myself; it was a crime to abandon my wife and children," &c. Melancholy result of our modern systems of education, which tend so little to el- evate our minds that we cannot conceive either the merit or charm of heroic resolutions! We think all has been said, and every plea justified, when the danger of private interests and domestic enjoyments is put forward, — little . imagining triat the first duty towards a wife is to place her in a situation of honour, and that the richest inheritance we can leave our children, is the example of some virtues, and a name to which a little true glory is attached. .26th — Orders had arrived in the night for tlie ship imme- diately to repair to Plymouth : having sailed at an early hour, we reached ourncAv destination at four o'clock in the afternoon, ten days after our departure from Rochefort, twenty-seven after quitting Paris, and thirty-five fi'om the Emperor's abdication. Ourhorrizon became greatly over- cast from this day. Armed boats were placed round the ship ; those whom curiosity had attracted were driven a- way, even by firing musquetry at them. Lord Keith, who was in the bay, did not come on board. Two frigates made the signal for sailing immediately ; we were told that a courier extraordinary had brought dispatches for a distant quarter. In the morning, some of or.r party v/ere distribu- ted amongst other vessels. Every visage seemed now to look at us with a sullen interest ; the most sinister reports had reached the ship ; several destinations were mention- ed, each more frightful than the other, Imprisonment in the Tower of London was Ibe least ter- rific, some spoke of St. Helena. McanT/hile the two fri- gates, which had greatly excited my attention, got under weigh, though the wind was contrary for leaviag the road- stead, stood towards us, and anchored on each side, near] v touching the Belleiophon. Upon tijis, some person whis- pered to me that these ships were to receive us in the course of the night, and to sail for St. Helena. _ Never can I pouriray the effect of these terrible words ! A cold sweat overspread my w'.joie frame : it was an unex- pected sentence of death ! Unpitying executioners had seized me : I was torn from all that attached me to life. I extended my arms sorrowfully towards those v/ho were dear to me, but in vain ; my fale was inevitable ! This thouglit, together with a crowd of others which arose in equal disorder, excited a real tempest of the mind. It was like the struggle of a soul that sought to disengage itself from Its earthly habitation ! It turned my hair gray !— For- tujRateiy the crisis was short, and, as it happened, the mind 2B MY RESIDENCE WITH came forth tnumpljant ; so much so, indeed, that from tLij moment I seemed above the world. 1 felt that I could thenceforth defy injustice, ill treatment, and sufferings. Above all, I vowed that neither complaints nor solicitation should escape me. But let not those of my companions to whom I appeared tranquil in those fatal circumstances, 'ac- cuse me of being: deficient in feeling! Their agony was prolonged ih detail — mine operated all at onee. One of those coincidences, which is not the least extra- ordinary of my liie, recurred to my thoughts soon after. Twenty years before, and during my emigration to Eng- land, without possessing any worldly goods, I had refused to seek a certain fortime in India, because it was too remote, and 1 thought myself too old. Nfew, at -twenty years older, I was about to quit my family, friends, fortune, and enjoy- ments, to become a voluntary e'xile, two thousand miles off, in the midst of the ocean ,y^jr nothing. But no, I am mista- ken ! the sentiment that now impelled me was infinitely superior to the riches I then disdained ; I followed him who liad governed the world and will occupy the attention of posterity. The Emperor continued to appear on deck as usual. I sometimes saw him in his cabin, but without communica- ting what I had heard : I wished to console him, and not to he his tormentor. The reports had,hov/ever, reached him; but he had come so freely and confidently on board the Eellerophon ; he had been so strongly invited by tlie En- glish themselves ; he so completely regarded his letter to the Prince Regent, transmitted beforehand to Captain Maitland, as so many tacit conditions ; he had, in fact, act- ed with so much magnaniraity throughout the proceeding, that he repelled with indignation all the fears which were attempted to be excited m hira, not even permitting those around him to entertain doubts. 27th — 28th. — It would be difficult to describe our tor- ments and anxiety at this moment; most of us were dumb and inanimate. The least circumstance wliich transpired from the shore — an opinion, howeveruuimportant, express- ed on board — an unmeaning paragraph in a daily paper, be- came the subjects of our most serious arguments, and the cause of perpetual oscillations between our hopes and fears. The most trifling reports were sought with avidily ; whoev- er appeared was urged to give a favourable version of de- ceitful anticipations ; so little do the ardour ai:d activity of our national character contribute to endow us with that stoical resignation, that imperturbable composure which can only be acquired from settled principles and positive doctrines imbil)ed fn^m early infancy. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 29 The-public papers, particularly those of the ministerial side, were let loose against us ; it was the outcry of Minis- ters preparing the blow they were about to strike. It would not be easy to form an idea of the horrors, falsehoods, and imprecations accumulated on our heads ; and there is al- ways a portion communicated to the multitude, however well disposed it may be, so that the demeanour of those around us become less easy, while their politeness became embarrassed and their countenances more misgiving. Lord Keith, after announcing himself for sometime be- fore, had only just made his appearance. It was evident that our company was shunned ; our conversation avoided. The papers contained an account of the measures which were about to be taken ; but, as nothing oflicial appeared, and there was some contradiction in the detail*, v, o were induced to flatter ourselves as to the final resuli ; thus re- maining in that state of suspense and uncertainty which is worse than a knowledge of the most painful truths. Nev- ertheless, our arrival in England had produced a singular sensation ; the presence of the Emperor excited a curiosi- ty bordericg on deliriu.m. It was the papers themselves that informed us of the circumstance, wXiile they condemned it. All England seemed to hurry towards Plymouth. A person who had left London, on hearing of my arrival, was obliged to stop on the road for want of post-horses and iac- commodatidn. The Sound was covered with an immense num.ber of boats ; for some of which, we heard, above fifty pounds had been paid. The Emperor, to whom I read all the newspapers, did not betray any decrease of composure, either by ,his con- versation or general habits, it was known that he always appeared on deck towards five o'clock. A short time be- fore this hour, all the boats collected along-side of each other ; there were thousands, and so closely connected, that the water could no longer be seen between them; they looked more like a multitude assembled in a public square than any thing else. When the Emperor came out, the noise and gestures of so many people presented a most striking spectacle : it was, at the same time, very easy to perceive that nothing hostile was meant, and that if curiosi- ty had brought them, they felt interested on going away ; we could even see that tiie latter sentiment continued to increase; — at first, people merely looked towards the ship, they ended by saluting ; some rem.ained uncovered, and oc- casionally went so far as to cheer. Even our symbols be- gan to appear amongst them. Several individuals of both sexes came decorated with red carnations, but this was only turned to our detriment in the eyes of the Ministry and its partisans, so that it rendered our agonv more poig-nant. •j'^ MY RESIDEAX'E WITH It ^7as under tliese circumstances that the Emperor, winr^ notwitlistanding his calm demeanor, could not help being- struck by what he heard, dictated a paper to me, worthy ofservinr^ as a model to jurists, discussitio- and defending,- his real political situation ; we found means of conveying ir on shore, but I have kept no copy. Minisicrlal Decision. 29th— 30th. — A report had circulated during the twu previous days, that an under-secretary of state was coming- from London officially to notify the resolutions of the Min- isters with respect to the Emperor. Accordingly he ap- peared ; it was Sir Charles Bunbury ; he came on board, accompanied by Lord Keith, and delivered a dispatch or- dering the removal of the Emperor to St. Helena, and lim- iting' the number of persons who were to accompany Na- poleon to three, excluding, however, the Duke de Kovigo and General Lallemand, comprised in the list of prescri- bed. I was not called before the Emperor. The bearers of his sentence spoke and understood French ; they were admit- ted alone. I have since heard, that he objected and pro- tested, with no less energy than logic, a'gainst the violence exercised on his person. '' He was the guest of England,"' said Napoleon, " and not its prisoner, he came of his own accord to place himselfunder the protection of its laws; the most sacred rights of hospitality were violated in his per- son ; he would never submit voluntarily to the-outrage they were preparing for him : violence alone should oblige him to do so, &c." The Empfri-^r gave me the ministerial document to trans- late for him, of whicti the following is a copy : Commurdcalion made by Lord Keith, in the name of the Eng- lish Ministers. " As it may, perhaps, be convenient for General Buona- parte to learn, without farther delay, the intentions of the British Government with regard to him, your Lordship will communicate the following information. " It would be inconsistent with our duty towards our country and the alUes,ofhisMajesty,if General Buonaparte possessed the means of again disturbing the repose of Eu- rope. It is on this account, that it becomes absolutely ne- cessary he should be restrained in his personal liberty, so far as this is required by the foregoing important object. " The island of St. Helena has been chosen as his future- Kesidence ; its climate is healthy, and its local position will allow of bis being treated with more indulgence than couldr THE EMPEROn »L(\POLEOi\. 31 ba admitted iii any other spot, oning to the indispensable precautions which it would be necessary to employ for the security of Lis person. " General Buonaparte is allowed to select amongst those persons v,lio accompanied hiai to Ei^giand, (with the ex- ceptions of generals Savary and Lalienianu) three officers, who, together with his surg-eon, will have permission to ac- company him to St. Helena ; these individuals will not be allowed to quit the island without the^anction of the British Government. " Rear-Admiral Sir George Cockburn, who is named Commander-in-cluef at the Cape of Good Rope and seas adjacent, will convey General Buonaparte and his suite co St. Helena ; and he will receive detailed instructions rela- tive to the execution of this service. '• Sir G. Cockburn will, most probably, be ready to sail in a few days ; for which reason it is desirable that General Buonaparte should make choice of the persons who are to- accompany him without delay." Although we expected our transportation to St. Plelcna', we were deeply affected by its announcement : it threw us all into a state of consternation. The Emperor did not liowever, fail to appear on deck as usual, with the same countenance; and, as before, tranquilly surveyed the crowds which seemed so eager to see him. 31st. — Our situation had now become truly frightful ; our sufferings beyond every power of description; our existence ■was about to cease with regard to Europe, our country, families, and friends, as well as oui* enjoyments and habit*. It is true, we were not forced to follow the Emperor; but our choice was that of martyrs ; the question was a renun- ciation of faith, or death. Another circumstance was ad-- ded, which greatly increased our torment : this was the ex- clusion of Generals Savary and Lallemand, whom it struck with the utmost terror : they saw nothing but a scaffold be- fore them, and felt persuaded that the Ministers of England,- making no distinction between the political acts of a revo- lution, and crimes committed in a moment of tranquillity, would give them up to their enemies to be sacrificed. This would have been such an outrage on all law, such an oppro- brium for England hefself, that her enemies would be al- most tempted to invoke it; but it was only for those who v/ere included in the same proscription to talk thus. At all events, we did not hesitate to desire that each of us might be amongst those whom the Emperor would choose ; enter- taining but one fear, that of finding ourselves excluded. August 1st. — We still continued in the same state. I re- ceived a letter from London, in which it was strocg-lyurged 32 MY RESIDENCE WITH that I should he extremely wrong, nay that it tvould even be a crime, to expatriate myself. The person who thus wrote, also addressed Captain ivlaitlaud, oegging he would assist by his ellorts and counsel to dissuade me from such a reso- lution. But I stopped him short, by observing that, at my age, people generally acted on reflection. 1 read the papers every day to the Emperor. Whether influenced by generosity, or that opinions began to be divi- ded, there were two amongst the number that pleaded our cause with great warmtti, compensating in some measure for the gross falsehoods and scurrilous abuse with wliich the others were filled. We gave ourselves up to the hope, that the hatred inspired by an enemy, would be succeeded by the interest which splendid actions ought naturally to ex- cite ; that England abounded in noble hearts and elevated minds, which would indubitably become our ardent advo- cates. The number of boats increased daily. Napoleon con- tinued to appear at his usual hour, and the reception be- came more and more flattering. Numbers of every rank and condition had followed the Emperor; he was still with regard to most of us, as if at the Thuilleriss ; the Grand Marshal and Dukede Rovigo alone saw him habitually. Some had not approached or spoken to him more frequently than if we had been at Paris. I was called during the day, whenever there were any papers or letters to translate, until the Emperor insensibly contracted the habit of sending for me every evening towards eight o'clock, to converse with him a short time. In the conversation of this evening, and after touching on various subjects, he asked me whether I would accompany iiim to St. Helena. I replied with great frankness, render- ed more easy by my real sentiments, observing to his Ma- jesty, that in quitting Paris I had disregarded every chance; and that therefore, that of St. Helena Lad nothing which could make it an exception. There were, however, a great many of us round his person, while only three were permit- ted to go out. As some people considered it a crime in me to leave my family, it was nec(?ssary with regard to the lat- ter, and my own conscience, to know that I could be useful and agreea'jle to him — that, in fact, I required to be chos- en ; but that this last observation did not spring from any concealed motive, for my life was henceforth at his disposal without any restriction. While thus engaged, Madame Bertrand, without having been called, and even without announcing her name, rush- ed into the cahin, and in a frantic manner, entreated the Emperor not to go to St. Helena, nor take her husband with him'. But observing the astonishraeot, coolness, and calm THE EMPEUOJl NAPOLEO^T. 33 rtnsw^er of Napoleon, she ran out as precipitately as she had entered. The Emperor, still surprised, turned to me and said, "Can you comprehend all this J Is she not mad V In a Bioment after, loud siuieks were heard, and every body seemed to be running towards the stern of the ship. Being desired to ring the bell, and to inquire the cause, I found it was Madame Bertrand, who, en leaving the cabin, had at- attempted to throw herself into the sea, and was prevented with the greatest difficully. From this scene it is easy to judge of oar general feelings ! Ranarkable Words of the Emperor. 2d, — 2d. — In the morning the Duke de Rovigo told mc I was certainly to depart for St. Helena ; while in conversa- tion with the Emperor a short time before, his Majesty had said to him, thatif there were only two to accompany him I should be one of the number, as he thought I could aiford l.'im some consolation. I am indebted to the candour and kindness of the Duke, for the satisfaction of being made ac- quainted with this flattering assurance, and am tnUy grate- ful, as, but for him, it would never have been known to me. The Emperor had not said a word in reply to my answer: this was his cHstom, as I shall have other opportunities of showing. I had no particular acquaintance with any of those wlio had followed the Emperor, except General and Madame Bertrand, who had shown me great attention during my mis- sion to lUyria, where he was Governor-General. I had un- til then never spoken to the Duke de Rovigo, certain pre- possessions having induced me to keep at a distance ; we had, however, scax-cely exchanged a lew words, Avhen my scruples were completely removed. Savary was sincerely attached to the Emperor ; 1 knew he possessed warmth of heart, sincerity, and uprightness of character, qualities which rendered him susceptible of real friendship: we should, therefore, I dare say have become very intimate. I was again sent fur by the Emperor ; who, after alluding to different subjects, began to speak of St. Helena, asking me what sort of a place it could be ; whether it was possi- ble to exist there J and similar questions. " But," said he, " after all, am I quite sure of going there'? Is a man depen- dent on others, when he wishes that his dependence should cease J" — We continued to walk to and fro in the cabin ; he seemed calm, though aiTected, and somewhat absent. " ?tly friend," continued the Emperor, "I have sometimes an idea of quitting yon, and this would not \ q very difficult; it is only necessary to. create a little mental excitcn;ent, and I s!iall soon have escsped, — All will be over, and you '34 MY RESTDENCE WITH can then tranquilly rejoin your families. This is the more easy, since niy internal principles do not oppose any bar to it; — I am one of those ^Tho conceive tliat tlic pains of the other world were only imagined as a counterpoise to those inadequate allurements ^7iiich are offered to us there. God can never have willed such a contradiction to his infinite goodness, especially for an act of this kind ; and what is it after all, but wishing to return to him a little sooner"? I remonstrated warmly against such notions. Poets and pliilosophers had said that it was a spectacle worthy of the Divinity, to see men struggling with fortune : reverses and constancy had their glory. Such a great and noble charac- ter as his could not descend to the Ipvel of vulgar minds ; he who had governed us with so miich glory, who had excit- ed the admiration, and influenced the destinies of the world, could not end like a desperate gamester or disappointed lover. What would then become of all those who looked np to and placed their hopes in him f Would he thus aban- don the field to bis enemies 1 The anxiety shown by the lat- ter to drive him to it was surely sufficient to make him re- sist: who, besides, coidd tell the secrets of time, or dare as- sert what the fiiture would produce. What might not the mere change of a ministry, death of a Prince, that of a confi- dant, the slightest burst of passion, or the most trifling dis- pute, bring about] "Some of these suggestions have their weight," said the Emperor, " but what can we do in that desolate place "J" — '-Sire," I replied, "we will live on the past: there is enough of it to satisfy us. Do we not enjoy the life of Cas- sar and that of Alexander? We shall possess still more, you will rc-peruse yourself. Sire !" " Be it so !" rejoined Napo- leon ; " we will write o-ir memoirs. Yes, we must be em- ployed ; for occupation is the scythe of time. After all, a man ought to fulfil his destinies ; this is my grand doctrine:* let mine also be acconipiished." Re-assuming from tliis in- stant an air of ease and even gaiety, Le passed on to suL- jects totally unconnected with our situation. * nie following is a ilocument, which the above circumstance eontributes tu render s'ill more precious : it is an order of the day, iisued by the Trsl Consul to his guard, Rgaiiist suicide. Order of the 22 Floreal, Year X. '• The grenadier Gobain has committed suicide from love ; he was io other res- pects an excellent soldier. This is the second incident of the same nature that hss occurred within a month, " The first Consul directs it to be inserted in the order bqok of the vuard :— " That a soldier ougtit to know how to vanquish the pan^s and melancholy of the passions; that there is as much true courage in btaring up against mental sul- IcriiiKs with constancy, as in remaining firm on ihe wall of a bsftcry. '• To Rive ourselves up to griet without resistance, or to kill ourselves toescnpti- itfliction, is to abandon the field of battle betore the victory is gained."' the; emperor napoleon. 36 Departure from Plymouth. — Ccntinuaiice in the Channel. — Protest. 4th. — ^Orders had arrived during the ni{jht for ns to sail at an early hour; when under weigh, our curiosity was great- ly excited. The newspapers, official ccniinunicaticns, and private conversaticjis, told us we were to be conveyed to St. Helena by the Northumberland : we knew that this ship was still fitting out at rortsmouth or Chatham, so that we mig-ht still calculate on eiglit or ten day s delay. The Beilerophon was too old for the voyage, she had not provis- ions enough ; moreover the wind was ccutrary ; when therefore we saw the ship returning up Channel, ouruncer- tainly and conjectures were renewed, but Avhatever these might be, every thing was welcome when compared to the idea of transportation to St. Helerxa. Nevertheless, it occurred to us, that in such a decisive moment, the Emperor was bound to slieiv an official opposi- tion to this violence ; as to Napoleon himself, he attached but little importance to it, nor would he trouble himself about the matter. However, said we, it will be a weapon in the hands of our friends, and leave causes of remem- brance as well as grounds of defence with the public. I ventured, therefore, to read a paper I had prepared to his Majesty, with the general sense of which he seemed pleas- ed ; after suppressing a few phrases, and correcting others, it was signed and sent to Lord Keith. The following is a literal copy of this document. Protest. " I hereby solemnly protest in the face of heaven and mankind, against the violence that is done me ; aud the vio- lation of my most sacred rights, in forcibly disposing of my person and liberty. 1 voluntarily came on board the Beile- rophon— I am not the prisoner, I am the guest of England. I came at the instigation of the Captain himself, who said he had orders from the Government to receive and convey me to England, together v, ith my suite, if agreeable to me. I came forward with confidence to place myself under the protection of the laws of England. When once on board the Beilerophon, I was entitled to theliospitality of the Brit- isli people. If the Government, in giving the Captain of the Beilerophon orders to receive me and my followers, on- ly wished to lay a snare, it has forfeited its honour and dis- graced its flag. " If this act be consummated it will be in vain for the English henceforth to talk of their sincerity, their laws, and liberties. British faith will have been lost in the hospitali- ty of the Beilerophon. 3G MY RESIDENCE WITH " I appeal to liistory : it will say, that an enemy who made war for twenty years against the English people came spontaneously, in the hour of misfortune to seek an asylum under their laws. What more striking proof could he give of iiis esteem and confidence ] But how did England reply to such an act of magnanimity 1 It pretended to hold out a hospitable hand to this enemy ; and on giving himself up with confidence, he was immolated ! " Napoleon." Bella-oplon, nt Sea, \ Fr day, Aug. 4f/i, 1315 5 The Duke de Rovigo told me that the Emperor demand- ed pennission to send me to the Prince Regent at London, but that it was ohstinately refused. The sea was rough, and the wind blew with violence. Most of us were affected with sea sickness. But Avhat can- not tbe pre-occupation cf the mind effect over physical in- firmities .' this was, perhaps, the only time in my life that I was not incommoded by such weather. On leaving Ply- mouth Sound, we stood, to the eastward before t!ie wind, but were soon after close-hauled, tacking backwards and forwards, without being able to comprehend the cause of this new source of torment. 5th. — The whole of this day was passed in the same man- ner. While conversing with tlie Emperor in tlie evening he gave me two proofs of confidence, but I cannot now con- fide them to paper.* • There is, however, one of those proofs which I am now at liberty to dis- cln«f. While walUini> in the stt-rn-gailery with fhe Ri)ip«H-«r, at the usual hour, be drew from under hi* vvai'Jtooat.sriil coiiTfisiiJg on a totally diff •nut suiyect, a species ofgirrife, vvh-cli h- ha: (led to nie, sa5ing, " Take CKre of that for m' ;" wrthoHt iiUeri-iijitlRg him, I jiiaced it under my own wai'.teo.st. The Emperor told me scion after, that it contEin>'d a diamoitd ntcUlace, worth two linsidred thousand francs, which GJ':een Ho.-tersin tovcrd !)im to accept on his leaving i\lal- ciaisou. AttPr r.ur arrival at St. Hthna 1 (Viqiienr'y spokeof returning the necU lace, but iiever receiveil niiy reply. HiiVJi.g ventured to mfr-'jon the sub- ject aij-Mi! wh' n we were at Longwood. Napoli on drily aSked, " Dues i'. annoy you ?"— '" Nj Sin ," wns my aiisv er ;— ' Ki'tp it (hen. ' said he. From weariiig he giidi so io- g, ihe cecklac b eame as it wtie iiientirit'd with my person • at.d I thought so little aoou it, tlmt it w-.s not till soin. d lys jfter my beip.g torn 'rom Loiigw«od^nd by he mf*rtst aec'.de>t,it ricnried -o my nv ixi.iry ; wh'u 1 shu.r der«-(l at the id.a ordepri-.ins the, Enii'eror hT sueii a resourc-.-. i'ar, how wuuld ft be possible i-ow to make re.nitutiov ? I « as in the most rij; rjus coi'fiiv ir.ent, surrounded by fraojers aiid sectmeli. so that all comm.micstion wss im^jractrca- ble. i vainly endesivouiid io contrives plat; timo" pressed; only a fev days were ief' and rothmg' could be more distressing than thus to qui: the isia' d In this ptPdicanniit.I resolved to run al' risks. An Kiislisli nan, lo v^hon I had o - ten spr. ken, came to the prison on a pact'cuiar errand— aiid it *as uiider the eyes c(f the govetoor hunself orhneufhis most confidential agents whom he biought, that I viTituced to coramanicite my wshes. " I think you are a man of prineip e." said I, " and I »m tjoi'ip: to put it to the tps'c;— th-.nqh with uotHing injurious or cojnrary lo your I ouour— ni'-rely « f'f'i di iiosit to be restored to N'tpoleoti. If you accept thc'eharee, my son wil! pui it into j'oiu pi)Ckei." n> &Bswp,ed o,f{itnf the military attend*"^' B'-fjre q^ilti;;?; th*- i-i;nd, I tiad the in>-yp'-''»si!>ie satisfaction of knowing t*^.9< 'be ni eiili.ee h: d reached the hands of the Enperor. How gratitV.np: 1 1 the h> art are 'h- reoollccioi' end re- cital of such a trait on the i>art of an eneray, and under such circumstantes i THE EMl'EROR ^UF»LKO^^ oi 'Anchored off" Start Point. — Persons alloived to ucccmfdny the Emperor, Ctb. — We anchored about noon off Start Point, where tliere was no shelter whatever, though we had but a very ^hort distance to go in order to anchor in Torbay : this cir- cumstance excited grreat astonishment on our part. We had, however, heard that orders were given to meet the North- umberland, the departure of which vessel from Portsmouth was urged with all possible haste. Accordingly that ship soon appeared with two frigates full of troops, which were to compose the garrison of St. Helena. The^e three ships eame to an anchor close to us ; after which the communica- tions amongst the whole squadron became very active. I'he precautions lest any boats should approach were still continued. Meanwhile the mystery ofour precipitate sail- ing from riymouth, and all the manoeuvring that followed, was discovered. Lord Keith had, we were told, received notice by telegraph, that a public ofiicer had juat left Lon- don with a writ of /ic6vho, still calm and colicctod, embraced the Duke, and con- tinued his way towards the accommodation-ladder, gra- ciously saluting all those who happened to be on the quar- ter-deck. The whole of our party ^rJ:om we left behind, ■ftrere in a state of the deepest anguish; nor coiild I lielp observing to Lord Keith, who stood near me at the time, "You see, my Lord, that the only persons Avho shed tears are those who remain." We reached the Northdmberland between one and two o'clock. The Emperor remained on deck conversing fa- miliarly and cheerfiiily with these of tiie English who ap- proached him. Lord Lowther and a Mr. Littleton had a long conversation with him on politics and government. I heard nothing of what passed : the Emperor seemed desirous that we should leave him to liimseif. I employed this mo- ment of leisure in writing a last adieu to my wife and friends; indeed, 1 felt very unwell and much fatigued. At the moment of gettingunder weigh, a cutter that was plying round the ship to keep oft' the people, ran down a boat full of spectators close to us. Fatality seems to have brought them from a great distance to .become the victims of this accident ; I understood that there were two women amongst those who perislied. Thus were we at length un- der sail for St. Helena, thirteen days after our arrival at^,, Plymouth, and forty from our quitting Paris. Those of the attendants whom Napoleon was not allowed to take with him, were tlie last to quit tiie ship, bearing with them mingled proofs of satisfacti..'a and regret. I'heir departure gave rise to a second scene, not loss aaecting than the first. The Emperor retired to the cabin allotted to him about seven o'clock. The English Ministry warmly censured the respect which had been shewn to the Emperor on board the Belieropiicn, and issued fresh orders in consequence ; so ti;at a totally different style of manner and exprcs^-ion was sffV;ciedin tue Northumberland. The cvew seeuied to ;.ttray a ridici;- lous anxiety to be covered before \Ue Eiiip'ror ; i, ; ad been Strictly enjoined to give nim no other lide tLauthacof Gai- 4* 42 iii* RESiUE^'CE WITH era', and only to trcal Lim as such. This was tlie iugen^- otiS contrivance, the happy oonceptioa engendered by the diplomacy of the English Ministers; and the title' they ' thought proper to confer on him whom they had recognised as First Consul, whom they had so often styled head of the French Government, with whom Ihey treated as Emperor at Paris, when Lord Lauderdale was employed to negoti- ate, and, perhaps, even signed aTticles at Chatiilon. Hence, in a moment of warmth, the Emperor, in allusion to this rogulallon, observed : "They may call me whatever they choose, but they cannot prevent me from beiiig myse!/.''^ it was iu fact no less v.-himsical than ridiculous to see the Min- i;jters of England attach such importance to giving only the title of General to one wlio had governed so large a portion of Europe, and made seven or eight kings, of whom sever- al still retained this title of liis crealion ; who had been ten years Emperor of the French, and been annointed as well as consecrated in that quality by the head of the church ; one who could boast two or three elections of the French people to the sovereignty ; who had been acknev/ledged as Emperor by the vrhole of continental Europe; had treated as such with all the sovereigns ; concluding every species of alliance both of blood and interest with them ; so that he tmited in his person every title, civil, political, and reli- gious, existing amongst men ; and which, by a singular, though real, coincidencQj not one of the reigning Princes of Europe could have shewn accumulated in an equal degree. JN^apoIeon was not only the cliief, but founder of his own dy- nasty. Nevertheless, his Majesty, who intended had he landed in England, to have assumed the name and title of Colonel Duroc or Muiron,no longer thought of it now that his legitimate titles were disputed. X>escrip£ion of the Emfcror's cabin on board the JVbrihum-^ herland, 8th. — 9th. — The ship was in the greatest confusion, and seemed to be quite encumbered with men as well as stores and luggage ; Vve sailed in so great a huri-y, that there was scarcely any thing on board in its place, so that the whole orew were now occupied in restoring order, and ju-eparing fprthe voyage. The following particulars will afford some idea of the ship occupied by the Emperor and his suite. The space abaft the mizen-rnast contained two public and two private cabins ; the first was a dininj-rooni, about ten feet broad, and extending the whole xfidth of the ship, lighted by a port- liole at each end, and a sky-light above. The drawing- room was composed of all the remaining space, diminished THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 4"3 •fjy two symmetrical cabins on the right and left, each hav- ing aa entry from the dining or mess-room, and another from the drawing-room. The Emperor occupied that ca the left, in which his camp-bedstead had been put up ; that on the right was appropriated to the Admiral. It was, above all, promptly enjoined, that the drawing-room should be in common, and not given up to the Emperor ; to such a ridiculous extent had the fears and solicitude of the Minia- try been carried f The form of the dining-table resembled that of the mess- room. The Emperor sat witii his back to the drawing-- j'oom or after-cabin, and looking towards the head of the ship; on his left sat Madame Bertrand, and on Lis right, the Admiral. On the right of the Admiral sat Madame de Montholon ; these filled one side ef the table. At the end next that lady was Captain Ross, who commanded the ship; opposite whom, at the corresponding end, sat M. de Mon- tholon. by Madame Bertrand ; next liim, the Admiral's sec- retaryi 'The remaining space was the side of the table op- posite the Emperor, which begiiming from Captain Ross, ■was occupied by the Grand Marshal, the General com- manding the 5Cd regiment, myself, and Baron Gourgaud. The Admiral invited one or two of the officers every day^ who were intermixed amongst us at table. I generally sat almost oppciiite the Emperor. The band of the 53d, which had been recently formed, exercised during dinner at the exnense of our ears. We had two courses, but there was a want of provision ; our tastes were, besides, very different from those of our hosts. It is true, they did their utmost; but, after all, it would not do to be difficult. I was lodged with my son on the starboard side, even with the main-mast, in a small cabin enclosed with canvas, and having a gun iu it. We made as much sail as the wind would permit to get out of the Channel, aiid stood along the coast of England, communicating with all the ports in order to procure addi- tional supplies of sea-stock, and complete the stores of the ship. A large quantity of articles was brought to us from- Plymouthjoff which port we were joined by several other vessels, as vv^ell as from Falmouth. We lose sight of LaTid.—Rcjlections.— Argument a gainst the. English Ministers. 10th.— This day we cleared the Channel, and lost sight of laffd;' We had now entered upon the dreary unknown course to which fate had doomed us. Again my agonies were renewed ; again the dear connections 1 had abandon- ed resumed tlieir influence over my heart. I indulged i» 4 4- MY R2SIDEi\'CE with the luxuriatice of grief, and found a miserable satisfactioa in its excess. "Objects of all my affections," I sxciaimed, •'friends of my heart, for whom alone I live, rellect that I am proving myself worthy of you. Let that thought sup- port you aiso ; tvnd, oh ! forget me not." Meanwhile we advanced in our course, and were soon to be out of Europe. Thus, in less than six v/eeks, had the Eznperor abdicated his throne, and placed himself in the bauds of the English, who were now hurrying him to a bar- ren rock in the midst of a vast ocoan ! This is certainly no oj-dinary instance of the chances of fortune, and no com- mon trial of the firmness of the mind. Yet will posterity be better able to judge of these tbrse leading circumstances, llian we of the presentday. They will have to pronounce on a clear horizon ; whereas we are enveloped in clouds. Scarcely had Napoleon descended from his throne, when those, who witnessed the misfortunes of the nation which followed, regarded his sacriiice as a capital error. When thsy heard of his being a prisoner at Plymouth, they cen- sured his magnanimity : there was not a single incident, even to his suffering himself to be scut to St. Helena, which they did not make a subject of reproach. But such is the tendency of vulgar minds ; never judging ex-oept on what they see at the moment! It h, however, impossible to judge of one resolution without considering, not only the evils which unavoidably attend it, but those which a con- trary determination miglit have produced. By abdicating. Napoleon rallied all the friends of their country round one point — that of its safety 1 He left France demanding, before all nations, nothing but the sacred rights . of naticnal independence ; he took from the Allies every pretext to ravage and dismember our territory ; he de- stroyed ail idea of his neraonal ambition; teiininating his career as the martyr of a cause of which he had been tlie hero. If all the advantages which might have been derived from his genius and talents as a citizen were not obtaiacd, it is to be imputed to the weakness and treachery of the transitory government :;y whic;i he \7as succeeded. When he arrived at Roclicfort, aad the corri .m and er of the frigates refused to sail, ongl.t iie to have abandoned the fruits of his abdication! 'ih^uld !)e have returned to the interior, and placed >.i)7;self ai the bead of mere hands, when he had re- nomced :ir;ii'.es • or, ought be to have desperately encoura- ged a civil war wl'ich would lead to no beueilcial result, b-jt only sji-v',' to ruin t)\e romaiiiiiig pillars, -tlve future hopes of tiio country ! in this siate uf a/iair&, he formed a most nrarniaiiiiuuns ros; ],!ti<, i, w;jrthy of hisUife, and a coir.plcte refutation of the caluniines that for fvJ'eftty years had been TEE EJJi'EROR KAPOLEON* 45 .80 ridiculously accumulated on his head. But what will history say af those ministers of a liberal nation, the guar- dians and depositories of popular rights — ever ardent in en- couraging a Cqriolanus, having only chains for a Camilius] As to the reproach of suffering himself to be transported to St. Helena, it would be a disgrace to answer such a charge. To contend with an adversary in the cabin of a ship — kill some one with his own hand — or attempt to set fire to the powder-magazine, would have been, at best, the act of a buccaneer. Dignity in misfortune, submission to necessity, have also their glory : it is that which becomes great men ovenvhelmed by adversity. When the English ministers found themselves in posses- sion of Napoleon's person, passion had much more influence overthem than justice or policy. They neglected the tri- umpliof their laws, denied the rights of hospitality, disre- garded their own honour, and compromised that of their country. They determined to exile their guest in the midst of the ocean, two thousand leagues frcm Europe, and far from all communion with mankind. It seemed that they wished to trust to the anguish of es.ile, the fatigues of a long voyage, privations of every kind, and the corroding influence of a burning climate, for effecting that which they feared to perform themselves. In order, however, to gaiu over the public voice, to make it appear that their conduct was IncisperiBa^.^ly ner.fissary, the newspapers were instiga- ted to irritate the passions of the WUItltude, by reviving for- mer calumnies and falsehoods : while the ministers, on their side, represented their own determination as an engage- ment entered into with their allies. We presented our- selves at the moment of popular effervescence, just as eve- ry thing which could render us odious had been brought forward. The public journals were fall of the most viru- lent declamctioDS ; maliciously raking up every act and ex- pression of the previous struggle of twenty years, that could vr'ouiid the national pride or re-kindle its hatred. Yet, w hen all England hurried to the south to see us,, during our stay at riyniouth. the conduct and sentiments of the mul- titudes who came was enough to convince us that this facti- tious irritation would disappear of itself. Hence we were led to hope, on our departure, that the British people would daily grow more impartial in a cause to which they were bo longer parties ; that the current of public opinion would eventually tarn against ministers ; and ttiat we had thus- prepared formidable attacks and a terrible responsibility for them at a future day. Und'er these circumstances, what could these ministers have replied had any member of Par- liament rises, aadixiade. usq^Qf the following argument • 46 MY RESIDENCE WITH "We have just been favoured by an unexampled instance of success ! Fortune has caused our most constant and im- placable enemy to surrender at discretion: we have sudden- ly found ourselves masters of the fat6 of the French sove- reign and people : it was in our power to dispose of the fu- ture, or at lea^t to enchain its unfavourable chances for a long period. Have our ministers profited by so many ad- vantages '] Have they ensured our interests, happiness, and glory"? Have they guaranteed a durable peace — the first of our wishes, the most pressing of our wants J Have they extinguished that turbulent agitation, that warlike disposition throughout Europe, which keeps every nation in arms } Have they secured that happy political equili- brium, which prevents revolutions, and reduces war to a mere trifle ] Have they strengthened and piopagated our national principles ? Have they secuicd for us the respect and affection of the European family, as the price of our ef- forts in its favour ? Have they proved the excellence and Buperiority of our institutions and laws J Alas! I hear on- ly negatives to all these questions. Europe was nevermore inflamed ; its situation is at best only an armed truce ; eacjh power increases the number of its soldiers ; the political balance is totally destroyed and broken. In aneighbourmg state we have annihilated the very principles which form the sacred basis of our own political theory: universal jeal- ousy animates the whole continejit asainst nc ■ ^^d oxti <^iv- i\ iav/g have sustained an outrage calculated to leave an in^^ delihle stain on tlie nation." "Do our Ministers flatter themselves that the destruc- tion of our rival is a sufficient answer to every charge .' But how are we so deeply interested in her destruction! In sound policy, is not her existence necesrsary to our glory and stalAlity 1 For I am one of those who fear our own excess- es, should we remain uncontrolled in the midst of prosperi- ty. But what do I say 'J This very rival may be essential- ly necessary to u^, either as an ally or counterpoise. It would ha tiie beig'ht of fully to imagine, that the great strug- gle being over, the Continental States will not again give way to tiieir natural jealousy of our maritime power, so prejudicial to tlieir interests. In sincerely uniting them- selves to us, they merely warded ofi"the most pressing dan- ger. A"ew disputes and difficulties must infallibly arise ; and if that system of universal monarchy, which has so of- ten endangered us, and w)uch we overturned when it ex- tended from the south towards the north, should menace us again, by coming from the north towards the south, where would be our resource ? How blind, then, is our policy, to annihilate Fj-auce by imposinjf on her a government thait THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 47, miT armies are obliged to defend and preserve ! Above all, why have we drawn th« personal animosity of its immense population on ourselves! lithe weakening, or even de- struction of France, was our real interest, it ought to have been effected ; though justice might have censured the step, policy would have excused it ; but it should have been frankly avowed : nations as well as individuals know how to submit to necessity. When the vanquished are plainly told that the rights of victory are exercised over them, their pride is soothed by reflecting on the vicissitudes of fortune; but their hearts are filled with bitteraL,ss and rage if they are plundered under the mask of hypocrisy and bad faith : this is to J)tdd outrage to violence.- Why, therefore, say that you only seek tne happiness of France, while you load her \v'ith contributions] Wiiy pretend to have no other object in view but her deliveranxie from tyranny, and yet iniiict intolerable siilierir.gs on her 1 Why profess to have only made- warrigain&t a single m;iu, and yet trample on a whole nation ] VV^hy sei/.e her fortresses, and strip her of the trophies of her vicories ? not uccanse she L^d been vanquished in hev iurn,^v-hicb would i avc been natural and just; but under the pretence that these possessions were only the result of robbery and plunder J Why so much con- tradictioii betweea words and actions J Because the real object of these procectHngs is one which tiir.se uho aim at it dare not avow — l-ecauso Uie doctrine wiiich guides them is too unpopula.'' to be acknowledged — because they endeav- our to serve a pa7!y in Europe rath^- than eternal priaci- pies. Far be it fvor.: me to make any person at application: I xvish to avoid passicn ard prejudice : i consider no other interest at t!jis ii^ment hut that of my country. Mj>y our Ministtrs enteriaiii i be same sentiments ! But how came they to place England amongst, or at tliC head of Powers who have shamelessly, and in the face of Europe, violated the sacied rights of national independence] How could they dare to sanction such doctrines '? In their stay at tlie Congress of Vienna, did they intoxicate themselves over the cup of the old Continental doctrines'? or did the arri- val of the sovereigns in this country innoculaie them M'ith sentiments of absolute power ; destroying the national max- im of the people's rights 1 What can have led them to over- turn the solemn choice of a nation ] "Napoleon on his return liad consecrated the very same public institutions and fundan.ental laws which we cur- selves boast; all his strength and popularity arose from these acts ; had he afterwards infringed on then!, both would have been lost : he was too wise and too strong to be si Uie I. mwr- ^itycrfPrw. THE EMl^EROR NAPOLKOIf. 5f Tfcis family suffered, like many others, from the numer- ous revolutions which desolated the cities of Italy. The troubles of Florence placed the Buonapartes amongst the Juoriisciti, or emigrants. One of tlie family retired to Sar- zana in the first instance, and thence went to Corsica,, from which island his descendants always continued to send their children to Tuscany, where they were educated un- der the care of the branch that remained at; San Miniato. The second sons of this branch had borne the name of Na- poleon for several generations, which was derived from an ancestor thus named, celebrated in the annals of Italy. When on his way to Florence, after the expedition to Leghorn, Napoleon slept at the house of an old Abbe Buo- napart«, at San Miniato, who treated the whole of his staff with great magnificence. Having exhausted a,ll the family reminiscences, the Abbe told the young General that he was going to bring forth the most precious document of all. Napoleon thought he was about to show him a fine genealo- gical tree, well calculated to gratify his vanity, (said he, laughing) ; but it was a memorial regularly drancn up ia fa- vour of father Buonaventura Buonaparte, a Capuchin friar «f Bologna, long since beatified, but who had not yet beea oanonized, owing to the enormous expense it required. *'The Pope will not refuse you," said the good Abbe, " if you ask him ; and should it be necessary to pay the sum now, it will be a mere trifle for you." Napoleon laughed heartily at this simplicity, so little in harmony with the manners of the day: the old man never dreamt that the saints were no longer in fashion. On reaching Florence, Napoleon coBceived it would be very satisfactory to his namesake to send him the ribbon of the order of St. Stephen, of which he was merely a knight; but the pious Abbe was much less anxious about the favours of this world, tlian the religious justice which he so pertina- ciously claimed ; and, as it afterwards appeared, not with- out reason. The Pope, when he came to Paris to crown the Emperor, also recurred to the claims of Father Buona- ventura. "It W2W doubtless he," said the Pope, "who, from his seat amongst the blessed, had led his relative, as it were by the hand, through the glorious earthly career he had traversed ; and who had preserved Napoleon in tho raidst of so many dangers and battles. The Emperor, how- ever, always turned a deaf ear tu these remarks : leaving it to the holy father's own discretion to provide for the glory of Buonaventura. As to the old Abbd of San Miniato, he left his furtuiie to Napoleon, who preseiited it to one of thn puWic establLshracnts in Tuscany. oi 4fV RESIDENCE WITE It would, however, be very difficult to connect any gene-' alogical data hi tfcis place, from the conveisaiiuiis ot'the Empti-or; wiio used often to say, he iiad never IdoktQ at one of his parclimeiits : these having always rerrjained in the Jiaads of nis orother Joseph, wnom lie styled the " genealo- gist of the family." And, lest I may forget it, i will here mention the fact of Napoleon's having, when on the point of embarking, delivered a packet to his brother, containing ail the original letters addressed to him by the sovereigns ©f Eui-ope in their own hand writing. 1 frequently express- ed my regret to the Emperor at his parting with such a pre- cious historical man ..script,* Charles Buonaparte, the father of Rapoleon, was ex- tremely tall, handsome, and well made; his education had besn well conducted at Home and Pisa, where ne studied the law : he is said to have possessed great spirit and ener- gy. It was he who, on its being proposed to submit to France, in the public assembly of Corsica, delivered a Speech which electrified the whole country : he was not more than twenty years of age at this period. " If it only depended on the wiii to become free," said he, " all nations ■Would be so ; yet history teaches us, that very few havte kl- taiued the blessings of liberty, because few have had ehet- jgy, courage and virtue enough to deserve them." When the island was conquered, he wished to accompany Paoli in his emigration i but an old uncle, the Archdeacon Lucien, who exercised the authority of a parent over him, prevented his departure. In 1779, Charles Buonaparte was elected deputy tc rep- resent the nobles of Corsica at Paris, where he brought young Napoleon with him, then only ten years old. Pie passed through Florence on his way, and obtained a letter of introduction from the Grand Duke Leopold, to his sister the Qaeen of France. It was to his known rank and the respectability of his name and family in Tuscany, that he was indebted for this mark of attention. There were two French generals in Corsica, at the above, period, so inimical to eacic other that their quarrels form- ed two parties ; one was M. de Marheuf,a mild and popu- lar character, and the other, M. de Narbonne Pellet, dis- tiiiguished t'cv haughtiness and violence. The latter, from his .jirth a.nl supi-riur interest, must have been a danger- ous man fur his rival: fortunately for M. de Marbeuf, he *Oii my ■ eturii to Eui-'.pr. I did not fail to mfiuire for the in\a1«(>We d posit,. ord lasuin-d Cu sngK^'^t *!>' :n)pi''t!'>'ceo:" iiiaV.ii g r.iiothtr cokj to I'rince Joseph, in Older to htcoi, IP still in' 1. !•<■ of its e.xisiinti '^ hat w»» my giiei 'oh>'ar, thit ihii hilt iri'-rtt! inoiiuniiitt liKt° h^^en iiiisljiil. ai'd ihat >!n peisuii knew wl)^t h»d b< come ot it ! Into wh se h .r;dj c.n it h»ve falleu ? Mny they know how »» Appieviait: luch a coUec^oc, eaU preserve it fur Uisvory ? IFHE EMPEROU KAPOLEON. 5'J was much more beloved in the island. When the deputa- tion headed by Charles Bonaparte aruved at Versailles, he was coasuUed on the dispate, and ibe \vannl,h of Lis tes- timony obtained a triunnph for iMari/tiu". The Archbishop of Lyons, nephew to Marbeuf, tuouglit it his duty to wait o;; the deputy, and thank hiai for the service he had ren- dered. On young Napoleon's being placsd in the military scliool ot Brienne, the Archbishop gave him a special re- commendation to the family of Brienne, which lived there d iring the greater part of tne y.ea!-; hence the friend/y de- meanor of the Marheufsand Erieiiucs tcAards the children of.tbe Bonaparte family. Calun ny has assigned ai.otler cause, but the simple examination of dates is fuliy sultici<3nt to prove its ab^iiirduy. Old M de iVlarbenf, who commanded in Corsica, lived at Ajiuiciu, where the fannly of Chartes Eoiiaparte was one of tue priiicipal. Madame , Bonaparte being the inosc fas- ci::alir>g and beautiful woman in the town, it was very nat- ural for the Genera! to frequent her house in preference lo many other placf s of resort. Charles Eonapa:r3 died at the aje of thirty-eight, of an induration in I.. '*■ irbris Lfthe stoij;ach. He had experi- enced a tenipciai\ c>,re during one of his visits to Paris; bat became the vicii;, of a second attack at ivlontpelier, where he was inter: •.:! in one of the convents of the city. During the Ciai^ulate the notables ofM on tpelier, through- the mGdiiim of their compatriot Claplal, minister of tlie in- terior, solicited the perriission of the Frst Consul to erect a monument to the memory of his father. Napoleon thank- ed them for their good intentions, but declined acceding to their solicitation. "Let us not disturb the repose of the dead," said he ; "let their ashes remain in peace. I have also lost my grandfather and great-grandfather; why not erect monuments to them "? It is going too far back. Had my father died yesterday, it would be proper and natural that my grief should be accompanied by some signal mark of respect. But his death took place twenty years ago : it is an event of no public interest, and it is useless to revive the recollection of it." At a subsequent period Louis Bo- naparte, without the knowledge of Napoleon, Xi&d his father's remains disinterred, and removed to Saint Leu, where he erected a monument to his memory. Charles Bonaparte had been the very reverse of devout ; he had even written some anti-religious poems ; and yet at the period of his death, said ti e Emperor, there were not priests enough for him in Montpelier. In this respect he was very different from his brother Archdeacon Lucien, i. very pious and orthodox ecclesiastic, who died long after him. at a very advanced age. On Lis death-bed, he took 60 MT RESIDENCE WITH ^reat umbrage atFesch, who, being by this time a priest, ran to him in his stole and surplice to assist him in his last moments. Lucieu begged that he would suffer him to die in peace, and he breathed his last surrounded by the members of. his family, giving them philosophic counsel and patri- archal benadictions. The Emperor frequently spoke of his old uncle, who had been a second father to him, and who was, for a length of time, the head of the family. He was Archdeacon of Ajac- cio, one of the pricipal dignities of the island. His prudence^ and economy re-established the affairs of the family, which had beon much deranged by the extravagance of Charles. The old uncle was much revered, and enjoyed considerable authority in the district ; the peasantry voluntarily submit- ted their disputes to his decision, and he freely gave them his advice and his blessing. Chailes Bonaparte married Mademoiselle Letitia llamo- lini, whose mother, after the death of her first Ijusband, mar- ried Captain Fesch,an officer in one of the Swiss regiments which the Genoese usually maintained in the island. Car- dinal Fesch was the issue of this second marriage, and was consequently step-brother to Madame and uncle to the Em- peror. Madame was one of the most beautiful women of her day, and she was celebrated througliout Corsica. Paoli, in the time of his power, having received an embassy from Algiers ^ or Tunis, wished to give i,he savage envoys some notion of the attractions of the island, and for this purpose he assem- bled together all the most beautiful women in Corsica, among them Madame took the lead. Subsequently, when she travelled to Brienne to see her son, her personal charms were remarked even vm Paris. During the war for Corsican liberty, Madame Bonapar- te shared the dangers of her husband, who was an enthusi- ast in the cause. In his different expeditions she frequent- ly followed him on horseback, while she was pregnant with Napoleon. She was a woman of extraordinary vigour of mind, joined to considerable pride and loftiness of spirit. She was the mother of thirteen children, and she might have had many more, for she was a widow at thirty. Of these thir- teen, only five boys and three girls lived, all of whom play- ed distinguished parts in the reign of Napoleon. Joseph, the eldest of the family, was originally intendeoleon at Bricnne. — Pichvgru. — J\\i- ■polcon at the .Military School in Paris. — In the Arti4Ic7-y. — His co/ii;janions. — JWipoleoii at the cuminencemerd ff the. lle'Mlution. 27th — 31st. — At daybreak on Sunday, 27th, wo found ourselves among the Canaries, which we passed in' tlii- course of the day, sailing at the rate o/' ten or twelve kncts an hour, v/ithout having perceived the famous Peak of Ten- erifl'e — a circumstance the more extraordinary, since in clear weather it is visible at the distance, of sixty leagues. On t'.ie 29th we crossed the tropic, and observed many flying fish round tlie ship. On tlie 31st, ui eleven at night, one of the sailors threw himself overboard : he was a negro, wl)0 had got drunk, and was fearful of the flogging thaj, awaited him. He had sieveral times, in the course of the evenuig, attempted to jump overheard , and at last succeed- THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. O ■> eJ. He, howevei'', soon repentcu, and uttered loud cries. He swam very well ; but though a boat was iimnediately sent off, and every cndeavovir used to rescue him, he was lost. The cries of this man in the sea excited a powerful sen- sation on board the vessel. !n a iiioineat the crew were hurrying^ about in every direction ; the noise was very great, and tlie agitation universal. As I was descending- from deck to the cabin, a midship- man, an interesting youth between ten and twelve years ol age, thinking 1 was going to inform the Emperor of what had occurred, seized hold of my coat, and in a tone express- ive of the teuderest interest, exclaimed, "Ah, Sir, do aot alarm the Emperor ! Tell him the noise is nothing at all ; that it is only a man fallen overboard," Amiable and inco- ceat youth ! he expressed his sentiments rather than his thoughts ! In general the midshipmen, of wliora there were sever- al on board the ship, behaved v/ith marked respect and at' tention to the Emperor. They every evening repeated a scene that made a deep impression en our feelings. Early in the morning the sailors carried up their hammocks, and put them in the large nettings at the sides of the ship ; and about six in the evening they carried them away at the sig- nal of a whistle. Those who were tardy in the perform- ance of this duty, received a certain punishment. On the signal being given a great bustle ensued : and it was grati- fying to see the midshipmen at this moment form a circle round the Emperor, whether he might be standing in the middle of the deck or resting on his favourite gun. The_y watched his "motions with an anxious eye, and either by signs or words directed the sailors to avoid incommoding him. The Emperor frequently observed this conduct, and remarked that youthful hearts were always inclined to en-" thusiasm. I wiil«noAv proceed with the details, which I collected at various times, vespcctiug the early years of the Emperoi-'s life. Kapoleon Was born a^out noon on the 15th of August, (the Assumption Day,) in the year i7G9. His mother, wliu was possessed ofgreat bodily as v.-ell as mental vigour, and who had braved the dangers of war during her pregnancy, wished to attend mass on account of the sokranity of the day ; she was however, taken ill at church, and on her re- turn home was delivered before she could be cuuveyed to her chamber. Ihe child as soon as it was horn w.as laid on the carpet, which was an eld -fashioned one, roprcsent- i: g atfull length the heroes of fable, or. perhaj's, of the Hi- 1^.;— this child v.-as xXa'-oleoii. 64 MT BESIDENCE WITH In.his boyliood Napoleon was turbulent, adroit, lively and x?ile in the extreme. He had gained, he used to say, the- most complete ascendency over his elder brother Joseph. The latter viras beaten and ill-treated ; complaints wejre carried to the mother, and she would begin to scold befora, poor Joseph had even time to open his nxiuth. At the age of ten, Napoleon was sent to the military school at Brienne. His name, which in his Corsican ac- cent he pronounced as if written Napoillone, from the si- lailiarty of the sound procured for him, among his youthful companions, the nick-name o? la paille an nez (straw in hi& tiose.) At this period a great change took place in Napo- leon's character. In contradiction to all the apochryphai histories, which coatj^isi anecdotes of his life, he was when at Brienne, mild, quiet, and susceptible. One day the quarter-master, who was a man of harsh disposition, and who never took the trouble of considering the physical and moral shades of character in each individual scholar, con- demned Napoleon, by way of punishment, to wear the serge coat, and to take his dinner on his knees at the door of the Fefectory. Napoleon, who had a vast share of pride and iielf-conceit, was so mortified by this disgrace, that he was seized with a violent retching, and suffered a severe nervous attack. The head master of the school happening accidentally to pass by, relieved him from the punishment, reproving the quarter-master for his want of discernment i and Father Patrault, the professor of mathematics, was very indignant on finding that his first mathematician had been treated with so little respect. *"On attaining the age of puberty. Napoleon's temper became morose and reserved ; his passion for reading was carried to excess ; and h^ eagerly devoured the contents-, of every book that fell in his way. Pichegru was at this time his quartes'-master and his tutor in the four rules of arithmetic. "Pichegru was a native of the Franche-Compte, where his family were farmers. The Minime monks of Cham- pagne were appointed to superintend the military school rf Brienne. Owing to their poverty, however, so few indi- viduals r.ere induced to enter their order, tliat tliey fcum5 themselves inadequate to the task imposed on them ; and ihey solicited the assistance of the Minime monks of thft- Franche-Comte, of whom Father Patrault was one. A-i a'lnt of Pichcgr;!, a nun of lia Charite, followed Patreuit, fo..- the purpose of superintending the infirmary, and she waK accompanied by her nephew, a youth who was admitted tf> •riieje lines were dictated by the empci-ov himself r-Jiow«n!aW:s'.l, THE murEUOR NAPCLECX'. G J^' ifici schocl to receive his education gratuitously. Picliegru, ■W'lio was extremely clever, was, on his attaining a suitable ?ge, made quarter-master and tutocunder Father Patrault,- who had taught him mathematics. He intended to become a monk, which was the sole object of his ambition and of his aunt's wishes. But Father Patrault dissuaded him from this idea, assuring him that the profession was not suited to the age ; and that he should look forward tosometliing bet- ter: he prevailed on him to enlist in the artillery, where the revolution found him a sub-ofhcer. His military career is known: — he was the conqueror of Holland. Thus Father Patrault had the honour of counting among his pupils the- two greatest generals of modern France. Father Patrault ivas subsequently secularized by M. de Brienne, archbishop of Sens, and cardinal de Lomenie, who made him one of his grand vicars, and intrusted him with the management of his numerous benefices. ■ ". At the time of the Revolution, Father Patrault, though his opinions were widely opposite to those of his patron, nevertheless exerted evei-y endeavour to save him, and with this view applied to Danton, who was a native of the same part of France to which the Cardinal and himself belonged. But ail Mas unavailing; audit is supposed that Patrault, after the manner of the ancients, rendered to the Cardinal* the service of procuring for him a poisoned draught to save* liim from the scaffold. Madame de Lomenie, the cardinal's nieCe, before hex* life was sacrificed by. the revolutionary tribunal, intrusted father Patrault with the care of her two daughters, who were yet in their childhood. The moment of terror hav- ing- passed away, their aunt, Madame de Brienne, who had escaped the storm and preserved a considerable portion of her fortune, applied to Father Patrault for the children ; but he refused to give them up, on. the ground that their mother had directed him to withdraw them from the worl^,- and devote them to the occupation of peasants. He had conceived the design of literally executing these figurative commands, and was on the point of uniting them to two of his own nephews. " 1 was then," said Napoleon, " o-eneral of the army of the interior, and I became the mediator for the restoration of the two children, an object which was- accomplished not without dilliculty. Patrault employed every possible means of resistance. These daughters of Madame de Lomenie were the two ladies whom you have since known by the names of Madame de Marnesia, and the beautiful Madame de Canisy, Duchess de Vicenza." " Father Patrauk having renewed his acquaintance with his old pujiil, followed him and joined the army of Italy. 6» 66 MY RESIDENCE WITH •vvLere he proved himself better .able to calculate projec- tiles, than tunieet their eflects. At Montenotte, Millesi- mo, and Dego, he evinced the most puerile cowardice. He did not like Mosos fall to praying when he oiiglit to have been fighting; bathe passed liis time in weeping. The general-in-chief appointed liim administrator of domains at Milan, from which he derived considerable profits. — On Napoleon's return from Egypt he presented himself to him : he was no longer the little Minime ivlunk of Cham- pagne, but a corpulent financier, possessed of upwards of a million. Two years afterwards he again sought an inter- view with the First Consul at Malmaison : he now looiied mean, dejected, and shabbily dressed. ' How is this !' in- quired the consul. ' You see before you a ruined man,' re- plied Patrault : ' one who is reduced to beggary : t'.ie vic- tim of severe misfortune.' The First Consul determined to investigate the truth of this statement: he discovei-ed that Father Patrault had commenced the trade of an usurer. The great calculator had lost his fortune through bank- ruptcies, in lending at great risk for a high interest. ' I have already paid my debt,' said the First Consul, at his next interview with him ; ' T can do no more for you : I cannot make a man's fortune twice.' He contented him- self with granting Patrault a pension sufficient for his sub- sistence. " Napoleon retained but a faint idea of Pichegru ; he re- membered that he was a tall man, rather red in the faos. Pichegru, on the contrary, seems to ha.ve preserved a stri- king recollection of young Napoleon. When Pichegru joined the royalist party, he was asked wliether it would not be possible to gain over the General-in-chief of the army of Italy. ' To attempt that would only be wasting time,' he said: ' from my knowledge of him when a boy I am sure he must be a most inflexible character : he has taken his resolutions, and he will not change them." The Emperor has often been much amused at the tales and anecdotes that are related of his boyhood, in the numerous little publications which he had happened to peruse : he ac- knowledged scarcely any of them. There is one, relative to his confirmation at the military school of Paris, which, however, he admitted to be true. It is as follows: — the archbishop who confirmed him, manifesting his astonisliment at the name of Napoleon, said he did not know of any such saint, and that there was no such name in the calendar ;-lhe boy quickly replied, that that could be no rule, since there were an immense number of saints and only 3G5 days. Napoleon never observed his festival-day until after the Concordat ; his patron saint was a stranger to the French 'rut EMrERou kapoleoic. C?" crJenciar, and even where his name is recorded, iha date of bis fescivai is a matter of uncertainty. The Pope, however, fixed it for the 16th of August, which was at ones the Em- peror's ^irUi-day, and the day of the signing of the Con- cordat. * " In 1 783, Napoleon was one of the scholars who, at the usual competition at Brienne, were fixed upon to be sent to the military school at Paris, to finish their education. I'he choice was made annually bj an inspector, who visited the twelve military schools. This office was filled by the Chevalier de Keralio, agencral ofriec"r, and the author of a work on military tactics, lie was also the tutor of the pre- sent king of Bavaria, wJio in his youth bore the title of Duke de Duex-Pocts. Keralio was an amiable old man, and well adapted to discharge the duly of ir.spsctor of the military scliools. He was ^cnd of tlte boys, played with tisem when they had fmisiied their examinations, and per- mitted these who had acquitted themselves most to his satis- faction to dine with him at the table of the monks. Pie was particularly attached to young JNapoieon, and took a plea- sure in siimuiating him to exertion. He singled him cut to be sent to Paris, though it would appear he had not at thaL time attained the requisite age. The lad ivas not very far advanced in any branch ofcda-cation except mathematics, and the monks suggested that it would be better to wait till the following year, to afford time for further improvement. Cut this the Chevalier de Keralio would by no means agree to : ' I know what I am about,' said he, ' and if I am trans- gressing the rules, it is npt on account of family influence : 1 know Qothing of the friends of ti)is youth. I am actuated only by my own cpinioji of his merit. I perceive in him a spark of genius which cannot be too early fostered.' The worthy chevalier died suddenly, before he had time to car- ry his determination into effect ; but his successor, M. de Regnaud, who would not perliaps have evinced half his penetration, nevertheless fulfilled his decision, and young Napoleon was sent to Paris." At this period he began to develope qualities of a superior order: decision of character, profound reflection, and vig- orous conceptions. It would appear, that from his earliest childhood his parents rested all their hopes on him. His father, when on his death-bed at Montpelier, though Jo- seph was beside him, spoke only of Napoleon, who was then at the military school. In the delirium witli which he was seized in his last moments, he incessantly called Napoleon to come to his aid witlj his great sword. The grand uncle, Lucien, wlio on his death-bed was surrounded by aU his * Dictated by the £mperor. Cff* MY KEStDEKCI; WITIT relatives, said, addressing himself to Joseph, '* You are tts cldestof the family ; out there is the head of it, (pointing to Napoleon). i\ ever lose sipjht of him." The Emperor used tolaug^h and say, " This was a true disinheritance: it wa& the scene of Jacob and Esau." Having' myself been educated at the military school of Paris, tliougii at an earlier period than that at which Nc- poieon attended it, I was enabled on returning from my emigration, to converse about the Emperor with the mas.- ters who had been common to us both, M. de I'Eguille, our teacher of history, used to boast that the records of the military school contained proofs of hi* having foretold the great career which his pupil was des* lined to fill ; and that he had frequently, in his notes, eulo- g-ized the depth of his reflection, and the shrewdness of his judgment. He informed me that the First Consul used of- ten to invite him to breakfast at A>alil:aison , and that he al- ways took pleasure in c^nversi^g about his old lessons : — •■- '"' That which made the de-epest impression on me," said he, one dfty to M. de i'Eguille, '* was the revolt of the Consta- ble de Bourbon, though you did not present it to tis precise- ly in its proper light. You made it appear that his great crime was his having fought against his king ; which certainly was but a trifling fault, in those days of divided nobility and sovereignty; particularly considering the scandalous injus- tice of which he was the victim. His great, his real, his on* ly crime, and that on v/hich you did not sulhciently dwell, was'his having come with foreigners to attack his native soil.'? M. Domairon, our professor of belles-lettres, informed me that he had always been struck with the singularity of Napoleon's amplifications, which he said were like ilaming granites poured from a volcano. Only one individual formed a mistaken idea of him ; that ' was M. Bauer, the dull heavy German master. Young Na- poleon never made much advancement in the German Ian- fi-uage, which offended M. Bauer, and he in consequence formed a most contemptible opinion of his pupil's abilities.- One day Napoleon not being in his place, M. Bauer inquir- ed where he was, and was told that he was attending his ex- amination in the class of artilleiy, " Oh ! so he does leara something'J" said M. Bauer ironically. " Why, Sir, he is the best mathematician in the school," was the reply. " Ah! I have always heard it remarked, and I have always believ^ ed, that none but a fool could learn mathematics." "It would be curious," said the emperor, " to know whether M. Bauer, Jived long cr.'ugh to ascertain my real character, - and to enjoy tlie conlirmation of his own judgment," T4E EMPEROR. NAPOLEON.. ^^ Napoleon was scarcely eighteen years of age when the Abbe Kaynal, struck with the extent of his acquirements, appreciated his merit so highly as to make liim one of the ornaments of his scientific dejeuners. Finally, the celebra- tsd Paoli, who had long inspired Napoleon with a sort of veneration, and who found that the latter had headed a jjarty against him, whenever he showed himself favourable 10 the English, was accustomed to say — " This young man is formed on the ancient model. He is one of Plutarch's men." In 1785, Napoleon, who was created at once a cadet and an officer of artillery, quitted the military school to entext the regiment of La Fere, in the rank of second-lieutenant ; whence he was promoted to the rank of first-lieutenant in the regiment of Grenoble. Napoleon on quitting the military school went to join his regiment at Valence. The first winter he spent there his comrades at the mess-table were Lariboissiere, who, dur- ing the empire, was appointed inspector-general of the ar- tillery ; Sorbier, who succeeded Lariboissiere in that post ; d'Hedouville, junior, afterwards minister plenipotentiary at Frankfort ; Mallet, the brother of him who- headed the tu- mult in Paris in 1813; an officer named Mabille, whom, on his return from emigration, the Emperor appointed postmaster- general ; Holland de Villarceaux, afterwards prefect of Nismes. ; Desmazzis, senior, his companion at the military school and the friend of his early years, who, after Napole- on ascended the throne, became keeper of the Imperial wardrobe. There were in the corps, officers more or less easy in their circumstances ; Napoleon ranked among the former. He received from his family 1200 francs a-year, which was then an officer's full pay. There were two individuals in the regiment who could afford to keep cabriolets, or carriages of some kind, and they were looked upon as very great men. Sorbier was one of these two; his companions got iam to drive them about, and they repaid the obligation by jokes and puns. Sorbier Vi'as the son of a physician at Moulins. At Valence, Napoleon got an early introduction to Ma- dame du Colcmbier, a lady about fifty years of age, who was endowed with many rare and inestimable qualities, and who was the most distinguished person in the town. She entertained a great regard for the young artillery-officer, and through her connexion he mingled in all the best company in Valence and its neighbourhood. She introduced him to the Abbe deSaint-Rufe,aman of considerable property, who 'Vas (^qi5,entiy visited by the most distinguished persona ux TO MY RESIIiENCE WITH the couutry. .Napoleon was indebted for the favour he on» joyed to his extensive information, joined to the facility and ioi'ce with whicl) he ttirned it to account. Madame uu Co- lombier often foretold that lie would he a distinguished man. The death of this lady happened about the time of the breaking out of the Revolution : it was an event in which she took great interest, and in her last moments was heard to say, that if no misfortune bcfel young Napoleon, he would infallibly play a distinguished part in the events of the time. The Emperor never spoke of Madame du Colombier but with expressions of the tenderest gratitude ; and he did not hesitate to acknowlege, that the vahi.able introductions and superior ranlc in society which siie procured for him had great influence over his destiny. The gaiety which IN apoieuu enjoyed at this period of his life, excited great jealousy on the part of his fellow-officers. They were displeased at seeing him absent himself so fre- quently from among them, though his doing so could be no reasonable ground ofoifence to them. Fortunately the commandant, M. d'Urtubie, had formed a just estimate of his character ; he shewed him great kindness, and afforded him the means of fulfilling his military duties, and at the same time of mingling in the pleasures of society. Napoleon conceived an attachment for Mademoiselle du Colombier, who, on her part, was not insensible to his mer- its. It was the first love of both; audit was that kind of love which might be expected to arise attheir age and with their-education. " We were the most innocent creatures imaginable," the Emperor used to say ; " we contrived lit- tle meetings together ; I well remember one which took place on a midsummer morning, just as daylight began to dawn, it will scarcely be believed that all our happiness consisted in eating cherries together." It has i)een said that the mother wished to bring about this marriage, and that tlie father opposed it on the ground that they would ruin each other Iiy theirunion ; while each was destined separately to a fortunate career. But thisstory is untrue, as is likewise another anecdote relative to a marriage wila Mademoiselle Clary, afterwards Madame- BcrnadottejiiGW Queen of Sweden. In 1805, the Emperor when about to be crowned King of Italy, on passing through Lyons, again saw Mademoiselle dii Coiuinbier, who liad now changed lier name to Madame de Bressicux. She gained access to hijii with some diffi- culty, EU7Toundcd as he washy the etiquette of royalty. Napoleon was happy to see her again ; but he found her much altered for the worse. He did for her husband what3hc solicited, and placed her in thasituation ofLady oil- bcuour to one of his sister^. THE EMPEROR NAI'OLEON'j 71 Mademoiselles de Lanrencin and St. Germain were at Ihat tiuie the reigning toasts in Valence, where they divi- ded the general admiration. The latter married Monsieur de iVlontalivet, who was also known to the Emperor at that time, and who was afterwards made Minister of the In- terior. "He was an honest fellow," said Nanoleoh, " and one who, I believe, remained firmly attacJied to me." When about eighteen or twenty years of age, the Empe- ror was distingtiislicd as a young man of extensive informa- tion, possessing a reflective turn of mind and strong reason- ing powers. He had read an immense deal, and had pro- foundly meditated on the fund of knowledge tlius acquired, much of virliich,he usfd to say, he had prooal.ly since lost. His sparkling and ready wit, and energetic language, dis- tinguished him wherever he went : he was a favourite with every one, particularly with the fair sex, to whom he re- commended himself hy the elegance and novelty of iiig ideas, and tlie boldness of his arguments. As for the men, they were often afraid to engage with him in those discuEsions into which he was led by a natural confidence in his own powers. Many individuals, who knew him at r.u early period of life, foresaw his extraordinary career ; and they viewed the events of his life without astonishment. At aa early age he gained anonymously a prize at the Academy of Lyons, on the following question, proposed by Raynal: — " Whul are the prhiciplcs and institutions calculaled to a-Jt^rt/^cc man- Jdnd to the highest possible degree of happiness !''' I'hc anony- mous memorial excited great attention : it was peri'ectly iu unison with the ideas of the age. It began by inquiring in what happiness consisted ; and the answer was, in the perfect enjoyment oflife in the manner most conformable with our moral and physical organization. After he becanie Emperor, Napoleon was one day conversing on this subject withM.de Talleyrand : the latter, like a skillful courtier, rthortly after presented to him the famous memorial, which he had procured from the archives of the Academy at Ly- ons. The Emperor took it, and after reading a few pages, threw into the fire this first production of his youth, saying, '• One can never ohsei*ve every thing." M. de Talleyrand had not had an opportunity of transcribing it. T^ie Prince de Condc- one day communicated his inten- lion of visiting the Artillery School at Auxonne: and the <;adets considered it a high honour to be examined by that military Prince. The commandant, in spite of the hierar- chy-, placed young Napoleon at the head of the polygon, in preference to others of superior rank. It happened, that .'m the day preceding the exaraination,. all the cannons of it MY RESIDENCE V?ITH the polygon were spiked: but Napoleon was too mucii on the alert to be caught by this trick of his comrades, or il may, perhaps, be said, he was too keen to suffer himself to be entrapped in the snare of the illustrious traveller. It is generally believed that Napoleon, in his boyhood, was tacitnrn, sullen, and morose ; on the contrary, lie wa^s of a very lively turn. He never appeared more delighted than when relating to us the various tricks he was accustom- ed to play when at the School of Artillery. In describing the joyous moments of his early youth, he seems to forget the jnisfortunes which hold him in captivity. There was an old commandant, upwards of eighty years ofage, for wliom the cadets entertained a very highrespent, notwithstanding the many jokes they played upon him. One day, while he was examining them in their cannon exer- cise', and watching every discharge with his eye-glass, he asserted they were far from hitting the mark, and asked those near him if they had seen the ball strike. Nobody iiad observed the youths slipping aside the ball every time Ihey loaded. The old general was rather sharp ; after five or six discharges, he took it into his head to count the balls. The trick was discovered. The general thought it a very good one ; but nevertheless ordered all who had par- ticipated in it to be put under arrest. The cadets would occasionally take a pique at some of their captains, or determine to revenge themselves on o- thers to whom they owed a grudge. They then resolved to banish them from society, and to reduce them to the neces- sity of putting themselves under a sort of arrest. Four or fiveof the cadets undertook to execute the design. They fastened on their victim ; pursued him into every company, and he was not suffered to open his mouth without being methodically and logically contradicted, though always with a strict regard to politeness : at length the poor fellow found that retirement was his only alternative. " On another occasion," Napoleon used to relate, " one of my comrades who lodged above me unluckily took a fan- cy to learn to play the horn, and made such a hideous noise as completely disturbed the studies of those who were with- in hearing. We met each other one day on the stairs ; ' Are you not tired of practising the hornT said I. ' Not at all,' he replied. 'At any rate, y oil tire other people.' ^ I am sorry for it.' ' It would be better if you went to prac- tise elsewhere.' 'I am master of my own apartment.' ' Perhaps you may be taught to entertain a doubt on that point.' ' I scarce think any one will be bold enough to at- tempt to teach me that.' A challenge ensued ; but before the antagonists met, the affair was submitted to the consi- TflE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 7^' deration of a council of the cadets, and it was deterinined that the one should practise the horn at a greater distance, and that the other should be more accommodating. In the campaijjn of 1814, the Emperor again met his horn-player in the neighbourhood of Soissons or Laon: he was residing on his estate, and gave some important infor- mation respecting the enemy's position. The Emperor made him one cf his aides-de-camp ; this officer was Colo- nel Bussy. "When attached to his artillery-rcgin>ent, Napoleon seiz» cd every opportunity of mingling in company, where he in- variably made an agreeable impression. Women at that time, attached a high value to talent in the other sex ; it was a quality which never failed to win their good graces. Napoleon, at this period, performed what he ternicd his Sentimental Journey from Valence to Mont Cenis in Bur- gundy, and he intended to write an account of it after the manner of Sterne. The faithful Desmazzis was of the par- ty ; he was constantly with him, and his narrative of Na- poleon's private life, if combined with the details of his pub- lic career, would form a perfect history of the Emperor. It would then be seen that, however extraordinai'y his life snight be with respect to its incidents, yet nothing could he more simple or natural than its course. Circumstances and reflection have considerably modifi- ed his character. Even his style of expression, now so con- ■cise and laconic, was in his youth diffuse and emphatic. At the time of the Legislative Assembly, Napoleon assumed a «erious and severe demeanour, and became less communi- cative than before. The army of Italy also marked an- other epoch in his character. His extreme youth, when he went to take the command of the army, rendered it neces- sary that he should evince great reserve, and the utmost strictness of morals. " This was indispensably necessary," ■said he, " to enable me to command men so much above me in point of age. I pursued a line of conduct truly irreproach- able and exemplary. I proved myself a sort of Cato. I must have appeared such in the eyes of all. 1 was a philo6o». pher and a sage." In this character he appeared on the theatre of the world. Napoleon was in garrison at Valence when the Revolu- tion broke out. At that time it was a point of particular importance to cause the artillery officers to emigrate ; and the officers, on their part, were very much divided in opin- ion. Napoleon, who was imbued with the notions of the age, possessing a natural instinct for great actions and a passion for national glory, espoused the cause of the Kevo- Jution ; and his example infjuenced the majority of the regi- 7 74 MY R«SIDENCE WITH ment. He was an ardent patriot under the Constituent' Assembly ; but the Legislative Assembly marked a new- period in his ideas and opinions. He was at Paris on the 21st of June, 17^2, and witnessed theinsurrectionof the people of the Faubourgs, who tra- versed the garden of the Thuilleries, and forced the palace. There were but 6000 men ; a mere disorderly mob, whose language and dress proved them, to belong to the very low- est class ofsociety. Napoleon was also a witness of the events of the 10th of August, in which the assailants were neither higher in rank nor more formidable in nnmher. In 1793, Napoleon was in Corsica, where he had a com- mand in the National Guards. He opposed Paoli as soon as he was led to suspect that the veteran, to whom he had hitherto been so much attached, entertained the design of betraying the island to the English. Therefore it is not true, as has been generally reported, that Napoleon, or some of his family, were at one time in England, proposing to raise a Corsican regiment for the English service. The English and Paoli subdued the Corsican patriots, and . burnt Ajaccio. The house of the Bonapartes was destroyed in the general conflagration, and the family were obliged' to fly to the Continent. They fixed their abode at Mar- seilles, whence Napoleon proceeded to Paris. He arrived just at the moment when the federalists of Marseilles had surrendered Toulon to the English. ■^Cape Verd Islands. — J^apoleon at the siege of Toulon. — Rise ofDuroc and Junot. — JS!a.pnleon quarrels with the Repre- sentatives of the People. — Quarrels with Aubry. — Anec- dotes relative to Vendemiaire. — Mipoleon General of the ^ Army of Italy. — Integrity of his military administration. — His disinterestedness. — Js'icknamtd Petit- Corporal. — Dif- ference between the system of the Directory and that of the General of the Army of Italy. September 1st — 6th. On the 1st of September we found from our latitude that we should see the Cape Verd Islands \n the course ofthe day. The sky was, however, overcast, and at night we could see nothing. The Admiral, convinc- ed that there was a mistake in the reckoning of our longi- tude, waspreparing to bear westward to the right, in or*er to fall in with the islands, when a brig, which was a-head of us, intimated by a signal that she had discovered them on the left. During the night the wind blew violently from the south-east, and if our mistake had been the reverse of what it was, and the Admiral had really borne to the righ^ 'it is not improbable that w« slifiuld have be^'n thrown eitt « THE EMPEROR NAPOLKOSf. 7^ ugoinmi«r,f(»rtbe auention aiMl kiadneN h« bad esperi; «xct.'d from ihemjl 89 Mf RE9I0EVCH WITH artillery, who promised, in a Tv^hisper, to rid him of tLeiie"> roes nsxt moruiug. Tiiey were well received, and at day-*" break the commaadant of artillery led them tv tlie sea-ahore, and put some guns at their disposal. Astonished to find themselves exposed from head to foot, tliey asked whether there was no shelter, or epaulement. They were told that iLose things were out of fashion : that patriotism had abol* ished them. Meanv/hile an English frigate fired a broad- side, and put all the braggadocios to flight. There was Eothing but tumult in the camp : r.-ome openly fled, and the rest quietly slipped after them. Disorder and anarchy now prevailed. Dupas, the facto- tum of the general-in-chief, a man of no ability, made him- self busy, and was continually meddling with the artillery- men in the arrangement of their field-train and batteries. A plan was formed to get rid of him. They turned him into ridicule, and urged each other on till they became very ve- heraent in their jokes. On a sudden Dupas appeared among" them with all his usual confidence, giving orders and ma- king inquiries about every thing he iaw. He got uncivil answers, awd high words arose. The tumult spread on eve- ry side ; cties of I' aristor rate and la ia.derne weTe echoed, from every mouth ; aud Dupas clapped both spurs to hie Lorse, and never returned to annoy them. The commandant of artillery was to be seen every where .^ His activity and knowledge gave him a decided influence o%'er the rest of the army. Whenever the enemy attempt- ed to make a sortie, or compelled U.e besiegers to have re- course to rapid and unexpected movements, the heads of the columns and detachments were always sure to exclaim^ '.' Run to the commandant of artillery, and ask him what we are to do ; he understands the localities better than apy one." This advice was uniformly adopted without a ipur- mur. lie adopted no precautions for ensuring his own safe- ty ; he had several horses killed under him, and received from an EnglishcBan a bayonet-wound in his left thigh, which for a short time threatened hitn with the necessity of amputation. Being one day ia abattery where one of the g]Uonc:rs Wias killed, he seized the rammer, and with, his own hands Joa,d-- cd ten or twelve times. A few days after he was attacked with a violejqt cutaiieous disease. lyo one could conceiye where he had caught it, until Rlairon, his adjutant, discov- ered that the dead gunner had ],een infected witli it. to. the a>v(our of youtli, and the activity cfservice, the com- mandanj; of artillery was sa.tisfied with slight remedies, and the disorder dis Appeared : but the poison had only entered Ve deeper into hie system, it long allecte4 liis health and ^ th. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON, 81 well nigh cost hiin his life. From this disorder proceeded the thinness, the feebleness of body, and sickly complexion which characterized the general-in-chicf of the army of Italy, and of the army of Egypt. It was not till a much later period that Corvisart succee- ded, by the application of nuriierous blisters on his chest, in restoring' him toperfeot health ; and it was then that he ac- quired the corpulency for which he has since been remarked. From being tlie commandant of artillery in the army of Toulon, Napoleon might have become general-ia chief be- fore the close of the siege. — The very day of the attack on le Petit Gibraltar, General Dugommier, vv'ho had delayed it for some days, wished to delay it still longer ; about three or four o'clock in the afternoon the icpreseniaiives sent for Napoleon: they were dissatisfied v.iLh Dugommier, parties ularly on account of his delay ; they M'iihed to deprive him. of the command, and to transfer it lo the chief of the ai'tij!- lery, who declined accepting- it. Tt^apoieon went to the general, whom be esteemed and loved, informed him of what had occurred, and persuaded him to decide on the attack. About eight or nine in the evening-, when all the prepara- tions were completed, and just as the attack was about to commence, a change took place in the state of affairs, and the representatives countermanded the attack. Dugom- mier, however, still influenced by the commandant of artil- lery, persisted : had he failed, he must have forfeited hia head. — Such was the train of affairs and the justice of the times. The notes which the Committees of Paris found in the of- fice of the artillery department respecting Napoleon, first called their attention to his conduct at the siege of Toulon. They saw that in spite of his youth and the inferiority of his rank, as soon as he appeared there he was master. — This was the naturaleffectof the ascendancy of knowledge, activity, and energy, over the ignorance and confusion of the moment. He was, in fact, the conqueror ofToulon^ and yet he is scarcely named in the official despatches. He was in possession of the town before the army had scarcely dxeamtofit. After taking /ePeiif Gibr altar, vfhich he al- ways looked upon as the key of the whole enterprise, he said to old Dugommier, who was worn out with fatigue, — " Go and rest yourself — we have taken Toulon — yon may sleep there the day after to-morrov.'." When Dugommier found the thing actually accomplished — when be reflected that the young commandant of artillery had always foretold exactly what would happen, he became all enthusiasm and admiration ; he was never tired of praising him. It is per- fectly true, as some of the publications of the period relate,. €2 MY nESIDENCE WITH that Dugommiej in'orraed the Committees of Paris that k^ had with him a youn J man who merited particular notice; for that whichever side he might adopt, he was certainly destined to throw great weight into the balance. When Diigommier joined the army of the Eastern Pyrenees, he wished to take with him the young commandant of artillery; but this he T^as unable to do. Hie however spoke of him incessantly; and at a subserj;eat period, when this army was, on the conclusion of peace with Spain, sent to rein- force the Army of Italy, of which Napoleon soon after be- came geueral-in-ehief, he found on his arrival, that in con- sequence of ail Dugommier had said of him, the officers had, to use his own expression, scarcely eyes eiiougSito look at him. With regard to Napoleon, his success at Toulon did not much astonish him ; he enjoyed it, he says, with a lively Satisfaction, unmingled with surprise. He was equally hap- py thfe following year at Saorgio, where his operations were admirable : he accomplished in a few days what had been attempted in vain for two years. " Vendemiaire and even Montenotte," said the Emperor, "never induced me to look upon myself as a man of a superior class ; it was not till after Lodi that I was struck with the possibility of my be- coming a decided actor on the scene of political events. — It was then that the first spark of my ambition was kindled." He however mentioned that subsequently to Vendemiaire, during his command of the army of the interior, he drew up the plan of a campaign, which was to terminate by a treaty of peace on the summit of the Simmering, which plan he shortly afterwards carried into execution at Leoben. It is perhaps still to' he fouud in the oiBcial archives. The well known fury of the times was still farther increased under the walls of Toulon, by the assembling of two hundred dep- uties from the neighbouring popular associations, who had proceeded tiiither for the purpose of instigating the most atrocious measures. To them must be attributed the ex- cesses v/hich were then committed, and of which the whole array complained. When Napoleon afterwards rose to dis- tinction, attempts were made to throw the odium of these atrocities on him. It would be a degradation to seek to le- ply to Gtich calumnies. As soon as Napoleon took the command of the artillery at Toulon, he availed himself of the necessity of circumstancts to procure the reinstatement of many of his old company ions, who had been removed from the service on account of their birth or political principles. He obtained the appoint- meut of Colonel Gassendi to the post of keeper of the arse- vsl of Mai:s€iUpa. The chstiaacy acd severity of tluB r.^so- ifefi £fMPfiROa KAPOLEON'. 8^' lire well know^n ; they frequently placed him in danger : it >tiore than once required all Napoleon's vigilance and care^, to save him from the effects of the irritation which liis con- duct excited. The ascendancy whicl; Napoleon had acquired, through his services, in the port and arsenal of Toulon, afforded liim the means ofsavingseverallinfortunate members of the emi- grant family Chabriant, or Chabrillaft, who Lad been over- taken by sturnis at sea, and driven on the FrcBch shore. — They were about to be put to death, for tLe law was deci- sive against the emigrants who might return to France. — They urged iti their dt;feEce, that their return had been purely the efl'ect of accident, and was contrary to tlieirown wishes ; the only favour they solicited was to be perniitted to depart ; but all was vain : they would have perished had not the commandant of the artillery hazarded his own safety and procured for them a covered boat, which he sent otf from the French coast under the pretence of business rela- tive to his department. During the reign of Napoleon, these individuals took an opportunity of expressing their gratitude to him, and informing him that they had carefully preserved the order which saved their lives. Napoleon was himself, at various times, exposed to the fury of revolutionary assassins. — Whenever he established a new battery, the numerous patriotic deputations, who were at the camp, solicited the honour of having it named after them. Napoleon named one t)ie battery of the Patri- ots of the South : this was a sufficient ground for his bein^ denounced and accused of federalism ; and had he been a less useful person, he would have been put under arrest, or, in other words, he would have been sacrificed. In short, language is inadequate to describe the phrenzy and horror of the times. The Emperor, for example, has told us, that while engaged in fortifying the coasts at Marseilles, he was a witness to the horrible condemnation of the merchant Ilugues, a man of eighty-four years of age, deaf and nearly blind. In spite of his age and infirmities, his atrocious ex- ecutioners pronounced him guilty of conspiracy : his real crime was his being worth eighteen millions. Ihis he was himself aware of, and he offered to surrender his wealth to the tribunal, provided he might be allowed to retain £ve hundred thousand francs, which, he said, he could not live long to enjoy. But this proposition was rejected, and he was led to the scaffold. ♦* At this sight," said Napoleon, "I thought the world was at an end I" — an expression which lie was accustomed to employ on any extraordinary occasion^ Barras and Freron -were the authors of these atrocities,~- i'he Emperor did Robespierre the justice to say, that he had 44 My RESIDENCE WITH Been long letter* written by bim to his brotlier, RobeBpieri< assembled round him, loudly calling for bread- The crowd augmented, the oulcrios.increased, and the situation of Na- poleon and officers became critical.. A woman, of mons- trous robust appearance, was particularly canspicuous by her gestures and e'cclamatious. " Those fine epauletted fellows," said she, poicitiag to the officers, "laugh at our distress : so long as they can eat and grow fat, they care not if the poor people die of hunger." Napoleon turned to her, and said, " Good woman, look at me ; which is fattest, you or 1 1" Napoleon was at that time extrcmciy thin : "I was a mere slip of parchment," said he. A general burst of laughter disarmed the fury of the populace, and the staC- officers continued their roimd. The Memoirs of the Campaign of Italy shew how Napo- leon became acquainted with Madams dc Beaul-arnais, and how he contracted the marriage which bad been so greatly misrepresented iu tlie accoimts of the time. As scon as. he gst introduced to Madame de Bcauharcais, he spent almost every evening at her hou^e, which was frequented by tJie ^Q&t agreeable company iu Pari?. "When the maiority of eg M-Y ULSIDENCi; WiT^ the parfcy retired^ there usilally remaiued M. de Monus.^ qniou,the father of the Grand Chamberlain; the Duke de Nivernais, so celebrated for the graces of his wit ; and a few others. They used to lo<»I{ round to see th-at the doors tvereall shot, anc they would then say, " Let Ds sit down and chat aboi\t the old court ; let n3 make a tour to Ver- ^illes." The poverty of the treasury and the scarcity of ppccia were so great during- the Republic, that on the departure of General Bgaaparte for the army of Italy, all his efforts, joined to those of the Directory, could only succeed in rais- ing 2000 lodis, which he carried with Iiim in his carriage.-« With tbia sura he set ent to conquer Italy, arid to march npon the empire of the world. The following is a curious lact: An order of the day was published, signed Bcrthier, directing the gencral-in-chief, on his arrival at the head- quarters at Nice, te distribute to the different generals, to enable them to enter on the campaign, the sum of four louis in specie. For a considerable time no sach thing as specie had been seen. This order of the day displays tlie circum- stances ©f the times more truly and faithfully than whole volumes written on the s-ubject. As soon as Napoleon joined the army, he proved himself ;o be a man born for command. From that moment he filled the theatre of the world*; he occupied all Europe ; he was a meteor blazing in the firmament ; he concentrated all eyes, rivetted all thoughts, and formed the subject of all converaations. From that time every Gazette, e\'ery pub- lication, every monument, became the record of his deeds. His aarae was inscribed in every page aud in every line, a-nd echoed from every mouth. Ills appearance in the command produced a revolution in his manners, conduct, and language. Docrcs has often told me, that he was at Toulon when he first heard of Na- poleon's appoiutnient to the command of the army of Italy. He had known him well i;\ Paris, and thought himself oa • CHKONOLOGICAL RECAriTULATION. The Emperor wis horn Aug. IS, ne** Hntered tli- raiiitiry sehoo! o" E'icnne 177S 'liansferrtd lo the sthdoi of Paris 1731 7-ieutenant in the 1st Artillery regimcnl of la Fere - • - S!--\>.1, 178S CajJtain Feb. 6.1702 Chief of Bittalion Ool. I,9.17y3 General t^fn-iitade Ifeb. 6, 17Ql Ct-neral ofDivislon Oct 16, 17'>5 ing towards him with my wonted familiarity, buf his pftitnde, his look, the tone of his voice, suddenly deterrcl me. There was nothing oifensive either in his ap- pearance or manner; but the impression he produced was ii-ilficient to prevent me from ever again attempting to en- croach upon the distance that separated us." Napoleon's generalship was, moreover, characterized hy the skill, enej'gy, and purity of his military administration ; his constant dislike of peculation of any kind, and his total disregard of his own private interest. "I returned from, the campaign of Italy," said he, " with but 300,000 francs in my possession. I might have easily carried oil 10 or 12 millions ; that sum might have been mine. I never made out any accounts, nor was 1 ever asked for any. I expect- ed on my return to receive some great nat^poal reward. It was publicly reported that Chambord v/as to be given to me, and I should have been very glad to have had it ; but the idea was set aside by the Directory. I had, however, transmitted to France Jlt least 50,000,000 for the service of the State. This, I imagine, was the first instance in mo- dern history of an army contributing to maintain tlie coun- ( ry to which it belonged, instead of being a burthen on it." Wlien Napoleon was in treaty with the Duke de Mo- uena, Salicetti, the Government commissary with the ar- my, who had hitherto been on indifferent terms with hinij. entered his cabinet. — " The Commander d'Este," said he, " the Duke's brother, is here with four millions in gold, contained in four chests. Ha comes in the name of his bro- ther to beg you to accept them, and I advise you to do so. I am a countryman of yours, and I know your family affairs^ The Directory and the Legislative body will never acknow- ledge your services. This money belongs to you ; take it without scruple and witho»it publicity. A proportionate diminution will be made in the Duke's contribution, and he will be very glad to have gained a protector."— "I thank )'ou," coolly answered Napoleon, " I shall not for that sum place myself in the power of the Duke de Mod'ena :-— I wish: to continue free." A Commissary-in-chief of the same army used often to relate that_he had witnessed an cffcr of seven millions in gold made in like manner to Napoleon by the Government of Venice, to save it from destruction, which affer was r*- 9& MV Ri£5lDl^V;E \VITH fused — The emperor smiled at the yansports oi adtinratio*' evinced by thisiiuancier, to whom thv. refusal of his Gener- al appeared superhumaa — an action muu^ more difficult aad noble than the gaining- of victories. Ti-*^ j^mperor dwell with a considerable degree of complacency r,n these anec- dotes of his disinterestedness. He however observed that he had been in the wrong, and that such a course ^f ccn(^.lCt; was the raost improvident he could have pursued, -.-Jiether his intention had been to make himself the head of a i^-rl*', and to acquire influQaca, or to remain in the station 01 -^ private individual ; for, on his return, he found himself al- most destitute ; and h&mi^hthave continued in a career of aljsolute poverty, whilst ins inferior g-enerals and commis- ?aries were amassing large fortunes. " Bat," added he, " if my eemmissary had seen rae accept the bribe, who can tell to what lengths he might have g-ono T My refusal was at least a check upon hiin." " When I was placed at the head of affairs, as Consul, it was only by setting an example of disinterestedness, and employing the titino^t vigilance, that I cofild succeed in changing the conduct of the Administration, and putting a ■stop to the dreadful spectacle of Directorial peculations. It cost me an immense deal of troulae to overcome the in- clinations of the first persons in the State, whose ccndnct at length became strict and irreproachable. I was oblig- ed to keep them constantly ia fear. IIow often did I not repeat in my councils, that if my own brother were found to'be in fault, I should not hesitate to dismiss him." No Kiau in the world ever had more wealth at his dispo- sal, and appropriated less to himself. — NapolfcB, according lo his own account, possessed as mueh as. four hundred mil- lions of specie in the cellai-s of the Thuilleries. His extraor- dinary domain amounted to mora than seven hundred mil- lions. He has said that he distributed upwards of five hun- dred millions on endowments to the army. And, what is very extraordinary, he who circulated such heaps of wealth, never possessed any private property of his own I He had ooilected in the Museum, treasures which it was impossible to estimate, and" yet he never had a picture or a curiosity of his own. Ou his petura from Italy, and on th*eve of his departure f/jr Egypt, iie became possessed of Malmaison, ard thevc he deposited iiearly all his property. He purchased it in the -name of ids wife, who was older than himself, and conse- scquently, in case of his surviving her, ho muat have forfeit- ed all claim to it. The fact is, as he himself has said, Ihat he ncTcr had a taste nor desire for riches. fife EMi'EROR KAPCtEON. ^l " in now possess any thing, "•■' continued lie, " it is o'.v- iug; to measures vviiich have been adopted since my depar- ture ; but even in that case it must depend on ^ hair's- breadth cJiance whether there bo any thm^ in the world I can call my own or not. Bat every one has his j-elative ideas. I have a taste for fciinding, and not for possessing. My riches consisted in gloi y and celebrity : the Simplon and the Louvre were, in the eyes of the people and of for- reiguers, more my property than private domains could have been. 1 purchased diauionds for the crown, I repair- ed and adarued the Iiriperial palaces ; and I was often sur- f'u'ised to find that the expenses lavished by Josephane on ter green-houses and her gallery, were a real injury to my Jardin dts Plantea and my JIusce de Panft.^* On taking the command of the army of Italy, Napoleon, notwithstanding his extreme jouth, immediately impressed the troops with a spirit of subordination, confidence, and tlie niOLit absolute devotedness. The army was subdued by hi.s genius, rather than seduced by Ids. popularity ; he was,, in general, very severe and reserved. During the whole course of his life he has uniformly disdained to court the fa- vour of the multitude by unworthy means ; perhaps he haa- cven carried these feelings to an extent which may have boeninjuiious tohini. A singular custom vvas established in the army of Italy, in consequence of the youth of the commander, or from some other cause. After each battle, the oldest soldiers used to hold a council, and confer a new rank on their young General, who, when he made his ap- pearance in the camp, was received by the veterans, and " The deposit at llie liouse of Lf^ite. On the Emperor's secoint abdication, somf body w?io lovi d bim for hU owti sake, and who Uiitw his improrident disposition, eagerly enquirtd whether a»!y mtasures had been uken Tok' his fuiuie siip|iutt. Finding; tliat nu provision hud' been made, aitd that Niipoieon remained absolutely deitiMite, a enntiibution vm m;.de, and four or five isiliioui were-raisid (f>r bim, of which M, Lafitte became the dcpo'^iioi y. At the moitent of his departure from M^Iinaison, the solicitude of Nspnlton's real friends was no less serviceable lo him —An individual aware of the disorder and confusion oJ our situation, wishtd to ascertsin whether tli« little treasurt? had been forwarded to its destination, Whiit was his astonishment on iearninif that t!ie carriage in which it htd been placed, was left in a coach-house at MaC maison. A new difficulty arose : the Key of the cuach-house was not lo be found ; «iid tile crabarrassraeut occasioned liy this unexpected cireumsuiice delayed our departure fur som* moments. M. Lafi'te wishtd immeJiatelv lo give the Empe- ror a receipt for the sum "r but Napoleon would not accept' it— savin;?,'- I know you.M. Ljifitte— I know you did not approve of my government; but I considet you asan honest man." M. LKfitte seems to have been doomed to I* the depository of the faruU of on- fiiriunaie Moirariihs. Louis XA'III.. on hisdrpar urc for Ghent, also i>laced a considerable sum of money in his hands. On Napo eon's arrival, on 20ih Waroh, 31. Lafitte was sent for by the Emperor, and quettioned rejpectinf; the deposit.' which he did not deny. On bis expressing bis apprehension lest a reproaclj should be niiendfd 'u be conveyed in the qULSlions which had been put to hi* •— None " kaid the Emperor : *• that money belonped jM-rsoukily Co the King. anU private aairgjre totally dl»;ia«*rcm politkal Kaiiera." 'H ar EESIDENCE VHTlX m saluted ivith his new title. They made him a Corporal'aC Liodi, antl a tierjeant at Castiglione ; and hence the sur- name of" PeiJii C<^/)o/'cri," which was for a long time applied Ifj Napoleon oy the soidiers. How subtle is the chain whieli unites the most trivial circumstances to the moss important events !— Perhaps this, very nickname contributed to hls- miraculous .success on his return in 1815. — While he -was haranguing the iirst bactalion v/hich he found it necessary to address, a voice from the ranks exclaimed — " f'^ive noire ^etit Capora.l .'—we will never fight against him I" The administration of the Directory, and that ofthegen- eral-in-chicf of the army of Italy, seemed two distinct Gov- ernments. The Directory- pat the emigrants to death ; the array of Italy never inflicted capital punishment on any ono ofthem. The Directory, on learning that Wurmser wa5 besieged in Mantua, wrote to IN'apoleon, to remind him that he was an emigrant ; but Napoleon, on making him prison- er, eagerly sougiit to render an affecting homage of respect to his old age. The Directory adopted the most insulting forma in communicating with the Pope: the General of the array of Italy addressed him by the words " Most Holy Fa- ther," and wrote to him with respect. The Directory en- deavoured to overthrow the authority of the Pope: Napo- leon preserved it. The Directoi-y banished and proscribed' Priests : Napoleon commanded his soldiers, wherever they might fall in with them, to remember that they were Frenchmen atod their brothers. The Directory would liavo exterminated every vestige of aristocracy : Napoleon wrote to the democracy of Genoa, blaming their violence; and did not hesitate to declare that if the Genoese attached any value to the preservation of his esteem, they roust learn to respect the Statue of Doria, and the institutions to which, *hey were indebted for their glory. The Eiajjcror determines to write kis Memoirs. 7th — 9th. — We continued our course, and nothing occur- i-ed to interrupt the uniformity which surrounded us. Our days were all alike ; the correctness of my journal alone informed me of the day of the week or of tlie month. Fortu- nately my time was employ cm! , and therefore the day usual- ly slipped on with a certain degree of facility. The mate- rials which I collected in the afternoon conversation af- forded me no idle time tillnsxt day. Meanwhile the Emperor osbcrved that I was very much occupied, and he eyen suspected the subject on wliich I war engaged. He determiiied to ascertain the fact, and ol>tain- .y had previously formed no conception. They ce.'tai.iiy hiicw iuiiiiitcly le^s of France than of China. One of the priacipal oilicers oft' e siiip, in a ftimiliar con- versation, happened to say — 'ich 1 was the object. Facts were the most convincing answers. A fine monument, another good law, or a new triumph, were sufficient to defeat thousands of such falsehoods. Declama- tion passes away, but deeds remain!" This is unquestionably true with regard to posterity. The great men of former times are handed down to us free from the ephemeral accusations of their contemporaries. But it is not thus during the lifetime of the individual ; and in IB 14, Napoleon was convinced by cruel exf»erience, that ^ven deeds may vanish before the fury of declaujation. At !>S MY RESIDENCE WITH the moment of Lis faJl, he was absolutely overwhelmed by u. torrent of abuse. Bat it was reserved for him whose life had been so fertile in prodigies to surmount this adverse strokeof fate, and almost immediately to arise resplendent from amidst Jiis own ruius. His miraculous return is cer- tainly unparalleled, both in it-, esecution or its-results. The transports wliich it called forth, penetrated into neigh- bouring- couiitries, where prayei's for his success were offer- ed up, either publicly or in secret; and he who, in 1B14, was defeated and pursued as the scourg-e of human nature, suddenly re-appeared in 1815, as the hope of his fellow- creat;i:'es. Calumny and falsehood, in this instance, lost their prey by having overshot their mark. The good sense of man- kind in a great measure rendered justice to Napoleon, and the abuse that had been heaped upon him was thence- forth discredited. " Poi^ion lost its effect on Mitbridates," said the Emperor, as he was the other day glancing over some new libels upon himself, "and since 1814, calumny cannot injure me." In the universal clamour which was directed against him when in the enjoyment of his power, England bore the most conspicuous part. In England, two great machines were mentioned in full activity ; the one conducted by the emigrants, for whom nothing v/as too bad; and the other rmder the control of the English ministers, who had established a system of defama- tion, and who had regularly organized its action and ef- fects. They maintained in their pay pamphleteers and ii- belists in every corner of Europe ; their tasks were marked out to them ; and their plans of attack were regularly laid and combined. The English ministry multiplied the employment of these potent engines in England more than elsewhere. The Eng- lish, who were more free and enlightened than other na- tions, stood the more in need of excitement. From this system the English ministers derived tlic two-fold advantage of rousing public opinion against the common enemy, and withdrawing attention from their own conduct, by direct- ing popular clamour and indignation to the character and conduct of others ; by tins means their o^vn character and conduct were screened from that investigation and recrimi- nation which they might not have found very agreeable. Thus the assassination of Paul at St. Petersburgh, and of our envoys in Persia ; the seizure of Naper-Tandy in the free city of Hamburgh; the capture, in time of peace, of two rich Spanish frigates ; the acquisition of the. whole of India; tiie retaining of Malta and the Cape of Good Hope, THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. , 99 ag-ainst the faith of treaties ; the machiaveliE.n rupture of the treaty of Amiens ; the unjust seizure of our sliips previ- ously to a nc^Y declaration of war ; the Danish fleet seized \vith such cold and ironical perfidy, &c. ji:ty rrtl :,.3 princi- |dc9 they now profess, !ca\ c no otiicr qualhicalion than ti^t of faithful subjects dying for iheir lawiul sovereign : The course by wiuen Napoleon adv't^nced to supreme power, is perfectly sir;i,;le ar.d i;alur;',I ; it is single in liisto- loiy; ti.s-very circiniis.i.nccG oi '1= c!»:va>:Jon ru.dcr it un- paraileled. " I have net itsari^cl i;,e cirwn," said lie one day to tbe Council ot' bLate, " I j^avt; rtiis(;d it ( ut oftbe mire: the people placed it on n y Lead: ict llicii- acts be respected !" " By thus raising up the crown, ii'Sapoleon restored iFrance to her rank in European society, terminated her horrors, and revived her character, lie freed us of f U tlie evils of iO(3 MV IlLilDLXCK VVITil our fatal crisis^ and reserved to us all the r.dvantag-es ans- ing out of it. " I ascended the throne iinEuUied by any ol the crimes of my situation," said he, on one occasion. " How- few founders of dynasties can say as much !" Never during- any period of o.u- history were favours distributed with so much impartiality ; merit so indiscrimi- nately sought out and rewarded I'pu'blic money so usefully employed; the arts and sciences better encourEgod, or the glory and lustre of the country raised (oso high a pitclu " It is my wish," said he one day to the Counci) of titale, -' that the title of Frenchman s^i.ould be the bcft n.d mos^ desirable on earth ; that a Frenchman travelling through any part qf Europe may think and find himself at homo." If liberty seemed occasionally to suffer encroachments, if authority sscmicd soriietimcs to overstep its limits, circum- stances rendered those mcasitres necessary and inevitable. Our present misfortunes have, though too late, made us sen- sible of this truth; wenovr render justice, though also too late, to the courage, judgment, and foresight which then dictated those steps. It is certain that in. this respect, the piplitic.al fall of Napoleon has considerably increased his ioiluencG. "Who can now doubt that his glory and' the lus- tre of his character have been infinitely augmented by hk misfortunes'? ^~ If the works which have fallen in my way should present any circumstances connected with these general conside- rations, they will be the object of my particular attention. I do not intend to enter upon a political controversy; I shall not address myself to party men, whose, opinions arq founded on their interests and passions ; I speak only to the cool friend of truth, or to the unprejudiced writer, who in fu- ture times may impartially seek for niaterials : to them alone I address myself ; in Uieir eyes my testimony will be supe- rior to^anonyraon.v evidei.co, and will rank on an equality with that which bears a cict.lilahlc character. .The first work that I looked into -vas the Antl-CaUiia}!^ o/ which I shall speak htreaftor. Employment of our tine. 19lh — 22u. — IVe continued cur course with the sam§ wind, the same sky, and the same temperature. Ota- voy- age Was monotonous, bui pleasant: our days- were long, but, employment helped them to glide awp.y. The Err.percr now began reg:ilar!y to dictate to me his Campaigns in Italy. 1 had a!r3a(iy wriKcn several cljaptcrn. I'or the first few days, the Emperor viewed this occupation with in- Jiffericcc; hut the regularity and promptitude v^jth, wh'c-i^ •TSE fiMPEROR NAPOLEOiV. 101 1 presented to him my daily task, together with the pro- gress we made, soon excited his interest, and at length the pleasure he derived from this dictation, rendered it abso- lutely necessary to him. He was sure to send for me about eleven o'clock every morning, and he seemed himself to await the hour with impatience. I always read to him what he had dictated on the preceding day, and he then made corrections and dictated farther. In this v, ay the time pass- ed rapidly till four o'clock arrived, when he summoned his valet-de-chambre. He then proceeded to the state-cabin, and passed the time until dinner in playing at piquet or chess. The Emperor dictates very rapidly, almost as fast as he speaks in ordinary conversation. I was, tliei'efore, obliged to invent a kind of hieroglyphic writing ; and I, in my turn, dictated to my son. I was happy enough to be able to col- lect almost literally every sentence that fell from him. I had now not a moment to spare : at dinner-time somebody was sure to come and tell me that all the company were seated at table. Fortunately my seat was near the door, which always stood open. I had some time since changed my place at the request of captain Eoss, the commander of the vessel, who, as he did not speak Fi-ench, took the oppor- tunity of occasionally asking me the meaning of words : I therefore took my seat between him and the Grand Mar- shal. Captain Ross was a man of agreeable manners, and was exceedingly kind and attentive to us. I had Ibarnt, according to the English custom, to invite him to take a glass ofwine, drinking mine to the health of his wife, and he would then drink to the health of mine. This wa&our daily practice. After dinner, the Emperor never failed to allude to bis morning dictation, as if pleased with the cccupaticn and amusement it had afforded him. On these occasions, as well as whenever I happened to meet hhn in the course of the day, he would address me in a jocular tone with — " Ah! sage Las Cases !— Illustrious memorialist! — ^the Sully of St. Helena ;" and other similar expressions, 'f hen he would frequently add : " My dear Las Cases, these memoirs will be as celebrated as any that have preceded them. You will survive as long as any previous memoir-writer. It will be impossible to dwell upon the great events of oi',^^n.'e, or to write about me without referring to you." Then re- suming his pleasantry, he would add : — " After all, it will be said, he must have known Napolerni >\'eii ; he was his Councillor of State, his Chamberlain, };is fai'hfi,.! Cumpan- ion. We cannot help believing hini, for he wag au hvaest man and incapable gf misrepresentation," 9* t02 MY REaiDENCE WITH Accidental Phenomenon. — Passage of the Line. — Chrie* tenirtg. 23d — 25tb. — The west wind still coctinued, to our great astonishment ; it was a sort of phenomenon in these regions, and had hitherto been very much in our favour. But with regard to phenomena, chance produced one of a much more extraordinary kind on tlje 23d, when we crossed the Line in Oq latitude, 0° longitude, and Oq declination. This is a circumstance which c!;ance alone may perhaps renew only once in a century, since it is necessary to arrive precisely at the first meridian about noon, in order to pass the line at that same hour, or to arrive there at the same time with the sun. This was a day of great merriment and disorder among the crew : it was the ceremony which the English sailois call the Ch7-istening . The sailors dress themselves up in the most grotesque way ; one is disguised as Neptune, and all persons on board tlie ship who have not previously cross- ed the Line, are formally presented to him ; an immense razor is passed over their chins, with alather made of pitch; tuckets of water are thrown over them, and the loud bursts of laughter which accompany their retreat, complete their initiation into the grand mystery. No one is spared ; and the officers are generally more rougJily used than the lowest of the sailors. The Admiral, who had previously amused himself by endeavouring to alarm us with the anticipation of this awful ceremony, now very courteously exempted us from the inconvenience and ridicule attending it. We were with every mark of attention and respect presented to the rude god, who paid to each of us a compliment after his own fashion ; and thus our trial ended. The Emperor was scrupuously respected during the whole of this saturualian festivity, when respect is usually shewn to no one. On being informed of tlie decorum which had been observed with respect to him, he ordered a hundred Napoleons to be distributed to the grotesque Neptune and his crew, which the Admiral opposed, perhaps from motives -of prudence as well as politeness. V THE EMPEROR KAFOLKON. 103 Examination of the Antigallican. — Sir Rohert Wikon''s writivgs. — Plague at Ja^a.—Avcciiotes cftkt French amy in Egypt.— Feelings of the army in. the Egyptian C(.ivja~gv. Bcrthier. — J cuts of the soldiery. — Drcwiectaries. — Lfoth of Kleber. — 77ie youvg Arab. — Singvlar coinciilcvccs rajcct- ing Philipeavx anilJ^'apcleon. — Ciicvmslartcct c?, uhich I ate depends. — CafarellVs attachment to J\''apoleov. — Pcpntaticn of the French army in the East. — JS''apol€on qvittirg Egypt to assvme the government of France. — The English expedition , IQeher and Desaix. 26th — 30th. The weather still continued favourahle. — Having passsed the Line, we mcmentariJy expected to fall in with an east or south-east m ltd. The continuance of tlie west wind was extraordinary, and it was impossible it could last much longer. The resolution which the Admiral had adopted of bearing considerably to the East, rendered «oiir situation very favourable, and we had every reason to- hope for a short passage. One afternoon, the sailors caught an enormous shark. — The Emperor enquired the cause of the great noise and confusion whioh he suddenly heard overhead ; being inn formed of what had occurred, he expressed a wish to have a sight of the sea-monster. He accordingly went up to the poop, and incautiously approached too near the animal, which by a sudden movement knocked down four or five of the sailors, and had well nigh broke the Emperor's legs., — He descended the larboard gangway, covered with blood ; we thought he was severely hurt, but it proved to be only the blood of the shark. My labours advanced with the greatest regularity. The Antigallican, which was the first work I undertook to read, , was a volume of five hundred pages, comprising 4ill that had been written in England at the time when that country was menaced with the French invasion. It was the object of the English government to nationalize opposition to that event, and to rouse the whole nation against her dangerous enemy. The book contained a collection of public speech- es, exhortations, patriotic appeals of zealous citizens, sati- rical songs, sarcastic productions, and highly-coloured news- paper articles, all pouring a torrent of odium and ridicule upon the French and their First Consul, whose courage, genius, and power excited the greatest alarm. This was all perfectly natural and allowable. Productions of this sort are like a shower of arrows thrown by combatants before they come to a close action : some hit, and some are car- ried away by the wind. Such writings will never afford satb^factory evidence to a man of judgment, and they scarce- ly; merit contradiction. 104 MV KESIDEJCCE WVHJ Pamphleteers are litUe regarded, because their charac- ter is the antidote of their poison : it is not so with the his- torian. The latter, however, degrades himself to a level with the pamphlet-writer when he departs from the calm dignity and impartiality required for his office, to indul^-e in declaii'.ation, and to steep his pen in gall. Witli these feelings I arose from the perusal of the differ- ent productions of Sir Robert Wilson, which I read after the Antigallican. This writer did us the greater injury, because his talents, his courage, and his numerous and bril- liant services gave liim importance in the eyes of his coun- trymen. A circumstance which I am about to state caused the writings of Sir E,. Wilson to be particularly known and spoken of on board the ship. Sir Robert had a son among the young midshipmen on board the Northumberland, and my son, whose similarity of age occasioned him to be m.uch in the society of tJiese youths, could easily observe the change which took place, in their opinions with respect to us. They were at first very much prejudiced against us. When the Emperor came on board, they regarded him as an ogre ready to devour them. 'But on abetter acquaintance with us, truth soon exercised over them the same influence which it produced on the rest of the crew. This was, however, at the expense of young,' Wilson, who was scouted by his companions, by way of ex- piation for the stories which his father had circulated. At this part of the manuscript a great number of leaves are struck out ; the reason was explained on the margin as follows: " I had collected numerous oiTensivc statements from the writings of Sir Robert Wilson, to which I had perhaps re- plied with too much bitterness ; a I'ecent circumstance has induced me to suppress this portion of my Journal. " Sir Robert Wilson has lately acted a conspicuous part in a cause which does honour to the hearts of all who were concerned in it : I allude to the saving of Lavalette. Being asked before a French tribunal, wliether he had not for- • raerly published works respecting our affairs 1 he replied in the affirmative, and added, that he had stated in tliem what he then believed to be true. These words are more to the purpose than any thing I could say ; and I therefore hasten to cancel what I have already written; happy in thus having an opportunity to render justice to Sir Robert Wilson, on whose sincerity and good intentions I had, in my indigna- tion, cast reflections."'*' • After my removal from Longwood, Sir Hudson Lowe, who hod feiied my pa- pers, looked aver this JournaJ, with my perniissioti He, of course, met with part* which were very displeasing to him ; ind he ssiid to rae : " What f. P'etty Ugacy you are pn paring for mj children, Count !"— '' That is not my fault,"' repaetl X i THE ElirEROR KArOLEON. lOj I therefore set aside the -works of Sir Robert Wilson, and the various accusations contained in them ; I also suppress the numerous refutations I had collected. I shall merely stop to consider one circumstance which has been repeated in a hundred different works ; the report of which has been circulated through Europe, and has obtained credit even in France. I allude to the poisoning of the men infected with the plague at Jafi'a. Certainly notliing can better prove how easily calumny may effect its object. If the voice of slander be bold and powerful, and can command nunierou% echoes, no matter how far probability, reason, common sense, and truth be violated — the wished-for end is sure to be attained. A general, a hero, a great man, hitherto respected by fortune, as well as by mankind, at that moment rivetting the attention of three quarters of the globe, ccmm.anding ad- miration even from his enemies, was suddenly accused of a crime declared to be unheard of and unparalleled ; of ^n act pronounced to be inhuman, atrocious, and cruel ; and what is above all. extraordinary, he cojild have no possible object in committing that crime. The most absurd details, the most improbable circum- stances, the most ridiculous episodes were invented, to give a colouring to this first falsehood. The story was circula- ted through Europe ; malevolence seized it, and exaggera- ted its enormity ; it was published in every newspaper ; recorded in every book ; and thenceforward was looked up- on as an established fact: — indignation was at its height, snd clamour universal. It would have been vain to reason, or attempt to stem the torrent, or to show that no proofs of the fact had been adduced, and that the story contradicted itself. It would have been vain to bring forward opposite i'lrdrprn;^ on'y on yrcirsclT torrndevit otherw'je ; I sliall be bappy to have res - .".on to stride ost any thing respecting you, as I did ihec:her day with resarS to Sir Roli-rt V.'ilson." Upon which ht- asked me what I had written aborit Sir Re- hi ri, and I printed oat the place. After reading a'l that had been written, ar-d my rrasons for caiicciliiig itih-JsaidtWish a thoughtliil and mortified air : " Yes,I«ee ; but I can't tell » hi»t io make of it ; for I know Wilson weli, and he has proved him- Sflf a wurm friend of tlie Bruvbons." iVe leaped for joy when we heard of the tleiiverarc? of Laralette. Some one observed, tlirtt I is' deliverer, Wilson, could not be tiie wine individual who had. written so in >»iy ofti nsive things concerning the Emperor. '• And why not ?" said Napoleon. '■Yon Uiiow but littie ofmen,.»r,d the passions tba: actuate them.— What leads yon to s'lppose that Sir Rob' rt Wifson is not a man of enthusiasm and Violent p«.s«ion«. who wrote what he then believed true? And while we were ene- mies we cont> nd!f with the army in Egypt, (though certainly in a rank which did not ena'^ile him to come ircl;!).ging to the staff, not excepting even those of the General-iu-chicf, who pro- ceeded for a corssiderable distance on foot, like the rest cf tlie army. These, therefore, are quite out .of the question. " With regard to the rest of the invalids, about lAyenty in number, who were under the care of the Pliysician-in-chief, and who were in an absolutely dseperate condition, totally unfit to be removed, while the enemy was advancing, it is very true that Napoleon asked the Physician-in-chief wbe- therit would not bean act of humanity to administer opium 'to them. It is also true, that the physician replied, his bu- siness was to cure and not to kill ; an answer which, as it seems to have reference to an order rather than to a sub- ject of discussion, has, perhaps, furnished a basis on ivhich slander and falsehood might invent and propagate the fabri- cation which has since been circulated en this subject. " Finally, the details which I have been able to collect, afford me the following incouiestible results: — " 1st. That no order was given for the administration of opium to the sick. 108 M3f RES.DEiVC£ Wll^ff '^ ' "2d. That there was not at the period iu question, in the mediciae-chest of the army, a single grain of opium for the use of the sick. " 3d. That even had the order been given, and had there been a supply of opium, temporary and local circumstan- ces, which it would be tedious to enumerate here, ivould have rendered its execution impossible. " The following circumstances have probably helped to occasion, and may, perhaps, in some degree excuse, the mis- take of those who hav6 obstinately maintained the truth of the contrary facts. Some of our wounded men, who had been put on board ship, fell into the hands of the English. We had been short of medicines of ail kinds in the camp, and we had supplied the deficiency by compositions formed from indigenous trees and plants. The ptisans and other medicines had a horrible taste and appearance. The pris- oners, either for the purpose of exciting pity, orfrom having heard of the opium story, which the nature of the medicines might incline them to believe, told the English that they had miraculously escaped death, having liad poison admin- istered to them by their medical officers." So much for the invalids under tlie care of the Surgeon-in-chief. Now for the others. — " The army unfortunately had, as Apothecary-in-chief, a wretch who had been allowed the use of five camels to convey fromCai»o the quantity of medi- cines necessary for the expedition. This man was base enough to supply himself on his own account, instead of medicines, with sugar, coffee, wine, and other provisions, which he afterwards sold at an enormous profit. On the discovery cff the fraud, the indignation of the General-in- chief was without bounds, and theoffender was condemned to be shot ; but all the medical officers, who were so distin- guished for their courage, and whose attentive care had rendered them so dear to the army, implored his pardon, alleging that the honour of the whole body would be com- promised by his punishment ; and thus the culprit escaped. Some time after, when the English took possession of Cairo, -this man joined them, and made common cause with them ; but, having attempted to xenew some of his old offences, he was condemed to be hanged, and again escaped by slander- ing the General-in-chief, Bonaparte, of whom he invented a multitude of horrible stories, and by representing himself as the identical person who had, by the General's orders, administered opium to the soldiers infected with the plague. His pardon was the condition and the reward of his cahtm- nies. This was doubtless the first source whence the siory -was derived, by those who were not induced to propagate it from malevolent motives. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. \()ii " Time has, however, fully exposed this absurd calumny, as well as many others which have been applied in the same direction, and that v/ith so great a rapidity, that on revising: my manuscript, I have been surprised at the importance I have attached to the refutation of a charge which no one would now dare to maintain. Still, I thought it best to preserve what I had written, as a testimony of the imprts sion of the moment ; and if I have now added some farther details, it is because they happened to lie within my reacli, and 1 thought it important to record them as historical facts." Sir Robert Wilson has, in his work, boasted with seeming complacency of having been the first to make known and to propagate these odious charges in Europe. His country- man. Sir Sydney Smith, may perhaps dispute this honour with him, particularly as he may, in a great measure at least, justly lay claim to the merit of their invention. To him, and to the system of corruption he encouraged, Europe is indebted for all the false reports with which she has been inundated, to the great detriment of our brave army of Egypt. It is well known that Sir Sydney Smith did every thing in his power to corrupt «ur army. 'J he false intelligence from Europe — the slander of the General-in-chief — the powerful bribes held out to the oflicers and soldiers, — were all ap- proved by him : the documents are published, his proclama- tions are known. At one time they created sufficient alarm in the French General, to induce him to seek to put a stop to them; which he did by forbidding all communication with the English, and stating in the order of the day, that their Commodore had gone mad. This assertion was believed in the French army ; and it so much enraged Sir Sydney Smith, that he sent Napoleon a challenge. The General replied, that he had business of too great importance on his hands to think of troubling himself about such a trifle : had he received a challenge from the great Marlborough, then indeed he might have thought it worth while to consider of it: but if the English seaman really felt inclined to amuse himself at a til ting-match, he would send him a tall, bullying grenadier, and neutralize a few yards of the sea coast, where the mad Commodore might come ashore, and enjoy his heart's content of it. As I am on the subject of Egypt, I will here note down all the information I collected in my detached conversa- tions, and which may possibly not be found in the campaign of Egypt, dictated by Napoleon to the Grand Marshal. The campaign of Italy exhibits all the most brilliant and decisive results to which military genius and conception 10 ^ " 1 iO MY RESIDENCE WITH over gave birth. Diplomatic views, administrative talents^- legislative measures, are there uniformly blended in harmo- ny with the prodigies of war. But the most striking, and the finishing toach in the picture, is the sudden and irresist- ible ascendancy which the young General acquired : the anarchy of equality — thejealousy of republican principles— every thing vanished before him : there was not a power, even to the ridiculous sovereignty of the Directory, which was not immediately suspended. The Directory required uo accounts from the Generai-in-chief of the army of Italy; it was left to himself to send them : no plan, no system, was prescribed to him ; but accounts of victories, and conclu- sions of armistices, of the destruction ofold states, and the creation of new ones, were constantly received from liira. In the expedition of Egypt may be retraced all that is admired in the campaign of Italy. The reflecting observer will even perceive, that in the Egyptian expedition, tJie poiats of resemblance are of a more important nature, from the difficulties of every kind which gave character to the campaign, and required greater genius and resources on the part of its conductor. In Egypt, anew order o"f things ap^ peared: climate, country, inhabitants, religion, manners, and mode of fighting, all were dilferent. The Memoirs of the Campaign of Egypt, will determine points which at tlie time formed only the subjects of conjec- ture and discussion to a large portion of society. 1st. The expedition of Egypt was undertaken at the ear- nest and mutual desire of the Directory and the General- in-chief. 2d. The taking of Malta was not the consequence of a private understanding, but of tlie wisdom of the General-in- chisf. " It was in Mantua that I took Malta," said tlie Em- peror one day ; " it was the generous treatment oiserved • towards Wurmser, that secured to me the submission of the Grand Master and his Knights." 3d. The conquest of Egypt was calculated with as much iudf^iucnt as it was executed with skill. If Saint Jean d'Acre had surrendered to the French army, a great reve- lation would have taken place in ^he east; the General-in- chief would have establisiied an empire tlierc, and the des- tinies of France would have taken a different turn. 4th. On its return from the campaign of Syria, the French army had scarcely sustained any loss : it remained in the most formidable and prosperous ccr,diticn. 5th. The departure of the General-in-chief for France was th<3 result of a grand and magnanimous plan. How ridiculous is the imbecility of those who consider that de-^- parture as an evasion or a desertion. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 1 I ^ Gth. Kleber fell a victim to Musivlmanic facaticism. — There is not the slightest found atiou for the absurd calumny which would have attributed this catastrophe to the policy of his predecessor, or to the intrigues of his successor. 7th, and lastly. It is pretty wdll proved that Egypt would have remained for ever a French province, if any other but Menou had been appointed for her defence ; nothing: but the gross errors of that general could have lost us the pos- session of Egypt. The emperor said, that no army in the world was less fit for the Egyptian expedition than that which he led there— the army of Italy. It would be diliicult to describe the dis- gust, the discontent, the melancholy, the despair of that army, on its first arrival in Egypt. The Emperor himself saw two dragoons run outcf tlie ranks and throw themselves into the Nile. Bertrand had seen the most distinguished generals, such as Lannes, and Murat, in momentary fits of rage, throw their laced hats on the sand, and transple on them ia the presence of the soldiers. The Emperor ex- plained these feelings surprisingly well. " This army," said he, " had fulfilled its career. Ail the individuals belonging to it were satiated with wealth, rank, pleasure, and consid- eration ; they were not fit for the Deserts and the fatigues of Egypt ; and," continued he, " had that army been placrd in other hands than mine, it is diiiicult to say what excesses migiit not iiave been committed." iUore than one conspiracy was formed to carry away the flags to Alexandria, and other things of the same sort. The influence, the character, and the glory of the General, could alone restrain the troops. One day Napoleon, losing Iris temper in Lis turn, n:s)ied smong a group ofdiscontent- cd generals, and addressing iiiniself to the tallest, "Yen have held mutinous language," said he with vehemence, " take care that I do not fulil my duty ; your five foot ten* sho'.ild not save you from being shot in a couple of hours." With regard, however, to their conduct before the ene- my, the Emperor said that this army never ceased to be the army of Italy ; tha.t it still preserved the same admirable character. The most diOrcult party to manage was that w!;ioh the Emperor used to call " the faction of the senti- mejitali-jts" whom it was impcssilde to keep ur.der any re- straint; their minds were diseased ; they spent the night in gazing on tlie moon for the reflcct.'d image of the idols they had left in Europe. At the head of this party was Berthier, -the weak and spiritless Berthier, who, wlicn the General- ia-chief was preparing to sail f/orn Toulon, posted night and • French feetflre of course here aUuded ta.. n2 MY RESIDES-GE WITH day from Paris to fell him that he was unwell, and could not follow him, tboug-h he was the head of the staff. The Gene- i*al-in-chief took not the smallest notice of what he said, and Berthier, finding himself no longer at the feet of the fair one v/ho had despatched him with the excuse, set sail along with him ; On his arrival in Egypt, he became a prey to ennui, and was unable to subdue his tender recollections; he solicited and obtained permission to return to France. He took leave of Napoleon, and bade him a formal adieu ; but shortly returned again M'ith his eyes full of tears, saying, that he would not after all dishonour himself, and that he could not separate his destiny from that of his General. Berthier's love was mingled with a kind of worship. — Adjoining the tent destined for his own use, he always had another prepared, and furnished with the magnificence of the most elegant boudoir; this was consecrated to the por- trait of his mistress, before which he would sometimes even go so far as to burn incense. This tent was pitched even in the deserts of Syria. Napoleon said witli a smile, that his temple had oftener than once been profaned by a worship less pure, through the clandestine introduction of foreign divinities. Berthier never relinquished his passion, which sometimes carried him to the very verge of idiocy, in his Urst account of the battle of Marengo, young Visconti, whose highesL rank was that of a captain, was mentioned five or six times in remembrance of his mother. "One would have thought,'* £aid Napoleon, " that the youth had gained the battle.'' — Surely the Generai-in-chief must have been ready to throw- the paper in tlie writer's face. The Emperor calculated that he had given Berthier forty millions during his life; but he supposed that from this weak- ness of his mind, his want of regularity, and his ridiculous pjission, he liad squandered away a great part of it^ The discontent of liie troops in Egypt liappily vented it- self in sarcastic jokes : this is the humour wliich always beai's a Frenchman throin^h dilficulties. They had a great spite at General CaffarcUi, whom they believed to have been one of tlie promoters of the expedition. Calfarelli had a n ooden leg, having lost one of his limhis on the banks of the KliHic ; and wlienever the soldiers saw him hobbling past, lliey would say, loud enough for him to hear — " That fellow does not care what happens ; heis certain, at all events, to have one leg in France." The men of science, who accompanied the expedition, also came in for their share of the jests. Asses were very numerous in Egypt : almost all the soldiers possessed one or two, and they ufcd iVlways to call them iheiY dcmi-saxanSy ■THir Efl^PEROrv NArOLEON. 113 TBe Gfeneval-in-chief, on his departure from France, had issued a proclamation, in which he informed the troops that he was about to take them to a country where he would inalce them all rich ; where they should each have seven acres of land at their disposal. The soldiers, when they .found themselves in the midst of the Desert, surrounded by the boundless ocean of sand, began to question the generosity of their general: they thouglit he had observed singular moderation in "having pi^omised only seven acres. " 'i he rogue," said they, " might with safety make us a more un- limited ofler ; we should not abuse his good nature." While the army was passing through Syria, there was nofr a soldier but was heard to repeat these lines from Zaire : — Les Francais sont lasses de clifrchei- dejormais T)> 9 climats que pour tiix n- Utstin n'a point taiii, lis ri'abaiulnniieiit poitit !< iir ferliie patrie, Tour laiiguirauxdoserts de I'aFidi.' Arabie, On one occasion, the gcneral-in-c.hief, having a few mc- Hients of leisure to look about the country, took ad- vantage of the ebb-tide, and crossed on foot to the opposite coast of the Red Sea. Night surprised him on his return, and he lost his way in the midst of the rising tide. He was in the greatest danger, and very narrowly escaped perish- ing precisely' in the same manner as Pharaoh. " This," said Napoleon, " would have furnished all the preachers of Christianity with a splendid text against me." On reach- ing the Arabian coast of the Red 8ea, he received a depu- tation of the Cenobites of Mount Sinai, who came to implore his protection, and to request him to inscribe his name on the ancient register of their charters.^ Napoleon insciibed Lis name on the same list with those of Ali, Saladiu, Aura- him, and others! In allusion to this circumstance, or seme- thing of a similar kind, the emperor observed, that he h?d in the course of one year received letters from Rome and Mecca; the Pope addressing him as his dearest son, and the Sherif styling him the protector of the holy Kaaba. This singular eoincidence, however, is scarcely surpris- ing, with reference to him who has led armies both through the burning sands of the Tropic, and over the frozen Steppes of the North; who, while he narrowly escapod being swal- lowed up in the waves of the Red Sea, and might have per- ished in the flames of i»Ioscow, threatened the Indies from those two extreme points. The general-in-chief shared the fatigues of the soldiers.- The privations endured by every individual in the army- were sometimes so great, that they were compelled to dis~ pute with each other for the smallest enj<'y:nei.ts. without fee least distinction of rank. To such txti eiaities were ilO* i'!4 ijy RasijOENG? wirii iliey redrAced, tliat in the Desert, the soldiei-s tvcu1 Dtfio^ ^ase vu/ return to Fratue.) tkee:^|ercr NAroLsojr. tl5r a a ay. The Emperor formed some droiTsedary regiments, aud the use he made of them in the urmy soon proved the destruction of the Arabs. The rider squats himself on the tack of the animal, thiough whose uostnis a ring is passed,- wljich serves to guide him : he is very obedient, and on a certain signal made by the voice of the rider, the animal kneels down to allow him to alight. The dromedary will carry very heavy burdens, and he is never unloaded during the whole of tlie journey. On liis arrival at evening sta- tions, his load is propped up, and the animal lies down and goes to sleep : at day-break he rises — his burden is on his back, and he is ready to continue his journey. The drome- dary is only a beast of burden, and not at all fit for draught. In Syria, however, they succeeded in yoking them to lield- pieces, and thus rendering them essentially serviceable. Napoleon became very popular among the Egyptains, who gave him the name of Sultan Kebir (father of thta Fire.) He inspired particular respect j wherever he appeared, the people rose in his presence ; and this deference was paid to him alone. The uniform consideration with which he treated the Sheiks, and the adroitness by which he gain- ed their confidence, rendered him truly the sovereign of Egypt, and more than once saved his life. But for the connexion he maintained with the Egyptians, he would have fallen a victim to fanaticism, like Kleber, who, on the con- trary, rendered himself odious to the Sheiks, and perished, in consequence of subjecting one of them to the punishment of the bastinado. Bertrand was one of the judges who con- demned the assassin, and on his telling us this fact one day at dinner, the Emperor observed : — " If slanderers, who ac- cuse me of having caused the death of Kleber, were ac- quainted with the fact you have mentioned, they would not hesitate to call you the assassin or the accomplice, and would take it for granted that yoi;r title of Grand Marshal, p.nd your residence at Saint Ilelena, are the reward and the punishment of the crime." Napoleon willingly conversed with the people of the" country, aud always revealed sentiments of justice which struck them with wonder. On his way back to Syria, an Arab tribe came to meet him, for the double purpose of showing him respect aud of selling their services as guides. " The chief of the tribe was unwall, and his place was filled by his son, a youth of t)ie age and make of 'your boy hpre," said the Emperor to me ; " be was mounted on his dromeda- ry, riding close beside me, and caatting to me with great familiarity. — ' Sultan Kebir,' said he, I could give you giiod advice, now that you are returning to Cairo.' — ' Well! speak, my Cpien4> acad if your advice is good, I will fellow 11(5- MY RESIDENCE WITH it.' — 'I'll leli you what I would do, if I were in your place". As soon as i got to Cairo, I would order the ricliest slave- merchant into the market, and I woald cnoose twenty of the prettiest women for myself; i would next send for the richest jewellers, and would u.ake them give up a good share of their stock ; 1 Would iheu do the same with all the ether merchants ; for what is the use of reigning or being powerful, if not to acquire riches 1' — ' But, uiy friend, sup- pose it were more nooie to preserve them for others.'' — This sentiment seemed to make him reflect a little, without convincing him. The young man was evidently very proniisiiig, for an Arab : he was lively and courageous, and led iiis troop with dignity and order. He is perhaps des-- lined one day or other to carry his advice into execution in the market-place of Cairo." On another occasion, some Arabs who were on friendly terms -.rjth the army, penetrated into a village on thefrontier, and an unfortunate Fellah (peasant) was killed. The Sul- tan Kebir flew into a great passion; and vowing that he would have vengeance, gave orders that the tribe should be- pursued into the Desert to extinction. This order wa3 given in the presence of the Grand Sheiks, one of whom could not refrain from laughing at his anger and his deter- mination.— " Sultan Kebir," said he, " you are playing a bad game just now; do not quarrel with these people ; they can do you ten times more harm than you can do them. And besides, what is it allaboutt Because they have killed a miserable peasant.' Wm he your cousin (a proverbial ex- pression among tnem) J" — "He was more thanmy cousin,'^ i-eplied Napoleon ; " all those whom I govern are my chil- dren: power is given to me only that 1 may ensure their safety." On hearing tfiese words, all the Sheiks boweal their heads, and said, " O I that is very fine ! — you have spoken, like the prophet." The decision of the Grand Mosque of Cairo in favour of the French army, was a masterpiece of skill on the part. of the Ganeral-iu-cliief, who induced the synod of the Grand Sneiks to declare, by a public act, that the Musuhnans should obey and pay tribute to the French general. It is the first and only example of the sort since the establish- ment of tlie Koran, which forbids submission to infidels. The details of this transaction are invaluable: they will be found in the Campaigns of Egypt. Saint Jeand'Acre doubtless presented a singular specta- Cle,'when two European armies met with hostile intentions in a little town of Asia, with the mutual purpose of securing the possession of a portion of Africa ; but it is still more ex- traordinary, that the persons who directed the eflbrts of THE EMriiROIl NAPOLEON. 117 each party were both of the same nation, of the same age, of the same rank, of the same corps, and of the same school. Phelippeaux, to whose talents the Er.glish and the 1 urks owed ilje preservation of Saint Jean d'Acre, had been the coiripanion of Napoleon at the JVlilitary School of Paris : they had been there examined together, previous to their "Toeing sent to their respective corps. "His figure resem- bled yours," said the Emperor to me, after having dictated his eiilogiiim in the lUemoi] s, and mentioned all the ill he had done liim. "Sire," 1 aiiswered, "there were many other puints of affinity Ijetween us : we had been intimate and insc])arable conspanions at the Military School. When he passed through London with Sir Sydney Smith, who by his assistance had been enabled to escape from tlie Temple, he soiiglit for me in every direction, i called at his lodg- ings only half an hour after he had gone : had it not been for this accident, I should probably have accompanied liim. I was at that time without occupation : the prospect of adven- ture might have tempted me ; and hew strangely, might the course of my destinies have been turned into a new direc- tion !" "I am well aware," said Napoleon, "of the influence which chance usurps over our political determinations; and it is the knowledge of tiiat circumstance which has always kept me free from prejudice, and rendered me very indulgent with regard to the party adopted by individuals in cur po- litical convulsions. To be a good Frenchman, or to wish to become so, was all that I look for in any one." — The Em- peror then went on to compare the confusion of our trou- bles to battles in the night-time, where each man attacks his neighbour, and friends are often confounded with foes, but when day-light returns, and order is restored, every one forgives the injury which he has sustained through mistake. '' Even for myself," said he," hov7 could I codertake to say that there might not have existed circumstances sutficienlly powerful, notwithstandinp; my iia'^^uial sentiments, to induce me to emigrate'? The vicipi'y of the frontier, for instance, a friendly attachment, or the ir.iaence of a chief. In revo- lutions, v.c can only speak v.-iib certainty to what we have done : it is silly to aL'h'm that v/c covld not have acted otijeriiise." 'i he Emperor tiicn related a singular exam- ple of the inliuence of chance over ibe destinies ofnien. S3rruricr and the younger IledouviUe, while trave.JJi g together on foot to emigrate to Spain, were met by a n.ilita- ry patrol Hedouville, being the younger and more aciiv'C of the two, cleared the frontier, thought himself very lucky, and went to spend a life of mere vegetation in Spain. Ser- rrrier, oa the contrary, being obliged to retian into the lis MY RESIDENCE WITH interior, bewailed his unhappy fate, and became a marehal* —such is the uncertainty of human foresight and calcula- tions! At Saint Jean d'Acre, the Gencral-in-chicf lest Cafiarel- 11, of whom he was extremely fond. Caffarelli entertained ti sort of reverential respect for the General-in-chief. Tho influence of this sentiment was so threat, that though he was delir-ious for several days previous to his death, when Na- poleon went to see him, the announcement of his name seemed to recall him to life: he became more collected, his spirits revived, and he conversed coherently; but he relaps- ed inlo his former slate immediately after Napoleon's de- parture. This singular phenomenon was renewed every time the General-in-chief paid him a visit. Napoleon received, during the siege of Saint Jean d'A- cre, an affecting proof of heroic dfevotedness. While he was in the trenches, a shell fell at his feet ; two grenadiers who observed it, immediately rushed towards him, placed him between them, and raising their arms above his head, completely covered every part of his body. Happily the shell respected the whole group; nobedy was injured. One of these brave grenadiers afterwards became Gener- al Dumesnil, who lost a leg in the campaign of Moscow, and commanded the fortress of Vincennes at the time of the invasion i.. 1815. The capital had been for some weeks occupied by the Allies, and Dumesnil still held out. No- thing was then talked of in Paris but his obstinate defence,, and his hamoroiis reply when summoned by the Russians to surrender: — "Give me back my leg, and 1 will give up my fortress." The French soldiers acquired extraordinary rep-jtation in Egypt, and not witiioiit cause; they had dispersed and dis- mayed il'.e celebrated Mamelacks, the most formidable mi- iitia of the East. After the retreat from Syria, a Turkish, army landed at Abukir: Murat-Bey, the most powerful and brave of the vl-amelncks, left Upper Egypt, whither he had fled fjrsn.fety, aad reaciicd the Turkish camp by a circui- tous route. On the landing of the Turks, the French de- tachments had fallen back in order to concentrate their for- ces. The Pacha wlio commanded the Turks was delighted at this movement, whicli hv? mistook for the effect of fear ;^ and on perceiving Murat-Bey, he exuUingly exclaimed : — "So ! these are the terrible French whom yon dare not face; see, the moment I make my appearance,, how they fly- before me!" The indignant Murat-Bey furiously replied; — "Pacha, i-endcr thanks to the Propliet that it has pleased these Frenchmen to retire; if they should return, you wil* ^sappear before them like dust bcfoi'e the wind." THE EMPErLOR NAPOLEO?:. 119 This prophecy was fulfilled : — some days after, the French |toured down upon the Turkish army and put it to flight. — IMurat-Bey, who had interviews with sev.eral of our generals, could not recover from his surprise at their diminutive sta- ture and pitiful condition. The Oriental nations attach high importance to the formation of the body, and they were unable to conceive how so much genius could exist within such small dimensions. The appearance of Kleber alone came up to their ideas ; he was an uncommonly fine-looking man, but his manners were extremely offensive. The dis- crimination of the Egyptians induced them to think that he was not a Frenchman ; in fact, though a native of Alsace, Kleber had spent the early paj-t of Lis life in the Prussian army, and might very well have passed for a German, bome one here observed that he had been a Janissary in his youth; on which the Emperor burst into a fit of laughter, and said somebody had been hoaxing him. The Grand-Marshal told the Emperor that at the battle of Abukir he was ftir the first time placed in his aruiy, and near his person. He was then so little accustomed to the boldness of his manoeuvres, that he scarcely understood any of the orders he heard him give. " Pariicularly, tiirc," ad- ded Le, " when 1 iicard ycu call oiit to an olScer of the Guards, ' Ifercuie, take twenty-five nsen and charge that rabble;' I really tbivught I had lost my senses ; your Majes- ty pointed at the time to a detachment of perhaps a thou- sand Turkisii horse." After all, the losses sustained by tl.'C army in Egypt were far from ..eing so considera'de as might liave hecu expected in a country to which ti;e troops were unaccustomed ; par- ticularly when the insalubrity of the climate, the remcteness of the resources of the country, the ravages of the plague, and the numerous actions which have immortalized that army, are" taken into account. The Frenci- force, at its landing in Egypt, amounted to SO .000 men ; it was augmen- ted i y thewrecks of the h'attle of A!>ukir, cidcj probably also by some partial arrivals from France ; and j^i the tolal loss sustained by the army. from theconjmcccement oftl^e cam- paiga to two months after the depa-rture of the Gensral-in~ chief for Europe, that is to say, during the space of seven or eight and twenty-Rionths, amounted only to 8915, as is proved by the official report of the Muster-master-general of the army.* • Killed in battle - . - S6I4 Di '! of thtir wij«r.r?s • • Ri4 l)i-'! through various accidf-nts - 2&0 D d tVo r. common diwider* • 2468 Djcd fiom the pestiicnlial Ccvfr - 1689 ■Sign t«, , 5artt:lon,Mu»ier'ins«tei"-gr, " 1 should undoubtedly have brought him to trial on his return to France. All these contradictory documents l)ad been submitted to the examination and opinion of the Council of State." From the letters of Kleber, the General-in-chief, an idea may be formed of (he tone of those written by persons of inferior rank, and by the common soldiers. Such, however, were the cotrunimications daily intercepted by the English ; which tliey printed and which guided tiiein in their opera- tions— a circumstance that must frequently have led them into grievous errors. The Emperor observed, that in all his campaigns he had seen the same efiect produced by in- tercepted letters, which sometimes had proved of great ad- vantage to him. Aiiiona" tiie letters which at this period fell into his hands, he found odious attacks upon himself, which he felt the more sensibly, because several of them were written by pe.sons whom he b.ad loaded with benefits, in wl^om he had reposed full confidence, and whom he belie vfed to b-e strongly at- tached to Isim. One of these individuals, whose fortune he had made, and in whom he trusted with the utmost sinceiity, alle;,^ed that tiie General-in-chief had decamped, after rob- bing the treasury of two millions. Fortunately, in these san? despatches the accounts of the Paymaster proved that the Geacral bad not even received t!ie whole amount of the THE EMPEUOR NAi'OLKON. 125 f»ay due to him. " On reading- this statement," said the Emperor, " I felt really disgiisled at mankind. I'his was the lirst moral revulsiou I bad ever experienced ; and if it has not been the only one, it has, perhaps, been at least the most severe. Many individuals in the army thought me ruined, and they were already eagerly seeking to pay their court in the proper quarter at my expense." The author of the assertion above alluded to, subsequently endeavoured to restore himself to favour. The Emperor signified that be Siiould have no objoction to his being employed in a su- bordinate situation; but that he would never see him again. To every application he constantly replied, that he did not know him : this was the only vengeance he took. The Emperor never ceased to repeat that Egypt ought to have remained in the possession of the French, which would infallibly have been the case had the country been defended by Kleber or Desaix. " These were my two most distin* guished lieutenants," said he ; " both possessed great and rare merits, though their characters and dispositions were very different." Their portraits will be found in the Me- moirs of the Campaign of Italy. Kieber's was the falent of nature ; Desaix's was entirely the result of education and assiduity. The genius ofKleber was only called forth at particular moments, when roused by the importance of the occasion ; and then it immediately slumbered in the bosom of indolence and pleasure. The talent of Desaix vras always in full activity ; he lived only for noble ambition and true glory : his character ttrs form- ed on the true ancient model. The Emperor said, that his death was the greatest loss he could possibly have s^aistained. Their conformity of education and priacipLos wo-.iid always have preserved a good anderstanding betvreen them. De- saix v/Guld have been satisfied vvilh secondary rank, and would have remained ever devoted and iaithftil. Had he not been killed at the battle of ivlareiigo, the First Consul would have given him the command oft he army of Gei'many, instead of continuing it to Moreau. A very extraoidinary circumstance in tbe destiny of these two lieutenants of 3Sa- uoleon was, that on the very day and at the very hour when Kleber was assassinated at Cair^', Jjesais. v.:-.; kiliefl by ;•- caanon-bali at Marengo. The Emperor'' J method of dictatbig. October 1st — 3d. The wind, the sea, and the tempera- ture still continued without variation. 7'he v/esterly wind, ^vhich had at first been so much in our favour, now began to be adverse, We had taken an easterly direction, in th«- 12:4 MY RESIDENCE WITH iope of falling in with the trade-winds ; but we now fbunJ ourselves to tlie le^ard of the place of our destination, through the continuance of the westerly winds-, a circum- stance which s;jrprised every body, aiid excited dissatisfac- '.iion among the crew. Tlic Einperor every morning regularly continued his dic^- tation, in which he daily took a deeper interest: conse- quently his hours henceforth seemed less tedious. The vessel had been sent so hurriedly out of port, that many repairs remained to be completed aftftr we iiaa yut to sea, and the paiuling of the ship had only recently been ilnished. The Emporor's sense of smelling is extremely delicate ; and he found the paint so extremely offensive, that he was forced to confine himself to his cabin for two days. Every evening, when taking his walk on deck, he loved to revert to the occupation of the morning. At first he was assisted by no other document than a wretched work enti- tled Guerres dcs Francais en Italie, written without end or object, and devoid of any connected chronological plan. — The Emperor glanced through it, and his memory supplied all deficiencies: this faculty indeed appeared to me the more extraordinary, since it always seemed to be in readiness when needed, and as if at command. When the Emperor commenced his daily dictations, he always complained that the circumstances to which he wished to recur were no longer familiar to him. After con- sidering for a few moments he would rise and walk about, and then begin to dictate. From that moment he was quit& another man : every thing flowed smoothly ; he spoke as if by inspiration; places, dates, phrases, he stopped at nothing. On the following day I read to him what he had dictated. After making the first correction he continued to go on with the same subject, a^ though he had said nothing about it the day before. — The difierence between the first and the se- cond version was very great: the latter was more positive and diffuse, and better arranged; indeed it sometimes ma-' terially differed from the first. On the day succeeding the first correction, the same ope- ration was repeated, and the Emperor commenced his third dictation for the purpose of setting the two former ones right. Eut after that, had he dictated a fourth, a seventh, or a tenth time, as he in some instances did, it would have been a repetition of precisely the same ideas, the same con- struction of phrases, and almost the same words. It was needless to take the trouble to write, though befoi-e his eyes: ho paid no attention to what was doing, and continued tq fhe end of his aubject. It would have been vain to ask him THE EMPEROU XAPOLEO-V. I2j^ to repeat any tiling that might not have been distinctly heard ; and as he dictated with great rapidity, I never ven- tured to interrupt him, lest I siiould lose still more, and render him unable to recover the thread of the subject. A singular Accident. 4th — 7th. The continuance of the south-west wind v?as^ truly unfortunate. We were now going back inste.ad ot forward, and we had completely entered the Guif of Guinea* There we perceived a ship, with which we spoke. She proved to be a French ship, driven out of her course lilie ourselves. She had sailed from a port in Brittany, and was bound for the Isle of Bourbon. The Emperor had been much distressed for want cf books ; and I jokingly said that perhaps I might have a box-full on board that ship, as I had despatched one to the Isle of Bourbon about two months previously. I spoke truly, f uth is the caprice of chance'- Had I been in quest oftliis si.ip; 1 might have traversed the ocean in vain. This was the identical ve&SEl : I learned her name next day from the officer who had visited her. This otlicer strangely surprised the French captain, by telling him that the Emperor Napoleon was on board the ship which he then saw making v/ay to St. Helena. The poor fellow shook his head sorrowfully and said, " You have robbed us of our treasure : y9u have taken away him who knew how- to govern us according to our tastes and manners." Complaints of the Crew against the Admiral. — Examination of another work. — Refutations. — Rfjiections, 8th — 11th. — The weather continued obstinately settled. We every evening consoled ourselveg for the unfavourable state of the day, with the hope of a change during the night;. but we arose in the morning with the same disappointment. We had been almost within sight of the Congo, andv/e stood off. Every one manifested discontent and ennui. The crew complained cfthe Admiral : had he taken the usual course, said they, we should have reached our destination long before ; his caprice, they observed, had led him, in spite of reason, to try aa experiment, of which they knew not what might be the consequence. Their murmurs were not, however, so vehement as those raised against Christo- pher Columbus ; we should not have been ill pleased had he been reduced to the necessity of finding another Saint-Sal- vador, in order to evade the crisis. Being for my own part fully occupied, this circumstance engrossed but little of ray. a,tteution ; and after all, one prison M-as as good as another. As to the Emperor, he was still more unconcerned by this llelayj he merely looked upon it as so many days spent. 11* 126 MY RESIDENCE V/ITH Les Memoires de JVapoIeon Bonaparte, par quelqu'un qy,i ne I'ajamais quUt^ pendant 15 ans, ( The JMemoirs qfJVapole- on Bonaparte, by one who icas coiixtahtiy near him, during fifteen years.) was the title of a work which I began to ex- amioe after the writings of Sir Kobert Wilson. It is a vol- ume of three hundred pages, Ly an anonymous author, a circumstance in itself sisfficient to inspire distrust at the iirst outset. But the composition and style of the work soon create more positive doubts in the mind of the reflect- ing reader, who is accustomed to judge of books. Finally, lie who has seen and known but little of the Emperor, will not hesitate to afnrm, that this work is a mere romance written at pleasure; tJiat the author has never approached the Emperor ; and that he is a hundred 1 8 ag-ues distant from his language, habits, and every thicg ccnceining him. The Emperor never said to a rninister: " Count, do this," — "Count, execute that." Ambassadors never attended his levee. Napoleon could net, at fourteen years of age, have made to a lady in company , the reply attributed to him, rela- tive to the Vicomte de Turenne ; beca ise from tlse age of ten to eighteen he was attending the Military school, where he could not possiLly have been introduced to the compa- ny of ladies. It Vv'as not Perignon, who did not know him, but Dugommier, who had been his general, who recom- mended him in so marked a way to the Directory. It was a letter for restoring the Democracy, and not the Bour- bons, which an officer addressed to the First Consul, &c. The Emperor, who in Europe was universally acknow- ledged to have preserved the most impenetrable secresy with regard to his plans and views, never indulged in ges- tures, and still less in monologues, which would have been likely to betray him -.^nor did his anger ever throw him into fits of insanity or epilepsy, an absurd fabrication which was long circulated in the saloons of Paris, but which was relinquished when it vras found that those accidents never occurred on important occasions. These memoirs have un- questionably been an ordered v/ork, the speculation of some bookseller, who hasfurnislied the title. Be this as it may, it mio-ht have been supposed, that in adverting to a career so put;lic as that of the Emperor and those who surrounded Lim, the autlior might have evinced more accuracy and knowledge of his subject. He is aware of his insufficiency on this head, and seeks to defend himself by saying that he was under tlie necessity of altering names, and that he did. Bot wish to render certain portraits too striking ; but he also observes this circumspection with regard to facts, so that they are not recognisable. They are for the most part entirely the creations of his own fancy. Thus, the paper THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 127 \rhose loss cost the geceral-in-cliief so nuicb aniAiety in Egypt ; the recciiiineijdalion of the young Englishmaij, wlio traiispoited Bonaparte with joy by cpeuing to him so bril- liant a pcispective of fortune at Constautiiiople ; the n-elo- drama of Ivialniaison, where the ht-roisni of IVjadanie Eona- parte (who isdescrij^ed as an abEcliite aniazon) so prciiiptly secures the safety of her hiisband, may perhaps excite the interest of the reader; but they are only so n any fables ; and the story- of Ivialraaison shows, that the author knew bo more of the cliaracter and dispcsition of the En^press Jo- sephine than of those of the Emperor. The writer, howev- er, by extolling certain trails, praising certain actions, and refuting certain faisehoods, assumes an air of in partiality, which, joined to liis pretended situation, near the Emperor, daring fifteen years, produces a wonderful effect in the eyes of common readers. Aiostof tiie Englishmen on board the vessel looked upon this work as a kind of oracle. 1 heir opinion vvas not clianged on finding the Emperor's charac- ter so dilTerent from that attributed to him in this romance. They were inclined to believe that adversity and constraint bad wrought an alteration in the Emperor, rather than to suppose that these printed statements were false. To my ohservations they constantly replied : — " But the author was an impartial nian, and one who was about the Emperor for fifteen years J" — " But," said I, " what is this man's name T If he had personally injured you in his book, hew could you bring him to justice ! Any body here might have written it!" These arguments were of course unanswerable ; but the English found great difficulty in overcoming their first impressions : such are the common mass of readers, and such is the effect inevitably produced by printed falsehoods! But I shall no longer continue n,y examination of a wojk which is not deserving of farther notice ; I therefore dis- pense with the remainder. On revising my manuscript in Europe, 1 found tliat public opinion had made such progress, that 1 should be ashamed to waste time in refuting allega- tions and facts, which judgment and common sense have long since rejected, and which are now repeated only by fools. In endeavouring to subvert the erroneous notions which this author thought proper to create respecting the charac- ter of Napoleon, it will perhaps be thought that I should sub- stitute my own opinions in their stead; but this I shalFcare- fuily avoid. I shall content myself with noting- down all that I saw and heard : I will report his conversaticns, and nothing more must be expected. 12th— IJth. — By dint of patience, and with the help of a few trifliug variations, we gradually approached the ter- 128 MY nESIDENCe WITIT niination of our voyage ; and though deprived of the natiir* al monsoon, we hadnow advanced witlun a short distance of our place of destination. As wc continued our course, the weather gradually improved, and at length the wind be- came perfectly favourable ; but this change did not take place until twenty-four hours before our arrival. 14ta. — The Admiral had previously informed us that he expci^ted to come within sight of Saint-Helena this day. ^Ve had scarcely risen from table when oar ears were salut- ed with the cry of La, id! This was just within a quarter of an hour cf the moment that had been fixed on. Nothing can better prove the advancement of navigation, than this sort of miracle, by which seamen are enabled to foretell tlie hour a,t which they shall arrive at a pai'ticular point in the vast expanse. The Emperor went on the forecastle to see the island ; he thought he perceived it, but I could see nothing. We lay-to all night. Arrival at Saint-Helena. 15th. — At day-light 1 had a tolerably near view of th« island. At first I thought it rather extensive ; but it seem- ed to diminish considerably as we approached. At length, about seventy days after our departure from England, and a hundred and ten after our departure from Pans, we cast anchor about noon. This was the first link of the chain that was to bind tlie modern Prometheus to his rock. We found at anchor several of the vessels of our squadron, which had separated from us, or which we had left beiiind. They had, however, arrived several days before us: another proof of the extreme uncertainty attending nautical calcu- lations. The Emperor, contrary to custom, dressed early and weut upon deck ; he went f rward on the gangway to view the island. We beheld a kind of village surrounded by nu- merous barren and naked hills towering to the clouds. Eve- ry platform, every aperture, the brow of every hill, was planted with cannon. The Emperor viewed the prospect through his glass. I stoi-d behind him. My eyes were con- stantly fixed on his countenance, in vrhich I couJd perceive no change; and yet he saw before him, periiapshis perpetual prison ! — perhaps his grave I . . . .How much, then, remain- ed for me to feel and to witness ! The Emperor soon left the deck. He desired me to com« to him, and we proceeded to our usual occupation. The Admiral, who had gone asliore very early, returned about six o'clock, much fatigued. He had been walking about various parts of the island, aud at length thougiit he had found a habitation that would suit us. The place, ho^ THE ElIPEROR NAPOLEON. ISO ever, stood in need of repairs, Tvhich might occupy twQ months. We had now been confined to our wooden dimgeon fornearly three months; and the precise instructions of the ministers were, that we should be detained there until ou? prison onshore was ready for our reception. The Admiral, to do him justice, was incapable of such barbarity; he in- formed us, at the same time betraying a sort of inward sat* isfaction, that he would take upon himself the responsibility, of putting us ashore next day. RESIDExNCE AT BRIARS, From the 16th of octoker, 1815, the day of our LANDING AT SAINT-HELENA, TO THE 9tH OF DECEMBER^ THE DAY PrvECEDING THAT CF OUR REMOVAL TO LONG- WOOD. An interval of a Month and Tvirenty-four days. Landing of the Emperor at Saint- Helenai October 16th. — After dinner, the Emperor, accompanied- by the Grand Marshal, got into a boat to go ashore. By a remarkable and ii-resistible impulse, the officers all assem- bled on the quarter deck, and the greater part of the crew on the gangways. This was not the eflbct of curiosity which an acquaintance of three months duration could not fail to have removed, and which was now succeded by the liveliest interest. The Emneror, before he stepped into the boat, sent for the Captain of the vessel, and took leave of him, de- siring hira at the same time to convey his thanks to the offi- cers and crew. These words appeared to produce a great sensation on all by whom they were anderstood, or to wbom tbey were interpreted. The remainder of the Emperor's suite landed about eight o'clock. We were accompanied by several of the officers, and every one on board seemed to be sincerely airected at our departure. We found the Emperor in the apartment which had been assigned to him ; a few minutes after our arrival he went «p-stairs to his ciiaraJ^sr, where we were called to attend him. His situation here was no better than it had been on "board the vessel ; we found ourselves lodged in a sort of inn or hotel. The town of Saint-Helena consists only of one very short street, or row of houses, built along a very narrow valley, formed between two hills, on the summit of a barren rock. The Empc:'orftxes his a7:ode at Briars. — ]~>escriftion of the jfliice. — Miserable sitvation. 17th. — At six o'clock in the morning the Emperor, thc5 Grand Marshal, and the Admiral, rode out on iiorseback to visit Longwood, a house which had been chosen for thoEtii-t THE EMi'EROR NAPOLEOJ;. 131 •]feror''s residence, and was more than two leagues from the tcvvn. On their return they saw a small villa situated ia the valley about two miles from the town. The Emperor was extremely reluctant to return to the place where he had passed the preceding night, and where he felt himself more completely secluded from the world than he had been when on board the vessel. What with the sentinels who guarded his doors, and the crowds of persons whoni curi- osity had attracted beneath his windows, he had been ob- liged to confine himself to his caasnber. A small pavilion, attached to the villa above liicnticuctl, pleased liim, and tiiC Admiral wa§ of opinion that he would be more agreeably situated tuere than in the town. In this place, therefore, the Emperor fixed his residence, and inimediately sent for me. He had )ecome so much interested in his work on the campaigns of Italy, that he could not suspend it : — 1 imme- diately proceeded to join him. The little valley, in which the villtige of Saint-Helena is situated, extends to a considera'de distance up the island, winding along between two chains of barren hills which enclose it on either side. A good carriage-road riins through this valley to the distance of about two jjuiles; after which it is traced along the brow of the hill whiLlii rises on tlie left, while nothing :>ut precipices and gulfs afe discoveralde on the right. The rugged aspect of the cculitry here gradually diminishes, and the road opens on a sii.|Ui level height, on which are several houses interspersed with trees and ditfer- ent kinds of vegetation ; this is a littlp oasis amidst the rocky desert. Here is situc'tcd the modtst residence of Mr. Balcombe, a merchant cfthe island. At the distance of thirty or forty paces fi-om the dwelling-house, on a pointed eminence, stood a little suni.mer-house, cr pavil- ion, to which, in fine weather, the family were accuatomed to retire to take tea and amuse th.cmselvcs : this was the ol'scure retreat hired by the Admiral, as the temporary re- sidence of the Emperor; and he took possession of it in the morning. As I was ascending the winding path-leading to the pavilion, I thcugbt J perceived the Emperor, and step- ped to look at him. It was Napoleon himself: his body was slightly bent, and his hands behind his S;ack ; he wore his usual neat and simple uniform, and liis celebrated little hat. He was standing at the threshold of the door when I ad- vanced to salute him. "Ah I" said he, "here you are! why have you not brought your souT' — " Sire," I replied, " the respect, the consideraliou 1 owe you, prevented me.** " Oh, you must learn to dispense with thatj" continued he; "bring your ton to me." 132 Mr RESIDENCE WITH la none of his campaigns, perhaps in no situation of his past life, had the Emperor been so wretchedly lodged, 01* subject to so many privations. The siunmer-Louse contain- ed one room nearly square on the ground-floor, having IvfO doors facing each other on two of its sides, and two win- dows on each of the other sides. These vvindoH's had nei- ther curtains nor shutters, and there was scarcely a seat in the room. The Emperor was at this moment alone ;shis two valets-de-chamure were bustling about to prepare his bed. lie took a fancy to walk a little ; but there was no level ground on any side of the pavilion, which was surroun- ded by huge pieces of stone and rock. He took my arm, and heg-an to converse in a cheerful strain. Night was ad- vancit'.g ; profound silence, undislnrl.ed solitude, prevailed on every side ; — what a crowd of sensations and sentimen-t-s overwhelmed me nt this moment! — 1 was in this desert, tete-d-tfle, and enjoyiiig familiar conversation with the man wlio had ruled the world ! — with I\apuleon! What were my feelings !— But to understand them it would be neces- sary to revert to the days of his past glory ; to the time when one of his decrees su.liced to subvert thrones and cre- ate kings ! It would be necessary to refiect on what he was to all who surrounded him at the 'i'huiiieries : the timid embarrassment, the profound respect, with which he was approached by bis ministers and officers; the anxiety, the dread of ambassadors, princes, and even kings! With ine all these sentiments remained in full force. When the Emperor was about to retire to rest, we found that one of the windows (whiclj, as I have already observed., had neither shutters nor curtains) was close upon his bed, nearly on a level with isis face. We barricadoed it as well as we could, so as to exclude the air, of the effects of wliich the Emperor is very susceptible, the least draught being sufficient to give him cold or the tooth-ache. For my part I ascended to the upper story, immediately above the Em- peror's room. In this place, the dimensions of which were about seven square feet, there was only a bed, and not a single chair: this served as a lodging for me and my son^ for whom a mattress was spread out upon the floor. But how could we complain, being so near the Emperor! we could hear the sound of his voice and distinguish his words ! The valets-de-chambre slept on the ground, across by the door, wra,pped up in their cloaks. Such is the faithful de- scription of the first night which Napoleon passed at Briars. I)escription of Briars. — The Garden. — The Emperor ineets the young ladies of the house, 18tb. — I breakfasted with the Emperor: he had neither table-cloth nor plates ; and the remains of the preceding day's dinner were brought to him for breakfast. T^E E5IViiROa NArOLS©N. 133 Tke English officer was lodged ia the neighbouring house, ss our guard, and two inferior officers marcbed Up and down with an air of military parade before our eyes, for the purpose of watching our motions. Breakfast being over, the Emperor proceeded to his dictation, which occupied him some hours. He afterwards took a fancy to explore cur new domain, and to take a view of the surrounding grounds. Descending our hillock on the side facing the principal louse, we found a path bordered by a hedge, and running at the foot of precipices. After walking along the path to the distance of two hundred paces, we arrived at a little garden, thfe door of which was open. This garden is long and narrow, and formed on very uneven ground ; but a tole- rably level walk extends the -whole ieugth of it. At the entrance there is a sort of arbour at one extremity ; and at tiie other, are two huts for the negroes whose |>usiness it is to look after the garden. It contains some fruit-trees and' a few flowers. We had no sooner entered the garden, than we were met by the daughters of the master of the house, girls about fourteen or fifteen years of age : the one spright- jy, giddy, and caring for nothing; the other more sedate, but, at the same time, possessing great nai'vcte of manner; fcoth speak a little French. They had walked tlirough the garden, and put all the tlowers under contribution, to pre- sent them to the Emperor, whom they overwhelmed with the most whimsical and ridiculous questions. The Emperor was much amused by this familiarity, to which he was so little accustomed. " We have been to a masked ball," said he, when the young ladies had taken their leave. Ti'ie youth of France. — The Emperor visits Mr. Balcombe's hoKse. 19th — 20th. Tlie Emperor invited my son to breakfast : it may be easily imagined that he was greatly overjoyed at this honour ! It was, perhaps, the first time he had ever been so near the Emperor, or had spoken to him ; and he was not a little flurried on the occasion. The table still remained without a cloth ; the breakfast continued to be brought from the town, and consisted of only two or three wretched dishes. To-day a chicken was brought : the Emperor wished to carve it himself, and to help us. He was astonished at finding that he succeeded so well ; it was long, he said, since he had done so much ; for all his politeness, he added, had been lost in the business and cares of his Generalship of Italy. f Coffee is almost a necessary of life to the Emperor; but here it proved so bad, that on tasting it he thought iimself 13 134 MY RESIDENCE WITH poisoned. He sent it away, and made me send away mine also. The Emperor was at this moment using a snuff-box set with several ancient medals, which were surrounded by Greek inscriptions. The Emperor, not being certain of the name of one of the heads, asked me to translate the in- Bcription; and on my replying that it was beyond my powers, he laughed and said, -' I see you are no better scholar than myself." My son then tremblingly undertook the task, and read Mithridates, Demetrius-Puliorcetes, and some other names. The extreme youth of my son, and this circum- stance, attracted the Emperor's attention. " Is your son so far advanced J" said he ; and he began to question him at g'reat length respecting his Lyceum, his masters, his les- sons, &c. Then turning to me, " What a rising generation I leave behind me !" said lie. " This is all my work ! The merits of the French youth will be a sufficient revenge to trie. On beholding tlie work, all must render justice to the woi'kman ! and the perverted judgment or bad faith of de- clairaers must fall before my deeds. If I had thought only of myself, and securing my own power, as has been continu- ally asserted, I should have endeavoured to hide learning under a bushel ; instead of which I devoted myself to the propagation of knowledge. And yet the youth of France have not enjoyed all the benefits which I intended they should. . My University, accoi-ding to the plan I had cen- ceived, was amastei'-piece in its combinations, and would have been such in its national results. But an evil-disposed person spoiled all ; and in so doing he was actuate'd by the worst of feelicgs, and doubtless, by a calculation of conse- quences." In the evening the Emparorwent tn visit our neighbours. Mr. Balcombe, who was suffering under a fit of the gout, lay stretched on a sofa ; his wife and the two young ladies, whom we had met in the morning, were beside him. The mxlsked hall was resumed again with great spirit. Our guests liberally dealt out all their store of knowledge. The con- versation turned on novels. One of the young ladies had read Madame Cottin's JIatkilde, and was delighted to find that the Emperor was acquainted with the work. An En- glishman, with a great round face, to all appearance a true vacuum plenum, M'ho had been listening earnestly, in order to tiirnhis little knowledge of French to the best account, modestly ventured to ask the Emperor whether the Princess, the friend of Matilda, whose character he particularly ad- mired, was stillliving 1 The Emperor with a very solemn air replied, " No, sir ; she is dead and buried :" and he was 'almost tempted to believe he Yras hiin*e!f hoaxed, \fhen he XHE EKPEROR NAPCLEON. 136 foand that the melancholy tidings drew tears from the great Btarinj eyes of the Englishman. The young ladies evinced no less simplicity, though in them it was more pardonable ; however, I was led to con- clude that they had not studied chronology very deeply. — One of them turning over Florian's Estrlle, to sh.oAv us that Bhe could read French, happened to light on the name of Gaston de Foix, and finding him distinguished by the title of General, she asked the Emperor whether he had been satisfied with his conduct in the army, Avhether he had es- caped the dangers of war, and wliether he was still living. 21st. — In the morning the Admiral came to visit the Em- peror. He knocked at the door; and had I not been pre- sent, the Emperor must have been reduced to the alterna- tive of opening ithimself, or suffering the Admiral to wait on the outside. AH the scattered members of our little colony, likewise, came from the town, and we were for a short time collected together. Each described the wretchedness of his situation, and received the sympathy of the Emperor. jflorror and misery of our situation. — The Emptor'' s indig- nation.— JSote to the English Govei'nment. 23d--2 1th. The English ministers, in violating the rights of hospitality, to vvhich we had trusted with such implicit confidence, seem to have omitted nothing to make us feel this violation the more bitterly. By banishing us to the farther extremity of the world, and reducing us to every kind of privation and ill-treatment, they wish to make us^ drain the cup of misery to the very djrcgs. Saint-Helena is a true Siberia : the only difference is its limited extent, and the climate being warm instead of cold. The Emperor Napoleon, who but lately possessed such boundless power, and disposed of so many crowns, now occupies a wretched hovel, a few feet square, perched upon a rock, unprovided with furniture, and without either shut- ters or curtains to the windows. This place must serve him for bed-chamber, dressing-room, dining-room, study, and aitting-room ; and he is obliged to go cut wlien it is neces- sary to have this one apartment cleaned. His meals, con- sisting of a few wretched dishes, are brought to him from a distance, as though he were a criminal in a dungeon. He is absolutely in want of the necessaries of life : the br^ead and wine are not such as we have been accustomed to, and are so bad that we loathe to touch them: water, coffee, but- ter, oil, and other articles, are either not to be procured, or are scarcely fit for use : a bath, which is so neces-sary to. the^ i'36 MY r.ESI»E3- THE EMPEHOn NAPOLEON. 141 ded thatoilico to a single individual, and with such injunc- tions that he might have felt confident nothing M'as suffered to escape. He has since had reason to believe thai these papers might have atlorded some salutary hints respecting the treachery which surrounded him on his return from VS'aterloo. Among the rest there was a long letter from one of the female attendants of the Princess Pauline. This volumi- nous letter was expressed in very coarse language with re- gard to the princess and her letters ; and described the Em- peror, to whom the writer always alluded under the title of i'latmcm, in the worst possible colours. This had not been thought sufficient ; part of it had been erased and interlin- ed by another hand, in order to bring forward Napoleon in the most scandalous manne-; and on the margin, in the hand of the interlineator, ■ .e written the words. Jit to be printed. A few days aft ards, probably, this libel was published. An upstart woman ^Id a distinguished rank in the state, and who had' verwhelmed with acts of kind- ness from the Emperor, wiote in a great hurry to her friend to acquaint her with the famous decision of tlie Senate res- pecting the forfeiture and proscj-iption of Napoleon. The letter contained the following : " My dear friend, my hus- band has just returned : he is tired to death ; but his effort* have carried it; we are delivered from that man, and we shall have the Bourbons. Thank God, we shall now be real Countesses I" &c. Among these papers, Napoleon experienced the mortifi- cation to meet with some containing very improper re- marks respecting himself personally ; and those too in the very hand-writing of individuals who only the day before had assembled round him, and were already in the enjoy- ment of iiis fiivours. The iirst impulse of his indignation was to determine that they should be printed, and to withdraw his protection: a second thought restrained hiru. " We are so volatile, sp inconstant, so easily led away," said he, " that after all, I Qould not be certain that those very people had not really and spoDtaaeousiy conie back to my service : in that case, I should have been punishing them at the very lime when they were n^iti'rniog to their duty. I thought it better to seem to know nothing of the niaiter, and J ordered allthej* letters to be burnt," 142 MY RESIDENCE WITH TTie Emperor commences the Campaign cf Egypt with the Grand Marshal. — Anecdotes of Brumaire, tSr. — Letter oj the Count de Lille. — The beautiful Duchess de Guichc. 2!lth — 31st. My son and I prosecuted our labours without intermission. His"liealth, however, began to be affected : he felt a pain in his chest. My eyes also grew weak: these V7cre really the effects of our excessive occupation. In- deed, we had gone through an amazing quantity of work : we liad already nearly arrived at the end of the Campaign of Italy. The Emperor, however, did not yet find that he had sufficient occupation. Employment was his only re- source, and the interest which his first dictations had assum- ed furnished an additional motive for proceeding with thera. The Campaign of JEigypt was now about to be commenced. The Emperor had frequently talked of employing the Grand Marshal on this subject. Those of our party who were lodged in the town were badly accommodated, and were dissatisfied at being sepa- rated from the Emperor. They were harassed by the con- straint and mortifications to which they were subjected. I suggested to the Emperor that he should S3t us to work al- togetiier, and proceed at once with the Campaigns of Italy and Egypt, the history of the Consulate, the return from th» Island of Elba, &c. The time, I observed, would then pass more quickly ; the great work, the glory of France, would advance more rapidly, and the gentlemen who resided in the town would be less unhappy. The idea pleased the Emperor, and from that moment one or two of his suite came regularly every day to write to his dictations, the transcript of which they brought to him next morning. — They then stayed to dinner, and thus afforded the Emperor SI little more amusement than usual. We made such arrangements that the Emperor insensibly found himself more comfortably situated in many respects. A tent, which had been given to me by the Colonel of the 53d regiment, was spread out so as to form a prolongation of the room occupied by the Emperor. Our cook took up his abode at Briars. The table-linen was taken from the trunks, the plate was set forth, and cur first dinner after these preparations was a sort oifetc. The evenings how" ever always hung heavily on our hands. The Emperor would sometimes visit the adjoining house ; at other times he would endeavour to leave his chamber to walk; but more frequently be remained within-doors, and tried to pass the time in conversation until ten or twelve o'clock. He avoids ed retiring to bed too early ; for when he did so, he awoke in tli3 night ; and in order to divert his mind from sorrowful •reflections, he was obliged to rise and read, THKEMPEROK NAPOIfEOJT. 143 One day at dinner, thp Emperor cast Lis eyes on one of tlie dishes of iiis ow^i campaigu-service, on which the Impe- rial arms were ccgravcd. '"How tiicy have spoiled this?" he exclaimed emphatically ; and he could not rtfrain irom observing that the King had been in a great iiurry to take possession of the Imperial plate, which he certaiiily could »ot claim as his property, since it unquestionably belonged to him ; for, he added, that when he ascended the throne he found not a vestige of royal property. At'^iis abdication, he left to the crown five millions in plate, and between forty and lifty millions in furniture, which was all his own property, purchased out of his civil list. In a conversation one evening, the F.mperor related the circumstances attending tiic event of Enimaire. I sup- press the particulars, because they were afterwards dicta- ted to General Gourgaud ; and a detailed account of this remarkable affair will be found in the Memoirs. Sieyes, who was one of the Provisional Consuls along with Napoleon, astonished to hear his colleague, on the very first conference, discussing qnerstions relative to finance, administration, the arniy, law, and politics, loft him quite disconcerted, and ran to iiis friends, saying, •'Gentlemen, you have got a master! This man knows eve- ry thing, wants every thing, and can do e\ery thing." 1 was in London at that time, and I told the Emperor that the emigrants there had formed great hopes and pla- ced much confidence on the events of the 10th of Brumaire and on his Consulate. Several of us, who had formerly been acquainted with Madame de Beauharnais, imn^ediately set out for Paris, hoping, through her means, to exercise some influence, or give some direction to affairs, which then ap- peared under anew aspect. Our general opinion at the lime was, that the First Con- sul had waited for propositions from the French Princes. We rested our hopes on tlie circumstanccof his having been so long without coming to a decision respecting them ; which, however, he did some time afterwards in a way the most ovcrwhelmirg, by means of a proclamation. We at- tributed this result to the stupid conduct of the Bishop of Arras, the counsellor and director of our affairs : who, ac- cording to his own confession, went to work with his eyes ehut, and boasted of not having read a single newspaper for a series of years, ever since they had been filled, as he said, with tlie successful enterprises and the falsehoods of that wretched party. On the first establishment of the Consul- ate, some one having attempted to persuade the Bisho|> to enter into negotiations with the Consul, through the medi» ation of Madauie Bonapartej be rejectcid the proposition 144 MY RESIDENCE WlTa with indig'nation, and in langu&ge of so coarse and cis jus- ting a nature, as induced the person to tell hiin that his ex- pressions were far from being episcopal, and that he cer- tainly had never learned them from his breviary. About the same period he made use of some gross invec- tives against the Due de' Choiseuil, — that too at the table of the Prince, where he was smartly reprimanded for them; and all this was only because the Duke, on being released from imprisonment at Calais, and escaping death through the protection of the Consul, concluded his reply to the en- quiries made by the Prince relative to Bonaparte, by pro- testing that, for his part, he should never cease to acknowl- edge liis personal gratitude towards him. To all this the Emperor replied, that he had never be- stowed a thought on the Princes ; that the observations to vphich I had alluded, proceeded from one of the other Con- suls, and were made without any particular motive; that we, who were abroad, seemed to have no idea of the opin- ions of those at home ; and that even if he had been favour- ably disposed towards the Princes, it would not have been in his power to carry his intentions into execution. lie had, however, received overtures, about that period, both from Mittare and Loudon. The King, he said, wrote him a letter, v/hich was con- veyed to hira by Lebrun, who h.ad it from the Abbe de Moatesquiou, the secret agent of tbe Prince at Paris. This letter, which was written in a very laboured style, contain- ed the following paragraph ; " You delay long to restore me my throne. It is to be feared tiiat you may allow favoura- ble moments to escape. You cannot complete the happi- ness of France without me, nor can I serve France without you. Hasten, then, and specify yourself the places which you v;^ould wish your fi'iends to possess." To this letter the First Consul replied: — "I have receiv- ed your Royal Ilighness's letter ; I have always felt deep interest in your misfortunes and those of your family. You must not think of appearing in France ; you couid cot do 30 without passing over a hundred thousand dead bodies. I shall, however, be always eager to do every thing that may tend to alleviate yoUr fate, or enable you to forget your misfortunes." The overtures made by the Count d'Artois possessed still more elegance and address. He commissioned as the bearer of them the Dutchess de Guiche, a lady whose fas- cinating manners and personal graces were calculated to assist her in the important negotiation. She easily got access to Madame Bonaparte, with whom all the individu- als of the old Coiirt came easily in contact. She break- TllE EMPEROR KAPOLEOi;. 14 J fasted with her at rvlahnaison ; and. the conversation tiirn- fng' on London, the emigrants, and the Frencih princes, Madame de Guiche mentioned that as she happened a few days before to be at tiie house of the Count d'Artois, she had heard some person ask t!ie Prince what he intended to do for the First Consul, in the event of his restoring^ the Bciirbons ; and that the Prince had replied: — ••I would immediately make him Constat. le of the kingdom, and every thing- else he might choose. But even that would not be enough; we would raise on the Carrousel a lofty and magnificent coliuiin, sujinounted with a statue of Bona- parte crowning- the Bourbons." As soon as the Fii-st Consul entered, which he did very shortly after breakfast, Josephine eagerly repeated to him the circumstance v.hich the Duchess hau related. "And did you not renly," said her hushand, "that the corpse of the First Consul would have been made the pedestal of the column V — The charming Duchess was stiU present; the beauties ofher countenance, her eyes, and her words, were directed to the success of her commission. She said she was so delighted, she did not knew hov/ she should ever be able sufficiently to acknowledge the favour which Madame Bonaparte had procured her, of seeing and hearing so dis- tinguished a mafl — so great a hero. It was all in vain : the Duchess de Guiche received orders that very night to quit Paris. The.chariTisof the emissary were too well calcula- ted to alarm Josephine, to induce her to say any thing very urgent in lier favour, and next day the Duchess was on her way to tlie frontier. It is, however, absolutely false that Napoleon, on his part, at a suhseijuent period, made overtures or propositions to the Princes touching the cession of their rights, or their j-enunciation of the crov.n; though such statements have been made in some pompous declarations, profusely circu- lated through Europe. — "How was such a thing possible V said the Emperor; — "T, who could only I'cign by the very principle which excluded them — that of the sovereignty of the peoplfe — how could I have sought to possess through^ them, rights which were proscribed in their persons'! That would have been to proscribe myself. The absurdity would iave been too palpable, too ridiculous ; it would have ruin- ed me for ever in public opinion. The fact is, that neither directly nor indirectly, at home or abroad, did I ever do any thing of the kind ; and this will, no doubt, in the course of time, be the opinion of all persons of judgment, who allow me to have been neither a fool nor a madman. "The prevalence of this report, however, induced me to •eek to discover what could have given rise to it, and these 43 148 MY RESIDENCE WITH are the facts wliich I collected : — At the period of the good understanding between France and Prussia, and while that state was endeavouring to ingratiate herself in our favour, ehe caused enquiry to be made, whether France would take umbrage at her allowing the French Princes to remain in the Prussian territories, to which the French government answered in the negative. Emboldened by this reply, Prussia next enquired whether we should feel any great re^ pugnance to furnishing them, through her medhun, with an annual allowance. To this our Government also replied in the negative, provided that Prussia would be responsible for their remaining quiet, and abstaining from all intrigue. The negotiation of this affair being- once set on foot be- tween the two countries. Heaven knows what the zeal of some agent, or even tlie doctrines of the Court of Berlin, which did not accord with ours, may have proposed. — This furnished, no doubt, the motive and pretext, if, indeed, any really existed, for the fine letter of Louis XVIII, to which all the members of his family so osteatatiously adhered. The French Princes eagerly seized that opportunity of re- viving the interest and attention of Eui-ope, which had been by this time totally withdrawn from them." Occupations of the day. — -Council of State .—Disgrace of Portalis. — Dissolution of the Legislative Body in IS 13 The Senate. November 1 — 4. Our days now passed away In the same uniformity as those which we spent on board the vessel. The Emperor summoned me to breakfast with him about ten or eleven o'clock. That meal being concluded, after half an hour's conversation, I read to him whathehad dicta- ted the evening before, and he renewed his dictations- The Emperor discontinued his practice of dressing as soon as he rose, and walking before breakfast, which had broken up his day too much, and rendered it too long. He never dressed now till about four o'clock. He then walked out, to give the servants an opportunity tjf making his bed, and cleaning his room. We walked in the garden, which he particularly liked, on account of its solitude. I had the lit- tle arbour covered with a canvass, and ordered a table and chairs to be placed in it ; and the Emperor henceforward chose this spot for dictating to any of the gentlemen who might come from the town for that purpose. In front of Mr. Balcombe's house there was a walk bor- dered by some trees. It was here that the two English sol- diers had posted themselves for the purpose of watching us. Tliey were , however, at length removed , at the desire of Mr JBalcombs, who fell offended at the circumstance on his TIfE EMPEROR XAPOLEON. 147 own account. Nevertheless, they still continued for some time to move about, so as to ge a sight of the Emp«ror ; cither attracted by curiosity, or acting in obedience to their orders. At length they entirely disappeared, and the Em- peror gradually took possession of this loM-er walk. This was quite an acquisition to his domain ; and he walked here every day before dinner. The two young ladies, with their mother, joined him in this walk, and told liim the news. He sometimes returned to the garden after dinner, when the weatlier pei-mitled ; he was then enabled to spend the evening without paying a visit to his neighbours, which be never did when he could avoid it, nor ever till he was sat- isfied no stranger was there, which 1 always ascertained, previously, by peeping throdgh tlie window. In one of his walks, tlie Emperor conversed a great deal on the subject of the Senate, the Legislative Body, and par- ticularly the Council of State. I will here note down some remarks relative to the Council of fcjtale, the more readily, as it was very little understood at the time in the drawing- rooms of Paris ; and as it docs not now exist on the same footing as formerly, 1 shall insert, as I proceed, a few lines on its mechanism and prerogatives. "The Council of State," said the Emperor, "was gener- eliy composed of well-informed, skilful, and honest men. Ferment and Boulay, for example, were certainly of this class. Notwithstanding the immense law-suits which they conducted, and the vast emoluments they enjoyed, I should not be surprised to learn that they arc not now in very flourisiiicg circumstances." The Emperor employed the counsellors of state individually in every case, and with ad- vantage. As a v/hole, they were his real coLUici! — his jTiind in deliberation, as the ministers were his mind in ex- ecution. At the Council of Slate were prepared the laws wliich the Emperor presented to the Legislative Body, a circumstance which rendered it altogether one of the ele- ments of tl:e legislative power. In the Council, the Empe- ror's decrees and his rules of public administration were drawn up ; and there the plans of his ministers were exam- ined, discussed, and corrected. The Council of State received appeals and pronounced finally on ail administrative judgments ; and incidentally on th<.se of all other tribunals, even those of the Court of Cassation. There were examined, complaints against the ministers, and appeals from the Emperor to the Emperor better inf>jrmed. Thus the Council of State, at which the Emperor uniformly presided, being frequently in direct op- [icsition to the ministers, or occupied in reforming their acts- acd errors, naturally became the ppiut cf rcfugo for peiscii*'' H3 MY RESIBEXCE WIT% or intferests ag'g-rieved by any aiilbority whatever. Ait wh4f were 'ever present at the meeliugs of the council, rau^t know with what zoal the cause of the citizens was there de- fended. A comniittee cf the Council of State received ail the petitions of tLe empire,' and laid before the BovcrcigR those v/hich deserved' iiis attention. With the exce])tion oflawyers and persons employed in the administration, it is surprising hc-v far the rest of'socie- ty were ig-uorant of our political lej^islation. No one had a correct idea of the C'ounoil of State, of the Legislative. Body, or oftlie Senate. It v.as received, for example, as an established fact, that the L.ef.;;is!ativc Lody, like an as- sembly of mutes, passively adopted, withoiitliie least oppo- sition, all tiie laws wiiich were presented to it ; liiai vt'hich belonged to the nature and excellenc:; of ti.e iustitiition, was attributed to its compiatsance and scrviiii.y. The kuvs which were prcpai'ed in the Council of State, were presented by c uuMlssaries ciioson from that council io a committee of tlie L/Sgislative Eody appoiiitcd to re- ceive them ; they vrers there amicably discussed, and were ofLen quietly rcfercd back to the Council of State to re- ceive some modiiications. When the ^.yo depiitations oould not come to an understanding;, they proceeded to hold regular conferences, under the presidency of the arch-chan- ceiior or tlie arch-treasurer ; so that before these laws reached the Legislative Body, they had already received the assent of the two opposite parties. If any difference existed, it was discussed by the two comm.ittees, in the presence of the whole of the Legislative Body, performing IhefuQCtions of a jury ; which, as soon as its members had become sutnciently acquainted with the facts, pronounced its decision by a secret scrutiny. Thus every individual liad an opportunity offreely giving his opinion, as it was im- possible to know whether he had put in a red or a white L>all. No j>lan," said the Emperor, "could have been bet- ter calculated to correct our national effervescence and our inexperience in u"(rAters of political liberty." The Emperor asked ;ne whether I thought the discussion perfectly free in the Council of State, or wh.ether his pre- hence did not impose a restraint on the delihcraticns ! I j'eminded him of a ve)"y long debate, during vvl ich he.had remained throughout siiigular in his opinion, and had at last been obliged to yield. He immediately leccllcctcd the circumstance. " Oh, yes,"' said he, " *->fit must lune been in the case of a woman of Amsterdarfi' "^'^'\ had hocu tried for her lil^ and acquitted three several tu-.es by tl;e Tmjir- rial Courts, but against whom afresh trialn^as demanded in the Court of Cassation.'" '.rhc Emperoru|ibpod that t^i* TKE EMPEROR NAPCLEO^'. 149 Lapfpy concLirrence of the law might have exhausted its se- verity in favour of the piisoner; that this lucky fatality of circumstantcs might have turned to htr advantage. It was !jrg-ed in reply, that he possessed the bcntficieiit pcTver of bestowicg pardon ; bat that the law was infiexibie,arjd must lake its course. The debate was a very long one. M. Muraire spoke a great deal, and very much to the point; he persuaded every one except the Emperor, who still remain- ed singular in his opinion, and at length yielded, withlhese remarkable words : — " Gentlemen, the decision goes by the majority Jiere, 1 rotnain fcinglc, and must yield; but I de- clare, in m.y conscience, that I yield only to forms. Ycu Lave reduced me to silence, but by no n.crrs convinced me." So little Avas the nature of the Coun'cil of State under- Htood by peopleingeneral, thatit was believed no one dared utter a word in that cossembly in opposition to theEmpei-or's opinion. Thus I very much surprised mjany persons, when 1 related the fact, that one day, during a veiy animated debate, the Emperor, having been interrupted three times ia giving his opinion, turned towards the individual who had rather rudely cut him short, and said in a sharp tone : " I l:ave not yet done ; I beg you will allcvt^ me to continue. I Jiclieve every one here has a right to deliver his opinion." The smartness of this reply, notwithstanding the solemnity of the occasion, excited a general laugh, in which the Em- peror himself joined. " Yet," said I to him, " the speakers evidently sought to discover what might be your Majesty's opinion : they seem- ed to congratulate themselves when their views coincided with yours, and to be embai'rassed on finding themselves maintaining opposite sentiments. You n^ere accused, too, of laying snares for us, in order to discover cur real opin- ion." However, when the question was once started, self- love and the warmth of argument contributed, along with the freedom of discussion which the Emperor encouraged, to induce every one to maintain his own opinion. " I do not mind being contradicted," said the Em.peror ; I seek to be informed. Speak boldly," he would repeat ; whenever the speaker expressed himself equivccally, or the subject was a delicate one ; " tell me all that you think ; vrc arc alone here ; we are all enfamille.'''' I have been informed, that under the Consulate, or at the commencement of the Empire, tlie Empen.r opposed an opinion of one c"" members, and through the warmth and obstinacy of the nwr, the affair at length amounted abso- lutely to a personal misunderstanding. IS'apolcon command- ed his temper, and was silent ; but a few days after, seeing his antagonist at one of the public audiences, he said to hio 13* 160 Kr RESILEN-eE WITH :wi a half-eavnest manner, "Yon arc extremely obsiii^atG ^^ aud what if I were equally so ! ; — At all events, ytni are in the wrong- to jhU power to (he trial ! You shoiddnot be unmindful ot human weakness !" On anotlicr occasion, he said in private to one of the members who had likewise driven him to the utn.cst ex- treme, " Yon roust take a little more care to manege my temper. You were ialely very much out : you obliged me lo have recourse to scratching my forehead. 1 hat is a very ominous sig-n with me : you had better not urge me so far for the future." ^ Nothing could cqusl the interest which the presence and the words of the Emperor excited in the Council of State. He presided there reg-ularly twice a week when he was in iown, and then none of us v?ould have been absent for the whole world. I told the Einperor that tlicre were two sitting;s in partic- ular which had made the deepest impression on me : one relatingto internal regulation on the expulsion of a mem- ber, when the whole council v/as of one opinion ; the other was on the occasion of the dissoliUioa of the Leg-islati^ Oody by a Constitutional deqision. A rsiigioLis party was fomenting civil discord in the State, liy secretly circulating bulls acd letters from the Pope.— They were shown to a Counsellor of fState, appointed to su- perintend religious worship; and who, if he did net himself firculate them, at least neither prevented nor dencui.ced their circulation. Tliis was discovered, and the Emperor suddenly challenged him v?ith the fact in open Council. — " What could have been your motive, sir?" E3id he: " vrere Toa influenced by your religious principles 1 If so, wliy are you here '? I use no control over the conscience of any man. Did I force you to become my Counsellor of State ? On the contrary, you solicited the pest as a high favour. You are the youngest member of the Council, and perhaps the only one who has not some personal claim to that honour ; you had nothing to recommend you but tlie inheritance rf your fatlicrs services. You took a pcrsonaV cath to me; Iiow could your religious feelings permit you openly to vio- late that oath, as you have just now done f Speak, howev- er; you are here in confidence: your colleagues shall be your judges. Your crime is a great one, sir. A conspiracy for the commksion of a violent act is stopped as so(>n as we seize the arm that holds the poioard. But a conspiracy to influencs the public mind has no end : it is like a train of gunpowder. Perha:p>, at this very moment, whole towns are thrown into coujmotion through your fault!" The Counsellorj, quite confused, said nothing in reply : the Ties t ^I!E Em'EROR NAPOLEON. 151 nppeal was siiSoicnt to e&tablish (lie fact. TLeirieinlers of tlie couucil, to tJie inajority ot v.l.oni tLis eveiil \vas quile, i^nt'xpccted, were striicli v.-ith astdi.islirnefit, and obseivcd j^rofouud silence. — " Wl.y," continued the Eir.peior, " ciid you uot, according In tlic obligation iiupcsed Ly your oath, < iscover to jr.e the criminal arjd Lis plots J Am I hot at all times accessible to every one of you.'" "Sire, "-said the Counsellor, at length venturing tu reply, " he was rny cou- sin." " Your crime is tlien the greater, sir," replied the Emperor sharply ; "■ your kinsman could only have been placed in o(i';co at your solicitation : from that moment all iKie responsibility devolved on you. Wi;cn I lock upon a man as entirely devoted to me, as your situation ought to isuder j'ou, all v/ho are connected uith him, and all for v.hom he becomes responsible, from tliat timelcquire no Avatching. Tiiese are my maxims." The accused member still reme Grand iviaishal — II v/as before \he mis- understanding with the Grand Marshal,"^ — and other things of the same sort, wliich proved that the ahair lad i6;ft no iuipression on his heart. The GenpraVs of the ^Irmy of Itnly. — ^Qncutnt Arviies.-^ Ge.i^iskan. — Modern Invasioits. — Charhcier of Conquerors, 6th. — The Emperor was somcwliat unwell, and employed himself in writing in his chamher. He digitated to me the portraits of the Generals of the army of Italy — Vlassena, Au""ereau, Serrurier, &c. Massena ivas endowed with ex- traordinary courage and firmness, which seemed to increase in excess of danger. When conquered, he was always as ready to fight the battle again as though he had been the conqueror. Augereau was a cross-grained character : he seemed to be tired and disheartened by victory, of which he always had enough. His person, his manners, and his lan- "•uage, gave him the air of a braggadocio, which, however, he was far from being. He was satiated with Ijonours and riches, which he had received at all hands, and in ail ways. Serrurier, who ictaincd the manners and severity of an old major of infantry, was an honest and trust-worthy man ; but a bad general, &c. — Further details of these individuals will be found in the Campaigns of Italy. Anffong the various subjects of the day's conversation,! note down what the Kmperor said respecting the armies of the Ancients. lie asked whetliev the accounts of the great aiH'mies mentioned in history w€re to be credited. He wa?^ tHEEMFliUOR NAPOLEOIf. 1^37 cfopmion that those statements were false and absurd. He placed no faith iu tlie descriptions of the inninricrable ar- mies of the CartJiaginiacs in yicily." " Such a multitude of troops," he observed, "would "have been useless in so inconsiderable an enterprise ; and if Carthage could have assembled such a force, a still greater one would have been raised in Hannibal's expedition, which was of much greater importance, butin which not more than forty or fifty thou- ,sand men were employed." He did not believe the ac- counts of the millions of men composing the forces of Dari- us and Xerxes, wliich might have covered all Greece, an^ M'hicli would doubtless have been subdivided into a multi- tude of partial armies. He even doubted the whole of that brilliant period of GreoJc history: and he regarded the fa- '•nous Persian war only as a series of undecided actiors, in which each party laid claim to the victory. Xerxes return- ed triumphant, after taking, burning, and destroying Atiicns; '.md the Greeks exulted in their victory, because they had not surrendered at Saieuns. " With regard to the pompous accounts of the conquests of the Greeks, and the defeat of their numberless enemies, it must be recollected," observ- ed the Emperor, " that the Greeks, who wrote them, were a vain and hypocritical people? and that no Persian chroni- cle has ever i)een produced to set our judgment right by contrary statements." But the Emperor attached credit to Roman history, if not ;n its details, at least in its results; because these v/ere facts as clear as daylight. He also believed the descrip- f ions of the armies of Gengiskan and Tamerlane, however numerous they are said to have been ; because they were followed by gregarious nations, who, on their part, were joined by other wandering tribes as they advanced ; " and it is not impossible," obsrved the Emperor, " that this may be the case in Europe. The revolution produced by the TTunts, the cause of which is unknown, because the tract is lost in the desert, may at a future period be renewed." The situation of Russia is admirably calculated to assist iter in bringing about such a catastrophe. She may collect at will numberless auxiliai-ies and scatter them over Europe. The wandering tribes of the north will be better disposed, *nd the more impatient to engage in such enterprises, in proportion as their imaginations bave-bcen fired, and their avarice excited by the successes of those of their country- men who lately visited us. The conversation next turned on conquests and conquer- ors ; and the Emperor observed, that to be a successful con- queror, it Avas necessary to be ferocious, and that if he had vbeen such, he might have conquered the world. I presumed 1* toS MV hESIDENCE WITH to dissent from this opiaion, which was doubtless expressed ia a moment of vexation. I represenled that he, Napole- on, was precisely a proof of the contrary ; that iie had not been ferocious, and yet had Conquered the worid ; and that with tlie manners of modern limes, ferocity would certainly never have raised him to so high a point. I added, that at the present day, terror could never subject us to the control of an individual man ; and that dominion was to be secur- ed only by good laws, joined to greatness of cl:aracter, and that degree of energy which is proof against every trial, in him who is charged with tlie execution of the laws. These, I affirmed, were precisely the causes of Napoleon's success, and of the submission and obedience of the people over whom he ruled. The Convention was ferocious, and inspired terror : it was subniitled to, but could not be endured. Had the pow- er been vested in an individual, his overthrow Avould soon have been accomplished. But the Convention was a hydra, yet iiow many attempts were hazarded for its destruction ! how many dangers did it escape as if by miracle ? It was Ni;educed to the necessity of burying itself amidst its tri- xunphs. For a conqueror to be ferocious with success, he must of necessity command troops who are themselves ferocious, and he must wield dominion over unenlightened people, la this respect Russia possesses an immense superiority over the rest of Europe. She has the rare advantage of possess- ing a civilized government, and barbaroufe subjects. There, information directs and commands, while ignorance exe- cutes and destroys. A Turkish Sultan could not long gov- ern any enlightened Euivpean nation ; the empire of knowledge would be too strong fur his power. 'dpeaking on another subject, the Emperor observed, that if the French people had less energy than the Romans, they at least evinced greater decorum. We should not have killed ourselves, as the Roniuns did under the first empe- rors ; but at the same time we sliould have afforded no ex- amples of the turpitude and servility that marlied the later periods of the Roman empire. " Even in our most corrupt days," said he," our baseness was not without certain res- trictions: courtiei'3 whom the sovereign could have prevail- ed on to do any thing jn his own palace, have refused to bend the knee to him at his levee." I have already mentioned, that wc had Avith us scarcely any document relative to French aftairs during the Enspe- ror's^'me. The books that had been brought among his cfiTacts were merely a few classics which he carried about wiiii liiiii in all his campaigns. I received from Major Hud- THE E3IPEROR NAPOLEON. 1 oV hon, a x'esident of tLe island, a political compendium from nOJ to ]iJ07, entitled '•• The Annual Register," which con- tains tlie succession of political events during each year, together with some of the most important ofTicial docu- ments. In ourdestitute circumstances this was a valuable acquisition. Ideas. — Plans. — Political Suggestions, S^-c. 7th. — The Emperor breakfasted alone, and was engaged during tlie day in dictating to the Grand Marshal and M. de Montholon. In the evening, as the F.mperor and I were walking to- gether in the lower path, which had now become tlie favour- ite resort, I informed him that a person of consequence, whose ideas and statements might become the channel of mediation between ourselves and the ruling world, and in- fluence our future destiuy, had, with suiliciently significant forms and preambles, invited us to tell him conscientiously what we believed to be the Emperor's notions on certain political subjects : — wliether he had granted his last consti- tution with the intention of maintaining it ; — whether he would have consented to leave England in the enjoyment of her mai-itime supremacy, without envying Jjer the tranquil possession of India ; — whether he would have been willing to renounce the Colonies, and to purchase colonial goods from t?»e English alone, at the regular market price ; — whether he would not have formed an alliance with the Americans, in case of their i-upture with Enf2;land ; — whe- ther he would have consented to the existence of a great kingdom in Gerniany, for that branch of tLc English royal family, wlio must immediately forfeit the throne of Great Britain on the accession of the Princess Cbariotte of Wales, or, in default of Germany, whether he would have consent- ed to the establishment of that dominion in Portugal, ia case England should conclude ari-angements with the Court of Brazil. These questions did not rest on varjne ideas or idle opin- ions ; the individual supported them on positive facts. "We w^ant," said he, " a long and lasting peace on the Continent ■ — we want the tranquil enjoyment of cur present advanta- ges, to help us out of (he critical circumstances in which we are now involved, and !o relieve us frojn tlie enormous debt with which we are burthened. The present state of France and of Europe," added lie, "cannot bring about these results. 'I'he victory of Waterloo ruined you ; but it was far from saving us: every sensible man in England,, every onewho escapes tlie momentary influence of passion; »'it!ier docs think, or will think, as I do." ^ 1&0 MY RESIDEKCE WITH The Emperor doubted apart of this statement, ^nd treat- ed tiie rest as a reverie ; tljen changiii!^ bis tone, he said to me, "Well, what is your opinion ! Come, now, you are owe of tlie Council of tftate." — " bire," I replied, '• people often indulge in reveries on the most serious subjects ; and" our being imprisoned at St. Helena does not hinder us from copipcsing romances. Here then is one. Why not form a political marriage between the two nations, in which the one would bring the army as a dowry, and the other the navy 1 This will doubtless appear an absurd idea in the eyes of the vulgar, and will perhaps be thought too bold by well- informed people, because it is entirely nevei and out of the usual routine. But it is one of those unforeseen, luminous, and useful creations of plans which characterize your Ma- jesty. You alone are capable of attending to it, and per- haps of carrying it into effect." Going even beyond the ideas of our English interlocutor; I said : "Would not your Majesty give to-morrow, if you could, the whole FrentJi navy to purchase Belgium and the bank of the Rhine '? Would you not give one r.undred and fifty millions to purchase tens of thousands of millions' Besides, such a bargain would procure to both nations at once the object for which they have been wrangling and fighting for so many years; it would reduce both countries to the necessity of mutually assisting each other, instead of maintaining perpetual enmity. Would it be nothing for France that her merchants in the English colonies should henceforward be on the footing of Englishmen : ami thus se- cure, without striking a blow, the enjoyment of the trade of the whole world ! Would it be nothing for England, on the other hand, for the sake of insuring to herself tlie sovereign- ty of the ocean, the universality of trads (fcr obtaining and preserving which she has incurred s;o many ris'ks,) to attach France to a system by which the latter vvculd become the regulator and arbilci-of the Continent I Henceforth secure from danger, and strengthened by all the power of her a! ly, England miglit disband her arnty, in return for the sacrifice whioli France would make of her navy. She might even reduce considerably tlie number of her ships. She would thus pay her debt, relieve her peo- ple, and prosper ; and far from envying France, slie would (the system being once fairly understood, and passion hav- ing given place to real interests) herself labour for the Con- tinental aggrandizement of her neighbour; fur France would then be merely the advance-guard, while England would be the resource and the reserve. Unity of legisla- tion between the two, notions, tjjeir conuiioa interests. k;« THE EMPEROR NAPOLEOIf. 161" salts so visibly advantageous, would make amends foreJl the. obstacles and dilficulties which the passions of rulers might oppose to the fulfilment of this plan." The Emperor heard me, but made no reply ; it is seldom that one can ascertain his private opinions, and he rarely enters into political conversations. Lest I should not have expressed myself with sufficient clearness, 1 requested that he would permit me to iuifold my ideas in writing. He con- seated, and said no more, it was now very late, and ho retired to rest. 8th. — The Emperor dictated in the garden to MM.Mon^ tholoa and Gourgaud, and then walked on his ffivcurife path. He was fatigued and indisposed. He observed some females about to advance on the path, and to throw themselves awkwardly in his way, for the sake of being in- troduced to him ; this annoyed him, and he turned away to avoid meeting them. I suggested that riding on horseback might be beneficial . to him ; we had three horses at our disposal. The Empe- ror i-eplied, that ho never could reconcile himself to the Idea of having an English ofhcer constantly at Lis side ; that he decidedly renounced riding on such coiiditions ; adding that every thing in life must be reduced to calculation, and that a the vexation arising from the sight of his jailor were greater than the advantage he might derive from riding, it was of courae advisable to renounce the recreation alto- gether. The Emgeror ate but little dinner. During the dessert he amused himself in examining the paintinos on some plates of very beautiful Sevres porcelaine. 'J licy were cfufs-dceiivrcin their kind, and were worth thirty Napole- ons each. The |)aintiHgs represented views or objects of antiquity in Egypt. The Eniperor closed the day with a walk on his favourite path. He remarked that he had been very dull all day. After several broken conversations, he looked at his watch, / and was very glad to find it was half-past ten. The weather was delicious, and the Emperor insensibly recovered his usual spirits. He complained of his consti- tution, wiiich, though vigorous, occasionally exposed him to fits of indisposition. He, however, consoled himself with the thought, that if in imitation of the ancients, he should ever feel inclined to escape from the disgusts and vexations of life, his moral opinions were not of a nature to prevent him. He said that sometimes he could not retlcct without * horror on the many years he might still have to live, and on the inutility of a protracted old age ; and that if he were convinced France was happy and tranquil, and not needing bis aid, he should have lived long enough, 14* 16£ MY RESIDENCE WITH We ascended to the pavilioD, it was past midui'glit, and we thouglit we had gained a signal victory overli!ae. 9th. — I called oq Mr. Baicoinbe vcryearly, to deliver to Mm ray letters for Europe, as a vessel v/as on tlie poiut of sailing, .'it Mr. Balcotabe's house 1 raet the officer whnpe- ror wished to take long rides, he v/ould prefer that some one should accompany him. The officer replied, that his instructions were to follow the Emperor; but that as he made it a rule not to do any thing that might be oSensive to >iira, he would take upon himself not to ride beside him. At breakfast I communicated to the Emperor the oonver- sation I had had wiith the Captain. He replied that it was all very well as far as regarded him ; but that Ije should not avail himself of the indulgence, as it was not conformable with his sentiments to enjoy an advantage which might be ihe means of compromising an officer. This determination was very fortunate. When I went to Mr. Balcombe's in th« evening, the Captain took me aside to inform me, that he had been to the town, in the course of the day, to speak with the Admiral respecting our morning's conversation, and that he had been enjoined toconform with his instructions.. I could not refrain from replying, somewhat sharply, that I was certain the Empes- ror would immediately send back the three horses that had "been assigned for his use. The officer, to whom I had also communicated the reply %vhich the Emperor had given me in tlie morning relative to him, observed, that it would be very right to send back the horses, and that -he thouglit nothing better could be done. This remark appeared to me to be prompted by the mortification he himself experi- enced at the part that was imposed on him. When we left Mr Balcombe's, the Emperor walked up and 4Qwa the path iu the garden, 1 mentioned to him THE EilPEROR NAPOLEON. lC3 ''tvuat IJiad heard tVom the English ofi.tcv. lie .scoined to expect it. 1 w&s not deceived ia my conjecture ; he or- dered nie to send away the liorscs. This vexed ir,e o'kceed- ingly; and 1 said, perhaps rather sharply, that with his Jeave I would go and fullil his orders irianiediately. On which he replied, with great suavity and a very pccnlisr tone of voice : — "No, Sir, you are now out of temper. It rarely happens that £ny thing is done well under sucIj cir- cumstances; it is always best to let Uie night pass over af- ter the offence of tlie day." We cojLtinuedour waits till nearly midnight: the weath- er %^as delightful. ICiii. — To-day, when our usual tasli was ended, the Em- ;'/Oror s-trjiicd cut in a ncv/ (lirccliui;. lie pj'oceeded to- v/aids t!;e town, until he came wi'Ian sight of the road and shipping. As hewas returniog, he met Ivirs. Balccnuie, and a Mrs. Stuart, a very pretty wowz-.i about tr/cnty years of age, who was returning from Bombay to England. The Enjperor conversed with her respecting the manners and customs of India, and the inconveniences of a sea-voyage, particularly for females. He also spuke of Scotland, which was Mi's. Stuart's native country : said a great deal about Ossian, and complimented the lady on the climate of India not having spoiled her clear Scottish compiexion. At this moment some slaves, carrying heavy boxes, pass- ed us on the road ; Mrs. Balcombe desired them, in rather an angry tone, to keep back ; but the Emperor interfered, saying : "Respect the burden, Madame !" At these words, Mrs. Stuart, who had been attentively observing the Empe- ror's features, said in alow tone of voice to her friend: "Heavens ! what a countenance, and what a character How different from \.'hat I had been led to expect !" tMidnii^ht conversations hij moonlight. — The two Empresses. — ■■Maria- Louisa'' s iharriage.—Hsr house-hold. — The Duch- ess dc Jlotitebello. — Madame de Montcsquiou. — The Iiisti' tide ofMeiidon.- — Sentiments.of the House afAxistria, with regard to J^aiioleon.-r^Anecdotes collected in Germany, since my return to Extrope.. 11th — 13th. We led a most regular life at Briars. Eve- ry day, after dictating to me, the Emperor walked out be- tween three and four o'clock. He descended to the gar- den, where he walked up and down, and dictated to one of the gentlemen who came from the town for that purpose, and vvho wrote in the little arbour. About half-past five o'clock, he passed Mr Balcombe's house, and went into the lower walk, to which he became every day more"*aQd 1 C t MY RESIDENCE \V ITII Wor-i- attach'3d. Ai; this iinie the fanjily were at dinned/ aiid'he feoiiid enjoy liis promenade wiiljout interruption. 1 joineHtbeEiiJperor hare, and ha ccntiniied his walls until diricer was auuoiinped. Auer dinner, the Emperor again returned to the garden, where he sometimes had his couee broiifjht to i-ini. iVly son then visited Mr. Ealcoribe's family, and the Emperor and 1 v/a!liod v.p and down. We frequect'y remained in the gar- den until the night was far advr.nced and the moon rose to light us. la tho mildness and serenity of the night we for- got the burning her.t of the daj% The Emperor never v/as more talkative, Hor secnied more perfectly to forget his rares, than during these moonlight waiks. In the fami- liarity of the coaversations which! thus enjoyed with him, he took pleasure in relating anecdotes of his boyhood, in de- scribing the sentinicnts and illusions iidiicii diffused a charm over the early years of his ycath, and. ia detailing the cir- cumstaiices of his private life, since he had played so distin- guished a part on the great theatre of the world. I have elsewhere noted down what I conceived myself at liberty to repeat. Sometimes he seemed to think he had spoken too much at length, acd had detailed things too minutely. He would then say to me : " Come, it is your turn now ; let me |jave a little of your history ; but you are not a tale-teller." Indeed, I took especial care to be silent ; 1 was too much afraid of losing a syllable of what so deeply interested me. In one of our nightly waiks, the Emperor told me that he had in the course of his life been much attached to two wo- men of very dilierent characters. The one was the votary of art and the graces; tiie other was all innocence and simple nature: and ieach, he observed, had a very high degree of merit. The '^it}!^ thout J;im to furnish him with a list of candidates; ar.d frtm these lists, aiid the iofurmalion he obtained, he privately deiiijeraled on his choice. lie mentioned several individ- uals who \vcre proposed as lady of honour to the Empress : they were the Princess de Vaudemont, Madame de iioche- foucault, afterwards Madame de Castellanes, and some others. He then asked us to tell him whom we should ^ave proposed ; which occasioned us to take a review of a good part of the court. One of us mentioned Rladame de Mon- tesquiou ; upon which the Emperor replied, " She would have done well, but she had a post which suited her still better. She was a woman of singular merit ; her piety v/as sincere, and her principles excellent; she had (lie highest claims on my esteem and regard. I wanted half a dozcii like her ; I would have given them all appointments equal to their deserts. She discharged her duties admirably when with my son at Vieruia." The following anecdote will afford a correct idea of the* manner in which Madame de Montesquieu managed the Tving of Rome. The apartments of the young Prince were -on the ground floor and looked out on the court of the Thu- iileries. At almost every hour in the day, numbers of peo- ple were lopJsiog in at the window, in the hope of seeing' 1G8 MY RESIDENCE WITH' liini. One day when he was in a violent fit of passion, antl rebelling furiously against the authority of Madame de Mon- tesquiou, she iiriirediately ordered all the shutters to be closed. TiiG child, surprised at tlie sudden darkness, asked 'J\Iama)i Quicv, as he used to call Ler, what it all meant. " I love you too well," she replied, " not to hide your anger from the crowd in the court-yard. You, perhaps, will one day be called to govern all Ihose people, and what vrould they say if they saw you in such a fit of rage "? Do yon think Ihey would evej; obey you, if they knew you to be so wick- ed ?" Upon which, the child asked her pardon, and pro- mised never ao-ain to give way to such fits of anger. " Tins," observed the Emperor, " wa-s language very dif- ferent from that addressed by M. de Villeroi to Louis XV. ' Behold all those people, my Princn,'' said he, ' thry belong lo yoii ; all the men yov, see yonder are yours.'' " Madame de TVlontosquiou was adored by the young King of llorne. At the time of her removal from Vienna, it was found necessary to employ stratagems to deceive the child: it was even supposed that his health would sufi'er from the separation. The Emperor had conceived many novel ideas relative to the education of the King of Rome. For this important object, he decided on the Iiistitvte de Mmdov, of which he had already laid down the principle, with the view of far- ther developing it at his leisure. There he proposed to as- semble the Princes of the Imperial house, particularly the sons of these branches of the family who had been raised to foreign thrones. In this institution he intended that the Princes should receive the attentions of private tuition, combined with the advantages of public education. "These children," said the Emperor, "who were destined to occu- py different thrones, and to govern different nations, would thus have acquired conformity of principles, manners, and ideas. The better to facilitate the amalgamation and uni- tbrmityofthe federative parts of the Empire, each Prince was to bring with him from his own countiy ten or twelve youths about his own age, the sons of the first families in the state. What an influence would they not liave exercised on their return home ! I doubted not," continued the Em- peror, " but that Princes of other dynasties, unconnected with my family, would soon have solicited, as a great favour, permission to place their sons in the Institute of Meudon. What advantages would thence have arisen to the nations composing the European association ! All these young Princes," said he, " would have been brought together early enough to be united in the tender and powerful bonds of youthful frietidship ; and they would, at the same time. THE EMPEROR NAPOlEON. 1 G^ liave liecu separated early enough to obviate tlic fatal ef- fects of vising passions — liiC ardour of partiality — the anibi- lioD of success — the jealousy of love. The Emperor wished tliat the education of the Princes should be founded on general information, extended vietvs, -buramarios, and results. He vrished them to possess knovpl- edge ratjier than learning ; judgment rather than attain- ments ; he preferred the upplication of details to the study of theories. Above all, he objected to the pursuing of any particular study too deeply, for he regarded perfection or too great success in certain things, whether in the arts or scien-ces, as a disadvantage to a prince. A nation, he said, will nev^r gain much by being governedby a poet, a virtuo- so, a naturalist, a turner, a locksmith, &c. &:c. Maxia-Louisa confessed to the Emperor, that when her marriage with him was first proposed, she could not help feeling a kind of terror, owing to the accounts she had heard of Napoleon from the individuals of her family. When she mentioned these reports to her uncles, the Archdukes, who wei'12 very urgent for the marriage, they replied, — " that was all very true, wljile he was our enemy ; but the case is altered now." " To afford an idea of the sympathy and good will with which tlie different .members of the Austrian family wei-e taught to regard me," said the Emperor, '• it is sufficient to mention that one of the young Archdukes frequently burned his dolls, which he called roasting J\''apolcon. He after- wards declared he would not roast me any more, for he loved me very much, because I had given his sister Louisa plenty of money to buy him playthings." Since my return to Europe, I have had an opportunity of ascertaining the sentiments entertained by the House of Austria towards Napoleon, in Germany, a person of dis- tinction informed m,e, that having had a private audience of the Emperor Francis, during his tour in Italy in 1816, the conversation turned on Napoleon. Francis spoke of him in the most respectful terms. One might alm.ost have sup- posed, said my informant, that he still regarded him as the ruler of France, and that he was ignorant of his captivity at Saint-Helena. He never alluded to him by any other title than the Emperor Nap'oleon. I learned from the same individual that the Archduke John, when in Italy, visited a rotunda, on the ceiling of which v/as painted a celebrated action of which Napoleon was the hero. As he raised liis head to look at the painting, his bat fiell off, and one of his attendants stooped to pick it up. " Let it be," said he : " it is thus that I should con- template the man who is there portrayed." 15 170 MV RESIDENCE VflTH Now that I am on this subject, I will note dowa a fe?r particulars which I collected in Geriiiany since my return to Europe ; and to mark the degree of credit to which tliey are entitled, I may mention that I obtained them from in- dividuals holding high diplomatic posts. Every one knows that these members of diplomatic corps form among- them- selves a sort of family, a kind of free-masonry, and that their sources of information are of the most authentic kind. The Empress Maria-Louisa complained that when shs quitted France, M. de Talleyrand reserved to himself the honour of demanding from lier the restitution of the crown- jewels, and ascertaining whether they had been restored with the most scrupulous exactness. In 181 1, daring the disasters of France, many tempting and brilliant proposals were made to Prince Eugene. An Austrian General ofiercd him the crown of Italy, in the name of the allies, on condition of his joining them. This offer afterwards came from a still higher source, and was several times repeated. During the reign of the Emperor,^ there had been some idea of raising the Prince to a throne; and those of Portugal, Naples, and Poland, were thought of. In 1815, men of high influence in European diplouiacy. endeavoured to sound his opinions, with the view of ascer- taining whether, in case Napoleon should again be con- strained to abdicate, and the choice should fall on him, he would acceptthe crown. On this occasion, as on every other, the Prince steadily pursued a line of duty and honour which will immortalize him. Honour arid fidelity was his constant reply ; and posterity will make it his device. On the distribution of States in 1814, the Emperor Alex- ander, who frequently visited the Empress Josephine at Malmaison, signified a wish to procure for her son the sove- reignty of Genoa. Engine, however, declined this propo- sition, at the instigation of the ruling diplomatists, who falsely flattered hirn with the hope of sometliing better. At the Congress of Vienna, the Emperor Alexander, who honoui-ed Prince Eugene with particular marks of favour, insisted that he should be made the Sovereign of at least three hundred thousand subjects. He testified the sincer- est friendship for him, and they were every day seen walking about together arm-in-arm. 'I'he landing at Cannes put a period, if not to the sentiment, at least to the manifestation of it; and changed tiie political interests of the Emperor of Russia. The Austrian government even entertained the idea of seizing the person of Prince Eugene, and sending bim a prisoner to a fortress in Hungary ; but the King of Bavaria, his father-in-law, indignantly represented to the Emperor of Austria, that Eugene had gone to Vienna undej THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 171 Tns protection and guarantee, and that they should not be violated. Thus Eugene remained free on his own private parole and that of the King his fatlier-in-law. So late as 1814, gold twenty and forty-franc pieces were struck at Milan with the head of Napoleon and the date of 1814. Either from motives of economy or soxne other cause, no new die had yet been engraved. After the fall ofNapoleoQ, Alexander on several occa- sions manifested a marked and decided dislike to him. In 1815 ho was the promoter of the second crusade against Napoleon ; he directed every hostile measure with the ut- most degree of malice, and seemed to make it almost a per- sonal affair ; alleging, as t!ie cause of his aversion, that he had been deceived and trifled with. If this tardy resent- ment was not a mere pretence, there is every reason to be- lieve that it was stirred up by an old confidant of Napoleon, who, in private conversations, had artfully wounded the vanity of Alexander, by statements, true or false, of the private opinion of Napoleon with regard to his illustrious friend. In 1814 there appeared reason to believe that Alexander would not be averse to see young Napoleon placed on the throne of France. A ftpr the Emperor's second abdication, he seemed far less favourably disposed to the continuance of Napoleon's dynasty.. In the second crusade, the Emperor Alexander marched at the head of innumerable forces. He was heard to declare at that period, that the war might last for three years ; but that Napoleon would nevertheless be subdued in the end. On the first intelligence of the battle of Fleurus, the chiefs of all the Russian coliimns received orders immediately to halt; while all the Austrian and Bavarian corps instantly turned off, with the view of detacljing themselves and form- ing a separate force. Had the Congress of Vienna been broken up on the 20th of March, it is almost certain that the crusade v/ould not have been renewed ; and had Napoleon been victorious at Waterloo, it is also tolerably certain that the Congress would have been dissolved. The news of Napoleon's landing at Cannes was a thun- derbolt to the French Plenipotentiary at Vienna. He in- deed drew up the famous declaration of the 13th of March ; and however virulent it might be, the first draught was still more so : it was amended by other ministers. The counte- nance of this Plenipotentiary, as he gradually learned the advance of Napoleon, was a sort of thermometer, .Thich excited the risibility of all the members of the Congress. Austria soon knew what part to act: her couriers admi- rably iveli informed her of all that was passing.- The a>^ ir^ ItY RESIDENBE WITH bsrs of tiis French Lsgation alone were involved iadouiyt; they, how^evijr, circulated a magiianiuious letter from the King- to the other Sovereigns, informiug tlieni that he vva.s resuived to die at the Thiiilleries, though it vras known that Louis had already left the capital, and wzs on his way to the- frontier. A member of the Congress and Lord \yeIiingtori held a coaudential conversation with the members of the Frenob I^egation ; and with the map in their hands, assigned thf ~Oth or .2Ist for Nap^ieon's entrance intp Paris. As the Emperor rraiLcis received the oiucial publications from Grenoble and I^yons, he regularly forwarded them to ,Schaenbrunn, to Maria-Louisa, to wiioni they afforded ex- treme joy. It is very trae that at a somewhat later period an idea was entertained of seizing young JN'apoieon, in or- der to convey hiin to Fi'ance. The Freoch Plenipotentiary at length quitted Vienda, and proceeded to Frankfort and Wisbad, whence he could more conveniently negotiate either wiLii Ghent or Paris.— Kever was a courtier thrown into greater embarrassment and anxiety by the turn of events. The ardour M'ith which he had been inspired on receiving the intelligence of Napa- leon's landing at Cannes^ was very much abated when he heard of tkc Emperor's arrival at Paris ; and ho entered into an understanding with Fouche, that tlie latter should be his guarantee with Napoleon, pledging himself, -on the other Lahd, to be Foucha's guarantee with the Bourbons. There is good groiind for believing that the offers ma-de by this Plenipotentiary to the new Sovereign, v.ent very great lengths indeed ; but Napoleon indignantly rejected them, lest, as he said, he should degrade liis policy too far. In 1814, before M. de Talleyrand declared himself for thf; Bourbons, he was for the llegency ; in which, however, he himself wished to play tlie principal part. Events fatal to the Napoleon dynasty prevented this moment of uncertainty from boing turned to good account. Every thing tends to prove, that the result which was at that period adopted, was far from being agreeable to the intentions of Austria ; that povv-er was duped, betrayed, or at least carried by assault. The fatality attending the military movements was such, that the Allies entored Paris without the concurrence of the Austrian Cabinet. Alexander's famous declarati(n\ against Napoleon Bonaparte and his family was also made without the Austrian Power being consulted; and the Count d'Ar,t>ois only entered France by contriving to slip in se- cretly in spite of the orders at tiie Austrian iiead-quartcrs, where he had been refused passports* THE EMPEROR NArULEO.V. 173' tf gippeara Ihat Austria, on the retreat from Moscow, ex« erted sincere elTorts in Loadon for negotiating a peace witlj Napoleon; but the influence of the Russian Cabinet was all-po" _ kr RESIDENCE WU'S not be until we have forsaken it for ever. Meanwiiilc w©- must content ourselves with naming it the path of Philoso-' phy, since it cannot be called the path of Liethe." TVie Fauxbourg Saint-Germain, 3^c. — The Emperor'' s free- (lorn from prejudice and ill-ioilt. — The CharacteriHic lan- guage. ISth. — To-day the Emperor put some questions to me- yelative to the Fauxboarg 8aint-Germain ; the last bul- rrark of the old aristocracy, that refuge of old-fashioned prejudices ; the Germanic league, as he called it. I told him, that before his last misfortune, his power had extend- ed into every part of it : it had been invaded, and its name alone remained ; it had been shaken and vanquislied by glory; and that the victories of Austerlitz and Jena, and the triumph of Tilsit, had achieved its conquest. The young- er portion of the inhabitants, and all who had generous hearts, could not he insensible to the glory of their country. The Emperor's marriage with Maria-Louisa gave the fin- ishing stroke to this conversation. The few malcontents who remained, were either those whose ambition had net been gratified, and who are to be found in all classes, or some obstinate old men, and silly old women, bewailing their past influence. All reasonable and sensible persona had yielded to tlie superior talents of the Head of the State, and endeavoured to console themselves for their losses iu the hope of a better prospect for their children. This was the point towards which all their ideas were directed^ They gave the Emperor credit fur his partiality to old fami- ly names; they agreed that any one else in his place would have anniiiilated them. They prized very highly the con-^ fidence with which the Emperor had collected individuals of ancient families about bis person ; and they valued bim no less for tlie language he had made use of in making choice cf their children to serve in the army : — " These names belong to France and to History ; 1 am the guardian of their glory ^ I will not allow them to perish." These and otlier such ex- pression^ had gained him numbers of proselytes. The Em- peror liere expressed his apprehension that suihcient favour had not been shown to this party. " My system of amalga- mation," said he, " required it: I wished and even direct- ed favours to be conferred on them ; but the ministers, who were the great mediators, never properly fulfilled my real intentions in th:it respect ; eitJicr because they had not sumcient foresig!it,or because Ihey ff ared that they might thus create rivals for favour, and diuviLisii tlieirown chances. M. i'alleyrand, in particular, al.vays siiowed grf.al opposi- ^on to such a oiea&ure, and always resisted my favourable THE EMI'EROJ^l NAPOLEON. 17V iuienlions towards the old nobility." I observed, liowever, tliat the greater part of those whom he had placed near him, iiad soon shoAVD themselves attached to his person; that they had served him conscientiously, and had, general- ly spealiing, remained faithful to him at the critical moment, 'i'hc Emperor did net deny it, and even went so far as to sny that the two-fold event of the King's return and his own ab- dication must naturally have had great influence on certain doctrines ; and that, for his own part, he could see a great difference between the same conduct pursued in 1!}14 and in 1815. And here T must observe, that since I have become ac- quainted with the Emperors character, I have never known him to evince, for a single moment, the least feeling of an- ger or animosity against tiiose individuals who hsd been most to blame in their conduct towards him. He gives no great credit to those who distinguished themselves by thejr good conduct: they had only done tl'eir duty. He is not very indignant against those who acted basely ; he partly saw through their characters : they yielded to the impulse of their nature. He speaks of them coolly, and without an- imosity ; attributing their conduct ia some measure to ex- isting circumstances, which he acknowledged were of a vcfy peipleiirig EaturS; and thrcv/ I'le rest to the account of human weakness. Vanity was the ruin of Marmont : ^'Posterity will justly c^stasUade upon his character," said he ; "yet his heart will ue nlore valued than the memory of his career. The conduct of Augcreau was the result of his v/ant of information, and the baseness of those who surroun- .ded him ; that of Eerthier, of his >rant of spirit, and his ab- solute nullity of character." 1 remarked, that the latter had let slip tho best and easi- est opportunity of rendering himself for ever illustrious, by frankly rendei'ing his submission to the King, and entrea- ting his Majesty's permission to v/ithdraw from the world, and mourn in solitude the fate of him who had honoured him with the title of his companion in arms, and had called him his friend. "Yes," said the Emperor : "even this step, simple as it was, was beyond his power." — "His talents, his understanding," said I, "had always been a subject of doubt with us. Your Majesty's choice, your confidence, your great attachment, surprised us exceedingly." — "To say the trutli," replied the Emperor, "Bertbier was not without talent, and I am far from disavowing his merit, or my partiality for him,; but his talent and merit were special and technical ; beyond a limited point he had no mind whatever: and then he was so undecided." — I observed, Uiat "he was, notwithstanding, full of pretensions and pride no MY RESIDENCE WITH in his condact towards us." — "Do you think, tliea, that tlie title of Favourite stands for nothing!" said the emperor^ I added, that "he was very liarsh and overbearing." "And what," said he, "my dear Las Cases, is more overbearing than weakness which feels itself protected by strength { Look at women, for example." Bertliier accompanied the Emperor in his carriage du- ring his campaigns. As they drove along, the Emperor ■would examine the order-book and the report of the posi- tions, whence he formed his rcsoluiions, adopted his plans, and arranged tlie necessarj' movements. Berthier noted down his directions, and at the first station they came to, or" during the first momerrts allotted to rest, whether by night or by day, he made oat, in his turn, ail the orders and individual details with admirable regularity, precision and despatch. Tliis was a kind of duty at which he shewed iiim- self always ready and indefatigable. "This was the special merit of ISerthier," said the Eaiperor : "it was most valua- ble to me ; no other talent could have made up for the want of it." I now return to notice some characteristic traits of the Emperor. He invariably speaks with perfect coolness, without passion, without prejudice, and without resent- ment, of the events and the porsons connacted with his life. He seems as though he could be equally capable of becom- ing the ally of his most cruel enemy, and of living with the man who had done him the greatest wrong. He speaks of his past history as if it had occurred three centuries ago ; in his recitals and observations he speaks the language of past ages; he is like a spirit discoursing in the Elysian fields ; his conversations are true dialogues of the dead. He speaks of himself as of a third person ; noticing the Emperor's ac- tions, pointing out the faults with Avhich history may re- proach him, and analysing the reasons and the motives wJiich might be alleged in his justiGcation. He never can excuse liimself, he says, by throwing blame on uthei's,since he never followed any but bis own decis- ion. He may complain, at the worst, of false informations, but never of 'jad counsel. He surrounded liimself with the best possible advisers, but lie always adhered to his own opinion, a.id he was far from repenting of so doing. "It is," said he, "the indecision and anarchy of agants which pro- duce anarchy and feebleness in results. In order to form a just oiiinion respecting the faults produced by the sole per- sona! decision of tiie Emperor, it will be necessary to tlirow inl.j I'lO scale the great actions of which he would have been deprived, and the other faiuts which he would have been jn- (luced to commit, by those very couasels T^'hich he is blamed .&r not having followed." THE EMlEReR NArOLBON. 170 ravievving tbe ccmplicated circumstances of his fall, h6 looks upon things so much in a mass, and from so high a point, that icdividitais escape Lis notice. He never evin- ces the least symptom of virulence towards those of whom It might be supposed he has Uie greatest reason to complain. His greatest mark of reprobation, and I have had frequent occasion to notice it, is to preserve silence with respect to them, whenever they are meniioned in his presence. But how often has he not been heard to restrain the violent and less reserved expressions of those about Liml "You are not acquainted witli men," he said to us; "they are diffi- cult to comprehend, if one wishes to be strictly just. Can they understand or explain even their own characters 1 Al- most all those who abandoned me, would, had I continued to be prosperous, never, perhaps, have dreamed of their own defection. There are vices and virtues which depend nn circumstances. Our last trials were beyond all human strength ! Besides, I was forsaken ratlier than betrayed ; there was more of weakness tlian of perfidy around me. It was the denial of St. Peter: tears and repentance are prob- ably at hand. And ivhere will you find, in the page of his- tory, any one possessing a greater numiber of friends and partizans 1 Who was evermore popular and more belovedl Who was ever more ardently and deeply regretted 1 Here from this very rock, on viewing the present disorders in France, who Avculd not \>€ tempted to say that I still reign there! The Kings and Princes, my allies, Ijave remained faithful to me to the last, they were carried away by the people in a mass ; and those who were around me, found themselves overwhelmed and stunned by an irresistible whirlwind .... ISo! hum.an nature might have appeared in a more odious light, and I might have had greater cause ofcomptaint 1" On the Officers oftlie Emperor's household, in 1C14. — Plan cif address to the King. 17th. — The Emperor asked me somie questions to-day relative to the officers of his household. With the excep- tion of two or three, at the most, who had drawn upon them- selves the contempt of the very party to which they had gone over, nothing could be said against them. ; the majoj-i- ty had even evinced an ardent devotion to the Emperor's interests. The Emperor then made enquiries respecting some of these individuals in particular, calling them by their names; and I cculd not but express my approbation of them all. "What do you tell me 1" said he, interruptirg me has- tily while I was speaking of ore of them ; "and yet I gave Jhiai so bad a reception at the Thuilleries on my return ! Ah' 180 MV RESIDENCE WITH I fear I have committed some involuntary acts of injustice '. This comes of being obliged to take for granted the first story that is told, and of not having a single moment to spare for verification ! I fear too that 1 have left many debts of gratitude in arrear! How unfortunate it is to be inca- pable of doing every thing one's self 1" I replied — " Sire, it is true that if blame be attached to the officers of your houselioid, it must be shared equally by all ; a fact, however, \yhich must humble us strangely in the eyes of foreign nations. As soon as tlic King appeared, they hasteneii to him, not as to the sovereign whom" your abdication had left us, but as to one who had never ceased to be our sovereign. Not with the dignity of men proud of having always fuliilicd their dutfcs, hut »yith the equivocal embarrassment of unskilful courtiers. Each individual sought only to justify himself : your majesty was-from Ihat instant disavov/ed and abjured ; the title of Emperor was dropped. The Ministers, the Nobles, the intimate friends of your Majesty, styled you simply '■Bonaparte,^ andbhished not for themselves or their natioli. They Excused them- selves by saying that they were compelled to serve ; that they could not do otherwise, -through dread of the treatment they might have experienced," Tlie Emperor here recog- nised a true picture of our national character. He said we ■were still the same people as our ancestors the Gaols ; that we still retained the same levity , the same inconstancy, and, above all, the same vanity. "• When shall we," said he, " exchange this vanity for a little pride !" " The officers of your Majesty's household," said I, "ne- glected a noble opportunity of acquiring both honour and popularity. There were above one-hundred and fifty offi- cers of the household ; a great number of them belonged to the first families, and were men of independent fortune. It was for them to have set an example, which, being followed by others, might have given another impulse to the national attitude, and afforded ns a claim oa public esteem." — " Yes," said the Emperor, "if all the upper classes had acted in that way, affairs might have turned cut very dif- ferently. The old editors of the public journals v/ould not then hav2 indulged in their chimeras of the good old times; we should not then have been annoyed with their disserta- tions on the straight line and the curve line; the King would have adhered honestly to his charter; I should never have dreamed of quitting the Island of Elba ; the head of the na- tion would have been recorded in history with greater lion? flur and 4^gnity ; and we should all have been gainers." THE EMPEROR NAP0LK05J. 181 The Emperor's idea of reserving Corsica. — His opinion of ,; Robespierre>-^His idea respecting public opinion . — Expia- tory intention of the Emperor with regard to the viciims of the Revolution, 18th. — After the accustomed occupation of the day, I accompanied the Emperor to the garden about four o'clock, lie had just completed his dictation on the subject of Cor- sica. Having concluded every thing he liad to say relative to that island, and to Paoli, he adverted to the interest Tvhichhe himself excited there, while yet so young at the lime of his separation from Paoli. He added, that latterly be might to a certainty have united in his favour the wish- es, the sentiments, and the eilorts of the whole popufatioa of Corsica : and that, had he retired to that island on quitting Paris, he would have been beyond the reach of any foi'eign power whatever. He had an idea of doing so when he ab- dicated in favour of his son. He was on the point of reserv- ing to himself the possession of Corsica during his life. No obstacle at sea would have obstructed his passage thither. But he abandoned that design for the sake of rendering his abdication the more sincere and tlie more advantageous to France. His residence in the centre of the Mediterrane- an, in the bosom of Europe, so near France and Italy, might have furnished a lasting pretext to the AlUes. He evert preferred America to England, from the same motive and the same idea. It is true that in the sincerity of his own measures, he neither did, nor could foresee, his unjust and violent banishment to Saint Helena. The Emperor, next proceeded to lake a review of differ- ent points of the Revolution, dwelt particularly on Robes- pierre, whom he did not know, but whom he believed to be destitute of talent, energy, or system. He considered him, notwithstanding, as the real sc ape-goat of the Revolution, sacrificed as soon as he attempted to arrest it In its course : the common fate, he observed, of all who, before himself, (Napoleon) had ventured to take that step. The Terro- rists and their doctrine survived Robespierre; and iffleir excesses were not continued, it was because they were obliged to bow to public opinion. They threw all th-e blame on Robespierre ; but the latter declared shortly be- fore his death, that he was a stranger to the recent execu- tions, and that he had not appeared in the Committees for six weeks previously. Napoleon confessed that while he was with the army of Nice, he had seen some long letters addressed by Robespierre to his brother, condemning the horrors of the Commissioners of the Convention, who, as he expressed it, were ruining the Revolution by their tyranny: ead atrocities. "Cambaceres, wha," observed the Empe^ 182 MY RESIDENCE WITH ror, "must be a good authority on subjects relating to ihit period, answered an enquiry which I one day addressed td him respecting the condemnation of Robespierre, in these remarlcable words: 'Sire, that was a sentence without a trial ;' adding that Robespierre had more foresight and con- ception than was generally imagined. That after lie should have succeeded in subduing the unbridled factions which he had to oppose, his intention was to restore a system of or- der and moderation. 'Some time previous to his fall,' added Cambaceres, 'he delivered a most admirable speech on this Eubject: it was not thought proper to insert it in the Mon- iteur, and all trace of it is now lost.' " This is not the first instance I have heard of omissions Tand want of accuracy in tlie Moniteur. In the reports in- serted in that journal relative to the proceedings of the As- sembly, there must be a period remarkable for incorrect- ness ; as the minutes of these proceedings were for a time arbitrarily drawn wp by one of the Committees. Those who are induced to believe that Robespierre was at once wearied, satiated, and alarmed by the Revolution, and had resolved on checking it, aflBrm that he would not take any decided step until after he had read his famous speech. He considered it so fine, that he had no doubt of its effect on the Assembly. If this be true, his mistake or Ills vanity cost him dear. Those who think differently, as- sert that Danton and Camille-des-Mouiins had precisely the same views ; and yet that Robespierre sacrificed them. To these it is replied, that Robespierre sacrificed them to pre- serve his popularity, because he judged that the decisive moment had not yet arrived ; or because he did not wish to resign to them the glory of the enterprise. Be this as it may, it is certain that the nearer we ap- proach to the instruments and the agents in that catastro- phe, the greater obscurity and mystery we find ; and this UQcertaicty will but increase with time. Thus the page of history, will on this point as on many others, become the record, not so much of the events which really occurred, as ofthe statements which are given of them. In the conrse of our conversation, relative to Robes- pierre, the Emperor said, that he had been very well ac- quainted with his brother, the younger Robespierre, the representative to the Army of Italy. He said nothing against this young man, whom he had inspired with great confidence and considerable enthusiasm for his person. Previously to the 9th of Thermidor, young Robespierre be- ing recalled by his brother, who was then secretly laying his plans, insisted on Napoleon's accompanying him to Par- Is. The latter experienced the greatest difSculty in ridding THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 183 himself of the importunity, and at length only escaped it by requesting the interference of the General-in-chief, Du- merbion, ^v^hose entire confidence he possessed, and who represented that it was absolutely necessary he should re- main where he was." Had I followed young Robespierre,'^ said the Emperor, "how different might have been my ca- reer! On wliat trivial circumstances does human fate de- pend ! — Some office would doubtless have been assigned to me ; and 1 might at that moment have been destined to at- tempt a sort of Vendemiaire. But I was then very young ; my ideas were not yet fixed. It is probable, indeed, that I should not have undertaken any task that ipight have been allotted to me ; but supposing the contrary case, and even admitting that I had been successful, what results could I have* hoped for] In Vendemiaire the revolutionary fever was totally subdued ; in Thermidorit was still raging in its utmost fury and at its greatest height." "Public opinion," said the Emperor on another occasion, when conversing on another subject, "is an invisible and mysterious power which it is impossible to resist: nothing is more unsteady, more vague, or more powerful ; and ca- pricious as it may be^it is, nevertheless, just and reasona- ble more frequently than is supposed. On becoming Pro- visional Consul, the first act of my administration was the banishment of fifty anarchists. Public opinion, which had at first been furiously hostile to them, suddenly turned in their favour, and I was forced to retract. But some time afterwards, these same anarchists, having shown a disposi- tion to engage in plots, were again assailed by that very public opinion, which had now returned to support me. Thus, through the errors that were committed at the time of the restoration, popularity was secured to the regicides,. who but a moment before had been proscribed by the great jnass of the nation. "It belonged to me," continued the Emperor, "to shed a- lustre over the memory of Louis XVI in France, and to pu- rify the nation of the crimes with which she had been sulli- ed by frantic acts and unfortunate fatalities. The Bour- bons, being of the royal family, and coming from abroad^ merely avenged theirown private cause, and augmented the national opprobrium. I, on the^ contrary, being one of the people, should have raised the character of the nation, by "banishing from society, in her name, those whose crimes had disgraced her. This was my intention, but I proceed- ed prudently in the fulfilment of it. The three expiatory altars at St. Denis were but a prelude to my design. The Temple of Glory, on the site of the JTagdelaine , was tohav© "keen devoted to tViis object with still greater solemnity. 184 IifY RESIDENSS WITH There, near the tomb and over the very hones of the polit- ical victims of our revolution, human monuments and reli- gious ceremonies would have consecrated their memory in the name of the French people. This is a secret that was not known to above ten individuals : though it would have been necessary to communicate a hint of the design to those who might have been intrusted with the arrangement of the edifice. I should not have executed my scheme in less than ten years ; but what precautions had I not adopted ; how carefully had I smoothed every difficulty, and removed eve- ry obstruction 1 All would have applauded my design, and CO one would have suffered from it. So much depends on circumstances and forms," added he, " that in my reign, Carnot would not have dared to write a memorial, boasting the death of ths Xing, though he did so under the Bourbons. 1 should have leagued with public opinion in punishing him; While public opinion sided with him in rendering him unae- sailable.'' Cascade ai Briars. 19th. — My son and I rose very early. Our task had been finished on the preceding day ; and as the Emperor could not want me for some time, we availed ourselves of the fine- ness of the morning to explore the neighbourhood of our abode. Passing through the valley of James-Town, on the right of our little level height at Briars, was a deep ravine, the aides of which were intersected by numerous perpendicular clefts. We descended into the ravine, not without difficul- ty, and found ourselves at the edge of a little limpid stream- let, beside which grew abundance of cresses. We amused ourselves by gathering them as we passed along ; and after a few windings we soon reached the extremity of ttie vaMey and the streamlet, which axe closed transversely by a huge pointed mass of rock, from the summit of which issues a pretty cascade, produced from the waters of the surrouud- ing heights. This waterfall descending into the valley forms the streamlet, along which we had just passed, and which sometimes rolls in a torrent to the sea. The water of the cascade was at this moment dispersed above our heads in small rain or light vapour; but in stormy weather it rushes forth in a torrent, and furiously dashes through the ravine tillit reaches the sea. To us the scene presented a gloomy, solitary, ajid melancholy aspect; audit was alto- gether so interesting that we quitted it with regret. To-day was Sunday, and we all dined with the Emperor: ^e good-humouredly observed that vre formed a state party. ttTE EMPEROU NAPOLEO:'. 183 ^fterdinnerthecirc[eofour amusements was not very ex- feusive: he asked us whether we wuuld have a comedy, an opera; or a tragedy. We decided in favour of a comedy, and he himself read a portion of Moliere's Avare, which was continued by other individuals of the party. The Emperor hadacold,aad was slightly feverish. He withdrew early from his walk in the garden, and desired me to see him again that eveningif he should not iiave gone to l;ed. My son and I accompanied the rest of the gentlemen to the town; and on our return the Emperor had retired to rest. First and only excursion diu'vig- our abode at Briars. — The, Admiral's Ball. 20th. — The Emperor, after dictating as usual with one of the gentlemen, called me about five o'clock. He was alone; the rest of the gentlemen and my son having gone to the town, where the Admiral was tliat evening to give a bail. The Emperor af living' at Briars. — Myfird visit to Longioood^-*- Infernal machine; its history . ■ 26th — 28. On the 2Gth, the Emperor dressed very ear- ly : he found himself quite recovered. He wished to walk ©ut, as the weather was very fine; and, besides, his room fcad not been put in order for three days. We went into the garden, and he chose to breakfast under the arbour. He was in good spirits, and his conversation turned upon many different subjects and persons. The Emperor's health being now perfectly restored, h« resumed his usual occupation, which, indeed, was his only source of amusement. Heading, dictating, and walking iji 1.he garden, filled up all his time during the day. He stig THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON, 195 eccasionally resorted to his favourite path, though the turn of the season, and the change of the moon, had nearly put a stop to our eveniag- walks. The numerous visitors who came to Mr. Balcombe's house, attracted by the hope of meeting' the Emperor, annoyed him very much, and, indeed, compelled him to withdraw himself altogether. We there- fore remained shut up in our little dwelling. We at fii'st understood that we should remain at Briars only a few days; but six weeks had passed away, and we had yet heard noth- ing respecting our removal. All this time the Emperor Jia' been as much conhned as he had been on board of tha vessel. He had taken only one excursion, which was when he visited Major Hudson ; and we afterwards learned that this circiunstance had occasioned alarm. It had been whis- pered about at the Admiral's ball, and had reached the ears of our high authorities, who were thrown into great consternation by the event. The workmen continued their labours at Longwood, which was to be our new residence. The troops who had come with us from-England, were encamped in the neigh- bourhood. The Colonel gave a ball, to which we were in- vited. The Emperor wished me to go, r.nd that I should, at the same time, take the opportunity of inspecting our fu- ture abode.- I went with Madame Bertrand, in a carriage drawn by six oxen. In this Merovingian equipage we pro- ceeded to Longwood. This was the lirst opportunity I had had of seeing any part of the island except the neighbour- hood of Briars. The whole road along which wc passed presented continued evidences of a great natural convul- sion. We saw nothing but huge masses of rock, totally destitute of vegetation. If, at every cliange of the horizon, we percei^^ed atrace of verdure or a faw clusters of trees ; yet on a nearer approach, all vanished like the creations of a poet's fancy ; we found only a few marine plants and wild shrubs ; or what was still worse, some wretched gum- trees. These were the only ornaments of Longwood. I returned on horseback about six o'clock. The Emperor put many questions to me concerning our new residence. Finding that I did not speak of it very enthusiastically, he asked at once whether he should gain or lose by the change. J told what I thought in one sentence. "Sire," said Ij Vwe are liere in a cage ; there we shall be in a fold." 28th. — The Emperor changed his military uniform, whic-h he had put on to go on board the Bellerophon, for a fancy dress-coat. In the couree of conversation this day, the Em- peror adverted to the numerous conspiracies which had been formed against him. The infernal machine was men- 'it>aed in its turn. This diabolical invention,, which gav^ ISS MY RESIDENCE WITH rise to so rp.zr.y ccnject.nifes, and led i.c the clealb of so ma-* y.y victims, was the vrork of the Royalists, who obtained the Srst idea of it fi'om the Jacobins. The Ernparor stated, that c. hundred furious Jacobins, the real authors of the scenes of September, the lOth of Au- gust, &c. had resolved to get rid of the First Consul, for which purpose they invented & 13 or 16 pound howitzer, which, on being thrown into the carriage, would explode by its own concussion, and hurl destruction on every side. To make sure of their object, they proposed to lay caltroj-jf.! along a part of the road, which, by suddenly impeding the Iiorses, would of course render it impossible for tl'C carriage to move on. The man who was employed to lay down the caltrops, entertaining some suspicions of the job which he had been set upon, as well as of the good inteiitiors of his employers, communicated the business to the police. The conspirators were soon traced, and were apprehended near the Jardindes Plantes,in the act of trying the eiSectof the machine, v/hich made a terrible explosion. The First Con- sul, whose policy It was not to divulge the numerous conspi- racies of which he was the object, did not give publicity to this, but contented hiinsslf with imprisoning the criminals.. He soon relaxed his orders for kcepiiig- them in close con- finement, and they were allowed a certain degree of liberty. In the same prison in which these Jacobins were confined, some Royalists were also imprisoned for aa attempt to as- sassinate the First Consul, by means of air-guns. These two parties formed a league together ; and the Royalists transmitted to their friends out of prison the idea of the in- fernal machine, as being preferable to any other plan of de- struction. It is very i-emarkable, that on the evening of the catastro- phe, the Emperor expressed an extreme repugnance to ge out. Madame Bonaparte and some intimate friends abso- aolutely forced hijn to go to an oratorio. They roused hira from a sofa where he v»as fast asleep ; one fetched him hi^ sword, and another his hat. As he drove along in the car- riage, he fell asleep again, and awoke suddenly, saying that he had dreamed he was drowning in the Tagliamento- To explain what he alluded to, it is necessary to mention that some years previously, when he was General of the army of ■ Italy, he passed the Tagliameuto in his carriage during the night, contrary to the advice of every one a^bout him. In the ardour of youth, and ^heedless of every obstacle, he crossed the river surrounded by a hundred men armed with poles and torclies. Miscarriage was,ho(vever, soon afloat; Napoleon ran the most imminent danger, and for some time gave hjrijself up for lp§t, At the moment when ho aow^ THE EMPEROR NAPOLEOlY. 19*? at^oke, on his way to the oratorio, he was in the midst of a conflagration, the carriage was lifted up, and the passage of the Tagliamento came fresh upon his mind. The iliusionj howiever, was but momentary ; a dreadful explosion imme- diately ensued. "We are blown up 1" exclaimed the First Consul to Lannes and Bessieres, who were in the carriage with him« They proposed immediately to make arrests ; but he desired them not to be too hasty. The First Consul arrived safe, and appeared at the opera as though nothing had happened. He was preserved by the desperate driving «f his coachman. The machine injured only one or two in- dividuals who closed the eseort. The most trivial circumstances often lead to the most im- portant results. The coachman was intoxicated ; nodoubt this proved the means of saving the life of the First Consul. The man's intoxication was so great, that it was not until next morning he could be made to comprehend what had happened. He had taken the explosion for the firing of a salute. Immediately after this event, measures were adopt- ed against the Jacobins, who had been convicted of medi- tating the crime ; and a considerable number were banish- ed. They, however, were not the real criminals, whose discovery was brought about by another very singular oo! in England, also present, a prodigious difftr-r-nce: the French list in Ifflt exhili'ii g oiilv 30,000 indiTidiials out of 43 millions of ir.habitants; while in Eng. hind, i:- '.^iT. ssme year, a tixnth ofthe population, Of 4,3$0,000 poor, were thiowa opon the parishts.— f itfwKWf««.^ THE EIviPEROn NAFOLEON. S^OI V.A- at least, he would have been a fool to attempt it, and would only have jirolong-sd the existence of evil. For my own part, [ cotifd only have been a croionecl Washington, It was only in acongressof kings,in the midstof kings yielding or subdued, that 1 could beconie so. Then and there alone, I could successfully display Washington's moderation, disin- ter'sstedncss, and wisdom. I could trnt reasonably attain to this but by means of the universal .Dictatorship. To this I aspired ; can that be thought a crime ! Can it be believed, Ihatto rc-ign this authority M'ould have been beyond the povvnr of human natiu'e ! ^ylla, glutted with crimes, dared to abdicate, pursued by public execration ! What motive y blessings ? Butit remained forme to conquer at Mos- c.:.,v ! — How many will hereafter regret my disasters and my fall! — But to require prematurely of me that sacrifice, for which the time had not arrived, was a vulgar absurdity ; and for rae to have proclaimed or promised it, would have been taken for hypocrisy and quackery: that was not my way. 1 repeat, it remained for rae to conquer at Mos- cow ! " On another occasion, pausing before Toby, he said: — * " W^hat, after all, is this poor human machine! There is not one v/hose exterior form is like another, or whose in- ternal organization resembles the rest ! And it is by disre- garding this truth that we are led to the commission of so many errors ! Had Tohy been a Brutus, he would have put himself to death : if an ^Esop, he v/ould now, perhaps, have been the Governor's adviser; if an ardent and zealous Christian, he would have borne liia chains in the sight of God, and blessed them. As for poor Toby, he endures his misfortunes very quietly ; he stoops to his work, and spends his days in innocent tranquillity." Then, after looking at him for a Cew moments in silence, he turned away and said : •' Certainly there is a wide step from poor Toby to a King^ nichard ! And yet," continued he, as he walked along, " the crime is not the less atrocious ; for this man, after all, had his family, his happiness, and his liberty ; and it was a horrible act of cruelty to bring him here to languish in the fetters of his slavery." Then, suddenly stopping short, he added : — '' But t read in your eyes, that you think he is not the only example of the sort at Saiut-Helena '" And wheth- er he felt offended at being placed on a parallel witu Toby, whether he thought it necessary to raise my spirits, or whatever else might be his reason, he went on with dignity and animation ; " My dear Las Cases, there is not the least •resemblance here: if the outrage is of a higher class, the victims also iuruish rery difi-jreut resources. We have not ^^0S5 MY RESIDENCE WITH been exposed to corporeal sufferings ; or if that had bes» attempted, we have souis to disappoint our tyrants! Our situation may cvea have its charms ! The eyes ^f the uni- verse are lixed upon us ! We are martyrs in an\imraortal cause! Millions of human beings are weeping for us : our country sighs, and glory mourns our fate ! We here strug- gle against the oppression of the gods, and the prayers of nations are for us!" — After a pause of a few seconds, he continued : — " Besides, this is not the source of my real sufferings ! If I considered only myself, perhaps I should have reason to rejoice ! Misfortunes are not without their heroism and their glory ! Adversity was wanting to my career! Had I died on the throne, enveloped in the dense atmosphere of my power, I should to many have remained a I problem ; but now misfortune will enable all to judge of m« without disguise." Origin of Guides. — Another Hanger incurred by MtpoleoWr Thc German Officer. December 1st — ^Srd. Many incidents fill up this interval} some 1 reject as unnecessary, some It is proper 1 should withhold. I here note down only a few anecdotes of the General-in-chief of the army of Italy. After the passage of the Mincio, Napoleon, having con- eerted all his plans, and pursued the enemy in every direc- tion, entered a castle on the left bank of the river. He was troubled with the head-ache, and he used a foot-bath. A large detachment of the enemy, in great confusion, arrived, Laving ascended the river as far as the castle. Napoleott was there, and only a few pci'sons were with him ; the sen- tinel on duty at the gate had just rime to close it, exclaim- ing. To arms ! and the C4eneral of the Army of Italy, in the arras of victory, was compelled to escape through the back gates of the garden, with but one boot on. Had he been Enade prisoner, before his reputation was established, the acts of genius wiiicii had marked the commencement of hiff career, would, perliaps, by the common run of mankind., Lave been considered merely as fortunate and blamcable enterprises. Tlie danger which the French General had just escaped (a circumstance wliich through his plan of op- erations was likely often to recur) was the origin of the guides app anted to guard his person. These guides have since ;een introduced in other armies. lu the same campaign, Napoleon incurred another immi- nent risk: VV"uj-;ns<:'r, who had been compelled to thron'^ bijnfc>oii'i;)to Vlantua, and who was debouching suddenly oo an .jpea plain, learued from aa old woraaa, that onlj a i&w tR5 EMi-BReR NAFOLEOIT. 20j^ iin*ineat3 before his arrival, the French General, with but Si few tullowert>,,had stopped at her door, aud that he liad fled at thesiglAof the jiustriaca. Wiinnser iinxijediatcly despatched parties of cavalry iu every .directicn, calcula- ting with certainty on the precious capture. '"But," said ihe Emperor, "1 nmst.do i.im this justice, he gave particu- *'lar orders that 1 snould not be lulled or haiined in any •'way." Fortunately for the young General, his happy star aud the swiftness of Ids horse combined to save him. The new system of military operations practised iy Na- j^oleon disconcerted every one. The cau.paign was scarce- ly opened, when Lombaidy was inundated ivith troops in every direction, and tJie French j-j pro£chc'hether owing to nsy *' own particular turn of mind at the moment," continued the Emperor, "the time, the place, or the action itself, I " know not ; but certainly, no incident on any field of bat- " tie ever produced so deep an impression on me. I invol- "untarily stepped to contemplate tlie scene. This nian> *' thought I, perhaps, has friends in the camper in his com- "pany; and here he lies forsaken by all except his dog ! "What a lesson Nature here presents through the medi- " uoi of an animal ! What a strange being is man! and ,*' how mysterious are his impressions ! I had, without emo» " tioa, ordered battles which were to decide the fate of the " array ; I had beheld, with fearless eyes, the execution of -" those operations, by which numbers of my countrymen "• were sacrificed ; and here my feelings were roused by the ' no ojAi-nful how liiig of a dog! Certainly at that momejt* ■204 HY RESIDENCE WITH "< I should have beea easily moved by a sttppliant enemf* ■*'I could very well imagine Achilles surrendering* up the "' body of Hector at iLe sight of Priaia's tears." TVixr. — Principles.— Application. — Opinions on several Generals. 4th. — 5lh. I\Iy eyes had become so bad that I was obli- ged to suspend my occupation : 1 had nearly lost my sig+.t an the campaign of Italy. ■^ For some time pasta sensible change had taken place in the ireatiier. We knety nothing about tiic ordcrof the sea- ;-;on3. As the sun passed twice over our hcad§.in the course of the year, we said we ought, at least, to have two summers. Every thing was totally ditferent from what we had beeu accustomed to : and, to complete our embarrassments, we T/ere obliged, being now in the soutucrn hemisphere, to riake all oar calculations in a manner quite the reverse of that which M^e had practised in En rope. It rained frequent- ly, the air was very damp, and it grew colder than before. The Emperor could no longer go out in the evening; he w as continually catching cold, and did not sleep well. He was obliged to give up taking his meals beneath the tent, and he had them served up in his own chamber. Here he found himself better ; but he could not stir from his seat. Our conversation continued after the dinner was remov- ed from table. To-day the Emperor attacked General Oourgaud on the elements and first ei.ercises of artiileiy. The General had belonged to that department of the ser- vice, and had recently been engaged in the requisite course of study. The discussion was very curious, and was main- tained with great spirit. Napoleon never proved himself to be the weaker party : one might have been tempted to believe that he had just passed his examination at tlie acadi emy- The conversation then turned on war and great comman- ders. "The fate of a battle," observed the Emperor, ''is *' the result of a moment, of a iljought : the hostile force* *' advance with various combinations, they attack each oth~ " or and fight for a certain time ; the critical momcat r.r- " rives, a mental flash decides, and the least reserve accom- " plishes the object." He spoke of Lutzen, Bautzen, e cal- culated the chance of the cannon-ball, like many others. Speaking of military ardour and courage, the Emperor said : "I know thedepth, or what I call the draught of wa- ter of all my generals. Some," added he, joining action to his words, "will sink to the waist, some to the chin, others over the head ; but the number of the latter is very small, 1 assure you." Suchet, he said, was one whose courage and judgment had been surprisingly improved. Masscna was a very superior man, and, by a strange peculiarity of temperament, he possessed the desired equilibrium only in the heat of battle ; it was created in the midst of danger. "The generals," fin?,lly observed theEmpei^or, "who seem- ed destined to rise to future distinction were Ge- rard, Clausel,Foy, Lamarque, &c. These were my nejjr marshals." THE ElIFEUOR NAPOLEON. 20? filiation qf the Spanish Pnnccs at Valencey. — Tlie Pope at Fontainhleau. — Reflections, St-c. 6th.— Thb Emperor, after dictating to me tliis morning, "was successively engaged with some gentlemen, with whom he prolonged his walk for sometime. When they with- drew» I followed him into the lower path : he Avas dull and silent, and his countenance appeared somewhat harsh and riUHed. "Well," said he, as we were returning to dinner, "v/e shall have sentinels under our windows at Longwood. They wished to force me to have a foreign officer at my ta- ble and in my drawing-room. I cannot mount my horse without being accompanied by an officer; in short, we can- not stir a step under pain of being insulted ! . ..." I re-r plied, that this was another drop of sorrow added to the bit- ter cup which we were doomed to drink to his past glorjr and power; but that his philosophy was sufficient to defy the malice of his enemies, and to make them blush for their brutality in the face of the whole world. I ventured to re- mark, that the Spanish Princes at Valencey, and the Pope at Fontai »bleau had never experienced such treatment* "Certainly not," resumed he, "the Princes hunted and gave balls at Valencey, without being physically aware of their chains ; they experienced respect and courtesy at all bands. Old King Charles IV removed from Compiegne to Mar- seilles, and from Marseilles to Rome, whenever, he wished. And yet how diflerent are those places from this ! The Pope at Fontainblcau, whatevermay have been the reports circu- lated in the world, was treated in the same manner. And yet how many persons, in spite of all the indulgences he en- joyed, refused to be appointed to guard him ; a circumstance which gave me no oilence, for I tljouglit it perfectly natural. Such employments are subject to the influence of delicacy of feeling; and our European manners require that power should be limited by honour." He observed that, for his own part, as a private man and an officer, he should with- out hesitation have refused to guard the Pope, whose remo«- val to France, he added, had never been ordered by him. — I manifested great surprise. — "You are astonished," said he: "you did not know this] But it is nevertheless true, as well as many other similar facts, which you will learn in course of time. But with reference to the subject on which we have just been speaking, it is necessary to distingi ish the conduct of the sovereign, who acts collectively, from that of the private man, whose sentiments are without con- straint. Policy, permits, nay, frequently demands, from the one, what would bo unpardonable in the other." The bcur of dinner, by intrcducing^ various subjects of conver;?®*; -208 My RESIDENCE WITH tion, diverted bis melancholy, and cheerfulness finally pre Tailed. Meanwhile the Emperor seriously determined to quit big present wretched abode, whatever inconvenience bis new residence might present. On going to pass the remainder ©f the evening with our host, the Ernperor directed me to present him a box bearing his cypher, and to tell him he was sorry for all the trouble he had occasioned to him. On the J^'biiveUc Kelo'i'sc, andon Love. 7t1i. — The Emperor summoned me to attend him at an early hour. He began to read the Nouvelle Ile'.oise, fre«^ quently remarking on the ingenuity and force of the argu- ments, the elegance of the style and expressions: he read for upwards of two hours. This reading made a powerful impression on me ; it produced a deep melancholy — a min- gled feeling of tenderness and sorrow. I had always been fond of the work : and it now awakened happy recollec- tions, and excited deep regret : the Emperor frequently smiled at me. During breakfast the Nouveite Holoise was the topic of conversation. "Jean-Jacques has overcharged his subject," said the Emperor; "he has painted madness: love should be a sourceof pleasure, not of misery." I alleged that Jean-Jac- ques had described nothing which a man might not feel, and that even the misery to which the Emperor alluded, was in reality, happiness. — "I see," said he, "you have a little touch of the romantic : has Love's misery rendered yofj happy?" — "I do not complain of my tare, Sire," replied*!; "were 1 to begin life again, I should wish to retrace ti;e ©ourse I have already pursued." The Emperor resumed his reading after breakfast ; but ha jiaused occasionally : the enchantment seemed to seize him in his turn. He at length laid down the book, and we went out to the garden. " Really," said he, as he walked along^ " tliis work is not without fire ; it moves, " it rouses the' feelings." We discussed the subject deeply : we were very prolix in our remarks, and we at length agreed that perfect love is like ideal happiness ; that both are equally airy^ fugitive, mysterious, and ine?;p;icable ; and that, finally, Jove is the business of the idle man, the recreation of the warrior, and the ruin of the sovereign. We were joined by the Grand Marshal and M. Gourgaud, who had just come from Longwood. The Admiral had for some days past been urgent for our removal thither; and the Emperor was no less anxious to go, being so very ill at Briars. Hovvevor, before lia removed, it was necessarjf THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON'. 209 tkat the smell cf the paint should he entirely gene, for, ow ing to ills peculiar organization, he could not pcssihly en- dure it. In tlie liDporial palaces, he had never been suf- fered to go near fresii paint. In his dilFerent journeys, the slightest smell of paint frequently rendered it necessary to oliange the apartments that had been prep2.red for him ; and on board of the Northumberland the paint of the shipmade him very ill. • He had been informed on the preceding eve- ning that all was ready at Longwood, and that the dis- agreeahld effect of the- paint vras entirely gone. He accor- dingly determined to remove on the Saturday following, as he would thus be rid of the annoyance of the workmen oa Snnday; but the Grand Marshal and M. Gourgaud now came to say, that they had visited the place, and that it was not hab- itable. The Emperor expressed much vexation at the first account he had received, and the resolution it had led hira to adopt. The two gentlemen withdrew, and we entered the lower walk. The Emperor was much out of humour. M. de Montholon now arrived, very mal-a-propos, froia Longwood, declaring that all was ready, and that the Em- peror might remove as soon as he wished. These tv.-o ac- counts, so contradictory, and so close upon each other, jMiwerfully excited his displeasure. Fortunately, dinner was announced, v.hich diverted his attention from the sub- ject.- The clotli was laid in tlie Emperor's chamber; for he had so severe a cold that he could rot endure (he tent. After dinner he resumed his reading ; and ended the day, Jis he had begun it, with the Nouveile Ileloise. The English Lieutenant. — A xh^giilar circumstance. — De- part'.ire.foT Ijiiigwood dctervi:,:cdGn. — State of Fraiice, — Jrleinorial injusti/ication cifJWi/, 8th — 9th. — Owing to the doubt -which had yesterday aris- en respecting the paint, I determined to go myself to ascer- tain the real state of the case, and to acquaint the Emperop with it at breakfast-time. 1 accoi'dingly set out very early walking three parts of the way, because nobody was up.who could prepare a horse for me. I returned before nine o'clock. The smell of the paint was certainly very slight ; but it was too much for the Emperor. On the 9th the Captain of the Minden 74 gun ship was introduced to the Emperor in the garden. Tlie captain had arrived from the Cape of Good Hope, and was on the eve of sailing for' Europe. He had had the honour of being pre- sented to Napoleon at Paris, under the Consulate, about twelve years before. He requested permission to intro- ilage one of his Lieutenants to the Emperor, en account oi 18* 2ld MY RESIDENCE WITH some personal circumstances, which we thought very singu- lar. The young- man was born at Bologna, precisely at the period whe i the French army entered that city. The French General, Napoleon, had by some accident been pre- sent at the christening of the child, to whom he gave a tri- coloiired cockade, which has since been carefully preserved in the family. After the departure of these gentlemen, the Grand Mar- shal arrived from Longwood. He thought the paint was by ISO means offensive : the Emperor was very unwell, and a portion of his property had already been removed ; he there- foi-e resolved to proceed to Longwood on the day following, of which I was heartily glad. I had for some days past had an opportunity of observing that a determination had been adopted to compel the Emperor to quit his present abode. I had kept to myself all the communications, public or pri- vate, that had been made to me on the subject. 1 made it a rule to spare him every cause of vexation that I possibly fcould, and merely contented myself with acting in the way I thought most advisable. Two days before, an officer was gent to carry away the tent, though we had expressed no wish to that effect. The officer had also been directed to remove the outside shutters from the Emperor's windows ; but this I opposed, telling him it could not be done, as the Emperor had not yet risen, and I sent hiin away. On another accasion, with the view of alarming me, I was told as a great secret that if the Emperor did not immediately remove, it was intended to station a hundred soldiers at the gates of ihe enclosure.- "Very well," 1 replied, and took no fur- ther notice. What could be the occasion of all this hurry 1 X suspect that the caprice of our jailors, and the desire of pushing their authority to the utmost, had more concern ia the business than any thing else. We received newspapers down to the 15th of September; and they became the subject of conversation. The Empe- ror analyzed them. The future appeared enveloped in eloud. " However," said the Emperor, "three great events present themselves to the imagination ; — the division of France, the reign of the Bouriions, or a new dynasty. — liouis XVIII," observed he, "might easily have reigned in 1814, by rendering himself a national monarch. Now he has only the odious and uncertain chance, arising out of ex- cessive severity ; — a reign of terror. His dynasty may be permanently established, or that which is to succeed him, may still be in the secret of futurity." Some one present observed, " that the Duke of Orleans might be called to tl>e throhe ;" and the Emperor, by a string of very forcible aM sloqueat reasoning, proved that the Duke of Orleans would. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 5 11 7ere the apartments of Madame de Montholon, her hiisljand, and her son, which have since been used as the Emperor's library. Detached from this partof the house, was a little square room on the ground-floov contiguous to the kitchen, which was assigned to me. My son was obliged to enter his room tlirough a trap-door and by the help of a ladder ; it was nothing but a loft and scarcely aflbrded room for his bed. Our windows and beds were without curtains. The few articles of fur- niture which were in cur apartments had evidently been ob- tained from the inhabitants of the island, who doubtless readily seized the opportunity of disposing of them to advan- tage for the sake of supplying themselves with better. The Grand Marshal with his wife and children had been left at the distance of two miles behind us, in a place which even here is denominated a hut^ (Hut's-gate.) General Gourgaud slept under a tent, as did also the Doctor,* and the officer commanding our guai-d, till such time as their apartments should be ready, wliich the crew of the North- umberland were rapidly preparing. We were surrounded by a kind of garden; but, owing to the little attention which we had it incur power to bestow on its cultivation, joined to the want of wafer and the na- ture of the climate, it was a garden only by name. In front, and separated from us by a tolerably deep ravine, was en- camped the fifty-thii'd regiment, different parties of which were posted on the neighbouring heights. — Such was our new abode. On the 12th I communicated to the Emperor my opinion on the subject, respecting which we had conversed two days before. He came to no decision, conceiving the affair to be useless. I ventured to maintain that even doubtful as the case might be there was nothing either to lose or to risk, and that it was merely taking a chance in the lottery with- out the expense of a share. Time, however, has pioved . that the Emperor judged correctly. The thing would have been perfectly useless; it could have led to no I'esult. . The same day Colonel Wiiks, (formerly governor for the East India Company,) who had been succeeded by the Ad- miral, came to visit tlie Emperor. I acted as interpreter on the occasion. On the 13th or 14th the Minden sailed lor Europe, and I availed myself of the opportunity thus affoi-d- t'A to r,end letters to London and Paris. » Dr. O'Meara of the No:tJi!a.iilii.»Iancf. THE EMPKROR NAPOLEON. 219 Arrangement of ■ the Emperor's establishment. — Feelings of the captives with respect to each oth er. — Traits of the Empe- ror''s character . — Portrait of JSTapoleon by M. de Pradt, tramlatedfrom an English ncicspaper. — Its refutation. 13th — 16lh. — The domestic establisLmer.t of the Empe- ror, on his departure from Plymouth, consisted of twelve persons. I feel pleasure in recording their names here ; it is a testimony due to tiieir devotedness.* ]Io\vever numerous this establishment may appear, it may be truly said that after our departure from England, during (he voyage, and from the time of our landing at Saint-He- lena, it had ceased to be serviceable to the Emperor. Our dispersion, the uncertainty of our establishment, ourAvants, and the irregular way in which they were supplied, neces- sarily created disorder. As soon as we were all assembled at Longwood , the Emperor determined to arrange his establishment and to assign to each of us an employment suited to our respective capacities. Reserving to the Grand Marshal the general control and superintendance of the whole household ; he consigned to RI. de Montholon all the domestic details. To I\I. Gourgand he intrusted the direction of the stables ; and I was ap- pointed to take care of the property and furniture, and to superintend the management of our supplies. The latter part of my duty appeared to interfere too much with the regulation of dorifiestic details. I conceived it vrould be conducive to the genera! advantage, that these two depart- ments should be under the control of one individual, and I soon succeeded in accomplishing this object. Every tiling now proceeded tolerably well, and we were certainly more comfortable than before. But, however reasonable might be the regulations made by the Emperor, they, nevertheless, sowed the seeds of discontent, wliich 'Individuals composing the Emperor's Lo'jsehold. Servants of tlte Chamber, Mavchard, .... native of Pari 1st valet de cliaiii'jre. St. Denis, called Aly, Kative ofVers'SiilJes, . . . . vaiet de chsmbre. Swiss • ditto. Corsiean usiier. Servar.ts in Livery. AreliHinbau].!, sen. ; tiativc of Fontainebl^au, . • g'i-oom. Arciiainbaultjun. . ditto, ditto. Gentiiini, .... native of E!ba .foolmao. , Servants for the Table, i'Xpnwn, .... Corsiean, ditd at St. Heleua, . naitre d'hotel., Pi>rron, '. . - . native of Paris Letler. Lepage, . • . . . . : cook, llt^sseac, .... native of Font!»infb;eaii, . . itcv-r4. ^20 JSy RESIDENCK WITH took root, and occasioKally developed thcaiselves. Ot* thought hiiriseif a loser by the change ; another sought to at- tach too high an importance to his office ; and a third con- ceived that he had been wronged ia the general division of duties. We were no longer the members of one family, oach exerting his best endeavours to secure the advantage af the iThole. We were far from putting into practice that which necessity seemed to dictate to i.s ; and a at reck of luxury, or a remnant o/ ambition, fre- rei'resentatvte oj a rcvoiiitiQit (which is distiEgiiishcd ty the epithet auti-sccial) brought from Ecriie the leadcf the Catholic Chinch, to aucinthis trow with the oil that cce- secrates diadrmsl 7 his rcjrcsei.latixe of a rercivtio?i (whicl) has been declared hostile to sovereigiily) filled Ger- irtarjy with kings, advanced the rank of princes, restored superior royalty, and rc-corstii;c (cd a defaced n.cdel. 1 his rc-yrcse.itntiiecj'a rtiohdion (which is eondernried as aprin- ciple of anarchy,) like snothcr Justinian, drew up, amidst the din of v.-ar and tije snares cf foreign policy, those cedes which are the least defective portion of human legislature, and constructed the most vigorous machine of government in the whole world. This represerdutive cf a revolution (which is vulgarly accused of having subverted all institu- tions) restoreil universities afcd public schools, filled his em- pire with the master pieces of art, and accomplished thos'e amazing and stiipendous works, which rcllect honour on human genius : and yet, in the face of the Alps, which bow- ed down at his command ; of the ocean, subdued at Ch&r- bourgh, at Flushing, at the Ilelder, and at Antwerp ; of livers, smoothly flowing beneath the bridges of Jena, Ser- res, Bordeaux, and 1'urin ; of canals, uniting seas togeth- er in a course beyond the control of Neptune ; finally, in the face of Paris, metamorphosed as it is by Napoleon, — h.c is pronounced to be the agent of general annihilation ! He who restored all, is said to be the rcpresevtative of that which destroyed all ! To what undiscerning men is this lan- guage supposed to be addressed, &c." Jlj sllualion materially improved.— Mi/ bed-chamber chang- ed, StC. 17th. — The Emperor summoned me at two o'clock, when be begaa to dress. On entering, he observed 1 looked pale: I replied, t!iat it might be owing to the atmosphere of my chamber, which, from its proximity to the kitchcu, was an absolute oven, being frequently filled with smoke. Be then expressed a wish that I should constantly occupy the topographic cabinet, in which I iuight write during the day, and sleep at night, in a bed which the Admiral had fit- ted up for the Emperor liimself, but which he did not make use of, as he preferred his own camp-bed. When he had finished drcssnig, and was choosing between two or three snuff-boxes which lay before him, he abruptly gave one to his valet-de-chambre(Marchand:) Keep it," said he, "it is always meeting my eye, and it vexes me." I know not what was on this snuff-box; but I imagine it was a portrait of the King of Rome. THE EMFEROR NArOLEOX. 225 Tiie Emperor left liis apartment, and I followed him: be ivent over the house, and entered jr.y chamber. Seeing a dressing-glais, he enquired whether it was the one he lad given me. Then putting his l;and to the wall, which wae lieatcd by the kitchen, he again observed that I could not possibly remain in that room, and absolutely insisted on my occupying his bed in the topographic cabinet; adding in a tone of captivating kindness, that it was "tie bed of a friend." We walked out, and proceeded in the direction of a wretched farm which was within sight. On cur way we saw the barracks of the Chinese. These Chinese are men who enlist on board English ships kt Macao, and who con- tinue at Saint-Helena in the service of the East India Com- pany for a certain number of years, when they return to their homes, after collecting a little store of money, as the peopleofAu.vergne do in France. The Empercr wished to ask them some questions ; but we could not make ourselves understood by them. We next visited what is called Long- vrood Farm. The Emperor was seduced by the nam.e ; he expected to find one of the delightful farniS of Flanders or England; but this was merely on a level with our lowest metairies. We afterwards went down to the Company's garden, which is formed in the hollow where the two op- posite ravines meet. The Emperor called the gardener, and the man who attends to the Company's cattle and superin- tends the Chinese, of whom he asked many questions. He returned home very much fatigued, though we had scarcely walked a mile: this was his first excursion. Before dinner the Emperor summoned me and my son to our accustomed ta?k. He said, I had been idle, and called my attention to my son who was laughing behind my back. He asked why he laughed ; and I replied, that it was prob- ably because his Majesty was taking revenge for him. "Ah '."said he, smiling, "I see I am here acting the part of the grandfather." JJahits and haursofthe Emperor. — His style to the iico Em- presses. -^Details. — The Emperor'' s maxims on the mhject t'f the police. — Secret police for the Examination cf let- ters.— Curious pa7-ticulars. — The Emperor favourable tr the most part, not been read: to read all would have been an endless task. The system of examining letters was adopted with the view of preventing, rather than discovering, dangerous correspondence. The letters Xhat were really read, exhibited no trace of having been opened, so effcctnal were the precautions employed. " Since (lie reign of Louis XIV," said the Emperor, there had ex- isted an office of political police for discovering foreign correspondence ; and since that period the same family had managed tlie business of the oliice, though the individuals and their functions were alike unknown. It was in all re- spects an official post. The persons superintending this de- partment were educated at great expense in the different capitals of Europe. They had their own peculiar notions of propriety, and always manifesled reluctance to examine French domestic correspondence : this matter, however, remained entirely at their own discretion. As soon as the name of any individual was entered upon the lists of this important department, his arms and seals were immediate- ly engraved at the office; and with such a degree of accuy racy, that the letters, after being read, were closed up and delivered without any mark of suspicion. These circum- Ktances, joined to the serious evils they might create, and the important results they were capable of producing, con- stituted the vast responsibility of the office of postmaster- genera;!, and required that it sliould be filled by a man of prudence, judgment, and intelligence." 1 he Emperor be- >.towed great praise on M. de Lavalette, for the way in which he had discharged his duties. The Emperor was by no means favourable to the system of inspecting correspondence. With regard to the diplo- matic information thereby obtained, he did not consider it of sufficient value to counterbalance the expenses incurred ; for the establishment cost 600,000 francs. As to the ex- amination ofthe letters of citizens, he regarded that as a mea- sure calculated to do more harm than good. " It is rarely," said he, " that a conspiracy is carried on through such chan- nels ; and with respect to the individual opinions obtained from epistolary correspondence, they may be more danger- ous than useful to a sovereign, particularly among such a people as the French. Of whom will not our national vola- tility and fickleness lead us to complain 1 The man whom I may have offended at my levee, will write to-day that I am a tyrant, though butyesterday he overwhelmed me with praises, and perhaps to-morrow will be ready to lay down his life to serve me. The violation of the privacy of cor- respondence may, therefore, cause a prince to loose his best friends, by wrongfully inspiring lum with distrust and prejudice towards all ; particularly as enemies capable of mischief are always sufficiently artful to avoid exposing themselves to that kind of danger. Some of my ministers yrere so cautious in this respect, that I could never succeed in detecting one of their letters." 20 230 MY RESIDENCE WITH I think I have already mentioned that on the Emperor's return from Elba, there were found in M. de Blacas' apart- ments in the Thuilleries, numerous petitions and letters, in which Napoleon was spoken of most indecorously. " They would have formed a most odious collection," said the Em- peror. " For a moment I entertained the idea of inserting some of them in the Moniteur. They would have disgraced certain individuals : but they would have afforded no new lesson on the human heart : men are always the same !" The Emperor was far from knowing all the measures ta- ken by the police, in his name, with respect to writings and individuals ; he had neither time nor opportunity to inquire into them. Thus he daily learned from his ministers, or from the pamphlets that happened to fall in his way, the arrests of individuals, or the suppression of works, of which, he had never before heard. In alluding to the works that had been suppressed by the police during his reign, tlie Emperor observed, that having plenty of leisure time during his stay at Elba, he amused himself with glancing over some of these works, and that he "was frequently unable to conceive the motives that had in- duced the police to suppress them. He then proceeded to converse on the subject of the lib- erty and restriction of the press. This, he said, was an in<» termrnable question, and admitted of no medium. The grand difficulty, he observed, did not lie in the principle it- self, but in the treatment of the accused party, or the cir- cumstances under which it might be necessary to apply the principle taken in an abstract sense. The Emperor would have been favourable to unlimited liberty. In all our con» Tersations at Saint- Helena, he constantly treated evei^ great question in the same point of view and with the same arguments. Thus Napoleon truly was, and must remain in the eyes of posterity, the type, the standard, and the prince ©f liberal opinions } they belonged to his heart, to his prin- ciples, and to his mind. If his actions sometimes seemed at variance with these ideas, it was when he was imperiously swayed by circumstances. This is proved by the following fact, to which I ntjw attach more importance than I did fvhen it first came to my knowledge. Inoneof the evening-parties at the Thuilleries, Napole-f en conversing aside with three or four individuals ofthfi court, who were grouped around him, closed a discussioa on a great political question with the following remarable words: — "For my part, I am fundamentally and naturally favourable toafixed and moderate g-overnm.ent." And ob> •erving that the countenance ofone ofthe interlocutors ex- l>reBsed8wrprise, "You do»'t bcljeye me J" pQnti»ue4 he'- THE EMPEE.OR NAPOLEON. 231 ■*'why not ? It is because my deeds do not seem to accord with my words'? My dear Sir, how little you know of men and things I Is the necessity of the moment nothing in yout eyes I Were I to slacken the reins only for a moment, wc should have fine disorder; neither you nor I would probably Bleep another night at the Thuilleries." The Emperor''s first Ride on Horseback. — Severity of the Ministerial Iiisti'nctions. — Our vexations and complaints.—T- The Emperor^s Remarks. — Rude replies. 20tli— 23d. The Emperor mounted his horse after break- fast. We directed our course towards the farm : we found the farmer in the Company's garden, and he attended us over the whole of the grounds. The Emperor asked hira a number of questions respecting his farm, as he used to do during his hunting excursions in the neighbourhood of Ver- sailles, where he discussed with the farmers the opinions of the Council of State, in order to bring forward to the Coun- cil in their turn the objections of the farmers. We advan- ced through the grounds of Longwood, in a line parallel with the valley, until finding no farther road for the horses we were compelled to tuf n back. We then crossed the little valley, gained the height where the troops were encamped, advanced to the Alarm hill, and passing over its summit we arrived beyond the camp, near the Alarm house, on the road leading from Longwood to Madame Bertrand's resi- dence. The Emperor at first proposed calling on her; but, when about halfway thither, he changed his mind, and we retui"*«d CO liongwood. The instructions of the English Ministers with regard to the Er.iperor at Saint-Helena, were dictated in that dis- graceful spirit of harshness, which in Europe had urged the solemn violation of the law of nations. An English officer was to be constantly at the Emperor's table ; this cruel measure was of course calculated to deprive us of the com- fort of familiar conversation. The order was not carried into effect, only because the Emperor took his meals in Lis own chamber. I have very good reason to believe, that he »egretteQ not having adopted the same resolution on board the Northumberland. An English officer was to accompa- ny the Emperor in his rides on horseback: this was a se- vere annoyance, which rendered it impossible that his mind could for a moment be diverted from his unfortunate situation. This order was not, however, enforced within certain limits which were prescribed to us, because the Emperor had declared that he would not ride on liorseback *t*ll on suQli conditions^. -3.2 3S.y RESIDENCE WfTB In our melaiiclioly sltaation, evci-y clay brongLt with >f some new cause of uneasiness: we were constantly receiv- j-ng some new sting, wbich seemed the more cruel, as we- Trere destined to endure it for a long futurity. Yet,laccra- I'ed as our feelings undoubtedly were, each fresh wound was not the less sensibly felt. The motives that were, assigned for our vexations frequently assumed the appearance of iro- ny. Thus, sentinels were posted beneath the Emperor's windows, and before our doors; and this we were informed was for our own safely. We were cut offfrom all free Com- munication with the inhabitants of the island; we were put under a kind of close confinement; and were told that this was done to free- tlie Emperor from all annoyance. The pass words and orders were incessantly changed ; we lived in the continual perplexity and apprehension of being ex- posed to some unforeseen insult. The Emperor whose fee- lings were keenly alive to all these things, resolved to write to the Admiral, through the medium of M. de Montholon, lie spoke with warmth, and made som.e observations wor- thy of remark. "Let not the Admiral suppose," said he, "that I treat with him on any of these subjects. Were he to present himself to me to-morrow, in spite of my just i-e- sentment, he would find ray countenance as serene, and my temper as composed, as usual. This would not be the^ef- fect ofdissimiilatiou on my part, but merely the fruit of ex- perience.. I recollect that Lord Whitworth once filled En-- rope with the report of a long conversation that he had had with me, scarcely a word of which was true. But that was my fault; and it taught me to be more cautious in future. The Emperor has governed too long not to know that h.e must not commit himself ta the discretion of any one who may -have it in his power to say falsely ; The Emperor lold me so and so; while the Emperor may not have the means of either affirming or contradicting the statement. One wit- ness is as good as another. It is-, therefore, necessary to employ some one, who may be enabled to tell the narrator that he speaks false, and that he is ready to set him right ; which ti^e Emperor himself cannot do." M.de Montholon's letter was couched in s-harp terms r the reply was insulting and coarse: N'o such thing as an, •Emperor wrus known at St. Helena; ike justice and'inodcra- tloiqfthe Eaq-lish g-o-oennnent icwards vs, loould he the ad- mircition of future ag-es, S,'C. D r. O'Meara was instructed to accompany this written reply with verhal additions of tlie most offensive nature: to inquire, for example, whether thf Emperor wished that the Admiral should send him sundry atrocious li'oels and anonymous letters, which had been rf- fveivcd, addressed to lim, &g. •TlIE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. SSS Twas engaged with the Emperor at the time this answer wascoinmunicated to him. I could not conceal my asion- ishment and indignation at certain expressions that were euiployed. But we could only let philosophy take place of resentment ; it was suflicient to reflect that all satisfaction was iieyond our reach, i'o address a direct complaint to ^he Pnuce llegent, would perhaps have been to furnish a gratilicariuu to that Pri:;<-e; as well as a recommendation to him Avlio had offended us. Besides, the Emperor could not address complaints to aiiy individual on earth : he could appeal only to the tribunals of heaven, nations, and poster!-' ty- On the 23d the Doris frigate arrived from the Cape, bringing seveb horses that bad been purchased there for the Emperor. TuC Er'nfror's disdain of popular it /^t, hh reasons, argvments, {,■(•. — Cviivrrsation respecting- ?/ step across it and wait favour horses ; but the bank? of this little streamlet W3re very deceptive. They appeared to consist of dry g-round, wliich at first supported us, but we. soon fouiid oursslvcs suddely sinking as though we had beon breaking through ice. I had already sunk above my knees, when by a sadden ciTort I disengaged myself, and turned to assist the Emperor, who had both legs in the mud, and had got his hands on the ground, cndaavouring to extricate him- self. With a great deal of trouble and a great deal of dirt, we regained the terra Jirma ; aud 1 could not help thinkitg of the marshes of Areola, which we had been engaged in describing a few days before, and in which Napoleon was very near being lost. The Emperor looked at his clothes and said, " Las Cases, this is a dirty adventure." " If we had been lost in the mud," added he, "what would have been said in Europe] The canting hypocrites would have proved beyond a doubt, that we had been swallowed up for our crimes." The horses being at length brought to u», we continued O'jr journey, breaking through hedges, and leaping over 3'idges ; and with a great deal of diHiculty we rode up the whole length of tjie valley, which separates Longwood from Diana's Peak. We ratarned back by the way of Madame Bertrand's residence : it was three o'clock when we reach- ed home. We then learned that the vessels which had been seen in the morning were a brig and a transport from Eng- land, and an American ship. The Emperor sent f3r me about seven o'clock ; he was with the Grand Marshal, who was reading to him the news- papers from the 9th to tlie 16th of October. He had not done reading at nine o'clock. The Emperor,, astonished to find it so late, hastily rose and went up to the table, corn- plaining of being kept wait i:,!,- for his dinner. They were stupid enough to give a very ridiculous reason for the delay. Tliis domestic irregularity irritated him very mnch ; and then he was angry with himself for feeling offended; so the dinner passed off in dulness and silence. However on returning to the drawing-room for tlie des- sert, the Emperor bega2i to converse on the news which the papers had brought us: the conditions of peace, the fortress- es ceded to foreign powers, and the fermentation of the great cities of Europe. He treated these subjects in a mas- terly style. He retired early ; and had evidently not for^. gotten the circumstance Tvhich aonoyed him at dinner. I'llE E51PKR0R NAPOLEO.V. 245 lie soon sent for me, being desirciis to continue the peru- sal of the papers. As I was preparing to read, he recollec- ted the state of my eyes, and would not allow nie. I be^rgcd to be permitted to continue, telling him that 1 read qiuckly, and should soon have finished them ; but he took them away from nie, saying, " Nature will not obey our commands. 1 forhid it ; I will wait till to-morrow." He then began to walk about a little, and soon gave utterance to the feelings which had oppressed his spirits. How amiable he appeared in his reproaches and complaints ! How jijst and true Vva3 every observation tliat escaped him ! Tlicse were a tew of the precious moments when Nature, taken by surprise, ex- poses the inmost recessfes of the hmnaa heart and character. 1 left him, saying within myself, as 1 have so often bad oc- casion to say ; " Good God, how little lias the character of iho Emperor been known to the world !" They are beginning here to form a more just opinion of him, however. Those Englishmen whose .violent preji^diccs against him were in a great degree excusable from the false accounts they had received, begin now to entertain a more correct idea 'of his character. They allow that they are ytrangcly undeceived every day, and that the Emperor is a very dillerent being from that Napoleon w iiose in;age had been traced to them through the mcdii.in ui' i.tisehccd and political interests. All those who havr, hid oj-pov: '.unties of seeing and hearing him converse, liavc hi\i ^u^ oi^inion on the subject. The Admiral has m.crc ti;an or.ce, in the midst of our disputes with him, hastily exclaiir.ed that the Empe- !"or was decidedly the most good-natured, just, and reason- able of the whole set. And here the Admiral was in the right. On another occasion, an Englishman , whom we frecj.iently ;;aw, confessed to Napoleon, with the utmost humility of heart, and as it were by way of expiation, that he had to re- proach his conscience with having once firmly believed all the abominable falsehoods related of him. He had given credit to all the accounts of stranglir.gs, massacres, and brutal ferocity ; in short, he eveh believed in the deformi- ties of his person, and the hideous features of his counte- nance. " And," said he candidly, " how could I help cre- diting all this ? Our English publications were filled with these statements ; they were in every mouth ; not a single, voice was raised to contradict them." "Yes," said Na- poleon smiling, "it is to your Ministers that [ am indebted for these favours : they inundated Europe with pamphlets and liSels against me. Perhaps they might say in excuse, that they did but reply to those which they received from France ; and it must in justice be confessed that those 31* i'4o MY RESIDENCE WITH Frenchman who have since been seen to exnit over Ihaf- ruins of their country, felt no hesitation i.; fiu-aishing them with such articles in abundant supplies. " Be this as it may, 1 was repeatedly urged during the period of my power, to adopt measures for counteracting this underhand work; but I always declined it. What ad- vantage should I have gaine«3 oy such a defence ? It would have been said that I had paid for it, and that would only Lave discredited me still more. Another victory, another incnument, — these, I said, are the best, the only answers I can make. Falsohood passes away, and truth remains ! The sensible portion of the present age, and posterity in particular, will form their judgment only from facts, is it not so 1 Already the cloud is breaking ; the light is pierc- ing through and my character grows clearer every day. It will soon become the fashion in Europe to do me justice. Those who have succeeded me, possess the archives of my ■administration and police, and the records of my trii)uuals : they hold in their pay, and a.t their disposal, those nho jnusthave beea the executors, and the accomplices of my ■atrocities and crimes; yet, what proofs have ihey brought forward ] What have they made known '!• " The lirrjt moments offiiry being passed away, all honest and sensible men will render justice to my character ; none but rogues or fools will be my enemies. 1 may rest at ease ; the suGces'e a very good seaman," said the Emperor to him, " but you know no- thing at all about our situation. We ask you for nothing. We can maintain ourselves without all those annoyances and privations ; we can provide for ourselves ; but still ov.r 248 MY RESIDENCE WITH esteem is worth the obtaining." TJic Admiral referred tcT his instructions. " But," re|)iied the Ernperor, "you uu not consider the vast distance that intervenes between the dic- fation and the execution of those instructions ! The very- individual who issues thena in a remote part of the world, would oppose thcin if he saw them carried into execution. Besides," continued he, "it is certain that on the least difi'ereace, the least opposition, the slightest expression of public opinion, the Ministers v/oiiid disavow their instruc- tions, or severely blame those who had not given them a more favourable interpretation." The Admiral conducted himsolf wonderfully well ; lie Emperor passed high praises on him ; all asperities were softened down, and good under=tanding prevailed. It WciB agreed that the Emperor should henceforth freely rids about the Island ; that the oliicer who had been instructed to at- tend him, should merely watch him from a distance, so that the Emperor might not be offended with the sight oi'a guard; that visiters should be admitted to the Emperor, not witii the penaissioa of the Admiral, as the inspector of Long- wood, bnt '.vith that cf the Grand Marshal who did the hoa- ours of the establishment. To-day, our little colony was increased by the arrival of' Captain Pioiitkon'sky, a native cf Poland. He was one of those individuals whom v,e had left behind us at Plymouth. His devotedness to the Emperor, and his grief at being sep- arated from him, had s!ii lU'.ed the severity of the English miiiisters, aud he rcc^ivcl pe'.niission to proceed to baint- Helena. Lieutciiant-goveriior Skelton. 31st. — Lieu tenant-governor Slielton and hislady, who had always sliown us great aircntions, came to present th;»> re- spects to the Emperor, who, after an hour's conversation, desired me to translate to the Colonel an invitation to ride out with him on horse-back. 'J he invftatiori was joyfully accepted, and we ser out. We passed tlirough the valley whicli separates us from Diana's Peak, to (he great aston- ishment of the Colonel, to whom this course was perfectly new. He found the rid;e fatiguing, and in many parts dan- gerous. The E?npeior detained Colone! ajid Mrs. Skelton to dinner, and entertained them in theinost agreeable way. THE EMPEROR KAPOLEOX. 249 .Yju-years-dau — Fou!ung-i)ieces, S,-c. — Colonel Willcs'sfam-- il.j. January Ist — 3d, 1816. On Dew-year's-day we all assem- bled about tea o'clock in the moraing, to present the com- pliments of the season to the Emperor. He received us in a few moments. We had more need to offer him wishes than eong^ratulations. The Emperor wished that wc should breakfast and spend the whole day tog-ether. He observed that we were but a handful in one corner of the world, and that all our consolation must be our regard for each other. We all accompanied tlie Emperor into the garden, where hs walked about until breakfast was ready. At this mo- ment, his fowling-pieces, which had hitherto been detained by the. Admiral, were sent back to him. 'I'his measure, on the part of the Admiral, was only another proof of the new disposition which he had assimied towards us. The guns could be of no use to the Emperor ; for the nature of the gi'ouud, and the total want of game, rendered it impossible ihat he could enjoy even a shadow of diversion in shooting. There were no birds except a few pigeons among the gum- trees, and these had already been killed, or forced to mi- grate, by the few shots that Gen. Gourgaud and my son hadl amused themselves in firing. We observed that measures which seemed to be dictated by the best and kindest intentions on the part of the Acltni- ral, always bore an appearance of restriction and colouring of caprice, which destroyed tjjcir eflect. Along with the Emperor's fowling-pieces, were two or three guns belonging to individuals of liis suite. These were delivered to their owners; but on condition that they sliould be sent every evening to the tent of the officer on duty. It may v.eil be supposed that this preposition induced us, witii(j;it Lcsita- , tion, to decline the favour altogether; and the guns were not surrendered to us unconditionally, until after a little parleying.. And after all wliat were the important subjects under discussion ! A iew fowling pieces ; and the ov.ners. of them were unfortunate men banished from the rest of the world, surrounded by sentinels, and guarded Ly a whole camp. I mention this circumstance, because, though ti-i- fling in itself, it proves better tiian m:.hy others our real situation, and tlie mode in whicij Ave -vrere treated. On tlic 3d I breakfasted v.'ith Madame Bertrand, whom I, waste accompruiy to dine at the Governor's. From Madame Uertrand's abode to Plantation House (the Governor's resi- dence), is an hour and a half's journey in a carriage drawn by six osen, for the use of l:crses on this read would be dan- g-croL-?. \yc creased or turned five or six pa<3ses i3anked 250 MY re5ide:^'ce with with precipices several iiundred feet hi>li. Four of the oxen were taken from the carriaje in the rapid descents, and yoked ag'ain in ascending the hiiis. We stopped when we had f^-ot ai)out three parft of the way, to pay a visit to a good old lady of eig'lity-tliree years of age, who is very fond of Madame iJartranJ's children. Her house is very pieas- antiy situated : siie had not been oat of it for sixteea ycars> Wiieii, heai-ing- of the Emperor's arrival, she set out for the town, declariog- that if it cost her her life, she was resolved to see him :^— che was happy enough to gain her object. Plantation House is the best situated, and most agreeable residence in the whole island. The mansion, the garden, the out-office=i, all call to mind the residence of a family possessing an income of 25 or 30,000 livres in one of the French provinces. The grounds are cultivated with the greatest attention and taste. A resident at Plantation House might imagine lamself in Europe, without ever sus- pecting the desolation tiiat prevails over every part of the Iskind. Plantation House is occupied by Colonel VVilks, the Goveraur, whose authority is now superceded by the Admix-al. He is a man of most polished manners : his wifeis an amiaole womaa, and his datrghter a charming young lady. The Governor had invited a party of about thirty. The manners and ceremonies of the company were entirery European. We spent several hours at Plantation House ; and this, we may truly say, has been ihe'"only interval of oblivion and abstraction that we havs enjoyed since we quitted France. Colonel "Wiiks evinced particular par- tiality and kindness to mo. We mutually expressed the compliments and sympathy of two authors, pleased with oach other's merits. We exchanged our works. The Colonel overwhelmed me with fiatterinj^ compliments ; and those wiiieh I ro turned to him were of the sincerest kind ; for his work contains a novel and interesting account ofHin- dostaa, v/hore lie resided for a considerable time in a di- plomatic capacity, A spirit of philosophy, a fund of infor- mation, joined to singi-ilar purity of style, concur to render it a production of first rate merit. In his political opinions, Colonel Wilks is cool and impartial ; he judges calmly and dispassionately of passing events, and is imbued with the soiiul idois and liberal opinions of an intelligent and inde- pendent Englishman. As wo were on the point of sitting down to dinner, tve wore, tp our surprise, informed that the Emperor, in com- pany with the Admiral, had just passed very near the gate of Plantation House ; one of the "-uests (Mr. Doveton, of Sandy Bay) observed, that Napoleon had, in the moraing'. honoiu-ed him with a visit, and spent three-quarters of af» hour at his house. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 2i> I 't,ifc (it Longwood — The Emprrcr^s ride on horse back. — Onrnymph. — J\7clinamts. — 0?(. islaiuh, end the defence of them. — Or eat fortresses; Gihraiiar. — CidtivdtMh and IcMs I cfthe. island. — Enthusiuivi, A<'- 4tli — 8th. When I cDtered tlie Eir.peror's apartments to give him an account of oia- excursion od tlie precedirig cay, he took hold of uiy ear, saying: " Well, you deserted me yesterday; 1 got through the evening very ^rt■l!, noiwith« standiiig. Do not suppose tliat I could not do v.itljout you." Delightful words! rendered most louciii.g ly the tone which accompanied them, and .by the knowledge I now possess of him by whom they w ere uttered. The weather has eveiy dr.y been line, the temperature dry: the heat intense, but abating Euddcnly, as usual, to- wards five or svs o'clock. The Emperor, since his arrival at Longwood, had left ctF Lis nsual dictations : he passed his time in readirg in his cabinet, dressed hinself between three and four o'clock, and afterwards went out on horseback, accompanied by two or three of us. The mornings must have appeared to hiralonger; but I. is hoalth was the better for it. Ourrides were always directed towards the neighbourirg valley, of which I have already spoken ; we either passed up it, takii;g the lower part of it first, and returning by the Grand Mar- slial's liouse ; or, on the contrary, went up ihnJ sidelirst, in order to descend it in returning: we even ivent 'Lieynrd it once or twice, and crossed other similar valleys. We thus explored the neighbourhood, and visited tl e lew labitatiens which it coniained: the whole 9f v, hicli v, ere peer and wretched. The roadsweresometin.es injpassable ; v.-ev/ero even occasionally obliged to.gct off our hoses. We had to clear hedges, to scale stone-walls, which v e n->et with ve- Bcunced any thing but afriuence. The following- morning- wc found she had bestowed the greatest pains on her toi- lette ; but our pretty blossom of the fields now t^p];eared to us nothing more than a very ordinary garden flower. P-, e- vertlieless, we hencerirth sttq-ped at Ler dwellir.g a ftw ■minutes every day ; she always apprcaclied a few paces fo catch the two or three sentences which the Emperor either addressed; or caused to be trar.slaled to her as he passed b.y. 2j:J my residence ynrsj and we continued our route, disccursing on her charm*. From that time she formed an addition to tlie particular comenclature of Lougwood: she became our hym/.h. A- mur.g those who were intimate with him, the Emperor used, without premeditation, to invent new namesfor every person and object th^t attracted his notice. 'J has the pass through which we were proceeding at the moment ofwliich I am now w-riling, received the name of the ValUy of Si- lence ; our host at Briars was our Amphitryon; Lis neigh- bour, the Major, who was five feet high, was our llcmilcs ; Sir George Cockburn was my Lord AdwJral, as long as he were in good spirits, but, Avhen ili-humSur prevailed, there was no title for him but such as the shark, kc. Our nymph is the identical heroine of the little pastoral with w3:ich Doctor "^^Varden has been pleased to enilieiii.sL his Letters ; rJthough I corrected his arror, when lie gave me the manuscript to read before his departure for Europ.e, by telling him ; " If it is your intention to form a taic, it is well; but if you wish to depict the trutli, you must alter this entirely." It should seem that he thought his taie pos- sessed far more interest ; and he has preserved it accor- dingly. But to return to our >;7/ni/5/i. : 1 have been inform- ed, that Napoieon brought her great good fortune. The celebrity which she acquired through him, attracted the curiosity of travellers, and her own charms efiectcd the 7-cst: she is become the wife of a very rich merchant, or captain, in the service of the East India Company. On returning from our rides, we used to iind assembled "the persons whom the Emperor had invited to dine with him. lie had, successively, the Colonel of the 53d, several of the officers and their ladies, the Admiral, the beautiful and amiable Mrs. Hodson, the wife of our Hercules, whom the Emperor went one day to visit iu the valley of Driars, and whose children he had taken so much notice of, &c. &c. After dinner, the Emperor joined our party at cards, and the rest of the company formed another. The day the Adminal dined at Longwood, the Emperor, whilst taking his coffee, discoursed for a few miiiutcs upon the affairs of the Island. The Admiral said that the G6th regiment was coming to reinforce the r>3d. Tlie Emperor laughed at this ; and asked him, if he did not think himself already strong enough. Then continuing his general ob- servations, he said that an additional seventy-four would be of more use than a regiment ; thatsliips of war were the se- curity of an Island : that fortifications produced nothiDg' bu^; delay; that the landing of a superior force was a com- THE EiyirEROll NAl OLQC'i:. ^6^ |)lete SUCCCS.S, altliough its effects might be' deferred for A time; provided, however, the distance did not admit ef suc- cour arriving. The Admiral having asked bim which, in his opinion, was the strongest place iu the world, the Emperor answered, it was impos-iihle to point it out, because the strength of a place arises partly from its own means of defence, and partly from evtraneous and indeterminate circiinistanceg. He, however, mentioned Strasnurg, Lil!e, Mctz, Iv^autua, ^^nt- werp, Ivialta, and Gibraltar. The Admiral having told him ihat he had been suspected in Ei;gland, for some time, of entertaining a desiajn to attack Gibraltar: "We knew better than that," replied the Emperor; " it was our inter- est to leave Gibraltar in yourpossession. It is of no advan- tage to you ; it neither protects nor intercepts any thing; it is only an object of national pride, which costs England very dear, and gives great umhraq^e to Spain. It would have been very injudicious in us to destroy sucli arrangements." On the 6th 1 was invited, with Aiadaine Bertraud and my son, to dine at Briars, wlicre our old host had assembled much company. We returned very late, and not without having been exposed to danger, from the difficulties of the road, and tlje darkness of the night, which obliged us to perform part of the journey on foot, from consideration for Madame Bertrand. On the 7 th tlie Emperor received a visit from the Secre- tary of the Government and one of the members of the Council. He asked them a great many questions, as usual, concerning the cultivation, the prosperity, acd the im- provements of which (he Island might be capable. In 1772 a system had been adopted fur furnishing meat at half price to tlie inhabitants from the magazines of the Company: the coiiSequence of which was, great idleness and neglect of agriculture. This system was altered five years ago; which, added to other circumstances, has revived emulation, and carried the prosperity of the Island to a pitch far beyond what it ever enjoyed before. It is to be feared that our -arrival may prove a mortal blow to this growing prosperity. Saint-Helena, which is seven or eight leagues in circum- ference (about the size of Paris,) is subject to the general laws of England and the local ones of the Island : these lo- cal laws are drawn up by a Council, and are sanctioned in England by the Court of Directors of the East India Com- pany. The Council is composed of a Governor, of two civil members, and a Secretary, who keeps the registers ; they are all appointed by the Company, and are subject to be removed at pleasure. The members of the Council are le- gislators, administrators, and magistrates ; they decide »2 2j't MY RESIDE\-CE WTTIT without appeal, with the aid of a jury, upon civil and crimf- nal matters. There is neither advocate nor attorney intlie Island; the Secretary of the Council legalizes all acts, and is a kind of unique notary. The population of the Island amounts at this moment to about five or six thousand souls, including the blacks and the garrison. I was walking one afternoon in the garden with the Em- peror, when a sailor, about twenty-two or twenty-three years of age, with a frank and open countenance, approach- ed us with gestures expressive of eagerness and joy, mingled with apprehension of being perceived from without. He spoke nothing but English, and told me in a hurried man- lier, that he had tAvice braved the obstacie of sentinels and all the dangers of severe prohibition, to get a close view of the Emperor. He had obtained this good fortune, he said, looking steadfastly at the Emperor, and should die content; that he offered up his prayers to Heaven that Napoleon might enjoy good health, and be one day more happy. I dismissed him ; and on quitting us, he hid himself again be- hind the trees and hedges, in order to have a longer view of ns. We frequently met with such unequivocal proofs of the good-will of these sailors. Those of the Northumberland, above all, considered themselves as having formed a con- nexion with the Emperon While we were residing at Briars, where our seclusion was not so close, they often ho- vered on a Sunday around us, saying they came to take another look at their ship-mate. The day on which we quitted Briars, I was with the Emperor in the garden, when one of the sailors presented himself at the gate, asking me if he might step in without giving olFence. I asked him of what country he was, and what religion he professed. He answered by making various signs of the cross, in token of his having understood me, and of fraternity. Then looking steadfastly upon the Emperor, btfore whom he stood, auS raising his eyes to Heaven, he began to hold a conversation with himself, by gestures, which his stout jovial ligure ren- dered partly grotesque, and partly sentimental. Never- theless it would have been difficult to express more natural- ly, admii*ation, respect, kind wishes, and sympathy ; whilst big tears started in his eyes. " Tell that dear man," said iie to me, " that I wish him no harm, but all possible Jiappi- ness. So do most of us. Long life and health to him J" He had a nosegay of wild flowers in his hand, which he seemed to wiah to otfcr to us ; but either his attention was taken up, or he felt restrained by the Emperor's presence, or his own feelings, and he stood wavering, as if contending with himself for sometime; then aiuldenly made us a bow» and disappeared. ^ THE EMPJaiOR NAPOLEON. 265 The Emperor could not refrain from evincing some emo- tion at these two cireuinstanaes ; so strongly Aid the coun- tenances, acceutsj and gestures of these two men bear the stamp of truth. He then said, " See tlie effect of iiuagina- *?t>0 ? How powerful is its influence 1 Here are people wlio do not know me — wiio have never seen me ; they have only heard me spoken of; and what do they not feel! what would they not do to serve me! And the same caprice is to i)e found in all countries, in all ages, and in both sexes ! This is fanaticism ! Yes, imagination rules the world !" 7^€i-atious treatment of the Emperor. — Fresh mitunderstand' i:igs with tht Admiral. 9th. — The grounds round Longwood, within v?hich we have the liberty of taking the air, admit of only half an hour's ride on horseback; which Las induced the Emperor,^ in order to extend his ride, or to occupy more time, to de- scend into the ravines by very bad, and indeed dangerous ways. , The Island not being thirty: miles in circumference, it would have been desirable to have the circuit extended to within a mile of the sea-coast ; then \vc might have had oar rides, and even varied them, within a space of fifteen or eighteen miles. The watching of our movements would neither have been more troublesome nor less effectual, had sentinels been placed upon the sea-shore and at the open* ing:3 of the vallejs; or even Lad they traced all the Empe- ror's steps by signals. It is true it had been observed to us, th:it tiie Emperor was at liberty to go over the whole of the I.-ilaiid under the escort of an English officer; but the E.nporor had decided that he would never go out, ifdcprivtd of the pleasure of beiiig either entirely by himself, or in the society of liis friends only. The Admiral, in his last inter- view vv'ith the Empsror, had with great delicacy settled, that whenever he (the Emperor) wished to go beyond the pro- scribed limits, Le was to inform the English Captain en duty at Longwoud of the circumstance ; that the, latter t-hould go to his post Lo open the passage for the Emperor ; and that the observation, if any, should thenceforth be con- tinued in such a manner that the Emperor, during the re- mainder of his excursion, whether Le entered any Louse or took advantage of any fine situation for proceeding with his works, might perceive nothing that could for a moment dis- tract Lis mind from meditation. According to thife arrange- ment, the Emperor proposed this morniiig to mount his horse at seven o'clock : Le !jad ordered a slight breakfast t ay, to see a spring- of water, and to pass the morning- i- jotiongst some fine vegetation, (an advantage which we did not possess at Long-wood ;) and in tiiis spot he proposed to (Jictate for a few hours. Our horses were ready ; at the moirrcnt when we were aboil t to mount them, I went to acquaint the Captain with our intention", who, to my great astonishment, declared his determination of ridinjj beside us-; saying that the Emperor could not take it ill, after all, tliatan officer would not act the part of a servant by remainincy behind alone. I replied that the Emperor doubtless would approve this seniinient ; but that he would immediately give up his party of pleasure. *' You must," said I, " think it very natural, and by no means a ground of offence, that he feels a repugnance to the company of a persae who is guarding him." The officer evinced much concern, and told me that his situation was extremely embarrassing. " Not at all so," I observed to him, '= if you only execute your orxlers. We ask nothing (jf you ; yon have nothing to justify or explain to us. It must be as desirable to you as to us to get the limits extended to- wards the sea-shore : you would thereby be freed from a troublesome duty, and one which can do you no honour. — The end proposed would not be the less etfectually accom- pllshe'lby such an ar:'angement. I will venture to say, it ■would be more so: whenever we wish to Avatch a person, we rauat guard the door of his room, or the gntes of the en- closure which surrounds him ; tlie intermediate dcors are only sources of unavailing trouble. You lose sight of the Emperor every day when he descends into the deep hollows •within the circuit, and you ascertain his existence only by his return. Well, then, make a meritof a concession which the nature of things demands. Extend the limits to v/ithia a mile of the sea-shoro ; you may then also trace the Emjie- ror constantly by means of your signals, from your heighls." To all this the bfiicar replied only by repeating that he ■wanted neither look nor word from the Emperor ; that he would he with us, as if lie wore not present. He seemed, and indeed he was, unable to comprehend that the mere sight of him could be offensive to tlie Emperor. I told liiia tiiat there was a scale for tlie degrees of feeling, and that tlie same measure did not apply to all the world, i.le. ap- peared to think that we were putting our own inlerj)rcta- tions on the Emperor's sentiments, and that, if the reasons ■which he gr.ve me were explained to him (the Emperor), the Satter woi\ld accede to tlicin. He was inclined to writr> to him. f assured him that as far as related personally to him- self, he would not be aile to say so nnich to the Emperor as i myeelf should : hut that I v.'oi'!d go .and repeat U) l!ic Ew... TEIB EMl^EROa J.-APOLEON. 25T^ poroT, word for word, the conversation which had passed betv^een U3. I went: I soon returned, and confirmed to him what I had before advanced. The Uaspcrur f^om that moment gave up liis intended jaunt. Wishing, however, on my own account, to avoid every misunderotanuioo- which might ad-d to discussions at all times disagreeable, I asked liim whetlier he had any objection to show me the account he intended to give the Admiral. Ho told me he had ntine ; but that he should only give a verbal one. Then resuming our long conversation, I reduced it in a few words, to two very positive points: on his part, that he had told me he wisiied to join the party of the Emperor j and on mine, that I had replied that ihe Emperor from that moment gave up his party, and would not go beyond the limits assigned to him. This statement was perfectly a- grecd upon by both of us. The Emperor ordered me to be called into his room. Brooding in profound silence over the vexation he had just experienced, he had undressed again, and was in his moruing-govvn. He detained me to breakfast, and observed that the sky secnied to thrcatea rain ; that we should have had a bad day for our ejcursion* Uut this was a poor consolation for the ernel restraint which had just deprived him of an innocent pleasure.- The fact is, that the officer had received fresh orders; hut the Emperor had only grounded the project of his little ex- cursion upon the anterior promises of tije x\dmiral, at which the Emperor had felt a pleasure in e:xpressing his satisfac- tion to him. The present alteration, of which nothing had been said to the Emperor, must necessarily have been ex- tremely unpleasant to him. Either the word given him was broken, or an attempt had been made to impose on him. — This alfront which he experienced from the Admiral, is one of those which have considerably hurt the feelings of the Emperor. Ti:e Emperor taking a bath, and did not dine with us.-~. At nine o'clock he ordered me to be called into his room : he was reading Don Quixote, which turned our conversa- tion upon Spanish literature, the translation of Le Sage, &c. He was very melanciioly, and said little ; he sent me away in about three quarters of an hour. xWarc/iand's room. — Linen, Gar7ii^nt!!,iS,c. of the Emperor. — . Spurs of Champaubcrt, 6,c. 10th — About four o'clock the Emperor desired me to be called into his room : he was dressed, and had his boots on ; his intention was either ro get on horseback, or to tako a Tvalk io the garden; but a gentle shower of raia was falling. ^^58 MV RKSIDENCE WITtT We walked about in conversation, waiting for the CT'^at^'er to clear up. lie opened the door of his room leading to the topographical ca.naet, in arder that we jmigjit extend our walk the whole length of this cabinet. As we approached the bed, he asked me if 1 always slept in it. 1 answered, that I had ceased to do so from tlie moment that 1 became acqiiaiuted with his wish of going out early in the raorniug. " Vc^hat has that to do with it !" said he : "return to it ; I shall go out wlien I please, by the back-door." The draw- ing-room door stood half open, and he entered it ; Moatho- lon and Gourgaud were there. They were endeavouring to fix a very pretty lustre, and a small glass over the chim- ney-piece : tlie Emperor desired tiic latter might be set straight, as it inclined a little on one side. He was much pleased at this improvement in the drawing-room furniture; a proof that every thing is relative ! What could these objects liave been in tlie eyes of a man, who, some years ago, had faraitnre to the value of forty millions in his palaces? We returned to the topographical cabinet : the raincon- finued tofail, he gave up his promenade; but l:e regretted that the Grand Marshal had not arrived; he felt himself this day inclined for work, whicfi he had discontinued for fifteen days. He endeavoured to kill time, whilst waiting for Bertrand. "Let us go and see Madame de Montholon,'" said be to me. I announced him ; he sat down, made me dotiiesame; and we talked about furniture and house- keeping, lie then began to form oji inventory of the arti- cles in the apartment, piece by piece ; and we all agreed that the furniture was not worth more than thirty jNapole- ons. Leaving Madame de Monthidon's, he ran fiom room to room, and stopped in frontof the staircase in the corridor Vv'hich leads to ihe servants' room above ; it is a kind of very steep ship-stair. " Let us look at ivlarohand's apartment," eaid ht; ; " tl.ey say that he keeps it like tliat 'o[ a. '^^ petite, t'laitrctisc.^'' We climbed up; Marchand was thsre ; his little room is- clean ; he has pasted paper upon it, which he iias painted himself. His bed was without curtaLns : Mar- ehaul d.oes not sleep so far from his master's door ; at Bri- ars, iie aad the two other valets de cuambre constantly slept iip'ju iuC ground, across the Emperor's doorway, so close, that vv.ienever I came away late, 1 was obliged to step over I'hem. The Emperor ordered the presses to be opened ; they contained nothing hut his linen and his clothes: the v/hole was not considerable, and he, nevertheless, was as- tonished to find Siimself still so rich. " How many pair of '«purs have; i ?" said he, taking up a pair. " Four pair," answered Marchand. " Are any of them more remarkable Ihan the restT' " No Sire." " Well, I will give apair of THE EMPEROR NAPOLEOX. Z59 iiiem io Las Cases. Are these old ]" "-Yes, Sire, lliey^ are almost worn out ; your Majesty wore them in the cam- paign of Dresden, and in tiiat of Paris." — " Kere," said he, *'iTivirig- tbem tome; these are for you." 1 couJd have wished that he would have permitted mc to receive them en my knees. 1 felt that I was really receivinf^ something connected wi'Ji the g;lorious days of Champaubcrt, Montmi- rail, Nangis, Monlercau ! Was there ever a more appro- priate memorial of chivalry, in the times of Amadis"! "Your Majesty is making me a kniirht," said I ; " but how am I to win these spurs !• I cannot pretend to achieve any feat of arms ; and as to love and devotion, Sire, all I have to be- stow, have long since been disposed of." Still the Grand JVIarshal did not arrive, and the Emperor wishorl to set to work. " You cannot write any longer then !"' he said to me. " Yoiir eye-sight is quite gone." — Ever since we l:ad been here I had given up work entirely ; my eye-sight failed me, which made me extremely melan- choly. " Yes, Sire," I replied, " it is entirely gone, and I am grieved that I lost it in the Campaign of Italy, without en- joying the happiness and glory of having served in it." — He endeavoured to console me, by telling me, that I should re- cover my eye-sight beyond a doubt by repose, adding, '■'Oli why did tiiey not leavens PlanafJ that good young man would now be of great service to me." And he desired ■General Gourgaud to come, that he might dictate to him, > Admiral T'aylor, S^c. 11th. — As I was walking after breakfast, about half-past- twelve, before the gate, I saw a numerous cavalcade ap- proaching, preceded by the Colonel of the 53d: it was Ad- miral 'J'aylor, who bad arrived the evening before with his^ squadron from the Cape, and was to leave us the next day but one for Europe. Among his captains was his son, who had lost his arm at the battle of Trafalgar, where his father commanded the Tonnant. Admiral Taylor said, he was come to pay his respects to the Eir.peror; but he had just received for answer that he was ti.i'.vell : at which the Admiral was much disappointed. I o',s,erved to him, that the climate of Longwood was very tinfavoura'de to Napoleon. 1 chose an unlucky time for making this observation, as tlie sky was beautiful, and the place displayed at this moment all the illusion which it is capable of producing: the Admiral did not fail to remark that the situation was charming. I replied in a tone of genuine sorrow. " JTes, aiRnlral, lo-day, and for you, wh^ 2tJ0 kr iiEsiDE^cE wiift 07ity remain a qiiarler nf an hour in ?7." At tliis he seemed quitft discou'jerted, began to makf; excuses, and begged n.e to pardon him for having made use of what he called an im- pcrdnent exprcssi;;a. I must render justicxi to the peculiar nrbanity of manner which he evinced on tiiis occasion. The Emperor aimed at by a Soldier. — Qur Evening Amuse-- nients. — JS'l -jsIc. — PGlitical sally. 12th — 14th. — The Emperor had now for several days left oifhis excursions on htjrseback. The result of his attempt to resume them, on the 12th, was neither calculated to re- vive his partiality for this amusement, nor to render it once more habitual to him. We had cleared our valley as usual, and were re-ascenuirig it at the back part opposite Long- V/ood, when a soldier from one of the heights, where there had hitherto been lio post, called out several times, and made various signs tons. As we were in the very centre of our circuit, we paid no attention to him. He then came running down towards us, out of breath, charging his piece as he ran. General Gourgaud remained behind, to see what he wanted, while we continued our route. I could see the general, after dodging the fellow nr^any times, collar and se- cure him : he made him follow him as far as the neighbour- ing post of the Grand Alarshal, which the General endea- voured to make him enter, but he escaped from him. H3 found that he Avas a drunken corporal, who had not rightly understood his countersign. lie had frequently levelled his piece at us. This circumstance, which might have been v«ry easily repeated, niade us tremble for the Euipcror's life : the latter looked upon it only as an affront, and afresh obstacle to the continuance of his exercises on horseback. Napoleon had left otf giving invitations to dinner: the hours, the distance,.th8 dressing, were inconvenient to the guests: to us these parties produced only trouble and con- straint, without any pleasure. The Emperor had unconsciouely- resumed his regular- work. He now dictated daily to the Grand Alarsl al upon the expedition to Egypt ; some time before dinner he or- dered me and my son to be called to him, in order to read the different chapters of the Campaigns of Italy over again, and separate them into paragraphs. Cards had gone out of fashion ; the Emperor had given them up. The time aftci* dinner was henceforth devoted to the reading of some work: the Emperor liimself read aloud ; when he was tired, he handed the book over to some otl>cr person ; luit then he never could bear their reading more than a quarter of air THE EMrEROR NAPOLEON. 2G I iicnir. Wevvere now reading novels, and'we tcgan many Which we never finished. JManon V Kt^cautwe &con reject- ed as lit only for the anti-chamber ; then followed the Jic- vioirs of Grammont, whieh are so full of wit, but so little honourable to the m'orals of the great of that period : the Chtvalier dc Faublas, which is only to be endured at the ;ije of twenty years, &,c. Whenever these readings could be protracted to eleven o'clock, or niidnif^ht, the Emperor seemed truly rejoiced. Ke called this making conquests over time ; and he found such victories not the most easy to gain. Politics had also their turn. Every tbreeor four weeks or thereabouts, we received a large packet of journals iVoni Europe ; this, like the cut of a whip, set us going- again for some days, during •^vhich we discussed, analyzed, and re- discussed the news; and afterwards fell again insensibly into our usual melancholy. The last journals had reached us by the corvette La Levrette, which had arrived some days before. They occupied one of the evenings, and gave rise to one of those moments, wherein that ardour and in- spiration burst forth from the Emperor, which I have some- times witnessed in the Council of State, and which escape him from time to time even here. He took large strides as he walked amongst us, becominof more animated, and only interrupting his discourse by a iew moments ef meditation. " Poor France," said he, "what will be thy lot ! Above- all, what is become of thy glory ! -. . . . I suppi-ess the rest, which is of very great length: Imitst suppress it. 'ihe papers secining to say that England desired the dis- memberment of France, but that Ftussia had" oj)posed it, the Emperor said that he expected this ; that it was the natu- ral system that Russia must be dissatisfied at seeing FrBuce divided ; wiii'.st, on the other hand, the English aristocracy must be desirous of reducing France to the extreme of weak- ness, and of establishing despotism upon her ruins. "I know," said he, " that this is not your opinion," addressing himself tome ; " you are an Englishman." I replied, that it was very difllcult to dispute with him ; but that it appear- ed to me that in this same E)igli;h aristocracy, it must be allowed, that there might possibly exist, sufficiently clear heads, as well as hearts just enough to understand that, after having oveitliiOAvn that which threatened their existence^ it might prove advantageous to raise up that which was no longer to be dreaded. That circumstances were now singu- ia'rly iVi'/wiuabl.' for eslabiishinj a uevsytitciiJ, which might 2G2 ATY RESIDENCE WITH forever unite tlie two nations in their dearest intereste; might render theia necessary to each other; instead irf keeping tiiern in perpetual enmity, &c. The Emperor con- cluded the conversation l>y saying, that he must be very perverse (vithout doubt ; but that, with* every consideration be could give the subject, he could foresee nothing but ca^ tastrophes, massacres, and bloodshed. On the Secret History i,f the Cabinet of Bonaparte, by GcLd- si/uth. — Details, tyc. 15ih. — When I was on board the Northumberland, I had heard tlie Secret History of the Cabinet of Bonaparte, by Gjldsmith, spoken of, and, in my iirst leisure moments here, I felt an inclination to skim it over; but I met with great difficulty in obtaining it, as the English excused themselves from putting it into my hands for a considerable time, say- ing, it was such an abominable libel that they were afraid to let me have it; and wtrc tliemselves ashamed of it. T waa for a long time under the necessity of urging them inces- santly, repeating that we were alL proof against such civili- ties ; tliat he who was the object of them only used to laugh at such things, when chance brought them before his eyes ; and moreover, that if this work was so bad as it was said to be, it must have failed in its end, and ceased to be hurtful at all. I asked who this Goldsmith, the author, was. I was told he Avas an Englishman who . at Paris, and who, upon his return to England, had endea-- VGured to avoid .... and at the same time to gain more money, by loading vfiili. insults and imprecations that idol to whom he had so long offered incense. 1 at last ob- tained the work. It must be confessed that it would be difficult to collect together more horrible and ridiculous abominations than arc presented to us in the first pages of this book : rapes, poison, incest, assassinatioE, and all that belongs to them^ are heaped by the author upon his lierc) and that from his earliest childhood. It is true, that the author appears to have given himself little concern about bestov/ing on these calumnies any air of proba'jility ; and that he himself sometimes demoustates their impossibility, and sometimes refutes them by anachronisms, alibis, and contradictions of every kind ; mislakos in the names, per- sons, and the most authentic facts, &c. Thus, for exanipU", wlien Napoleon was only about ten or twelve years of atie, and was confined within the bounds of the Military School, kc cau&sd hiin to commit <.>utrages which \rculd require sti TlSE EMPEROR NAPOtEOX". 255 least tie age of mauhood, and a certain degroe of iibcrlyj &c. The author makes him undertake what he calls the robberies of Italy, at the head of eight thousand galley- slaves, who had escaped frwm the bagnio at Toulon. After- wards, he makes twenty thousand Poles abandon the Aus- trian ranks to join the slandaid of theJt'rcnch General, A;c. The same author makes IVapoleon arrive at Paris in Fnic- 4idor, when hU the world kuows that he ccver quitted his army. He makes him treat with the Prince of ('cnde, and ask the hand of the Princess Royal as the price of his treachery. I omit a nnniber of things equally absurd and impudent. It is evident that, with respect to the loose and ridiculous anecdotes particularly, he only collected all lie could iiear ; but from what source has lie drawn his informa- tion 1 The greater part of the anecdotes have certainly had their rise in certain defamatory and malevolent circles of Paris : but, as long as they were on that ground, they still presei-ved the appearance of some wit, salt, point, colour, some grace in the relation ; whilst tlie stories in this book have evidently descended fr^m the drawing-rooms into the streets, and have only been picked up after rolling in tiie kennel. The English allowed it was so coarse, that, with the exception of the most vulgar classes of society, the work Was a poison which carried its own antidote along wi,th it. It may probably excite astonishment Ihat I did not lay aside such a production upon reading the fiist page of it ', but its coarseness and vulgarity are so gross that it cannot excite anger: on the other hand, there is no disgust which may not be got over in order to amuse the heavy hours at 5aint-Helena. We consider ourselves fortunatein having any thing to run over. " Time," said the Emperor, a few days ago, "is tbe only thin^ of which we have too much here." I therefore continue the work. And besides, I may perhaps be allowed to say, that it is not without some jilcasure that I now read the absurd tales, the lies, and ca- lumnies, which an author pretends to derive, as usual, from the best authority, relating to objects which I am now so perfectly well acquainted with, and which have become as familiar to me as the details of my own life ; and it islike- wise gratifying to lay down pages tilled with the falsest rep- resentations, and exhibiting a portrait purely fantastical, to go and study truth by the side of the real personage, in hi« own conversation ever full of novelties and grand ideas. ' The Emperor having desired me to come to him this morning after breakfast, I found him in li*s morring-gcwn extended upon his sofa. The conversation led Lim to ask me what I was reading at this moment. I replied, that it ~was one of the most notorious and scurrilous libels published 2G'i MY RESIDENCE WITH against him, and I quoted to him npon the spot seme ofits most abominable stories. Helaughed g-reatiy atthem,ar(ddesired to seethe work. I sent for it, and vv3 went over it togetiier. In passing from one horrid calumny to anoti.er, he exclaimed, " Jesns .'" crossitig himselfrepeatedly, a custom which 1 liave perceived is familiar with him, in )iis little friendly circle, whenever he meets with monstrous, impudent, or oljsceue assertions ; or such as excite his indignation and surprise witlioiit stirri-;g up his ang-er. As we were going on, tlic Emperor analyzed certain facts, and corrected points of which tlie author might have knoAvn something. Sometimes be shrugged up his siioulders out of compassion ; at others, laug-hed heartily; bul he never betrayed the least sign of arjger. When he read the article whicli speaks of his great debaucheries and excesses, the violences and the outrages wiiich he is made to commit, he observed thai the autijor, doubtless wislied to make a hero of him in every respect ; that he willingly left him to tliose who had charged'him with irnpotency ; that it was for these geatlemeu to agree among themselves ; adding, merely, " tiiat every man was not so wnlucky as the pleader of Toulouse." They were in the wrong, however, he continued, to attack him upon the score of morals; him, who, as all the world knew, iiad so singu- larly improved them. They could not be ignorant that he was not at all inclined, by nature, to debauchery; and that, moreover, the multiplicity of his affairs would never have allowed him time to indulge in it. When we came to the pages where his mother was described as acting the most disgusting and abject part at Marseilles, he stopped, and repeated several lines witl> an accent of indignation, and ^.something approaching to grief, " Ah ! Madame ! — Poor ■^Madame ! — v/ith her lofty character ! if she were to read yiis ! — Great God !" We thus passed more than two hours, at the end of which he began to dress. Doctor O'Meara was introduced to him: it was the usual hour of his being, admitred. •*' Dottvre," •said the Emperor to him in Italian, v/hiist he was shaving himself, " I have just read one of your fine London produc- tions against me." The Doctor's countenance indicated a wish to know what it was. I showed him the book at a dis- tance ; it was himself who had lent it to me; he was dis- concerted. ■•' It is a very just remark," continued the Em- peror, ••' that it is the truth only which gives oflfence. I have not been angry for a moment; but I have frequently laughed at it. The Doctor endeavoured to reply, and puz« zled himself with higl»-flown sentences : it was, he said, ail infamous, disgusting libel ; 'every-body knew it to he such ; nobody paid any attention to it: nevertheless, persons might tilK EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 265 be found who wonid believe it, from its not having been re- plied to. '* But ijow cau that be helped'}" said the Empe- ror. " If it should enter any one's head to put in print that I have grown hairy, and walked on four paws, there are people who would believe it, and would say that God ha4 punished me as he did Nebuchhadnezzar. And what could 1 do 1 Tliere is no remedy in ^uch cases." The Doctor came away, hardly able to believe the gaity, the inditrer- ence, the good-nature of which he had just been witness; with regard to ourselves, we were now accustonifad'fS'^St. The Emijeror resolves to learn Engluh, 6,x. 16th,— About three o'clock the Emperor desired me to come and converse with him whilst he wasdressicg idmselfj we afterwards took a few turns in the garden. He oLsexv- ed, accidentally, that it was a shame he conid not yet read Jthiglisli. I assured him that, if he had continued his lessens after the two that I had given when we were ofl' Madeira, iie would now have been able to read every description of -i'^uglish books. He was perfectly persuaded of this, and ordered me to oblige him henceforth to take a lesson every day. The conversation then led me to obsez've, that I had just given my son his first lesson in m.atheu)atics. It is a branch of knowledge which the Emperor is^ery for;d of, -and in wijich he is pariiciilarly skilled. He was astonished tiiat I could teach my son so nruch v/ithout the help of any work, and without any copy-book ; he said, he did not know I was so learned in this way, zliA threatened me with exam- ining, when I did not expect it, both the master "and the scholar. At dinner he undertook what he called the Pro- fessor of Mathematics, who was very near being posed by him : one question did not wait for another, and they were frequently very keen. He never ceased to regret that mathematics were not taught at a very eaily age in the LycGirms. He said that all the intentions he had formed respecting the Universities had been frustrated, complained greatly of De Fontanes, lamenting, that whilst he was obliged to be at a distance, carrying on the war, they spoil- ed all he had done at home, &c. This led the En)peror hack to the iirst years of his life, to father Pairauit his Professor of Mathematics, whose history he gave v.s : I have already introduced it ; and it will have been read in the foregoing' pages. First English, Ziessoity S,c, . 17th. — The Emperor took his fost lessen in the English language to-day. And as it was my intention to put him at 23 20(5 MY RESIDENCE WITH once in a situation to read the papers Trith readiness, this first JGSson consisted of notljingmore tbs.n getting acquaint- ed with an English newspaper; in stutijing the form and plan of it ; in learning tlie placing, uhichis ahvays uniforn;, of the different subjects which it contains; in separating the notices and gossip of tiie town from politics ; and, in the latter, in learning to distinguish ^vhat is authentic from what is mere report or conjecture. I have engaged, that, if the Emperor could endure being annoyed every day with such lessons, he would be able to read the papers in a niontli without the assistance of any cf us. The Emperor Avishcd aftcrwai'ds to do seme exercise ; Le wrote some sentences which were dictated to him, and translated them into English, with the assistance of a little table, which I made for him, of the auxiliary verbs and ar- ticles, and aided by tlie dictionary for other words, which I made him look out himself. I exjilained to him the rules of syntax and grammar according as they came before us ; in this manner he formed various sentences, which amused him more than the versions which we also attempted. After the lesson, at two o'clock, we went and took a walk in the garden. Several musquet-shots were fired : ti;cy were so near ns, that they appeared to have been fired in the garden itself. The Emp*or observed to me, that my son (wc thouglitit was he) seemed to liave good sport : 1 replied, that it was ■the last time he should enjoy it so near tJie Emperor, "ilc- jiUy," said he, " you may as well go and tell him that he is only to come within cannon-shot of us." Iran: we had ac- cused him wrongfully, for the guns were fired by th-e people who were training the Emperor's horses. After dinner, during coffee, the Emperor, taking me to the corner of the chimney-piece, putliis hand ujxm my head to measure my height, and said, " I am a giant to yon.'' — " Your Majesty is that to so many othc\s," I observed to Mm, " that I am not at all adected by it." Me spake im- mediately of somotliing else ; for he does not like to dv.ell on expressions of this descri])tion. Our daily hnhih. — Conversation uilJo Governor Wilks.— Ar- mies.— Chcr.iitfry- — Politics. — Barnirh s on India. — Del- phine, by Mad, dc Slacl. — J^Tccker, Calonnc. 18th — 20th. — We led a life of great uniformity. The Emperor did not go out in the mornings. The English les- son was very regularly taken about tM o o'clock ; then fol- lowed either a walk in the garden, or some presentations, but which were very rare ; afterwards a little excursion in THE EMl'EROR NAPOLEON. SOt the calash, as tlie horses were nt last arrived. Eelore clin- •ner, we proceeded wUh t!ic revision of the Campaigns of Italy or Egypt: alter dinner v.'c read romances. On tlio 20th, the Emperor received Go veraorWilks, with whom he had a profound dis-cyssion on the army, the sci- ences, government, and the Indies. Speakings of the organ- i/^atiou of the Englisli army, he dwelt much on the principles of promotion therein, expressing his siiprise, that, in a country in which equality of rights is maintained, the sol- diers so seldom become oiTieers. Colonel Wilks admitted that the English soldiers were not formed to hecomc so; and said, that the English wcro equally astonished at the great diiTerence they had remarked in the French army, v/here almost every soldier showed the nascent talents ofano<, then only is the nation great, gloiious, and powerUil; it is then that its existence is pi'oof against re- vors(!s, invasions— even the hand of time ! " Besides," contiiiued he, "it may be truly said, that there-is nothing that may not be obtained from Frenchmen by the excitement of danger ; it seems to animate them; it is an inheritance they derive from their Gallic predeces- sors. . \ . . Courage, tlic love of glory, are, with the French, an ii.'stinct, a kind of sixth sense, llow ofienin tlie heatof battle has my attention been fixed on my young conscripts rushing, fortl.e iirst tima, into the thickest of the fight; hon- our and valour bursting forth at evc^y pore." After this, the Emperor knowing that. Governor Wilks was vVell iuibrraed in Chemistry, attacked, liim on that sub- ject. Fie spoke of the immense progress in all our manu- factures occasioned, by this science. He said, that both England and France, undoubtedly, possessed great chemists; tut that chemistry was more generally diffused in France, and more particularly directed to useful results; thatiii Eng- land it remained a science, while in France it was beconjing •lutiroly practical. Tlie Governor admitted that these ob- 2,68 aiy RESIDENCE wmi aervations were perfectly correct, and, with a libercility of seatirasnt, added, that it was to him, the Emperor, that'ali these advantages wereowiog,aDd that whereverscience was -ied by the hand of power, it would produco great aud happy effects iipoa the well being of socioty. The Eiiiperor oh- .served, that of late France had obtained stigar from the beet-root, as good aad cheap as that extracted frortithesii- g-ar-cane. The Governor was astonished ; he had note fcn suspected it. The Emperor assured him that it was au es- tablished fact, opposed, as it was, to the rooted prejudices or' all Europe, France itself not excepted. IJe added, that it •was the sams with woad,the substitute for iudig'o, and with almost all the colonial produce, except the dye-woods. This ied him to conclude, that if the invention of the compass had^ produced a revolution ia commerce, the progr.es§^ofich«iinifl- try bade fair to produce a counter-revolution, . . The conversation tliea turned to the present numerous emigrations of the artisans of France and England to Ame- rica. The Emperor observed, that this favoured country grew rich by our follies. The Governor smiled, and replied, that these of England would occupy the first place in the list, from the numerous errors of administration, which had ied to the revolt and subsequent emancipation of the Colo- iiies. The Emperor said that their emancipation was inev- itable ; that when children had come to the size of their fathers, it was diflicult to retain them long in a state of obe- dience. They then spoke of India ; the Governor had resided there many years, and had filled high situations; he had made important researclies ; he was enabled to reply to a multitude of questions proposed to him by the Emperor, respecting the laws, the maimers, the usages of the Hindoos, the administration of the English, the nature and construe- lian of the existing laws, Si,v. The Eaglish are governed according to the laws of Eng- land ; the natives by local acts made by the several Coun . cils in the service of the Company, with whom it is a iunda- mental principle to render them as nearly similar as possible 10 tlie laws of the peojj^e themselves. Hyder Aly was a man of genius ; Tippoo, his son, was arrogant, ignorarit, and rash, "i'lie farmer had upwards of ■iOO,000 men ; the latter scarcely ever more than 50,000. — These people are not deficient in courage, but they do not possess our physical stre.!igth, and have neitiier discipline nor any knowledge of tactics. Forty-seven thousand men in the English service, of whom only 4,000 were Europeans, were sufficiont to destroy the empire of Mysore. It was, however, to be presumed, that sooner or latei* the uatiaaal THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. ^G^ ipitit wouitl rescue these regions from the dominion of the Europeaos. The interinixtut-e of European biood with that of the iiatives, was producing- a mixed race, whose numbers aaJ disposition certainly prepared the way for a* great revc- liition. Nevertheless, in their actual condition, the people were happier than they had been previously to the dorainioo of the Euglisli : au impartial administration cf justice, and the mildness of the government were, for the present, tl, strongest supports of the power of the parent slate. It was also considered expedient to prohibit the English and other Europeans frfim buying lands .there, or forming htreditarj- •^tabiishments, &c. Madaiue de Staefs Delphine was at this time a subject o/ coaversatioa at our evening parties. The Emperor ana- lyzed it : feiv things in it escaped his censure. Tiie irregu- larity of mind and imagination which pervades it, excited, his criticism : tiiere v/ere throughout, said be, the same faults which had formerly made him keep the author at a dista!ice, notwithstanding the most pointed advances and the most unremitting flattery on her part. No sooner had victory immortalized the young General of the Army of Italy, than Madame de S^acl, unacquainted with Lirn, from the mere sympathy of glory, instantly professed for him sen- timents of enthusiasm worthy of her own Coriimr; she v?rote him long and numerous epistles, full of wit, imagination, and metaphysical erudition : it was an error, she observed, aris- ing only from human institutions, that could have united iiim with the meek, tJic tranquil Mac^ame Bonaparte ; it was a Soul of lire like her's (Madame de Stael's) that nature Lad nndoubtedly destined to be the companion of a hero like him. I, refer to the Campaigns in Italy, to show that this for- w^irduess on the part of Madame de Staiil was not checked by the circumstance of meeting with uo return. With a perseverance never to be disheartened, she succeeded, ata later period, in foi-ming seme degree of acquaintance, so far even as to be allowed to visit ; and she used this privilege, said the Emperor, to a disagreeable extent. It is unques- tionably true, as has been reported, that the General, wish- ing to make her sensible of it, one day caused her to be told, by way of excuse, that be was scarcely dressed; and that ihe replied promptly and earnestly, that it was unimportant, for that genius was of no sex. From [vladame de Stael we were naturally led to her father, M. Necker. The Emperor related, that at Geneva, in Jiis way to Marengo, he received a visit from him, wiierein he made known, in an awkward manner enough, his desire to be admitted again to the Administration — a desire, by the 33* 270 MV RESIDENCE W mi by, which T^I. Calonae, his rival, sabsequdntly came to Paris' to express with a Jegree oflevity beyond conception. M. Necker al'terwards wrote a dangerous work iipou the policy of Francs, which he attempted to prove coiiid no longer exist either as a moaarchy or a republic, and in which he called the First Consul fhcnnme n^cessaire. The First Consul proscribed the work, which, at tha-t ■^ime, mi^ht Lave been hig-hly prejudicial to hirn, and com- mitted the task of refuting' it to the Consul Lebrun," wha in his elegant prose," said the Emperor, executed prompt and ample justice upon it. The Keeker co^eriR was irrita- ted, and Madame de Stael, eng-aging in some intrigues, re- ceived an order to quit France : thenceforth she became an Rrdent and strenuous enemy. Nevertheless, on the return from the Island of Elba, she wrote or sent to_thc Emperor, to express, in her peculiar way, tiie entusiasm v/hich this wonderful event had excited in hor ; that she was ovorcome; that this last act Avas not that of a mortal ; that it had at mice raised its author to the skies. Then, returning- to Jaerself, she concluded by hinting, thatif the Emperor would condescend to allow the payment of the two millions, for which an order in her favour had already been signed by the King, her pen and her principles should be devoted for ever after to his interest. The Emperor desired she might be informed, in answer, that nothing could flatter him more ■highly than her approbr.tion, because he fnlly appreciated lier talents ; but that he really was not rich enough to piii^ chase it at that price. Mij new lodging- describecL — Morning visit, ^c. 21st. — I had at length taken possession of the new lodging l)uilt for me instead of my former stoving-room. Upon a soil constantly damp had been placed a floor eighteen iect long by eleven v/ide ; this was surrounded by a wall of a .bot and a half in thickness, composed of a sort of loam, and ■which might have been destroyed with a kick of the foot : at the height of seven feet was covered with a roof of boards, defended by a coating of paper and tar. Such were the construction and the outline of my new palace, divided into two aparUfifiHts, one of which contained two beds separa- ted by a chest of drawers, and would only afford room for a single chair; the other, at once my saloon and my library, bad a single window strongly fastened up on account of the violence of the winds and rain ; on the right and left of it two writing-tables, for me and my sqn ; on the opposite side a couch and two chairs : this was the whole of the furniture ^nd accoramcdations : add to thLS,litat the aspect of the two THE RMPF.ROn NAt'OLEO^. J,l wiirdows is towards a win opinon, cold, bad, spoiled. He said he had been infatuated with this book in his youth ; but he had little per- sonal reg-ord for its author: he could never forgive liira for having imposed on his generosity on his return from the Arniy of Italy. " Bernardin de Haint-Pisrre's sensibility and delicacy," said he, " were little in harmony with his cbat-ming picture of Paul and Virginia. He was a bad rnan; be Msed bis wife, Didot the printer's daughter, very ill ; he wds always ready to ask charity, without the least shame. O^ my return from the Army of Italy, Bernardin came to ssp me, and almost immediately began to tell me of his wa,Hts. I, who in my early youth had dreamed of nothing but Paul and Virginia, and felt flattered by a confidence which lifflagined was reposed in me alone, and v/hicb I at- tributed to my great celebrity, hastened to return his visits and, unperceived by any one, left on the corner of his chim- ney-piece a little rouleau of five-and twenty louis. But how was I mortified en seeing every one laugh at the delicacy of my proceedings ; and on learning that such ceremony was entirely superiiuous with M. Bernardin, who made it bis trade to beg all comers, and to receive from every body. I nlways retained some little resentment towards him, for having thus imposed upon me. It was otherwise with my family. Joseph allowed him a large pension, and Louis was constantly malting him presents." But though the Emperor liked Paul and Virginia, he laughed, for very pity, at the Studies of Miiiire, by the same ■author. " Bernardin," said he, " though versed in Belles Letlres, was very little a geometrician ; this last work was so bad, that scientific men disdained to answer it ; Bernar- din complained loudly of tiieir not noticing him. The cele- brated mathematician Lcgrange, when speaking on this subject, always said, alluding to the Institute,' If Bernar- din were one of our class — if he spake o\ir language, we w"ould call him to order; but he belongs to the Academy, and his style is out of our line." Bernardin was complain- ing as usual, one day, to the First Consul of the silence of the learned with respect to his works; Napoleon asked, '■' Do you uiuh'^rstand the differenlial method, M. Bernar- din ]"— ^" Ko." — " Well, go and learn it, and then you will be able to answer yourself." Afterwards, when Emperor, . Rvcry time he perceived Saint-Pierre, he used to say to him, •'■ I\l. Bernardin. vihea arc w? to Imvc anv more Paul antv 274 MV RESIDENCE WiTH V^ir^iaias, or Indian Cottages'? You ought to supply us eve- ry six inonths/' l;i reading V^ertot's Roman Jlevolutions, of prhich in oili- er respects the Emperor thinks highly, he found the decla- matioas. tniich toodiifuse. TJiis was liis consta,nt complaint agai-ifit evury work lie took up ; he had ia his youth, he said, been mach to blame in thl? respect himself. Hs may just- ly be said to have thoroughiy reforxiicd afterwards. He amused himself with stritiiiig out the superiluous phrases ia Vertot ; aad the result v.as that after these erasures, the work appeared much more energetic and animated. " It woiuld certainly be a most valuable and successful labour," said he, " if aiiiy man of taste and discernment would de- vote his time to reducing the principal works in our language in this manner. I know no nobody but Moutesquiou who ■srouLd escape these curtailments." He often looked into RoUin, whom he thought diifuse, and too credulous. Cre- vler, his contiauator, seemed, to Napoleon detestable. He complained of our classical works, and of the time which our young people are compelled to lose in reading such bad books. They were composed by rhetoricians, and mere professors, ho said; whereas such immortal subjeets, the basis of all our knowledge throughout life, ought to have been wi'ittea and edited by statesmen and men of the world. The Emperor had excellent ideas on this subject: the want of time alone jH-eveated him from carrying them into exe- cution. - , The Emperor was still' more dissatislied with our French historians; he could not bear to read any of them. " Velly is ric'i ia words, and poor ia meaaiag : his continaators are still worse. Our liistory," said the Emperor, " should eitiier bo ia four or five volumes, or ia a hundred." He had been acquiiated with Garuier, who continued Velly and yillaret; he lived in the basement »of iVIalmaiso.i. He was s.n old man of eighty, and lodged in a small set of apart- ments oa the ground-iloor, v/itii a little gallery. Struck with t!ic oliicioas attention which this good old man always evinced wiieaever the First Consul was passing, the latter inquired wliu he was. On learning that it was Gamier, he comprehended his motives. " He, no doubt, imagined," s.aid tuti Emperor pleasantly, " lliat a First Consul was his property, as historian. 1 dare say, however, he was aston- . i iii'^d to find Consuls where he had been accustomed to see Kiagsi" N.ipdeoatold Jjim so himself, laughing, when fie tdiljd hiia (jae day, and settled a good pension on hira. "• From that time;" said t'ue Em|)cror, " the poor man, in the warmth of his gratitude, vvould gladly have wri:;lcn aa'j^ tiling I plcassd with ajl his hearts" THE EMVEIlOIl NArOLKON* '2 i t) \^ diffknUi/ overcome. — The Emfcror''s pc.r€onctl danger ai Eylau, Jena, le compared to the real soldiers of iVIarengo, Austerlitz, and Jena." The night before the battle of Jena, the Emjiercr said, he had run the greatest risk. He might then lave disap- peared without his fate being clearly known. He had ap- proached the bivouacs of the enemy, in the <,lark, to recor?- noitrelhem; he had only a few oiiicers with him. The opin- ion whicliwas then entertained of the Prussian army kept every one on the alert,- it was that the Prussians were par- ticularly given to nocturnal attacks. As the En.po'ror re- turiied, he was fired at by the first sentinel of his camp ; this was asignal for tlie whole line; he had no resource but to throw himself Hat on his face u.ntil the mistake was discov- ered. But his principal apprehension was that the Prus- «ian line, which was very near him, woald act in the saiftc manner. At Marengo the Austrian soldiers had not forgotten the conqueror of Castiglionc, Arcole, and EivoU; his name had much infiitence over them; hut they were far from thinking he was present; they believed he was dead; care had been taken to persuade them that he had perished in Egypt; that the First Consul, of whom they heard talk, was only Jiis brother. This report had gained so np.ich credit every where, that Napoleon M-as under the necessity of appear- ing in public at iMilan, in order to refute it. After these anecdotes, the Emperor proceeded to men- tion a great number of his Oificers and aids-de-camp, dis- tributing praise and censure amongst them as he went on ; he knew them all thoroughly. Two cf the circumstances which had most affected him on the field of battle, he said, were the deaths of young Guilbertand General Corbineau. At Aboukir, a bullet went quite throtigJj the breast of the former, Avithout killing him instantly : the Emperor, after aaying a few words to him, was obliged, by the violence of his feelings, to leave him. The other was carried away, crushed, annihilated by a cannon-ball, at Eylau, before the Emperor's face, whilst lie was giving him some orders. The Emperor spoke also of the last moments of Marshal Lannes, the valiant Duke of Montebello, so justly called the Orlan- do of the army, who when visited by the Emiperor on his death-bed, seemed to forget hi^ own situation, and to care only for him, whom he loved above every thing. The Em- peror had the highest esteem for him. " He was for a long time a mere fighting man," said he, " but he afterwards be- THE EMPEROR KAP0LE©5r. 271 cume an officer of the first talents." Someone then said, he should like to know what line of conduct Lannes would have pursued in these latter times, if he had lived. " We have learned," said the Emperor, " not to ewear to any , thing. Yet f cannot conceive that it could have been pos- sible for him to deviate from the path of duty and honour* Besides, it is hard to imagine that he could have existed. With all his bravery, he would unquestionably have got killed in ^ome of the last aifairs, or at least sufficiently wounded to be laid up out of the centre and influence of events. And if he had remained disposable, he was a man capable of changing the whole face of affairs by his own weight and influence." The Emperor next mentioned Duroc, on whose charac- ter and private life he dwelt some time. " Duroc," con- cluded he, "had lively, tender, and concealed passions, little corresponding with the coldness of his manner. It was long before I knew this, so exact and regular was his service. It was not until my day was entirely closed and finished, and I was enjoying repose, that Duroc's work be- gan.— Chance, or some accident, could alone have made me acquainted with his character. He was a pure and virtuous man, u^erly disinterested, and extremely gene- rous." The Emperor said, that on the opening of the campaign at Dresden, he lost two men who were extremely valuable to him, and in 'the most foolish manner in the world: these were Bessieres and Duroc. When we went to see Duroc, after he had received his mortal wound, he attempted to hold out some hopes to him ; but Duroc, who did not de- ceive himself, only replied by begging him to make thera give him opium. The Emperor, excessively affected, could not venture to remain long with him, and tore himself from this distressing spectacle. One of the company then reminded the Emperor, that on leaving Duroc, he went and walked up and down by him- self before his tent: no one durst accost him. But, some essential measures being requisite against the following day, some one at length ventured to go and ask him where the battery of the guard was to be placed. " Ask me nothing till to-morrow," was the Emperor's answer. At this recollection, the Emperor, with an apparent ef- fort, began abruptly to talk of something else. Duroc -was one of those persons whose value is never known till they are lost : this was, after his death, the cojn- inon expression of the court and city, and the unaniii^jpus sentiment every where. 273. MY RESIDENCE WITH He was a native of Nancy, in the department of Ln Meurthe. The origin of his fortune has been related above. Napoleon found him in the train at the siege of Toulon, and immediately interested himself for him. His attach- ment to him increased everyday, and it miglit be said that they never more separated. 1 have elsewhere mentioned that I have heard the Emperor say, that throughout his ca- reer, Duroc was the only person who had possessed his un- reserved confidence, and to whom he could freely unburden his mind. — Duroc was not a brilliant character; but he possessed an excellent judgment, and he rendered essential services, wliich owing to their nature as well as to his reserve, were little heard of. Duroc loved the Emperor for himself: it was rather to the individual, personally, that his devotion was attached, than to the monarch. In being made the confidant of his pi^ince's feelings, he had acquired the art, and perhaps the right, of mitigating and directing them. How often has he whispered to people struck with consternation by the an- ger of the Emperor:- — " Let him have his way: bespeaks from his feelings, not according to his judgment ; nor as he will act to-morrow." What a servant ! what a friend! what a treasure ! How many storms he has soothed; how many rash orders, given in the moment of irritation, has he omit- ted to execute, knowing that his master would thank him the next day for the omission. The Emperor had accom- modated himself to this sort of tacit arrangement; and on that account gave way the more readily to those violent bursts of temper, which relieve by the vent they afford ts passions. Duroc died in the most deplorable manner, at a very critical moment; his death was another of the fatalities of Napoleon's career. The day after the battle of Wurchen, towards evening the skirmish of Reichenbach had just ended, the firing had ceased. Duroc was on the top of an eminence, apart from the troops, conversing with Genera! Kirchener, and ob- serving the retreat of the last ranks of t)ie enemy. A piece was levelled at this glittering group, and the fatal ball killed both the generals. Duroc had more inf!uence over the Emperor's resolutions than is imagined. His death was probably, in this respect, a national calamity. There is reason to think, that if he had survived, the armistice of Dresden, which ruined us, w«ould not have t&ken place; we should have pushed on to th;?i Oder, and beyond it. The enemy would then have in- sts Tttly acceded to peace, and we slu idd Lave, escaped their ma* 7I ii'^ticnsj their intrigues, acd, alcve all, the tedious, THE EMPEROU NAPOLEON. 27^ IrasOj and atrocious perfidy of the Austrian Cabinet, which Jias ended in our destruction. At a subsequent period Duroc might still have exerted aa influence over other great events, and probably changed (he face of affairs. Finally, even at a later conjuncture, at the time of Napoleon's fall, he would never have separated Lis destiny from that of the I^peror: he would have been with us at Saint Helena; and this aid alone would have suf- ficed to couQterbalauce all the horrible vexations with which Napoleon was studiously oppressed. Bessieres, of the department of the Lot, was thrown by the Revolution into the career of arms. He commenced as a private soldier in the constitutional guard of Louis XVI. Afterwards having attained the rank of captain of chas- seurs, he attracted the Commander-in-chief of the army of Italy by acts of extraordinary personal bravery; and, when the general formed his corps of guides, he chose Bessieres to take the command of them. Such was the beginning of Bessieres, and the origin of his fortunes. From that instant we find him always at the head of the Consular or Imperial guard, in charges of the reserve, deciding the battle, or profiting by the victory. His name is gloriously connected with all our great battles. Bessieres rose with the man who had distinguished him, and shared abundantly in the favours which the Emperor distributed. He was made a marshal of the Empire, Duke of Istria, colonel of the cavalry of the guard, &c. His qualities developing themselves as he rose, proved him always equal to his fortune. Bessieres always continued g-ood, humane, and generous; of antique loyalty and integri- ty; and, whether considered as a citizen or as a soldier, an honest worthy man. He often made use of the high favour in Vv'hich he stood, to do extraordinary services, and acts of kindness even to people of very diflterent ways of think to his. I know people, who, if they have a spark of grlftitude in them, will confirm my assertion, and can bear testimony to his noble elevated sentiments^ Bessieres was adored by the Guards, in the midst of whom he passed his life. -At the battle of Wagram a ball struck him off his horse, without doing him any farther injury. A mournful cry arose from the whole battalion; upon which Napoleon remarked, the next time he saw hiai: "Bessieres, the ball which struck you drew tears from all my Guard. Return thanks to it; it ought to be very dear to you." He was less fortunate at the opening of the campaign of Saxony. On the very eve of the battle of Lutzen, a trifling engagement occurred, in which having advanced into the very midst of theskirmishers^he was shot dead on the spot •380 MT RESIDEKTCE WITH- by a masket ball in the bx'east. Thua, after living like Bayard, he died like Turenne. I had conversed tvith him a little before this fatal event. Chance had brought us tog-ether by ourselves in a private" box at the tlieatre. After talking of public affairs which deeply interested him, forhe idolized his country, his last ivords, as he left me, were, that he was to set out for th& army that night, dnd hoped we should meet again. " But at the present crisis," said he, " with our young soldiers^ we leaders must not spare ourselves." Alas ! he was nevetf to return. Bessieres was sincerely attached to the Emperor ; he al- most worshipped him; he, like Duroc, would certainly nev- er have abaadoucd his person or his fortunes. And one would really think that Fate, vvhich proved so decidedly hos- tile to Napoleoa in his latter days, had resolved to deprive him of the sweetest consolation by thus removing two such valuable friends; and at the same time to prevent these faith- ful servants from acquiring the very highest claim to glory, that of gratitude to the unfortunate. The Emperor caused the remains of these two men whom he much esteemed, and by whom he knew himself to be be- loved in return, to be carried to the Invalides a.t Paris. He intended extraordinary honours for them, of which subse- quent events deprived them. But History, whose pages are far more imperishable than marble or bronze, has conse- crated them, and secured them for ever from oblivion.* Study of English. — Reflections. — Ride — Mired Horse. 21st. — Our days passed, as may be supposed, in an exccs- i?ive stupid monotony. Ennui, reflection, and melancholy, ware our formidable enemies ; occupation our great and on- ly refuge. The Emperor followed his pursuits with great regularity. English was'become an affair of importance to him. It was now near a fortnight since he took his first lesson, and from that moment he had devoted some hours, every day, beginning at noon, to that study ; some- times with truly admirable ardour, sometimes with visible •The following is extracted from (he Campaign of Saxopy in 18;3. by Earon Otl(j|i: ben, afl eye-witness of tl:e cii-eumsfance ; under the date of ihe lOlb of August, at the time of the resumption of hostilities, two or three raoiiilii after the death of Duroe. "Dni'ing the march from Riitlienbaeh to Gorlitz, Napoleon stopped at Ma-, kersdorf, and showi d the King of Naples the place where Duroe feU. He siini- moncdtoh'S piesente the propriitoi' of the littSo tuna on which the Grand Mar- shal died. End made over to lilm the sum of 20,000 (rancs ; 4000 of which were foi- a m itMimeni in Iionour of thedcceas' d, and i6.Cf)0 for the propiietor of the house and hij wife. The d.matSon was lonsuinniated in the evening, in the presence of the riftor and the judge of Makersdoif; the money was counted out before thetu. and ^lit-y were charged to get the inonnraent erected.'' THE EMPEROR NAPOLEOy. 28'1 iisjusl; an alternative which kept me in the greatest anxie^ tj. I considered success as of the greatest importance, and 1 every day dreaded to see him abandon the ground gained oa the day preceding ; and consequently that I should bo regarded as having wearied him with the most tedious la- bour, without having produced the fortunate result I had promised myself. On the other hand, I was also spurred ou by the consciousness that I was approaching the goal at %yhich I aimed. The attainment of the English language was a real and serious conquest to the Emperor. Former- ly, he said, it had cost him a hundred thousand crowns a year, merely for translations; and how did he know wether he had them exact — whether they were faithful f Now that we were imprisoned, as it were, in the midst of this language, surrounded by its productions, all the great changes and questions wliich the Emperor had given rise to on the Con- tinent, had been taken up by the English on the opposite side ; and in their works presented so many new faces to liim, to which he had hitherto been a stranger. It may be added, that French books were scarce with us; that the Emperor knew them all, and had read them even to satiety; whilst we could easily procure a multitude of English ones altogether new to him. Besides, to learn the language of a foreigner, always prepossesses him in cur fa* vour; it is a satisfaction to one's self; it facilitates inter- course, and forms in a certain degree the commencement of a sort of connexion between the parties^ However this may be, I began to perceive the limits of our difficulties ; I anticipated the moment when the Emperor would have got through all the inevitable disagreeables incident to begin- ners. But let any one form an idea, if possible, of what the scholastic study of conjugations, declensions, and articles must have been to him. It could never have been accom- plished, without great courage on the scholar's side, and Stome degree of artifice on the part of the master. He oftea asked me whether he did not deserve the ferula, of which he now comprehended tlie vast utility in schools; he declared, jestingly, that he should have made much greater progress himself, bad he stood in fear of correction. He complained of not having improved, but, in reality, the progress be had" made would have been extraordinary in any one. The more grand, rapid, and comprehensive tlie tnind is, the less it is capable of dwelling on regular minute details. The Emperor, who discovered wonderful facility in appre- hending all that regarded the philosophy of the language, evinced very little capacity for retaining its material me- chanism. He had a quick understanding and a very bad inemory : this vexed him much ; he conceived that he 4'* ^* ^3i2 MV RESIDENCE WITH not get on. Whenever I could subject the matters in quesf. tion to any regular law or analogy, they were classed and comprehended in an instant ; the scholar even preceded "the master in his applications and deductions ; but as to learn- ing by heart, and retaining the grcss elements of the lan- guage, it was a most diilicult atiair. He was constantly confounding one tJjing with anotlier; and it would have been thought too fastidious to require too scrupulous a regularity ?tt first. Another difficulty was,. that with the same letters, the same vowels as ours, a totally different pronunciation is required : the scholar would allow of none but ours ; and the master would have rendered the difficulties and disa- greeables tenfold, had he required any better. Besides the •scholar, even in his own language, was incorrigibly addict- ed to maiming proper names and foreign words"; he pro- nounced them quite at his own discretion, and when once they had passed his lips, they always remained the same, in f-pite of every t!ung, because he had thus- got them, once for all, lodged, as it were, in his head. The same thing hap- pened with respect to most of our English words ; and the jnaster found it best to have the prudence and patience to let it pass ; leaving it to time to rectify by degrees, if it should ever be possible, all these defects. From these con- curring circumstances actually sprang a new language. It was imderstood by me alone, itia true ; but it procured the Emperor the pleasure of reading English, and he could, in the strictest sense, make himself understood by writing in '.(that language. This was a great deal ; it was every tiling. In the meantime, the Emperor regularly continued his Campaigns of Egypt with the Grand Marshal. My Cam- paign of Italy had long been finished ; we were always touching and retouching it, with respect to its topographical fonn, the arrangement of the chapters, the division of the parsgraphs, &c. The small part of it that remained in my haiAls will be seen in the course of this work. Flrom time to time he also dictated separate parts to Messrs. Gourgaud and Montholon. To all this work he idded very little exercise : a walk now and then, sometimes a ride in the oalash, scarcely ever on horseback. On the 30th, however, he chose to return to our valley of Silence which we had long deserted. We were near the middle of the valj ; the passage was stopped up with dead bushes, and a kind of bar to restrain cattle. The servant (the faithful Aly) dismounted, as usual, to clear the way for us. We passed oa ; but, whilst the servant was engagetl in assisting us, his horse had strayed from him, and, when he attenipted to catch him, ran away. A great quantity of rain had fal- *««, and the horse sank into a quagmire similar to that in THK EM-PEftOH NAPOLSlON. 233- ' W^hidi the Emperor, a few days after cur arrival at Long- wood, had stuck su teuuciouslj as to make itdoiibtful wlieth- er he would not remaiu in it. The servant ran after us to say, that he must remain for the purpose of disengaging his horse. We were in a very difficult narrow road, riding one by one. It was not until sometime after, that the Emperor heard us mention to one another the accident of the servant. He found great fault because we had not waited for him, and desired the Grand Marshal and General Gourgaud to return for him. The Emperor dismounted to wait for them, and ascended a little elevation, on v/hich he looked like a figure on a pedestal in the midst cf ruins. He had the bvi- die of his horse passed round 'his arm, and began to whistle an-iiir ; mute nature echoed the strains, but only to the bar- ren desert. " Yet," tiiought I, "a short time ago, how many sceptres he wielded ! how many crown'^ belonged to him ! how many kings were at his feet : It is true," said 1, " that in the eyes of those who approach him, who daily see and hear him, he is still greater than ever! This is the sentiment, the opinion of all about him. We serve him -with no less ardbur ; we love him with greater affection than ever." But now the Grand Marshal and Gourgaud arrived ; they assisted the Emperor to mount again, and we went on. — These gentlemen acknowledged that without their assis- tance the horse could never have been saved ; the united elforts of all ttree had barely sufficed to disengage him. A considerable-v.me afterwards, turning an elbow of the road, the Emperor observed that the servant had not followed, and said they ought to have remained till they had found he 'xras in a condition to come on. They thought he had staid behind to clean his horse a little. In the course of our ride, at several other turnings, the Emperor repeated the same observation. We arrived at the Grand Marshal's, went in, and rested there a few minutes : as we came out, the Em- peror asked whether the servant had passed on; no one had seen him. When we arrived at Long wood, his first question was wliether the man had ret»rned. He had been at home sometime, having returned by a different road. I may perhaps have dwelt somewhat too much on this tri- fling circumstance ; but I did so because it appeared to me perfectly characteristic. In this domestic solicitude, the reader will find it difficult to recognise the insensible, ob- durate, wicked, cruel monster, the tyrant, of whom he has so often and so long been told. N. B. I have mentioned, above, that I should introduce the fragments of the Campaign of Italy wfcich have remain- ed in my hands. Having now arrived at the end of anaonth;^ I will insert a few chapters of them. ^ti MY RESIDENCE WiTtf On m-^ retur.1 to France, throa^h that fatal event Arhic^ placed rrie at my own disposal, my motives for retaining to myself alone the fragments of the Campaign of Italy, which I had preserved by the Empeiror's consent, no longer exist- ing, and the detention of my papers by the English ministry leaving me no means of publishing any thing on Saint-He- lena, { distributed some of these fragments, attaching no other condition to their being made public than that of dis- tinctly declaring that they were mere rough drafts, first dictations, which have, no doubt, subsequently undergone great alterations. Now that the restoration of my papera lias enabled m« to publish the Journal of Saint-Helena, I have thought of collecting all' these fragments of the Cam- paign of Italy, conceiving that they will not be uninterest- ing to those who like ta compare the first sketch with the more deliberate ideas ; and particularly as I learn from the depositaries of the manuscript of these Campaigns, that it was the Emperor's will that the whole should be splendidly published, with maps, plans, &c. and dedicated to his Son, and have every reason to believe that it will still be a long' time before society can be gratified with this publication. I shall therefore insert the little I possess, which is seven chapters out. of twenty-two, either at the conclusion of the months, or in the course of the Journal itself, if I find it flafj. I now present the first of these fragments : Vendemiaire, the Battle of Montenotte, and part of the third chapter^ o» ^:>e Topography of Italy. THE THIRTEENTH OF VENDEMIAIRE. S, B. AH the words in Italics are corrections ma^ in the original manuscript by. Napoleon's own hand. \ I. Constitution of the Y^ar III. — The fall of the munici- pality of the 31st of May, of the party of Dantca, and of Kobespierre, produced, eventually, the fall of the' Jacobins^ aud the ead of the revolutionary goverament. Afterwards, the Convention was successively governed by factions, which were never able to acquire any preponderance ; its princi- ples varied every month. The interior of the Republic was afflicted by a horrible system of re-action ; the national do- mains ceased to find purchasers, and the credit of the as- signats sinking daily lower, the armies were unpaid; requi- sitions and the maximum had alone kept them supplied ; the magazines were empty ; the soldier was nelocger sure even of bread. The recruiting of the army, the laws respecting which had been enforced with the greatest rigour under the revolutionary government, had ceased. The armies con- tinued to obtain great advantages, because tiiey were more numerous than ever ; but they were suffering daily losses^ which there were no means of repairing,. The foreign par- ty, supported by the pretext of the restoration of the Bour- bons, gained strength every day. The saloons were open, people discoursed there fearlessly; the communications with foreign parts were become more easy : the destruction of the Republic was undisguisedly preparing. The Revolutioa had lost its novelty ; it had alicDated many interests; an iron hand had severely oppressed individuals. Many crimes had been committed ; they were now most vindictively re- called to memory, and the public indignation was daily more violently excited against all those who had been members of the government, filled official situations, or participated, in any manner whatsoever, in the triumphs of the Revolution. Picbegru, the first geners.l of the Republic, had been gained over. lie was the son of a labourer of Franche- compte, and had been a Minim friar in his youth, at the college of Brieane: he sold himself to the royal party, to whom he surrendered tbs successes of the operation^ of his 286 MY RESIDENCE WITH The enemies of the Republic had not many proselytes iii the army ; it rernaiaed faithful to the principles of the He- volution, for which it had shed-so much blood, and gained so many victories. All parties were tired of the Convention ; nay, it was tired of itself. Its mission had been the establishment of a Constitution ; it perceived, at length, that the safety of the nation and its opvn required it, without delay, fo /u/^/ ifs principal, object. On the 25th of June, 1793, it adopted the Constitution, known under the title of the Constitution of the Year III. The government was entrusted to five per- sons, under the name of the Directory; the legislature to two councils, called the Council of the Five Hundred, and the Council of the Ancients. This Constitution was sub- mitted to the acceptance of the people called together in primary assembly. II. Additional Lmos to the Constitution. — It was a pi-eva- lent opinion, that the fall of the Constitution of 1794, was to be attributed to that law of the Constituent Assembly which excludedits members from the legislature. The Con- vention did not Jail into ihs same error; it annexed two additional laws to the Constitution, by which it prescribed that two-thii'ds of the new legislature should be composed of members of the Convention, and that the electoral as- semblies of departments should, on this occasion, only have to elect one-third of the two councils. The Convention farther prescribed, that these two additional laws should be submitted to the acceptance of the people, as inseparable parts of tlie Constitution^ The discontent was thenceforth generaL The foreign parly, in particular, found all its schemes baffled by these arrangements. It had flattered itself that the two councils would have been entirely composed of new men, strangers io ihc Revolution, or even, partly, of those who had suffer- ed by it; and thence it hoped to etlect a counter-revolution through the influence of the legislature itself. This party did not want for plausible reasons to conceal the true grounds of its disconteat; they alleged, that the rights of tlie people were disregarded, since the Conven- tion, which Lad been appointed only to establish a Consti- tution, now usurped the powers of an electoral body, by giving to its members, of its own accord, the powers of a le- gislative body; that it was plain that the Convention knew tliat it was acting contrary to the intention of the people, be- cause it imposed en the primary assemblies the arbitrary condilion of voting at once on the aggregrateof the Consti- tutiouj and its additional laws. The Convention oi;ght on- ly to will that which was the wiil of the people. Why did THK EMPEROR NAPOLEOI\\ 20V it. not allow them to vote separately on tlie Coustiiulioa and the additional laws.' Because it knew that the addi- tional laws would be unanimously rejected. As to the ■Constitution, in itself, it was preferable, no doubt, to what existed; and all parties were agreed on that point. Some, indeed, wanted to have aPrcsidect, instead of five direc- tors; others would have desired a more popular council : but. in general this new Constitution was favourably regarded. As to the foreign faction, which was uianaged by secret committees, it concerned itself but little about forms of government which it did not intend to support; it only stti- died,ia this Constitution, how to avail itself thereof, for the purpose of operating a counter-revolution; and whatever tended to wrest authority out of the hands of the Conven- tion and its partisans, was agreeable to this party. III. The additional Lmos are rcjccAcd by the Seciiovs of Paris. — The forty-eight Sections of Paris assembled, form- ing as many tribunes, to which the most Violent orators im- mediately hastened: Laharpe, Serizi, Lacretclle the young- er, Vaublanc, Regnault, &c. It required little ability to excite all minds against the ConvcDtion; but several of these orators developed great talents. The capital was thus tlirown into a ferment. — After the 0th, of Thermidor^ the National Gi^ard had been organized. It had been made an object to keep the Jacobins out of it ; but this had led to the opposite extreme, and a considera^ ble number of counter-revolutionists were accordingly found in its ranks. This National Guard consisted of upwards of forty thcu- sand men arnied and clothed. It shared fully in the exas- peration of the Sections against the Convention; and the additional laws were rejected throughout Paris. The Sec- tions appeared, one after another, at the bay of the Con- vention, and there warmly declared tlicir sentiments. The Convention, however, still believed that all this agitation would subside, as seen as the provinces should Lave mani- fested theii' opinion, by accepting the Constitution and the additional laws. It thought this commotion in the capitaT was like those riots so ccmmon in London, and of which in- stances often happened at Rome, at the time of the Comitia, It proclaimed, on tie 28th of September, the acceptance of the Constitution and additional laws by the msjcrity of the primary assembliesr but on the following day the Settioni? «f Paris appointed deputies to form a central assembly of ^kctors, which u^et at tiie Odcon. ^ I.y. Armed rtsidance cf (he Stciions of Paris. — The Sec- tions, had calc'jlaltd their own strength, and appreciatetl the weakness of the Convention: tids asscxribly ofek^toi*; was an assembly of iasurgente. 288 MY RESIDENCE W XTfl The Convention annulled the assembly of the Odeon, d^ clared it illegal, and ordered its committees to dissolve it by force. On the tenth of Yaudemiaire the armed power proceeded to the Odeon, and executed this order. The people collected in the Place de rOdeon, xittered some murmurs, and indulged in some railing, but oifered no resis- tance. The decree of the Convention, for shutting up the Odeon excited the indignation of all the Sections. That of Lepel- ietier, of which the central place was the Convent of the Filles-Saint-Thomas, appeared to take the lead in this move- ment. By adecree ofthe CoB-vention it vras ordered that the place of its sittings should be closed, the assembly dis- solved, and the Section disarmed. On the 12th of Vcndemiaire (3d October,) at seven or eight in the evening, General Menou, accompanied by the representatives of the people, who were Commissioners to the Army of the iwterior, proceeded with a numerous body of troops to the place of meeting of the Section Lepelletier, to carry into execution the decree of the Convention. The infantry, cavalry, and artillery were all crowded together in the rue Vivienne, at the extremity of which is the Convent Gf the Filles-Saint-Thomas. The eectionaries occupied the windows of the houses of this street; several of their bat- talions drew up in order of battle in the court of the con- vent, and the iftilitary force, wliich General Menou com- manded, found itself compromised. The committee of the Section had declared itself a rep- resentation of the Sovereign people, in the exercise of its functions: it refused to obey the orders of the Convention-, and, after spending an hour in useless negotiations. Gener- al Menou and the Commissioners of the Convention with- drew, by a species of capitulation, without having dispers- ed or disarmed the meeting. V. Menou is deprived of the command of the Army of the Interior. — The Section, thus victorious, declared itself per- manent; sent deputations to all the other Sections; boasted its success, and hastened the organization necessary for se- curing the success of its resistance. Preparations com- menced for the 13thofVend«miaire. General Bonaparte, who had been for some months at- tached to the directors of the movements of the French armies, was in a box at the theatre Feydeau, when some of his friends informed him of the singular events that were passing. He was curious to witness the particulars of so grand a spectacle. Seeing the Conventional troops repuls- ed, he hastened to the Assembly to observe the effect of this intelligence, and to trace the developemente and charac- ter which would there be given to it. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 289 The Convention was in the greatest agitation. The rep- resentatives with the army, in order to exculpate them- selves, loudly accused Menou. The consequences of his want of skill were ascribed to treason. He was placed un- der arrest. Various representatives then appeared at the tribune; they described the extent of the danger. 'I'he news which every moment arrived from the Sections, showed but too pluiiiiy, how great the peril actually was. Every member recommended the general who possessed his confidence. 7'hose who had been at Toulon, and with the army of Italy, and the members of the committee of Public Safety, who were in daily communication with Napoleon, proposed him as more capable than any other person, from the prompt- ness of his coup-d''a:ih and the energy of his character, of bringing them safely through the present danger. Messen- gers were sent into the city to seek him. Napoleon who had heard all that had been said, and knew what was in agitation, deliberated with himself more than half an hour on the course most eligible for him to pursue. A deadly war was breaking out between the Convention and Paris. Would it he prudent to declare himself— to speak in the name of all France ? Who would dare to enter the lists alone as the champion of the Convention 7 Victory itself would be attended with a degree of odium, whilst de- feat would devote the unsuccessful combatant to the eter- nal execration offuture generations. Why thus devote himself to be the scapegoat of crimes to which he had been a stranger 1 Why voluntarily expose himself to add, in a few hours, one more to the list of those names which men shudder to pronounce. But, on the other hand, if the Convention should sink, what would become of the great truths of our Revolution'? Our numerous victories, our blood so often shed, would then be only disgraceful actions. 7'he foreigner, whom we had often vanquished, would triumph, and load us with his contempt ; an insolent unnatural crew would re -appear triumphant ; would reproach us with our crimes ; would indulge their revenge, and rule us like helots, by foreign force. Thus the defeat of the Convention would place a victori- ous crown on the brows of the foreigner, and seal the dis- grace and slavery of the nation. This sentiment — the ardour of five-and-twenty — confident in his own powers and his destiny, prevailed. He made up his mind, and went to the Committee, to which he represented with energy the impossibility of directing so important an operation, whilst subject to the interference of three repre- 2^ 290 MY RESIDENCE WITH isentatlves, wIjo, in fact, exercised ?.U power, and impedeci all the operations of the general. He added, that he had witnessed all the proceedings of the rue Vivienne ; that the Commissioners had been cliiefly to blame, and had, never- theless, acted the part of accusers in the assembly with tri- umphant success. Struck with these arguments, but vinaLle to deprive the Commissioners of their functions witliout a long discussion in the assembly, the committee, to conciliate matters,_/b?' they had no time to lose, resolved to select the General from the assembly itself. With this view, it proposed Barras to the Convention, as General-in-chief, and gave the command to Napoleon, who thus found himself relieved from the three Commissioners, vi'ithout their having any thing to com- plain of. As soon as Napoleon found himself invested with the com- mand of the forces destined to protect the Assembly, he went to one of the cabinets of the Thuilleries, Vvhere Me- nou remained, to obtain from him the necessary information as to the force and position of the troops and artillery. — The army consisted of only five thousand soldiers of all de- scriptions, with forty pieces of cannon, then at the Sablons, guarded by fifteen men : it was an hour after mid-night. — Napoleon instantly despatched a major of the 21st light horse (Murat) with three hundred cavalry, to proceed, with all possible expedition, to the Sablons, and bring off tho artillery to the garden of the Thuilleries. One moment more would have been too late. This officer, on arriving at the Sablons at two o'clock, fell in with the head of a column of the Section Lepelletier, come for the purpose of carrying off the artillery ; but his troops being cavalry, and tlie ground a plain, the Section retreated ; and at six in the morning the forty guns entered the Thuilleries. VI. Dispositions for the attack and dcfcuee ojtke Thuille- ries.^—From six o'clock to nine Napoleon visited all the posts, and placed this artillery at the head of the Pont Louis XVI, of the Pont Royal, of the rue de Rohan, at the Cul-de^ sac Dauphin, in the rue St. Plonore, at the Pont Tournanf, &c. He intrusted the custody of the guns to officers worthy of confidence. All the matches were lighted, and the whole of the little army was distributed at the different posts, or in reserve at the garden, and the Place Carrousel. The generale beat throughout Paris, and the National Guards formed at all the debouches ; thus surrounding the palace and gardens. Their drums carried their insolence so far ae to come and beat the generale on the Carrousel, and tht- Place Louis XV. THK EMPEROn NArOHJO^T. 29 1 The danger was imniinent. Forty thousand National Gitards weil armed and trained, presented tiiemselvcs as the enemies of the Convention : the troops of the line intrusted with its defence were few in number, and might easily be hroujlit over by the sentiments of the population which surrounded them. The Convention, in order to increase its forces, armed 1500 individuals called the Patriots of 1789. They were men, who, after the 9th of Thermidor, had lost their employmonts and quitted tiieir departments, where tiicy were persecuted by public opinion. Three battalions were formed of them, which were placed under the com- mand of General Berruyer. These men fought with the greatest valour. Their example influenced the troops of the lia^, and they were of the greatest importance to the success of this day. A Committee of forty members, composed of the Com- mittees of Public Safety and General Security, directed all aiTairs. Cambacei-es was president : they discussed much^ and decided nothing ; while the pressure of the danger in- creased every moment. Some were desirous to lay down their arms, and receive the sectioaaries as the Roman Senators received the Gauls. Others were desirous, that the Assembly should retire to Caesar's camp at the heights of Saint-Cloud, there to be joined by the Army of the coasts of the ocean. Otheis -.'. ished deputations to be sent to all the Forty-eight Sec- tions, to maJcc varioiis propositions to them. During these vain I'i^cnssions, at two in the afternoon, a man named La- fond debor.ched on the Pont Neuf, coming from the Section Lepollciier at the licad of three or four battalions ; whilst anothoj' column of the same force advanced from tlic Odcon to meet tliem. Tkcj joined in the Place Dauphine. General Carteaux, vrho had been stationed at Pont Neuf A', It'alOO men and four pieces of cannon, with orders to dc- lend the two sides of the bridge, abandoned his post, and foil back under the wickets. At the same time a battalion of the National Guard occupied the garden of the Infanta : tlicy professed to be well atfected towards the Convention, and nevertheless seized on this post without orders. On another side Saint-Roch, the Theatre Francais, and the hotel Noaillcs, were occupied in force by the National Guard. The opposite posts were not more than from twelve to fifteen yards asunder. The sectionarics every moment sent women, or advanced themselves, unarmed, and waving their hats over tbsir heads, to fraternize with the troops of the line. VII. Acli.o:i of the 13lh of Venderaiaire. -^MsLiters grew worse every moment. At three o'clock, Danican, general 292 MY RESIDENCli WITH of the Sections, sent a flag of truce to summon the Conven- tion to dismiss the troops which threatened the people, and to disarm the Terrorists. This messenger traversed the posts blind-folded, with all the forms of war. He v/as thus introduced into the midst of the Committee of the Forty, in which he caused a great sensation by his threats. He \vi.s sent back towards four o'clock. Tlie night was coming on, and there could be no doubt that darkness must be favoura- ble to the Sections, considering their great nuniber. They might creep from house to house into all the avenues of the Thuilleries, already strictly blockaded. About the same time seven hundred muskets, belts and catridge-boxes were "brought into the hail of the Convention to arm the members themselves as a corps-de-reserve, which alarmed many of them who had not till then comprehended tlie magnitude of the danger in which they stood. At length, at a quarter after four, some muskets were discharged from the hotel de Noailles, into which the sec- tionaries had introduced themselves ; the balls reached the steps of the Thuilleries. At the same instant, Lafond's column debouched by the quay Voltaire, marching over the Pont Royal. The batteries were then ordered to fire. An eight-pounder, at the Cul-de-sac Dauphin, commenced the iire, and served as a signal to all the posts. After several discharges, Saint-Roch was carried ; Lafond's column, the head and flank of which were both exposed to the cannon- ade from the quay, at the point of the Louvre wicket, and from the head of Poat Royal, was routed. The rue Saiut- Honore, the rue Saint-Fforeatin, and the adjacent places, were swept by the guns. About a hundred men attempted to make a stand at the Theatre de la Republique ; a few shells from the howitzers dislodged them in an instant. At six o'clock all was over. If a few cannon were heard at long intervals in the course of the night, it was to prevent the barricades which some inhabitants had attempted to form with casks. There were about two hundred killed and wounded on the part of the sectionaries, and nearly as many on the sidt; of tiie Convention; the greater part o/'^.'ie latter, dit the gates of Saint-Roch. The section of the Quinze-Vingts, Faubourg St. Antoninci, was the only one that took part with the Convention ; it furnished 250 men : so completely had the late political os- cillations of this body alienated all classes from it. The Faubours, however, if they did not rise in favour of the Con- vention, certainly did not act against it. It is untrue, that in the commeacement of the action the troops were ordered to fire with powder only ; that would only have served to Tllfi EMPEUOR NAI'OLKOy. ^93 >Jrn!J0iden the sectionaries and to endanger Ihe troops ; but it is a fact, that when once they were engaged, and success had ceased to bedouotful, they fired without hall. VIII. The 1 ith of Veiuleiniairc. — Some assemblages still continued to fake place in the Section Lepelletier. On the 1-lth in the morning some columns debouched a- gainst them by the Boulevards, ilic rue Kiclielieu, and the Palais Royal. Some cannon had been placed in the prin- cipal avenues. The sectionaries were promptly dislodged, and the rest of the day was employed in going over the city, visiting the chief houses of the Sections, gathering in arms, and reading proclamations. In the evening ordei- was com- pletely restored, and Paris was once more perfectly quiet. After this great event, when the oiPiCers of the Army of the intei'ior were presented in a body to the Convention, tiie members, by acclamation, appointed Bonaparte Gene- ral-in-chief of this army ; Barras being no longer allowed to unite the title of representative of the people with military- functions. ' General Rlenou was delivered over to a counsel of war : his death was required. The General-in-chief saved him by telling the judges that if Menou deserved death, the three representatives who had directed tlie operations and* par- leyed with the sectionaries, merited the same punishment •. that the Convention ought to bring its three members to trial before it proceeded against JMenou. The corporate spirit prevailed over the voices of Menon's enemies. The same commission condemned several individuals to death, in contumacy, cunoiigd others Vaublanc. Lafond v/as the only person executed. This young man had evinced great courage in the action ; the head of his column, on the Pont Uoyal, formed again three times under the fire of grape- shot, before it entirely gave way. He was an emigrant ; there was no possibility of saving bim, however it might have been wished to do so ; his imprudent answers constantly defeated the •ood intention of his judges. IX. JVapoleoit, commander-in-chief of Vie Armij of the In- terior.— After the 13th of Vendemiaire, Napoleon had to re-organize the National Guard, which was an object of the liighest importance, as it then reckoned no less than 104 battalions. At the same time he formed the guard of the Directory, and re-organized that of the Legislative Body. These very circumstances proved eventually one of the causes of hia success on the famous 18th of Brumaire. He had left such impressions on this corps, that on his return from Egypt, although the Directory had recommended its soldiers to pay him np military honours except when he was infuM uniforra. 35* 234 MY RESIDEiVCE WITif nothing coijid hinder them from beating To the field, wheit- ever, and in whatever dress they saw him. The few months that JNapoleon commanded the Army of the Interior, were replete with difficulties and emharrass- men ts. These were the installation of a new government, the members of which were divided amongst themselves, and often in opposition to the councils; a silent ferment amongst the old sectionaries v>'ho com.posed the majority of Faris ; the active turbulence of tlie Jacobins, who assembled anew under the name of the Society of the Pantheon ; the fo- reign agents of Royalism, w/to formed a powerful party; the discredit of the finances and paper-money, which spread ex- treme discontent amongst the troops; and above all, the horrible famine which, at this period, afflicted the capital. Ten or twelve times the supply of provisions failed entire- ly, and the scanty daily distributions which Government had been compelled to establish were interrupted. It re- quired no ordinary degree of activity and address to sur- mount so many obstacles, and to maintain tranquillity in the capital in spite of such a combination of calamities and dif- ficulties. The Society of the Pantheon daily gave the Directory new causes of uneasiness. The police durst not venture aii- open attack on this society. The General-in-chief caused the place of its meetings to be sealed up, and the mem- bers never stirred more whilst he was in the way. It was not until after his departure that they appeared again, under the influence of Babeuf, Antonelle, and others, and produced the eruption at the camp of Greneile. Napoleon frequently had to harangue at the markets, ia. the streets, in the sections, and Faubourgs; and here it is worthy of remark that he always found the Faubourg Saint- Antonine the most ready to listen to reason, and the most susceptible of a generous impulse. It was during his command of Paris, that Napoleon be- came acquainted with Madame de Beaubarnois. After the general disarming of the Sections had been ef- fected, a youth often or twelve years of age presented him- self before the staff, entreating the Geaeral-in-chief togive orders for restoring to him the sword of his father, v/ho had been a general of the Republic. Tliis youth was Eugene Beaubarnois, afterwards Viceroy of Italy. Napoleon, mov- ed by the nature of his request, and by his juvenile grace, o-ranted his petition. Eugene burst into tears on behold- ing his father's sword. The General was touched at his- sensibility, and behaved so kindly to him that Madame de- Beauharnois thought it incumbent on her to wait on him the- THE EMPEROR KAPOLEON. 295 aext day to thank him for his attention. Napoleon return- ed her visit without delay. Every one knows tlie extrordinary grace of the Empress Josepiiifie, her sweet and attractive rr^anners. Ihe ac- quaintance soon became intimate and tender, and it was not long' before they married. X. J^ctipoleon appointed Ge.icral-in -chief of the army of Jta-ljj. — Scherer, who conimanded the arriiy of Italy, was reproached with not having known how to profit by his vic- tory of Loano; his subsequent conduct had not given great satisfaction. Many more official tlian military characters were seen at his head quarters at IS ice. I'his general ask- ed for money to pay bis troops and re-orgar:i;:e the various branches of the servic-e ; and for horses, lo replace these of his cavalry wiiicli had perisljed for want of food. Tho Gov- ernment could give him neither the one nor the other. Eva- sive answers were given to his demands, and empty promis- es were made to amuse him. He then declared, tl.at ifany farther delay took place, he should be corapeiicd to evacu- ate the Genoese country, to return- to the Kcya, and per- haps even to repass the Var. The Directory resolved to supersede him. A young general of twenty five could no longer remain at the head of the Army of the interior. The public opinion of his talents, and the confidence which the Army of Italy had in him, designated him as the Only man capable of ex- tricating it from the embarrassing situation in which it stood. The conferences wliich lie bad with the Directorv on this head, and the projects which he submitted to its con- sideration, left no farther doubt. He set out for jN'ice, acd General Hatri, who was sixty years of age, came from the Army of the Sambre and \Ieuse, to succeed him in the com- mand of the Army of the interior, wbich had become of less importance, now that the crisis of scarcity was over, and t^e government was firmly established. BATTLE OF MONTENOTTE. .■Efoin the arrival of the General-io-ch';ef at NiM, on th; 23th of March, 1796, the Armis'ice of Cherasco, the 28th of April fo!lo>vins, being one month. I. Plai ofCixmpaignfor entivri'ig Jlabj hy turning ike Alps. The King of Sardinia, who froin Ijis military and geograph- ical position, had acquired the title of Porter of the Alps, had in 1796 fortresses at the opeiiings of all the passes leading into Piedmont. If it had been \7ished to penetrate into Italy by forcing the Alps, it would have been necessary to gain possession of these fortresses. Now tlie roads did not allow the carriage of a battering-train; besides, the mountains are covered with snow during three quarters of the year, which leaves but little time for besieging these places. A plan was, therefore, formed for turning all the Alps, and for entering Italy precisely at tiie point where these high mountains terminate, and where the Appennines hegin. The Saint-Gothard is the most elevated pass of the Alps. From thence all the others gradually decrease in height. Thus the Saint-Gothard is higher than the Erenner; the latter higher than the mountains of Cadore ; the monntains of Cadore than the Col de Travis and the mountains cf Carniola. On the other side, the Saint-Gothard is higher than the Simplon ; the Simplon higher than the Saint-Bcr- nard, which is higher than Mount Cenis ; and Mount Cenis higher than the Col di Tende. From the latter point the Alps continually decrease in height, and at length terminate at the mountains ofSt.Jaques, near Savona,where the Appen- nines begin. Then the chain of the Appennines rise again, and proceeds constantly increasing in an inverse direction; so that theBocchetta, the neighbouring hills, those which separate Liguria from the states of Parma, Tuscany, the Modenese, and the Bologaese, keep always rising. The valley of Madonna, of Savona,' and the hills of Saint-Jaques and Montenotte, afe therefore, the lowest points both of the Alps and Appennines; the spot at which the former fin- ish, and the latter commence. Savona, a seaport and fortified town, was placed in such a manner, as to serve bothforamagazine and point of appui. From that town to Madonna there is a firm bard road, three THE EMFEROR NAPOLEON. 297 miles long ; and from Madonna to Carcari,it is four or five miles more. 'J'lie latter space might be rendered practi- cable for artillery in a few days. At Carcari are carriage roads, vrhicli lead into tbe interior of Piedmont and Mont- fcrrat. Tills was the only point by which Italy could be entered without passing mountains: the elevations of the groimd ai-e tliere so inconsiderable, that at a subsequent period, du- ring the imperial reign, a canal was projected, which was to have conacctftd the Adriatic with the Mediterranean, by the assistance of the Po, and of a branch of the Bormida, wliich has its source in the heights near Savona. In penetrating into Italy by the sources of the Bormida, some liopes might be entertained of separating and inter- secting the Sardinian and Austrian armies; because from that position Lombardy and Piedmont were both menaced. It was as practicable to march on Milan as on Turin. The Piedmontese were interested in covering Turin, and the Austrians in defending Milan. II. State oftke two Armies. — The enemy's army was com- manded by General Beaulieu, a distinguished officer, who had gained reputation in the campaigns of the North. This army was well pi-ovided with all that was calculated to ren- der it formidable. The French army, on the contrary, was in want of every thing, and its Government was unalle to supply it. The army of the Allies was composed of Aus- trians, Sardinians, and Neapolitans ; they alieady amount- ed to three times the number of the Frencli arn;y, and were to be increased successively by the forces of the Pope, hy re-enforcemcnts from Naples, and by the troops of Mcdena and Parma. This army was divid*ed into two grand corps; the eiTcctive army of Austria, composed of four divisions, of a strong ar- tillery, and anumercus cavalry, increased by a Neapolitan division, forming a total of 60,000 men under arms. The elfective army of Sardinia, composed of three PiedmoDtese divisions, and an Austrian division of 4000 cavalrj, was commanded by the Austrian General Colli, who was him- self under the command of General Eeauliru. TLe rest of the Sardinian forces garrisoned tiiC fortresset, or de- fended the passes opposite the Frenrli army of the Alps; they were commanded by the Duke oj/ios!?. The French army was composed offour effecUve divisions under G'eiierais Jiassena, Augereai;, Laharj-e and Serru- rier. Each of tiiese divisions could, one witli aiiotJier, muster from, G to 7000 men under aruis. T he cavalry, amounting to 3000, was in the most misera-le condition, *. ~ jjh it had ueeu a long time on the Rhone to recruit -Do MY RESIDENCE WITH itself; but it had wanted for provisions. — The arsenals ci' Antibes and Nice were well furaished; but means of trans- port were wanting: all ihe draught horses had perished for- want. The penury of the French finances was so great that all th; elx^jrts of the Government could only furnish 2000 louis in specie to the military chest of the army -for the opening; of the campaign ; there was, therefore, notliing to be expected from France. Henceforth no resources were to be hoped for, except from victory. It was only in thfi plains of Italy that means of conveyance could be organized, the artillery furnished with teams, the soldiers clothed, and the cavalry mounted. All this would be gained by forcing the passage of Italy. The French had indeed at most but 30,000 men, whilst more than 90,000 were opposed to them. If these two armies had had to contend with each other in a general engagement, no doubt the inferiority of the French army in point of numbers, artillery, and cavalry, would have ,en3ured its easy overthrow ; but as it was situated, it was enabled to supply the want of numbers by the rapidity of its marches ; the deficiency of artillery by the nature of its manoeuvres; its inferiority in cavalry by the nature of its positions. — The character of our troops was excellent: all the men had served in the other campaigns of Italy, or in those of the Pyrenees. III. JVapoleon arrives at JVice. — Napoleon arrives at Nice between the 26th and 29th of March. The picture of the n.rmy which Schercr laid before him, was still wor?e than he liad been able to form any idea of. The supply of bread vra^vcry uncertain ; distributions of meat had long ceased; i'ov rn:ans of conveyance there were only mules, and above '20 J of t'lese could not be reckoned upon; it was impossible to ihink of transporting above twelve pieces of cannoO;; the position of the army grew worse everyday. Not an instant was to be lost : the army could no longer subsist where it v,'as ; it was necessary either to advance or recede. The French General gave orders to put the army in mo- tion. He wished to surprise the enemy in the very opening of the campaign, and dazzle and confound them by brilliant and decisive advantages. The head-quarters had never quitted Nice since tlie be- ginning of the war; they were ordered to be transferred to Albr?4ra. All the civil lists had long considered their posts a" fixed, and concerned themselves much more about their own comforts, than tlxp wants of the army. The French General reviewed tfie tr<7ops, and said to them, " SolaJers, you are naked, ill fed: much is due to us, there isnotliing to pay us with. Tlie patience and courage you have shown in the miist of vb3se rocks, are admirable ; but they win you THE EiirEROn NArCI.EON, 2SK) j,o glory. I COX73C to lead yon into the most fertile plcins in ilie world. Rich jrovintcs, great cities, vvill Le in our jiower ; tliere yoii Tvill liave wealth, honour, and glory. Holdiers of Italy, can your courage fail !" Speeches like tliis, from a young- GecerrJ of tweKty-five, in whom fjreat confidence vras already placed, on account of the brilliant operations of Toulon, Saorgio, and Savoi.a, directed by him in the course of tlie preceding- years, were received with the most lively accianiutiu^s. For the purpose of turning the 7ilps, and entering; Italy by the Col di Cadibona, it ^/as necessary to assemble the whole army on its extreme rig-ht ; which would lave been a dang'erous operation, if the snow had not then covered the debouciies of t!ie Alps. The transition fy(.ni the defen- sive to the offensive order, is one of the most delicate cpe - rations in war. Serrurier was placed atGarezzio with his division, to observe the camps whicii Colli had at Ceva; Massena and Augereau were placed in reserve at Loano, Finale, and as far as Savona. Laharpe marched to menace Genoa; his van-guard, commanded by Gervoni, occupied Voltri. At (he same instant the General-in-chief caused the passage of the Bucchetta and the keys of Gavi to be de- manded of tlie Senate of Genoa. Great apprehensions pre- vailed in Genoa; the councils placed themselves in perma- nence. ly. Battle of JTontenotte, 11th of April.— Beaulieu, alarm- ed, hastened with all, possible speed from Milan to ti c suc- coarof, Genoa. He removed his head-quarters to IVovi, di- vided his army into three corps; the right, under Colli, composed of Piedmontese, had its head quarters at Ceva ; it was intrusted with the defence of the Stura and Tanaro. The centre, under the command of Dargentau, marched en JVIontenotte, to intersect the French army by falling en its left flank, and cutting it at Savona, en the road of the Cor- nice. Beaulieu, in person, with his left, covered <3etioa, and marched on Voltri. At the first glance these disposi- tions seemed skilful ; but on more profound investigation cf the circumstances of the country, it will be seen thai Eeau- ieu divided his force by these means, because all direct communication between his centre and his left became im- practicable, except behind the mountains; whilst the French army, on the contrary, was placed in such a manner that it could join in a few hours, and fall in a mass on either of the corps of the enemy; and when one of them should be totally defeated, the other must necessarily retreat. General Dargentau, commanding the centre of the ene- my's army, encamped at Lower Montenotte, on the 9(h cf April. On the 10th, he marched on Monte-Legino, to de- 300 MV RESIDENCE TVIYII bouch by Madonna. Colonel Rampon, who Lad been or- dered to keep the three redoubts of Monte-Legino, having received intelligence of the inarch of the enemy, pushed forward a strong reconnoitring parly to meet him. 'Ibis party was driven back, from noon till tuo o'clock, when it entered the redoubts again. Dargentau attempted to carry them by an instantaneous assault; he was repulsed in three successive attacJis, and gave up the scheme. As his troops were fatigued, he took up a position, and put off turn- ing these redouDts, in order to reduce them, until the mor- row. Beaulieu, on his side, debouched oa the 9th, on G&(ioa. On the 10th, Laharpe was engaged all day with Beau- lieu's van-guard before Voltri, disputing the passes witii him, and keeping him in check. But in the evening of the 10th, he fell back on Savona ; and on the llth, at daybreak, he found himself with his whole division in the rear of Rampon, and the redoubts of Monte-Legino. In the same night of the 10th, the General-in-chief marched with the divisions of Massena and Augereau by the Col di Cadioona, and de- bouched behind Montenotte. At daybreak, Dargentau, surrounded on all sides, was attacked in front by Kampon and Laharpe, and in rear and flank by the General-ia-chief. Dargentau was completely routed ; his whole corps was cut to pieces; at the same time that Beaulieu arrived before Voltri, where he found no enemy. He did not hear of the defeat at Montenotte, and the entrance of the French into Piedmont, till the 12th. He was then obliged to make his troops fall back, and repass the bad roads into which the dispositions of his plan had thrown him. The consequence was, that three days afterwards, at the battle of Millesimo, only part of his troops could come up in time. V. Battle of Milledmo,\Ath of April.— On the 12th, the head-quarters of the French army were at Carcari : the defeated army had retired ; the Piedmontese on Millesimo, and the Austrians on Dego. These two positions were con- nected by a Piedmontese division, which was ordered to occupy the heights of Biestro. At Millessimo, the Pied- montese were on both sides of the road which covers Pied- mont; they were joined by Colli with all the force he had been able to b/ing up from the right. At Dego the Aus- trians occupied the position which defends the Acqui road, the direct way into the Milanese : they were successively joined by all the troops Beaulieu could bring back from Vol- tri ; they were in a good position for receiving all the re- enforcements that might be sent to tiiem from Lombardy. Thus the two great debouches of Piedmont and the Milanese were covered : the enemy flattered themselves that they TIIU EfiafEROU NAl'OI ;t0i dioukl have time to establish and intrench themselves there. However advantageous tlie battle of Montenotte had beeit for us, the enemy had found means to repair their losses, through the superiority of their numbers-: but the next day but one, the 14th, opened to us the two roads of Turin and Milan. Augereau, forming the left of the French army, inarched on Millesimo ; Massena, with the centre, directed his march on Dego ; and Laharpe, commanding the right, took his way by the heights of Cairo. The enemy had form- ed an appui for their right, by causing the hill of Cosseria, which commands the two branches of the Bormida, to be occupied; but from the 13th, General Augereau, who liad not engaged at t\fe l)attie of Montenotte, pushed the enemy's right with such impetuosity, that he carried the passes of Millesimo, and surrounded the hill ofCcsseria. Provera, with his rear-guard, two thousand strong, was cut off". In this desperate situation. General Provera resolved to brave all extremities : he took refuge in an old ruined castle, and there baj-ricadoed himself. From its top he saw the right of the Sardinian army making dispositions for the battle of the following day, by which he hoped to be extricated. All CoUi's troops, from the camp of Ceva, were expected to arrive in the course of the night. The French, therefore, felt it of the greatest importance to gain possession of the castle of Cosseria in the course of the day ; but this post was very strong, and their attack failed. The next day the two armies engaged. Massena and Laharpe carried Dego, after an obstinate conflict. Menars and Joubert carried the heights of Biestro. All CoUi's attacks to extricate Pro- vera were unsuccessful ; he was defeated, and hotly pursu- ed ; Provera was then compelled to lay down his arms. — The enemy, briskly followed up into the passes of Spigno, left there part of his artillery, with many colours and priso- ners. The separation of the two armies of Austria and Sar- dinia was, thenceforward, complete. Beaulieu removed his head-quarters to Acqui, on the Milanese road, and Colli returned to Ceva, to prevent the junction of Serrurier, and cover Turin. VI. Battle of Dego, August \o. — In the meantime, a di- 'vision of Austrian grenadiers, who had been directed from Voltri by Sassello, arrived at three in the morning at Dego. The position was no longer occupied but by advanced posts. These grenadiers, therefore, easily carried the village, and created great alarm at the French head-quarters, where they could not comprehend how the enemy could be at De- go, while we had advanced posts on the Acqui road. After two hours hard fighting, Dego was retaken, and almost the ^hole of the enemy's division were made prisoaera. 36 302 MY RESIDENCE WITH In these affairs, we lost General Ban el at Millessimo, and General de Causse at De^o. These two officers were dis- tinguished by the most brilliant valour ; tliey both came from the army of the Eastern Pyrenees, and it was remar- kable that the orBcers who came from that army evinced the most extraordinary impetuosity and courage. It was at the village of Dego that INapoleon first distinguished a chief of battalion, whom he made a colonel; this was Lanncs, who afterwards was a Marshal of the Empire, and Duke of Montebello, and displayed talents uf the first order. He will henceforth be seen to take the principal part in all military events. The French General now directed his operations against Colli and the King of Sardinia, and contented himself v,ith keeping the Austrians in check. Laharpe was placed in observation near Dego, to secure our rear, and keep Beau- lieu in check, who, being greatly weakened, was now chief- ly occupied in rallying and re-organizing the wreck of his *rmy. Laharpe's division being compelled to remain seve- ral days in this position, suffered greatly from the scarcity of provisions, owing to the want of mear.s of conveyance, and the wasted condition of the country from tl^e piresence of so many troops ; this circumstance produced some irreg- ularities.- Serrurier learning at Garassio the results of the battles of Montenotte and Millesimo, put his troops in mo- tion, occupied the height of San Giovatini, and entered Ceva the same day that Augereau ar^iv-ed on the heights of Montezemo. On the 17th, after some slight affairs, Colli evacuated the intrenched camp of Ceva, and retired behind the Cursaglia. The same day the General-in-chief remov- ed his he rid -quarters to Ceva. The enemy had left there all their artillery, which they had not had tirr;e to carry off, and had contented themselves with leaving a garrison in the castle. The arrival of the army on the heights of Monteze- mo too was a sublime spectacle. The immense and fertile plains of Piedmont lay before them. The Po, the Tanaro, and a midtitude cf other rivers, meandered in the distance; in the horizon, a white girdle of snow and ice, of a stupen- dous height, surrounded these rich valleys — this promised land. Those gigantic barriers, which seemed the limits of another world, which nature had delighted in rendering thus formidable, and to which art had contributed all its resources, had fallen as if by enchantment. " Hannibal forced the Alps," said the French General, surveying those riountains, " but we have turned them :" a happy expree- sion, which conveyed, in two words, the idea and the results of the campaign. The army passed the Tanaro ; for the first time it was now absolutely Ib the plains, and tlie earal"' THK EMI^EROR NAPOLEON. 303 j-j- coultTnow be of some utility to us. General Steingel, who commanded it, passed the Cursaglia, at Lexegao, and ficourcd tlie plain- The head-quarters were fixed at the i;astle ufLezegno, on the right of the Carsaglia, near the point at wJiichit falls into the Tanaro. VII. Action of Saint Michel; Battle of Mondavi, 20lli and 22(1 April. — General Scrrurier united his forces at Saint Michel. On the 20th he passed the bridge of Saint Michel, at t!ie same time that Massana passed the Tanaro to attack the Piedmontese. But Colli, aware of the danger of his position, abandoned the confluence of the two rivers, and iiiarcliedin person to take up a position at ?Jontoir. By a fortuitous circumstance, he arrived with his forces exactly before Saint Ivlichel, as General Serrarier was debouching from the bridge. He halted, opposed a superior force to Lira, and forced him to fall back. Serrurier would never- theless have maintained himself in Saint Michel, had not one of his light infantry regiments taken to pillage. The French General debouched on the 22d by the bridge of Torre, and directed his march to Mondovi. Colli had al- ready raised some redoubts there, and established a position j lis left at Device, and his centre at La Eieoque. The same day, Serrurier carried the redoubt of La Bicoque, and de- cided the battle, which took the name of Mcndovi. This toAvn and all its magazines fell into the hands of the con- queror. General Steingel, who had advanced too far into t'.ie plain, with » thousand horse, was attacked by a body of Piedmontese of twice tiiat number. Ke made r.li the dis- positions that could be expected from a consunacate gene- ral, and v.-as effecting his retreat towards the main body when he was mortally wounded by a pike in a cbarge. — General IMurat, at the Lead of il.e cavalry, repulsed the- Piedmontese, and pursued tliem during several hours. — General Steingel, a native cf Alsace, was aD excellent offi- cer of hussars. He had served under Dumourier in the campaigns of the North ; and was expert, intelligent, and active : he combined the qualities of youth with these cf mature age, and was a true general of advanced posts.— Two or t'.iree days before his death, he was the first man that entered Lezegno. Tlie French General arrived there %ie\v hours afterwards, and found thai every thing Lad been provided and attended to. The defiles and fords had all been reconnoitred ; guides had been secured ; the curate and postmaster had been examined ; cojnmuuications es- tablished with several of the inhabitants ; spies despatched ill various directions ; the letters at the post-office seized, and those whicii could furnish any military information, tra^jBlated aad aaalyscd ; all proper measures taken fOT 504 Jiy RESIDENCE WITIf '-'ormiDg mag-azines of provisions for the troops. Ijnforfii' rjately Steiag-el was nea;--sigbted, a material defect in hie profession, and which contributed to his death. After the battle of Mondovi, the General-in-chief marched on Che- pasco ; Serrurier advanced on Fossano ; and Augereau on Aiba. VIII. Taking of Chcrasco, April 25th. — These three co- tumns, on the 25th of April, entered at the sametime Che- rasco, Fossano, and Alba. — CoUi's head-quarters were at Fossano on the very day that Serrurier dislodged hira thence. — Cherasco, at the junction of the Tauaro and Stura, ^vas a strong place, but ill defended and improvided, be- cause it was not a frontier fortress. The Fresch General considered the possession of tliis place of great importaiice. He found some artillery in it, and commenced vigorous ef- forts for putting it in a state of defence. The vanguard passed the Stura, and advanced beyond the little town of Bra. In the meantime the junction of Serrurier had ena- bled us to communicate with Nice by Fonte-Dinava ; we received thence re-inforcements of artillery, and all that couid be got ready. V/e had taken, in the different en- ffagements, many horses and much artillery : in the plain of Mondovi we levied horses on all sides. A few days after its entrance into Cherasco, the army had sixty gups with their stores; the cavalry was remounted. The soldiers ^7ho had no distributions during the first eight or ten days of this campaign, began to receive them regularly. Pillage and disorder, the constant attendants of rapid rnovemeuts, now ceased ; discipline was restored, and the appearance of the army improved daily amidst the abundance and resour- ces presented by this fine country. Its losses were repair- ed. The rapidity of the movements, the impetuosity of the troops, and above all, the art of opposing them to the ene- my, at least upon an equality, and often with advantage, in point of numbers, with the constant tide of success, had preserved the men greatly ; besides, soldiers arrived by all the debouches, from all the depots and ail the hospitals, at the report of the victorious career and abundant supply of the army. Wines of every kind were found in Piedmont: those of Montferrat resembled the wines in France. Pre- viously to this period the misery of the French had exceed- ed all description. The officers had for several years re- ceived only eight francs per montli, and the staff was wholly on foot. Marshal Berthier preserved amongst his papers an order of the day, issued at Alhenga, granting.to each general a gratification of three louis. IX. Armistice, of Cherasco, .^^ri/ 28.— rTIte army Avas r.o'^ only ten leagues from Tmin. THE EMPEEOR aArOLEO.V. 5'C^ The Court of Sardinia no lon^^er knew wLat resolutioQ td iuiopt ; its anny wa3 discouraged, and partly destroyed. — T lie Austriau army, reduced to less tlian liuif its original numbers, seemed to ttiink ofuoiliing but covering Milan. — The minds of tbe people of Piedmont wcre'mucii agitated,. a;jd tlie Court was far from possessing the conlidence of tho puDiic. It placed itself at the discreliou of the French (.Joneral, and solicited an armistice ; to which the latter acceded. Many people would have pl-eferred that the army should have marched and taken Turin. But Turin is a for- tified city; if it had been determined to close the gates a- gainst us, they could not have been forced without such a train of artillery as we did not possess. The King had still- a great number of fortresses, and notv/itLstanding the vic- tories which had just been gained, the least check, the slightest caprice of fortune, might overturn every thing. — The two hostile armies, notwithstauding their numerous reverses, Averestiil equal to the French army ; they had a considerable artillery, and a cavalry w"hich had not suffered. In the French army, in spite of all its success, a degree cf astonishment prevailed ; the greatness of the enterprise struck every one ; the possibility of success, with such slen- der means, was a subject of doubt. The least ambiguous occurrence would have been seized on by many persons disposed to exaggeration. Some officers, and even gene- rals, conceived that we 'bought not to dare to think of con- quering Italy with so little artillery, scarcely any cavahy^ and so feeble an army, which disease and the distance froni home would weaken every day. Some traces of these sen- timents of the army may be found in the following procla' niation of the General-in-chief, which he addressed to his soldiers at Cherasco. ■ " Soldiers ! You have, in fifteen days, gained six victo- ries, taken twenty-one stand of colours, fifty-five pieces o^ cannon, and several fortresses ; and conquered the richest part of Piedmont. You have made 15,000 prisoners; ancL. killed and wounded more than 10,000 men. " Hitherto you had fought for barren rocks, ennobled by your courage, but useless to the nation. Your services now- equal those of the conquering army of Holland and tha Rhine. You were in want of every thing, but you have 7)rovided every thing. You have gained battles without cannon, passed rivers without bridges, made forced marches wildiout siioes, bivouacked without brandy, and often ^with- out bread. None but republican phalanxes, the soldiers of liberty, could have borne what you have endured. ^%t this you have the thanks of your country. It gratefully ac- knowledges i^elf partly indebted to you for its prosperity j- 306 MY RESIDENCE WITH and if, when you took Toulon, you gave an omen of the brii. liant campaign of 1793, your presLiit victories foi oode one still more glorious. "Ihe two armies which lately attacked you with confi- dence, now liybefore you witli consternation. Ihoss per- verse persons who laughed at your wants, and rejoiced in their hearts at the anticipated triumphs of our enemies, are trembling in confusion. But, soldiers ! it must not be con- cealed, you have done nothing, since there remains aught to do. IN either Turin nor Milan are in your power. Iheashee of the conquerors of Tarquin are still trodden under foot by the murderers of Basseville. You were in want of every thing at the opening of the campaign ; you are now abun- dantly provided. The magazines taken from the enemy are numerous, the besieging and field artillery have arrived. Soldiers 1 the country is entitled to expect much from you. Will you fulfil its expectations ! The greatest ditiiculties are, no doubt, surmounted; but you have still battles to fight, towns to take, rivers to cross: are there any amongst us whose courage is enervated? Are there any who would prefer returU' ing to the summits of the Apennines and Alps, to endure pa- tiently the insults ofyonslavish soldiery? No, there are none such amongst the victors of Montenotte, Millesirao, Dego, and Mondovi. All are burning to extend the glory of the French people. All wish to bumble these proud kings who dare to think of enchaining us. All are ambitious to dic- tate a glorious peace, calculated to indemnify our country for the immense sacrifices she has made. Friends ! I pro- mise you this conquest; but there is one condition yoti jTOUst swear to fulfil; this is, to respect the people whom you liberate; to repress the horrible acts of pillage to which the wretches excited by your enemies, abandon themselves; without this you would not be the deliverers of nations, but acourges to them. You would not be the glory of the French people ; they would disown you. Your victories, your courage, your success, the blood of our brethren slain iu battle, all would be thrown away — even honour and glory. As to me and the other generals in whom you confide, we should blush to command an undisciplined, unrestrained ar- my, acknowledging no law but force. But invested with the national authority, strong in justice and the law, I shall know how to force that handful of dishonourable, cowardly, heartless men to respect the laws of humanity and honour, whith they trample under foot. I will not sutler robbers to sully your laurels. I will cause the regulation 1 have puhlish- Ifc in orders to be vigoronslycarried into effect. Piihigers shallbe shot without mercy; several have already suffered. I have had occasion to remark the readiaess with which the THE EWPEROa NAPOLECSf. 307 rial goodf soldiers have come foulard to enforce the execu- tion of the orders. " People of Italy ! the French army advances tb* break your eliains : tlie people of France are the friends of all na- tions; meet her in confuieuce. Your property, your rtli- gi(^n, and your custoins,shail be respected. Vve shall make war like generous enemies, and aim only at the tyrants who enslave you." The conferences for the suspension of hostilities took place at head-quarters, at the house of Sulmatoirs, then maitre-d'hotel to the King, and afterwards the Eu;peror's prefect of the palace. Latour, the Piedmonlese General, and Colonel Lacoste, bearing powers from the King, came to Cherasco. Count Latour, an old soldier, vrho was lieu- tenant-general in the service of the King of Sardinia, wae exiremcly hostile to all new ideas, of little information, and a common capacity. Colonel Lacoste, a man in the prime of life, expressed himself with facility, possessed much wit, and made a favourable impression. The conditions were, that ilie King should abandonthe coalition, and send a pienipo- tiary to Paris to treat for a definitive peace; that in the meantime there should be an armistice ; that until the conclusion of peace, or the breaking ctf of the negotiation?, Ceva, Coui, and either Tortona, or Alessandria, should be forthvvitii surrendered to tlie French army, -with all their artillery and magazines ; that the French army should con- tinue to occupy all the ground which vras at that moment in its possession; that the military roads in all directions should permit the free communication of the army with France, and of France with the army; that Valenza should immedi- ately be evacuated by the Neapolitans, and placed in the Lands of the French General, until he should have effected IJie passage of the Po. Finally, that the militia of the country should be disbanded, and that the regular troops should be dispersed in the fortresses, in such a manner as to give no umbrage to the French. Henceforth, the Austrians, left to themselves, could be pursued into the very heart of Lombardy. All the troops of the army of the Alps and the neighbourhood of Lyons, were now become disposable, and would join the anny. Our line of communication with Paris would be shortened by one half; finally, we now had points of appui, and grand depots of artillery, to form our besieging trains, and even to besiege Turin, if the Directory should not conclude peace. X. Aide-de-camp Colo.iel Murat crosses Piedmont, and carries to Paris the news of the successes of the army. — Gen- eral Murat, first aide-de-camp to the General-in-chief, was despatched to Paria with tweuty-Qa« stand of colours and ♦:liD copy of the armistice. Napoletm had taken tiiis oHTcai^v into his service on the 13th of Veudemiaire ; he was then a major of the 21st chasseurs. He afterwards uiarried tho Eiiiperor's sister, became a Marshal of the Empire, Hijl* Admiral, Grand Duke of Bc.rc^, aud King of ISaplcs. Ke performed a grand part in all tiie military operations of the times; he always displayed great courage, and particularly, a singular hardihood, in cavalry moveinents. The province of Alba, which the French crossed, was of all Piedmont the country most adverse to the royal ar taki'ig the line of theAdigc. — To the fore- going remarks, it was answered : The French army ought to follow up its victory. We ought only to stop on the best line of defence, against the armies which will speedily march against us ; that line is the Adige. It covers tiie valleys of , the Po ; it intercepts middle and lower Italy ; it covers the blockade and siege of Mantua, and proba-dy that place may be taken before the coatcst caii re-commence. By pror ceedingto the Adige, we gain the means of providing fur ali the expenses of the army, because the wcignt of that exr psnse is divided amongst a more nnmerous population; that of Piedmont, Lombardy, and the Legations. It is feared that Venice may declare against us. 'I'he best way of pre- venting it, is to carry the war, in a few days, into the midst of her states; slie is not prepared for such an event ; she has not had time to levy troops, and form resolutions ; the senate must be prevented from, deliberating. Instead of which, if we remain on the Ticino, the Aiistrians may force Venice to make common cause with t'ncin, or she may her- self be induced to do so by the spirit of party. The King of Sardinia is no longer formidable, his militia is disbanded, the English will cease their subsidies; internal affairs are in the worst piissi'jle condition in his dominions. Whatev- er step the Court may take, the niunl)er of the disaffected will increase; after fever, comes debility. 12 or 1J,C00 is the utmost amount of the forces which this power still re- tains, and these are disseininatcd throughout a great num- ber of towns; they are scarcely suflicient to maintain inter- nal tranqiiillity. Besides, the hatred of Austria towards the King of v^^ardinia will keep constantly increasing; she will complain, that on tiie h'Ss of a single battle, sihe was aban- doned by her confederate. She will reproach him with the example of his ancestors, who remained faithful .allies. ^szn wiiea France was inistresa of Turia ^ whilst ifl Vhtt. vrriE E?tIPEROR NAPOLEOl^T. 311 xastance he lias deserted tLe joint cause without even the los3 of a fortress. 'I'Le Court of teardinia has therefore henceforth much to fear from the Austrians. There is nothing to be apprehended from the oligarchists of Genoa : our best security against them is the immense profit they make by our neutrality. In propagating tlic principles of liberty in Piedmont and Genoa, in kindling civil war there, we should be raising the people against the nolles and priests: we should bectime responsible for the cxcc'csfes Hhicli always attend such a contest. On tJiC contrary, we should, when arrived on the Adige, be niasters of all the States 6f the House uf Austria in Italy, and cf those of the Pope on this side of the Apennines; we siiould be in a situation to proclaim tlie principles of ii'.er'y, as well as to excite Ital- ian patriotism against foreign dcininaiion, and tiie irritation ofthe people of Bologna and Fcrrara against the Fepal g'oveniinent. Ihere would be no occasion to sow division amongst the various classes of citizens : nobles, citizens^ and peasants vrould ail be equally called upon to march nnanimousiy for the rostoraticc of the Italian natii n. The word Italia! Italia! proclaimed from Milan to Boloana would produce a magical etfect. Should it be proclaimed on the Ticino, the ItallaDs would say, " Why do you not ad- vance I" III. Topography of Italy. — The great' norfliern plains of Italy, comprised between the Alps which divide them from France, Switzerland, and Germany, the Appennines whic'i divide them from Genoa, Tuscany, and the Adriatic, com- pose the valley ofthe Po, the valleys which extend to the Adriatic north ofthe Po, and the valleys which extend t® the Adriatic south of the Po. These valleys are not subdi- Tided by any hills ; so that communications might be open- ed between all the rivers if necessary. They constitute one ofthe most fertile, grand, and rich plains in the world, oovered with opulent cities, and a population of 8 or 10,000,000. This immense plain comprises Piedmont, Lom- bardy, Parma, Placentia, Mcdena, Bologna, Ferrara, Ro- mania, and the Venetian countries. IV. Valley of Cat Po. — The Po rises in Mount Viso, and receives, successively, on its left, at Turin, tlie Doire, which descends from Mount Genevre; a little lower at Chi- rasso, the Dorea-Baltea, which comes from the Great Saint Bernard ; between Casal and Valenza, theScsia; at Pavia the Ticino, which descends from Lake Maggiore, and the lieights ofthe Simplon ; near Borgo-Forte, tllte Oglio,frcm the Lake Iseo ; near Governolo, the Mencio, from tlie Lake of Garda. The Fo receives on its right bank all the streams which ri^ in th? Apennines; the Tanaro below S12 MY RESIDENCE WITH Valenza and Alessandria ; the Scrivia, below Tortooa and Castel-Nuovo ; tLe Trebbia, above Placentia; the Taro iibove Casal Maggiore ; the Crtstollo, near Guastalla; the Seccia, near Saint- Benedetto ; the Pauaro and the Reno in the vicinity of Ferrara ; and finally talis into the Adriatic thirty miles beyond Ferrara, by several n.oulLs. This riv- er may almost be considered as a kind oi sea, on account of the great number of streams it receives in all directions: It is raised above the soil, and embanked by dykes, so that the finest countries of Italy are, like Holland, gained by art fi»om the dominion of the waters. There is little or no cause for solicitude respecting the course of the tributary rivers of tiie left bank ; nature there takes its course without 'causing any inconvenience : thus the Dorea-Baltea, the Ticino, and the Adda, enter the Po without occasioning any damage, it is otherwise with the tributary streams of the right bank. Below the Tanaro all the rivers are sub- ject to great disorders, and give rise to difficult questions ia hydraulics. It is necessary to raise the dykes every year, because the countries through which they j;ass, particularly Parma, Modena, Bologna, and Ferrara, suffer heavy inun- dations, it is owing to this perpetual recurrence of natural difficulties, that the Italians have become so skilful in hy- draulic science. The engineers of that country have car- ried this branch of eur knowledge farther than it has been pursued in any other. The tributary streams on the opposite side of the Po, also differ in tiiis respect ; that those of the left bank are almost always navigable, and scarcely ever fordable ; whilst those on the right bank ai^e never navigable, and are almost al- ways fordable. The former are rivers ; the latter are only torrents. N. B. Here finishes this part of the chapter. — I am the more inclined to regret my not having the whole of it, be- cause the remaining part contains a methodical enumeration of all the means of defence which Italy possesses against Austria. This piece the Emperor himself did not hesitate to consider very fine, and entitled to become of classical authority to military men ; as long, said hej.as the forms and physical details of the Peninsula remain unaltered. It will however, infallibly be found in the complete work of the Campaigns of Italy. The Emperor speaks in praise of St. Helena,— Scanty re- ^ sources of the Island. February 1. — The happiest and wisest philosophy is that ssvhich soraetim«s enables us teview the least unfavourable TUB EMPEROR NAP0LE0N\ 313 il.io of the most disagreeable things. The Emperor, who wasdoutitless, at the moment, under the influt^nce of this happy feeling, observed as we were walking witli him in the gal'den, that after all, as a place of exile, perhaps Saint- Helena was the best that couid be. In high latitudes we should have suffered greatly from cold, and, in any other island of the tropic, we should have dragged out a miserable existence under the scorching rays of the sun. "This rock," - continued he, "is wild and barren, no doubt; the climate is monotonous and unwholesome ; but the temperature, it must be confessed, is mild and agreeable." He afterwards asked me, in the course of conversation, which would have been preferable, England or America, in -case we had been free to follow our own inclinations ] 1 re- plied, that had the Emperor wished to spend iJs days in phi- losopiiic retirement, far from the tumult of the world, he should have chosen America ; but if he felt any interest, or entertained any after-thought with regard to public affairs, he should have preferred England. And, not willing to be •behindhand in giving an additional touch to the flattering picture which the Emperor had drawn of our miserable rock, i even ventured to say, that there might, peihaps, be cir- rumstances under which Saint-Helena would not be found the worst possible asylum. We might here be under shelter, while the tempest was howling in other parts of the world ; «nd we were placed beyond the reach of conflicting pas- sions, circumstances every way favourable to the chance of a happier future. These observations arose out of my wish to represent things on their fairest side ; I extended the horizon to the utmost stretch of my imagination. Meanwhile, in order to afford a correct idea of our place of exile, and the scantiness of its resources, it is only ceces- aary to observe, that we were this day informed it would be necessary to economise various articles of our daily con- sumption ; and perhaps even to make a temporary sacrifice of some. We were told the store of coffee was rapidly di- minishing, and that it would soon be entirely exhausted. For a considerable time we have denied ourselves the use sf white sugar; there was but very little, and that very bad, which was reserved exclusively for the Emperor's use ; and there is now every prospect of this little supply being ex- hausted before more can be obtained. It is the same with various other necessaries. Our island is like a ship at sea; our stores are speedily exhausted, if the voyage be prolong- ed, or ifwe have more mouths to feed than we have the means ,EROR I^APOLEON. 316 Iriim to be bled. — Bleeding^ is at present the favourite reme- dy with the English : it is their universal panacea. They employed it in all disorders, and sometimes where there is no disorder at all. They laughed at the astonishment we evinced at a treatment which was altogether new to us. About the middle of the day we took a ride in the calash. On our return home, the Emperor wished to see a horEe that had just been purchased for him: he thought him very handsome and well made. He tried him ; declared that he liked him uncommonly ; and then, with the most captiva- , ting good-nature, gave him as a present to me. However, I could not ride him :, he proved vicious, and he was transfer- red to General Gourgaud, who is a much better horsemaa than I am. The Eiiiperor's progress in learnirLg English. od — 6th. — The 3d was a terrible day: the rain fell inces- santly, and we found it impossii)le to stir out. The weather has continued wet for several days in succession. I never imagined we could have contrived to stay for such a length aftirae within doors. The damp is penetrating on every side of our dwelling, and the rain is makiug its way through the roof. The bad weather withont doors had an unpleas- ant effect upon us within. — I became very dull ; and the Emperor was by no means well. " What is the matter with you!" said he to rae one morning; " you seem quits altered for these few days past. Is your mind ailing"? Are you conjuring up Dragons, like Madame de Sevigne.'" — "Sire,'* I replied, " my illness is altogether bodily. The state of my eyes plagues me exceedingly. — As for my mind, I know how to keep that under the bridle. I can even use the bit, if needful ; and your P.Iajesty has given me a pair of spurs which will bo my last and victorious resource." The Emperor devoted three, four, and even five hours at a time to the study of English. His progress was really ve- ry remarkable ; he felt this, and was delighted at it. He frequently says, that he is indebted to me for tliis conquest, and that he considers it a very important one. For my part, however, I can claim no other merit than the method which I adopted with regard to the other occupations of the Em- peror. I first suggested the idea, and then continually re- verted to it : and wl)en it was once fairly set on foot, I fcf~ Ibwed up its execution with a promptitude and daily regii- iarity which stimulated the Emperor to proceed. If any of us happened not to be ready at the moment he wanted us, if it was found necessary to postpone any business till the following day, he was iin.nod lately sei.:cl '.tith disjust^apd 3iG MY RESIDEKCE WITB }u9 labours were suspended until sorrie circuinstancesoccnTj, isd to induce liiin to renew them. " I stand in need of ex- citement," said he in one of those transient interruptions, ''nothing but the pleasure of advancement can bear me through: for, betiveen you and me, it must needs be con- fessed that there is nothing very amusingr in all this. Indeed there is very little of diversion in the waole routine of our present existence." The Emperor still continued to play two or three games at chess before dinner; in the afternoons we again resumed reversis, which had long been abandoned. Foruierly we had not been very regular in paying our debts of honour; and we henceforth agreed to pay the sums that we owed to each other, into a general bank. We began to consider how the, money thus accumulated should be disposed of. Tlie Em- peror asked our opinions, and some one proposed that the money should be applied to the liberation of the prettiest female slaves in the island. This idea was universally ap- proved ; we sat down to play with great spirit, and the first evening produced two JNapoleons and a half. The Emperor learns the death of Jilurat. 7th — Sth. — The frigate Theban ari-ived from the Cape, and brougiit us some newspapers. 1 translated them to the Emperor while we walked in the garden. One of these papers brought intelligence of a great catastrophe. Irt-ad that Murat, having landed in Calabria, with a few troiips, had been seized and shot. At this unexpected news, tiie Emperor interrupted me by exclaiming, " The Calabrians Tvere more humane, more generous than those who sent mo here." This was all he said; and after a few moments ailence, I continued my reading. Rlurat, without real judgment, without solid views, with- out a character proportioned to the circun)stances in which he was placed, had {icrisiied in an attempt evidently despe- rate. It is not impossible that the Emperor's return fn m Elba naay have turned his brain, and inspired him with tlie •hope of renewing the prodigy in his own person. Such was the miserable end of him who liad been one of the most ac- tivecausesofourreverscs! In 1814 iiis courage and intrepidity might have saved us from the abyss in which his treachery involved us. He neutralized the Vice-King on the Po, and fought against him ; whereas, by uniting together lh« y might have forced tlic passes of the Tyrol, miide a descent into Germany, and arrived on I3ale and the banks of the Rhine, to destroy the rear of the allies and cut ell' their re- • ^leat froin Fjiaute. tHk JE-MPEROR NArOLEON. 3lt The Emperor, while he was at Elba, avoided aW coramii- fiication with the Kin^ of Naples: but on departing fot France, he wrote to inform him, that being about to resume possession of his tly-one, he felt pleasure in declaring to hira that all their past dilTsrences were at an end. He pardon- ed his iatecouduct, tendered him his friendship, sect some one to sign the g;iarantoe of his states, and recommended him to maintain a good understanding with the Austrians» and to content himself wrth merely keeping them in 4*LeclJ» in case they should attempt to march upon France. ]Murat» at this moment, inspired with the sentiments of his earJy youth, would receive neither guarantee nor signature. lie declared that the Emperor's promise and friendship were suQicient for him, and that he would prove he had been more unfortunate than guilty. His devolcdness and ardour, he added, would obtain for him oblivion of the past. "Murat,"said the Emperor, "was doomed to be our Lane. He ruined us by forsaking us, and he ruined us by too warmly espousing our cause. He observed no sort of discretion. He himself attacked the Austrians, without any reasonable plan, and without adequate forces ; and he was iubdued without striking a blew." The Austrians, when rid of Murat, cited his conduct ei- ther as a reason or as a pretence for attributing ambitious views ta Napoleon when he again appeared on the scene. They constantly referred to Murat, whenever the Emneror made protestations of his moderation. Before these unlucky hostilities of the King cf Naples^ the Emperor had already concluded with Austria. Other inferior states had signified to him that he might rely on their neutrality. Doubtless the fall of the King of Naples gave another turn to affairs. Endeavours have been made to represent Napoleoa as Q »naa of furious and implacable temper; but the truth is,thaf he was a stranger to revenge, and he never cherished any vindictive feeling, wliatever wrong he might have saftered. His anger was usually vented in violent transports, and was soon al an end. Those who knew him must be coavinced of this fact. Murat had scandalously betrayed him ; as I have already observed, he had twice ruined his proBpects, and yet Murat came to seek an asylum at Toulon. « I should have taken him with me to Waterloo," said Napole" on ; " hut such was the patriotic and moral feelino- of the French army, that it was doubtful whether the troops could surmount the disgust and horror which they felt for the man who had betrayed and lost France. I did not consider my- self sufficiently powerful to protect him. Yet he might have enabled us to gain the victory. How useful would lis bayo 27* Si3 IfY, RESIDENCE WlTii been at certain periods of the battle] He would have bro, ken three orfour English squares. Murat was admirable ia such a service as this ; — he was precisely the man fur it. At the head of a body of cavalry, no man was evermore re- solute, more courageous, or more briHiant. " As to drawing- a parallel," said the Emperor, " between the circumstances of Prapoleon and M-.irat — between the landing of the former in Francs, and the entrance of the latter in the Neapolitan territory ; no such parallel exists- Mnrai had no good argument to support his cai'se, except success; his enterprise \7as purely chimerical, both as to the time and the manner of its commencement. Napoleon was the chosen ruler of a people ; he was their legiiimate sovereign, according to modern doctrines. But Murat was not a Neapolitan ; the Neapolitans had not chosen Murat ; how, therefore, cculd it be expected that he would excite any lively interest in his favour! Thus his proclamation was totally false, and void of facts. Ferdinand of Naples ccnld view him in no other light than as a supporter of inEurrsc- tion ; he did so, and he treated him accoidicgly. " How different was it with me ["^continued the Emperor; *■' before ray arrival, one universal sentiment pervaded France, and my proclamation was imhued with tiiatsenti- snent: — every one found that it echoed the feelings of his own heart. Fi-ance was discontented; I was her resource. The evil and its remedy were immediately in unison. This is the v.'hoie secret ofttiat electric movement which is un- exampled in history. It had its source only in the nature of things. There was no ccnspiraejy, and the impulse was f^eneral; not a word was spoken, and a general understand- ing prevailed throughout the country. Whole towns threw themselves at the feet of their deliverer. The first battal- ion which my presence gained over to me, immediately pla- ced the whole army in piy power. I found myself borne on to Paris. The existing government and its agency disap- peared without efforts, like clouds before the sun. And yet," concluded the Emperor, " had I been subdued, had I fallen into the hands of my enemies, I was not a mere in- surrectionary chief; I was a Sovereign acknowledged by all Europe. I had my title, my standard, my troops ; and I was advancing to wage war upon ray enemy." Porlier, — Ferdinand. — Talleso/my Atlas.. 9th. — In the papers which I was translating to the Eiu- peror, I found the history of the Spanish General Porlier, one of the most distinguished chiefs of the famous Guerillas.. Me Lad made aa atteaipt to excite the Spaniards to ri'?c THfi EMPKROR NAPOtEOSft 3l0 ajainstthe tyranny of Ferdinand; biithe failed, was arrest- ed, and iiacged. The Emperor said," I am not in the least surprised that such an attempt should have been made in Spain. Those very Spaniards who proved themselves my most inveterate eaemies ^7llen I invaded their country, and whoacquired,the highest glory hy the resistance they opposed to me, imme- diately appealed to mc on my return from Elba. They had, they said foug-ht against me and their tyrant ; but they now came to implore my aid as their deliverer. They required only a small sym to emancipate themselves, and to produce in the Peninsula a revolution similar to mine. Had 1 conquered at Waterloo, it was my intention immediately to hire assisted the Spaniands. This circumstance suffi- ciently explains to me the attempt that has lately been made. There is little doubt but it will be renewed rgain. Ferdinand, in his madness, may grasp his sceptre as firmly as he will; but one day^or other it will slip through his fingers like an eel." We had now finished our perusal of the newspapers. The Timperor began to turn over the leaves of my Atlas, and I was happy to see him examine the genealogical tables. I had long wished to call his attention to them, but he had always passed them over. I analyzed to him, on the Eng- lish table, the wars of the Houses of York and Lancaster-; wliich are unintelligible to many readers, without a lielp of this kirid. He was struck with their utility, and examined several- of them. With regard to the Kussfan table, ^e ob- served that it is extremely difficult, without such an assis- taat, to trace the irregular order of succession among the late sovereigns of Russia. On looking over the French ta- hiii, he was very much surprised at the singular fact, that in spite of seven or eight enforcements of the salic law, Louis XVI should have reigned as though that law had never existed. The Emperor dwelt much on the accurate and complete a<^reement of these tables one with another ; he frequently adverted to the number of rallying points marked in so small a space ; the numerical order of the Sovereign, his degree of succession, the complete list of his ancestry, &c. He re- peated what he had before hinted to me, that had he known the value of these tables, he should have engaged me to ar- range them in a more convenient and less expensive form, in order to adapt them to the use of the French Lyceums. He added, that he should have liked to see all histories re- printed with similar documents to assist and explain them. I told bim that I had entertained the same idea, that it had ^Ueady been carried into execution, with Hume's History oiO filT R£3IDExVCE WITH bf EiaglanJ, and that, had it not been for the lata events tfl France, it would also have besn applied t«j Pfefield's His- tory of Germany, Hairaut's France, and a. history of the three Crowns of the North. About four o'clock I presented to the E.-nperor.the Cap- tain of the Theban, who was to sail next day for Europe, and Colonel nlacoy, of the regiment of Ceylon. This brave soldier looked like a mutilated moaument ; he had not only lost one of his legs, but his face was disfigured by a sabre- cut across his forehead, and several other scars. He had fallen on the field of battle in Calabria, and had been inade pi'isoner by General Pantlionaux. The Emperor received him with particular attention ; it was easy to see that they felt a mutual sympatliy for each other. Colonel Macoy had bold the rank of Major in the Corsican regiment, cominand- t'd by the new Governor whom we expected. The Colonel Remarked to some person, that he thought the Emperor was very ill-treated here ; but that he had too high an idea of General Lowe's liberality of mind, not to believe that he would do every thing in his power to ameliorate our condi- tion. The Emperor afterwards rode out on horseback, when we-- again went up the valley, and did not return until about se- ten o'clock. The Emperor then resumed his walk in the garden ; the temperature was v,ery mild, and the mooQ ahone delightfully. The fme weather had completely re- Curned. On tlgvpt' — Plan for altering the course of the J'^'llc. 10. — The Emperor now begins to make rapid advance- ment in English ; and, with the assistance of his Dictiona- ry, might manage tolerably withontme. He was delighted- with the decided progress he iiad made. His lesson for to- day \v^ the task of reading in the Encyclopedia Britannica the article on the Nile, of which he now and then made incmoraada, to assist him in bis dictations to- the Grand j^Iarshal. In this article the Emperor found a fact related which I had formerly mentioned to him, but which he had hitherto considered as an absurd story. The great Albn« querque proposed to the King of Portugal to turn the course of the Nile previous to its entrance into the valley of Egyptj 30 as to make it fall into the Red tLca, which would L-ave rendered Egypt an impassable desert, and made the Cape •f Good Hope the only channel for tbe great trade of India, is nice thinks the CKecntion of this gigantic idea not entirely impossible ; the Emperor was forcildy struck with it. About five o'clock the Emperor took an airing in the calash -f. the drive was extremely pieasaot, and the circum- THE EMPEROR NAl'OLEON, 321 btanca of some trees liaving been cut down has, by forming several circuitous roads, made our original space three times , as large as before. On our return, we took advan- tage of the fineness of the evening to walk for a long time in the garden : the conversation was most interesting. It turned on various important subjects, viz. on the variety of religions ; on the spirit that had given them birth ; the ri- diculous absurdities with which they were mingled ; the excesses by which they had been degraded ; the objections that had been urged against them, &c. The Emperor treat- ed ail these subjects with his usual superiority. Uniformity. -'Eanui. — The Emperor''^ Solitude, — Caynca- tures. II. — The Emperor read this morning the article entitled Egypt, in the Encyclopedia, and made some notes from it which cannot fail to be of service to him for his Campaign ef Egypt. This circumstance gave him a great deal of pleasure ; and he repeated several times in the course of the day how much he was delighted with the progress he had made. He is now sufficiently advanced to read without assistance. About four o'clock I accompanied the Emperor into the garden : we walked by ourselves for sometime, but were afterivards joined by the rest cf the company. The weath- er was very mild. The Emperor remarked on the calnniess of our solitude. It was Sunday, and no workmen were to Le seen. He added, that we could not, at least, be accused of dissipation, or of the ardent pursuit of pleasure ; in fact, it is difficult to imagine a state of greater uniformitj', or a more complete al;sence of every sort of amusement. The Emperor endures this mode of life admirably. lie surpasses us alLin equality and serenity of temper. He says himself, that it would be difficult to be more philosophic and tranquil than he is. — lie retires to bed at ten o'clock, and docs not rise, that is to say, does not go out, before five or six o'clock, so that he was never more than four hours out of doors ; like a prisoner who is ted from his cell once a day to breathe the fresh air. But then liow intense is the oc- cupation cf eaca day ! how various are the tlioughts which occupy his mind ' With regard to mental exertion, tiie Emperor said he felt as capable of bearing it as he had ever been ; that he did not feci tlie least ill effect from it in any respect. He was astonished himself at the slight impression that had been made on him by all the late events of which lie had been the hero. lie said it reminded him of lead vLivi Lad been passed over marble. Weight may compress 322 MY RESIDENCE VvlTH a spriag', but cannot break it ; and it rises again tvith its owa elasticity. He did not tniak any one in tfcie world knew* better tnan himself how to yield to necessity ; this he said was tha real triumph of reason and strengtii of mind. Th:3hu.ir lor our ride had now ai-rived. As the Emperor was going to inset the calash, he happened to see little Hor- tenss, Madame Bertrand's daughter, with whom he was very m.ich pleased. He called her to him, caressed her two or three timss, and took her out in the carriage along with little Tristran de iVIontholon. During the drive, the Grand Marshal, who had been looking over the papers, gave an account of some bons-mots and caricatures he had found among them. One possessed a good deal of point. The picture consisted of two actions ; one represented Napoleon giving to the Princess of Hasfleid, with directions to commit to tli3 flames, the letter whose disappearance was to pre- serve her husband ; underneath was written, tyramiicaL act ofai Usurper. The pendant wa? quite another character. We described to the Emperor a great number of the cari- catures with which we had bean inundated after the resto- ration. Some of them afforded him great amusement. One in particular made him smile : it had reference to a change of dynasty. The Emperor observed, that if caricatures sometimes a- venge misfortune, they Form a continual annoyance to pow- er. " I think I have had my share of them," said he. He then desired us to describe some of those which had been, made upon him, and very much approved of one as being in ^ood taste. It was a sketch representing George HI, on the coast of England, throwing an enormous beet-root, in a great pnssion, at the head of Napoleon, who was on the op- posite sh'jre, and saying, " Gj and ?;ia.te yo'ursc residence of Miss Mason, and wliich is on the opposite ■r..lo, facing XjOQjTrood. Tbe Eaiperor iuvitcd Madame. THE ESIPEROU NAPOLF.O&'.' 3i3' ^ertrand to take a drive iu the calash, in which Madame tde Mouthulon aud niysell" were already seated : the rest ol our party followed on horseback, so that we were now all assembled together. At a few paces from Madame Ber- trand's, at the military post, which is established near the house, the ground was very rough and uneven ; tl:e horses refused to advance, and we were obliged to alight from tii'e calash. The barrier was scarcely wide enough to allow the carriage to pass ; but the English soldiers came to our assis- tance, and in a moment pushed it tlirough by n.ain force.— However, when we had reached the liollcw of the valley, we found walkiiig so agreeable, that the Emperor wished to continue it ; and after a short time, he ordered tlie carriage to be driven along the road as far as the gate of Miss Ma- son's house, while we siiould proceed with our walk in the valky. The evening was really mostdelightful; the shades of nigl.t were beginning to overspread the sky, Lultheincon •shone brilliantly. Our walk reminded trs of those strolls which we had been accustomed to enjoy «n tine summer evenings, in the oeighbourliood of cur country residences, iu Europe. The calash had now returned ; but the Emperor declijicd getting into it. lie directed thnt it should -r ait at RJadame Bertrand's door ; l»ut when the Emperor got there he wish- ed to walk on to Lougwood, where he arrived very much fatigued. He had walked nearly six miles, which is a great deal forhim, who wa&never a goad walker at &ny period tf his life. Bad temperature of Saiht-TJclerta. — Olservaiion en the spirit qfthis Journal. 13 — 16. I have already observed that there i^o regular course of scEtsons at iSaint-HeleEa, blit merely' irregular successions of good and bad weather. It would be difficult to find four words to express any deviation fnin our accus- tomed routine, during these four days. .And here I take the opportunity of ol srving, once for all, that if, in the couTse of my journal, the events of several days are occa- sionally found combined in one article, it is because I 1-ave cancelled a portion of the notes relatirg to each day sepa- rately. I lave been induced to do this from various mo- tives. Som.etimes my notes appeared to me too puerile ^ ■sometimes, on the other hand, they seemed to be too se- rious, and required to be accounted for by reference to a more distant period ; or occasionally tley consisted of per- yonaiiticF, and J make it a rule studiously to evoid every ^Ling «f that kind. If in epite of all my care, any offensi^ - 3^4 MY RESIDENCE W ITIl •personal allusions have escaped me, it can only be when f have been led to thera by the essential object of my journal"; namely, to describe the character of the Emperor. Eveh tlien, 1 may reflect for my own satisfaction, that tliese per- sonalities relate only to public cliaracters, and refer to facts already circulated in the world. I am, however, perfectly well aware that the task I have undertaken, may subject me to many inconvenichcct ; lut I consider it as a sacred duty, and shall endeavour to fultil it to t^e best of my abilities, happen what will. The Emperor'' s views of French jpolUics. 17tb. — At six o'clock in the morning the Emperor mount- ed liis horse, and we rode round the park, commencing in theneiglibourhoud of our valley, and proceedicg as far as the road leading from the camp to the Grand iViarslial's resi- dence. A party of ai;out 150 or 200 sailors, belonging to the Nortlumbcrland, who were daily employed in removing planks of wood,or«tones, for the service of Longwood or the camp, ranged tiieniselves in a line fronting NJarshal Bcr- trand's house, while the Emperor passed r.y. The Emperor spoke to the officers, and smiled complacently on his old ship-mates ; he appeared delighted at seeing them. I Ijave already nienlioued lliat we occasionally received parcels of newspapers from Europe, the contents of which occupied our attention, and cccasiomed theEmperor to draw seme lively and anin.ated pictures. Conversing to-day on the subject of the intelligence we had recently received, the Emperor observed, that the condition of France was by no means improved, " The Bourbons," he repeated, " have now no other resource than severity. Four months have already elapsed, the Allied forces are about to be with- drawn, andnone but half measures have been taken. The atfair has been badly managed. A government can exist only by its principle. The principle of the French govern^ nient evidently is to return to old maxims ; and it should do this openly. In present circumstances, the Chambers, above all, will he fatal ; they will inspire the King with false confidence, and will have no weight with the natioui The King will soon be deprived of all means of communi- cation with them. They will no longer follow the same religion, nor speak the same language. No individual will henceforth have a right to undeceive the people with regard to any absurdities that may be propagated ; even if it should be wished to make them believe that all the springs of water are poisoned, and that trains of gunpowder are laid under :ground." The Emperor coucluded by observing, that theute THE BMI'EROR NAPOLEOV. S25 would he some juridical executions, and an extreme desire f>f re-action, which will be sufficiently strong to irritate, but not to subdue, &c. As to £uro])e, the Emperor considered it to be as violent, ly ao-ilated as it had ever been. The powers of Europe Jiad destroyed France, Liit she might one day revive through commotions arising among the people of diflerent nations, whom the pcHcy of the sovereigns Vv^as calculated to alien- ate ; the glory of France miglit also be restored through a misunderstanding among the Allied powers themselves, "which would probably ensue. As to our own personal affairs, they could only be impro« ved througii the medium of England ; and she could only be induced to favour us by pf)lilical interests, a change in her ministers or her sovereign, or tlie sentiment of national '.;lc ry excited by the torrent of public opinion. As for no- iitical interests, circumstauces might bring them about; the i-hange of individuals depends on accidents; finally, with rospect to the sentiment of national glory, so easy to be un- derstood, the present ministry had disavowed it, but another might not be insensible to it. * Picture of domestic happiness drawn hy the Emperor. — Two young ladies of the Island. IGth. — The Emperor sent forme about ten o'clock; he had just returned home* Some one had informed me that }ie had been out shooting ; but he said he had not. He rode '^ut on horseback as early as six o'clock ; but he gave or- ders that His Excellency's slumbers should not be disturbed. We set to work with the English lesson. Breakfast was served up; it was most detestable, and I coidd not refrain from making the observation. He complained of my eating so little, and added that it was certainly necessary to have a. good appetite to make a repast on such fare. We con- tinued our lesson until nearly one o'clock, when the exces- sive heat obliged us to desist, and take a little repose. About five o'clock the Emperor went out to walk in the garden. He began to draw a sketch of the happiness of a private man in easy circumstances, peacefully enjoying life ia his native province, in the house and surrounded by the iands which he had inherited from his fore-fathers. Cer- tainly nothing could be more philosophic. We could not r '"-ain from smiling at the tranquil domestic picture, and soYne of us got our ears pinched for our pains. " Felicitv of this kind," continued tlie Emperor, "is nowunknowmin France except by tradition. The Revolution has destroyed ii. The old families have been deprived of this happioes?. 326 MY RESIDEK^CE WITH and the new ones have not yet been long^ enough established in the enjoyment of it. The picture which I have sketched has now no real existence." — He observed, that to be driv- en from one's native home, from the fields in which we had roamed in childhood, to possess no paternal abode, was in reality to be deprived of a country. Some one here remark- ed, that the man who had been robbed of the home which he had created for himself after the storm had blown over ; who was driven from the house in which he had dwelt with his wife, and which had been the birth-place of his childreUj might truly say that he had lost a second country. What a ■world do we live in ! and what vicissitudes has not the pre- sent age produced I We seated ourselves in the calash, and took our accus- tomed airing. During dinner the conversation turned on two young ladies, residents of the island : the one tall, hand- some, and very fascinating; the other not so pretty, but perfectly well bred, and pleasing in her deportment and jranners. Opinions were divided respefcticg them. The Emperor, who knew I was an admirer of the one first de- scribed, declared himself in favour of her also- Some ono- remarked, that if he were to see the second, he would not be induced to change his mind. The Emjieror then wished to know the gentleman's own opinion respecting the ladies, and he replied, that he was an admirer of thesecond. This seemed rather contradictory, and the Emperor requested him to explain himself. " Why," said he, " if I wished to purchase a slave, I should certainly fix on the first ; but if I thought I should derive any happiness from becoming a slave myself, I sliould address myself to the second." — ■_" That is to say," resumed the Emperor, quickly, " that you have no very high opinion of my taste V — " Not so. Sire, but I sus- pect your Majesty's views and mine would be diiTerent." — The Emperor smiled, and said nothing more on the subject. 19th. — The Emperor rode on horseback very early this morning ; it was scarcely six o'clock when he went out. I' was quite ready ; for I had ordered some one to call me ; and the Emperor was astonisl.ed to see lue so active. We strolled about, the park at randcm, sr.d returned aboutnine o'clock : the sun was already beginning to be m arm. About four o'clock the Emperor wifhed to take his En- glish Icfson ; but he was not very well. He said, every thing had gone wrong with him to-day ; and that nothing liad been done well. His walk in the garden did not rest of? him ; he was not well at dinner time. He did not play his usi\al number of games at chess : but retired after the first ,2:.ame. TEE EJIPEHOR NAI'OLEON. o'-Ii 7%e E nperor's vKi-ks in the Island of Elba. — Predilection of the Algeruicsfor the Emperor. 20t!). — The weather has been extremely bad. The Em- ■^eror had been rather unwell the whole of the night, but felt himself much better in the morniog. He did not leave his room before five o'clock. About six we took advautage of a gleam of fine weather to drive rouud the park in the calash. The horses which have been provided for us ar^ vicious ; they shy at the first object that comes in their way, and become restive. They stood still several times during our drive. TJie rain, indeed, had rendered the roads very heavy, and at one time it required all our efforts to obviate the necessity of returning on foot. The Grand Marshal and General Gourgaud were at one time obliged to alight and put their shoulders to the wheel. At length, after a great deal of trouble, we reached home. The conversation during our drive, turned on the island of Elba. The Emperor spoke of the roads he had made, and the houses he had built, which the best painters of Italy begged, as a favour, to be permit- ted to adorn with their works. The Emperor observed, that his flag had become the first in the Mediterranean, it was held sacred, he said, by the Algcrines, who usually made presents to the Elba Captains, telling them that they were paying the debt of Moscow. — The Grand Marshal told us, that some Algerine ships, hav- ing aricliored off the island of Elba, had caused great alarm among the inhabitants, who questioned the pirates with re- gard to their intentions, and ended by asking them plainly v/liethcr they came with any hostile views. — " Against the Great Naoolcoa !" said the Algcrines : "Oh! never . . . . . . we do not wage war on Gcd." Whenever the flag of theislaud of Elbaentered any of the pyrts of the Mediterranean, Leghorn excepted, it was re- ceived with loud acclamations : all the national feeling seemed to returo.. The crews of some French ships from Brittany and Flanders, which touched at the island of Elba, testified the same sentiment. " Every thing is judged by comparison in this world," said the Emperor f^^' the island of Elba, which, a year ago, was thought so disagreeable, is a paradise compared to Saint- Helena. As for this Island, it may set all future regret at 4efiancc." Fiontlioxcsli. — Caricciure. 21st — 22d. TheEmpcror continued to rise early and ride o»it on Iiorseback, in the park and among the gura-trees.— ; j2S my residence vriTH He rode only at a Walking pace, but this light exercise was of advantage to him, as it ejaabied him to eujoy the fresh air. He returned with a better appetite, and pursued tlje occi- patioGsofthe day u'ith greater spirit. He bi-eakfasled in the garden, under some trees which had been twined to- gether tp afford him a shade. One morning, as he was sitting down to breakfast, he perceived at a distance the Polonese Piontkowski, and sent for him to breakfast with him. lie always takes pleasure ia conversing with him whenever he meets him. Piontkowski, with wjiosc origin we are net very Mell ac-- quainted, came to the Island of Elba, and obtained permis- sion to serve as a private in the Guards. On the Emperor's return from Elba, he had gained the rank of lieutenant. — When we departed from Paris, he received parn^ission to follow us ; and we left him at Plymouth, among those who were separated from us by order of the English ministers. — Piontkowski, having more fidelity, or more address, than his comrades, obtained leave to come to Saint-Helena. — The Empero" had never known, and never spoken to him, t-ill he came here. Piontkowski was, indeed, equally unknown to us all. — The English were surprised that we did not give him a warmer greeting on his arrival. Some individuals, who seized all opportunities of saying any thing to our disadvan- tage, wrote to England that we had received Piontkowski very badly. This story was totally false ; but it furnished the English ministerial prints with a subject on which to exercise their usual courtesy and wit. It was asserted tliat the Emperor had beaten Piontkowski; and I heard of a cari- cature in whicli Napoleon was exhibited tlirusting his nails into the Polish oiiicer. It was, moreover, alleged that I Lad fallen upon him like a cannibal, about to devuiir him; and thatit was only by a stick being thrust between my teeth, by the driver of the cattle, that I was prevented from biting a mouthful out of his shoaider. Such were the elegant de- scriptions that were given of us. 7%e E.Aperor^s retunifrom Elba. 24th. — After dinner, while we v/ere taking our colTc-e, the Emperor observed, that about this time last year, he quitted the island ofElba. The Grand Marshal informed him that it was on the 26th of February, and on a Sunday. " Sire," said he, "you directed the mass to be perfoi mod at an earlier hour than usual, that you might have the inore time tor issu' ing the. necessarv order?.'' HK EMPEROR NAPOLKON. 329- ^hey'sailed in the afternoon, and next mornhig at ten crclock, they were still within siglit, to the gxeat anxiety of those who were interested in their success. The Emperor entered into conversation on this subject,-^ and was, for upwards of an liour, engaged in describing the details of that event, which is single in history, both froiti the boldness of the enterprise, and the miracle of its execu- tion. I shall insert, in another part of my journal, the details' v.-hich I collected on this subject. Campaigns of Italy and Est/pt.— The Eirqicror's opinmi on the, great French Poets.-~Tragcdics by late It'ritcrs. — Hector. — 'f lie Etats dc. Blois. —-Talma. asth — 28th.— Our days weie for the most part very much alike; if they seemed ion^iu detail, they were rapidly shortened in a retrospective view. They were without char- acter or interest, and left only imperfect recollections be- hind. The English went on gradually improving. The Emperor confessed that he had a moment of disgust ; his furia Frarxeseh^iA he said, atone time, given way ; but he added, that I had reanimated him by means of a plan which he considered moi'e certain and infallible than any other— that of reading and analyzing one single page over and over cgaiu until it was thoroughly learnt. The grammatical ruh;3 were explained by the way. In this manner, there is not a moment lost for study and memory, The progress at f rst appears slow, tlic learner seems to advance hut little in his studies ; but by the time he has come to the fiftieth page, lie is astonished to find that he knows the language. We had added a page of Teleinachus to the rest of our lesson^ and found the benefit of it. By this time however, the Em- peror, though he had only had twenty or twenty-five com- ) lete lessons, could understand any book ; and would have been able to make himself understood in v/riting-. He had not learnt every thing, it is true ; but as he said, nothing could be concealed from him for the iutuj-e. and this v/asa great thing — this was a decided victory. The Campaign of Egypt was completed with the assis- tance of Bertrand, as far as the want cf materials would permit. The Emperor now commenced, with another of the gentlemen, a new and very important period ; namely : from his departure from Fontainebleau, up to his return to Paris, and his second abdication. He possessed no docu- ment relating to these rapid events; but it was that very rapidity, which induced me to entreat him to employ his memory in the establishment of circumstances, which thfc hurry of events or party spirit might enfeeble or distorts S8*- 330 Mir RESIDENCE WITH The Emperor also employed himself very frequently with me, in revising- the dilfereut chapters of the Oauipaiga of Italy; this was generally done ini.iiediat£ly before dinner. He had directed me to arrange eacii chapter in a regalar ■and uniform manner ; to mark out the proper divisions of the paragraphs, and to notedovvcand collect the justificato- ry articles. This ho called the digestive business of en edi- tor. " And your interest is con^cerncd in it," said he to me one day, with an air of kindness which atfccted mc; " henceforward it is your property : the Campaign of Italy shall bear your name, and the Campaign of Egypt that of Bertrand. I intend that it shall add at once to your fortune and to your fame. There will he at least a hundred thou- sand francs in your pocket, and your name will last as long as the remembrance of my battles." With regard to our evenings, the reversis had been re- linquished 3. second time ; we could not continue it long. After the second or third round, the cards were abandoned for conversation. We resumed cur readings ; our stock of novels was exhausted, and plays occupied our attention for the future, tragedies ia particular. 'J he Emperor is uncom- monly fond of analyzing them, which he does in a singular mode of reasoning, and with a great deal of taste. He re- STiembers an immense qunntitiy of poetry which he learned v.'hen he v/as eighteen years old, at which time, he says, he knew mufJ) more than he does at present. The Emperor is delight-;'! with Racine, in whom he finds an abundance oJ-' beauties. Hegreatiy admires Corneille, but thinks very lit- tle of Voltaire, who, he says, is full of bombast and trick ; always incorrect; unacquainted either with men or things, with truth or the subiimily cf passion. At one cf the evening levees at riaint-Cloud, the Emperor analyzed "a piece which had just been brought out ; it was Hector, hy Luce de Lancival: this piece pleased him very much ; it possessed warmth and energy of character. He called it a Iiead-qunrter piece ; and said that a soldier would be better prepared to meet the enemy after seeing or resd' ingit. He added, tliat it would be well if there were a greater number of plays written in the same spirit. — Then adverting to those diamatic productions which he termed waiting-maids' tragedies, he said they would not bear more than one representation, after which they suffered a gradual diminution of interest. A good tragedy, on the coHtrary, gains upon us every day. The higher \valk of tragedy, con- tinued he, is the school of great men; it is the duty cf sove- reigns to encourage and disseminate a taste for it. JNor is it necessary, he said, to be a poet, to be cnauled to judge of the merits of a tragedy; it is sufficient to be accjuaiutcd TIIE EMPEROR NAFOLEON. S31 X^^ith men and tilings, to possess an elevated mind, and txi be a statesjuun. Then becoming gradually more auimatedj he added with enthusiasui, — " Tragedj tires the f,ouI,tle-- vatcs the lieart, and is calculated togenciate heroes. Con- sidered under this point of view, perhaps, France owes to Cornciile a part of her gveat actions ; and, gentlemen, hud fie lived in imj lime, I would have made km aj,ri)ice." On a similar occasion, he auaiyzed and cocdf mned the jLtats de Buns, which had just been presented for the hrst iime at the theatre of the Court; and perceiving, anicngthe company present, the Arch-Trensurcr Lebnin, who was tlistiugiifshed for his liiorary acquirements, he asked his opinion of it. Lehriin, whowj.s luidoubtediy in the author's intarest, contented himself with remaiking, that the sub- ject was a bad one. " That," replied the Emperor, " wae M. Renouard's first fault; he chose it himself, it was not forced upon him. Besides, there is no subject, however bad, Tvhich great talent cannot turn to some account, nnd Cor- neille would stiil have been himself even in one like this. As for M. Reaouard, he has totally failed. He has shown no other talent but tijat of versification ; every thing else is bad, very bad ; his conception, his details, his result, are altogether deficient. He violates the truth of history ; hi« characters are false, and their political tendqncy is danger- oiTs, and perhaps prejudicial. This is an additional pi-cof of what however, is very well known, that there is a wide dif- ference betweeo the reading and the representation of a play. I thought at first that this piece might have been allowed to pass ; it was not until this evening that I perceiv- ed its improprieties. Of these, the praises lavished on the Bourbons are the least ; the declamations against the Re- volutionists are much worse. R'J. Renouard has made the Chief of the Sixteen, the Capuchin Chabot of the Conven- tion. There is matter in his piece to gratify every party and every passion: v-ere 1 to allow it to be represented in Paris, I should probably hear of half a hundred people mur- dering one another in the pit. Besides, the author has made Henrie IV a true PilinatC, and the Duke de Guise a Figaro, which is much too great an outrage on history. The Duke of Guise was one of the most distinguished men of his time; and if he had but ventured, he might at that time, have established the fourth dynasty. Besides, he was rela- ted to the Empress; he was a Prince of the house of Aus- tria, with whom we are in friendship, and whose Ambassa- dor was present this evening at the representation. The author has in more than one instance shown a strange dis- regard of propriety." 'I'he Emperor afterwards said, that he felt more than ever fixed in the determination he had tJSi MY HESIDENCE WiTil fonned, not to permit any new tragedy to he played on ttie.' public stage^beibre it had nndergune a trial at the theatre of the Court. He tJierefbre prohibited the representation of the Etcit;> de Btois. It is worthy of remark, that since the. restoration of the King, this piece was revived with the greatest pjmp, and supported by, all the favour wliich the f>i'ohibition cfthe Emperor would naturally procure for it. But, notwithstanding all this, it failed ; so correct was the judgment which Napoleon had passed upon it. Talma, the celebrated tragedian, had frequent interviews with the Err.pei-or, who greatly admired his talent, and re- v/arded hiiTi magnilicciitly. When the First Consul became Emperor, it was reported all over Paris, that he had Talma to give him lessons in attitude and costume. The Emperor, who always knew every thing that was said against him, rallied Talma one day on the suhject, and finding him look quite disconcerted and confounded, — " You are wrong," said he, " I certainly could not have employed myself bet- ter, if I had had leisure for it." On the contrary, it was the Emperor who gave Talma lessons iu his art : " Racine," said he to him, " has loaded las character of Orestes with imbecilities, and you only add to tlieir extravagance. In the Mort de Ponipec. you do not pla,y Csesar like a hero ^ in Britannicus you do not play Kero like a tyrant." Every one knows the correc'tiocs which Talma afterwards made in his performances of these celebrated characters. Contractors, ^c. during the Revolution. — The Emperor''s credit on his return from Elba. — His reputation vi the pub- lic offices as a rigid investigator. — ^Ministers of Finaiue and the Treasury. — Cadastre. S;9th. — At six o'clock, the Emperor having finished his daily occupations, went out to walk in the garden. We then took a drive in the calash : it was quite dark, and rain- ed very fast when we returned. After dinner, while coffee was served out, which we took without rising from our seats at the dining-table, the con- versation turned on what were termed the Agents during the Revolution, and the great fortunes which they acquired. The Emperor knew the name, the family, the profession, and the character, of every one of these men. Scarcely had Napoleon attained the Consulship than he became engaged in a dispute with the celebrated Madame Recamier, r hose fatlier held a situation in the rost-o9ice department. Napoleon, on first taking the reins of Gov- ernmant, was obliged to sign in confidence a great number ©f lists ; but he soon established the mcst rigid inspection ia THK EMPEROn, NAPOLEON. 333 every department. He discovered that a correspondence with the Cliouans was going on under the connivance of M. Uernard, the father of Madame Recamier. Hewas im- mediately dismissed, and narrowly escaped being brought to trial, by which he would doubtless have been conden.ned! to death. His daughter flew to the First Consul, and at her solicitation, Napoleon exempted M. Bernard frona taking his trial ; but was resolute with respect to his dismissal. Madame Recamier, who had been accustomed to ask for every thing, and to obtain every thing, would be satisfied wiih nothing less than the reinstatement of her father. The severity of the First Consul excited loud ani- madversions; it was a thing quite unusual. Madame Reca- mier and her party, which was very numerous, never forgave him. ' . . The contractors and agents were the class who, above all, excited the uneasiness of the new Supreme Magistrate, who called them the scourge and plague of the nation. The Emperor observed, that all France would not have satisfied the ambition of the individuals of this party who were in Paris ; that when he came to the head of affairs, they con- stituted an absolute power ; and that they were most dan- gerous to the state, whose springs were corrupted by their intrigues, joined to those of their numerous dependants. — In truth, said he, they could never be regarded as any thing but sources of corruption and ruin, like Jews and usurers. They had discredited the Directory, and they wished in like manner to control the Consulate. It may be said, that at that period they enjoyed the highest rank and< influence in society. " One of the principal retrogade steps," said the Empe- ror, " which I toolv, with the view cf restoring the past state and manners of society, was to throw all this false lus- tre back into the crowd. I never would raise any of this class to distiuction : of ail aristocracies, this appeared to me the worst." The Emperor rericlered to Lebrun the jus- tice of having spscially confirmed him in this principle. — *' The party always disliked me for this," said the Emperor; " but they were still less inclined to pardon the rigid inqui- ry which I instituted into their accounts with the govern- cieat." The Emperor said, that in business of this sort he turned theseryice of his Council of State to the best account. He used to appoiijt a committee of four or live members of the Council, men of integrity and intelligence. They made their report to him, and if the case required furri-er investi- gation, they wrote at the bottom oi the report : referred to t'lQ Grand Judg-e to be sv-bmittsd to hig laws, 1 be individiv 334 MT RESIDE.VCE V/1T» al.3 implicated generally endeavoured to compromise the a> fair, when it arrived to this length. They would disgorge one, two, tliree, or four millions, rather than suffer the busi- ness to be legally investigated. The Emperor was well aware, that all these facts were misrepresented in the dif- ferent circles of tlie capital, that they produced him nmny enemies, and drew down upon him the reproach of arbitra- riness and tyranny. But he thus acquitted a great duty to the mass of society, who must have been grateful to him for the measures which he adopted towards these blood suckers of the public. " Man arc always the same," said the Emperor: " from- the time of Pharamond downwards, contractors have al- ways acted thus, and people have always acted the same with respect to them. But at no period of the monarchy were they ever attacked in so legal a form, or assailed so energetically and openly as by me. Even among the contrac- tors themselves, the few individuals who possessed honesty and integrity, found in this extreme severity a new guaran- tee for tlieir own conduct. A remarkable instance of this occurred after my return from Elba. Some houses in Lon- don and Amsterdam secretly negotiated with me a loan of from 80 to 400,000,000, at a profit of seven or eight per cent. The nett sura, which was deposited in the Treasu- ry of Paris, was paid to them by rentes on the great book at fifty; they were then distributed among the public at fifty- six or fifty-seven." This resource, so useful in tlie crisis in which the Empe- ror was placed, and which must at the same time have been so satisfactory and flattering to himself personally, proves the real opinion that was entertained of Napoleon in Eu- rope, and tlis confidence which he inspired. This nego- tiation, wliich was unknown at the time, explains whence the E-nperor derived the financial resources of whicli he Buddeuly found himself possessed on his return from Elba^ which was a great subject of conjecture at the time. The Emperor himsslf said, that he enjoyed singular repu- tation among the heads of offices and accountants. The examination of accounts was a thing which he very v/ell un- derstood. '• The circumstance that first gained me reputa- tion, in this way, was that while balancing a yearly account during the Consulate, I discovered an error of 2,000,000 to the disadvantage of the Republic. iM. Dufresne, wl^o was then chief of the treasury, and who was a perfectly honest maQ^at first would not believe that the error existed. How ever, it was an affair of figures; the fact could not be detii- ed. At the treasury several months were occupied in eo*- deai'ouriag to discover the error. It was at length fcuu^ THii EMPEROU NAPOLEO!!?. 23 J\ tn an account of the contractor Seguin, wbo ihimediately acknowledged it on being shown the accounts, and restor- ed the money, saying it was a mistake." On another occasion, as the Emperor was examining the accounts of tliepay of the garrison of Paris, he observed an article of sixty and some odd thousand francs set down to a detachment rt-jjich had never been in the capital. The min- ister made a note of the error, merely frcm complaisance, but was convinced in his own mind that the Emperor was •wiistaken. Napoleon however proved to be right, and the * sum was restored. The Emperor regarded as a matter of the highest impor- tance, the separation cf the departments of finance and tire treasury, both for the sake of keeping the business of the two departments distinct, and for enabling them to become mutual checks to each other. The minister of the treasu- ry, under a sovereign like Napoleon, was the roost im- portant man in the empire; not merely as minister of the treasury, trat as comptroller-general. All tlie accounts of the empire came iinder his examination, and he was thc.s enabled to detect every kind of peculation and ahusc, and to make them known to the sovereign; and communications of this nature were daily made. To special appropriations Napoleon also attached tlie greatest importance, as having been among the happiest springs of his administratio;i. Speaking of the taJasire, he said that according to the plan which he liad drawn up, it might be considered zs the real constitution of the empire. It was the true guarantee of property, and the security for -the independence cf each individual; for the tax being once fixed and established by the legislature, each individual might make his own ar- rangements, and had nothing to fear from the authority or arbitrary conduct of assessors, which is always the point most sensibly felt, and the surest to enforce submission- During this conversation, tlie Emperor gave his opinion of fhe talents of MM. Gaiidin, Mollien, and Louis, as well as of most of his other ministers and counsellors of state. Ke concluded by observing that Le had succeeded in creating a system of government, doubtless the purest and most ener- getic in Europe; and that he himselfhad the details so n uch at his command, tliat he was sure he now could, merely with the help of the Moniteurs, trace the complete hiy;i .y of the financial administration of the empire during las reign. March Ist. — To-day two vessels arrived frcm the Cape. One the Wellesley, a seventy-four. Lad anothtr dismoun- i^d ship in her hold. They were both Indian-built ships, Aud were ;uade of leak w^podv which in Indiais three-fourths 'QS6 MY RESIDENCE ,VV1TH- cheaper than in England. This is an excellent kind o^ wood; and it is supposed thatships made of it will last much longer than European-built sliips; though hitherto it has been complained that they are not such good sailers. How- ever, it is not improbable that this teak wood may produce a revolution in the materials and construction of English ships. 2d. — The Chinese fleet is arrived. Several vessels suc- cessively entered the road in the course of the day, and ma- ny others are within sight. This is a sort of festival and har- vest for the people of Saint-Helena. The money which these transient visitors circulate in the Island constitutes a chief portion of the revenues of tlie inliabitants. At five o^clock the Eiuperor proceeded to t)ie garden, and wanton foot as far as an opening between some of the hills, whence wei could discern several vessels at full sail, making for the Island. The lastsliip that arrived from the Cape brought a phaeton for the Emperor. He \vished to try it this evening, and he got into it, accompanied by the Grand Marshal, and rode round the park. He, how- ever, thinks that this kind of equipage is both useless .and ridiculous in present circumstances. After dinner the Emperor complained of being much fatigued, and he re- tired at an early hour. The imasion of England, Sq. — The Emperor sent for me at two o'clock ; I found Lim shaving. Ke told me that I beheld in him a man v/ho was on the point of death, on the brink of the grave. He added that I must have been aware that he was ill, because he must have awoke me often during the night, i had, in- deed, heard him cough and sneeze continually: 1(% had a violent cold in his head, v/hicli he had caught in conse- quence of staying out too longin the damp air on the prece- ding evening. He stated his determination, in future, al- ways to return in doors at six o'clock. After he had dress- ed, he sat down to his English lesson ; but he did not conti- nue at it long, for his head ached severely. He told me to sit. rlown by him, and made me talk for more than two hours a- bout what I had observed in London during my emigration. Among other things he inquired, ""Were the English very much afraid of my invasion] What was the general opinion at the timel" — "Sire," I replied, " I cannot inform you: I had then returned to France. But in the saloons of Paris we laughed at the idea of an invasion of England ; and the English who were there at the time did so too. It was said tliat even Brunet laughed at the scheme, and that you had / THE EMPEROR NAPOLEONi ^' 337 caused him to be imprisoned because he had been insolefat enough in one of his parts to set some nut-shells afloat in a tub of water, wliich he called manceuvriug his litlle flotilla." — "AVell!" replied the Emperor, "you might laugh in Paris, but Pitt did not laugh in London, He soon calculated the extent of the danger, and therefore threw a coalition on my shoulders at the moment when I raised my arm to strike. Never was the English oligarchy exposed to greater dan- ger. " I had taken measures to preclude the possibility of fail- ure inmy landing. I had the best army in the world; I seed only say, it was the army of Austerlitz. In four days I should have been in London; I should have entered the English capital, not as a conqueror, but as a liberator. I should have been another William III; but I would have acted with greater generosity and disinterestedness. The discipline of my army was perfect. My troops would have behaved in London tlie same as they would in Paris. No sacrifices, not even contributions, would have been exacted from the English. We should have presented ourselves to them, not as conquerors, but as brothers, who came to re- store to them their rights and liberties. I would have as- sembled the citizens, and directed them to labour them- selves in the task of their regeneration; because the Eng- lisTihad already preceded us in political legislation, I would have declared that our only wish was to be able to rejoice in the happiness and prosperity of the English people; and to these professions I would have strictly adhered. In the course of a few months, the two nations, which had been such determined enemies, would have henceforward com- posed only one people, identified in principles, maxims, and interests. I should have departed from England, in order to effect, from south to north, under republican colours (for I was then First Consul) the regeneration of Europe, which, at a later period, I was on the point of effecting, Trom north to south, under monarchical forms. Both sys- tems were equally good, since both would have been atten- tied by the same result, and would have been carried into execution with firmness, moderation, and good faith. How many ills that are now endured, and how many that are yet to be experienced, would not unhappy Europe have escap- ed! Never was a project so favourable to the interests of civilization conceived with more disinterested intentions, or so near being carried into execution. It is a remarka- ble fact, that the obstacles which occasioned my failure Tvere not the work of men, but proceeded from the elements. In the south, the sea frustrated my plans; the burning of Moscow, the snow, and the winter, completed nay ruin in 29 338 MY RESIDENCE WITH tlie north. Thus water, air, and fire, all nature, and natur© alone, was hostile to the universal regeneration, which na- ture herself called for ! — The problems of Providence are insoluble!" After a few moments silence, he reverted to the subject of the English invasion. " It was supposed," said he, "that my scheme was merely a vain threat, because it did not appear that I possessed any reasonable means of at- tempting its execution. But I had laid my plans deeply, and without being observed. I had dispersed all our French ships; and the English were sailing after them to different parts of the world. Our ships were to return suddenly ard at the same time, and to assemble in a mass along the French coasts. I would have had seventy or eighty French or Spanish vessels in the Channel; and I calculated that 1 should -continue master of it for two months. Three or four thousand littl« boats were to be ready at signal. A him- dred thousand men were every day drilled iu embarking; and landing, as a part of their exercise. They were full ©f ardour, and eager for the enterprise, which was very popular witli the French, and was supported by the wishes of a great number of the English. After landing my troops, I could calculate upon only one pitched battle, the result of which could not be doubtful; and victory would have brought us to London. The nature of the country would not admit of a war of manoeuvring. My conduct would have doBe the rest. The people of England groaned under the yoke of an oligarchy. On feeling that their pride had 6ot been humbled, they would have ranged themselves on our side. We should have been considered only as allies come to effect their deliverance. We should have presen- ted ourselves with the magical words of liberty and equal- ity," &c. After adverting to a great number of the minor details of !3ie plan, which were all admirable, and remarking how ve- ry near it batJ been to its executioti, he suddenly stopped, and said, "Let us go out, and take a turn." We walked for some time; it had feeenraiuing for three days, but now the weather was perfectly fine. The Emperor, not forget- ting his resolution to be in doors always by six o'clock, im- mediately ordered the calash; took a drive* and rejturned home in good time. My son fbllowed on horseback; it was the iirst time he had enjoyed such an honour. He acquitted himself very well, and the Emperor complimented him oik the occasion The Emperor ccnticued uoowell, and retired to rest reff early. THE EMPEKOR NAPOLKON. 8^9 The Chinese Fleet 4th. — To-day the Emperor received some captains of the China fleet. He conversed a long time with two of them, respecting their trade, the facility of their intercourse with the Chinese, the manners of that people, &.c. The ships which trade to China are from 14 to 1500 tons burthen, al- most equal to sixty-fours; and they draw from twenty-two to twenty-three feet of water: they are laden almost ex- ijlusively with tea. One of those just arrived had nearly 1300 tons oa board. The cargoes of the six sliips which came into the road last night are valued at about sixty mil- lions; and as they will be subject to a duty of 100 per cent. on their arrival in England, 120 millions will thus at ouce be thrown into circulation in Europe. Europeans are allowed very little liberty at Canton. Their residence is chiefly limited to the suburbs. They are treated with the greatest contempt by the Chinese, who assume an air of great superiority, and conduct themselves in a very arbitrary manner. The Chinese are very intelli- gent, industrious, and active; but they are great thieves, and extremely treacherous. They transact all business ikk tlie European languages, which they speak with facility. . The arrival of fleets- at Saint=Helena is a circumstance equally pleasing to the crews and the inhabitants of the Island. The latter sell their merchandize and purchase provisions; the seamen, on their part are enabled to set foot on land, and to refresh themselves. This state of things usually continues for a fortnight or three weeks; but, oa- the present occasion, the Admiral, to the groat disappoint- ment of every body, limited the period of refreshment to two days only, for the two hrst ships had anchored off the town. — The others ^yere ordered to remain under sail, and to come up to the town in succession, two by two. It may be supposed that he had received very strict orders, or was under great apprehensions, which we do not doubt. The Emperor ivalked forsome time in the garden before he got into his calash. Among the trees in the neighbour- hood, we perceived some officers newly arrived at the Island, who were endeavouring to get a peep at the Empe ror, the sight of whom seemed to be an object of great im yprtance lo them. " ' 340 SW RESIDENCE WITH Etiquette ofth^. Emperer's Court. — Circumstance thai fvuh place at Tarare. — Officers of State. — Chamberlains. — Vtt^ equali^l splendour of the Court of ThuUleries. — Adviiralle TegulntUms oj the Palace. — The Emperor-'' s Levees. — Dc- ning m State. — The Court and the City. 5th. — To-day the Emperor conversed a great deal abort liis court and the etiquette observed in it. The following is the substance of what fell from him on this subject. At the period of the Revolution, the Courts of Spain and Naples still imitated the ceremony and Grandeur of Loui^ XIV, mingled with the pomp and exaggeration of the Cas- tilians and Moors. The Court of Saint-Petersburgh had as'- sumed the tone and forms of the drawing-room; that of Vi- enna, had become quite citizen-like; and there no Jonger remained any vestige of the wit, the grace and the good taste of the Court of Versailles. When, therefore. Napoleon attained the sovereign pow- er, he found a clear road before him, and he had an oppor- tunity of forming a Court according to his own taste. He was desirous of adopting a national medium by accommoda- ting the dignity of the throne to modern customs, and, par- ticularly, by making the creation of a Court contribute to improve the manners of the great, and promote the industry of the mass of the people. It certainly was no easy matter to reconstruct a throne on the very spot where a reigning monarch had been judicially executed, and where the people had constitutionally sworn their hatred of kings. It was not easy to restore dignities, titles and decorations, amonc; a people who for the space of fifteen years had waged a war of proscription against thern. Napoleon, however, who seemed always to possess the power of eflectiug what he wished, perhaps because he had the art of wishing for what was just and proper, after a great strug-gle siirmounted all these difficulties. V. hen he became Emperor, he created a class of nobilily, and formed a Court. Victory seemed all on a sudden to do her utmost to consolidate and shed a lustre over this new order of things. All Europe acknowl- edged the Emperor; and at one period it might have been said, that all the Courts of tl;e Continent had flocked to Paris to add to the splendour of the Thuillerios, which v.iis the most brilliant and numerous Court ever seen. There was a continued series of parties, balls, and entertainments; and the Court was always distinguished fur extraordinary magnificence and grandeur. The person of tlie sovcreiga was alone remarkable for extreme simplicity, which, in- deed, was a characteristic that served to distinguish him amidst the surroundicg splendour. He encouraged aii this THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 341' iflagniScence, he said, from motives of policy, and not be- cause it accorded with liis own taste. It was calculated to encourage manufactures and national industry. The cere- monies and fetes which took place on the marriage of the Empress and the hirth of the King of Rome, far surpassed any wliich had preceded them, and probably will never again be equalled. Tije Emperor endeavoured to establish, in his foreign re- lations, every thing that was calculated to place him in har- mony with Ihe other Courts of Europe ; but at home he con« stantly tried to adapt old forms to new manners. He established the morning and evening levees of the old kings of France ; but with him these levees were merely' nominal, and did not exist in reality, as in former times. — Instead of being occupied in the details of the toilet, and the conversations which might naturally ensue, these ievces un- der the Emperor were, in fact, appropriated to receiving in the morning, and dismissing in the evening, such persons of his household as had to receive orders directiy from him, and who were privileged to pay their court to him at those hours. The Emperor also established special presentations to his person and admission to his Court ; but instead of making noble birth the only means of securing these hon- ours, tiie title for obtaining them was founded solely on the combined bases of fortune, influence, and public services. ., Napoleon, moreover, created titles, the qualifications for which gave the last blow to the old feudal system. These titles, however,- possessed no real value, and were establish- ed for an object purely national. Those which were unaC'^ companied by any prerogatives or privileges might be en- joyed by persons of any rank or profession, and were be- stowed as rewards for ail kinds of services. The Emperor observed that ahroadthey had the useful effect, of appearing to be an approximation to the old manners of Europe, while at the same time they served as a toy for amusing the vani- ties of many individuals at home ; " for," said he, " how many really clever mezi are children oftener than once in their lives !" The Emperor revived decorations of honour, and distri- buted crosses and ribbands. But instead of confining them to particular and exclusive classes, he extended them to society in general as rewards for every description of tnJent and public service. By a happy privilege, perhaps peculiar to Napoleon, it happened that the value of these honours was enhanced in proportion to the number distributed. He estimated that he had conferred about 25,000 decorations of the Legion of Honour ; and the desire to obtain the hon- our, be said, increased until it became a kind of mania. 39* 342 MY REalDEXCE WIIH After the battle of Wagram he sent the decoration of the- Legion of Honour to the Archduke Charles, and by a refmc- ment in compliment, peculiar to Napoleon, he sent him merely the silver cross, which was ivorn by the private sol- diers. The Emperor said, that it was only by acting strict! v and voluntarily in conformity with these maxims, that Lc had become the real national monarch; and an adherence to the same course would have rendered the fourth dynasty, the truJy constitutional one. Of these facts, said he, the people of the lowest rank trequently evinced an instinctive knowledge. The Emperor related the foilowiog anecdote : — On re- turning from his coronation in Italy, as he approached the environs of Lyons, he found all the population assembled on^ the roads to see him pass, and he took a fancy to ascend the mountain of Tarare alone. He gave orders that nobody should follow him, and mingling with the crowd he accosted a,n old woman, and asked what all the bustle meant. She replied that the Emperor was expected. After some little conversation he said to her : — " My good woman, formerly you had Capet the tyrant; now you Lave Napoleon the tyrant,— what have you gained by the cliange V The force of this argument disconcerted the old woman for a moment; but she immediately recollected herself, and replied, "Par- don me, sir, there is a-great difference. We ourselves have ciiosen Napoleon, but we got Capet by chance." — "The old woman was right," said the Emperor, '< and she exhibit- ed more instinctive good sense than many men who are pos^. SBSsed of gi'eat information and talent." The Emperor surrounded himself with great crown offi- cers. He established a numerous household of chamber- lains, grooms, &c. He selected persons to fill these offices indiscriminately from among those whom the Revolution Jiad elevated, and from the ancient families which it had ruined'. The foi-mer considered themselves as standing on an estate which they had acquired r the latter on one whicJr they thought they might recover. The Emperor had in view, by this mixture of persons, the extinction of hatreds and the amalo-amation of parties. He observed, however, that he was not displeased at seeing a variety of manners. The individuals beloBging to the ancient families performed their duties with the greatest courtesy and assiduity. A Madame de Montmorency would have stooped down to tie the Em- press's shoes ; a lady of the new school would have hesitated to do this, lest she should be taken for the real waiting-wo- man ; but the Madame de Montmorency l»ad no such ap- preheusioQ. Therse posts of honour were for the most part THE EMFEROR NAF0LE6N. 343 l^-ithout emolument; they were even attended with expense. Eii't thej- brought the individuals who tilled tliem, daily urder the eye of the Sovereign — of an all-powerful Sovereign, (he aource of honour and grace; and who declared that be would not have the lowest officer in his household solicit a favour from any one but himself. At the time of his marriage with the Empress Maria- Louisa, the Emperor made an extensive recruit of cham- berlains from among the highest ranks of the old aristocra- (;y; this he did with the view of proving to Europe that there existed but one party in France, and of rallying round the lirapress those individuals v/hcse names must have been fa- miliar to her. It is understood that the Emperor even hesi- lated whether or not to select the lady of honour from that class ; but his fear lest the Empress, with whose character he was unacquainted, might be imbued with prejudices re- specting birth, that might too much elate the old party, induced him to make another choice.' From this moment until the period of our disasters, the most ancient and illustrious families eagerly solicited places ia the household of the Emperor ; and how could it becther- v/ise 1 The Emperor governed the world : he had raised France and the French people above the level of other na- tions. Power, glory, constituted his retinue. Happy were they wiio inhaled the atmosphere of the Imperial Court. — To be immediately connected with the Emperor's person, furnished, both abroad and at home, a title to consideration, homage, and respect. Upon the Restoration, a royalist, who'^had preserved him- self pure, and*in whose sight J had found grace, said to me, in the most serious tone, (for, what a diflTcrence in ideas does not difference of party produce !) that with my name, and the openness of conduct I had maintained, I ought not to despair of still obtaining a situation near the King, or in the household of some of the Princes or Princesses. How greatly was he astonished when I replied : — " My friend, I Lave rendered that impossible : 1 have served the most pow- erful master upon earth : I cannot in future, without degra- dation, stand in the same relation to any other. Know, that when we conveyed the orders of the Emperor to a distance, into foreign courts, wearing his uniform, we con- sidered ourselves, and were every where treated, as upon an equality with princes. He has presented to us the spec- tacle of no less than seven Kings waiting in his saloons, in the midst of us, and with us. On his marriage, four Queens bore the robe of the Empress, of whom, moreover, one of us was the Gentleman Usher, another the Equery. Trust then, my friend, that a noble ambition may be perfectly satisfied with such honours." 344 mT residence with " Besides, the magnificence and splendour that composeff^ this iinexarapled court, rested on a system and a regularity of administration, that has excited the astonishment and ad- miration of those who have searched amid its wreck: The Eioperor himself inspected the accounts several times in the course of the year. All his mansiops were found to be re- paired and'decorated : they contained nearly forty millions in household furniture, besides four millions in plate. If he had enjoyed a few years of peace, imagination can scarcely fix limits, he said, to what he would have accomplished. The Emperor said, he had conceived an excellent idea, which he was much grieved at not having put in execution : it was to have commissioned some persons to collect the most important petitions : " They should have named every day," said he, " three or four individuals from the provinces, who would have been admitted to ray levee, and have ex- plained their business to me in person ; I would have dis- cussed it with them immediately, and administered justice to them without delay." I observed to the Emperor, that the Commission he had created at a very early period, under the name of " Com- mission of Petitions," came very near the idea in question, and was, in fact, productive ofmucligood. I was president of it on his return from Elba, and the first month I had already done justice to more than four thousand petitions. " It is true," I observed, " that circumstances originally, nnd custom afterwards had never allowed this establishment to enjoy the most valuable prerogative with which its or- ganization had been endowed, that which would undoubted- ly have produced the greatest effect on public opinion ; namely, to present to him officially, at his .great audience CQ Sunday, the result of the week's labours." But the na- ture of things, the constant expeditions of the Emperor, and above all, the jealousy of the Ministers, had concurred lO deprive the Commission of this high privilege. The Emperor said also, he was sorry he had not estab- lished it as a part of the etiquette of the Court, that all per- «ous who had been presented, females particularly, who had any claim to obtain an audience of him, should have the un^ questioned right of entering the anti-chamber. The Em- peror, passing through it several tijnes in the day, might have taken the opportunity to satisfy some of their requests} and might -in this manner have spared the refusal of audien- ces, or the loss of time occasioned by them. The Emperor had hesitated for sometime, he said, about re-establishing thegrand coiimrt of the kings of France, that is the dining in public, every Sunday, of the whole Imprrial family. He asked our opinioa of it. We differed ; st>me approved of THE EMi'EROR NAPOLEON. 34^ it, representing this family spectacle as beneficial to public morals, and fitted to produce the best effects on public spi- rit ; besides, said they, it afforded means fiir every individ- ual to see his sovereign. Others opposed it, objecting that this ceremony involved something of divine right and feu- dality, of ignorance and servility, which had no place in our habits or the modern dignity of them. They might go to see the sovereign at the church or the theatre : there, they joined at least in the performance of his religious duties, or took part in his pleasures ; but to go to see him eat, was only to confer ridicule on both parties. The sovereignty having now become, as the Emperor had so well said, magis- tracy, should only be seen in full activity; conferring fa- vours, repairing injuries, transacting business, reviewing armies, and above all, divested of the infirmities and the wants of human nature, &c Its utility, its benefits, should form its new charm : the image of the sovereign should be present continually and unlooked-for, like Provi- dence. Such was the new school : — such had been ours. " Well," said the Emperor, " it may be true that the cir- cumstances of the time should have limited this ceremony to the Imperial heir, and only during his youth ; for he was the child of the whole nation ; he ought to become thence- pbrth the object of the sentiments and the sight of all." On his retura from Elba, the Emperor said he had an idea of dining every Sunday in the Galerie de Dianie, with four or five hundred guests: this, said he, would undoubtedly Lavs produced a great effect on the public, particularly at the time .of the Champ de Mai, on the assembling of the Deputies from the departments at Paris; but the rapidity and the, importance of business prevented it. Besides, he was apprehensive, perhaps, that there might have been ob- served in this measure, too great an affectation of populari^ ty, and that his enemies abroad might give it the semblance of fear on liis part. It is the custom, said the Emperor, to talk of the influ- ence of the tone and manners of the Court upon those of "a iiatiou ; he was far from having brought about any such re- sult; but it was the fault of circumstances and of several unperceived combinations ; he had reflected much on the siibject, and he thought it would have been accomplished in time. " The Court," he continued, *' taken collectively, does cot exert this influence ; it is only because its elements, those who compose it, go to communicate, each in his owa sphere of action, that which they have collected from the common source ; the tone of the Court, then, is not infused iato a whole nation, but through intermediate societies. 3'46 MY RESIDJINCE WITH How, we had no such societies, nor could we yet have ttceiiu Those delightful assemblies, where one enjoys so fully the advantages of civilization, suddenly disappear at the ap- proach of revolutions, and re-established but slowly, when the tempests dissipate. The indispensable bases of compa- ny are indolence and luxury; but we were all still in a state of agitation, and great fortunes were not yet firmly estab- lished. A great number of theatres, a multitude of public establishments, moreover, presented pleasures more ready, less constrained, and more exciting* . The women of the day, taken collectively, were young; they liked better tr»deofhislife would be to have seen Napoleon ; ano- tbei", that he dared not appear in his wife's presence ic England, if he could not tell iier that he had been fortunate enough to behold his features ; another, that he would wil- lingly foregg all the profits of hia vojage for a single glanccj 348 ilY RESIDENCE WlTil The Emperor caused them to be admitted : it woulti b« difficult to describe their satisfaction and joy : they had not ventured to expect or hope for so much. The Emperor, according- to custom, proposed many questions to them con- cerning China, its commerce, its inhabitants ; their reve- Bues, their manners; the missionaries, !o doubt but the mass of the people would have only seen an act of tyranny in the law, notwithstanding, it would have rescued them from their executioners." The Emperor had frequently attacked the co'lebrated Corvisart, his physician, upon the subject ofmedicine. The latter, waving the honour of the profession, and of his col- leagues, confessed that he entertained nearly the samd opinions, acd even acted upon them. He v.as a great ene- my to medicines, and employed them very sparingly: tie Empress Maria Louisa, suffering much during her pregnan- cy, and teazirg him for relief, he artfully gave her scn-c pills composed of crumb of bread, which did not fail to be of great service to her, she observed. The Emperor, said, he had brought Corvisart to admit that medicinW was a resource available only for the few ; that it might be of some benefit to the rich, but Ihatittvas the scourge of the poor. "]\ow,do you nctbelieve," said the Em- peror, " that seeing the uncertainly of the art itself, and t\:e ignorance of those iivho practise it, its ef'ects, taken in the a^grec-ate, are more fatal than useful to the people 1" Corvisart" assented- witLcOt Lesitation. "But have yon THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 351 never killed any body yoursein" continued the Emperor \ *' that is to say, have not some patients died, evidently ia cotisequeuc'e of your prescriptions !" — " Undoubtedly," re- plied Corvisart ; " but I ought no more to let that weigh upon my conscience, than would your Majesty, if you had caused the destruction of some troops, not from having made a bad movement, but because their march was inipe- ded by a ditch or a precipice, which it was impossible for you to be aware of," Lc. Thence the Emperor went on to some problems and de- finitions, which he proposed to the Doctor. " Whatis lifel" said he to him ; " when and how do we receive it 1 Is that still any thing but mystery V Then he defined harmless madness to be a vacancy or incoherence of judgment be- tween just perceptions and the application of them: an insane man eats grapes in a vineyard that is not his own ; and, in reply to the expostulations of the owner, says : — '• Here are two of us ; the sun shines upon us ; then I have a right to eat grapes." The dangerous madman was he in whoi'n this vacancy or incoherence of judgment occurred between perceptions and actions : it was he who cut off the head of a sleeping man, and concealed himself beliind a Ledge, to enjoy the perplexity of the dead body when he should awake. The Emperor next asked the Doctor what was the differ- ence between sleep and death ; and answered it himself by saying, that sleep was the momentary suspension of the fa- culties which are within the power of our volition; and death the lasting suspension, not only of these faculties, but also of those over which our will has no control. From that, the conversation turned upon the plague. The Emperor maintained that it was taken by inspiration cs well as by contact : he said that it was rendered most dan- gerous, and most extensively propagated, by fear ; its prin- cipal seat was in the imagination. In Egypt, all those in whom that (the imagination) was affected, perished. The most prudent remedy was moral courage. He had touched with impunity, he said, some infected persons at JatTa, and had saved many lives by deceiving the soldiers, during two months, as to the nature of the disease: it was not the plague, they were told, but a fever accompanied with ulcers. Moreover, he had observed that the best means to preserve the army from it, were to keep them on the march, and give tliem plenty of exercise : fatigue, and the occupation of the mind upon other subjects, were found the surest protection, &c.* • It U mentioned in the Memoirs of fJ. Larey, as a phf nnmcnon, or at least JOfliethiiig reaoarliabiev that tbe prs js'are eftiicu.nsUncts during the retreat fronj> .352 MY RESIDENCE WITH The Emperor also said to the Doctor — " If Hippocrates were on a sudden to enter your hospital, would he not be much astonished ! would he adopt your maxims and your methods ? would he not iind fault with you ! On your part, Tvould you understand his language J would you at all com- prehend each other ? — He concluded by pleasantly extoll- ing the practice ofmedicioe in Babylon, where the patients were exposed at the door, and the relations, sitting near them, stopped the passengers to inquire if they had ever been afflicted in a similar way, and what had cured them. One had at least the certainty, said he, of escaping all those whose remedies had killed them. 9th. — I was breakfasting with the Emperer, after our English lesson, when I received a letter from my wife that filled me with joy and gratitude. She said, that neither fear, fatigue, nor distance, could prevent her joining me ; that separated from me she could experience no happiness, and that she was only waiting for the proper season. Ad- mirable devotion ! superior to all that we have manifested here, inasmuch as it is exerted with a perfect knowledge of all its consequences. I cannot think that in England they will have the cruelty to refuse her: what does she solicit'! favours, interest ! No; she begs to share the lot of an exile on a solitary rock ; to fulfil a duty, and to testify her affec- tion. How far was I from forming a just estimate of the hearts and minds of those who detained us ! Madame de Las Cases found herself constantly repulsed ; sometime* under various pretexts; sometimes even without an answer. At last, and as if to rid himself of her importunity, Lord Bath- urst caused her to be informed, in the beginning of 1817, that she would be permitted to go to the Cape of Good Hope (500 leagues beyond 8aint-Hclena), from whence, " if the Governor of Saint-Helena (Sir Hudson Lowe) secs.no objec- tion, she will be allowed to join her husband." I leave without comment this specimen of ill-timed plea- santry, to the consideration of any one v/hohas the feelings of a man. This letter came by tiie Owen Glendower frii;ale, which arrived from the Cape, and brought us at the bauie time the European papers to December 4. SaiDt-Je?,n.d' Acre, having compelled a veduction of the food for the sirl: to sr.i*3 plain thin biscuits, and thtir dies^iiigs to some brackish wattr, these invalids travers-d sixty loaKuos of Deiert withoui acokieuts. and with so much advantsgo, that the grtatcT part fouti'i themselves well when fhey arrived in K.t;j'pt. He aftti- hutes this specips of jifodigy to the cxevcise. direct or inuA-ect, to the dry heat of the Desert, and a'Mve all to the joy of i-^fin)iiig to a ccuntry Y'Tiich had btcot*- for the soldiers r. ^0!•t of new 'Tcir.e. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEOJft 353 "trial of JVei/. — The Emperor's carriage taken at Waterloo^ Tke interview at Dresden. — On the caprice of women. — The Princess Fauliiic. — Eloquent effusion of the Empe^ ror. lOtb — 12th.- — The weather had now changed to those miserable pelting rains, which scarcely permitted us to walk in the garden ; Ibrtunately we had newspapers to occupy our time. At length I had the satisfaction of see- ing the Ecnpei-or read themwithoutassistar.ee. These papers contained many details relating to the trial of Marshal Ney, which was attuat time in progress. "W'ith reference to this, the Emperor said that the horizon was gloomy; that the unfortunate Marshal was certainly in great danger; but that we must not, hovyever, despair. " The King undoubtedly believes himself quite sure of the Peers," said hs ; " they are certainly violent enough, firmly resolv- ed, highly incensed ; but for all that, suppose the slightest incident, some new rumour, or I know not what; then you would see, in spite of all the efforts of the King, and of what they believe to be the interest of their cause, the chamber of Peers would, all on a sadden, take it into their heads not to find him guilty ; and thus Ney may be saved." This led the Emperor to dilate upon our volatile, fickle, and changeable disposition. "All the French," said he, " are turbulent, and disposed to rail ; but they are not ad- dicted to seditious combinations, still less to actual conspi- racy. Their levity is so natural to them, their changes so sudden, that it may be said to be anatioaal dishonour. They are mere weathercocks, the sport of the winds, it is true ; but this vice is with them free from the calculations cf in- terest, and that is their best excuse. But we must only be understood to speak liere of the mass, of that which consti- tutes public opinion ; for individual examples to the contra- ry have swarmed in our latter times, that exhibit certain classes in the most disgusting state of meanness," It was this knowledge of the national character, the Em- peror continued, that had always prevented his having re- course to the High Court. It was instituted by our Con- stitution ; the Council of State had even decreed its or- ganization ; but the Emperor felt all the danger cf the bus- tle and agitation that such spectacles always produce, *' Such a proceeding," he said, " was in reality an appeal to 4^6 public, and was always liighly injurious to authority, when the accused gained the cause. A Ministry in Eng- land might sustain, without inconvenience, the effects of a decision against it under such circumstances ; but a sove- reign like me, and situated as I was, could Dot have suffei- 30* 354 SIY RESIDENCE WITH edit without th^ utmost danger (o public affairs : for tlif« reason, I preferred haviug recourse to the ordinary tribu- nals. Malevolence often started objections to this; but nevertheless, among all those whom it was pleased to call victims, vrhich of them, I ask you, has retained his populari- ty in our late struggles? They have taken care to justify me : all of them are faded in the national estimation." The Emperor had reserved one article in the papers, that lie might have my assistance in reading it ; it referred to the cari-iage he lost at Waterloo: the great number of tech- nical expressions rendered il. too diiScut for him. The edi- tor gave a very circumstantial account of this carriage, -with aminutely detailed inventory of all its contents ; to this he sometimes added the most frivolous reflections. In men- tioning a small liquor-case, he observed that the Emperor never forgot himself, but took care to want nothing ; in noticing certain elegant appendages to his dressing-case, he added that it might be seen he made liis toilette comme il faut (the expression was in French.) These last words pro- duced a sensation in the Emperor, which certainly would not have been excited by a more important subject. — *' How !" said he. to me, with a mixture of disgust and pain: *' these people of England, then, take me for some wild ani- mal ; have they really been led so far as this J or their , who is a kind of Ox or Apis, as I am assured, does he not pay that attention to his toilette that is considered proper by every person of any education among us. 1" It is certain that I should have been a good deal puzzled io explain to him the writer's meaning. Besides, it is known that the Emperor, of all people in the world, set the least value on his personal convenience, and studied it the least; but, on the other hand, and he acknowledged it with pleas- ure, there never was one for whom the devotion and atten- tion of servants had been so diligent in that particular. A§ lie ate at very irregular hours, they contrived, in the course of his journeys and campaigns, to have his dinner, similar to what he was accustomed to at the Thuilleries, always ready within a fetv paces of him. He had but to speak, and he was instantly served; he hinwelf said it was magic. During fifteen years he constantly drank a particular sort of Bur- gundy (Chambertin,) which he liked and believed to be wholesome for him : he found this wine provided for liim throughout Germany, in the remotest part of Spaia, every where, even at Moscow, &c; and it may truly be said that art, luxury, the refinement of elegance and good taste, con- tended around him, asifwithouthis knowledge, to afford him gratification. The English journalists, therefore, described a multitude of objects that were undoubtedly ia the car- THE EMPEROR NAPOLEOtf. S55 ffage ; but of which the Emperor had not the slightest no^' tion : not that he was at all surprised at it, he observed. The bad weather which continued to confine us withia doors, had no influence on the disposition of the Eujpercr, who at this particular time seenicd ii.cre unreserved and talked more than usuaK He spoke at leugth, and with the inost minute deFails, of the famous interview at Dresden. — The following are extracts from his conversation : — This was the epoch when the power of J^apoleon was at its height ; he there appeared as the king ofku-.gs; he wa? actually obliged to observe, that some attention ought to be paid to the Emperor of Austria. iiis fatLer-in-lavv. Neither this Sovereign nor the King of Prussia had any household establishment attending them ; Alexander had none either at Tilsit or Erfurth. There, as at Dresden, they lived at Pfapoleon's table. — " These Courts," said the Emperor, " were paltry and vulgar." it Avas he who regulated the etiquette, and took the lead in them ; he made Francis take precedence of him, to his unbounded satisfaction. The luxury and magnificence of JNapoleon must have made hinj appear like an Asiatic prince to them : there, as well as at 1'iisit, he loaded with diamonds all that came near him.— We informed him, that at Dresden he had not a single French soldier near him ; and that his Court was sometinieB not without apprehensions for the safety of his person. H© could scarcely believe us ; — but we assured him that it vras a fact ; that tiie Saxon body-guard was the only one he had. ^' It is all one," he said ; " I was then in so good a family, with such worthy people, that I ran no risk ; I was beloved by all ; and, at this very time, I am sure the good King of Saxony repeats every day a Pater and an Ave for me." He added, " I ruined the fortunes of that poor Princess Augus- ta, and I acted very wrong in so doing» Returning from Tilsit, I received, at Marienwerder, a chamberlain of the King of Saxony, who delivered me a letter from his master; be wrote thus : "I have just received a letter from the Em- peror of Austria, who desires my daughter in marriage ; I send this to you, that you may inform me what answer I ought to return.' — 'I shall be at Dresden in a few days,' was the reply of the Emperor ; and, on his arrival, he set his face against the match, and prevented it. " I was very wrop"-," repeated he ; " I was fearful the Emperor Francis would V7ithdraw the King of Saxony from me; on the contrary, the Princess Augusta would have brought over the Emperor Francis to my side, and I should not -now have been here." At Dresden, Napoleon was much occupied in business, and Maria-Louisa, anxious to avail herself of the smallest ntcrvals of leisure to be with tier husbacd, scarcely erei^ S 5G my' nESiDEircB wiirt weut out, lest she should miss them. The Emperor Franci*^ who did nothing, aud tired himself all day with going al>out the tovFD, could not at all comprehend this family seclusion; he fancied that it was to affect reserve and importance. — The Empress of Austria endeavoured greatly to get Maria- IjOLiisa to go out ; sh.e represented to her that her constant assiduity was ridiculous. She would willingly have givea herself the airs of a step-mother with Maria-Louisa, who was not disposed to suffer it, their age being nearly the same. — Slie ca;ne frequently in the inurning to her toilette, ran- sacking among the luxurious and magnificent objects dis- played there: she seldom went out empty-handed. "The reign of Maria-Louisa was very short," said the Emperor; "Out it must have been full of enjoyment for her; she had the world at her feet." One of us took the liberty to ask if the Empress of Austria was not the sworn enemy of Maria-Louisa. " Nothing mere," said the Emperor, " than a little regular court-hatred ; a thorough detestation in the heart, but glossed over by daily letters of four pages, fall of coaxing and tenderness." The Empress of Austria was particularly attentive to Na- poleon, and took great pains to make much of him while he was present ; but no sooner was his back turned, than she endeavoured to detach Maria Louisa from him by the most miscliievous and malicious insinuations ; she was vexed that she could not succeed in obtaining some influence over her. " She has, however, address and ability," said the Emperor, " and that sufficient to embarrass her husband, who had ac- quired a conviction that she entertained a poor opinion of him. Her countenance was agreeable, engaging, and had something very peculiar in it ; s!ie was a pretty little nun, " As to the Emperor Francis, liis good nature is well known, and makes him constantly the dupe cf the designing. His son will be like him. " The King of Prussia, as a private character, is an hon- ourable, good, and worthy man ; but, in his political capa- city, he is naturally disposed to yield to necessity : he is always commanded by whosoever has power on his side, and seems about to strike. " As to the Emperor of Russia, he is a man infinitely su- perior to these : he possesses wit, grace, information, is fas- cinating ; but he is not to be trusted ; he is devoid of can- dour; a true Greek of the Lower Empire. At the same time he is not without ideology, real or assumed : — after all it may only be a smattering derived from his education aud his preceptor. Would you believe," said the Emperor, " what 1 had to discuss with him 1 He maintained that inheritance ivas ao iibuse in monarchy, and I had to spend more than THE EMrEROR NAPOLEON. ciS7 am hour, and employ all my eloquence and logic, in proving to him that this rig-lit constituted the peace and happiness of the people. It may be, too, that he was mystifying ; for he is cimniug-, false, and expert, ; he can go a great length. If I die here, he will be my real heir in Europe. I alone was able to stop him with his deluge of Tartars. The crisis is great, and will have lasting effects upon the Continent of Europe, especially upon Constanti- nople : he was solicitous wilh me for the possession of it. I have had much coaxing on this subject ; but 1 constantly turned a deaf ear to it. That empire, shattered as it ap- peared, would constantly have remained a point of separa* tion between us : it was the marsh that prevented my right being turned. As to Greece, it is another matter !" And after talking awhile upon that country, be renewed the sub- ject: " Greece awaits a liberator ! — There will be a bril- liant crown of glory ! — He will inscribe his name forever with those of Homer, Plato, and Epaminondas ! — I perhaps was not far from it ! — When, during my campaign in Italy, I arrived on the shores of the Adriatic, I wrote to the Di- rectory, that I had before ray eyes the kingdom of Alexan- der ! — Sfill later I entered into engagements with Ali Pa- cha ; and when Corfu was taken from us, they must have found there ammunition and a complete equipment for an army of forty orfifty thousand men.. I had caused maps to be made of Macedonia, Servia, Albania, &c. " Greece, the Peloponnesus at least, must be the lot of that European power, which shall possess Egypt. It should be ours. — And then, an independent kingdom in the North, Constantinople with its provinces, to serve as a barrier to the power of Russia: as they have pretended to do with re- spect to Frauce, by creating the kingdom of Belgium." Another of these evenings, the Emperor was liolding forth against the caprice of women ; " Nothing," said he, " more clearly indicates rank, education, and good breeding among tliem, than evenness of temper, and the constant desire to please." He added, that they were bound by circumstances to show themselves at all times mistresses of themselves, and to be always attending to their part on the stage. His two wives, he observed, had always been so : they certainly dif- fered greatly in their qualities and dispositions ; but they always agreed in this point. Never had he witnessed ill- humour in either the one or the other ; to please him had been the constant object with both of them, &c. Some one ventured to observe, how^ever, that Maria- Louisa had boasted, that whenever she desired any thing, no matter how difficult, she had only to weep. The Empe- ror laurhed at it,- and said, this ws^ new to him. He JuigLt 333 UY RESIDENCE WITH have suspected it of Josephine, l^ut he had no idea of it lu Maria-Louisa. And then, addressing himself to Mesdamcs Bertrand and Montholon : " Thus it is with you all, ladies," said he : " in some points you all agree." He continued for a long time to- talk about the two Em- presses, and repeated as usual, that one was Innocence, and the other the Graces, lie passed from them to his sisters, and dwelt particularly on the charms of the Princess Pau- line. It was admitted, that she was, without dispute, the handsomest wom^n in Paris. The Emperor said that the artists were unanimous in cansidering her a perfect Venus de iMedicis. As they were proceeding to analyze her beau- ty with much elegance and grace, he suddenly asked if a. Princess of the time A little pleasantry was hazarded on the influence which the Princess Pauline had exercised, at the Island of Elba, over General Drouut, whose assiduous attentions she at- tracted in spite of the diiference of their ages and the harshness of his countenance. The Princess, it was said, had drawn from him the secret of the intended departure, eight days before it took place. He had repeated the fault of Turenne; and upon this the Emperor said, "Such are women, and such is their dangerous power!" Ilere Ma- dame Bertrand declared that the Grand Marshal, to a cer- tainty, had not done as much. " Madame," retorted the Emperor, with a smile, he was only your husband." Some one having remarked that the Princess Pauline, when at Nice, had set up a post-wagon on the road, by which dres- ses and fashions arrived from Paris every day, the Empe- ror said : "If I had been aware of it, that would not have lasted long, she would have been well scolded. But thus it happens: while oao is Emperor one knows nothing oftheso things," After this conversation the Emperor inquired what was the day of the month : it was the 1 1th of March. " WellT' said he, " it is a year ago to-day, it was a brilliant day ; I was at Lyons, I reviewed some troops, I had the Mayor to dine with me, who, by the way, has boasted since, that it was the worst dinner he ever made in his life." The Em- peror became animated; he paced the chamber quickly. " I was again become a great power," he continued; and a sigh escaped him, which he immediately cljecked witii these words, in an accent and with a warmth which it is dif- ficult to describe : "I had founded the finest empire in the world, and I was so necessary to it, that spite of all the last reverses, here, upon my rock, I seem still to i-emain tlie master of France. Look at what is going on there, read the papers, you will find it so in every line. Let rae once W^re set my foot thcro, they will sea what France is, and THiS'EirPEUOll NAFOLKO!?. 353 V^atlcan do!" And then what ideas, what projects he developed for the glory and happiness of tlie country ! He spoke for a long time, with so much interest and so unre- servedly, that we could have forgotten time, place, and seasons. A part of what he said follows: — " What a fatality," he said, " that my reti'.rn from the Island of Elba was not acquiesced in; tliat every one did iTot perceive that my reign was desirable and necessary for the balance and repose of Europe ! But Kings and people both feared me; they were Avrong and may pay' dearly for it. I tcturned a new man; they could not believe it ; they could not imagine that a man might have sufficient strength of inind to alter bis character, or to bend to the power of cir- cumstances. I had, however, given proofs of this, and some pledges to the same etiect. Who is ignorant that I am not a man for half-measuresl I would have been as sincerely the monarch of the constitution and of peace, as I had been of ahsolutesway and great enterprizes. " Let us reason a little upon the fear of kings and people on my account. What could the kings apprehend ? Did they still dread my ambition, my conquests, try universal monarchy! Ent my power and my resources were no lon- ger the same; and, besides, I had only defeated and con- quered in m.y own defence: this is a truth which time will more fully develope every day. Europe never ceased to make war upon France, her principles, and me ; and we were compelled to destroy, to save ourselves from destruc- tion. The coalition always existed openly or secretly, a- vowed or denied; it was permanent; it only rested with the Allies to give us peace; for ourselves, we were worn out : the French dreaded making new conquests. As to myself, is it supposed that I am insensible to the charms of repose and security, when glory and honour do not require it other- wise! With our two Chambers, tLcy might have forbidden me in future to pass tie Rhine^ and why sliould 1 have -wish- ed it.' For my universal monarchy? But I never gave any convincing proof of insanity; and \\ hat is its chief charac- terstic, but a disproportion between cr.r object and the Dieans of attainir.g it. if I have he-eu on the point of ac- complishing this universal mcrarchy. it was v itl.out any ori- -j»'inal design, and because I was led on to it step by step. 7'he last eflbrts wanting to anive at it Ecen*ed so trifling, was it very unreasonable to attcn-pt them'? But on rr.y re- turn from Elba, could a sin ilar idea, a Ibought so n rd, a purpose so unattainable, enter the head of the most rash man in the world! The Sovereigns, then, had notliing-to tt^r from' my arms. aCO J47 RESIDE.VCE WITH " Did they apprehend that I might overwhelm them wlil» anarchical principles'? But they knew by experience, roy opinions on thac score. They have all seen me occupy their territories; how often have 1 been urged to revolu- tionise their states, give municipal functions to their cities, and excite insurrection among their subjects. However I may have been stigmatized, in their names, as the modern Altlla, Robespierre on horseback, 6^c. they all know better at the bottom of their hearts — let them look there ! Had I been so, I might, perhaps, still have reigned; but they most certainly would have long since ceased to reign. In the great cause of which I saw myself the chief and the arbi- tor, one of two systems was to be followed: to make kings listen to reason from the people; or to conduct the people to happiness by means of their kings. But it is well known to be no easy matter to check the people when they are once set on : it was more rational to reckon a little upon the wis- dom and intelligence of rulers. I had a right always to sup- pose them possessed of sufficient intellect to see such obvious interests; I was deceived; they never calculated at all, and, in their Vdind fury, they let loose against me that which I withheld when opposed to them. They will see!l " Lastly, did the sovereigns take umbrage at seeing a mere soldier attain a crown] Did they fear the example? The solemnities, the circumstances that accompanied my elevation, my eagerness to conform to their habits, to iden- tify myself with their existence, to become allied to them by blood and by policy, closed the door sufficiently against new, comers. Besides, if there must needs have bee: the spec- tacle of an interrupted legitimacy, I maintain that it was much more to their interest that it should take place in my person, one risen from the ranks, than in that of a prince, oneoftheir own family: for thousands of ages will elapse be- fore the circumstances accumulated in my case draw forth another from among the crowd to re-produce the same spectacle; wjiile there is not a sovereign who has not at a. few paces distance in his palace, cousins, nephews, bro- thers, and relations to whom it would be easy to follow such an example if once set. "On the other side, what was there to alarm the people? Did they fear that I should come to lay waste and to impose chains on them? — But I returned the Messiah of peace and of their rights: this new maxim was my whole strength — to violate it would have been ruin. But even the French mis- trusted me; they had the insanity to discuss when there was nothing to do but to fight; to divide when they should have united on any terms. And was it not better to run the risk of having me again for master, than to expose themselves tt> ~ UK Ell I'EROR NAPOLEON. 3GI uiat of submitting' to a foreign yokel Would it not have been easier to rid tliemselves of a single despot, of one ty- rant, t)ianto sliake off the chains of all tlie nations united? And moreover, whence did they derive this mistrust of me? Because they had already seen me concentrate every effort in myself, and direct them with a vigorous hand I But do they not learn at the present day, to their cost, how necessa- ry tliat was.' Well; the danger was in any case the same : tiic contest terrible, and the crisis imminent. In this state of things, was not absolute power necessary, indispensable ? Tlie welfare of the country obliged me even to declare it openly on my return from Leipsic. I should have done so again on my return from Elba. I was wanting in consis- tency, or rather in confidence in the French, because many of them no longer placed any in me, and it was doing me a great wrong. If narrow and vulgar minds only saw, in all my efforts, the care of my own power, ought not those of greater scope to have shown, that under the circumstances in which we were placed, my power and the country were but one ] Did it require such great" and incurable mischiefs to enable them to comprehend me? History will do me more justice : it will signalize me as the man of self-denials and disinterestedness. To what temptations was I not ex- posed in the army of Italy ? England offered me the Crown of France at the time of the treaty of Amiens. — I refused peace at Chatillon : I disdained all personal stipulations at Vfaterloo ; — and why 1 Because all this had no reference to my country, and J had no ambition distinct from her's — -tliat of her glory, her ascendancy, her majesty. And there is the reason that, in spite of so many calamities, I remain so popular among the Frencli. It is a sort of instinct of after-justice on their part. " Who in the world ever had greater treasures at his dis- posal ? I have had many hundred millions in my vaults i many other hundreds composed my domaine de Vextraordi' naire : all these were my own. What is become of them? They were poured out in the distresses ofthe country. Let them contemplate me here ; I remain destitute upon my rock. My fortune was wholly in that of France. In the extraordinary situation to which fate had raised me, my treasures were her's : \ had identified myself completely with her destinies. What other calculation was consistent with the height I had risen to ? Was I ever seen occupied about my personal interests ? I never knew any other en- joyment, any other riches, than those of the public ; — so much so, that when Josephinfe, who had a taste for the Arts, succeeded under the sanction of my name in acquiringsome tnaster-pieces, though they were in my palace, under my 31 302 MY RESIDENCE WITH eyes, in my /amily apartments, they offended me, I thought myself robbed : they were not in the Musetim. " Ah ! the French people undoubtedly did much for me ! more than was ever done before for man ! But, at the same time, who ever did so much for them '} who ever identified himself with them in the same manner] But to return. — After all, what could be their fears f Were not the Cham- bers and the new Constitution sufficient guarantees for the future J Those additional Acts, against which so much in- dignation was expressed, did they not carry in themselves their own corrective — remedies that were infallible ? How could I have violated them * I had not myself millions of arms ; I was but a man. Public opinion raised me up once more ; public opinion might equally put me down again ; and, compared with this risk, what had I to gain ] " But as to surrounding States (I speak particularly as regards England,) what could be her fears, her motives, her jealousies'? We inquire in vain. With our new Constitu- tion, our twoChambers,_had we not adopted her creed for the future"? Was not that the sure means of coming to a mutual understanding, to establish in future a community of interest] The caprice, the passions of their rulers, once fettered, the interests of the people move on, without obsta- cle, in their natural course: look at the merchants of hostile Rations ; they continue their intercourse, and pursue their business, however their governments may wage war. The two nations had arrived at that point. — 'I'hanks to their re- spective parliaments, each was become the guarantee for the other : and who can ever tell to what extent the union of the two nations and of their interests might be carried ; what new combinations might be set at work f It is certain that, on the establishment of our two Chambers and our Constitution, the Ministers of England had in their hands the glory and prosperity of their country, the destinies and the welfare of the world. Had I beaten the English army and won my last battle, I would have caused a great and happy aatouislnnent ; the following day 1 would have pro- posed peace, and, for once, it would have been I who scat- tered benefits \i'ith a prodigal hand. Instead of this, per- haps, the Ent^iish will one day have to lament that they were victurjoiis at Waterloo ! " I repeat it, the people and the sovereigns were wrong : I had restored thrones and an inofl'ensive nobility ; and thrones and nobility may again find then, selves in danger. I had fixed and consecrated the reasonable limits of the people's rights ; vague, peremptory, and undefined clai«» may again ari«e. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEcif. 3G3 " Had my return, ray establishment on the throne, my adoption, been freely acquiesced in by the sovereigns, the cause of kings and the people would have been settled; both would have gained. Now they are again to try it ; both may lose. They might have concluded every thing ; they may have every thing to begin again : they might have se- cured a long and certain calm, and already begun to enjoy it; and, instead of that, a spark may now be sufficient to re-produce an universal conflagration ! Poor, weak hu- manity !" Attached, as I am, to the words and the opinions which 1 gathered from Napoleon on his rock of exile, and however perfectly persuaded and convinced of their entire sincerity, I do Hot the less experience an extreme gratification, when- ever a testimony from another quarter confirms the truth of them ; and 1 am bound to say, that I have that gratification, as often as opportunity occurs of obtaining other evidence. The reader has just perused the foregoing remarkable passage, in which Napoleon expresses his ideas, his inten- tions, his sentiments. What a value do not these-expres- sions collected at Saint-Helena acquire, when we find thera re-echoed in Europe, at the distance of 2G00 leagues, by a celebrated writer, who, with a shade cf diflerence in his opinions, and at a very difierent time, had himself received them from the same lips ! What a fortunate circumstance for history ! I cannot, indeed, forbear bringing forward here this extract of M. Benjamin Constant, as well on ac- count of the intrinsic merit of the expressions, as from the weight they acquire from the distinguished writer who re- cords them ; and also from the pleasure I feel in seeing them coincide so exactly with what 1 have collected rny§elf in another hemisphere. There ai-e the same intentions, the same depth of thought, tlie same sentiments. " I went to tlie Thuilleries," says M. Benjamin Constant in his account ; " I found Bonaparte alone. He began the conversation: it was long : I will only give an analysis of it; for I do not propose to make an exhibition of an unfortunate man. I will not amuse my readers at the expense of fallea greatness ; I will not give up to malevolent curiosity him whom 1 have served, whatever miglit be my motive ; and I will not transcribe more cf his discourse than is indispensa- ble; but in what 1 shall transcribe, I wil] use his own words. " He did not attempt to deceive me either as to his views, or the state of affairs. He did not present himself as one corrected by (he lessons of adversity : he did not desire to take the merit of returning to liberty from, inclination : he investigated coolly as regarded his interests, and with an 3G4 iir RE^lDENCS WITH impartiality too nearly allied to indifference, what was pa&» si\Ae and what was preferable. " ' The nation,' said he, ' has rested for twelve years from all political agitation, and for a year it has been undisturbed by v/ar ; this double repose has begotten a necessity for motion. It desires, or fancies it desires, a public rostrum and assemblies ; it has not always desired them. It cast itself at my feet when I came to fhe government ; you must remerabex-, you who made trial of its opinion. "Where waj your support, your power ? Nowhere. I took less authority tkan I was invited to take. — Now all is changed. A weak government, opposed to the interests of the nation, has g-ivcii these interests the habit of takinsj up the defensive, and of cavilling at authority. The taste for constitutions, debates, Ijarangues, seems to return. . . . However, it is only the mi- nority that desires it, do not deceive yourself. The people, or if you like it better, the mob, desire me alcne : you have not seen them, this mob, crowding after me, rtishing froia the tops of the mountains, calling me, seeking me, saluting me. On my return here from Cannes, I did not conquer — I administered I am not only, as it has been said, the Emperor of the soldiers ; 1 am that of the peasants, the lower ranks in France., . . . Thus, in spite of all that is past, you see the peopI(^ return to me — there is a sympathy be- tween us. It is not so with the privileged classes ; the no- bility have served me, have rushed in crowds into my aute- ehambers ; there are no olTiccs that they have not accepted, solicited, pressed for. I have had my Moittraorencies, my jVoailles, my Rohans, my Bcauveaus, my Jlortemarts. But there was no analogy between us. Tlje steed curvetted, he was well 'trained, but I perceived that he fretted. " ' With the people it is another thing ; the popular fibre responds to mine ; I am come from the ranks of the people, ray voice has inHucnce over them. Observe these con- scripts, these sons of peasants, I did not flatter tliem, I treat- ed them with scvority ; they did not the less surround me, they did not the less shout 'the Emperor for ever I' It is because between them and me there ie an identity of nature; they look to me as tiieir support, tlieir defender against the nobles. . . I have but to make a sign, or rather to turn away* my eyes, and the nobles will be massacred in ail the depart- ments. Tiic^y have carried on such fine intrigues for these six months^! .... But I will not be the king of a Facgucric. If there are any means of governing with a Constitution, well and good I desired the empire of the world ; and, to insure it, unlimited power was necessary to mc. — To govern France only, a Constitution may be better I desired the empire of the world, and \rho in my situation. THE EMPEROR ^"APOLKON. 3(i5 would not ? The world invited me to govern it ; sovereiguB- aiKTsubjccts vie'd with each other in liastening beneath my Sdeptre. I have rarely found any opposition in France; but I have, however, met with more from some obscure unarmed Frenchmen, than from all these kings, so vain at present of no longer having a popular man f<;r their cqu:u Con- sider, then, what seems to you to he possible. Give me- your ideas. Free elections, public discussions, responsible ministers, liberty, all this is my wish The liberty of the press in particular: to stifle it is absurd — I am satisHcd upon this point I am the man of the people, if the people sincerely wish for liberty : I owe it them. 1 have recognized their sovereignty ; I am bound to lend an ear to their desires^ even to their caprices. I never desired to oppress them for my own gratification. I had great designs, fate has decided tliem ; I am no longer a conqueror, I can no more become so. I know what is possible, and what is not; I have now but one charge: to relieve France, and give her a government suited to her I am not inimical to liberty : 1 sst it aside when it obstructed my road : but I comprehend it, I have been educated in its principles At the same time, the work of fifteen years is destroyed ; it cannot begin again. It would require twenty years, and tl e " sacrifice of two millions of men Besides, I am desirous of peace, and I shall obtain it only by dint of victories. I will not hold out false hopes to you ; 1 abstain from-telling you there are negotiations in train; there are none. I foresee a difiicult contest, a long war. To maintain it, the nation must support me; but, in return, she will require li- berty ; she shall have it The situation is new. Ijkde- sire no better than to receive information ; I grow old ; cko is no longer at forty-five what one was at thirty. The re^ pose of a constitutional monarch may be well suited to me. It will assuredly be still more suitable to my son.' " — (^¥;-' nerve Francais, 94<^ liv. tome VIII. 2d Letter on the Hundred Dayg. By M B. Constant. 13th. — The Emperor sent instructions to the Grand Mar- shal to write to the Admiral to know if a letter which he, - Napoleon, should write to the Prince Regent would be sent to*him. Towards four o'clock, the Deputy Governor Skel- ton and his lady desired to pay their respects to the Empe- ror. He received them, took them to walk in the garden, and afterward out with him in his carriage. The weather had been extremely foggy all day. Upon its clearing up for a short time we saw, on a sudden, a corvette ©r frig-ate very near, and coming in with all sails set. .3GG MY RESIDENCE VflTH Insult to the Emperor and the Prince of Wales. —Execution, ofjfey. — Escape oj Lavalette, 14th— 15 th. — We received the Admiral's answer. After beginning, according to his established form, by saying that he knew no person by the title of Emperor' at Saint-Hele- na, he stated, that he would undoubtedly send the Empe- ror's letter to the Prince Regent ; but that he should ad- here to the letter of his instructions, which directed him not to allow any paper to be dispatched to England, without kaving first opened it. This communication, it must be rxknowledged, gave us great astonishment: tbe''part of the instrtictions cited by the Admiral had two objects in view, both of them foreign to the interpretation put upon them by this officer. The first was, in the case of our making any complaints, that the local authorities might join their observations, and that the government, in England, might do us justice more speedily, without being obliged to send again to the island for farther information. This precaution, then, was entire- ly for our interest. The second object of this measure was, that our correspondence might not be prejudicial to the interests of the government, or the policy of England. But we were writing to the Sovereign, to the chief, to the indi- vidual in whom these interests, and this government cen- tred ; and if there was any conspiracy here, it was not on the part of us, who were writing to liim, but rather on his, w^ho intercepted our letter, or resolved to violate the priva- cy of it. That they should establish jailors about us, M'ith all their equipage, though we did not consider it just still seems possible. But that these jailors should cause their functions to I'e-act, even upon their Sovereign, was a thing for which we could not find a r.ame ! It was to attach to him completely the idea a King without faculties, or of a Sultan buried in the recesses of his Seraglio! It was really a monstrous phenomenon in our European man- aers ! For a long time, we had little or no intercourse with the Admiral. One thought that ill-humour had perhaps dicta- ted his answer ; another supposed that Ijc was fearful the letter might contain some complaints against him. But the Admiral knew the Emperor- too well, not to be aware that he would never appeal to any other tribunal, than to that of na- tions. I, who knew what would have been the subject of the letter, felt the most lively indignation at it! Tl >e sole inten- tion of the Emperor had been to employ this method, the only one that seemed compatible with his dignity, to write to hi? wife, and obtain tidings of his son. However, the Grand Mar- THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON-. 30T' ehal replied to the Admiral, that be either overstepped, or misinterpreted his instructions; that his deterniination could only be regarded as another instance of Hagrant vexation ; tliat the condition imposed, was too much beneath the dig- nity of the Emperor, as well as of the Prince of Wales, for him to retain any intention of writing. The frigate that had just arrived was the Spy, bringing the European papers to the olst of December : they con- tained the execution of the unfortunate Marshal Ney, and ihe escape of Lavalette. " JNey," said the Emperor, " as ill attacked, as he was ill (lefeuded, had be^n condemned by the Chamber of Peers, i;i the teeth of a formal capitulation. Ilis execution had been allovred to take place ; tiiatwas another error — from that moment he became a martyr. ThatLabedoyere should not have been pardoned, because the clemency extended to })im would have seemed only a predilection in favour of the old Aristocracy, might be conceived ; but the pardon of Ney would only have been a proof of the atrength of the government, and the moderation of the Prince. It will be said, perhaps, that an example was necessary] But the Marshal would become so, much more certainly, by a par- don after being degraded by a sentence : it was to him, in fact, a moral death that deprived him of all influence ; and nevertheless the object of authority would be obtained, the Sovereign satisfied, the example complete. The refusal of pardon to Lavalette, and his escape, were new subjects of animadverson equally unpopular. " But the saloons in Paris," he observed, " exhibited the same passions as the clubs; the nobility were a new version of the Jacobins, Europe moreover, was in a state of com- plete anarchy : the code of political immorality was openly fj'lowed; whatever fell under the hands of the sovereigns v/as turned to the advantage of each of them. At least, in my time,-! was the butt of all the accusations of this kind. The Sovereigns then talked of nothing hut principles and virtue; but now," added he, " that they were victorious and without control, they practised unblushingly all the wrongs which they themselves then reprobated. What re- source and what hope were ^here tljen left for nations and for morality ] Our countrywotnen at least," he observed, " ren- dered their sentiment^s conspicuous : Madame Labtdoyere was on the point of dying from grief; these papers showed us that Madame Ney exhibited the most courageous and de- termined devotion. Madame Lavalette was becoHifi the heroine of Europe," &c. 3lv8 My RESIDEKCE WFf »' ^Mcsaage/or the Prince RcgerJ. iSth.—The Emperor had quitted the Encyclopedia Bn^ tannica, to take his lessons in English, ia ihe Annual Regisr tcr. lie read there the adventure of a Mr. Spencer Smith,- arrested at V^enice, ordered to be sent to Valenciennes, and ^vhQ made his escape on the road. This must Be a very sim- ple a^air, said the Emperor, \Yhich the narrator has convert- ed into a statement of importance. The circumstance was totally uuknown to him : it vvas a detail of police of too lit- tle consequence, he observed, to have found its way up to Lirn . About four o'clock the captain of the Spy arrived from Europe, and the captain of the Ceylon about to sail for Eng-- land, were presented to the Emperor. He was in low spi- rits— he was uoweil: the audience of the first was very short,' thatof the second would have been the same, had he not roused the Emperor by asking if we had any letters to send to Europe. The Emperor then desired me to ask him if he should see the Prince Regent ; on his answering in the af- firmative, I was charged to inform him that the Emperor was desirous of writing to the Prince Regent, but that in consequence of the observation of the Admiral, that he would open the letter, he had abstained from it, as being in- consistent with his dignity, and with that of the Prince Re- frent himself. That he had, indeed, heard the laws of Eng- land much boasted of, but that he could not discover their benefits any where ; that he had only now to expect, indeed desire, an e.'iCGutioner; that the torture they made him en- dure was inhuman, savage; that it would have been more open and energetic to put him to death. The Emperor made ine request of the captain that he would take upon him to deliver these words, and dismissed him: he looked very red and was much embarrassed. Sjnritofthe Inhah Hants nf the Isle of France. I7lh. — An English Colonel, arrived from the Cape on his return from the Jsle of France, came in the morning and addressed himself to mo, to try to get an introduction to the Emperor. The Admiral had only allowed his vessel to re- main two or three hours in the road. Having prevailed on the Empsror to receive him at four o'clock, he assured me that he would rather miss his vessel than lose such an op- portunity. The Emperor was not very well, he had passed several hours in Jiis bath ; at four he received the Colonel. The Emperor put many questioos to him conceriiing the THE EiMJ:>EROB NAI'OLEOX. 36*J Isleof France, lately ceded to the English: it seems that its prosperity and its coramcrce suffer from its change of sovereignty. Alter the departure of the Colonel, being alone with tlie 3:^mp8ror in the garden, I told him tliat his person seemed to have remained very dear to the inhabitants of the Isle of France ; that the Colonel had informed me that the name of JVapoieon was never pronounced there but with commise- ration. It was precisely on the day of a greatfcstival in the colony, that they learned his departure from France and his arrival at Plymouth ; the theatre was to be universally attractive ; the news having arrived during the day, in the evening there was not a single colonist, either white or of colour, in the house: there were only seme English, who were exceedingly confused and irritated at the circum- stance. The Emperor listened to me. " It is quite plain," said he, after some moments of silence : " this proves that the inhabitants of the Isle of France have continued French. I am the country; they love it : it has been wounded in my person, they are grieved at it.". I added, that the change of dominion restraining their expressions, they did not dare propose his health publicly; but that the Colonel said they never neglected it notwithstanding ; they drank to Awi, this g word was become consecrated to Napoleon. These details touched him. " Poor Frenchmen!" he said with express- ion— " Poor People ! Poor Nation ! I deserved all that, I loved thee ! But thou, thou surely didst not deserve all the ills that press upon thee! Ah! thou didst merit well that one sihould devote himself to thee I But it must be confessed, what infamy, what baseness, what degradation I had about me !" And addressing himself to me, he added : " I do not speak here of your friendsof the Fauxbourg Saint-Germain; for with respect to them it is another matter." There frequently reached us incidents and expressions which, like those from the Isle of France, were calculated to excite emotion in the heart. The Island of Ascension, in our neighbourhood, had always been desert and abandon- ed ; since we have been here, the English have thought proper to form an establishment there. The Captain who went to take possession of it, told us on his return, that he was much astonished on landing to lind upon the beach, May the great jS'apoieon live for r.vir! In the last papers that reached us, among many good-na- tured sallies and j'e;(.r de mots, it was remarked in several languages, that Paris would never he happy till his Helena siiouid be restored to him : those were a [ew drops of honey in our cup of n'ormwood; 370 my RESIDENCE WITH His intentions respecting Rome. — Horrible food. — Britan- nicust 18th — 19th. — The Emperor was on horseback by eight o'clock. He had abstained froiirit for a long- time : want of space to ride over was the cause. His health suffers visibly in consequence, and it is astonishing that the want of .exer- cise is not still more hurtful to him, who was in the daily habitof taking it to a violent degree. On our return, the Eraperor breakfasted out of doors ; he detained us all. Af- ter breakfast, the conversation' fell on Herculaneum and Pompeii ; the phenomenon and epoch of their destruction, the time and the accident of their modern discovery, the monuments and the curiosities they have since afforded us. The Emperor said, that if Rome had remained under his dominioa, she would have risen again from her ruins: he in- tended to have cleared away all the rubbish ; to have res- tored as much as possible, &c. He did not doubt that the same spirit extending through all the vicinity, it might have been in some degree the same with Herculaneum and Pompeii. Breakfast being concluded, the Emperor sent my son to bring the volume of Crevies which contains this event ; and he read it to us, as well as the death and character of Pliny. He retired about noon to take some rest. Towards six o'clock we took our usual round in the carriage. The Em- peror took with him Mr. and Mrs. Skelton, wlio were come to visit him. On our return, the Emperor, banished from the garden on account of the damp, went to see Gen. Gour- gaud, who was recovering rapidly. After dinner, on leav- ing the table and returning to the drawing-room, we could not help reverting to the meal we had just made ; — literal- ly nothing was fit to eat: the bread bad, the wine not drinkable, the meat disgusting and unwholesome ; we are frequently obliged to send it back again ; they continue, in spite of our remonstrances, to send it us dead, because by that method they can put upon us such animals as have died naturally. The Emperor, shocked at this description, could not re- frain from saying with warmth : " No doubt there are some individuals whose physical situation is still worse ; but that circumstance does not deprive us of the right of giving an opinion on our own condition, or on the infamous manner in which we are treated. The injustice of the English gov- 'ernment has not been contented with sending us hither, it has selected the individuals to whom our persons and our supplies are intrusted ! For my part, I should suffer less, if 1 ivere sure that it would pne day bo divulged to the \vholo THE EMPEROR NAfOLEON. ^T t world in such a way as to brand with infamy those who are guilty of it. But let us talk of something else," said he — "what is the day of the month!" lie was told it was the 19th of March: "What !" he exclaimed, " the eve of the 20th of March i" And a few seconds afterwards: "But let us talk of something else." He sent for a volunse of Racine, and at first began to read the comedy of the Piai- dburs ; but after a scene or two, he turned to Britannicvs, which he read to us. When the reading was concluded', and the due tribute, of admiration had been paid, lie said that Racine was censured for making the denouement of this piece too sudden, that the poisoning of Eritaunicus was not expected so early in the play as it ciignt to have been. He praised the, truth of the character of Narcissus highly, observing, that it was always by wounding the seif-love of princes that their determinations were most influenced. 20th of March^ — The Accouchement of the Em-press. 20th.— After dinner one of us observed to the Emperor, that he had been less solitary, less quiet that day twelve-- month at the same hour. " I was sitting down to table at the Thuilleries," said the Emperor. " I had found it diffi- cult to get there : the dangers 1 went throiigk in that at- tempt were at least equal to those of a battle." la fact he had been seized upon, on his arrival, by tljousauds of offi- cers and citizens; one pai;ty had snatched him from another; he had been carried to the palace, and amidst a tumult like that of a mob about to tear a man to pieces, instead of the orderly and respectful attendance of a multitude intent on showing their veneration for an individual. But we ought to look at tlie sentiment and intention of this case : it was en- thusiasm and love carried to a pitch that resembled deliri- ous rage. The Emperor added, that in all probability more than one person in Europe would talk of him that evening; and that, in spite of all observations, many a bottle would be rmptied in Lis cause. The conversation then turned on the King of Rome ; that day was the anniversary of his birth > the Emperor reckon- ed that he must be five years old. He then spoke of the ac- couchement of the Empress, and seemed to take some plea- sure in boasting that he had proved himself on that occasion, as.good a husband as any in the world : he assisted the Em- press to walk about all night ; we, who were of the house- hold knew something of the matter; we had all been called together at the palace at ten in the evening ; we passed tie night there ; and the cries of the Empress sometimes 3T2 MY RESIDEN-CE WITH reached our ears. To\rards the morning the accouc&ev having told the Emperor that the pains had ceased, and that the labour might yet be tedious, the Emperor went into a bath, and sent us away, desiring us, however, not to go from home. The Emperor had not been long in the bath, when the pains came on again, and the accouclier ran to him, al- most out of his wits, saying he was the most unfortunate of men ; that out of a thousand labours in Paris there was not one more difficult. The Emperor, dressing himselfagain as fast as he could, encouraged him, saying that a man who un- derstood liis business ought never to lose his presence of mind ; that there was nothing in this case that he ought to be uneasy about ; that he had only to fancy he was deliver- ing a citizen's wife of the Rue Saint-Denis ; that nature had but one law ; that he was sure he would act for llie best: and, above all, that he ne*d not fear any reproach, it was then represented to the Emperor that there v/as great danger either for the mother or the child. " If the mother live," said he, without liesitation, " I shall have another child. Act in this case as if you vrcre attending the birth o* a cobbler's son." When he reached the Empress, she really was in danger; the child presented itself in an unfavourable posture, and there was every reason to fear it would be stifled. The Emperor asked Dubois why he did not deliver her- He excused himself, being unwilling to do it, he said, ex- cept in the presence of Corvisart, who had not yet ar- rived, " But what^anhe tell you]" said the Emperor. "If it is a witness, era, justification you want to secure, here am I." Then Dubois, taking oflhis coat, commenced the ope- ration. When the Empress saw the instruments, she cried out in a piteous manner, exclaiming that they were going to kill her. She was strongly held by the Emperor, Madame de Montesquiou, Corvisart, who had just come in,&:c. Ma- dame de lilontesquiou dexterously took an opportunity to encourage her, by declaring that she herself had more than once been in the same situation. The Empress, however, still persuaded herself that she was treated differently from other women, and often re- peated, " Am I to be sacrificed because I am an Empress !" She declared, afterwards, to the Emperor, that she really )iad entertained this fear. At length she was delivered. The danger had been so imminent, said the Emperor, that all the etiquette which had been studied and ordered was disregarded, and the child put on one side, on the floor, whilst every one was occupied about the mother only. The infant remained some moments in this situation : it was Cor- ▼isart who took him up, chafed him, and brought him.<;o fitter a cry, &c. THE EMPEROR NAPOLE#ir. 375 Wia.tilin€''s C<))isplracy.— The Gfacchi. — ffis(orians. — Sleep' durino: a battle, — Caesar and his Commentaries. — Of differ- ent MUitai-y Systems. 21st — 22cl. The Emperor rode out very early ; we made' the tour of our limits in several directions. It was during these rides that the Emperor now takes his lessons in En- g-lish. I walk by his side; he speaks a few sentences in En-i * ^lish, which 1 translate, word by word, as he pronounces them; by which method he perceives when he is understood, or is enabled to correct his mistakes. When he has finished a sentence, I repeat it to liim, in English, so that he may understand it well himself; this helps to form his ear. The Emperor was reading to-day, in the Roman History, cf Catiline's conspiracy ; he could not comppehecd itio the way in which it is described. "However great a villait* Catiline might be," observed he, " he must have had some object in view: it could not be that of governing in Rome, ?ince he is accused of having intended to set fire to the four quarters of the city." The Emperor conceived it to be much more probable that it was some new faction similar to those of Marius and Sylla, v/hich having failed, all the accu- sations calculated to excite the horror of patriots, were, as usual In such cases, heaped on the head of its leader. It was then observed to the Emperor, that the same thing would infallibly have happened to himself, had he been overpow- ered in Vendemiaire, Fructidor, or Brumaire, before he had illumined with such radiant brilliancy an horizon cleared of clouds. The Gracchi gave rise to doubts and suspicions of a very different sort in his mind, which, he said, became almost •certainties to those who had been engaged in the politics of our times. " History," said he, " presed'ts these Gracchi, in the aggregate, as seditious people, revolutionists, crimi- nals ; and, nevertheless, allows it to appear in detail, that tiiey had virtues ; that they were gentle, disinterested, mo- ral men ; and, besides, they were the sons of the illustrious Cornelia, which, to great minds, ought to be a strong pri- mary presumption in their favour. How then can such a contrast ba accounted fori It is thus : the Gracchi gene- rously devoted themselves for the rights of the oppressed: people, against a tyrannical seeate ; and their great taientS: and noble character endangered a ferocious aristocracy which triumphed, murdered, and calumniated them. The historians of a party have transmitted their characters in the same spirit. Under the Emperors it was necessary to con- tinue ia the same manner; the bar.e mention of the rights' of the people, under a despotic mastfer, was a biasphemv, a. 32 374 MY RESIDENCE WITH downright crime. Afterwards the case was the same vm iishing winter-quarters that extended f:-om Treves to Van- ncs. And when he also spoke of the immense works whick the generals got performed by their soldiers, the ditches, walls, great towers, galleries, &c. the Emperor observed that in tliose times every exertion was directed to construc- tions on the spot, whereas in ours they were employed in conveyance. He also thought the ancient soldiers labour- ed, in fact, more than ours. He had thoughts of dictating. &70 SIV RIKIDEKCB WITH sometLing on that subject. " Ancient history, however,** said he, " embraces a long period, and the system of war often changed. In our days it is no longer tliat of the times ofTurenne and Vauban : campaign works were growing Useless ; even the system of our fortresses had become prc- Mematical or ineffectual ; the enormous quantity of bomL« and howitzers changed every thing. It was no longer a- gainst the horizontal attack that defence was requisite, but also against the curve and the reflected lines. N one of the ancient fortresses thenceforth afforded shelter ; they ceased to be tenable ; no country was ricb enough to maintaia them. The revenue of France would be iusufficientfor hey lines of Flanders, for the exterior fortifications were now not above a fourth or fifth of the necessary expense. Case- mates, magazines, places of shelter secure from, the effects of bombs, were nov.f requisite, and were too expensive.'' — The Emperor complained particularly of the weakness of modern masonry : the engineer department is radically de- fective in this point; it had cost him immense sums, wholly thrown away. Struck with these novel truths, the Emperor had invented a system altogether at variance with the axioms hitherto established; it was to have metal of an extraordinary cali- bre, to advance beyond the principal line towards the ene- my ; and to have that principal line itself, on the contrary, defended by a great quantity of small moveable artillery : hence the enemy would be stopped short in his sudden ad- vance ; he would have only weak pieces to attack powerful ones with ; he would be commanded by this great calibre, Tound which the resources of the fortress, the small pieces, would form in groups, or even advance to adistacce, as skir- mishers, and might follow ail the movements of tlie enen:r by means of their lightness and mobility. The enemy would then stand in need of battering-cannon ; he <^'outd be oblig- ^ed to open trenches: time would be gained, and the true .object of fortification accomplished. The Emperor employed this method with great success, and to the great astonish- ment of the engineers, in the defence of Vienna, and in that of Dresden ; he wished to have employed it in that of Paris, which city could not, he thought, be defended by any other means ; but of the success of this method he had no doubt.. Days at Longwood. — Tr'uil ofDrouot. — Mlliiary characters, Soult. — Massena. — The Emycror^s cor.iradesinthe Artille' ry. — His name thonghi by him to be unknoum io somepeople^ even in Paris. 23d — -Seth. The iveaiher was very unfavourable during the greatsr part .of these zanomings, on account of the hea^^jj THE EMPEROR NAPOLEO.V. 37?" I*atii3, which scarcely allo^ved us to stir out of doors. The Emperor read a work by a Miss Williamfe, on the returh from the Isle of Elba; it bad just reached us from England, He was much disgusted with it, and with good reason ; this producrion is quite calumnious and false ; it is the echo aiid t;ollection of all the reports invented at the time in certain inali^olent Parisian societies. Ails our evenings, the weather was almost indifferent to us ; whether il rained, or the moon shone brightly, we li- terally made ourselves prisoners. Tovvards nine o'clock we were surrounded by santinels; to meet them would have been painful. It is true tliat both the Emperor and ourselves might have gone out at a later hour, accompanied by an officer ; but this would have been rather a punish- ment than a pleasure to us, although the oilicer never could conceive this feeling. He gave us reason to conclude, at first, that he imagined this seclusion to be merely the effect of ill-humour, and thought it would not last long. I knoir not what he may subsequently have thought of cur perae- verance. The Emperor, as I beliavo I have already mentioned, sat down to table pretty regularly at eight o'clock ; he never remained there above half an hour, sometimes scarcely a quarter of an hour. When he returned to the draw- ing-room, if he happened to be unwell or taciturn, we had the greatest difficulty in the world to get on to half past nine or ten o'clock ; indeed, we could not effect it without the assistance of reading. But when he was cheer- ful, and entered into conversation with spirit, we were pre- sently surprised te find it eleven o'clock, and later : these were our pleasant evenings. He would then retire, with a kind of satisfaction, at having, as he expressed it, conquer- ed time._ And it was precisely on those days, when the re- mark applied with least force, that he used to observe that it must require our ufmost courage to endure such a life. One of these evenings, the conversation ran on the mili- tary trials, which are now instituting in France. The Em- peror thought that General Dronot could not be condemned for coming in the suite of one acknowledged sovereign to make war upon another. Upon this it was remarked, that what was now mentioned as his justification, would be his greatest danger at the tribunal of legitimacy. The Emperor acknowledged, in fact, that there was no- thing to be said to the doctrines brought forward at this day: but, on the other hand, that in condemning General Drouot, they would condemn emigration, and legitimate the con- demnation of the emigrants. Whosoever was foucd in arms against Fraace, the Republican doctrines punished him with death ; it was not so with the royal doctriae. If they should 32* 378 MY RESIDEKCi: WITH in this instance adopt the Republican doctrine, the emigraat and royal party would condemn themselves. The case of Drouot, hoTvever, in a general poiirt of view, was very dift'eront even from that of JVey; and besides, Ney Lad evinced aa unfortunate vacillation of which Drouot had never been guilty. Thus the interest which '2'\ey had ex- cited v.-as wholly founded on opinion ; whilst that v/hich was felt for Drouot was personal. The Emperor dilated on the dangers and difficulties which the tribunals and ministers of justice must experience, throughout the aflairs connected with his return from the Isle of Elba. Above all, he was extremely struck by a par- ticular circumstance relating to Soult, who, we were told, was to be brought to trial. He, Napoleon, knew, he said, how innocent yoult was ; and yet, were it not for that cir- cumstance, and were he an individual and juror in Soizlt's case, he had no doubt he should declare him guilty ,so strong- ly were appearances combined against hiin. Ney,inthe course of his defence, through some sentiment which it is difficult toaccount for, stated, contrary to the truth, that the Emperor had said Soult was in intelligence with him. Bfow, every circumstance of Soult's conduct during his ad' ministration, the confidence which the Emperor placed in him after bis return, &,c. agreed with that deposition : who, then, would not have condemned him ? " \ et Scult is inno- »ent," said the Emperor; "he even acknowledged to me that lie had taken a real liking to the King. The authority he enjoyed under him, he said, so different from thatofmymin- istersrvvas a very agreeable thing, and had quite gained him over." Massena (whose proscription was also announced to us by :3ie papers) was, the Emperor said, another person whom they would perhaps condemn as guilty of treason. All Mar- seilles was against him, appearances were overw"helming and yet he had fulfilled his duty up to the very moment of declaring himself openly. On his return to Paris, he had even been far from claiming any credit with the Emperor, when the latter asked him whether lie might have reckoned Upon him. " The truth is," continued the Emperor, " that all the commanders did theirduty; but they could not with- stand the torrent of opinion, and no one had sufficiently cal- culated tlie sentiments of the mass of the people, and the national impetuosity. Carnot, Fourche, Maret, and Cam- baceres, confessed to me at Paris, that they had been great- ly deceived on this point. And no one understands it well, even now. " Had the King remained longer in France," continued he^ " he would probably have lost his life in some insurrec^ TK£ EMPEnOR Nafoleqn. 379 Vfon ; but had he fallen into my hands, I should have thought myself sticng enough to have allowed him every enjoyment in some retreat of his own selection ; as Ferdinan(i was treated at Valency." Immediately before this conversation, the Emperor was playing at chess, and his king having fallen, he cried out — •' AIj! my poorknjg,you are down!" Some one having pick- ed it up, and restoied it to him in a mutilated state — "• Hor- rid '." he exclaimed ; " I certainly do not accept the omen, and I am far from wishing any such thing : my enmity docs. Udt extend so far." I \FOuid not, on any account, have omitted this circun>i. stance, trifling as it may appear, because it is in many res- pects characteristic. We ourselves, when the Emperor had retired, reverted to the incident. What cheerfulness, what freedom of mind in such dreadful circumstances ! we said. \Vhat serenity in the heart I what absence of malice, irri- talii)n, or hatred! Who could discover in him the man whom enmity and falsehood have depicted as such a monster? Even amongst his own followers, who is there that has weM understood him, or taken sufficient pains (o make him known ] . Another evening, the Emperor was speaking of his early years when he was in the artillery, and of his companions at the mess : he always delighted in reverting to those days. One of his messmates was mentioned, who, having been Pre- fect of the same department under Napoleon and under the King, had not been able to retain liis place on the feturn of Napoleon. The Emperor, when he recollected him, said that this person had, at a certain period, missed the oppor- tunity of making bis fortune through him. When Napoleon obtained the command of the army of the interior, he loaded c!iis person with favours, made him his aid-de-camp, and in- tended to place great eonfidencein him; but this favoured aid^ de-camp had behaved very ill to him at the time of his depar- ture for the army of Italy; he then abandoned his General for the Directory. " Nevertljeless," said the Emperor, «' when once I was seated on the throne, he might have done much with me, if he bad known how to set about it. He had the claim of early friendship, which never loses i(s influence ! I should certainly never have withstood an unexpected over- ture in a hunting-party, for instance, or half an hour's con- versation on old times at any other opportunity. I should have forgotten his conduct: it was no longer important wrhether he had been on my side or not : I had united all parties. Those who had an insight into my character were well aware of this: they knew that with me, however I might have felt disposed towards them, it was like the game M& MV RESIDENCE WITH" of prison-bars ; when once the point was toncLed, the game was won. Infact, if 1 wished to withstand them, 1 had no resoiirce but that of refusing to see them." He mentioned another old comrade, who, with wit and the requisite qualifications, might have done any thingwith him. lie also said that a third would never have been re- moved from him, had he beert less rapacious. We disputed amongst ourselves whether these people ev- er suspected the secret, or their own chances ; and whether the elevated station, and the Imperial splendour of Napo- leon, would have allowed of their availing themselves of his lavoui-able disposition towards them. With respect to the splendour of the Imperial power, the Grand Marshal said, that however great and magnificent the Emperor had appeared to him on the throne, lie had never made on him a superior, perhaps an equal impression, to that which his situation at the head of the Army of Italy had stamped on his memory. He explained and justified tJjis idea very successfully, and the Emperor heard him with some complacency But, we observed, what great events took place afterwards', what elevation! .what grandeur! what renown throughout the world! The Emperor had lis- tened. " For all that," said he, ♦' Paris is so extensive^ and contains so many people of all sorts, and some so eccen- tric, that 1 can conceive there may he seme who never saw me, and others who never even heard my name mentioned. Do not you think so !" And it was curious to see with what whimsical ingenuity he himself maintained this assertion, which he knew to be untenable. We all insisted loudly, that, as to his name, there was not a town or village in Eu- rope, perhaps even in the world, where it had not been pro- uounced. One person in company added— " Sire, before I returned to France at the treaty of Amiens, your Majesty being then only First Consul, I determined to make a tour in Wales, as one of the most extraordinary parts of Great Britain. I climbed the wildest mountains, some of which are of prodigious height : I visited cabins that seemed tome to belong to another world. As I entered one of these se- cluded dwellings, I observed to my fellow-traveller, that in this spot, one would expect to find repose, and escape the din of revolution. The cottager, suspecting us to be French, on account of our accent, immediately enquired the news from France, and what Bonujjarie, the First Consul, was about." " Sirs," said another, " we had- the curiosity to ask the Chinese officers whether our European affairs had heefl heard of in their Empire. ' Certainly,' they replied ; ' iu a ceufused raanner, to be sure, because we are totally unin^ THK EMPEROR NAPO^EON. 38 t ierested ia those matters; but the name of your Emperor i^ famous there, and connected with graud ideas of conquest and revolution :' exactly as those who have changed the face of that part of the world have arrived incurs, such as Gen- gia Khan, Tamerlane," &.c. Political examination of conscience. — Loyally avd prosperity of the Empire. — Liberal ideas of the Emperor on the indif jtrence of parties, — Marmon t. — Jlurat. — Berthier. 27th. — This day the Emperor was walking in the garden with the Grand Marshal and me. The conversation led us to make our political self-examination. The Emperor said, he had been very warm and sincere at the commencement of ihe Revolution ; that he had cool- ed by degrees, in proportion as he acquired more just and solid ideas. His patriotism had sunk under the political ab- surdities & monstrous domestic excesses of our legislatures. Finally, his republican faith had vanished on the violation of the choice of the people, by the Directory, at the time of the battle of Aboukir. The Grand Marshal said, that for his part, be had never l>€en a republican; but a very warm constitutional, until .the 10th of August, the horrors of which day had cured him of all illusion. He had very nearly been massacred in de- fending the King at the Thuilleries. As for me, it was notorious that I had begun my career as a pure and most ardent royalist. — " Why, then, it seems, g-entiemen," said the Emperor, with vivacity, "that I am the only one amongst us who has been a republican." — " And something more, Sire," Bertrand and I both replied. — "Yes," repeated the Emperor, "republican and patri- ot."— " And I have been a patriot, €ire," replied one of us, " not'A-ithstandipgmy royalism; but what is still more extra- ordinary, I did not become so till the period of (he Imperic^ reign," — " Kow! villain! — are you compelled to own that you did not always love your country!" — "Sire, we are ma- king our political self-examination, are we not! IcoDfess my sins. When I returned to Paris, by virtue of your am- nesty, could I at first look upon myself as a Frenchman, when every law, every decree, every ordinance that cover- ed the walls, constantly added the most opprobious epithets to my unlucky denomination of Emigrant. — Nor did I think of remaining, when I urst arrived. I had been attracted by curiosity, yielding to the invincible influence of one's native land, and the desire of breathing the air of one's country. I now possessed nothing there: I had been compelled, at the frontier, to swear to the relinquislimcnt of my patrimc- 582 MY RESIDEN-CE WITH ny, to accede to the laws which decreed its loss; and I loofiv ed on myself as a mere traveller in that country once mine, I was a true foreigner, discontented, and even malevolent. The empire came; it was a great event. Now," said 1, "my jnanners, prejudices, and principles triumph; the only dif- ference is in the person of tlie sovereign. When the cam- paign of Austerlitz opened, my heart, with surprise, found itself once more French. My situation was painful ; I felt as if torn limb from limb; I was divided between blind pas- sion and national senti;neDt: the triumphs of the French ar- my and their general displeased me ; yet their defeat would iiave humbled me. At length, the prodigies of Ulm, and the splendour of Austerlitz, put an end to my embarrassment. I was vanquished by glory. I admired, I acknowledged, I loved Napoleon; and from that moment I became French to enthusiasm. Henceforth I have had no other thoughts, spoken no other language, felt no other sentiments; and here I am by your side." The Emperor then asked innumerable questions relative to the Emigrants, theirnumbers,and disposition. I related many curious facts respecting our princes, the Duke of Brunswick, and the King of Prussia. I made him laugh at the extravaganceof our presumption, our unbounded confi- dence of success, the disorder of our affairs, the incapabili- ty of our leaders. "Men," said I, really were not at that time what they have since been. Fortunately, those with whom we had to contend were, at first, only our equals in strength. Above all, we thought, and repeated to one an- other, that an immense majority of the French nation was on our side; and, for my part, I firmly believed it. I sooa had, however, an opportunity of being undeceived; when our assemblages having arrived at Verdun, and beyond it, not a single person came to join us; on the contrary, eve- ry one fled at our approach. Nevertheless 1 still believed it, evea after my return from England; so greatly did we deceive ourselves afterwards with the absurdities we rela- ted to each other. We said, the government rested in a_ handful of people; that it was maintained by force alone; that it was detested by the nation; and there must be some who have never ceased to think so. I am persuaded that arrrongst those who now talk in that manner in the Legisla- tive Body, there are some who speak as they think; so per^ fectly do I recognise the spirit, the ideas, and the expres- sions of Coblentz." — "But at what period were you unde- ceived!" said the Emperor. — " Very late. Sire. Even when I rallied, and came to your Court, I was led much more by aamiradon and sentiment, than by conviction of jout s-trength aid durability. However, wlien I came into yoi;T HhE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. S98 '^uncilof State, seeing the freedom with whicli the most decisive decrees were voted, without a single thought of the slightest resistance ; seeing around me nothing but convic» tion and entire persuasion, it then appeared to me, that your power, and the state of aflairs, gained strength with a rapid- ity I could not account for. By pondering on the cause of tliis change, I at length made a great and important discov- ery; namely, that matters had long stood thus, but that 1 had neither known, nor been willing to perceive it; I I'ad hid my head in the bush, lest the light should reach my eyes. iS'ow that I found myself forcod into the midst of its bright- cess, I was dazzled by it. From the moment, all my preju- dices fell to the ground; the film was taken off my eyes. ■*'■ Being afterwards sent by ycair majesty on a mission, and having traversed more than sixty departments, I employed the most scrupulous attention, and the most perfect sincer- ity, in ascertaining the truth of which I had so long doubled. I interrogated the prefects, the inferior authorities, I caus- ed documents and registers to be produced to me ; I ques- tioned private individuals without being known to them, I employed all possible means of trying the linalh of my con- clusions, and 1 remained fully convinced that the -govern- Kient was completely national, and founded in the will of the people; that France had, at no period of her history, been more powerful, more flourishing, bettei- governed, or more happy ; the roads had never been better maintainedi agriculture had increased by a tenth, a ninth, perhaps an eighth in its productions.* A restlessness, a general ar- dour animated all minds to exertion, and inspired them to aim at a daily personal improvement. Indigo was gained ; "sugar would inevitable be so. Never, at any period, had internal commerce and industry of every species, been car- ried to such a pitch; instead of four millions of livres in cot- ton, which were used at the Revolution, more than thirty millions were now manufactured, although we could obtain none by sea, and received it over land from the distance of Cons'tantinople. Rouen was become quite a prodigy in production. The taxes were every where paid; the Con- scription was nationalized; France, instead of beirg ex- hausted, contained a more numerous population than be- fore, and was daily increasing. " When I again TEppearcd amongst my former acquain- tance with these data, there was ^n absolute insurrection against me. They laughed in my face, and almost hooted • It is » sinsutar fact, that the person from whom I had this information ^ Ticiilture, in Laneeisloc w« Oie Me»«i0Bl M. *e VJ'ele, wbolMsmeeb bS4 MY RESIDENCE WITH Bae. Yet there were some sensible people amongst tlietaj and I now possessed strong grounds of argument; I stagger- ed many, and convinced a i'ew. thus, I too have had my vic- tories." The Emperor said, it must be agreed that our being as- sembled at Saint-Helena from political causes was cer- tainly a most extraordinary circumstance : tliat Ave had «orae to a common centre by roads originally in very dif- ferent directions. However, we had travelled through them with sincerity. Nothing more clearly proved the sort of chance, the UQcertainty, and the fatality which usually, in the labyrinth of revolutions, direct upright and honest hearts. Nor can any thing more clearly prove, continued he. how necessa"y indulgence and intelligent views are to re- compose society after long disorders. It was these dispo- sitions, and these principles which had made him, he said, the most fit man for the circumstances of the month of Brumaire ; and it was those which still rendered him without doubt the fittest in the actual state of France. On this point, he had neither mistrust, nor prejudice, nor pas- sion; he had constantly etnployed men of all classes, of all parties, without ever looking back, without inquiring what ihey had done, what they had said, what they had thought,, only requiring, he said, that they should pursue in future and with sincerity the common object: the welfare and the ^loryof all; that they should show themselves true and good Frenchmen. Above all, he had never made overtures to leaders in order to gain over parties ; but on the contrary, he had attacked the mass of the parties, that he might be in a situation to despise their leaders. Such had ever been the, Hniform system of his internal policy; and in spite of the last events, he was farfrom repenting it ; if he Lad to begin again he should pursue the same course. " It is totally without reason," he said, " that I have been reproached with employing nobles and emigrants — a perfectly trite and ▼ulgar imputation ! The'fact is that under me there only ex* isted individual opinions and sen'iments. It is not the no- bles and the emigrants who have brought about the restora- tion, but rather the restoration that has again raised the no- bles and the emigrants. They have not contributed mor* particularly to our ruin than others: those really in fault are the intjiguers of all parties and all opinions. Fouche was not a noble ; Talleyrand was not an emigrant; Auge- reau and Marmont were neither. To conclude, do you de- sire a final proof of the injustice of blaming whole classes, when a revolution like ours has operated in the midst of themi Reckon yourselves here: among four, you find two THE EMi'KHOR NAPOLK®N. 385 Bobies, one of whom was even an emigrant. The excellent M.de Segur, in spite of his age, at my departure, offered to follow me. I could multiply examples without end. — It is with as little reason," he continued, "that I have been blamed for having neglected certain persons of influence; 1 was too pow- erful not to despise with impunity the intrigues, and the knovrn immorality of the greater part of them. Neither had that any thing to do with my downfall; but only unfore- seen and unheard-of catastrophes; compulsory circumstan- ces; 600,000 men at the gates of the capital; a revolution still recent; a crisis too powerful for French heads; and above all, a dynasty not sufliciently ancient. I would have risen again even from the foot of the Pyrenees, could I but have been my own grandson. " And, moreover, what a fascination there is respecting past times! It is most certain that I was chosen by the French; their new worship was their own work. Well ! immediately upon the return of their old forms, see with vrhat facility they have recurred to idols! "And, after all, how could another line of policy have prevented that which ruined me? 1 have been betrayed by M . . . . , whom I might call my son, my offspring, my own work; he to whom i had committed my destinies, by sending him to Paris, at the very moment that he was put- ting the finishing hand to his treason and my ruin. I have been betrayed by Murat, whom I had raised from a soldier to a king; who was my sister's husbands • I have been be- trayed by Berthier, a mere goose, whom I had converted in- to a kind of eagle. I have been betrayed in the senate, by those very men of the national party who owe every thing to me. AH that, then, did not in any way depend upon my system of internal policy. Undoubtedly I should have been exposed to the charge of too readily employing old enemies, whether nobles or emigrants, if a Macdonald, a Valence,* a Montesquiou had betrayed me; but they were faithful: let them object to me the stupidity of Murat, I can oppose to it the judgment of Marmont. I have, then, no cause to re- pent of my interior system of policy," &c. Sic. Chance of danger in baiile,(S,-c. — The Bulletins very correct. 28th. — The Emperor during dinner was speaking of the probability of danger in the China vessels, of which one in thirty perished, according to the accounts he had received • One day at Longwood running over the list of 'he senators who had signed the deposition, one of us pointed out the Dume of M.de Valence, signed as secretary. But another explaitied that this signature was false, that M dt Vaienc had com* l»lainedof it, and protested against it: "If is very true," said the £japeror, "I l(nowit;he has behaved well; Valence was true to tb«NaiioD>" 38G MY RESIDENCE WITH from some captains. This led him to the chances of dan- ger in battle, which he said were less than that. Wagram was pointed out to hira as adestructive battle; he did not es- timate the killed at more than 3,000, which was only a fif- tieth: we were there 160,000. At Essling they were about 4,000, we were 40,000: this was a tenth; but it was one of the most severe battles. The others were incomparably below. This brought on a conversation on the bulletins. The Emperor declared them to be very correct; assured us, that, excepting what the proximity of the enemy compelled him to disguise, that when they came into their hands they might not derive any information prejudicial to him from them, all theremainder was very exact. At Vienna and throughout Germany they did them more justice than among us. If they had acquired an ill reputation in our armies — if it was a common saying, as false as a bulletin, it was personal ri- valships, party spirit, that had established it; it was the wounded self-love of those whom it had been forge. Ucn to mention in them, and who had, or fancied they had, a right to a place there; and still more tlian all, our ridiculous na- tional defect of having no greater enemies to our successes and ourglory, than we ourselves were. The Emperor after dinner played some games at chess. The day had been very rainy; he was unwell, and retired early. Unbealthiness of the Island. 29th. — The weather was still bad; it was impossible to set root out of doors. The rain and the damp invaded our paste- board apartments. Every one of us suhered in his health in consequence. The temperature here is certainly mild, but the climate is among the most unwholesome. It is a thing ascertained in the island, that {ew there attain the age of fifty; hardly any that of sixty. Add to this, exclusion from the rest of the world, physical privations, bad moral treat- ment, it will result, that prisons in Europe are far preferable to liberty in Saint-Helena. About four o'clock several Captains from China were brought to ir.e, who were to be presented to the En;peror. They had an opportunity of seeing the smallness, the damp- ness, and bad state of my habitation. They inquired how the Emperor found himself in point of health. It declined visibly,! told them. Never do we hear a complaint from him : his great soul suffered nothing to overcome it, and even contributed to deceive him with respect to his own state; Intwe cculd see him decay very perccjitibly. 1 led THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. 387 •(.hem shcfrtly after to the Emperor, who was walking in the garden. He seemed to me at that moment more disordered than usual. Ho dismissed them in half an hour. He went in again, and took a bath. Befors and after dinner he s&eraed in low spirits and in p;iiu. He began to read to us Lcs Femmes SavaiUes; but at the second act, he handed the book to the Grand Marshal, and dozed upon the sofa daring the reading of the re- Biuinder. Jlcjiiarks of the Emperor on his expedition in the East. 30th — 31st. — This day the weather has continued very bad ; we alUuffared from it ; besides, we are absolutely in- fested with rats, fleas, and bugs: our sleep is disturbed by them, so that the troubles by night are in perfect harmony tvith those by day. The weather changed entirely to fair on the 31st ; we went out in the carriage. The Emperor, in the course of conversation, observed, speaking of Egypt and Syria, that if he had taken Saint Jean-d'Acre, as ought to have been the case, he would have wrought a revolution in the East. '• The most trivial circumstances," said he, "lead to the greatest events. The weakness of the captain of a frigate, who stood out to sea instead of forcing a passage into the harbour, some trifling impediments with respect to some shallops or light vessels, prevented the face of the world from being changed. Possessed of Saint Jean-d'Acre, the French army would fly to Damascus and Aleppo ; in a twinkling it would have been on the Euphrates ; the Chris- tians of Syria, the Druses, the Christians of Armenia, would have joined it ; nations were on the point of being shaken." One of us having said tliat they would have presently been reinforced with 400,000 rnen. " Say 600,000," replied the Emperor ; " who can calculate what it might have been ] I should have reached Constantinople and the Indies ; I *9ho:ild have changed the face of the world.." .^88; MY RESIDENCE WlTil SUMMARY OF THE LAST NINE MONTHS, Nine months have already elapsed from the commence'* meut of my Journal ; and 1 fear, that amid the heterogene- ous matters that succeed without order in it, 1 may have often lost sight of my principal, my only object — that which concerns Napoleon, and may serve to characterize liira. It is to make up for this, whei-e necessary, that 1 here attempt a summary in a few words; a summary wliich I propose more-, over, on the same account, to repeat, in future, at interval* of three months. On quitting France, we remained for a month at the dis-« posal of the brutal and ferocious English Ministry; then oup passage to Saint-Helena occupied three months. On our landing we occupied Briars nearly tv.'o months. Lastly, we have been three mouths at Longwood. Now, these nine months would have formed four very distinct epochs, with one who bad taken the pains to observe Napoleon, All the time of our stay at Plymouth, Napoleon remained thoughtful, and merely passive, exerting no power but pa- tience. His misfortunes were so great, and so incapable of remedy, that he suffered events to take their course with a stoical indifference. During the whole of our passage, he constantly possessed a perfect equanimity, and, above all, the most complete in- difference ; he expressed no wish, showed no disappoint- ment. It is true, the greatest respect was paid him ; he received it without perceiving it ; bespoke little, and the subject was always foreign to himself. Any one v/ho, com- ing suddenly on board, had witnessed his conversation, would undoubtedly have been far from guessing with whom they were in company: it was not the Emperor. I cannot better picture him in this circumstance, than by compar- ing him to those passengers ofhigh distinction, who are con- veyed with great respect to their destination. Our abode at Briars presented another shade of differ- ence. Napoleon, left almost entirely to hiniself, receiving- nobody, constantly employed, seeming to forget events and men, enjoyed, apparently, the calm and the peace of a pro- found solitude ; either from abstraction or contempt, not condescending to notice the inconveniencies or privations •with which he was surrounded; if he now and then dropped an expression relative to them, it was only when roused by the importunity of some Englishman, or excited by the re-^ cital of the outrages his attendants suffered. His whole day was occupied in dictation ; the rest of the time dedica- ted to the reiaxatioa of familic^v conversaiion^ He never THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. SSS* HJ^ntioncd t'ae affairs of Europe; spoke rarely of the Em- pire, very little of the Consulate ; but much of his sitiiatiqni as Gener^il in Italy; still more, and almost constantly, of the minutest details' of his childhood and his early youth. The latter subjects, especially, seemed at this time to have a pe- culiar charm with him. One would have said that they af- forded him a perfect oblivion; they excited Lira even to gaiety. It was almost exclusively with these objects that he employed the many hours of his nightly walks by moon- light. Finally, our establishment at Loagwood was a fourth and last change. All our situations hitherto h&d bee^n but short and transitory. This was fixed, and threatened to be last- ing. There, in reality, were to commence our exile and oar new destinies. History will take them up there ; there the eyes of the world were to be directed to consider us. The Emperor, seeming to make this calculation, regulates all about him, and takes the attitude of dignity oppressed by power; he traces around him a moral boundary, behind which he defends himself inch by inch against indignity and insult; he no longer compromises any thing with his perse- cutors; he shows himself sensibly jealous in respect to forms, hostile to ail encroachment. The English never doubted that habit would, in the end, produce formality. The Em- peror brings them to it from the first day, and tjie most pro-'' found respect is manifested. It was no small surprise to us, nor a slight satisfaction, to have to observe among ourselves, that, without knowing irow or why, it was nevertheless perceptible that the Empe- ror novv stood higher in the opinion and the respect of the English, than he liad hitherto done ; we could even per- ceive that this sentiment was every day increasing. With us the Emperor entered fully into an examination of the af- fairs of Europe. He analyzed the projects and the conduct of the Sovereigns ; he compared them with his own ; weigh- ed, separated, spoke of his reign, of his deeds; in a word, we once more found the Emperor, and a// Napoleon. Not that he had ever ceased tor he so for an instant, as regarded our devotion and our attentions ; nor that we, on our side, had any thing to endure. Never did we experience a more even temper, a more con- stant kindness, a more unaltered affection. It was, in fact, among us, and in the most familiar manner, that he con- certed his attacks upon the common enemy; and tliose which appear the most vigorous, and seemed to be dictated by an- ger, so far from it, were almost always acccmpanied with some laughter or pleasantry. 33* 390 MY RESIDENCE WITH The Emperor's health, during the sir months preceding' our establishment at Lon^wood, did not seem to undergo any change ; notwithstanding his regimen was so completelr altered. His hours, his food, were no longer the same i his habits were completely deranged. Though accustomed to so much exercise, he had been confined all this time to a room. Bathing had become a part of his existence, and he was constantly deprived of it, &c. It was not till after his arrival at Longwood, and when he was again supplied with some of these thing?, when he rode on horseback, and re- turned to the use of the bath, that we began to perceive a sensible alteration. It is a singular circumstance, that so long as he was ill situated, he suffered nothing ; it was not till he was better, that he was seen to be in pain. May it not be that, in mor- al as in physical order, there i^ often a longinteryp.l behrc.cn r^auses and their effect?- REFERENCE TO THE NAMES OP DISTINGUISHED INDIVIDUALS, MEJ^TIOJ^ED JJV THE FIRST FOLUME. Alexander, Emperor of Ros- Comeille 331. sia, 171, 355. Corvisart 81, 350, 372. Aubry, 86. Benjamin Constant 368. Augereau 156,177,297,384. Madame du Colombier 69. Becker 14. Danton 182. Bertbier 111, 177, 385. Decres 88. Bessiers 277, 279. Desaix 123, 206. Madame Beauharnais 87,294. Druot 358, 377. Beaulieu297. DumesnilllS. Bonaparte, father of Napo- Dugomier 81. ieon, 58. Madame Bona- Dupas 80. parte, mother, 60, 63, 264. Duroc 84, 277. Liicien Bonaparte, uncle, 59. Eugene 294. M. de Blacas 230. Empresses Josephine and Maria-Louisa 165. CafFarelli 112, 118, Carnot 184. Fouche 7, 384. Cartaux 76, 78, Francis, Emperor of Austria Cambaceres 181. 169, 355. Castlereagh 173. Foy 206. Caulaincoiirt 7. Ferdinand 319. Charles XII 272. Archduke Charles 342. Grouchi 205. Corbineau 276. Giistavus HI 272. C la 1 13 el 206. REFERENCE &c. Guilbert 276. Gasparin77, 78. Madame de Guiche 144. Henry IV 233. Hyder Aly 268. Junot 84. Josephine 87, 294. Kleber 119, 122,206. Lanusse 121. Louis XVIII 210, 378. Lamarque206. Lavalette 229. Lannes206, 277. Lallemand 31. Laharpe 297. Lebrua 331. Lafond 298. Massena 156, 297, 378. Moreau 206. Marmont 177, 304,385. Mm-at205,290, 317,385. Madame du Montequioa 167, 372. MenoH 121,288, 290, 298. Maria Louisa 16r,, 169, 172, '355, 357,372. Macdonaid 385. Ney 205, 211 , 212, 353, 37C, M.. Necker2G9. Dr. O'Meara 232, 264,347. Paoli 74. Pichegru 64, 66. 205. Patrault 65. Phelippeaux 117. Abbede Pradt221. Queen of Prussia 227, The Pope 207. St. Pierre 273. King of Prussia 355. Princess Pauline 358. Pitt 337. Piontkowski 328. Rousseau 208. Madame Recamier 333. Racine 371. Robespierre 83, 181. Robespierre, the younger 85, 182. Savary 31. Sir Sidney Smith 109. Soult 378. M. de Segur 385. Sieyes 143. Madame de Stael 269. Surrurier297. Turenne212,280. Tippoo Saib268. Talleyrand 71, 172, 176, 384. Talma 332. M. de Valence 385. M. de Villele 383. General Washington 200. Wurmser 202. Colonel Wilks 218, ^67. Lord Whitworth 232. Prince of Wales 20, 366, Sir Robert Wilson 104, IOC, CONTENTS- OF THE FIRST VOLUME, lA^TRODUCTION & Keturn of the Emperor to the Elysee after the battle cf Waterloo - - 9 The abdicaticu 10 Deputation of the Chamber of Peers — Caulincourt — Fouche 11 The Provisional Government presented to the Emperor ib The Emperor quits the Elysee .... jg The Minister of Marine comes to Malmaison - ib Napoleon quits Malmaison, and departs for Rochfort 13 Embarkation cf the Emperor ----- 17 Embarkation of Napoleon onboard the Bellerophon 21 Summary dictated by Napoleon himself - - - 24 Ministerial Decision -"—---- 30 Communication made by Lord Keith, in the came of the English Ministers ----- ib .Remarkable words of the Emperor - - - 33^ Departure from Plymouth — Continuance in the Chan- nel — Protest 35 Anchored off Start Point— Persons allowed to accom- pany the Emperor -----. 37 Order from Lord Keith to Captain Maitland of the Bellerophon - y, Instructions of Ministers to Admiral Cockburn - 23 Conversation with Lord Keith — Examination &f the Emperor's effects — He quits the Bellerophon — Sepa- ration— We sail for Saint-Helena - - . 3^ Description of the Emperor's cabin onboard the Nor- thumberland - - - - . " 43. We lose sight of land — Keflections — Argument against the English Ministers - - - _ . 43 The Emperor's mode of living on board the Northum- berland - - - - - - _ -51 Singular good fortune of the Emperor - - - 52 Continuation of the Voyage — Occupation — The Empe- ror's origin and family — Anecdotes - - - 53 Madeira, &c. Violent Gale — Chess - - g2f The Canaries — Passing the Tropic — Details ofthe Em- peror's childhood— Napoleon at Erie»ae-~PichegrQ 74 '?92 CONTENTS. — Napoleon at the Military School in Paris — In the Artillery — His cojnpanions — Napoleon at the com- mencement of the llevohitioa - - - -62, Cape Verd Islands — Napoleon at the Siege of Toulon — Eise ofDurocand Junot — Napoleon quarrels with the Representatives of the People — Quarrels with Aubry — Anecdotes relative to Vcademiaire — Napo- leon General of the Army of Italy — Integrity cf his military administration — His disinterestedness — Nicknamed Petit-Corporal — DifFercnce between the System of the Directory, and that of the General of the Army of Italy - - - - The Emperor determines to write his -Memoirs - - 92 Trade-Winds — The Line 93 A storm— E:ca:Tiiaation of certain Libels upon the Em- peror— General Reflections - - - 94 Employment of our time .... lOO Accidental Phenomenon — Passage of the Line — Chris- tening -' - - - - - 102 Examination of the Antigallican — Sir Robert Wilson's Writings — Plague at Jafra-~Anecdotcs of the French Army in Egypt — Feelings of the Army in tlie Egyp- tian Campaign — Earthier — Jests of the Soldiery—^ Dromedaries — Death of Kleber — The young Arab— Singularcoincidences respecting Philipeaux and Na- poleon— Circumstauces on which Fate depends — Caffarelli's attachment to Napoleon — Reputation of the French army in the East, — Napaleon quitting Egypt to assume the government of France — The Engiisn E'ipeditiooKleoer and Dessaix. - - 103 The Emperor's method of Dictating! ... 123 A singular Accident ... . . 125 Complaints ofthe Crew against the Admiral — Exarnina- tioQ of another Work — Refutations^— Reflections - ih Arrival at Saint-Helena - - - 128 RESIDENCE AT BRIARS. Landingof the Emperor at Saint-Helena - - 130 The Emperor fixes his abode at Briars — Description of the Place — Miserable situation - - - ib Description of Briars — The Garden— The Emperor meets the Young Ladies of the house - - 132 The Youth of sprance— The Emperor visits Mr. Bal combe's hous6^ - - - . - 133 Horror and misery of our Situation -The E'aperor's indignation— Note to the English Government - 135 Mode of living at Briars -Cabinet whiqh the Emperor had with hit» at A^^sterlitz— The Euiperor's large CONTENTS. 305 Cabiaet— lis contents— Articles of Virti\— Libels ajaiast Napoleon, &c. - - - - 138 The Emperor commences the Campaign of Egypt with the Gnmd Marshal— Anecdotes of Brumaiie, &c — Letter of the Count de Lille— The beautiful Duch- ess de Guiche - - - - - I-IS- Occupations of the day— Council of State— Disgrace of Portalis— Dissolution ofthe Legislative Body in 1813 -The Senate • U^ The Generals of the Army of Italy — Ancient Armies — Gengiskan — Modern Invasions^— Character of Con- querors - - - - - - 158 Ideas—Plans — Political Suggestions - - 159 Midnight Conversations by Moonlight — The two Em- presses—Maria Louisa's Marriage — Her Household. The Duchess de Montebello— Madame de Montes- quiou— The Institute of Meudon— Sentiments ofthe House of Austria with regard to Napoleon- Anec- dotes collected in Germany since my return to Eu- rope 162 The Fauxbourg St. Germain, &c.— The Emperor's freedom from prejudice and JU-will — Characteristic language -._----- 178 Oa the Officers ofthe Emperor's Household in 1814 — Plansof Address to the King " * " 7 ^~^ The Emperor's idea of reserving Corsica. His opinion of Robespierre. His ideas respecting Public Opinion. Expis-tory intention ofthe Emperor with regard to the Victims of the Revolution . - - 181 •Cascade at Briars ... - - 184 First and only Excursion during our abode at Briars. The Admiral's Ball - - - - - 185 My conduct while the Emperor was at Elba - - 186 The Emperor's temperament. Riding. Notions of Medicine . -. - - - - - 192 Our mode of living at Briars. My first Visit to Long- wood. Infernal Machine : itshistory ... 194. Conspiracy of Georges, Pichcgru, &:c. The Duke d'Ec- ghien. The Slave Toby. Characteristic Reflec- tions of Napoleon .... 1S8 Oriijia of Guides. Another danger incurred by Napo- • leon. The German officer ... - 202 War. Principles. Apolication. Opinions on several Generals - ' - - - - - 204 Situation of the Spanish Piinces at Valencey. The Pope at FontainLleau. Reflections, &c. - - 207 On the Nouvelle Helo:se,and on Love - - 208 The English Lieutenant. A singular circumstance. Departure for Longwood determined on. State of France. Menicriai io iustiScation ofNey - - '^OO 394 CONTENTS. ESTABLISHMENT AT LONGWOOB. Removal to Longwood. Description of the Road. Ta- king-possession. The Emperor's first Bath, &c. 214- Descripti n of Longwood. Details - - - 21S Arrang-cmeat of the Emperor's establishment. Feel- ings of the Captives with respect to each other. Traits of the Emperor's character. Portrait of Na- poleon, by M. Ds Pradt, translated from an Eoglish Newspaper. Its refiitation .... 219 My situation raatsrially improved. My bed-chamber changed, &c. . _ _ . . 224 Habits and hours of the Em.peror. His style to the two Empresses. Details. The Emperor's maxims on the suoject of the Police. Secret Police for the exam- ination of Letters. Curious particulars. The Em- peror favourable to a fixed and moderate system of Government - - . . . 225 The Emperor's first ride on horseback. Severity oftlie Ministerial Instructions. Our vexations and com- plaints. The Emperor's remarks. Rude replies 231 The Etnperor's disdain of popularity, iiis reasons, argu- ments, &c. Conversation respecting my Wife. On General Gourgaud's- Mother and Sister - - 233 The Emperor frequently wounded in his Campaigns. The Cossacks. " Jerusalem Delivered'* - - 236 My conversation with an Englishman - - 237, On the French Emigrants — Kindness shewn them by the English — Picsourcos of the Emigrants - 239 Difficult Excarsion — Ride to the Valley — The Marsh — Characteristic Traits — Englishmen undeceived — Poison of iViithridates 245 The Emperor ploughing — The Widow's mite — Inter- view with the Admiral — New arrangements — The Polish Captain Pionlkowski ... - 243 Lieutenant-Governor Skelton . - - - 248 New-year's day— Fowling-pieces, &c.— Colonel Wiiks's family - ... ... 249 Life at Longwood— The Emperor's ride on horse- back— Our Nymph — Nicknames — On Islands and the defence of them — Great fortresses ; Gibral- tar— Cultivation and Laws of the Island — En- thusiasn^&c. - 25 1 Vexatious ti^atment of the Emperor — Fresh misnndcr' standings with the Admiral - . - - 2S5 Marchand's room — Linen, Garments, &c. of the Em- peror— Spurs of Champaubert, &c. - - 257 ,^di.iiral Tavlor, itc. - - ^ t •■ P^S, CONTENT*. o'J'J ■ 'the Emperor aimed at by a Soldier — Our eveuicg amusements — Novels — Political sally - - 260 Ontlie yecrel History of the Cabinet ol' Eouaparte, by Goldsmith— Details, &c. - - - - 262 ^he Emperor resolves to learn English, &c. - 265 First English Lesson, &;c. - . - - ib Our daily habits — Conversation vrith Ccvernor Wilks — Armies — Chemistry — Politics — Pieniarks on India — ■Delphiae, by Mad. de fetael — JVccker — Calcn-ne 2Gtj My new lodging described — Morning visit, &c. 270 The Emperor's readings — Madame de Scvigne — Charles Xli — Paul and Virginia — Vertot — Kollin — Velly— Garnier 272 A diiiiciilty overcome — The Emperor's personal dan- ger at Eylau, Jena, &c. — Russian, Austrian, and Prussian Troops — Yoang Guibert — Marshai Lannes. Besieres. 'Duroc ._-.-- 275 Study of English, Reflections. Pud e. Mired Horse 280 The I'hirteetxth of Veinukmiaire - - 2G5 Battle of Montenotte . _ - - 295 Fragments of Chapter III.-i-TopograpLy of Italy SCO The Emperor spealis in praise of Saiut-Helena. Scanty resources of ti;e Island - - - - 312 My Son's indisposition. The EniperoT gives me a horse. 314 The Emperor's progress in learning English - 315 The Emperor learns the death of M^urat - - 316 Porlier. Ferdinand. Tables of my Atlas - 318 On Egypt. Plan for altering the course of the Nile 320 Uniformity. Ennui. Tlie Emperor's Solitude. Cari- catures - - . _ . . - 321 Bad temperature of Saint-Helena. Observations on the spirit of this Journal ... - . 323 The Emperor's views of French politics - - 324 Picture of domestic Lappine^s dra;vn by the Emperor. Two young ladies of the Island ... 32j The Emperor's Avorks in the Island of Elba. Predilec- tion of the Algerincs for the Emperor - - 3^7 Piontkowski. Caricature . _ . . ib The Empe-ror's return from Elba ^ - . 328 Campaigns of Italy and Egypt. The Emperor's Opin- ion on the great French Poets. Tragedies by late Writers. Hector* Les Etats de Biois. 1 alma. 329 Contractors, &c. during the Picvoluticn. The Empe- ror's credit on his return from Elba. His reputation in the Public Offices as a rigid investigator. ?,iinis- ters of Finance and the Treasury. Cadastre - 33? -The Invasion of England . . - - . 336 TJhe China fleet * -i. ^ . ». - r^f? 395 CONTENTS. '^ Etiquette of the Emperor's Court. Circumstance thai took place at Tarare. Officers of State. Cham- berlains. Unequalled splendour of the Court of the Tuileries. Admirable regulation of the Palace. The Emperor's Levees. Dining in state. The Court and the City . . - . - 340 Set of Chessmen from China. Presentation of the Cap- tains of the China Fleet - - - - 3-17 A Trick . . . • - . . - 548 An opportunity for the Emperor to make use of his Eng- lish. On Medicine. Corvisart. Definition. On the Plague. Medical practice in Babylon - 349 Trial of Ney. The Emperor's carriage taken at Wa- terloo. Tbe interview at Dresden. On the caprice of Women. The Princess Pauline. Eloquent effusion of the Emperor - - - • - 339 Insult to the Emporof and the Prince of Wales. Execu- tion of Ney. Escape of Lavalette - - 366 Ptiessage for tiio Prince Regent . _ . 368 Spirit of the inhabitants of the Isle of France - ib TJic Emperor's intentions with respect to ilome. Hor- rible Food. Britanmcus . - . - 370 20Lh of March. Accouchement of the Empress 371 The Conspiracy of Cataiine. The Gracchi. Historians. Sleep during a Battle. Caesar and his Commentaries. On different Military systems , . . 373 Days at Longwood. Trial of Drouot. Military Char- acters. Sonlt. Massena. The Emperor's Comerades in the Artillery. His name thought by him to be un- known to some people even in Paris . . 376 Political examination of conscience. Loyalty and pros- perity of the Empire. Liberal ideas of the Emperor On the indifference of parties. Murat. Berthier 38J Chance of danger in battle, &c. The Bulletins very correct ... . . . 385 tJnhealthiness of the Island . . . 386 Remarks of the Emperor 6n his Expedition in tbe East 38t 'Nummary of the last nine Months •• . . 38^ ENt) OF THE FIRST VOLUME, p ^^ 0 .A^^V'-^»-, /. i.^'i a. : ;"12" ^.,^;^^r^^:£^. x. -^.■0C.^^- --_ •^5' P-e/ I,- t^^ I .1 7//00« :->S'' :■ ^rn^^w ^ 'k^JSL