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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d1a0701 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #53969 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53969) diff --git a/old/53969-0.txt b/old/53969-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 10f243e..0000000 --- a/old/53969-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14660 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoirs of the life, exile, and -conversations of the Emperor Napoleon, by Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné Las Cases - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Memoirs of the life, exile, and conversations of the Emperor Napoleon. (Vol. III) - -Author: Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné Las Cases - -Release Date: January 17, 2017 [EBook #53969] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS VOLUME 3 OF 4 *** - - - - -Produced by KD Weeks, Josep Cols Canals and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - Transcriber’s Note: - -This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. -Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Abbreviations -using superscripted letters are indicated using ‘^’ as Mess^{rs}. - -Footnotes have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are -referenced. - -Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please -see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding -the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. - -This is the third of four volumes, which can be found at Project -Gutenberg here: - - Volume I http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53967 - Volume II http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53968 - Volume III http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53969 - Volume IV http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53970 - -[Illustration: - - SIR HUDSON LOWE. - - _Published for Henry Colburn, March 1836._ -] - - - - - MEMOIRS - OF - THE LIFE, EXILE, - AND - CONVERSATIONS, - OF THE - EMPEROR NAPOLEON. - - BY - THE COUNT DE LAS CASES. - - - A NEW EDITION. - - - WITH PORTRAITS - AND NUMEROUS OTHER EMBELLISHMENTS. - - VOL. III. - - - LONDON: - PUBLISHED FOR HENRY COLBURN, - BY RICHARD BENTLEY; BELL AND BRADFUTE, EDINBURGH; J. CUMMING, DUBLIN; - AND ALL BOOKSELLERS. - - ------- - - DCCCXXXVI. - - - - - ANDOVER: STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY B. BENSLEY. - - - - - MEMOIRS - - OF - - THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. - - ------- - - THE BILL RESPECTING OUR EXILE.—BEAUMARCHAIS.—THE - WORKS OF CHERBOURG. - -July 15, 1816. About ten o’clock, the Emperor entered my apartment: he -came unawares, as he wished to take a walk. I followed him, and he -walked for some time towards the wood, where we were taken up by the -calash. A considerable interval had elapsed since he made use of it. I -was the only person with him, and the Bill, which related to him, and -with the nature of which we were unacquainted, was, during the whole -time, the subject of our conversation. - -Upon our return, the Emperor, after some hesitation whether he should -breakfast under the trees, determined to go in, and remained at home the -whole of the day. He dined alone. - -He sent for me after dinner; I found him engaged in reading some -_Mercures_ or old newspapers. He found in them various anecdotes and -circumstances respecting Beaumarchais, whom the Emperor, during his -Consulate, had, notwithstanding all his wit, uniformly discountenanced, -on account of his bad character and his gross immorality. The difference -of manners imparted a poignancy to the anecdotes, although the -difference of times was so trifling. He found an account of Louis the -Sixteenth’s visit to Cherbourg, on which he dwelt for some time. He next -adverted to the works of Cherbourg, and took a rapid review of them, -with the clearness, precision, and lively manner that characterized -every thing he said. - -Cherbourg is situated at the bottom of a semicircular bay, the two -extremities of which are the Pelée Island on the right, and Point -Querqueville on the left. The line, by which these two points are -connected, forms the chord or the diameter, and runs East and West. - -Opposite to the North, and at a very small distance, about 20 leagues, -is the famous Portsmouth, the grand arsenal of the English. The -remainder of their coast runs nearly parallel opposite to ours. Nature -has done every thing for our rivals; nothing for us. Their shores are -safe and clear themselves daily from obstructions. They abound in deep -soundings, in the means of shelter, in harbours and excellent ports; -ours are, on the contrary, full of rocks, the water is shallow, and they -are every day choking up. We have not in these parts a single real port -of large dimensions, and it might be said that the English are, at the -same moment, both at home and on our coast, since it is not requisite -for their squadrons, at anchor in Portsmouth, to put to sea to molest -us. A few light vessels are sufficient to convey intelligence of our -movements, and, in an instant, without trouble or danger, they are ready -to pounce upon their prey. - -If, on the contrary, our squadrons are daring enough to appear in the -British Channel, which ought, in reality, to be called the French Sea, -they are exposed to perpetual danger; their total destruction may be -effected by the hurricane or the superiority of the enemy, because in -both these cases there is no shelter for them. This is what happened at -the famous battle of La Hogue, where Tourville might have united the -glory of a skilful retreat with that of a hard fought and unequal -contest, had there been a port for him to take shelter in. - -In this state of things, men of great sagacity and anxious for the -welfare of their country, prevailed upon government, by dint of projects -and memorials, to seek, by the assistance of art, those resources of -which we had been deprived by nature; and, after a great deal of -hesitation, the bay of Cherbourg was selected, and it was determined to -protect it by an immense dike, projecting into the sea. In that way we -were to acquire, even close to the enemy, an artificial road, whence our -ships might be able, in all times and in all weathers, to attack his, or -to escape his pursuit. - -“It was,” said the Emperor, “a magnificent and glorious undertaking, -very difficult with respect to the execution and to the finances of that -period. The dike was to be formed by immense cones constructed empty in -the port and towed afterwards to the spot, where they were sunk by the -weight of the stones with which they were filled.[1] There certainly was -great ingenuity in the invention. Louis XVI. honoured these operations -with his presence. His departure from Versailles was a great event. In -those times, a king never left his residence, his excursions did not -extend beyond the limits of a hunting party; they did not hurry about as -at present, and I really believe that I contributed not a little to the -rapidity of their movements. - -Footnote 1: - - The diameter of these cones, which were 60 feet high, was 104 feet at - the base, and 60 at the top. - -“However, as it was absolutely necessary that things should be impressed -with the character of the age, the eternal rivalry between the land and -sea, that question which can never be decided, continued to be carried -on. It might have been said in that respect, that there were two kings -in France, or that he who reigned had two interests, and ought to have -two wills, which proved rather that he had none at all. Here the sea was -the only subject for consideration, yet the question was decided in -favour of the land, not by superiority of argument, but by priority of -right. Where the fate of the empire was at stake, a point of precedence -was substituted, and thus the grand object, the magnificent enterprise, -failed of success. The land-party established itself at Pelée Island and -at fort Querqueville; it was employed there merely to lend an auxiliary -hand to the construction of the dike, which was itself the chief object; -but instead of that, it began by establishing its own predominance, and -afterwards compelled the dike to become the instrument of its -convenience, and subservient to its plans and discretion. What was the -result? The harbour, which was forming and which was intended to contain -the mass of our navy, whether designed to strike at the heart of the -enemy’s power, or to take occasional shelter, could only accommodate -fifteen sail at most, while we wanted anchorage for more than a hundred, -which might have been effected without more labour and with little more -expense, had the works been carried more forward into the sea, merely -beyond the limits which the land-party had appropriated to itself. - -“Another blunder highly characteristic, and scarcely conceivable, took -place. All the principal measures for completing the harbour were fixed -upon; the dike commenced; one of the channels, that to the eastward, -finished, and the other to the westward was on the point of being -formed, without an exact and precise knowledge of all the soundings. -This oversight was so great that the channel already formed, that to the -eastward, five hundred fathoms broad, having been carried too close to -the fort, did not, without inconvenience, admit vessels at low water, -and that the other, which was about to be constructed to the westward, -would have been impracticable, or at least very dangerous, but for the -individual zeal of one officer (M. de Chavagnac), who made that -important discovery in time, and caused the works on the left extremity -of the dike to be stopped at the distance of twelve hundred fathoms from -fort Querqueville, by which it was to be defended. This seems to me, and -is, in fact, too great a distance.[2] - -Footnote 2: - - It was not until 1789, five years after the commencement of these - works, that orders were given by government for taking the soundings - of the harbour and ascertaining the state of the bottom. Up to that - time, the works had been carried on solely on vague and imperfect - notions!! (Mémoire du Baron Cachin, Inspecteur Général des ponts et - chaussées.) - -“The system adopted in the works of the dike, which is more than a -league from the shore, and more than 1900 fathoms long by 90 feet broad, -was also subjected to numerous changes, suggested, however, by -experience. The cones, which, according to the established principle, -ought to have touched each other at their bases, were, in that respect, -either separated by accident or with a view to economy. They were -damaged by storms, eaten by worms, or rotted with age. They were at -length altogether neglected, with the exception of stones thrown at -random into the sea; and when it was observed that these were scattered -by the rolling of the waves, recourse was had to enormous blocks, which -finally answered every expectation. - -“The works were continued, without interruption, under Louis XVI. An -encreased degree of activity was imparted to them by our legislative -assemblies; but in consequence of the commotions which soon followed, -they were completely abandoned, and at the time of the Consulate, not a -trace of that famous dike was to be seen. Every thing had been destroyed -for several feet under low water level, by the original imperfection of -the plan, by the length of time, and the violence of the waves. - -“The moment, however, I took the helm of affairs, one of the first -things I did was to turn my attention to so important a point. I ordered -commissions of inquiry; I had the subject discussed in my presence; I -made myself acquainted with the local circumstances; and I decided that -the dike should be run up with all possible expedition, and that two -solid fortifications should, in the course of time, be constructed at -the two extremities; but that measures should be immediately taken for -the establishment of a considerable provisional battery. I had then to -encounter, on all sides, the inconveniencies, the objections, the -particular views, the fondness which attaches itself to individual -opinions, &c. Several maintained that the thing certainly could not be -done; I continued steady, I insisted, I commanded, and the thing was -done. In less than two years, a real island was seen rising as it were, -by magic, from the sea, on which was erected a battery of large calibre. -Until that moment, our labours had almost constantly been the sport of -the English; they had, they said, been convinced, from their origin, -that they would prove fruitless; they had foretold that the cones would -destroy themselves, that the small stones would be swept away by the -waves, and above all, they relied upon our lassitude and our -inconstancy. But here things were completely altered, and they made a -shew of molesting our operations; they were, however, too late; I was -already prepared for them. The western channel naturally continued very -wide, and the two extreme fortifications, which defended, each its -peculiar passage, being incapable of maintaining a cross-fire, it was -probable that an enterprising enemy might be enabled to force the -western channel, come to an anchor within the dike, and there renew the -disaster of Aboukir. But I had already guarded against this with my -central provisional battery. However, as I am for permanent -establishments, I ordered within the dike, in the centre, by way of -support, and which in its turn might serve as an envelope, an enormous -elliptical paté to be constructed, commanding the central battery, and -mounted itself in two casemated stories, bomb-proof, with 50 pieces of -large calibre and 20 mortars of an extensive range, as well as barracks, -powder-magazine, cistern, &c. - -“I have the satisfaction of having left this noble work in a finished -state. - -“Having provided for the defensive, my only business was to prepare -offensive measures, which consisted in the means of collecting the mass -of our fleets at Cherbourg. The harbour, however, could contain but -fifteen sail. For the purpose of increasing the number, I caused a new -port to be dug; the Romans never undertook a more important, a more -difficult task, or one which promised a more lasting duration! It was -sunk into the granite to the depth of 50 feet, and I caused the opening -of it to be celebrated by the presence of Maria Louisa, while I myself -was on the fields of battle in Saxony. By this means I procured -anchorage for 25 sail more. Still that number was not sufficient, and I -therefore relied upon very different means of augmenting my naval -strength. I was resolved to renew the wonders of Egypt at Cherbourg. I -had already erected my pyramid in the sea; I would also have my lake -Mœris. My great object was to be enabled to concentrate all our -maritime force, and in time, it would have been immense and adequate to -strike a fatal blow against the enemy. I was preparing my scene of -action in such a way, that the two nations, in their totality, might -have been enabled to grapple with each other, man to man, and the issue -could not be doubtful, for we should have been more than 40 millions of -French against 15 millions of English. I should have wound up the war, -with a battle of Actium, and afterwards what did I want of England? Her -destruction? Certainly not. I merely wanted the end of an intolerable -usurpation, the enjoyment of imprescriptible and sacred rights, the -deliverance, the liberty, of the seas, the independence, the honour, of -flags. I was speaking in the name of all and for all, and I should have -succeeded by concession or by force. I had, on my side, power, -indisputable right, the wishes of nations,” &c. - -I have reasons for believing that the Emperor, disgusted with the losses -occasioned by partial attempts at sea, and enlightened by fatal -experience, had adopted a new system of maritime warfare. - -The war between England and France had insensibly assumed the aspect of -a real struggle for life or death. The irritation of all the English -against Napoleon was raised to the highest degree. His Berlin and Milan -decrees, his continental system, and his offensive expressions, had -shocked all minds on the other side of the Channel; while the English -ministers, by their libels, fabrications, and all imaginable means, had -succeeded, by exciting every passion, in rendering the quarrel -altogether national. On this ground, it was declared in full Parliament, -that the war was _perpetual_, or at least for _life_. The Emperor -thought it his duty to shape his plans in conformity to that state of -things, and from that instant, as much from calculation as from -necessity, he gave up all kind of cruizing, distant enterprizes, and -hazardous attempts. He determined upon a strict defensive system, until -his continental affairs should be finally settled, and the accumulation -of his maritime force should allow him to strike, with certainty, at a -later period. He, therefore, retained the whole of his shipping in port, -and confined himself to the gradual augmentation of our naval resources, -without exposing them to any further risk. Every thing was calculated on -the basis of a remote result. - -Our navy had lost a great number of vessels, the greatest part of our -good seamen were prisoners in England, and all our ports were blockaded -by the English, who obstructed their communications. The Emperor ordered -canals in Britanny, by means of which, and in spite of the enemy, points -of communication for providing Brest with all kinds of supplies were -established between Bordeaux, Rochefort, Nantes, Holland, Antwerp, -Cherbourg, and that port. He was desirous of having wet docks at -Flushing or in its neighbourhood, for the purpose of containing the -Antwerp squadron, completely equipped and ready to put to sea in -four-and-twenty hours, which was necessarily confined in the Scheldt -four or five months of the year. Finally, he projected near Boulogne, or -on some spot along that coast, the construction of a dike similar to -that of Cherbourg, and between Cherbourg and Brest, a suitable harbour -at the Ile-à-Bois. All this was planned, for the purpose of securing, at -all times and without danger, a full and free communication to our large -ships between Antwerp and Brest. To obviate the want of seamen, and the -great difficulty of forming them, it was ordered that the young -conscripts should be, every day, trained in all our ports. They were, at -first, to be put on board small light vessels, and a flotilla of that -kind was even to navigate the Zuiderzee; they were afterwards to be -turned over to large ships and immediately replaced by others of the -same class. The vessels were ordered to get under sail every day, to go -through every possible manœuvre and evolution, and even to exchange -shots with the enemy, without exposing themselves to the chance of an -engagement. - -The last point was the force and number of our vessels; they were -considerable, notwithstanding all our losses, and the Emperor calculated -on being enabled to build 20 or 25 yearly. The crews would be ready as -fast as they were wanted, and thus, at the expiration of four or six -years, he could have relied upon having 200 sail of the line, and -perhaps 300, had that number been necessary, in less than 10 years. And -what was that period in comparison with the perpetual war, or the war -for life, which was declared against us? The affairs of the continent -would, in the mean time, be brought to a termination; the whole of it -would have embraced our system; the Emperor would have marched back the -greatest part of his troops to our coast, and it was in that situation -that he looked with confidence to a decisive issue of the contest. All -the respective resources of the two nations would have been called into -action, and we should then, in his opinion, subdue our enemies by moral -energy, or strangle them by our material strength. - -The Emperor entertained several projects for the improvement of the -navy, and adapted to that end part of his military tactics. He intended -to establish his offensive and defensive line from Cape Finisterre to -the mouth of the Elbe. He was to have had three squadrons with admirals -commanding in chief, as he had corps d’armée with their generals in -chief. The Admiral of the centre was to establish his head quarters at -Cherbourg; of the left, at Brest; and of the right, at Antwerp. Smaller -divisions were to be stationed at the extremities, at Rochefort, and at -Ferrol, in the Texel, and at the mouth of the Elbe, for the purpose of -turning and outflanking the enemy. All these points were to be connected -by numerous intermediate stations, and their respective commanders in -chief were to be considered as constantly present, by the assistance of -telegraphs, which, lining the coast, were to preserve an uninterrupted -communication between the parts of the grand system. - -Let us consider, however, what would have been the conduct of the -English during our preparations and the progressive increase of our -naval power. Would they have continued the blockade of our ports? We -should have had the satisfaction of witnessing the wear and tear of -their cruising squadrons; we should have compelled them to maintain 100 -or 150 vessels constantly exposed on our coasts to the violence of -tempests, to the danger of rocks, to all the hazards of disaster, while -we, on the contrary, had every chance of success, should any unforeseen -catastrophe occur from natural events, or the faults of their admirals, -which could not fail to happen in the course of time. What advantages -should we not have derived from the event? We, fresh and in excellent -condition; we, waiting only for the opportunity, always ready to set -sail and engage! Should the English be tired out? Our vessels would -immediately put to sea for the purpose of exercising and training their -crews. - -On the completion of our armaments and at the approach of the decisive -moment, were the English alarmed for the safety of their island, to -collect their strength in front of their principal arsenals, Plymouth, -Portsmouth, and the Thames, our three divisions of Brest, Cherbourg, and -Antwerp, would attack them, and our wings would turn then upon Ireland -and Scotland. Were they, relying upon their skill and bravery, resolved -to oppose us in one great body, then the struggle would be reduced to a -decisive issue, of which we should have been at liberty to choose the -_time_, the _place_, and the _opportunity_;—and this is what the Emperor -called the battle of Actium, in which, if we were defeated, we should -experience but simple losses, while, if we proved victorious, the enemy -would cease to exist. But our triumph, he maintained, was certain, for -the two nations would have to contend man to man, and we were upwards of -forty millions against fifteen. This was the favourite position on which -he uniformly dwelt. Such was one of his grand ideas, his gigantic -conceptions. - -Napoleon has been the founder of so many establishments, that his works -and monuments are injurious to each other by their number, variety, and -importance. It was my earnest wish to have given a full relation of his -works, which were executed at Cherbourg, as well as of those which he -had projected. A person precisely of the profession best qualified to -appreciate the subject, and one of its brightest ornaments, has promised -me a description of them. Should he keep his word, it shall be given -hereafter. - - LONG AUDIENCE GIVEN TO THE GOVERNOR.—REMARKABLE - CONVERSATION. - -16th.—About nine o’clock, the Emperor took an airing in the calash. -There was a vessel in sight, at which he looked through the glass. He -invited the Doctor, whom he found employed in the same way, to accompany -him. On our return, we breakfasted under the trees. He conversed at -great length with the Doctor respecting the Governor’s conduct to us, -his endless vexations, &c. - -About two o’clock, a person came to enquire if the Emperor would receive -the Governor. He gave him an audience that lasted nearly two hours, and -ran over, without falling into a passion, he said, all the objects under -discussion. He recapitulated all our grievances; enumerated all his -wrongs; addressed himself, he observed, by turns to his understanding, -his imagination, his feelings, and his heart. He put it in his power to -repair all the mischief he had done, to recommence upon a plan -altogether new, but in vain, for that man, he declared, was without -fibres; nothing was to be expected from him. - -This Governor, said the Emperor, assured him that, when the detention of -M. de Montholon’s servant took place, he did not know he was in our -service, and he added that he had not read Madame Bertrand’s sealed -letter. The Emperor observed to him that his letter to Count Bertrand -was altogether repugnant to our manners and in direct opposition to our -prejudices; that if he, the Emperor, were but a mere general and a -private individual, and had received such a letter from him, the -Governor, he would have called him out; that a man so well known and -respected in Europe, as the Grand Marshal, was not to be insulted, under -the penalty of social reprobation; that he did not take a correct view -of his situation with regard to us; that all his actions here came -within the province of history, and that even the conversation which was -passing at that moment belonged to history; that he injured every day, -by his conduct, his own government and his own nation, and that in time -he might feel the consequences of it; that his government would disclaim -his conduct in the end, and that a stain would attach itself to his -name, which would disgrace his children. “Will you allow me,” said the -Emperor, “to tell you what we think of you? We think you capable of -every thing; _yes, of every thing_; and while you retain your hatred, we -shall retain our opinion. I shall still wait for some time, because I -like to act upon certainties; and I shall then have to complain, not -that the worst proceeding of ministers was to send me to St. Helena, but -that they gave you the command of it. You are a greater calamity to us -than all the wretchedness of this horrible rock.” - -The Governor’s answer to all this was that he was about to make a report -to his government; that he learned at least something from the Emperor, -but that he received only provoking treatment from us, and that we made -matters worse. - -With respect to the Commissioners of the powers, whom the Governor -wished to present, the Emperor rejected them in their political -capacity, but assured the Governor that he would readily receive them as -private individuals; that he had no dislike to any one of them, not even -to the French Commissioner, M. de Montchenu, who might be a very worthy -man, who had been his subject ten years, and, having been an emigrant, -was probably indebted to him, the Emperor, for the happiness of -returning to France; that, besides, after all, he was a Frenchman; that -title was indelible in his eyes, and no opinion could destroy it in his -estimation, &c. - -With regard to the new buildings at Longwood which were the great object -of the Governor’s visit, the Emperor replied to his communication on -that topic that he did not wish for them; that he preferred his present -inconvenient residence to a better, situated at a great distance, and to -be obtained at the expense of a great deal of bustle and the trouble of -moving; that the buildings which he had just mentioned to him required -years to be completed, and that before that time, either we should not -be worth the cost incurred for us, or Providence would have delivered -him from us, &c. - - ON THE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN OF ITALY.—MADAME GRASSINI—MADAME - V—— AND BERTHIER. - -17th.—The Emperor sent for me about two o’clock; he dressed himself and -went out in the calash. Madame de Montholon was of the party. It was her -first appearance since her accouchement. The conversation turned -particularly on the Italian ladies, their character and beauty. - -The young General, who effected the conquest of Italy, excited in that -country, from the first moment, every feeling of enthusiasm and -ambition. This the Emperor was delighted to hear and to repeat. Above -all, there was not a beauty who did not aspire to please and touch his -heart, but in vain. “My mind,” he said, “was too strong to be caught in -the snare; I fancied that there was a precipice under the flowers. My -situation was singularly delicate; I had the command of veteran -generals; the task I had to execute was immense; all my motions were -watched by jealous eyes; my circumspection was extreme. My good fortune -consisted in my prudence; I might have forgotten myself for an hour, and -how many of my victories,” said he, “depended on no greater length of -time!” - -Several years afterwards, at the time of his coronation at Milan, his -attention was attracted by _Grassini_, the celebrated singer. -Circumstances were then more auspicious. He desired to see her, and -immediately after her introduction, she reminded him that she had made -her début precisely during the early achievements of the General of the -army of Italy. “I was then,” said she, “in the full lustre of my beauty -and my talent. My performance in the Virgins of the Sun was the topic of -universal conversation. I fascinated every eye and inflamed every heart. -The young General alone was insensible to my charms, and yet he was the -only object of my wishes! What caprice, what singularity! When I -possessed some value, when all Italy was at my feet, and I heroically -disdained its admiration for a single glance from you, I was unable to -obtain it; and now, how strange an alteration! you condescend to notice -me—now, when I am not worth the trouble and am no longer worthy of you!” - -The celebrated Madame V.... was also among the crowd of Armidas; but, -tried with losing her time, she lowered her pretensions to Berthier, -who, from the first instant, lived but for her. The Commander-in-Chief -made him a present one day of a magnificent diamond worth more than -100,000 francs. “Here,” said he, “take that; we often play high, lay it -up against a rainy day.”—Scarcely had four-and-twenty hours elapsed, -before Madame Bonaparte came to tell her husband of a diamond which was -the subject of her admiration. It was the present that was to have been -laid up against a rainy day, which had already found its way from -Berthier’s hand to Madame ——’s head. He has since, in all the -circumstances of his life, been uniformly governed by her. - -The Emperor, having gradually heaped riches and honours upon Berthier, -pressed him often to marry, but he as constantly refused, declaring, -that Madame V—— could alone make him happy. The son, however, of Madame -V—— having got acquainted with a duchess of Bavaria, who had come to -Paris, with the hope of obtaining a husband, through the Emperor’s -favour, Madame V—— , thought she was doing wonders and advancing her -son’s fortune by the marriage of her lover; and, with this impression, -she prevailed upon Berthier to espouse the Bavarian princess. But, said -the Emperor, there is no project, however excellent, which does not -become the sport of fortune; for scarcely was the marriage concluded, -when Madame V——’s husband died and left his wife at liberty. That event -proved to her and to Berthier the source of real despair; they were -inconsolable. Berthier came with tears in his eyes to communicate his -wretched fate to the Emperor, who laughed at his misfortune. To what a -miserable condition, he exclaimed, was he reduced; with a little more -constancy, Madame V—— might have been his wife! - -FAUBOURG SAINT GERMAIN.—ARISTOCRACY; DEMOCRACY.—THE EMPEROR’S INTENTION - TO MARRY A FRENCH WOMAN. - -18th.—About four o’clock, I was sent for by the Emperor, who was in a -very weak state. He had, by an absence of mind, remained three hours in -a very hot bath and scalded his right thigh with the boiling water. He -had read two volumes in the bath. He shaved, but would not dress -himself. - -At half-past seven, the Emperor ordered two covers to be laid in his -cabinet, and was very much out of temper, because his papers were thrown -into confusion by being removed for the purpose of using the table on -which they lay. They were replaced by his direction, and the covers laid -upon another small table. - -We conversed for a long time; he brought me back to topics which often -suggested themselves to him when we were together, and upon which I must -endeavour not to be guilty of repetitions, the more so, as they possess -attractions, which to me are peculiarly interesting. We talked a great -deal about our youthful years and the time we passed at the military -school. This subject led him again to notice the new schools which he -had established at St. Cyr and at St. Germain, and he finally recurred -to the emigrants and those he called _nos encroûtés_. He became gay and -lively in consequence of some anecdotes of the Faubourg St. Germain, -respecting his person, which I related, and as the slightest things grew -into importance the moment he touched upon them, he said—“I see plainly -that my plan with respect to your Faubourg St. Germain was ill-managed. -I did too much or too little. I did enough to dissatisfy the opposite -party, and not enough to attach it to me altogether. Although some of -them were fond of money, the multitude would have been content with the -rattles and sound, with which I could have crammed them, without any -injury, in the main, to our new principles. My dear Las Cases, I did too -much and not enough, and yet I was earnestly occupied with the business. -Unfortunately, I was the only one seriously engaged in the undertaking. -All who were about me thwarted, instead of promoting it, and yet there -were but two grand measures to be taken with regard to you;—that of -annihilating, or that of melting you down into the great mass of -society. The former could not enter my head, and the latter was not an -easy task, but I did not consider it beyond my strength. And, in fact, -although I had no support, and was even counteracted in my views, I -nearly realized them at length. Had I remained, the thing would have -been accomplished. This will appear astonishing to him who knows how to -appreciate the heart of man and the state of society. I do not think -that history can furnish any case of a similar kind, or that so -important a result, obtained in so short a space of time, can be found. -I should have carried that fusion into effect, and cemented that union -by every sacrifice; it would have rendered us invincible. The opposite -conduct has ruined us, and may for a long time protract the misfortunes, -perhaps the last gasps of unhappy France. I once more repeat, that I did -too much or too little. I ought to have attached the emigrants to me -upon their return; I might have easily become an object of adoration -with the aristocracy. An establishment of that nature was necessary for -me. It is the real, the only, support of monarchy—its guide—its -lever—its point of resistance. Without it, the state is but a vessel -without a rudder, a real balloon in the air. But, the essence of -aristocracy, its talismanic charm, consists in antiquity, in age; and -these were the only things I could not create. The intermediate means -were wanting. M. de Breteuil, who had insinuated himself into my favour, -encouraged me. On the contrary, M. de T——, who certainly was not a -favourite with the emigrants, discouraged me by every possible means. -Reasonable democracy contents itself with husbanding equality for all, -as a fair ground of pretension and possession. The real line of conduct -would have been to employ the remains of aristocracy, with the forms and -intention of democracy. Above all, it was necessary to collect the -ancient names, those celebrated in our history. This is the only mode of -giving an instantaneous air of antiquity to the most modern -institutions. - -“I entertained, upon that subject, ideas which were altogether peculiar -to myself. Had any difficulties been started by Austria and Russia, I -would have married a French woman. I would have selected one of the most -illustrious names of the monarchy. That was even my original thought, my -real inclination. If my ministers prevented me, it was only by their -earnest appeals to political views. Had I been surrounded by the -Montmorencies, the Nesles, and the Clissons, I should, by adopting their -daughters, have united them with foreign sovereigns. My pride and my -delight would have been to extend these noble French stocks, had they -taken part with us, or given themselves up to us altogether. They and -those belonging to me thought that I was influenced by prejudice alone, -when I was acting in conformity with the most profound combinations. Be -that as it will, your friends have lost more in me than they are aware -of!... They are destitute of soul, of the feeling of true glory. By what -unhappy propensity have they preferred wallowing in the mire of the -allies to following me to the top of mount Simplon, and commanding, from -its summit, the respect and admiration of the rest of Europe. Senseless -men!—I had, however,” he continued, “a project in my portfolio; time -alone was wanting to mature it, which would have rallied round me a -great number of that class of persons, and which, after all, would have -been but just. It was that every descendent of ancient marshals, -ministers, &c., should be considered at all times capable of getting -himself declared a duke, by presenting the requisite endowment. All the -sons of generals and governors of provinces were upon the same -principle, to be qualified to assume the title of count, and so on in -gradation. This would have advanced some, raised the hopes of others, -excited the emulation of all, and hurt the pride of none; grand, but -altogether harmless rattles, and belonging, besides, to my system and my -combinations. - -“Old and corrupt are not governed like ancient and virtuous nations. For -one individual, at present, who would sacrifice himself for the public -good, there are thousands and millions who are insensible to every thing -but their own interests, enjoyments and vanity. To pretend, therefore, -to regenerate a people in an instant or as if one were travelling post, -would be an act of madness. The genius of the workman ought to consist -in knowing how to employ the materials he has at hand, and that is one -of the causes of the resumption of all the monarchical forms, of the -re-establishment of titles, of classes, and of the insignia of orders. -The secret of the legislator should consist in knowing how to derive -advantage even from the caprice and irregularities of those whom he -pretends to rule; and, after all, these gewgaws were attended with few -inconveniences, and not destitute of benefit. At the point of -civilization to which we have now attained, they are calculated to -attract the respect of the multitude, provided always that the person -decorated with them preserves respect for himself. They may satisfy the -vanity of the weak, without scaring, in the slightest degree, strong and -powerful minds.” It was very late, and the Emperor said, at parting, -“There is another pleasant evening spent.” - - OUR HOUSE ON FIRE.—-ETIQUETTE AT LONGWOOD. - -19th.—The chimney of the saloon took fire in the night, but the flames -did not break out until day-light. Two hours sooner, and the building -would have been a heap of ashes. - -The Emperor took a walk; he was attended by several of us, and we went -round the park on foot. - -One of his shoe-buckles fell out, and we all eagerly strove to put it in -again; he, who succeeded, considered himself the most fortunate. The -Emperor, who would not have permitted this at the Tuileries, seemed here -to feel a kind of satisfaction at our conduct; he let us do as we liked, -and we were thankful to him for indulging us in an act, that did honour -to us, in our own opinion. - -This leads me to observe that I have not yet spoken of our customary -manners when about his person, and I am more peculiarly induced to -notice them because we have received several London newspapers, which -circulate a thousand idle stories on this subject, and assert that the -imperial etiquette was as strictly maintained at Longwood as at the -Tuileries. - -[Illustration: GROUND PLAN OF LONGWOOD.] - -The Emperor behaved to us in the kindest manner, and with a paternal -familiarity. We were, on our part, the most attentive and respectful of -courtiers. We uniformly endeavoured to anticipate his wishes; we -carefully watched all his wants, and he had scarcely time to make a sign -with his hand, before we were in motion. - -None of us entered his apartment without being sent for, and, if any -thing of importance was to be communicated to him, it was necessary to -apply to be admitted. If he walked separately with any of us, no other -presumed to intrude. In the beginning, we constantly remained uncovered -near his person, which appeared strange to the English, who had been -ordered to put on their hats, after the first salute. This contrast -appeared so ridiculous to the Emperor that he commanded us, once for -all, to behave like them. Nobody, except the two ladies, took a seat in -his presence, unless desired to do so. He was never spoken to till he -had spoken first, and always, and in all cases, the conversation was -under his control and guidance. Such was the etiquette at Longwood, -which was entirely, as it must be evident, that of our recollections and -feelings. - -On our return, the Emperor received and questioned, for a long time, the -master of the Newcastle. - -In consequence of the fire in the saloon, and a billiard-table being -placed in the dining-room, we dined in the topographical cabinet. After -dinner, there being no other apartment to retire to, we were obliged to -remain a long time at table. That circumstance seemed, however, to give -an additional interest to the conversation; we became more acquainted, -more united with each other; we gave a greater scope to our language, -and the evening passed off more rapidly. - -ESTABLISHMENTS FOR MENDICITY IN FRANCE.—NAPOLEON’S PROJECTS RELATIVE TO - ILLYRIA.—HOSPITALS.—THE FOUNDLING.—PRISONERS OF STATE.—IDEAS OF THE - EMPEROR. - -20th.—The Emperor sent for me in the morning; I found him reading an -English work on the poor’s rate, the immense sums raised, and the vast -number of individuals maintained at the expense of their parishes; the -account embraced millions of men and hundreds of millions of money. - -The Emperor was apprehensive that he had not read the work correctly, or -that he had mistaken the meaning. The thing, he said, seemed altogether -impossible. He could not conceive by what vices and defects so many poor -could be found in a country so opulent, so industrious, and so abundant -in resources for labour as England. He was still less capable of -comprehending, by what prodigy the proprietors, overloaded with an -oppressive ordinary and extraordinary taxation, were also enabled to -provide for the wants of such a multitude. “But we have nothing,” he -observed, “in France to be compared to it in the proportion of a -hundredth or a thousandth part. Have you not told me that I sent you -into the departments on a particular mission with regard to mendicity? -Let us see, what is the number of our beggars? What did they cost? How -many poor-houses did I establish? What was the number they held? What -effect had they in removing mendicity?” - -To this crowd of questions I was compelled to answer that a considerable -period of time had since elapsed, that my mind had been occupied with -several other objects, and that it was impossible for me to enter into -correct statements from mere recollection; but that I had the official -report itself among the few papers I had preserved, and that, the first -time he might be pleased to send for me, I should be enabled to satisfy -him. “But,” said he, “go instantly and look for it, things are not -profitable unless seasonably applied, and I shall soon run it over _with -my thumb_, as Abbé de Pradt ingeniously said; although, to tell the -truth, I don’t much like to think of such subjects; they remind me of -mustard after dinner.” - -In two minutes the report was in his hand. “Well!” said the Emperor to -me, also, in a very few minutes, for it might be really said that he had -not turned over the leaves; “well, this, in fact, is not at all like -England. Our organization, however, had failed; I suspected as much, and -it was on that account I entrusted you with the mission. Your report -would have been in perfect conformity with my views. You took up the -consideration frankly and like an honest man, without fear of exciting -the displeasure of the minister, by depriving him of a great many -appointments. - -“I am pleased with a great number of your details. Why did you not come -and converse with me about them yourself? You would have satisfied me, -and I should have known how to value your services.”—“Sire, as things -were then situated, it would have been impossible for me to do so; we -were then involved in the confusion and embarrassment caused by our -misfortunes.”—“Your observation is perfectly correct; you establish an -unquestionable position. The fact is that, in the flourishing state to -which I had raised the empire, no hands could any where be found -destitute of employment. It was idleness and vice alone that could -produce mendicants. - -“You think that their complete annihilation was possible; and, for my -part, I am of the same opinion. - -“Your levy _en masse_, to build a vast and single prison in each -department, was equally adapted to the tranquility of society and to the -well-being of those confined in it;—your idea of making them monuments -for ages would have attracted my attention. That gigantic undertaking, -its utility, its importance, the permanence of its results, were all in -my way. - -“With respect to your university for the people, I am very apprehensive -that it would have been but a beautiful chimera of philanthropy, worthy -of the unsophisticated Abbé de Saint Pierre. There is, however, some -merit in the aggregate of those conceptions; but energy of character, -and an unbending perseverance, for which we are not generally -distinguished, would be requisite to produce any good result. - -“For the rest, I every day collect ideas from you in this place, of -which I did not imagine you capable; but it was not at all my fault. You -were near me; why did you not open your mind to me? I did not possess -the gift of divination. Had you been minister, those ideas, however -fantastical they might at first have appeared to me, would not have been -the less attended to, because there is, in my opinion, no conception -altogether unsusceptible of some positive good, and a wrong notion, when -properly controlled and regulated, often leads to a right conclusion. I -should have handed you over to commissioners, who would have analyzed -your plans; you would have defended them by your arguments, and, after -taking cognizance of the subject, I alone should have finally decided -according to my own judgment. Such was my way of acting, and my -intention; I gave an impulse to industry; I put it into a state of -complete activity throughout Europe; I was desirous of doing as much for -all the faculties of the mind, but time was not allowed me. I could not -bring my plans to maturity at full gallop; and, unfortunately, I but too -often wasted them upon a sandy foundation, and consigned them to -unproductive hands. - -“What were the other missions with which I entrusted you?”—“One in -Holland, another in Illyria.”—“Have you the reports?”—“Yes, Sire.”—“Go -for them.” But I had not got to the door, when he said, “Never mind, -come back, spare me the trouble of reading such matters!—They are -henceforth, in reality, altogether useless.”—What did not these words -unfold to me! - -The Emperor resumed the subject of Illyria. “In obtaining possession of -Illyria, it was never my intention to retain it; I never entertained the -idea of destroying Austria. Her existence was, on the contrary, -indispensably requisite for the execution of my plans. But Illyria was, -in our hands, a vanguard to the heart of Austria, calculated to keep a -check upon her; a sentinel at the gates of Vienna, to keep her steady to -our interests. Besides, I was desirous of introducing and establishing -in that country our doctrines, our system of government, and our codes. -It was an additional step to the regeneration of Europe. I had merely -taken it as a pledge, and intended, at a later period, to exchange it -for Gallicia, at the restoration of Poland, which I hurried on against -my own opinion. I had, however, more than one project with regard to -Illyria; for I frequently fluctuated in my designs, and had few ideas -that were fixed on solid grounds. This arose rather from adapting myself -to circumstances than from giving an impulse and direction to them, and -I was every instant compelled to shift about. The consequence was that, -for the greater part of the time, I came to no absolute decision, and -was occupied merely with projects. My predominant idea, however, -particularly after my marriage, was to give it up to Austria as an -indemnity for Gallicia, on the re-establishment of Poland, at any rate, -as a separate and independent kingdom. Not that I cared upon whose head, -whether on that of a friend, an enemy, or an ally, the crown was placed, -provided the thing was effected. The results were indifferent to me. I -have, my dear Las Cases, formed vast and numerous projects, all -unquestionably for the advancement of reason and the welfare of the -human race. I was dreaded as a thunderbolt; I was accused of having a -hand of iron; but the moment that hand had struck the last blow, every -thing would have been softened down for the happiness of all. How many -millions would have poured their benedictions on me, both then and in -future times! But how numerous, it must be confessed, the fatal -misfortunes which were accumulated and combined to effect my overthrow, -at the end of my career! My unhappy marriage; the perfidies which -resulted from it; that villainous affair of Spain; from which I could -not disengage myself; that fatal war with Russia, which occurred through -a misunderstanding; that horrible rigour of the elements, which devoured -a whole army; ... and then, the whole universe against me!... Is it not -wonderful that I was still able to make so long a resistance, and that I -was more than once on the point of surmounting every danger and emerging -from that chaos more powerful than ever!... O destiny of man!—What is -human wisdom, human foresight!”—And then abruptly adverting to my -report, he said, “I observed, that you travelled over a great number of -departments. Did your mission last long? Was your journey agreeable? Was -it of real benefit to you? Did you collect much information? Were you -enabled to form a correct judgment on the state of the country, on that -of public opinion? - -“I now recollect that I selected you precisely because you had just -returned from your mission to Illyria, and I found in your report -several things which made a strong impression upon me; for it is -surprising how many things at present are every day brought back to my -memory, which, at the time, struck me in you, and which, by a singular -fatality, were immediately afterwards completely forgotten. When any -appointments were about to take place to those special and confidential -missions, the decree, with blanks for the names, was laid before me, and -I filled them up with persons of my own selection—I must have written -your name with my own hand.” - -“Sire,” I replied, “there never was, perhaps, a mission more agreeable -and satisfactory in every point of view. I commenced it early in the -spring, and proceeded from Paris to Toulon, and from Toulon to Antibes, -following the line of coast and occasionally diverging into the -interior. I travelled nearly thirteen hundred leagues, but unfortunately -the time was short. The minister, in his instructions, had strictly -limited the period to three, or at most, to four months. It would be -difficult for me to give an adequate description of all the delight, -enjoyments, and advantages which I derived from the journey. I was a -member of your Council, an officer of your household. I was every where -considered as one of your _missi dominici_, and was received with -suitable respect. The more I behaved with discretion, moderation, and -simplicity, visiting myself the high functionaries, whose attendance I -was authorized to require, the more I was treated with deference and -complaisance. For one, who shewed any distrust, or betrayed any symptom -of ill-humour or envy; (for I afterwards learnt from themselves, that my -character, as a nobleman, emigrant, and chamberlain, formed three -certain grounds for reprobation;) for one, I repeat, who looked upon me -with a jealous eye, I found many whose communications were altogether -unreserved, even upon subjects, respecting which I should not have -presumed to make inquiry. They assured me that they took pleasure in -unbosoming themselves to me with perfect openness; that they viewed my -situation, near the person of the sovereign, as a favourable medium; and -considered me as the confessor upon whom they relied for transmitting -their most secret thoughts to the _Most High_. The more I endeavoured to -convince them that they were mistaken with regard to my situation and -the nature of my mission, the more they were confirmed in the contrary -opinion. In so short a period, what a lesson for me on mankind! There -were none of these high functionaries who did not differ from each other -with regard to the views, means, and designs of all the objects under -consideration; and yet they were all men selected with care, of tried -ability, and generally of great merit. Persons in private life also -looked up to me as to a ray of Providence, and applied to me either -publicly or in secret. How many things did I not learn! How numerous the -denunciations and accusations communicated to me! What a multitude of -local abuses, of petty intrigues, were disclosed to me! - -“Altogether unacquainted with affairs, and until then absolutely -ignorant of official proceedings, I made use of that peculiar -opportunity to obtain information. I did not fail to make myself -acquainted with all the objects and particular circumstances of every -party. I was not apprehensive of shewing my ignorance to the first who -presented themselves, for I was thus enabled to qualify myself for -discussing business with the others. - -“It is true, Sire, that my special mission was restricted to the -mendicity establishments and the houses of correction: but feeling, as I -did, all the want of a stock of knowledge, fit to render myself useful -to the Council of State, and taking advantage of my appointment, I -connected with it, of my own accord, the minute inspection of prisons, -hospitals, and beneficent institutions, and I also took a survey of all -our ports and squadrons. - -“How magnificent the combination which thus presented itself to my view! -I every where beheld the most perfect tranquillity and complete -confidence in the government; every hand, every faculty, every branch of -industry, was employed; the soil was embellished by the flourishing -state of agriculture, it was the finest time of the year; the roads were -excellent; public works were in progress in almost in every quarter;—the -canal of Arles, the noble bridge of Bordeaux, the works of Rochefort, -the canals from Nantes to Brest, to Rennes, to Saint Malo; the -foundation of Napoleonville, intended to be the key of the whole -peninsula of Britanny; the magnificent works of Cherbourg, those of -Antwerp, sluices, moles, or other improvements in most of the towns of -the Channel—such is the sketch of what I saw. - -“On the other hand, the ports of Toulon, Rochefort, L’Orient, Brest, -Saint Malo, Havre, and Antwerp, displayed an extraordinary degree of -activity; our roads were filled with vessels, and the numbers increased -daily: our crews were training in spite of every obstacle, and our young -conscripts were becoming good seamen, fit for future service. I, who -belonged to the old naval establishment, was astonished at every thing I -saw on board, so very great were the improvements made in the art, and -so far did they exceed, in every point of view, all that I had -witnessed. - -“The squadrons belonging to the different ports got under sail every -day, and executed their regular manœuvres, like the parades of -garrisons, and all this took place within sight of the English, who -thought it a ridiculous farce, without foreseeing the danger with which -they were threatened; for, never at any period was our navy more -formidable, or our ships more numerous. We already had upwards of 100 -afloat or on the stocks, and we were making daily additions to the -number. The officers were excellent, and animated with zeal and ardour. -I had no idea whatever of the forward state of our preparations, before -I witnessed it in person, and should not have believed it, had I been -told of it. - -“With respect to the mendicity establishments, the special object of my -mission, your intentions, Sire, had been ill understood, and the plan -was altogether unsuccessful. In most of the departments, mendicity not -only remained with all its defects, but no steps whatever had been taken -for its annihilation. The fact was that several prefects, so far from -making the establishments a terror to the _mendicants_, had merely -considered them as a refuge for the _poor_. Instead of holding out -confinement as a punishment, they caused it to be sought after as an -asylum; and thus the lot of the prisoners might be envied by the -hard-working peasantry of the neighbourhood. France might, in that way, -have been covered with similar establishments, which might have been -filled without diminishing the number of mendicants, who commonly make a -trade of begging, and follow it in preference. I was, however, enabled -to judge that the extirpation of the evil was possible, and the example -of some departments, in which the prefects had taken a better view of -the subject was sufficient to produce that conviction. There were a few -in which it had entirely disappeared. - -“It is an observation which makes an immediate and striking impression, -that, all other things fairly averaged, mendicity is much more rare in -those parts which are poor and barren, and much more common in those -which are fruitful and abundant. It is also infinitely more difficult to -effect its destruction in the places where the clergy have enjoyed -superior wealth and power. In Belgium, for instance, mendicants were -seen to derive honour from their trade, and boast of having followed it -for several generations. These claims belonged peculiarly to them, and -that country was accordingly the rendezvous of mendicity.” “But I am not -surprised at it,” resumed the Emperor, “the difficulty of this important -consideration consists entirely in discriminating accurately between the -_poor_ man who commands our respect, and the _mendicant_ who ought to -excite our indignation; besides, our religious absurdities confound -these two classes so completely that they seem to make a merit, a kind -of virtue, of mendicity, and to encourage it by the promise of heavenly -rewards. The mendicants are, in reality, neither more nor less than -monks _au petit pied_; so that in the list of them we even find the -mendicant monks. How was it possible for such ideas not to produce -confusion in the mind, and disorder in society? A great number of saints -have been canonized, whose only apparent merit was mendicity. They seem -to have been transplanted to Heaven for that, which, considered as a -matter of sound policy, ought to have subjected them to castigation and -confinement in this world. This would not, however, have prevented them -from being worthy of Heaven. But go on.”— - -“It was not, Sire, without emotion that I observed the details of the -charitable establishments. In contemplating the anxiety, the cares, the -ardent charity, of so many sympathetic hearts, I was enabled to -ascertain that we were far from yielding the palm, whatever might be the -consideration, to any other people, and that we merely had less -ostentation and made less use of artificial means to enhance our merits. -The South, above all, and Languedoc, in particular, displayed a zeal and -animation of which it would be difficult to form an adequate conception. -The hospitals and alms-houses were every where numerous and well -attended to. The foundlings had increased tenfold since the revolution, -and I instantly ascribed it to the corruption of the times; but I was -desired to remark, and constant reflection convinced me of the truth, -that the result was, on the contrary, to be attributed to very -satisfactory causes. I was assured that formerly the foundlings were so -wretchedly taken care of, and so badly fed, that the whole of them were -diminutive, sickly, and short-lived, and that from seven to nine -perished out of ten; while at present their food, cleanliness, and the -care taken of them, in every respect are such that nearly all of them -are preserved, and constitute a fine race of children. They are thus -indebted for their numbers solely to their preservation. Vaccination has -also contributed, in an immense proportion, to their increase. These -children are now treated with such attention as to give rise to a -singular abuse. Mothers, even in easy circumstances, are tempted to -expose their infants; they afterwards apply at the hospital, and, under -a charitable pretence, offer to bring up one themselves; it is their own -which is restored to them with the benefit of a small allowance. All -this is carried on through the favour of the agents themselves, and -often for the purpose of obtaining a trifling pension for one of their -relations. Another abuse of this kind, and not less extraordinary, was -that which I observed in Belgium, of persons getting their names entered -a long time before, for the purpose of entitling them to send their -children to the hospital. Any young couple, on their marriage, strove to -get their names entered for vacancies, which fell to them some years -afterwards, as a matter of right; it was a part of the marriage -settlement.”—“O Jesus! Jesus!” exclaimed the Emperor, shrugging up his -shoulders and laughing, “and after this make laws and regulations!”— - -$1“$2”$3But with regard to the prisons, Sire, they were almost uniformly -the scenes of horror and real misery, the shame and disgrace of our -provinces, absolute sinks of corruption and infection, which I was -obliged to pass through with the utmost haste, or from which I was -driven back in spite of all my efforts. I had formerly visited certain -prisons in England, and indulged in a smile at the kind of luxury which -I observed in them; but it was quite a different thing with respect to -ours, and my indignation was excited by the contrary extreme. There are -no offences, I might even say crimes, that are not sufficiently punished -by such habitations, and those who leave them should not, in strict -justice, have any further expiation to make. Yet after all those -confined in them were merely under a simple accusation, while those who -had been found guilty, the real criminals, and hardened villains, had -their special prisons, their houses of correction, where they were, -perhaps, too well taken care of; and even, in the latter case, the -honest day-labourer might have reason to envy their lot, and make -comparisons injurious to Providence and society. Another striking -inconsistency was observable in these houses of correction; it was the -amalgamation, the habitual mixture of all the classes upon whom sentence -had been passed. Some being imprisoned for small offences only for a -year, and others for fifteen, twenty years, or for life, on account of -the dreadful crimes they had perpetrated, it necessarily followed that -they would be all reduced to one moral level, not by the amelioration of -the latter, but rather by the corruption of the former. - -“What struck me also very forcibly in La Vendée and the adjacent country -was that maniacs had increased there, perhaps, tenfold more than in any -other part of the empire, and that persons were detained in the -mendicity establishments and other places of confinement, who were -treated as vagabonds, or likely to become so, and who having been taken -up in their childhood, had no knowledge of their parents or origin. Some -of them had marks of wounds on their persons, but were ignorant how they -had been inflicted. They had, no doubt, been made in their infancy. The -opportunity of employing these persons, who had not acquired a single -social idea, has been suffered to pass by; they are now unfit for any -purpose.”—“Ah!” exclaimed the Emperor, “this is civil war and its -hideous train; its inevitable consequences and its certain fruits! If -some leaders make fortunes, and extricate themselves from danger, the -dregs of the population are always trodden under foot, and become the -victims of every calamity!” - -“With respect to other matters, I found in the aggregate of these -establishments a considerable number of persons who, I was told, whether -right or wrong, were prisoners of state, and were kept in custody by -order of the high, the intermediate, or the low, police. - -“I listened to all those prisoners, I heard their complaints, and -received their petitions, certainly, without any engagement on my part; -for I had no right to contract any; and besides, I was perfectly aware -that, having heard their testimony only, I could not attach guilt to any -person. With the exception, however, of some notorious villains, they -did not really, in general, deserve more at farthest than the common -punishments of the correctional police. - -“I found among them, in the prisons of Rennes, a boy between twelve and -fourteen, who had, when only a few months old, been taken with a band of -_Chauffeurs_. They had been all executed, and the boy had remained there -ever since, without any decision on his case. His moral capabilities may -be easily appreciated. He never saw, knew, or heard any but villains; -they were the only kind of people of whose existence he was able to form -an idea. - -“At Mont Saint-Michel, a woman, whose name I have forgotten, -particularly attracted my attention. She had rather a pretty face, -pleasing manners, and a modest deportment. She had been imprisoned -fourteen years, having taken a very active part in the troubles of La -Vendée, and constantly accompanied her husband, who was the chief of a -battalion of insurgents, and whom she succeeded, after his death, in the -command. The wretchedness she suffered, and the tears she shed, had -sensibly impaired her charms. I assumed a severe air during the recital -of her misfortunes, but it was put on for the purpose of concealing the -emotions which she excited. She had, by the kindness of her manners and -her other qualifications, acquired a kind of empire over the vulgar and -depraved women that were about her. She had devoted herself to the care -of the sick; the prison infirmary was entrusted to her, and she was -beloved by every one. - -“With the exception of that woman, a few priests, and two or three old -Chouan spies, the rest exhibited but a filthy compound of disgusting or -extravagant depravity. - -“I met with a married man, possessing an annual income of 15,000 livres, -evidently confined in consequence of his wife’s intrigues, after the -manner of the ancient _lettres de cachet_; and with prostitutes, who -assured me they were detained, not as a punishment for the -indiscriminate profusion of their favours, but out of spite at their -want of complaisance for a single person. They told me lies, or they did -not; but in either case ought they to be honoured with the title of -prisoners of state, to be maintained at the expense of two francs a day, -and contribute to render the government odious and ridiculous? Finally, -I met with an unhappy man in a town of Belgium, who had married one of -those girls for whom the municipalities provide marriage portions on -great occasions. He was imprisoned on a charge of having stolen the -portion, because he had neglected to earn it. He was positively required -to discharge that important debt, and he as positively refused. He was, -perhaps, required to do what was absolutely impossible for him. - -“Immediately upon my return to Paris, I called on M. Réal, prefect of -police of the district I had just visited. I considered it my duty, I -said, to communicate to him, in a _friendly_ manner, the result of my -observations. I must do him justice; for whether he was far from having -a bad heart, whether he was impressed with my plain dealing, or affected -perhaps, Sire, by the magic influence of your uniform, he thanked me, -observed that I was doing him a real service, and assured me that he -would take immediate steps for _relieving_ and _redressing_, such were -his words, the cases I had laid before him. Meeting him, however, a few -days afterwards at an assembly, he said, with apparent grief, ‘That is -an unfortunate business, and very unfavourable to your Amazon (he -alluded to General Mallet’s rash enterprise), which I thought myself -capable of doing a few days ago of my own accord. I cannot now pretend -to undertake it without an order from a superior quarter.’—I do not know -how the thing ended.” - -The Emperor dwelt some time on the abuses I had pointed out, and then -concluded: “In the first place, in order to proceed regularly, it was -incumbent upon you to ascertain whether your information was well -founded, and to hear the evidence against the persons accused; and then -it must be frankly admitted that abuses are inherent in every human -establishment. You see that almost every thing, of which you complain, -is done by the very persons who were expressly entrusted with the means -of prevention. Can a remedy be provided, when it is impossible to see -what passes every where? There is, as it were, a net spread over the low -places, which envelops the lower classes. A mesh must be broken and -discovered by a fortunate observer like you, before any thing of the -matter is known in the upper regions. Accordingly, one of my dreams -would have been, when the grand events of war were completely -terminated, and I returned to the interior in tranquillity and at ease, -to look out for half a dozen, or a dozen, of real philanthropists, of -those worthy men who live but to do good. I should have distributed them -through the empire, which they should have secretly inspected for the -purpose of making their report to me. They would have been _spies of -virtue_! They should have addressed themselves directly to me, and -should have been my confessors, my spiritual guides, and my decisions -with them should have been my good works done in secret. My grand -occupation, when at full leisure, and at the height of my power, would -have been the amelioration of every class of society. I should have -descended to the details of individual comfort; and, had I found no -motive for that conduct in my natural disposition, I should have been -actuated by the spirit of calculation; for, after the acquisition of so -much glory, what other means would have been left me to make any -addition to it? It was because I was well aware that that swarm of -abuses necessarily existed, because I wished for the preservation of my -subjects, and was desirous of throwing every impediment in the way of -subordinate and intermediate tyranny, that I conceived my system of -state prisons, adapted to any crisis that might occur.”—“Yes, Sire, but -it was far from being well received in our saloons, and contributed not -a little to make you unpopular. An outcry was every where raised against -the _new bastiles_, against the renewal of _lettres de cachet_.”—“I know -it very well.” said the Emperor, “the outcry was echoed by all Europe, -and rendered me odious. And yet, observe how powerful was the influence -of words, envenomed by perfidy! The whole of the discontent was -principally occasioned by the preposterous title of my decree, which -escaped me from distraction, or some other cause; for, in the main, I -contend that the law itself was an eminent service, and rendered -individual liberty more complete and certain in France than in any other -country of Europe. - -“Considering the crisis from which we had emerged, the factions by which -we had been divided, and the plots which had been laid, and were still -contriving, imprisonment became indispensable. It was, in fact, a -benefit; for it superseded the scaffold. But I was desirous of -sanctioning it by legal enactments, and of placing it beyond the reach -of caprice, of arbitrary power, of hatred, and of vengeance. Nobody, -according to my law, could be imprisoned and detained as a prisoner of -state, without the decision of my privy council, which consisted of -sixteen persons; the first, the most independent and most distinguished -characters of the state. What unworthy feeling would have dared to -expose itself to the detection of such a tribunal? Had I not voluntarily -deprived myself of the power of consigning individuals to prison? No man -could be detained beyond a year, without a fresh decision of the -Privy-Council, and four votes out of sixteen were sufficient to effect -his release. Two councillors of state were bound to attend to the -statements of the prisoners, and became from that moment their zealous -advocates with the Privy Council. These prisoners were also under the -protection of the Committee of individual liberty, appointed by the -Senate, which was the object of public derision, merely because it made -no parade of its labours and their results. Its services, however, were -great; for it would argue a defective knowledge of mankind to suppose -that Senators, who had nothing to expect from ministers, and who were -their equals in rank, would not make use of their prerogative to oppose -and attack them, whenever the importance of the case called for their -interference. It must also be considered that I had assigned the -superintendence of the prisoners, and of the police of the prisons, to -the tribunals, which, from that instant, paralyzed the exercise of every -kind of arbitrary authority by the other branches of administration and -their numerous subordinate agents. After such precautions, I do not -hesitate to maintain that civil liberty was as effectually secured by -that law in France as it could possibly be. The public misconceived, or -pretended to misconceive, that truth, for we Frenchmen must murmur at -every thing and on every occasion. - -“The fact is, that at the time of my downfal the state prisons scarcely -contained 250 persons, and I found 9000 in them, when I became Consul. -It will appear, from the list of those who were imprisoned, and upon an -examination into the causes and motives of their confinement, that -almost every one of them deserved death, and would have been sentenced -to it by regular process of law; and it consequently follows that their -imprisonment was, on my part, a benefit conferred upon them. Why is -there nothing published against me on this subject at present? Where are -the serious grievances to be found with which I am reproached? There are -none in reality. If some of the prisoners afterwards made a merit of -their sufferings with the King, on account of their exertions in his -favour, did they not by that proceeding pronounce their own sentence and -attest my justice? For what may seem a virtuous action in the King’s eye -was incontestably a crime under me; and it was only because I was -repugnant to the shedding of blood on account of political crimes, and -because such trials would have but tended to the continuance of -commotion and perplexity in the heart of the country, that I commuted -the punishment to mere imprisonment. - -“I repeat it, the French were, at my era, the freest people of all -Europe, without even excepting the English; for, in England, if any -extreme danger causes the suspension of the _Habeas Corpus_ act, every -individual may be sent to prison at the mere will of ministers, who are -not called upon to justify their motives, or to account for their -conduct. My law had very different limits.” He concluded with -saying;—“And then, at last, if, in spite of my good intention, and -notwithstanding my utmost care, all that you have just said, and no -doubt, many other things, were well founded, it must not still be -considered so easy a task as it is thought to create a beneficial -establishment for a nation. It is a remarkable circumstance that the -countries which have been separated from us have regretted the laws with -which I governed them. This is an homage paid to their superiority. The -real, the only, mode of passing a decisive sentence upon me, with regard -to their defects, would be to shew the existence of a better code in any -other country. New times are drawing near, it will be seen,” &c. - -About five o’clock, I was told by the Grand Marshal, who had just left -the Emperor, that he wished to see me. He had staid at home the whole of -the day. I found him engaged in examining the new billiard-table. He was -apprehensive that the weather was too damp for walking, and he played at -chess until dinner. In the evening, he read us Crebillon’s _Atrée et -Thyeste_. That piece seemed horrible to us; we found it disgusting, and -by no means of a tragic cast. The Emperor could not finish it. - - EGYPT.—ST. JEAN D’ACRE.—THE DESERT.—ANECDOTES. - -21st. About three o’clock, the Emperor called for his calash. He sent -for me, and we walked together to the bottom of the wood where he had -ordered the carriage to take him up. I had some particulars of no great -moment to communicate, which personally concerned him. We observed, in -the course of our ride, two vessels under sail for the island. - -At dinner, the Emperor was very talkative. He had been just employed on -his campaign in Egypt, which he had, for some time, neglected, and -which, he said, would be as interesting as an episode of romance. In -speaking of his position at St. Jean d’Acre, he observed:—It was -certainly a daring thing to post myself thus in the heart of Syria, with -only 12,000 men. I was 500 leagues from Desaix, who formed the other -extremity of my army. It has been related, by Sydney Smith, that I lost -18,000 men before Acre, although my army consisted but of 12,000. An -obscure person, M...., who had just left college, as it seemed, who -knows nothing of what he describes, and whose only talent is that of -tacking some sentences together, with a view, no doubt, of converting -them to his emolument, the brother, however, of one whom I have loaded -with favours, and who was one of my Council of State, has recently -published something on that subject, on which I have cast a glance, and -which vexes me on account of its silliness and the unfavourable -colouring which he endeavours to throw over the glory and exploits of -that army. - -“Had I been master of the sea, I should have been master of the East, -and the thing was so practicable that it failed only through the -stupidity or bad conduct of some seamen. - -“Volney, who travelled in Egypt before the revolution, had stated his -opinion that that country could not be occupied without three great -wars, against England, the Grand Signor, and the inhabitants. The -latter, in particular, seemed difficult and terrible to him. He was -altogether mistaken in that respect, for it gave us no trouble. We had -even succeeded in making friends of the inhabitants, in the course of a -short time, and of uniting their cause with ours. A handful of Frenchmen -had thus been sufficient to conquer that fine country, which they ought -never to have lost. We had actually accomplished prodigies in war and in -politics. Our undertaking was altogether different from the crusades; -the crusaders were innumerable and hurried on by fanaticism. My army, on -the contrary, was very small, and the soldiers were so far from being -prepossessed in favour of the enterprise that, at first, they were -frequently tempted to carry off the colours and return. I had, however, -succeeded in familiarizing them with the country, which supplied every -thing in abundance, and at so cheap a rate that I was one time on the -point of placing them on half-pay for the purpose of laying by the other -half for them. I had acquired such an ascendancy over them, that I -should have been able, by a mere order of the day, to make them -Mahometan. They would have treated it as a joke, the population would -have been gratified, and the very Christians of the East would have -considered themselves gainers, and approved it, knowing that we could do -nothing better for them and for ourselves. - -“The English were struck with consternation at seeing us in possession -of Egypt. We exposed to Europe the certain means of wresting India from -them. They have not yet dismissed their apprehensions, and they are in -the right. If 40 or 50,000 European families ever succeed in -establishing their industry, laws, and government in Egypt, India will -be more effectually lost to the English by the commanding influence of -circumstances than by the force of arms.” - -In the course of the evening, the Grand Marshal put the Emperor in mind -of one of his conversations with Monge, the mathematician, at Cutakié, -in the midst of the desert. “What do you think of all this, citizen -Monge?” said Napoleon.—“Why, citizen general,” answered Monge, “I think, -if there are ever seen in this place as many equipages as at the Opera -house, there must first be some wonderful revolutions on the globe.” The -Emperor laughed very heartily at the recollection. He had, however, he -observed, a carriage with six horses on the spot. It was unquestionably -the first of the kind that travelled over the desert, and accordingly it -very much surprised the Arabs. - -The Emperor remarked that the desert always had a peculiar influence on -his feelings. He had never crossed it without being subject to a certain -emotion. To him, he said, it was an image of immensity: it seemed to -have no bounds, neither beginning nor end; it was an ocean on terra -firma. His imagination was delighted with the sight, and he took -pleasure in drawing our attention to the observation that Napoleon meant -_Lion of the Desert_!... - -The Emperor also told us that, when he was in Syria, it was a settled -opinion at Cairo that he never would be seen there again, and he noticed -the thievery and impudence of a little Chinese, who was one of his -servants. “It was,” said he, “a little deformed dwarf, whom Josephine -once took a fancy to at Paris. He was the only Chinese in France; -thenceforth she would always have him behind her carriage. She took him -to Italy, but as he was in the constant habit of pilfering, she wished -to get rid of him. With that view, I took him with me on my Egyptian -expedition. Egypt was a lift to him half-way on his journey. This little -monster was entrusted with the care of my cellar, and I had no sooner -crossed the desert than he sold, at a very low price, 2000 bottles of -capital claret. His only object was to make money, convinced that I -should never come back. He was not at all disconcerted at my return, but -came eagerly to meet me, and acquainted me, as he said, like a faithful -servant, with the loss of my wine. The robbery was so glaring that he -was himself compelled to confess it. I was much urged to have him -hanged, but I refused, because, in strict justice, I ought to have done -as much to those in embroidered clothes, who had knowingly bought and -drunk the wine. I contented myself with discharging and sending him to -Suez, where he was at liberty to do what he pleased.” - -On this subject I must observe that we were induced, in this place, to -give momentary credit to a very singular coincidence. We were informed a -few months ago, that on board one of the Chinese traders, which were -then off the island, on their return to Europe, there was a Chinese, who -said he had been in the Emperor’s service in Egypt. The Emperor -instantly exclaimed, that it must be his little thief, whose story I -have just told; but it was, in fact, a cook of Kleber’s. - -The Emperor put a sudden stop to the conversation, and, with more gaiety -than usual, turning to Madame Bertrand, said with a smile, “When shall -you be at your apartments in the Tuileries? When will you give your -splendid dinners to the ambassadors? But you will be obliged, at least, -I am told so, to have new furniture, for it is reported that the -fashions have entirely changed.” The conversation then naturally turned -on the magnificence and luxury which we had witnessed under the Emperor. - - PATERNAL ADVICE—REMARKABLE CONVERSATION—CAGLIOSTRO; - MESMER, GALL, LAVATER, &C. - -22nd.—The Emperor came to my apartment about 10 o’clock, and took me out -to walk. We all breakfasted under the trees. The weather was delightful, -and the heat, though great, was not unwholesome. The Emperor ordered his -calash; two of us were with him, and the third accompanied us on -horseback. The Grand Marshal could not attend. The Emperor recurred to -some misunderstanding which had taken place among us a few days before. -He took a view of our situation and our natural wants;—“You are bound,” -said he, “when you are one day restored to the world, to consider -yourselves as _brothers_, on my account. My memory will dictate this -conduct to you. Be so, then, from this moment!” He next described how we -might be of mutual advantage to each other, the sufferings we had it in -our power to alleviate, &c. It was, at once, a family and moral lesson, -a lesson of feeling and conduct. It ought to have been written in -letters of gold. It lasted nearly an hour and a quarter, and will, I -think, never be forgotten by any of us. For myself, not only the -principles and the words, but the tone, the expression, the action, and -above all, the heart with which he delivered them, will never be -forgotten by me. - -About five o’clock, the Emperor entered my apartment where I was -employed with my son, on the chapter of the battle of Arcole. He had -something to say to me, and I followed him to the garden, where he -resumed, at great length, the conversation that had taken place in the -calash.... - -We now dined in the old topographical cabinet, adjoining to that of the -Emperor, and the apartment formerly occupied by Montholon’s family, -which, with the help of the books and shelves lately received from -England, was converted into a tolerable library. - -As the damage done by the fire in the saloon was long in repairing, we -were obliged to continue at table in our new dining-room until the -Emperor withdrew. This circumstance, however, gave additional interest -to the conversation. - -The Emperor was very communicative to-day. The conversation turned on -dreams, presentiments, and foresights, which the English call _second -sight_. We exhausted every common-place topic, ordinarily connected with -these objects, and came at last to speak of sorcerers and ghosts. The -Emperor concluded with observing, “All these quackeries, and many -others, such as those of Cagliostro, Mesmer, Gall, Lavater, &c. are -destroyed by this sole and simple argument: _All that may exist, but it -does not exist._ - -“Man is fond of the marvellous; it has for him irresistible -fascinations; he is ever ready to abandon what is near at hand, to run -after what is fabricated for him. He voluntarily gives way to delusion. -The truth is, that every thing about us is a wonder. There is nothing -which can be properly called a phenomenon. Every thing in nature is a -phenomenon. My existence is a phenomenon. The wood that is put on the -fire and warms me, is a phenomenon; that candle yonder, which gives me -light, is a phenomenon. All the first causes, my understanding, my -faculties, are phenomena; for they all exist and we cannot define them. -I take leave of you here,” said he, “and lo! I am at Paris, entering my -box at the Opera. I bow to the audience; I hear their acclamations; I -see the performers; I listen to the music. But if I can bound over the -distance from Saint Helena, why should I not bound over the distance of -centuries? Why should I not see the future as well as the past? Why -should the one be more extraordinary, more wonderful, than the other? -The only reason is, that it does not exist. This is the argument which -will always annihilate, without the possibility of reply, all visionary -wonders. All these quacks deal in very ingenious speculations; their -reasoning may be just and seductive, but their conclusions are false, -because they are unsupported by facts. - -“Mesmer and Mesmerism have never recovered from the blow dealt at them -by the report of Bailly on behalf of the Academy of Sciences. Mesmer -produced effects upon a person by magnetizing him to his face, yet the -same person, magnetized behind, without his knowing it, experienced no -effect whatever. It was therefore, on his part, an error of the -imagination, a debility of the senses; it was the act of the somnabule, -who, at night runs along the roof without danger, because he is not -afraid; but who would break his neck in the day, because his senses -would confound him. - -“I once attacked the quack Puységur, on his somnabulism, at one of my -public audiences. He would have assumed a very lofty tone: I brought him -down to his proper level with only these words: If your doctrine is so -instructive, let it tell us something new! Mankind will, no doubt, make -very great progress in the next two hundred years; let it specify any -single improvement which is to take place within that period! Let it -tell me what I shall do within the following week! Let it declare the -numbers of the lottery, which will be drawn to-morrow! - -“I behaved in the same manner to Gall, and contributed very much to the -discredit of his theory. Corvisart was his principal follower. He and -his colleagues have a great propensity to materialism, which is -calculated to strengthen their theory and influence. But nature is not -so poor. Were she so clumsy as to make herself known by external forms, -we should do our business more promptly and know a great deal more. Her -secrets are more subtle, more delicate, more evanescent, and have -hitherto escaped the most minute researches. We find a great genius in a -little hunchback; and a man, with a fine commanding person, turns out to -be a stupid fellow. A big head, with a large brain, is sometimes -destitute of a single idea; while a small brain is found to possess a -vast understanding. And observe the imbecility of _Gall_. He attributes -to certain protuberances propensities and crimes, which are not in -nature, but arise solely from society and the conventional usages of -mankind. What would become of the protuberance of theft, if there were -no property; of drunkenness, if there were no fermented liquors; and of -ambition, if there were no society? - -“The same remarks apply to that egregious charlatan, Lavater, with his -physical and moral relations. Our credulity lies in the defect of our -nature. It is inherent in us to wish for the acquisition of positive -ideas, when we ought, on the contrary, to be carefully on our guard -against them. We scarcely look at a man’s features, before we pretend to -know his character. We should be wise enough to repel the idea and to -neutralize those deceitful appearances. I was robbed by a person who had -grey eyes, and from that moment am I never to look at grey eyes without -the idea, the fear, of being robbed? A weapon wounded me, and I am -afraid of it wherever I see it; but was it the grey eyes that robbed me? -Reason and experience, and I have been enabled to derive great benefit -from both, prove that all those external signs are so many lies; that we -cannot be too strictly on our guard against them, and that the only true -way of appreciating and gaining a thorough knowledge of mankind is by -trying and associating with them. After all, we meet with countenances -so hideous, it must be allowed,” (and as an instance he described one; -it was that of the governor,) “that the most powerful understanding is -confounded, and condemns them in spite of itself.” - - SINGULAR SERIES OF VEXATIONS, &C. - -23d.—The Emperor called upon me about three o’clock. He wished to take a -walk. He had a gloomy look, and had suffered much since yesterday. He -was seriously affected by the intense heat during his ride in the -calash. He had observed a new outer door which was making, and which -would have altered the whole interior of the topographical cabinet and -of Madame Montholon’s former apartment. He had not been consulted on the -occasion, and was sensibly affected at it. He sent instantly for the -person who had given the directions, and the wretched reasons he -assigned served only to vex him still more. We had come out to walk; but -it seemed decided that every thing was to irritate and put him in ill -humour that evening. He saw some English officers on his way, and turned -aside from them almost in anger, observing that shortly it would be -impossible for him to put his foot out of doors. A few paces off he was -joined by the Doctor, who came to tell him, unseasonably enough, of some -arrangements that were making for him, (the Emperor) and to ask his -opinion on the subject. It was one of the topics which, perhaps, hurt -his feelings most. He made no answer, his ordinary resource against -disappointment; but this time he kept silence with a fretfulness which -he could not conceal. He came up with the carriage, and got in; but on -our way we met some more English officers, and then he suddenly ordered -the coachman to drive off, at a gallop, in another direction. - -The new door-way, however, which had been made in the house without his -knowledge, and which he found so inconvenient, still lay heavy on his -heart. He was about to lighten the load by a lively playfulness with the -wife of the person who had ordered it, and who happened to be in the -calash. “Ah,” said he, “are you there? You are in my power; you shall -pay the penalty. The husband is the guilty person; it is the wife that -shall answer for him.” But instead of accommodating herself to the sense -in which the words were uttered, which she might have done without the -least inconvenience, and with the certainty of a satisfactory result, -she persisted in making lame excuses for her husband, and repeating -reasons, which served but to revive his dissatisfaction. Finally, to -fill up the chapter of cross-purposes, one of us, on discovering the -tents of the camp, informed him that the evolutions and manœuvres of -the preceding day were in celebration of one of the great victories -gained by the English in Spain, and that the regiment which executed -them had been very nearly destroyed in that battle. “A regiment. Sir, is -never destroyed by the enemy; it is immortalized,” was his only answer. -It is true, that it was delivered very dryly. - -For myself, I meditated in silence on this accumulation of -contrarieties, which struck such repeated blows in so short a time. It -was a precious moment for an observer. I estimated the mortification -which they were calculated to produce, and I remarked with admiration, -how little he betrayed. I said to myself: This is the _intractable man_, -this the _tyrant_! One would have supposed that he knew what was passing -in my mind, for, when we left the calash, and were a few paces before -the others, he said to me in a low tone, “If you like to study mankind, -learn how far patience can go, and all that one can put up with,” &c. - -On his return, he called for tea; I had never seen him take any. Madame -de Montholon was, for the first time, in possession of her new saloon. -He wished to see it, and observed that she would be much better -accommodated than any of us. He called for fire, and played at chess -with several of us successively. He gradually recovered his natural -temper and ate a little at dinner, which completely restored him. He -indulged in conversation, and again reverted to his early years, which -always possessed fresh charms for him. He spoke a great deal of his -early acquaintances, and of the difficulties which some of them -experienced in obtaining admission to him after his elevation, and -observed that, “if the threshold of his palace was impassable, it was in -spite of himself. What then,” said he, “must be the situation of other -sovereigns in that respect!” - -We continued the conversation until eleven, without noticing the -lateness of the hour. - - MADAME DE B—— —ANECDOTES RESPECTING - THE EMIGRANTS. - -24th.—To-day the Emperor tried the billiard-table which had just been -placed, and went out, but the weather being very damp, he returned -almost immediately. - -He conversed with me in his apartment, before dinner, on the emigrants, -and the name of Madame de B...., who had been _dame d’atours_ to Madame, -and was very conspicuous in the commencement of our affairs, was -mentioned. The Emperor observed, “But is not this Madame de B.... a very -dangerous woman?”—“Certainly not,” I replied; “she is, on the contrary, -one of the best women in the world, with a great deal of wit, and an -excellent judgment.” “If that is the case,” said the Emperor, “she must -have much cause to complain of me. This is the painful consequence of -false representations; she was pointed out as a very dangerous -character.”—“Yes, Sire, you made her very unhappy. Madame de B.... -placed all her happiness in the charms of society, and you banished her -from Paris. I met with her in one of my missions, confined within her -province, and pining away with vexation, yet she expressed no resentment -against your Majesty, and spoke of you with great moderation.” “Well, -then! why did you not come to me, and set me right?”—“Ah, Sire, your -character was then so little known to us, compared with what I know it -to be at present, that I should not have dared to do so. But I will -mention an anecdote of Madame de B.... when in London, during the high -tide of our emigration, which will make you better acquainted with her -than any thing I could say. At the time of your accession to the -Consulate, a person, just arrived from Paris, was invited to a small -party at her house. He engrossed the attention of the company, in -consequence of all the particulars that he had to communicate respecting -a place, which interested us so very materially. He was asked several -questions respecting the Consul. He cannot, said he, live long, he is -most delightfully _sallow_. These were his words. He grew more animated -by degrees, and gave as a toast—The death of the First Consul! Oh -horrible! was the instantaneous exclamation of Madame de B..... What, -drink to the death of a fellow creature! For shame! I will give a much -better one: The King’s health!” - -“Well,” said the Emperor, “I repeat that she was very ill used by me, in -consequence of the representations which were made to me. She had been -described to me as a person fond of political intrigues, and remarkable -for the bitterness of her sarcasms. And this puts me in mind of an -expression which is perhaps wrongly attributed to her, but which struck -me, however, solely on account of its wit. I was assured that a -distinguished personage, who was very much attached to her, was seized -with a fit of jealousy, for which she clearly proved that she had given -no cause. He persisted however, and observed that she ought to know that -the wife of Cæsar should be free from suspicion. Madame de B.... replied -that the remark contained two important mistakes; for it was known to -all the world that she was not his wife, and that he was not Cæsar.” - -After dinner, the Emperor read to us parts of the comedies of the -Dissipateur and the Glorieux, but he was so little pleased with them -that he left off; they did not possess a sufficient degree of interest. -He had a severe pain in his right side. It was the effect of the damp to -which he had been exposed during his morning walk, and we were not -without apprehensions of its being a symptom of the ordinary malady of -this scorching climate. - -On my return home, I found a letter from England, with a parcel, -containing some articles for my toilet. The Griffin ship of war had just -arrived from England. - -THE EMPEROR RECEIVES LETTERS FROM HIS FAMILY.—CONVERSATION WITH THE - ADMIRAL.—THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE ALLIED POWERS. - -25th.—About nine o’clock, I received from the Grand Marshal three -letters for the Emperor. They were from Madame Mère, the Princess -Pauline, and Prince Lucien. The latter was enclosed in one addressed to -me, from Rome, by Prince Lucien, dated the 6th of March. I also received -two from my agent in London. - -The Emperor passed the whole of the morning in reading the papers from -the 25th of April to the 13th of May. They contained accounts of the -death of the Empress of Austria, the prorogation of the French Chambers, -Cambrone’s acquittal, the condemnation of General Bertrand, &c. He made -many remarks upon all these subjects. - -About three, Admiral Malcolm requested to be presented to the Emperor. -He brought him a series of the Journal des Debats to the 13th of May. -The Emperor desired me to introduce him, and he conversed with him -nearly three hours. He gave great pleasure to the Emperor, who treated -him, from the first moment, with a great deal of freedom and good -nature, as if he had been an old acquaintance. The Admiral was entirely -of his opinion with respect to a great number of subjects. He admitted -that it was extremely difficult to escape from St. Helena, and he could -see no inconvenience in allowing him to be at large in the island. He -considered it absurd that Plantation-house had not been given up to the -Emperor, and felt, but only since his arrival, he confessed, that the -title of General might be offensive. It struck him that Lady Loudon’s -conduct had been ridiculous here, and would be laughed at in London. He -thought that the Governor had good intentions, but did not know how to -act. Ministers had, in his opinion, been embarrassed with respect to the -Emperor, but entertained no hatred against him; they did not know how to -dispose of him. Had he remained in England, he would have been, and was -still, a terror to the Continent; he would have been too dangerous and -efficient an instrument in the hands of Opposition, &c. He was -apprehensive, however, that all these circumstances put together would -detain us here a long time; and he expressed his confidence that it was -the intention of Ministers, with the exception of the necessary -precautions to prevent his escape, that Napoleon should be treated with -every possible indulgence at St. Helena, &c. He delivered himself upon -all these points in so satisfactory a manner that the Emperor discussed -the business with him, with as little warmth as if he had not been -concerned in the matter. - -At one moment, the Emperor produced a sensible effect upon him; it was -when, alluding to the Commissioners, he pointed out the impossibility of -receiving them. “After all, Sir,” said he, “you and I are men. I appeal -to you, is it possible that the Emperor of Austria, whose daughter I -married, who implored that union on his knees, who keeps back my wife -and my son, should send me his Commissioner, without a line for myself, -without the smallest scrap of a bulletin with respect to my son’s -health? Can I receive him with consistency? Can I have any thing to -communicate to him? I may say the same thing of the Commissioner sent by -Alexander, who gloried in calling himself my friend, with whom, indeed, -I carried on political wars, but had no personal quarrel. It is a fine -thing to be a Sovereign, but we are not on that account the less -entitled to be treated as men; I lay claim to no other character at -present! Can they all be destitute of feeling? Be assured, Sir, that -when I object to the title of General, I am not offended. I decline it -merely because it would be an acknowledgment that I have not been -Emperor; and, in this respect, I advocate the honour of others more than -my own. I advocate the honour of those with whom I have been, in that -rank, connected by treaties, by family and political alliances. The only -one of those Commissioners, whom I might perhaps receive, would be that -of Louis XVIII., who owes me nothing. That Commissioner was a long time -my subject, he acts merely in conformity to circumstances, independent -of his option; and I should accordingly receive him to-morrow, were I -not apprehensive of the misrepresentations that would take place, and of -the false colouring that would be given to the circumstance.” - -After dinner, the Emperor again alluded to the time of his Consulate, to -the numerous conspiracies which had been formed against him, to the -celebrated persons of that period, &c. I have already noticed these -topics at considerable length. The conversation lasted until one o’clock -in the morning—a very extraordinary hour for us. - -THE EMPEROR’S COURT.—EXPENSES, SAVINGS, HUNTING AND SHOOTING - ESTABLISHMENT, MEWS, PAGES, SERVICE OF HONOUR, &C. - -26th—28th. Our usual mode of living, an airing in the carriage in the -middle of the day; conversation at night. - -On the 27th the Emperor received, for a moment, a colonel, a relation of -the family of Walsh Serrant, who was on his return from the Cape in the -Haycomb, and was to sail next day for Europe. He had been Governor of -Bourbon, and entertained us with many agreeable particulars respecting -that island. - -After dinner, the conversation turned on the old and new Court, with -their arrangements, expenses, etiquette, &c. I have already mentioned -most of these points in another place, and many of them were repeated on -the present occasion. I pass over what would seem but a literal -repetition. - -The Emperor’s Court was, in every respect, much more magnificent than -any thing seen up to that period, and yet, said he, the expense was -infinitely less. That vast difference was caused by the suppression of -abuses, and by the introduction of order and regularity into the -accounts. His hunting and shooting establishment, with the exception of -some useless and ridiculous particulars, he observed, as that of -falconry and some others, was as splendid, as numerous, and as striking, -as that of Louis XVI., and the annual disbursement, he assured us, was -but 400,000 francs, while the King’s amounted to seven millions. His -table was regulated according to the same system. Duroc had, by his -regularity and strictness, done wonders in that respect. Under the -kings, the palaces were not kept furnished, and the same articles were -transferred from one palace to another; the people belonging to the -Court had no furniture allowed them, and every one was obliged to look -out for himself. Under him, on the contrary, there was not a person in -attendance who did not find himself provided as comfortably, or even -more so, with every thing that was necessary or suitable, in the -apartment assigned to him, than in his own house. - -The Emperor’s stud cost three millions, the expense of the horses was -averaged at 3000 francs a horse yearly. A page cost from 6 to 8000 -francs. That establishment, he observed, was perhaps the most expensive -belonging to the palace, and accordingly the education of the pages and -the care taken of them, were the subjects of just encomium. The first -families of the empire were solicitous to place their children in it, -and they had good reason, said the Emperor. - -With respect to the etiquette of the Court, the Emperor said he was the -first who had separated the _service of honour_ (an expression invented -under him) from that which was absolutely necessary. He had dismissed -every thing that was laborious and substantial, and substituted what was -nominal and ornamental only. “A king,” he said, “is not to be found in -nature, he is the mere creature of civilization. There are no naked -kings; they must all be dressed,” &c. - -The Emperor remarked that it was impossible for any one to be better -informed of the nature and relation of all these matters than himself; -because they had been all regulated by him, according to the precedents -of past times, from which he had lopped off whatever was ridiculous, and -preserved every thing that appeared suitable. - -The conversation lasted until after eleven o’clock. It had been kept up -with tolerable spirit; and the Emperor again observed, on leaving us, -that, after all, we must be a good-natured kind of people to be able to -lead so contented a life at St. Helena. - -FRESH INSTANCE OF THE GOVERNOR’S MALIGNITY, &c.—DESPERATE PROJECT OF - SANTINI, THE CORSICAN. - -29th.—The weather had been bad for some days; the Emperor took advantage -of a fine interval to examine a tent, which the admiral had, in a very -handsome manner, ordered to be erected for his accommodation by his -ship’s crew, having heard him complain, in the course of conversation, -of the want of shade, and of the impossibility of enjoying himself in -the air out of his apartment. The Emperor conversed with the officer and -men who were putting the last hand to the work, and ordered a napoleon -to be given to each of the seamen. - -We learnt to-day that the last vessel had brought a book on the state of -public affairs for the Emperor, written, as it was said, by a Member of -Parliament. It had been sent by the author himself, and the following -words were inscribed in letters of gold on the outside,—_To Napoleon the -Great_. This circumstance induced the Governor to keep back the work, a -rigour, on his part, which formed a singular contrast with his eagerness -to supply us with libels, that treated the Emperor so disrespectfully. - -During dinner, the Emperor, turning, with a stern look, to one of the -servants in waiting, exclaimed, to our utter consternation: “So then, -assassin, you intended to kill the Governor!—Wretch!—If such a thought -ever again enters your head, you will have to do with me; you will see -how I shall behave to you.” And then, addressing himself to us, he said, -“Gentlemen, it is Santini, there, who determined to kill the Governor. -That rascal was about to involve us in a sad embarrassment. I found it -necessary to exert all my authority, all my indignation to restrain -him.” - -In order to explain this extraordinary transaction, it is necessary for -me to observe that Santini, who was formerly usher of the Emperor’s -cabinet, and whose extreme devotion had prompted him to follow his -master and serve him, no matter, he said, in what capacity, was a -Corsican, of deep feeling and a warm imagination. Enraged at the -Governor’s ill usage, no longer able to bear with patience the affronts -which he saw heaped upon the Emperor, exasperated at the decline of his -health, and affected himself with a distracting melancholy, he had, for -some time, done no work in the house, and, under pretence of procuring -some game for the Emperor’s table, his employment seemed to be that of -shooting in the neighbourhood. In a moment of confidence, he told his -countryman Cypriani that he had formed the project, by the means of his -double barrelled piece, of killing the Governor, and then putting an end -to himself. And all, said he, to rid the world of a monster. - -Cypriani, who knew his countryman’s character, was shocked at his -determination, and communicated it to several other servants. They all -united in entreating him to lay aside his design, but their efforts, -instead of mitigating, seemed but to inflame his irritation. They -resolved then to disclose the project to the Emperor, who had him -instantly brought before him: “And it was only,” he told me some time -afterwards, “by _imperial_, by _pontifical_ authority, that I finally -succeeded in making the scoundrel desist altogether from his project. -Observe for a moment the fatal consequences which he was about to -produce. I should have also passed for the murderer, the assassin, of -the Governor, and in reality it would have been very difficult to -destroy such an impression in the mind of a great number of people.” - -The Emperor read to us La Mort de Pompée, which was stated in the -journals to be the subject of general interest at Paris, on account of -its political allusions. And this gave rise to the remark that -government had been obliged to forbid the representation of Richard, and -that, certainly on the fifth and sixth of October, Louis XVI. little -thought of its ever being prohibited for its allusions to another. “The -fact is that times are wonderfully changed,” said the Emperor. - -30th.—The Emperor, after a few turns in the garden, went to General -Gourgaud’s apartment, where he was a long time employed, with his -compasses and pencil, in laying down the coast of Syria, and the plan of -Saint Jean d’Acre, which the general was to execute. In marking some -points about Acre, he said:—“I passed many unpleasant moments there.” - -In the evening we had Le Mariage de Figaro, which entertained and -interested us much more than we had been led to expect. “It was,” -observed the Emperor, in shutting the book, “the Revolution already put -into action.” - - LA HARPE’S MÉLANIE.—NUNS.—CONVENTS.—MONKS - OF LA TRAPPE.—THE FRENCH CLERGY. - -31st.—The weather was horrible about three o’clock, and the Emperor -could scarcely reach Madame de Montholon’s saloon. He amused himself for -some time there in reading the Thousand and One Nights, and afterwards, -perceiving a volume of the Moniteur on which M. de Montholon was then -employed, and which lay open in the part relative to the negotiations -for a maritime armistice in 1800, his whole attention was absorbed by -them for upwards of an hour. - -After dinner, the Emperor read first La Mère Coupable, in which we felt -interested, and next the Mélanie of La Harpe, which he thought -wretchedly conceived and very badly executed. “It was,” he said, “a -turgid declamation, in perfect conformity with the taste of the times, -founded in fashionable calumnies and absurd falsehoods. When La Harpe -wrote that piece, a father certainly had not the power of forcing his -daughter to take the veil; the laws would never have allowed it. This -play, which was performed at the beginning of the Revolution, was -indebted for its success solely to the extravagance of public opinion. -Now, that the passion is over, it must be deemed a wretched performance! -La Harpe’s characters are all unnatural. He should not have attacked -defective institutions with defective weapons.” - -The Emperor said that La Harpe had so completely failed in his object, -with regard to his own impressions, that all his feelings were in favour -of the father, while he was shocked at the daughter’s conduct. He had -never seen the performance, without being tempted to start from his -seat, and call out to the daughter: “You have but to say, No, and we -will all take your part; you will find a protector in every citizen.” - -He observed that, when he was on service with his regiment, he had often -witnessed the ceremony of taking the veil. “It was a ceremony very much -attended by the officers, and which raised our indignation, particularly -when the victims were handsome. We ran in crowds to it, and our -attention was alive to the slightest incident. Had they but said, _No_, -we should have carried them off sword in hand. It is consequently false -that violence was employed: seductive means only were resorted to. -Those, upon whom they were practised, were kept secluded perhaps, like -recruits. The fact is that, before they had done, they had to pass the -ordeal of the nuns, the abbess, the spiritual director, the bishop, the -civil officer, and finally the public spectators. Can it be supposed -that all these had agreed to concur in the commission of a crime?” - -The Emperor declared that he was an enemy to convents in general, as -useless, and productive of degrading inactivity. He allowed, however, in -another point of view, that certain reasons might be pleaded in their -favour. The best _mezzo termine_, and he had adopted it, was, in his -opinion, that of tolerating them, of obliging the members to become -useful, and of allowing annual vows only. - -The Emperor complained that he had not had time enough to complete his -institutions. It had been his intention to enlarge the establishments of -Saint Denis and Ecouen, for the purpose of affording an asylum to the -widows of soldiers, or women advanced in years. “And then,” he added, -“it must also be admitted that there were characters and imaginations of -all kinds; that compulsion ought not to be used with regard to persons -of an eccentric turn, provided their oddities are harmless, and that an -empire, like France, might and ought to have houses for madmen, called -_Trappistes_. With respect to the latter,” he observed, “that if any one -ever thought of inflicting upon others the discipline which they -practised, it would be justly considered a most abominable tyranny, and -that it might, notwithstanding, constitute the delight of him who -voluntarily exercised it on himself. Such is man, such his whims, or his -follies!... He had tolerated the monks of Mount Cenis, but these, at -least,” he added, “were useful, very useful, and might be even called -heroic.” - -The Emperor expressed himself in his Council of State in the following -words, when the organization of the University was about to take place: -“It is my opinion that the monks would be far the best body for -communicating instruction, were it possible to keep them under proper -control, and to withdraw them from their dependence upon a foreign -master. I am disposed to be favourable to them. I should, perhaps, have -had the power to reinstate them in their establishments, but they have -made the thing impossible. The moment I do any thing for the clergy, -they give me cause to repent it. I do not complain of the old -established clergy, for with them I am sufficiently satisfied; but the -young priests are brought up in a gloomy fanatical doctrine; there is -nothing Gallican in the young clergy. - -“I have nothing to say against the old bishops. They have shewn -themselves grateful for what I did for religion; they have realized my -expectations. - -“Cardinal de Boisgelin was a man of sense, a virtuous character, who had -faithfully adopted me. - -“The Archbishop of Tours, Barral, a man of great acquirements, and who -was of essential service to us in our differences with the Pope, was -always very much attached to me. - -“The worthy Cardinal du Belloy, and the virtuous Bishop Roquelaure, had -a sincere affection for me. - -“I made no difficulty whatever in placing Bishop Beausset among the -Dignitaries of the University, and I am convinced that he was one of -those who, in that capacity, most sincerely conducted themselves in -conformity with my views. - -“All these old bishops possessed my confidence, and none of them -deceived me. It is not a little singular that those whom I had the -greatest cause to complain of were precisely those whom I had chosen -myself; so very true is it that the holy unction, though it attaches us -to the kingdom of Heaven, does not deliver us from the infirmities of -the earth, from its irregularities, its obscenities, its turpitudes.” - -The conversation next turned upon the want of priests in France, the -obligation of engaging them at the age of sixteen, and the difficulty, -even the impossibility, of finding any at twenty-one. - -It was the Emperor’s wish that they should be ordained at a more -advanced age. The answer of the bishops and the Pope himself was, “It is -very well: your reasons are very just; but if you wait for that period -you will find none to ordain, and yet you admit that you are in want of -them.” - -“I have no doubt,” observed the Emperor, “that, after me, other -principles will be adopted. A conscription of priests and nuns will, -perhaps, be seen in France, as a military conscription was seen in my -time. My barracks will, perhaps, be turned into convents and seminaries. -Thus goes the world. Poor nations! In spite of all your knowledge, all -your wisdom, you continue, like individuals, the slaves of fashionable -caprice.” - -It was nearly one o’clock in the morning before the Emperor retired. It -was, he said, a real victory over _ennui_, and a great relief for the -want of sleep. - - MARIA ANTOINETTE.—THE MANNERS OF - VERSAILLES.—ANECDOTE.—BEVERLEY.—DIDEROT’S - PÉRE DE FAMILLE. - -August 1.—The weather was dreadful. About three o’clock, the Grand -Marshal came to look for me; but as I had at that moment ventured out, I -was not to be found. It was on account of some English, whom he had to -present to the Emperor. - -The Emperor sent for me at five; he was in a bad humour, and not a -little so, he said, on my account. The visit of the English, the bad -weather, the want of the saloon and an interpreter, had all combined to -vex him. - -He was reading the Veillées du Château, which, he observed, were -tiresome, and he left them for the Tales of Margaret, Queen of Navarre. - -He afterwards adverted to Versailles; the Court, the Queen, Madame -Campan, and the King, were the principal subjects of his remarks, and he -said many things, some of which I have already noticed. He concluded -with observing that Louis XVI. would have been a perfect pattern in -private life, but that he had been a sorry King; and that the Queen -would no doubt have been, at all times, the ornament of every circle, -but that her levity, her inconsistencies, and her want of capacity, had -not a little contributed to promote and accelerate the catastrophe. She -had, he remarked, deranged the manners of Versailles; its ancient -gravity and strict etiquette were transformed into the free and easy -manners and absolute tittle-tattle of a private party. No man of sense -and importance could avoid the jests of the young courtiers, whose -natural disposition for raillery was sharpened by the applauses of a -young and beautiful Sovereign. - -One of the most characteristic anecdotes of that day was told. A gallant -and worthy German general arrived at Paris, with a special -recommendation to the Queen, from the Emperor Joseph, her brother. The -Queen thought she could not do him a greater favour than to invite him -to one of her private parties. He found himself, it may be easily -imagined, a little out of his element in such company, but it was every -one’s wish to treat him with marked respect, and he was obliged to take -a leading part in the conversation. He was unfortunate in the selection -of his topics, and in his manner of introducing them. He talked a great -deal about _his white mare, and his grey mare_, which he valued above -all things. The subject gave rise to a number of arch inquiries on the -part of the young courtiers, respecting a thousand frivolous points, -which he had the good-nature to answer, as if they were matters of -importance. In conclusion, one of them asked to which of the two he gave -the decided preference: “Really,” answered the general, with peculiar -significance, “I must confess, that, if I were in the day of battle on -my white mare, I do not believe I should dismount to get on my grey -one.” At length he made his bow, and the bursts of laughter that -followed may be easily conceived. The conversation took another turn -after his departure; the attractions of white and brown beauties were -long and ingeniously canvassed, and, the Queen having asked one of the -party which he preferred, he instantly assumed a grave air, and -imitating the solemn tone of the Austrian, answered, “Really, Madam, I -must confess, that if I were in the day of battle on....” “Enough,” -interposed the Queen, “spare us the remainder.” - -After dinner he read Beverley and the Père de Famille to us. The latter, -in particular, excited his animadversion. To us it seemed a paltry -production. What most amused the Emperor, as he said, was that it was -Diderot’s, that Coryphœus of philosophers and of the Encyclopedia. -All it contained was, he said, false and ridiculous. The Emperor entered -into a long examination of the details, and concluded with saying, “Why -reason with a madman in the height of a raging fever? It is remedies and -a decisive mode of treatment that he needs. Who does not know that the -only safeguard against love is flight? When Mentor wishes to secure -Telemachus, he plunges him into the sea. When Ulysses endeavours to -preserve himself from the Syrens, he causes himself to be bound fast, -after having stopped the ears of his companions with wax.” - - HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE EMIGRATION TO COBLENTZ.—ANECDOTES, &C. - -2nd.—Uninterrupted bad weather, with heavy rains. The Emperor was not -well; he felt his nerves very much irritated. - -He sent for me to breakfast with him. During the whole of breakfast, and -a long time afterwards, the conversation again turned on the emigration. -I have already remarked that he often brought me back to the subject. -His enquiries to-day were directed to the particulars of what had passed -at Coblentz, our situation, our disposition, our organization, our -views, and our resources, and at the end of all my answers, he -concluded, observing: “You have already several times acquainted me with -a considerable part of those things, and yet I do not retain them, -because you communicate them without regularity. Reduce them to a -consistent historical summary. How could you be better employed in this -place? And then, my dear Las Cases, you will have a piece ready at hand -for your journal.” This demand was like that addressed by Dido to Æneas, -and I too might have exclaimed, _Infandum regina, jubes_ ... however, I -executed the sketch as completely as my memory and judgment enabled me, -for the subject began to grow old, and I was, at that time, very young. -I give it as I read it, a short time afterwards, to Napoleon. - -“Sire, after the famous events which overthrew the Bastile, and set all -France in agitation, most of our Princes, who found themselves -implicated in the consequences, fled from the country, with the sole -view, at that period, of securing their personal safety. They were soon -after joined by persons of considerable rank, and by a number of young -men; the former, induced by the connection which they had with them, and -the latter by a persuasion that the measure of itself indicated, in some -degree, a striking, generous, and decided devotedness. When a certain -number were collected, the idea suggested itself of converting to a -political end that which, until then, had been produced by zeal and -chance alone. It was thought that if, with the assistance of these -assemblages, a kind of small power could be created, it might be enabled -to re-act, with advantage, on the interior, become a lever to -insurrection there, make an impression on the public mind, and restrain -popular commotion; while it would be, abroad, a title or pretext for -applying to foreign Powers and claiming their attention. This was the -origin of the emigration; and it is confidently stated that this grand -idea was conceived by M. de Calonne,[3] as he passed through -Switzerland, in the suite of one of our Princes, who was on his way from -Turin to Germany. - -Footnote 3: - - Some one who considers himself well informed has assured me that this - is erroneous, as M. de Calonne did not reach Germany till the measure - of emigration had been already decided upon; adding that, so far from - having contrived or instigated it, he had actually censured it. - -“The first assemblage took place at Worms, under the Prince de Condé. -The most celebrated was that at Coblentz, under the King’s two brothers, -one of whom came from Italy, where he had at first found an asylum in -the Court of the King of Sardinia, his father-in-law, and the other -arrived by way of Brussels, after escaping the crisis, which had made a -captive of Louis XVI. at Varennes. - -“I was one of the first of those who assembled at Worms. The number -about the Prince was scarcely fifty when I arrived. In the entire -effervescence of youth, and with the first inspiration of what was -noble, I hastened to Worms with the most innocent simplicity of heart. -My reading and my prayer each morning consisted of a chapter of Bayard. -I expected, on reaching Worms, to be, at the very least, seized and -embraced by so many brothers in arms; but, to my great surprise (and it -was my first lesson on mankind), instead of this affectionate reception, -I and a companion were, all at once, examined and watched, for the -purpose of ascertaining that we were not spies. We were afterwards -carefully sounded with regard to our interests, our views, and the -pretensions by which we might have been actuated, and, finally, great -pains were taken to prove to us, and to make the Prince perceive (and -this plan was renewed on every fresh arrival), that our numbers -increased greatly, and exceeded, no doubt, already, the places and -favours which he had to confer. My companion was so shocked that he -proposed to me to return instantly to Paris. - -“We, who composed the assemblage, in order to make ourselves useful or -to acquire importance, undertook, three or four of us by turns, to form -a kind of regular guard about the Prince’s person night and day; for we -dreamt already of nothing but conspiracies and assassination, so very -powerful and redoubtable did we think ourselves, and when relieved, -whilst on this kind of voluntary guard, we had the honour of being -admitted to the Prince’s table. Three generations of Condé constituted -its ornament, a singular circumstance, which was renewed with more -striking effect in the army of Condé, in which the grandfather fought in -the centre, while the son and grandson commanded the right and left, -where they were, I believe, both wounded, and on the same day. - -“The Princess of Monaco had followed the Prince of Condé; he married her -afterwards, but she then governed and did the honours of his -establishment. We had the opportunity of hearing at that table some of -the guests assert and re-assert to the Prince that we were already more -than enough to enter France; that his name and a white handkerchief were -sufficient; that the star of Condé was about to shine forth once more; -that the occasion was singularly happy, and that it was necessary to -seize it; and I would not pledge myself, that adulation was not pushed -so far as to suggest very interested personal views to the Prince. - -“Worms, from the nature of its meeting, and the character of its chief, -always evinced more regularity, more austerity of discipline, than -Coblentz, where there was a display of more agitation, luxury, and -pleasure. Worms was accordingly called the _camp_, and Coblentz the -_City_ or the _Court_. - -“The importance of the leader was in proportion to the force under his -command, and of this the Prince of Condé was so sensible that he never -saw any one leave him without regret, and remembered it a long time. I -was not, on that account, the less eager to go to Coblentz, the moment -it acquired a certain degree of splendour. I had relations and friends -there, and it was, besides, more attractive, from superior magnificence, -activity, and grandeur. Coblentz became in a short time a focus of -foreign and domestic intrigues. Two distinct parties might be observed -there; Messrs. d’Avaray, de Jaucourt, and some others, were the -confidential friends, the advisers, or the ministers, of Monsieur, now -Louis XVIII. The Bishop of Arras, the Count de Vaudreuil, and others, -were those of Monseigneur, the Count d’Artois; and it was confidently -stated that, even then, these Princes manifested distinctly enough the -same political differences which, it is pretended, have since -characterized them. M. de Breteuil, resident at Brussels, and charged, -according to his own declaration, with unlimited powers by Louis XVI., -had formed a third party, and added to the complication of our affairs. - -“M. de Calonne was relied on for our financial department, and the old -Marshal de Broglie and the Marshal de Castries were at the head of our -military establishment. The brave and able M. de Bouilly, who had left -France after the affair of Varennes, found it impossible to remain with -us, and followed King Gustavus III. to Sweden. - -“The emigration had, however, assumed a grand character, thanks to the -care employed for its propagation. Agents had traversed the provinces, -circulars had been distributed in the mansions and country-seats, -summoning every gentleman to join the Princes, and act in co-operation -with them for the security of the altar and the throne, the revenge of -their honour, and the recovery of their rights. An absolute crusade had -been preached, and with so much more effect, as it made an impression on -minds disposed to attend to it. Among the whole of the nobility and -privileged classes there was not a single person who did not feel -himself cut to the quick by the decrees of the Assembly. All, from him -who filled the highest rank to the lowest country squire, had been -deprived of what they held most dear; for the former had lost his title -and his vassals, and the latter had seen his turret and his pigeon-house -invaded, and his hares shot. Accordingly, the movement to begin the -journey was immediate and universal; it could not be abandoned, under -the penalty of dishonour, and the women were directed to send spindles -to those who hesitated, or were too tardy. Whether then from passion, -pusillanimity, or a point of honour, the emigration became a real -infection; multitudes rushed furiously beyond the frontiers; and what -contributed not a little to increase the evil was the means employed by -the leaders of the Revolution to promote it in secret, while they -affected to oppose it in public. They declaimed, in vague terms, against -it from the tribune, it is true; but they took great care that all the -passages should be left open. Did the zeal of the emigrants slacken?—the -declaimers became more violent, and it was decided that the barriers -should be strictly guarded. Then those who had been left behind were -reduced to despair, because they had not taken advantage of the -favourable moment. But, accidentally, or from inattention, the barriers -were again opened, and they were passed with eagerness by those who were -determined not to expose themselves to another disappointment. It was by -this dextrous management that the Assembly assisted its enemies in -plunging themselves into the abyss. - -“The able men of the faction had, from the beginning, conceived that -such a measure would deliver them from the heterogeneous parts that -checked their progress, and that the property of all these voluntary -exiles would secure to them incalculable resources. The officers thought -they did wonders in stealing away from their regiments, while the -leaders of the Revolution, on their part, excited the soldiers to -revolt, in order to force them to it. They got rid, by these means, of -enemies who were highly dangerous, and obtained, on the contrary, in the -non-commissioned officers, zealous co-operators, who became heroes in -the national cause; it was they who furnished great captains, and who -beat all the veteran troops of foreign powers. - -“The consequence was that Coblentz collected all that was illustrious -belonging to the Court in France, and all that was opulent and -distinguished belonging to the provinces. We were thousands, consisting -of every branch, uniform, and rank of the army; we peopled the town and -overran the palace. Our daily assemblages about the persons of the -Princes seemed like so many splendid festivals. The Court was most -brilliant, and our Princes were so effectually its Sovereigns that the -poor Elector was eclipsed and lost in the midst of us, which induced a -person to observe to him, very pleasantly, one day, whether from perfect -simplicity or keen raillery, that, among all those who thronged his -palace, he was the only stranger. - -“During the grand solemnities, we occasionally had public galas; and the -respectable inhabitants were permitted to take a view of the tables. We -then exulted at witnessing the admiration expressed by the people of the -country for the pleasing countenance and chivalrous appearance of -Monseigneur the Count d’Artois, and we were proud of the homage paid by -them to the acquirements and talents of Monsieur. It was worth while to -see with what arrogance we paraded with us, as it were, the whole -dignity, the lustre of our monarchy, and, above all, the superiority of -our Sovereign and the elevation of our Princes. _His Majesty the King_, -was the expression which we pompously used in the German circles to -designate the King of France; for that was, or ought to be, in our -opinion, his title in point of pre-eminence with respect to all Europe. -The Abbé Maury, whom we had at first received with acclamation, but who, -by the by, lost much of our esteem in a very short time, had discovered, -he assured us, that such was his right and his prerogative. Shall I give -another instance of overweening pride and conceit? - -“At a later period, during our greatest disasters, and when our cause -was completely ruined, an Austrian officer, of superior rank, charged -with despatches for the Court of London, invited to dinner several of -our officers with whom he had formerly been acquainted on the Continent. -After dinner, and very near the time when every truth comes out, the -company began to talk politics, and he happened to say that, on his -departure from Vienna, one of the principal subjects of conversation was -the marriage of Madame Royale (now Duchess d’Angouleme) with the -Archduke Charles, who at that moment enjoyed great celebrity. ‘But it is -impossible!’ observed one of his French guests. ‘And why?’ ‘Because it -is not a suitable marriage for Madame.’—‘How!’ exclaimed the Austrian, -seriously offended, and almost breathless, ‘His Royal Highness -Monseigneur, the Archduke Charles! not a suitable match for your -Princess.’ ‘Oh! no, Sir, it would be but a garrison match for her!’ - -“Besides, these lofty pretensions were instilled into us with our -education; they belonged to us as national sentiments, and our Princes -were not exempt from them. With us the King’s brothers disdained the -title of Royal Highness, they had the pretension of addressing all the -sovereigns by the title of brother; the rest of the system was carried -on in a proportionate way, and there was accordingly but one feeling in -Europe against our Versailles, manners and the presumption of our -Princes. - -“Gustavus III. said, at Aix-la-Chapelle—‘Your Court of Versailles was -not accessible; it indulged too much in haughtiness and ridicule. When I -was there, there was scarcely any attention paid to me, and, when I left -it, I brought away the titles of _booby_ and _blockhead_.’ - -“The Duchess of Cumberland, who was married to the King of England’s -brother, had to complain, at the same time and in the same city, that -the Princess de Lamballe did not grant her the honours of the -folding-doors. - -“The old Duke of Gloucester complained, on his own account, at a later -period in London, of one of our Princes of the blood, and added that the -Prince of Wales laughed heartily, because he, the Prince of Wales, -addressing the same Prince by the title of Monseigneur, the latter -studiously endeavoured to model his language so as not to return the -compliment. - -“At Coblentz, however, when our circumstances were altered, our Princes -condescended to change their manners in that respect, and to let -themselves down to the level of the foreign Princes. They were then with -the Elector of Treves, a Prince of Saxony, their mother’s brother, whom, -by way of parenthesis, we were at that time eating up, and who was -afterwards deprived of his possessions on our account. They condescended -to call him their _uncle_, and he was allowed to call them his -_nephews_. It is confidently stated that he said to them one day, ‘It is -to your misfortunes that I am indebted for such affectionate -expressions; at Versailles you would have treated me as plain M. l’Abbé, -and it is not certain that you would have received my visits every day.’ -It was added that he spoke the truth, and that they had given melancholy -proofs of it to his brother, the Count of Lusatia, who was present. - -“The Princes generally passed their evenings in the company of their -intimate friends. One of them was, most of the time, at the house of -Madame de Polastron, to whom he paid attentions that were justified by -her constancy and her behaviour. Frequent attempts were made to destroy -the intimacy, but in vain, for Madame de Polastron was above all the -cabals employed for the purpose; and, in addition to her amiable manners -and excellent conduct, was completely disinterested, and carefully -avoided all interference in political affairs. She saw but very little -company. I was indebted to a female relative for the pleasure of being -admitted to it; but, as it was necessary to withdraw before the Prince’s -arrival, I never had the honour of seeing him there. - -“Monsieur passed his evenings at Madame de Balby’s, Dame d’Atours to -Madame. Madame de Balby, who was lively, witty, a warm friend and a -determined enemy, attracted all the most distinguished characters. It -was an honour to be admitted to her house, which was the centre of taste -and fashion. Monsieur sometimes remained there until a late hour; and -when, after the crowd had slipped away and the circle was contracted, he -happened to be communicative, it must be confessed that he was as -superior to us by the charms of his conversation as by his rank and -dignity. - -“So much for our manner of living and our outward appearance at -Coblentz; this was the fair side of our situation; but we were less -happy in a political point of view—that was the degrading side.” - -“Good!” said the Emperor, “I begin to find your drawing-room details too -long. This is, however, excusable in you. The subject is a pleasing one -to you. You were then young; but go on.” - -“Sire, the whole of our number was but a noble and brilliant mob, and -presented the image of complete confusion. It was anarchy striving -without, to establish, it was said, order within—a real democracy -struggling for the re-establishment of its aristocracy. We presented, on -a small scale, and merely with a few shades of difference, a copy of -every thing that was passing in France. We had among us zealous -adherents to our ancient forms, and ardent admirers of novelty; we had -our constitutionalists, our intolerants, and our moderates. We had our -empirics, who sincerely regretted that they had not made themselves -masters of the King’s person, for the purpose of acting with violence in -his name, or who frankly avowed that they entertained the design of -declaring his incapability. Finally, we had also our Jacobins, who -wished, on their return, to kill, to burn, to destroy every thing. - -“No direct authority was exercised over the multitude by our -Princes.—They were our Sovereigns, it was true, but we were very unruly -subjects, and very easily irritated. We murmured on every occasion, and -it was particularly against those who joined us last that our common -fury was directed. It was, we declared, so much glory and good fortune -of which they deprived our exploits and our hopes. Those who were once -admitted considered every subsequent arrival too late. It was maintained -that all merit on that score was at an end. If all continued to be -received in the same way, the whole of France would soon be on our side, -and there would no longer be any person to punish. - -“Denunciations of every kind, and from every quarter, were then showered -down upon those who joined us. A Prince de Saint-Maurice, son of the -Prince de Montbarey, found it impossible to resist the storm, although -he had the formal support of every distinguished character, and that of -the Prince himself, who deigned to employ supplication in his favour, -and said, ‘Alas! gentlemen, who is there that has not faults to reproach -himself with in the Revolution? I have been guilty of several, and, by -your oblivion of them, you have given me the right of interceding for -others.’ This did not spare M. de Saint-Maurice the necessity of making -his escape as soon as possible. His crime was that of having belonged to -the Society of the Friends of the Negroes, and of having been violently -attacked in the midst of us by a gentleman of Franche Comté, who -denounced M. de Saint-Maurice for having caused his mansions to be -burnt. It was, however, discovered, a few days afterwards, that the -brawling assailant had no mansion and was neither from Franche Comté, -nor a gentleman: he was a mere adventurer. - -“M. de Cazalès, who had filled France and Europe with the celebrity of -his eloquence and courage in the National Assembly, had, -notwithstanding, lost the popular favour at Coblentz. When he arrived at -Paris, a report was spread among us that the Princes would not see him, -or would give him an ungracious reception. We collected eighty natives -of Languedoc to form, in opposition to his own wishes, a kind of escort -for him. M. de Cazalès was the honour of our province; we conducted him -to the Princes, by whom he was well received. - -“A deputy of the third estate, who had highly distinguished himself in -the Constituent Assembly by his attachment to royalty, was among us. One -of our Princes, addressing him one day in the crowd, said, ‘But, Sir, -explain to me then.—You are so worthy a man, how could you, at the time, -take the oath of the _jeu de paume_?’ The deputy, struck dumb by the -attack, at first stammered out that he had been taken unawares—that he -did not foresee the fatal consequences—but promptly recovering himself, -he replied with vivacity: ‘I shall, however, observe to Monseigneur that -it was not that which led to the ruin of the French monarchy, but in -fact the assemblage of the nobility, which joined us in consequence of -the very persuasive letter written by Monseigneur.’—‘Stop there,’ -exclaimed the Prince, patting him on the stomach, ‘be cool, my dear Sir; -I did not intend to vex you by that question.’ - -“Something like a system of regularity, whether good or bad, was, -however, adopted in the course of time. We were classed by corps and by -provinces; we had cantonments assigned to us, and were supplied with -arms. The King’s body-guards were again formed, clothed, equipped, and -paid, and soon became a superb corps in appearance and discipline. The -coalition of Auvergne and the marine corps, part on foot and part on -horseback, attracted peculiar notice by its discipline, knowledge, and -union. Our resignation and self-denial could not be too much admired. -Each officer was henceforth but a private soldier, subject to exercises -and fatigues, very contrary to his former manner of life, and exposed to -the greatest privations, for there was no pay, and many of that number -had soon no resource to depend on but the contributions of their more -fortunate comrades. We deserved a better fate, or, to speak more -correctly, we were worthy of a better enterprize. All the officers -belonging to the same regiments had been collected together in separate -bodies, in order that they might be ready to take the command of their -soldiers, who would not fail to join them, as we thought, on their first -seeing them. Such was our delusion! It was from a similar motive that -the gentlemen were classed according to their respective provinces, no -doubt being entertained of their efficient influence over the mass of -the population. Our weakness consisted in the conviction that we -continued to be wished for, respected, adored. - -“All these bodies were publicly exercised and manœuvred, and the -diplomatic remonstrances which were made on the subject were answered -with a confident assurance that no such thing existed, or that it -certainly should be prevented. We had generals appointed, a staff -formed, and every thing which distinguishes head-quarters, even to the -office of grand-provost, arranged. Our Princes were gradually surrounded -with all that constitutes a real government. They had Ministers for the -affairs of the moment, and even for France, when we should return, so -certain and near at hand did that time appear. - -“M. de Lavilleurnois, who was afterwards so much talked of, on account -of the share which he had in a royalist conspiracy, and who died at -Sinnamary, in consequence of the events of Fructidor, was intrusted with -the Administration of the Police. He set off at an early period to -perform its duties clandestinely at Paris. He had conceived a sincere -affection for me, and was determined to make me his son-in-law. He made -use of the most urgent arguments to induce me to follow him; but I -refused: I disliked the nature of his office. Otherwise, what different -combinations in my destiny! - -“We had also direct relations with almost every Court. The Princes had -envoys at them, and received theirs at Coblentz. Monseigneur, the Count -d’Artois, visited Vienna, I believe, but I can state with certainty that -he was at Pilnitz. The nobility, in a body, addressed a letter to -Catherine, from whom we received M. de Romansoff as Ambassador. That -Empress saw, with pleasure, the storm that was rising in the south of -Europe; she cheerfully fanned a flame, which might prove very favourable -to her views, without putting her to any expense, and she accordingly -shewed herself ardent in her sentiments, and enthusiastic in her -promises. She did not despair, in that crisis, of making a dupe of -Gustavus III., whose contiguous activity was troublesome to her; she had -prevailed upon him, it is said, to undertake the crusade, by flattering -him with the rank of Generalissimo. I do not know if this Prince, who -certainly was a very superior character for his time, and possessed a -great share of understanding and talent, suffered himself to be deluded -by her. It is, however, undeniable that he displayed great attachment to -our cause, and announced his wish to fight for it in person. When he -left Aix la Chapelle to arrange his ultimate measures for that purpose -in Sweden, I heard him say, on taking leave of the Princess de Lamballe: -‘You will see me again shortly, but I am, nevertheless, obliged, on my -own account, to adhere to certain proceedings, to certain measures of -caution; for the part I have to play is of a very delicate nature. Know -that I, who am desirous of returning to fight at the head of your -aristocrats in France, am, at home, the first democrat of the country.’ - -“We also received envoys from Louis XVI., who presented public messages -in reprobation of our conduct, and had confidential conferences, perhaps -totally different. At least, we acted as if that had been the case; -openly declaring that he was a captive, and that we ought to take no -notice of any of his orders; that we were bound to take every thing he -was compelled to say in a contrary sense, and that, when he exhorted us -to peace, he was, in reality, calling upon us to go to war. It is -accordingly my opinion that we were very detrimental to the tranquillity -of the unfortunate Monarch, and that we had our special share in the -pardon which he bequeathed by his will to his friends, who, by an -indiscreet zeal, as he observes, did him so much injury. - -“Our emigration, however, was prolonged in spite of all the promises -which were made to us, and of all the hopes with which our fancy was -flattered. With what illusions, what idle tales, what absurdities, was -our impatience mocked! whether those who invented them anticipated our -disappointment, or were themselves deceived. It was pleasantly -calculated that, according to our letters and gazettes, we had, in less -than eighteen months, set in motion nearly two millions of men, although -we ourselves had seen none of them. But those initiated in the mystery -assured us, in special confidence, that these troops marched only by -night, for the purpose of more effectually surprising the democrats, or -that they passed in the day-time only by platoons and without uniform; -or told us some other story of a similar kind. On the other hand, we -shewed each other a heap of letters from all countries and the best -sources, written in an enigmatical style, and which were thought to be -intelligible to us alone. One was acquainted that fifty thousand -Bohemian glasses had been just sent off for his country; another was -informed that ten thousand pieces of Saxon porcelain would soon be sent -off; and a third received intelligence that twenty-five bales of cocoa -would be addressed to him, with other fooleries of the same kind. - -“How was it possible, I now ask myself, that men of understanding, for -there certainly were a great many among the number, that Ministers, who -had formerly governed us, and others who were destined to succeed them, -should be gulled by such wretched stuff, or that the plain good sense, -which we possessed as a multitude, did not make us laugh in their faces? -But no; we were not the less convinced that we were near the -accomplishment of our hopes; that the moment was at hand; that it would -infallibly happen; that we had only to show ourselves; that we were -eagerly expected, and that all would fall prostrate at our feet.” - -Here the Emperor, who had often interrupted me with laughter and -raillery, said, in a very serious tone, “How very faithful is the -picture you have drawn! I recognise a crowd of your friends in it. -Truly, my dear Las Cases, and I say it without meaning any offence to -you, vapouring, credulity, inconsistency, stupidity itself, might be -said, in spite of all their wit, to be specially their lot. When I -occasionally wished to be amused, and divested myself of all reserve, -for the purpose of giving them full scope, and encouraging their -confidence in me, I have heard, in the Tuileries, under the Consulate -and the Empire, things not less ridiculous than those which you now -relate. None of them ever entertained a doubt of any thing. The love of -the French for their Kings was centered, they assured me, in my person. -I could henceforth do what I pleased; I had a right to use my power; I -should never meet with any other obstacle but a handful of incorrigible -persons who were the detestation of all. That counter-revolution so much -dreaded, observed another, was but child’s play to me; I had effected it -with the utmost ease. And (will this be believed?) ‘the only thing -wanting to it,’ said he, in an insinuating tone, ‘is the substitution of -the ancient white colour for those which have done us so much injury in -all countries.’ The idiot! That was the only blot which he could find in -our escutcheon. I laughed out of sheer pity, although I felt some -difficulty in restraining my feelings; but for his part, his sincerity -was unquestionable; he was fully persuaded that he spoke as I thought; -and still more so that the generality thought as he did.[4] But go on.” - -Footnote 4: - - It is certainly an inherent weakness in our nature to deceive - ourselves with respect to the sentiments that are entertained of us by - others. At Coblentz, where we threw away so much money, where so many - amiable and brilliant young men, more to be dreaded, no doubt, from an - excess than a want of education, filled every house and visited every - family, it was natural to believe that we should be beloved, and - accordingly we thought ourselves adored. Well! at the time of my exile - at the Cape of Good Hope, I was placed by a singular chance under the - guard of an inhabitant of Coblentz, who had witnessed the brilliant - moments of our emigration. I felt great pleasure in renewing the - subject with him. We could not have any secrets on that head to - conceal from one another; twenty-five years had elapsed. Well, then, - “you were not absolutely hated,” said he, “but our real affection was - reserved for your adversaries, for their cause was ours. Liberty had - slipped in among us through you. There, in the midst of you, even - before your eyes, we had formed clubs, and God knows how often we - laughed in them at your expense, &c.” And it happened to him more than - once, he assured me, when mingled with the crowd, which resounded with - acclamations as we passed, to shout with a considerable number of his - comrades, “Long live the French Princes, and may they drink a little - in the Rhine! You spoke of the reception we gave you,” said he, “it - was that which we gave to Custine, which you should have seen! There - you would have had an opportunity of appreciating our real sentiments. - We ran with enthusiasm to meet him: we crowned his soldiers; a great - number of us enlisted in his army, and several of them became - generals. As for me, I missed the opportunity of making my fortune.” - -“The appearance of the Duke of Brunswick at Coblentz, and the arrival of -the King of Prussia at the head of his troops, were subjects of great -joy and expectation to the whole of the emigrants. Heaven opens at -length before us! was our exclamation, and we are about to return to the -land of promise. It was, however, the opinion of persons of judgment and -experience, from the beginning, that our struggle would have the same -result as all those that resembled it in history, and that we should be -but instruments and pretexts for foreigners, who only pursued their -private interest, and entertained no feeling for us. - -“M. de Cazalès, whom a short time much improved, expressed himself to -that effect with much energy. We beheld, with delight, the Prussians, as -they filed off through the streets of Coblentz, on their march to our -frontiers. ‘Foolish boys,’ he exclaimed, ‘you admire, with enthusiasm, -those troops and all their train. You rejoice at their march; you ought -rather to shudder at it. For my own part, I should wish to see these -soldiers, to the last man of them, plunged in the Rhine. Wo be to them -who incite foreigners to invade their country! O my friends, the French -nobility will not survive this atrocity! They will have the affliction -of expiring far from the places of their birth. I am more guilty than -any other, for I see it, and yet I act like all the rest; but my only -excuse is that I cannot prevent the catastrophe. I repeat, wo to them -who call in foreigners against their country, and trust in them.’ - -“How oracular these last words! Facts would have speedily convinced us -of their truth, had we been less infatuated, or had the multitude been -capable of reasoning and acting with propriety; but we were destined to -enrich history with one of those lessons that are most entitled to the -meditation of mankind. We might be estimated at 20 or 25,000 men under -arms; and certainly, such a force, filled with ardour and devotion, -fighting for its own interests, maintaining an understanding with the -sympathetic elements of the interior, acting against a nation, shaken to -its foundation and convulsed by the agitation of new rights, not yet -established and but imperfectly understood, might be capable of striking -decisive blows. But it was not upon our strength, our success, our -activity, that the foreigners relied for the attainment of their views. -Accordingly, under the pretence of employing that influence and of -directing its operation, as they said, against several points at once, -they annihilated us by parcelling out our numbers, and by making, as it -were, prisoners of us in the middle of their different corps. In this -way, 6000 of us, under the Prince of Condé, were marched against Alsace; -4000, under the Duke of Bourbon were to act in Flanders, and from 12 to -15,000 continued in the centre, under command of the King’s two -brothers, to co-operate in the invasion of Champagne. - -“It had been the plan and wish of our Princes, that Monsieur, as heir to -the crown and the natural representative of Louis XVI., should, on -account of his captivity, proclaim himself Regent of the kingdom, the -moment he set foot on the French territory; that he should march with -his emigrants at the head of the expedition, and that the allies, in his -rear, should be considered only as auxiliaries. But the allies treated -the plan with derision, and confined us to a station at their tail, -under the orders and at the will and pleasure of the Generalissimo, -Brunswick, who caused us to be preceded by the most absurd of -manifestoes; from the ridicule and odium of which, however, he at least -saved us. - -“It is but just, however, to acknowledge that this treatment had not -escaped the foresight of some experienced and better advised heads among -us. They had accordingly suggested, it was said, in the Council of the -Princes, that we should throw ourselves, before the arrival of the -allies, on some point of France, and maintain a civil war there by -ourselves. Others more desperate, or more ardent, were of opinion that -we should nobly seize upon the states of the Elector of Treves, our -benefactor; occupy the town and fortress of Coblentz, and establish -there a central rallying point, or point of support, independent of the -Germanic body; and when we exclaimed against such perfidy and -ingratitude, their answer was:—‘Desperate evils called for desperate -remedies.’ It is impossible to say what might have been the result of -such resolutions, which were, however, more consistent with the bold -spirit of enterprize, that characterizes the present times, than with -the state of manners as they then existed. They were, therefore, -unattended to, and besides, the opportunity had slipped by; we were too -closely involved in the midst of foreigners; we were already in their -power, and our destiny was to be fulfilled!... - -“As for us who formed the multitude, we were far from foreseeing the -calamities that were to attend us. We began our march in high spirits. -There was not one of us who did not expect to be, in a fortnight from -that moment, at home, triumphant in the midst of his submissive, -humiliated, and increased vassals. Our confidence would not have endured -a single observation or doubt upon that head. Of this I am about to give -an instance, which though personal and very trifling in itself, will not -be the less characteristic with respect to us all. We were marching -through the city of Treves; one of my granduncles had, during the war of -the succession, been Governor for Louis XIV. while we retained -possession of it. I went to see his tomb, which is in a chapel, -belonging to the Carthusians of that town. The ardour of my youth and -the emotion of the moment determined me to erect a small monument to his -memory, with a superb inscription, suitable to the circumstances. I -entertained no doubt of executing my wish. The good friars were of a -different way of thinking; the prior wished me to arrange the matter -with the Abbé, a kind of bishop, and of German bishop. His reserve and -coldness, in spite of his numerous coats of arms, prepossessed me very -much against him, when I communicated my chivalrous project; but when, -after some circumlocution, he declared that under the present -circumstances ... prudence,—discretion,—if the French were to enter the -place—At these last words, my indignation was extreme; it was such that -I did not wait to utter a single word in reply. I instantly hurried -away, with a mingled laugh of contempt and anger, convinced that I had -left the most horrible Jacobin in existence behind me; and nothing but -my natural generosity and respect for my own character could have -prevented me calling in my comrades, who would have certainly pulled -down the chapel. But alas! the abbot saw farther than I did! Three weeks -had not elapsed before the republicans were in Treves, the poor abbé put -to flight, and the ashes of my good uncle profaned by the infidels. - -“But no sooner were we in full operation, no sooner had we set foot on -French ground, than it became no difficult matter, except in cases of -downright stupidity and blindness, to comprehend that it actually might -be just possible that we had been the dupes of our own folly. We found -ourselves in the midst of the Prussians, who fettered all our movements; -we could not take a step in advance, to the right or to the left, -without their permission, and they never granted it. Our subsistence, -all our resources, depended solely upon their will; we had the shame of -appearing as slaves on the soil where we aspired to reign. - -“As for our countrymen, instead of receiving us as their deliverers, as -we had been convinced they would, they only gave us proofs of dislike -and aversion. With the exception of a few country gentlemen or others -who joined us, the whole mass of the population fled at our approach; we -were treated as enemies, with the look of reproach and the stern silence -of reprobation. They seemed to say to us: ‘Do you not shudder then at -thus staining your country’s soil? Are you not Frenchmen by birth? Do -your hearts then make no appeal to you in favour of your native land? -You say you are wronged; but what wrong, what injury ever gave to a son -the right or the wish to tear open the bosom of his mother?... We are -told that in ancient times a fiery patrician, Coriolanus, was infamous -enough to fight against his country, but he had at least the merit of -uniting elevated sentiments with his furious passion; he came forward -with a victorious arm; he imposed his own conditions; _he_ was not -dragged along at the tail of barbarous foreigners; he commanded them, -and he also suffered himself to be moved to compassion. Can you be -unsusceptible of that tenderness, and do you not tremble at our -maledictions, which will be perpetuated on you by our children? At any -rate, whatever may be your success, it will not equal your -mortifications! You pretend to come for the purpose of governing, and -you will have brought your masters with you.’ - -“At Verdun and at Estain, we were quartered in the town. Some of my -comrades and myself were lodged in a handsome house, but all the -furniture and all the proprietors had disappeared, with the exception of -two very pretty young ladies, who put us in possession of it. This last -circumstance seemed a favourable omen, we took the opportunity of -remarking it to them, and were desirous of ingratiating ourselves by our -politeness and attentions. ‘Gentlemen,’ said one of the two amazons in -rather a sharp tone, ‘we have remained, because we have felt that we had -the courage to tell you, face to face, that our lovers are in arms -against you, and that they have our prayers at least as much as our -hearts.’ This was intelligible language; we wished for no more of it, -and even shifted our quarters to another house. - -“Be it as it may, we were at length in France, and in the rear of that -Prussian army, which pushed forward its brilliant successes, leaving us -three or four marches behind. And, whether their object was to turn us -into ridicule, because we had assured them that all the towns would -throw open their gates on our appearance, or to rid themselves of our -importunities, they charged us with the siege of Thionville. We made our -approaches, and, by a fantastical singularity, the marine corps found -itself precisely opposed to the national volunteers of Brest. When they -recognised each other, it is impossible to describe the volley of -invectives and insults that was instantly exchanged. - -“Thionville is, however, as it is known, one of the strongest places, -and we found the reduction of it impossible with our limited means, for -we were in want of every thing; and it absolutely required an important -negociation to obtain two 24-pounders from the Austrians at Luxembourg. -After a great deal of solicitation and hesitation, the two pieces were -at length brought in triumph, and it was with this formidable train, -that we summoned the place, and fired at night, in pure waste of powder, -some hundreds of cannon shot. On my return from emigration, having -fallen by chance into company with General de Wimphen, who commanded the -fortress, he asked me, ‘what could have been our intention, or the -meaning of the jest we had thus attempted to play off?’ ‘It was done, I -believe,’ said I, ‘because reliance was placed upon you.’ ‘But even had -that been the case,’ said he, ‘you still ought to have furnished me with -an excuse for surrendering; you could not expect that I should solicit -you to attack me.’ Every thing was on a proportionate scale: the -slightest sally spread confusion through all our forces; the most -trifling circumstance was an event with us; the cause was obvious; we -were unacquainted with every thing, and accordingly, setting courage -aside, I do not scruple to believe that a hundred picked men of the -Imperial guard would have routed the whole of our army. Happily, our -adversaries were as ignorant as ourselves, all were pigmies then, -although in a very short time giants were found every where. - -“Meanwhile we were extremely discontented with all this, under our -tents, and on our wretched straw; but _à la Française_, we found relief -in our gaiety; our ill humour evaporated in puns and jests. All our -principal officers had nicknames, there was not one, even to our -Commander in Chief, the venerable Marshal de Broglie, who escaped us, -and this puts me in mind of a circumstance, which gave rise to a -nickname for one of his lieutenants, which he never got rid of. Should -any of my comrades in the field ever read this, it may even now excite a -laugh. - -“At the moment of a sally, which, as usual, made us very uneasy, every -one pressed forward. We had two small pieces of cannon, which we had -bought, and which, for want of horses, were drawn by the officers of -artillery themselves.” “Well!” observed the Emperor, “I might myself -have been attached to these very pieces, and yet what different -combinations in our destinies and in those of the world! For it is -incontestable that I have given an impulse and direction to it, -emanating solely from myself. But go on.” - -“Sire, our two small pieces were rolling along the highway, when the -general officer of the day arrived at full gallop, and stopped with -indignation at the sight of our little cannon, as they were drawn -towards the fortress, breech foremost.—‘How’, exclaimed he, ‘are these -really gentlemen, who draw their cannon in this manner against the -enemy? And, if he were actually to present himself, how could you -contrive to fire upon him?’ He persisted in his blunder, refusing to -comprehend what the officers of artillery strove by every possible means -to explain; that such was the mode of proceeding every where, and that, -unless he had some new invention to communicate, there was no other mode -to be adopted. From that moment we dubbed him by a nickname, by which he -soon became universally known. - -“But all this burlesque was soon exchanged for what was serious in the -extreme; the scene shifted, as it were by magic, and our misfortunes -burst upon us in an instant. Whether from treachery, weakness, political -interest, or sickness in his army, from the real superiority of force, -or the mere dexterity of the French general, the King of Prussia entered -into secret negotiation with him, suddenly faced about, and, marching to -the frontier, evacuated the French territory. A most dreadful storm now -burst over our heads; words are inadequate to express the scandalous -treatment we experienced, as well as the just indignation, which could -not fail to animate every generous heart against our allies, the -Prussians. Our Princes degraded, disavowed, insulted, by them; our -equipages, our most necessary effects, even our linen, plundered; our -persons ill-used: and thus we were basely driven and thrust beyond the -frontiers by our friends, our allies!!! - -“For my part, sinking under the fatigue of too long marches in the mud, -and under torrents of rain; bending under a musquet and a load of -accoutrements, which did harm to no one but to myself, I took advantage -of my privilege as a volunteer, to leave the ranks, and effect my -retreat as well as I could. I proceeded as occasion served; I never -sought the common halting place; I took refuge in the nearest farm-yard, -and whether it was my own peculiar good fortune, or because the peasants -were in reality kind and not exasperated against us, I passed the -frontier without any unlucky accident. It was not until some time -afterwards that I was enabled to form a correct estimate of the whole -extent of the danger to which I had exposed myself, when I read, in the -papers, that from fifteen to eighteen of us, stragglers like myself, and -some of whom stood near me in the ranks, had been seized, dragged to -Paris, and executed in public, in a kind of auto-da-fé, and, as it were, -by way of expiation. - -“As soon as we were out of France, we received notice to disband, but -the intimation was superfluous, for that measure was rendered absolutely -indispensable by our wants, and the privation of every necessary. We -dispersed, each taking his own way at random, with despair and rage for -our companions. We travelled as fugitives, the greater part of the time -on foot, and some almost naked, over the scenes of our past splendour -and luxury; happy when the doors were not shut in our faces, when we did -not receive a brutal repulse! In a moment, we were officially driven -from every quarter; we were prohibited from residing in, or from -entering, all the neighbouring states; we were compelled to take refuge -in distant countries, and to exhibit, throughout Europe, the spectacle -of our miseries, which ought to have been a grand moral and political -lesson to the people, to the great, and to Kings. - -“The exploits of the French exacted, however, from foreigners, a cruel -expiation of the indignities with which they overwhelmed us; whilst, on -our part, we experienced a kind of consolation in seeing the honour of -the emigration take refuge in the army of Condé, which displayed itself -to public view, and inscribed itself in history, as a model of loyalty, -valour, and constancy. - -“Such, Sire, is that too celebrated era, that fatal determination, -which, with respect to a great number, can be considered only as the -delusion of youth and inexperience. None, however, but themselves, -possess the right of reproaching them with the error. The sentiments by -which they were actuated were so pure, so natural, so generous, that -they might even, were it necessary, derive honour from them; and these -dispositions, I must say, belonged to the mass of which we consisted, -and more particularly to that crowd of country gentlemen, who, -sacrificing all and expecting nothing, without fortune as well as -without hope, displayed a devotion truly heroic, because its only aim -was the performance of duties which they held to be sacred. In other -respects, our defect lay in our political education, which did not teach -us to distinguish our duties, and made us dedicate to the Prince alone -what belonged to the country at large. Accordingly, in future times, -when hostile passions shall be extinct, when no traces shall be left of -jarring interests or of party infatuation and fury, what was doubtful -with us will be positive and clear to others; what was excusable or even -allowable in us, who were situated between an ancient order of things -that was on the point of terminating, and a new one that was about to -commence, will be considered highly culpable in those possessing -established doctrines. Among them, the following will be held as -articles of faith:—1st. That the greatest of all crimes is the -introduction of a foreign power into the heart of one’s country. 2ndly. -That the sovereignty cannot be erratic, but that it is inseparable from -the territory, and remains attached to the mass of the citizens. 3rdly. -That the country cannot be transported abroad; but that it is immutable -and entire on the sacred soil which has given us birth, and which -contains the bones of our ancestors. Such are the grand maxims, and many -others besides, which will remain the offspring of our emigration; such -the great truths, which will be collected from our calamities!” - -“Very well!” exclaimed the Emperor, “very well! This is what is called -being free from prejudices! These are really philosophical views! And it -will be said of you, that you were enabled to convert to your advantage -the lessons of time and adversity.” - -“Sire, during our stay on board the Northumberland, and the leisure -hours of our passage, the English alluded more than once to this -delicate topic. Misled by the war, which they had carried on with fury -against us, as well as by the maxims with which the interest of the -moment filled their journals, even in opposition to their national -doctrines, they conversed about the merits of the emigration, and the -virtues they had witnessed: and condemned the nation for having resisted -it. But when the arguments became too complicated, or we were desirous -of putting a sudden stop to them, we gained our point with a single -word. We merely said to them:—‘Go back to the period of your own -Revolution; imagine James II. threatening you from the opposite shore -and under French banners: although surrounded by faithful subjects, what -would you have done? And if Louis XIV. had brought him back to London at -the head of 50,000 French, who should have afterwards maintained -garrisons in your country, what would have been your feelings?’—‘Ah!... -But ... Ah!...’ they exclaimed, endeavouring to find out some -difference, but not being able to discover it, they laughed, and were -silent.” “And in fact,” said the Emperor, “there was not a word to be -said in reply.” - -He then began to review, with his accustomed rapidity and talent, the -different subjects I had noticed, and stopped to reflect on the -absurdity, the inconsistency, the great mistake of our emigration, and -the real injuries that it had done to France, to the King, and to -ourselves. “You have established, and consecrated in political France,” -he observed, “a separation similar to that which the Catholics and -Protestants introduced into religious Europe; and to what calamities has -it not given rise! I had succeeded in destroying its results, but are -they not on the point of being revived?” He next developed the means -which he had employed to annihilate that plague, the precautions he had -been forced to adopt, and the effects which he had in view. How every -thing that fell from his tongue was changed in appearance!—how every -thing seemed magnified in my eyes in proportion as he discussed the -subject! “And,” he remarked, “a peculiar singularity in my situation was -that in the whole of those transactions I held the helm myself -constantly in the midst of rocks. Every one, judging according to his -own standard, attributed to passion, to simple prejudice, or to -littleness, what in me, however, was but the consequence of profound -views, of grand conceptions, and the most elevated state maxims. It -might have been said that I reigned only over pigmies with respect to -intellectual talent. I was comprehended by none. The national party felt -only jealousy and resentment at what they saw me do in favour of the -emigrants, and the latter, on their part, were persuaded that I sought -only to gain lustre by their assistance. Poor creatures!... - -“I obtained, however, my object, in spite of reciprocal infatuation and -prejudice, and I had the satisfaction of leaving every thing quiet in -port, when I launched out to sea in prosecution of my grand -enterprises.” - -Having mentioned, since my return to Europe, these expressions of -Napoleon’s to a great Officer of the Crown, who had often the honour of -conversing with him in private (Le Comte de S——), he related to me, in -his turn, a conversation precisely on the same subject. Its coincidence -with what has been just read is so very striking as to induce me to -insert it here. The Emperor said to him one day: “What, think you, is my -reason for endeavouring to have about me the great names of the ancient -monarchy?”—“Perhaps, Sire, for the splendour of your throne, and for the -purpose of keeping up certain appearances in the eyes of Europe.”—“Ah! -That is just like you, with your pride and your prejudices of rank! Well -then, learn, that my victories and my power are much better -recommendations for me in Europe than all your great names, and that my -apparent predilection for them does me a great deal of injury, and -renders me very unpopular at home. You attribute to narrow views what -arise from most extensive ones. I am engaged in renovating a society, a -nation, and the elements that I am obliged to employ are hostile to each -other. The nobility and the emigrants are but a point in the mass, and -that mass is inimical to them, and continues very much exasperated -against them; it hardly forgives me for having recalled them. For my own -part, I considered it as a duty: but if I suffer them to continue as a -body, they may one day be serviceable to foreign powers, prove injurious -to us, and subject themselves to great dangers. My object, then, is to -dissolve their union, and to render them independent of each other. If I -place some of them about my person, in the different branches of -administration, and in the army, it is for the purpose of consolidating -them with the mass, and of managing so as to reduce all classes into a -whole; for I am mortal, and if I should happen to leave you before that -fusion is accomplished, you would soon see what disasters would arise -from these heterogeneous parts, and the dreadful dangers of which -certain persons might become the victims! Thus, then, Sir, my views are -all connected with humanity and elevated political considerations, and, -in no respect, with vain and silly prejudices.” - -When I observed to the person who related this anecdote, how little we -were acquainted at the Tuileries with Napoleon’s real character, and the -great and excellent qualities of his soul and heart, he answered that, -for his own part, he had been personally more fortunate, and that he -would give me a proof of it, which he selected out of ten: “The Emperor -shewed himself, one day, in his Privy Council, very much incensed -against General La F——, whom he attacked with great severity, and whose -opinions and principles, he said, were capable of effecting the complete -dissolution of a state: becoming animated by degrees, he at length put -himself into a real passion. I was present as a member of the Council; I -had been recently admitted, and was little accustomed to the Emperor’s -manners, and, although stopped by the two members placed next to me, I -undertook to speak in defence of the accused, asserting that he had been -calumniated to the Sovereign, and that he lived quietly on his estate, -with personal opinions which were productive of no ill effect whatever. -The Emperor, still in a passion, resumed the charge for the purpose of -pressing it with vehemence; but after five or six words, he stopped -short, and addressing himself to me, said: ‘But he is your friend, Sir, -and you are right. I had forgotten that.—Let us speak of something -else.’ ‘And why,’ I asked, ‘did you not make us acquainted with all this -at the time?’—By a fatality which would seem to belong to Napoleon’s -atmosphere, whether from prejudice or otherwise, the impression on our -minds was that it could only be told to his intimate friends; for -whoever had said much about it would only have passed for a clumsy -romancer of a courtier, who told not what he believed to be true, but -what he conceived best suited to obtain favour and rewards.” - -Since I have mentioned this great Officer of the Crown, who is no less -distinguished by the graces of his mind and the amenity of his manners -than by his exalted character, I shall notice one of his answers to -Napoleon, remarkable for its ingenious and delicate flattery. The -Emperor, at one of his levees, having been obliged to wait some time for -his appearance, attacked him on his arrival, openly, in the presence of -all. It happened to be precisely at the time when five or six Kings (and -among others, those of Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurtemberg), were at Paris. -“Sire,” replied the culprit, “I have, no doubt, a million of excuses to -make to your Majesty, but at this time, one is not at perfect liberty to -go through the streets as one pleases. I just now had the misfortune to -get into a _crowd of kings_, from which I found it impossible to -extricate myself sooner. This, Sire, was the cause of my delay.” Every -one smiled, and the Emperor contented himself with saying, in a softened -tone of voice: “Whatever, Sir, may be the cause, take proper precautions -for the future, and above all, never make me wait again.” - - NAPOLEON’S SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY.—PUBLIC SPIRIT - OF THE TIME.—EVENTS OF THE 10TH OF AUGUST. - -3rd.—The weather is somewhat improved; the Emperor attempted to take a -walk in the garden. General Bingham and the Colonel of the 53d requested -to see the Emperor, who kept them rather long. The appearance of the -Governor put us all to flight. General Bingham disappeared, and, for our -part, we went to the wood, for the purpose of keeping away from the -spot. - -The Emperor, during his walk, conversed a great deal about a journey -which he took to Burgundy in the beginning of the Revolution. This he -calls his _Sentimental Journey_ to Nuitz. He supped there with his -comrade Gassendi, at that time captain in the same regiment, and who was -advantageously married to the daughter of a physician of the place. The -young traveller soon remarked the difference of political opinion -between the father and son-in-law; Gassendi, the gentleman, was, of -course, an aristocrat, and the physician a flaming patriot. The latter -found in the strange guest a powerful auxiliary, and was so delighted -with him that the following day at dawn he paid him a visit of -acknowledgment and sympathy. The appearance of a young officer of -artillery, with good logical reasoning and a ready tongue, was, observed -the Emperor, a valuable and rare accession to the place. It was easy for -the traveller to perceive that he made a favourable impression. It was -Sunday, and hats were taken off to him from one end of the street to the -other. His triumph, however, was not without a check. He went to sup at -the house of a Madame Maret or Muret, where another of his comrades, -V——, seemed to be comfortably established. Here the aristocracy of the -canton were accustomed to meet, although the mistress was but the wife -of a wine-merchant, but she had great property and the most polished -manners; she was, said the Emperor, the duchess of the place. All the -gentlefolks of the vicinity were to be found there. The young officer -was caught, as he remarked, in a real wasp-nest, and it was necessary -for him to fight his way out again. The contest was unequal. In the very -heat of the action, the mayor was announced. “I believed him to be an -assistant sent to me by Heaven in the critical moment, but he was the -worst of all my opponents. I see this villanous fellow now before me in -his fine Sunday clothes, fat and bloated, in an ample scarlet coat; he -was a miserable animal. I was happily extricated by the generosity of -the mistress of the house, perhaps from a secret sympathy of opinion. -She unceasingly parried with her wit the blows which were dealt at me; -and was a protecting shield on which the enemy’s weapons struck in vain. -She guarded me from every kind of wound, and I have always retained a -pleasing recollection of the services I received from her in that sort -of skirmish. - -“The same diversity of opinions,” said the Emperor, “was then to be met -with in every part of France. In the saloons, in the streets, on the -highways, in the taverns, every one was ready to take part in the -contest, and nothing was easier than for a person to form an erroneous -estimate of the influence of parties and opinions, according to the -local situation in which he was placed. Thus a patriot might easily be -deceived, when in the saloons, or among an assembly of officers, where -the majority was decidedly against him; but, the instant he was in the -street, or among the soldiers, he found himself in the midst of the -entire nation. The sentiments of the day succeeded even in making -proselytes among the officers themselves, particularly after the -celebrated oath to the Nation, the Law, and the King. Until that time,” -continued the Emperor, “had I received an order to point my cannon -against the people, I have no doubt, that custom, prejudice, education, -and the name of the King, would have induced me to obey; but, the -national oath once taken, this would have ceased, and I should have -acknowledged the nation only. My natural propensities thenceforth -harmonized with my duties, and happily accorded with all the metaphysics -of the Assembly. The patriotic officers, however, it must be allowed, -constituted but the smaller number; but with the soldiers, as a lever, -they led the regiment and imposed the law. The comrades of the opposite -party, and the officers themselves, had recourse to us in every critical -moment. I remember, for instance, having rescued from the fury of the -populace a brother officer, whose crime consisted in singing from the -windows of our dining-room the celebrated ballad _O Richard! O mon Roi!_ -I had little notion then that that air would one day be proscribed in -the same manner on my account. Just so, on the 10th of August, when I -saw the palace of the Tuileries stormed and the person of the King -seized, I was certainly very far from thinking that I should replace -him, and that that palace would be my place of residence.” - -In dwelling upon the events of the 10th of August, he said: “I was, -during that horrible epoch, at Paris, in lodgings in the Rue du Mail, -Place des Victoires. On hearing the sound of the tocsin, and the news of -the assault upon the Tuileries, I ran to the Carousel, to the house of -Fauvelet, the brother of Bourrienne, who kept an upholsterer’s shop. He -had been my comrade at the military school of Brienne. It was from that -house, which, by the by, I was never afterwards able to find, in -consequence of the great alterations made there, that I had a good view -of all the circumstances of the attack. Before I reached the Carousel, I -had been met by a group of hideous-looking men, carrying a head at the -end of a pike. Seeing me decently dressed, with the look of a gentleman, -they called upon me to shout _Vive la Nation!_ which, as it may be -easily believed, I did without hesitation. - -“The palace was attacked by the vilest rabble. The King had -unquestionably for his defence as many troops as the Convention -afterwards had on the 13th Vendémiaire, and the enemies of the latter -were much better disciplined and more formidable. The greater part of -the national guard shewed themselves favourable to the King; this -justice is due to them.” - -Here the Grand Marshal observed “that he actually belonged to one of the -battalions which manifested the most determined devotion. He was several -times on the point of being massacred as he returned alone to his -residence.” We remarked, on our part, that in general the national guard -of Paris had constantly displayed the virtues of its class; the love of -order, attachment to authority, the dread of plunder, and the -detestation of anarchy; and that also was the Emperor’s opinion. - -“The palace being forced, and the King having repaired to the Assembly,” -continued he, “I ventured to penetrate into the garden. Never since has -any of my fields of battle given me the idea of so many dead bodies, as -I was impressed with by the heaps of the Swiss; whether the smallness of -the place seemed to increase the number, or because it was the result of -the first impression I ever received of that kind. I saw well dressed -women commit the grossest indecencies on the dead bodies of the Swiss. I -went through all the coffee-houses in the neighbourhood of the Assembly; -the irritation was every where extreme; fury was in every heart and -shewed itself in every countenance, although the persons thus enflamed -were far from belonging to the class of the populace; and all these -places must necessarily have been frequented daily by the same visitors: -for, although I had nothing particular in my dress, or perhaps it was -because my countenance was more calm, it was easy for me to perceive -that I excited many hostile and distrustful looks, as some one who was -unknown or suspected.” - -MASKED BALLS.—MADAME DE MÉGRIGNY.—PIEDMONT AND THE PIEDMONTESE.—CANALS - OF FRANCE.—PLANS RESPECTING PARIS.—VERSAILLES.—FONTAINEBLEAU, &C. - -4th.—The weather was much improved. The Emperor ordered his calash, and -walked a good way until it took him up. - -The conversation turned upon masked balls, which the Emperor was -peculiarly fond of and frequently ordered. He was then always sure of a -certain meeting which never failed to take place. He was, he said, -regularly accosted every year by the same mask, who reminded him of old -intimacies, and ardently entreated to be received and admitted at Court. -The mask was a most amiable, kind, and beautiful woman, to whom many -persons were certainly much indebted. The Emperor, who continued to love -her, always answered;—“I do not deny that you are charming, but reflect -a little upon your situation; be your own judge and decide. You have two -or three husbands, and children by several of your lovers. It would have -been thought a happiness to have shared in the first fault; the second -would have caused pain, but still it might be pardoned; but the -sequel—and then, and then!... Fancy yourself the Emperor and judge; what -would you do in my place, I who am bound to revive and maintain a -certain decorum.” The beautiful suitor either did not reply, or -said:—“At least do not deprive me of hope;” and deferred her claims of -happiness to the following year. And each of us,” said the Emperor, “was -punctual at the new meeting.” - -The Emperor took great pleasure in getting himself insulted at these -balls. He laughed heartily at the house of Cambacérès one day, on being -told by a Madame de St. D——, “that there were people at the ball who -ought to be turned out, and that they certainly could not have got -admittance without stolen tickets.” - -Another time, he forced the tender and timid Madame de Mégrigny to rise -and retire in anger, and with tears in her eyes, complaining that the -freedom, allowed at a masked ball, had, in her case, been sadly abused. -The Emperor had just put her in mind of a very remarkable favour, which -he had formerly granted to her, and added that every one supposed she -had paid for it by granting him the lord’s right. “But there was,” said -the Emperor, “nobody but myself who could say so, without insulting her; -because, although such was the report, I was certain of its falsehood.” -The following is an account of the circumstance. - -When the Emperor was on his way to be crowned at Milan, he slept at -Troyes. The authorities were presented to him; and with them was a young -lady, on the point of being married, with a petition, intreating his -protection and assistance. As the Emperor was, besides, desirous of -doing something which might produce a good effect, and prove agreeable -to the country, the circumstance appeared favourable, and he took -advantage of it with all imaginable grace. The young lady (Madame de -Mégrigny) belonged to the first families of this province, but had been -completely ruined by the emigration. She had scarcely returned to the -miserable abode of her parents, when a page arrived with the Emperor’s -decree, which put them in possession of an income of 30,000 francs or -more. The effect of such a proceeding may be well imagined. However, as -the young lady was very charming and perfectly handsome, it was decided -that her fascinations had some share in his gallantry, although he left -the town a few hours afterwards, and never thought more of the thing; -but the general opinion was not a jot altered on that account. It is -well known how stories are formed; and as she married one of his -equerries, and had consequently come to Court, all this had been so well -mingled together that, when she was afterwards appointed sub-governess -to the King of Rome, the choice shocked, for a moment, the austere -Madame de Montesquiou, who suspected, said the Emperor, that it was but -a mere arrangement. - -The Emperor said that he renewed at Turin, in the person of Madame de -Lascaris, the gracious gallantry exercised at Troyes; and that, in both -instances, he had reason to be gratified with the results of his -liberality. The two families gave proofs of attachment and gratitude. - -We enquired what might have been the sentiments of Piedmont with regard -to himself. He had, he said, a particular affection for that province. -M. de Saint-Marsan, on whose fidelity he relied to the end, had assured -him, at the period of our reverses, that the country would shew itself -one of his best provinces. - -“In fact,” continued the Emperor, “the Piedmontese do not like to be a -small state; their King was a real feudal lord, whom it was necessary to -court, or to dread: He had more power and authority than I, who, as -Emperor of the French, was but a supreme magistrate, bound to see the -laws executed, and unable to dispense with them. Had I it in my power to -prevent the arrest of a courtier for debt? Could I have put a stop to -the regular action of the laws, no matter upon whom they operated?” - -During the conversation at dinner, the Emperor inquired whether the -quantity of river water flowing into the Mediterranean and the Black Sea -had been calculated. This led him to express a wish that a calculation -of the fluvial water of Europe should be made, and that the proportion -contributed by each valley and each stream, should be ascertained. He -regretted much that he had not proposed this series of scientific -questions. This was, he observed, his grand system. Did any useful, -curious or interesting idea suggest itself to him: “I proposed, at my -levees, or in my familiar communications, analogous questions to my -Members of the Institute, with orders to resolve them. The solution -became the subject of public inquiry; it was analyzed, contested, -adopted or rejected; and there is nothing which cannot be accomplished -in this way. It is the grand lever of improvement for a great nation, -possessing a great deal of intelligence, and a great deal of knowledge.” - -The Emperor also observed on this subject, that geography had never been -so successfully cultivated as at present, and that his expeditions had -contributed somewhat to its improvement. He afterwards noticed the -canals, which he had caused to be made in France, and particularly -mentioned that from Strasburg to Lyons, in which, he hoped sufficient -progress had been made to induce others to complete it. He thought that, -out of thirty millions, twenty-four must have been already expended. - -“Communications are now established in the interior from Bordeaux to -Lyons and Paris. I had constructed a great number of canals, and -projected a great many more.” One of us having observed that a proposal -for the construction of a very useful canal had been submitted to the -Emperor, but that measures had been taken to deceive him, for the -purpose of preventing his acceptance of the offer: “Without doubt,” said -the Emperor, “the plan must have appeared advantageous only on paper; -but I suppose it would have been necessary to advance money, which was -drawn from me with difficulty.”—No, Sire, the refusal was but the effect -of an intrigue. Your Majesty was deceived.”—“It was impossible, with -respect to such a subject. You speak without sufficient -information.”—“But I am confident of it. I was acquainted with the plan, -the offers and the subscribers; my relations had put down their names -for considerable sums. The object was the union of the Meuse with the -Marne. The length of the canal would have been less than seven -leagues.”—“But you do not tell us all; it was, perhaps, required that I -should grant immense national forests in the environs, which I should -not have agreed to.”—“No, Sire, the whole was an intrigue of your Board -of Bridges and Roads.”—“But even then, it was necessary for them to -allege some reasons, some appearance of public interest. What reasons -did they assign?”—“Sire, that the profits would have been too -considerable.”—“But in that case the plan ought to have been submitted -to me in person, and I would have carried it into execution. I repeat, -that you are not justified by the facts; you are speaking now to a man -upon the very subject which constantly engaged his attention. The Board -of Bridges and Roads were, on their part, never better pleased than when -they were employed. There never was an individual who proposed the -construction of a bridge that was not taken at his word. If he asked for -a toll for twenty-five years, I was disposed to grant him one for -thirty. If it cost me nothing, it was a matter of indifference whether -it would prove useful. It was still a capital with which I enriched the -soil. Instead of rejecting proposals for canals, I eagerly courted them. -But, my dear Sir, there are no two things that resemble each other so -little as the conversation of a saloon, and the consideration of an -Administrative Council. The projector is always right in a saloon; his -projects would be magnificent and infallible, if he were listened to, -and if he can, by some little contrivance, but connect the refusal under -which he suffers with some bottles of wine, with some intrigue carried -on by a wife or a mistress, the romance is complete, and that is what -you probably heard. But an Administrative Council is not to be managed -so, because it comes to no decision but on facts and accurate -measurement. What is the canal you mentioned? I cannot be unacquainted -with it.”—“Sire, from the Meuse to the Marne, a distance of seven -leagues only.”—“Very well! my dear Sir, it is from the Meuse to the -Aisne you mean, and it would have been less than seven leagues. I shall -soon recollect all about it; there is, however, but one little -difficulty to overcome, and that is that at this very instant it is -doubtful whether the project be practicable. There, as in other places, -Hippocrates says _yes_, and Galen says _no_. Tarbé maintained that it -was impossible, and denied that there was a sufficiency of water at the -point where it was to commence. I repeat, that you are speaking to him, -who, of all others was the most attentive to these objects, more -especially in the environs of Paris. It was the constant subject of my -thoughts to render Paris the real capital of Europe. I sometimes wished -it, for instance, to become a city with a population of two, three, or -four millions, in short, something fabulous, colossal, unexampled until -our days, and with public establishments suitable to its population.” - -Some one having then observed that, if Heaven had allowed the Emperor to -reign sixty years, as it had Louis XIV., he would have left many grand -monuments: “Had Heaven but granted me twenty years, and a little more -leisure,” resumed the Emperor with vivacity, “ancient Paris would have -been sought for in vain; not a trace of it would have been left, and I -should have changed the face of France. Archimedes promised to do any -thing, provided he had a resting place for his lever; I should have done -as much, wherever I could have found a point of support for my energy, -my perseverance, and my budgets; a world might be created with budgets. -I should have displayed the difference between a constitutional Emperor -and a King of France. The Kings of France have never possessed any -administrative or municipal institution. They have merely shown -themselves great Lords who were ruined by their men of business. - -“The nation itself has nothing in its character and its tastes but what -is transitory and perishable. Every thing is done for the gratification -of the moment and of caprice, nothing for duration.... That is our -motto, and it is exemplified by our manners in France. Every one passes -his life in doing and undoing; nothing is ever left behind. Is it not -unbecoming that Paris should not possess even a French theatre, or an -Opera house, in any respect worthy of its high claims? - -“I have often set myself against the feasts which the city of Paris -wished to give me. They consisted of dinners, balls, artificial -fire-works, at an expense of four, six, or eight hundred thousand -francs; the preparations for which obstructed the public for several -days, and which afterwards cost as much for their removal as they had -for their construction. I proved that, with these idle expenses, they -might have erected lasting and magnificent monuments. - -“One must have gone through as much as I have, in order to be acquainted -with all the difficulty of doing good. If the business related to -chimneys, partitions, and furniture for some individuals in the imperial -palaces, the work was quickly accomplished; but if it was necessary to -lengthen the garden of the Tuileries, to render some quarters wholesome, -to cleanse some sewers, and to perform a task beneficial to the public, -in which particular persons had no direct interest, I found it requisite -to exert all the energy of my character, to write six, ten letters a -day, and to get into a downright passion. It was in this way that I laid -out as much as thirty millions in sewers, for which no body will ever -thank me. I pulled down a property worth seventeen millions in houses in -front of the Tuileries, for the purpose of forming the Carousel, and -throwing open the Louvre. What I did is immense; what I had resolved to -do and what I had projected was much more so.” - -A person then remarked that the Emperor’s labours had not been limited -either to Paris or to France, but that almost every city in Italy -exhibited traces of his creative powers. Wherever one travelled, at the -foot as well as on the top of the Alps, in the sands of Holland, on the -banks of the Rhine, Napoleon, always Napoleon, was to be seen. - -In consequence of this remark, he observed that he had determined on -draining the Pontine marshes. “Cæsar,” he said, “was about to undertake -it, when he perished.” Then reverting to France; “The kings, he said, -had too many country-houses and useless objects. Any impartial historian -will be justified in blaming Louis XIV. for his excessive and idle -expenditure at Versailles, involved as he was in wars, taxes, and -calamities. He exhausted himself for the purpose of forming after all -but a bastard town.” The Emperor then analyzed the advantages of an -administrative city, that is to say, calculated for the union of the -different branches of administration, and they seemed to him truly -problematical. - -The Emperor did not conceal his opinion that the capital was not, at -times, a fit residence for the sovereign; but, in another point of view, -Versailles was not suitable to the great, the ministers, and the -courtiers. Louis XIV. therefore committed a blunder, if he undertook to -build Versailles solely for the residence of the kings, when Saint -Germain was, in every respect, ready for the purpose; Nature seemed to -have made it expressly for the real residence of the kings of France. -Napoleon himself had committed faults in that respect: for it was not -right he said to praise himself for all that had been done in this way. -He ought, for instance, to have given up Compiegne, and he regretted -having celebrated his marriage there instead of selecting Fontainebleau. -“That,” said he, referring to Fontainebleau, “is the real abode of -kings, the house of ages; it is not, perhaps, strictly speaking, an -architectural palace; but it is, unquestionably, well calculated and -perfectly suitable. It was certainly the most commodious and the most -happily situated in Europe for a sovereign.” - -He then took a review of the capitals he had visited, of the palaces he -had seen, and claimed a decided superiority in our favour. -Fontainebleau, he further added, was also, at the same time, the most -suitable political and military situation. The Emperor reproached -himself with the sums he had expended on Versailles, but yet it was, he -said, necessary to prevent it from falling into ruin. The demolition of -a considerable part of that palace was a subject of consideration, -during the Revolution; it was proposed to take away the centre, and thus -to separate the two wings. “It would have been of essential service to -me,” he observed; “for nothing is so expensive or so truly useless as -this multitude of palaces: and if, nevertheless, I undertook that of the -King of Rome, it was because I had views peculiar to myself; and -besides, in reality, I never thought of doing more than preparing the -ground. There I should have stopped.[5] - -Footnote 5: - - All the world knows, or ought to have known (if, by a fatality, - altogether peculiar to Napoleon, the greater part of his most - commendable actions had not been, at the time, stifled under the - weight of malignity and libels), the history of that miserable hut, - enclosed within the circuit of the palace of the King of Rome; the - proprietor of which demanded successively ten, twenty, fifty, and one - hundred times its real value. When he had reached that ridiculous - price, the Emperor, whose directions on that point were taken, - suddenly commanded a stop to be put to the bargain, exclaiming that - that wretched stall, amidst all the magnificence of the palace of the - King of Rome, would be, after all, the vineyard of Naboth, the most - decisive testimony of his justice, the noblest trophy of his reign. - -“My errors, in disbursements of this kind, could not, after all, be very -great. They were, thanks to my budgets, observed and necessarily -corrected every year, and could never exceed a small part of the expense -occasioned by the original fault.” - -The Emperor assured us that he experienced every possible difficulty in -making his system of budgets intelligible, and in carrying it into -execution. Whenever a plan to the amount of thirty millions, which -suited me, was proposed; Granted, was my answer, but to be completed in -twenty years, that is to say, at a million and a half francs a-year. So -far, all went on very smoothly; but what am I to get, I added, for my -first year? For if my expenditure is to be divided into parts, it is, -however, my determination to have the result, the work, as far as it -goes, entire and complete. In this manner, I wished at first for a -recess, an apartment, no matter what, but something perfect, for my -million and a half of francs. The architects seemed resolved not to -comprehend my meaning; it narrowed their expansive views and their grand -effects. They would, at once, have willingly erected a whole façade, -which must have remained for a long time useless, and thus involved me -in immense disbursements, which, if interrupted, would have swallowed up -every thing. - -“It was in this manner, which was peculiar to myself, and in spite of so -many political and military obstacles, that I executed so many -undertakings. I had collected furniture belonging to the Crown, to the -amount of forty millions, and plate worth at least, four millions. How -many palaces have I not repaired? Perhaps, too many; I return to that -subject. Thanks to my mode of acting, I was enabled to inhabit -Fontainebleau within one year after the repairs were begun, and it cost -me no more than 5 or 600,000 francs. If I have since expended six -millions on it, that was done in six years. It would have cost me much -more in the course of time. My principal object was to make the expense -light and imperceptible, and to give durability to the work. - -“During my visits to Fontainebleau,” said the Emperor, “from 12 to 1500 -persons were invited and lodged, with every convenience; upwards of 3000 -might be entertained at dinner, and this cost the Sovereign very little, -in consequence of the admirable order and regularity established by -Duroc. More than twenty or five-and-twenty Princes, Dignitaries, or -Ministers, were obliged to keep their households there. - -“I disapproved the building of Versailles; but in my ideas respecting -Paris, and they were occasionally gigantic, I thought of making it -useful and of converting it, in the course of time, into a kind of -fauxbourg, an adjacent site, a point of view from the grand capital; -and, for the purpose of more effectually appropriating it to that end, I -had conceived a plan, of which I had a description sketched out. - -“It was my intention to expel from its beautiful groves those nymphs, -the productions of a wretched taste, and those ornaments _à la -Turcaret_, and to replace them by panoramas, in masonry, of all the -capitals, into which we had entered victorious, and of all the -celebrated battles, which had shed lustre on our arms. It would have -been a collection of so many eternal monuments of our triumphs and our -national glory, placed at the gate of the capital of Europe, which -necessarily could not fail of being visited by the rest of the world.” -Here he suddenly left off, and began reading Le Distrait, but he almost -instantly laid it aside, whether from the agitation of his own thoughts, -or from a nervous cough, with which he had, for a short time, been often -affected after dinner. He certainly gets considerably worse, and his -health is altogether declining. - -PLAN OF A HISTORY OF EUROPE.—SELIM III.—FORCES OF A TURKISH SULTAN.—THE - MAMELUKES.—ON THE REGENCY. - -5th.—The Emperor did not go out until after five o’clock. He was in -pain, and had taken a bath, where he remained too long, in consequence -of the arrival of Sir H. Lowe, as he would not leave it until the -Governor was gone. - -The Emperor had been reading, while in the bath, the Ottoman History, in -two volumes. He had conceived the idea, and regretted that he had been -unable to execute it, of having all the histories of Europe, from the -time of Louis XIV., composed from the documents belonging to our office -for Foreign Affairs, where the regular official reports of all the -ambassadors are deposited. - -“My reign,” he observed, “would have been a perfect epoch for that -object. The superiority of France, its independence, and regeneration, -enabled the then government to publish such matters without -inconvenience. It would have been like publishing ancient history. -Nothing could have been more valuable.” - -He next adverted to Sultan Selim III., to whom, he said, he once wrote: -“Sultan, come forth from thy seraglio; place thyself at the head of thy -troops, and renew the glorious days of thy monarchy.” - -“Selim, the Louis XVI. of the Turks,” said the Emperor, “who was very -much attached and very favourable to us, contented himself with -answering, that the advice would have been excellent for the first -Princes of his dynasty; but that the manners of those times were very -different; and that such a conduct would, at present, be unseasonable, -and altogether useless.” - -The Emperor added, however, that nobody knew how to calculate, with -certainty, the energy of the sudden burst, which might be produced by a -Sultan of Constantinople, who was capable of placing himself at the head -of his people, of infusing new spirit into them, and of exciting that -fanatical multitude to action. At a later period, he observed, that, for -his own part, if he had been able to unite the Mamelukes with his -French, he should have considered himself the master of the world. “With -that chosen handful, and the rabble,” he added, with a smile, “recruited -on the spot, to be expended in the hour of need, I know nothing that -could have resisted me. Algiers trembled at it. - -“‘But should your Sultan,’ said, one day, the Dey of Algiers to the -French Consul, ‘ever take it into his head to pay us a visit, what -safety could we hope for? For he has defeated the Mamelukes.’ The -Mamelukes,” observed the Emperor, “were, in fact, objects of veneration -and terror throughout the East; they were looked upon as invincible -until our time.” - -The Emperor, while waiting for dinner in the midst of us, opened a book, -which lay at his side on the couch; it was the Regency. He stigmatized -it as one of the most abominable eras of our annals: and was vexed that -it had been described with the levity of the age, and not with the -severity of history. It had been strewed with the flowers of fashionable -life, and set off with the colouring of the Graces, instead of having -been treated with rigorous justice. The Regency, he observed, had been, -in reality, the reign of the depravity of the heart, of the libertinism -of the mind, and of the most radical immorality of every species. It was -such, he said, that he believed all the horrors and abominations with -which the manners of the Regent were reproached in the bosom of his own -family; while he did not give credit to the stories told of Louis XV., -who, although plunged in the foulest and most frightful debauchery, -afforded, however, no grounds to justify his belief in such shocking and -monstrous indulgencies; and he vindicated him very satisfactorily from -certain imputations, which would have seriously affected the person of -one of his (Napoleon’s) former aides-de-camp. He considered the epoch of -the Regent to have been the overthrow of every kind of property, the -destruction of public morals. Nothing had been held sacred either in -manners or in principles. The Regent was personally overwhelmed with -infamy. In the affair of the legitimate Princes, he had exhibited the -most abject baseness, and committed a great abuse of authority. The King -alone could authorize such a decision, and he, the Regent, had felt -pleasure in gratuitously dishonouring himself in the person of his wife, -the natural daughter of Louis XIV., whom he had found it his interest, -however, to marry, while that King was on the throne. - -6th.—As we wished to try the tent, which was just finished, the table -was laid there, and we invited the English officers, who had -superintended the work, to breakfast with us. - -The Emperor sent for me to his apartment; he dressed himself, and, when -he went out, I accompanied him to the bottom of the wood, where we -walked for some time. He entered into the discussion of some important -subjects. - -The Emperor returned to the calash for the purpose of ordering it to be -in readiness, and we resumed our walk, until it took us up. On our -return, the Emperor visited the tent, and said a few words, expressive -of his satisfaction to the officer and seamen who were employed in -putting the last hand to it. - -CAMPAIGNS OF ITALY, &C.—EPOCH OF 1815, &C.—GUSTAVUS III.—GUSTAVUS - IV.—BERNADOTTE.—PAUL I. - -7th.—After breakfasting in the tent, the Emperor took a fancy to review -some chapters of the Campaigns in Italy: he sent for my son, whose foot -was at length mending, and whose eyes were much better. He finished the -chapters of Pavia and Leghorn. He afterwards walked towards the bottom -of the wood, having ordered the carriage to follow. On the way, the -Emperor said that he considered the Campaigns of Italy and Egypt as -completely finished, and in a fit state to be given to the public, and -it would, no doubt, he remarked, be a very agreeable present to the -French and Italians; it was the record of their glory and their rights. -He did not think, however, that he ought to put his name to it; and he -repeated that the different epochs of his memoirs would perpetuate those -of his faithful companions. - -On the arrival of the calash, the conversation, continuing on the same -subject, he was earnestly pressed to finish 1815; and its importance, -interest, and results, were warmly canvassed. “Very well!” said he, with -a smile, “I must give myself up to it entirely; it is a pleasure to be -encouraged; but it is also requisite to go to work with a proper temper. -We are surfeited here with disgust and trickery; we seem to be envied -the air we breathe.” - -He returned to his apartment, and I followed him, when a conversation -peculiarly interesting and remarkable took place. It related to Gustavus -III., to Sweden, to Russia, to Gustavus IV., to Bernadotte, to Paul I., -&c. - -I have said that, at Aix-la-Chapelle, Gustavus III. lived among us as a -private individual under the name of Count de Haga. He constituted the -charm of society, by the vivacity of his wit and the interest he -imparted to his conversation. I had heard from his own mouth his famous -Revolution of 1772, and I was in the happiest situation to obtain a -thorough knowledge of that epoch of the history of Sweden. I was, at the -same time, very well acquainted with a Baron de Sprengporten, who, after -having displayed great zeal for Gustavus, had the misfortune to remove -to Russia, and to return at the head of foreigners to fight against his -country. The consequence was that sentence of death had been passed upon -him in Sweden. He was also at Aix-la-Chapelle at the moment, and had -banished himself from it, out of courtesy, he said, on the arrival of -Gustavus. He had not, however, removed farther off than half a league, -so that all I heard the King say in the evening was controverted, -modified, or confirmed for me the next morning at breakfast by the -Baron. He had enjoyed a very considerable share of that Prince’s -confidence, and he communicated the most numerous and minute -particulars, as positive facts, respecting the romance of the birth of -Gustavus IV., who had been represented as altogether unconnected by -blood with Gustavus III., according to his full knowledge and his own -desire. - -The Emperor observed that this same Sprengporten had been actually sent -to him as envoy by Paul, at the time of his Consulate. With respect to -Gustavus IV., he said that that Prince had, on his appearance in the -world, announced himself as a hero, and had terminated his career merely -as a madman, and that he had distinguished himself in his early days by -some very remarkable traits. While yet a boy, he had insulted Catharine -by the refusal of her grand-daughter, at the moment even when that great -Empress seated on her throne, and surrounded by her Court, waited only -for him to celebrate the marriage ceremony. - -At a later period, he had insulted Alexander, in no less marked a -manner, by refusing, after Paul’s catastrophe, to suffer one of the new -Emperor’s officers to enter his dominions, and by answering, to the -official complaints addressed to him on this subject, that Alexander -ought not to be displeased that he, Gustavus, who still mourned the -assassination of his father, should shut the entrance of his States -against one of those, accused by the public voice of having immolated -his (Alexander’s). - -“On my accession to the sovereignty,” said the Emperor, “he declared -himself my great antagonist; it might have been supposed that nothing -short of renewing the exploits of the great Gustavus Adolphus would have -satisfied him. He ran over the whole of Germany, for the purpose of -stirring up enemies against me. At the time of the catastrophe of the -Duke d’Enghien, he swore to avenge it in person; and at a later period, -he insolently sent back the black eagle to the King of Prussia, because -the latter had accepted my legion of honour. - -“His fatal moment at length arrived; a conspiracy, of no common kind, -tore him from the throne and banished him from his country. The -unanimity evinced against him is, no doubt, a proof of the blunders -which he had committed. I am ready to admit that he was inexcusable and -even mad, but it is, notwithstanding, extraordinary and unexampled that, -in that crisis, not a single sword was drawn in his defence, whether -from affection, from gratitude, from virtuous feeling, or even from -stupidity, if you please; and truly, it is a circumstance which does -little honour to the atmosphere of Kings.” - -This Prince, tossed about and deceived by the English, who wished to -make him their instrument, and repulsed by his relatives, seemed -determined to renounce the world, and, as if he had felt his existence -disgraced by his contempt of mankind and his disgust at things, he -voluntarily lost himself altogether in the crowd. - -The Emperor said that, after the battle of Leipsic, he had been informed -on the part of Gustavus, that he had no doubt been his enemy a long -time; but that, for a long time, he (Napoleon) was of all others the -sovereign of whom he had the least to complain, and that, for a long -time also, his only sentiments with regard to him were those of -admiration and sympathy; that his actual misfortunes permitted him to -express his feelings without restraint; that he offered to be his -Aide-de-camp, and requested an asylum in France.[6] “I was affected,” -observed the Emperor; “but I soon reflected that if I received him, my -dignity would be pledged to make exertions in his favour. Besides, I no -longer ruled the world, and then common minds would not fail to discover -in the interest I took for him, an impotent hatred against Bernadotte; -finally, Gustavus had been dethroned by the voice of the people, and it -was the voice of the people by which I had been elevated. In taking up -his cause, I should have been guilty of inconsistency in my own conduct, -and have acted upon discordant principles. In short, I dreaded lest I -should render affairs more complicated than they were, and silenced my -feelings of generosity. I caused him to be answered that I appreciated -what he offered me, and that I was sensible of it, but that the -political interest of France did not allow me to indulge in my private -feelings, and that it even imposed upon me the painful task of refusing, -for the moment, the asylum which he asked; that he would, however, -greatly deceive himself, if he supposed me to entertain any other -sentiments than those of extreme good will and sincere wishes for his -happiness, &c. - -Footnote 6: - - It is right to remark that Colonel Gustafson (Gustavus IV.) has - declared this statement to be erroneous. But, from his letter itself, - one would be induced to think that the error proceeds solely from - misinterpretation of his real words: now every one knows how easy, how - common such inaccuracies are in regard to circumstances transmitted - through several intermediate persons. Fearful that the - misunderstanding might originate with myself, which is possible - enough, I should not have hesitated a moment to charge myself with the - error; but every reader must judge that the length of Napoleon’s - conversation and the development of his ideas on this subject, could - not leave me in any doubt. - -“Some time after the expulsion of Gustavus, while the succession to the -Crown was vacant, the Swedes, desirous of recommending themselves to me -and securing the protection of France, asked me to give them a King. My -attention was, for an instant, turned to the Viceroy; but it would have -been necessary for him to change his religion, which I deemed beneath my -dignity and that of all those who belonged to me. Besides, I did not -think the political result sufficiently important to excuse an action so -contrary to our manners. I attached, however, too much value to the idea -of seeing the throne of Sweden in possession of a Frenchman. It was, in -my situation, a puerile sentiment. The real King, according to my -political system and the true interests of France, would have been the -King of Denmark, because I should then have governed Sweden by the -influence of my simple contact with the Danish provinces. Bernadotte was -elected, and he was indebted for his elevation to his wife, the -sister-in-law of my brother Joseph, who then reigned at Madrid. - -“Bernadotte, affecting great dependence on me, came to ask my -approbation, protesting, with too visible an anxiety, that he would not -accept the Crown, unless it was agreeable to me. - -“I, the elected Monarch of the people, had to answer that I could not -set myself against the elections of other nations. It was what I told -Bernadotte, whose whole attitude betrayed the anxiety excited by the -expectation of my answer. I added that he had only to take advantage of -the good-will of which he had been the object; that I wished to be -considered as having had no weight in his election, but that it had my -approbation and my best wishes. I felt, however, shall I say it, a -secret instinct, which made the thing disagreeable and painful. -Bernadotte was, in fact, the serpent which I nourished in my bosom; he -had scarcely left us before he attached himself to the system of our -enemies, and we were obliged to watch and dread him. At a later period, -he was one of the great active causes of our calamities; it was he who -gave to our enemies the key of our political system and communicated the -tactics of our armies; it was he who pointed out to them the way to the -sacred soil! In vain would he excuse himself by saying that, in -accepting the Crown of Sweden, he was thenceforth bound to be a Swede -only; pitiful excuse, valid only with those of the populace and the -vulgar that are ambitious! In taking a wife, a man does not renounce his -mother, still less is he bound to transfix her bosom and tear out her -entrails. It is said that he afterwards repented, that is to say, when -it was no longer time, and when the mischief was done. The fact is that, -in finding himself once more among us, he perceived that opinion exacted -justice of him; he felt himself struck with death. Then the film fell -from his eyes; for it is not known to what dreams his presumption and -his vanity might have incited him in his blindness.” - -At the end of this and many other things besides, I presumed to observe -to him, as a very fantastical and extraordinary matter of chance, that -Bernadotte, the soldier, elevated to a Crown, for which Protestantism -was a necessary qualification, was actually born a Protestant, and that -his son, destined, on that account, to reign over the Scandinavians, -presented himself in the midst of them precisely with the national name -of _Oscar_. “My dear Las Cases,” replied the Emperor, “it is because -that chance, so often cited, of which the ancients made a deity, which -astonishes us every day and strikes us every instant, does not, after -all, appear so singular, so capricious, so extraordinary, but in -consequence of our ignorance of the secret and altogether natural -causes, by which it is produced; and yet this single combination is -sufficient to create the marvellous and give birth to mysteries. Here, -for instance, with respect to the first point, that of having been born -a Protestant, let not the honour of that circumstance be assigned to -chance; blot that out. With regard to the second, the name of Oscar; I -was his godfather, and, when I gave him the name, I doted upon Ossian; -it presented itself, of course, very naturally. You now see how simple -that is which so greatly astonished you.” - -At the end of this conversation, the Emperor returned to Paul; he talked -of the passionate fits brought upon him by the perfidy of the English -ministry. He had been promised Malta, the moment it was taken possession -of, and accordingly, he was in great haste to get himself nominated -Grand Master. Malta reduced, the English ministers denied that they had -promised it to him. It is confidently stated that, on the reading of -this shameful falsehood, Paul felt so indignant that, seizing the -dispatch in full Council, he ran his sword through it, and ordered it to -be sent back in that condition, by way of answer. “If it be a folly,” -said the Emperor, “it must be allowed that it is the folly of a noble -soul; it is the indignation of virtue, which was incapable, until then, -of suspecting such baseness.” - -At the same time, the English ministers, treating with us for the -exchange of prisoners, refused to include, on the same scale, the -Russian prisoners taken in Holland, who were in the actual service and -fought for the sole cause of the English. “I had,” said the Emperor, -“hit upon the bent of Paul’s character. I seized time by the forelock; I -collected these Russians; I clothed them and sent them back to him -without any expense. From that instant, his generous heart was -altogether devoted to me; and, as I had no interest in opposition to -Russia, and should never have spoken or acted but with justice, there -was no doubt that I should be able, for the future, to have had the -Cabinet of St. Petersburgh at my disposal. Our enemies were sensible of -the danger, and it has been thought that this good-will of Paul proved -fatal to him. That might have been the case; for there are Cabinets with -whom nothing is sacred.” - -It has been already mentioned that the Emperor complained that the -Prince of Ponte-Corvo (Bernadotte) was scarcely in Sweden before he had -occasion to distrust and counteract his schemes. The following letter is -a decisive proof of this assertion, and also contains an important -exposition of the continental system. - - “_Tuileries, August 8, 1811._ - -“Monsieur, the Prince Royal of Sweden, your private correspondence has -reached me; I have appreciated, as a proof of the sentiments of -friendship you entertain for me, and as a testimony of the loyalty of -your character, the communications which you make to me. There is no -political reason which prevents me from answering you. - -“You appreciate, without doubt, the motives of my decree of the 21st of -November, 1806. It prescribes no laws to Europe. It merely traces the -steps that are to be followed, to reach the same end; the treaties, -which I have signed, constitute the remainder. The right of blockade, -which England has arrogated to herself, is as injurious to the commerce -of Sweden and as hostile to the honour of her flag, as it is prejudicial -to the commerce of the French Empire and to the dignity of its power. I -will even assert that the domineering pretensions of England are still -more offensive with regard to Sweden; for your commerce is more maritime -than continental; the real strength of the kingdom of Sweden consists as -much in the existence of its navy as in the existence of its army. - -“The development of the forces of France is altogether continental. I -have been enabled to create, within my states, an internal trade, which -diffuses subsistence and money, from the extremities to the centre of -the empire, by the impulse given to agricultural and manufacturing -industry, and by the rigorous prohibition of foreign productions. This -state of things is such that it is impossible for me to decide whether -French commerce would gain much by peace with England. - -“The maintenance, observance, or adoption of the decree of Berlin is, -therefore, I venture to say, more for the interest of Sweden and of -Europe, than for the particular interest of France. - -“Such are the reasons which my ostensible policy may set up against the -ostensible policy of England. The secret reasons that influence England -are the following: She does not desire peace; she has rejected all the -overtures which I have caused to be made to her; her commerce and her -territory are enlarged by war; she is apprehensive of restitutions; she -will not consolidate the new system by a treaty; she does not wish that -France should be powerful. I wish for peace, I wish for it in its -perfect state, because peace alone can give solidity to new interests, -and States created by conquest. I think, that on this point, your Royal -Highness ought not to differ in opinion from me. - -“I have a great number of ships; I have no seamen: I cannot carry on the -contest with England for the purpose of compelling her to make peace; -nothing but the continental system can prove successful. In this -respect, I experience no obstacle on the part of Russia and Prussia; -their commerce can only be a gainer by the prohibitive system. - -“Your cabinet is composed of enlightened men. There is dignity and -patriotism in the Swedish nation. The influence of your Royal Highness -in the Government is generally approved: you will experience few -impediments in withdrawing your people from a mercantile submission to a -foreign nation. Do not suffer yourself to be caught by the too tempting -baits which England may hold out to you. The future will prove to you -that, whatever may be the revolutions which time must produce, the -Sovereigns of Europe will establish prohibitive laws, which will leave -them masters in their own dominions. - -“The third article of the treaty of the 21st of February, 1802, corrects -the incomplete stipulations of the treaty of Fredericsham. It must be -rigorously observed in every point which relates to colonial -commodities. You tell me that you cannot do without these commodities, -and that, from the want of their introduction, the produce of your -customs is diminished. I will give you twenty millions worth of colonial -produce, which I have at Hamburgh; you will give me twenty millions -worth of iron. You will have no specie to export from Sweden. Give up -these productions to merchants; they will pay the import duties; you -will get rid of your iron; this will answer my purpose. I am in want of -iron at Antwerp, and I know not what to do with the English commodities. - -“Be faithful to the treaty of the 24th of February: drive the English -smugglers from the roads of Gottenburg; drive them from the coasts, -where they carry on an open trade: I give you my word that I will, on my -part, scrupulously observe the conditions of that treaty. I shall oppose -the attempts of your neighbours to appropriate to themselves your -continental possessions. If you fail in your engagements, I shall -consider myself released from mine. - -“It is my wish to be always on an amicable understanding with your Royal -Highness; I shall hear with pleasure your communication of this answer -to his Swedish Majesty, whose good intentions I have constantly -appreciated. - -“My Minister for Foreign Affairs will return an official answer to the -last note, which the Comte d’Essen has submitted for my perusal. - - “This letter having no other end, &c. - - NAPOLEON.” - -[Illustration: - - HOUSE IN WHICH NAPOLEON WAS BORN, - - AT AJACCIO, IN CORSICA. - - London: Published for Henry Colburn, Feb. 1836. -] - -NAPOLEON’S PATRIMONIAL VINEYARD, &C.—HIS NURSE—HIS PATERNAL HOME.—TEARS - OF JOSEPHINE DURING WURMSER’S SKIRMISHES IN THE ENVIRONS OF MANTUA. - -8th.—I went to the Emperor’s apartment about eleven o’clock. He was -dressing himself, and looking over, with his valet, some samples of -perfumery and scents, received from England. He enquired about them all, - -did not know one of them, and laughed heartily at his gross ignorance, -as he called it. He wished to breakfast in the tent, and we all -assembled there. - -He complained of the bad quality of the wine; and appealed to his -maître-d’hôtel, Cipriani, who is a Corsican, whether he had not much -better in their country. He said that he had received, as part of his -patrimony, the best vineyard in the island, extensive and productive, -called _l’Esposata_, and he felt it his duty, he said, not to mention it -but with gratitude. It was to that vineyard that he was indebted, in his -youth, for his visits to Paris; it was that which supplied the expenses -of his vacations. We asked him what had become of it. He told us, that -he had long ago given it to his nurse, to whom, he was sure he must have -given at least one hundred and twenty thousand francs in lands and -houses in the island. He had even resolved, he said, to give her his -patrimonial house; but finding it too much above her situation, he had -made a present of it to the Romalino family, his nearest relatives by -his mother’s side, on condition that they should transfer their -habitation to his nurse.[7] - -Footnote 7: - - The patrimonial house of Napoleon, his cradle, at present (1824) in - the possession of M. Romalino, member of the Chamber of Deputies, is, - as it might naturally be supposed, an object of eager curiosity and - great veneration to travellers and military men in particular. - - I am assured by eye-witnesses, that, on the arrival of every regiment - in Corsica, the soldiers instantly run to it in crowds, and obtain - admission with a certain degree of authority. It might be said that - they believe themselves entitled to it as a right. Once admitted, - every one conducts himself according to the warmth of his feeling, one - raises his hands to heaven, as he looks about him, another falls on - his knees, a third kisses the floor, and a fourth bursts into tears. - There are some who seem to be seized by a fit of insanity. Something - similar is said of the tomb of the great Frederic. Such is the - influence of heroes. - -In short, he had, he said, made a great lady of her. She had come to -Paris at the time of the coronation, and had an audience of the Pope for -upwards of an hour and a half. “Poor Pope,” exclaimed the Emperor, “he -must have had a good deal of spare time! She was, however, extremely -devout. Her husband was a coasting trader of the island. She gave great -pleasure at the Tuileries, and enchanted the family by the vivacity of -her language and her gestures. The empress Josephine made her a present -of some diamonds.” - -After breakfast, the Emperor, adhering to his resolution of yesterday, -proceeded with his work. He finished the chapter of Castiglione, and -then went to the wood, with the intention of waiting for the calash. In -continuance of the conversation, which had been brought on by the -chapter, he related that Josephine had left Brescia with him, and had -thus commenced the campaign against Wurmser. Arrived at Verona, she had -witnessed the first shots that were fired. When she returned to -Castel-Nuovo, and saw the wounded as they passed, she was desirous of -reaching Brescia; but she found herself stopped by the enemy, who was -already at Ponte-Marco. In the anxiety and agitation of the moment, she -was seized with fear, and wept a great deal, on quitting her husband, -who exclaimed, when embracing her, and with a kind of inspiration: -“Wurmser shall pay dearly for those tears which he causes thee!” She was -obliged to pass in her carriage very close to the fortifications of -Mantua. She was fired upon from the place, and one of her suite was even -wounded. She traversed the Po, Bologna, Ferrara, and stopped at Lucca, -attended by dread and the unfavourable reports, which were usually -spread around our patriotic armies; but she was internally supported by -her extreme confidence in her husband’s good fortune. - -Such was, however, already the opinion of Italy, observed the Emperor, -and the sentiments impressed by the French General, that, in spite of -the crisis of the moment, and of all the false reports which accompanied -him, his wife was received at Lucca by the Senate, and treated with the -same respect as the greatest princess. It came to compliment her, and -presented her with the oils of honour. It had reason to applaud itself -for that conduct. A short time afterwards the couriers brought -intelligence of the prodigious achievements of her husband, and the -annihilation of Wurmser. - -The Emperor returned to the saloon for the first time since the fire. It -is gradually furnished with articles sent expressly from London, which -make it a little more tolerable. After dinner, the Emperor began with -reading Turcaret, with which, he said, notwithstanding all its wit, he -felt himself disgusted, in consequence of its vulgarity; but it bore, he -remarked, the impression of Le Sage. He then took up l’Avocat Patelin, -and was much amused with its genuine humour. - -9th.—The Emperor breakfasted in the tent, and revised the chapter of the -Brenta. At three o’clock, he took an airing in the calash. The Governor -called during our ride. It was understood that he wished to speak to the -Emperor on the celebration of the Prince Regent’s birthday, which is to -take place next Monday, the 12th inst., and to give him notice of the -salutes and volleys that are to be fired on the occasion at the camp, -situated so closely to us. It is said, on the other hand, that he has -given directions for supplying the Emperor’s table only, and that each -of us is to be put upon a particular allowance, as he finds the expense -very much beyond his credit. At any rate, we shall see. - - CATHERINE II.—IMPERIAL GUARDS.—PAUL I. &C.—PROJECTS - ON INDIA, &C. - -10th.—The Emperor was indisposed and took a bath. At three he walked out -and called for the carriage. He had just read the history of Catherine. -“She was,” he said, “a commanding woman; she was worthy of having a -beard upon her chin. The catastrophe of Peter and that of Paul were -seraglio revolutions, the work of janissaries. These palace-soldiers are -terrible, and dangerous in proportion as the Sovereign is absolute. My -imperial guard might also have become fatal under any other but myself.” - -The Emperor said that he and Paul had been on the best terms together. -At the time of his murder, in which the public spared neither his -relations nor his allies, he had concerted a plan with him, at that very -moment, for an expedition to India, and he would have certainly -prevailed upon him to carry it into execution. Paul wrote to him very -often, and at great length. His first communication was curious and -original. “Citizen First Consul,” (he had written to him with his own -hand,) “I do not discuss the merits of the rights of man; but, when a -nation places at its head a man of distinguished merit and worthy of -esteem, it has a government, and France has, henceforth, one in my -eyes.” - -On our return, we found the Admiral and his lady; the Emperor took them -in the calash and made another tour. He afterwards walked for some time -with Lady Malcolm, to whom he behaved in a most gracious manner. - -After dinner, the Emperor turned over the leaves of two volumes of the -Théâtre Français, without being able to find any thing capable of fixing -his attention. - - THE EMPEROR BISHOP, &C. - -11th.—After our breakfast in the tent and a few turns in the garden, the -Emperor read, for the last time, the chapter of Arcole. - -During our ride in the calash, somebody observed that it was Sunday. “We -should have mass,” said the Emperor, “if we were in a Christian country, -if we had a priest; and that would have been a pastime for us during the -day. I have been always fond of the sound of the bells in the country. -We should,” he added in a gay tone, “resolve upon choosing a priest -among us;—the curate of St. Helena.”—But how ordain him, it was said, -without a bishop?—“And am I not one,” replied the Emperor, “have I not -been anointed with the same oil, consecrated in the same manner? Were -not Clovis and his successors anointed, at the time, with the formula of -_Rex Christique sacerdos_? Were they not, in fact, real bishops? Was not -the subsequent suppression of that formula caused by the jealousy and -policy of the bishops and popes?” - -I did not eat at dinner, the Emperor wished to know the cause. I had a -violent pain in my stomach, a complaint to which I said I was very -subject. “I am more fortunate than you,” he observed. “In all my life, I -never had either the head-ache or a pain in my stomach” The Emperor -often repeated what he had said, and he has pronounced these same words -perhaps ten, twenty, or thirty times, in the midst of us at different -moments.[8] - - CAMPAIGN OF 1809, &C. - -12th.—The Emperor passed the morning in his bath, reading the Journals -des Debats of March and April, received yesterday by way of the Cape. -The Emperor was very much occupied with them; they produced a great -degree of agitation in his system. - -In general, since the Emperor had received books, and particularly the -Moniteur, he continued much more at home; he scarcely ever went abroad; -he no longer used a horse, nor even the calash; he hardly took the air -for a few moments in the garden; he was not the better for it, his -features and his health underwent a visible alteration. - -I found him to-day reading Les Croisades by Michaud, which he left to -run over Les Memoires de Bezenval. He stopped at the duel between the -Comte d’Artois and the Duc de Bourbon. He found the details curious, but -they seemed to be very remote from us. “It is difficult,” he observed, -“to reconcile times so close to us with manners so different.” - -In the course of this day’s conversations, the Emperor happened to -repeat, what I have mentioned elsewhere, that his finest manœuvre had -been at Eckmuhl, without, however, specifying it any further. - -Footnote 8: - - I commonly pass over all details of this kind as trivial, unless an - occasion for their utility presents itself, and unfortunately I have - not time to look for, or to give rise to, such occasions. The trifling - circumstance, however, which I relate here, acquires but too great a - value by the nature of the death and the protracted and terrible - agonies of the immortal victim, who expired under the triple tortures - of body, mind, and heart. He would have had much less to endure from - the hands of cannibals!... And these sufferings and these torments - were coldly reserved for him by a barbarous administration, which, by - that proceeding, has stained the annals of a people so justly renowned - for the elevation of their sentiments and their sympathy with - misfortune!... But a sad and painful celebrity will attach to the - names of the executioners of Napoleon. The indignation of the generous - hearts of every age and of every country strikes them for ever with - eternal reprobation! - -ON THE WAR WITH RUSSIA.—FATALITIES, &C.—M. DE TALLEYRAND, &C.—MADAME DE - STAEL’S CORINNE.—M. NECKER, &C. - -13th. At an early hour in the morning, I accompanied the Emperor very -far into the wood; he conversed for upwards of an hour, on the situation -of France, and then reverted to the persons who had betrayed him, and -the numerous fatalities which had hurried him along; to the perfidious -security caused by his marriage with Austria; to the infatuation of the -Turks, who made peace precisely when they ought to have made war; to -that of Bernadotte, who was actuated by his self-love and his -resentment, rather than by his real grandeur and stability; to a season -severe beyond measure, and even to the superiority of talent, evinced by -M. de Narbonne, who, discovering the designs of Austria, compelled her -to take active measures. Finally, he reverted to the successes of Lutzen -and Bautzen, which, by bringing back the king of Saxony to Dresden, put -him, Napoleon, in possession of the hostile signatures of Austria, and -deprived her of all further subterfuge. “What an unhappy concurrence!” -he exclaimed in a most expressive tone, “and yet,” he continued, “the -day after the battle of Dresden, Francis had already sent a person to -treat. It was necessary, that Vandamme’s disaster should happen at a -given moment, to second, as it were, the decree of fate.” - -M. de Talleyrand, to whose conduct the Emperor frequently alluded, for -the purpose of discovering, he said, when he had really begun to betray -him, had strongly urged him to make peace, on his return from Leipsic. -“I must,” he observed, “do him that justice. He found fault with my -speech to the Senate, but warmly approved of that which I made to the -Legislative Body. He uniformly maintained, that I deceived myself with -respect to the energy of the nation; that it would not second mine, and -that it was requisite for me to arrange my affairs by every possible -sacrifice. It appears that he was then sincere. I never, from my own -experience, found Talleyrand eloquent or persuasive. He dwelt a great -deal, and a long time, on the same idea. Perhaps also, as our -acquaintance was of old date, he behaved in a peculiar manner to me. He -was, however, so skilful in his evasions and ramblings that, after -conversations which lasted several hours, he has gone away, frequently -avoiding the explanations and objects I expected to obtain from him on -his coming.” - -With regard to the affairs of the moment and to the contents of the last -journals which described France in a constantly increasing agitation, -the result was that the chances of the future seemed indefinite, -multiplied, and inexhaustible for all Europe, and that there existed, at -that instant, an incontrovertible fact, communicated to us from all -quarters, that nobody in Europe considered himself in a permanent -situation. Every one seemed to apprehend or to foresee new events. - -The Emperor kept me to breakfast with him in the tent. He afterwards -sent for Madame de Staël’s Corinne, and read some chapters of it. He -said that he could not get through it. Madame de Staël had drawn so -complete a likeness of herself in her heroine, that she had succeeded in -convincing him that it was herself. “I see her,” said he, “I hear her, I -feel her, I wish to avoid her, and I throw away the book. I had a better -impression of this work on my memory, than what I feel at present. -Perhaps it is because, at the time, I read it with my thumb, as M. -l’Abbé de Pradt ingeniously says, and not without some truth. I shall, -however, persevere; I am determined to see the end of it; I still think -that it was not destitute of some interest. Yet I cannot forgive Madame -de Staël for having undervalued the French in her romance. The family of -Madame de Staël is unquestionably a very singular one—her father, her -mother and herself, all three on their knees, in constant adoration of -each other, regaling one another with reciprocal incense, for the better -edification and mystification of the public. Madame de Staël may, -nevertheless, exult in surpassing her noble parents, when she presumed -to write, that her sentiments for her father were such that she detected -herself in being jealous of her mother. - -“Madame de Staël,” he continued, “was ardent in her passions, vehement -and extravagant in her expressions. This is what was discovered by the -police, while she was under its superintendence. ‘I am far from you;’ -(she was probably writing to her husband,) ‘come instantly;—I command;—I -insist upon it; I am on my knees; I beseech you, come.—My hand grasps a -dagger. If you hesitate, I shall kill myself; and you alone will be -guilty of my destruction’” This was Corinne. - -She had, said the Emperor, combined all her efforts and all her means to -make an impression on the General of the army of Italy; without any -knowledge of him, she wrote to him, when far off; she tormented him when -present. If she was to be believed, the union of genius with a little -insignificant Creole, incapable of appreciating or comprehending him, -was a monstrosity. Unfortunately the General’s only answer was an -indifference which women never forgive, and which, indeed, he remarked -with a smile, is hardly to be forgiven. - -On his arrival at Paris, he was followed with the same eagerness, but he -maintained, on his part, the same reserve, the same silence. Madame de -Staël resolved, however, to extract some words from him and to struggle -with the conqueror of Italy, attacked him face to face, at the grand -entertainment given by M. de Talleyrand, Minister for Foreign Affairs, -to the victorious General. She challenged him in the middle of a -numerous circle, to tell her who was the greatest woman in the world, -whether dead or living. “She, who has had most children,” answered -Napoleon, with great simplicity. Madame de Staël was, at first, a little -disconcerted, and endeavoured to recover herself by observing that it -was reported that he was not very fond of women. “Pardon me, Madam,” -again replied Napoleon, “I am very fond of my wife.” - -The General of the army of Italy, said the Emperor, might, no doubt, -have excited the enthusiasm of the Genevese Corinna to its highest -pitch; but he dreaded her politic perfidy and her thirst of celebrity; -he was, perhaps, in the wrong. The heroine had, however, been too eager -in her pursuit and too often discouraged, not to become a violent enemy. -“She instigated the person, who was then a under her influence, and he,” -observed the Emperor, “did not enter upon the business in a very -honourable manner. On the appointment of the Tribunate, he employed the -most pressing solicitations with the First Consul to be nominated a -member. At eleven o’clock at night, he was supplicating with all his -might; but at twelve, when the favour was granted, he was already erect -and almost in an insulting attitude. The first meeting of the Tribunes -was a splendid occasion for his invectives against me. At night, Madame -de Staël’s hotel was illuminated. She crowned her Benjamin amidst a -brilliant assembly, and proclaimed him a second Mirabeau. This farce, -which was ridiculous enough, was followed by more dangerous plans. At -the time of the Concordat, against which Madame de Staël was quite -furious, she united at once against me the aristocrats and the -republicans. ‘You have,’ she exclaimed, ‘but a single moment left; -to-morrow the tyrant will have forty thousand priests at his disposal.’” - -“Madame de Staël,” said Napoleon, “having at length tired out my -patience, was sent into exile. Her father had seriously offended me -before, at the time of the campaign of Marengo. I wished to see him on -my way, and he struck me merely as a dull bloated college tutor. Shortly -afterwards, and with the hope, no doubt, of again appearing, by my help, -in public life, he published a pamphlet, in which he proved that France -could neither be a republic nor a monarchy. What it might be,” remarked -the Emperor, “was not sufficiently evident. In that work, he called the -First Consul, _the necessary man_, &c. Lebrun replied to him, in a -letter of four pages, in his admirable style, and with all his powers of -sarcasm; he asked him whether he had not done sufficient mischief to -France, and whether his pretensions to govern her again were not -exhausted by his experiment of the Constituent Assembly. - -“Madame de Staël, in her disgrace, carried on hostilities with the one -hand, and supplicated with the other. She was informed, on the part of -the First Consul, that he left her the universe for the theatre of her -achievements; that he resigned the rest of the world to her, and only -reserved Paris for himself, which he forbade her to approach. But Paris -was precisely the object of Madame de Staël’s wishes. No matter; the -Consul was inflexible. Madame de Staël, however, occasionally renewed -her attempts. Under the empire, she wished to be a lady of the palace. -Yes or no might certainly be pronounced; but by what means could Madame -de Staël be kept quiet in a palace?” &c. - -After dinner, the Emperor read the Horatii, and was frequently -interrupted by our bursts of admiration. Never did Corneille appear to -us grander, more noble, more nervous, than on our rock. - - SHOOTING PARTY AT ST. HELENA, &c.—EVE OF THE - 15TH OF AUGUST, &C. - -14th. The Emperor went out early. He sent for me before nine o’clock. -His intention was to mount his horse, and endeavour to get a shot at -some partridges, which we saw every time we were in the carriage; but -which never let any one with a fowling-piece come near them. The Emperor -walked on for the purpose of placing himself in a convenient situation, -but the partridges were no longer to be found. He was soon fatigued, and -got on horseback, observing that our shooting party was not exactly -after the fashion of those of Rambouillet and Fontainebleau. We -breakfasted, on our return, in the tent. The Emperor placed little -Tristan, whom he saw crossing the meadow, at table, and was much amused -with him during the whole of the repast. - -After breakfast, the Emperor had the chapter of Rivoli read over again -to him, and finished it. We had gone through three-fourths of it, when -the Governor being announced, we made a precipitate retreat from the -tent, and each of us took refuge in his den. The Emperor was less -inclined than any other person to let himself be seen: his conversations -with the Governor are by far too disagreeable and painful to him. “I am -determined,” he said, “to have no more to do with him. Harsh remarks -escape me, which affect my character and my dignity; nothing should fall -from my lips but what is kind and complimentary.” He found himself -fatigued with his exercise in the morning, and took a bath. - -About five o’clock, he took a turn in the calash, the weather was -delicious. - -The Governor had expressed an earnest desire to see the Emperor; he -wished, he said, to speak with him on business. It is suspected that it -was to tell him that he had no more money, that he had exhausted all, -and that he no longer knew how to act; a matter of perfect indifference -to the Emperor, who would not have failed, once more, to entreat to be -let alone. - -The Emperor played at chess, before dinner, in the saloon; he had taken -some punch. It was late when I arrived; he told me, on entering, to take -my share of the punch; but it was observed that there were no more -glasses. “O yes,” said he, handing me his, “and he will drink out of it, -I am sure.” He then added, “This is the English fashion; is it not? In -our country one seldom drinks after any one but one’s mistress.“ - -It was remarked, during dinner, that it was the eve of the 15th of -August; the Emperor then observed; “Many healths will be drunk -to-morrow, in Europe, to St. Helena. There are certainly some -sentiments, some wishes, that will traverse the ocean.” He had -entertained the same thought in the morning when on horseback, and had -said the same things to me. - -After dinner, Cinna;—Corneille appears to us divine. - - THE EMPEROR’S BIRTH-DAY. - -15th.—This day, the 15th of August, was the Emperor’s birthday. We had -determined to wait upon him, in a body, about eleven o’clock. He -disappointed us by appearing gaily at our doors at nine. The weather was -mild; he went to the garden, and we all assembled there in succession. -The Grand Marshal, with his wife and children, joined us. The Emperor, -surrounded by his faithful servants, breakfasted in the large and -beautiful tent, which is a really fortunate acquisition. The temperature -was fine, and he himself cheerful and talkative. He seemed, for some -instants, to participate in our sentiments and wishes. He desired, he -said, to pass the whole day in the midst of us. Accordingly, we -continued together, and spent the time in conversation, in different -pursuits, in walking, and in riding in the carriage. - - POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL SUPPRESSED, &c.—INDECENCY OF - THE ENGLISH JOURNALS.—ICE MACHINE. - -16th.—My son and I went, at a very early hour, to the tent, where the -Emperor continued employed on different chapters of the Campaign of -Italy until two o’clock, when the Governor being announced, he retired, -muttering, “The wretch, I believe, envies me the air I breathe.” - -During breakfast, he had called for the Journal des Débats, which -contained the organization of the academies; he wished to see the names -of the members, who had been expelled from the Institute. This led him -to revert to the suppression of the Polytechnic School, which was said -to be useless and dangerous. The English Journal, which we had received, -was not of that opinion. It maintained that the suppression alone was -more valuable to the enemies of France than a signal victory, and that -nothing could more decidedly prove the real pacific sentiments and the -extreme moderation of the dynasty, which then governed France, &c. It -also stated several other things. - -Somebody remarked, upon this subject, that the English papers shewed a -malevolence against the French Government, which extended to coarseness -and indecency. - -Lord or Lady Holland had, with a peculiar degree of attention, sent to -Longwood, for the Emperor’s use, a newly invented machine, adapted to -the formation of ice. It was delivered to us to-day, through the -intervention of Admiral Malcolm. The Emperor went out about five -o’clock, and was desirous of witnessing the experiment; the Admiral was -present, but the experiment proved very imperfect. - -The Emperor, after some time, took a walk, accompanied by the Admiral, -and the conversation turned upon a variety of subjects; it was -maintained in the most affable and friendly manner on the part of the -Emperor. - -RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF NAPOLEON.—BISHOP OF NANTES (DE VOISINS).—THE - POPE.—LIBERTIES OF THE GALLICAN CHURCH.—ANECDOTES.—CONCORDAT OF - FONTAINEBLEAU. - -17th.—While the Emperor was at breakfast in the tent, two persons -described the excesses which they had witnessed in the army, and which -had not come to his knowledge. They noticed the numerous violations of -his orders, the violent abuses of authority, and other outrages. The -Emperor listened; but some were so shocking that he could not, he said, -give credit to them, and observed: “Come, gentlemen, these are libels.” - -The wind was very violent; it blew a storm, with occasional showers. The -wet obliged the Emperor to go in again. - -After dinner Zaire and the beautiful scenes of Œdipe were read, among -which he particularly pointed out that of the discovery, which he -pronounced the finest and the most finished of the drama. - -In speaking of priests and religion, the conversation led the Emperor to -say: “Man, entering into life, asks himself: Whence do I come? What am -I? Whither am I to go? These are so many mysterious questions, which -urge us on to religion. We eagerly embrace it; we are attracted by our -natural propensity; but as we advance in knowledge our course is -stopped. Instruction and history are the great enemies of religion, -deformed by human imperfection. Why, we ask ourselves, is the religion -of Paris neither that of London nor of Berlin? Why is that of -Petersburgh different from that of Constantinople? Why is the latter -different from that of Persia, of the Ganges, and of China? Why is the -religion of ancient times different from that of our days? Then reason -is sadly staggered; it exclaims, O religions, religions! the children of -man!... We very properly believe in God, because every thing around us -proclaims him, and the most enlightened minds have believed in him; not -only Bossuet, whose profession it was, but also Newton and Leibnitz, who -had nothing to do with it. But we know not what to think of the doctrine -that is taught us, and we find ourselves like the watch which goes, -without knowing the watchmaker that made it. And observe a little the -stupidity of those who educate us; they should keep away from us the -idea of paganism and idolatry; because their absurdity excites the first -exercise of our reason, and prepares us for a resistance to passive -belief; and they bring us up, nevertheless, in the midst of the Greeks -and Romans, with their myriads of divinities. Such, for my own part, has -literally been the progress of my understanding. I felt the necessity of -belief; I did believe, but my belief was shocked and undecided, the -moment I acquired knowledge and began to reason; and that happened to me -at so early an age as thirteen. Perhaps, I shall again believe -implicitly; God grant I may! I shall certainly make no resistance, and I -do not ask a greater blessing; it must, in my mind, be a great and real -happiness. - -“In violent agitations, however, and in the casual suggestions of -immorality itself, the absence of that religious faith has never, I -assert, influenced me in any respect, and I never doubted the existence -of God; for, if my reason was inadequate to comprehend it, my mind was -not the less disposed to adopt it. My nerves were in sympathy with that -sentiment. - -“When I seized on the helm of affairs, I had already fixed ideas of all -the primary elements by which society is bound together; I had weighed -all the importance of religion; I was convinced, and I determined to -re-establish it. But the resistance I had to overcome in restoring -Catholicism would scarcely be credited. I should have been more -willingly followed had I hoisted the standard of Protestantism. This -reluctance was carried so far that in the Council of State, where I -found great difficulty in getting the Concordat adopted, several yielded -only by forming a plan to extricate themselves from it. ‘Well!’ they -said to one another, ‘let us turn Protestants, and that will not affect -us.’ It is unquestionable that, in the disorder which I succeeded, upon -which I found myself I was at liberty to choose between Catholicism and -Protestantism; and it may also be said, with truth, that the general -disposition, at the moment, was quite in favour of the latter: but, -besides my real adherence to the religion in which I was born, I had the -most important motives to influence my decision. What should I have -gained by proclaiming Protestantism? I should have created two great -parties, very nearly equal, in France, when I wished for the existence -of none at all; I should have revived the fury of religious disputes, -when their total annihilation was called for by the light of the age and -my own feelings. These two parties would, by their mutual distractions, -have destroyed France, and rendered her the slave of Europe, when I had -the ambition to make her the mistress of it. By the help of Catholicism -I attained much more effectually all the grand results that I had in -view. In the interior, at home, the smaller number was swallowed up by -the greater, and I relied upon my treating the former with such an -equality that there would be shortly no motive for marking the -difference. Abroad, the Pope was bound to me by Catholicism; and, with -my influence, and our forces in Italy, I did not despair, sooner or -later, by some means or other, of obtaining for myself the direction of -that Pope, and from that time, what an influence! What a lever of -opinion on the rest of the world!” &c. He concluded with saying; -“Francis I. was really in a state to adopt Protestantism, at its birth, -and to declare himself the head of it in Europe. Charles V., his rival, -was the zealous champion of Rome, because he considered that measure as -an additional means to assist him in his project of enslaving Europe. -Was not that circumstance alone sufficient to point out to Francis the -necessity of taking care of his independence; but he abandoned the -greater to run after the lesser advantage. He persevered in pursuing his -imprudent designs on Italy, and, with the intention of paying court to -the Pope, he burnt Protestants at Paris. - -“Had Francis I. embraced Lutheranism, which is favourable to royal -supremacy, he would have preserved France from the dreadful religious -convulsions brought on, at later periods, by the Calvinists, whose -efforts, altogether republican, were on the point of subverting the -throne and dissolving our noble monarchy. Unfortunately, Francis I. was -ignorant of all that; for he could not allege his scruples for an -excuse, he, who entered into an alliance with the Turks, and brought -them into the midst of us. It was precisely because he was incapable of -extending his views so far. The folly of the time! The extent of feudal -intellect! Francis I. was, after all, but a hero for tilts and -tournaments, and a gallant for the drawing-room, one of those pigmy -great men. - -“The Bishop of Nantes (De Voisins), said the Emperor, made me a real -Catholic by the efficacy of his arguments, by the excellence of his -morals, and by his enlightened toleration. Marie Louise, whose confessor -he was, consulted him once on the obligation of abstaining from meat on -Fridays.—‘At what table do you dine?’ asked the Bishop.—‘At the -Emperor’s.’ ‘Do you give all the orders there?’—‘No.’ ‘You cannot, then -make any alteration in it; would he do it himself?’—‘I am inclined to -think not.’ ‘Be obedient then, and do not provoke a subject for scandal. -Your first duty is to obey, and make him respected; you will not be in -want of other means to amend your life, and to suffer privations in the -eyes of God.’ - -“He also behaved in the same way with respect to a public communion, -which some persons put into Marie Louise’s head to celebrate on -Easter-day. She would not, however, consent, without the advice of her -prudent confessor, who dissuaded her from it by similar arguments. What -a difference, said the Emperor, had she been worked upon by a fanatic! -What quarrels, what disagreements might he not have caused between us! -What mischief might he not have done, in the circumstances in which I -was placed!” - -The Emperor remarked to us, “that the bishop of Nantes had lived with -Diderot, in the midst of unbelievers, and had uniformly conducted -himself with consistency; he was ready with an answer to every one; and, -above all, he had the good sense to abandon every thing that was not -maintainable, and to strip religion of every thing which he was not -capable of defending.—He was asked, ‘has not an animal, which moves, -combines, and thinks, a soul?’ ‘Why not,’ was his answer. ‘But whither -does it go? For it is not equal to ours.’ ‘What is that to you? It -dwells, perhaps, in limbo.’ He used to retreat within the last -intrenchments, even within the fortress itself, and there he reserved -excellent means for defending himself. He argued better than the Pope, -whom he often confounded. He was the firmest pillar, among our bishops, -of the Gallican liberties. He was my oracle, my luminary; in religious -matters, he possessed my unbounded confidence. For, in my quarrels with -the Pope, it was my first care, whatever intriguers and marplots in -cassocs may say, not to touch upon any dogmatic point: I was so steady -in this conduct, that the instant this good and venerable bishop of -Nantes said to me, ‘Take care, there you are grappling with a dogma,’ I -immediately turned off from the course I was pursuing, to return to it -by other ways, without amusing myself by entering into dissertations -with him, or by seeking even to comprehend his meaning; and, as I had -not let him into my secret, how amazed must he not have been at the -circuits I made! How whimsical, obstinate, capricious, and incoherent, -must I not have appeared to him! It was because I had an object in view, -and he was unacquainted with it. - -“The Popes could not forgive us our liberties of the Gallican church. -The four famous propositions of Bossuet, in particular, provoked their -resentment. It was, in their opinion, a real hostile manifesto, and they -accordingly considered us at least as much out of the pale of the church -as the Protestants. They thought us as guilty as they, perhaps more so, -and if they did not overwhelm us with their ostensible thunderbolts, it -was because they dreaded the consequences—our separation. The example of -England was before them. They did not wish to cut off their right arm -with their own hand, but they were constantly on the watch for a -favourable opportunity; they trusted to time for it. They are, no doubt, -ready to believe, that it has now arrived. They will, however, be again -disappointed by the light of the age and the manners of the times. - -“Some time before my coronation,” said the Emperor, “the Pope wished to -see me, and made it a point to visit me himself. He had made many -concessions. He had come to Paris for the purpose of crowning me; he -consented not to place the crown on my head himself; he dispensed with -the ceremony of the public communion; he had, therefore, in his opinion, -many compensations to expect in return. He had accordingly at first -dreamt of Romagna and the Legations, and he began to suspect that he -should be obliged to give up all that. He then lowered his pretensions -to a very trifling favour, as he called it, my signature to an ancient -document, a worn-out rag, which he held from Louis XIV. ‘Do me that -favour, said he, in fact, it signifies nothing.’ ‘Cheerfully, most holy -father, and the thing is done, if it be feasible.’” It was, however, a -declaration, in which Louis XIV. at the close of his life, seduced by -Madame de Maintenon, or prevailed upon by his confessors, expressed his -disapprobation of the celebrated articles of 1682, the foundations of -the liberties of the Gallican church. The Emperor shrewdly replied, that -he had not, for his own part, any personal objection, but that it was -requisite for him, as a matter of form, to speak to the bishops about -it; on which the Pope repeatedly observed, that such a communication was -by no means necessary, and that the thing did not deserve to make so -much noise. “‘I shall never,’ he remarked, ‘shew the signature, it shall -be kept as secret as that of Louis XIV.’ ‘But, if it signifies nothing,’ -said Napoleon, ‘what use is there for my signature? And if any -signification can be drawn from it, I am bound by a sense of propriety -to consult my doctors.’” - -With the view, however, of avoiding the imputation of a constant refusal -of every request, the Emperor wished to seem rather inclined to grant -the favour. “The Bishop of Nantes and the other bishops, who were really -French, came to me in great haste. They were furious, and watched me,” -said the Emperor, “as they would have watched Louis XIV. on his -death-bed, to prevent him from turning Protestant. The Sulpicians were -called in; they were Jesuits _au petit pied_, they strove to find out my -intention, and were ready to do whatever I wished.” The Emperor -concluded with observing;—“The Pope had dispensed with the public -communion in my favour, and it is from his determination in that respect -that I form my opinion of the sincerity of his religious belief. He had -held a congregation of cardinals for the purpose of settling the -ceremonial. The greater number warmly insisted upon my taking the -communion in public, asserting the great influence of the example on the -people, and the necessity of my holding it out. The Pope, on the -contrary, fearful lest I should fulfil that duty as if I were going -through one of the articles of M. de Ségur’s programme, looked upon it -as a sacrilege, and was inflexible in opposing it. ‘Napoleon,’ he -observed, ‘is not perhaps a believer; the time will, no doubt, come, in -which his faith will be established, and in the mean time, let us not -burthen his conscience or our own.’ - -“In his Christian charity, for he really is a worthy, mild, and -excellent man, he never once despaired of seeing me a penitent, at his -tribunal; he has often let his hopes and thoughts on that subject escape -him. We sometimes conversed about it in a pleasant and friendly manner. -‘It will happen to you, sooner or later,’ said he, with an innocent -tenderness of expression; ‘you will be converted by me or by others, and -you will then feel how great the content, the satisfaction of your own -heart,’ &c. In the mean time, my influence over him was such, that I -drew from him, by the mere power of my conversation, that famous -Concordat of Fontainebleau, in which he renounced the temporal -sovereignty, an act on account of which he has since shown that he -dreaded the judgment of posterity, or rather the reprobation of his -successors. No sooner had he signed than he felt the stings of -repentance. He was to have dined the following day with me in public; -but at night, he was, or pretended to be ill. The truth is that, -immediately after I left him, he again fell into the hands of his -habitual advisers, who drew a terrible picture of the error which he had -committed. Had we been left by ourselves, I might have done what I -pleased with him; I should have governed the religious with the same -facility that I did the political world. He was, in truth, a lamb, a -good man in every respect, a man of real worth, whom I esteem and love -greatly, and who, on his part, is, I am convinced, not altogether -destitute of interest with regard to me. You will not see him make any -severe complaints against me, nor prefer, in particular, any direct and -personal accusation against me, any more than the other sovereigns. -There may, perhaps, be some vague and vulgar declamations against -ambition and bad faith, but nothing positive and direct; because -statesmen are well aware, that when the hour of libels is past, no one -would be allowed to prefer a public accusation without corroborative -proofs, and they have none of these to produce: such will be the -province of history. On the other hand, there will be at most but some -wretched chroniclers, shallow enough to take the ravings of clubs, or -intrigues, for authentic facts, or some writers of memoirs, who, -deceived by the errors of the moment, will be dead before they are -enabled to correct their mistakes. - -“When the real particulars of my disputes with the Pope shall be made -public, the world will be surprised at the extent of my patience, for it -is known that I could not put up with a great deal. When he left me, -after my coronation, he felt a secret spite at not having obtained the -compensations which he thought he had deserved. But, however grateful I -might have been in other respects, I could not, after all, make a -traffic of the interests of the empire by way of paying my own -obligations, and, I was, besides, too proud to seem to have purchased -his kindnesses. He had hardly set his foot on the soil of Italy, when -the intriguers and mischief-makers, the enemies of France, took -advantage of the disposition he was in, to govern his conduct, and from -that instant every thing was hostile on his part. He no longer was the -gentle, the peaceable Chiaramonti, that worthy bishop of Imola, who had -at so early a period shown himself worthy of the enlightened state of -the age. His signature was thenceforth affixed to acts only which -characterised the Gregories and Bonifaces more than him. Rome became the -focus of all the plots hatched against us. I strove in vain to bring him -back by the force of reason, but I found it impossible to ascertain his -sentiments. The wrongs became so serious, and the insults offered to us -so flagrant, that I was imperatively called upon to act, in my turn. I, -therefore, seized his fortresses; I took possession of some provinces; -and I finished by occupying Rome itself, at the same time declaring and -strictly observing that I held him sacred in his spiritual capacity, -which was far from being satisfactory to him. A crisis, however, -presented itself; it was believed, that fortune had abandoned me at -Essling, and measures were in immediate readiness for exciting the -population of that great capital to insurrection. The officer, who -commanded there, thought that he could escape the danger only by getting -rid of the Pope, whom he sent off to France. That measure was carried -into effect without my orders, and was even in direct opposition to my -views. I despatched instant orders for stopping the Pope, wherever he -might be met with, and he was kept at Savona, where he was treated with -every possible care and attention; for I wished to make myself feared, -but not to ill-treat him; to bend him to my views, not to degrade him;—I -entertained very different projects! This removal served only to inflame -the spirit of resentment and intrigue. Until then, the quarrel had been -but temporal; the Pope’s advisers, in the hope of re-establishing their -affairs, involved it in all the jumble of spirituality. I then found it -necessary to carry on the contest with him on that head; I had my -council of conscience, my ecclesiastical councils, and I invested my -imperial courts with the power of deciding in cases of appeal from -abuses; for my soldiers could be of no further use in all this: I felt -it necessary to fight the Pope with his own weapons. To his men of -erudition, to his sophists, his civilians, and his scribes, it was -incumbent upon me to oppose mine. - -“An English plot was laid to carry him off from Savona; it was of -service to me, I caused him to be removed to Fontainebleau; but that was -to be the period of his sufferings, and the regeneration of his -splendour. All my grand views were accomplished in disguise and mystery. -I had brought things to such a point, as to render the development -infallible, without any exertion, and in a way altogether natural. It -was accordingly consecrated by the Pope in the famous Concordat of -Fontainebleau, in spite even of my disasters at Moscow. What then would -have been the result, had I returned victorious and triumphant? I had -consequently obtained the separation, which was so desirable, of the -spiritual from the temporal, which is so injurious to his Holiness, and -the commixture of which produces disorder in society, in the name and by -the hands of him who ought himself to be the centre of harmony: and from -that time I intended to exalt the Pope beyond measure, to surround him -with grandeur and honours. I should have succeeded in suppressing all -his anxiety for the loss of his temporal power; I should have made an -idol of him; he would have remained near my person. Paris would have -become the capital of the Christian world, and I should have governed -the religious as well as the political world. It was an additional means -of binding tighter all the federative parts of the empire, and of -preserving the tranquillity of every thing placed without it. I should -have had my religious as well as my legislative sessions; my councils -would have constituted the representation of Christendom, and the Popes -would have been only the presidents. I should have called together and -dissolved those assemblies, approved and published their discussions, as -Constantine and Charlemagne had done; and if that supremacy had escaped -the Emperors, it was because they had committed the blunder of letting -the spiritual heads reside at a distance from them; and the latter took -advantage of the weakness of the princes, or of critical events, to -shake off their dependence and to enslave them in their turn. - -“But,” resumed the Emperor, “to accomplish that object, I had found it -requisite to manœuvre with a great deal of dexterity; above all, to -conceal my real way of thinking, to give a direction, altogether -different to general opinion, and to feed the public with vulgar trifles -for the purpose of more effectually concealing the importance and depth -of my secret design. I accordingly experienced a kind of satisfaction on -finding myself accused of barbarity towards the Pope, and of tyranny in -religious matters. Foreigners, in particular, promoted my wishes in this -respect, by filling their wretched libels with invectives against my -pitiful ambition, which, according to them, had driven me to devour the -miserable patrimony of Saint Peter. But I was perfectly aware, that -public opinion would again declare itself in my favour at home, and that -no means could exist abroad for disconcerting my plan. What measures -would not have been employed for its prevention, had it been anticipated -at a seasonable period; for how vast its future ascendency over all the -Catholic countries, and how great its influence even upon those that are -not so, by the co-operation of the members of that religion who are -spread throughout these countries!” - -The Emperor said, that this deliverance from the Court of Rome, this -legal union, the control of religion in the hands of the sovereign, had -been, for a long time, the constant object of his meditations and his -wishes. England, Russia, the northern crowns, and part of Germany, are, -he said, in possession of it. Venice and Naples had enjoyed it. No -government can be carried on without it; a nation is otherwise, every -instant, affected in its tranquillity, its dignity, its independence. -But the task,” he added, “was very difficult; at every step I was alive -to the danger. I was induced to think, that, once engaged in it, I -should be abandoned by the nation. I more than once sounded and strove -to elicit public opinion, but in vain, and I have been enabled to -convince myself that I never should have had the national co-operation. -And this explains a sally, which I had witnessed.” - -The Emperor perceiving, at one of those grand Sunday audiences, which -were very numerously attended, the Archbishop of Tours (de Barral) -addressed him in a very elevated tone; “Well! Monsieur l’Archevêque, how -do our affairs with the Pope go on?—‘Sire, the deputation of your -bishops is about to set out for Savona.’ Very well! endeavour to make -the Pope listen to reason; prevail upon him to conduct himself with -prudence; otherwise, the consequences will be unpleasant. Tell him -plainly, that he is no longer in the times of the Gregories, and that I -am not a Débonnaire. He has the example of Henry the VIIIth., and, -without his wickedness, I possess more strength and power than he had. -Let him know, that whatever part I may take, I have 600,000 Frenchmen in -arms, who, in every contingency will march with me, for me, and as -myself. The peasantry and mechanics look to me alone, and repose -unlimited confidence in me. The prudent and enlightened part of the -intermediate class, those who take care of their interest, and wish for -tranquillity, will follow me; the only class favourable to him will be -the meddling and talkative, who, will forget him at the end of ten days, -to chat upon some fresh subject.” - -And as the archbishop, who betrayed his embarrassment by his -countenance, was about to stammer out some words, the Emperor added in a -greatly softened tone: “You are out of all this; I participate in your -doctrines; I honour your piety; I respect your character!” - -The Emperor, I now understand him perfectly, had, no doubt, merely -thrown out those observations, in order that we might give effect to -them in other places; but he deceived himself with respect to our -dispositions, or at least to those of the palace. Some, the least -reflecting part, were decided and loud in censuring his conduct on these -occasions; others, with the best intentions, were extremely cautious not -to let a word transpire, lest it should prove injurious to him in the -public opinion; for, such was, in general, our misconception, our -singular manner of understanding and explaining the Emperor’s meaning, -that, although without any bad design, and solely through levity, -incoherency, or for fashion’s sake, instead of making him popular, we -were perhaps the very persons who did him most injury. I very well -remember that, on the morning when that famous concordat of -Fontainebleau unexpectedly appeared in the Moniteur, some persons -confidentially assured each other in the saloons of St. Cloud, that -nothing was less authentic than that document, and that it was a base -fabrication. Others whispered, that it was, no doubt, genuine in the -main points, but that it had been extracted from the Pope by the -Emperor’s anger and violence. To that I should not be surprised, if the -piquant dramatic episode of Napoleon, at Fontainebleau, _dragging the -father of the faithful by his white hair_, was not precisely the -invention of the political proser who wrote it, but caught up from the -mouths of the courtiers and even of the Emperor’s servants themselves; -and this is the way in which history is written! - - WARM CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR, IN THE - ADMIRAL’S PRESENCE. - -18th. The weather was most dreadful during the whole of the night and -day. About three o’clock, the Emperor took advantage of its clearing up -a little and went out. He came to my apartment, and we called on General -Gourgaud, who was indisposed. We then visited Madame de Montholon, who -accompanied us to the garden. The Emperor was in excellent spirits, -which enlivened the conversation. He undertook to persuade Madame de -Montholon to make a general confession, particularly insisting upon her -setting out with her first sin. “Come,” said he, “speak out without -apprehension, do not let our neighbour constrain you; consider him -merely as your confessor; we shall forget it all in a quarter of an -hour.” - -And I really believe he would have succeeded in persuading her, when the -Governor unfortunately came to interrupt so pleasant a scene; he made -his appearance, and the Emperor to avoid receiving him, hastily took -shelter in the bottom of the wood. We were joined in a few moments by M. -de Montholon, who acquainted the Emperor that the Governor and the -Admiral earnestly requested the honour of speaking with him. He thought -that some communication was to be made on their part, and returned to -the garden, where he received them. - -We remained behind, with the Governor’s officers. The conversation soon -became animated on the part of the Emperor, who, as he walked between -the Governor and the Admiral, almost uniformly addressed himself to the -latter, even when he spoke to the former. We continued at too great a -distance to hear any thing distinctly; but I have since learned, that he -again repeated, and with, perhaps, more energy and warmth, all that he -said to him in the preceding conversations. - -In consequence of the favourable explanations, which the Admiral, who -acted the part of mediator, laboured to give of the Governor’s -intentions, the Emperor observed: “The faults of M. Lowe proceed from -his habits of life. He has never had the command of any but foreign -deserters, of Piedmontese, Corsicans, and Sicilians, all renegadoes, and -traitors to their country; the dregs and scum of Europe. If he had -commanded Englishmen; if he were one himself, he would shew respect to -those who have a right to be honoured.” At another time, the Emperor -declared, that there was a moral courage, as necessary as courage on the -field of battle; that M. Lowe did not exercise it here with regard to -us, in dreaming only of our escape, instead of employing the only real, -prudent, reasonable, and sensible means for preventing it. The Emperor -also told him that, although his body was in the hands of evil-minded -men, his soul was as lofty and independent as when at the head of -400,000 men, or on the throne, when he disposed of kingdoms. - -To the article respecting the reduction of our expenses, and the money -which was required of the Emperor, he answered: “All those details are -very painful to me; they are mean. You might place me on the burning -pile of Montezuma or Guatimozin without extracting from me gold, which I -do not possess. Besides, who asks you for any thing? Who entreats you to -feed me? When you discontinue your supply of provisions, those brave -soldiers, whom you see there,” pointing, with his hand, to the camp of -the 53d, “will take pity on me; I shall place myself at the grenadiers’ -table, and they will not, I am confident, drive away the first, the -oldest soldier of Europe.” - -The Emperor having reproached the Governor with having kept some books, -which were addressed to him, he answered, that he had done so in -consequence of their having been sent under the address of _Emperor_. -“And who,” replied the Emperor, with emotion, “gave you the right of -disputing that title? In a few years, your Lord Castlereagh, your Lord -Bathurst, and all the others—you, who speak to me—will be buried in the -dust of oblivion, or if your names be remembered, it will be only on -account of the indignity with which you have treated me, while the -Emperor Napoleon shall, doubtless, continue for ever the subject, the -ornament of history, and the star of civilized nations. Your libels are -of no avail against me; you have expended millions on them; what have -they produced? Truth pierces through the clouds, it shines like the sun, -and like it, is imperishable.” - -The Emperor admitted that he had, during this conversation, seriously -and repeatedly offended Sir Hudson Lowe; and he also did him the justice -to acknowledge, that Sir Hudson Lowe had not precisely shewn, in a -single instance, any want of respect; he had contented himself with -muttering, between his teeth, sentences which were not audible. He once -said that he had solicited his recal, and the Emperor observed, that -that was the most agreeable word he could possibly have said. He also -said, that we endeavoured to blacken his character in Europe, but that -our conduct, in that respect, was a matter of indifference to him. The -only disrespect, perhaps, said the Emperor, on the part of the Governor, -and which was trifling, compared with the treatment he had received, was -the abrupt way in which he retired, while the Admiral withdrew slowly, -and with numerous salutes. “The Admiral was precisely then,” observed -the Emperor, in a gay tone of voice, “what the Marquis de Gallo was at -the time of my rupture of Passeriano.”—An allusion to one of the -chapters of the Campaign in Italy, which he had dictated to me. - -The Emperor remarked that, after all, he had to reproach himself with -that scene. “I must see this officer no more; he makes me fly into a -violent passion; it is beneath my dignity; expressions escape me which -would have been unpardonable at the Tuileries; if they can at all be -excused here, it is because I am in his hands and subject to his power.” - -After dinner, the Emperor caused a letter to be read, in answer to the -Governor, who had officially sent the treaty of the 2nd of August, by -which the allied Sovereigns stipulated for the imprisonment of Napoleon. -Sir Hudson Lowe, by the same conveyance, asked to introduce the foreign -Commissioners to Longwood. The Emperor had, in the course of the day, -dictated the letter to M. de Montholon. It was his wish, that every one -of us should make his objections, and state his opinions. It seemed to -us a master-piece of dignity, energy, and sound reasoning. - -THE CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR AGAIN NOTICED, &C.—EFFECT OF THE - LIBELS AGAINST NAPOLEON.—TREATY OF FONTAINEBLEAU.—THE WORK OF GENERAL - S——N. - -19th.—The weather continued as dreadful as we had ever seen it. It has -been, for several days, like one of our equinoctial storms in Europe. -The Emperor exposed himself to it, to come to my apartment about ten -o’clock; in going out, he struck one of his legs against a nail near the -door; his stocking was torn halfway down the leg; luckily the skin was -only scratched. He was obliged to return to change. “You owe me a pair -of stockings,” he said, while his valet de chambre was putting on -another pair; “a polite man does not expose his visitors to such dangers -in his apartments. You are lodged too much like a seaman; it is true, -that is not your fault. I thought myself careless about these matters, -but you actually surpass me.”—“Sire,” I answered, “my merit is not -great, no choice is left me. I am truly a hog in its mire, I must -confess; but as your Majesty says, it is not altogether my fault.” - -We went into the garden, when it had cleared up for a moment. The -Emperor reverted to the conversation which he had yesterday with the -Governor, in the Admiral’s presence, and again reproached himself with -the violence of his expressions. “It would have been more worthy of me, -more consistent and more dignified, to have expressed all these things -with perfect composure; they would, besides, have been more impressive.” -He recollected, in particular, a name which had escaped him as applied -to Sir H. Lowe (_scribe d’etat-major_,) which must have shocked him, and -the more so because it expressed the truth, and that, we know, is always -offensive. “I have myself,” said the Emperor, “experienced that feeling -in the island of Elba. When I ran over the most infamous libels, they -did not affect me even in the slightest manner. When I was told or read, -that I had _strangled_, _poisoned_, _ravished_; that I had massacred my -sick; that my carriage had been driven over my wounded; I laughed out of -commiseration. How often did I not then say to Madame: ‘Make haste, -mother, come and see the _savage_, the _man-tiger, the devourer of the -human race_; come and admire your child!’ But when there was a slight -approach to truth, the effect was no longer the same; I felt the -necessity of defending myself; I accumulated reasons for my -justification, and even then, it never happened, that I was left without -some traces of a secret torment. My dear Las Cases, such is man!” - -The Emperor passed from this subject to his protest against the treaty -of the 2nd of August, which had been read to us after dinner. I presumed -to ask him, whether after noticing in a conspicuous manner the -acknowledgment of his title of Emperor by the English, during their -negotiations at Paris and Chatillon, he had not forgotten that, which -they must have made on occasion of the treaty of Fontainebleau, and -which, it struck me, was omitted. “It was,” he quickly replied, “done on -purpose; I have nothing to do with that treaty; I disclaim it; I am far -from boasting of it, I am rather ashamed of it. It was discussed for me. -I was betrayed by N——, who brought it to me. That epoch belongs to my -history, but to my history on a large scale. If I had then determined to -treat in a sensible manner, I should have obtained the kingdom of Italy, -Tuscany, or Corsica,—all that I could have desired. My decision was the -result of a fault inherent in my character, a caprice on my part, a real -constitutional excess. I was seized with a dislike and contempt of every -thing around me; I was affected with the same feeling for fortune, which -I took delight in defying. I cast my eye on a spot of land, where I -might be uncomfortable and take advantage of the mistakes that might be -made. I fixed upon the island of Elba. It was the act of a soul of rock. -I am, no doubt, my dear Las Cases, of a very singular disposition, but -we should not be extraordinary, were we not of a peculiar mould; I am a -piece of rock, launched into space! You will not, perhaps, easily -believe me, but I do not regret my grandeur, you see me slightly -affected by what I have lost.” - -“And why, Sire,” I observed, “should I not believe you? What have you to -regret?... The life of man is but an atom in the duration of history, -but with regard to your majesty, the one is already so full, that you -scarcely ought to take any interest but in the other; if your body -suffers here, your memory is enriched a hundred-fold. Had it been your -lot to end your days in the bosom of uninterrupted prosperity, how many -grand and striking circumstances would have passed away unknown! You -yourself, Sire, have assured me of this, and I have remained impressed -with the force of that truth. Not a day, in fact, passes in which those, -who were your enemies, do not repeat with us, who are your faithful -servants, that you are unquestionably greater here than in the -Tuileries. And even on this rock, to which you have been transferred by -violence and perfidy, do you not still command? Your jailors, your -masters, are at your feet; your soul captivates every one that comes -near you; you shew yourself what history represents St. Louis in the -chains of the Saracens, the real master of his conquerors. Your -irresistible ascendancy accompanies you here. We, who are all about you, -Sire, entertain this opinion of you; the Russian commissioner expressed -the same sentiment, we are assured, the other day, and it is felt by -those who guard you. What have you to regret?” - -On our return the Emperor, in spite of the storm, ordered his breakfast -in the tent, and kept me with him. The rain did not penetrate; the only -inconvenience was a considerable degree of damp; but the squalls of wind -and rain whirled round us, and vented themselves far before us, towards -the bottom of the valley; the spectacle was not destitute of beauty. - -The Emperor retired about two o’clock; he sent for me some time -afterwards to his cabinet. “I have,” said he, laying down the book, just -read General S——n; he is a madman, a hair-brained fellow, he writes -nonsense. He is, however, after all, readable and amusing; he cuts up, -dissects, judges, and pronounces sentence upon men and things. He does -not hesitate to give advice, in several instances, to Wellington, and -asserts, that he ought to have made some campaigns under Kleber, &c. -Kleber was no doubt a great general, but the notice taken of Soult is -not precisely the best part of the book; he is an excellent director, a -good minister at war. - -“This S——n,” he continued, “deserted from the camp at Boulogne, carrying -all my secrets to the English; that might have been attended with -serious consequences. S——n was a general officer; his conduct was -dreadful and unpardonable. But observe how a man, in the moment of -revolution, may be a bad character, impudent, and shameless. I found -him, on my return from the island of Elba; he waited for me with -confidence, and wrote a long letter in which he attempted to make me his -dupe. The English, he said, were miserable creatures; he had been a long -time among them; he was acquainted with their means and resources, and -could be very useful to me. He knew that I was too magnanimous, too -great, to remember the wrongs I had suffered from him. I ordered him to -be arrested, and as he had been already tried and condemned, I am at a -loss to know why he was not shot. Either there was not time to carry his -sentence into effect, or he was forgotten. There can be no forbearance, -no indulgence for the general, who has the infamy to prostitute himself -to a foreign power.” - -The Grand Marshal came in; the Emperor, after continuing the -conversation for some time, took him away to play at chess. He suffered -much from the badness of the weather. - -After dinner, he read Le Tartuffe; but he was so fatigued, that he could -not get through it. He laid down the book, and, after paying a just -tribute of eulogy to Moliere, he concluded in a manner which we little -expected. “The whole of the Tartuffe,” he remarked, “is, unquestionably, -finished with the hand of a master, it is one of the best pieces of an -inimitable writer. It is, however, marked with such a character, that I -am not at all surprised, that its appearance should have been the -subject of interesting negotiations at Versailles, and of a great deal -of hesitation on the part of Louis XIV. If I have a right to be -astonished at any thing, it is at his allowing it to be performed. In my -opinion, it holds out devotion under such odious colours; a certain -scene presents so decisive a situation, so completely indecent, that, -for my own part, I do not hesitate to say, if the comedy had been -written in my time, I would not have allowed it to be represented.” - - THE BARONESS DE S——, &C. - -20th.—About four o’clock, I attended the Emperor, according to his -orders, in the billiard-room. The weather still continued dreadful; it -did not allow him to set his foot out of doors, and he was, he said, -nevertheless, driven from his apartment and the saloon by the smoke. My -looks told him, he said, that I was quite flustered; it was with the -most lively indignation, and he wished to know the cause of it. - -“Two or three years ago,” said I, “a clerk in the war office, a very -worthy man, as far as I know, used to come to my house to give my son -lessons in writing and in Latin. He had a daughter, whom he wished to -make a governess, and begged us to recommend her, should an occasion -present itself. Madame Las Cases sent for her; she was charming, and in -every respect highly attractive. From that moment, Madame Las Cases -invited her occasionally to her house, with the view of introducing her -into the world, and obtaining some acquaintances for her who might prove -useful. But, how strange! this young person, our acquaintance, our -obliged friend, is actually at this moment the Baroness de S——, the wife -of one of the Commissioners of the allied powers, who arrived nearly a -month since, in the island. - -“Your Majesty may judge of my surprise, and of all my joy at this -singular freak of fortune. I am then about to have, I said to myself, -positive, particular, and even secret information respecting every thing -that interests me. Several days passed without any communication, but -without any anxiety, and even with some satisfaction on my part. For, I -thought, the greater the caution, the more I had to expect. At length, -hurried on by my impatience, I sent three or four days ago my servant to -Madame de S——; I had described her very properly, and, as an inhabitant -of the island, he found no difficulty in gaining admittance. He returned -soon with an answer from Madame de S——, that she did not know the person -who had sent him. I might, under every circumstance, be still induced to -think, that this was an excess of prudence, and that she was unwilling -to place confidence in one unknown to her. But this very day, I received -notice from the governor, not to attempt to form any secret connexion in -the island; that I ought to be aware of the danger to which I exposed -myself; and that the attempt with which he reproached me was not a -matter of doubt; for he was put in possession of it by the very person -to whom I had addressed myself. Your Majesty now knows what has -confounded me. To find that so villainous a charge should come from a -quarter where I had a right to expect some interest in my affairs, and -even gratitude, has irritated me beyond measure; I am no longer the same -person.” - -The Emperor laughed in my face: “How little do you know of the human -heart! What! her father was your son’s tutor, or something of that kind; -she enjoyed your wife’s protection when she was in want of it, and she -is become a German baroness! But, my dear Las Cases, you are the person -whom she dreads most here, who lay her most under constraint; she will -allege that she never saw your wife at Paris, and besides, this -mischievous Sir Hudson Lowe may have been delighted with giving an -odious turn to the thing; he is so artful, so malignant.” And he then -began to laugh at me and my anger. - -After dinner, the Emperor resumed his reading of the Tartuffe, which he -had not finished yesterday, and there was enough left for to-day. The -Emperor was quite dejected; the bad weather has a visible effect upon -him. - - CORVISART.—ANECDOTES OF THE SALOONS OF PARIS. - -21st.—The weather as horrible as ever.—We are seriously incommoded with -the wet in our apartments; the rain penetrates every where. - -The governor’s secretary brought me a letter from Europe; it afforded a -few moments of real happiness; it contained the recollections and good -wishes of my dearest friends. I went and read it to the Emperor. - -The Emperor suffered seriously from the badness of the weather. He went -to his saloon about four o’clock; he thought that he was feverish, and -found himself much depressed; he called for some punch, and played a few -games at chess with the grand marshal. The doctor is come from the town. -The two vessels just arrived are from the Cape; one of them is the -Podargus, which left Europe ten days after the Griffin; the other, a -small frigate, on her way from India to Europe. There was, it was said, -a letter for the _Emperor Napoleon_, but it was not delivered, and we -did not know from whom it came. - -After dinner it was said that the medicines in the island were -exhausted, and it was remarked, that the Emperor could not be accused of -having contributed to it. This led him to observe, that he did not -recollect having ever taken any medicine. At the Tuileries, he had had -three blisters at once, and even then he had not taken any. He received -a serious wound at Toulon; it was, he said, like that of Ulysses, by -which his old nurse knew him again; he had recovered altogether, without -taking physic. One of us taking the liberty to say; “If your majesty had -the dysentery to-morrow, would you still reject all kind of medicine?” -The Emperor answered; “Now that I am tolerably well, I answer, yes, -without hesitation; but if I were to be very ill, I should, perhaps, -alter my mind, and should then feel that kind of conversion, which is -produced on a dying man through the fear of the devil.” He again -mentioned his incredulity in physic, but he did not think so, he said, -of surgery. He had three times commenced a course of anatomy, but they -had always been broken off by business and disgust. “On a certain -occasion, and at the end of a long discussion, Corvisart, desirous of -speaking to me, with his proofs in hand, was so abominably filthy as to -bring a stomach, wrapped up in his pocket-handkerchief, to St. Cloud, -and I was instantly compelled, at that horrible sight, to cast up all -that I had in mine.” - -The Emperor attempted, after dinner, to read a comedy, but he was so -fatigued, and suffered so much, that he was forced to stop and retire -about nine o’clock. He made me follow him, and as he felt no inclination -to sleep, he said; “Come, my dear Las Cases, let us see; let us have a -story about your fauxbourg Saint Germain, and let us endeavour to laugh -at it, as if we were listening to the Thousand and One Nights’!”—“Very -well, Sire; there was, formerly, one of your Majesty’s chamberlains, who -had a grand-uncle, who was very old, very old indeed, ... and I remember -your Majesty telling us the story of a heavy German officer, who, taken -prisoner at the opening of the campaign in Italy, complained that a -young conceited fellow had been sent to command against them, who -spoiled the profession, and made it intolerable. Well! we had precisely -his likeness among us; it was the old grand-uncle, who was still dressed -nearly in the costume of Louis XIV. He showed off, whenever you sent -accounts of any extraordinary achievements on the other side of the -Rhine; your bulletins of Ulm and Jena operated upon him like so many -revulsions of bile. He was far from admiring you. You also spoiled the -profession, in his opinion. He had, he frequently said, made the -campaigns under Marshal de Saxe, which indeed were prodigies in war, and -had not been sufficiently appreciated. ‘War was, no doubt, then an art; -but now!!!’ he remarked, shrugging up his shoulders.... ‘In our time we -carried on war with great decorum; we had our mules; we were followed by -our canteens; we had our tents; we lived well; we had even plays -performed at head-quarters; the armies approached each other; admirable -positions were occupied; a battle took place; a siege was occasionally -carried on, and afterwards we went into winter-quarters, to renew our -operations in the spring. That is,’ he exclaimed, with exultation, ‘what -may be called making war! But now, a whole army disappears before -another in a single battle, and a monarchy is overturned; a hundred -leagues are run over in ten days; as for sleeping and eating, they are -out of the question. Truly, if you call that genius, I am, for my own -part, obliged to acknowledge, that I know nothing about it; and, -accordingly, you excite my pity, when I hear you call him a great man.’” - -The Emperor burst into fits of laughter, particularly when the mules and -canteens were mentioned. He then added; “You were of course accustomed -to say a great many foolish things about me.”—“O yes, Sire, and in vast -abundance.” “Very well! We are alone; nobody will intrude; tell me some -more of them.” “A fine gentleman, who had formerly been a captain of -cavalry, and who seemed perfectly satisfied with his own person and -accomplishments, was introduced to a select society where I was present. -‘I come,’ he said, ‘from the Plain of Sablons. I have just seen _our -Ostrogoth_ manœuvre.’ That, Sire, was your Majesty. ‘He had two or -three regiments, which he threw into confusion upon each other, and they -were all lost in some bushes. I would have taken him and all his men -prisoners with fifty maitres (formerly troopers) only. An usurped -reputation!’ he exclaimed. ‘Accordingly, Moreau was always of opinion, -that he would fail in Germany. A war with Germany is talked of; if it -takes place, we shall see how he will get out of it. He will have -justice done to him.’ - -“The war took place, and your Majesty sent us, in a very few days, the -bulletin of Ulm, and that of Austerlitz; our fine gentleman again made -his appearance in the same company, and for the moment, in spite of our -malevolence, we could not help crying out all at once: ‘And your fifty -maitres!’ ‘Oh! truly,’ said he, ‘it is impossible to comprehend the -thing; this man triumphs over every obstacle: Fortune leads him by the -hand, and, besides, the Austrians are so awkward; such fools!’”... - -The Emperor laughed heartily, and wished for some anecdote still more -absurd. “That would indeed, Sire, be very difficult to find. I -recollect, however, an old dowager, who, to the day of her death, -obstinately refused to give credit to any of your successes in Germany. -When Ulm, Austerlitz, and your entrance into Vienna were mentioned in -her presence:—‘So, you believe all that,‘ said she, shrugging up her -shoulders. ‘It is all his fabrication. He would not presume to set a -foot in Germany; be assured, that he is still behind the Rhine, where he -is perishing from fear, and sends us those silly stories: you will -learn, in time, that I am not to be imposed upon.’” - -And these stories being over, the Emperor sent me away, saying: “What -are they doing, what must they say, at present? I am certainly now -giving them a fine opportunity.” - -22nd.—This was a day of real mourning for me: it was the first, since -our departure from France, in which I did not see the Emperor. I was the -only one, in consequence of fortunate circumstances, who, until now, had -enjoyed that happiness. His sufferings were great, and his seclusion -complete. He did not ask to see a single person. - - THE EMPEROR CONTINUES ILL.—REMARKABLE OFFICIAL - DOCUMENT, ADDRESSED TO SIR HUDSON LOWE. - -23d.—The weather has continued wet and rainy. About half-past three, the -Emperor sent for me to his chamber. He was dressing himself; he had been -very seriously indisposed, but, thanks to his mode of treating himself, -he said, and to his hermetical seclusion of the preceding day, his -complaint was over. He was again well. - -I dared to express my sincere grief; I had inscribed, I said, an unhappy -day in my journal; I should have marked it in red ink. And when he -learned what it was: “What indeed,” he said, “is it the only day, since -we left France, in which you have not seen me?... And you are the only -one!...” And after a silence of some seconds, he added, in a tone -peculiarly adapted to make me amends, if that were possible; “But, my -dear Las Cases, if you set such a value on it, if you consider it of so -much moment, why did you not come and knock at my door? I am not -inaccessible to you.” - -The Doctor was introduced; he assured us that the Governor had promised -never again to set foot at Longwood. It was ironically observed by one -of us that he began to make himself agreeable. - -The Emperor then went to his library, where a long letter which I had -written to Rome,[9] was read to him by my son. He was driven out by the -wet, and, on his way to the saloon and billiard-room, he was tempted by -the sight of the steps to walk a little. “I know,” he said, “I am doing -what is not prudent.” Luckily, the wet weather forced him to return -almost instantly. He took a seat in the saloon, where there was a good -fire, called for infusion of orange-leaves, and played some games of -chess. - -Footnote 9: - - It was my letter to Prince Lucien, since so celebrated in the history - of my persecutions, and which will be found in its proper place. - -After dinner, the Emperor read Marmontel’s Tales, and stopped at that of -the self-styled philosopher. He still coughed a great deal, and again -called for some of the same drink. He entered into a long and most -interesting review of Jean Jacques, of his talents, his influence, his -eccentricities, his private vices. He retired at ten o’clock. I regret -very much, that I cannot now recollect the particulars relative to all -these subjects. - -In the course of the day M. de Montholon addressed the following -official answer to the Governor, who had sent a letter, respecting the -commissioners of the allied powers, and the embarrassed state of his -finances. It is the letter, which I have already noticed on the 18th of -this month. - - OFFICIAL DOCUMENT. - -“General,—I have received the treaty of the 2d of August, 1815, -concluded between his Britannic Majesty, the Emperor of Austria, the -Emperor of Russia, and the King of Prussia, which was annexed to your -letter of the 23d of July. - -“The Emperor Napoleon protests against the purport of that treaty; he is -not the prisoner of England. After having placed his abdication in the -hands of the representatives of the nation, for the benefit of the -constitution adopted by the French people, and in favour of his son, he -proceeded voluntarily and freely to England, for the purpose of residing -there, as a private person, in retirement, under the protection of the -British laws. The violation of all laws cannot constitute a right in -fact. The person of the Emperor Napoleon is in the power of England; but -neither, as a matter of fact, nor of right, has it been, nor is it, at -present, in the power of Austria, Russia, and Prussia; even according to -the laws and customs of England, which has never included, in its -exchange of prisoners, Russians, Austrians, Prussians, Spaniards, or -Portuguese, although united to these powers by treaties of alliance, and -making war conjointly with them. The Convention of the 2d of August, -made fifteen days after the Emperor Napoleon had arrived in England, -cannot, as a matter of right have any effect; it merely presents the -spectacle of the coalition of the four principal powers of Europe, for -the oppression of a single man; a coalition which the opinion of all -nations disavows, as do all the principles of sound morality. The -Emperors of Austria and Russia, and the King of Prussia, not possessing, -either in fact or by right any power over the person of the Emperor -Napoleon, were incapable of enacting any thing with regard to him. If -the Emperor Napoleon had been in the power of the Emperor of Austria, -that prince would have remembered the relations formed by religion and -nature between a father and a son, relations which are never violated -with impunity. He would have remembered that four times Napoleon -re-established him on his throne; at Leoben, in 1797, and at Luneville -in 1801, when his armies were under the walls of Vienna; at Presburgh in -1806, and at Vienna in 1809, when his armies were in possession of the -capital and of three-fourths of the monarchy. That prince would have -remembered the protestations which he made to him at the bivouac in -Moravia in 1806, and at the interview at Dresden in 1812. If the person -of the Emperor Napoleon had been in the power of the Emperor Alexander, -he would have remembered the ties of friendship, contracted at Tilsit, -at Erfurth, and during twelve years of daily intercourse; he would have -remembered the conduct of the Emperor Napoleon the day after the battle -of Austerlitz, when, having it in his power to take him prisoner with -the remains of his army, he contented himself with his word, and -suffered him to effect his retreat; he would have remembered the dangers -to which the Emperor Napoleon personally exposed himself to extinguish -the fire of Moscow and preserve that capital for him: unquestionably -that prince would not have violated the duties of friendship and -gratitude towards a friend in distress. If the person of the Emperor -Napoleon had been even in power of the King of Prussia, that sovereign -would not have forgotten that it was optional with the Emperor, after -the battle of Friedland, to place another prince on the throne of -Berlin; he would not have forgotten, in the presence of a disarmed -enemy, the protestations of attachment and the sentiments which he -expressed to him in 1812, at the interviews at Dresden. It is, -accordingly, evident from the 2d and 5th articles of the said treaty, -that, being incapable of any influence whatever over the fate, and the -person of the Emperor Napoleon, who is not in their power, these princes -refer themselves in that respect to the future conduct of his Britannic -Majesty, who undertakes to fulfil all obligations. - -“These princes have reproached the Emperor Napoleon with preferring the -protection of the English laws to theirs. The false ideas which the -Emperor Napoleon entertained of the liberality of the English laws, and -of the influence of a great, generous, and free people on its -government, decided him in preferring the protection of these laws to -that of his father-in-law, or of his old friend. The Emperor Napoleon -always would have been able to obtain the security of what related -personally to himself, whether by placing himself again at the head of -the army of the Loire, or by putting himself at the head of the army of -the Gironde, commanded by General Clausel; but, looking for the future -only to retirement and to the protection of the laws of a free nation, -either English or American, all stipulations appeared useless to him. He -thought that the English people would have been more bound by his frank -conduct, which was noble and full of confidence, than it could have been -by the most solemn treaties. He has been mistaken, but this error will -for ever excite the indignation of real Britons, and, with the present -as well as future generations, it will be a proof of the perfidy of the -English administration. Austrian and Russian commissioners are arrived -at St. Helena; if the object of their mission be to fulfil part of the -duties, which the Emperors of Austria and Russia have contracted by the -treaty of the 2d of August, and to take care, that the English agents, -in a small colony, in the midst of the Ocean, do not fail in the -attentions due to a prince connected with them by the ties of affinity, -and by so many relations, the characteristics of these two sovereigns -will be recognized in that measure. But you, Sir, have asserted, that -these commissioners possessed neither the right nor the power of giving -any opinion on whatever may be transacted on this rock. - -“The English ministry have caused the Emperor Napoleon to be transported -to Saint Helena, two thousand leagues from Europe. This rock, situated -under the tropic at the distance of five hundred leagues from any -continent is, in that latitude, exposed to a devouring heat; it is, -during three-fourths of the year, covered with clouds and mists; it is -at once the driest and wettest country in the world. This is the most -inimical climate to the Emperor’s health. It is hatred which dictated -the selection of this residence, as well as the instructions, given by -the English ministry to the officers who command in this country; they -have been ordered to call the Emperor Napoleon, General, being desirous -of compelling him to acknowledge that he never reigned in France, which -decided him not to take an incognito title, as he had determined on -quitting France. First magistrate for life, under the title of first -consul, he concluded the preliminaries of London and the treaty of -Amiens with the king of Great Britain. He received as ambassadors, Lord -Cornwallis, Mr. Merry, and Lord Whitworth, who resided in that quality -at his court. He sent to the King of England, Count Otto and General -Andreossi, who resided as ambassadors at the Court of Windsor. When, -after the exchange of letters between the ministers for foreign affairs -belonging to the two monarchies, Lord Lauderdale came to Paris, provided -with full powers from the King of England, he treated with the -plenipotentiaries provided with full powers from the Emperor Napoleon, -and resided several months at the court of the Tuileries. When, -afterwards, at Chatillon, Lord Castlereagh signed the ultimatum, which -the allied powers presented to the plenipotentiaries of the Emperor -Napoleon, he thereby recognized the fourth dynasty. That ultimatum was -more advantageous than the treaty of Paris; but France was required to -renounce Belgium and the left bank of the Rhine, which was contrary to -the propositions of Frankfort and to the proclamations of the allied -powers; and was also contrary to the oath by which, at his consecration, -the Emperor had sworn the integrity of the empire. The Emperor then -thought these national limits were necessary to the security of France -as well as to the equilibrium of Europe; he thought that the French -nation, in the circumstances under which it found itself, ought rather -to risk every chance of war than to give them up. France would have -obtained that integrity, and with it preserved her honour, had not -treason contributed to the success of the allies. The treaty of the 2d -of August, and the bill of the British parliament, style the Emperor, -Napoleon Bonaparte, and give him only the title of General. The title of -_General Bonaparte_ is, no doubt, eminently glorious; the Emperor bore -it at Lodi, at Castiglione, at Rivoli, at Arcole, at Leoben, at the -Pyramids, at Aboukir: but for seventeen years he has borne that of First -Consul and of Emperor; it would be an admission that he has been neither -first magistrate of the republic, nor sovereign of the fourth dynasty. -Those, who think that nations are flocks, which, by divine right, belong -to some families, are neither of the present age, nor of the spirit of -the English legislature, which has several times changed the succession -of its dynasties, because the great alterations occasioned by opinions, -in which the reigning princes did not participate, had made them enemies -to the happiness of the great majority of that nation. For kings are but -hereditary magistrates, who exist but for the happiness of nations, and -not nations for the satisfaction of kings. It is the same spirit of -hatred, which directed that the Emperor Napoleon should not write or -receive any letter, without its being opened and read by the English -ministers and the officers of St. Helena. He has, by that regulation, -been interdicted the possibility of receiving intelligence from his -mother, his wife, his son, his brothers; and when, wishing to avoid the -inconvenience of having his letters read by inferior officers, he wished -to send sealed letters to the Prince Regent, he was told, that open -letters only could be taken charge of and conveyed, and that such were -the instructions of the ministry. That measure stands in need of no -comment; it will suggest strange ideas of the spirit of the -administration by which it was dictated; it would be disclaimed even at -Algiers! Letters have been received for general officers in the -Emperor’s suite; they were opened and delivered to you; you have -retained them, because they had not been transmitted through the medium -of the English ministry; it was found necessary to make them travel four -thousand leagues over again, and these officers had the misfortune to -know, that there existed on this rock news from their wives, their -mothers, and their children, and that they could not be put in -possession of it, in less than six months!!!—The heart revolts. - -“Permission could not be obtained to subscribe to the Morning Chronicle, -to the Morning Post, or to some French journals: some broken numbers of -the Times have been occasionally sent to Longwood. In consequence of the -demand made on board the Northumberland, some books have been sent, but -all those which relate to the transactions of late years have been -carefully kept back. It was since intended to open a correspondence with -a London bookseller for the purpose of being directly supplied with -books which might be wanted, and with those relative to the events of -the day; that intention was frustrated. An English author, having -published at London an account of his travels in France, took the -trouble to send it as a present to the Emperor, but you did not think -yourself authorized to deliver it to him, because it had not reached you -through the channel of your government. It is also said, that other -books, sent by their authors, have not been delivered, because the -address of some was—To the Emperor Napoleon, and of others—To Napoleon -the Great. The English ministry are not authorized to order any of these -vexations. The law, however unjust, considers the Emperor Napoleon as a -prisoner of war; but prisoners of war have never been prohibited from -subscribing to the journals, or receiving books that are printed; such a -prohibition is exercised only in the dungeons of the Inquisition. - -“The island of St. Helena is ten leagues in circumference; it is every -where inaccessible; the coast is guarded by brigs; posts within sight of -each other are placed on the shore; and all communication with the sea -is rendered impracticable. There is but one small town, James Town, -where the vessels anchor, and from which they sail. In order to prevent -the escape of an individual, it is sufficient to guard the coast by land -and sea. By interdicting the interior of the island, one object only can -be in view, that of preventing a ride of eight or ten miles, which it -would be possible to take on horseback, and the privation of which, -according to the consultations of medical men, is abridging the -Emperor’s days. - -“The Emperor has been placed at Longwood, which is exposed to every -wind; a barren spot, uninhabited, without water, and incapable of any -kind of cultivation. The space contains about 1200 uncultivated fathoms. -At the distance of 11 or 1200 fathoms, a camp has been formed on a small -eminence; another has been since placed nearly at the same distance in -an opposite direction, so that, in the intense heat of the tropic, -whichever way the eye turns nothing is seen but camps. Admiral Malcolm, -perceiving the utility of which a tent would be to the Emperor in that -situation, has had one pitched by his seamen at the distance of twenty -paces from the house; it is the only spot in which shade is to be found. -The Emperor, has, however, every reason to be satisfied with the spirit -which animates the officers and soldiers of the gallant 53d, as he had -been with the crew of the Northumberland. Longwood House was built for a -barn to the company’s farm; some apartments were afterwards made in it -by the Deputy-Governor of the island; he used it for a country-house; -but it was, in no respect, adapted for a residence. During the year that -it has been inhabited, people have always been at work in it, and the -Emperor has been constantly exposed to the inconvenience and -unwholesomeness of a house, in which workmen are employed. His -bedchamber is too small to contain a bedstead of ordinary size; but -every kind of building at Longwood would prolong the inconvenience -arising from the workmen. There are, however, in this wretched island, -some beautiful situations, with fine trees, gardens, and tolerably good -houses, among others Plantation House; but you are prevented by the -positive instructions of the ministry from granting this house, which -would have saved a great deal of expense laid out in building, at -Longwood, huts covered with pitched paper, which are no longer of any -use. You have prohibited every kind of intercourse between us and the -inhabitants of the island; you have, in fact, converted Longwood House -into a secret prison; you have even thrown difficulties in the way of -our communication with the officers of the garrison. The most anxious -care would seem to be taken to deprive us of the few resources afforded -by this miserable country, and we are no better off here than we should -be on Ascension Rock. During the four months you have been at St. -Helena, you have, Sir, rendered the Emperor’s condition worse. It was -observed to you by Count Bertrand, that you violated the law of your -legislature, that you trampled upon the privileges of general officers, -prisoners of war. You answered, that you knew nothing but the letter of -your instructions, and that they were still worse than your conduct -appeared to us. - - I have the honour, &c. - - (Signed) COUNT DE MONTHOLON. - -“P.S.—I had, Sir, signed this letter, when I received yours of the 17th, -to which you annex the estimate of an annual sum of 20,000_l._ sterling, -which you consider indispensable to meet the expenses of the -establishment of Longwood, after having made all the reductions which -you have thought possible. The consideration of this estimate can, in no -respect, concern us; the Emperor’s table is scarcely supplied with what -is necessary; all the provisions are of bad quality and four times as -dear as at Paris. You require a fund of twelve thousand pounds sterling -from the Emperor, as your government allows you only eight thousand -pounds for all these expenses. I have had the honour of telling you, -that the Emperor had no funds; that no letter had been received or -written for a year; and that he was altogether unacquainted with what is -passing or what may have passed in Europe. Transported by violence to -this rock, at the distance of two thousand leagues, without being able -to receive or to write any letter, he now finds himself at the -discretion of the English agents. The Emperor has uniformly desired and -still desires to provide himself for all his expenses of every kind, and -he will do so, as speedily as you shall give possibility to the means, -by taking off the prohibition, laid upon the merchants of the island, of -carrying on his correspondence, and releasing it from all kind of -inquisition on your part or on that of any of your agents. The moment -the Emperor’s wants shall be known in Europe, the persons who interest -themselves for him will transmit the necessary funds for his supplies. - -“The letter of Lord Bathurst, which you have communicated to me, gives -rise to strange ideas! Can your ministers then be so ignorant as not to -know that the spectacle of a great man struggling with adversity is the -most sublime of spectacles? Can they be ignorant, that Napoleon at St. -Helena, amidst persecutions of every kind, against which his serenity is -his only shield, is greater, more sacred, more venerable than on the -first throne of the world, where he was, so long, the arbiter of Kings? -Those, who fail in respect to Napoleon, thus situated, merely degrade -their own character and the nation which they represent!” - -MY ENGLISH FAMILY.—JUST DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE ENGLISH ON THE PART OF - THE EMIGRANTS, &C.—GENERAL JOUBERT.—PETERSBURG.—MOSCOW; THE - CONFLAGRATION.—PROJECTS OF NAPOLEON, HAD HE RETURNED VICTORIOUS. - -24th.—I went, at two o’clock, to the Emperor, in his apartment. He had -sent for my Atlas in the morning. I found him finishing his examination -of the map of Russia and of that part of America adjoining the Russian -establishments. - -He had suffered, and coughed a great deal, during the night. The weather -had, however, become milder. While he was dressing to go out, he often -dwelt upon the happy idea of the Atlas, the merit of its execution, and -the immensity of its contents. He concluded, as usual, with saying; -“What a collection! what details! How complete in all its parts!” - -The Emperor went to the garden. I told him, that I had written, in the -morning, to England, and answered the letter which I had read to him two -or three days ago. “Your English family,” he then observed, “seem to be -very good kind of people; they are very fond of you, and you appear very -much attached to them.” I answered; “Sire, I took care of them in -France, during their ten years captivity, and they had taken care of me -in England, during my ten years emigration. It is altogether the -hospitality of the ancients which we exercise towards each other. I rely -upon them, in every respect, and they are at liberty to dispose of all I -possess.”—“This,” said he, “is a very happy connexion. How did you -obtain it? To what are you indebted for it?” I then told him how I -became acquainted with this family. - -“Never was the plank, by the assistance of which an unfortunate person, -after shipwreck, preserved his life, dearer to him than this family is -to me. There are, Sire, no favours, no treasures, which can compensate -the kindnesses I have received from it, and the happiness it has -conferred upon me. - -“When the horrible excesses of our revolution compelled us to take -refuge in England, our emigration produced the liveliest sensation in -that country; the arrival of so many illustrious exiles, their past -fortunes, and their then forlorn condition, were impressed on every -mind, and filled every heart. They became the subject of consideration -in political assemblies, in places of divine worship, in fashionable -circles, and in private families. That catastrophe agitated every class, -and excited every sympathy. We were surrounded by a generous and feeling -multitude. We were the objects of the most delicate attentions, and of -the most substantial favours. Such, it must be acknowledged, was the -affecting sight held out by a vast portion of English society, even in -spite of the difference of opinions. It is a testimony due from our -gratitude to the truth of history. - -“I was then in London, with a cousin of my name, whose situation at the -court of Versailles had enabled her to be of some service to the most -distinguished persons in Europe, where she was a lady of honour to the -Princess Lamballe, who was herself sub-intendant of the Queen’s -household. That turned out a fortunate circumstance for our family. My -cousin experienced proofs of the greatest benevolence; a great number of -persons were eager to make a tender of their services, and, among -others, a certain young couple. The wife was charming, and distinguished -for the elegance and dignity of her manners; the husband was of an easy -temper, of a mild and honourable character. Their house was almost -instantly open to my cousin and to all her relations, who had every -reason to find themselves as much at their ease there, as if they had -been in their own families. - -“This worthy couple took every occasion to oblige and to be of use to -our refugees. Their house was frequented by the most distinguished -emigrants. A great number of us there contracted a debt of gratitude -which, notwithstanding all its extent, I should not despair of paying, -were I alone left to discharge it. I shall leave it as a legacy to my -children, who, if they resemble me, will look upon it as sacred, and -deem themselves happy in redeeming the obligation. - -“Elevation of soul, and the emotions of a French heart, characterized -the conduct of Lady .... When the Prince of Condé (arrived in London,) -was looking for a country residence, she sent me to offer him the superb -mansion which she possessed, in the county of Durham. The Prince, after -hearing the particulars, having remarked that it would, no doubt, cost -him a King’s ransom, was agreeably surprised at learning that it was -presented to him by a French woman, who would, she said, consider that -she had received an inestimable price, should a Condé condescend to -inhabit it. He went, instantly, to express his acknowledgments in -person. - -“This family visited Paris after the peace of Amiens, and it was in its -bosom, and through its protection, that I was enabled, a few days -sooner, to breathe the air of my country. I was exempted, through its -means, from the tedious and painful formalities required from me by the -act of amnesty on the frontier, and I felt it my duty to provide for -their accommodation at Paris, with much more facility and less -inconvenience than they could have done themselves. I had also the -happiness, when the measure for detaining the English residents was -carried into effect, and this family was placed among the number, of -alleviating their condition in my turn, and becoming their security. - -“We were, at length, separated by time and circumstances; but they have -lost nothing in my recollection; and the needle is less constant to the -pole, and less faithful in its guidance, than are my thoughts and my -gratitude, with respect to those good and valuable friends. Such, Sire, -is what your Majesty is pleased to call my English family.” - -We had, however, during my relation, walked to the stable, and called -for the calash. The Emperor ordered it to take us up at the bottom of -the wood. We waited for it a long time, because Madame de Montholon was -seized with a sudden indisposition. Her husband came to apologize for -the delay, and the Emperor made him get in. - -The conversation turned, during our ride, upon General Joubert, whose -brother-in-law and aid-de-camp M. de Montholon had been. - -“Joubert,” said the Emperor, “entertained a high veneration for me; he -deplored my absence at every reverse experienced by the Republic, during -the expedition to Egypt. He was, at that time, at the head of the army -of Italy; he had taken me for his model, aspired to imitate my plans, -and attempted to accomplish nothing less than what I afterwards effected -in Brumaire: he had, however, the Jacobins to assist him. The measures -and intrigues of that party, to place the means of executing that grand -enterprise in his power, had raised him to the command in Italy, after -the disasters of Scherer; of that Scherer who was an ignorant peculator, -and deserving of every censure. But Joubert was killed at Novi, in his -first rencounter with Suwarrow; any attempt of his, at Paris, would have -failed; he had not yet acquired a sufficient degree of glory, of -consistency, and maturity. He was, by nature, calculated for all these -acquirements, but, at that moment, he was not adequately formed; he was -still too young, and that enterprise was then beyond his ability.” - -The Emperor could not take more than one round; he found himself too -much fatigued, and was far from being well. - -At half past eight o’clock, the Emperor ordered me to be called. He told -me that he had been obliged to take a bath, and thought he was a little -feverish. He felt that he had suddenly caught cold, but he had ceased to -cough since he was in the bath. He continued for a long time in the -water. He dined in it, and a small table was laid for me by the side. -The Emperor reverted to the history of Russia. “Had Peter the Great,” he -asked, “acted with wisdom in founding a capital at Petersburgh at so -vast an expense? Would not the results have been greater, had he -expended all his money at Moscow? What was his object? Had he -accomplished it?” I replied: “If Peter had remained at Moscow, his -nation would have continued Muscovite, a people altogether Asiatic; it -was necessary that it should be displaced for its reform and alteration. -He had, therefore, selected a position on the very frontiers, wrested -from the enemy, and in founding his capital, and accumulating all his -strength, he rendered it invulnerable; he connected himself with -European society; he established his power in the Baltic sea, by which -he could with ease prevent his natural enemies, the Poles and the -Swedes, from forming alliances, upon occasion, with the nations situated -in their rear.” - -The Emperor said that “he was not altogether satisfied with these -reasons. Be it as it may,” he observed, “Moscow has disappeared, and who -can compute the wealth that has been swallowed up there? Let us -contemplate Paris, with the accumulation of buildings and of industry, -the work of centuries. Had its capital, for the 1400 years of its -existence, increased but a million a year, what a sum! Let us connect -with that the warehouses, the furniture, the union of sciences and the -arts, the complete establishments of trade and commerce, &c., and this -is the picture of Moscow; and all that vanished in an instant! What a -catastrophe! Does not the bare idea of it make one shudder?... I do not -think that it could be replaced, at the expense of two thousand -millions.” - -He expatiated at great length on all these events, and let a word escape -him which was too characteristic not to be specially noted down by me. -The name of Rostopchin having been pronounced, I presumed to remark that -the colour at that time given to his patriotic action had very much -surprised me, for he had interested me instead of exciting my -indignation: nay, I had envied him!... The Emperor replied with singular -vivacity, and with a kind of contraction which betrayed vexation: “If -many at Paris had been capable of reading and feeling it in that way, -believe me, I should have applauded it! But I had no choice left me.” -Resuming the subject of Moscow, he said:—“Never, with all the powers of -poetry, have the fictions of the burning of Troy equalled the reality of -that of Moscow. The city was of wood, the wind was violent; all the -pumps had been taken away. It was literally an ocean of fire. Nothing -had been saved from it; our march was so rapid, our entrance so sudden. -We found even diamonds on the women’s toilets, they had fled so -precipitately. They wrote to us a short time afterwards that they had -sought to escape from the first excesses of a dangerous soldiery; that -they recommended their property to the generosity of the conquerors, and -would not fail to re-appear in the course of a few days to solicit their -kindness and testify their gratitude. - -“The population was far from having plotted that atrocity. Even they -themselves delivered up to us three or four hundred criminals, who -escaped from prison, and had executed it,”—“But, Sire, may I presume to -ask, if Moscow had not been burnt, did not your Majesty intend to -establish your quarters there?”—“Certainly,” answered the Emperor, “and -I should then have held up the singular spectacle of an army wintering -in the midst of a hostile nation, pressing upon it from all points; it -would have been the ship beset by the ice. You would have been in France -without any intelligence from me for several months; but you would have -remained quiet, you would have acted wisely. Cambacèrés would, as usual, -have conducted affairs in my name, and all would have been as orderly as -if I had been present. The winter, in Russia, would have weighed heavy -on every one; the torpor would have been general. The spring also would -have returned for all the world. All would have been at once on their -legs, and it is well known that the French are as nimble as any others. - -“On the first appearance of fine weather, I should have marched against -the enemy; I should have beaten them; I should have been master of their -empire. Alexander, be assured, would not have suffered me to proceed so -far. He would have agreed to all the conditions which I might have -dictated, and France would then have begun to enjoy all her advantages. -And, truly, my success depended upon a mere trifle. For I had undertaken -the expedition to fight against armed men, not against nature in the -violence of her wrath. I defeated armies, but I could not conquer the -flames, the frost, stupefaction, and death!... I was forced to yield to -fate. And, after all, how unfortunate for France!—indeed for all Europe! - -[Illustration: - - THE BURNING OF MOSCOW. - - London: Published for Henry Colburn, March, 1836. -] - -“Peace, concluded at Moscow, would have fulfilled and wound up my -hostile expeditions. It would have been, with respect to the grand -cause, the term of casualties and the commencement of security. A new -horizon, new undertakings, would have unfolded themselves, adapted, in -every respect, to the well-being and prosperity of all. The foundation -of the European system would have been laid, and my only remaining task -would have been its organization. - -“Satisfied on these grand points, and every where at peace, I should -have also had my Congress and my Holy Alliance. These are plans which -were filched from me. In that assembly of all the sovereigns, we should -have discussed our interest in a family way, and settled our accounts -with the people, as a clerk does with his master. - -“The cause of the age was victorious, the revolution accomplished; the -only point in question was to reconcile it with what it had not -destroyed. But that task belonged to me; I had for a long time been -making preparations for it, at the expense, perhaps, of my popularity. -No matter. I became the ark of the old and the new covenant, the natural -mediator between the old and the new order of things. I maintained the -principles and possessed the confidence of the one; I had identified -myself with the other. I belonged to them both; I should have acted -conscientiously in favour of each. My glory would have consisted in my -equity.” - -“And, after having enumerated what he would have proposed between -sovereign and sovereign, and between sovereigns and their people, he -continued: “Powerful as we were, all that we might have conceded would -have appeared grand. It would have gained us the gratitude of the -people. At present, what they may extort will never seem enough for -them, and they will be uniformly distrustful and discontented.” - -He next took a review of what he would have proposed for the prosperity, -the interest, the enjoyment, and the well-being, of the European -confederacy. He wished to establish the same principles, the same -system, every where—a European code; a European court of appeal, with -full powers to redress all wrong decisions, as our’s redresses at home -those of our tribunals; money of the same value, but in different coins; -the same weights, the same measures, the same laws. - -“Thus Europe,” he said, “would soon have formed, in reality, but one and -the same people, and every one, who travelled, would have every where -found himself in one common country.” - -He would have required that all the rivers should be navigable in -common; that the seas should be thrown open; that the great standing -armies should, in future, be reduced to the mere guards of the -sovereign. - -In short, a multitude of ideas fell from him, the greater part of which -were new; some of the simplest nature, others altogether sublime, -relative to the different political, civil, and legislative branches; to -religion, to the arts, and commerce: they embraced every subject. - -He concluded: “On my return to France, into the bosom of my country, at -once great, powerful, magnificent, at peace, and glorious, I would have -proclaimed the immutability of boundaries; all future wars, as purely -_defensive_; all new aggrandizement, as _anti-national_. I would have -associated my son with me in the empire; my dictatorship would have -terminated, and his constitutional reign commenced. - -“Paris would have been the capital of the world, and the French the envy -of nations!... My leisure and my old age would have been devoted, in -company with the Empress, and, during the royal apprenticeship of my -son, to visiting slowly and with our own horses, like a plain country -couple, every corner of the empire; to receiving complaints, redressing -wrongs, founding monuments, and doing good every where and by every -means!... These also, my dear Las Cases, were among my reveries!!!” - -The Emperor conversed a great deal about the interior of Russia, of the -prosperity of which, he said, we had no idea. He dwelt, at great length, -upon Moscow, which had, under every point of view, much surprised him, -and might bear a comparison with any of the capitals of Europe, the -greater number of which it surpassed. Here unfortunately I can find but -bare outlines in my notes, which it is impossible for me to fill up now. - -He was particularly struck with the gilded spires of Moscow, and it was -that which induced him, on his return, to have the dome of the Invalids -regilt; he intended to embellish many other edifices at Paris in the -same manner.[10] - -Footnote 10: - - Since the first appearance of this work, it has been remarked to me - that this is an anachronism; as the gilding of the dome of the - Invalids was begun before the campaign in Russia. It was the minarets - of Cairo and not the steeples of Moscow which must have suggested the - idea to Napoleon; and this was no doubt what he meant to say: it is - easy to imagine that a mistake of this kind might be made by him in a - conversation without any special object: in fact every body is liable - to such mistakes. - -As the city of Moscow seems to have been so different from the idea -which we have generally entertained of it in our Western world, I am -inclined to think that a description of it in this place, supplied by an -eye-witness, a distinguished person, attached to the expedition, will -not prove disagreeable. It is by Baron Larrey, surgeon-in-chief to the -grand army. I take it from a work of that celebrated character (Mémoires -de la Chirurgie Militaire), in no great circulation, on account, -perhaps, of its peculiarly scientific nature. - -The relation begins at the moment when the French army was setting out -for Moscow, after the battle of Mozaisk or of the Moskowa. - -“We were hardly a few miles off from Mozaisk, when we were all surprised -at finding ourselves, notwithstanding the vicinity of the spot to one of -the greatest capitals in the world, on a sandy, arid, and completely -desert plain. The mournful aspect of that solitude, which discouraged -the soldiers, seemed an omen of the entire abandonment of Moscow, and of -the misfortunes which awaited us in that city, from the opulence of -which we had promised ourselves such advantages. - -“The army marched, with difficulty, over that tract. The horses were -harassed, and exhausted with hunger and thirst, for water was as rare as -forage. The men had also a great deal to suffer. They were, in fact, -overwhelmed with fatigue, and in want of all subsistence. The troops had -not, for a long time, received any rations, and the small quantity of -provisions found at Mozaisk was only sufficient for the young and old -guard. A considerable number of the former corps fell victims to their -abuse of the spirits of the country. They were observed to quit their -comrades a few paces, to totter, whirl round, and afterwards fall on -their knees or sit down involuntarily; they remained immoveable in that -attitude, and expired shortly afterwards, without uttering a single -complaint. These young men were pre-disposed to the pernicious effects -of that liquor by languor, privations and excessive fatigue. - -“We arrived, however, on the evening of the 14th of September, in one of -the suburbs of Moscow; we there learnt that the Russian army had, in its -passage through the city, carried off all the citizens and public -functionaries, some of the lower classes and servants alone were left; -so that, in going through the principal streets of that great city, -which we entered the following morning, we scarcely met any one; all the -houses were completely abandoned. But what very much surprised us was to -see the fire break out in several remote quarters, where none of our -troops had yet been, and particularly in the bazar of the Kremlin, an -immense building, with porticoes which have some resemblance to those of -the Palais Royal at Paris. - -“After what we had witnessed on our passage through Little Russia, we -were astonished at the vastness of Moscow, at the great number of -churches and palaces which it contained, at the beautiful architecture -of those edifices, at the commodious disposition of the principal -houses, and all the objects of luxury which were found in the greater -part of them. The streets in general were spacious, regular, and well -laid out. Nothing had the appearance of discordance throughout that -city. Every thing announced its wealth, and the immense trade it carried -on in the productions of the four quarters of the world. - -“The variety displayed in the construction of the palaces, houses, and -churches, was an infinite addition to the beauty of the city. There were -places which, by the peculiar kind of architecture of the different -edifices, indicated the nations that generally inhabited them; thus, the -residence of the Franks, Chinese, Indians, and Germans, was easily -distinguished. The Kremlin might be considered as the citadel of Moscow; -it is in the centre of the town, situated on an eminence sufficiently -elevated, surrounded by a wall with bastions, and flanked, at regular -distances, by towers, mounted with cannon. The bazaar, which has been -already noticed, usually filled with the merchandize of India, and -valuable furs, had become the prey of the flames, and the only articles -preserved were those which had been deposited in the vaults, where the -soldiers penetrated, after the fire that consumed the whole of the -exterior of that beautiful edifice. The palace of the Emperors, that of -the senate, the archives, the arsenal, and two very ancient churches, -occupy the rest of the Kremlin. These different buildings, of a rich -style of architecture, form a magnificent appearance about the parade. -One might imagine one’s self transported to the public place of ancient -Athens, where the Areopagus and the temple of Minerva on one side, and -the academy and the arsenal on the other, were the objects of -admiration. A cylindrical tower rises between the two churches, in the -form of a column, known by the name of Yvan’s tower; it is rather an -Egyptian minaret, within which several bells, of different sizes, are -hung. At the foot of this tower, is seen a bell of a prodigious -magnitude, which has been noticed by all the historians. The whole of -the city and its environs are seen from the top of the towers; it looks -like a star, with four forked rays. The city has a most picturesque -appearance, from the variegated colours of the roofs of the houses, and -from the gold and silver which cover the domes and the tops of the -steeples, of which there is a considerable number. Nothing can equal the -richness of one of the churches of the Kremlin (it was the burial-place -of the Emperors); its walls are covered with plates of silver gilt, five -or six lines thick, on which the history of the Old and New Testament is -represented in relievo; the lustres and candelabra, of massy silver, -were particularly remarkable for their extraordinary size. - -“The hospitals, to which my attention was peculiarly directed, are -worthy of the most civilized nation in the world; I divide them into -military and civil. The great military hospital is divided into three -parts, forming altogether a parallelogram. The principal part was -constructed on the side of a great road, opposite to an immense barrack, -which may be compared to the military school at Paris. Two lateral -buildings, intersecting the first at right angles, inclose the court, -which communicates with a fine and extensive garden appropriated to the -use of the sick. A portico, with columns of the composite order, forms -the front of this building, which is two stories high. At the entrance -is a spacious lobby, with corresponding doors to the wards on the -ground-floor, and a large and magnificent staircase leading to the upper -stories. The wards occupy the entire length of the building, and the -windows on each side reach from the ceiling to the floor; they are made -with double sashes, as is customary throughout Russia, and are -completely closed in winter; stoves are placed in the inside at suitable -distances. The wards contain four rows of beds of the same kind, -separated by the requisite space for wholesomeness: each row consists of -fifty beds, and the total number may be estimated at more than three -thousand; the hospital contains fourteen principal wards of very nearly -the same extent. The offices, dispensary, kitchen, and other -accessories, are very commodiously situated, in separate places, at a -convenient distance from the wards. - -“The civil hospitals are equally entitled to notice. The four principal -are those of Cheremetow, Galitzin, Alexander, and the foundlings. - -“The first, remarkable for its form, its structure, and its internal -arrangements, was used to receive the sick and wounded belonging to the -guard. - -“This hospital, which is three stories high, is built in the form of a -crescent; the requisite offices are situated in the rear. A beautiful -portico, projecting from the centre of the half-moon, forms the entrance -of a chapel which occupies the middle of the edifice; this chapel, -surmounted by a dome, is the central point of all the wards, and -contains the mausoleum of the Prince who founded the hospital: it is -adorned with columns in stucco, statues, and beautiful pictures. The -dispensary is one of the finest and best supplied that I know. - -“The Foundling Hospital, situated on the banks of the Moscowa, and -protected by the cannon of the Kremlin, is indisputably the largest and -noblest establishment of the kind in Europe. It consists of two masses -of building; the first, where the entrance is placed, is appropriated to -the residence of the Governor, who is selected from the old generals of -the army, of the board of management, of the medical officers, and of -all those employed in the service of the hospital. The second forms a -perfect square. In the centre of the court, which is very spacious, is a -reservoir, that supplies the whole of the establishment with water from -the river. Each of the sides consists of four stories, round which runs -a regular corridor, not very broad, yet sufficiently spacious for the -admission of air, and the accommodation of persons passing through it. -The wards occupy the remainder of the breadth, and the whole length of -each wing of the building. There are two rows of beds with curtains in -each ward, their size corresponds with that of the children: the boys -are kept separate from the girls, and the greatest cleanliness and -regularity are observed. - -“We had scarcely taken possession of the city, and succeeded in -extinguishing the fire, kindled by the Russians in the most beautiful -quarters, when, in consequence of two principal causes, the flames again -broke out in the most violent manner, spread rapidly from one street to -another, and involved the whole place in one common ruin. The first of -these causes is justly reported to have been the desperate resolution of -a certain class of Russians, who were said to have been confined in the -prisons, the doors of which were thrown open on the departure of the -army; these wretches, whether incited by superior authority, or by their -own feelings, with the view, no doubt, of plunder, openly ran from -palace to palace, and from house to house, setting fire to every thing -that fell in their way. The French patroles, although numerous and on -the alert, were unable to prevent them. I saw several of those -miscreants taken in the act; lighted matches and combustibles were found -in their possession. The pain of death inflicted upon those caught in -the actual commission of the atrocity made no impression on the others, -and the fire raged three days and three nights without interruption; in -vain houses were pulled down by our soldiers, the flames quickly -overleaped the vacant space, and the buildings thus insulated, were set -on fire in the twinkling of an eye. The second cause must be attributed -to the violence of the equinoctial winds, which are always very powerful -in those parts, and by means of which the conflagration increased and -extended its ravages with extraordinary activity. - -“It would be difficult, under any circumstances, to imagine a picture -more horrible than that with which our eyes were afflicted. It was more -particularly during night, between the 18th and 19th of September, the -period when the fire was at the highest pitch, that its effects -presented a terrific spectacle: the weather was fine and dry, the wind -continuing to blow from East to North, or from North to East. During -that night, the dreadful image of which will never be effaced from my -memory, the whole of the city was on fire. Large columns of flames of -various colours shot up from every quarter, entirely covered the -horizon, and diffused a glaring light and a scorching heat to a -considerable distance. These masses of fire, driven by the violence of -the winds in all directions, were accompanied in their rise and rapid -movement, by a dreadful whizzing and by thundering explosions, the -result of the combustion of gunpowder, saltpetre, oil, resin, and -brandy, with which the greater part of the houses and shops had been -filled. The varnished iron plates, with which the buildings were -covered, were speedily loosened by the heat, and whirled far away; large -pieces of burning beams and rafters of fir were carried to a great -distance, and contributed to extend the conflagration to houses which -were considered in no danger, on account of their remoteness. Every one -was struck with terror and consternation. The guard, with the -head-quarters and the staff of the army, left the Kremlin and the city, -and formed a camp at Petrowski, a mansion which belonged to Peter the -Great, on the road to Petersburg. I remained with a very small number of -my comrades, in a house built of stone, which stood alone, and was -situated on the top of the quarter of the Franks, close to the Kremlin. -I was there enabled to observe all the phenomena of that tremendous -conflagration. We had sent our equipage to the camp, and kept ourselves -constantly on the look-out, to be prepared for, or to prevent, danger. - -“The lower classes, who had remained at Moscow, driven from house to -house by the fire, uttered the most lamentable cries; extremely anxious -to preserve what was most valuable to them, they loaded themselves with -packages, which they could hardly sustain, and which they frequently -abandoned to escape from the flames. The women, impelled by a very -natural feeling of humanity, carried one or two children on their -shoulders, and dragged the others along by the hand; and, in order to -avoid the death which threatened them on every side, they ran, with -their petticoats tucked up, to take shelter in the corners of the -streets and squares; but they were soon compelled, by the intenseness of -the heat, to abandon those spots, and to fly with precipitation by any -way that was open to them, sometimes without being able to extricate -themselves from that kind of labyrinth, where many of them met with a -miserable end. I saw old men, whose long beards had been caught by the -flames, drawn on small carts by their own children, who endeavoured to -rescue them from that real Tartarus. - -“As for our soldiers, tormented with hunger and thirst, they exposed -themselves to every danger, to obtain, in the burning cellars and shops, -eatables, wines, liquors, or any other article more or less useful. They -were seen running through the streets, pell-mell with the broken-hearted -inhabitants, carrying away every thing they could snatch from the -ravages of this dreadful conflagration. At length, in the course of -eight or ten days, this immense and superb city was reduced to ashes, -with the exception of the Kremlin palace, some large houses, and all the -churches: these edifices are built of stone. - -“This calamity threw the army into great consternation, and was a -presage to us of more serious misfortunes. We all thought that we should -no longer find either subsistence, cloth, or any other necessary for -equipping the troops, and of which we were in the most urgent want. -Could a more dismal idea suggest itself to our imagination? The head -quarters were, however, after the fire, again established at the -Kremlin, and the guard sent to some houses of the Franks’ quarter, which -had been preserved. Every one resumed the exercise of his duties. - -“Magazines of flour, meal, salt-fish, oil, wine and liquors, were -discovered by dint of perseverance. Some were served out to the troops, -but there was too great a wish to spare or hoard up these articles, and -that excess of precaution, which is sometimes a mere pretext, induced us -to burn or leave behind us, in the end, provisions of every kind, from -which we might have derived the greatest benefit, and which would have -even been sufficient for the wants of the army for more than six months, -had we remained at Moscow. The same conduct was pursued with regard to -the stuffs and furs, which ought to have been immediately worked up for -the purpose of supplying our troops with all the clothing capable of -preserving them, as much as possible, from the inclemency of the cold -that was at hand. The soldiers, who never think of the future, so far -from obviating, on their part and for their own advantage, that want of -precaution, were solely engaged in searching for wines, liquors, and -articles of gold and silver, and despised every other consideration. - -“This unexpected abundance, which was owing to the indefatigable -researches of the troops, was attended with a bad effect on their -discipline and on the health of those who were intemperate. That motive -alone ought to have made us hasten our departure for Poland. Moscow -became a new Capua to our army. The enemy’s generals flattered ours with -the hopes of peace; the preliminaries were to be signed from day to day. -Meanwhile clouds of Cossacks covered our cantonments and carried off -every day a great number of our foragers. General Kutusoff was -collecting the wreck of his army and strengthening himself with the -recruits who joined him from all parts. Imperceptibly, and under various -pretences of pacification, his advanced posts drew near to ours. -Finally, the period of negotiation had arrived, and it was at the moment -in which the French ambassador was to obtain a first decision, that -Prince Joachim’s corps d’armée was surrounded. It was with difficulty -that our general, the ambassador, surmounted the obstacles which were -opposed to his return to Moscow. Several parties of our troops and some -pieces of cannon had been already carried off. The different corps of -this advanced guard, which were at first dispersed, were nevertheless -rallied, broke the Russian column that hemmed them in, took up a -favourable position, and charged successively the enemy’s numerous -cavalry, which they repulsed with vigour, retaking part of the artillery -and some of the soldiers made prisoners in the first onset. At length, -the arrival of General Lauriston, and of the wounded, was to us, at head -quarters, a confirmation that hostilities would be resumed. Orders were -immediately given for the sudden departure of the army; the drum beat to -arms, and all the corps prepared to execute that precipitate movement. -Some provisions were hastily collected and the march commenced on the -19th of October.” - -ON THE CORONATION, &C.—DECREES OF BERLIN AND MILAN.—THE GRAND CAUSE OF - THE HATRED OF THE ENGLISH. - -25th.—The weather has become fine in every respect. The Emperor -breakfasted in the tent and sent for us all. The conversation turned -upon the ceremonies of the coronation. He asked for particulars from one -of us, who had been present, but was unable to satisfy him. He made the -same inquiries of another, but the latter had not seen it. “Where were -you then at that time?” asked the Emperor.—“At Paris, Sire.”—“How then! -you did not see the coronation!”—“No Sire.” The Emperor, then casting a -side glance at him, and taking him by the ear, said; “Were you so absurd -as to carry your aristocracy to that point?”—“But, Sire, my hour was not -come.”—“But at least you saw the retinue?”—“Ah! Sire, had my curiosity -prevailed, I should have hastened to witness what was most worthy and -most interesting to be seen. I had, however, a ticket of admission, and -I preferred presenting it to the English lady whom I lately mentioned to -your Majesty, and who, by way of parenthesis, caught a cold there, that -nearly killed her. For my own part I remained quietly at home.”—“Ah, -that is too much for me to put up with,” said the Emperor, “the -villanous aristocrat! How! And you were really guilty of such an -absurdity?”—“Alas! I was,” replied the accused, “and yet here I am near -you, and at St. Helena.” The Emperor smiled, and let go the ear. - -After breakfast, a captain of the English artillery, who had been six -years at the Isle of France, called upon me. He was to sail for Europe -the next day. He entreated me in a thousand ways to procure him the -happiness of seeing the Emperor. He would, he said, give all he had in -the world for such a favour; his gratitude would be boundless, &c. - -We conversed together for a long time; the Emperor was taking his round -in the calash. On his return, I was fortunate enough to fulfil the -English officer’s wishes. The Emperor received him for upwards of a -quarter of an hour; his joy was extreme, as he was aware that the favour -became every day more rare. Every thing about the Emperor had struck -him, he declared, in a most extraordinary manner; his features, his -affability, the sound of his voice, his expressions, the questions he -had asked; he was, he exclaimed, a hero, a god!... - -The weather was delightful. The Emperor continued to walk in the garden -in the midst of us. He discussed the failure of a negotiation undertaken -by one of us; a business which the Emperor had judged very easy, but -which turned out to be of the most delicate nature for the person -entrusted with it. The object of it was to prevail upon some English -officers to publish a certain paper in England. - -The Emperor expressed his disapprobation of the failure in his usual -mode of reasoning, and with the intelligence and point that are familiar -to him: he was, however, very much disappointed at it: his observations -were rather strong; he pushed them to a degree of ill humour of which -the person he found fault with had never, perhaps, before, received any -proofs. At length, he concluded with saying: “After all, Sir, would you -not have accepted yourself what you proposed to others, had you been in -their place?”—“No, Sire.”—“Why not? Well then,” he added, in a tone of -reproof, “you should not be my Minister of Police.” “And your Majesty -would be in the right,” quickly replied the other, who felt himself -vexed in his turn; “I feel no inclination whatever for such an office.” -The Emperor, seeing him enter the saloon, a little before dinner, said: -“Ah! there is our little Officer of Police! Come, approach, my little -Officer of Police;” and he pinched his ear. Although hours had passed -since the warm conversation took place, the Emperor recollected it; he -knew that the person who had been the subject of it was full of -sensibility, and it was evident that he wished to efface the impression -it had made upon him. These are characteristic shades, and those which -arise from the most trifling causes are the most natural and the most -marked. - -After dinner, the Emperor was led, by the turn which the conversation -took, to review the special subject of his maritime quarrel with -England. “Her pretensions to blockade on paper,” he observed, “produced -my famous Berlin decree. The British council, in a fit of resentment, -issued its orders; it established a right of toll on the seas. I -instantly replied by the celebrated Milan decrees, which denationalized -every flag that submitted to the English acts; and it was then that the -war became, in England truly personal. Every one connected with trade -was enraged against me. England was exasperated at a struggle and -energy, of which she had no example. She had uniformly found those who -had preceded me more complaisant.” - -The Emperor explained, on a later occasion, the means, by which he had -forced the Americans to make war against the English. He had, he said, -discovered the way of connecting their interests with their rights; for -people, he remarked, fight much more readily for the former than for the -latter. - -At present, the Emperor expected, he said, some approaching attempt, on -the part of the English, on the sovereignty of the seas, for the -establishment of the right of universal toll, &c. “It is,” said he, “one -of the principal resources left them for discharging their debts, for -extricating themselves from the abyss into which they are plunged; in a -word, for getting rid of their embarrassments. If they have among them -an enterprising genius, a man of a strong intellect, they will certainly -undertake something of that kind. Nobody is powerful enough to oppose -it, and they set up their claim with a sort of justice. They may plead, -in its justification, that it was for the safety of Europe they involved -themselves in difficulties; that they succeeded, and that they are -entitled to some compensation. And then, the only ships of war in Europe -are theirs. They reign, in fact, at present, over the seas. There is an -end to existence of public rights when the ballance is the broken, &c., -&c. - -“The English may now be omnipotent, if they will but confine themselves -to their navy. But they will endanger their superiority, complicate -their affairs, and insensibly lose their importance, if they persevere -in keeping soldiers on the continent.” - - ACCOUNT OF THE CAMPAIGN OF WATERLOO DICTATED - BY NAPOLEON. - -26th.—The Emperor went out early in the morning, before seven o’clock; -he did not wish to disturb any of us. He began to work alone in the -garden beneath the tent, where he sent for us all to breakfast with him. -He continued there until two o’clock. - -At dinner, he conversed a great deal about our situation in the island. -He would not, he said, leave Longwood; he did not care for any visitors; -but he was desirous that we should take some diversion, and find out -some means of amusement. It would, he said, be a pleasure to him to see -us move about and get abroad more. - -The narrative of the battle of Waterloo, which the Emperor had dictated -to General Gourgaud, was read by his desire. What a story! It is painful -to think of it. The destinies of France suspended by so slight a thread! - -This production was published in Europe in 1820. The measures contrived -to transmit it clandestinely from St. Helena proved successful, in spite -of every kind of vigilance. The instant this narrative appeared, every -body was agreed as to its author. An exclamation burst from every -quarter that Napoleon alone was capable of describing in that manner, -and it is confidently stated that the Generalissimo, his antagonist, -expressed himself precisely in the same way. What noble chapters! It -would be impossible to attempt an analysis of them, or to pretend to -convey their excellence in terms adequate to their merits. We literally -transcribe, however, in this place, the last pages, containing, in the -shape of a summary, nine observations of Napoleon, on the faults with -which he has been reproached in that campaign. - -They are points which will become classic, and we are of opinion that -our readers will not be displeased at again finding here subjects which -become, every time the occasion presents itself, topics of earnest and -important discussion. - -We shall preface these observations with a description, also from -Napoleon’s dictation, of the resources which France still possessed -after the loss of the battle. - -“The situation of France was critical, but not desperate, after the -battle of Waterloo. Every preparatory measure had been taken, on the -supposition of the failure of the attack upon Belgium. Seventy thousand -men were rallied on the 27th, between Paris and Laon; from 25 to 30,000, -including the depôts of the guard, were on their march from Paris and -the depots; General Rapp, with 25,000 men, chosen troops, was expected -on the Marne, in the beginning of July; all the losses sustained in the -_materiel_ of the artillery had been repaired. Paris, alone, contained -500 pieces of field-artillery, and only 170 had been lost. Thus an army -of 120,000 men, equal to that which had passed the Sambre on the 15th, -with a train of artillery, consisting of 350 pieces of cannon, would -cover Paris by the 1st of July. That capital possessed, independently of -these means, for its defence, 36,000 men of the National Guard, 30,000 -sharpshooters, 6000 gunners, 600 battering cannon, formidable -entrenchments on the right bank of the Seine, and, in a few days, those -of the left bank would have been entirely completed. The Anglo-Dutch and -Prusso-Saxon armies, diminished, however, by more than 80,000 men, and -no longer exceeding 140,000, could not cross the Somme with more than -90,000; they would have to wait there for the co-operation of the -Austrian and Russian armies, which could not be on the Marne before the -15th of July. Paris had, consequently, twenty-five days to prepare for -its defence, to complete the arming of its inhabitants, its -fortifications, its supplies of provisions, and to draw troops from -every point of France. Even by the 15th of July, not more than 30, or -40,000 men could have arrived on the Rhine. The mass of the Russian and -Austrian armies could not take the field before a later period. Neither -arms, nor ammunition, nor officers were wanting in the capital; the -number of sharpshooters might be easily augmented to 80,000, and the -field artillery could be increased to 600 pieces. - -“Marshal Suchet, in conjunction with General Lécourbe, would have had, -at the same time, upwards of 30,000 men before Lyons, independently of -the garrison of that city, which would have been well armed, well -supplied with provisions, and well protected by entrenchments. The -defence of all the strong places was secured; they were commanded by -chosen officers, and garrisoned by faithful troops. Every thing might be -repaired, but decision, energy, and firmness, on the part of the -officers, of the Government, of the Chambers, and of the whole nation, -were necessary. It was requisite that France should be animated by the -sentiment of honour, of glory, of national independence; that she should -fix her eyes upon Rome after the battle of Cannæ, and not upon Carthage -after that of Zama!!! If France had raised herself to that height, she -would have been invincible. Her people contained more of the military -elements than any other people in the world. The _materiel_ of war -existed in abundance, and was adequate to every want. - -“On the 21st of June, Marshal Blucher and the Duke of Wellington entered -the French territory at the head of two columns. On the 22nd, the powder -magazine at Avesnes took fire, and the place surrendered. On the 24th, -the Prussians entered Guise, and the Duke of Wellington was at Cambray. -He was at Peronne on the 26th. During the whole of this time, the -fortresses on the first, second, and third line in Flanders were -invested. The two generals learned, however, on the 25th, the Emperor’s -abdication, which had taken place on the 22d, the insurrection of the -Chambers, the discouragement occasioned by these circumstances in the -army, and the hopes excited among our internal enemies. From that -moment, they thought only of marching upon the capital, under the walls -of which they arrived at the latter end of June, with fewer than 90,000 -men; an enterprise that would have proved fatal to them, and drawn on -their total ruin, had they hazarded it in the presence of Napoleon: but -that Prince had abdicated!!! The troops of the line at Paris, more than -6000 men of the depôts of the guard, the sharpshooters of the National -Guard, chosen from among the people of that great capital, were devoted -to him; they had it in their power to exterminate the domestic enemy!!! -But in order to explain the motives which regulated his conduct in that -important crisis, which was attended with such fatal results both for -him and for France, the narrative must go back to an earlier period. - -_First Observation._—“The Emperor has been reproached, 1st, With having -resigned the dictatorship, at the moment when France stood most in need -of a dictator; 2nd, With having altered the constitutions of the empire, -at a moment when it was necessary to think only of preserving it from -invasion; 3rd, With having permitted the Vendeans to be alarmed, who -had, at first, refused to take arms against the imperial government; -4th, With having assembled the Chambers, when he ought to have assembled -the army; 5th, With having abdicated and left France at the mercy of a -divided and inexperienced assembly; for, in fine, if it be true, that it -was impossible for the Prince to save the country without the confidence -of the nation, it is not less true that the nation could not, in these -critical circumstances, preserve either its happiness or its -independence without Napoleon. - -_Second Observation._—“The art, with which the movements of the -different bodies of the army were concealed from the enemy’s knowledge, -on the opening of the campaign, cannot be too attentively remarked. -Marshal Blucher and the Duke of Wellington were surprised; they saw -nothing, knew nothing, of the operations which were carrying on near -their advanced posts. - -“In order to attack the two hostile armies, the French might have -out-flanked their right or left, or penetrated their centre. In the -first case, they might have advanced by the way of Lisle, and fallen in -with the Anglo-Dutch army; in the second, they might have moved forward -by Givet and Charlemont, and have fallen in with the Prusso-Saxon army. -These two armies would have remained united, since they must have been -pressed the one upon the other, from the right to the left, and from the -left to the right. The Emperor adopted the plan of covering his -movements with the Sambre, and piercing the line of the two armies at -Charleroi, their point of junction, executing his manœuvres with -rapidity and skill. He thus discovered, in the secrets of the art, means -to supply the place of 100,000 men, whom he needed. The plan was -executed with boldness and prudence. - -_Third Observation._—“The character of several generals had been -affected by the events of 1814; they had lost somewhat of that spirit, -of that resolution, and that confidence, by which they had gained so -much glory and so much contributed to the success of former campaigns. - -“1st.—On the 15th of June, the third corps was to march at three o’clock -in the morning, and arrive at Charleroi at ten; it did not arrive until -three o’clock in the afternoon. - -“2ndly.—The same day the attack on the woods in front of Fleurus, which -had been ordered at four in the afternoon, did not take place until -seven. Night came on before the troops could enter Fleurus, where the -Commander in Chief had intended to establish his head-quarters the same -day. The loss of seven hours was very vexatious on the opening of a -campaign. - -“3rdly.—Ney received orders to advance on the 16th with 43,000 men, who -composed the left under his command, in front of Quatre-Bras, to take up -a position there at day-break, and even to entrench himself; he -hesitated, and lost eight hours. The Prince of Orange, with only 9000 -men, retained, on the 16th until three o’clock in the afternoon, that -important position. When at length, the Marshal received at twelve -o’clock at noon the order dated from Fleurus, and saw, that the Emperor -was on the point of attacking the Prussians, he advanced against -Quatre-Bras, but only with half his force, leaving the other half to -cover his retreat at the distance of two leagues in the rear; he forgot -it until six in the evening, when he felt the want of it for his own -defence. In other campaigns, that General would have made himself master -of the position in front of Quatre-Bras at six o’clock in the morning; -he would have routed and captured the whole of the Belgic division, and -either turned the Prussian army by sending a detachment on the Namur -road to fall on the rear of their line of battle; or, by moving rapidly -along the road to Gennapes, he would have surprised and destroyed the -Brunswick division on its march, and the fifth English division as it -advanced from Brussels. He would have afterwards marched to meet the -third and fourth English divisions, which were advancing by way of -Nivelles, and were both destitute of cavalry and artillery, and -overwhelmed with fatigue. Ney, who was always first in the heat of -battle, forgot the troops that were not directly engaged. The courage -which a Commander in Chief should display is different from that of a -general of division, as that of the latter ought to differ from the -bravery of a captain of grenadiers. - -“4thly.—The advanced guard of the French army did not arrive on the -16th, in front of Waterloo, until six o’clock in the evening; it would -have arrived at three but for some vexatious hesitations. The Emperor -was very much mortified at the delay, and, pointing at the sun, -exclaimed, “What would I now give to have the power of Joshua, and to -stop its progress for two hours!” - -_Fourth Observation._—“The French soldier never displayed more bravery, -cheerfulness, and enthusiasm; he was animated with the sentiment of his -superiority over all the soldiers of Europe. His confidence in the -Emperor was altogether unabated; it had, perhaps, increased: but he was -suspicious and distrustful of his other Commanders. The treasons of 1814 -were always in his thoughts, and he was uneasy at every movement which -he did not understand; he thought he was betrayed. At the moment when -the first cannon-shots were firing near St. Amand, an old corporal -approached the Emperor and said: “Sire, beware of General Soult; be -assured that he is a traitor.”—“Fear nothing,” replied the Emperor, “I -can answer for him as for myself.” In the middle of the battle, an -officer informed Marshal Soult that General Vandamme had gone over to -the enemy, and that his soldiers demanded, with loud cries, that the -Emperor should be made acquainted with it. At the close of the battle, a -dragoon, with his sabre covered with blood, galloped up to him crying, -“Sire, come instantly to the division. General Dhénin is persuading the -dragoons to go over to the enemy.”—“Did you hear him?“—“No, Sire, but an -officer, who is looking for you, saw him and ordered me to tell your -Majesty.” During this time, the gallant General Dhénin received a cannon -shot, which carried off one of his legs, after he had repulsed the -enemy’s charge. - -“On the 14th, in the evening, Lieutenant-General B——, Colonel C——, and -V——, an officer of the staff, deserted and went over to the enemy. Their -names will be held in execration as long as the French shall constitute -a nation. The uneasy feelings of the troops had been considerably -aggravated by that desertion. It appears nearly certain that the cry of -Sauve _qui peut_ was raised among the soldiers of the fourth division of -the first corps, on the evening of the battle of Waterloo, when Marshal -Blucher attacked the village of La Haye. That village was not defended -as it ought to have been.[11] It is equally probable that several -officers, charged with the communication of orders, disappeared. But, if -some officers deserted, not a single private was guilty of that crime. -Several killed themselves on the field of battle, where they lay -wounded, when they learned the defeat of the army. - -Footnote 11: - - General Durutte, who was mutilated on that disastrous day, and who - commanded the fourth division here mentioned, declares that there must - be some mistake in regard to the number specified in this dictation of - Napoleon’s; or that there was some inaccuracy or malice in the report - that was made to him. - -_Fifth Observation._—“In the battle of the 17th, the French army was -divided into three bodies; 69,000 men under the Emperor’s command, -marched against Brussels by the way of Charleroi; 34,000, under the -command of Marshal Grouchy, directed their operations against that -capital by way of Wavres, in pursuit of the Prussians; 7 or 8000 men -remained on the field of battle at Ligny, of whom 3000, belonging to -Girard’s division, were employed in assisting the wounded, and in -forming a reserve for any unexpected casualty at Quatre-Bras; and 4 or -5000 continued with the reserve at Fleurus and at Charleroi. The 34,000 -men under the command of Marshal Grouchy, with 108 pieces of cannon, -were sufficient to drive the Prussian rear-guard from any position it -might take up, to press upon the retreat of the conquered army, and to -keep it in check. It was a glorious result of the victory of Ligny, to -be thus enabled to oppose 34,000 men to an army which had consisted of -120,000. The 69,000 men, under the Emperor’s command, were sufficient to -beat the Anglo-Dutch army, composed of 90,000. The disproportion which -existed on the 15th between the two belligerent masses in the ratio of -one to two, was materially changed, and it no longer exceeded three to -four. Had the Anglo-Dutch army defeated the 69,000 men opposed to it, -Napoleon might have been reproached with having ill-calculated his -measures; but it is undeniable, even from the enemy’s admission, that, -unless General Blucher had arrived, the Anglo-Dutch army would have been -driven from the field of battle between eight and nine o’clock at night. -If Marshal Blucher had not arrived at eight with his first and second -corps, the march on Brussels with two columns, during the battle of the -17th, would have been attended with several advantages. The left would -have pressed upon and kept in check the Anglo-Dutch army; the right, -under the command of Marshal Grouchy, would have pursued and restrained -the operations of the Prusso-Saxon army; and in the evening, the whole -of the French army would have effected its junction on a line of less -than five leagues from Mont Saint Jean to Wavres, with its advanced -posts on the edge of the forest. But the fault committed by Marshal -Grouchy, in stopping on the 17th at Gembloux, having marched scarcely -two leagues in the course of the day, instead of pushing on three -leagues more in front of Wavres, was aggravated and rendered irreparable -by that which he committed the following day, the 18th, in losing twelve -hours, and arriving at four o’clock in the afternoon in front of Wavres, -when he should have been there at six in the morning. - -“1st,—Grouchy, charged with the pursuit of Marshal Blucher, lost sight -of him for twenty-four hours, from four o’clock in the afternoon of the -17th until a quarter past twelve at noon on the 18th. - -“2dly,—The movement of the cavalry on the plain, while General Bulow’s -attack was not yet repulsed, proved a distressing accident. It was the -intention of the Commander in Chief to order that movement, but not -until an hour later, and then it was to have been sustained by the -sixteen battalions of infantry belonging to the guard, with one hundred -pieces of cannon. - -“3dly.—The horse grenadiers and the dragoons of the guard, under the -command of General Guyot, engaged without orders. Thus, at five in the -afternoon, the army found itself without a reserve of cavalry. If, at -half past eight, that reserve had existed, the storm which swept all -before it on the field of battle would have been dispersed, the enemy’s -charges of cavalry driven back, and the two armies would have slept on -the field, notwithstanding the successive arrivals of General Bulow and -Marshal Blucher: the advantage would also have been in favour of the -French army, as Marshal Grouchy’s 34,000 men, with 108 pieces of cannon, -were fresh troops and bivouacked on the field of battle. The enemy’s two -armies would have placed themselves in the night under cover of the -forest of Soignes. The constant practice in every battle was for the -horse-grenadiers and the dragoons of the guard never to lose sight of -the Emperor, and never to make a charge but in consequence of an order -verbally given by that Prince to the General who commanded them. - -“Marshal Mortier, who was Commander in Chief of the guards, gave up the -command on the 15th, at Beaumont, just as hostilities were on the point -of commencing, and no one was appointed in his stead, which was attended -with several inconvenient results. - -_Sixth Observation._—“1st, The French army manœuvred on the right of -the Sambre, on the 13th and 14th. It encamped, the night between the -14th and 15th, within half a league of the Prussian advanced posts; and -yet Marshal Blucher had no knowledge of it, and when, on the morning of -the 15th, he learned at his head-quarters at Namur that the Emperor had -entered Charleroi, the Prusso-Saxon army was still cantoned over an -extent of thirty leagues; two days were necessary for him to effect the -junction of his troops. It was his duty, from the 15th of May, to -advance his head-quarters to Fleurus, to concentrate the cantonments of -his army within a radius of eight leagues, with his advanced posts on -the Meuse and Sambre. His army might then have been assembled at Ligny -on the 15th at noon, to await in that position the attack of the French -army, or to march against it in the evening of the 15th, for the purpose -of driving it into the Sambre. - -“2dly.—Yet, notwithstanding this surprise of Marshal Blucher, he -persisted in the project of collecting his troops on the heights of -Ligny, behind Fleurus, exposing himself to the hazard of being attacked -before the arrival of his army. On the morning of the 16th, he had -collected but two corps, and the French army was already at Fleurus. The -third corps joined in the course of the day, but the fourth, commanded -by General Bulow, was unable to get up in time for the battle. Marshal -Blucher, the instant he learned the arrival of the French at Charleroi, -that is to say, on the evening of the 15th, ought to have assigned, as a -point of junction for his troops, neither Fleurus nor Ligny, which were -under the enemy’s cannon, but Wavres, which the French could not have -reached until the 17th. He would have also had the whole of the 16th, -and the night between the 16th and 17th, to effect the total junction of -his army. - -“3dly.—After having lost the battle of Ligny, the Prussian General, -instead of making his retreat on Wavres, ought to have effected it upon -the army of the Duke of Wellington, whether at Quatre-Bras, where the -latter had maintained himself, or at Waterloo. The whole of Marshal -Blucher’s retreat on the morning of the 17th was contrary to common -sense, since the two armies, which were, on the evening of the 16th, -little more than three miles from each other, and had a fine road for -their point of communication, in consequence of which their junction -might have been considered as effected, found themselves, on the evening -of the 17th, separated by a distance of nearly twelve miles, and by -defiles and impassable ways. - -“The Prussian General violated the three grand rules of war; 1st, To -keep his cantonments near each other; 2dly, To assign as a point of -junction a place where his troops can all assemble before those of the -enemy; 3dly, To make his retreat upon his reinforcements. - -_Seventh Observation._—“1st, The Duke of Wellington was surprised in his -cantonments; he ought to have concentrated them on the 15th of May, at -eight leagues about Brussels, and kept advanced guards on the roads from -Flanders. The French army was for three days manœuvring close upon -his advanced posts; it had commenced hostilities twenty four hours, and -its head-quarters had been twelve hours at Charleroi, and yet the -English General was at Brussels, ignorant of what was passing, and all -the cantonments of his army were still in full security, extended over a -space of more than twenty leagues. - -“2dly.—The Prince of Saxe-Weimar, who belonged to the Anglo-Dutch army, -was, on the 16th, at four o’clock in the afternoon in position before -Frasne, and knew that the French army was at Charleroi. If he had -immediately despatched an aide-de-camp to Brussels, he would have -arrived there at six in the evening; and yet the Duke of Wellington was -not informed that the French army was at Charleroi until eleven at -night. He thus lost five hours, in a crisis, and against a man, that -rendered the loss of a single hour highly important. - -“3dly.—The infantry, cavalry, and artillery of that army were in -cantonments, so remote from each other that the infantry was engaged at -Waterloo without cavalry or artillery, which exposed it to considerable -loss, since it was obliged to form in close columns to make head against -the charges of the cuirassiers, under the fire of fifty pieces of -cannon. These brave men were slaughtered without cavalry to protect or -artillery to avenge them. As the three branches of an army cannot, for -an instant, dispense with each other’s assistance, they should be always -cantoned and placed in such a way as to be able to assist each other. - -“4th.—The English General, although surprised, assigned Quatre-Bras, -which had been, for the last four-and-twenty hours in possession of the -French, as the rallying point of his army. He exposed his troops to -partial defeats as they gradually arrived; the danger which they -incurred was still more considerable, since they came without artillery -and without cavalry; he delivered up his infantry to his enemy -piece-meal, and destitute of the assistance of the two other branches. -He should have fixed upon Waterloo for his point of junction; he would -then have had the day of the 16th, and the night between the 16th and -17th, an interval quite sufficient, to collect the whole of his army, -infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The French could not have arrived -until the 17th, and would have found all his troops in position. - -_Eighth Observation._—“1st, The English General gave battle at Waterloo -on the 18th; that measure was contrary to the interests of his nation, -to the general system of war adopted by the Allies, and to all the rules -of war. It was not the interest of England, who wants so many men to -recruit her armies in India, in her American colonies, and in her vast -establishments, to expose herself, with a generous vivacity, to a -sanguinary contest in which she might lose the only army she had, and -expend, at the very least, her best blood. The plan of the Allies -consisted in operating in a mass and in avoiding all partial actions. -Nothing was more contrary to their interests and their plan than to -expose the success of their cause in a doubtful battle with a nearly -equal force, in which all the probabilities were against them. If the -Anglo-Dutch army had been destroyed at Waterloo, of what use to the -allies would have been the great number of armies that were preparing to -cross the Rhine, the Alps, and the Pyrenees? - -“2ndly.—The English General, in accepting the battle of Waterloo, placed -his reliance on the co-operation of the Prussians, but that co-operation -could not be carried into effect until the afternoon; he therefore -continued exposed alone from four o’clock in the morning until five in -the afternoon, that is to say, for thirteen hours; no battle lasts -generally more than six hours; that co-operation was therefore an -illusion. - -“But, if he relied upon the co-operation of the Prussians, he must have -supposed that the whole of the French army was opposed to him, and he -must consequently have undertaken to defend his field of battle, during -thirteen hours, with 90,000 men of different nations, against an army of -104,000 French. That calculation was evidently false; he could not have -maintained himself three hours; the battle would have been decided by -eight o’clock in the morning, and the Prussians would have arrived only -to be taken in flank. Both armies would have been destroyed in one -battle. If he calculated that a part of the French army had, conformably -to the rules of war, pursued the Prussian army, he ought, in that case, -to have been convinced that he could receive no assistance from it, and -that the Prussians, beaten at Ligny, having lost from 25 to 30,000 men -on the field of battle, having 20,000 scattered and dispersed over the -country, and pursued by from 35 to 40,000 victorious French, would not -have risked any fresh operation, and would have considered themselves -scarcely sufficient to maintain a defensive position. In that case, the -Anglo-Dutch army alone would have had to sustain the shock of 69,000 -French during the whole of the 18th, and there is no Englishman who will -not admit that the result of that struggle could not have been doubtful, -and that their army was not so constituted as to be capable of -sustaining the attack of the imperial army for four hours. - -“During the whole of the night between the 17th and 18th, the weather -was horrible, and the roads were impassable until nine o’clock in the -morning. This loss of six hours from day-break, was entirely in the -enemy’s favour; but could the English General stake the fate of such a -struggle upon the weather which happened in the night between the 17th -and 18th? Marshal Grouchy, with 34,000 men and 180 pieces of cannon, -found out the secret, which one would suppose was not to be found out, -of not being in the engagement of the 18th, either on the field of -battle of Mont St. Jean or of Wavres. But, had that Marshal pledged -himself to the English General to be led astray in so strange a manner? -The conduct of Marshal Grouchy was as unexpected as that his army -should, on its march, be swallowed up by an earthquake. Let us -recapitulate. If Marshal Grouchy had been on the field of battle of Mont -St. Jean, as he was supposed to be by the English General and the -Prussian General, during the whole night between the 17th and 18th, and -all the morning of the 18th, and the weather had allowed the French army -to be drawn up in order of battle at four o’clock in the morning, the -Anglo-Dutch army would have been dispersed and cut in pieces before -seven; its ruin would have been complete, and if the weather had not -allowed the French army to range itself in order of battle until ten, -the fate of the Anglo-Dutch army would have been decided before one -o’clock; the remains of it would have been driven either beyond the -forest or in the direction of Hal, and there would have been quite time -enough in the afternoon to go and meet Marshal Blucher, and treat him in -a similar manner. If Marshal Grouchy had encamped in front of Wavres in -the night between the 17th and 18th, no detachment could have been sent -by the Prussians to save the English army, which must have been -completely beaten by the 69,000 French opposed to it. - -“3dly.—The position of Mont St. Jean was ill chosen. The first requisite -of a field of battle is to be without defiles in its rear. The English -General derived no advantage, during the battle, from his numerous -cavalry; he did not think that he ought to be and would be attacked on -the left; he believed that the attack would be made on his right. -Notwithstanding the diversion operated in his favour by General Bulow’s -30,000 Prussians, he would have twice effected his retreat, during the -battle, had that measure been possible. Thus, in reality, how strange -and capricious are human events! the bad choice of his field of battle, -which prevented all possibility of retreat, was the cause of his -success!!! - -_Ninth Observation._—“It may be asked, what then should have been the -conduct of the English General, after the battle of Ligny and the -engagement of Quatre Bras? On this point posterity will not entertain -two opinions: he ought, in the night between the 17th and 18th, to have -crossed the forest of Soignes, by the road of Charleroi; the Prussian -army ought also to have crossed it by the road of Wavres; the armies -would have effected a junction by break of day in Brussels; left their -rearguards for the defence of the forest, gained some days in order to -give time to the Prussians, dispersed after the battle of Ligny, to join -their army; reinforced themselves with fourteen English regiments, which -were in garrison in the fortresses of Belgium, or had been just landed -at Ostend, on their return from America, and let the Emperor of the -French manœuvre as he pleased. - -“Would he, with an army of 100,000 men have traversed the forest of -Soignes to attack in an open country the two united armies, consisting -of more than 200,000 men, and in position? It would have certainly been -the most advantageous thing that could have happened to the allies. -Would he have been content with taking up a position himself? He could -not have long remained in an inactive state, since 300,000 Russians, -Austrians, Bavarians, &c. were on their march to the Rhine; they would -have been in a few weeks on the Marne, which would have compelled him to -hasten to the assistance of his capital. It was then that the -Anglo-Prussian army ought to have marched and effected its junction with -the Allies, under the walls of Paris. It would have exposed itself to no -risk, suffered no loss, and have acted conformably to the interests of -the English nation, and the general plan of carrying on the war adopted -by the Allies, and sanctioned by the rules of the military art. From the -15th to the 18th, the Duke of Wellington invariably manœuvred as his -enemy wished; he executed nothing which the latter apprehended he would. -The English infantry was firm and solid; the cavalry might have -conducted itself better: the Anglo-Dutch army was twice saved, in the -course of the day, by the Prussians—the first time before three o’clock, -by the arrival of General Bulow with 30,000 men, and the second time by -the arrival of Marshal Blucher with 31,000 men. In that battle, 69,000 -French beat 120,000 men; the victory was wrested from them, between -eight and nine, by 150,000 men. - -“Let the feelings of the people of London be imagined, if they had been -doomed to hear of the destruction of their army, and the prodigal waste -of their best blood, in support of the cause of kings against that of -nations, of privileges against equality, of the oligarchs against the -liberals, and of the principles of the Holy Alliance against those of -the sovereignty of the people!!!” - - PLAN FOR A POLITICAL DEFENCE OF NAPOLEON; - SKETCHED BY HIMSELF. - -Tuesday, August 27th.—About four o’clock I joined the Emperor in the -garden: he had been engaged in dictating during the whole of the -morning. The wind was very rough, and the Emperor declined riding out in -the calash: he therefore walked about for a considerable time in the -great alley through the wood, attended by all the persons of his suite. -He jokingly teased one of the party, by observing that he was sulky, and -accusing him of being very often discontented and ill-humoured, &c. - -The Emperor, on rising from the dinner table, adverted to his recent -protest against the treaty of the 2d of August. He expatiated with -warmth on the subject, and remarked, while he walked rapidly about the -apartment, that he intended to draw up another protest, on a more -extensive and important scale, against the Bill that had been passed in -the British Parliament. He would prove, he said, that the Bill was not a -law, but a violation of every existing law. Napoleon was proscribed, and -not judged by it. The English Parliament had done, not what was just, -but what was deemed to be expedient; it had imitated Themistocles, -without hearing Aristides. The Emperor then arraigned himself before all -the nations in Europe, and proved that each would successively acquit -him. He took a review of the different acts of his reign, and justified -them all. - -“The French and the Italians,” said he, “lament my absence; I carry with -me the gratitude of the Poles, and even the late and bitter regrets of -the Spaniards. Europe will soon deplore the loss of the equilibrium, to -the maintenance of which my French empire was absolutely necessary. The -Continent is now in the most perilous situation, being continually -exposed to the risk of being overrun by Cossacks and Tartars. And the -English,” said he in conclusion, “the English will deplore their victory -at Waterloo! Things will be carried to such a length that posterity, -together with every well-informed and well-disposed person among our -contemporaries, will regret that I did not succeed in all my -enterprises.” - -In course of his remarks, the Emperor occasionally rose to a pitch of -sublimity. I shall not follow him into all his details. He promised to -dictate the observations he had made, and said that he had already -sketched out a plan for his political defence, in fourteen paragraphs. - -CATINAT; TURENNE; CONDÉ.—QUESTIONS RESPECTING THE GREATEST BATTLE FOUGHT - BY THE EMPEROR; THE BEST TROOPS, &C. - -28th.—The Emperor did not go out until four o’clock; he had spent three -hours in the bath. The weather was very unpleasant, and in consequence -he merely took a few turns in the garden. He had just written to inform -the Governor that henceforth he would receive no strangers, unless they -were admitted to Longwood by passes from the Grand Marshal, as in the -time of Admiral Cockburn. - -The Emperor proposed playing a game at chess; but, before he sat down to -do so, he took up a volume of Fenelon. It was _La Direction de -Conscience d’un Roi_. He read to us several articles, criticising them -with considerable spirit and gaiety. At length he threw down the volume, -saying that the name of an author had never influenced him in forming an -opinion of his writings; that he always judged of works according to the -sentiments with which they inspired him; being always equally willing to -praise or to censure. He added that, in spite of the name of Fenelon, he -had no hesitation in declaring that the work he had just looked through -was a mere string of rhapsodies; and truly it would be difficult to -refute this assertion. - -After dinner, the Emperor conversed about the old marine establishment, -and alluded to M. de Grasse, and his defeat on the 12th of April. He -wished to learn some particulars on this subject; and he asked for the -Dictionary of Sieges and Battles. He looked over it, and it afforded him -matter for a multitude of observations. Catinat came under his -consideration, and the remarks he made on that commander lowered him -infinitely in our estimation. Napoleon said that he thought him very -inferior to the reputation he enjoyed, after viewing the scenes of his -operations in Italy, and reading his correspondence with Louvois. -“Having risen from the _tiers-état_,” said he, “and being educated for -the law, distinguished for urbanity of manners and moral integrity, -affecting the practice of equality, residing at St. Gratien, at the -gates of Paris, Catinat became the favourite of the _literati_ of the -capital and the philosophers of the day, who exalted him beyond his real -merits. He was in no way comparable to Vendôme.” - -The Emperor said, that he had endeavoured, in the same manner, to study -the characters of Turenne and Condé, suspecting that they were also the -objects of exaggerated eulogy; but that he was convinced those two men -were fully entitled to all the commendation that has been bestowed on -them. With regard to Turenne, he remarked that his intrepidity encreased -in proportion as he acquired experience; as he grew old, he evinced -greater courage than he seemed to possess in early life. The contrary -was observable in Condé, who displayed so much dauntless valour at the -commencement of his career. - -Now that I am alluding to Turenne, Condé, and other distinguished men, I -may mention, as a curious fact, that I never, by any chance, heard -Napoleon utter the name of Frederick the Great. Yet many circumstances -prove that Frederick held a high rank in Napoleon’s regard. The large -silver watch, a kind of alarum used by that Prince, which hangs by the -fire-place in the Emperor’s apartment at St. Helena;—the eagerness with -which Napoleon, on his entrance into Potzdam, seized the sword of the -Prussian hero, exclaiming, “Let those who will seek other spoil; I value -this beyond millions!”—finally, his long and silent contemplation of the -tomb of Frederick—sufficiently attest the deep interest which Napoleon -attached to every thing connected with that sovereign.[12] - -Footnote 12: - - After my removal from Longwood, Napoleon undertook a special work on - Frederick the Great, with notes and Commentaries on his Campaigns. - -In the Dictionary of Sieges and Battles, which the Emperor was looking -over to-day, he found his name mentioned in every page; but connected -with anecdotes either totally false, or at least misstated. This led him -to exclaim against the whole swarm of inferior writers, and their -unworthy abuse of the pen. “Literature,” he said, “had become the food -of the vulgar, while it ought to have been reserved exclusively for -people of refined taste. - -“For example,” said the Emperor, “it is affirmed that, when at Arcole, I -one night took the post of a sentinel who had fallen asleep. This idea -was doubtless conceived by a citizen, by a lawyer, perhaps, but -certainly not by a soldier. The author evidently wishes to represent me -in a favourable point of view; and he of course imagined that nothing -could reflect greater credit on me than the story he has invented. He -certainly wrote it with the view of doing me honour; but he knew not -that I was totally incapable of the action he describes. I was much too -fatigued for any such thing; and it is very probable that I should -myself have fallen asleep before the sentinel.” - -We then enumerated about fifty or sixty great battles that had been -fought by the Emperor. Some one present having asked which was the -greatest, the Emperor replied that it was difficult to answer that -question, since it was first necessary to enquire what was meant by the -greatest battle. “Mine,” continued he, “cannot be judged of separately. -They had no unity of place, action or design. They formed merely a -portion of extensive plans. They can therefore only be judged of by -their results. The battle of Marengo, which was so long undecided, -procured for us the dominion of all Italy; Ulm annihilated a whole army; -Jena threw the whole Prussian monarchy into our hands; Friedland opened -to us the Russian empire; and Eckmühl decided the fate of a war. The -battle of Moscow was one in which the greatest talent was displayed, and -in which the fewest results were obtained. Waterloo, where every thing -failed, would, had every thing succeeded, have saved France and -re-established Europe.” - -Madame de Montholon having asked what troops might be accounted the -best, “Those who gain victories, Madam,” replied the Emperor. “But,” -added he, “soldiers are capricious and inconstant, like you ladies. The -best troops were the Carthagenians under Hannibal; the Romans under the -Scipios; the Macedonians under Alexander; and the Prussians under -Frederick.” He thought, however, he might safely affirm that the French -troops were, of all others, those who could most easily be rendered the -best, and preserved so. - -“With my complete guard of 40 or 50,000 men, I would have pledged myself -to march through all Europe. It may, perhaps, be possible to produce -troops as good as those who composed my army of Italy and Austerlitz; -but certainly nothing can ever surpass them.” - -The Emperor, who had dwelt for a considerable time on this subject, -which was so interesting to him, suddenly recollecting himself, asked -what it was o’clock. He was informed that it was eleven.—“Well,” said -he, rising, “we at least have the merit of having got through our -evening without the help of either tragedy or comedy.” - -MADAME DE COTTIN’S MATHILDE, &C.—ALL FRENCHMEN INTERESTED IN - NAPOLEON.—DESAIX AND NAPOLEON AT MARENGO.—SIR SIDNEY SMITH.—CAUSE OF - GENERAL BONAPARTE’S RETURN TO FRANCE.—ACCOUNT OF HIS VOYAGE.—INSTANCES - OF THE CAPRICE OF FORTUNE. - -29th. About two o’clock the Emperor desired me to attend him in his -chamber, and he gave me some private orders. At four I rejoined him. I -found him sitting under the tent, surrounded by all his suite; he was -swinging backward and forward on his chair, laughing, talking, and -making every effort to be cheerful, while, at the same time, he -continually repeated that he felt dull and languid. He rose and took a -drive in the calash. - -After dinner, the conversation turned on romance writing. Some one -mentioned Madame Cottin’s Mathilde, the scene of which is laid in Syria. -The Emperor asked the person who had alluded to the work whether he had -ever seen Madame Cottin, whether she liked him (Napoleon), whether her -work was favourable to him, &c., but as he did not receive a ready -answer he thus continued: “But every body has loved me and hated me: -every one has been for me and against me by turns. I may truly say that -there is not a single Frenchman in whom I have not excited interest. All -must have loved me, from Collot d’Herbois (had he lived) to the Prince -of Condé; only not all at the same time but at different intervals and -periods. I was like the sun which crosses the equator to travel through -the ecliptic. According as my influence was felt in each different -climate, all hopes expanded, and I was blessed and adored; but when I -had departed, when I was no longer understood, unfavourable sentiments -arose.” - -Egypt next became the subject of conversation; and the Emperor again -sketched the characters of Kleber and Desaix. The latter joined the -First Consul on the eve of the battle of Marengo. Napoleon asked him how -he could have thought of signing the capitulation of Egypt; since the -army was sufficiently numerous to maintain possession of it. “We ought -not to have lost Egypt,” he observed.—“That’s very true,” replied -Desaix, “and the army was certainly numerous enough to enable us to -retain possession of the country. But the General-in-chief left us; and -at that distance from home, the General-in-chief is not a single man in -the army; he is the half, the three-fourths, the five-sixths of it. I -had no alternative but to resign the possession of the country. I doubt -whether I could have succeeded had I acted otherwise; besides, it would -have been criminal to make the attempt, for in such a case it is a -soldier’s duty to obey, and I did so.” - -Desaix, immediately after his arrival at Marengo, obtained the command -of the reserve. Towards the end of the battle, and amidst the greatest -apparent disorder, Napoleon came up to him:—“Well,” said Desaix, -“affairs are going on very badly, the battle is lost. I can only secure -the retreat. Is it not so?”—“Quite the contrary,” said the First Consul; -“to me the result of the battle was never for a moment doubtful. Those -masses, which you see in disorder on the right and left, are marching to -form in your rear. The battle is gained. Order your column to advance: -you have but to reap the glory of the victory.” - -The Emperor afterwards spoke of Sir Sidney Smith, He had, he said, just -read in the Moniteur the documents relating to the convention of -El-Arish, in which he remarked that Sir Sidney had evinced a great share -of intelligence and integrity. The Emperor said he bewildered Kleber by -the stories which he made him believe. But when Sir Sidney received -intelligence of the refusal of the English Government to ratify the -treaty, he was very much dissatisfied, and behaved very honourably to -the French army. “After all,” said the Emperor, “Sir Sidney Smith is not -a bad man. I now entertain a better opinion of him than I did; -particularly after what I daily witness in the conduct of his -confederates.” - -It was Sir Sidney Smith who, by communicating the European journals to -Napoleon, brought about the departure of the General-in-chief, and -consequently the dénouement of Brumaire. The French, on their return -from St. Jean d’Acre, were totally ignorant of all that had taken place -in Europe for several months. Napoleon, eager to obtain intelligence, -sent a flag of truce on board the Turkish admiral’s ship, under the -pretence of treating for the ransom of the prisoners whom he had taken -at Aboukir, not doubting that the envoy would be stopped by Sir Sidney -Smith, who carefully prevented all direct communication between the -French and the Turks. Accordingly, the French flag of truce received -directions from Sir Sidney to go on board his ship. He experienced the -handsomest treatment; and the English commander, having among other -things ascertained that the disasters of Italy were quite unknown to -Napoleon, he indulged in the malicious pleasure of sending him a file of -newspapers. - -Napoleon spent the whole night in his tent, perusing the papers; and he -came to the determination of immediately proceeding to Europe, to repair -the disasters of France, and, if possible, to save her from destruction. - -Admiral Ganthaume, who brought Napoleon from Egypt in Le Murion frigate, -frequently related to me the details of his voyage. The Admiral remained -at head-quarters after the destruction of the fleet at Aboukir. Shortly -after the return from Syria, and immediately after a communication with -the English squadron, the General-in-chief sent for him and directed him -to proceed forthwith to Alexandria, to fit out secretly, and with all -possible speed, one of the Venetian frigates that were lying off that -port, and to let him know when the vessel was ready to sail. - -These orders were executed. The General-in-chief, who was making a tour -of inspection, proceeded to an unfrequented part of the coast, with a -party of his guides. Boats were in readiness to receive them, and they -were conveyed to the frigate without passing through Alexandria. - -The frigate weighed that very evening, in order to get out of sight of -the English cruisers and the fleet that was anchored at Aboukir, before -daylight. Unfortunately, a calm ensued while the vessel was still within -sight of the coast, and from the tops the English ships at Aboukir were -still discernible. - -The utmost alarm prevailed on board the frigate. It was proposed to -return to Alexandria; but Napoleon opposed this suggestion. The die was -cast; and happily they soon got beyond the reach of observation. - -The voyage was very long and very unfavourable. The idea of being -overtaken by the English frequently occasioned alarm. Though no one knew -the intentions of the General, each formed his own conjectures, and the -utmost anxiety prevailed. Napoleon alone was calm and undisturbed. -During the greater part of the day he used to shut himself up in his -cabin, where, as Ganthaume informed me, he employed himself in reading -sometimes the Bible, and sometimes the Koran. Whenever he appeared on -deck, he displayed the utmost cheerfulness and ease, and conversed on -the most indifferent subjects. - -General Menou was the last person to whom Napoleon spoke on shore. He -said to him, “My dear General, you must take care of yourselves here. If -I have the happiness to reach France, the reign of ranting shall he at -an end.” - -On a perusal of the papers furnished by Sir Sidney Smith, Napoleon -formed such an idea of the disasters of France that he concluded the -enemy had crossed the Alps, and was already in possession of several of -our Southern Departments. When therefore the frigate approached the -coast of Europe, Napoleon directed the Admiral to make for Collioure and -Port-Vendre, situated at the extremity of the Gulf of Lyons. A gale of -wind drove them upon the coast of Corsica. They then entered Ajaccio, -where they obtained intelligence of the state of affairs in France. - -Ganthaume informed me that he saw, at Ajaccio, the house which was -occupied by Napoleon’s family, the patrimonial abode. The arrival of -their celebrated countryman immediately set all the inhabitants of the -island in motion. A crowd of cousins came to welcome him, and the -streets were thronged with people. - -Napoleon again set sail, and the frigate now steered towards Marseilles -and Toulon. However, just as they were on the point of reaching the -place of their destination, a new source of alarm arose. At sunset, on -the larboard of the frigate, and precisely in the sun’s rays, they -observed thirty sail making towards them with the wind aft. Ganthaume -proposed that the long boat of the frigate should be manned with the -best sailors, and that the General should get on board, and under favour -of the night, endeavour to gain the shore. But Napoleon declined this -proposition, observing that there would always be time enough for that -mode of escape; and he directed the captain to continue his course as -though nothing had occurred. Meanwhile, night set in, and the enemy’s -signal-guns were heard, at a distance, and right astern: thus it -appeared that the frigate had not been observed. Next day they anchored -at Frejus. The rest is well known. - -The Emperor concluded the evening’s conversation, by relating to us -three curious instances of the caprice of fortune, which took place in -the same quarter of the world, and about the same period. - -A corporal, who deserted from one of the regiments of the army of Egypt, -joined the Mamelukes, and was made a Bey. After his elevation, he wrote -a letter to his former General. - -A fat sutler’s wife who had followed the French army, became the -favourite of the Pasha of Jerusalem. She could not write, but she sent a -messenger with her compliments to her old friends, assuring them that -she would never forget her country, but would always afford protection -to the French and the Christians. “She was,” said the Emperor, “the -Zaire of the day.” - -A young peasant-girl of Cape Corso, being seized in a fishing-boat by -corsairs, was conveyed to Barbary, and subsequently became the ruling -favourite of the King of Morocco. The Emperor, after some diplomatic -communications, caused the brother of this young girl to be brought from -Corsica to Paris, and, after having him suitably fitted out, sent him to -his sister; but he never heard of them afterwards. - -It was late when the Emperor retired to rest; he had spent upwards of -three hours in conversation. - -30th.—I attended the Emperor at four o’clock. He had been engaged in -dictating under the tent. The Governor had returned answers to the -letters which M. de Montholon addressed to him by the Emperor’s orders. - -To the first communication, containing the protest against the treaty of -the 2d of August, and various other complaints, no answer was returned, -except that the Governor wished to be informed what letter he had kept -back. This we could not tell him, since we had not seen the letters. We -had asked _him_ that question; and he was the only person capable of -answering it. - -To the second letter, which stated that the Emperor would not receive -strangers at Longwood unless they were admitted by the Grand Marshal’s -passes, as was usual in the time of Admiral Cockburn, the Governor -replied that he had been sorry to see General Bonaparte troubled by -intrusive visitors at Longwood, and that he wished to prevent such -importunity for the future. This was a most revolting piece of irony, -considering the situation in which the Emperor was placed, and the tenor -of M. de Montholon’s letter. - -After dinner the Emperor retired to the drawing-room, and desired us all -to seat ourselves round the table, to form, as he said, an academic -sitting. He began to dictate to us on some subjects; but when the parts -that had been written were read over to him, he resolved to cancel them. -Conversation was then resumed, and was kept up for a considerable time, -partly in a serious and partly in a lively strain. It was near one -o’clock when the Emperor retired. For some time past we have sat up -later than we used to do. This is a good sign: the Emperor feels better, -and he is more cheerful and talkative than he lately was. - -HISTORICAL DOUBTS.—THE REGENCY OF THE DUKE OF ORLEANS.—MADAME DE - MAINTENON.—HER MARRIAGE WITH LOUIS XIV. - -31st.—The Emperor rose very early, and took a turn round the park alone. -On his return, not wishing to have any one disturbed, he desired my son, -who had risen, to sit down under the tent, and write from his dictation: -in this manner he employed himself for two hours. We all breakfasted -with him. - -We took an airing in the calash. The conversation turned on the doubts -that were attached to various points of history. The Emperor made some -very curious remarks on this subject, and concluded with a circumstance -relating to the Regent. “If,” said he, “Louis XV. had died in his -childhood, and nothing was more possible, who would have doubted that -the Duke of Orleans had poisoned the whole royal family? Who would have -ventured to defend him? Had not one child survived, that Prince would -not have had justice done him.” The Emperor then alluded to the -character of the Duke of Orleans, and particularly to his errors in the -affair of the legitimate princes. “There he degraded himself,” said -Napoleon; “not to say, however, that their cause was good. Louis XIV. -usurped a right in nominating them to the succession. On the extinction -of the Royal House, the choice of a Sovereign is unquestionably the -prerogative of the nation. The act of Louis XIV. was doubtless an error -into which that Monarch was betrayed by his own greatness. He conceived -that every thing emanating from him must necessarily be great. Yet he -seemed to entertain a suspicion that the world might not be exactly of -his opinion; for he took precautions to consolidate his work by giving -his natural children in marriage to the legitimate princes and -princesses of the royal family. As to the Regency, it is very certain -that it devolved by right on the Duke of Orleans. Louis XIV.’s will was -a downright absurdity: it was a violation of our fundamental laws. -France was a monarchy, and he gave us a republic for a Regency.” - -The Emperor then mentioned Madame de Maintenon, whose career, he said, -was most extraordinary. She was, he observed, the Bianca Capello[13] of -her age; but less romantic, and not quite so amusing. Pursuing his -historical doubts, he said a great deal on the subject of Madame de -Maintenon’s marriage with Louis XIV. He declared that he was sometimes -inclined to regard the circumstance as very problematical, in spite of -all that was said about it in the Memoirs of the time. - -Footnote 13: - - A noble Venetian lady of great beauty, whose adventures form a truly - romantic and dramatic history. She eloped from her father’s house to - follow a young Florentine pedlar, and was reduced to the greatest - wretchedness. She subsequently became Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and - she closed her career by coolly poisoning herself at table, in a fit - of vexation at seeing the Grand Duke, her husband, partake of a - poisoned dish, which she had prepared for her brother-in-law, Cardinal - de Medicis, who, on his part, obstinately abstained from tasting it. - -“The fact is,” observed he, “that there does not, and never did, exist -any official and authentic proof of the marriage. What could be Louis -XIV.’s object in keeping the measure so strictly secret, both from his -contemporaries and posterity? and how happened it that the Noailles -family, to whom Madame de Maintenon was related, suffered nothing to -transpire on the subject? This was the more singular considering that -Madame de Maintenon survived Louis XIV.” - -The Emperor, feeling somewhat fatigued this evening, retired to rest -early. He seemed indisposed and low spirited. - - THE FRENCH MINISTERS, &C.—ANECDOTE OF M. DARU.—FADED - FINERY AT ST. HELENA. - -Sunday, September 1st.—The Emperor went out about three o’clock: he said -that he had felt feeble, languid, and dull the whole of the day. We all -felt indisposed in the same way: it was the effect of the weather. We -strolled out to the great path in the wood, while the calash was -preparing; but no sooner had we reached the extremity of the path than a -shower of rain came on. It was so heavy that the Emperor was obliged to -take refuge at the foot of a gum-tree, the scanty foliage of which, -however, afforded but little shelter. The calash soon arrived to take us -up; and we were returning home with all speed, when we perceived the -Governor, at some distance, making towards us. The Emperor immediately -ordered the coachman to turn, observing, that of two evils he would -choose the least; and we took a circuitous route homewards, in spite of -the wind and rain. We, however, escaped Sir Hudson Lowe: that was an -advantage. - -Before dinner, the Emperor, in his chamber, took a review of the -individuals who had been attached to his Household, the Council of -State, and the different ministerial departments. Alluding to M. Daru, -he observed that he was a man distinguished for probity and for -indefatigable application to business. At the retreat from Moscow, M. -Daru’s firmness and presence of mind were remarkable, and the Emperor -often afterwards said that he laboured like an ox, while he displayed -the courage of a lion. - -Business seemed to be M. Daru’s element; he was incessantly occupied. -Soon after he was appointed Secretary of State, one of his friends was -expressing a fear that the immense business in which he would -thenceforth be absorbed might prove too much for him. “On the contrary,” -replied Daru, “I assure you that, since I have entered upon my new -functions, I seem to have absolutely nothing to do.” On one occasion -only was his vigour ever known to relax. The Emperor called him up, -after midnight, to write from his dictation: M. Daru was so completely -overcome by fatigue that he scarcely knew what he was writing; at length -he could hold out no longer, and he fell asleep over his paper. After -enjoying a sound nap, he awoke, and, to his astonishment, perceived the -Emperor by his side quietly engaged in writing. The shortness of the -candles informed him that his slumber had been of considerable duration. -While he sat for a few moments overwhelmed with confusion, his eyes met -those of the Emperor, who said to him: “Well, Sir, you see I have been -doing your work, since you would not do it yourself. I suppose you have -eaten a hearty supper, and passed a pleasant evening; but business must -not be neglected.”—“I pass a pleasant evening, Sire!” said M. Daru. “I -have been for several nights without sleep, and closely engaged. Of this -your Majesty now sees the consequence, and I am exceedingly sorry for -it.”—“Why did you not inform me of this?” said the Emperor, “I do not -want to kill you. Go to bed. Good night, M. Daru.” This was certainly a -characteristic trait, and one that was well calculated to remove the -false notions which were generally entertained respecting Napoleon’s -harshness of temper. But I know not by what fatality facts of this kind -were concealed from our knowledge, while any absurd inventions -unfavourable to the Emperor were so actively circulated. Was it because -the courtiers reserved their flattery for the interior of the palace, -and sought to create a sort of counterpoise, by assuming elsewhere an -air of opposition and independence? Be this as it may, had any -individual related traits of the above kind in the saloons of Paris, he -would probably have been told that he had invented them, or would have -been looked upon as a fool for giving credit to them. - -The Grand Marshal and his lady came to dine at Longwood, which they were -accustomed to do every Sunday. - -During dinner, the Emperor jokingly alluded to the faded finery of the -ladies. He said that their dresses would soon resemble the gay trappings -of those old misers who purchase their wardrobes from the dealers in -second-hand clothes; they no longer displayed the freshness and elegance -that characterized the millinery of Leroi, Despeaux, Herbault, &c. The -ladies craved indulgence for St. Helena; and their husbands reminded the -Emperor of his fastidiousness with regard to female dress at the -Tuileries, which, it was remarked, had proved the ruin of some families. -At this the Emperor laughed, and said that the idea of his scrupulous -taste in dress was a mere invention of the ladies of the Court, who made -it a pretence, or an excuse, for their extravagance. The conversation -then turned on our splendour at St. Helena. The Emperor said that he had -told Marchand he would wear every day the hunting-coat which he then had -on, until it was completely worn out: it was already very far gone. - -Both before and after dinner the Emperor played a few games at chess: he -felt low-spirited and nervous, and retired to bed early. - -THE CAMPAIGN OF SAXONY IN 1813.—REFLECTIONS.—ANALYSIS.—BATTLES| OF - LUTZEN AND WURTZEN.—NEGOTIATIONS.—BATTLES| OF DRESDEN, LEIPSIC, - HANAU,| &c. - -Sept. 2.—To-day there was some horse-racing at the camp, at which one of -the Emperor’s suite was present. - -The Emperor did not go out until late, and he walked to the calash. The -wind blew very hard, and he renounced his intention of taking a drive. -He sat down beneath the tent: but, finding it not very pleasant without -doors, he retired to his library, where he took up the Letters of Madame -de Chateauroux, looked through the Expedition to Bohemia, and analysed -the Life of Marshal de Belle-Isle. He again went out to take a walk in -the garden; but he returned almost immediately, and directed me to -follow him. - -He took up a book relating to our last campaigns, and, after perusing it -for some time, he threw it down, saying, “It is a downright rhapsody—a -mere tissue of contradictions and absurdities.” He conversed for a -considerable time on the two celebrated campaigns of Saxony: his -observations were principally moral, and few or none military; I noted -down the following as the most remarkable: “That memorable campaign,” -said he, “will be regarded as the triumph of courage in the youth of -France; of intrigue and cunning in English diplomacy; of intelligence on -the part of the Russians; and of effrontery in the Austrian Cabinet. It -will mark the period of the disorganization of political societies, the -great separation of subjects from their Sovereigns; finally, the decay -of the first military virtues—fidelity, loyalty, and honour. In vain -people may write and comment, invent falsehoods and suppositions; to -this odious and mortifying result we must all come at last: time will -develop both its truth and its consequences. - -“But it is a remarkable circumstance, in this case, that all discredit -is equally removed from sovereigns, soldiers, and people. It was -entirely the work of a few military intriguers and headlong politicians, -who, under the specious pretext of shaking off the foreign yoke and -recovering the national independence, purposely sold their own rulers to -envious rival Cabinets. The results soon became manifest: the King of -Saxony lost half his dominions, and the King of Bavaria was compelled to -make valuable restitutions. What did the traitors care for that? They -enjoyed their rewards and their wealth, and those who had proved -themselves most upright and innocent were visited with the severest -punishment. The King of Saxony, the most honest man who ever wielded a -sceptre, was stripped of half his territories; and the King of Denmark, -so faithful to all his engagements, was deprived of a crown! This, -however, was affirmed to be the restoration and the triumph of -morality!... Such is the distributive justice of this world!... - -“To the honour of human nature, and even to the honour of Kings, I must -once more declare that never was more virtue manifested than amidst the -baseness which marked this period. I never for a moment had cause to -complain individually of the Princes our allies. The good King of Saxony -continued faithful to the last; the King of Bavaria loyally avowed to me -that he was no longer his own master; the generosity of the King of -Würtemburg was particularly remarkable; the Prince of Baden yielded only -to force, and in the very last extremity. All, I must render them this -justice, gave me due notice of the storm that was gathering, in order -that I might take the necessary precautions. But, on the other hand, how -odious was the conduct of subaltern agents! Military history will never -obliterate the infamy of the Saxons, who returned to our ranks for the -purpose of destroying us! Their treachery became proverbial among the -troops, who still use the term _Saxonner_ to designate the act of a -soldier who assassinates another. To crown all, it was a Frenchman, a -man for whom French blood purchased a crown, a nursling of France, who -gave the finishing stroke to our disasters! Gracious God! - -“But in the situation in which I was placed, the circumstance which -served to fill up the measure of my distress was that I beheld the -decisive hour gradually approach. The star paled; I felt the reins slip -from my hands, and yet I could do nothing. Only a sudden turn of fortune -could save us: to treat, to conclude any compact, would have been to -yield like a fool to the enemy. I was convinced of this, and the event -sufficiently proved that I was not mistaken. We had, therefore, no -alternative but to fight; and every day, by some fatality or other, our -chances diminished. Treason began to penetrate into our ranks. Great -numbers of our troops sunk under the effects of fatigue and -discouragement. My lieutenants became dispirited, and, consequently, -unfortunate. They were no longer the same men who figured at the -commencement of the Revolution, or who had distinguished themselves in -the brilliant moments of my success. I have been informed that some -presumed to allege, in their defence, that at first they fought for the -Republic and for their country; while afterwards they fought only for a -single man, for his individual interests, and his ambition. - -“Base subterfuge! Ask the young and brave soldiers, and the officers of -intermediate rank in the French army, whether such a calculation ever -entered their thoughts;—whether they ever saw before them any thing but -the enemy, or behind them any thing save the honour, glory, and triumph -of France! These men never fought better than at the period alluded to. -Why dissemble? Why not make a candid avowal? The truth is that, -generally speaking, the officers of high rank had gained every object of -their ambition. They were sated with wealth and honours. They had drunk -of the cup of pleasure, and they henceforth wished for repose, which -they would have purchased at any price. The sacred flame was -extinguished; they were willing to sink to the level of Louis XV.’s -marshals.” - -If the words above quoted require any comment—if the sense here, or in -other similar passages of my Journal, should be found to be incomplete, -I must not be held responsible. I have literally noted down what -Napoleon uttered, and I am accountable for nothing more. I have already -several times mentioned that, when the Emperor spoke, I never ventured -to interrupt him by questions or remarks. On the subject of the -celebrated campaign of 1813, I may mention that, from various detached -conversations of Napoleon, which I have not noted down at the time when -they occurred, he was far from being deceived as to the crisis which -threatened France, and he correctly estimated the full extent of the -risk by which he was surrounded in the opening of the campaign. Ever -since his return from Moscow, he had seen the danger, he said, and -endeavoured to avert it. From that moment he resolved on making the -greatest sacrifices; but the choice of the proper moment for proclaiming -these sacrifices was the difficult point, and that which chiefly -occupied his consideration. If the influence of material power be great, -he said, the power of opinion is still greater; it is magical in its -effects. His object was to preserve it; and a false step, a word -inadvertently uttered, might for ever have destroyed the illusion. He -found it indispensable to exert the greatest circumspection, and to -manifest the utmost apparent confidence in his own strength. It was, -above all, necessary to look forward to the future. - -His great fault, his fundamental error, was in supposing that his -adversaries always had as much judgment and knowledge of their own -interests, as he himself possessed. From the first, he said, he -suspected that Austria would avail herself of the difficulties in which -he was placed, in order to secure great advantages to herself; but he -never could have believed that the Monarch was so blind, or his advisers -so treacherous as to wish to bring about his (Napoleon’s) downfall, and -thereby leave their own country henceforth at the mercy of the -uncontrolled power of Russia. The Emperor pursued the same train of -reasoning with regard to the Confederation of the Rhine, which, he -admitted, might, perhaps, have cause to be dissatisfied with him; but -which, he concluded, must dread still more the idea of falling under the -power of Austria and Prussia. Napoleon conceived that the same arguments -were not inapplicable to Prussia; which, he presumed, could not wish -entirely to destroy a counterpoise, that was necessary to her -independence, and her very existence. Napoleon made full allowance for -the hatred of his enemies, and for the dissatisfaction and malevolence -which, perhaps, existed among his allies; but he could not suppose that -either wished for his destruction, since he felt himself to be so -necessary to all; and he acted accordingly. Such was Napoleon’s ruling -idea throughout the whole of this important period. It was the key of -his whole conduct to the very last hour, and even to the moment of his -fall. It must be carefully borne in mind, for it serves to explain many -things, perhaps, all;—his hostile attitude, his haughty language, his -refusal to treat, his determination to fight, &c. - -If he should be successful, he thought he could then make honourable -sacrifices, and a glorious peace; while the illusion of his superiority -would remain undiminished. If, on the contrary, he should experience -reverses, it would still be time enough to make concessions; and he -concluded that the interest of the Austrians and all true Germans must -secure him the support of their arms or of their diplomacy; for he -supposed they were convinced, as he himself was, that his power had -henceforth become indispensable to the structure, repose, security, and -existence of Europe. But that of which he had reason to doubt proved -most prosperous: victory continued faithful to him; his first successes -were admirable, and almost incredible. On the other hand, that which he -believed to be infallible was precisely what failed him:—his natural -allies betrayed him, and hastened his downfall. - -In support of what I have just alleged, and with the view of throwing -light on the Emperor’s remarks above quoted, I shall here insert a brief -recapitulation of the events of that fatal campaign. In France, at the -time, we were made acquainted only with its results; the bulletins gave -us but little information, and we received no foreign publications. -Besides, the period is now distant, and so many important events have -since occurred to occupy public attention, that these details may be -partly forgotten by those who once knew them. They are here arranged in -chronological order. - -I extract this recapitulation from a work written by M. de Montveran, -which was published in 1820. The author has bestowed great care on the -collection of official and authentic documents; and he has availed -himself of the information furnished by preceding writers. I am, -therefore, of opinion, that this work is, unquestionably, the best that -has been written on the subject. M. de Montveran is far from being -favourable to Napoleon; however, it is but just to admit that he -maintains a tone of impartiality which does credit to his character, -while, at the same time, it enhances the merit of his work. - -“On the 2nd of May, Napoleon opened the campaign of Saxony by the -victory of Lützen, a most surprising event, and one which reflects -immortal honour on the conquerors. A newly embodied army, without -cavalry, marched to face the veteran bands of Russia and Prussia; but -the genius of the Chief, and the valour of the young troops whom he -commanded, made amends for all. The French had no cavalry; but bodies of -infantry advanced in squares, flanked by an immense mass of artillery, -presenting the appearance of so many moving fortresses. Eighty-four -thousand infantry, consisting of French troops, or troops of the -Confederation, with only 4,000 cavalry, beat 107,000 Russians or -Prussians with more than 20,000 cavalry. Alexander and the King of -Prussia witnessed the conflict in person. Their celebrated guards could -not maintain their ground against our young conscripts. The enemy lost -18,000 men; our loss amounted to 12,000, and our want of cavalry -prevented us from reaping the usual fruit of our conquests. However, the -moral result of the victory was immense. The enthusiasm of our troops -resumed its ascendency, and the Emperor recovered the full influence of -opinion. The Allies retreated before him without venturing the chances -of another battle.[14] - -Footnote 14: - - At the victory of Lützen the Emperor sustained a severe loss in the - death of the brave and loyal Marshal Bessières, Duke of Istria, who - was so sincerely devoted to Napoleon. The King of Saxony raised a - monument to his memory on the very spot where he received his - death-blow. By a glorious coincidence the monument is similar to that - of Gustavus Adolphus, and is placed not far distant from it. It - consists of a simple stone surrounded by poplars. This is not the only - instance in which foreigners have rendered that homage to the memory - of brave Frenchmen, which their own countrymen have neglected. - -“On the 9th, Napoleon entered Dresden as a conqueror, conducting back to -his capital the King of Saxony, who, from the consciousness of his own -interests, as well as the wish to remain faithful to his engagements, -had retired on the approach of the Allies, whose proposals he had -constantly rejected. - -“On the 21st and 22d, Napoleon again triumphed at Würtzen and Bautzen. -The Allies had chosen their ground, which the brilliant campaigns of -Frederick had rendered classic. They had intrenched themselves, and they -thought their position impregnable: but every thing yielded to the grand -views and well-conducted plans of the French general who, at the very -commencement of the conflict, declared himself to be certain of the -victory. - -“The Allies lost 18,000 or 20,000 men. They were unable to retain their -position, and they retired in disorder. The Emperor pursued them. He had -already passed through Lusatia, crossed Silesia, and reached the Oder, -when the Allies demanded an armistice to treat for peace; and Napoleon, -thinking the favourable moment had arrived, granted it. - -“On the 4th of June, the armistice of Pleissvitz was concluded. This -event had the most decisive influence in producing our misfortunes; it -was the fatal knot to which were attached all the chances and destinies -of the campaign. - -“Should the Emperor have granted this armistice, or have followed up his -advantages? This was, at the moment, a problem which time, and the -events that have proved so fatal to us, solved when too late. The -Emperor, crowned with victory, halted before his fallen enemies, to whom -he could now make concessions without compromising his dignity; his -sacrifices could be regarded only as moderation. Austria, hitherto -uncertain as to what course she should pursue, struck with our success, -rejoined us. Napoleon now reasonably hoped to see the ratification of a -peace which he wished for, and he would not let slip so favourable an -opportunity, to run the risk of a check that might have lost all, and -which was the more likely to take place since his army had marched -forward in haste and in the utmost disorder, and his rear was uncovered -and harassed by the enemy. He conceived that the armistice, at all -events, afforded him an opportunity of concentrating and organizing his -forces, and opening his communications with France, by which means he -should be enabled to receive immense reinforcements, and to create a -corps of cavalry.” - -Unfortunately, in spite of all the Emperor’s calculations, this fatal -armistice proved advantageous only to our enemies: it was maintained for -nearly three months, and it served only to bring about their triumph and -our destruction. Austria, who was still our ally, by a deception, which -history will justly characterize, availed herself of that title to -oppose us with the greater advantage. Requiring delay, she obtained it. -The Russians, who were waiting for reinforcements, received them; the -Prussians doubled their numbers; the English subsidies arrived, and the -Swedish army rejoined. Secret associations were set on foot; a general -insurrection of the whole German population was excited; while, at the -same time, the defection of the Cabinets of the Rhenish Confederation, -and the corruption of the Allied officers, were effected. Treason also -began to creep into the superior ranks. General Jomini, the Chief of the -Staff of one of our army corps, went over to the enemy with all the -information he had been able to collect respecting the plans of the -campaign, &c.[15] - -Footnote 15: - - A reference to Count Montholon’s Memoirs of Napoleon will shew that - the Emperor admits the falsehood of this charge against Jomini, who he - says was not even acquainted with his plans. - -The result sufficiently proved to the Emperor all the errors of the -armistice, and convinced him that he would have done better had he -persisted in pressing forward; for had he continued successful, the -Allies, alarmed at finding themselves deprived of the aid of Austria, -with whom they could no longer have maintained intelligence, cut off -from the Prince of Sweden, who would have remained behind, seeing -blockades of the fortresses of the Oder raised, and the war carried back -to Poland, to the gates of Dantzick, amidst a people ready to rise in a -mass—the Allies, I say, would infallibly have treated. If, on the other -hand, we had sustained a reverse, the consequences could not have been -more fatal than those which were actually experienced. The judicious -calculations of the Emperor ruined him: that which seemed to be -indiscretion and temerity would probably have saved him. - - CONGRESS OF PRAGUE ON THE 29TH OF JULY.— - -“After two months of difficulties and obstacles, the Congress opened -under the mediation of Austria; if, indeed, the term Congress can be -properly applied to an assembly in which no deliberations took place, -and where one party had determined beforehand that none should be held. - -“The mediator and the adversaries were equally our enemies; all -concurred in their hostility to us, and they had already decided on war. -Why then did they wait? Because Austria still possessed a shade of -modesty, and she wished, in the debates, to gain a pretence for -declaring war against us. Prussia and Russia, on their part, thought it -necessary to preserve their credit in Europe by this false manifestation -of their desire and their efforts to preserve peace. All were merely -affixing the seal to their Machiavelian system. - -“For them the real Congress was not the assembly at Prague; it had -already taken place two months before. Time has since thrown into our -hands the authentic records of the intrigues, machinations, and even -treaties, in which they were engaged during that interval. It is now -evident that the armistice was resorted to by pretended friends and -avowed enemies, only for the sake of artfully cementing the union that -was to effect the overthrow of Napoleon, and creating the triumvirate -destined to oppress Europe while it pretended to deliver her. - -“Austria had, from interested motives, long delayed the opening of the -Congress of Prague. Resolved to repair her losses at any price, she did -not hesitate to sacrifice her honour, the better to ensure her success. -She masked her perfidy under the disguise of friendship. Declaring -herself our ally, and eagerly complimenting us on every new triumph, she -insisted, with an air of the warmest interest, on being our mediatrix -when she had already entered into an agreement to make common cause with -our enemies. Her propositions were accepted. But she wished to gain time -for her preparations; and thus every day fresh obstacles were started, -while the utmost tardiness was evinced in settling them. - -“Austria at first offered her services as a mediatrix; but, changing her -tone in proportion as her warlike preparations advanced, she soon -signified her wish to become an arbitress, at the same time intimating -that she expected great advantages in return for the services she might -render. At length, after an armistice of two months, when Austria -thought herself perfectly prepared, and when every thing was agreed upon -among the coalesced powers, they opened the Congress, not to treat of -peace and to establish amicable relations, but to develop their real -sentiments, and to insult us unreservedly. The Russians, in particular, -behaved with unusual ill grace. They were no longer the Russians who -anxiously solicited an armistice after the routs of Lützen, Würtzen, and -Bautzen. They now looked upon themselves as the dictators of Europe, -which, indeed, they have since really become, by the spirit of their -diplomacy, the blindness of their allies, their geographical situation, -and finally by the force of things. But whom did Alexander select as his -minister to this Congress? Precisely one who, by personal circumstances, -was, according to the laws of France, unqualified for such a post;—one -who was by birth a Frenchman. Certainly it would have been difficult to -offer a more personal and direct insult. Napoleon felt it; but he -concealed his resentment. - -“Under such circumstances much could not be expected from the Congress: -during the few days of its sitting, our enemies merely drew up a series -of notes more or less acrimonious, while the conduct of Austria was -marked by the most odious partiality. - -“On the 10th of August, only two days after the first meeting of the -negotiators, the Russians and Prussians haughtily withdrew; and on the -12th, Austria, that faithful ally, that obsequious and devoted friend, -who had shewn herself so eager to become our mediatrix and arbitress, -suddenly laid aside those titles to declare war against us, allowing no -interval save that required for the signature of the manifesto, which -she had been for two months secretly concerting with her new allies, and -which will ever remain a record of her shame and degradation, since it -acknowledges the sacrifice of an Archduchess to the necessity of -crouching before a detested ally. History will decide on these acts. -However, to the honour of the throne and of morality, there is reason to -believe that most of these transactions, and in particular the real -course of affairs, was unknown to the Emperor Francis, who is reputed to -be the most gentle, upright, moral, and pious of princes. It has been -affirmed that many of these acts were determined on without his -knowledge, and that others were represented to him under a totally false -colouring. The whole of these disgraceful proceedings must be attributed -to British gold, to the craftiness of Russian diplomacy, and to the -passions of the Austrian aristocracy, excited by the English faction -which at that time ruled Europe. - -“The Congress broke up with mutual feelings of irritation. The Emperor -then expressed his sentiments in official and public documents, in the -most forcible language, and in a tone of the highest superiority. But -this he did with the view of creating a favourable impression on the -public mind; for he remained so far master of himself as that, though -hastening to take up arms, he nevertheless demanded a renewal of the -negotiations, which were resumed at Prague. He deemed it advisable not -to lose the advantages of constant communications: Austria would be -easily detached if we obtained advantages, and she would be easily -convinced if we sustained reverses. Such was the Congress of Prague. - -“It will perhaps be asked whether Napoleon was duped by this Congress -and the circumstances arising out of it. The answer is that he was not, -or at least not entirely. If he had not a knowledge of every fact, he -was never for a moment mistaken as to the intentions and sentiments that -were really entertained. - -“Napoleon, from the moment of his first victory at Lutzen, had -authentically proposed a general congress. This he conceived to be the -only means of treating for a general peace, insuring the independence of -France, and the guarantee of the modern system. Every other mode of -negotiation appeared to him merely a lure; and if he seemed to depart -from this principle, in accepting the mediation of Austria, and agreeing -to the conferences at Prague, it was because, as time advanced, affairs -became more complicated. The defeat of Vittoria, the evacuation of -Spain, and the spirit of the French people, which was declining, had -considerably diminished his prosperity. He anticipated the result of the -negotiations: but he wished to gain time, in his turn, and to await the -course of events. He was not deceived as to the part which Austria would -act; and, without knowing precisely how far she would carry her -deception, he could well discern, from her mysterious conduct and -delays, what was likely to be her determination. At Dresden, he had even -had personal conversations with the first negotiator of the Austrian -government, who had sufficiently indicated the line of conduct he -intended to pursue. The Emperor having remarked that he had, after all, -eight hundred thousand men to oppose the enemy, the negotiator eagerly -added, ‘Your Majesty may say twelve hundred thousand; for you may, if -you please, join our force to your own.’ But what was to be the price of -this advantage? Nothing less than the restitution of Illyria, the -cession of the Duchy of Warsaw, the frontier of the Inn, &c. ‘And after -all,’ said the Emperor, ‘what should I have gained by this? Had we made -all these concessions, should we not have been humbling ourselves for -nothing, and furnishing Austria with the means of making farther -demands, and afterwards opposing us with greater advantage?’ He never -relinquished the idea that the true interests of Austria being closely -connected with our danger, we should be more certain of regaining her by -our misfortunes than of securing her by our concessions. Napoleon was -therefore deaf to every demand; but he had so little doubt of the -engagements which Austria had already contracted with our enemies that -he is described as having said, half good-humouredly and half -indignantly, to the Austrian negotiator: ‘Come now, confess: tell me how -much they have paid you for this.’” - -How severely did Napoleon suffer on this occasion! What trials of -patience did he not undergo! And yet he was accused at the time of not -wishing for peace! “How was I perplexed,” said he, “when conversing on -this subject, to find myself the only one to judge of the extent of our -danger and to adopt means to avert it. I was harassed on the one hand by -the coalesced Powers, who threatened our very existence, and on the -other by the spirit of my own subjects, who in their blindness, seemed -to make common cause with them; by our enemies, who were labouring for -my destruction, and by the importunities of my people and even my -Ministers, who urged me to throw myself on the mercy of foreigners. And -I was obliged to keep up a bold look in this embarrassing situation: to -reply haughtily to some, and sharply to rebuff others, who created -difficulties in my rear, encouraged the mistaken course of public -opinion, instead of seeking to give it a proper direction, and suffered -me to be tormented by demands for peace, when they ought to have proved -that the only means of obtaining it was to urge me ostensibly to war. - -“However, my determination was fixed. I awaited the result of events, -firmly resolved to enter into no concessions or treaties which could -present only a temporary reparation, and would inevitably have been -attended by fatal consequences. Any middle course must have been -dangerous; there was no safety except in victory, which would have -preserved my power, or in some catastrophe, which would have brought -back my allies.” - -I beg to call the reader’s attention to this last idea, which I have -already noticed on a former occasion. It will perhaps be thought I -attach great importance to it; but this is because I feel the necessity -of rendering it intelligible. Though I now enter into it completely, yet -it was long before I understood it, and it appeared to me paradoxical -and subtle. - -“In what a situation was I placed!” continued the Emperor. “I saw that -France, her destinies, her principles, depended on me alone!”—“Sire!” I -ventured to observe, “this was the opinion generally entertained; and -yet some parties reproached you for it, exclaiming, with bitterness, Why -would he connect every thing with himself personally?”—“That was a -vulgar accusation,” resumed the Emperor warmly. “My situation was not -one of my own choosing, nor did it arise out of any fault of mine; it -was produced entirely by the nature and force of circumstances—by the -conflict of two opposite orders of things. Would the individuals who -held this language, if indeed they were sincere, have preferred to go -back to the period preceding Brumaire, when our internal dissolution was -complete, foreign invasion certain, and the destruction of France -inevitable? From the moment when we decided on the concentration of -power, which could alone save us; when we determined on the unity of -doctrines and resources which rendered us a mighty nation, the destinies -of France depended solely on the character, the measures, and the -principles of him whom she had invested with this accidental -dictatorship: from that moment the public welfare, _the State_, _was -myself_. These words, which I addressed to men who were capable of -understanding them, were strongly censured by the narrow-minded and -ill-disposed; but the enemy felt the full force of them, and, therefore, -his first object was to effect my overthrow. The same outcry was raised -against other words which I uttered in the sincerity of my heart: when I -said that _France had more need of me than I of her_. This profound -truth was declared to be merely excess of vanity. But, my dear Las -Cases, you now see that I can relinquish every thing; and as to what I -endure here, my sufferings cannot be long. My life is limited; but the -existence of France...!” Then, resuming his former idea, he said: “The -circumstances in which we were placed were extraordinary and -unprecedented; it would be vain to seek for any parallel to them. I was -myself the keystone of an edifice totally new, and raised on a slight -foundation! Its stability depended on each of my battles! Had I been -conquered at Marengo, France would have encountered all the disasters of -1814 and 1815, without those prodigies of glory which succeeded, and -which will be immortal. It was the same at Austerlitz and Jena, and -again at Eylau and elsewhere. The vulgar failed not to blame my ambition -as the cause of all these wars. But they were not of my choosing; they -were produced by the nature and force of events; they arose out of that -conflict between the past and the future—that constant and permanent -coalition of our enemies, which obliged us to subdue under pain of being -subdued.” - -But to return to the negotiations of 1813. On a reference to the -documents and manifestoes published at the time by the two parties, -whether because we can now peruse them with more impartiality, or -because our eyes have been opened by the conduct of those who triumphed, -it is impossible to avoid feeling astonished at the two-fold error which -led the Germans to rise so furiously against him from whose yoke they -pretended to free themselves, and in favour of those whom they expected -to become their regenerators! - -_Renewal of Hostilities—Battle of Dresden—26th and 27th of August._—“The -hostile powers again presented themselves on the field of battle. The -French, with a force of 300,000, of which 40,000 were cavalry, occupied -the heart of Saxony, on the left bank of the Elbe; and the Allies, with -500,000 men, of whom 100,000 were cavalry, threatened them in three -different directions, from Berlin, Silesia, and Bohemia, on Dresden. -This prodigious disproportion of numbers had no effect on Napoleon: he -concentrated his forces, and boldly assumed the offensive. Having -fortified the line of the Elbe, which had now become his _point -d’appui_, and, protecting his extreme right by the mountains of Bohemia, -he directed one of his masses on Berlin against Bernadotte, who -commanded an army of Prussians and Swedes, while another marched upon -Silesia, against Blucher, who commanded a corps composed of Prussians -and Russians, and a third was stationed at Dresden, as the key of the -position, to observe the great Austrian and Russian army in Bohemia. -Finally, a fourth mass was placed as a reserve, at Zittau, with the -threefold object:—1st, to penetrate into Bohemia, in case we should gain -advantages over Blucher; 2d, to keep the great body of the allied force -confined in Bohemia, through the fear of being attacked on their rear, -should they attempt to debouch by the banks of the Elbe; 3d, to assist, -if necessary, in assailing Blucher, or in the defence of Dresden; in -case that city should be attacked. - -“The Emperor, who had already made a rapid movement against Blucher, -kept him in action before him, when he was suddenly called away for the -defence of Dresden, where 65,000 French troops found themselves opposed -to 180,000 of the allied forces. Prince Schwartzenberg, the -General-in-chief, had on the 26th made a faint attack upon Dresden, -instead of making a precipitate and decided assault; which, it was -affirmed, was the intention of the deserter Jomini, who so well -understood the real state of things. Napoleon came up with the rapidity -of lightning and he combined a force of 100,000 French troops to oppose -the 180,000 Allies. The affair was not for a moment doubtful; and to his -sagacity and penetration the whole success must be attributed. The enemy -was overwhelmed: he lost 40,000 men, and was for some time threatened -with total destruction. The Emperor Alexander was present at the battle, -and Moreau was killed by one of the first balls fired by our imperial -guard, only a short time after he had spoken with the Russian -Emperor.[16] - -Footnote 16: - - The death of the celebrated Moreau, while fighting under the Russian - banner, and opposed to a French army, was and will ever continue to be - a source of affliction to his sincerest friends and warmest partizans. - -The happy chance, so anxiously looked for by Napoleon, which was -expected to re-establish our affairs, to procure peace, and to save -France, had at length arrived. Accordingly, on the ensuing day, Austria -despatched an agent to the Emperor with amicable propositions. But such -is the uncertainty of human destiny! From that moment, by an unexampled -fatality, Napoleon had to encounter a chain of disasters. At every -point, except that at which he was himself present, we sustained -reverses. Our army in Silesia lost 25,000 men in opposing Blucher; the -force which attacked Berlin was defeated by the Prince of Sweden with -great loss; and finally, nearly the whole of Vandamme’s corps, which, -after the victory of Dresden, was sent into Bohemia with the view of -assailing the enemy’s rear and accomplishing his destruction, being -abandoned to itself and to the temerity of its chief, was cut in pieces -by that part of the Allied army which was precipitately falling back. -This fatal disaster and the safety of the Austrians, were owing to a -sudden indisposition of Napoleon’s, who, at the moment, was supposed to -have been poisoned. His presence no longer excited the ardour of the -different corps in maintaining the pursuit; indecision and dejection -ensued; Vandamme’s force was destroyed, and all the fruit of the -splendid victory of Dresden was lost! - -After these repeated checks, the spell was broken; the spirit of the -French troops became depressed, while that of the Allies was the more -highly excited. The hostile forces were now to be estimated only by -their numerical value; and a catastrophe seemed to be at hand. Napoleon, -in despair, made vain efforts; he hastened to every threatened point, -and was immediately called away by some new disaster. Wherever he -appeared, the Allies retreated before him; and they advanced again as -soon as his back was turned. Meanwhile, all the enemy’s masses were -constantly gaining ground; they had effected communications with each -other, and they now formed a semicircle, which was gradually closing -round the French, who were driven back upon the Elbe, and threatened -completely to surround them. On the other hand, our rear, which was -uncovered, was assailed by detached parties. The kingdom of Westphalia -was in open insurrection; our convoys were intercepted, and we could no -longer maintain free communications with France. - -It was in this state of things that the negotiators of Prague submitted -to the Emperor the result of their new conferences. In addition to -numerous restitutions required from Napoleon and his allies, two -propositions were made: 1st, the surrender of all the influence and -acquisitions of France in Italy; 2nd, the resignation of the French -influence and acquisitions in Germany. Napoleon was to take his choice -of one of these two divisions of power; but the other was to be -consigned to the Allies, to be entirely at their disposal, without any -interference on his part. Neither friends nor enemies entertained a -doubt that Napoleon would eagerly accept these proposals. “For,” said -those about him, “if you choose Italy, you remain at the gates of -Vienna, and the Allies will soon dispute among themselves respecting the -division of Germany. If, on the contrary, you prefer the surrender of -Italy, you will thereby secure the friendship of Austria, to whose share -it will fall, and you will remain in the heart of Germany. In either -case you will soon re-appear in the character of a mediator, or a -ruler.” Napoleon, however, was not of this opinion: he rejected the -propositions, and persisted in following up his own ideas. - -Certainly, said he to himself, such proposals in themselves, and in the -natural course of things, are most acceptable; but where is the -guarantee of their sincerity? He saw plainly that the Allies were only -endeavouring to lure him into the snare. They determined thenceforth to -abide neither by faith nor law. They did not conceive themselves bound -by any law of nations, or any rule of integrity in their conduct towards -us. In opposition to the suggestions of his counsellors, Napoleon said; -“If I relinquish Germany, Austria will but contend the more -perseveringly until she obtains Italy. If, on the other hand, I -surrender Italy to her, she will, in order to secure the possession of -it, endeavour to expel me from Germany. Thus, one concession granted -will only serve as an inducement for seeking or enforcing new ones. The -first stone of the edifice being removed, the downfall of the whole will -inevitably ensue. I shall be urged on from one concession to another, -until I am driven back to the Tuileries, whence the French people, -enraged at my weakness, and blaming me for their disasters, will -doubtless banish me, and perhaps justly, though they may themselves -immediately become the prey of foreigners.” - -May not this be regarded as a literal prediction of the events which -succeeded the insidious declaration of Frankfort, the propositions of -Chatillon, &c.? - -“It would be a thousand times better to perish in battle amidst the fury -of the enemy’s triumph,” continued the Emperor; “for even defeats leave -behind them the respect due to adversity, when they are attended by -magnanimous perseverance. I therefore prefer to give battle; for, if I -should be conquered, we still have with us the true political interests -of the majority of our enemies. But, if I should be victorious, I may -save all. I have still chances in my favour—I am far from despairing.” - -_Intended movement on Berlin._—“In this state of things, the King of -Bavaria, the chief of the Confederation of the Rhine, wrote to the -Emperor, assuring him, confidentially, that he would continue his -alliance for six weeks longer. “This was long enough,” said Napoleon, -“to render it very probable that he would no longer find it necessary to -abandon us.” He determined immediately to attempt a great movement, -which he had long contemplated, and which plainly indicates the -resources of his enterprising mind. Pressed upon the Elbe, the right -bank of which was already lined by the great mass of the Allied force, -and nearly turned on his rear, he conceived the bold idea of changing -positions with the enemy, place for place; to penetrate the enemy’s -line, to form in his rear, and compel him to pass in his turn, with his -whole force, to the left bank of the river. If, in this situation, he -abandoned his communications with France, he would have in his rear the -enemy’s territory, a tract of country not yet ravaged by war, and which -was capable of maintaining his troops, Berlin, Brandenburg, and -Mecklenburg, he would recover his fortresses, with their immense -garrisons, the separation and the loss of which would be a great fault -after a reverse of fortune, and would be regarded as resources of genius -in case of triumph. Napoleon now looked forward to new combinations, and -a new prospect of future success: he beheld before him only the errors, -the astonishment, and the stupor of his enemies, and the brilliancy of -his own enterprise and his hopes. - -_Battles of Leipsic_, (16th, 18th, and 19th Oct.)—“At first fortune -seemed to smile on the Emperor. But soon a letter from the King of -Würtemberg informed him that the Bavarian army, seduced by the intrigues -and the prevailing spirit of the moment, had joined the Austrians, -against whom it was intended to be opposed; that it was marching on the -Rhine to cut off the communication with France; and that the King of -Würtemburg was himself under the necessity of yielding to circumstances. -This unexpected event obliged Napoleon to suspend his preparations, and -to fall back, in order to secure his retreat. This complication of false -movements proved servicable to the Allies, who pressed and surrounded -us: a great battle seemed inevitable. Napoleon assembled his forces in -the plains of Leipsic. His army consisted of 157,000 men, and six -hundred pieces of artillery; but the Allies possessed 1000 pieces of -artillery, and 350,000 men. During the first day, the action was -furiously maintained: The French remained triumphant and the victory -would have been decisive, if one of the corps stationed at Dresden had -taken part in the battle, as the Emperor hoped it would. General Merfeld -was taken prisoner, but liberated on parole, with an intimation that the -Emperor was at length willing to renounce Germany. But the Allies, who -were encouraged by the arrival of an immense reinforcement, resumed the -engagement on the following day; and they were now so numerous that, -when their troops were exhausted, they were regularly relieved by fresh -corps, as on the parade. The most inconceivable fatality was now -combined with inequality of numbers; the most infamous treachery -unexpectedly broke out in our ranks; the Saxons, our allies, deserted -us, went over to the enemy, and turned their artillery against us. -Still, however, the presence of mind, energy, and skill of the French -general, together with the courage of our troops, made amends for all, -and we again remained masters of the field. - -“These two terrible engagements, which history will record as battles of -giants, had cost the enemy 150,000 of his best troops, 50,000 of whom -lay dead on the field of battle. Our loss amounted to 50,000 only. Thus -the difference between our forces was considerably diminished: and a -third engagement presented itself, with changes much more favourable. -But our ammunition was exhausted; our parks contained no more than -16,000 charges; we had fired 220,000 during the two preceding days. We -were compelled to make arrangements for our retreat, which commenced -during the night, on Leipsic. At day-break the Allies assailed us; they -entered Leipsic along with us, and an engagement commenced in the -streets of the city. Our rear-guard was defending itself valiantly and -without sustaining great loss, when a fatal occurrence ruined all: the -only bridge across the Elster, by which our retreat could be effected, -was, by some accident or misunderstanding, blown up. Thus all our forces -on the Leipsic bank of the river were lost, and all on the opposite bank -marched in haste and disorder upon Mentz. At Hanau we were compelled to -force a passage through 50,000 Bavarian troops. Only the wrecks of our -army returned to France; and, to render the misfortune complete, they -brought contagion along with them.” - -Such was the fatal campaign of Saxony, our last national effort, the -tomb of our gigantic power. Opposed to the united efforts of all the -forces of Europe, and in spite of all the chances that were accumulated -against us, the genius of a single man had, in the course of this -campaign, been four times on the point of restoring our ascendancy, and -cementing it by peace: after the victories of Lützen and Bautzen, after -the battle of Dresden, at the time of the last movement on Berlin, and -finally on the plains of Leipsic. - -Napoleon failed only by a complication of fatalities and perfidies, of -which history furnishes no example. I here note down only those which -occur to me on a retrospective view of the events of this period. - - FATALITIES. - -(A.) Sudden indisposition of Napoleon. - -(B.) Unexpected overflow of the Bober. - -(C.) Confidential letter from the King of Bavaria. - -(D.) Orders which did not reach the corps at Dresden. - -(E.) Deficiency of ammunition after the two battles of Leipsic. - -(F.) Blowing up of the bridge across the Elster. - - PERFIDIES. - -(G.) Machinations and bad faith of Austria, the first and true cause of -our disasters. - -(H.) Violation of the armistice of Pleisswitz, relative to our blockaded -fortresses. - -(I.) Desertion of the chief of the staff of the 3d corps. - -(K.) Defection of the Bavarian government. - -(L.) Treachery of the Saxons. - -(M.) Violation of the capitulation of Dresden, &c. - -The following are a few lines of explanation:— - -(A.) After the victory of Dresden, some one complimented Napoleon on his -great success. “Oh! this is nothing,” observed he, while his countenance -beamed with satisfaction; “Vandamme is in their rear, it is there that -we must look for the great result.” The Emperor was proceeding in person -to assist in accomplishing this decisive operation, when, unfortunately, -after one of his meals, he was seized with so violent a retching, that -he was supposed to have been poisoned, and it was found necessary to -convey him back to Dresden. Thus the operations were interrupted. The -fatal consequences that ensued are well known. How trivial was the -cause, and how calamitous were the results! - -(B.) A sudden overflow of the Bober in Silesia was the principal cause -of the disasters of Marshal Macdonald. His corps, while in full -operation, were overtaken by the flood, which impeded their operations, -and caused the terrible losses which have been above described. - -(C.) About the end of September, the King of Bavaria addressed a -confidential letter to Napoleon, stating that he would maintain his -alliance with him for six weeks or two months longer; and that during -that interval he would obstinately refuse every advantage that might be -held out to him. The Emperor, who was placed in a most critical -situation, and who, but for this circumstance, might, perhaps, have lent -an ear to the propositions that were made to him, now no longer -hesitated, but immediately determined on the bold movement which he had -contemplated on Berlin. He conceived that six weeks would be sufficient -to change the state of affairs, and to remove the fears of his allies. -Unfortunately, military intrigues proved more powerful than the wishes -of the King of Bavaria. Napoleon was forced to suspend his movement, and -to give battle at Leipsic with disadvantage. The consequences have -already been seen. - -(D.) Napoleon, in making his arrangements for the battles of Leipsic, -had relied on a diversion of those corps of the army which he had left -in Dresden. Their co-operation might have rendered the victory decisive, -and have given a new turn to affairs. But, unfortunately the enemy’s -force was so numerous, and we were so completely surrounded, that the -Emperor’s orders could not be transmitted to Dresden. - -(F.) After the two terrible engagements at Leipsic, the French were -effecting their retreat across the Elster by a single bridge. An officer -who was stationed to guard it was ordered to blow it up if the enemy -should present himself in pursuit of our rear-guard. Unluckily this -officer was, by some mistake or other, informed that the Emperor wanted -him. He immediately obeyed the summons, and in his absence a corporal of -sappers, at the first sight of some detached Russian corps, fired the -train and blew up the bridge, thus dooming to perdition that portion of -our force which still remained on the Leipsic bank of the river. The -whole of our rear-guard and baggage, two hundred pieces of artillery, -and thirty thousand prisoners (stragglers, wounded and sick), fell into -the hands of the enemy. - -On the publication of the bulletins containing this intelligence, a -general outcry was raised by the discontented party in Paris. It was -asserted that the whole was a fabrication, and that the Emperor himself -had ordered the blowing up of the bridge, with a view to ensure his own -safety at the expense of the rest of the army. It was in vain to refer -to the statement of the officer, who confirmed the fact, while he -attempted to justify himself. This was declared to be another -fabrication or a piece of complaisance on the part of the officer. Such -was the language of the time.[17] - -Footnote 17: - - When I visited London in 1814, public attention was occupied by the - recent events of the Continent, and the battle of Leipsic was the - general topic of conversation. It was related that, at the moment of - the defeat, Napoleon’s presence of mind completely forsook him. He - wandered about the city, and lost his way in a lonely street. Though - on horseback, faintness obliged him to support himself against a wall, - and in this situation he inquired his way of an old woman, and asked - her for a glass of water. The blowing up of the bridge was not - forgotten, and the story was related precisely as at Paris. These - details, which were echoed in the drawing-rooms, and circulated about - the streets, were credited among the higher ranks, as well as by the - vulgar. Prints, representing the different events of the battle, were - exhibited in the shop-windows. The subject of one of these engravings - was the above described incident in the street of Leipsic. Such a - multitude of absurdities was circulated that people of common sense - had no resource but to shrug up their shoulders and patiently endure - all that they heard. - -(G.) The duplicity and bad faith of Austria, the numerous contradictions -between her acts and her professions, have already been mentioned. -Unmindful of the generosity of which she had been the object after the -battles of Leoben, Austerlitz, and Wagram, she discharged her debt of -gratitude according to the rules of policy, by eagerly seizing the -opportunity of repairing her losses at any price. - -She ruined us by making us consent to the armistice of Pleisswitz; and -her conduct was the more odious, as she was determined to make war -against us; and a few days afterwards, though still our friend and ally, -and offering herself as a mediatrix, she entered into engagements -hostile to us. Her participation in the conventions of Rechembach about -the middle of June, and in the conferences of Trachenbergh, at the -commencement of July, is now well known. The necessity of maintaining a -certain appearance of decorum occasioned these matters to be kept a -secret for about a month after the commencement of hostilities. They -were at first proposed to Francis merely as eventual and precautionary -measures; and he was induced to affix his signature to them only by the -representations of his ministers, who described Napoleon as the scourge -of mankind, and attributed to him the delays in the opening of the -Congress, which in reality were occasioned by themselves. (_Montveran,_ -vol. vi. p. 262.) - -But, in spite of the conduct of Austria, Napoleon still cherished the -hope of seeing her resume her alliance with him; not that he could -calculate on any misunderstanding between her and the other coalesced -Powers, but because he supposed her to be sufficiently clear-sighted -with respect to her own interests. This idea never forsook him until the -moment of signing his abdication.[18] - -Footnote 18: - - This supposition was not altogether ill-founded; for it still remains - doubtful whether the consent of Austria to the dethronement of the - Emperor was compulsory or voluntary. By one of those fatalities which - attended the close of Napoleon’s career, a momentary success separated - the Austrians and the Russians, and the order for marching upon Paris, - as well as the famous declaration proscribing Napoleon and his family, - proceeded solely from Alexander. When Francis presented himself, he - had no alternative but to give his assent to measures which were - already determined on; but many circumstances induce the belief that - he did so with great repugnance and dissatisfaction. - -(H.) The fortresses occupied by French troops in those places which were -in the possession of the Allied forces, were to have a clear circuit of -one league, and to receive supplies of provisions every five days; but -this article was not honestly fulfilled. - -When the Armistice was prolonged, the French commissaries demanded that -officers of their army should be sent to the commanders of the -fortresses; but the Russian General-in-chief objected to this, and -circumstances were such that we were obliged to give up the point. -(_Montveran_, vol. vi. p. 270.) - -(I.) The chief of the staff of the 3d corps, a Swiss by birth, but -educated in our ranks, went over to the enemy a few days before the -renewal of hostilities, taking with him all the information he could -collect. For this service the Emperor of Russia rewarded him with -particular favour and made him one of his Aides-de-camp. It has been -said that this officer, who was possessed of great talent, had reason to -complain of some injustice; but can any thing palliate such an act, or -remove the disgrace attending it? - -(K.) Part of Napoleon’s plan of Campaign was that the Bavarian army, -stationed on the Danube, should act in concert with the army of Italy -stationed in Illyria, and that their combined efforts should be directed -upon Vienna. The important effect which these measures must have -produced on the fate of the Campaign may be easily conceived. But the -chief of the Bavarian army, under some pretence or other, but in reality -because he had entered into an understanding with the enemy, remained -constantly inactive, and thus paralyzed the efforts of the Viceroy, who -had to oppose the great bulk of the Austrian force. It has already been -stated that the open defection of the Bavarians, at the most critical -moment of the campaign, mainly contributed to bring about our disasters. - -(L.) But nothing equalled the infamous and disgraceful treachery of the -Saxons, who, though they were then serving in our ranks and were our -companions in danger and glory, suddenly turned against us. Whatever -might be the fatal effects of their desertion, the disgrace attached to -themselves is greater than all the mischief they occasioned to us. - -The conduct of Napoleon during this period, when he was described as a -monster of deception and bad faith, presents, on the contrary, an -example of singular magnanimity. - -He had added a corps of Saxons to his Imperial guard; but, on the -desertion of their countrymen, he ranged them round their Sovereign, -whom he left at Leipsic,[19] releasing him from all his engagements. -There were also some Bavarians in his army, and he wrote to their chief, -informing him that, Bavaria having disloyally declared war against him, -this circumstance would authorize him in disarming and detaining -prisoners all the Bavarians in his service; but that such a measure -would destroy the confidence which Napoleon wished that the troops under -his orders should repose in him. He therefore ordered them to be -supplied with provisions, and dismissed.[20] - -Footnote 19: - - The venerable and faithful King of Saxony followed his ally Napoleon, - at whose head-quarters he established himself. The coalesced powers, - on their entrance into Leipsic, seized the person of the King, and - announced their design of disposing of his states. His misfortunes are - known throughout Europe; they excited a deep interest in every - generous heart. - -Footnote 20: - - Amidst the general disloyalty, the conduct of the King of Würtemburg - presents an honourable exception. That prince, though already at war - with us, broke the brigade of cavalry, and the corps of infantry, who - went over to the enemy, and at the same time withdrew the decoration - of his Order from their officers. - -(M.) I have before me the notes of a distinguished officer relative to -the capitulation of Dresden. Estimating the number of troops which we -had left behind us in the fortresses from which we were separated, he -concludes that they must have amounted altogether to 177,000. The -Emperor had but 157,000 men at Leipsic. How different, therefore, might -have been our fate, had those masses, or even a portion of them, been at -his disposal in this decisive event. But this unfortunate dispersion was -occasioned by extraordinary circumstances, and was not the result of any -regular system. The following particulars, relative to the violation of -the capitulation of Dresden, are literally quoted from the notes above -alluded to:— - -“Above all, it is necessary to understand that it was determined in the -plan of the coalition against France, of which Prince Schwartzenberg had -the credit, that according as offers were made for the capitulation of -each of our numerous garrisons, the conditions should be fairly and -honourably granted, but without any intention of fulfilling them. This -point being established, the reason of the refusal of the capitulation, -signed at Dresden by Marshal St.-Cyr and Generals Tolstoy and Klenau, -was, that Prince Schwartzenberg could not ratify it, because the Count -de Lobau, Napoleon’s aide-de-camp, who was shut up in Dresden with the -Marshal, had protested against the capitulation. Some time after, the -capitulation of Dantzick, with General Rapp, was declined, under the -odiously false pretence that the garrison of Dresden, in spite of the -conditions of its capitulation, had entered into service immediately on -its arrival at Strasburg, and that, in consequence, the capitulation of -Dantzick could not be approved without incurring the risk of similar -inconveniences. - -“The following is an additional proof of the bad faith of the Allies. -The garrison of Dresden, which was composed of two _corps d’armée_, -forming altogether 45,000 men, capitulated on the 11th of November.[21] - -Footnote 21: - - The determination to surrender had been far from unanimous in the - garrison. Opinions were divided on this point. Some were for returning - to France by means of a capitulation, which course was adopted; others - were in favour of an enterprise of a much bolder nature. This was - nothing less than to quit Dresden, with the chosen troops of the - garrison, to descend the Elbe by successively raising the blockade of - Torgau, where there were 28,000 men; of Wittemberg, where there were - 5000; of Magdeburg, where there were 20,000, and to proceed to Hamburg - where there were 32,000. The army thus collected together, which would - have amounted to 60 or 80,000 men, was to repair to France, cutting a - passage through the enemy’s ranks, or compelling him to retrograde by - manœuvring on his rear; while the levies in mass that might have - advanced to assail our veteran bands would have been paralyzed. And - even had this plan failed, the issue was not likely to be more fatal - than the capitulation. This opinion was warmly advocated by the Count - de Lobau, Generals Teste, Mouton-Duvernet, and others. The design was - grand, worthy of our glory, and quite in harmony with our past acts. - It was the Emperor’s intention to carry it into effect, and for this - purpose he issued orders, which, however, did not reach the place of - their destination. The despair occasioned by the thought of - surrendering was such that a portion of the troops urged the officer - who was at the head of the opposing party to take the command upon - himself. Respect for discipline at length prevailed over enthusiasm; - but the officer above alluded to expressed himself in the most violent - way in the council. It is said that, in his indignation, he exclaimed - to the General-in-chief;—“The Emperor will tell me that, pistol in - hand, I ought to have taken the command upon myself.“ - -“According to the terms of the capitulation, the French were to evacuate -the fortress in six columns and in six successive days, and to repair to -Strasburgh. - -“This capitulation was fulfilled, so far at least as regarded our -evacuation of the fortress and its occupation by the enemy; but our -sixth column had scarcely made a day’s march from the town when it was -announced that the capitulation was declined and rejected by the -General-in-chief, Prince Schwartzenberg, by an order of the 19th of -November. - -“When Marshal Saint-Cyr remonstrated against this conduct, it was -proposed, by way of compensation for the injustice, that he should be -permitted to re-enter Dresden with his troops, and be again placed in -possession of all the means of defence which he had before the -capitulation: this was merely a piece of irony. - -“In vain did the Marshal negotiate for the literal fulfilment of the -articles agreed upon by Count Klenau, who had full powers for so doing; -the unfortunate garrison, broken up and dispersed, was under the -necessity of repairing to the different cantonments that were assigned -to it in Bohemia, instead of pursuing its march towards the Rhine. - -“The Marshal, indignant at this flagrant breach of faith, despatched a -superior officer to communicate the circumstance to Napoleon; but the -Allies retarded his progress under various pretences, and he did not -reach Paris until the 18th of December. Subsequent events had by this -time rendered the evil past all remedy.” - -After the series of deceptions and perfidies which I have here -disclosed, and which the Allies had established as a system, it is not -surprising that Napoleon should have placed no reliance on the famous -declaration of Frankfort, and that he should have felt indignant at the -blindness of our Legislative Body, the committee of which, either from -evil designs or mistaken views, completed the ruin of affairs. Napoleon -assured me that he was several times on the point of summoning the -members of this committee before him, in order to consult with them -confidentially and sincerely on the real state of things, and the -imminent danger with which we were threatened. Sometimes he thought that -he should undoubtedly bring them back to a right sense of their duty; -sometimes, on the contrary, he feared that obstinacy of opinion, or -mischievous intention, might have involved the affair in controversy, -which, considering the spirit of the moment, would have weakened our -resources and hastened our dissolution. - -The Emperor frequently adverted to this critical point in the destinies -of France; but I have hitherto refrained from entering upon the detail -of a subject which presents nothing either agreeable or consolatory. - -BENEVOLENT ACTIONS PERFORMED BY THE EMPEROR.—HIS VISIT TO - AMSTERDAM.—OBSERVATIONS ON THE DUTCH, &C.—THE MASSACRES OF THE THIRD - OF SEPTEMBER.—REMARKS ON REVOLUTIONS IN GENERAL.—UNHAPPY FATE OF LOUIS - XVI. - -3rd. About three o’clock, the Emperor sent for me to attend him in his -chamber. He had just finished dressing; and, as it was raining at the -time, he went into the drawing-room, where he communicated to me some -very curious particulars, which, as it may be supposed, concerned him, -and in which I played a conspicuous part. - -Some time afterwards the Emperor took a turn on the lawn contiguous to -his library; but, finding the wind very violent, he soon returned to the -house and played at billiards, a thing which he very seldom thought of -doing. - -In the course of the day, the Emperor related that, as he was once -travelling with the Empress, he stopped to breakfast in one of the -islands in the Rhine. There was a small farm house in the neighbourhood, -and while he was at breakfast he sent for the peasant to whom it -belonged, and desired him to ask boldly for whatever he thought would -render him happy; and, in order to inspire him with the greater -confidence, the Emperor made him drink several glasses of wine. The -peasant, who was more prudent and less limited in his choice than the -man described in the story of the three wishes, without hesitation -specified the object which he was ambitious to possess. The Emperor -commanded the prefect of the district immediately to provide him with -what he had made choice of, and the expense attending the gratification -of his wish did not exceed 6 or 7000 francs. - -Napoleon added that, on another occasion, when he was sailing in a yacht -in Holland, he entered into conversation with the steersman, and asked -him how much his vessel was worth. “My vessel!” said the man, “it is not -mine; I should be too happy if it were, it would make my -fortune.”—“Well, then,” said the Emperor, “I make you a present of it;” -a favour for which the man seemed not particularly grateful. His -indifference was imputed to the phlegmatic temperament natural to his -countrymen; but this was not the case. “What benefit has he conferred on -me?” said he to one of his comrades who was congratulating him; “he has -spoken to me, and that is all; he has given me what was not his own to -give—a fine present truly!” In the mean time Duroc had purchased the -vessel of the owner, and the receipt was put into the hands of the -steersman, who, no longer doubting the reality of his good fortune, -indulged in the most extravagant demonstrations of joy. The expense of -this purchase was about the same as that attending the present made to -the countryman. “Thus,” said the Emperor, “it is evident that human -wishes are not so immoderate as they are generally supposed, and that it -is not so very difficult to render people happy! These two men -undoubtedly found themselves completely happy.” - -When the Emperor visited Amsterdam, the people, he said, were very -hostile to him; but he soon completely ingratiated himself in the public -favour. He declined being attended by any other guard than the guard of -honour belonging to the city; and this mark of confidence immediately -gained him the esteem of the Dutch. He constantly appeared among every -class of citizens. On one occasion he addressed a crowd of people in the -following blunt manner:—“It is said that you are discontented—but why? -France has not conquered, but adopted, you: you are excluded from no -benefits which are enjoyed by the French; you are a portion of the same -family, and participate in all its advantages. Consider now: I have -selected my Prefects, Chamberlains, and Councillors of State from -amongst you in a just proportion to the amount of your population, and I -have augmented my guard with your Dutch guard. You complain of distress; -but, in this respect, France has still greater reason to be -dissatisfied. We all suffer, and we must continue to do so until the -common enemy, the tyrant of the sea, the vampire of your trade, shall be -brought to reason. You complain of the sacrifices you have made; but -come to France and see all that you still possess beyond what we do, and -then, perhaps, you will deem yourselves less unfortunate. Why not rather -congratulate yourselves on the circumstances that have brought about -your union with France. In the present state of Europe, what would you -be, if left to yourselves?—The slaves of all the world. Instead of -which, identified as you are with France, you will one day possess the -whole trade of the great Empire.” Then, assuming a tone of gaiety, he -said:—“I have done every thing in my power to please you. Have I not -sent you as a Governor precisely the man who suits you—the good and -pacific Lebrun. You condole with him, he condoles with you: you bewail -your distresses together. What more could I do for you?” At these words -the assembly burst into a loud fit of laughter. The Emperor had secured -the good graces of the multitude.—“However,” said he, “let us hope that -the present state of things will not last long. Believe me, I am as -anxious for a change as you can be. Every man of discernment among you -must be aware that it is neither my wish, nor for my interest, that -matters should remain as they now are.” - -The Emperor left the people of Amsterdam full of enthusiasm for him; and -he, on his part, carried away impressions decidedly in their favour. -Previously to his journey he had often complained that whosoever he sent -to Holland immediately became a Dutchman. After his return, that -circumstance occurred to his recollection in the Council of State, and -he said that he had himself become a Dutchman. One day, when a member of -the Council spoke slightingly of the Dutch, the Emperor said, -“Gentlemen, you may be more agreeable than they; but I can wish you -nothing better than to be possessed of their moral qualities.” - -After dinner, some one happened to mention the date of the day, the 3rd -of September; upon which the Emperor made some very remarkable -observations; among which were the following:—“This,” said he, “is the -anniversary of horrid and appalling executions, of a repetition, in -miniature, of Saint-Bartholomew’s day: less disgraceful, certainly, -because fewer victims were sacrificed, and because the atrocities were -not committed under the sanction of the Government, which, on the -contrary, used its endeavours to punish the crime. It was committed by -the mob of Paris; an unbridled power, which rivalled, and even -controlled, the Legislature. - -“The atrocities of the 3rd of September were the result of fanaticism -rather than of absolute brutality: the authors of the massacres put to -death one of their own party, for having committed theft during the -executions. This dreadful event,” continued the Emperor, “arose out of -the force of circumstances and the spirit of the moment. No political -change ever takes place unattended by popular fury; the people are never -exposed to danger, without committing disorders and sacrificing victims. -The Prussians entered the French territory; and the people, before they -advanced to meet them, resolved to take revenge on their adherents in -Paris. Probably, this circumstance was not without its influence on the -safety of France. Who can doubt that if, during recent events, the -friends of the invaders had been the victims of similar horrors, France -would have fallen under the yoke of foreigners? But this could not have -happened, for we had become legitimate. The duration of authority, our -victories, our treaties, the re-establishment of our old manners, had -rendered our government regular. We could not plunge into the same -horrors as had been committed by the multitude; for my part, I neither -could nor would be a King of the mob. - -“No social revolution ever takes place unaccompanied by violence. Every -revolution of this kind is at first merely a revolt. Time and success -alone can exalt and render it legitimate; but still it can never be -brought about without outrage. If people enjoying authority and fortune -are required to relinquish these advantages, they of course resist: -force is then resorted to; they are compelled to yield. In France this -point was gained by the lantern and public executions. The reign of -terror commenced on the 4th of August, with the abolition of titles of -nobility, tithes, and feudal rights, the wrecks of which were scattered -among the multitude, who then, for the first time, understood and felt -really interested in the Revolution. Before this period there was so -much of dependence and religious spirit among the people that many -doubted whether the crops would ripen as usual without the King and the -tithes. - -“A revolution,” concluded the Emperor, “is one of the greatest evils by -which mankind can be visited. It is the scourge of the generation by -which it is brought about; and all the advantages it procures cannot -make amends for the misery with which it embitters the lives of those -who participate in it. It enriches the poor, who still remain -dissatisfied; and it impoverishes the rich, who cannot forget their -downfal. It subverts every thing; and, at its commencement, brings -misery to all and happiness to none. - -“Beyond a doubt, true social happiness consists in the harmony and the -peaceful possession of the relative enjoyments of each class of people. -In regular and tranquil times, every individual has his share of -felicity: the cobbler in his stall is as content as the King on his -throne; the soldier is not less happy than the general. The best-founded -revolutions, at the outset, bring universal destruction in their train; -the advantages they may produce are reserved for a future age. Ours -seems to have been an irresistible fatality: it was a moral eruption, -which could no more be prevented than a physical eruption. When the -chemical combinations necessary to produce the latter are complete, it -bursts forth: in France the moral combinations which produce a -revolution had arrived at maturity, and the explosion accordingly took -place.” - -We asked the Emperor whether he thought it would have been possible to -suppress the Revolution in its birth; and he replied that, if not -impossible, the attempt would at least have been difficult. “Perhaps,” -said he “the storm might have been laid or averted by some great -Machiavelian act; by striking with one hand the great ringleaders, and -with the other making concessions to the nation, granting freely the -reformation required by the age, part of which had already been -mentioned in the famous royal sitting. And yet, after all,” he observed, -“this would only have been guiding and directing the Revolution.” He -thought that some other plan of the same kind might perhaps have -succeeded on the 10th of August, if the King had remained triumphant. -“These two periods,” he said, were the only ones which afforded any -chance, however desperate; for, at the affair of Versailles, the people -had not yet entirely shaken off their allegiance, and on the 10th of -August they were already beginning to be tired of disorder. But those -who were chiefly interested in quelling the revolutionary spirit were -not adequate to encounter the difficulties of the moment.” - -The Emperor then rapidly ran over the series of errors committed during -this period. “The line of conduct then pursued,” said he, “was truly -pitiable. Louis XVI. should have had a prime minister, and M. Necker -under him in the finance department. Prime ministers seem to have been -invented for the last reigns of the French monarchy; and yet the -prevailing false notions and vanity of the time caused them to be -dispensed with.” - -A great deal was said respecting the equivocal conduct of several great -personages during this critical period, and the Emperor said: “We -condemn Louis XVI.; but, independently of his weakness, he was placed in -peculiar circumstances. He was the first monarch on whom the experiment -of modern principles was tried. His education, his innate ideas, led him -to believe sincerely that all that he defended, either openly or -secretly, belonged to him of right. There might be a sort of honesty -even in his want of faith, if I may so express myself. At a subsequent -period, the same conduct would have been inexcusable, and even -reprehensible. Add to all this that Louis XVI. had every body against -him, and one may form an idea of the innumerable difficulties which Fate -had accumulated on that unhappy Prince. The misfortunes of the Stuarts, -which have excited such deep interest, were not more severe.” - - THE BODY-GUARD OF THE KING OF FRANCE.—A DESERTER - IN THE EMPEROR’S SUITE. - -4th.—The Emperor sent for me after he had finished his breakfast. He was -stretched on a sofa, with several books scattered about him. He wore his -nightcap, and looked pale. “Las Cases,” said he, “I am unwell. I have -been looking over a great many books, but I can find nothing to interest -me. I feel wearied.” He fixed his eye on me; that eye, naturally so -animated, was now dim, and its expression told me more than his eye had -uttered. “Sit down,” said he, pointing to a chair that was beside him, -loaded with books, “and let us chat.” He spoke of the Island of Elba, of -the life he had led there, of some visits which he had received, &c. He -then put some questions to me concerning Paris and the French Court -during the corresponding period. The conversation having led to the -mention of the King’s body-guard, some one present remarked, as a -curious circumstance, that there was a deserter from the guard in -Napoleon’s suite at St. Helena. “How? explain yourself,” said the -Emperor.—“Sire,” continued the person who had just spoken, “at the time -of the restoration, one of the captains of the guard, for whom I -entertained great friendship, and who, in spite of the difference of our -opinions, had always evinced a high regard for me, proposed to enter my -son in his company, assuring me that he would treat him as though he -were his own. I replied that he was too young, and that the appointment -might retard the progress of his education; but my friend silenced all -my objections. I however requested some time to consider of the matter; -and on my mentioning it to some persons of my acquaintance, they were -astonished that I should have declined so good an offer, and assured me -that in a short time my son might attain great advancement, without any -interruption of his education. I then waited on the captain of the -guard, and acknowledged that I had not shewn myself sufficiently -grateful for his offer; and he replied that he was fully aware I had not -understood the extent of the advantage he proposed to me. However, by -one circumstance or another, your Majesty returned before my son had the -honour of being presented to his colonel, and as I took him from his -Lyceum on our departure for St. Helena, he is clearly and truly a -deserter.” The Emperor laughed heartily and said; “This is another -effect of revolutions! What new interests, connexions, and opinions do -they create! It is fortunate when they do not disunite families, and set -the best friends at variance with each other.” He then began to question -me concerning my family, and concluded by saying, “I saw in Alphonse de -Beauchamp’s work, your name mentioned among the individuals who, on the -30th of March, endeavoured to excite demonstrations in favour of the -Royal Family in the Place Louis XV. I know it was not you; I think you -once explained the matter to me, but I have forgotten the -particulars.”—“Sire,“ said I, “it was a cousin of mine, of the same -name. The circumstance vexed me a good deal at the time; I inserted -contradictions in the journals; and it was rather droll that my cousin, -on his part, addressed letters to the public prints, desiring that he -might be particularly specified as the individual alluded to. I believe -that the general way in which the name was introduced, in Alphonse de -Beauchamp’s work, was kindly meant on the part of the author, who -wished, by this means, to afford me an opportunity of ingratiating -myself in the favour of the ruling party, if I had a mind to do so. I -must do my cousin the justice to say that, when I obtained an -appointment about your Majesty’s person, I several times offered to -solicit for him a post in your household or elsewhere; but this he -constantly declined. I wish he may now enjoy the reward of his -fidelity.” The Emperor again repeated that all private interests were -subverted by revolutions. “And it is these private wounds,” said he, -“which occasion the general ferment, and render the shocks so acute and -violent.” - -The weather was so bad the whole of the day that it was impossible to go -out. The Emperor dismissed me and sent for General Gourgaud, to whom he -dictated in his library, from two to six o’clock, almost the whole of -Moreau’s campaign during the Consulate. After dinner, he read to us -Madame de Maintenon’s celebrated sumptuary letter to her brother, in -which she fixes her household expenditure at six thousand francs a-year. -The Emperor had several volumes of the _Grands Hommes_ brought to him, -and, after perusing some articles, he amused himself by looking at the -outline portraits at the end of each volume. - - NAPOLEON’S REPROOFS, &C. THE GOVERNOR BARGAINS - FOR OUR EXISTENCE. - -5th.—To-day, in the course of my morning conversation with the Emperor, -I happened to mention some acts of oppression and injustice, which -excited dissatisfaction in the public mind, and rendered him unpopular, -because they were executed in his name, and were by many supposed to -emanate from him. “But how?” said he, “was there no one among the -multitude that surrounded me, none of my chamberlains, who had -sufficient spirit and independence to complain and bring these matters -to my knowledge? I would have rendered justice wherever it had been -withheld.”—“Sire, few would have ventured to call your attention to -these things.”—“Did you really stand so much in awe of me? I suppose you -dreaded my sharp rebuffs; but you ought to have known that I always lent -a ready ear to every one, and that I never refused to administer -justice. You should have balanced the reward of the good action against -the danger of the reprimand. After all, I confess that my reproofs were -in most instances the result of calculation. They were frequently the -only means I possessed of learning a man’s temper, of discovering by -stealth the different shades of his character. I had little time for -inquiry; and a reprimand was one of my experiments. For example, I -lately gave you a repulse, and this enabled me to discover that you were -somewhat headstrong, extremely susceptible, sufficiently candid, but -sullen; and, I may say, too sensitive,” he added, pinching my ear. “I -was,” continued he, “obliged to surround myself, as it were, with a halo -of fear; otherwise, having risen as I did from amidst the multitude, -many would have made free to eat out of my hand, or to slap me on the -shoulder. We are naturally inclined to familiarity.” - -The weather continued very bad, and the Emperor spent the chief part of -the day in writing, as he did yesterday. - -The Governor has renewed his cavilling on the subject of our supplies, -descending into petty details about a few bottles of wine, or a few -pounds of meat. Instead of eight thousand pounds, the sum fixed by -Government, he now applied for an allowance of twelve thousand, which he -himself declared to be indispensable; but he insisted on having the -surplus delivered into his own hands, or subjecting us to great -retrenchments. He bargained for our existence. When this was mentioned -to the Emperor he replied that the Governor might do as he pleased; but -he desired, at all events, that he might not be troubled about the -business. - -In the evening the conversation again turned on Madame de Maintenon, and -the Emperor made many remarks on her letters, her character, her -influence on the affairs of her time, &c. He asked for the Historical -Dictionary to read the articles on the Noailles family; and he retired -to rest at eleven o’clock. - - CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION.—THE LETTERS OF MADAME - DE MAINTENON AND SEVIGNÉ. - -6th.—The weather proved as bad as it had been on the preceding day. -After finishing his toilet, the Emperor retired to his library, attended -by one of his suite, with whom he held a long confidential conversation -on a topic intimately concerning us. - -“We have now,” said he, “been at St. Helena more than a year, and with -regard to certain points we remain just as we were on the first day of -our arrival. I must confess that I have hitherto come to no -determination in my own mind upon these subjects. This is very unlike -me; but how many mortifications have I to encounter! A victim to the -persecutions of Fate and man, I am assailed every where and on all -hands. Even you, my faithful friends and consolers, help to lacerate the -wound. I am vexed and distressed by your jealousies and -dissensions.”—“Sire,” replied the individual to whom he addressed -himself, “these things should remain unnoticed by your Majesty. In all -that concerns you, our jealousy is merely emulation; and all our -dissension ceases on the expression of your slightest wish. We live only -for you, and will always be ready to obey you. To us you are the _Old -Man of the Mountain_; you may command us in all things, except -crime.”—“Well,” said the Emperor, “I will think seriously of the subject -I have just alluded to, and each shall have his own particular task.” He -dictated a few notes, and afterwards went down to the garden, where he -walked about for a short time alone, and then withdrew to his own -apartment. - -The Emperor did not quit his chamber until the moment dinner was -announced. He resumed his remarks on Madame de Maintenon, whose letters -he had been reading. “I am charmed,” said he, “with her style, her -grace, and the purity of her language. If I am violently offended by -what is bad, I am at the same time exquisitely sensible to what is good. -I think I prefer Madame de Maintenon’s letters to those of Madame de -Sevigné: they tell more. Madame de Sevigné will certainly always remain -the true model of the epistolary style; she has a thousand charms and -graces, but there is this defect in her writings, that one may read a -great deal of them without retaining any impression of what one has -read. They are like trifles, which a man may eat till he is tired -without overloading his stomach.” - -The Emperor then made some observations on grammar. He asked for the -grammar of Domairon, who had been our professor at the military school -at Paris. He glanced through it with evident pleasure. “Such is the -influence of youthful impressions,” said he; “I suspect that Domairon’s -is not the best of grammars, yet to me it will always be the most -agreeable. I shall never open it without experiencing a certain -pleasure.” - -ERRORS OF THE ENGLISH MINISTERS.—MEANS OF WHICH ENGLAND MIGHT HAVE - AVAILED HERSELF FOR THE LIQUIDATION OF HER DEBT.—THE GOVERNOR’S - REDUCTIONS. - -7th.—The Emperor remained within doors the whole of the day. The -Governor appeared on the grounds accompanied by a numerous party; but we -fled at his approach. Several vessels have been observed out at sea. - -I was summoned to attend the Emperor, and I found him engaged in -perusing a work on the state of England. This became the subject of -conversation; the Emperor said a great deal respecting the enormous -national debt of England, the disadvantageous peace she had concluded, -and the different means by which she might have extricated herself from -her difficulties. - -Napoleon possesses in an eminent degree the instinct of order and -harmony. I once knew a man who, being much engaged in arithmetical -calculations, confessed that he could not enter a drawing-room without -being led irresistibly to count the people who were in it; and that, -when he sat down to table, he could not help summing up the number of -plates, glasses, &c. Napoleon, though in a more elevated sphere, has -also an irresistible habit of his own, which is to develop the grand and -the beautiful in every subject that comes under his attention. If he -happens to converse about a city, he immediately suggests improvements -and embellishments; if a nation be the object of his consideration, he -expatiates on the means of promoting her glory, prosperity, useful -institutions, &c. Many of his observations, that have already been noted -down, must have rendered this fact obvious to the reader. - -Either the contents of the journals and other publications of the day, -or the nature of our situation here, occasioned the Emperor’s attention -to be constantly directed to the state of England. He frequently -adverted to what she ought to have done, as well as to what she still -had to do, and which might render her future condition more prosperous. -I subjoin here a few of the observations, on this subject, which escaped -him at various times:— - -“The Colonial system,” said he one day, “is now at an end for all; for -England, who possesses every colony, and for the other powers, who -possess none. The empire of the seas now belongs indisputably to -England; and why should she, in a new situation, wish to continue the -old routine? Why does she not adopt plans that would be more profitable -to her? She must look forward to a sort of emancipation of her colonies. -In the course of time, many will doubtless escape from her dominion, and -she should therefore avail herself of the present moment to obtain new -securities and more advantageous connexions. Why does she not propose -that the majority of her colonies shall purchase their emancipation by -taking upon themselves a portion of the general debt, which would thus -become specially theirs. The mother-country would by this means relieve -herself of her burthens, and would nevertheless preserve all her -advantages. She would retain, as pledges, the faith of treaties, -reciprocal interests, similarity of language, and the force of habit; -she might moreover reserve, by way of guarantee, a single fortified -point, a harbour for the ships, after the manner of the factories on the -coast of Africa. What would she lose? Nothing; and she would spare -herself the trouble and expense of an administration which, too often, -serves only to render her odious. Her ministers, it is true, would have -fewer places to give away; but the nation would certainly be no loser. - -“I doubt not,” added he, “that, with a thorough knowledge of the -subject, some useful result might be derived from the ideas which I have -just thrown out, however erroneous they may be in their first hasty -conception. Even with regard to India, great advantages might be -obtained by the adoption of new systems. The English who are here, -assure me that England derives nothing from India in the balance of her -trade; the expenses swallow up, or even exceed, the profits. It is -therefore merely a source of individual advantage, and of a few private -fortunes of colossal magnitude; but these are so much food for -ministerial patronage, and therefore good care is taken not to meddle -with them. Those nabobs, as they are styled, on their return to England, -are useful recruits to the aristocracy. It signifies not that they bear -the disgrace of having acquired fortunes by rapine and plunder, or that -they exercise a baneful influence on public morals by exciting in others -the wish to gain the same wealth by the same means; the present -ministers are not so scrupulous as to bestow a thought on such matters. -These men give them their votes; and, the more corrupt they are, the -more easily are they controlled. In this state of things, where is the -hope of reform? Thus, on the least proposition of amendment, what an -outcry is raised! The English aristocracy is daily taking a stride in -advance; but, as soon as there is any proposal for retrograding, were it -only for the space of an inch, a general explosion takes place. If the -minutest details be touched, the whole edifice begins to totter. This is -very natural. If you attempt to deprive a glutton of his mouthful he -will defend himself like a hero.” - -On another occasion the Emperor said:—“After a twenty year’s war, after -the blood and treasures that were lavished in the common cause, after a -triumph beyond all hope, what sort of peace has England concluded? Lord -Castlereagh had the whole Continent at his disposal, and yet what -advantage, what indemnity, has he secured to his own country? He has -signed just such a peace as he would have signed had he been conquered. -I should not have required him to make greater sacrifices had I been -victorious. But, perhaps, England thought herself sufficiently happy in -having effected my overthrow; in that case, hatred has avenged me! -During our contest, England was animated by two powerful sentiments—her -national interest and her hatred of me. In the moment of triumph, the -violence of the one caused her to lose sight of the other. She has paid -dearly for that moment of passion!“ He developed his idea, glancing at -the different measures which demonstrated the blunders of Castlereagh, -and the many advantages which he had neglected. “Thousands of years will -roll away,” said he, “before there occurs such another opportunity of -securing the welfare and real glory of England. Was it ignorance, or -corruption, on the part of Castlereagh? He distributed the spoil -generously, as he seemed to think, among the Sovereigns of the -Continent, and reserved nothing for his own country; but, in so doing, -did he not fear the reproach of being considered as the agent rather -than the partner of the Holy Allies? He gave away immense territories; -Russia, Prussia, and Austria acquired millions of population. Where is -the equivalent to England? She, who was the soul of all this success, -and who paid so dearly for it, now reaps the fruit of the _gratitude_ of -the Continent, and of the errors or treachery of her negotiator. My -continental system is continued; and the produce of her manufactures is -excluded. Why not have bordered the Continent with free and independent -maritime towns, such, for example, as Dantzick, Hamburg, Antwerp, -Dunkirk, Genoa, &c., which would of necessity have become the staples of -her manufactures, and would have scattered them over Europe, in spite of -all the duties in the world. England possessed the right of doing this, -and her circumstances required it: her decisions would have been just, -and who would have opposed them at the moment of the liberation? Why did -she create to herself a difficulty, and, in course of time, a natural -enemy, by uniting Belgium to Holland, instead of securing two immense -resources for her trade, by keeping them separate? Holland, which has no -manufactures of her own, would have been the natural depôt for English -goods; and Belgium, which might have become an English colony, governed -by an English Prince, would have been the channel for dispersing these -goods over France and Germany. Why not have bound down Spain and -Portugal by a commercial treaty of long duration, which would have -repaid all the expenses incurred for their deliverance, and which might -have been obtained under pain of the enfranchisement of their colonies, -the trade of which, in either case, England would have commanded? Why -not have stipulated for some advantages in the Baltic, and to balance -the States of Italy? These would have been but the regular privileges -attached to the dominion of the seas. After so long a contest in support -of this right, how happened its advantages to be neglected at the moment -when it was really secured? Did England, while she sanctioned usurpation -in others, fear that opposition would be offered to hers? and by whom -could it have been offered? Probably England repents now, when it is too -late; the opportunity cannot be recovered; she suffered the favourable -moment to escape her!... How many _whys_ and _wherefores_ might I not -multiply!... None but Lord Castlereagh would have acted thus: he made -himself the man of the Holy Alliance, and in course of time he will be -the object of execration. The Lauderdales, the Grenvilles, and the -Wellesleys, would have pursued a very different course; they would at -least have acted like Englishmen.” - -At another time the Emperor said;—“The national debt is the canker-worm -that preys on England; it is the chain of all her difficulties. It -occasions the enormity of taxation, and this in its turn raises the -price of provisions. Hence the distress of the people, the high price of -labour and of manufactured goods which are not brought with equal -advantage to the continental markets. England then ought at all hazards -to contend against this devouring monster; she should assail it on all -sides, and at once subdue it _negatively_ and _positively_, that is to -say, by the reduction of her expenditure and the increase of her -capital. - -“Can she not reduce the interest of her debt, the high salaries, the -sinecures, and the various expenses attending her army establishment, -and renounce the latter, in order to confine herself to her navy? In -short, many things might be done, which I cannot now enter into. With -regard to the increase of her capital, can she not enrich herself with -the ecclesiastical property, which is immense, and which she would -acquire by a salutary reform, and by the extinction of titular dignities -which would give offence to no one? But if a word be uttered on this -subject, the whole aristocracy is up in arms, and succeeds in putting -down the opposition; for in England it is the aristocracy that governs, -and for which the Government acts. They repeat the favourite adage, -that, if the least stone of the old foundation be touched, the whole -fabric will fall to the ground. This is devoutly re-echoed by the -multitude; consequently reform is stopped, and abuses are suffered to -increase and multiply. - -“It is but just to acknowledge that, in spite of a compound of odious, -antiquated, and ignoble details, the English constitution presents the -singular phenomenon of a happy and grand result; and the advantages -arising out of it secure the attachment of the multitude, who are -fearful of losing any of the blessings they enjoy. But is it to the -objectionable nature of the details that this result must be attributed? -On the contrary, it would shine with increased lustre if the grand and -beautiful machine were freed from its mischievous appendages. - -“England,” continued the Emperor, “presents an example of the dangerous -effects of the borrowing system. I would never listen to any hints for -the adoption of that system in France; I was always a firm opposer of -it. It was said, at the time, that I contracted no loans for want of -credit, and because I could find no one willing to lend; but this was -false. Those who know any thing of mankind and the spirit of -stock-jobbing, will be convinced that loans may always be raised by -holding out the chance of gain and the attraction of speculation. But -this was no part of my system, and, by a special law, I fixed the amount -of the public debt at what had generally been supposed to be conducive -to the general prosperity, namely, at eighty millions interest for my -France in her utmost extent, and after the union with Holland, which of -itself produced an augmentation of twenty millions. This sum was -reasonable and proper; a greater one would have been attended by -mischievous consequences. What was the result of this system? What -resources have I left behind me? France, after so many gigantic efforts -and terrible disasters, is now more prosperous than ever! Are not her -finances the first in Europe? To whom and to what are these advantages -to be attributed? So far was I from wishing to swallow up the future, -that I had resolved to leave a treasure behind me. I had even formed -one, the funds of which I lent to different banking-houses, embarrassed -families, and persons who held offices about me. - -“I should not only have carefully preserved the sinking fund, but I -calculated on having, in course of time, funds which would have been -constantly increasing, and which might have been actively applied for -the furtherance of public works and improvements. I should have had the -fund of the Empire for general works; the fund of the departments for -local works; the fund of the communes for municipal works, &c.” - -In the course of another conversation, the Emperor observed:—“England is -said to traffic in every thing: why, then, does she not sell liberty, -for which she might get a high price, and without any fear of exhausting -her own stock; for modern liberty is essentially moral, and does not -betray its engagements. For example, what would not the poor Spaniards -give her to free them from the yoke to which they have been again -subjected? I am confident that they would willingly pay any price to -recover their freedom. It was I who inspired them with this sentiment; -and the error into which I fell might, at least, be turned to good -account by another government. As to the Italians, I have planted in -their hearts principles that never can be rooted out. What can England -do better than to promote and assist the noble impulses of modern -regeneration? Sooner or later, this regeneration must be accomplished. -Sovereigns and old aristocratic institutions may exert their efforts to -oppose it, but in vain. They are dooming themselves to the punishment of -Sisyphus; but, sooner or later, some arms will tire of resistance, and, -on the first failure, the whole will tumble about their ears. Would it -not be better to yield with a good grace?—this was my intention. Why -does England refuse to avail herself of the glory and advantage she -might derive from this course of proceeding? Every thing passes away in -England as well as elsewhere. Castlereagh’s administration will pass -away, and that which may succeed it, and which is doomed to inherit the -fruit of so many errors, may become great by only discontinuing the -system that has hitherto been pursued. He who may happen to be placed at -the head of the English cabinet, has merely to allow things to take -their course, and to obey the winds that blow. By becoming the leader of -liberal principles, instead of leaguing with absolute power, like -Castlereagh, he will render himself the object of universal benediction, -and England will forget her wrongs. Fox was capable of so acting, but -Pitt was not; the reason is, that, in Fox, the heart warmed the genius; -while, in Pitt, the genius withered the heart. But it may be asked, why -I, all-powerful as I was, did not pursue the course I have here traced -out?—how, since I can speak so well, I could have acted so ill? I reply -to those who make this inquiry with sincerity, that there is no -comparison between my situation and that of the English government. -England may work on a soil which extends to the very bowels of the -earth; while I could labour only on a sandy surface. England reigns over -an established order of things; while I had to take upon myself the -great charge, the immense difficulty, of consolidating and establishing. -I purified a revolution, in spite of hostile factions. I combined -together all the scattered benefits that could be preserved; but I was -obliged to protect them with a nervous arm against the attacks of all -parties; and in this situation it may truly be said that the public -interest, _the State, was myself_. - -“Our principles were attacked from without; and, in the name of these -very principles, I was assailed in the opposite sense at home. Had I -relaxed ever so little, we should soon have been brought back to the -time of the Directory; I should have been the object, and France the -infallible victim, of a _counter-Brumaire_. We are in our nature so -restless, so busy, so loquacious! If twenty revolutions were to happen, -we should have twenty constitutions. This is one of the subjects that -are studied most, and observed the least. We have much need to grow -older in this fair and glorious path; for here our great men have all -shewn themselves to be mere children. May the present generation profit -by the faults that have hitherto been committed, and prove as wise as it -is enthusiastic!” - -To-day the Governor commenced his grand reductions, and it was thought -proper to deprive us of eight English domestics, who had formerly been -granted to us. To the servants this was a subject of deep regret, and it -was gratifying to ourselves to observe that we won the regard of all who -were permitted to approach us. We are now absolutely in want of daily -necessaries, to supply which the Emperor proposes to dispose of his -plate; this is his only resource. - -After dinner the Emperor read the _Cercle_, and retired immediately, -although it was very early in the evening. He was indisposed, and could -not sleep. He sent for me about midnight. By chance I had not retired to -rest, and I remained in conversation with him for two hours. - -THE EMPEROR’S COURT AT THE TUILERIES.—THE PRESENTATION OF THE LADIES.—ON - WOMEN’S AGES.—MANUSCRIPT OF THE ISLAND OF ELBA. - -8th.—The Emperor sent for me very early: he was just finishing his -toilet. He had had no sleep during the night, and he seemed much -fatigued. The weather had become somewhat tolerable, and he desired to -have his breakfast under the tent. While it was preparing, he took a few -turns about the garden, and resumed the conversation he had had with me -on the preceding night. - -He invited Madame de Montholon to breakfast, and afterwards we took a -drive in the calash, of which the Emperor had made no use for a -considerable time. He had scarcely breathed the fresh air for several -days. - -The conversation once more turned on the subject of the Emperor’s Court -at the Tuileries, the multitude of persons composing it, the spirit and -address with which Napoleon went through the ceremony of the -presentations, &c. I pass over many of the observations that were made, -for the sake of avoiding repetition. - -“It is more difficult than is generally supposed,” said the Emperor, “to -speak to every body in a crowded assemblage, and yet say nothing to any -one; to seem to know a multitude of people, nine-tenths of whom are -total strangers to one.” - -Again, when alluding to the period when he was in the plentitude of his -power, he observed that it was at once easy and difficult to approach -him, to communicate with him, and to be appreciated by him; and that it -depended on the merest chance in the world whether his courtiers made or -missed their fortune. “Now that I am myself entirely out of the -question,” said he, “now that I am a mere private individual, and can -reflect philosophically on the time when I was called to execute the -designs of Providence, without, however, ceasing to be a man, I see how -much the fate of those I governed really depended upon chance; and how -often favour and credit were purely accidental. Intrigue is so -dexterous, and merit often so awkward, and these extremes approximate so -closely to each other that, with the best intentions in the world, I -find that my benefits were distributed like prizes in a lottery. And yet -could I have done better? “Was I faulty in my intentions, or remiss in -my exertions? Have other sovereigns done better than I did? It is only -thus that I can be judged. The fault was in the nature of my situation, -and in the force of things.” - -We then spoke of the presentation of the ladies at Court, their -embarrassment, and the plans, views, and hopes that were formed by some -of them. Madame de Montholon revealed the secrets of several of her -acquaintance, by which it appeared that if in the saloons of Paris some -were heard to exclaim against the Emperor’s coarseness of manners, -harshness of expression, and ugliness of person, others, who were better -disposed, better informed, and differently affected, extolled the -sweetness of his voice, the grace of his manners, the delicacy of his -smile, and above all, his famous hand, which was said to be ridiculously -handsome. - -These advantages, it was observed, combined with great power and still -greater glory, were naturally calculated to excite and to give rise to -certain romantic stories. Thus at the Tuileries how many endeavoured to -render themselves pleasing to the sovereign! How many sought to inspire -a sentiment which it is probable they themselves really felt! - -The Emperor smiled at our remarks and conjectures; and he confessed -that, notwithstanding the mass of business and the cloud of flattery in -which he was enveloped, he had oftener than once observed the sentiments -to which we alluded. A few of the least timid among his admirers had, he -said, even solicited and obtained interviews. We now laughed in our -turn, and said that, at the time, these stories had been the subject of -a great deal of mirth. But the Emperor seriously protested that they -were void of foundation. In a more private conversation at the Briars, -during one of our walks by moonlight, the Emperor, as I have stated in a -former part of my Journal, made the same assertion, and contradicted -every report of this nature, except one. - -Our next subject of conversation was the repugnance of women to let -their age be known. The Emperor made some very lively and entertaining -remarks. An instance was mentioned of a woman who preferred losing an -important law-suit to confessing her age. The case would have been -decided in her favour, had she produced the register of her baptism, but -this she could not be prevailed on to do. - -Another anecdote of the same kind was mentioned. A certain lady was much -attached to a gentleman, and was convinced that her union with him would -render her happy; but she could not marry without proving the date of -her birth, and she preferred remaining single. - -The Emperor informed us that a distinguished lady, at the time of her -marriage, had deceived her husband, and represented herself to be five -or six years younger than she really was, by producing the baptismal -register of her younger sister, who had been dead some time. - -“However,” said the Emperor, “in so doing, poor Josephine exposed -herself to some risk. This might really have proved a case of nullity of -marriage.” These words furnished us with the key to certain dates, -which, at the Tuileries, were the subject of jesting and ridicule, and -which we then attributed wholly to the gallantry and extreme -complaisance of the Imperial Almanack. - -About four o’clock the Emperor took a short walk. I did not accompany -him. On his return, he informed us that he had visited the Company’s -garden, where he had met several very pretty women. “But I had not my -interpreter with me,” he added, pointing to me. “The rogue left me, and -nothing could be more provoking, for I never felt more inclined to avail -myself of his assistance.” This little walk, however, did the Emperor no -good, for he was presently seized with a severe tooth-ache. - -A vessel, which had come from the Cape some time ago, sailed for Europe -this day. Several English military officers, who were passengers in this -ship, had not been permitted to wait on the Emperor, in spite of their -repeated solicitations. This was a new instance of the Governor’s spite. -These officers were men of distinction, and their reports on their -return home might have had some influence. The Governor, in defiance of -all truth, informed them that Napoleon had determined to receive no one. - -The Emperor some time ago analyzed to us a subject which he said he -intended to dictate in fourteen chapters, and which had forcibly struck -me by its truth, its force, its just reasoning, and its dignity. I -frequently alluded to it when I happened to be alone with him; and he -laughed more than once at the perseverance I shewed, which, he said, was -not usual with me. To-day he informed me that he had at length produced -something, though not in fourteen chapters, nor on the promised subject; -but that I must be content with it. I have read it, and it is certainly -a very remarkable fragment. I do not believe that the Revolution has -produced any thing more comprehensive and energetic on the governments -of the last twenty-five years in France, namely, the Republic, the -Consulate, and the Empire. - -The exposition and development of the ten chapters which compose this -work may be regarded as a perfect outline of the subject. The style is -remarkably simple and nervous. Each chapter is full and forcible, and -the whole, which consists of fifty pages, is struck off and finished -with a masterly hand. I have understood that the substance of these -ideas was to have formed the Emperor’s manifesto at the time of his -landing from Elba. - -Since my return to Europe, this little work has been published, under -the title of _Manuscrit de l’Ile d’Elbe_; though I have reason to -believe that at first another title was intended for it. Be this as it -may, since the work is but little known, and as those who have read it -may be ignorant of its real origin, I here transcribe almost literally -several chapters, which will serve to prove its source and its -authenticity. - -CHAP. I.—In the sixteenth century, the Pope, Spain, and the Sixteen, - attempt in vain to raise a fourth dynasty to the throne of France. - Henry IV. succeeds Henry III. without an interregnum: he conquers the - League; but finds that the only way to secure himself on the throne is - by sincerely joining the party which constitutes the majority of the - nation. - -”Henry IV. was proclaimed King at St. Cloud, on the day on which Henry -III. died. His sovereignty was acknowledged by all the Protestant -churches and by a part of the Catholic nobility. The Holy League which -had been formed against Henry III., in hatred of the Protestants, and to -avenge the death of the Duke of Guise, was master of Paris, and -commanded five-sixths of the kingdom. The Leaguers refused to -acknowledge Henry IV., but they proclaimed no other sovereign. The Duke -of Mayenne, the chief of the League, exercised authority under the title -of Lieutenant-general of the kingdom. The accession of Henry IV. -produced no change in the forms adopted by the League for exercising its -power; each town was governed as in disturbed and factious times, by -local or military authorities. At no period, not even on the day -succeeding his entrance into Paris, did Henry IV. acknowledge the acts -of the League, and the latter never set up any pretensions that he -should do so. No law, no regulation, emanated from the League. The -Parliament of Paris was divided into two parties; one for the Leaguers, -which sat at Paris, and the other for Henry IV., which assembled at -Tours. But these parliaments drew up and registered none but judicial -acts. The provinces retained their own organization and privileges, and -were governed by their own common laws. It has already been observed -that the League had not proclaimed any other sovereign; but it -acknowledged for a moment as King, the Cardinal de Bourbon, Henry’s -uncle. The Cardinal, however, did not consent to second the designs of -the enemies of his house. Besides, Henry had seized his person; no act -emanated from him, and the League continued subject to the authority of -the Lieutenant-general the Duke of Mayenne. There was therefore no -interregnum between Hen. III. and Hen. IV. - -“The League was split into several parties. The Sorbonne had decided -that the rights of birth could confer no right to the crown on a Prince -who was an enemy to the Church. The Pope had declared that Henry IV. -having relapsed, had forfeited his rights for ever; and that he could -not recover them, even though he should return to the bosom of the -Church. Henry IV., King of Navarre, was born a Protestant; but on the -massacre of St. Bartholomew, he was compelled to marry Margaret de -Valois, and to abjure the reformed religion. However, as soon as he -withdrew from the Court, and found himself amidst the Protestants on the -left bank of the Loire, he declared that his abjuration had been wholly -compulsory, and he again embraced the Protestant faith. This step caused -him to be characterized as an obstinate renegado; but the majority of -the League were of opinion that it would be proper to summon Henry to -return to the bosom of the Catholic, Apostolic, and Romish Church; and -acknowledge him as sovereign, as soon as he should abjure Protestantism -and receive absolution from the Bishops. - -“The leaguers convoked the States-general of the kingdom at Paris. The -Spanish ambassadors now unmasked the designs of their sovereign, and -urged the States to establish a fourth dynasty on the throne of France, -on the ground that Henry and Condé, having, by their apostacy, forfeited -their rights to the crown, the male line of the Capets was extinct. They -accordingly set forth the claims of the Infanta of Spain, the daughter -of Henry II. of France, who was the first in the female line. Even -supposing that, by the extinction of the male line of descent, the -nation possessed the right of disposing of the crown, they still -insisted that its choice ought to fall on the Infanta, for two reasons: -first, because it was impossible to select a princess of more -illustrious family; and secondly, because France was indebted to Philip -II. for his exertions in supporting the cause of the League. The Infanta -was to marry a French Prince, and mention was even made of the Duke of -Guise, the son of the Duke who had been assassinated at Blois. There was -already a body of Spanish troops in Paris, commanded by the Duke of -Mayenne; and it was proposed that an army of 50,000 Spaniards should be -maintained in Paris by the Court of Madrid, which would devote its whole -power and resources to ensure the triumph of this fourth dynasty. The -sixteen supported these propositions, which were sanctioned by the Court -of Rome, and seconded by the utmost efforts of the Legate. But all was -vain; public spirit was roused at the idea of a foreign nation disposing -of the throne of France. That part of the Parliament which sat at Paris -addressed remonstrances to the Duke of Mayenne the Lieutenant-general of -the kingdom, and urged him to enforce the observance of the fundamental -laws of the monarchy, and of the Salic law in particular. Had the -designs of the Spanish faction succeeded; had the Statesgeneral declared -the crown forfeited by the descendants of Hugues Capet; had a fourth -dynasty been raised to the throne, accepted by the nation, and -sanctioned by the religion acknowledged among the powers of Europe, the -rights of the third dynasty would have been extinct. - -“Henry conquered the League at Arques and on the plains of Ivry, and he -then besieged Paris. However, he was convinced of the impossibility of -reigning in France, unless he joined the national party. He had -conquered with an army composed entirely of French troops: if he had -under his command a small corps of English, the Leaguers had a still -more considerable number of Spaniards and Italians. On both sides, -therefore, the contest had been maintained by Frenchmen against -Frenchmen; the foreigners were merely auxiliaries; the national honour -and independence could not be compromised, whichever party might be -declared victorious. _Ventre Saint-gris! Paris vaut bien une messe!_ -were the exclamations by which Henry used to sound the opinion of the -Huguenots; and when, at the Council of Beauvais, he assembled the -principal leaders of the Protestant party, to deliberate on the -resolution which it was most expedient to adopt, the majority, and in -particular the most intelligent persons among them, advised the King to -abjure his faith and to join the national party. Henry pronounced his -abjuration at Saint-Denis, and received absolution from the Bishops; the -gates of Paris were thrown open to him, and his authority was -acknowledged by the whole kingdom. He now frankly espoused the national -party. Almost all the public posts were occupied by the Leaguers. The -Protestants, those who had constantly served the King, and to whom he -was indebted for his victories, frequently raised complaints against -him, and taxed him with ingratitude. Still, however, in spite of all the -discretion that was observed, the nation continued long to mistrust the -secret intentions of Henry. It was remarked that _what is bred in the -bone will never be out of the flesh_. - -CHAP. II.—The republic sanctioned by the will of the people, by - religion, by victory, and by all the Powers of Europe. - -Hugues Capet ascended the throne by the choice of the Parliament, -consisting of Lords and Bishops, which two classes then constituted the -nation. The French monarchy was never absolute; the intervention of the -States General has always been necessary for sanctioning the principal -acts of the Legislature, and for levying new taxes. Subsequently, the -French Parliaments, under the pretence of being States General on a -small scale, and seconded by the Court, usurped the rights of the -nation. In 1788, the Parliaments were the first to acknowledge them. -Louis XVI. convoked the States General in 1789, and the nation exercised -a portion of the sovereignty. The Constituent Assembly framed a new -constitution for the state, which was sanctioned by the approval of the -whole French people, and which Louis XVI. accepted and swore to -maintain. The Legislative Assembly suspended the King. The convention, -which consisted of the deputies of all the primary assemblies in the -Kingdom, and which was invested with special powers, proclaimed the -abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic. The -adherents of the royal party fled from France, and solicited the aid of -foreign arms. Austria and Prussia signed the convention of Pilnitz; and -Austrian and Prussian armies, joined by the French royalist forces, -commenced the war of the first coalition to subdue the French people. -The whole nation took up arms; and the Austrians and Prussians were -conquered. The second coalition was afterwards formed by Austria, -England, and Russia; but this was destroyed like the first, and all the -Powers in Europe acknowledged the French Republic. - -1st.—The Republic of Genoa, by an extraordinary embassy, on the 15th of -June, 1792. - -2d.—The Porte, by a declaration, on the 27th of March, 1793. - -3d.—Tuscany, by the treaty of the 9th of February, 1795. - -4th.—Holland, by the treaty of 16th of May, 1795. - -5th.—The Venetian Republic, by an extraordinary embassy, on the 30th of -December, 1795. - -6th.—The King of Prussia, by the treaty signed at Bâle, on the 5th of -April, 1795. - -7th.—The King of Spain, by the treaty signed at Bâle, on the 22nd of -July, 1795. - -8th.—Hesse-Cassel, by the treaty of the 28th of July, 1795. - -9th.—Switzerland, by the treaty of the 19th of August, 1795. - -10th.—Denmark, by a declaration, on the 18th of August, 1795. - -11th.—Sweden, by an embassy, on the 23rd of April, 1795. - -12th.—Sardinia, by the treaty of Paris, on the 28th of April, 1796. - -13th.—America, by an extraordinary embassy, on the 30th of December, -1796. - -14th.—Naples, by the treaty of the 10th of October, 1796. - -15th.—Parma, by the treaty of the 5th of November, 1796. - -16th.—Wurtemburgh, by the treaty of the 7th of August, 1796. - -17th.—Baden, by the treaty of the 22d of August, 1796. - -18th.—Bavaria, by the treaty of the 24th of July, 1797. - -19th.—Portugal, by the treaty of the 19th of August, 1797. - -20th.—The Pope, by the treaty signed at Tolentino on the 19th of -February, 1797. - -21st.—The Emperor of Germany, by the treaty of Campo-Formio, on the 7th -of October, 1797. - -22d.—The Emperor of Russia, by a treaty signed on the 8th of October, -1801. - -23d.—The King of England, by the treaty signed at Amiens on the 27th of -March 1802. - -“The government of the Republic sent ambassadors to all the Powers of -Europe, and received envoys from those powers in return. The -tri-coloured flag was acknowledged in every sea, and throughout the -world. At Tolentino, the Pope had treated with the Republic as a -temporal sovereign; but he acknowledged and treated with it as head of -the Catholic religion, by the Concordat which was signed at Paris on the -18th of April, 1802. Most of the Bishops, who had followed the Royalist -party abroad, now submitted to the Republican government, and those who -refused forfeited their sees. In short, the French Republic, which was -sanctioned by the citizens, and victorious by its armies, was -acknowledged by every sovereign, every power, and every religion, in the -world, and in particular by the Catholic Church. - -“Not only was the Republic acknowledged by all the powers in the world, -after the death of Louis XVI., but none of these powers ever -acknowledged a successor to him. In the year 1800, therefore, the third -dynasty was ended as completely as the first and second. The rights and -titles of the Merovingians were extinguished by the rights and titles of -the Carlovingians; the rights and titles of the Carlovingians were -extinguished by the rights and titles of the Capetians; and the rights -of the Capetians were, in like manner, extinguished by the Republic. -Every legitimate government supersedes the rights and the legitimacy of -the governments that have preceded it. The Republic was a government, in -fact and in right, rendered legitimate by the will of the nation, -sanctioned by the Church, and by the adhesion of all the world. - -CHAP. III.—The Revolution rendered France a new nation:—it emancipated - the Gauls from the tyranny of the Franks: it created new interests, - and a new order of things conformable with the welfare and rights of - the people, and the justice and knowledge of the age. - -“The French Revolution was not produced by the jarring interests of two -families disputing the possession of the throne; it was a general rising -of the mass of the nation against the privileged classes. The French -nobility, like that of every country in Europe, dates its origin from -the incursion of the barbarians, who divided the Roman Empire among -them. In France, nobles represented the Franks, and the Burgundians, and -the rest of the nation, the Gauls. The feudal system which was -introduced established the principle that all land should have a lord. -All political privileges were exercised by the Priests and the Nobles; -the peasants were slaves, and in part attached to the glebe. The -progress of civilization and knowledge emancipated the people. This new -state of things promoted industry and trade. The chief portion of the -land, wealth, and information, belonged to the people in the eighteenth -century. The nobles, however, still continued to be a privileged class: -they were empowered to administer justice, and they possessed feudal -rights under various denominations and forms: they enjoyed the privilege -of being exempt from all the burdens of the state, and of possessing -exclusively the most honourable posts. These abuses roused the -indignation of the citizens. The principal object of the Revolution was -to destroy all privileges; to abolish signorial jurisdictions, justice -being an inseparable attribute of sovereign authority; to suppress -feudal rights, as being a remnant of the old slavery of the people; to -subject alike all citizens and all property, to the burdens of the -state. In short, the Revolution proclaimed equality of rights. A citizen -might attain any public employment, according to his talent and the -chances of fortune. The kingdom was composed of provinces which had been -united to the Crown at various periods: they had no natural limits, and -were differently divided, unequal in extent and in population. They -possessed many laws of their own, civil as well as criminal: they were -more or less privileged, and very unequally taxed, both with respect to -the amount and the nature of the contributions, which rendered it -necessary to detach them from each other by lines of custom-houses. -France was not a state, but a combination of several states, connected -together without amalgamation. The whole had been determined by chance -and by the events of past ages. The Revolution, guided by the principle -of equality, both with respect to the citizens and the different -portions of the territory, destroyed all these small nations: there was -no longer a Brittany, a Normandy, a Burgundy, a Champagne, a Provence, -or a Lorraine; but the whole formed a France. A division of homogeneous -territory, prescribed by local circumstances, confounded the limits of -all the provinces. They possessed the same judicial and administrative -organization, the same civil and criminal laws, and the same system of -taxation. The dreams of the upright men of all ages were realized. The -opposition which the Court, the Clergy, and the Nobility, raised against -the Revolution and the war with foreign powers, produced the law of -emigration and the sequestration of emigrant property, which -subsequently it was found necessary to sell, in order to provide for the -charges of the war. A great portion of the French nobility enrolled -themselves under the banner of the princes of the Bourbon family, and -formed an army which marched in conjunction with the Austrian, Prussian, -and English forces. Gentlemen who had been brought up in the enjoyment -of competency served as private soldiers: numbers were cut off by -fatigue and the sword; others perished of want in foreign countries; and -the wars of La Vendée and of the Chouans, and the revolutionary -tribunals, swept away thousands. Three-fourths of the French nobility -were thus destroyed; and all posts, civil, judicial, or military, were -filled by citizens who had risen from the common mass of the people. The -change produced in persons and property by the events of the Revolution, -was not less remarkable than that which was effected by the principles -of the Revolution. A new church was created; the dioceses of Vienne, -Narbonne, Frejus, Sisteron, Rheims, &c., were superseded by sixty new -dioceses, the boundaries of which were circumscribed, in the Concordat, -by new Bulls applicable to the present state of the French territory. -The suppression of religious orders, the sale of convents and of all -ecclesiastical property, were sanctioned, and the clergy were pensioned -by the State. Every thing that was the result of the events which had -occurred since the time of Clovis, ceased to exist. All these changes -were so advantageous to the people that they were effected with the -utmost facility, and, in 1800, there no longer remained any recollection -of the old privileges and sovereigns of the provinces, the old -parliaments and bailiwicks, or the old dioceses; and to trace back the -origin of all that existed, it was sufficient to refer to the new law by -which it had been established. One-half of the land had changed its -proprietors; the peasantry and the citizens were enriched. The -advancement of agriculture and manufactures exceeded the most sanguine -hopes. France presented the imposing spectacle of upwards of thirty -millions of inhabitants, circumscribed within their natural limits, and -composing only a single class of citizens, governed by one law, one -rule, and one order. All these changes were conformable with the welfare -and rights of the nation, and with the justice and intelligence of the -age. - -CHAP. IV.—The French people establish the Imperial throne, to - consolidate the new interests of the nation. The fourth dynasty did - not immediately succeed the third; it succeeded the Republic. Napoleon - is crowned by the Pope, and acknowledged by the Powers of Europe. He - creates kings, and the armies of all the Continental Powers march - under his command. - -The five members of the Directory were divided. Enemies to the Republic -crept into the councils; and thus men, hostile to the rights of the -people, became connected with the government. This state of things kept -the country in a ferment; and the great interests which the French -people had acquired by the Revolution were incessantly compromised. One -unanimous voice, issuing from the plains of France and from her cities -and her camps, demanded the preservation of all the principles of the -Republic, or the establishment of an hereditary system of government, -which would place the principles and interests of the Revolution beyond -the reach of factions and the influence of foreigners. By the -constitution of the year VIII. the First Consul of the Republic became -Consul for ten years, and the nation afterwards prolonged his magistracy -for life: the people subsequently raised him to the throne, which it -rendered hereditary in his family. The principles of the sovereignty of -the people, of liberty and equality, of the destruction of the feudal -system, of the irrevocability of the sale of national domains, and the -freedom of religious worship, were now established. The government of -France, under the fourth dynasty, was founded on the same principles as -the Republic. It was a moderate and constitutional monarchy. There was -as much difference between the government of France under the fourth -dynasty and the third, as between the latter and the Republic. The -fourth dynasty succeeded the Republic, or, more properly speaking, it -was merely a modification of it. - -No Prince ever ascended a throne with rights more legitimate than those -of Napoleon. The crown was not presented to him by a few Bishops and -Nobles; but he was raised to the Imperial throne by the unanimous -consent of the citizens, three times solemnly confirmed. Pope Pius VII. -the head of the Catholic religion, the religion of the majority of the -French people, crossed the Alps to anoint the Emperor with his own -hands, in the presence of the Bishops of France, the Cardinals of the -Romish Church, and the Deputies from all the districts of the Empire. -The sovereigns of Europe eagerly acknowledged Napoleon: all beheld with -pleasure the modification of the Republic, which placed France on a -footing of harmony with the rest of Europe, and which at once confirmed -the constitution and the happiness of that great nation. Ambassadors -from Austria, Russia, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and America, in -fine, from all the powers of Europe, came to congratulate the Emperor. -England alone sent no ambassador: she had violated the treaty of Amiens, -and had consequently again declared war against France; but even England -approved the change. Lord Whitworth, in the secret negotiations which -took place through the medium of Count Malouet, and which preceded the -rupture of the peace of Amiens, proposed, on the part of the English -government, to acknowledge Napoleon as King of France, on condition of -his agreeing to the cession of Malta. The First Consul replied that, if -ever the welfare of France required that he should ascend the throne, it -would only be by the free and spontaneous will of the French people. In -1806, when Lord Lauderdale came to Paris to negotiate peace between the -King of England and the Emperor, he exchanged his powers, as is proved -by the protocol of the negotiations, and he treated with the Emperor’s -plenipotentiary. The death of Fox broke up the negotiations of Lord -Lauderdale. The English Minister had it in his power to obviate the -Prussian campaign,[22] to prevent the battle of Jena. When, in 1814, the -Allies presented an _ultimatum_ at Chaumont, Lord Castlereagh, in -signing this _ultimatum_, again acknowledged the existence of the Empire -in the person and the family of Napoleon. If the latter did not accept -the propositions of the Congress of Chatillon, it was because he did not -conceive himself at liberty to cede a portion of the Empire, the -integrity of which he had, at his coronation, sworn to maintain. - -The Electors of Bavaria, Wurtemberg, and Saxony, were created Kings by -Napoleon. - -The armies of Saxony, Bavaria, Wurtemberg, Baden, and Hesse, fought in -conjunction with the French armies; and the Russian and French troops -fought together in 1809, in the war against Austria. In 1812, the -Emperor of Austria concluded at Paris an alliance with Napoleon, and -Prince Schwartzenburg commanded, under his orders, the Austrian -contingent in the Russian campaign, in which he attained the rank of -Field Marshal, on the application of the French Emperor. A similar -treaty of alliance was concluded at Berlin, and the Prussian army also -fought with the French in the campaign in Russia. - -Footnote 22: - - While Lord Lauderdale was in Paris, and negotiating with the Emperor’s - plenipotentiaries, Prussia took up arms and assumed a hostile - attitude. Lord Lauderdale seemed to disapprove of this conduct, and to - consider the contest very unequal. Being informed that Napoleon - intended to march at the head of the army, he enquired whether the - Emperor would consent to defer his departure, and to enter into - arrangements with Prussia, if England would accept the basis of the - negotiations, that is to say, the _uti possidetis_ on both sides, - including Hanover. The discussion was maintained on the subject of - Hanover, which England wished to recover independently of this basis. - By the reply of the Cabinet of St. James’s, Lord Lauderdale was - recalled. The Emperor set out, and the battle of Jena took place: Fox - was then dead. - - We were, at this period, eye-witnesses to the regret and repugnance - which Napoleon evinced at the necessity of going to war with Prussia. - He was disposed to leave Hanover in the possession of that power, and - to recognise a Confederation of the North of Germany. He felt that - Prussia, having never been beaten or humbled by France, and her power - being still unimpaired, she could have no interests hostile to his; - but that, if once she were subdued, she must be destroyed. - -The Emperor healed the wounds which the Revolution had inflicted: the -emigrants returned, and the list of proscription was obliterated. -Napoleon enjoyed the glory most gratifying to a monarch, by recalling -and re-establishing in their homes upwards of 20,000 families: their -unsold property was restored to them; and, the veil of oblivion being -thrown over the past, persons of every class, whatever line of conduct -they might previously have pursued, were admitted to all public -employments. Families who had distinguished themselves by the services -they had rendered to the Bourbons, those who had shewn themselves most -devoted to the Royal Family, filled places about the Court, and in the -ministry, and held commissions in the army. All party denominations were -forgotten: aristocrats and Jacobins were no longer spoken of; and the -institution of the Legion of Honour, which was at once the reward of -military, civil, and judicial services, placed on a footing of unity the -soldier, the man of science, the artist, the prelate, and the -magistrate; it became the badge of concord among all classes and all -parties. - -CHAP. V.—The blood of the Imperial dynasty mingled with that of all the - monarchical Houses in Europe; with those of Russia, Prussia, England, - and Austria. - -The Imperial House of France contracted alliances with all the sovereign -families of Europe. Prince Eugéne Napoleon, the adopted son of the -Emperor, married the eldest daughter of the King of Bavaria, a princess -distinguished for her beauty and her virtues. This alliance, which was -contracted at Munich on the 14th of January, 1806, afforded the highest -satisfaction to the Bavarian nation. The Hereditary Prince of Baden, the -brother-in-law of the Emperor of Russia, solicited the hand of Princess -Stephanie, the adopted daughter of the Emperor Napoleon: this marriage -was celebrated at Paris on the 7th of April, 1806. On the 22d of August, -1807, Prince Jerome Napoleon married the eldest daughter of the King of -Wurtemburg, cousin-german of the Emperor of Russia, the King of England, -and the King of Prussia. Other alliances of this nature were contracted -with sovereign princes of Germany, of the House of Hohenzollern. These -marriages have proved happy, and all have given birth to princes and -princesses, who will transmit to future generations the recollection of -the Imperial government of France. - -“When the interests of France and the Empire induced the Emperor and the -Empress Josephine to break bonds which were equally dear to them both, -the greatest sovereigns in Europe courted the Alliance of Napoleon. Had -it not been for religious scruples, and the delays occasioned by -distance, it is probable that a Russian princess would have occupied the -throne of France. The Archduchess Maria Louisa, who was married to the -Emperor by procuration granted to Prince Charles, at Vienna, on the 11th -of March, 1810, and at Paris on the 2d of April following, ascended the -throne of France. As soon as the Emperor of Austria learned that -Napoleon’s marriage was in agitation, he expressed his surprise that an -alliance with the House of Austria had not been thought of. The choice -was hitherto divided between a Russian and a Saxon princess: Francis -explained his sentiments on this subject to the Count de Narbonne, the -Governor of Trieste, who was then at Vienna; and, in consequence, -instructions were forwarded to the Prince of Schwartzenberg, the -Austrian ambassador at Paris. In February, 1810, a Privy Council was -convoked at the Tuileries: the Minister for Foreign Affairs submitted to -the Council the despatches of the Duke of Vicenza, the French ambassador -at the Court of Russia. These communications shewed that the Emperor -Alexander was very much disposed to give his sister, the Grand-duchess -Anne, in marriage to Napoleon; but he seemed to make it a point of -importance that the Princess should be allowed the public exercise of -her religious worship, and a chapel appropriated to the Greek rites. The -despatches from Vienna developed the insinuations and the wishes of the -Austrian Court. There was a division of opinions in the French Council: -the Russian, the Saxon, and the Austrian alliance, all found supporters; -but the majority voted for the choice of an Archduchess of Austria. As -Prince Eugéne had been the first to propose the Austrian alliance, the -Emperor, breaking up the sitting at two in the morning, authorized him -to make overtures with Prince Schwartzenberg. He at the same time -authorized the Minister for Foreign Affairs to sign, in the course of -the day, the contract of marriage with the Austrian ambassador; and, to -obviate all difficulties with respect to the details, he directed him to -sign, word for word, the same contract as that which had been drawn up -for the marriage of Louis XVI. and the Archduchess Marie-Antoinette. In -the morning, Prince Eugéne had an interview with Prince Schwartzenberg: -the contract was signed the same day, and the courier who conveyed the -intelligence to Austria agreeably surprised the Emperor Francis. The -peculiar circumstances attending the signature of this marriage contract -led the Emperor Alexander to suspect that he had been trifled with, and -that the Court of the Tuileries had been conducting two negotiations at -once. But this was a mistake: the negotiation with Vienna was begun and -concluded in one day.[23] - -Footnote 23: - - A report was pretty generally circulated that the marriage of the - Archduchess Maria-Louisa with the Emperor Napoleon was a secret - article of the treaty of Vienna: this idea is void of foundation. The - treaty of Vienna is dated Oct. 15, 1809, and the marriage contract was - signed at Paris on the 7th of Feb. 1810. - - Every individual who was present at the deliberations of the Privy - Council can attest that the circumstances of the marriage were such as - they have been above described; that no idea of the Austrian alliance - was entertained before the contents of the Count de Narbonne’s - despatches were made known; and that the marriage with the Archduchess - Maria-Louisa was proposed, discussed, and determined on in the - Council, and signed within the space of twenty-four hours. - - The members of the Council were—the Emperor, the great Dignitaries of - the Empire, the high Officers of the Crown, all the Ministers, the - Presidents of the Senate and the Legislative Body, and the Ministers - of State, Presidents of the sections of the Council of State; - amounting, in all, to 25. - -“Never did the birth of any Prince excite so much enthusiasm in a -people, or produce so powerful a sensation throughout Europe, as the -birth of the King of Rome. On the firing of the first gun, which -announced the delivery of the Empress, the whole population of Paris was -in the most anxious suspense. In the streets, the promenades, at the -places of public amusement, and in the interior of the houses, all were -eagerly intent on counting the number of guns. The twenty-second excited -universal transport: it had been usual to discharge twenty-one guns on -the birth of a Princess, and a hundred and one on the birth of a Prince. -All the European Powers deputed the most distinguished noblemen of their -Courts to present their congratulations to the Emperor. The Emperor of -Russia sent his Minister of the Interior; and the Emperor of Austria -despatched Count Clary, one of his highest officers of the crown, who -brought, as presents to the young King, the collars of all the Orders of -the Austrian Monarchy set with diamonds. The baptism of the King of Rome -was celebrated with the utmost pomp, in the presence of the French -bishops, and deputies from all parts of the Empire. The Emperor of -Austria was sponsor to the young king by proxy; he was represented by -his brother, the Archduke Ferdinand, Grand-Duke of Tuscany. - -CHAP. VI.—Containing some account of the campaign of Saxony,[24] and - shewing that the league of 1813 was in its object foreign to the - Restoration. - -Footnote 24: - - I did not choose to suppress this summary of the campaign in Saxony, - although the same subject has already been particularly treated of at - the commencement of this volume. If, however, some readers should - consider it merely a repetition, others will find in it the means of - comparing and verifying what has been before stated: one of the - accounts is drawn up from documents published in Europe, whilst the - other was dictated at St. Helena by Napoleon himself. - -“The victories of Lützen and Würtzen, on the 2nd and 22nd of May, 1813, -had re-established the reputation of the French arms. The King of Saxony -was brought back in triumph to his capital; the enemy was driven from -Hamburg; one of the corps of the grand army was at the gates of Berlin, -and the imperial head-quarters were established at Breslau. The Russian -and Prussian armies, disheartened by their defeats, had no alternative -but to repass the Vistula, when Austria interfered and advised France to -sign an armistice. Napoleon returned to Dresden, the Emperor of Austria -quitted Vienna and repaired to Bohemia, and the Emperor of Russia and -the King of Prussia established themselves at Schweidnitz. -Communications took place between the different Powers. Count Metternich -proposed the Congress of Prague, which was agreed on; but it was merely -the shadow of a Congress. The Court of Vienna had already entered into -engagements with Russia and Prussia, and intended to declare itself in -the month of May, when the unexpected success of the French army -rendered greater circumspection necessary. Notwithstanding all the -efforts which Austria had exerted, her army was still inconsiderable in -number, badly organized, and ill prepared to enter upon a campaign. -Count Metternich demanded, on the part of Austria, the surrender of the -Illyrian Provinces, one half of the kingdom of Italy, (that is to say, -Venice, as far as the Mincio,) and Poland. It was moreover required that -Napoleon should renounce the Protectorate of Germany, and the -departments of the thirty-second military division. These extravagant -propositions were advanced only that they might be rejected. The Duke of -Vicenza proceeded to the Congress of Prague. The choice of Baron -d’Anstetten, as the Russian plenipotentiary, shewed that Russia wished -not for peace, but was merely anxious to afford Austria time to complete -her military preparations. The unfavourable augury, occasioned by the -selection of Baron d’Anstetten as a negotiator, was confirmed: he -declined entering upon any conference. Austria, who pretended to act as -mediatrix, declared, when her army was in readiness, that she adhered to -the coalition, though she did not even require the opening of a single -sitting, or the drawing up of a single protocol. This system of bad -faith, and of perpetual contradictions between words and acts, was -unremittingly pursued, at this period, by the Court of Vienna. The war -was resumed. The brilliant victory gained by the Emperor at Dresden, on -the 27th of August, 1813, over the army commanded by the three -Sovereigns, was immediately followed by the disasters which Macdonald, -through his ill-concerted manœuvres, brought upon himself in Silesia, -and by the destruction of Vandamme’s force in Bohemia. However, the -superiority was still on the side of the French army, which supported -itself on three points, viz: Torgau, Wittenberg, and Magdeburg. Denmark -had concluded a treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive, and her -contingent augmented the army of Hamburg. - -“In October, the Emperor quitted Dresden to proceed to Magdeburg, by the -left bank of the Elbe, in order to deceive the enemy. His intention was -to recross the Elbe at Wittenburg and to march on Berlin. Several corps -of the army had already arrived at Wittenburg, and the enemy’s bridges -at Dessau had been destroyed, when a letter from the King of Wurtemburg -informed the Emperor that the King of Bavaria had suddenly gone over to -the enemy; and that, without any declaration of war or any previous -intimation, the Austrian and Bavarian forces, cantoned on the banks of -the Inn, had formed themselves into one camp; that these forces, -amounting to 80,000, under the orders of General Wrede, were marching on -the Rhine; that he (the King of Wurtemberg), seeing the impossibility of -his opposing this united force, had been obliged to add his contingent -to it. The letter farther added that 100,000 men would soon surround -Mentz, the Bavarians having made common cause with Austria. Upon -receiving this unexpected intelligence, the Emperor found himself -compelled to change the plan of the campaign which he had projected two -months previously, and for which he had prepared the fortresses and -magazines. This plan had for its object to drive the Allies between the -Elbe and the Saale; and, under the protection of the fortresses and -magazines of Torgau, Wittemberg, Magdeburg, and Hamburg, to establish -the seat of war between the Elbe and the Oder (the French army being at -that time in possession of the fortresses of Glogau, Cüstrin, and -Stettin), and, according to circumstances, to raise the blockades of the -fortresses of the Vistula, Dantzick, Thorn, and Modlin. It was -anticipated that the success of this vast plan would have been the means -of breaking up the coalition, and that, in consequence, all the German -Princes would have been confirmed in their allegiance and their alliance -with France. It was hoped that Bavaria would have delayed for a -fortnight to change sides, and then it was certain that she would not -have changed at all. - -“The armies met on the plains of Leipsic, on the 16th of October. The -French were victorious; the Austrians were beaten and driven from all -their positions; and Count Meerfeld, who commanded one of the Austrian -corps, was made prisoner. On the 18th, notwithstanding the check -sustained by the Duke of Ragusa on the 16th, victory was still on the -side of the French, when the whole of the Saxon army, with a battery of -sixty guns, occupying one of the most important positions of the line, -passed over to the enemy, and turned its artillery on the French ranks. -Such unlooked-for treachery could not but cause the destruction of the -French army, and transfer all the glory of the day to the Allies. The -Emperor galloped forward with half his guard, repulsed the Swedes and -Saxons, and drove them from their positions. This day (the 18th) was now -ended: the enemy made a retrograde movement along the whole of his line, -and bivouacked in the rear of the field of battle, which remained in the -possession of the French. In the night, the French army made a movement, -in order to take its position behind the Elster, and thus to be in -direct communication with Erfurt, whence were expected the convoys of -ammunition that were so much wanted. In the engagements of the 16th and -18th, the French army had fired more than 150,000 discharges of cannon. -The treachery of several of the German corps of the Confederation, who -were seduced by the example of the Saxons on the preceding day, and the -destruction of the bridge of Leipsic, which was blown up by mistake, -occasioned the French army, though victorious, to experience the losses -which usually result from the most disastrous engagements. The French -re-crossed the Saale by the bridge of Weissenfeld: they intended to -rally their forces, and await the arrival of the ammunition from Erfurt, -which had abundant supplies. - -“Intelligence was now received of the Austro-Bavarian army, which, by -forced marches, had reached the Maine. It was necessary therefore to -repair thither, in order to come up with the Bavarians; and, on the 30th -of October, the French fell in with them, drawn up in order of battle -before Hanau and intercepting the Frankfort roads. The Bavarian force, -though numerous, and occupying fine positions, was completely routed, -and driven beyond Hanau, which was in the possession of Count Bertrand. -General Wrede was wounded. The French forces continued their movement -with the view of falling back behind the Rhine, and they re-crossed the -river on the 2nd of November. A parley ensued: Baron de St. Aignan -repaired to Frankfort, where he had conferences with Counts Metternich -and Nesselrode and Lord Aberdeen, and he arrived at Paris with proposals -for peace on the following bases:—That the Emperor Napoleon should -renounce the Protectorship of the Confederation of the Rhine, Poland, -and the departments of the Elbe; but that France should retain her -boundaries of the Alps and the Rhine, together with the possession of -Holland, and that a frontier line in Italy should be determined upon, -for separating France from the States of the House of Austria. The -Emperor agreed to these bases; but the Congress of Frankfort, like that -of Prague, was merely a stratagem employed in the hope that France would -reject the terms which were proposed. It was wished to have a new -subject for a manifesto to operate on the public mind; for at the moment -when these conciliatory propositions were made, the Allied army was -violating the neutrality of the cantons, and entering Switzerland. -However, the Allies at last developed their real intentions; they named -Chatillon-sur-Seine, in Burgundy, as the seat of the Congress. The -battles of Champ-Aubert, Montmirail, and Montereau, destroyed the armies -of Blucher and Witgenstein. No negotiations took place at Chatillon; but -the coalesced Powers presented an _ultimatum_, the conditions of which -were as follows: - -“1st, That France should surrender the whole of Italy, Belgium, Holland, -and the departments of the Rhine; 2nd, that France should return to her -limits as they existed previously to 1792. The Emperor rejected this -_ultimatum_. He consented to sacrifice Holland and Italy to the -circumstances in which France was then placed; but he refused to resign -the limits of the Alps and the Rhine, or to surrender Belgium and -particularly Antwerp. Treason secured the triumph of the Allies, -notwithstanding the victories of Arcis and St. Dizier. Hitherto the -Allies had intimated no design of interfering in the internal affairs of -France; this is proved by the _ultimatum_ of Chatillon, signed by -England, Austria, Russia, and Prussia. At length, however, some of the -returned emigrants, excited by the presence of the Austrian, Russian, -and Prussian armies, in whose ranks they had long borne arms, imagined -that the moment had arrived in which their dreams were to be realized: -some mounted the white cockade, and others displayed the cross of St. -Louis. This conduct was disapproved by the Allied Sovereigns; and it was -even censured by Wellington at Bourdeaux, though in reality he secretly -favoured all who endeavoured to raise the ensigns of the House of -Bourbon. In the transactions which detached Prussia from her alliance -with France, and bound her to Russia by the treaty of Kalisch; in the -treaty which united Austria with the coalition; in the diplomatic -proceedings, public and private, which took place down to the treaty of -Chatillon; and even in that concluded in France, in 1814, the Allies -never made any reference to the Bourbons.” - -The VIIth, VIIIth, and IXth Chapters shew that the Bourbons after their -return ought to have commenced a fifth dynasty, and not to have -endeavoured to continue the third. The first course would have rendered -all easy, the second has involved every thing in difficulty. - -The Xth Chapter closes with a passage of a few lines which forcibly -describe the magical effect of the Emperor’s return on the 20th of -March. These last chapters contain the most nervous and energetic -writing, but the applications are direct, and indeed often personal. I -have suppressed the details, because I wish not to afford any ground for -my being accused of bringing forward a hostile statement. Time, which -modifies all things, will render this work merely an historical -document, which is the only light in which I wish it to be considered -here, as well, indeed, as all works of a similar nature that I may think -it necessary to quote. I have written in France and other countries, -under different laws and circumstances, and I have always found the -liberty of the press existing for me. - -I hope to experience its influence on the present occasion, although my -subject is one of a most delicate nature. I now look forward to the -speedy termination of my voyage; the port is within sight, and I hope to -reach it safely, in spite of all the shoals I may encounter. - - MY DOMESTIC AFFAIRS.—THE EMPEROR’S VIEWS IN - HIS MUNIFICENCE. - -9th—10th. The Emperor passed a bad night. He desired me to be called -early in the morning. When I went to him, he told me that he was half -dead, that he had had no rest, and was feverish. He has continued very -ill for these two days, and has reclined almost constantly on his couch, -which in the evenings is drawn near the fire. He has been unable to eat, -and has drunk nothing but warm lemonade. I have been in continual -attendance on him during these two days; he has enjoyed a little sleep -at intervals, and the rest of the time he has spent in conversing with -me upon various subjects. He spoke of the expense of giving parties in -Paris; and, passing from that subject to my domestic affairs, he -expressed a wish that I should make him acquainted with the minutest -details on that point. - -I told him that my income had amounted only to 20,000 francs a year, -15,000 of which were derived from my own property, and 5000 from my -salary as a Councillor of State. On hearing this he exclaimed: “You must -have been mad! How could you venture to approach the Tuileries with so -straitened an income? The expenses of attending the Court were -enormous!”—“Sire,” I replied, “I contrived to keep up my dignity as well -as the rest: and yet I never solicited any thing from your Majesty.” The -Emperor observed, “I do not say you did; but you must have been ruined -in less than four or five years.”—“No, Sire,” I rejoined, “I had been an -emigrant during the greater part of my life; I had lived amidst -privations, and, with a few exceptions, I still subjected myself to -them. It is true that, in spite of all my economy, I ran through 7 or -8000 francs of my capital every year. But I calculated thus: it was well -known that every person about you must, by dint of zeal and attention to -their duties, sooner or later, attract your notice, and that he who once -gained your favour might consider his fortune made. I had still four or -five years left to try this chance; at the expiration of which, if -fortune did not smile on me, I was determined to renounce the illusions -of the world, and to retire from the capital with an income of ten or -twelve thousand livres; poor enough, to be sure, but, nevertheless, -richer than ever I had been in Paris.”—“Well,” said the Emperor, “your -scheme was not a bad one, and the moment had just arrived when you would -have been indemnified for all your losses. I was just about to do -something for you, and it was wholly your own fault that you did not -make a more rapid and brilliant fortune. I believe I have told you -before that you did not know how to avail yourself of favourable -opportunities for securing your own advancement.” - -This conversation led us to speak of the enormous sums which the Emperor -had lavished on the persons about him, and, gradually becoming animated, -he said:—“It would be difficult to estimate all that I bestowed in this -way. I might, on more than one occasion, have been accused of profusion, -and I am grieved to see that it has been of little use in any respect. -There must certainly have been some fatality on my part, or some -essential fault in the persons whom I favoured. What a difficulty was I -placed in! It cannot be believed that my extravagance was caused by -personal vanity. To act the part of an Asiatic monarch was not a thing -to my taste. I was not actuated either by vanity or caprice; every thing -was with me a matter of calculation. Though certain persons might be -favourites with me, yet I did not lavish my bounty on them merely -because I liked them: I wished to found, through them, great families, -who might form rallying-points in great national crises. The great -Officers of my Household, as well as all my Ministers, independently of -their enormous salaries, often received from me handsome -gratuities,—sometimes complete services of plate, &c. What was my object -in this profuseness? I required that they should maintain elegant -establishments, give grand dinners and brilliant balls!—And why did I -wish this? In order to amalgamate parties, to form new unions, to smooth -down old asperities, and to give a character to French society and -manners. If I conceived good ideas, they miscarried in the execution: -for instance, none of my chief Courtiers ever kept up a suitable -establishment. If they gave dinners, they invited only their party -friends; and when I attended their expensive balls, whom did I find -there? All the Court of the Tuileries: not a new face; not one of those -who were offended at the new system—those sullen malcontents, whom a -little honey would have brought back to the hive. They could not enter -into my views, or did not wish to do so. In vain I expressed -displeasure, intreated, and commanded: things still went on in the same -way. I could not be every-where at once, and they knew that;—and yet it -was affirmed that I ruled with a rod of iron. How, then, must things go -under gentle sovereigns?” - - REMOVAL OF THE EMPEROR’S BED.—ANECDOTE OF A - GASCON SOLDIER.—THE GUARDS OF THE EAGLE. - -11th.—The Emperor continued unwell. I found him very low-spirited. He -had ordered the situation of his bed to be changed—that bed, so long the -constant companion of his victories, was now a couch of sickness. He -complained that it was too small for him, that he could hardly turn -himself in it; but his chamber would not have afforded room for a longer -one. He ordered the camp-bed to be carried into his cabinet, and placed -beside a couch; so that the two combined formed a bed of tolerable size. -To what an extremity is he reduced! The Emperor stretched himself on his -sofa, and entered into conversation, which revived him a little. -Speaking of his accession to the Consulship, and of the dreadful -disorders which he found existing in all the branches of the public -service, he said that he had been compelled to adopt numerous measures -of reform, which caused a great outcry, but which had not a little -contributed to strengthen the bonds of society. These measures extended -to the army, among the officers, and even among the generals, who, he -said, had become such, Heaven knows how. Here I took the liberty to -relate an anecdote which had at one time afforded great amusement to the -circle in which I moved. One of my friends, (who was as dissatisfied -with the then existing government as I was myself,) travelling in one of -the small Versailles diligences with a soldier of the guard, maliciously -excited him to express his opinions. The man complained that every thing -went wrong, because it was required that a soldier should know how to -read and write before he could be advanced from the ranks. “So you see,” -he exclaimed, “the _tic has returned again_.”[25] This phrase pleased -us, and was often repeated among us. “Well,” observed the Emperor, “what -would your soldier have said when I created the Guards of the Eagle? -That measure would, doubtless, have re-established me in his good -opinion. I appointed two sub-officers to be the special guards of the -Eagle in every regiment, one of whom was placed on either side of the -standard; and, lest their ardour in the midst of the conflict might -cause them to lose sight of the only object which they ought to have in -view, namely, the preservation of the Eagle, they were prohibited from -using the sabre or the sword: their only arms were a few braces of -pistols; their only duty was coolly to blow out the brains of the enemy -who might attempt to lay hands on the Eagle. But, before a man could -obtain this post, he was required to prove that he could neither read -nor write, and of course you guess the reason why.” “No, Sire.” “Why, -simpleton! Every man who has received education is sure to rise in the -army, but the soldier who has not these advantages, never attains -advancement except by dint of courage and extraordinary circumstances.” - -Footnote 25: - - TIC is the French term for any bad habit. - -As I was in the humour for gossiping, I related another anecdote, which -had also produced merriment in the saloons of Paris. It was said that, a -regiment having lost its Eagle, Napoleon harangued the men on the -subject, and expressed great indignation at the dishonour they had -brought upon themselves by suffering their Eagle to be taken. “But we -tricked the enemy,” exclaimed a Gascon soldier, “they have only got the -staff, for here is the _cuckoo_ in my pocket;” and he produced the -Eagle. The Emperor laughed and said, “Well, I could not venture to -affirm that this circumstance, or something very like it, did not -actually take place. My soldiers were very much at their ease and made -very free with me; often addressing me familiarly by the pronoun -_thou_.” - -I mentioned having heard that on the eve of the battle of Jena, or some -other great engagement, as Napoleon was passing a particular station, -accompanied by a very small escort, a soldier refused to let him pass, -and, growing angry when the Emperor insisted on advancing, swore that he -should not pass even though he were the _Little Corporal_ himself. When -the soldier ascertained that it was really the Little Corporal, he was -not at all disconcerted. The Emperor observed, “That was because he felt -the conviction of having done his duty; and indeed the fact is that I -passed for a terrible tyrant in the saloons, and even among the officers -of the army, but not among the soldiers: they possessed the instinct of -truth and sympathy, they knew me to be their protector, and, in case of -need, their avenger.” - - THE EMPEROR CONTINUES UNWELL.—HORRIBLE - PROVISIONS, EXECRABLE WINE, &C. - -12th.—To-day the Emperor, although no better than he had been for some -days past, determined, as he said, to nurse himself no longer. He -dressed and repaired to the drawing-room, where he dictated, for two or -three hours, to one of his suite. He had eaten nothing for three days: -he had not yet been relieved by the crisis which he expected, and which -is usually produced by the singular regimen which he prescribes for -himself. He continued drinking warm lemonade. This circumstance led him -to inquire how long a person might live without eating, and how far -drink might supply the place of solid food. He sent for the -_Encyclopedia Britannica_, in which he met with some very curious facts: -for instance, he found that a woman had existed for fifty days without -solid food, and drinking only twice. Another instance was mentioned of a -person who had lived twenty days upon water alone. - -Somebody observed, in reference to this subject, that Charles XII., out -of pure contradiction to the opinions of those around him, had abstained -from eating for the space of five or six days, at the expiration of -which, however, he devoured a turkey and a leg of mutton, at the hazard -of bursting. Napoleon laughed at this anecdote, and assured us that he -felt no wish to run to such extremes, however attractive the model might -be in other respects. - -The Emperor played a game at piquet with Madame de Montholon. The Grand -Marshal having entered, he left off playing, and asked him how he -thought he looked. Bertrand replied, “Only rather sallow;” which was -indeed the case. The Emperor rose good-humouredly, and pursued Bertrand -into the saloon, in order to catch him by the ear, exclaiming, “Rather -sallow, indeed! Do you intend to insult me. Grand Marshal? Do you mean -to say that I am bilious, morose, atrabilarious, passionate, unjust, -tyrannical! Let me catch hold of your ear, and I will take my revenge.” - -The dinner-hour arrived, and the Emperor for some time was undecided -whether he would sit down to table with us, or dine alone in his own -room. He decided upon the latter plan, lest, as he said, he should be -tempted to imitate Charles XII. if he sat at the great table: but he -would have found it difficult to do that. He returned while we were at -dinner, and, from the scanty way in which our table was served, he said -he really pitied us, for in fact we had scarcely any thing to eat. This -circumstance induced the Emperor to resort to a painful extremity: he -instantly gave orders that a portion of his plate should be sold every -month, to supply what was necessary for our table. The worst thing -connected with our wretched dinner was the wine, which had for some days -been execrable, and had made us all unwell. We were obliged to send for -some to the camp, in the hope that that which had been furnished to us -would be changed, as we could not drink it. - -In the course of a conversation which took place respecting the wine, -the Emperor stated that he had received a great number of instructions -and directions from chemists and physicians, all of whom had concurred -in declaring that wine and coffee were the two things respecting which -it was most necessary he should be on his guard. Every professional man -had cautioned him to reject both wine and coffee if he found any -unpleasant flavour in them. Wine, in particular, he was advised to -abstain from, if he found any thing _uncommon_ in the taste of it. He -had always been in the habit of getting his wine from Chambertin, and -had therefore, seldom occasion to find fault with it; but the case is -different now, if he had refused wine whenever he found any thing -_uncommon_ in it, he must have abstained from it for a considerable time -past. - - CRITICISM ON PRINCE LUCIEN’S POEM OF - CHARLEMAGNE.—HOMER. - -13th.—The weather is very bad; and it has continued so for three weeks -or a month. The Emperor sent for me before one o’clock: he was in his -saloon; our Amphitryon had paid me a visit, and I took him to the -Emperor, who spoke to him on matters of a private and personal nature. - -Napoleon is much altered in his looks.—To-day he wished to set to work. -I sent for my son, and he went over the chapters relating to the Pope -and Tagliamento. He continued thus employed until five o’clock. He was -very low-spirited, and appeared to be suffering much; he retired, saying -he would try to eat a little. - -Two ships came within sight, one was supposed to be the Eurydice, which -was every moment expected to arrive from Europe, having touched at the -Cape: they proved to be, however, one of the Company’s ships and another -vessel that was accidentally passing the island. - -The Emperor came to us while we were at dinner; he said he had eaten -enough for four persons, and that this had quite restored him. - -He wanted something to read, and looked over his brother Lucien’s poem -of Charlemagne. He analysed the first canto, and afterwards glanced over -a few others: he then examined the subject and the plan of the work, &c. -“How much labour, ingenuity and time,” he observed, “have been thrown -away upon this book! what a wreck of judgment and taste! Here are twenty -thousand verses, some of which may be good, for aught I know; but they -are destitute of interest, design, or effect. It might have been -regarded as a compulsory task, had it been written by a professed -author. Why did not Lucien, with all his good sense, consider that -Voltaire, master as he was of the French language and the art of poetry, -failed in a similar attempt, though that attempt was made in Paris, in -the midst of the sanctuary! How could Lucien suppose it possible to -write a French poem, when living at a distance from the French capital? -How could he pretend to introduce a new metre? He has written a history -in verse, and not an epic poem. An epic poem should not be the history -of a man, but of a passion or an event. And, then, what a subject has -Lucien chosen! What barbarous names has he introduced! Does he think he -has succeeded in raising the religion which he conceived to be fallen? -Is his poem intended as a work of re-action? It certainly bears the -stamp of the soil on which it was written: it is full of prayers, -priests, the temporal authority of the Popes, &c. How could he think of -devoting twenty thousand lines to absurdities which do not belong to the -present age, to prejudices which he could not enter into, and opinions -which he could not entertain! What a misapplication of talent! He might -undoubtedly have produced something more creditable to himself; for he -possesses judgment, facility, and industry. He was in Rome amidst the -richest materials, and with the means of satisfying the deepest -research. He understands the Italian language: and, as we have no good -history of Italy, he might have written one. His talents, his situation, -his knowledge of affairs, his rank, might have enabled him to produce an -excellent classic work. It would have been a valuable acquisition to the -literary world, and would have conferred honour on its author. But what -is Charlemagne? What reputation will it gain? It will be buried in the -dust of libraries, and its author will obtain at most a few scanty and -perhaps ridiculous notices in biographical dictionaries. If Lucien could -not resist the temptation of scribbling verses, he should have prepared -a splendid manuscript, embellished with elegant designs and superb -binding, with which he might now and then have gratified the eyes of the -ladies, occasionally allowing a few quotations from it to creep into -publicity; and finally he should have left it to his heirs, with a -severe prohibition against committing it to the press. One might then -have been able to understand his taste.” - -He laid the work aside, and said: “Let us turn to the Iliad.” My son -went to fetch it, and the Emperor read a few cantos, stopping at various -passages, in order, as he said, to admire them at his ease. His -observations were copious and remarkable. He was so deeply interested in -what he read, that it was half-past twelve before he retired to rest. - - SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS.—RIDICULOUS ALLOWANCE OF - WINE.—NAPOLEON’S RETURN FROM ELBA. - -14th.—The terrible state of the weather still continued, and confined us -to our miserable huts. We are all indisposed. - -The Emperor dictated during part of the day, and he felt himself much -better. - -At dinner we had literally scarcely any thing to eat. The Governor -continued his successive reductions. The Emperor ordered some additional -provisions to be purchased and paid for out of the produce of the sale -of his plate. - -The Governor intimated that the allowance of wine should continue fixed -at one bottle for each person, the Emperor included. Will it be -credited? _One bottle for a mother and her children!_ these were the -words used in the note. - -The Emperor retired to his own apartment, and sent for me to attend him. -“I am not inclined to sleep,” said he, “and I sent for you to help me to -keep my vigil; let us have a little chat together.” The turn of the -conversation led us to speak of the Island of Elba, of the Emperor’s -occupations, sensations, and opinions while he continued there; finally, -his return to France, and the brilliant success which attended him, and -which, he said, he never for a moment doubted. Many observations were -repeated, which I have already noted down at different times. At one -moment he said: “They may explain this as they will: but I assure you, I -never entertained any direct or personal hatred of those whose power I -subverted. To me it was merely a political contest: I was astonished -myself to find my heart free from animosity, and, I may add, animated by -good will towards my enemies. You saw how I released the Duke -d’Angoulême; and I would have done the same by the King, and even have -granted him an asylum of his own choosing. The triumph of the cause in -no way depended on his person, and I respected his age and his -misfortunes. Perhaps also I felt grateful for a certain degree of -consideration which he in particular had observed towards me. It is true -that, at the moment to which I am now alluding, he had, I believe, -outlawed me and set a price upon my head; but I looked upon all this as -belonging to the _manifesto style_. The same kind of denunciations were -also issued by the Austrian government, without, however, giving me much -uneasiness; though I must confess that my dear father-in-law was rather -too hard with the husband of his beloved daughter.” - -Since I have once more had occasion to mention the Emperor’s return from -the Island of Elba, this is, perhaps, the proper place to fulfil the -promise I have made of giving a narrative of the circumstances connected -with that extraordinary event. I here combine together the statements -that fell from him at different times. - -Napoleon was residing at the Island of Elba, on the faith of treaties, -when he learned that at the Congress of Vienna some idea was entertained -of transporting him from Europe. None of the articles of the treaty of -Fontainebleau were fulfilled. The public papers informed him of the -state of feeling in France, and he accordingly formed his determination. -He kept the secret until the last moment;[26] and, under one pretence or -another, means were found for making the requisite preparations. It was -not until they were all on board that the troops first conceived a -suspicion of the Emperor’s purpose: a thousand or twelve hundred men had -set sail to regain possession of an empire containing a population of -thirty millions! - -Footnote 26: - - I must take this opportunity of correcting an error which has - occasioned considerable pain to an individual whom I greatly esteem. - In a former part of this Journal it is mentioned that, _eight days_ - before the Emperor quitted Elba, General Drouot communicated his - intentions to the Princess Borghesse, &c. General Drouot, however, - affirms that he was not honoured with the Emperor’s confidence until - the _very last moment_, and that consequently he could not have - divulged the secret at the time alluded to. General Drouot must of all - others be the best informed, as well as most interested, with regard - to these facts: for my own part I have only to observe, that, in this - instance, I merely noted down a current report, which was repeated - without any ill design, and which had never been contradicted. - -There were nearly five or six hundred men on board the brig in which -Napoleon embarked; this was, he said, the crew of a seventy-four. They -fell in with a French brig of war, which they spoke. It was asserted -that the captain of the French brig recognised them, and at parting -cried out three times, “A good voyage to you!” At all events, the -officer who commanded the Emperor’s vessel, proposed to pursue and -capture the brig. The Emperor rejected the idea as absurd; such a -proceeding could only have been excusable, had necessity demanded it. -“Why,” said he, “should I introduce this new incident into my plan? What -advantage should I derive from its success? To what risks would its -failure expose me!” - -After the check they experienced on landing, by the capture of twenty -men who had been sent to summon Antibes, a variety of opinions was -advanced, and urged with some warmth. Some proposed that they should -make immediately an attack and carry Antibes, in order to obviate the -evil consequences which might ensue from the resistance of that place -and the imprisonment of the twenty men. The Emperor replied that the -taking of Antibes would be no step towards the conquest of France; that, -during the brief interval that would be occupied in the execution of -that project, a general alarm would be raised throughout the country; -and that obstacles would be opposed to them in the only course which it -was expedient they should pursue. He added that time was valuable; and -that the ill consequences of the affair of Antibes might be effectually -obviated by marching forward with sufficient speed to anticipate the -news. An officer of the guard indirectly hinted that it was not right -thus to abandon the twenty men who had been made prisoners; but the -Emperor merely observed that he had formed a poor idea of the magnitude -of the enterprise; that, if half of his followers were in the same -situation, he would not scruple to abandon them in the same manner; and -that if they were all made prisoners, he would march forward alone.[27] - -Footnote 27: - - It must not, however, be supposed that he shewed any unfeeling - disregard of these men; for he directed the war commissioner, Charles - Vautier, who was with him, to repair with all haste to Antibes, and to - release the prisoners by attempting to take the garrison. When Vautier - set out, he several times called after him: “Take care you do not get - yourself made prisoner too.” - -A few hours before nightfall he landed at the gulf of Juan, where he -bivouacked. Soon after, a postilion in splendid livery was conducted to -him. It turned out that this man had formerly been in the Imperial -household. He had been a domestic of the Empress Josephine’s, and was -now in the service of the Prince of Monaco, who himself had been equerry -to the Empress. The postilion, on being questioned by the Emperor, -informed him, after expressing his great astonishment at finding him -there, that he had just come from Paris, and that he was sure he would -every where be joyfully greeted. He affirmed that all along the road, as -far as Avignon, he had heard nothing but regret for the Emperor’s -absence; that his name was publicly in every mouth, and that, when once -fairly through Provence, he would find the whole population ready to -rally round him. The man added, that his splendid livery had frequently -rendered him the object of odium and insult. This was the testimony of -one of the common class of society: it was very gratifying to the -Emperor, and entirely corresponded with his expectations. The Prince of -Monaco himself, on being presented to Napoleon, was less explicit. -Napoleon refrained from questioning him on political matters: there were -persons present, and he did not wish to incur the risk of eliciting any -detail which might create unfavourable impressions on those about him. -The conversation therefore assumed a lively character, and turned -entirely on the ladies of the Imperial court of the Tuileries, -concerning whom Napoleon made the minutest inquiries. - -As soon as the moon had risen, which was about one or two o’clock in the -morning, the bivouack broke up, and Napoleon gave orders for proceeding -to Grasse. There he expected to find a road which he had ordered during -the Empire. However, the design had not been executed, and he was -reduced to the necessity of passing through narrow defiles filled with -snow. He therefore left behind him, in the charge of the municipality of -Grasse, his carriage and two pieces of cannon, which had been brought -ashore: this was termed a capture in the bulletins of the time. - -The municipality of Grasse was devoted to the royalist party; but the -sudden appearance of the Emperor afforded little time for hesitation, -and they came to make their submission to him. The Emperor, having -passed through the town, halted on a little height at some distance -beyond it, where he breakfasted. He was soon surrounded by the whole -population of the town: and went through this multitude as though he had -been in the midst of his Court circle at the Tuileries. He heard the -same sentiments and the same prayers as before he quitted France. One -complained of not having received his pension, another solicited an -addition to his allowance, a third represented that his cross of the -legion of honour had been withheld from him, a fourth prayed for -promotion, &c. A number of petitions had already been drawn up and were -presented to him, just as though he had come from Paris, and was making -a tour through the departments. - -Some enthusiastic patriots, who were well acquainted with the state of -affairs, secretly informed Napoleon that the authorities of the place -were very hostile, but that the mass of the people were devoted to him, -and that they only waited until his back should be turned, in order to -rid themselves of the miscreants. “Be not too hasty,” said the Emperor. -“Let them have the mortification of seeing our triumph, without having -any thing to reproach us with. Be tranquil and prudent.” - -The Emperor advanced with the rapidity of lightning. “Victory,” said he, -“depended on my speed. To me France was in Grenoble. This place was an -hundred leagues distant, but I and my companions reached it in five -days,[28] and by what roads and what weather! I entered the city just as -the Count d’Artois, warned by the telegraph, was quitting the -Tuileries.” - -Footnote 28: - - March 1st. The Emperor landed at Cannes, at the Gulf of Juan. - - 2d. Entered Grasse. - - 3d. Slept at Barême. - - 4th. Dined at Digne, and slept at Maligeai. - - 5th. Slept at Gap. - - 6th. Slept at Corps, and a little beyond the town on the following - day, the Emperor harangued and rallied the troops of the 5th. A few - hours afterwards he was joined by Labédoyère, at the head of the 7th. - - 7th. Arrived at Grenoble and halted. - - 9th. Slept at Bourgouin. - - 10th. Reached Lyons, where he remained three days. - - 13th. Slept at Macon. Ney’s famous proclamation issued. - - 14th. Slept at Chalons. - - 15th. Slept at Autun. - - 16th. At Avalon. - - 17th. At Auxeres, where he remained for a day, and was joined by the - Prince of the Moskowa. - - 20th. Arrived at Fontainebleau, at four in the morning, and entered - the Tuileries at nine in the evening. - -Napoleon himself was so perfectly convinced of the state of affairs, and -of popular sentiment, that he knew his success in no way depended on the -force which he might bring with him. A piquet of gendarmerie, he said, -was all that was necessary. Every thing turned out as he had calculated: -“Victory advanced _au pas de charge_, and the national Eagle flew from -steeple to steeple, till at length it perched on the towers of Notre -Dame.” The Emperor, however, admitted that at first he was not without -some degree of alarm and uncertainty. As he advanced, it is true, the -whole population enthusiastically declared themselves in his favour; but -he saw no soldiers: they were all carefully removed from the places -through which he passed. It was not until he was between Mure and -Vizille, within five or six leagues of Grenoble, and on the fifth day -after his embarkation, that he met the first battalion. The commanding -officer refused even to parley. The Emperor, without hesitation, -advanced alone, and one hundred of his grenadiers marched at some -distance from him, with their arms reversed. The sight of Napoleon, his -costume, and in particular his grey military great coat, produced a -magical effect on the soldiers, and they stood motionless. Napoleon went -straight up to a veteran, whose arm was covered with _chevrons_, and -very unceremoniously seizing him by the whisker, asked him whether he -would have the heart to kill his Emperor. The soldier, his eyes -moistened with tears, immediately thrust the ramrod into his musquet, to -shew that it was not loaded, and exclaimed, “See, I could not have done -thee any harm: all the others are the same.” Cries of _Vive l’Empereur!_ -resounded on every side. Napoleon ordered the battalion to make half a -turn to the right, and all marched on to Paris. - -At a little distance from Grenoble, Colonel Labédoyère, at the head of -his regiment, came to join the Emperor. The impulse was then confirmed, -and the question was nearly decided. - -The peasantry of Dauphiny lined the road-sides: they were transported -and mad with joy. The first battalion, which has just been alluded to, -still shewed some signs of hesitation; but thousands crowded on its -rear, and by their shouts of _Vive l’Empereur!_ endeavoured to urge the -troops to decision; while others, who were in Napoleon’s rear, excited -his little troop to advance, declaring that no harm whatever would be -done to it. - -In a valley through which they passed, a very affecting spectacle -presented itself: many communes were assembled together, accompanied by -their mayors and curates. Amidst the multitude was observed a handsome -young man, a grenadier of the Guard, who had been missing since the time -of Napoleon’s landing, and whose disappearance had given rise to -suspicion. He now advanced and threw himself at the Emperor’s feet: the -tears glistened in his eyes, and he supported in his arms an old man of -ninety, whom he presented to the Emperor:—this was his father, in quest -of whom he had set off as soon as he landed in France. The Emperor, -after his arrival at the Tuileries, ordered a picture of this -circumstance to be painted. - -It was night when Napoleon arrived before the walls of Grenoble: his -promptitude defeated all the measures that were to have been taken to -oppose him. There was no time to cut down the bridges, nor even to put -the troops in motion. He found the gates of the city closed, and the -colonel commanding the fortress refused to open them. “A peculiar -circumstance attending this extraordinary revolution,” said the Emperor, -“was that the soldiers were not deficient, to a certain degree, in -discipline and obedience to their commanding officers: their only -resistance was by inert force, of which they availed themselves as of a -right.” Thus the first battalion performed all the movements that were -ordered, retired and refused to communicate; but the men did not load -their guns, and they would not have fired. When Napoleon arrived before -Grenoble, the whole garrison, assembled on the ramparts, shouted _Vive -l’Empereur!_ They shook hands with Napoleon’s followers, through the -wickets; but they would not open the gates, because the commander had -forbidden them to do so. The Emperor found it necessary to force the -gates; and this was done under the mouths of ten pieces of artillery on -the ramparts, loaded with grape-shot. To complete this union of singular -circumstances, the commander of the first battalion and the colonel, who -had so openly opposed the Emperor, when asked by him whether he could -depend on them, replied that he could;—that their troops had deserted -them, but that they would never desert their troops; and that, since the -men had declared themselves for Napoleon, they also would be faithful to -him. The Emperor retained these officers in his service. - -In none of his battles did Napoleon ever imagine himself to be in so -much danger as at his entrance into Grenoble. The soldiers seemed to -turn upon him with furious gestures; for a moment it might have been -supposed that they were about to tear him in pieces. But these were -merely transports of love and joy. The Emperor and his horse were both -borne along by the multitude; and he had scarcely time to breathe in the -inn where he alighted, when an increased tumult was heard in the -streets: the inhabitants of Grenoble came to offer him the gates of the -city, since they could not present him with the keys. - -“Being once established in Grenoble,” said the Emperor, “and having -attained a positive power, I could have maintained hostilities had it -been necessary to do so.” - -Napoleon, at this time, very much regretted not having got his -proclamations printed at the Island of Elba; but of course this could -not have been done without the risk of promulgating his secret designs. -He dictated his proclamations on board the brig, where every man who -could write was employed in copying them. It was found necessary to -transcribe them over again during the Emperor’s march to Paris, that -they might be circulated on the road, so eager was the demand for them. -They were then very scarce, often incorrect and even illegible; and yet -the necessity of promulgating them was felt at every step, for wherever -they were read they produced an immediate and powerful sensation. The -events of the last twenty years have contributed in a high degree to -enlighten the mass of the people, for, notwithstanding the joy they felt -at the Emperor’s return, they eagerly enquired what was his object. All -were satisfied with the national sentiments contained in the -proclamations; and the utmost joy was evinced when it was understood -that Napoleon had brought no foreign troops with him. His advance had -been so rapid and his movements so unexpected, that a thousand reports -had been circulated respecting the amount and nature of his forces. It -was said that he was accompanied by Neapolitans, Austrians, and even -Turks. - -From Grenoble to Paris, Napoleon may be said to have made a triumphal -march. During the four days of his stay at Lyons, there were continually -upwards of twenty thousand persons assembled before his windows, and -their acclamations were incessant. It would never have been supposed -that the Emperor had for a moment been separated from his subjects. He -signed decrees, issued orders, reviewed troops, &c.; all military corps, -all public bodies, all classes of the citizens, eagerly came forward to -offer him their homage and demonstrate their attachment. Even the -national horse guards, a corps composed of men who had shewn themselves -most ardent in the Royalist cause, solicited the honour of forming his -escort; but these were the only persons whom the Emperor treated with -coldness. “Gentlemen,” said he, “I thank you for this offer of your -services; but your conduct towards the Count d’Artois sufficiently -proves how you would act by me, were fortune to forsake me. I will not -subject you to this new trial.” On quitting Lyons, the Count d’Artois, -it is said, found only one of the guards willing to follow him to Paris. -The Emperor, whose heart was so keenly alive to every generous -sentiment, on hearing of the fidelity of this volunteer, ordered the -decoration of the legion of honour to be presented to him. - -At Lyons, Napoleon issued orders, through the medium of proclamations, -with all that precision, firmness, and confidence, which usually attend -established and uninterrupted power. His conduct indicated no trace of -the terrible reverses he had so lately sustained, or the great risks he -had yet to encounter. If it were possible to mention every circumstance, -that took place, I could relate a very pleasant private anecdote -indicative of the calmness of mind evinced by Napoleon, during the great -crisis which was about to change the face of France and to rouse all -Europe. - -As soon as the Emperor quitted Lyons, he wrote to inform Ney, who, with -his army, was at Lons-le-Saunier, that he must immediately march with -his forces to join him. Ney, amidst the general confusion, abandoned by -his troops, confounded by the Emperor’s proclamations, the addresses of -Dauphiny, and the defection of the garrison of Lyons, overpowered by the -enthusiasm of the people of the surrounding provinces—Ney, the child of -the Revolution, yielded to the general impulse, and issued his famous -order of the day. But the recollection of the events of Fontainebleau -induced him to write to the Emperor, informing him that, in his recent -conduct he had been guided principally by a view to the interests of his -country; and that, convinced he must have forfeited all claim to -Napoleon’s confidence, he solicited permission to retire from the -service. The Emperor again wrote, desiring that he would immediately -come and join him, and that he would receive him as he had done the day -after the battle of the Moscowa. Ney, on presenting himself before the -Emperor, was much embarrassed; and repeated that, if he had lost his -confidence, he asked for nothing but to be reduced to the rank of one of -his grenadiers. “Certainly,” said the Emperor, “he had behaved very ill -to me; but how could I forget his brilliant courage, and the many acts -of heroism that had distinguished his past life! I rushed forward to -embrace him, calling him the ‘_bravest of the brave_’—and from that -moment we were reconciled.” - -The Emperor went nearly post haste all the way from Lyons to Paris. He -no where experienced opposition, and no fighting took place. Literally -his presence produced merely a theatrical change of scene. His advanced -guard was composed of the troops which happened to be before him on the -road, and to which couriers were sent forward. Thus Napoleon entered -Paris, escorted by the very troops who in the morning had been sent out -to oppose him. A regiment posted at Montereau spontaneously crossed the -bridge, repaired to Melun, and charged a party of the body guards who -were stationed at the latter place: this circumstance, it is said, -occasioned the sudden departure of the Royal family. - -The Emperor frequently told us that, if he had chosen, he might have -brought with him to Paris two millions of peasants. On his approach the -people every where rose in a mass; and he often repeats that there were -no conspirators excepting opinion. - -On the day after Napoleon’s arrival at the Tuileries, some one having -remarked to him that his life was a succession of prodigies, but that -the last surpassed all the rest, I heard him say in reply, that his only -merit, in this instance, consisted in having formed a just opinion of -the state of affairs in France, and in having been able to penetrate -into the hearts of Frenchmen. At another time he said to us, when -conversing on this subject: “If I except Labédoyère, who flew to me with -enthusiasm and affection, and another individual who freely rendered me -important services, nearly all the other generals whom I met on my route -evinced hesitation and uncertainty: they yielded only to the impulse of -their troops, if indeed they did not manifest a hostile feeling towards -me. - -“It is now clear to every one,” said he, “that Ney quitted Paris quite -devoted to the King, and that if he turned against him a few days -afterwards, it was because he thought he could not do otherwise. - -“I was so far from relying at all on Massena that, on my landing in -France, I felt it necessary to get past him with all speed; and on my -asking him some time after, at Paris, how he would have acted, had I not -left Provence so precipitately as I did, he was frank enough to reply -that he should feel some embarrassment in answering me; but that the -course I had pursued was, at all events, the safest, and the best. - -“Saint-Cyr found himself in danger by attempting to restrain the -soldiers under his command. - -“Soult confessed to me that he had conceived a sincere regard for the -King, so much did he admire his government; and he would not return to -my service until after the _Champ de Mai_. - -“Macdonald never made his appearance, and the Duke of Belluno followed -the King to Ghent. Thus,” said he, “if the Bourbons have reason to -complain of the complete desertion of the soldiers and the people, they -certainly have no right to reproach with infidelity the chiefs of the -army, those pupils or even leaders of the Revolution, who, in spite of -twenty-five years’ experience, proved themselves, in this instance, mere -children in politics. They could neither be looked upon as emigrants nor -patriots!” - -Napoleon seemed instinctively attached to his grand principle of acting -only on masses and by masses. Both at the commencement of the -enterprise, and after his landing in France, he was repeatedly urged to -treat with some of the authorities, but he constantly returned the same -excellent answer: “If I still hold a place in the hearts of the people, -I need concern myself but little about persons in authority, and if I -could only rely on the latter, what service could they render me in -opposing the great mass?” - -The following fact will shew how little communication Napoleon had -maintained with the capital. On the morning of his entry into Paris, -after his return from the Isle of Elba, a hundred and fifty half-pay -officers quitted St. Denis, where they had been stationed by the -Princes, and marched to the capital, bringing with them four pieces of -artillery. They were met on the road by some generals, who placed -themselves at their head; and the little troop thus proceeded to the -palace of the Tuileries, where they assembled together the heads of the -different departments of the ministry, who all agreed to act in the name -of the Emperor. Thus Paris was tranquilly governed that day by the -torrent of opinion and the transport of private affections. None of the -great partisans of the Emperor, none of his former ministers, having -received any communication from him, dared sign an order, or assume any -responsibility. The public papers would not have appeared next day but -for the zeal of private individuals, who, spontaneously and without -authority, filled them with expressions of the feelings by which they -were animated, and with the statements of passing events. In the same -manner Lavalette took possession of the post-office. Paris was that day -without police and without government, and yet never did greater -tranquillity prevail in the capital. - -The Emperor entered the Tuileries about nine o’clock in the evening, -with an escort of a hundred horse, just as if he had come from one of -his country residences. On alighting, he was almost squeezed to death by -a crowd of military officers and citizens, who thronged around him, and -fairly carried him in their arms into his saloon. Here he found dinner -ready, and he was just sitting down to table, when the officer who had -been despatched in the morning to Vincennes to summon the fortress, -arrived. He brought intelligence of the capitulation of the commandant, -whose only conditions were, that he should receive a passport for -himself and his family. - -It is a very singular circumstance that, on the morning after the -Emperor’s arrival at the Tuileries, while a messenger had gone out to -procure a tri-coloured flag, one was found at the pavilion Marsan, -during the search that was made, as a matter of prudence, through the -palace. This flag was immediately hoisted. It was quite new, and larger -than the usual size. No one could guess how it had got into the -Tuileries, and for what purpose it had been intended. - -In fact, the more light there is thrown on the subject, the more evident -it must be that there was no other conspiracy than that of the nature of -things. Party-spirit alone can seek in the present age to raise a doubt -on this point; history will have none. - -[Illustration: - - THE RETURN FROM ELBA. - - London: Published for HENRY COLBURN, December, 1835. -] - -A few days after Napoleon’s removal to Longwood, his return from Elba -became the subject of conversation among the officers who were presented -to him, when one of them observed that that astonishing event presented -to the eyes of Europe the contrast of all that was most feeble and most -sublime, the Bourbons abandoning a monarchy, and flying on the approach -of a single man, who by his own individual efforts boldly undertook the -conquest of an empire. “Sir,” said the Emperor, “are mistaken, you have -taken a wrong view of the matter. The Bourbons were not wanting in -courage; they did all they could. The Count d’Artois flew to Lyons; the -Duchess d’Angoulême proved herself an amazon in Bourdeaux, and the Duke -d’Angoulême offered as much resistance as he could. If, in spite of all -this, they could attain no satisfactory object, the fault must not be -attributed to them, but to the force of circumstances. The Bourbons, -individually, could do no more than they really did; the contagion had -spread in every direction.” - - POEM OF CHARLEMAGNE.—THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS - OF THE EMPEROR WHO HAVE BECOME AUTHORS. - -15th.—To-day the Emperor took advantage of a short, interval of fine -weather to walk to the Company’s garden. I was alone with him, I made -certain representations to him, after which, I ventured to suggest some -ideas, but he rejected them as absurd. “Go, my dear Las Cases,” said he; -“you are a _simpleton_. But be not offended at the epithet,” he added, -“I do not apply it to every one; with me it is nearly synonymous with an -honest man.” - -After dinner, the Emperor attempted to read a part of the poem of -Charlemagne, which he had taken up yesterday evening, and again laid -aside. This evening, like the two preceding, was divided between -Charlemagne and Homer. The latter the Emperor said he read for the sake -of recruiting his spirits, and he again resumed his censure of Prince -Lucien, and his admiration of Homer. - -Some one present informed the Emperor that Lucien had ready for the -press another poem, similar to his Charlemagne, to be entitled “Charles -Martel in Corsica.” It was added that he had likewise written a dozen -tragedies. “Why, the devil’s in him,” exclaimed the Emperor. - -He was then informed that his brother Louis was the author of a novel. -“His work may possess spirit and grace,” said he, “but it will not be -without a mixture of sentimental metaphysics, and philosophic -absurdity.” - -It was mentioned that Princess Eliza had likewise written a novel, and -that even Princess Pauline had produced something in literature. “Yes,” -said the Emperor, “as a heroine perhaps, but not as an authoress. At -that rate,” continued he “all my brothers and sisters must be authors, -except Caroline. The latter, indeed, in her childhood was regarded as -the fool and the Cinderella of the family; but she grew up to be a very -beautiful and a very clever woman.” - - WANT OF PROVISIONS.—GAY SOPHISTRY.—ON IMPOSSIBILITIES. - -16th.—In the morning, my servant came to tell me that there was neither -coffee, sugar, milk, nor bread, for breakfast. Yesterday, some hours -before dinner, feeling hungry, I asked for a mouthful of bread, and was -told that there was none for me. Thus we are denied the very necessaries -of life. This fact will scarcely be credited, and yet I have stated -nothing but the truth. - -The weather has now become fine. For some time the Emperor has been -unable to walk out; but to-day he went into the garden, and he -afterwards ordered the calash, with the intention of taking his usual -drive, which had been so long suspended. As we were walking about, -Madame de Montholon drove away a dog that had come near her.—“You do not -like dogs, Madam?” said the Emperor,—“No, Sire.”—“If you do not like -dogs, you do not like fidelity; you do not like those who are attached -to you; and, therefore, you are not faithful.”—“But ... but....” said -she—“But ... but....” repeated the Emperor, “where is the error of my -logic? Refute my arguments if you can!” - -One of the suite having a few days ago proposed making some chemical -experiments, the Emperor enquired whether he had been successful. The -other complained of not having the necessary apparatus. “A true child of -the Seine,” said Napoleon, “an absolute Parisian cockney! Do you think -you are still at the Tuileries? True industry does not consist in -executing by known and given means; the proof of art and genius is to -accomplish an object in spite of difficulties, and to find little or no -_impossibility_. But what do you complain of? The want of a pestle, when -the bar of any chair might answer your purpose? The want of a mortar? -Any thing is a mortar that you choose to convert to that use; this table -is a mortar; any pot or kettle is a mortar. Do you think you are still -in the Rue Saint-Honoré, amidst all the shops in Paris?” - -The Grand Marshal here remarked that this circumstance reminded him of -something that had occurred the first time he had the honour of being -presented to Napoleon, and of the first words he had received from him. -When Bertrand was about to leave the army of Italy, to proceed on a -mission to Constantinople, the young General, perceiving that he was an -officer of engineers, gave him a commission relative to that department. -“On my return,” said Bertrand, “I came up with you at a short distance -from head quarters, and I informed you that I had found the thing -impossible. On this your Majesty, whom I had addressed with great -diffidence, said with the most familiar air—‘But let us see how you set -to work, Sir: that which you found impossible may not be so to me.’ -Accordingly,” continued Bertrand, “when I mentioned the means by which I -had proposed to execute what your Majesty wished, you immediately -substituted others. In a few moments I was perfectly convinced of the -superiority of your Majesty’s plans; and this circumstance furnished me -with sentiments and recollections which have since proved very useful to -me.” - -The Emperor retired to rest early. We observed that he is very much -altered in his looks, particularly since his last illness. He grows very -weak, and feels fatigued after two turns round the garden. - - STATISTICAL CALCULATION.—POPULATION OF THE - ISRAELITES IN EGYPT. - -17th—18th. The fine weather has now completely set in. The Emperor went -into the garden, attended by all his suite. After walking about for a -short time, he proceeded to the wood. - -On his return from his walk, we all breakfasted together under the tent; -and, the weather being very favourable, the Emperor expressed his wish -to take a drive in the calash. - -About five o’clock, he desired me to attend him in his closet, to assist -in searching for some documents on the interior of Africa, bordering -upon Egypt. This is a point on which he has been engaged for some days -past, as he intends to make it the subject of some chapters in his -Campaign of Egypt. - -He complained of being unwell, and desired me to order some tea for him. -This was something extraordinary. The Grand Marshal soon after came to -take my place in writing from his dictation. - -After dinner, the Emperor was engaged with the pen in his hand, in -investigating the comparative production of the soils of Egypt and -France. He found the production of France to be greatly inferior to that -of Egypt. This calculation was made from Peuchet’s “Statistical Surveys -of France.” The Emperor was satisfied with the result at which he had -arrived; it corresponded with the opinion he had previously formed. This -naturally gave rise to the consideration of several other subjects; for -instance, what was the probable and possible population of Egypt in -ancient times?—what might have been the population of the Israelites, -if, during the short period that they remained in captivity, they had -increased to the degree mentioned in Scripture? &c. The Emperor desired -me to present to him next day something on this latter subject. A great -deal was said on the probabilities of human life, the tables of which -were also found in Peuchet’s work; and on this subject the Emperor made -some very ingenious, novel, and striking remarks. - -I presented to the Emperor the calculation I had made on the problem -which he had given to me the preceding day. The result surprised him not -a little; and it furnished a subject for considerable discussion. The -following is the substance of what I presented to him. - -The Israelites remained two hundred years in Egypt, during which time we -may calculate ten generations. They married early, and their marriages -were very fruitful. I supposed the children of Jacob, the twelve chiefs -of tribes, to be all married; I also supposed each of them to have had -the same number of children, or six couples, and so on in succession. -The tenth generation would then have amounted to 2,480,064,704 persons. -But the ninth generation and even the eighth was still in existence. -Hence what an awful number of figures. At any rate, let an ample -deduction be made from the number of children, for the mortality -occasioned by accidents, disease, &c., and still it is very certain that -no calculation can be brought forward to contradict the account of -Moses. The Emperor amused himself for a considerable time in detecting -and shewing the errors of my reasoning. - -During dinner, he exercised himself in English, by asking my son -questions in that language, in history and geometry. After dinner the -Emperor took up the Odyssey, the reading of which afforded a treat to us -all. - - THE EMPEROR ALTERS VISIBLY, AND LOSES HIS - STRENGTH.—SALE OF HIS PLATE. - -19th.—Napoleon spent the morning in collecting information on the -sources of the Nile, from the works of several modern authors, Bruce, -&c.... I assisted him in this labour. At three o’clock, he dressed and -went out. The weather was tolerably fine. He ordered the calash, and -then went into the wood on foot, and we walked till we came within sight -of the Signal Hill. He conversed with me on our moral position, and the -vexations which even circumstances arising from our intimacy with him -could not fail to cause him. The calash came up with us, and Monsieur -and Madame Montholon were in it. The Emperor was very glad of this, as -he said he did not feel strong enough to walk back to the house. He -evidently grows feeble, his step becomes heavy and lagging, and his -features alter. His resemblance to his brother Joseph is now striking; -so much so, that, on going to meet him the other day in the garden, I -could have sworn it was Joseph, until the very moment when I came close -to him. Others have remarked the likeness, as well as myself; and we -have often said, that, if we believed in the _second sight_ of the -Scotch Highlanders, we should be inclined to expect that something -extraordinary would happen to Joseph or to the Emperor. - -On our return, the Emperor examined a large basket full of broken plate, -which was to be sent next day to the town. This was to be for the future -the indispensable complement for our monthly subsistence, in consequence -of the late retrenchments of the Governor. - -We knew that captains in the East India Company’s service had offered as -much as a hundred guineas for a single plate. This circumstance induced -the Emperor to order the arms to be erased and the pieces to be broken, -so as to leave no trace of the plate having belonged to him. All the -dish covers were topped with small massive eagles; these were the only -things he wished to save, and he had them put by. These last fragments -were the objects of the wishes of every one of us; we looked upon them -as relics. There was something religious, and at the same time mournful, -in this feeling. - -When the moment came for breaking up this plate, it had produced a most -painful emotion and real grief amongst the servants. They could not -without the greatest reluctance, bring themselves to apply the hammer to -these objects of their veneration. This act upset all their ideas; it -was to them a sacrilege, a desolation. Some of them shed tears on the -occasion. After dinner, the Emperor continued the Odyssey, and -afterwards read some passages of Esmenard’s poem, “La Navigation,” which -he was pleased with. - - FRESH VEXATION FROM THE GOVERNOR.—TOPOGRAPHY - OF ITALY. - -20th.—The Emperor sent to wake me before eight o’clock, desiring that I -should join him with the calash in the wood, where he was already -walking with M. de Montholon, conversing about the household expenses of -the establishment. The weather had at last become fine once more, it was -like a delightful spring morning. We took two turns. - -We have experienced to-day a fresh and inconceivable vexation from the -Governor. He has forbidden us to sell our plate, when broken up, to any -other person than the one he should appoint. What can have been his -intention in committing this new act of injustice? To make himself more -obnoxious, and to give another instance of the abuse of authority. - -The Emperor breakfasted under the tent; immediately afterwards, he -dictated the account of the Battle of Marengo to General Gourgaud. He -bade me remain with them and listen. About twelve o’clock he retired to -his apartment to endeavour to rest himself. - -Towards three o’clock, the Emperor came into my room again. He found my -son and myself engaged in comparing and looking over the account of the -Battle of Arcole. He knew that it was my favourite chapter, and that I -called it a canto of the Iliad. He wished to read it again, and -expressed himself also pleased with it. - -The perusal of this account of Arcole awakened the Emperor’s ideas -respecting what he called “that beautiful theatre, Italy.” He ordered us -to follow him into the drawing-room, where he dictated to us for several -hours. He had caused his immense map of Italy, which covered the -greatest part of the drawing-room, to be spread open on the floor, and -having laid himself down upon it, he went over it on his hands and his -knees, with a compass and a red pencil in his hand, comparing and -measuring the distance with a long piece of string, of which one of us -held one of the ends. “It is thus,” said he to me, laughing at the -posture in which I saw him, “that a country should be measured in order -to form a correct idea of it, and lay down a good plan of a campaign.” - -THE CELEBRATED BILLS OF ST. DOMINGO.—INSPECTORS OF THE REVIEWS, - &C.—PLANS OF ADMINISTRATION, &C.—GAUDIN, MOLLIEN, DEFERMONT, LACUEE, - &C.—MINISTER OF THE TREASURY.—MINISTER SECRETARY OF STATE.—IMPORTANCE - OF THEIR FUNCTIONS. - -21st.—Admiral Malcolm called upon me to-day. He came to take leave of us -all; he was to sail the next day for the Cape, and would be two months -absent. - -We are sorry to lose the Admiral; his manners, always polite, and a kind -of tacit sympathy existing between us, contrast him continually in our -mind with Sir Hudson Lowe, who is so unlike him. - -The Admiral had seen the Emperor, who is also partial to him. They had -taken together some turns in the garden, and the Admiral told me had -collected some excellent information respecting the Scheldt and the -Nievendip, a maritime establishment in Holland which was entirely -unknown to him, and which was founded by Napoleon. - -After dinner, the conversation turned upon what the Emperor termed the -celebrated bills of St. Domingo. It gave rise to the following curious -details.—“The administrator of St. Domingo,” said the Emperor, “took it -into his head one day to draw from the Cape, without authority, for the -sum of sixty millions, in bills, on the treasury in Paris, which bills -were all payable on the same day. France was not then, and had, perhaps, -never been, rich enough to meet such a demand. Besides, where and by -what means had the administration of St. Domingo acquired such a credit? -The First Consul could not command any thing like it in Paris; it was as -much as M. Necker could have done at the time of his greatest -popularity. Be that as it may, when these bills appeared in Paris, where -they arrived before the letters of advice, the First Consul was applied -to from the treasury, to point out what was to be done. ‘Wait for the -letters of advice,’ said he, ‘in order to learn the nature of the -transaction. The treasury is like a capitalist; it possesses the same -rights, and should follow the same course. These bills are not accepted, -they are, consequently, not payable.’ However, the necessary -information, and the vouchers, arrived. These bills stated value -received, but the receipts of the officers in charge of the chest, into -whose hands the money had been paid, were for only one tenth, one fifth, -one third of the amount of the respective bills. The treasury, -therefore, would only acknowledge and refund the sum really and _bona -fide_ paid; and the bills in their tenour were declared to be false. -This raised a great clamour, and produced a terrible agitation amongst -the merchants. A deputation waited upon the First Consul, who, far from -endeavouring to avoid it, opened the business at once, and asked -‘whether they took him for a child, whether they thought he would sport -thus with the purest blood of the people, or that he was so indifferent -a guardian of the public interest? What he refused to give up,’ he said, -‘did not affect him personally, did not trench upon his civil list, but -it was public property, of which he was the guardian, and which was the -more sacred in his eyes on that account.’ Then, addressing the two -persons at the head of the deputation, he said: ‘You, gentlemen, who are -merchants, bankers, men of business, give me a positive answer. If one -of your agents abroad were to draw upon you for very large sums contrary -to your expectations and to your interests, would you accept, would you -pay his bills?’ They were obliged to admit they would not. ‘Then,’ said -the First Consul, ‘you, who are simple proprietors, and in the right of -your majority responsible for your own actions only, you would wish to -possess a right which you refuse to allow to me, proprietor in the name -of all, and who am in that quality always a minor and subject to -revision! No, gentlemen, I shall enjoy your privileges in the name and -for the benefit of all; the actual amount received for your bills shall -be repaid you and no more. I do not ask the merchants to take the bills -of my agents: it is an honour, a mark of credit, to which I do not -aspire; if the merchants do take them, it must be at their own risk and -peril; I only acknowledge and consider as sacred the acceptance of my -Minister of the Treasury.’ Upon this they again expostulated, and a -great deal of idle talk ensued. They should be obliged, they said, to -declare themselves bankrupts; they had received these bills, for ready -money; their agents abroad had committed the error of taking them, -through respect for, and confidence in, the government. ‘Very well,’ -said the First Consul, ‘become bankrupts. But they did not,’ observed -the Emperor, ‘they had not received these bills for ready money, and -their agents had not committed any error.’ - -“The members of the deputation left the First Consul, convinced in their -own minds of the validity of his reasons; nevertheless, they filled -Paris with their clamours and with falsehoods, misrepresenting the -affair altogether. - -“This transaction,” said the Emperor, “and its details, explain many -other transactions which have been much spoken of in Paris under the -Imperial administration. - -“The commercial world had particularly said, and repeated, that this -proceeding was unexampled; that such a violation of credit was a thing -hitherto unheard of; but to that the First Consul replied that he would -set the question at rest by quoting precedents, and he recalled to their -minds the Bills of Louis XIV., the liquidations of the Regent, the -Mississippi Company, the liquidations of the wars of 1763 and of 1782, -&c.; and proved to them that what they contended to be a thing -unexampled had been the constant practice of the monarchy.” - -From this affair the Emperor turned to different branches of the -administration. He defended the institution of the post of Inspectors of -Reviews. “It was only through them that the actual number of men present -could be ascertained; through them alone had this advantage been -obtained, and it was one of immense importance in the active operations -of war. And these inspectors were not less useful in an administrative -point of view; for, whatever trifling abuses might exist in the details, -and however numerous these abuses might be, it is on a general principle -that such things should be considered; and, in order to estimate fairly -the utility of this institution, it should be asked what other abuses -would have taken place if it had not existed? For myself,” said -Napoleon, “I must say that, checking the expenditure, by trying how much -the total number of troops ought to have cost according to their fixed -rates of pay, I have always found the sum paid by the treasury to fall -short of my estimate. The army, therefore, cost less than it ought to -have cost: what result more beneficial could be required?” - -The Emperor quoted the administration of the navy as having been the -most regular and the most honest; it had become a master-piece. “In -that,” said he, “consisted the great merit of Decrès.” The Emperor -considered that France was too large to have only one minister for the -administration of the war department. “It was,” he said, “a task beyond -the powers of one man. Paris had been made the centre of all decisions, -contracts, supplies, and organizations; whilst the correspondents of the -minister had been subdivided amongst a number of persons equal to the -number of regiments and corps. The contrary ought to have been the case; -the correspondences should have been entered, and the resources -subdivided, by raising them on the spot where they were required. I had -long meditated a plan to establish in France twenty or twenty-five -military districts, which would have composed so many armies. There -would have been no more than that number of accountants; these would -have been twenty under-ministers; it would have been necessary to find -twenty honest men. The minister would have had only twenty -correspondents; he would have centralised the whole and made the machine -move with rapidity. - -“Messieurs Gaudin and Mollien,” said the Emperor, “were of opinion that -it was necessary that the receivers-general, public financiers and -contractors, should have very large fortunes, that they should have it -in their power to make considerable profits, and openly avow them, in -such a manner as to retain a degree of consideration which they might be -careful not to endanger; and a character of honour, which they might be -anxious not to compromise. This could not be otherwise,” he said, “in -order to obtain from them support, service, and credit, in case of need. - -“Another set of men, Defermont, Lacuée, and Marbois, thought, on the -contrary, that it was impossible to be too watchful, too economical, and -too strict. For my own part, I was inclined to be of the opinion of the -first, considering the views of the last to be narrow, and such as were -applicable to a regiment, but not to an army; to the expenses of a -private household, but not to the expenditure of a great empire. I -called them the Puritans and the Jansenists of the profession.” - -The Emperor observed that the minister of the treasury, and the minister -secretary of state, were two of his institutions on which he most -congratulated himself, and from which he had derived the greatest -assistance. “The minister of the treasury concentrated all the -resources, and controlled all the expenses of the empire. From the -minister secretary of state all acts emanated. He was the minister of -ministers, imparting life to all intermediate acts; the grand notary of -the empire, signing and authenticating all documents. Through the first -I knew, at every moment, the state of my affairs; and through the second -I made known my decisions and my will in all directions and every where. -So that, with my minister of the treasury and my minister secretary of -state alone, and half-a-dozen clerks, I would have undertaken to govern -the empire from the remotest parts of Illyria, or from the banks of the -Niemen, with as much facility as in my capital.” - -The Emperor could not conceive how affairs could go on with the four or -five secretaries of state of our kings. “And, indeed, how did they go -on?” said he. “Each imagined, executed, and controlled his own -operations. They might act in direct opposition one to another; for as -the kings only affixed their sign on the margin of the plans proposed, -or authenticated only the rough draft of their ordinances, the -secretaries of state could fill them up, or act as they pleased, without -fear of any great responsibility. Add to this that the secretaries of -state had the _griffe_[29], a contrivance, which they wanted to make me -adopt, but which I rejected as a tool appropriated to the _Rois -faineans_. Amongst these ministers, some might have money for which they -had no employment, and others might be unable to proceed for want of a -farthing. There was no common centre to combine their movements, provide -for their wants, and direct the execution of their measures.” - -Footnote 29: - - A kind of seal on which a signature is engraved. - -The Emperor said that a minister secretary of state was exactly suited -for kings without talents, but vain, who would want the assistance of a -prime minister and not like to own it. “Had my minister secretary of -state been made president of the council of state,” said he, “he would -have been from that moment a real prime minister, in the fullest -acceptation of the term; for he would have carried his plans to the -council of state to have them digested into laws, and would have signed -for the Prince. There can be no doubt that, with the manners and habits -of the first race of our kings, or with princes like them, my minister -secretary of state would have become in a very short time a Mayor of the -Palace.” - - REVISION OF THE CHAPTERS ON THE ARMY OF ITALY. - -22d.—The Emperor resumed his researches respecting Egypt. He gave me -Strabo to look over; it was the edition which he had caused to be made. -He commended the care and pains bestowed upon it, and said that it had -been his intention to give us, in course of time, editions of all the -works of the ancients, through the official medium of the -Institute.—Before dinner the Emperor sent for me and my son, and spent -at least six hours with us, reading over and recasting the chapters on -the Tagliamento, Leoben, and Venice. - -All is fine in these chapters on the Campaign of Italy. In that on the -Tagliamento, we see how one single disposition, made on the banks of -that river and hardly noticed, one of those movements which the Emperor -calls _the thought of the battle_, must inevitably lead to the gates of -Vienna. - -The chapter on Venice is written after the manner of the ancients. -However, the last chapter read always seems to be that which pleases -most. - -I was extremely unwell and very tired, not so much from fatigue -occasioned by work, as from bodily indisposition. We amused ourselves -this evening by reading the description of Ulysses’ departure from the -Island of Calypso, and his arrival amongst the Pheacians. - - ON SENSIBILITY.—ON THE INHABITANTS OF THE EAST AND - WEST; DIFFERENCES OBSERVABLE BETWEEN THEM, &C. - -23d.—This morning the Emperor, conversing in his room, after touching on -several subjects, spoke about sentiment, feelings, and sensibility, and -having alluded to one of us who, as he observed, never pronounced the -name of his mother but with tears in his eyes, he said, “But is this not -peculiar to him? Is this a general feeling? Do you experience the same -thing, or am I unnatural in that respect? I certainly love my mother -with all my heart; there is nothing that I would not do for her, yet if -I were to hear of her death, I do not think that my grief would manifest -itself by even a single tear; but I would not affirm that this would be -the case if I were to lose a friend, or my wife, or my son. Is this -distinction founded on nature? What can be the cause of it? Is it that -my reason has prepared me beforehand to expect the death of my mother, -as being in the natural course of events, whereas the loss of my wife, -or of my son, is an unexpected occurrence, a hardship inflicted by fate, -which I endeavour to struggle against? Perhaps also this distinction -merely proceeds from our natural disposition to egotism. I belong to my -mother, but my wife and my son belong to me.” And he went on multiplying -the reasons in support of his opinion, with his usual fertility of -invention, in which there was always something original and striking. - -It is certain that he was tenderly attached to his wife and his son. -Those persons who have served in the interior of his household now -inform us how fond he was of indulging his feelings of affection towards -his family; and point out some shades in his disposition, the existence -of which we were far from suspecting at the time. - -He would sometimes take his son in his arms, and embrace him with the -most ardent demonstrations of paternal love. But most frequently his -affection would manifest itself by playful teazing or whimsical tricks. -If he met his son in the gardens, for instance, he would throw him down -or upset his toys. The child was brought to him every morning at -breakfast time, and he then seldom failed to besmear him with every -thing within his reach on the table. With respect to his wife, not a day -passed here without his introducing her into his private conversations; -if they lasted any length of time, she was sure to come in for a share -in them, or to become the exclusive subject of them. There is no -circumstance, no minute particular relating to her, which he has not -repeated to me a hundred times. Penelope, after ten years’ absence, in -order to convince herself that she is not deceived, puts some questions -to Ulysses which he alone could answer. Well! I think that I should not -find it difficult to present my credentials to Maria-Louisa. - -In the course of the conversation in the evening, the Emperor, speaking -of different nations, said he knew of only two,—the Orientals and the -people of the West. “The English, the French, the Italians, &c.” said -he, “compose one family, and form the western division; they have the -same laws, the same manners, the same customs; and differ entirely from -the Orientals, particularly with respect to their women and their -servants. The Orientals have slaves; our servants are free: the -Orientals shut up their women; our wives share in all our rights: the -Orientals keep a seraglio, but polygamy has never been admitted in the -West at any period. There are several other distinctions,” said the -Emperor; “it is said that as many as eighty have been reckoned. The -inhabitants of the East and of the West are therefore,” observed the -Emperor, “really two distinct nations:—with the Orientals every thing is -calculated to enable them to watch over their wives and make sure of -them; all our institutions in the West tend, on the contrary, to put it -out of our power to watch over ours, and to make it necessary for us to -rely upon them alone. With us, every man who does not wish to pass for -an idiot must have some occupation; and whilst he is attending to his -business, or fulfilling the duties of his situation, who will watch for -him? We must therefore, with our manners, rely entirely on the honour of -our women, and place implicit confidence in them. For my part,” added he -good-humouredly, “I have had both wives and mistresses; but it never -came into my head to use any particular precaution to watch over them, -because I thought that it was with these things as with the fear of -daggers and poison in certain situations of life; the torment of -guarding against them is greater than the danger we wish to avoid: it is -better to trust to one’s fate. - -“It is, however, a very knotty question to decide, which is the best -method, ours or that of the Orientals; though, probably, not for you, -ladies,” said he, casting an arch-look upon those who were present. “Yet -it is certain that it would be a very great error to suppose that the -Orientals have fewer enjoyments than we have, and are less happy than we -are in the West. In the East, the husbands are very fond of their wives, -and the wives are very much attached to their husbands. They have as -many chances of happiness as we have, however different they may seem; -for every thing is conventional amongst men, even in those feelings -which, one would suppose, ought to be dictated by Nature alone. Besides, -the women in the East have their rights and privileges, as ours have -theirs: it would be quite as impossible to prevent them from going to -the public bath, as it would be to prevent our women from going to -church; and both abuse that liberty. You see, therefore, that the -imagination, feelings, virtues, and failings of human nature, are -circumscribed within a very narrow compass; and that the same things, -with few exceptions and differences, are to be found everywhere.” - -He then proceeded to account for, or to justify, polygamy among the -Orientals in a very ingenious manner. “It never existed,” he said, “in -the West: the Greeks, the Romans, the Gauls, the Germans, the Spaniards, -the Britons, never had more than one wife. In the East, on the other -hand, polygamy has existed in all ages: the Jews, the Assyrians, the -Tartars, the Persians, the Turcomans, had all of them several wives. -Whence could this universal and invariable difference have arisen? Was -it owing to accident and to mere caprice? Did it depend on physical -causes in individuals? No. Were woman less numerous, in proportion, -among us than in Asia? No. Were they more numerous in the East than the -men? No. Were the latter of superior stature, to us, or differently -constituted? No. The fact is that the legislator, or that wisdom from on -high which supplies his place, must have been guided by the force of -circumstances arising from the respective localities. All the people of -the West have the same form, the same colour; they compose but one -nation, one family: it has been possible, as at the moment of the -Creation, to assign to them but one helpmate—happy, admirable, -beneficent law, which purifies the heart of the man, exalts the -condition of the woman, and assures to both a multitude of moral -enjoyments! - -“The Orientals, on the other hand, differ from one another as much as -day and night, in their forms and colours: they are white, black, -copper-coloured, mixed, &c. The first thing to be thought of was their -conservation, to establish a consanguineous fraternity among them, -without which they would have been everlastingly persecuting, -oppressing, exterminating one another: this could only be accomplished -by the institution of polygamy, and by enabling them to have at one and -the same time a white, black, mulatto, and copper-coloured wife. The -different colours now constituting part of one and the same family, thus -became blended in the affections of the chief and in the opinions of -each of the females relatively to the others. - -“Mahomet,” he added, “seems to have been acquainted with the secret, and -to have been guided by it: otherwise how happened it that he, who treads -so closely in the steps of Christianity, and deviates from it so little, -did not suppress polygamy? Do you reply that he retained it only because -his religion was wholly sensual? In this case, he would have allowed the -Mussulmans an indefinite number of wives, whereas he limited it to four -only, which would seem to imply a black, a white, a copper-coloured, and -a mixed. - -Besides, let it not be supposed that this favour of the law was put in -practice for the whole nation; or there would not have been wives for -them all. In fact, eleven twelfths of the population have but one, -because they cannot maintain more, but polygamy in the chiefs is -sufficient to attain the grand object: for, the confusion of races and -of colours existing, by means of polygamy, in the higher class, it is -enough to establish union and perfect equality among all. We must, -therefore admit,” he concluded, “that if polygamy was not the offspring -of a political combination, if it owed its origin to chance alone, that -chance has in this instance, produced as much as consummate wisdom.” - -The Emperor said that he had seriously thought of applying this -principle to our colonies, in order to harmonize the welfare of the -Negroes with the necessity for employing them. He had even, he said, -consulted divines on this subject, to ascertain if there were not means, -considering local circumstances, of reconciling our religious notions -with this practice. - -The Emperor continued conversing in this manner until after midnight. - -ON HOLLAND AND KING LOUIS.—COMPLAINTS OF THE EMPEROR AGAINST THE MEMBERS - OF HIS FAMILY.—MATTERS OF HIGH POLICE, &C.—LETTER TO KING LOUIS, THE - EMPEROR’S BROTHER. - -24th.—The Emperor sent for me at about half-past twelve to his closet. -Our conversation turned upon the succession of authors through which the -light of history has been transmitted to us from the remotest antiquity -down to the present time. This led him to read that part of the first -table of the Historical Atlas which gives a recapitulation of them, and -presents the whole at one view. - -The conversation turned on the diversities of the human species. The -Emperor sent for Buffon, to throw light upon the question; and continued -for some time employed in seeking information on the subject. - -Having dressed, the Emperor sent for my son, and we worked three or four -hours at the chapters of the Campaign of Italy. - -When this was completed, the conversation, through a variety of -subjects, turned upon Holland and King Louis, respecting whom he said -some things worthy of observation. - -“Louis is not destitute of intelligence,” said the Emperor, “and has a -good heart; but even with these qualifications a man may commit many -errors, and do a great deal of mischief. Louis is naturally inclined to -be capricious and fantastical, and the works of Jean Jaques Rousseau -have contributed to increase this disposition. Seeking to obtain a -reputation for sensibility and beneficence, incapable by himself of -enlarged views, and, at most, competent to local details, Louis acted -like a Prefect rather than a king. - -“No sooner had he arrived in Holland, than, fancying that nothing could -be finer than to have it said that he was thenceforth a true Dutchman, -he attached himself entirely to the party favourable to the English, -promoted smuggling, and thus connived with our enemies. It became -necessary from that moment to watch over him, and even to threaten to -attack him. Louis, then, seeking a refuge against the weakness of his -disposition in the most stubborn obstinacy, and mistaking a public -scandal for an act of glory, fled from his throne, declaiming against me -and against my insatiable ambition, my intolerable tyranny. What then -remained for me to do? Was I to abandon Holland to our enemies? Ought I -to have given it another King? But in that case could I have expected -more from him than from my own brother? Did not all the kings that I -created act nearly in the same manner? I therefore united Holland to the -empire; and this act produced a most unfavourable impression in Europe, -and contributed not a little to pave the way to our misfortunes. - -“Louis was delighted to take Lucien as his model: Lucien had acted -nearly in the same manner; and if, at a later period, he has repented, -and has even nobly made amends for his errors, this conduct did honour -to his character, but could not produce any favourable change in our -affairs. - -“On my return from Elba in 1815, Louis wrote a long letter to me from -Rome, and sent an ambassador to me. It was his treaty, he said, the -conditions upon which he would return to me. I answered that I would not -make any treaty with him, that he was my brother, and that if he came -back he would be well received. - -“Will it be believed that one of his conditions was that he should be at -liberty to divorce Hortense! I severely rebuked the negotiator for -having dared to be the bearer of so absurd a proposal, and for having -believed that such a measure could ever be made the subject of a -negotiation. I reminded Louis that our family compact positively forbade -it, and represented to him that it was not less forbidden by policy, -morality, and public opinion. I farther assured him that, actuated by -all these motives, if his children were to lose their state through his -fault, I should feel more interested for them than for him, although he -was my brother. - -“Perhaps an excuse might be found for the caprice of Louis’s disposition -in the deplorable state of his health, the age at which it became -deranged, and the horrible circumstances which produced that -derangement, and which must have had a considerable influence upon his -mind; he was on the point of death on the occasion, and has, ever since, -been subject to most cruel infirmities: he is almost paralytic on one -side. - -“It is certain, however,” added the Emperor, “that I have derived little -assistance from my own family, and that they have severely injured me -and the great cause. The energy of my disposition has often been -extolled; but I have been a mere milksop, particularly with my family; -and well they knew it after the first moment of anger was over, they -always carried their point by perseverance and obstinacy. I became tired -of the contest, and they did with me just as they pleased. These are -great errors which I have committed. If, instead of this, each of them -had given a common impulse to the different bodies which I placed under -their direction, we should have marched on to the poles; every thing -would have given way before us; we should have changed the face of the -world; Europe would now enjoy the advantages of a new system, and we -should have received the benedictions of mankind! I have not been so -fortunate as Gengis Khan, with his four sons, each of whom rivalled the -other in zeal for his service. No sooner had I made a man a king, than -he thought himself king _by the grace of God_, so contagious is the use -of the expression. He was then no longer a lieutenant, on whom I could -rely, but another enemy whom I was obliged to guard against. His efforts -were not directed towards seconding me, but towards rendering himself -independent. They all immediately imagined that they were adored and -preferred to me. From that moment I was in their way, I endangered their -existence! Legitimate monarchs would not have behaved differently; would -not have thought themselves more firmly established. Weak-minded men! -who, when I fell, had occasion to convince themselves that the enemy did -not even do them the honour to demand the surrender of their dignities, -or even to allude to it. If they are now put under personal restraint, -if they are subject to vexation, it must proceed, on the part of the -conqueror, from a wish to impose the weight of power, or from the base -motive of gratifying his vengeance. If the members of my family excite a -strong interest amongst mankind, it is because they belong to me and to -the common cause; but assuredly there is not the least danger of any -movement being produced by any of them. Notwithstanding the philosophy -of several of them (for some of them had said, after the fashion of the -chamberlains of the Faubourg St-Germain, that they were _forced_ to -reign,) their fall must have been sensibly felt by them, for they had -soon accommodated themselves to the pleasures and comforts of their -station; they were all really kings. Thanks to my labours, all have -enjoyed the advantages of royalty; I alone have known its cares. I have -all the time carried the world on my shoulders; and this occupation, -after all, is rather fatiguing. - -“It will perhaps be asked, why I persisted in erecting states and -kingdoms? The manners and the situation of Europe required it. Every -time that another country was annexed to France, the act added to the -universal alarm which already prevailed, excited loud murmurs, and -diminished the chances of peace. Then why, will it be farther said, did -I indulge in the vanity of placing every member of my family on a -throne? (for the generality of people must have thought me actuated by -vanity alone:) why did I not rather fix my choice upon private -individuals possessing greater abilities? To this I reply that it is not -with thrones as with the functions of a prefect; talents and abilities -are so common in the present age, among the multitude, that one must be -cautious to avoid awakening the idea of competition. In the agitation in -which we were involved, and with our modern institutions, it was proper -to think rather of consolidating and concentrating the hereditary right -of succession, in order to avoid innumerable feuds, factions, and -misfortunes. If there was any fault in my person and my elevation, -consistently with the plan of universal harmony which I meditated for -the repose and happiness of all, it was that I had risen at once from -the multitude. I felt that I stood insulated and alone, and I cast out -anchors on all sides into the sea around me. Where could I more -naturally look for support than amongst my own relations? Could I expect -more from strangers? And it must be admitted that if the members of my -family have had the folly to break through these sacred ties, the -morality of the people, superior to their blind infatuation, fulfilled -in part my object. With them their subjects thought themselves more -quiet, more united as in one family. - -“To resume: acts of that importance were not to be considered lightly; -they were involved in considerations of the highest order; they were -connected with the tranquillity of mankind, the possibility of -ameliorating its condition. If, notwithstanding all these measures, -taken with the best intentions, it seems that no permanent good has been -effected, we must admit the truth of this great maxim, that to govern is -very difficult for those who wish to do it conscientiously.” - -The following letter, of a very old date, will serve to throw great -light upon the words of Napoleon, mentioned a few pages back, respecting -the conduct of his brother in Holland. - -At a later period, King Louis published a sort of account of his -administration, addressed to the Dutch nation; it is particularly -interesting, after having read the above paragraph and the accompanying -letter, to take up that document of King Louis, in order to be able to -form an opinion on the subject founded on a due knowledge of all the -circumstances. - - “_Castle of Marach, 3d April, 1808._ - -“Sir and brother.—The auditor D——t delivered to me an hour ago your -despatch, dated 22d March. I send a courier who will take this letter to -you in Holland. - -“The use you have just made of the privilege of mercy cannot but produce -a very bad effect. This privilege is one of the finest and noblest -attributes of the sovereign power. In order not to bring it into -discredit, it must be used only in cases when the royal clemency is not -detrimental to the ends of justice, or when it is calculated to leave an -impression of being the result of generous feelings. The present case is -that of a number of banditti, who attacked and murdered several -custom-house officers, with the intention of smuggling afterwards -without interruption. These people are condemned to death; and your -Majesty extends the royal mercy to them ... to a set of murderers, to -men whom nobody can pity. If they had been caught in the act of -smuggling; if, in defending themselves, they had killed some of the -officers, then you might perhaps have taken into consideration the -situation of their families, and their own; and have shewn an example of -a kind of paternal feeling, by modifying the severity of the law, by a -commutation of punishment. It is in cases of condemnation for offences -against the revenue laws, it is more particularly in cases of -condemnation for political offences, that clemency is well applied. In -these matters the principle is that, if it is the Sovereign who is -attacked, there is a certain magnanimity in pardoning the offender. On -the first report of an affair of that kind, the sympathy of the public -is immediately excited in favour of the offender, and not of him who is -to inflict the punishment. If the Prince remits the sentence, the people -consider him superior to the offence, and the public clamour is directed -against those who have offended him. If he follows the opposite system, -he is thought vindictive and tyrannical. If he pardons atrocious crimes, -he is looked upon as weak, or actuated by bad intentions. - -“Do not fancy that the privilege of mercy can always be used without -danger, and that society will always commend the exercise of it in the -Sovereign. The Sovereign is blamed when he applies it in favour of -murderers or great malefactors, because it then becomes injurious to the -interests of the community. You have too frequently, and on too many -occasions, extended the royal mercy. The kindness of your heart must not -be listened to when it can become prejudicial to your people. In the -affair of the Jews, I should have done as you did; but in that of the -smugglers of Middelburg, I should not have pardoned on any account. Many -reasons ought to have induced you to let justice take its course, and -give the example of an execution which would have produced the excellent -effect of preventing many crimes by the terror which it would have -inspired. Public officers are murdered in the middle of the night—the -murderers are condemned. Your Majesty commutes the punishment of death -into a few years’ imprisonment! How much will this not tend to -dishearten all the persons employed in the collection of your revenue! -The political effect produced by it is also very bad, for the following -reasons:—Holland was the channel through which England had, for many -years, introduced her goods on the Continent. The Dutch merchants have -made immense profits by this trade; and that is the reason why the Dutch -nation is partial to England, and fond of smuggling, and why it hates -France, who forbids smuggling and opposes England. The mercy which you -have extended to these smugglers and murderers is a kind of compliment -which you have paid to the taste of the Dutch for smuggling. You appear -to make common cause with them,—and against whom? Against me. - -“The Dutch love you: your disposition is amiable, your manners are -unaffected, and you govern them according to their inclination; but you -would make a beneficial use of the influence you possess if you shewed -yourself positively determined to suppress smuggling, and if you opened -their eyes to their real interests: they would then think that the -system of prohibition is good, since it is observed by the King. I -cannot see what advantage your Majesty can derive from a species of -popularity which you would acquire at my expense. Certainly Holland is -no longer what it was at the time of the treaty of Ryswick; and France -is not in the situation in which it was placed during the last years of -the reign of Louis XIV. If, therefore, Holland is unable to follow a -system of policy independent of that of France, it must fulfil the -conditions of the alliance. - -“It is not to the present alone that sovereigns must accommodate their -policy; the future must also be the object of their consideration. What -is at this moment the situation of Europe? On one side, England, who -possesses, by her sole exertions, a dominion to which the whole world -has been hitherto compelled to submit. On the other side, the French -Empire and the Continental States, which, strengthened by the union of -their powers, cannot acquiesce in this supremacy exercised by England. -Those states had also their colonies and a maritime trade; they possess -an extent of coast much greater than England; but they have become -disunited, and England has attacked the naval power of each separately: -England has triumphed on every sea, and all navies have been destroyed. -Russia, Sweden, France, and Spain, which possess such ample means for -having ships and sailors, dare not venture to send a squadron out of -their ports. It is, therefore, no longer from a confederation amongst -the maritime powers—a confederation which it would be besides impossible -to maintain, on account of the distance, and of the interference of the -various interests of each with those of the others—that Europe can -expect its maritime emancipation, and a system of peace, which can be -established only by the will of England. - -“I wish for peace; I wish to obtain it by every means compatible with -the dignity of the power of France; at the expense of every sacrifice -which our national honour can allow. Every day I feel more and more that -peace is necessary; and the sovereigns of the Continent are as anxious -for peace as I am. I feel no passionate prejudice against England; I -bear her no insurmountable hatred: she has followed against me a system -of repulsion; I have adopted against her the Continental system, not so -much from a jealousy of ambition, as my enemies suppose, but in order to -reduce England to the necessity of adjusting our differences. Let -England be rich and prosperous; it is no concern of mine, provided -France and her allies enjoy the same advantages. - -“The Continental system has, therefore, no other object than to advance -the moment when the public rights of Europe and of the French Empire -will be definitively established. The sovereigns of the North observe -and enforce strictly the system of prohibition, and their trade has been -greatly benefited by it: the manufactures of Prussia may now compete -with ours. You are aware that France, and the whole extent of coast -which now forms part of the Empire, from the Gulf of Lyons to the -extremity of the Adriatic, are strictly closed against the produce of -foreign industry. I am about to adopt a measure with respect to the -affairs of Spain, the result of which will be to wrest Portugal from -England, and subject all the coasts of Spain, on both seas, to the -influence of the policy of France. The coasts of the whole of Europe -will then be closed against England, with the exception of those of -Turkey, which I do not care about, as the Turks do not trade with -Europe. - -“Do you not perceive, from this statement, the fatal consequences that -would result from the facilities given by Holland to the English for the -introduction of their goods on the continent? They would enable England -to levy upon us the subsidies which she would afterwards offer to other -powers to fight against us. Your Majesty is as much interested as I am -to guard against the crafty policy of the English Cabinet. A few years -more, and England will wish for peace as much as we do. Observe the -situation of your kingdom, and you will see that the system I allude to -is more useful to yourself than it is to me. Holland is a maritime and -commercial power; she possesses fine sea-ports, fleets, sailors, skilful -commanders, and colonies, which do not cost any thing to the -mother-country; and her inhabitants understand trade as well as the -English. Has not Holland, therefore, an interest in defending all those -advantages? May not peace restore her to the station she formerly held? -Granted that her situation may be painful for a few years; but is not -this preferable to making the King of Holland a mere governor for -England, and Holland and her colonies a vassal of Great Britain? Yet the -protection which you would afford to English commerce would lead to that -result. The examples of Sicily and Portugal are still before your eyes. - -“Await the result of the progress of time. You want to sell your -spirits, and England wants to buy them. Point out the place where the -English smugglers may come and fetch them; but let them pay for them in -money and never in goods, _positively never!_ Peace must at last be -made; and you will then conclude a treaty of commerce with England. I -may perhaps also make one with her, but in which our mutual interests -shall be reciprocally guaranteed. If we must allow England to exercise a -kind of supremacy on the sea, a supremacy which she will have purchased -at the expense of her treasure and her blood, and which is the natural -consequence of her geographical position and of her possessions in the -three other parts of the globe; at least our flags will be at liberty to -appear on the ocean without being exposed to insult, and our maritime -trade will cease to be ruinous. For the present we must direct our -efforts towards preventing England from interfering in the affairs of -the Continent. - -“I have been led on, from the consideration of the mercy which you have -granted, to the above details, and I have entered into them because I -feared that your Dutch Ministers may impress your Majesty’s mind with -false notions. - -“I wish you to reflect seriously upon the contents of this letter, and -to render the different subjects it treats upon objects of the -deliberations of your councils, in order that your Ministers may give a -proper direction and tendency to their measures. Under no pretence -whatever will France allow Holland to separate herself from the -Continental system. - -“With respect to these smugglers, since the fault has been committed, it -cannot be undone. I advise you, however, not to leave them in the prison -of Middelburg; it is too near the spot where the crime was perpetrated: -send them to the remotest part of Holland. The present having no other -object, &c. - - (Signed) “Napoleon.” - -During dinner the Emperor asked his groom how his horse was; the groom -answered that it was well fed, in good spirits, and in excellent -condition. “I hope he does not complain of me,” said the Emperor, “if -ever horse led the life of a canon, it is assuredly this.” It is now two -or three months since the Emperor was on horseback. - -ZEAL FOR WORKING.—IDEAS AND PLANS OF NAPOLEON RESPECTING OUR HISTORY, - &C.—ON THE WORKS PUBLISHED, &C.—M. MÉNÉVAL; CURIOUS PARTICULARS. - -25th—27th. The Emperor for some days past has been remarkably assiduous. -All our mornings have been spent in making researches concerning Egypt, -in the works of the ancient authors. We have looked over Herodotus, -Pliny, Strabo, &c., together, without any other intermission than that -which we required to eat our breakfast, which was served on his small -table. The weather continued unfavourable, and the Emperor dictated -every day and the whole day. - -At dinner he told us that he found himself much better, and we then -observed to him that for some time past, however, he had not been out of -the house, and was occupied eight, ten, or twelve hours a day. “That is -the very reason of my being better,” said he: “occupation is my element; -I was born and made for it. I have found the limits beyond which I could -not use my legs; I have seen the extent to which I could use my eyes; -but I have never known any bounds to my capability of application. I -nearly killed poor Ménéval; I was obliged to relieve him for a time from -the duties of his situation, and place him for the recovery of his -health near the person of Maria Louisa, where his post was a mere -sinecure.” - -The Emperor added that, if he were in Europe and had leisure, his -pleasure would be to write history. He complained of the very -indifferent manner in which history was written every where. The -researches in which he had lately been engaged had proved this fact to -him to a degree beyond any thing he could ever have suspected. - -“We have no good history,” observed he, “and we could not have any; and -the other nations of Europe are nearly in the same predicament as -ourselves. Monks and privileged persons, that is to say, men friendly to -abuses and inimical to information and learning, monopolized this branch -of writing; they told us what they thought proper, or rather that which -favoured their interests, gratified their passions, or agreed with their -own views!—He had formed,” he said, “a plan for remedying the evil as -much as possible; he intended, for instance, to appoint commissions from -the Institute, or learned men whom public opinion might have pointed out -to him, to revise, criticize, and re-publish our annals. He wished also -to add commentaries to the classic authors which are put in the hands of -our youth, to explain them with reference to our modern institutions. -With a good programme, competition, and rewards, this end would have -been accomplished; every thing,” he said, “can be obtained by such -means.” - -He then repeated, what I believe I have mentioned before, that it had -been his intention to cause the history of the last reigns of our kings -to be written from the original documents in the archives of our Foreign -Office. There were also several manuscripts, both ancient and modern, in -the Imperial Library, which he intended to have printed, classifying and -embodying them under their different heads, so as to form codes of -doctrine on science, morality, literature, fine arts, &c. - -He had, he said, several other plans of a similar nature. And could any -other period be found equally favourable to the execution of such plans? -When will there be again united in the same man the genius to conceive -and the power to execute them? - -In order to check the production of the immense number of inferior works -with which the public was inundated, without however trenching upon the -liberty of the press, he asked what objection there could have been to -the formation of a tribunal of opinion, composed of members of the -Institute, members of the University, and persons appointed by the -government, who would have examined all works with reference to these -three points of view, science, morality, and politics; who would have -criticized them, and defined the degree of merit possessed by each. This -tribunal would have been the light of the public; it would have operated -as a warranty in favour of works of real merit, insured their success, -and thus produced emulation; whilst, on the contrary, it would -necessarily have discouraged the publication of inferior productions. - -All our evenings were devoted to the Odyssey, with which we are -delighted. Polyphemus, Tiresias, and the Syrens, have quite charmed us. - -The following details relate to M. Ménéval, to whom the Emperor alluded -above; they will be considered invaluable, as they will serve to exhibit -Napoleon in the sphere of his private life. - -The Emperor, when First Consul, complained that he had no Secretary. He -had just dismissed the one he had had during the campaigns of Italy and -the expedition in Egypt; he was an old college acquaintance of the -Emperor’s, a man full of intelligence, and to whom he was very much -attached; but he had been obliged to part with him. His brother Joseph -then offered him his own secretary, whom he had only had for a short -time: Napoleon accepted the offer, and acquired a treasure. This the -Emperor has repeated several times since. It was Ménéval, whom he has -since made a baron, _Maître des Requêtes_, and _Secrétaire des -Commandemens_ to the Empress Maria Louisa. - -Ménéval’s title, when attached to the First Consul, was Secretary of the -Portfolio; a long regulation was even made expressly regarding him; the -principal article of which was that he should never, under any pretence -whatever, have a secretary, or employ an amanuensis; which condition was -strictly observed. - -M. Ménéval was a man of gentle and reserved manners, very discreet, -working at all times and at all hours. The Emperor never had reason to -be dissatisfied or displeased with him, and was very much attached to -him. The Secretary of the Portfolio had generally all the current -business, all affairs that arose on a sudden emergency, or from a sudden -thought. How many affairs, plans, and conceptions, have been discussed -and transmitted through his medium! He opened and read all letters -addressed to the Emperor; classed them for the Emperor’s examination, -and wrote under his dictation. - -The Emperor dictated so fast that, most frequently, in order to save -time, the Secretary was obliged to endeavour to recollect the words, -rather than attempt to write them down at the moment they were -pronounced. In this, Ménéval particularly excelled. In the course of -time, Ménéval was authorized himself to return answers on many subjects. -He might easily have acquired great influence; but it was not in his -disposition to seek to obtain it. - -The Emperor was almost always in his closet; it might be said that he -spent the whole day and part of the night in it. He usually went to bed -at ten or eleven o’clock, and rose again about twelve, to work for a few -hours more. Sometimes he sent for M. Ménéval, but most frequently he did -not; and, aware of his zeal, he would sometimes say to him, “You must -not kill yourself.” - -When the Emperor went into his closet in the morning, he found bundles -of papers already arranged and prepared for him by Ménéval, who had been -there before him. If the Emperor sometimes allowed twenty-four hours, or -two days, to elapse without going into it, his Secretary would remind -him of it, and tell him that he would suffer himself to be overwhelmed -with the mass of papers that were accumulating, and that the closet -would soon be full of them. To this the Emperor usually answered -good-humouredly: “Do not alarm yourself, it will soon be cleared;” and -so indeed it was, for in a few hours the Emperor had despatched all the -answers, and was even with the current business. It is true that he got -through a great deal by not answering many things, and throwing away all -that he considered useless, even when coming from his Ministers. To this -they were accustomed; and when no answer appeared they knew what it -meant. He himself read all letters that were addressed to him; to some -he answered by writing a few words in the margin, and to others he -dictated an answer. Those that were of great importance were always put -by, read a second time, and not answered until some time had elapsed. -When leaving his closet, he generally recapitulated those affairs that -were of the greatest consequence, and fixed the hour at which they must -be ready for him, which was always punctually attended to. If at that -hour the Emperor did not come, M. Ménéval followed him about from place -to place through the palace to remind him of it. On some of these -occasions the Emperor would go and settle the affair, at other times he -would say, “To-morrow; night is a good adviser.” This was his usual -phrase; and he often said that he had indeed worked much harder at night -than during the day; not that thoughts of business prevented him from -sleeping, but because he slept at intervals, according as he wanted -rest, and a little sufficed for him. - -It often happened that the Emperor, in the course of his campaigns, was -roused suddenly upon some emergency; he would then immediately get up, -and it would have been impossible to guess from the appearance of his -eyes that he had just been asleep. He then gave his decision, or -dictated his answer, with as much clearness, and with his mind as free -and unembarrassed, as at any other moment. This he called the -_after-midnight presence of mind_; and he possessed it in a most -extraordinary degree. It has sometimes happened that he has been perhaps -called up as often as ten times in the same night, and each time he was -always found to have fallen asleep again, not having as yet taken his -quantum of rest. - -Boasting one day to one of his ministers (General Clarke) of the faculty -which he possessed of sleeping almost at pleasure and how little rest he -required, Clarke answered in a jocular tone, “Yes, Sire, and that is a -source of torment to us, for it is often at our expense; we come in for -our share of it sometimes.” - -The Emperor did every thing himself and through the medium of his -Cabinet. He appointed to all vacant situations, and most frequently -substituted new names to those of the persons proposed to him. He read -the plans of his Ministers, adopted, rejected, or modified them. He even -indited the notes of his Minister for Foreign Affairs, which he dictated -to Ménéval, from whom he kept no secret. It was through Ménéval also -that he wrote to the different sovereigns; in addressing whom he -observed a formula which he had had drawn up from the reports of former -times, and to the strict observance of which he attached great -importance. All the Ministers transacted business with the Emperor -together on one day of the week, appointed for that purpose, unless -something occurred to prevent it. The business of each Minister was -transacted in the presence of all the others, who were allowed to give -their opinions respecting it, and each of them thus emptied his -portfolio. A register was kept of the deliberations, of which there must -be many volumes. Those documents that had been decided on were left to -have the signature affixed to them, which was done through the medium of -the Minister Secretary of State, who countersigned them. Sometimes some -of these papers, after they had been thus decided on, were still sent to -the Emperor’s cabinet to be revised and modified before the signature -was put to them. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was the only one who, -independently of his share in the general business transacted by the -other Ministers, had besides, from the secret nature of his functions, -other business to despatch in private with the Emperor. - -One of the favourite aides-de-camp of the Emperor was entrusted with all -that related to the _personnel_ of the war-department. For a long time -Duroc occupied this confidential post; afterwards Bertrand and -Lauriston; Count Lobau was the last who filled it. - -M. Ménéval, being in a very indifferent state of health, worn down by -fatigue from application, and requiring some interval of repose, the -Emperor gave him a situation in the household of the Empress Maria -Louisa, which was, he said, quite a sinecure. However, the Emperor only -parted with him on condition that he should come back to him as soon as -he was well; and he never failed to remind him of it every time he saw -him. - -After Ménéval’s retirement, the business of the Emperor’s cabinet ceased -to be conducted by one person only; Ménéval had a great many successors -at the same moment, and the cabinet became a kind of office, in which -several persons were employed. One of these persons, whom the Emperor -had taken on the recommendation of others who had thought they could -answer for him as for themselves, received an order, at the time of the -disasters of 1814, to burn the documents that were in the closet; but, -instead of obeying this order, he so far forgot his duty as to take them -away with him: and, after the King’s restoration, he wrote to one of his -Ministers to offer them to him. The Emperor found the proof of his -treachery amongst the papers left at the Tuileries at the period of the -20th of March; and one morning having gone into his closet before any -body was come, he wrote several times on a piece of paper, as if he had -been trying his pen, _Such a one (naming him) is a traitor_—_Such a one -is a traitor_; and laid it on the table where sat one of those who had -recommended him, and who was himself, said the Emperor, a man on whose -zeal and fidelity every reliance could be placed. This was the only -reproach he ever addressed to him, and the only revenge he ever -exercised on the offender. - -Several traces may therefore still be found, and several documents must -exist, of the business transacted in the Emperor’s cabinet. Some of -these documents have been alluded to in the debates of the British -Parliament; but Napoleon solemnly declared, on his return at the period -of the 20th of March last, that these documents had been falsified. And -they are not the only documents that are left of that ever-memorable -administration. - -There must be twenty or thirty folio volumes, and as many in quarto, -containing the correspondence of the campaigns of Italy and of Egypt, -collected and regularly classed. - -There must be also about sixty or eighty folio volumes of the -deliberations of the Council Ministers, collected by the Secretaries of -State, the Duke of Bassano and Count Daru; and lastly, the minutes of -the sittings of the Council of State, written and arranged by M. Locré. - -These are real and proud titles of glory for Napoleon. Upon these -immortal monuments, all subsequent governments have modelled and -directed their administration; and from them all future governments, of -every country, will henceforth inevitably seek and derive information: -so sure and solid have been the foundations which he has laid—so -judiciously placed the landmarks—so deep are the roots—so much, in one -word, does the whole bear the stamp of genius, and the character of -rectitude and of duration. - -OBSERVATIONS OF THE EMPEROR CONCERNING MY WIFE.—DICTATION OF THE EMPEROR - FOR ANOTHER PORTION OF HIS MEMOIRS. - -28th.—The Emperor to-day availed himself of an interval of fine weather -to take two turns in the calash: he said he wanted a little jolting. His -left cheek was still swelled. About three o’clock he returned; and, a -short time afterwards, having nothing to do, he sent for me, and we -walked round the garden for some time. Having perceived the Doctor, he -beckoned to him. The Doctor came up to us, and from him Napoleon heard -that the Russian and Austrian Commissioners had come the day before to -the entrance to Longwood, from which they had been turned away by the -centry placed by the Governor. - -When we were alone, the Emperor, after having conversed upon a variety -of subjects, spoke of my wife, conjecturing what she might be doing, -what had become of her, &c. - -“There is no doubt,” said he, presently afterwards, “that your situation -at St. Helena inspires a lively interest, and must tend to cause your -wife’s company to be sought after. Every thing relating to me is still -dear to many persons. From this rock I still bestow crowns!... Yes, my -dear friends, when you return to Europe, you will find yourselves -crowned!” - -Then, speaking again of my wife, he said, with an expression of the -utmost kindness, “The best thing she could do would be to go and spend -the time of her separation from you with Madame, or some other members -of my family. They would undoubtedly feel much pleasure in taking care -of her,” &c. - -When we went back into the house, the Emperor sat down to work. The -Campaign of Italy was nearly finished but he provided me with a new -subject. - -“_Note, write_:”—These were the words which the Emperor uttered abruptly -when a new idea occurred. What follows is literally what he dictated to -me, in this instance: nothing has been altered in it, and he has never -read it over. - -“Note.—The Campaign of Italy being completed, Las Cases will, in the -course of a week, undertake the period from the breaking of the treaty -of Amiens to the battle of Jena. In 1802 all Europe is at peace; shortly -afterwards all Europe begins war: the Republic is changed, and becomes -the Empire; the maritime question becomes the chief cause of the rupture -of the peace of Amiens. - -“Las Cases will begin by causing extracts to be made from the Moniteur -of that time, by little Emanuel, under his directions: he must get -through at least six or seven a-day, which will make one hundred and -eighty, or a period of six months in one month.—There must be at least a -period of six months extracted before we begin. - -“The periods preceding and following that period will be prepared and -arranged by the other gentlemen. In making the extracts, the plan -already prescribed to M. Montholon must be followed; that is, of -extracting all that relates to one event, and referring to the page and -month. - -_The following will be the great events of this period_:— - - “1st, History of the flotilla. - “2d, Declaration of Austria. - “3d, Movements of the fleets. - “4th, Battle of Trafalgar. - “5th, Ulm—Austerlitz. - “6th, Peace of Vienna. - “7th, Negotiation of Lord Lauderdale at Paris. - “8th, Battle of Jena. - “_To be inserted in their respective places_:— - “1st, Conspiracy of Georges. - “2d, Affair of the Duc d’Enghien. - “3d, Coronation of the Emperor, by the Pope. - “4th, Imperial organization. - -“This will be one of the most glorious periods of the history of France; -for it exhibits, in the space of one year, on one side a Pope coming to -France to crown an Emperor,—an event which had not taken place for one -thousand years before; and, on the other, the French flag waving over -the capitals of Austria and Prussia, the Roman empire dissolved, and the -Prussian monarchy destroyed.” - -I take pleasure in transcribing literally the above dictation of the -Emperor’s, with his first ideas and in his first words, in order to shew -his style and manner. - -It will be easily conceived with what zeal and ardour both my son and -myself devoted ourselves to this our task, the importance of which we -fully appreciated. We had not yet completed the analysis of our six -months, when I was torn from Longwood. - - ON A HOLE IN THE GARDEN. - -29th.—During dinner somebody mentioned a pool which stands in our -garden, not far from the house, and which is deep enough to admit of a -lamb having once been drowned in it, in attempting to drink. The Emperor -said on that occasion, to one of the inmates of the house: “Is it -possible, Sir, that you have not yet had this pool filled up? How guilty -you would be, and what would not your grief be, if your son were to be -drowned in it, as it might easily happen!” The person thus censured -answered that he had often intended to have it done, but that it was -impossible to get workmen. “That is not an excuse,” said the Emperor -sharply: “if _my_ son were here, I should go and fill it up with my own -hands.” - -The Emperor was already in bed when he sent for me: he wished, he said, -to put some questions to me, and to inquire concerning some dates -connected with matters which concerned us materially. . . . . . . . . -. . . . . . . . . . . . - - ELOQUENT DICTATIONS OF THE EMPEROR.—CHARACTERISTIC - DETAILS, AND PARTICULARS. - -30th.—Whenever the Emperor took up a subject, if he was in the least -animated, his language was fit to be printed. He has often, when an idea -struck him forcibly, dictated in an off-hand way to any one of us who -happened to be in his way, pages of the most polished diction. The other -gentlemen of his suite must possess a great many of these dictations, -which are all most valuable. Unfortunately for me, the weak state of my -eyes, which prevented me from writing, most frequently deprived me of -this advantage. - -On one occasion, when the English ministerial newspapers adverted to the -treasures which Napoleon must possess, and which he, no doubt, -concealed, the Emperor dictated as follows: - -“You wish to know the treasures of Napoleon? They are immense, it is -true, but they are all exposed to light. They are: The noble harbours of -Antwerp and Flushing, which are capable of containing the largest -fleets, and of protecting them against the ice from the sea,—the -hydraulic works at Dunkirk, Havre, and Nice,—the immense harbour of -Cherbourg,—the maritime works at Venice,—the beautiful roads from -Antwerp to Amsterdam; from Mentz to Metz; from Bordeaux to Bayonne;—the -passes of the Simplon, of Mont Cenis, of Mont Genevre, of La Corniche, -which open a communication through the Alps in four different -directions; and which exceed in grandeur, in boldness, and in skill of -execution, all the works of the Romans: in these alone you will find -eight hundred millions;—the roads from the Pyrenees to the Alps, from -Parma to Spezzia, from Savona to Piedmont,—the bridges of Jena, -Austerlitz, the Arts, Sevres, Tours, Rouanne, Lyons, Turin, of the -Isere, of the Durance, of Bordeaux, of Rouen, &c.—the canal which -connects the Rhine with the Rhone by the Doubs, and thus unites the -North Sea with the Mediterranean; the canal which connects the Scheldt -with the Somme, and thus joins Paris and Amsterdam; the canal which -unites the Rance with the Vilaine; the canal of Arles, that of Pavia, -and the canal of the Rhine—the draining of the marshes of Burgoing, of -the Cotentin, of Rochfort—the rebuilding of the greater number of the -churches destroyed during the Revolution—the building of others—the -institution of numerous establishments of industry for the suppression -of mendicity—the works at the Louvre—the construction of public -warehouses, of the Bank, of the canal of the Ourcq—the distribution of -water in the city of Paris—the numerous sewers, the quays, the -embellishments, and the monuments of that large capital—the works for -the embellishment of Rome—the re-establishment of the manufactures of -Lyons—the creation of many hundreds of cotton manufactories for spinning -and for weaving, which employ several millions of hands—funds -accumulated to establish upwards of 400 manufactories of sugar from -beet-root, for the consumption of part of France, and which would have -furnished sugar at the same price as the West Indies, if they had -continued to receive encouragement for only four years longer—the -substitution of woad for indigo, which would have been at last brought -to equal in quality, and not to exceed in price, the indigo from the -Colonies—numerous manufactories for all kinds of objects of art, -&c.—fifty millions expended in repairing and beautifying the palaces -belonging to the Crown—sixty millions in furniture for the palaces -belonging to the Crown in France and in Holland, at Turin, and at -Rome—sixty millions in diamonds for the Crown, all purchased with -Napoleon’s money—_the Regent_ (the only diamond that was left belonging -to the former diamonds of the Crown) withdrawn from the hands of the -Jews at Berlin, with whom it had been pledged for three millions—the -Napoleon Museum, valued at upwards of four hundred millions, filled with -objects legitimately acquired either by money or treaties of peace known -to the whole world, by virtue of which the master-pieces it contains -were given in lieu of territory or of contributions—several millions -amassed for the encouragement of agriculture, which is the paramount -consideration for the interest of France—the introduction into France of -Merino sheep, &c.——these form a treasure of several thousand millions, -which will endure for ages! these are the monuments that will confute -calumny!” - -History will say that all these things were accomplished amidst -perpetual wars, without having recourse to any loan, and whilst the -national debt was even diminishing every day, and that nearly fifty -millions of taxes had been remitted. Very large sums still remained in -his private treasury; they were guaranteed to him by the treaty of -Fontainebleau, as the result of the savings effected on his civil list -and of his other private revenues. These sums were divided and did not -go entirely into the public treasury, nor altogether into the treasury -of France!! - -On another occasion, the Emperor reading in an English newspaper that -Lord Castlereagh had said, at a meeting in Ireland, that Napoleon had -declared at St. Helena that he never would have made peace with England -but to deceive her, to take her by surprise, and to destroy her; and -that, if the French army was attached to the Emperor, it was because he -was in the habit of giving the daughters of the richest families of his -empire in marriage to his soldiers: the Emperor, moved with indignation, -dictated as follows: “These calumnies uttered against a man who is so -barbarously oppressed, and whose voice is not allowed to be heard in -answer to them, will be disbelieved by all persons well educated and -susceptible of feeling. When Napoleon was seated on the first throne in -the world, then no doubt his enemies had a right to say whatever they -pleased; his actions were public, and were a sufficient answer to them; -at any rate, that conduct now belonged to public opinion, and history; -but to utter new and base calumnies against him at the present moment is -an act of the utmost meanness and cowardice, and which will not answer -the end proposed. Millions of libels have been and are still published -every day, but they are without effect. Sixty millions of men, of the -most polished nations in the world, raise their voices to confute them, -and fifty thousand English, who are now travelling on the Continent, -will, on their return home, publish the truth to the inhabitants of the -three kingdoms of Great Britain, who will blush at having been so -grossly deceived. - -“As for the Bill, by virtue of which Napoleon has been dragged to this -rock, it is an act of proscription similar to those of Sylla, and still -more atrocious. The Romans unrelentingly pursued Hannibal to the utmost -extremities of Bithynia; and Flaminius persuaded King Prusias to assent -to the death of that great man; yet at Rome Flaminius was accused of -having acted thus in order to satisfy his personal hatred. It was in -vain that he urged in his defence that Hannibal, yet in the vigour of -life, might still become a dangerous enemy, and that his death was -necessary; a thousand voices were raised, and answered that acts of -injustice and ungenerous actions can never be useful to a great nation; -and that, upon such pretences as that now set forth, murder, poisoning, -and every species of crime might be justified! Succeeding generations -reproached their ancestors with this base act. They would have paid a -high price to efface the stain from their history, and, since the -revival of letters among modern nations, there is not a generation that -has not added its imprecations to those pronounced by Hannibal at the -moment when he drank the fatal cup: he cursed Rome, who, whilst her -fleets and legions covered Europe, Asia, and Africa, wreaked her -vengeance against a man alone and unprotected, because she feared, or -pretended to fear, him. - -“The Romans, however, never violated the rights of hospitality: Sylla -found an asylum in the house of Marius. Flaminius, before he proscribed -Hannibal, did not receive him on board his ship and declare that he had -orders to treat him favourably; the Roman fleet did not convey him to -the Port of Ostia; and Hannibal, instead of placing himself under the -protection of the Romans, preferred trusting his person to a King of -Asia. When he was proscribed, he was not under the protection of the -Roman flag; he was under the banners of a king who was an enemy of Rome. - -“If ever, in the revolutions of ages, a King of England should be -brought before the awful tribunal of his nation, his defenders will urge -in his favour the sacred character of a king, the respect due to the -throne, to all crowned heads, to the anointed of the Lord! But his -accusers will have a right to answer thus: ‘One of the ancestors of this -King, whom you defend, banished a man that was his guest, in time of -peace; afraid to put him to death in the presence of a nation governed -by positive laws and by regular and public forms, he caused his victim -to be exposed on the most unhealthy point of a rock, situated in another -hemisphere, in the midst of the ocean, where this guest perished, after -a long agony, a prey to the climate, to want, to insults of every kind! -Yet that guest was also a great Sovereign, raised to the throne on the -shields of thirty-six millions of citizens. He had been master of almost -every Capital of Europe; the greatest Kings composed his Court; he was -generous towards all; he was during twenty years the arbiter of nations; -his family was allied to every reigning family, even to that of England; -he was twice the anointed of the Lord; twice consecrated by the august -ceremonies of religion!!!’” - -This passage is certainly very fine, for its truth, its diction, and -above all, for its historical richness. - -The Emperor always dictated without the least preparation. I never saw -him, on any occasion, make any research respecting our history or that -of any other nation; and yet no man ever quoted history more faithfully, -more _apropos_, or more frequently. One might have supposed that he knew -history by quotations only, and that these quotations occurred to him as -by inspiration. And here I must be allowed to mention a fact which has -often struck me, and which I never could satisfactorily account for to -myself; but it is so very remarkable, and I have witnessed it so often, -that I cannot pass it in silence. It is that Napoleon seems to possess a -stock of information on several points, which remains within him, in -reserve as it were, to burst forth with splendour on remarkable -occasions, and which in his moments of carelessness appears to be not -only slumbering, but almost unknown to him altogether. With respect to -history, for instance, how often has it happened that he has asked me -whether St. Louis reigned before or after Philip the Fair, and other -questions of the same kind. But, when occasion offered, when his moment -came, then he would quote without hesitation, and with the most minute -details; and when I have sometimes happened to be in doubt, and to go -and verify, I have always found him to be right and most scrupulously -exact: I have never been able to detect him in error. - -Another singular peculiarity in him of the same kind is this:—In his -common intercourse of life, and his familiar conversation, the Emperor -mutilated the names most familiar to him, even ours; yet I do not think -that this would have happened to him on a public occasion. I have heard -him many times, during our walks, repeat the celebrated speech of -Augustus; and he has never missed saying, “Take a seat, Sylla.”[30] He -would frequently create names of persons according to his fancy; and, -when he had once adopted them, they remained fixed in his mind, although -we pronounced them as they should be, a hundred times in the day, within -his hearing; but he would have been struck if we had used them as he had -altered them. It was the same with respect to orthography: in general, -he did not attend to it; yet, if our copies had contained any faults of -spelling, he would have complained of it. One day the Emperor said to -me; “You do not write orthographically, do you?” This question gave rise -to a sarcastic smile from a bystander, who thought that it was meant to -convey a reproach. The Emperor, who saw this, continued:—“At least, I -suppose you do not; for a man occupied with public or other important -business, a Minister, for instance, cannot, and need not, attend to -orthography. His ideas must flow faster than his hand can trace; he has -only time for hieroglyphics; he must put letters for words, and words -for sentences; and leave the scribes to make it out afterwards.”—The -Emperor left a great deal for the copyists to do; he was their torment: -his handwriting actually formed hieroglyphics; he often could not -decipher it himself. My son was one day reading to him a chapter of the -Campaign of Italy: on a sudden he stopped short, unable to make out the -writing. “The little blockhead,” said the Emperor, “cannot read his own -writing!”—“It is not mine, Sire.”—“And whose then?” “Your -Majesty’s.”—“How, you little rogue! do you mean to insult me?” The -Emperor took the manuscript, tried a long while to read it, and at last -threw it down, saying, “He is right: I cannot tell myself what is -written.”—He has often sent the copyists to me, to try to read to them -what he had himself been unable to decipher. - -Footnote 30: - - Instead of Cinna, in Corneille’s tragedy of _Cinna_, act v. scene - 1st.—_Eng. Ed._ - -The Emperor accounted for the clearness of his ideas, and the faculty of -extremely protracted application which he possessed, by saying that the -different affairs were arranged in his head as in a closet. “When I wish -to turn from any business,” said he, “I close the drawer which contains -it, and I open that which contains another. They do not mix together, -and do not fatigue me or inconvenience me.” He had never been kept -awake, he said, by an involuntary pre-occupation of mind. If I wish to -sleep, I shut up all the drawers, and I am soon asleep. So that he had -always, he added, slept when he wanted rest, and almost at will. - -MY ATLAS.—PREDESTINATION, &C.—THE GOVERNOR MAKES FRUITLESS ATTEMPTS TO - BE RECEIVED BY THE EMPEROR. - -Tuesday, 1st October. When I entered the Emperor’s room, he had my Atlas -in his hands. He turned over several of the genealogical maps, whose -relation and correspondence with each other he now understands -remarkably well. On closing the book, he said, “What a concatenation! -how each part results from and corroborates what goes before it! How -every part unfolds itself and remains fixed in the mind! Las Cases, if -you had done nothing more than point out the true method for -instruction, you would still have rendered a most essential service. -Every one may now clothe the skeleton as they like; it will, no doubt, -be improved upon, but the first conception is yours,” &c. - -Amongst the numerous subjects of conversation which followed, -predestination was mentioned. The Emperor made many remarkable -observations on that subject; amongst others, “Pray,” said he, “am I not -said to be given to the belief in predestination?” “Yes, Sire, at least -by many people.” “Well, well! let them say on; one may sometimes be -tempted to imitate, and it may occasionally be useful.... But what are -men!... How much easier it is to occupy their attention, and to strike -their imaginations, by absurdities than by rational ideas! But can a man -of sound sense listen for one moment to such a doctrine? Either -predestination admits the existence of free will, or it rejects it. If -it admits it, what kind of predetermined result is that which the mere -will, a step, a word, may alter or modify, _ad infinitum_? If -predestination, on the contrary, rejects the existence of free will, it -is quite another question; in that case a child need only be thrown into -its cradle as soon as it is born; there is no necessity for bestowing -the least care upon it; for if it be irrevocably determined that it is -to live, it will grow though no food should be given to it. You see that -such a doctrine cannot be maintained: predestination is but a word -without meaning. The Turks themselves, those patrons of fatalism, are -not convinced of the doctrine, or medicine would not exist in Turkey; -and a man residing in a third floor would not take the trouble to go -down by the longer way of the stairs, he would immediately throw himself -out of the window: you see to what a string of absurdities that will -lead.” - -At about three o’clock, the Emperor was told that the Governor wished to -communicate to him some instructions which he had just received from -London. The Emperor replied that he was unwell, that the instructions -might be sent to him, or communicated to some of his suite; but the -Governor insisted on being admitted, saying, that he wished to -communicate directly with the Emperor: he added that he had also a few -words to say to us in private, after having spoken to _the General_. The -Emperor again refused; upon which the Governor retired, saying that he -begged he might be informed when he _could_ see _the General_. This -period may be distant indeed; the Emperor, with whom I was at that -moment, having said to me that he was determined never to receive him -again. - -After dinner, the Emperor had Buffon and Valmont de Bomare brought to -him. He looked at what these authors say respecting the diversities in -the human species, the difference between a negro and a white; but he -was not much satisfied with what he found in them on the subject. He -retired early to his apartment: he was unwell. - -2d. The Emperor having told me that he was determined to apply again to -the study of English, and that I must oblige him every morning to take -his lesson, I accordingly went to his apartment at about half-past -twelve. I was not fortunate in the choice of the moment, for he was -lying on his sofa asleep after his breakfast. I must have vexed him, and -was very much vexed myself. However, he would not let me go away, and -read a little English for about half an hour. He was not very well. He -dressed. Having told him that we had finished what he had given us to -do, he at first proposed to go to work on the chapters of the Campaign -of Italy; but he afterwards altered his mind, and was busy the whole day -on something else. At about five o’clock he attempted to walk out, but -found the weather too cold. After dinner, he tried to read, but in vain; -he could not go on: he felt tired, drowsy, indisposed, and withdrew -almost immediately. - -JURISPRUDENCE; THE CODE; MERLIN, &C.—MONUMENTS IN EGYPT.—PLAN OF AN - EGYPTIAN TEMPLE IN PARIS. - -3d. After breakfast, the Emperor took two or three turns in the garden. -We were all with him. He spoke of the communications which the Governor -had to make to us, and took a review of the different conjectures—some -good, some bad—which each of us formed on the subject. The weather was -tolerable; he ordered the calash, and we went round the wood. The heat -and the heaviness of the atmosphere, though the sun was obscured, -obliged him to go into the house again. He sat down and dictated to my -son until five o’clock. - -We again tried to take a few turns in the garden; but the air was cold -and damp. He went in-doors again, and made me go to converse with him. -He turned over an English book, and stopped at a part relating to -jurisprudence, and the criminal codes of France and England, -endeavouring to compare them. Every body knows how extremely well versed -he is in our codes; but he has little knowledge of that of England, and, -with the exception of some general points, I could not answer his -questions. In the course of the conversation he said: Laws which in -theory are a model of clearness become too often a chaos in their -application; because men, with their passions, spoil every thing they -touch, &c.... Men can only avoid being exposed to the arbitrary acts of -the judge, by submitting to the despotism of the law, &c.... I had at -first fancied it would be possible to reduce all laws to simple -geometrical demonstrations; so that every man who could read, and -connect two ideas together, would be able to decide for himself; but I -became convinced, almost immediately that this idea was absurd. -However,” added he, “I should have wished to start from some fixed -point, and follow one road known to all; to have no other laws but those -inserted in the code; and to proclaim, once for all, that all laws which -were not in the code were null and void. But it is not easy to obtain -simplicity from practical lawyers: they first prove to you that -simplicity is impossible, that it is a mere chimera; and endeavour next -to demonstrate that it is incompatible with the stability and the -existence of power. Power, they say, is exposed alone to the unforeseen -machinations of all: it must therefore have, in the moment of need, arms -kept in reserve for such cases: so that, with some old edicts of -Chilperic or Pharamond, ferreted out for the occasion,” said Napoleon, -“nobody can say that he is secure from being hanged in due form and -according to law. - -“So long as the subjects of discussion in the Council of State,” said -the Emperor, “were referable to the code, I felt very strong; but when -they diverged from it, I was quite in the dark, and Merlin was then my -resource—he was my light. Without possessing much brilliancy, Merlin is -very learned, wise, upright, and honest; one of the veterans of the good -old cause: he was very much attached to me. - -“No sooner had the code made its appearance, than it was almost -immediately followed by commentaries, explanations, elucidations, -interpretations, and the Lord knows what besides. I usually exclaimed, -on seeing this: Gentlemen, we have cleaned the stable of Augeas; for -God’s sake do not let us fill it again!” &c. - -During dinner, the Emperor made some very remarkable observations -respecting Egypt, which will be found in the chapters dictated to -Bertrand. He then reverted to his expedition to Syria, and declared that -the grand object of the expedition to Egypt was to shake the power of -England in the four quarters of the world, by effecting a revolution -capable of changing the whole face of the East, and giving a new destiny -to India. Egypt, he said, was to stand us in stead of St. Domingo, and -our American Colonies, to reconcile the liberty of the blacks with the -prosperity of our commerce. This new colony would have ruined the -English in America, in the Mediterranean, and even on the banks of the -Ganges. - -Then, answering the reproach preferred against him of having deserted -his army, he said: “I merely obeyed the call of France, which summoned -me to save her, and I had a right to do so. I had received from the -Directory a _carte blanche_ for all my operations in the basin of the -Mediterranean, in Africa, and in Asia. I had full powers for treating -with the Russians, the Turks, the Barbary States, and the provinces of -India. I was at liberty to appoint a successor, to bring back the army, -or to return myself, if I thought proper.” - -The Emperor thought that all he had seen in Egypt, and, particularly, -all those celebrated ruins so much talked of, were not to be compared -with Paris and the Tuileries. The only difference between Egypt and us -was, in his opinion, that Egypt, thanks to the pureness of its air and -the nature of its materials, preserved her ruins for ever; whereas the -nature of our European atmosphere would not admit of our having any for -any length of time, every thing being soon corroded and gone. - -Vestiges of a thousand years’ date might be found on the banks of the -Nile; but not one would subsist on the banks of the Seine in fifty -years. He, however, regretted very much that he had not caused an -Egyptian temple to be erected at Paris: he could have wished to adorn -the capital with such a monument, &c. - - RESOURCES DURING THE EMIGRATION: ANECDOTES, &C.—OFFICIAL - COMMUNICATIONS.—NEW OFFENCES. - -4th. At about twelve o’clock, I went to the Emperor’s apartment. He took -a good lesson of English in Telemachus: he resolved to take up my method -again; he approves of it, he said, and derives great benefit from it. He -observed that he thought I had excellent dispositions for being a very -good schoolmaster; I told him it was the fruit of my experience. He then -made me enter into a great many details respecting the time when I gave -lessons in London, during my emigration, and he was very much amused by -them. “However,” said he, “you gentlemen, must have done credit to the -profession, if not by your learning, at least, by your manners.” I then -told him that one of our Princes had taught mathematics during his -emigration. “And this alone,” said he, with animation, “would make a man -of him, and shew him to have possessed some merit; that is assuredly one -of the greatest triumphs of Madame de Genlis.” - -I then related to him the following curious anecdote, which I had heard -on that subject. “The Prince was in Switzerland: and, being so -circumstanced as to find it advisable to conceal his existence, he -wished to take a name that might favour his disguise. One of our -Bishops, from the South of France, fancied that nothing could be better -than to give him the name of a young man from Languedoc then at Nismes, -who was a very zealous Protestant; which was just as it ought to be, the -Prince being in a Protestant canton. The Bishop added that there was no -appearance that the young man would ever be in the way to falsify the -Prince’s assumption of his name. But it had so happened that the young -man had gone into the army, and had become an aide-de-camp to M. de -Montesquiou, and that shortly afterwards he had emigrated precisely into -Switzerland with his general. What was his surprise to find himself at -the _table d’hôte_, at dinner with a person of his own name, of the same -religion, and who belonged to the same town! It was exactly like the -scene of the two Sosias.[31] But the best of the joke was that the young -man had also changed his name, and carefully concealed his own. Such -incidents are only to be met with in novels; they are thought of -impossible occurrence. Perhaps the present story has been rather -embellished; yet, I think, I can affirm that I heard it from the young -man himself.” - -Footnote 31: - - In Moliere’s Comedy of Amphitryon. _Eng. Ed._ - -“But,” observed the Emperor afterwards, “those amongst you emigrants who -had created for yourselves resources abroad must have felt quite lost -when you returned to France, and ruined once more?”—“Certainly, Sire; -for we found nothing of what we had formerly left in France, and we had -just abandoned the little we had made ourselves. But we had not -calculated: our impatience to revisit our native land had over-balanced -every other consideration, and several amongst us soon found themselves -in the greatest distress, in want of every thing, although acquainted -and even intimate with many of the great personages of the day—with your -Ministers, Sire, your Councillors of State, and others. This -circumstance gave rise to a _bon mot_ from one of our _wits_. Meeting -one day, in the saloon of the Minister for Maritime Affairs, a friend -who like himself hardly knew how to manage to subsist, he exclaimed, by -way of consolation: “Well, my friend, if we die of hunger, we may still -have two or three Ministers at our funeral.” The Emperor laughed -heartily at the jest, and admitted that it gave an exact description of -the situation of affairs at the time. - -After his lesson of English, and the conversation which followed, the -Emperor went out for a walk. We walked to the end of the wood, where the -calash drove up to us. - -On the Emperor’s return, the Doctor came to inform him that Colonel -Reade, whom he had consented to receive instead of the Governor, wished -to be presented to him. Colonel Reade delivered to the Emperor a note of -considerable length; and I was sent for to translate it. It contained -the communications which Sir Hudson Lowe had for three or four days past -been vainly endeavouring to make in person. The note was couched in the -most offensive terms, and the Governor wished to have reserved to -himself the satisfaction of communicating its contents to the Emperor. -This is a characteristic trait, and it requires no comment. The harsh -terms in which it was expressed, and in particular the repeated threat -that we should be separated from the Emperor, vexed us exceedingly, and -put us out of spirits for the remainder of the day. - -THE EMPEROR READS MY JOURNAL, AND DICTATES TO ME.—CONFERENCE BETWEEN THE - GRAND MARSHAL AND THE GOVERNOR. - -5th.—At an early hour this morning, before I had risen, I heard some one -softly open my chamber-door. My apartment is so encumbered with my own -bed and that of my son, that it is no easy matter to enter it. I -perceived a hand drawing aside my bed-curtain: it was the Emperor’s. I -was reading a book of geometry, a circumstance which amused him very -much, and, as he said, saved my reputation. I instantly rose, and soon -rejoined the Emperor, who was proceeding to the wood alone. He conversed -for a considerable time on the events of the preceding day. He then -returned to the house for the purpose of taking a bath: he was very ill, -and had passed a bad night. - -He sent for me at one o’clock. He was in the drawing-room, and he -expressed a wish to take his English lesson. The weather was very hot -and close. The Emperor felt languid and dispirited: he could not bend -his mind to study, and several times fell asleep. At length he rose, -saying he was determined to shake off his lethargy, and he proceeded to -the billiard-room to breathe a little fresh air. - -Conversing on the subject of the Campaigns of Italy, he enquired what I -had done with the first rough draughts, observing that all the chapters -had been several times re-copied. I told him that I had carefully -preserved them. He desired to have all the manuscripts brought to him, -and, laying aside two complete copies, he sent the rest into the kitchen -to be burnt. - -I have already several times mentioned that the Emperor knew I kept a -Journal. This was a secret, and therefore he never spoke to me on the -subject, except when we happened to be alone together. He often asked me -whether I still continued my Journal, and what I could find to set down -in it. “Sire,” I replied, “all that your Majesty does and says, from -morning to night.” “Then,” said he, “you must have a monstrous deal of -repetition, and must tell many useless things! But no matter, go on, -some day we will look it over together.” - -When he visited my chamber, he frequently found the faithful Aly engaged -in re-copying my Journal; for he had kindly offered to employ himself in -this way, during his leisure hours. The Emperor sometimes cast his eyes -upon Aly’s writing, and, after reading a few lines, that is to say, as -soon as he ascertained what it was, he would turn away and speak about -something else, without ever alluding to the subject. This is precisely -what had occurred this morning; and the Emperor, recollecting the -circumstance, said that he wished at length to have a sight of this -famous _jumble of trifles_. My son brought a portion of the manuscript, -and the Emperor spent upwards of two hours in perusing it. The -introduction, which relates to myself personally, fixed his attention; -he read it over twice, and then said: “Well, very well; this is a fine -inheritance for little Emanuel.” As to the Journal, he approved of its -form and general plan. He made several corrections with his own hand, on -those parts which related to his family and his childhood. He desired my -son to take the pen, and he dictated to him some details respecting -Brienne, Father Patrault, &c. When he had done, he desired me to -continue my labours, as he was pleased with them; and he promised to -furnish me with many anecdotes, particularly concerning Alexander and -the other sovereigns. - -He afterwards took a drive in the calash, in which I accompanied him, -and the Journal again became the topic of conversation. The Emperor said -a great deal on the subject, and expressed himself very much pleased -with the idea. He gave me several hints respecting it, and concluded by -observing that, from the peculiar circumstances under which it was -produced, it might become a work truly unique in its character, and an -invaluable treasure to his son. - -On our return to Longwood, we found the Grand Marshal, who had just -returned from Plantation House, where he had been to hold a conference -on the subject of the communications of yesterday. We anxiously awaited -the answer he might bring back. He informed us that a proposition had -been made, which was nothing less than that four of us should be -separated from the Emperor. There were many other minor points of a very -vexatious nature; but this one caused us to lose sight of all the rest. -The Governor had, however, finally agreed to remove only the Pole and -three of the domestics. According to the report of the Grand Marshal, I -was the individual upon whom the storm had lowered, of whom the Governor -most particularly complained, and whose removal, he said, he should -certainly have decided upon, had he not thought me too useful to the -Emperor. He complained that I was constantly writing to Europe, -declaiming against the Government and the injustice and oppression which -I alleged were exercised towards us. His other subjects of complaint -were, that I spoke of the Emperor to the strangers who visited Longwood -in such a way as to excite their interest; that I was constantly -endeavouring to establish communications with different individuals on -the island (and he mentioned the instance of Mrs. Sturmer); that I had -addressed, or endeavoured to transmit, various documents to Europe, &c. -However, after having spoken of me in the most angry terms, for some -reason or other, he endeavoured to soften down what he had said by a few -complimentary observations. He remarked that he could scarcely have -expected such conduct in a man possessing so much information, and whose -good character was established throughout Europe. - -After dinner, the Emperor amused himself by solving some problems in -geometry and algebra: this, he said, reminded him of his youthful days; -and it surprised us all to find that the subjects were still so fresh in -his recollection. - - PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCE CONNECTED WITH MY JOURNAL.—THE - EMPIRE OF OPINION.—TALMA, CRESCENTINI, &C. - -6th—7th. During these two days, a circumstance has occurred, which is so -nearly connected with the nature of the present work, that I cannot omit -noticing it. I have just mentioned that the Emperor had expressed -himself well satisfied with my journal: he alluded to it several times -in the course of the day, assuring me that he should feel great pleasure -in perusing and correcting it. This information, as it may be supposed, -was highly gratifying to me. The moment which I had so long and ardently -looked for had at length arrived. That which I had hastily, and, -perhaps, inaccurately, collected, was now about to receive an -inestimable correction and sanction. Imperfect points would be -developed, chasms filled up, and obscurities explained. What a fund of -historical truths and political secrets was I about to receive! Elated -by these expectations, I the first day presented myself to the Emperor -at the usual hour, having my journal with me; but he began to dictate to -me on a totally different subject, and I was obliged to put up with the -disappointment. Next day, the same thing occurred again. I now wished to -call the Emperor’s attention to my Journal; but he did not appear to -understand me, and I took the hint. I know Napoleon so well! He -possesses in the highest degree the art of not seeming to understand; he -resorts to it frequently, and always for some particular object. In the -present instance I understood him sufficiently, and I did not again -attempt to draw his attention to the subject. At first I was much -puzzled to guess the motive that had induced him to act thus; and I made -several conjectures, which have probably occurred to the reader, as well -as to myself. A few days afterwards I was forced away from him, though I -had not the least cause in the world to anticipate this fatal event. - -I have dwelt on this circumstance with scrupulous exactness, because I -conceive that it affords a new guarantee of my sincerity, and serves to -explain precisely the nature of my Journal. Of the great bulk of its -contents, and in particular the important events described in it, no -doubt can be entertained. Some involuntary errors may, however, have -crept into the details, from the hasty manner in which they were -collected, and from my being deprived of the advantage of having the -manuscript revised by the only individual who was capable of correcting -its inaccuracies. - -The Emperor, while he was dressing and waiting for the Grand Marshal to -take his turn in writing, amused himself by conversing on different -subjects. - -He spoke of the influence of opinion, to which he so frequently alludes. -He traced its secret progress, its uncertainty, and the caprice of its -decisions. He then adverted to the natural delicacy of the French, which -he said was exquisite in matters of decorum, the laudable susceptibility -of our manners, and the graceful action and gentleness of touch which -authority must employ, if an attempt is made to interfere with the -national feeling. - -“In conformity with my system,” observed he, “of amalgamating all kinds -of merit, and of rendering one and the same reward universal, I had an -idea of presenting the cross of the Legion of Honour to Talma; but I -refrained from doing this, in consideration of our capricious manners -and absurd prejudices. I wished to make a first experiment in an affair -that was unimportant, and I accordingly gave the Iron Crown to -Crescentini. The decoration was foreign, and so was the individual on -whom it was conferred. This circumstance was less likely to attract -public notice or to render my conduct the subject of discussion; at -worst, it could only give rise to a few malicious jokes. Such,” -continued the Emperor, “is the influence of public opinion. I -distributed sceptres at will, and thousands readily bowed beneath their -sway: and yet I could not give away a bit of ribbon without the chance -of incurring disapprobation; for I believe my experiment, with regard to -Crescentini, proved unsuccessful.” “It did, Sire,” observed some one -present. “The circumstance occasioned a great outcry in Paris; it drew -forth a general anathema in all the drawing-rooms of the metropolis, and -afforded ample scope for the expression of malignant feeling. However, -at one of the evening parties of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, a _bon-mot_ -had the effect of completely stemming the torrent of indignation. A -pompous orator was holding forth, in an eloquent strain, on the subject -of the honour that had been conferred on Crescentini. He declared it to -be a disgrace, a horror, a perfect profanation, and inquired what right -Crescentini could have to such a distinction? On hearing this, the -beautiful Madame G—— who was present, rose majestically from her chair, -and, with a truly theatrical tone and gesture, exclaimed, ‘_Et sa -blessoure Monsieur!_ do you make no allowance for that?’ This produced a -general burst of laughter and applause, and poor Madame G—- was very -much embarrassed by her success.” - -The Emperor, who now heard this anecdote for the first time, was highly -amused by it. He often afterwards alluded to it, and occasionally -related it himself. - -At dinner, the Emperor informed us that he had worked for twelve hours; -and we observed that his day was not yet ended. He seemed to be ill and -fatigued. - - THE ODYSSEY—COMBAT BETWEEN ULYSSES AND IRUS. - -8th. When I entered the Emperor’s apartment this morning, I found him -engaged in reading the files of the _Journal des Debats_, which had -lately arrived. At three o’clock he began to dress. His first valet de -chambre was ill; and he observed that those who acted as his substitutes -were not equal to him in address. - -The weather was tolerable, and we walked to the extremity of the wood, -where the calash was to take us up. - -I had a disposable sum of money in London, which I had conveyed thither -in 1814. The recollection of the privations I had endured during my -emigration, and the chance of being exposed to future want, had prompted -me to this act of prudence, and I was now reaping the fruits of it. -Owing to this circumstance, I was more at my ease, as to pecuniary -affairs, than any other individual of the Emperor’s suite at St. Helena; -but what led me to regard this sum as an inestimable treasure was the -happiness of being able to lay it at the feet of the Emperor. I had -already several times proposed that he should accept it; and I now once -more repeated the offer, while I adverted to the renewed outrages which -we had just experienced from the Governor. At this moment we were joined -by Madame de Montholon, who had set out after us. She observed that the -Emperor walked so fast that she should certainly have lost sight of him, -had not my gesticulations enabled her to keep her eye upon us; and that -she had been puzzled to guess the cause of my vehemence of manner. -“Madam,” said the Emperor with the most captivating grace, “he has been -trying to make me accept his bounty; he has been offering to support us -here.” - -We returned almost immediately to the house, as the weather was very -damp and the Emperor complained of tooth-ache. For some time past he has -been troubled with a profuse secretion of saliva. - -After dinner he resumed the reading of the Odyssey: we had arrived at -the passage describing the combat between Ulysses and Irus, on the -threshold of the palace, both in the garb of beggars. The Emperor very -much disapproved of this episode, which he pronounced to be mean, -incongruous, and beneath the dignity of the King. “And yet,” continued -he, “independently of all the faults which, in my opinion, this incident -presents, I still find in it something to interest me. I fancy myself in -the situation of Ulysses, and then I can well conceive his dread of -being overpowered by a wretched mendicant. Every prince or general has -not the broad shoulders of his guards or grenadiers; every man has not -the strength of a porter. But Homer has remedied all this by -representing his heroes as so many giants. We have no such heroes -now-a-days. What would become of us,” he added, glancing round at us -all, “if we lived in those good times when bodily vigour constituted -real power? Why, Noverraz (his valet-de-chambre) would wield the sceptre -over us all. It must be confessed that civilization favours the mind -entirely at the expense of the body.” - -THE POLE ARRESTED BY THE GOVERNOR.—THE EMPEROR’S REFLECTIONS ON HIS SON - AND ON AUSTRIA.—NEW VEXATIONS.—REMARKS ON LORD BATHURST.—OBSERVATIONS - DICTATED BY NAPOLEON. - -9th.—As we were walking to come up with the calash, we received -information that the Pole had just been put under arrest by the -Governor. This was, of course, merely a first step—a warning of what we -all had to expect. Intimidation seems to be the system to which the -Governor has resorted since the arrival of his last instructions, which -he endeavours to fulfil to the utmost of his ingenuity. We shall see how -far he will go. - -When I waited on the Emperor, before dinner, I found him dull and -apparently absent. The conversation led him to mention Austria, and he -alluded to the wrongs which he had received from that Power, and the -errors of her policy. He described the weakness of the monarch, who, he -said, had never evinced energy, except when it tended to ruin him in the -estimation of his subjects. He dwelt on the venality and want of -principle which distinguished the men who had advised and executed the -measures of the Austrian cabinet. He spoke of the blind policy of -Austria, and described her dangerous situation. “She now stands,” said -he, “in the most imminent peril, advancing to meet the embraces of a -colossus in her front, while she cannot recede a single step, because an -abyss is yawning on her flank and rear.” - -This turn of the conversation naturally led the Emperor to speak of his -son. “What education will they give him?” said he. “What sort of -principles will they inculcate in his youthful mind? On the other hand, -if he should prove weak in intellect—if they should inspire him with -hatred of his father! These thoughts fill me with horror! and where is -the antidote to all this? Henceforth there can be no certain medium of -communication—no faithful tradition between him and me! At best my -Memoirs, or perhaps your Journal, may fall into his hands. But to subdue -the false precepts imbibed in early life, to counteract the errors of a -bad education, requires a certain capacity, a certain strength of mind -and decision of judgment which fall not to the share of every one.” He -appeared deeply affected; and, after a pause of a few moments, he said, -suddenly and with emphasis, “But let us talk of something else;” -however, he still continued silent. I sat down to write, and after an -hour or two the Grand Marshal came and took my place. - -Just after I had quitted the Emperor’s apartments, I was again sent for -to translate to him a large packet of papers which had been received -from the Governor. The state of my eyes, which are now altogether -failing me, obliged me to avail myself of M. de Montholon’s assistance -in reading the papers. - -Their contents were 1. Some of the new restrictions that have been -imposed on us, in which the Emperor is treated in a way that may be -termed curious; for indecency and indecorum are carried so far as to -prescribe the nature and limits of the conversations which he is to be -permitted to hold. This will scarcely be credited! - -2. The form of the declaration which was presented for our signature. -This was merely a series of arbitrary and useless vexations, heightened -by every irritating circumstance that vengeance could suggest. - -3. Finally a letter from the Governor to the Grand Marshal, founded on -the note presented by Colonel Reade, which I translated to the Emperor, -and which the colonel had refused to leave behind him; the reader will -recollect my having already noticed it. However, in the letter now -transmitted to the Emperor certain essential points were very -ingeniously suppressed or modified: the Emperor frequently remarked that -the Governor possesses a peculiar talent for business of this sort. I -will here retrace this note from recollection. Though I read it only -once, namely, at the time when I translated it to the Emperor, yet I -think I can vouch for the following being an accurate representation of -its contents. - -“The Frenchmen who wished to remain with General Bonaparte, were -required to sign the formula which should be presented to them, and by -which they would subject themselves to all the restrictions imposed on -the General. This obligation was to be regarded as perpetual. Those who -should refuse to enter into this agreement were to be sent to the Cape -of Good Hope. Four individuals were to be removed from the suite of -General Bonaparte. Those who might remain were to be considered as -though they were Englishmen by birth, and to be subject to the laws -established for securing the safe custody of General Bonaparte; that is -to say, they would incur the punishment of death by conniving at his -escape. Any Frenchmen who might use insulting language or reflections, -or behave so as to give offence to the Governor or the Government, would -be immediately removed to the Cape of Good Hope, without being provided -with the means of returning to Europe: the whole expense of the voyage -devolving on himself.” - -During dinner, and the greater part of the evening, these documents -became the subject of conversation. - -We were much amused by that passage in the Governor’s letter which -transmitted the ministerial instructions, and informed us that those who -might be wanting in respect for the Governor, or render themselves -obnoxious, would be removed to the Cape, and the expense attending their -return to Europe was to be defrayed by themselves. We thought this very -droll, and the Emperor said, “Of course this threat appears to you very -extraordinary and ridiculous; but no doubt it was perfectly natural to -Lord Bathurst. I dare say he could not imagine a more terrible -punishment. It is a true shopkeeper idea!” - -The Emperor concluded the evening by reading to us Adelaide Duguesclin, -which contains a fine rhodomontade upon the Bourbons. - -After reading it, the Emperor said, “During the time of my power, an -order was given for suppressing the performance of this drama, under the -idea that it would be offensive to me. This circumstance accidentally -came to my knowledge, and I ordered the piece to be revived. Many things -of the same kind took place; people often acted very unwisely under the -idea that they were serving or pleasing me.” - -I transcribe here the restrictions to which I have just alluded. They -are curious in themselves, and will serve better than volumes of -description, to give a just idea of our situation; but what enhances the -value of this document is that the observations which accompany each -article were made by the Emperor himself. - -RESTRICTIONS drawn up by Sir Hudson Lowe, and transmitted to Longwood on -the 19th of October, 1816, but which he had already put into execution -by different secret orders, since the preceding month of August, though -he never communicated them to the English officers on duty, doubtless, -because he was ashamed of them. - - TEXT OF THE RESTRICTIONS. - -“1st.—Longwood, with the road by Hut’s Gate, along the hill, as far as -the signal-post near Alarm-House, are to be fixed as boundaries.“ - -OBSERVATION. Sir Hudson Lowe’s predecessor had extended the boundary -line to the summits of the hills; but in about a fortnight, he perceived -that, by removing the sentinels to a little further distance, the house -and garden of Secretary-general Brook would be included within the -boundaries, and he immediately gave orders for the change. - -At about forty fathoms from the road-side is Corbett’s garden, which -contains about eight or ten oak trees and a fountain; thus affording a -cool and agreeable shade.[32] According to the new restrictions, which -confined him to the high-road, a line is substituted for a surface, and -the secretary’s house and Corbett’s garden are excluded from the -boundaries. - -Footnote 32: - - In the very spot here described by Napoleon is his grave. - -“2d.—Sentinels will mark the boundary lines, which nobody must pass to -approach the house or grounds of Longwood, without the Governor’s -permission.” - -OBSERVATION. By the regulations which were first laid down, respecting -our establishment at St. Helena, and which were approved by the English -Governor, persons were admitted to Longwood in the following manner: The -Governor, the Admiral, the Colonel commanding the regiment and the camp, -the two members of the East India Company’s Council, and the -Secretary-general, who were the persons highest in authority on the -island, might pass the line of sentinels without any order or permission -whatever. The inhabitants of the Island were required to have a pass -from the Governor; naval men to be furnished with one from their -Admiral, and military with one from their colonel; and finally, the -inhabitants, sailors, and officers might all come to Longwood by the -permission of Count Bertrand, when the Emperor wished to receive them. -This arrangement, which continued for eight months, was attended by no -inconvenience. By the present regulation (which has been in force since -the month of August, though it was not formally communicated to us until -we were furnished with the list of new restrictions,) we may be said to -be kept in solitary confinement, and cut off from all intercourse with -the inhabitants. The latter, the officers and seamen are all equally -averse to the idea of being obliged to solicit the Governor’s permission -to visit Longwood, and to subject themselves to an interrogatory -respecting the motive of their visit. Strangers, whether civil or -military, officers, touching at St. Helena on their passage from India, -and who might be desirous of seeing the Emperor, usually applied to -Count Bertrand, who appointed the day and the hour when they would be -received. During their stay in the island they were regarded as -citizens, and with the permission of Count Bertrand, they might when -they pleased visit Longwood; and it may once more be observed that this -arrangement subsisted for eight months without being attended by any -inconvenience. If any strangers touching at the island might excite the -suspicion of the Governor, he could prevent them from landing, or -passing the first post. Finally, the Governor, by the report of the -sentinels, was daily made acquainted with the names of the persons who -visited Longwood. But in the month of August, the Governor sought to -impose on us the obligation of receiving strangers, to whom he wished to -render himself agreeable, and also of receiving them at the time he -might think proper to appoint. This was putting the finishing stroke to -all his offensive conduct! To put a stop to all these insults, the -Emperor found himself obliged to declare that he would in future receive -no one. - -“3d.—The road to the left of Hut’s Gate, which turns off by Woodridge to -Longwood, never having been frequented by General Bonaparte since the -arrival of the Governor, the post by which it was observed, will be in a -great measure withdrawn. But whenever the General may wish to ride on -horseback in this direction, on giving timely notice to the officer he -will experience no obstacle.“ - -OBSERVATION.—In the first observation it was proved that the limits had -been contracted in this quarter; and, by this third article, they are -still more circumscribed. To say that the valley has not been frequented -for six months is a strange reason for adopting this decision. It is -certainly true that Napoleon has for several months declined going out, -in consequence of the harassing conduct of the Governor; but it must -also be observed that one part of the valley is not accessible in rainy -weather, and that in the other part a camp has been formed. Yet Lord -Bathurst stated, in his speech in Parliament, that “this road had been -prohibited, when it was found that he (General Bonaparte) had abused the -confidence which had been reposed in him, and had endeavoured to corrupt -the inhabitants of the island.” But here Lord Bathurst contradicts Sir -Hudson Lowe. The offer of permission to ride in the valley, whenever it -may be wished, is a mere pretence; the forms prescribed for the -attainment of this permission render it impossible. This offer never has -been, and never can be, fulfilled. The ride in the valley being thus -prohibited, it has become impossible to visit Miss Mason’s garden, in -which there are some large trees which afford agreeable shade. Within -the boundaries to which the captives are now restricted, there is not a -single spot in which they can enjoy the sight of trees or water: -sentinels are posted at different distances throughout the boundaries; -and, under the pretence of misunderstanding in the orders, &c., any -individual may be arrested. This has frequently happened to the French -officers. - -“4th. If he (General Bonaparte) should wish to prolong his ride in any -other directions, an officer of the Governor’s staff (if he receives -timely notice) will be in readiness to attend him. If the notice should -be short, the officer on duty at Longwood may take the place of the -staff-officer. - -“The inspecting officer has orders not to approach General Bonaparte, at -least unless he be asked for; and not to watch him in his rides, except -so far as his duty requires; that is to say, he must observe that the -established rules are not violated; and if they should be transgressed, -he must intimate the circumstance in a respectful way” - -OBSERVATION. This regulation is useless. The Emperor will not go out so -long as he sees there is a wish to subject him to direct and public -inspection. Besides, the staff-officers have orders to report all that -the French may say when in conversation with them. This affords -opportunities for calumny. Several English officers have refused to act -this dishonourable part, declaring that they would not degrade -themselves to the level of spies, and repeat the conversations that may -take place in the unguarded confidence of a ride or walk. - -“5th. The rules already in force, for preventing communications with any -one whatever, without the Governor’s permission, must be strictly -enforced. Consequently, it is requisite that General Bonaparte should -abstain from entering into any conversation (except such as the -interchange of customary salutations may demand) with the persons whom -he may happen to meet, unless it be in the presence of an English -officer.“ - -OBSERVATION.—Hitherto this extremity of insult had been avoided. The -Emperor does not acknowledge, either in the Governor or his agents, the -right of imposing any restrictions on him. But what is the object of -this article? To insult and degrade the character of the captives!—to -give rise to disputes between them and the sentinels. To prohibit them -from speaking to any one, or entering any house, is, in fact, a moral -annulment of the circuit allowed them. This is so extraordinary that we -are now actually induced to believe, what many persons have already -suspected, that Sir Hudson Lowe is occasionally subject to fits of -lunacy. - -“6th.—Those persons who, with the consent of General Bonaparte, may -receive the Governor’s permission to visit him, must not communicate -with any individual of his suite, unless a permission to that effect be -specially expressed.” - -OBSERVATION.—This is useless; for nobody has been received since the -present Governor abolished the regulations which were established by his -predecessor. However, the consequence of this restriction is that, if -Napoleon should receive a stranger, as none of his officers can be -present, and none of his servants in attendance, he would be reduced to -the necessity of opening the doors himself. Besides, as the Emperor does -not understand English, it follows, if the individual admitted to him -should not speak French, that they must both remain mute, and thus the -interview would be reduced to a mere exhibition. - -“7th.—At sunset, the garden round Longwood is to be regarded as the -extent of the boundaries. At that time sentinels will be posted at the -limits of the garden; but so as not to incommode General Bonaparte by -observing his motions, should he wish to continue his walks. During the -night, sentinels will be stationed close to the house, as they formerly -were; and all admission must be prohibited until the sentinels are -withdrawn from the house and garden on the following morning.” - -OBSERVATION.—During the excessively hot season, the only time when it is -possible to walk is after sun-set. In order to avoid meeting the -sentinels, the Emperor finds it necessary to return to the house while -it is still broad day-light; though the heat of the sun has rendered it -impossible for him to go out during the day, as the grounds round -Longwood are without shade, water, or verdure. According to this new -restriction, the Emperor cannot enjoy a walk in the evening; while he is -likewise deprived of the exercise of riding on horseback. He is confined -in a small house, in all respects insufficient for his accommodation, -badly built, unwholesomely situated, and without a supply of water; and, -in addition to all this, every opportunity is taken to expose him to -insult and disrespect. His constitution, though naturally robust, is -very much enfeebled by the treatment he experiences. - -“8th.—Every letter for Longwood will be enclosed by the Governor in a -sealed envelope, and forwarded to the officer on duty, to be delivered, -sealed, to the officer of General Bonaparte’s suite to whom it is -addressed, who by this means will be assured that nobody except the -Governor knows its contents. - -“In like manner, letters from any of the residents of Longwood must be -delivered to the officer on duty, enclosed in a second sealed envelope -and addressed to the Governor, which will be a security that no -individual except the latter can peruse its contents. - -“No letter can be written or sent, and no communication of any kind -whatever can be made, except in the manner above mentioned. No -correspondence can be maintained with any individual in the island, -except for the necessary communications to the purveyor. The notes -containing these communications must be delivered open to the officer on -duty, who will forward them to the proper quarter. - -“The above-mentioned restrictions will be observed from the date of the -10th inst. - - “H. LOWE.“ - -“_St. Helena, October 9th, 1816._“ - -OBSERVATION.—This last restriction has no reference to the Emperor, who -neither writes nor receives letters. A simple explanation is, therefore, -all that is required. Will the observations that may be contained in the -confidential letters from the Emperor’s officers to their friends be -regarded as offensive? When those who may read these letters shall be -convinced that they are in no way hostile to the safety or policy of the -state, will they forget their contents, so that they may never become -the subject of conversation or abuse? This explanation will decide -whether all correspondence is, or is not, to be considered as -prohibited. The seizure of the person of Count Las Cases completely -justifies this observation. - -The object of the 8th article of the restrictions, as the inquisitorial -system established on the island sufficiently proves, is to prevent the -European journals from giving publicity to the criminal conduct that is -pursued here. A vast deal of trouble is taken to secure this object: it -would have been far easier to have acted in such a way as to render -concealment unnecessary. A letter addressed to Count Bertrand, dated the -1st of July, 1816, goes to still greater lengths; for it prohibits even -verbal communications with the inhabitants of the island. This is the -delirium of fury and hatred; or rather, it may be said to be a proof of -downright madness. The regulation here alluded to is but a trifling -example of the vexations to which we are exposed, and the invention of -which seems to be the sole occupation of the present Governor. Can Lord -Bathurst now affirm that Sir H. Lowe has imposed no restriction; that -the instructions of the English ministry were of a nature advantageous -to Napoleon and his suite, and had no other object than that of securing -their safe custody? In consequence of this absurd and insulting -treatment, the Emperor has not enjoyed exercise without doors for -several months. His medical attendants foresee that this confinement -will prove fatal to his constitution. It is a more certain, and far more -inhuman, mode of assassination, than poison or the sword. [What a -horrible prophecy!] - -ANXIETY OCCASIONED BY THE NEW RESTRICTIONS.—ANECDOTES OF - CAMPO-FORMIO.—MM. DE COBENTZEL, GALLO, AND CLARKE.—THE COUNT - D’ANTRAIGUES. - -10th.—This morning we had agreed to meet together at the Grand -Marshal’s, to deliberate on the restrictions which the Governor had -recently transmitted to us, and to adopt a uniform resolution. I was -unwell, and could not attend. I, however, wrote down my opinion: I -stated that in the delicate situation in which I was placed I could do -nothing; I could arrive at no positive conclusion; I always found 0—0. - -The point in question was, indeed, of the most serious and difficult -nature. We were required to subject ourselves to new restrictions, to -place ourselves under the dependence of the Governor, who shamefully -abused his power, employed the most insulting language towards the -Emperor, and announced that we must submit to every grievance, under -pain of being immediately separated from Napoleon, sent to the Cape, and -thence to Europe. - -On the other hand, the Emperor, indignant at the mortifications to which -we were exposed on his account, insisted that we should no longer submit -to them. He urged us rather to quit him, and to return to Europe, to -bear witness that we had seen him absolutely buried alive. - -But how could we for a moment endure this thought! Death was preferable -to separation from him whom we served, admired, and loved; to whom we -daily became more and more attached, through his personal qualities, and -the miseries which injustice and hatred had accumulated upon him. This -was the real state of the question. In these distressing circumstances, -we knew not what determination to adopt. I closed my letter by stating -that, if left to myself alone, I would sign, without scruple, any thing -that the Governor might present to me; and that, if a collective -resolution were taken, I would implicitly adopt it. - -The Governor had now found out a method of attacking us in detail: he -declared his intention of removing any individual of Napoleon’s suite -according to his will and caprice. - -The Emperor was indisposed: the Doctor has observed incipient scurvy. He -desired me to attend him, and we conversed on the subjects which chiefly -occupied our attention at the moment. He wanted something to amuse him, -and he took up the chapter of Leoben, which happened to be beside him. -When he had finished reading it, the conversation turned on the -conferences which brought about the treaty of Campo-Formio. I refer to -the chapters on that subject for the portrait and character of the first -Austrian negotiator, M. de Cobentzel, whom Napoleon surnamed the “_great -northern bear_,” on account of the influence which, he said, his heavy -paw had exercised on the green table of the conferences. - -“M. de Cobentzel was at that time,” said the Emperor, “the agent of the -Austrian monarchy, the main spring of its plans, and the director of its -diplomacy. He had been appointed on all the principal European -embassies, and had been long at the Court of Catharine, whose peculiar -favour he enjoyed. Proud of his rank and importance, he doubted not that -his dignified and courtly manners would easily overawe a General who had -just issued from the revolutionary camp. Thus,” observed Napoleon, “he -shewed a want of respect in addressing the French General; but the first -words uttered by the latter sufficed to reduce him to his proper level, -above which he never afterwards attempted to rise.” - -The conferences at first proceeded very slowly; for M. de Cobentzel, -according to the custom of the Austrian Cabinet, proved himself very -skilful in the art of retarding business. The French General, however, -determined to bring matters to an issue: the conference, which he had -declared should be the last, was maintained with great warmth. Napoleon -came, resolved to have a decisive answer to his propositions; they were -rejected. He then rose in a fit of passion, and exclaimed energetically: -“You wish for war then?—You shall have it:” and laying his hands on a -magnificent piece of porcelain (which M. de Cobentzel used with great -complacency to boast of having received as a present from the great -Catharine), he dashed it with all his force on the ground, where it was -broken into a thousand pieces. “There,” he exclaimed, “such, I promise -you, will be the fate of your Austrian monarchy in less than three -months:” and so saying, he rushed out of the apartment. M. de Cobentzel -stood petrified; but M. de Gallo, who was of a more conciliatory temper, -followed the French General to his carriage, endeavouring to detain him. -“He almost dragged me back by main force,” said the Emperor, “and with -so pitiable an air, that, in spite of my apparent anger, I could not -refrain from laughing in my sleeve.” - -M. de Gallo was the ambassador from Naples to Vienna, whither he had -conducted the Neapolitan Princess, the second wife of the Emperor -Francis. He possessed the full confidence of the Princess, and she, in -her turn, ruled her husband: thus the ambassador enjoyed great influence -at the Court of Vienna. When the army of Italy, marching on Vienna, -dictated the armistice of Leoben, the Empress, at this critical -juncture, cast her eyes on her confident, and charged him to avert the -danger. He was to gain an interview with the French General, as if -accidentally, and to endeavour to prevail on him to accept his services -as a negotiator. Napoleon, who was well acquainted with every -circumstance, determined to turn his knowledge to a good account. -Accordingly, on receiving M. de Gallo, he inquired who he was. The -favourite courtier, disconcerted to find himself under the necessity of -telling his name, replied that he was the Marquess de Gallo, and that he -had been charged by the Emperor of Austria to make overtures to -Napoleon. “But,” said the latter, “your name is not German.” “True,” -replied M. de Gallo,” I am the Neapolitan ambassador.” “And how happens -it,” said Napoleon drily, “that I have to treat with Naples? We are at -peace. Has the Emperor of Austria no negotiators of the old school? Is -the old aristocracy of Vienna extinct?” M. de Gallo, alarmed at the idea -of such observations being officially communicated to the Cabinet of -Vienna, now became intent on ingratiating himself into the favour of the -young General. - -Napoleon enquired what news had been received from Vienna, and spoke of -the armies of the Rhine, the Sambre, and the Meuse. He obtained all the -intelligence he could; and, when he was about to withdraw, M. de Gallo, -in the most suppliant tone, inquired whether he might hope to be -accepted as a negotiator, and whether he should proceed to Vienna to -obtain full powers. Napoleon had no wish to decline this proposal; he -had gained an advantage which he was not willing to lose. M. de Gallo, -who subsequently became ambassador from Naples to the First Consul, and -also ambassador from Joseph to the Emperor Napoleon, frequently -mentioned this scene, and frankly avowed that he had never been so -frightened in the whole course of his life. - -In the French negotiations, Clarke acted the same kind of secondary part -which M. de Gallo maintained with regard to Austria. “Clarke,” said the -Emperor, “had been sent to Italy by the Directory, which had begun to -consider me as dangerous. He was charged with an ostensible and public -mission; but he had secret orders to keep an eye upon me, and to -ascertain if, in case of necessity, it would be possible to arrest me. -But little reliance could have been placed on the officers of my army, -in an affair of this kind, and therefore the first inquiries were -addressed to the Cisalpine Directory. The answer was that it would be as -well to spare trouble on this point, and to give up all idea of it. As -soon as I was made acquainted with Clarke’s real instructions, I frankly -told him all I knew; at the same time assuring him that I should concern -myself but very little about any reports that might be made. He was soon -convinced of this. When, on his mission to Austria, he was dismissed, by -that Power, I offered to find employment for him, and he afterwards -remained with me; though perhaps there was, in reality, but little -sympathy between us. I should undoubtedly have again taken him into my -service, after my return, if I had found him in the ranks along with the -rest. You know that I could not easily rid myself of those to whom I had -become accustomed: when people had once embarked with me, I could never -prevail on myself to throw them overboard. Nothing but absolute -necessity could force me to such a course. Clarke’s chief merit was that -of being a good man of business.” - -After Brumaire, Clarke naturally came in contact with the First Consul -as his aid-de-camp, &c. There was then little etiquette observed at the -palace; the duties were not distinctly separated, and the whole -presented a kind of family circle. The officers immediately connected -with the Consul dined at a general table. Clarke, who was extremely -susceptible and punctilious, got involved in quarrels with one of these -persons. The circumstance having reached the ears of the First Consul, -he appointed Clarke ambassador to Florence, to the court of the Queen of -Etruria. This post was in itself highly agreeable; but Clarke had been -appointed to it by way of disgrace. He urgently solicited his recal; -and, at length, to his great satisfaction, he received an order to -return to France. But his punishment was not yet at an end. The First -Consul took but little notice of him: he sent him to the Tuileries, to -St. Cloud, and to the camp of Boulogne, without explaining his -intentions, or granting him any thing. Clarke, in despair, told one of -his friends that he had no alternative but to throw himself into the -Seine, as he could no longer endure the contempt to which he was -exposed, added to the mortification of being deprived of his situation. -Just at this time he was unexpectedly made Secretary of the -Topographical Cabinet, Councillor of State, and appointed to some other -posts, which altogether produced him a salary of 60 or 80,000 francs. -This was Napoleon’s way: his first favour was usually followed -immediately by several others. In these cases his bounty was -overwhelming. But it was necessary to take advantage of the interval of -favour; it might be endless, or it might be instantly and irretrievably -lost. - -I knew General Clarke well; he had been my comrade at the Military -School. He informed me that, some days before the battle of Jena, the -Emperor, from whose dictation he had just written numerous orders and -instructions, entering into a familiar conversation, while he walked up -and down his chamber, said: “In three or four days I will fight a -battle, which I shall gain: it will bring me at least as far as the -Elbe, and perhaps to the Vistula. There I will fight a second battle, -which I shall also gain. Then ... then ...,” said he, with a meditative -air, and placing his hand on his forehead ... “but that is enough; it is -useless to invent romances,—Clarke, in a month you will be Governor of -Berlin; and history will record that, in the space of one year, and in -two different wars, you were Governor of Vienna and Berlin; that is to -say, of the Austrian and Prussian monarchies. By the bye,” continued he, -smiling, “what did Francis give you for governing his capital?”—“Nothing -at all, Sire.”—“How, nothing at all?—That was hard indeed! Well, in that -case, I must pay his debt.” And he gave him, as far as I can recollect, -a sum sufficient to purchase an hotel in Paris, or a country house in -the vicinity of the capital. - -The course of events exceeded even Napoleon’s expectations. He fought -but one battle, which brought him to Berlin, and enabled him to advance -to the Vistula. - -“Clarke,” said Napoleon, “possessed a strong taste for family -parchments. At Florence he spent a great portion of his time in -investigating my genealogy. He also took great pains to trace out his -own, and I believe he at length persuaded himself that he was related to -the whole Faubourg Saint-Germain. Doubtless he has a much higher opinion -of his own dignity, now that he is the Minister of a legitimate King -than he had when he was merely the Minister of an upstart Emperor. It is -said that he at present enjoys great favour; I wish it may last. It -commenced a few days before my arrival at Paris, when the cause of the -King was desperate. It certainly appeared useless to accept a ministry -when all was lost; but I have nothing to say against that. This sort of -conduct may have its fair side; yet it is necessary to observe some -degree of decorum, and in that Clarke was wholly wanting. However, I -willingly forgive him in all that concerns me.... In 1813 and 1814 some -persons endeavoured to inspire me with doubts of Clarke’s fidelity; but -I never would listen to any thing of the kind. I always believed him to -be an honest man.” The intimate friends of the Duke de Feltre can bear -witness that Napoleon was correct in the opinion he had formed of the -character of his minister. - -The Duke de Feltre, on communicating to the Emperor the intelligence of -the arrival of the Count d’Artois in Switzerland, advised him to make -peace. Napoleon replied, under date of 22d of February, 1814:—“As to -your advice of making peace, it is too absurd: it is by cherishing such -notions as this that public spirit is destroyed. Besides, it is -supposing me either mad or stupid to imagine that, if I could conclude -peace, I would not immediately do it. To the prevailing notion that it -has been in my power to make peace for four months past, but that I -declined doing so, must be attributed all the misfortunes of France. I -expected, at least, to have been spared the pain of hearing such -sentiments expressed.” - -The Emperor, reverting to the events of Campo-Formio, alluded to the -arrest of the Count d’Antraigues, the papers that were found upon him, -and the discoveries to which they gave rise; he also mentioned the -indulgence which the Count experienced, and the treachery with which -that indulgence was repaid. - -The Count d’Antraigues, who was a man of considerable talent, fond of -intrigue, and endowed with personal advantages, had acquired a certain -degree of importance at the commencement of our Revolution. He was a -member of the right hand side of the Constituent Assembly, and he -emigrated at the time of its dissolution. At the period when the French -were about to assail Venice, the Count d’Antraigues was residing there, -where he held a diplomatic appointment from the Russian Government, and -was the main spring and agent of all the machinations that were plotting -against France. On seeing the danger of the Venetian Republic, he -attempted to escape; but he fell in with one of our posts, and was -seized, with all his papers. The General-in-chief appointed a special -commission to examine these documents, and the secrets which they -unfolded were the subject of great astonishment. They contained, among -other things, full proof of the treason of Pichegru, who had sacrificed -his troops to facilitate the operations of the enemy. “Pichegru,” -exclaimed the Emperor indignantly, “was guilty of the most odious crime -that can possibly be conceived, that of coldly sacrificing the men whose -lives had been entrusted to his honour and discretion.” - -The Count d’Antraigues, finding that all his secrets were discovered, -conducted himself with so much address and apparent candour, that -Napoleon, conceiving he had gained him over, or, to speak more properly, -suffering himself to be gained over by the Count, treated him with the -utmost indulgence. He defended him against the proceedings of the -Directory, which insisted on having him shot, and the Count was allowed -to proceed to Milan on his parole. But what was Napoleon’s surprise on -learning that M. d‘Antraigues had escaped to Switzerland, and had -published an infamous libel against him, reproaching him with -ill-treatment, and complaining of having been confined in chains? These -falsehoods occasioned so much indignation that several foreign -diplomatists, who knew how Napoleon had really acted towards the Count, -spontaneously made a public declaration of what they had witnessed. - -So late as the year 1814, the Count d‘Antraigues died in England, in a -horrible way, being assassinated by his valet-de-chambre in the presence -of his wife, who was the celebrated singer Saint Huberti. - -At the time of the seizure of the Count d‘Antraigues‘ papers, Pichegru -was at the head of the Legislative Body, and was almost at open war with -the Directory. It may well be supposed that the members of the Directory -were highly gratified by thus obtaining important and authentic -documents against their adversaries. This discovery greatly influenced -Napoleon in the course which he adopted in the events of Fructidor: it -was one of the principal causes of his famous proclamation, which -brought about the triumph of the Directory. - -Desaix, who was serving under Moreau in the army of the Rhine, having -taken advantage of the armistice to introduce himself to the -General-in-chief of the army of Italy, for whom he had conceived the -highest admiration, was with Napoleon at the time of the important -discovery above mentioned. Napoleon having informed him of the treason -of Pichegru, Desaix observed; “But we knew all this on the Rhine three -months ago. A waggon, belonging to General Klinglin’s corps, which fell -into our hands, furnished us with all Pichegru’s correspondence with the -enemies of the Republic.”—“And did Moreau give no intimation of this to -the Directory?” “No.”—“Then he is very blameable,” exclaimed Napoleon; -“when the safety of one’s country is at stake silence is guilt!” After -Pichegru’s fall, Moreau communicated to the Directory all he knew -respecting the conspiracy, at the same time pronouncing a severe -reprobation on those who were concerned in it. “This was but another -instance of misconduct,” said Napoleon; “by not speaking earlier, he -betrayed his country; and by speaking so late, he merely struck a blow -at one who was already fallen.” - - THE EMPEROR’S DREAM. - -11th—12th. The produce of the sale of a portion of plate, amounting to -6000 francs, was this day received. This sum the Emperor considered -indispensible to make up our deficiencies at the expiration of every -month; and he ordered the sale to be repeated regularly. - -The Emperor continues very ill, and is in very low spirits. To-day he -did not leave his room until dinner-time. He conversed very little, and -did not apply himself to any kind of occupation. I remained with him the -greater part of the day. He spoke frequently of the situation in which -we stood with respect to the Governor, and made some very remarkable -observations on that subject. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - -After dinner he mentioned a dream which he had had during the night. A -lady with whom he had been but little acquainted (Madame Clarke, Duchess -de Feltre) appeared to him in his dream, and told him she was dead, at -the same time adding several observations which were expressed in -language perfectly connected and intelligible. “Every thing was so clear -and distinct,” said the Emperor, “that it has made a forcible impression -on me; so much so that if I were really to hear of the death of the -Duchess de Feltre, I must confess that my established ideas would be -shaken; and perhaps,” said he, smiling and looking at one of the -company, “I too should become a believer in dreams and apparitions.” - -The Emperor ate little; his spirits were depressed, and he was evidently -very ill. He retired almost immediately, and his manner affected us -greatly. We could not help remarking how much he was altered. - - PRIVATIONS TO WHICH THE EMPEROR IS SUBJECTED.—HIS - CLAIMS ON PRINCE EUGENE. - -13th.—The Emperor came to me about ten o’clock. He looked in at my -room-door, and blamed me for not having risen earlier. He found me using -the foot-bath for I was not well. I soon joined him beneath the tent, -where he wished to breakfast. He told me he had given orders for drawing -up some notes relative to the new restrictions, to prevent condemnation -being passed on us without a sort of responsibility being attached to -those who passed the sentence. He then proceeded to calculate the lots -of plate which remain to be sold, and the period during which they would -serve to maintain us. I repeated the offers which I have already several -times made, telling him that it was hard he should be reduced to the -necessity of disposing of his plate; but he replied,—“My dear Las Cases, -under whatever circumstances I may be placed, those articles of luxury -are never of any importance to me; and as far as regards others, that is -to say, as far as regards the public, simplicity will always be my best -ornament.” He added that he could, after all, claim the assistance of -Prince Eugène; and that he was even inclined to write to him for the -loans which would be necessary for his subsistence when the plate should -be exhausted. He also expressed his intention of commissioning Eugène to -forward to him some important books which he wished to have sent from -London, together with a small quantity of choice wine, which it was -necessary he should take as a medicine. “This commission for wine,” said -he, will make our enemies in Europe say that we think of nothing here -but eating and drinking.” He said that he should feel no hesitation in -addressing himself on this subject to Eugène, who owed to him every -thing he possessed; and that it would be insulting the character of the -Prince to doubt his readiness to serve him, particularly as he had, -besides, a legal claim upon him for about ten or twelve millions. - -While we were at breakfast, the Emperor sent for the Pole, who is soon -to leave us. After breakfast he wished to employ himself in reading or -dictating; but he felt very drowsy, and fell asleep several times. He -retired to his chamber, to lie down for a while, desiring me to attend -him at one o’clock for his English lesson. But when the appointed hour -arrived, he was still in the same state of drowsiness; and he only -succeeded in rousing himself by taking a bath, in which, according to -custom, he remained for a long time. It is surprising that this -practice, joined to that of taking very hot baths, does not prove -injurious to him. - -The Emperor ate but little dinner, and he complained of not enjoying -regular and sound rest. He conversed for some time on the subject of -balloons, and laughed at those biographical notices which represent him -as having forced himself, sword in hand, into the balloon of the -military school. He mentioned, as a sort of prodigy, the circumstance of -the balloon which ascended at his coronation having fallen, in the space -of a few hours, in the neighbourhood of Rome, bearing intelligence of -the ceremony to the inhabitants of that city. - -The Emperor took up Don Quixote; but he closed the book in about half an -hour: he cannot now apply himself to reading for a longer interval. His -health visibly declines. He often observes to me that we are both -growing very old, and that he is much the older of the two: these words -tell a great deal. - -THE REQUIRED DECLARATION IS SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.—THE EMPEROR REMARKS - THAT MANY MODERN BOOKS ARE MERELY BOOKSELLERS‘ SPECULATIONS.—FALSE - NOTIONS CREATED BY PARTY SPIRIT.—GENERAL MAISON. - -14th.—To-day the Grand Marshal forwarded to the Governor the new -declarations which he required us to make. They were all alike, and were -as follows: - -“I, the undersigned, hereby declare that I wish to remain at St. Helena, -and to share the restrictions which are imposed on the Emperor Napoleon -personally.” - -About one o’clock I went to attend the Emperor in his chamber. I gave -him an account of some private commissions. He was reading a work on -the government of France. He thought it very indifferent, and observed -that, since he had been in the habit of perusing new publications, he -had found them, for the most part, to be merely matters of -speculation,—things got up for sale by booksellers. The world, he -said, was now threatened with a deluge of bad books, and he saw no -remedy that could effectually counteract so great an evil. - -After having dressed, the Emperor repaired to the drawing-room, where he -looked over a few English newspapers, and read some lines of Telemachus. -But he felt fatigued and low-spirited, and suspended his reading. We -discoursed on several subjects which intimately concerned the Emperor, -who closed the conversation by several times repeating,—“_Poor human -nature!_” - -During another interval of conversation, Napoleon, taking a review of -several well-known individuals, on whom he pronounced his opinion, -alluded to one, whom he represented as being a most immoral and base -character. I happened to be acquainted with this person, and I observed -that I knew him to be quite the reverse of what I had just heard -described. I was defending the individual in question with considerable -warmth when the Emperor interrupted me, saying: “I give full credit to -what you say; but I had heard a different account of him: and though I -generally made it a rule to hear things of this kind with suspicion, yet -you see I could not always avoid retaining some impression of what I -heard. Was this my fault? When I had no particular motive for inquiry, -how could I arrive at the knowledge of facts? This,” continued he, “is -the inevitable consequence of civil commotions: there are always two -reputations between the two parties. What absurdities, what ridiculous -stories, are related of the individuals who figured in our -Revolution![33] The saloons of Paris are full of them. I have had my -full share of this kind of scandal. After me who can have any right to -complain? Yet I protest that nothing of this sort ever produced any -influence on my mind, or occasioned me in any instance to alter my -determinations, &c.” - -Footnote 33: - - I take this opportunity of correcting an error of the nature here - alluded to. In a preceding part of this work, it is stated that M. - Monge ascended the Jacobinical tribune, &c. The friends and relatives - of that distinguished man have, however, assured me that all who knew - him at the time in question can bear witness that he never appeared - among them, and that he never spoke in any public assembly. I feel - pleasure in mentioning this circumstance; for nothing affords me - greater happiness than to be the means of developing truth. - -After alluding to several military officers, the Emperor mentioned -General Maison. “His manœuvres,” said he, “round Lille, in the crisis -of 1814, attracted my attention, and fixed him in my recollection. He -was not with us in 1815. What became of him? Where was he at that -time?”—I could not answer these questions, as I did not know the -General. - -DIFFICULTIES STARTED BY THE GOVERNOR RESPECTING OUR DECLARATIONS.—THE - EMPEROR’S SENTIMENTS ON THAT SUBJECT.—THE GOVERNOR’S CONVERSATION - WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL OF THE EMPEROR’S SUITE.—NAPOLEON’S - REMARK.—CONSUMMATION OF OUR SLAVERY. - -15th. For some time past I have found it impossible to sleep; and I have -passed whole nights without closing my eyes. About eight o’clock this -morning, as I was endeavouring to compose myself to rest, the Grand -Marshal entered my chamber, to inform me that the Governor had sent back -our declarations, and was coming himself to oblige us to sign that which -he had sent as a model, and which differed from ours only with respect -to the title which we gave to the Emperor. It was wished that we should -designate him merely by the name _Bonaparte_. - -The Grand Marshal proceeded to the Emperor’s apartments, whither I was -almost immediately summoned. On entering, I found the Emperor walking -about and expressing himself with great warmth. All the individuals of -the suite were assembled together. “The insults,” said he, “which are -daily heaped upon those who have devoted themselves to me, insults -which, it is very probable, will be multiplied to a still greater -extent, present a spectacle which I cannot and must not longer endure. -Gentlemen, you must leave me; I cannot see you submit to the -restrictions which are about to be imposed on you, and which will -doubtless soon be augmented. I will remain here alone. Return to Europe, -and make known the horrible treatment to which I am exposed; bear -witness that you saw me sinking into a premature grave. I will not allow -any one of you to sign this declaration in the form that is required. I -forbid it. It shall never be said that hands which I had the power to -command were employed in recording my degradation. If obstacles are -raised respecting a mere foolish formality, others will be started -to-morrow for an equally trivial cause. It is determined to remove you -in detail; but I would rather see you removed altogether and at once. -Perhaps this sacrifice may produce a result.” With these words he -dismissed us, and we withdrew overwhelmed with dismay. - -In a few moments the Emperor again sent for me. He was walking up and -down, through the whole length of his two little rooms. There was a -peculiar tenderness in the tone of his voice, and I never observed more -easy familiarity in his manner. “Well, my dear Las Cases,” said he, “I -am going to turn hermit,” “Sire,” said I, “are you not one already? What -resources does our society present to you? We can only offer you prayers -and good wishes; which, though they can contribute but little to your -consolation, are every thing to us. Our present situation is the most -distressing that can possibly be conceived; for, in the question under -consideration, we now perhaps, for the first time, find it difficult to -obey your Majesty. You hold the language of reason; while we are guided -only by sentiment. The arguments which you just now addressed to us -admit of no reply. Your determination is in unison with your character; -it will astonish no one, but its execution is beyond our power. The -thought of leaving you here alone exceeds in horror all that our -imagination can picture.”—“Such, however, is my fate,“ replied the -Emperor calmly, “and I must prepare for the worst: my mind is strong -enough to meet it. They will cut short my life; that is -certain.”—“Sire,” I observed, “the step which you command is not to be -thought of. To the last moment I will speak out as your Majesty has -done: on this point I will resist to the utmost; but I shall find it -impossible to act as I speak.” - -The Emperor seated himself, and desired me to sit down beside him. He -observed that he was much fatigued; and he ordered breakfast, desiring -me to stay with him. For a considerable time past, I had not been in the -habit of dining with him; he told me the reason why I had been denied -this happiness; and I considered it as a favour that he should -condescend to tell me. When the coffee was brought in, there was no cup -for me. Marchand was going to fetch one; but the Emperor called him -back, saying: “Take that one from the mantel-piece: he shall drink out -of my handsome gold cup.”[34] - -Footnote 34: - - This was the cup belonging to his dressing-table, which stood on the - chimney-piece as an ornament. - - I have now the happiness of possessing the saucer belonging to this - cup. M. Marchand, that faithful servant, to whom Napoleon declared - himself so much attached, on his return from St. Helena, came and - presented this saucer to me, in a manner that forcibly roused my - gratitude and sensibility. “The beautiful cup,” said he, “out of which - you sometimes drank, belonged to the Emperor’s dressing-table, and was - accordingly restored to its place. The saucer, however, among other - articles, fell to my share; and I now present it to you, being assured - that you will feel as much pleasure in receiving as I have in giving - it.” - -Just as breakfast was over, the Grand Marshal entered and told us that -the Governor had arrived, and had expressed a wish to see him at his -(Bertrand‘s) new house, which is a very short distance from our -establishment, and is at length on the point of being completed. The -Emperor desired him to attend the Governor. The Grand Marshal, as he was -about to withdraw, seemed desirous to know whether the Emperor still -persisted in the orders he had given us this morning, in case the -Governor should not yield. The Emperor sharply observed: “I am not a -child; when I have once thoroughly considered a question, I no longer -entertain two opinions upon it. I have directed battles which have -decided the fate of empires, and the orders I issued were always the -result of my mature deliberation. In this instance I am alone concerned. -Go!” - -The Grand Marshal soon returned with an account of the interview, which -he had closed by his refusal. The Governor, he said, had desired to see -the other three persons of the suite together; but we thought that it -would be more proper to present ourselves in succession. - -I went to wait on the Governor. I found him, surrounded by several of -his attendants, in the garden, near the path leading to the Grand -Marshal’s house. He withdrew on perceiving me; but I joined him in the -court before the house. - -As he had expressed himself very much irritated against me, I went as -well fortified as I possibly could. He, however, conducted me with great -politeness into the house, leaving the officers of his suite on the -outside; and, having told me that he awaited the arrival of Messrs. de -Montholon and Gourgaud, to enter upon the business, I asked him whether -he had any objection to treat immediately with me. He replied that he -had not; and, calling in his officers, he told me, in their presence, -that I had no doubt learned from the Grand Marshal what he had to -propose on the subject of my declaration. I replied in the affirmative, -at the same time observing that I regarded the Grand Marshal as my model -and guide, on account of his rank, as well as the respect and esteem I -entertained for him, and therefore it was natural to expect that my -answer should correspond with his. I added that I could not conceive why -so much importance was attached to a mere matter of form, which was so -painful to our feelings, while it could be of no service to those who -insisted on it. “It is out of my power,” said the Governor, “to make the -alteration you wish. I am directed to present to you for signature the -declaration written in my hand: now I, being an Englishman, cannot write -the title you wish.”—“I was not aware of that,” replied I; “to that -argument I have no reply to make. You, as an Englishman, must write -thus; but I, being a Frenchman, must sign in my language; that is to -say, with the translation from yours. Allow me, therefore, to add to my -signature any phrase that you may think proper to dictate to me, in -which I can express myself in my own language. You may now judge,” added -I, “whether I deal candidly, and whether I seek to create difficulties.” -This proposal seemed to claim his attention. “We are now,” I continued, -“merely disputing about words, which may appear very silly, considering -the important circumstances in which we are placed; but, Sir, who -created these difficulties? Who will suffer from them? Your refusal -places us in a most distressing situation! You see me reduced to the -utmost despair! To me separation from the Emperor would be worse than -death; yet I would rather submit to it than suffer my hand to be the -instrument of his degradation. The Emperor unites in himself all that -constitutes an august character, in the eyes of God and man: to deny -this would be to deny the light of the sun.” - -The Governor observed that he, as an Englishman, could not acknowledge -the Emperor; and I replied that I could urge no objection to that. I -added that however much I might be hurt by his mode of designating the -Emperor, yet I did not mean to question his right of using whatever -terms he might think proper; and that, for the same reason, he ought not -to object to my opinions and expressions, considering that I was a -Frenchman, and that he demanded my signature. - -Here Sir Hudson Lowe angrily alluded to some past circumstances relating -to himself personally; and he observed that, after all, moral character -was the only real title to respect. “At that rate, Governor,” replied I, -with some warmth, and turning to the Officers who were in attendance, -“the Emperor may divest himself of all his titles, and he will but gain -in the opinion of the world, if his character be estimated by the scale -to which you allude.” The Governor was silent: then, after a pause of a -few moments, he observed that we still treated our General as though he -were an Emperor. “And how can we treat him otherwise?”—“I mean to say, -that you continue to look upon him as a Sovereign.”—“Governor, you talk -of revering him as our Sovereign; we do more—we worship him! We now -consider the Emperor as removed from this world; we view him as though -he were in Heaven!... When you leave us a choice that is in opposition -to him, it is like the choice given to martyrs, when they are commanded -to renounce their faith or die. “Death, therefore, must be our -alternative.” These words produced a visible impression on the officers -who were present, and even on the Governor. Contrary to custom, his -countenance assumed a mild expression, and the tone of his voice was -softened. - -“Our situation here,” continued I, “is so horrible as to be almost -beyond endurance. You know this;—but what we now suffer is nothing to -the misery which is reserved for us. What I ask will be no sacrifice to -you, and it will be every thing to us. I implore you to grant what I -request; and this is something, for you know I am not in the habit of -soliciting favours from you. Make but this one concession, and you will -claim my eternal gratitude. Besides, consider that a responsibility -rests with you; that there is a public opinion in Europe, which you may -forfeit without gaining any advantage in return. You cannot be a -stranger to the sentiments which animate me; they must, I am sure, go to -the hearts of all who listen to me.” - -Here the Governor appeared somewhat moved; the officers were evidently -affected. Sir Hudson Lowe, after a few moments‘ silence, bowed to me, -and I took my leave. - -Messrs. de Montholon and Gourgaud had each an interview in their turn; -and we all four attended the Emperor during his toilet, without, -however, being able to tell him whether any decision had been formed on -the subject that so deeply interested us. - -The Emperor expressed a wish to go out, though the wind was extremely -boisterous: we all walked to the extremity of the wood. He took a review -of the Governor’s conduct, making remarks upon it in the rapid and -copious way peculiar to himself; and he concluded by saying that if -to-day we should agree to sign the declaration, in order to avoid being -separated from him, to-morrow another ground of expulsion would be -brought forward; and that he should wish our removal to be effected -forcibly and at once, rather than tranquilly and in detail. Then, -suddenly assuming a tone of pleasantry, he said that, after all, he -could hardly believe the Governor wished to reduce his subjects to one -only; and what sort of subject would that one be! added he—an absolute -porcupine, on which he would not dare to lay a finger. - -During our walk, two strangers approached pretty near to us. The Emperor -made some one enquire who they were, and he was informed that they -belonged to a vessel which was about to sail to-morrow for Europe. The -Emperor asked whether they were likely to see any of the Ministers on -their arrival in London; and they replied that they should see Lord -Bathurst. “Tell him,” said Napolean, “that his instructions with respect -to my treatment here are most odious, and that his agent executes them -with scrupulous fidelity. If he wished to get rid of me, he should have -despatched me at a blow, instead of thus killing me by inches. This -conduct is truly barbarous; there is nothing English in it; and I can -only attribute it to some personal hatred. I have too much respect for -the Prince Regent, the majority of the Ministers, and the English -nation, to suppose that they are responsible for my treatment. Be this -as it may, their power extends only to the body; the soul is beyond -their reach: it will soar to Heaven even from the dungeon.” - -The Emperor, on his return home, took a bath; he was fatigued and -harassed by the events of the day. He fell asleep, and I watched beside -him, meditating on our new grievances. - -At dinner he ate but a little. Some one made an observation, and the -Emperor, not having heard it distinctly, asked what had been said—a -thing which frequently happens. The words were then repeated in a louder -tone, upon which he observed: “I am certainly growing deaf, for I -occasionally miss hearing what is said, and I feel inclined to be angry -when people speak louder than usual.” He concluded the evening by -reading a part of Don Quixote. He was much amused at some comic -passages; and, laying down the book, he remarked that we certainly -showed a great deal of courage, since we could laugh at such trifles -under our present circumstances. He paused for some moments, and seemed -deeply wrapped in thought: then rising, he withdrew, saying: “Adieu, my -dear friends.” - -During dinner, a letter had been delivered to me from the Grand Marshal; -but I had kept it concealed, conceiving that it augured no good. I -opened it as soon as the Emperor withdrew. It enclosed a letter from the -Governor, announcing that if we still persisted in our refusal to sign -the declaration, he would immediately give orders for our removal to -Europe. We yielded to the dictates of our hearts: to determine on -leaving the Emperor was beyond our power; while at the same time it -would have been going beyond his wishes, and perhaps too beyond his -orders. With unanimous sentiments, we eagerly signed the declarations in -the form in which they were presented to us, and delivered them to the -English officer on duty at Longwood, together with a letter to the Grand -Marshal, acquainting him with what we had done without his -participation. We had been guided solely by our feelings, and we trusted -that those feelings would afford us consolation, even though the Emperor -should disapprove of the step we had taken. - -We have now reached the consummation of our absolute slavery and -dependence on the will and caprice of Sir Hudson Lowe; not merely by the -signature we have just given him, but because he now knows our secret, -and therefore it is in his power to compel us to submit to any thing he -pleases. - -ANECDOTES OF SIEYES.—THE EMPEROR FREQUENTLY ATTENDED POPULAR FESTIVITIES - IN DISGUISE.—HIS VISITS TO THE FAUBOURG SAINT-ANTOINE, AFTER HIS - RETURN FROM MOSCOW AND FROM THE ISLAND OF ELBA.—MANNERS DURING THE - TIME OF THE DIRECTORY.—REMARKABLE OFFICIAL NOTE. - -16th.—The Emperor sent for me about noon. He had been reading and was -just finishing his coffee. He desired me to sit down, and he entered -into conversation. Not a word escaped him that could lead me to suppose -he knew the determination we had adopted yesterday evening; he made no -allusion to the subject, and it was not mentioned throughout the whole -of the day. After breakfast, the Emperor walked about his apartments. -The turn of the conversation introduced some anecdotes of former times, -of which Sieyes was the subject. The Emperor related that while Sieyes -was chaplain to the Princes of Orleans, being one day engaged in -performing mass, something unexpectedly occasioned the Princes to -withdraw during the service; upon which the Abbé, looking up and seeing -only the valets present, immediately closed his book, observing that he -was not engaged to perform mass to the rabble. - -“Your Majesty,” said I, “was the first who made me acquainted with the -name and person of Sieyes. A few days after my presentation at Court, -your Majesty, at one of your audiences, having passed by me, stopped to -speak to the person who stood next to me, addressing him by name. All my -emigrant prejudices were yet in full force and I thought myself polluted -by coming in contact with one whom I regarded as an absolute monster, -and whom I had never heard mentioned except as an object of the -bitterest imprecation.” “Doubtless,” said the Emperor, “you were -thinking of the _mort sans phrase_. But I have heard it affirmed that -Sieyes denied that.” - -I now repeated an anecdote which used to be circulated in the Faubourg -Saint-Germain, and on which, the first time I related it, the Emperor -made no observation. Sieyes was described as having used the epithet -_tyrant_ in speaking of Louis XVI., to which Napoleon was said to have -replied, “Monsieur l‘Abbé, if he had been a tyrant, I should not be -here, and you would still be performing mass.” “I might have thought -so,” said the Emperor, on my relating this anecdote for the second time; -“but I should certainly not have been fool enough to say so. This is one -of the absurd stories invented in the drawing-rooms of Paris. I never -committed blunders of that kind: my object was to extinguish, and not to -feed, the flame. The torrent of hostility was already too forcibly -directed against certain leaders of the Revolution. I found it necessary -to support and countenance them; and I did so. Some one having -procured—God knows where—a bust of Sieyes in his ecclesiastical -character, it was publickly exhibited, and occasioned a universal -uproar. Sieyes, in a furious passion, set out to make a complaint to me; -but I had already given the necessary reprimand, and the bust was again -consigned to obscurity. - -“My great principle was to guard against re-action, and to bury the past -in oblivion. I never condemned any opinion, or proscribed any act. I was -surrounded by the men who had voted for the death of Louis XVI.: they -were in the Ministry, and in the Council of State. I did not approve of -their doctrines; but what had I to do with them? what right had I to -constitute myself their judge?” Some had been actuated by conviction, -others by weakness and terror, and all by the delirium and fury of the -moment. The fatality of the Greek tragedy was exemplified in the life of -Louis XVI.” - -I told the Emperor that it was reported in the Faubourg Saint-Germain -that Sieyes had been detected in a conspiracy against him, in the affair -of M. Clement de Ris; and that he (Napoleon) had pardoned him, on -condition of his entirely withdrawing himself from any participation in -political affairs. “This is another idle story, for which there is not -the slightest foundation,” said the Emperor. “Sieyes was always attached -to me, and I never had any cause to complain of him. He was probably -vexed to find that I opposed his metaphysical ideas; but he was at -length convinced that it was necessary for France to have a ruler, and -he preferred me to any other. Sieyes was, after all, an honest and a -very clever man: he did much for the Revolution.” - -The Emperor mentioned that at one of the first public festivals that -took place during the Consulate, as he was viewing the illuminations -in company with Sieyes, he asked him what he thought of the state of -affairs. Sieyes replied in a cold and even a disheartening tone. “And -yet,” resumed Napoleon, “I had this morning very satisfactory proofs -of the spirit of the people.”—“It is seldom,” replied Sieyes, “that -the people shew their real spirit, when the man who is possessed of -power presents himself to their gaze. I can assure you they are far -from being satisfied.”—“Then you do not think the present government -firmly established?”—“No.”—“And when do you suppose we shall be -settled?“—“When I see the Dukes and Marquises of the old court in your -ante-chamber.“—“Sieyes,” added the Emperor, “little dreamed that this -would so soon be the case. He was short-sighted, and could not see -very far before him. I thought, as he did, that all could not end with -the Republic; but I foresaw the establishment of the Empire. -Accordingly, two or three years afterwards, the circumstance I have -just related being still fresh in my recollection, I said to Sieyes, -at one of my grand audiences: Well, you are now pell-mell with all the -old Dukes and Marquises; do you think all is settled now?”—“Oh, yes,” -replied Sieyes, bowing profoundly; “you have wrought miracles, which -were never before equalled, and which I never could have foreseen.” - -During the Consulate, Napoleon was once standing in front of the Hotel -de la Marine, viewing a public illumination. Beside him was a lady, who -to all appearance had formerly moved in a distinguished sphere, -accompanied by her daughter, a very pretty girl, to whom she was -pointing out all the persons of note, as they passed to and fro in the -apartments. Calling her daughter’s attention to a certain individual, -she said: “Remind me to go and pay my respects to him some day. We ought -to do so, for he has rendered us great service.” “But, mother,” replied -the young lady, “I did not know that we were expected to shew gratitude -to such people. I thought they were too happy in being able to oblige -persons of our quality.” “Certainly,” said the Emperor, “La Bruyere -would have turned this incident to good account.” - -Napoleon sometimes went out in disguise early in the morning, traversing -the streets of the capital alone, and mingling with the labouring -classes of the people, with whose condition and sentiments he wished to -make himself acquainted. In the Council of State I have often heard him -advise the Prefect of Police to adopt this plan. He called it the -_Caliph system of police_, and said he esteemed it to be the best. - -On his return from the disastrous campaigns of Moscow and Leipsic, -Napoleon, in order to maintain the appearance of confidence, frequently -appeared amidst the multitude with scarcely any attendants. He visited -the market-places, the faubourgs, and all the populous districts of the -capital, conversing familiarly with the people; and he was every where -received and treated with respect. - -One day, at La Halle, a woman with whom he had been holding a little -dialogue, bluntly told him he ought to make peace. “Good woman,” replied -the Emperor, “sell your greens, and leave me to settle my affairs. Let -every one attend to his own calling.” The bystanders laughed, and -applauded him. - -On another occasion, at the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, when surrounded by -an immense concourse of people, whom he was treating very -condescendingly, some one asked whether affairs were really as bad as -they were represented to be? “Why, certainly,” replied the Emperor, “I -cannot say that things are going on very well.” “But what will be the -end of this?” “Heaven knows!” “Will the enemy enter France?” “Very -possibly; and he may even march to Paris if you do not assist me. I have -not a million of arms. I cannot do all by my own individual efforts.” -“We will support you,” exclaimed a number of voices. “Then I shall beat -the enemy, and preserve the glory of France.” “But what must we do?” -“You must enlist and fight.” “We will,’ said one of the crowd; “but we -must make a few conditions!” “What are they?” “We will not pass the -frontier.” “You shall not be required to do so.” “We wish to serve in -the guards,” said another. “You shall do so.” The air instantly -resounded with acclamations. Registers were immediately opened, and two -thousand men enlisted in the course of the day. Napoleon returned to the -Tuileries; and, as he entered the Place Carousel on horseback, -surrounded by the multitude, whose acclamations rent the air, it was -supposed that an insurrection had broken out, and the gates were about -to be closed. - -On his return from the Island of Elba, the Emperor made another visit to -the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, where he was received with equal enthusiasm, -and conducted back to the palace in a similar manner. As he passed -through the Faubourg Saint-Germain, the multitude who escorted him -halted before the principal hotels, and manifested their disapprobation -by angry words and gestures. The Emperor observed that he had scarcely -ever been placed in so delicate a situation. “How many evils might have -ensued,” said he, “had a single stone been thrown by the mob. Had a -single imprudent word, or even an equivocal look, escaped me, the whole -Faubourg might have been destroyed; and I am convinced that its -preservation was to be attributed wholly to my presence of mind, and the -respect which the multitude entertained for me.” - -To-day I attended the Emperor at his toilet. Santini was cutting his -hair, and a large tuft fell at my feet. I stooped to pick it up, and the -Emperor, observing me, asked what I was doing. I replied that I had -dropped something, upon which he smiled and pinched my ear: he guessed -what I had picked up. - -Speaking of the depravity and corruption of manners which prevailed at -the time when he commanded the army of the interior in Paris, Napoleon -mentioned that a contractor came to solicit some signatures from him, -and to beg that he would give his support to certain appointments and -supplies: this he promised to do without hesitation, conceiving that -there was nothing unfair in the proposal. Before he withdrew, the -contractor dextrously took an opportunity of leaving on the -chimney-piece two rouleaux containing a hundred Louis. This was an -enormous sum in specie, for at that time paper money was chiefly in use. -Fortunately, the General was the first to discover the circumstance, and -the visitor was called back before he had gone far. He at first -attempted to deny having left the money; but he afterwards acknowledged -it, observing that every one must live, and that the method he had -adopted was, he believed, the general one. He, however, hoped that he -might be forgiven if he had unintentionally done wrong, adding that it -was very seldom necessary to ask pardon for such offences. - -At the hour at which the Emperor generally takes his walk, he found -himself very drowsy; but he was determined to rouse himself, and he went -out though the wind was blowing violently. After walking a short -distance, he returned to the house, and we entered Madame de Montholon’s -apartment. The Emperor had no sooner seated himself on the sofa, than he -felt inclined to fall asleep. He rose and proceeded to the drawing-room. -He complained of great internal heat, and asked for a glass of toast and -water. His drowsiness still continued, and he retired to his chamber to -lie down. - -About seven o’clock he sent for me, and gave me the following note, -which he desired me to keep along with the rest of the official papers. -It was the copy of a note which he had sent that morning to the -Governor.... - -_Note._—“I recollect that in a conversation which took place between -General Lowe and some of the gentlemen of my suite, (alluding to the -conversation of the 15th,) some observations were made respecting my -situation, which were not conformable with my ideas. I abdicated to the -Representatives of the people and in favour of my son. I proceeded with -confidence to England, with the intention of living either there or in -America, in profound retirement, and under the name of a Colonel who was -killed in battle by my side. _I had resolved to have nothing to do with -political affairs of any kind whatever._ - -“When I went on board the Northumberland, I was informed that I was a -prisoner of war, that I was to be transported beyond the Line, and that -I was to be called _General Bonaparte_. This obliged me to retain -ostensibly the title of the Emperor Napoleon, in opposition to the name -of General Bonaparte, which was thus to be forced upon me. - -“About seven or eight months ago, Count Montholon proposed to obviate -the little difficulties that are continually arising, by my adopting an -ordinary name. The Admiral thought it necessary to write to London on -this subject, and there the matter rested. - -“The name which is now applied to me has the advantage of not prejudging -the past; but it is not in unison with the forms of society. _I am still -disposed to assume a name that may be conformable with custom_; I once -more repeat that whenever I may be released from my cruel captivity, _I -am still willing to continue a stranger to all political affairs, -whatever may take place in the world_. Such is my determination; and no -other declaration, on this subject, has my sanction.” - -The Emperor ate but little dinner; there was something very -extraordinary in the lethargy that had come over him. He had been -overpowered by drowsiness during the whole of the day; and yet when he -withdrew he said he was afraid he should not sleep, his sensations were -so extraordinary. He generally rests soundly when he is inclined to -sleep, but he had been dozing all day long without being able to get any -rest. - -To-day a frigate sailed for Europe. - - LOUIS XVI.—MARIE ANTOINETTE.—MADAME CAMPAN.—LEONARD.—THE - PRINCESS DE LAMBALLE. - -17th. About noon the Emperor sent for me; he had just finished his -breakfast. He was no better than he had been yesterday. He endeavoured -to converse a little, and then read in English a few pages of the Vicar -of Wakefield. He still complained of drowsiness, and, after several vain -efforts to rouse himself, he retired to his chamber to try to get a nap. -He was the more astonished that this heaviness should continue, as he -said he had slept well during the night. - -He did not leave his chamber until dinner was ready, and after dinner he -tried to read a little of Don Quixote; but he almost immediately laid -down the book, and retired. As it was very early, he sent for me after -he had gone to bed, and I remained with him nearly an hour conversing on -different subjects. - -We spoke of Louis XVI., the Queen, Madame Elizabeth, their martyrdom, -&c. He asked me to tell him what I knew of the King and Queen, and what -they had said to me on my presentation. The forms and ceremonies of the -Court were, I informed him, the same as those which were adopted during -the Empire. As to character, I observed, it was generally admitted that -the Queen had disappointed public expectation. During the first moments -of the revolutionary storm, there was every reason to suppose her to be -a woman of great talent and energy; but subsequently these qualities -seemed entirely to forsake her. With regard to the King, I mentioned the -opinion formed of him by M. Bertrand de Molleville, with whom I had been -well acquainted, and who was Minister of Marine to Louis XVI. at the -height of the crisis. He pronounced the King to have possessed -considerable information, sound judgment, and excellent intentions; but -there it all ended. He lost himself by the multiplicity of advice which -he solicited, and by his irresolute and wavering mode of following that -advice. - -The Emperor, in his turn, retraced the portrait of the Queen, by Madame -Campan, who, he observed, having been her confidante, and having served -her with zeal, affection and fidelity, might be expected to have known a -great deal about her, and deserved to be considered as good authority. -Madame Campan, he said, had communicated to him many details of the -private life of the Queen; and he related some particulars which he had -derived from that source. - -The Queen, according to Madame Campan, was a fascinating woman, but -destitute of talent: she was better calculated to be a votary of -pleasure than a participator in affairs of State. She possessed an -excellent heart, was parsimonious, rather than extravagant, and by no -means possessed strength of character equal to the trying circumstances -in which she was placed. She obtained regular information of the schemes -that were carrying on abroad; and she never entertained a doubt of her -deliverance, even up to the fatal 10th of August, the catastrophe of -which was brought about solely by the intrigues and hopes of the Court, -which were developed to the world through the imprudence of the King and -those who surrounded him. - -“On the terrible night of the 5th of October,” said the Emperor, “a -person for whom the Queen entertained a high regard, and whom I -afterwards treated very ill at Rastadt, hastened to join the Princess at -Versailles: whether he had been sent for, or whether he went of his own -accord to share her dangers, I know not. It is in these trying moments,” -continued the Emperor, “that we feel most in need of the advice and -consolation of those who are devoted to us. At the moment of the -catastrophe, when the palace was stormed, the Queen fled for refuge to -the King’s apartments; but her confident was exposed to the greatest -dangers, and only escaped by leaping out of a window.” - -I informed the Emperor that the Queen had greatly fallen in the -estimation of the emigrants, by her conduct during the events of -Varennes; she was reproached for not having allowed the King to set out -alone, and for having betrayed a want of skill and energy during the -flight of the Royal family. Nothing indeed, could be more ill managed -and confused than the journey to Varennes. A curious circumstance -connected with that event was, that Leonard, the Queen’s famous -_coiffeur_, found means to pass, in his cabriolet, through the midst of -the tumult; and he arrived at Coblentz, bringing with him the Marshal’s -baton, which, it was said, the King had carried away from the Tuileries, -in order to deliver it to M. de Bouillé, when he should join him. - -“It was,” said the Emperor, “an established rule with the members of the -House of Austria to observe profound silence respecting the Queen of -France. Whenever Marie Antoinette was mentioned, they cast down their -eyes, and dexterously changed the conversation, as if to avoid a -disagreeable and embarrassing subject. This rule,” continued the -Emperor, “was adopted by all the members of the family, and recommended -to their agents abroad. The efforts lately made by the French Princes in -Paris to revive the interest attached to the memory of the unfortunate -Queen must certainly have been displeasing to the Court of Vienna.” - -The Emperor next asked me some questions concerning the Princess de -Lamballe, of whom he said he knew nothing. I was enabled to answer his -questions, as I had known the Princess well. One of my cousins had been -her lady of honour; and, on my arrival at Aix-la-Chapelle, at the -commencement of my emigration, I was received as one of her household, -and treated with the utmost kindness. - -At Aix-la-Chapelle the Princess de Lamballe had assembled round her many -of the wrecks of Versailles: she was surrounded by nobles and persons of -fashion, who had been connected with the old Court. She was also visited -by many illustrious foreigners; and while I remained with her, I -frequently saw Gustavus III., King of Sweden, who went by the name of -the Count de Haga; Prince Ferdinand of Prussia, and his children, the -eldest of whom (Prince Louis) was killed just before the battle Jena; -the duchess of Cumberland, widow of a brother of the King of England, -&c. - -When Louis XVI. solemnly accepted the Constitution, and thus recomposed -the nation, the Princess received an official letter from the Queen, -inviting her to return to her situation. She consulted her old friends, -who declared themselves of opinion that the Queen was not free, and, -conceiving that there would be no safety in Paris, they advised her to -take no notice of the Queen’s letter, and to let it be supposed that it -had never come to hand. The Princess, however, having asked some other -individuals, how they would advise her to act, they unfortunately -replied: “Madam, you shared the prosperity of the Queen, and you have -now a noble opportunity of proving your fidelity, particularly since you -are no longer her favourite.” The Princess possessed lofty sentiments, -warm affections, and was of a rather romantic turn of mind. She declared -her intention of setting out next day for Paris. The unfortunate lady, -therefore, returned to the capital, with a full knowledge of the danger -to which she was exposed; and she fell the victim of generosity and -noble sentiment. When the Princess determined on proceeding to Paris, my -friends proposed that I should accompany her as one of her suite. My -youth, together with the circumstance of my being almost a stranger in -Paris, would have enabled me to pass unnoticed, and I might perhaps have -been serviceable to her; but at the moment of her departure, some -difficulties arose which prevented me from accompanying her. However, I -became her correspondent; and every other day I transmitted to her the -absurd stories of every kind, which served to feed our hopes, and to -which we failed not to give implicit credit. I continued my -correspondence while we remained in the country; I even continued it -after she had ceased to exist! - -The extreme affliction in which I was plunged, on hearing of her -dreadful fate, was occasionally augmented by the fear that my letters -might perhaps have had some share in producing it. I happen to have now -in my possession some lines which she wrote a few days before the -horrible catastrophe that closed her existence. They are dated _from my -dungeon_; for so she called the Pavilion of Flora, which she at that -time occupied in the Tuileries. - - END OF VOL. III. - - ANDOVER: STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY B. BENSLEY - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Footnotes - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note - -Certain conventions of the text have been modified. For instance, a -series of dots (....) were employed where a name was elided. These have -been replaced with long dashes (———) in order to avoid awkward line -breaks. - -Given the publication date, spelling has been generally allowed to stand -as printed. For instance, the words ‘somnabule’ and ‘somnabulism’, on p. -43, are apparently in error, but are consistent with one another. -However, errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been -corrected, and are noted below. - -There were a number of instances in the text where quoted words were -missing either an opening or closing quotation mark. The proper -placement is not always obvious, but the most plausible choice has been -made, based on the context and voice. Among the most challenging is the -author’s recounting of Napolean’s recollection of an interchange with -the Pope on p. 130. - -The issues tabulated below should be noted, along with the resolutions. -The references below are to the page and line in the original. - - 25.25 “In obta[in]ing possession of Illyria Added. - 43.25 [somnabule], who, at night runs along the roof _sic_ - 43.29 on his [somnabulism], _sic_ - 52.32 The Emperor rema[r]ked Added. - 63.15 that adulation w[sa/as] not pushed so far Transposed. - 66.35 a suitable match for your Princess.[’] Added. - 72.20 [“/‘]You will see me again shortly Replaced. - 77.33 while we[re / re]tained possession of it. Moved space. - 81.19 [‘]How’, exclaimed he, Added. - 90.33 the 13th Vend[e/é]miaire Replaced. - 95.38 under which [b/h]e suffers Replaced. - 102.5 and altogether useless.[”] Added. - 105.18 even when that great E[x/m]press seated on her Replaced. - throne - 107.41 unless it was agreeable to me[,/.] Replaced. - 108.30 might have incited him in his blindness.[”] Added. - 108.31 [“]At the end of this Removed. - 116.40 or a pain in my stomach.[’/”] Replaced. - 120.7 will be guilty of my destruction[’]” Added. - 121.15 she exclaimed, [‘]but a single moment left; Added. - 121.24 he published a pamph[l]et Added. - 130.16 if it be feasible.’[”] It was, however, Added. - 130.26 [“]‘I shall never,’ he remarked, Added. - 131.2 whatever I wished.[”] Added. - 140.28 [“]Sire,” I answered, Added. - 147.17 [‘]Thousand and One Nights’ Added. - 151.30 as do all the principles of sound[,] morality. Removed. - 154.38 at Lodi, at Castiglione, a[t] Rivoli, at Added. - Arcole - 155.32 the[ir/re] existed on this rock Replaced. - 155.37 [“]Permission could not be obtained to Added. - subscribe - 155.40 In conse[se]quence of the demand Removed - 159.6 Those, who, who> fail in respect to Napoleon, Removed. - 159.38 said he, [“]is a very happy connexion. Added. - 163.11 with the nations situated in their rear.[”] Added. - 166.32 [“]My leisure and my old age would have been Removed. - devoted, - 168.1 The army marched, with difficulty, over that Added. - tract tract[.] - 171.22 supplies the whole of the establis[h]ment with Added. - water - 174.17 to some houses of the Franks[,/’] quarter Replaced. - 189.36 four[-]and-twenty hours Added. - 199.15 only not all at the same[,] time Removed. - 230.34 ar[r]angements for the battles of Leipsic Added. - 232.31 co[ /a]lesced Powers Restored. - 239.28 ra[t]her congratulate yourselves Added. - 259.39 when I happene[n]d to be alone with him Removed. - 260.35 The Holy League which[ which] had been formed Removed/ - against Henry III. - 261.15 But these parli[a]ments drew up Added. - 214.1 beat 107,000 Russians or Prussians[’] Removed. - 219.25 insuring the independ[a/e]nce of France Replaced. - 265.30 by the treaty of Camp[i]o-Formio Removed. - 267.38 a Burgundy, a Champa[n]gne Removed. - 279.26 from the States of the House of Austria[.] Restored. - 284.15 in one of the small Versailles[,] diligences Removed. - 292.29 as far as Avi[n]gnon, he had heard nothing but Removed. - regret - 292.39 he several times called after him.[”/:] Replaced. - 294.12 [“]depended on my speed. Added. - 294.17 was quitting the Tuileries.[”] Added. - 298.19 all public bodies, all classes[,] of the Removed. - citizens - 300.36 the safest, and the best[.] Added. - 301.41 with expressions of the [f]eelings Added. - 302.39 the Bourbons ab[o/a]ndoning a monarchy Replaced. - 304.9 ON IMPOS[S]IBILITIES. Added. - 305.22 [“]Accordingly,” continued Bertrand, Removed. - 312.15 the Mississippi Company[,] Added. - 315.13 in a very short time a Mayor of the Palace.[”] Added. - 319.13 [“]The Orientals, on the other hand, differ Added. - 321.37 [“]On my return from Elba Added. - 332.30 _M[âi/aî]tre des Requêtes_ Replaced. - 337.1 the[ the] Council of State Removed. - 346.22 and I am soon asleep.[”] Removed. - 357.26 observed he, [“]of amalgamating all kinds of Added. - merit - 371.36 in less than three months[: “]/:”] and so Replaced. - saying, - 375.19 th[e/a]n he had when he was merely the Replaced. - Minister - 376.34 who had sacrificed his troops to facili[t]ate Added. - the operations - 376.39 [D/d]’Antraigues>, finding that all his Replaced. - secrets - 383.9 I will remain her[e] alone. Added. - 386.1 “I was not aware of that[,]” replied I; Added. - 386.27 yet I d[l/i]d not mean to question his right Replaced. - 388.21 “Tell him,” said [“]Napoleon, [“]that his Moved. - instructions - 390.8 He had bee[d/n] reading Replaced. - 399.10 on my arrival at Aix-la[-]Chappelle Restored. - 400.5 my friends proposed that I should[a’/ Replaced. - a]ccompany her - 400.9 but at [i]the moment of her departure, Removed. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoirs of the life, exile, and -conversations of the Emperor Napoleon, by Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné Las Cases - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS VOLUME 3 OF 4 *** - -***** This file should be named 53969-0.txt or 53969-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/9/6/53969/ - -Produced by KD Weeks, Josep Cols Canals and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Memoirs of the life, exile, and conversations of the Emperor Napoleon. (Vol. III) - -Author: Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné Las Cases - -Release Date: January 17, 2017 [EBook #53969] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS VOLUME 3 OF 4 *** - - - - -Produced by KD Weeks, Josep Cols Canals and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class='tnotes'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>Transcriber’s Note:</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Footnotes have been collected at the end of each chapter, and are -linked for ease of reference.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please -see the transcriber’s <a href='#endnote'>note</a> at the end of this text -for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered -during its preparation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This is the third of four volumes, which can be found at Project -Gutenberg here:</p> - -<table summary='pgvolumes'> -<tr><td>Volume I</td> - <td><a href='https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53967'>https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53967</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td>Volume II</td> - <td><a href='https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53968'>https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53968</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td>Volume III</td> - <td><a href='https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53969'>https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53969</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td>Volume IV</td> - <td><a href='https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53970'>https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53970</a></td> -</tr> -</table> -<p class='c000'>The cover image has been created, based on title page information, and -is added to the public domain.</p> - -<div class='htmlonly'> - -<p class='c000'>Corrections made to the text will appear as <ins class='correction' title='original'>correction</ins>, -which serve as links to the corresponding entry in the end notes. The -original text can be viewed when the cursor is placed over the correction.</p> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/cover.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -</div> -<div class='epubonly'> - -<p class='c000'>Corrections made to the text will appear as <ins class='correction' title='original'>correction</ins>, -which serve as links to the corresponding entry in the end notes.</p> - -</div> - -</div> -<div id='portrait' class='figcenter id001'> -<span class='pageno' id='Page_I'>I</span> -<img src='images/frontis.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>SIR HUDSON LOWE.<br /><br /><span class='small'><em>Published for Henry Colburn, March 1836.</em></span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_II'>II</span> - <h1 class='c001'><span class='xlarge'>MEMOIRS</span> <br /> <span class='small'>OF</span><br /> <span class='xlarge'>THE LIFE, EXILE,</span><br /> <span class='small'>AND</span><br /> <span class='large'>CONVERSATIONS,</span> <br /> <span class='small'>OF THE</span><br /> <span class='xlarge'>EMPEROR NAPOLEON.</span></h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c002'> - <div><span class='small'>BY</span></div> - <div><span class='large'>THE COUNT DE LAS CASES.</span></div> - <div class='c003'>A NEW EDITION.</div> - <div class='c003'>WITH PORTRAITS</div> - <div><span class='small'>AND NUMEROUS OTHER EMBELLISHMENTS.</span></div> - <div class='c002'>VOL. III.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div>LONDON:</div> - <div>PUBLISHED FOR HENRY COLBURN,</div> - <div><span class='small'>BY RICHARD BENTLEY; BELL AND BRADFUTE, EDINBURGH; J. CUMMING, DUBLIN;</span></div> - <div><span class='small'>AND ALL BOOKSELLERS.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c004' /> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='small'>DCCCXXXVI.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div><span class='small'>ANDOVER: STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY B. BENSLEY.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c005'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span><span class='large'>MEMOIRS</span></div> - <div class='c002'>OF</div> - <div class='c002'><span class='large'>THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class='c004' /> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE BILL RESPECTING OUR EXILE.—BEAUMARCHAIS.—THE<br /> WORKS OF CHERBOURG.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>July 15, 1816. About ten o’clock, the Emperor -entered my apartment: he came unawares, as he wished -to take a walk. I followed him, and he walked for some -time towards the wood, where we were taken up by the -calash. A considerable interval had elapsed since he -made use of it. I was the only person with him, and -the Bill, which related to him, and with the nature of -which we were unacquainted, was, during the whole -time, the subject of our conversation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Upon our return, the Emperor, after some hesitation -whether he should breakfast under the trees, determined -to go in, and remained at home the whole of the day. -He dined alone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He sent for me after dinner; I found him engaged in -reading some <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>Mercures</cite></span> or old newspapers. He found in -them various anecdotes and circumstances respecting -Beaumarchais, whom the Emperor, during his Consulate, -had, notwithstanding all his wit, uniformly discountenanced, -on account of his bad character and his gross -immorality. The difference of manners imparted a -poignancy to the anecdotes, although the difference of -times was so trifling. He found an account of Louis the -Sixteenth’s visit to Cherbourg, on which he dwelt for -some time. He next adverted to the works of Cherbourg, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>and took a rapid review of them, with the clearness, -precision, and lively manner that characterized -every thing he said.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Cherbourg is situated at the bottom of a semicircular -bay, the two extremities of which are the Pelée Island -on the right, and Point Querqueville on the left. The -line, by which these two points are connected, forms the -chord or the diameter, and runs East and West.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Opposite to the North, and at a very small distance, -about 20 leagues, is the famous Portsmouth, the grand -arsenal of the English. The remainder of their coast -runs nearly parallel opposite to ours. Nature has done -every thing for our rivals; nothing for us. Their shores -are safe and clear themselves daily from obstructions. -They abound in deep soundings, in the means of shelter, -in harbours and excellent ports; ours are, on the contrary, -full of rocks, the water is shallow, and they are -every day choking up. We have not in these parts a single -real port of large dimensions, and it might be said that -the English are, at the same moment, both at home and -on our coast, since it is not requisite for their squadrons, -at anchor in Portsmouth, to put to sea to molest us. A -few light vessels are sufficient to convey intelligence of -our movements, and, in an instant, without trouble or -danger, they are ready to pounce upon their prey.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If, on the contrary, our squadrons are daring enough -to appear in the British Channel, which ought, in reality, -to be called the French Sea, they are exposed to perpetual -danger; their total destruction may be effected by -the hurricane or the superiority of the enemy, because in -both these cases there is no shelter for them. This is -what happened at the famous battle of La Hogue, where -Tourville might have united the glory of a skilful retreat -with that of a hard fought and unequal contest, had -there been a port for him to take shelter in.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In this state of things, men of great sagacity and anxious -for the welfare of their country, prevailed upon -government, by dint of projects and memorials, to seek, -by the assistance of art, those resources of which we had -been deprived by nature; and, after a great deal of hesitation, -the bay of Cherbourg was selected, and it was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>determined to protect it by an immense dike, projecting -into the sea. In that way we were to acquire, even close -to the enemy, an artificial road, whence our ships might -be able, in all times and in all weathers, to attack his, -or to escape his pursuit.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was,” said the Emperor, “a magnificent and -glorious undertaking, very difficult with respect to the -execution and to the finances of that period. The dike -was to be formed by immense cones constructed empty -in the port and towed afterwards to the spot, where they -were sunk by the weight of the stones with which they -were filled.<a id='r1' /><a href='#f1' class='c008'><sup>[1]</sup></a> There certainly was great ingenuity in the -invention. Louis XVI. honoured these operations with -his presence. His departure from Versailles was a great -event. In those times, a king never left his residence, -his excursions did not extend beyond the limits of a -hunting party; they did not hurry about as at present, -and I really believe that I contributed not a little to the -rapidity of their movements.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“However, as it was absolutely necessary that things -should be impressed with the character of the age, the -eternal rivalry between the land and sea, that question -which can never be decided, continued to be carried on. -It might have been said in that respect, that there were -two kings in France, or that he who reigned had two -interests, and ought to have two wills, which proved -rather that he had none at all. Here the sea was the -only subject for consideration, yet the question was decided -in favour of the land, not by superiority of argument, -but by priority of right. Where the fate of the -empire was at stake, a point of precedence was substituted, -and thus the grand object, the magnificent enterprise, -failed of success. The land-party established itself at -Pelée Island and at fort Querqueville; it was employed -there merely to lend an auxiliary hand to the construction -of the dike, which was itself the chief object; but -instead of that, it began by establishing its own predominance, -and afterwards compelled the dike to become -<span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>the instrument of its convenience, and subservient to its -plans and discretion. What was the result? The harbour, -which was forming and which was intended to -contain the mass of our navy, whether designed to strike -at the heart of the enemy’s power, or to take occasional -shelter, could only accommodate fifteen sail at most, while -we wanted anchorage for more than a hundred, which -might have been effected without more labour and with -little more expense, had the works been carried more -forward into the sea, merely beyond the limits which the -land-party had appropriated to itself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Another blunder highly characteristic, and scarcely -conceivable, took place. All the principal measures for -completing the harbour were fixed upon; the dike commenced; -one of the channels, that to the eastward, -finished, and the other to the westward was on the point -of being formed, without an exact and precise knowledge -of all the soundings. This oversight was so great that -the channel already formed, that to the eastward, five -hundred fathoms broad, having been carried too close to -the fort, did not, without inconvenience, admit vessels -at low water, and that the other, which was about to be -constructed to the westward, would have been impracticable, -or at least very dangerous, but for the individual -zeal of one officer (M. de Chavagnac), who made that -important discovery in time, and caused the works on -the left extremity of the dike to be stopped at the distance -of twelve hundred fathoms from fort Querqueville, -by which it was to be defended. This seems to me, and -is, in fact, too great a distance.<a id='r2' /><a href='#f2' class='c008'><sup>[2]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>“The system adopted in the works of the dike, which -is more than a league from the shore, and more than -1900 fathoms long by 90 feet broad, was also subjected -to numerous changes, suggested, however, by experience. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>The cones, which, according to the established principle, -ought to have touched each other at their bases, were, -in that respect, either separated by accident or with a -view to economy. They were damaged by storms, eaten -by worms, or rotted with age. They were at length -altogether neglected, with the exception of stones thrown -at random into the sea; and when it was observed that -these were scattered by the rolling of the waves, recourse -was had to enormous blocks, which finally answered -every expectation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The works were continued, without interruption, -under Louis XVI. An encreased degree of activity was -imparted to them by our legislative assemblies; but in -consequence of the commotions which soon followed, -they were completely abandoned, and at the time of the -Consulate, not a trace of that famous dike was to be -seen. Every thing had been destroyed for several feet -under low water level, by the original imperfection of -the plan, by the length of time, and the violence of the -waves.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The moment, however, I took the helm of affairs, -one of the first things I did was to turn my attention to -so important a point. I ordered commissions of inquiry; -I had the subject discussed in my presence; I made myself -acquainted with the local circumstances; and I -decided that the dike should be run up with all possible -expedition, and that two solid fortifications should, in -the course of time, be constructed at the two extremities; -but that measures should be immediately taken for -the establishment of a considerable provisional battery. -I had then to encounter, on all sides, the inconveniencies, -the objections, the particular views, the fondness which -attaches itself to individual opinions, &c. Several -maintained that the thing certainly could not be done; -I continued steady, I insisted, I commanded, and the -thing was done. In less than two years, a real island -was seen rising as it were, by magic, from the sea, on -which was erected a battery of large calibre. Until -that moment, our labours had almost constantly been -the sport of the English; they had, they said, been convinced, -from their origin, that they would prove fruitless; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span>they had foretold that the cones would destroy themselves, -that the small stones would be swept away by the -waves, and above all, they relied upon our lassitude and -our inconstancy. But here things were completely -altered, and they made a shew of molesting our operations; -they were, however, too late; I was already -prepared for them. The western channel naturally continued -very wide, and the two extreme fortifications, -which defended, each its peculiar passage, being incapable -of maintaining a cross-fire, it was probable that an -enterprising enemy might be enabled to force the western -channel, come to an anchor within the dike, and there -renew the disaster of Aboukir. But I had already -guarded against this with my central provisional battery. -However, as I am for permanent establishments, I -ordered within the dike, in the centre, by way of support, -and which in its turn might serve as an envelope, an -enormous elliptical paté to be constructed, commanding -the central battery, and mounted itself in two casemated -stories, bomb-proof, with 50 pieces of large calibre and -20 mortars of an extensive range, as well as barracks, -powder-magazine, cistern, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have the satisfaction of having left this noble work -in a finished state.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Having provided for the defensive, my only business -was to prepare offensive measures, which consisted in -the means of collecting the mass of our fleets at Cherbourg. -The harbour, however, could contain but fifteen -sail. For the purpose of increasing the number, I -caused a new port to be dug; the Romans never undertook -a more important, a more difficult task, or one -which promised a more lasting duration! It was sunk -into the granite to the depth of 50 feet, and I caused the -opening of it to be celebrated by the presence of Maria -Louisa, while I myself was on the fields of battle in -Saxony. By this means I procured anchorage for 25 -sail more. Still that number was not sufficient, and I -therefore relied upon very different means of augmenting -my naval strength. I was resolved to renew the wonders -of Egypt at Cherbourg. I had already erected my -pyramid in the sea; I would also have my lake Mœris. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>My great object was to be enabled to concentrate all -our maritime force, and in time, it would have been immense -and adequate to strike a fatal blow against the -enemy. I was preparing my scene of action in such a -way, that the two nations, in their totality, might have -been enabled to grapple with each other, man to man, -and the issue could not be doubtful, for we should have -been more than 40 millions of French against 15 millions -of English. I should have wound up the war, with a -battle of Actium, and afterwards what did I want of -England? Her destruction? Certainly not. I merely -wanted the end of an intolerable usurpation, the enjoyment -of imprescriptible and sacred rights, the deliverance, -the liberty, of the seas, the independence, the honour, of -flags. I was speaking in the name of all and for all, and -I should have succeeded by concession or by force. I -had, on my side, power, indisputable right, the wishes of -nations,” &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have reasons for believing that the Emperor, disgusted -with the losses occasioned by partial attempts at -sea, and enlightened by fatal experience, had adopted a -new system of maritime warfare.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The war between England and France had insensibly -assumed the aspect of a real struggle for life or death. -The irritation of all the English against Napoleon was -raised to the highest degree. His Berlin and Milan -decrees, his continental system, and his offensive expressions, -had shocked all minds on the other side of the -Channel; while the English ministers, by their libels, -fabrications, and all imaginable means, had succeeded, -by exciting every passion, in rendering the quarrel altogether -national. On this ground, it was declared in full -Parliament, that the war was <em>perpetual</em>, or at least for -<em>life</em>. The Emperor thought it his duty to shape his -plans in conformity to that state of things, and from that -instant, as much from calculation as from necessity, he -gave up all kind of cruizing, distant enterprizes, and -hazardous attempts. He determined upon a strict defensive -system, until his continental affairs should be finally -settled, and the accumulation of his maritime force -should allow him to strike, with certainty, at a later -<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>period. He, therefore, retained the whole of his shipping -in port, and confined himself to the gradual augmentation -of our naval resources, without exposing them -to any further risk. Every thing was calculated on the -basis of a remote result.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Our navy had lost a great number of vessels, the -greatest part of our good seamen were prisoners in -England, and all our ports were blockaded by the -English, who obstructed their communications. The -Emperor ordered canals in Britanny, by means of which, -and in spite of the enemy, points of communication for -providing Brest with all kinds of supplies were established -between Bordeaux, Rochefort, Nantes, Holland, -Antwerp, Cherbourg, and that port. He was desirous -of having wet docks at Flushing or in its neighbourhood, -for the purpose of containing the Antwerp squadron, -completely equipped and ready to put to sea in four-and-twenty -hours, which was necessarily confined in the -Scheldt four or five months of the year. Finally, he -projected near Boulogne, or on some spot along that -coast, the construction of a dike similar to that of -Cherbourg, and between Cherbourg and Brest, a suitable -harbour at the Ile-à-Bois. All this was planned, for the -purpose of securing, at all times and without danger, a -full and free communication to our large ships between -Antwerp and Brest. To obviate the want of seamen, -and the great difficulty of forming them, it was ordered -that the young conscripts should be, every day, trained -in all our ports. They were, at first, to be put on board -small light vessels, and a flotilla of that kind was even -to navigate the Zuiderzee; they were afterwards to be -turned over to large ships and immediately replaced by -others of the same class. The vessels were ordered to -get under sail every day, to go through every possible -manœuvre and evolution, and even to exchange shots -with the enemy, without exposing themselves to the -chance of an engagement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The last point was the force and number of our vessels; -they were considerable, notwithstanding all our -losses, and the Emperor calculated on being enabled to -build 20 or 25 yearly. The crews would be ready as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>fast as they were wanted, and thus, at the expiration of -four or six years, he could have relied upon having 200 -sail of the line, and perhaps 300, had that number been -necessary, in less than 10 years. And what was that -period in comparison with the perpetual war, or the war -for life, which was declared against us? The affairs of -the continent would, in the mean time, be brought to a -termination; the whole of it would have embraced our -system; the Emperor would have marched back the -greatest part of his troops to our coast, and it was in -that situation that he looked with confidence to a decisive -issue of the contest. All the respective resources of -the two nations would have been called into action, and -we should then, in his opinion, subdue our enemies by -moral energy, or strangle them by our material -strength.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor entertained several projects for the improvement -of the navy, and adapted to that end part of -his military tactics. He intended to establish his offensive -and defensive line from Cape Finisterre to the mouth -of the Elbe. He was to have had three squadrons with -admirals commanding in chief, as he had corps d’armée -with their generals in chief. The Admiral of the centre -was to establish his head quarters at Cherbourg; of the -left, at Brest; and of the right, at Antwerp. Smaller divisions -were to be stationed at the extremities, at Rochefort, -and at Ferrol, in the Texel, and at the mouth of -the Elbe, for the purpose of turning and outflanking the -enemy. All these points were to be connected by numerous -intermediate stations, and their respective commanders -in chief were to be considered as constantly -present, by the assistance of telegraphs, which, lining -the coast, were to preserve an uninterrupted communication -between the parts of the grand system.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Let us consider, however, what would have been the -conduct of the English during our preparations and the -progressive increase of our naval power. Would they -have continued the blockade of our ports? We should -have had the satisfaction of witnessing the wear and tear -of their cruising squadrons; we should have compelled -them to maintain 100 or 150 vessels constantly exposed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>on our coasts to the violence of tempests, to the danger -of rocks, to all the hazards of disaster, while we, on the -contrary, had every chance of success, should any unforeseen -catastrophe occur from natural events, or the faults -of their admirals, which could not fail to happen in the -course of time. What advantages should we not have -derived from the event? We, fresh and in excellent condition; -we, waiting only for the opportunity, always ready -to set sail and engage! Should the English be tired out? -Our vessels would immediately put to sea for the purpose -of exercising and training their crews.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the completion of our armaments and at the approach -of the decisive moment, were the English alarmed -for the safety of their island, to collect their strength in -front of their principal arsenals, Plymouth, Portsmouth, -and the Thames, our three divisions of Brest, Cherbourg, -and Antwerp, would attack them, and our wings would -turn then upon Ireland and Scotland. Were they, -relying upon their skill and bravery, resolved to oppose -us in one great body, then the struggle would be reduced -to a decisive issue, of which we should have been at -liberty to choose the <em>time</em>, the <em>place</em>, and the <em>opportunity</em>;—and -this is what the Emperor called the battle of -Actium, in which, if we were defeated, we should experience -but simple losses, while, if we proved victorious, -the enemy would cease to exist. But our triumph, he -maintained, was certain, for the two nations would have -to contend man to man, and we were upwards of forty -millions against fifteen. This was the favourite position -on which he uniformly dwelt. Such was one of his -grand ideas, his gigantic conceptions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon has been the founder of so many establishments, -that his works and monuments are injurious to -each other by their number, variety, and importance. It -was my earnest wish to have given a full relation of his -works, which were executed at Cherbourg, as well as of -those which he had projected. A person precisely of -the profession best qualified to appreciate the subject, and -one of its brightest ornaments, has promised me a description -of them. Should he keep his word, it shall be -given hereafter.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span> - <h3 class='c006'>LONG AUDIENCE GIVEN TO THE GOVERNOR.—REMARKABLE <br /> CONVERSATION.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>16th.—About nine o’clock, the Emperor took an -airing in the calash. There was a vessel in sight, at -which he looked through the glass. He invited the -Doctor, whom he found employed in the same way, to -accompany him. On our return, we breakfasted under -the trees. He conversed at great length with the Doctor -respecting the Governor’s conduct to us, his endless -vexations, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About two o’clock, a person came to enquire if the -Emperor would receive the Governor. He gave him -an audience that lasted nearly two hours, and ran over, -without falling into a passion, he said, all the objects -under discussion. He recapitulated all our grievances; -enumerated all his wrongs; addressed himself, he observed, -by turns to his understanding, his imagination, -his feelings, and his heart. He put it in his power to -repair all the mischief he had done, to recommence upon -a plan altogether new, but in vain, for that man, he -declared, was without fibres; nothing was to be expected -from him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This Governor, said the Emperor, assured him that, -when the detention of M. de Montholon’s servant took -place, he did not know he was in our service, and he -added that he had not read Madame Bertrand’s sealed -letter. The Emperor observed to him that his letter to -Count Bertrand was altogether repugnant to our manners -and in direct opposition to our prejudices; that if he, -the Emperor, were but a mere general and a private -individual, and had received such a letter from him, the -Governor, he would have called him out; that a man so -well known and respected in Europe, as the Grand -Marshal, was not to be insulted, under the penalty of -social reprobation; that he did not take a correct view -of his situation with regard to us; that all his actions -here came within the province of history, and that even -the conversation which was passing at that moment -belonged to history; that he injured every day, by his -conduct, his own government and his own nation, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>that in time he might feel the consequences of it; that -his government would disclaim his conduct in the end, -and that a stain would attach itself to his name, which -would disgrace his children. “Will you allow me,” said -the Emperor, “to tell you what we think of you? We -think you capable of every thing; <em>yes, of every thing</em>; -and while you retain your hatred, we shall retain our -opinion. I shall still wait for some time, because I like -to act upon certainties; and I shall then have to complain, -not that the worst proceeding of ministers was to -send me to St. Helena, but that they gave you the command -of it. You are a greater calamity to us than all -the wretchedness of this horrible rock.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Governor’s answer to all this was that he was -about to make a report to his government; that he -learned at least something from the Emperor, but that -he received only provoking treatment from us, and that -we made matters worse.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With respect to the Commissioners of the powers, -whom the Governor wished to present, the Emperor -rejected them in their political capacity, but assured the -Governor that he would readily receive them as private -individuals; that he had no dislike to any one of them, -not even to the French Commissioner, M. de Montchenu, -who might be a very worthy man, who had been his -subject ten years, and, having been an emigrant, was -probably indebted to him, the Emperor, for the happiness -of returning to France; that, besides, after all, he -was a Frenchman; that title was indelible in his eyes, -and no opinion could destroy it in his estimation, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With regard to the new buildings at Longwood which -were the great object of the Governor’s visit, the Emperor -replied to his communication on that topic that he -did not wish for them; that he preferred his present -inconvenient residence to a better, situated at a great -distance, and to be obtained at the expense of a great -deal of bustle and the trouble of moving; that the buildings -which he had just mentioned to him required years -to be completed, and that before that time, either we -should not be worth the cost incurred for us, or Providence -would have delivered him from us, &c.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span> - <h3 class='c006'>ON THE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN OF ITALY.—MADAME GRASSINI—MADAME<br /> V—— AND BERTHIER.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>17th.—The Emperor sent for me about two o’clock; -he dressed himself and went out in the calash. Madame -de Montholon was of the party. It was her first appearance -since her accouchement. The conversation turned -particularly on the Italian ladies, their character and -beauty.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The young General, who effected the conquest of Italy, -excited in that country, from the first moment, every -feeling of enthusiasm and ambition. This the Emperor -was delighted to hear and to repeat. Above all, there -was not a beauty who did not aspire to please and touch -his heart, but in vain. “My mind,” he said, “was too -strong to be caught in the snare; I fancied that there -was a precipice under the flowers. My situation was -singularly delicate; I had the command of veteran -generals; the task I had to execute was immense; all -my motions were watched by jealous eyes; my circumspection -was extreme. My good fortune consisted in -my prudence; I might have forgotten myself for an -hour, and how many of my victories,” said he, “depended -on no greater length of time!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Several years afterwards, at the time of his coronation -at Milan, his attention was attracted by <em>Grassini</em>, the -celebrated singer. Circumstances were then more auspicious. -He desired to see her, and immediately after -her introduction, she reminded him that she had made -her début precisely during the early achievements of the -General of the army of Italy. “I was then,” said she, -“in the full lustre of my beauty and my talent. My -performance in the Virgins of the Sun was the topic of -universal conversation. I fascinated every eye and inflamed -every heart. The young General alone was -insensible to my charms, and yet he was the only object -of my wishes! What caprice, what singularity! When -I possessed some value, when all Italy was at my feet, -and I heroically disdained its admiration for a single -glance from you, I was unable to obtain it; and now, -how strange an alteration! you condescend to notice me—now, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>when I am not worth the trouble and am no -longer worthy of you!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The celebrated Madame V.... was also among -the crowd of Armidas; but, tried with losing her time, -she lowered her pretensions to Berthier, who, from -the first instant, lived but for her. The Commander-in-Chief -made him a present one day of a magnificent -diamond worth more than 100,000 francs. “Here,” -said he, “take that; we often play high, lay it up -against a rainy day.”—Scarcely had four-and-twenty -hours elapsed, before Madame Bonaparte came to tell -her husband of a diamond which was the subject of her -admiration. It was the present that was to have been -laid up against a rainy day, which had already found its -way from Berthier’s hand to Madame ——’s head. -He has since, in all the circumstances of his life, been -uniformly governed by her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, having gradually heaped riches and honours -upon Berthier, pressed him often to marry, but he -as constantly refused, declaring, that Madame V—— -could alone make him happy. The son, however, of -Madame V—— having got acquainted with -a duchess of Bavaria, who had come to Paris, with -the hope of obtaining a husband, through the Emperor’s -favour, Madame V—— , thought she was doing -wonders and advancing her son’s fortune by the marriage -of her lover; and, with this impression, she prevailed -upon Berthier to espouse the Bavarian princess. But, -said the Emperor, there is no project, however excellent, -which does not become the sport of fortune; for -scarcely was the marriage concluded, when Madame -V——’s husband died and left his wife at liberty. -That event proved to her and to Berthier the source of -real despair; they were inconsolable. Berthier came with -tears in his eyes to communicate his wretched fate to the -Emperor, who laughed at his misfortune. To what a -miserable condition, he exclaimed, was he reduced; with -a little more constancy, Madame V—— might -have been his wife!</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span> - <h3 class='c009'>FAUBOURG SAINT GERMAIN.—ARISTOCRACY; DEMOCRACY.—THE EMPEROR’S INTENTION TO MARRY A FRENCH WOMAN.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>18th.—About four o’clock, I was sent for by the -Emperor, who was in a very weak state. He had, by -an absence of mind, remained three hours in a very hot -bath and scalded his right thigh with the boiling water. -He had read two volumes in the bath. He shaved, but -would not dress himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At half-past seven, the Emperor ordered two covers -to be laid in his cabinet, and was very much out of temper, -because his papers were thrown into confusion by -being removed for the purpose of using the table on -which they lay. They were replaced by his direction, -and the covers laid upon another small table.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We conversed for a long time; he brought me back -to topics which often suggested themselves to him when -we were together, and upon which I must endeavour -not to be guilty of repetitions, the more so, as they possess -attractions, which to me are peculiarly interesting. -We talked a great deal about our youthful years and the -time we passed at the military school. This subject led -him again to notice the new schools which he had established -at St. Cyr and at St. Germain, and he finally -recurred to the emigrants and those he called <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>nos encroûtés</em></span>. -He became gay and lively in consequence of -some anecdotes of the Faubourg St. Germain, respecting -his person, which I related, and as the slightest -things grew into importance the moment he touched -upon them, he said—“I see plainly that my plan with -respect to your Faubourg St. Germain was ill-managed. -I did too much or too little. I did enough to dissatisfy -the opposite party, and not enough to attach it to me -altogether. Although some of them were fond of money, -the multitude would have been content with the rattles -and sound, with which I could have crammed them, without -any injury, in the main, to our new principles. My -dear Las Cases, I did too much and not enough, and yet -I was earnestly occupied with the business. Unfortunately, -I was the only one seriously engaged in the undertaking. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>All who were about me thwarted, instead of -promoting it, and yet there were but two grand measures -to be taken with regard to you;—that of annihilating, or -that of melting you down into the great mass of society. -The former could not enter my head, and the latter was -not an easy task, but I did not consider it beyond my -strength. And, in fact, although I had no support, and -was even counteracted in my views, I nearly realized -them at length. Had I remained, the thing would have -been accomplished. This will appear astonishing to him -who knows how to appreciate the heart of man and the -state of society. I do not think that history can furnish -any case of a similar kind, or that so important a result, -obtained in so short a space of time, can be found. I -should have carried that fusion into effect, and cemented -that union by every sacrifice; it would have rendered us -invincible. The opposite conduct has ruined us, and -may for a long time protract the misfortunes, perhaps -the last gasps of unhappy France. I once more repeat, -that I did too much or too little. I ought to have attached -the emigrants to me upon their return; I might have -easily become an object of adoration with the aristocracy. -An establishment of that nature was necessary -for me. It is the real, the only, support of monarchy—its -guide—its lever—its point of resistance. Without -it, the state is but a vessel without a rudder, a real balloon -in the air. But, the essence of aristocracy, its -talismanic charm, consists in antiquity, in age; and -these were the only things I could not create. The intermediate -means were wanting. M. de Breteuil, who -had insinuated himself into my favour, encouraged me. -On the contrary, M. de T——, who certainly -was not a favourite with the emigrants, discouraged me -by every possible means. Reasonable democracy contents -itself with husbanding equality for all, as a fair -ground of pretension and possession. The real line of -conduct would have been to employ the remains of aristocracy, -with the forms and intention of democracy. -Above all, it was necessary to collect the ancient names, -those celebrated in our history. This is the only mode -of giving an instantaneous air of antiquity to the most -modern institutions.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>“I entertained, upon that subject, ideas which were -altogether peculiar to myself. Had any difficulties been -started by Austria and Russia, I would have married a -French woman. I would have selected one of the most -illustrious names of the monarchy. That was even my -original thought, my real inclination. If my ministers -prevented me, it was only by their earnest appeals to -political views. Had I been surrounded by the Montmorencies, -the Nesles, and the Clissons, I should, by -adopting their daughters, have united them with foreign -sovereigns. My pride and my delight would have been -to extend these noble French stocks, had they taken part -with us, or given themselves up to us altogether. They -and those belonging to me thought that I was influenced -by prejudice alone, when I was acting in conformity with -the most profound combinations. Be that as it will, your -friends have lost more in me than they are aware of!... -They are destitute of soul, of the feeling of -true glory. By what unhappy propensity have they preferred -wallowing in the mire of the allies to following -me to the top of mount Simplon, and commanding, from -its summit, the respect and admiration of the rest of -Europe. Senseless men!—I had, however,” he continued, -“a project in my portfolio; time alone was wanting -to mature it, which would have rallied round me a -great number of that class of persons, and which, after -all, would have been but just. It was that every descendent -of ancient marshals, ministers, &c., should be -considered at all times capable of getting himself declared -a duke, by presenting the requisite endowment. -All the sons of generals and governors of provinces were -upon the same principle, to be qualified to assume the -title of count, and so on in gradation. This would have -advanced some, raised the hopes of others, excited the -emulation of all, and hurt the pride of none; grand, but -altogether harmless rattles, and belonging, besides, to my -system and my combinations.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Old and corrupt are not governed like ancient and -virtuous nations. For one individual, at present, who -would sacrifice himself for the public good, there are -thousands and millions who are insensible to every thing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>but their own interests, enjoyments and vanity. To -pretend, therefore, to regenerate a people in an instant -or as if one were travelling post, would be an act of -madness. The genius of the workman ought to consist -in knowing how to employ the materials he has at hand, -and that is one of the causes of the resumption of all the -monarchical forms, of the re-establishment of titles, of -classes, and of the insignia of orders. The secret of -the legislator should consist in knowing how to derive -advantage even from the caprice and irregularities of those -whom he pretends to rule; and, after all, these gewgaws -were attended with few inconveniences, and not destitute -of benefit. At the point of civilization to which we have -now attained, they are calculated to attract the respect -of the multitude, provided always that the person decorated -with them preserves respect for himself. They -may satisfy the vanity of the weak, without scaring, in -the slightest degree, strong and powerful minds.” It -was very late, and the Emperor said, at parting, “There -is another pleasant evening spent.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>OUR HOUSE ON FIRE.—-ETIQUETTE AT LONGWOOD.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>19th.—The chimney of the saloon took fire in the -night, but the flames did not break out until day-light. -Two hours sooner, and the building would have been a -heap of ashes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor took a walk; he was attended by several -of us, and we went round the park on foot.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One of his shoe-buckles fell out, and we all eagerly -strove to put it in again; he, who succeeded, considered -himself the most fortunate. The Emperor, who would -not have permitted this at the Tuileries, seemed here to -feel a kind of satisfaction at our conduct; he let us do -as we liked, and we were thankful to him for indulging -us in an act, that did honour to us, in our own -opinion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>This leads me to observe that I have not yet spoken -of our customary manners when about his person, and I -am more peculiarly induced to notice them because we -have received several London newspapers, which circulate -a thousand idle stories on this subject, and assert -<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>that the imperial etiquette was as strictly maintained at -Longwood as at the Tuileries.</p> - -<div id='i020b' class='figcenter id003'> -<a href='images/illus-020b.jpg'><img src='images/thumb-020b.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /></a> -<div class='ic002'> -<p><span class='sc'>Ground Plan of Longwood.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor behaved to us in the kindest manner, -and with a paternal familiarity. We were, on our part, -the most attentive and respectful of courtiers. We uniformly -endeavoured to anticipate his wishes; we carefully -watched all his wants, and he had scarcely time to make -a sign with his hand, before we were in motion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>None of us entered his apartment without being sent -for, and, if any thing of importance was to be communicated -to him, it was necessary to apply to be admitted. -If he walked separately with any of us, no other presumed -to intrude. In the beginning, we constantly remained -uncovered near his person, which appeared strange to -the English, who had been ordered to put on their hats, -after the first salute. This contrast appeared so ridiculous -to the Emperor that he commanded us, once for all, -to behave like them. Nobody, except the two ladies, -took a seat in his presence, unless desired to do so. He -was never spoken to till he had spoken first, and always, -and in all cases, the conversation was under his control -and guidance. Such was the etiquette at Longwood, -which was entirely, as it must be evident, that of our -recollections and feelings.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On our return, the Emperor received and questioned, -for a long time, the master of the Newcastle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In consequence of the fire in the saloon, and a billiard-table -being placed in the dining-room, we dined in the -topographical cabinet. After dinner, there being no -other apartment to retire to, we were obliged to remain -a long time at table. That circumstance seemed, however, -to give an additional interest to the conversation; -we became more acquainted, more united with each -other; we gave a greater scope to our language, and the -evening passed off more rapidly.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>ESTABLISHMENTS FOR MENDICITY IN FRANCE.—NAPOLEON’S PROJECTS RELATIVE TO ILLYRIA.—HOSPITALS.—THE FOUNDLING.—PRISONERS OF STATE.—IDEAS OF THE EMPEROR.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>20th.—The Emperor sent for me in the morning; I -found him reading an English work on the poor’s rate, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>the immense sums raised, and the vast number of individuals -maintained at the expense of their parishes; the -account embraced millions of men and hundreds of -millions of money.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor was apprehensive that he had not read -the work correctly, or that he had mistaken the meaning. -The thing, he said, seemed altogether impossible. He -could not conceive by what vices and defects so many -poor could be found in a country so opulent, so industrious, -and so abundant in resources for labour as -England. He was still less capable of comprehending, -by what prodigy the proprietors, overloaded with an -oppressive ordinary and extraordinary taxation, were -also enabled to provide for the wants of such a multitude. -“But we have nothing,” he observed, “in France to be -compared to it in the proportion of a hundredth or a -thousandth part. Have you not told me that I sent you -into the departments on a particular mission with regard -to mendicity? Let us see, what is the number of our beggars? -What did they cost? How many poor-houses did -I establish? What was the number they held? What -effect had they in removing mendicity?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>To this crowd of questions I was compelled to answer -that a considerable period of time had since elapsed, that -my mind had been occupied with several other objects, -and that it was impossible for me to enter into correct -statements from mere recollection; but that I had the -official report itself among the few papers I had preserved, -and that, the first time he might be pleased to send for -me, I should be enabled to satisfy him. “But,” said he, -“go instantly and look for it, things are not profitable -unless seasonably applied, and I shall soon run it over -<em>with my thumb</em>, as Abbé de Pradt ingeniously said; -although, to tell the truth, I don’t much like to think of -such subjects; they remind me of mustard after dinner.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In two minutes the report was in his hand. “Well!” -said the Emperor to me, also, in a very few minutes, for -it might be really said that he had not turned over the -leaves; “well, this, in fact, is not at all like England. -Our organization, however, had failed; I suspected as -much, and it was on that account I entrusted you with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>the mission. Your report would have been in perfect -conformity with my views. You took up the consideration -frankly and like an honest man, without fear of -exciting the displeasure of the minister, by depriving him -of a great many appointments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I am pleased with a great number of your details. -Why did you not come and converse with me about them -yourself? You would have satisfied me, and I should -have known how to value your services.”—“Sire, as -things were then situated, it would have been impossible -for me to do so; we were then involved in the confusion -and embarrassment caused by our misfortunes.”—“Your -observation is perfectly correct; you establish an unquestionable -position. The fact is that, in the flourishing -state to which I had raised the empire, no hands -could any where be found destitute of employment. It -was idleness and vice alone that could produce mendicants.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You think that their complete annihilation was -possible; and, for my part, I am of the same opinion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your levy <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>en masse</em></span>, to build a vast and single prison -in each department, was equally adapted to the tranquility -of society and to the well-being of those confined -in it;—your idea of making them monuments for ages -would have attracted my attention. That gigantic undertaking, -its utility, its importance, the permanence of its -results, were all in my way.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“With respect to your university for the people, I am -very apprehensive that it would have been but a beautiful -chimera of philanthropy, worthy of the unsophisticated -Abbé de Saint Pierre. There is, however, some merit -in the aggregate of those conceptions; but energy of -character, and an unbending perseverance, for which we -are not generally distinguished, would be requisite to -produce any good result.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For the rest, I every day collect ideas from you in -this place, of which I did not imagine you capable; but -it was not at all my fault. You were near me; why did -you not open your mind to me? I did not possess the -gift of divination. Had you been minister, those ideas, -however fantastical they might at first have appeared to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>me, would not have been the less attended to, because -there is, in my opinion, no conception altogether unsusceptible -of some positive good, and a wrong notion, -when properly controlled and regulated, often leads to a -right conclusion. I should have handed you over to -commissioners, who would have analyzed your plans; -you would have defended them by your arguments, and, -after taking cognizance of the subject, I alone should -have finally decided according to my own judgment. -Such was my way of acting, and my intention; I gave an -impulse to industry; I put it into a state of complete -activity throughout Europe; I was desirous of doing as -much for all the faculties of the mind, but time was not -allowed me. I could not bring my plans to maturity at -full gallop; and, unfortunately, I but too often wasted -them upon a sandy foundation, and consigned them to -unproductive hands.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What were the other missions with which I entrusted -you?”—“One in Holland, another in Illyria.”—“Have -you the reports?”—“Yes, Sire.”—“Go for them.” But -I had not got to the door, when he said, “Never mind, -come back, spare me the trouble of reading such matters!—They -are henceforth, in reality, altogether useless.”—What -did not these words unfold to me!</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor resumed the subject of Illyria. “In <a id='corr25.25'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='obtaing'>obtaining</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_25.25'><ins class='correction' title='obtaing'>obtaining</ins></a></span> -possession of Illyria, it was never my intention to -retain it; I never entertained the idea of destroying Austria. -Her existence was, on the contrary, indispensably -requisite for the execution of my plans. But Illyria was, -in our hands, a vanguard to the heart of Austria, calculated -to keep a check upon her; a sentinel at the gates -of Vienna, to keep her steady to our interests. Besides, -I was desirous of introducing and establishing in that -country our doctrines, our system of government, and -our codes. It was an additional step to the regeneration -of Europe. I had merely taken it as a pledge, and intended, -at a later period, to exchange it for Gallicia, at -the restoration of Poland, which I hurried on against my -own opinion. I had, however, more than one project -with regard to Illyria; for I frequently fluctuated in my -designs, and had few ideas that were fixed on solid -<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>grounds. This arose rather from adapting myself to circumstances -than from giving an impulse and direction to -them, and I was every instant compelled to shift about. -The consequence was that, for the greater part of the -time, I came to no absolute decision, and was occupied -merely with projects. My predominant idea, however, -particularly after my marriage, was to give it up to Austria -as an indemnity for Gallicia, on the re-establishment -of Poland, at any rate, as a separate and independent -kingdom. Not that I cared upon whose head, whether -on that of a friend, an enemy, or an ally, the crown was -placed, provided the thing was effected. The results were -indifferent to me. I have, my dear Las Cases, formed -vast and numerous projects, all unquestionably for the advancement -of reason and the welfare of the human race. -I was dreaded as a thunderbolt; I was accused of having -a hand of iron; but the moment that hand had struck the -last blow, every thing would have been softened down for -the happiness of all. How many millions would have -poured their benedictions on me, both then and in future -times! But how numerous, it must be confessed, the -fatal misfortunes which were accumulated and combined -to effect my overthrow, at the end of my career! My unhappy -marriage; the perfidies which resulted from it; -that villainous affair of Spain; from which I could not disengage -myself; that fatal war with Russia, which occurred -through a misunderstanding; that horrible rigour of -the elements, which devoured a whole army; ... and -then, the whole universe against me!... Is it not -wonderful that I was still able to make so long a resistance, -and that I was more than once on the point of surmounting -every danger and emerging from that chaos -more powerful than ever!... O destiny of man!—What -is human wisdom, human foresight!”—And then -abruptly adverting to my report, he said, “I observed, -that you travelled over a great number of departments. -Did your mission last long? Was your journey agreeable? -Was it of real benefit to you? Did you collect much -information? Were you enabled to form a correct -judgment on the state of the country, on that of public -opinion?</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>“I now recollect that I selected you precisely because -you had just returned from your mission to Illyria, -and I found in your report several things which made a -strong impression upon me; for it is surprising how -many things at present are every day brought back to my -memory, which, at the time, struck me in you, and which, -by a singular fatality, were immediately afterwards completely -forgotten. When any appointments were about -to take place to those special and confidential missions, -the decree, with blanks for the names, was laid before -me, and I filled them up with persons of my own selection—I -must have written your name with my own hand.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Sire,” I replied, “there never was, perhaps, a mission -more agreeable and satisfactory in every point of -view. I commenced it early in the spring, and proceeded -from Paris to Toulon, and from Toulon to Antibes, -following the line of coast and occasionally diverging into -the interior. I travelled nearly thirteen hundred leagues, -but unfortunately the time was short. The minister, in -his instructions, had strictly limited the period to three, -or at most, to four months. It would be difficult for me -to give an adequate description of all the delight, enjoyments, -and advantages which I derived from the journey. -I was a member of your Council, an officer of your -household. I was every where considered as one of your -<span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>missi dominici</em></span>, and was received with suitable respect. -The more I behaved with discretion, moderation, and -simplicity, visiting myself the high functionaries, whose -attendance I was authorized to require, the more I was -treated with deference and complaisance. For one, who -shewed any distrust, or betrayed any symptom of ill-humour -or envy; (for I afterwards learnt from themselves, -that my character, as a nobleman, emigrant, and chamberlain, -formed three certain grounds for reprobation;) -for one, I repeat, who looked upon me with a jealous eye, -I found many whose communications were altogether -unreserved, even upon subjects, respecting which I -should not have presumed to make inquiry. They -assured me that they took pleasure in unbosoming -themselves to me with perfect openness; that they -viewed my situation, near the person of the sovereign, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>as a favourable medium; and considered me as the confessor -upon whom they relied for transmitting their -most secret thoughts to the <em>Most High</em>. The more I -endeavoured to convince them that they were mistaken -with regard to my situation and the nature of my mission, -the more they were confirmed in the contrary opinion. -In so short a period, what a lesson for me on mankind! -There were none of these high functionaries who did not -differ from each other with regard to the views, means, -and designs of all the objects under consideration; and -yet they were all men selected with care, of tried ability, -and generally of great merit. Persons in private life -also looked up to me as to a ray of Providence, and -applied to me either publicly or in secret. How many -things did I not learn! How numerous the denunciations -and accusations communicated to me! What a multitude -of local abuses, of petty intrigues, were disclosed to me!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Altogether unacquainted with affairs, and until then -absolutely ignorant of official proceedings, I made use of -that peculiar opportunity to obtain information. I did -not fail to make myself acquainted with all the objects -and particular circumstances of every party. I was not -apprehensive of shewing my ignorance to the first who -presented themselves, for I was thus enabled to qualify -myself for discussing business with the others.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is true, Sire, that my special mission was restricted -to the mendicity establishments and the houses -of correction: but feeling, as I did, all the want of a -stock of knowledge, fit to render myself useful to the -Council of State, and taking advantage of my appointment, -I connected with it, of my own accord, the minute -inspection of prisons, hospitals, and beneficent institutions, -and I also took a survey of all our ports and -squadrons.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How magnificent the combination which thus presented -itself to my view! I every where beheld the most -perfect tranquillity and complete confidence in the government; -every hand, every faculty, every branch of industry, -was employed; the soil was embellished by the -flourishing state of agriculture, it was the finest time of -the year; the roads were excellent; public works were -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>in progress in almost in every quarter;—the canal of -Arles, the noble bridge of Bordeaux, the works of Rochefort, -the canals from Nantes to Brest, to Rennes, to -Saint Malo; the foundation of Napoleonville, intended -to be the key of the whole peninsula of Britanny; the -magnificent works of Cherbourg, those of Antwerp, sluices, -moles, or other improvements in most of the towns of -the Channel—such is the sketch of what I saw.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the other hand, the ports of Toulon, Rochefort, -L’Orient, Brest, Saint Malo, Havre, and Antwerp, displayed -an extraordinary degree of activity; our roads -were filled with vessels, and the numbers increased daily: -our crews were training in spite of every obstacle, and -our young conscripts were becoming good seamen, fit for -future service. I, who belonged to the old naval establishment, -was astonished at every thing I saw on board, -so very great were the improvements made in the art, -and so far did they exceed, in every point of view, all -that I had witnessed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The squadrons belonging to the different ports got -under sail every day, and executed their regular manœuvres, -like the parades of garrisons, and all this took -place within sight of the English, who thought it a ridiculous -farce, without foreseeing the danger with which -they were threatened; for, never at any period was our -navy more formidable, or our ships more numerous. We -already had upwards of 100 afloat or on the stocks, and -we were making daily additions to the number. The -officers were excellent, and animated with zeal and -ardour. I had no idea whatever of the forward state of -our preparations, before I witnessed it in person, and -should not have believed it, had I been told of it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“With respect to the mendicity establishments, the -special object of my mission, your intentions, Sire, had -been ill understood, and the plan was altogether unsuccessful. -In most of the departments, mendicity not -only remained with all its defects, but no steps whatever -had been taken for its annihilation. The fact was that -several prefects, so far from making the establishments a -terror to the <em>mendicants</em>, had merely considered them as -a refuge for the <em>poor</em>. Instead of holding out confinement -<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>as a punishment, they caused it to be sought after -as an asylum; and thus the lot of the prisoners might -be envied by the hard-working peasantry of the neighbourhood. -France might, in that way, have been covered -with similar establishments, which might have been -filled without diminishing the number of mendicants, -who commonly make a trade of begging, and follow it -in preference. I was, however, enabled to judge that -the extirpation of the evil was possible, and the example -of some departments, in which the prefects had taken a -better view of the subject was sufficient to produce that -conviction. There were a few in which it had entirely -disappeared.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is an observation which makes an immediate and -striking impression, that, all other things fairly averaged, -mendicity is much more rare in those parts which are -poor and barren, and much more common in those which -are fruitful and abundant. It is also infinitely more -difficult to effect its destruction in the places where the -clergy have enjoyed superior wealth and power. In -Belgium, for instance, mendicants were seen to derive -honour from their trade, and boast of having followed it -for several generations. These claims belonged peculiarly -to them, and that country was accordingly the rendezvous -of mendicity.” “But I am not surprised at it,” -resumed the Emperor, “the difficulty of this important -consideration consists entirely in discriminating accurately -between the <em>poor</em> man who commands our respect, and -the <em>mendicant</em> who ought to excite our indignation; -besides, our religious absurdities confound these two -classes so completely that they seem to make a merit, a -kind of virtue, of mendicity, and to encourage it by the -promise of heavenly rewards. The mendicants are, in -reality, neither more nor less than monks <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>au petit pied</em></span>; -so that in the list of them we even find the mendicant -monks. How was it possible for such ideas not to produce -confusion in the mind, and disorder in society? A -great number of saints have been canonized, whose only -apparent merit was mendicity. They seem to have been -transplanted to Heaven for that, which, considered as a -matter of sound policy, ought to have subjected them to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>castigation and confinement in this world. This would -not, however, have prevented them from being worthy of -Heaven. But go on.”—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was not, Sire, without emotion that I observed -the details of the charitable establishments. In contemplating -the anxiety, the cares, the ardent charity, of so -many sympathetic hearts, I was enabled to ascertain that -we were far from yielding the palm, whatever might be -the consideration, to any other people, and that we -merely had less ostentation and made less use of artificial -means to enhance our merits. The South, above all, and -Languedoc, in particular, displayed a zeal and animation of -which it would be difficult to form an adequate conception. -The hospitals and alms-houses were every where -numerous and well attended to. The foundlings had -increased tenfold since the revolution, and I instantly -ascribed it to the corruption of the times; but I was -desired to remark, and constant reflection convinced me -of the truth, that the result was, on the contrary, to be -attributed to very satisfactory causes. I was assured -that formerly the foundlings were so wretchedly taken -care of, and so badly fed, that the whole of them were -diminutive, sickly, and short-lived, and that from seven -to nine perished out of ten; while at present their food, -cleanliness, and the care taken of them, in every respect -are such that nearly all of them are preserved, and constitute -a fine race of children. They are thus indebted -for their numbers solely to their preservation. Vaccination -has also contributed, in an immense proportion, to -their increase. These children are now treated with such -attention as to give rise to a singular abuse. Mothers, -even in easy circumstances, are tempted to expose their -infants; they afterwards apply at the hospital, and, -under a charitable pretence, offer to bring up one themselves; -it is their own which is restored to them with -the benefit of a small allowance. All this is carried on -through the favour of the agents themselves, and often -for the purpose of obtaining a trifling pension for one of -their relations. Another abuse of this kind, and not less -extraordinary, was that which I observed in Belgium, of -persons getting their names entered a long time before, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>for the purpose of entitling them to send their children -to the hospital. Any young couple, on their marriage, -strove to get their names entered for vacancies, which -fell to them some years afterwards, as a matter of right; -it was a part of the marriage settlement.”—“O Jesus! -Jesus!” exclaimed the Emperor, shrugging up his -shoulders and laughing, “and after this make laws and -regulations!”—</p> - -<p class='c000'>$1“$2”$3But with regard to the prisons, Sire, they were -almost uniformly the scenes of horror and real misery, -the shame and disgrace of our provinces, absolute sinks -of corruption and infection, which I was obliged to pass -through with the utmost haste, or from which I was -driven back in spite of all my efforts. I had formerly -visited certain prisons in England, and indulged in a -smile at the kind of luxury which I observed in them; -but it was quite a different thing with respect to ours, -and my indignation was excited by the contrary extreme. -There are no offences, I might even say crimes, that are -not sufficiently punished by such habitations, and those -who leave them should not, in strict justice, have any -further expiation to make. Yet after all those confined -in them were merely under a simple accusation, while -those who had been found guilty, the real criminals, and -hardened villains, had their special prisons, their houses -of correction, where they were, perhaps, too well taken -care of; and even, in the latter case, the honest day-labourer -might have reason to envy their lot, and make -comparisons injurious to Providence and society. Another -striking inconsistency was observable in these houses -of correction; it was the amalgamation, the habitual -mixture of all the classes upon whom sentence had been -passed. Some being imprisoned for small offences only -for a year, and others for fifteen, twenty years, or for -life, on account of the dreadful crimes they had perpetrated, -it necessarily followed that they would be all -reduced to one moral level, not by the amelioration -of the latter, but rather by the corruption of the -former.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“What struck me also very forcibly in La Vendée -and the adjacent country was that maniacs had increased -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>there, perhaps, tenfold more than in any other -part of the empire, and that persons were detained in -the mendicity establishments and other places of confinement, -who were treated as vagabonds, or likely to become -so, and who having been taken up in their childhood, -had no knowledge of their parents or origin. Some -of them had marks of wounds on their persons, but were -ignorant how they had been inflicted. They had, no -doubt, been made in their infancy. The opportunity of -employing these persons, who had not acquired a single -social idea, has been suffered to pass by; they are now -unfit for any purpose.”—“Ah!” exclaimed the Emperor, -“this is civil war and its hideous train; its inevitable -consequences and its certain fruits! If some leaders -make fortunes, and extricate themselves from danger, the -dregs of the population are always trodden under foot, -and become the victims of every calamity!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“With respect to other matters, I found in the aggregate -of these establishments a considerable number of -persons who, I was told, whether right or wrong, were -prisoners of state, and were kept in custody by order of -the high, the intermediate, or the low, police.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I listened to all those prisoners, I heard their complaints, -and received their petitions, certainly, without -any engagement on my part; for I had no right to -contract any; and besides, I was perfectly aware that, -having heard their testimony only, I could not attach -guilt to any person. With the exception, however, of -some notorious villains, they did not really, in general, -deserve more at farthest than the common punishments -of the correctional police.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I found among them, in the prisons of Rennes, a -boy between twelve and fourteen, who had, when only -a few months old, been taken with a band of <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Chauffeurs</em></span>. -They had been all executed, and the boy had remained -there ever since, without any decision on his case. His -moral capabilities may be easily appreciated. He never -saw, knew, or heard any but villains; they were the -only kind of people of whose existence he was able to -form an idea.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At Mont Saint-Michel, a woman, whose name I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>have forgotten, particularly attracted my attention. -She had rather a pretty face, pleasing manners, and a -modest deportment. She had been imprisoned fourteen -years, having taken a very active part in the troubles of -La Vendée, and constantly accompanied her husband, -who was the chief of a battalion of insurgents, and -whom she succeeded, after his death, in the command. -The wretchedness she suffered, and the tears she shed, -had sensibly impaired her charms. I assumed a severe -air during the recital of her misfortunes, but it was put -on for the purpose of concealing the emotions which -she excited. She had, by the kindness of her manners -and her other qualifications, acquired a kind of empire -over the vulgar and depraved women that were about -her. She had devoted herself to the care of the sick; -the prison infirmary was entrusted to her, and she was -beloved by every one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“With the exception of that woman, a few priests, -and two or three old Chouan spies, the rest exhibited -but a filthy compound of disgusting or extravagant -depravity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I met with a married man, possessing an annual income -of 15,000 livres, evidently confined in consequence -of his wife’s intrigues, after the manner of the ancient -<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>lettres de cachet</em></span>; and with prostitutes, who assured me -they were detained, not as a punishment for the indiscriminate -profusion of their favours, but out of spite at -their want of complaisance for a single person. They -told me lies, or they did not; but in either case ought -they to be honoured with the title of prisoners of state, -to be maintained at the expense of two francs a day, -and contribute to render the government odious and -ridiculous? Finally, I met with an unhappy man in a -town of Belgium, who had married one of those girls for -whom the municipalities provide marriage portions on -great occasions. He was imprisoned on a charge of -having stolen the portion, because he had neglected to -earn it. He was positively required to discharge that -important debt, and he as positively refused. He was, -perhaps, required to do what was absolutely impossible -for him.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>“Immediately upon my return to Paris, I called on -M. Réal, prefect of police of the district I had just visited. -I considered it my duty, I said, to communicate to him, -in a <em>friendly</em> manner, the result of my observations. I -must do him justice; for whether he was far from having -a bad heart, whether he was impressed with my -plain dealing, or affected perhaps, Sire, by the magic -influence of your uniform, he thanked me, observed that -I was doing him a real service, and assured me that he -would take immediate steps for <em>relieving</em> and <em>redressing</em>, -such were his words, the cases I had laid before him. -Meeting him, however, a few days afterwards at an -assembly, he said, with apparent grief, ‘That is an unfortunate -business, and very unfavourable to your Amazon -(he alluded to General Mallet’s rash enterprise), -which I thought myself capable of doing a few days ago -of my own accord. I cannot now pretend to undertake it -without an order from a superior quarter.’—I do not -know how the thing ended.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor dwelt some time on the abuses I had -pointed out, and then concluded: “In the first place, in -order to proceed regularly, it was incumbent upon you -to ascertain whether your information was well founded, -and to hear the evidence against the persons accused; -and then it must be frankly admitted that abuses are -inherent in every human establishment. You see that -almost every thing, of which you complain, is done by -the very persons who were expressly entrusted with the -means of prevention. Can a remedy be provided, when -it is impossible to see what passes every where? There -is, as it were, a net spread over the low places, which -envelops the lower classes. A mesh must be broken and -discovered by a fortunate observer like you, before any -thing of the matter is known in the upper regions. -Accordingly, one of my dreams would have been, when -the grand events of war were completely terminated, and -I returned to the interior in tranquillity and at ease, to -look out for half a dozen, or a dozen, of real philanthropists, -of those worthy men who live but to do good. -I should have distributed them through the empire, -which they should have secretly inspected for the purpose -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>of making their report to me. They would have -been <em>spies of virtue</em>! They should have addressed themselves -directly to me, and should have been my confessors, -my spiritual guides, and my decisions with them -should have been my good works done in secret. My -grand occupation, when at full leisure, and at the height -of my power, would have been the amelioration of every -class of society. I should have descended to the details -of individual comfort; and, had I found no motive for -that conduct in my natural disposition, I should have -been actuated by the spirit of calculation; for, after the -acquisition of so much glory, what other means would -have been left me to make any addition to it? It was -because I was well aware that that swarm of abuses -necessarily existed, because I wished for the preservation -of my subjects, and was desirous of throwing every -impediment in the way of subordinate and intermediate -tyranny, that I conceived my system of state prisons, -adapted to any crisis that might occur.”—“Yes, Sire, -but it was far from being well received in our saloons, -and contributed not a little to make you unpopular. An -outcry was every where raised against the <em>new bastiles</em>, -against the renewal of <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>lettres de cachet</em></span>.”—“I know it -very well.” said the Emperor, “the outcry was echoed -by all Europe, and rendered me odious. And yet, observe -how powerful was the influence of words, envenomed -by perfidy! The whole of the discontent was -principally occasioned by the preposterous title of my -decree, which escaped me from distraction, or some -other cause; for, in the main, I contend that the law -itself was an eminent service, and rendered individual -liberty more complete and certain in France than in any -other country of Europe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Considering the crisis from which we had emerged, -the factions by which we had been divided, and the -plots which had been laid, and were still contriving, imprisonment -became indispensable. It was, in fact, a -benefit; for it superseded the scaffold. But I was desirous -of sanctioning it by legal enactments, and of -placing it beyond the reach of caprice, of arbitrary power, -of hatred, and of vengeance. Nobody, according to my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>law, could be imprisoned and detained as a prisoner of -state, without the decision of my privy council, which -consisted of sixteen persons; the first, the most independent -and most distinguished characters of the state. -What unworthy feeling would have dared to expose -itself to the detection of such a tribunal? Had I not voluntarily -deprived myself of the power of consigning individuals -to prison? No man could be detained beyond -a year, without a fresh decision of the Privy-Council, and -four votes out of sixteen were sufficient to effect his -release. Two councillors of state were bound to attend -to the statements of the prisoners, and became from that -moment their zealous advocates with the Privy Council. -These prisoners were also under the protection of the -Committee of individual liberty, appointed by the Senate, -which was the object of public derision, merely because -it made no parade of its labours and their results. Its -services, however, were great; for it would argue a -defective knowledge of mankind to suppose that Senators, -who had nothing to expect from ministers, and who -were their equals in rank, would not make use of their -prerogative to oppose and attack them, whenever the -importance of the case called for their interference. It -must also be considered that I had assigned the superintendence -of the prisoners, and of the police of the prisons, -to the tribunals, which, from that instant, paralyzed -the exercise of every kind of arbitrary authority by the -other branches of administration and their numerous subordinate -agents. After such precautions, I do not -hesitate to maintain that civil liberty was as effectually -secured by that law in France as it could possibly be. -The public misconceived, or pretended to misconceive, -that truth, for we Frenchmen must murmur at every -thing and on every occasion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The fact is, that at the time of my downfal the -state prisons scarcely contained 250 persons, and I found -9000 in them, when I became Consul. It will appear, -from the list of those who were imprisoned, and upon -an examination into the causes and motives of their -confinement, that almost every one of them deserved -death, and would have been sentenced to it by regular -<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>process of law; and it consequently follows that their -imprisonment was, on my part, a benefit conferred -upon them. Why is there nothing published against -me on this subject at present? Where are the serious -grievances to be found with which I am reproached? -There are none in reality. If some of the prisoners -afterwards made a merit of their sufferings with the -King, on account of their exertions in his favour, did -they not by that proceeding pronounce their own sentence -and attest my justice? For what may seem a virtuous -action in the King’s eye was incontestably a crime -under me; and it was only because I was repugnant to -the shedding of blood on account of political crimes, and -because such trials would have but tended to the continuance -of commotion and perplexity in the heart of the -country, that I commuted the punishment to mere -imprisonment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I repeat it, the French were, at my era, the freest -people of all Europe, without even excepting the English; -for, in England, if any extreme danger causes the suspension -of the <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>Habeas Corpus</em></span> act, every individual may -be sent to prison at the mere will of ministers, who are -not called upon to justify their motives, or to account -for their conduct. My law had very different limits.” -He concluded with saying;—“And then, at last, if, in -spite of my good intention, and notwithstanding my utmost -care, all that you have just said, and no doubt, -many other things, were well founded, it must not still -be considered so easy a task as it is thought to create -a beneficial establishment for a nation. It is a remarkable -circumstance that the countries which have -been separated from us have regretted the laws with -which I governed them. This is an homage paid to their -superiority. The real, the only, mode of passing a decisive -sentence upon me, with regard to their defects, -would be to shew the existence of a better code in any -other country. New times are drawing near, it will be -seen,” &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About five o’clock, I was told by the Grand Marshal, -who had just left the Emperor, that he wished to see me. -He had staid at home the whole of the day. I found him -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>engaged in examining the new billiard-table. He was -apprehensive that the weather was too damp for walking, -and he played at chess until dinner. In the evening, he -read us Crebillon’s <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>Atrée et Thyeste</cite></span>. That piece seemed -horrible to us; we found it disgusting, and by no means -of a tragic cast. The Emperor could not finish it.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>EGYPT.—ST. JEAN D’ACRE.—THE DESERT.—ANECDOTES.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>21st. About three o’clock, the Emperor called for his -calash. He sent for me, and we walked together to the -bottom of the wood where he had ordered the carriage -to take him up. I had some particulars of no great -moment to communicate, which personally concerned -him. We observed, in the course of our ride, two vessels -under sail for the island.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At dinner, the Emperor was very talkative. He had -been just employed on his campaign in Egypt, which he -had, for some time, neglected, and which, he said, would -be as interesting as an episode of romance. In speaking -of his position at St. Jean d’Acre, he observed:—It was -certainly a daring thing to post myself thus in the heart -of Syria, with only 12,000 men. I was 500 leagues from -Desaix, who formed the other extremity of my army. -It has been related, by Sydney Smith, that I lost 18,000 -men before Acre, although my army consisted but of -12,000. An obscure person, M...., who had just -left college, as it seemed, who knows nothing of what he -describes, and whose only talent is that of tacking some -sentences together, with a view, no doubt, of converting -them to his emolument, the brother, however, of one -whom I have loaded with favours, and who was one of -my Council of State, has recently published something on -that subject, on which I have cast a glance, and which -vexes me on account of its silliness and the unfavourable -colouring which he endeavours to throw over the glory -and exploits of that army.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Had I been master of the sea, I should have been -master of the East, and the thing was so practicable -that it failed only through the stupidity or bad conduct -of some seamen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Volney, who travelled in Egypt before the revolution, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>had stated his opinion that that country could not -be occupied without three great wars, against England, -the Grand Signor, and the inhabitants. The latter, in -particular, seemed difficult and terrible to him. He was -altogether mistaken in that respect, for it gave us no -trouble. We had even succeeded in making friends of -the inhabitants, in the course of a short time, and of -uniting their cause with ours. A handful of Frenchmen -had thus been sufficient to conquer that fine country, -which they ought never to have lost. We had actually -accomplished prodigies in war and in politics. Our -undertaking was altogether different from the crusades; -the crusaders were innumerable and hurried on by fanaticism. -My army, on the contrary, was very small, and -the soldiers were so far from being prepossessed in favour -of the enterprise that, at first, they were frequently -tempted to carry off the colours and return. I had, however, -succeeded in familiarizing them with the country, -which supplied every thing in abundance, and at so cheap -a rate that I was one time on the point of placing them -on half-pay for the purpose of laying by the other half -for them. I had acquired such an ascendancy over them, -that I should have been able, by a mere order of the day, -to make them Mahometan. They would have treated it -as a joke, the population would have been gratified, and -the very Christians of the East would have considered -themselves gainers, and approved it, knowing that we -could do nothing better for them and for ourselves.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The English were struck with consternation at seeing -us in possession of Egypt. We exposed to Europe -the certain means of wresting India from them. They -have not yet dismissed their apprehensions, and they are -in the right. If 40 or 50,000 European families ever -succeed in establishing their industry, laws, and government -in Egypt, India will be more effectually lost to the -English by the commanding influence of circumstances -than by the force of arms.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the course of the evening, the Grand Marshal put -the Emperor in mind of one of his conversations with -Monge, the mathematician, at Cutakié, in the midst of -the desert. “What do you think of all this, citizen -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>Monge?” said Napoleon.—“Why, citizen general,” -answered Monge, “I think, if there are ever seen in this -place as many equipages as at the Opera house, there -must first be some wonderful revolutions on the globe.” -The Emperor laughed very heartily at the recollection. -He had, however, he observed, a carriage with six horses -on the spot. It was unquestionably the first of the kind -that travelled over the desert, and accordingly it very -much surprised the Arabs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor remarked that the desert always had a -peculiar influence on his feelings. He had never crossed -it without being subject to a certain emotion. To him, -he said, it was an image of immensity: it seemed to -have no bounds, neither beginning nor end; it was an -ocean on terra firma. His imagination was delighted -with the sight, and he took pleasure in drawing our -attention to the observation that Napoleon meant <em>Lion -of the Desert</em>!...</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor also told us that, when he was in Syria, -it was a settled opinion at Cairo that he never would be -seen there again, and he noticed the thievery and impudence -of a little Chinese, who was one of his servants. -“It was,” said he, “a little deformed dwarf, whom -Josephine once took a fancy to at Paris. He was the -only Chinese in France; thenceforth she would always -have him behind her carriage. She took him to Italy, -but as he was in the constant habit of pilfering, she -wished to get rid of him. With that view, I took him -with me on my Egyptian expedition. Egypt was a lift -to him half-way on his journey. This little monster was -entrusted with the care of my cellar, and I had no sooner -crossed the desert than he sold, at a very low price, -2000 bottles of capital claret. His only object was to -make money, convinced that I should never come back. -He was not at all disconcerted at my return, but came -eagerly to meet me, and acquainted me, as he said, like -a faithful servant, with the loss of my wine. The robbery -was so glaring that he was himself compelled to -confess it. I was much urged to have him hanged, but -I refused, because, in strict justice, I ought to have done -as much to those in embroidered clothes, who had knowingly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>bought and drunk the wine. I contented myself -with discharging and sending him to Suez, where he was -at liberty to do what he pleased.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>On this subject I must observe that we were induced, -in this place, to give momentary credit to a very singular -coincidence. We were informed a few months ago, that -on board one of the Chinese traders, which were then -off the island, on their return to Europe, there was a -Chinese, who said he had been in the Emperor’s service -in Egypt. The Emperor instantly exclaimed, that it -must be his little thief, whose story I have just told; -but it was, in fact, a cook of Kleber’s.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor put a sudden stop to the conversation, -and, with more gaiety than usual, turning to Madame -Bertrand, said with a smile, “When shall you be at -your apartments in the Tuileries? When will you give -your splendid dinners to the ambassadors? But you will -be obliged, at least, I am told so, to have new furniture, -for it is reported that the fashions have entirely changed.” -The conversation then naturally turned on the -magnificence and luxury which we had witnessed under -the Emperor.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>PATERNAL ADVICE—REMARKABLE CONVERSATION—CAGLIOSTRO;<br /> MESMER, GALL, LAVATER, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>22nd.—The Emperor came to my apartment about -10 o’clock, and took me out to walk. We all breakfasted -under the trees. The weather was delightful, and -the heat, though great, was not unwholesome. The -Emperor ordered his calash; two of us were with him, -and the third accompanied us on horseback. The Grand -Marshal could not attend. The Emperor recurred to -some misunderstanding which had taken place among -us a few days before. He took a view of our situation -and our natural wants;—“You are bound,” said he, -“when you are one day restored to the world, to consider -yourselves as <em>brothers</em>, on my account. My -memory will dictate this conduct to you. Be so, then, -from this moment!” He next described how we might -be of mutual advantage to each other, the sufferings we -had it in our power to alleviate, &c. It was, at once, a -family and moral lesson, a lesson of feeling and conduct. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>It ought to have been written in letters of gold. It lasted -nearly an hour and a quarter, and will, I think, never be -forgotten by any of us. For myself, not only the principles -and the words, but the tone, the expression, the -action, and above all, the heart with which he delivered -them, will never be forgotten by me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About five o’clock, the Emperor entered my apartment -where I was employed with my son, on the chapter of -the battle of Arcole. He had something to say to me, -and I followed him to the garden, where he resumed, at -great length, the conversation that had taken place in -the calash....</p> - -<p class='c000'>We now dined in the old topographical cabinet, adjoining -to that of the Emperor, and the apartment -formerly occupied by Montholon’s family, which, with -the help of the books and shelves lately received from -England, was converted into a tolerable library.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As the damage done by the fire in the saloon was -long in repairing, we were obliged to continue at table -in our new dining-room until the Emperor withdrew. -This circumstance, however, gave additional interest to -the conversation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor was very communicative to-day. The -conversation turned on dreams, presentiments, and foresights, -which the English call <em>second sight</em>. We exhausted -every common-place topic, ordinarily connected -with these objects, and came at last to speak of sorcerers -and ghosts. The Emperor concluded with observing, -“All these quackeries, and many others, such as those -of Cagliostro, Mesmer, Gall, Lavater, &c. are destroyed -by this sole and simple argument: <em>All that may exist, but -it does not exist.</em></p> - -<p class='c000'>“Man is fond of the marvellous; it has for him -irresistible fascinations; he is ever ready to abandon -what is near at hand, to run after what is fabricated for -him. He voluntarily gives way to delusion. The truth -is, that every thing about us is a wonder. There is -nothing which can be properly called a phenomenon. -Every thing in nature is a phenomenon. My existence -is a phenomenon. The wood that is put on the fire -and warms me, is a phenomenon; that candle yonder, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>which gives me light, is a phenomenon. All the first -causes, my understanding, my faculties, are phenomena; -for they all exist and we cannot define them. I take -leave of you here,” said he, “and lo! I am at Paris, -entering my box at the Opera. I bow to the audience; -I hear their acclamations; I see the performers; I listen -to the music. But if I can bound over the distance from -Saint Helena, why should I not bound over the distance -of centuries? Why should I not see the future as well -as the past? Why should the one be more extraordinary, -more wonderful, than the other? The only reason -is, that it does not exist. This is the argument which -will always annihilate, without the possibility of reply, -all visionary wonders. All these quacks deal in very -ingenious speculations; their reasoning may be just and -seductive, but their conclusions are false, because they -are unsupported by facts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mesmer and Mesmerism have never recovered from -the blow dealt at them by the report of Bailly on behalf -of the Academy of Sciences. Mesmer produced effects -upon a person by magnetizing him to his face, yet the -same person, magnetized behind, without his knowing -it, experienced no effect whatever. It was therefore, on -his part, an error of the imagination, a debility of the -senses; it was the act of the <a id='corr43.25'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='sic:somnambule'>somnabule</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_43.25'><ins class='correction' title='sic:somnambule'>somnabule</ins></a></span>, who, at night -runs along the roof without danger, because he is not -afraid; but who would break his neck in the day, because -his senses would confound him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I once attacked the quack Puységur, on his <a id='corr43.29'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='sic:somnambulism'>somnabulism</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_43.29'><ins class='correction' title='sic:somnambulism'>somnabulism</ins></a></span>, -at one of my public audiences. He would -have assumed a very lofty tone: I brought him down to -his proper level with only these words: If your doctrine -is so instructive, let it tell us something new! Mankind -will, no doubt, make very great progress in the next -two hundred years; let it specify any single improvement -which is to take place within that period! Let it -tell me what I shall do within the following week! Let -it declare the numbers of the lottery, which will be -drawn to-morrow!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I behaved in the same manner to Gall, and contributed -very much to the discredit of his theory. Corvisart -<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>was his principal follower. He and his colleagues have -a great propensity to materialism, which is calculated to -strengthen their theory and influence. But nature is not -so poor. Were she so clumsy as to make herself known -by external forms, we should do our business more -promptly and know a great deal more. Her secrets are -more subtle, more delicate, more evanescent, and have -hitherto escaped the most minute researches. We find a -great genius in a little hunchback; and a man, with a -fine commanding person, turns out to be a stupid -fellow. A big head, with a large brain, is sometimes -destitute of a single idea; while a small brain is found -to possess a vast understanding. And observe the -imbecility of <em>Gall</em>. He attributes to certain protuberances -propensities and crimes, which are not in nature, -but arise solely from society and the conventional usages -of mankind. What would become of the protuberance -of theft, if there were no property; of drunkenness, if -there were no fermented liquors; and of ambition, if -there were no society?</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The same remarks apply to that egregious charlatan, -Lavater, with his physical and moral relations. Our -credulity lies in the defect of our nature. It is inherent -in us to wish for the acquisition of positive ideas, when -we ought, on the contrary, to be carefully on our guard -against them. We scarcely look at a man’s features, -before we pretend to know his character. We should -be wise enough to repel the idea and to neutralize those -deceitful appearances. I was robbed by a person who -had grey eyes, and from that moment am I never to look -at grey eyes without the idea, the fear, of being robbed? -A weapon wounded me, and I am afraid of it wherever I -see it; but was it the grey eyes that robbed me? Reason -and experience, and I have been enabled to derive great -benefit from both, prove that all those external signs -are so many lies; that we cannot be too strictly on our -guard against them, and that the only true way of appreciating -and gaining a thorough knowledge of mankind -is by trying and associating with them. After all, -we meet with countenances so hideous, it must be -allowed,” (and as an instance he described one; it was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>that of the governor,) “that the most powerful understanding -is confounded, and condemns them in spite of -itself.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>SINGULAR SERIES OF VEXATIONS, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>23d.—The Emperor called upon me about three -o’clock. He wished to take a walk. He had a gloomy -look, and had suffered much since yesterday. He was -seriously affected by the intense heat during his ride in -the calash. He had observed a new outer door which -was making, and which would have altered the whole -interior of the topographical cabinet and of Madame -Montholon’s former apartment. He had not been consulted -on the occasion, and was sensibly affected at it. -He sent instantly for the person who had given the -directions, and the wretched reasons he assigned served -only to vex him still more. We had come out to walk; -but it seemed decided that every thing was to irritate -and put him in ill humour that evening. He saw some -English officers on his way, and turned aside from them -almost in anger, observing that shortly it would be impossible -for him to put his foot out of doors. A few -paces off he was joined by the Doctor, who came to tell -him, unseasonably enough, of some arrangements that -were making for him, (the Emperor) and to ask his -opinion on the subject. It was one of the topics which, -perhaps, hurt his feelings most. He made no answer, -his ordinary resource against disappointment; but this -time he kept silence with a fretfulness which he could -not conceal. He came up with the carriage, and got in; -but on our way we met some more English officers, and -then he suddenly ordered the coachman to drive off, at a -gallop, in another direction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The new door-way, however, which had been made in -the house without his knowledge, and which he found -so inconvenient, still lay heavy on his heart. He was -about to lighten the load by a lively playfulness with -the wife of the person who had ordered it, and who -happened to be in the calash. “Ah,” said he, “are -you there? You are in my power; you shall pay the -penalty. The husband is the guilty person; it is the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>wife that shall answer for him.” But instead of accommodating -herself to the sense in which the words were -uttered, which she might have done without the least -inconvenience, and with the certainty of a satisfactory -result, she persisted in making lame excuses for her -husband, and repeating reasons, which served but to -revive his dissatisfaction. Finally, to fill up the chapter -of cross-purposes, one of us, on discovering the tents -of the camp, informed him that the evolutions and -manœuvres of the preceding day were in celebration of -one of the great victories gained by the English in -Spain, and that the regiment which executed them had -been very nearly destroyed in that battle. “A regiment. -Sir, is never destroyed by the enemy; it is immortalized,” -was his only answer. It is true, that it -was delivered very dryly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>For myself, I meditated in silence on this accumulation -of contrarieties, which struck such repeated blows -in so short a time. It was a precious moment for an -observer. I estimated the mortification which they -were calculated to produce, and I remarked with admiration, -how little he betrayed. I said to myself: -This is the <em>intractable man</em>, this the <em>tyrant</em>! One would -have supposed that he knew what was passing in my -mind, for, when we left the calash, and were a few paces -before the others, he said to me in a low tone, “If you -like to study mankind, learn how far patience can go, -and all that one can put up with,” &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On his return, he called for tea; I had never seen him -take any. Madame de Montholon was, for the first -time, in possession of her new saloon. He wished to -see it, and observed that she would be much better accommodated -than any of us. He called for fire, and -played at chess with several of us successively. He -gradually recovered his natural temper and ate a little at -dinner, which completely restored him. He indulged -in conversation, and again reverted to his early years, -which always possessed fresh charms for him. He -spoke a great deal of his early acquaintances, and of the -difficulties which some of them experienced in obtaining -admission to him after his elevation, and observed that, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>“if the threshold of his palace was impassable, it was -in spite of himself. What then,” said he, “must be the -situation of other sovereigns in that respect!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We continued the conversation until eleven, without -noticing the lateness of the hour.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>MADAME DE B—— —ANECDOTES RESPECTING<br /> THE EMIGRANTS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>24th.—To-day the Emperor tried the billiard-table -which had just been placed, and went out, but the weather -being very damp, he returned almost immediately.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He conversed with me in his apartment, before dinner, -on the emigrants, and the name of Madame de B...., -who had been <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>dame d’atours</em></span> to Madame, and was very -conspicuous in the commencement of our affairs, was -mentioned. The Emperor observed, “But is not this -Madame de B.... a very dangerous woman?”—“Certainly -not,” I replied; “she is, on the contrary, -one of the best women in the world, with a great deal -of wit, and an excellent judgment.” “If that is the case,” -said the Emperor, “she must have much cause to complain -of me. This is the painful consequence of false -representations; she was pointed out as a very dangerous -character.”—“Yes, Sire, you made her very unhappy. -Madame de B.... placed all her happiness in the -charms of society, and you banished her from Paris. I -met with her in one of my missions, confined within her -province, and pining away with vexation, yet she expressed -no resentment against your Majesty, and spoke -of you with great moderation.” “Well, then! why -did you not come to me, and set me right?”—“Ah, -Sire, your character was then so little known to us, -compared with what I know it to be at present, that I -should not have dared to do so. But I will mention an -anecdote of Madame de B.... when in London, during -the high tide of our emigration, which will make -you better acquainted with her than any thing I could -say. At the time of your accession to the Consulate, a -person, just arrived from Paris, was invited to a small -party at her house. He engrossed the attention of the -company, in consequence of all the particulars that he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>had to communicate respecting a place, which interested -us so very materially. He was asked several questions -respecting the Consul. He cannot, said he, live long, -he is most delightfully <em>sallow</em>. These were his words. -He grew more animated by degrees, and gave as a toast—The -death of the First Consul! Oh horrible! was the -instantaneous exclamation of Madame de B..... What, -drink to the death of a fellow creature! For shame! I -will give a much better one: The King’s health!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Well,” said the Emperor, “I repeat that she was -very ill used by me, in consequence of the representations -which were made to me. She had been described -to me as a person fond of political intrigues, and remarkable -for the bitterness of her sarcasms. And this puts -me in mind of an expression which is perhaps wrongly -attributed to her, but which struck me, however, solely -on account of its wit. I was assured that a distinguished -personage, who was very much attached to her, -was seized with a fit of jealousy, for which she clearly -proved that she had given no cause. He persisted -however, and observed that she ought to know that the -wife of Cæsar should be free from suspicion. Madame -de B.... replied that the remark contained two -important mistakes; for it was known to all the world -that she was not his wife, and that he was not Cæsar.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor read to us parts of the -comedies of the Dissipateur and the Glorieux, but he -was so little pleased with them that he left off; they -did not possess a sufficient degree of interest. He had -a severe pain in his right side. It was the effect of the -damp to which he had been exposed during his morning -walk, and we were not without apprehensions of its -being a symptom of the ordinary malady of this scorching -climate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On my return home, I found a letter from England, -with a parcel, containing some articles for my toilet. -The Griffin ship of war had just arrived from England.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span> - <h3 class='c009'>THE EMPEROR RECEIVES LETTERS FROM HIS FAMILY.—CONVERSATION WITH THE ADMIRAL.—THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE ALLIED POWERS.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>25th.—About nine o’clock, I received from the Grand -Marshal three letters for the Emperor. They were from -Madame Mère, the Princess Pauline, and Prince Lucien. -The latter was enclosed in one addressed to me, from -Rome, by Prince Lucien, dated the 6th of March. I -also received two from my agent in London.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor passed the whole of the morning in -reading the papers from the 25th of April to the 13th of -May. They contained accounts of the death of the Empress -of Austria, the prorogation of the French Chambers, -Cambrone’s acquittal, the condemnation of General -Bertrand, &c. He made many remarks upon all these -subjects.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About three, Admiral Malcolm requested to be presented -to the Emperor. He brought him a series of the -Journal des Debats to the 13th of May. The Emperor -desired me to introduce him, and he conversed with him -nearly three hours. He gave great pleasure to the Emperor, -who treated him, from the first moment, with a -great deal of freedom and good nature, as if he had been -an old acquaintance. The Admiral was entirely of his -opinion with respect to a great number of subjects. He -admitted that it was extremely difficult to escape from -St. Helena, and he could see no inconvenience in allowing -him to be at large in the island. He considered it -absurd that Plantation-house had not been given up to -the Emperor, and felt, but only since his arrival, he confessed, -that the title of General might be offensive. It -struck him that Lady Loudon’s conduct had been ridiculous -here, and would be laughed at in London. He -thought that the Governor had good intentions, but did -not know how to act. Ministers had, in his opinion, -been embarrassed with respect to the Emperor, but -entertained no hatred against him; they did not know -how to dispose of him. Had he remained in England, -he would have been, and was still, a terror to the Continent; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>he would have been too dangerous and efficient an -instrument in the hands of Opposition, &c. He was -apprehensive, however, that all these circumstances put -together would detain us here a long time; and he expressed -his confidence that it was the intention of -Ministers, with the exception of the necessary precautions -to prevent his escape, that Napoleon should be -treated with every possible indulgence at St. Helena, &c. -He delivered himself upon all these points in so satisfactory -a manner that the Emperor discussed the business -with him, with as little warmth as if he had not -been concerned in the matter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At one moment, the Emperor produced a sensible -effect upon him; it was when, alluding to the Commissioners, -he pointed out the impossibility of receiving -them. “After all, Sir,” said he, “you and I are men. -I appeal to you, is it possible that the Emperor of -Austria, whose daughter I married, who implored that -union on his knees, who keeps back my wife and my -son, should send me his Commissioner, without a line -for myself, without the smallest scrap of a bulletin with -respect to my son’s health? Can I receive him with -consistency? Can I have any thing to communicate to -him? I may say the same thing of the Commissioner -sent by Alexander, who gloried in calling himself my -friend, with whom, indeed, I carried on political wars, -but had no personal quarrel. It is a fine thing to be a -Sovereign, but we are not on that account the less entitled -to be treated as men; I lay claim to no other character -at present! Can they all be destitute of feeling? -Be assured, Sir, that when I object to the title of -General, I am not offended. I decline it merely because -it would be an acknowledgment that I have not been -Emperor; and, in this respect, I advocate the honour of -others more than my own. I advocate the honour of -those with whom I have been, in that rank, connected -by treaties, by family and political alliances. The only -one of those Commissioners, whom I might perhaps receive, -would be that of Louis XVIII., who owes me -nothing. That Commissioner was a long time my subject, -he acts merely in conformity to circumstances, independent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>of his option; and I should accordingly receive -him to-morrow, were I not apprehensive of the -misrepresentations that would take place, and of the -false colouring that would be given to the circumstance.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor again alluded to the time -of his Consulate, to the numerous conspiracies which had -been formed against him, to the celebrated persons of -that period, &c. I have already noticed these topics at -considerable length. The conversation lasted until one -o’clock in the morning—a very extraordinary hour -for us.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>THE EMPEROR’S COURT.—EXPENSES, SAVINGS, HUNTING AND SHOOTING ESTABLISHMENT, MEWS, PAGES, SERVICE OF HONOUR, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>26th—28th. Our usual mode of living, an airing in -the carriage in the middle of the day; conversation at -night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the 27th the Emperor received, for a moment, a -colonel, a relation of the family of Walsh Serrant, who -was on his return from the Cape in the Haycomb, and -was to sail next day for Europe. He had been Governor -of Bourbon, and entertained us with many agreeable -particulars respecting that island.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the conversation turned on the old and -new Court, with their arrangements, expenses, etiquette, -&c. I have already mentioned most of these points in -another place, and many of them were repeated on the -present occasion. I pass over what would seem but a -literal repetition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor’s Court was, in every respect, much more -magnificent than any thing seen up to that period, and -yet, said he, the expense was infinitely less. That vast -difference was caused by the suppression of abuses, and -by the introduction of order and regularity into the -accounts. His hunting and shooting establishment, with -the exception of some useless and ridiculous particulars, -he observed, as that of falconry and some others, was as -splendid, as numerous, and as striking, as that of -Louis XVI., and the annual disbursement, he assured us, -was but 400,000 francs, while the King’s amounted to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>seven millions. His table was regulated according to -the same system. Duroc had, by his regularity and -strictness, done wonders in that respect. Under the -kings, the palaces were not kept furnished, and the same -articles were transferred from one palace to another; the -people belonging to the Court had no furniture allowed -them, and every one was obliged to look out for himself. -Under him, on the contrary, there was not a person in -attendance who did not find himself provided as comfortably, -or even more so, with every thing that was -necessary or suitable, in the apartment assigned to him, -than in his own house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor’s stud cost three millions, the expense -of the horses was averaged at 3000 francs a horse yearly. -A page cost from 6 to 8000 francs. That establishment, -he observed, was perhaps the most expensive belonging -to the palace, and accordingly the education of the pages -and the care taken of them, were the subjects of just -encomium. The first families of the empire were solicitous -to place their children in it, and they had good -reason, said the Emperor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>With respect to the etiquette of the Court, the Emperor -said he was the first who had separated the <em>service -of honour</em> (an expression invented under him) from -that which was absolutely necessary. He had dismissed -every thing that was laborious and substantial, and substituted -what was nominal and ornamental only. “A -king,” he said, “is not to be found in nature, he is the -mere creature of civilization. There are no naked kings; -they must all be dressed,” &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor <a id='corr52.32'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='remaked'>remarked</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_52.32'><ins class='correction' title='remaked'>remarked</ins></a></span> that it was impossible for any -one to be better informed of the nature and relation of -all these matters than himself; because they had been -all regulated by him, according to the precedents of past -times, from which he had lopped off whatever was ridiculous, -and preserved every thing that appeared suitable.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conversation lasted until after eleven o’clock. It -had been kept up with tolerable spirit; and the Emperor -again observed, on leaving us, that, after all, we must be -a good-natured kind of people to be able to lead so contented -a life at St. Helena.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span> - <h3 class='c009'>FRESH INSTANCE OF THE GOVERNOR’S MALIGNITY, &c.—DESPERATE PROJECT OF SANTINI, THE CORSICAN.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>29th.—The weather had been bad for some days; the -Emperor took advantage of a fine interval to examine a -tent, which the admiral had, in a very handsome manner, -ordered to be erected for his accommodation by his ship’s -crew, having heard him complain, in the course of conversation, -of the want of shade, and of the impossibility -of enjoying himself in the air out of his apartment. The -Emperor conversed with the officer and men who were -putting the last hand to the work, and ordered a napoleon -to be given to each of the seamen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We learnt to-day that the last vessel had brought a -book on the state of public affairs for the Emperor, -written, as it was said, by a Member of Parliament. It -had been sent by the author himself, and the following -words were inscribed in letters of gold on the outside,—<em>To -Napoleon the Great</em>. This circumstance induced the -Governor to keep back the work, a rigour, on his part, -which formed a singular contrast with his eagerness to -supply us with libels, that treated the Emperor so disrespectfully.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During dinner, the Emperor, turning, with a stern -look, to one of the servants in waiting, exclaimed, to -our utter consternation: “So then, assassin, you intended -to kill the Governor!—Wretch!—If such a -thought ever again enters your head, you will have to do -with me; you will see how I shall behave to you.” And -then, addressing himself to us, he said, “Gentlemen, it -is Santini, there, who determined to kill the Governor. -That rascal was about to involve us in a sad embarrassment. -I found it necessary to exert all my authority, -all my indignation to restrain him.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In order to explain this extraordinary transaction, it -is necessary for me to observe that Santini, who was -formerly usher of the Emperor’s cabinet, and whose -extreme devotion had prompted him to follow his master -and serve him, no matter, he said, in what capacity, -was a Corsican, of deep feeling and a warm imagination. -Enraged at the Governor’s ill usage, no longer able to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>bear with patience the affronts which he saw heaped -upon the Emperor, exasperated at the decline of his -health, and affected himself with a distracting melancholy, -he had, for some time, done no work in the house, and, -under pretence of procuring some game for the Emperor’s -table, his employment seemed to be that of -shooting in the neighbourhood. In a moment of confidence, -he told his countryman Cypriani that he had -formed the project, by the means of his double barrelled -piece, of killing the Governor, and then putting an -end to himself. And all, said he, to rid the world of a -monster.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Cypriani, who knew his countryman’s character, was -shocked at his determination, and communicated it to -several other servants. They all united in entreating -him to lay aside his design, but their efforts, instead of -mitigating, seemed but to inflame his irritation. They -resolved then to disclose the project to the Emperor, -who had him instantly brought before him: “And it -was only,” he told me some time afterwards, “by -<em>imperial</em>, by <em>pontifical</em> authority, that I finally succeeded -in making the scoundrel desist altogether from his project. -Observe for a moment the fatal consequences -which he was about to produce. I should have also -passed for the murderer, the assassin, of the Governor, -and in reality it would have been very difficult to destroy -such an impression in the mind of a great number of -people.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor read to us La Mort de Pompée, which -was stated in the journals to be the subject of general -interest at Paris, on account of its political allusions. -And this gave rise to the remark that government had -been obliged to forbid the representation of Richard, and -that, certainly on the fifth and sixth of October, Louis -XVI. little thought of its ever being prohibited for its -allusions to another. “The fact is that times are -wonderfully changed,” said the Emperor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>30th.—The Emperor, after a few turns in the garden, -went to General Gourgaud’s apartment, where he was a -long time employed, with his compasses and pencil, in -laying down the coast of Syria, and the plan of Saint -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>Jean d’Acre, which the general was to execute. In -marking some points about Acre, he said:—“I passed -many unpleasant moments there.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the evening we had Le Mariage de Figaro, which -entertained and interested us much more than we had -been led to expect. “It was,” observed the Emperor, -in shutting the book, “the Revolution already put into -action.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>LA HARPE’S MÉLANIE.—NUNS.—CONVENTS.—MONKS<br /> OF LA TRAPPE.—THE FRENCH CLERGY.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>31st.—The weather was horrible about three o’clock, -and the Emperor could scarcely reach Madame de -Montholon’s saloon. He amused himself for some time -there in reading the Thousand and One Nights, and -afterwards, perceiving a volume of the Moniteur on -which M. de Montholon was then employed, and which -lay open in the part relative to the negotiations for a -maritime armistice in 1800, his whole attention was -absorbed by them for upwards of an hour.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor read first La Mère Coupable, -in which we felt interested, and next the Mélanie -of La Harpe, which he thought wretchedly conceived -and very badly executed. “It was,” he said, “a turgid -declamation, in perfect conformity with the taste of the -times, founded in fashionable calumnies and absurd -falsehoods. When La Harpe wrote that piece, a father -certainly had not the power of forcing his daughter to -take the veil; the laws would never have allowed it. -This play, which was performed at the beginning of the -Revolution, was indebted for its success solely to the -extravagance of public opinion. Now, that the passion -is over, it must be deemed a wretched performance! La -Harpe’s characters are all unnatural. He should not -have attacked defective institutions with defective weapons.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor said that La Harpe had so completely -failed in his object, with regard to his own impressions, -that all his feelings were in favour of the father, while -he was shocked at the daughter’s conduct. He had -never seen the performance, without being tempted to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>start from his seat, and call out to the daughter: “You -have but to say, No, and we will all take your part; -you will find a protector in every citizen.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He observed that, when he was on service with his -regiment, he had often witnessed the ceremony of taking -the veil. “It was a ceremony very much attended by -the officers, and which raised our indignation, particularly -when the victims were handsome. We ran in -crowds to it, and our attention was alive to the slightest -incident. Had they but said, <em>No</em>, we should have carried -them off sword in hand. It is consequently false that -violence was employed: seductive means only were -resorted to. Those, upon whom they were practised, -were kept secluded perhaps, like recruits. The fact is -that, before they had done, they had to pass the ordeal -of the nuns, the abbess, the spiritual director, the -bishop, the civil officer, and finally the public spectators. -Can it be supposed that all these had agreed to concur -in the commission of a crime?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor declared that he was an enemy to -convents in general, as useless, and productive of degrading -inactivity. He allowed, however, in another -point of view, that certain reasons might be pleaded in -their favour. The best <span lang="it" xml:lang="it"><em>mezzo termine</em></span>, and he had -adopted it, was, in his opinion, that of tolerating them, -of obliging the members to become useful, and of allowing -annual vows only.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor complained that he had not had time -enough to complete his institutions. It had been his -intention to enlarge the establishments of Saint Denis -and Ecouen, for the purpose of affording an asylum to -the widows of soldiers, or women advanced in years. -“And then,” he added, “it must also be admitted that -there were characters and imaginations of all kinds; that -compulsion ought not to be used with regard to persons -of an eccentric turn, provided their oddities are harmless, -and that an empire, like France, might and ought -to have houses for madmen, called <em>Trappistes</em>. With -respect to the latter,” he observed, “that if any one -ever thought of inflicting upon others the discipline -which they practised, it would be justly considered a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>most abominable tyranny, and that it might, notwithstanding, -constitute the delight of him who voluntarily -exercised it on himself. Such is man, such his whims, -or his follies!... He had tolerated the monks of -Mount Cenis, but these, at least,” he added, “were useful, -very useful, and might be even called heroic.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor expressed himself in his Council of State -in the following words, when the organization of the -University was about to take place: “It is my opinion -that the monks would be far the best body for communicating -instruction, were it possible to keep them under -proper control, and to withdraw them from their dependence -upon a foreign master. I am disposed to be -favourable to them. I should, perhaps, have had the -power to reinstate them in their establishments, but they -have made the thing impossible. The moment I do any -thing for the clergy, they give me cause to repent it. I -do not complain of the old established clergy, for with -them I am sufficiently satisfied; but the young priests -are brought up in a gloomy fanatical doctrine; there is -nothing Gallican in the young clergy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have nothing to say against the old bishops. -They have shewn themselves grateful for what I did for -religion; they have realized my expectations.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Cardinal de Boisgelin was a man of sense, a virtuous -character, who had faithfully adopted me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Archbishop of Tours, Barral, a man of great -acquirements, and who was of essential service to us in -our differences with the Pope, was always very much -attached to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The worthy Cardinal du Belloy, and the virtuous -Bishop Roquelaure, had a sincere affection for me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I made no difficulty whatever in placing Bishop -Beausset among the Dignitaries of the University, and I -am convinced that he was one of those who, in that -capacity, most sincerely conducted themselves in conformity -with my views.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All these old bishops possessed my confidence, and -none of them deceived me. It is not a little singular -that those whom I had the greatest cause to complain of -were precisely those whom I had chosen myself; so -<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>very true is it that the holy unction, though it attaches -us to the kingdom of Heaven, does not deliver us from -the infirmities of the earth, from its irregularities, its -obscenities, its turpitudes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conversation next turned upon the want of priests -in France, the obligation of engaging them at the age -of sixteen, and the difficulty, even the impossibility, of -finding any at twenty-one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was the Emperor’s wish that they should be ordained -at a more advanced age. The answer of the bishops -and the Pope himself was, “It is very well: your reasons -are very just; but if you wait for that period you will -find none to ordain, and yet you admit that you are in -want of them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have no doubt,” observed the Emperor, “that, -after me, other principles will be adopted. A conscription -of priests and nuns will, perhaps, be seen in France, -as a military conscription was seen in my time. My -barracks will, perhaps, be turned into convents and -seminaries. Thus goes the world. Poor nations! In -spite of all your knowledge, all your wisdom, you -continue, like individuals, the slaves of fashionable -caprice.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was nearly one o’clock in the morning before the -Emperor retired. It was, he said, a real victory over -<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>ennui</em></span>, and a great relief for the want of sleep.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>MARIA ANTOINETTE.—THE MANNERS OF VERSAILLES.—ANECDOTE.—BEVERLEY.—DIDEROT’S<br /> PÉRE DE FAMILLE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>August 1.—The weather was dreadful. About three -o’clock, the Grand Marshal came to look for me; but as -I had at that moment ventured out, I was not to be -found. It was on account of some English, whom he -had to present to the Emperor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor sent for me at five; he was in a bad -humour, and not a little so, he said, on my account. -The visit of the English, the bad weather, the want of -the saloon and an interpreter, had all combined to -vex him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was reading the Veillées du Château, which, he -observed, were tiresome, and he left them for the Tales -of Margaret, Queen of Navarre.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>He afterwards adverted to Versailles; the Court, the -Queen, Madame Campan, and the King, were the principal -subjects of his remarks, and he said many things, -some of which I have already noticed. He concluded -with observing that Louis XVI. would have been a -perfect pattern in private life, but that he had been a -sorry King; and that the Queen would no doubt have -been, at all times, the ornament of every circle, but that -her levity, her inconsistencies, and her want of capacity, -had not a little contributed to promote and accelerate -the catastrophe. She had, he remarked, deranged the -manners of Versailles; its ancient gravity and strict -etiquette were transformed into the free and easy manners -and absolute tittle-tattle of a private party. No -man of sense and importance could avoid the jests of the -young courtiers, whose natural disposition for raillery -was sharpened by the applauses of a young and beautiful -Sovereign.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One of the most characteristic anecdotes of that day -was told. A gallant and worthy German general arrived -at Paris, with a special recommendation to the Queen, -from the Emperor Joseph, her brother. The Queen -thought she could not do him a greater favour than to -invite him to one of her private parties. He found himself, -it may be easily imagined, a little out of his element -in such company, but it was every one’s wish to treat -him with marked respect, and he was obliged to take -a leading part in the conversation. He was unfortunate -in the selection of his topics, and in his manner of introducing -them. He talked a great deal about <em>his white -mare, and his grey mare</em>, which he valued above all -things. The subject gave rise to a number of arch inquiries -on the part of the young courtiers, respecting a -thousand frivolous points, which he had the good-nature -to answer, as if they were matters of importance. In -conclusion, one of them asked to which of the two he -gave the decided preference: “Really,” answered the -general, with peculiar significance, “I must confess, -that, if I were in the day of battle on my white mare, -I do not believe I should dismount to get on my grey -one.” At length he made his bow, and the bursts of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>laughter that followed may be easily conceived. The conversation -took another turn after his departure; the -attractions of white and brown beauties were long and -ingeniously canvassed, and, the Queen having asked one -of the party which he preferred, he instantly assumed a -grave air, and imitating the solemn tone of the Austrian, -answered, “Really, Madam, I must confess, that if I -were in the day of battle on....” “Enough,” -interposed the Queen, “spare us the remainder.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner he read Beverley and the Père de Famille -to us. The latter, in particular, excited his animadversion. -To us it seemed a paltry production. What -most amused the Emperor, as he said, was that it was -Diderot’s, that Coryphœus of philosophers and of the -Encyclopedia. All it contained was, he said, false and -ridiculous. The Emperor entered into a long examination -of the details, and concluded with saying, “Why -reason with a madman in the height of a raging fever? -It is remedies and a decisive mode of treatment that he -needs. Who does not know that the only safeguard -against love is flight? When Mentor wishes to secure -Telemachus, he plunges him into the sea. When Ulysses -endeavours to preserve himself from the Syrens, he -causes himself to be bound fast, after having stopped the -ears of his companions with wax.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE EMIGRATION TO COBLENTZ.—ANECDOTES, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>2nd.—Uninterrupted bad weather, with heavy rains. -The Emperor was not well; he felt his nerves very -much irritated.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He sent for me to breakfast with him. During the -whole of breakfast, and a long time afterwards, the conversation -again turned on the emigration. I have -already remarked that he often brought me back to the -subject. His enquiries to-day were directed to the particulars -of what had passed at Coblentz, our situation, -our disposition, our organization, our views, and our resources, -and at the end of all my answers, he concluded, -observing: “You have already several times acquainted -me with a considerable part of those things, and yet I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>do not retain them, because you communicate them -without regularity. Reduce them to a consistent historical -summary. How could you be better employed in -this place? And then, my dear Las Cases, you will have -a piece ready at hand for your journal.” This demand -was like that addressed by Dido to Æneas, and I too -might have exclaimed, <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>Infandum regina, jubes</em></span> ... -however, I executed the sketch as completely as my -memory and judgment enabled me, for the subject began -to grow old, and I was, at that time, very young. I -give it as I read it, a short time afterwards, to Napoleon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Sire, after the famous events which overthrew the -Bastile, and set all France in agitation, most of our -Princes, who found themselves implicated in the consequences, -fled from the country, with the sole view, at -that period, of securing their personal safety. They -were soon after joined by persons of considerable rank, -and by a number of young men; the former, induced by -the connection which they had with them, and the latter -by a persuasion that the measure of itself indicated, in -some degree, a striking, generous, and decided devotedness. -When a certain number were collected, the idea -suggested itself of converting to a political end that -which, until then, had been produced by zeal and chance -alone. It was thought that if, with the assistance of -these assemblages, a kind of small power could be created, -it might be enabled to re-act, with advantage, on the -interior, become a lever to insurrection there, make an -impression on the public mind, and restrain popular commotion; -while it would be, abroad, a title or pretext -for applying to foreign Powers and claiming their attention. -This was the origin of the emigration; and it is -confidently stated that this grand idea was conceived by -M. de Calonne,<a id='r3' /><a href='#f3' class='c008'><sup>[3]</sup></a> as he passed through Switzerland, in -the suite of one of our Princes, who was on his way -from Turin to Germany.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>“The first assemblage took place at Worms, under -the Prince de Condé. The most celebrated was that at -Coblentz, under the King’s two brothers, one of whom -came from Italy, where he had at first found an asylum -in the Court of the King of Sardinia, his father-in-law, -and the other arrived by way of Brussels, after escaping -the crisis, which had made a captive of Louis XVI. at -Varennes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was one of the first of those who assembled at -Worms. The number about the Prince was scarcely -fifty when I arrived. In the entire effervescence of -youth, and with the first inspiration of what was noble, -I hastened to Worms with the most innocent simplicity -of heart. My reading and my prayer each morning -consisted of a chapter of Bayard. I expected, on -reaching Worms, to be, at the very least, seized and -embraced by so many brothers in arms; but, to my -great surprise (and it was my first lesson on mankind), -instead of this affectionate reception, I and a companion -were, all at once, examined and watched, for the purpose -of ascertaining that we were not spies. We were -afterwards carefully sounded with regard to our interests, -our views, and the pretensions by which we might have -been actuated, and, finally, great pains were taken to -prove to us, and to make the Prince perceive (and this -plan was renewed on every fresh arrival), that our -numbers increased greatly, and exceeded, no doubt, -already, the places and favours which he had to confer. -My companion was so shocked that he proposed to me -to return instantly to Paris.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We, who composed the assemblage, in order to -make ourselves useful or to acquire importance, undertook, -three or four of us by turns, to form a kind of -regular guard about the Prince’s person night and day; -for we dreamt already of nothing but conspiracies and -assassination, so very powerful and redoubtable did we -think ourselves, and when relieved, whilst on this kind -of voluntary guard, we had the honour of being admitted -to the Prince’s table. Three generations of -Condé constituted its ornament, a singular circumstance, -which was renewed with more striking effect in the army -<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>of Condé, in which the grandfather fought in the centre, -while the son and grandson commanded the right and -left, where they were, I believe, both wounded, and on -the same day.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Princess of Monaco had followed the Prince of -Condé; he married her afterwards, but she then governed -and did the honours of his establishment. We had the -opportunity of hearing at that table some of the guests -assert and re-assert to the Prince that we were already -more than enough to enter France; that his name and -a white handkerchief were sufficient; that the star of -Condé was about to shine forth once more; that the occasion -was singularly happy, and that it was necessary -to seize it; and I would not pledge myself, that adulation -<a id='corr63.15'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='wsa'>was</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_63.15'><ins class='correction' title='wsa'>was</ins></a></span> not pushed so far as to suggest very interested -personal views to the Prince.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Worms, from the nature of its meeting, and the -character of its chief, always evinced more regularity, -more austerity of discipline, than Coblentz, where there -was a display of more agitation, luxury, and pleasure. -Worms was accordingly called the <em>camp</em>, and Coblentz -the <em>City</em> or the <em>Court</em>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The importance of the leader was in proportion to -the force under his command, and of this the Prince of -Condé was so sensible that he never saw any one leave -him without regret, and remembered it a long time. I -was not, on that account, the less eager to go to Coblentz, -the moment it acquired a certain degree of splendour. -I had relations and friends there, and it was, -besides, more attractive, from superior magnificence, -activity, and grandeur. Coblentz became in a short -time a focus of foreign and domestic intrigues. Two -distinct parties might be observed there; Messrs. -d’Avaray, de Jaucourt, and some others, were the confidential -friends, the advisers, or the ministers, of Monsieur, -now Louis XVIII. The Bishop of Arras, the Count de -Vaudreuil, and others, were those of Monseigneur, the -Count d’Artois; and it was confidently stated that, even -then, these Princes manifested distinctly enough the same -political differences which, it is pretended, have since -characterized them. M. de Breteuil, resident at Brussels, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>and charged, according to his own declaration, with unlimited -powers by Louis XVI., had formed a third party, -and added to the complication of our affairs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“M. de Calonne was relied on for our financial department, -and the old Marshal de Broglie and the -Marshal de Castries were at the head of our military -establishment. The brave and able M. de Bouilly, who -had left France after the affair of Varennes, found -it impossible to remain with us, and followed King -Gustavus III. to Sweden.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The emigration had, however, assumed a grand character, -thanks to the care employed for its propagation. -Agents had traversed the provinces, circulars had been -distributed in the mansions and country-seats, summoning -every gentleman to join the Princes, and act in co-operation -with them for the security of the altar and the -throne, the revenge of their honour, and the recovery of -their rights. An absolute crusade had been preached, -and with so much more effect, as it made an impression -on minds disposed to attend to it. Among the whole of -the nobility and privileged classes there was not a single -person who did not feel himself cut to the quick by the -decrees of the Assembly. All, from him who filled the -highest rank to the lowest country squire, had been deprived -of what they held most dear; for the former had -lost his title and his vassals, and the latter had seen his -turret and his pigeon-house invaded, and his hares shot. -Accordingly, the movement to begin the journey was -immediate and universal; it could not be abandoned, -under the penalty of dishonour, and the women were -directed to send spindles to those who hesitated, or were -too tardy. Whether then from passion, pusillanimity, -or a point of honour, the emigration became a real infection; -multitudes rushed furiously beyond the frontiers; -and what contributed not a little to increase the evil was -the means employed by the leaders of the Revolution to -promote it in secret, while they affected to oppose it in -public. They declaimed, in vague terms, against it from -the tribune, it is true; but they took great care that all -the passages should be left open. Did the zeal of the -emigrants slacken?—the declaimers became more violent, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>and it was decided that the barriers should be strictly -guarded. Then those who had been left behind were reduced -to despair, because they had not taken advantage -of the favourable moment. But, accidentally, or from -inattention, the barriers were again opened, and they -were passed with eagerness by those who were determined -not to expose themselves to another disappointment. -It was by this dextrous management that the Assembly -assisted its enemies in plunging themselves into the -abyss.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The able men of the faction had, from the beginning, -conceived that such a measure would deliver them from -the heterogeneous parts that checked their progress, and -that the property of all these voluntary exiles would secure -to them incalculable resources. The officers thought -they did wonders in stealing away from their regiments, -while the leaders of the Revolution, on their part, excited -the soldiers to revolt, in order to force them to it. They -got rid, by these means, of enemies who were highly -dangerous, and obtained, on the contrary, in the non-commissioned -officers, zealous co-operators, who became -heroes in the national cause; it was they who furnished -great captains, and who beat all the veteran troops of -foreign powers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The consequence was that Coblentz collected all -that was illustrious belonging to the Court in France, and -all that was opulent and distinguished belonging to the -provinces. We were thousands, consisting of every -branch, uniform, and rank of the army; we peopled the -town and overran the palace. Our daily assemblages -about the persons of the Princes seemed like so many -splendid festivals. The Court was most brilliant, and -our Princes were so effectually its Sovereigns that the -poor Elector was eclipsed and lost in the midst of us, -which induced a person to observe to him, very pleasantly, -one day, whether from perfect simplicity or keen -raillery, that, among all those who thronged his palace, -he was the only stranger.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“During the grand solemnities, we occasionally had -public galas; and the respectable inhabitants were permitted -to take a view of the tables. We then exulted at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>witnessing the admiration expressed by the people of the -country for the pleasing countenance and chivalrous appearance -of Monseigneur the Count d’Artois, and we -were proud of the homage paid by them to the acquirements -and talents of Monsieur. It was worth while to -see with what arrogance we paraded with us, as it were, -the whole dignity, the lustre of our monarchy, and, -above all, the superiority of our Sovereign and the elevation -of our Princes. <em>His Majesty the King</em>, was the expression -which we pompously used in the German circles -to designate the King of France; for that was, or ought -to be, in our opinion, his title in point of pre-eminence -with respect to all Europe. The Abbé Maury, whom we -had at first received with acclamation, but who, by the -by, lost much of our esteem in a very short time, had -discovered, he assured us, that such was his right and -his prerogative. Shall I give another instance of overweening -pride and conceit?</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At a later period, during our greatest disasters, and -when our cause was completely ruined, an Austrian -officer, of superior rank, charged with despatches for the -Court of London, invited to dinner several of our officers -with whom he had formerly been acquainted on the -Continent. After dinner, and very near the time when -every truth comes out, the company began to talk politics, -and he happened to say that, on his departure from -Vienna, one of the principal subjects of conversation was -the marriage of Madame Royale (now Duchess d’Angouleme) -with the Archduke Charles, who at that moment -enjoyed great celebrity. ‘But it is impossible!’ -observed one of his French guests. ‘And why?’ ‘Because -it is not a suitable marriage for Madame.’—‘How!’ -exclaimed the Austrian, seriously offended, and almost -breathless, ‘His Royal Highness Monseigneur, the -Archduke Charles! not a suitable match for your <a id='corr66.35'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Princess.'>Princess.’</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_66.35'><ins class='correction' title='Princess.'>Princess.’</ins></a></span> -‘Oh! no, Sir, it would be but a garrison match for her!’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Besides, these lofty pretensions were instilled into us -with our education; they belonged to us as national -sentiments, and our Princes were not exempt from them. -With us the King’s brothers disdained the title of Royal -Highness, they had the pretension of addressing all the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>sovereigns by the title of brother; the rest of the system -was carried on in a proportionate way, and there was -accordingly but one feeling in Europe against our Versailles, -manners and the presumption of our Princes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Gustavus III. said, at Aix-la-Chapelle—‘Your Court -of Versailles was not accessible; it indulged too much in -haughtiness and ridicule. When I was there, there was -scarcely any attention paid to me, and, when I left it, I -brought away the titles of <em>booby</em> and <em>blockhead</em>.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Duchess of Cumberland, who was married to the -King of England’s brother, had to complain, at the same -time and in the same city, that the Princess de Lamballe -did not grant her the honours of the folding-doors.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The old Duke of Gloucester complained, on his own -account, at a later period in London, of one of our -Princes of the blood, and added that the Prince of Wales -laughed heartily, because he, the Prince of Wales, addressing -the same Prince by the title of Monseigneur, -the latter studiously endeavoured to model his language -so as not to return the compliment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At Coblentz, however, when our circumstances were -altered, our Princes condescended to change their manners -in that respect, and to let themselves down to the -level of the foreign Princes. They were then with the -Elector of Treves, a Prince of Saxony, their mother’s -brother, whom, by way of parenthesis, we were at that -time eating up, and who was afterwards deprived of his -possessions on our account. They condescended to call -him their <em>uncle</em>, and he was allowed to call them his -<em>nephews</em>. It is confidently stated that he said to them -one day, ‘It is to your misfortunes that I am indebted -for such affectionate expressions; at Versailles you -would have treated me as plain M. l’Abbé, and it is not -certain that you would have received my visits every -day.’ It was added that he spoke the truth, and that -they had given melancholy proofs of it to his brother, -the Count of Lusatia, who was present.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Princes generally passed their evenings in the -company of their intimate friends. One of them was, -most of the time, at the house of Madame de Polastron, -to whom he paid attentions that were justified by her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>constancy and her behaviour. Frequent attempts were -made to destroy the intimacy, but in vain, for Madame -de Polastron was above all the cabals employed for the -purpose; and, in addition to her amiable manners and -excellent conduct, was completely disinterested, and -carefully avoided all interference in political affairs. She -saw but very little company. I was indebted to a -female relative for the pleasure of being admitted to it; -but, as it was necessary to withdraw before the Prince’s -arrival, I never had the honour of seeing him there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Monsieur passed his evenings at Madame de Balby’s, -Dame d’Atours to Madame. Madame de Balby, who -was lively, witty, a warm friend and a determined enemy, -attracted all the most distinguished characters. It was -an honour to be admitted to her house, which was the -centre of taste and fashion. Monsieur sometimes remained -there until a late hour; and when, after the -crowd had slipped away and the circle was contracted, -he happened to be communicative, it must be confessed -that he was as superior to us by the charms of his conversation -as by his rank and dignity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So much for our manner of living and our outward -appearance at Coblentz; this was the fair side of our -situation; but we were less happy in a political point of -view—that was the degrading side.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Good!” said the Emperor, “I begin to find your -drawing-room details too long. This is, however, excusable -in you. The subject is a pleasing one to you. You -were then young; but go on.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Sire, the whole of our number was but a noble and -brilliant mob, and presented the image of complete confusion. -It was anarchy striving without, to establish, it -was said, order within—a real democracy struggling for -the re-establishment of its aristocracy. We presented, -on a small scale, and merely with a few shades of difference, -a copy of every thing that was passing in France. -We had among us zealous adherents to our ancient -forms, and ardent admirers of novelty; we had our constitutionalists, -our intolerants, and our moderates. We -had our empirics, who sincerely regretted that they had -not made themselves masters of the King’s person, for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>the purpose of acting with violence in his name, or who -frankly avowed that they entertained the design of declaring -his incapability. Finally, we had also our -Jacobins, who wished, on their return, to kill, to burn, -to destroy every thing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No direct authority was exercised over the multitude -by our Princes.—They were our Sovereigns, it was -true, but we were very unruly subjects, and very easily -irritated. We murmured on every occasion, and it was -particularly against those who joined us last that our -common fury was directed. It was, we declared, so -much glory and good fortune of which they deprived -our exploits and our hopes. Those who were once admitted -considered every subsequent arrival too late. It -was maintained that all merit on that score was at an -end. If all continued to be received in the same way, -the whole of France would soon be on our side, and -there would no longer be any person to punish.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Denunciations of every kind, and from every quarter, -were then showered down upon those who joined us. -A Prince de Saint-Maurice, son of the Prince de Montbarey, -found it impossible to resist the storm, although -he had the formal support of every distinguished character, -and that of the Prince himself, who deigned to -employ supplication in his favour, and said, ‘Alas! gentlemen, -who is there that has not faults to reproach -himself with in the Revolution? I have been guilty of -several, and, by your oblivion of them, you have given -me the right of interceding for others.’ This did not -spare M. de Saint-Maurice the necessity of making his -escape as soon as possible. His crime was that of having -belonged to the Society of the Friends of the Negroes, -and of having been violently attacked in the midst of us -by a gentleman of Franche Comté, who denounced -M. de Saint-Maurice for having caused his mansions to -be burnt. It was, however, discovered, a few days -afterwards, that the brawling assailant had no mansion -and was neither from Franche Comté, nor a gentleman: -he was a mere adventurer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“M. de Cazalès, who had filled France and Europe -with the celebrity of his eloquence and courage in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>National Assembly, had, notwithstanding, lost the popular -favour at Coblentz. When he arrived at Paris, a -report was spread among us that the Princes would not -see him, or would give him an ungracious reception. -We collected eighty natives of Languedoc to form, in -opposition to his own wishes, a kind of escort for him. -M. de Cazalès was the honour of our province; we conducted -him to the Princes, by whom he was well received.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A deputy of the third estate, who had highly distinguished -himself in the Constituent Assembly by his -attachment to royalty, was among us. One of our -Princes, addressing him one day in the crowd, said, -‘But, Sir, explain to me then.—You are so worthy a -man, how could you, at the time, take the oath of the -<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>jeu de paume</em></span>?’ The deputy, struck dumb by the attack, -at first stammered out that he had been taken unawares—that -he did not foresee the fatal consequences—but -promptly recovering himself, he replied with vivacity: -‘I shall, however, observe to Monseigneur that it was -not that which led to the ruin of the French monarchy, -but in fact the assemblage of the nobility, which joined -us in consequence of the very persuasive letter written -by Monseigneur.’—‘Stop there,’ exclaimed the Prince, -patting him on the stomach, ‘be cool, my dear Sir; I -did not intend to vex you by that question.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Something like a system of regularity, whether good -or bad, was, however, adopted in the course of time. -We were classed by corps and by provinces; we had -cantonments assigned to us, and were supplied with -arms. The King’s body-guards were again formed, -clothed, equipped, and paid, and soon became a superb -corps in appearance and discipline. The coalition of -Auvergne and the marine corps, part on foot and part on -horseback, attracted peculiar notice by its discipline, -knowledge, and union. Our resignation and self-denial -could not be too much admired. Each officer was -henceforth but a private soldier, subject to exercises and -fatigues, very contrary to his former manner of life, and -exposed to the greatest privations, for there was no pay, -and many of that number had soon no resource to depend -<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>on but the contributions of their more fortunate -comrades. We deserved a better fate, or, to speak more -correctly, we were worthy of a better enterprize. All -the officers belonging to the same regiments had been -collected together in separate bodies, in order that they -might be ready to take the command of their soldiers, -who would not fail to join them, as we thought, on their -first seeing them. Such was our delusion! It was from -a similar motive that the gentlemen were classed according -to their respective provinces, no doubt being -entertained of their efficient influence over the mass of -the population. Our weakness consisted in the conviction -that we continued to be wished for, respected, -adored.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“All these bodies were publicly exercised and manœuvred, -and the diplomatic remonstrances which were -made on the subject were answered with a confident -assurance that no such thing existed, or that it certainly -should be prevented. We had generals appointed, a staff -formed, and every thing which distinguishes head-quarters, -even to the office of grand-provost, arranged. -Our Princes were gradually surrounded with all that -constitutes a real government. They had Ministers for -the affairs of the moment, and even for France, when we -should return, so certain and near at hand did that -time appear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“M. de Lavilleurnois, who was afterwards so much -talked of, on account of the share which he had in a -royalist conspiracy, and who died at Sinnamary, in consequence -of the events of Fructidor, was intrusted with -the Administration of the Police. He set off at an early -period to perform its duties clandestinely at Paris. He -had conceived a sincere affection for me, and was determined -to make me his son-in-law. He made use of the -most urgent arguments to induce me to follow him; but -I refused: I disliked the nature of his office. Otherwise, -what different combinations in my destiny!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We had also direct relations with almost every -Court. The Princes had envoys at them, and received -theirs at Coblentz. Monseigneur, the Count d’Artois, -visited Vienna, I believe, but I can state with certainty -<span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>that he was at Pilnitz. The nobility, in a body, addressed -a letter to Catherine, from whom we received -M. de Romansoff as Ambassador. That Empress saw, -with pleasure, the storm that was rising in the south of -Europe; she cheerfully fanned a flame, which might -prove very favourable to her views, without putting her -to any expense, and she accordingly shewed herself -ardent in her sentiments, and enthusiastic in her promises. -She did not despair, in that crisis, of making a dupe of -Gustavus III., whose contiguous activity was troublesome -to her; she had prevailed upon him, it is said, to undertake -the crusade, by flattering him with the rank of -Generalissimo. I do not know if this Prince, who -certainly was a very superior character for his time, and -possessed a great share of understanding and talent, -suffered himself to be deluded by her. It is, however, -undeniable that he displayed great attachment to our -cause, and announced his wish to fight for it in person. -When he left Aix la Chapelle to arrange his ultimate -measures for that purpose in Sweden, I heard him say, -on taking leave of the Princess de Lamballe: <a id='corr72.20'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='“You'>‘You</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_72.20'><ins class='correction' title='“You'>‘You</ins></a></span> -will see me again shortly, but I am, nevertheless, obliged, -on my own account, to adhere to certain proceedings, to -certain measures of caution; for the part I have to play -is of a very delicate nature. Know that I, who am desirous -of returning to fight at the head of your aristocrats -in France, am, at home, the first democrat of the -country.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We also received envoys from Louis XVI., who -presented public messages in reprobation of our conduct, -and had confidential conferences, perhaps totally different. -At least, we acted as if that had been the case; -openly declaring that he was a captive, and that we -ought to take no notice of any of his orders; that we -were bound to take every thing he was compelled to say -in a contrary sense, and that, when he exhorted us to -peace, he was, in reality, calling upon us to go to war. -It is accordingly my opinion that we were very detrimental -to the tranquillity of the unfortunate Monarch, -and that we had our special share in the pardon which -he bequeathed by his will to his friends, who, by an -indiscreet zeal, as he observes, did him so much injury.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>“Our emigration, however, was prolonged in spite of -all the promises which were made to us, and of all the -hopes with which our fancy was flattered. With what -illusions, what idle tales, what absurdities, was our impatience -mocked! whether those who invented them -anticipated our disappointment, or were themselves deceived. -It was pleasantly calculated that, according to -our letters and gazettes, we had, in less than eighteen -months, set in motion nearly two millions of men, -although we ourselves had seen none of them. But -those initiated in the mystery assured us, in special -confidence, that these troops marched only by night, for -the purpose of more effectually surprising the democrats, -or that they passed in the day-time only by platoons and -without uniform; or told us some other story of a similar -kind. On the other hand, we shewed each other a heap -of letters from all countries and the best sources, written -in an enigmatical style, and which were thought to be -intelligible to us alone. One was acquainted that fifty -thousand Bohemian glasses had been just sent off for his -country; another was informed that ten thousand pieces -of Saxon porcelain would soon be sent off; and a third -received intelligence that twenty-five bales of cocoa -would be addressed to him, with other fooleries of the -same kind.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How was it possible, I now ask myself, that men of -understanding, for there certainly were a great many -among the number, that Ministers, who had formerly -governed us, and others who were destined to succeed -them, should be gulled by such wretched stuff, or that -the plain good sense, which we possessed as a multitude, -did not make us laugh in their faces? But no; we were -not the less convinced that we were near the accomplishment -of our hopes; that the moment was at hand; -that it would infallibly happen; that we had only to show -ourselves; that we were eagerly expected, and that all -would fall prostrate at our feet.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here the Emperor, who had often interrupted me with -laughter and raillery, said, in a very serious tone, “How -very faithful is the picture you have drawn! I recognise -a crowd of your friends in it. Truly, my dear Las Cases, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>and I say it without meaning any offence to you, vapouring, -credulity, inconsistency, stupidity itself, might be -said, in spite of all their wit, to be specially their lot. -When I occasionally wished to be amused, and divested -myself of all reserve, for the purpose of giving them full -scope, and encouraging their confidence in me, I have -heard, in the Tuileries, under the Consulate and the -Empire, things not less ridiculous than those which you -now relate. None of them ever entertained a doubt of -any thing. The love of the French for their Kings was -centered, they assured me, in my person. I could henceforth -do what I pleased; I had a right to use my power; -I should never meet with any other obstacle but a handful -of incorrigible persons who were the detestation of -all. That counter-revolution so much dreaded, observed -another, was but child’s play to me; I had effected it with -the utmost ease. And (will this be believed?) ‘the only -thing wanting to it,’ said he, in an insinuating tone, ‘is -the substitution of the ancient white colour for those -which have done us so much injury in all countries.’ -The idiot! That was the only blot which he could find -in our escutcheon. I laughed out of sheer pity, although -I felt some difficulty in restraining my feelings; but for -his part, his sincerity was unquestionable; he was fully -persuaded that he spoke as I thought; and still more -so that the generality thought as he did.<a id='r4' /><a href='#f4' class='c008'><sup>[4]</sup></a> But go on.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>“The appearance of the Duke of Brunswick at Coblentz, -and the arrival of the King of Prussia at the head -of his troops, were subjects of great joy and expectation -to the whole of the emigrants. Heaven opens at length -before us! was our exclamation, and we are about to -return to the land of promise. It was, however, the -opinion of persons of judgment and experience, from the -beginning, that our struggle would have the same result -as all those that resembled it in history, and that we -should be but instruments and pretexts for foreigners, -who only pursued their private interest, and entertained -no feeling for us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“M. de Cazalès, whom a short time much improved, -expressed himself to that effect with much energy. We -beheld, with delight, the Prussians, as they filed off -through the streets of Coblentz, on their march to our -frontiers. ‘Foolish boys,’ he exclaimed, ‘you admire, -with enthusiasm, those troops and all their train. You -rejoice at their march; you ought rather to shudder at -it. For my own part, I should wish to see these soldiers, -to the last man of them, plunged in the Rhine. Wo be -to them who incite foreigners to invade their country! -O my friends, the French nobility will not survive this -atrocity! They will have the affliction of expiring far -from the places of their birth. I am more guilty than -any other, for I see it, and yet I act like all the rest; -but my only excuse is that I cannot prevent the catastrophe. -I repeat, wo to them who call in foreigners -against their country, and trust in them.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“How oracular these last words! Facts would have -speedily convinced us of their truth, had we been less -<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>infatuated, or had the multitude been capable of reasoning -and acting with propriety; but we were destined to -enrich history with one of those lessons that are most -entitled to the meditation of mankind. We might be -estimated at 20 or 25,000 men under arms; and certainly, -such a force, filled with ardour and devotion, -fighting for its own interests, maintaining an understanding -with the sympathetic elements of the interior, -acting against a nation, shaken to its foundation and -convulsed by the agitation of new rights, not yet established -and but imperfectly understood, might be capable -of striking decisive blows. But it was not upon our -strength, our success, our activity, that the foreigners -relied for the attainment of their views. Accordingly, -under the pretence of employing that influence and of -directing its operation, as they said, against several -points at once, they annihilated us by parcelling out our -numbers, and by making, as it were, prisoners of us in -the middle of their different corps. In this way, 6000 -of us, under the Prince of Condé, were marched against -Alsace; 4000, under the Duke of Bourbon were to act -in Flanders, and from 12 to 15,000 continued in the -centre, under command of the King’s two brothers, to -co-operate in the invasion of Champagne.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It had been the plan and wish of our Princes, that -Monsieur, as heir to the crown and the natural representative -of Louis XVI., should, on account of his -captivity, proclaim himself Regent of the kingdom, the -moment he set foot on the French territory; that he -should march with his emigrants at the head of the -expedition, and that the allies, in his rear, should be -considered only as auxiliaries. But the allies treated -the plan with derision, and confined us to a station at -their tail, under the orders and at the will and pleasure -of the Generalissimo, Brunswick, who caused us to be -preceded by the most absurd of manifestoes; from the -ridicule and odium of which, however, he at least saved -us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is but just, however, to acknowledge that this -treatment had not escaped the foresight of some experienced -and better advised heads among us. They had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>accordingly suggested, it was said, in the Council of the -Princes, that we should throw ourselves, before the -arrival of the allies, on some point of France, and maintain -a civil war there by ourselves. Others more -desperate, or more ardent, were of opinion that we -should nobly seize upon the states of the Elector of -Treves, our benefactor; occupy the town and fortress of -Coblentz, and establish there a central rallying point, or -point of support, independent of the Germanic body; -and when we exclaimed against such perfidy and ingratitude, -their answer was:—‘Desperate evils called for -desperate remedies.’ It is impossible to say what -might have been the result of such resolutions, which -were, however, more consistent with the bold spirit of -enterprize, that characterizes the present times, than -with the state of manners as they then existed. They -were, therefore, unattended to, and besides, the opportunity -had slipped by; we were too closely involved in -the midst of foreigners; we were already in their power, -and our destiny was to be fulfilled!...</p> - -<p class='c000'>“As for us who formed the multitude, we were far -from foreseeing the calamities that were to attend us. -We began our march in high spirits. There was not one -of us who did not expect to be, in a fortnight from that -moment, at home, triumphant in the midst of his submissive, -humiliated, and increased vassals. Our confidence -would not have endured a single observation or -doubt upon that head. Of this I am about to give an -instance, which though personal and very trifling in -itself, will not be the less characteristic with respect to -us all. We were marching through the city of Treves; -one of my granduncles had, during the war of the succession, -been Governor for Louis XIV. while <a id='corr77.33'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='were tained'>we retained</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_77.33'><ins class='correction' title='were tained'>we retained</ins></a></span> -possession of it. I went to see his tomb, which is in a -chapel, belonging to the Carthusians of that town. The -ardour of my youth and the emotion of the moment -determined me to erect a small monument to his memory, -with a superb inscription, suitable to the circumstances. -I entertained no doubt of executing my wish. -The good friars were of a different way of thinking; the -prior wished me to arrange the matter with the Abbé, a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>kind of bishop, and of German bishop. His reserve -and coldness, in spite of his numerous coats of arms, -prepossessed me very much against him, when I communicated -my chivalrous project; but when, after some -circumlocution, he declared that under the present circumstances -... prudence,—discretion,—if the French -were to enter the place—At these last words, my -indignation was extreme; it was such that I did not -wait to utter a single word in reply. I instantly hurried -away, with a mingled laugh of contempt and anger, -convinced that I had left the most horrible Jacobin in -existence behind me; and nothing but my natural -generosity and respect for my own character could have -prevented me calling in my comrades, who would have -certainly pulled down the chapel. But alas! the abbot -saw farther than I did! Three weeks had not elapsed -before the republicans were in Treves, the poor abbé put -to flight, and the ashes of my good uncle profaned by -the infidels.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But no sooner were we in full operation, no sooner -had we set foot on French ground, than it became no -difficult matter, except in cases of downright stupidity -and blindness, to comprehend that it actually might be -just possible that we had been the dupes of our own -folly. We found ourselves in the midst of the Prussians, -who fettered all our movements; we could not take a -step in advance, to the right or to the left, without their -permission, and they never granted it. Our subsistence, -all our resources, depended solely upon their will; we -had the shame of appearing as slaves on the soil where -we aspired to reign.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“As for our countrymen, instead of receiving us as -their deliverers, as we had been convinced they would, -they only gave us proofs of dislike and aversion. With -the exception of a few country gentlemen or others who -joined us, the whole mass of the population fled at our -approach; we were treated as enemies, with the look of -reproach and the stern silence of reprobation. They -seemed to say to us: ‘Do you not shudder then at thus -staining your country’s soil? Are you not Frenchmen -by birth? Do your hearts then make no appeal to you -<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>in favour of your native land? You say you are wronged; -but what wrong, what injury ever gave to a son -the right or the wish to tear open the bosom of his -mother?... We are told that in ancient times a fiery -patrician, Coriolanus, was infamous enough to fight -against his country, but he had at least the merit of -uniting elevated sentiments with his furious passion; he -came forward with a victorious arm; he imposed his -own conditions; <em>he</em> was not dragged along at the tail of -barbarous foreigners; he commanded them, and he also -suffered himself to be moved to compassion. Can you -be unsusceptible of that tenderness, and do you not -tremble at our maledictions, which will be perpetuated -on you by our children? At any rate, whatever may be -your success, it will not equal your mortifications! You -pretend to come for the purpose of governing, and you -will have brought your masters with you.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At Verdun and at Estain, we were quartered in the -town. Some of my comrades and myself were lodged -in a handsome house, but all the furniture and all the -proprietors had disappeared, with the exception of two -very pretty young ladies, who put us in possession of it. -This last circumstance seemed a favourable omen, we -took the opportunity of remarking it to them, and were -desirous of ingratiating ourselves by our politeness and -attentions. ‘Gentlemen,’ said one of the two amazons in -rather a sharp tone, ‘we have remained, because we -have felt that we had the courage to tell you, face to -face, that our lovers are in arms against you, and that -they have our prayers at least as much as our hearts.’ -This was intelligible language; we wished for no -more of it, and even shifted our quarters to another -house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Be it as it may, we were at length in France, and -in the rear of that Prussian army, which pushed forward -its brilliant successes, leaving us three or four marches -behind. And, whether their object was to turn us into -ridicule, because we had assured them that all the towns -would throw open their gates on our appearance, or to -rid themselves of our importunities, they charged us -with the siege of Thionville. We made our approaches, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>and, by a fantastical singularity, the marine corps found -itself precisely opposed to the national volunteers of -Brest. When they recognised each other, it is impossible -to describe the volley of invectives and insults that -was instantly exchanged.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Thionville is, however, as it is known, one of the -strongest places, and we found the reduction of it impossible -with our limited means, for we were in want of -every thing; and it absolutely required an important -negociation to obtain two 24-pounders from the Austrians -at Luxembourg. After a great deal of solicitation -and hesitation, the two pieces were at length brought in -triumph, and it was with this formidable train, that we -summoned the place, and fired at night, in pure waste of -powder, some hundreds of cannon shot. On my return -from emigration, having fallen by chance into company -with General de Wimphen, who commanded the fortress, -he asked me, ‘what could have been our intention, or -the meaning of the jest we had thus attempted to play -off?’ ‘It was done, I believe,’ said I, ‘because reliance -was placed upon you.’ ‘But even had that been the -case,’ said he, ‘you still ought to have furnished me -with an excuse for surrendering; you could not expect -that I should solicit you to attack me.’ Every thing -was on a proportionate scale: the slightest sally spread -confusion through all our forces; the most trifling circumstance -was an event with us; the cause was obvious; -we were unacquainted with every thing, and accordingly, -setting courage aside, I do not scruple to believe that a -hundred picked men of the Imperial guard would have -routed the whole of our army. Happily, our adversaries -were as ignorant as ourselves, all were pigmies then, -although in a very short time giants were found every -where.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Meanwhile we were extremely discontented with all -this, under our tents, and on our wretched straw; but <em>à -la Française</em>, we found relief in our gaiety; our ill humour -evaporated in puns and jests. All our principal -officers had nicknames, there was not one, even to our -Commander in Chief, the venerable Marshal de Broglie, -who escaped us, and this puts me in mind of a circumstance, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>which gave rise to a nickname for one of his -lieutenants, which he never got rid of. Should any of -my comrades in the field ever read this, it may even now -excite a laugh.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“At the moment of a sally, which, as usual, made us -very uneasy, every one pressed forward. We had two -small pieces of cannon, which we had bought, and which, -for want of horses, were drawn by the officers of artillery -themselves.” “Well!” observed the Emperor, “I might -myself have been attached to these very pieces, and yet -what different combinations in our destinies and in those -of the world! For it is incontestable that I have given -an impulse and direction to it, emanating solely from -myself. But go on.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Sire, our two small pieces were rolling along the -highway, when the general officer of the day arrived at -full gallop, and stopped with indignation at the sight -of our little cannon, as they were drawn towards the fortress, -breech foremost.—<a id='corr81.19'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='How’'>‘How’</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_81.19'><ins class='correction' title='How’'>‘How’</ins></a></span>, exclaimed he, ‘are these -really gentlemen, who draw their cannon in this manner -against the enemy? And, if he were actually to present -himself, how could you contrive to fire upon him?’ He -persisted in his blunder, refusing to comprehend what the -officers of artillery strove by every possible means to explain; -that such was the mode of proceeding every where, -and that, unless he had some new invention to communicate, -there was no other mode to be adopted. From -that moment we dubbed him by a nickname, by which -he soon became universally known.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But all this burlesque was soon exchanged for what -was serious in the extreme; the scene shifted, as it were -by magic, and our misfortunes burst upon us in an instant. -Whether from treachery, weakness, political -interest, or sickness in his army, from the real superiority -of force, or the mere dexterity of the French general, -the King of Prussia entered into secret negotiation with -him, suddenly faced about, and, marching to the frontier, -evacuated the French territory. A most dreadful storm -now burst over our heads; words are inadequate to express -the scandalous treatment we experienced, as well -as the just indignation, which could not fail to animate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>every generous heart against our allies, the Prussians. -Our Princes degraded, disavowed, insulted, by them; -our equipages, our most necessary effects, even our linen, -plundered; our persons ill-used: and thus we were -basely driven and thrust beyond the frontiers by our -friends, our allies!!!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For my part, sinking under the fatigue of too long -marches in the mud, and under torrents of rain; bending -under a musquet and a load of accoutrements, which -did harm to no one but to myself, I took advantage of -my privilege as a volunteer, to leave the ranks, and effect -my retreat as well as I could. I proceeded as occasion -served; I never sought the common halting place; I -took refuge in the nearest farm-yard, and whether it was -my own peculiar good fortune, or because the peasants -were in reality kind and not exasperated against us, I -passed the frontier without any unlucky accident. It -was not until some time afterwards that I was enabled -to form a correct estimate of the whole extent of the -danger to which I had exposed myself, when I read, in -the papers, that from fifteen to eighteen of us, stragglers -like myself, and some of whom stood near me in the -ranks, had been seized, dragged to Paris, and executed -in public, in a kind of auto-da-fé, and, as it were, by -way of expiation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“As soon as we were out of France, we received -notice to disband, but the intimation was superfluous, -for that measure was rendered absolutely indispensable -by our wants, and the privation of every necessary. -We dispersed, each taking his own way at random, -with despair and rage for our companions. We travelled -as fugitives, the greater part of the time on foot, and -some almost naked, over the scenes of our past splendour -and luxury; happy when the doors were not shut -in our faces, when we did not receive a brutal repulse! -In a moment, we were officially driven from every quarter; -we were prohibited from residing in, or from entering, -all the neighbouring states; we were compelled to -take refuge in distant countries, and to exhibit, throughout -Europe, the spectacle of our miseries, which ought -to have been a grand moral and political lesson to the -people, to the great, and to Kings.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>“The exploits of the French exacted, however, from -foreigners, a cruel expiation of the indignities with which -they overwhelmed us; whilst, on our part, we experienced -a kind of consolation in seeing the honour of the -emigration take refuge in the army of Condé, which -displayed itself to public view, and inscribed itself in -history, as a model of loyalty, valour, and constancy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Such, Sire, is that too celebrated era, that fatal determination, -which, with respect to a great number, can -be considered only as the delusion of youth and inexperience. -None, however, but themselves, possess the -right of reproaching them with the error. The sentiments -by which they were actuated were so pure, so -natural, so generous, that they might even, were it necessary, -derive honour from them; and these dispositions, -I must say, belonged to the mass of which we consisted, -and more particularly to that crowd of country gentlemen, -who, sacrificing all and expecting nothing, without -fortune as well as without hope, displayed a devotion -truly heroic, because its only aim was the performance of -duties which they held to be sacred. In other respects, -our defect lay in our political education, which did not -teach us to distinguish our duties, and made us dedicate -to the Prince alone what belonged to the country at -large. Accordingly, in future times, when hostile passions -shall be extinct, when no traces shall be left of -jarring interests or of party infatuation and fury, what -was doubtful with us will be positive and clear to others; -what was excusable or even allowable in us, who were -situated between an ancient order of things that was on -the point of terminating, and a new one that was about -to commence, will be considered highly culpable in those -possessing established doctrines. Among them, the following -will be held as articles of faith:—1st. That the -greatest of all crimes is the introduction of a foreign -power into the heart of one’s country. 2ndly. That the -sovereignty cannot be erratic, but that it is inseparable -from the territory, and remains attached to the mass of -the citizens. 3rdly. That the country cannot be transported -abroad; but that it is immutable and entire on -the sacred soil which has given us birth, and which contains -<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>the bones of our ancestors. Such are the grand -maxims, and many others besides, which will remain the -offspring of our emigration; such the great truths, which -will be collected from our calamities!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Very well!” exclaimed the Emperor, “very well! -This is what is called being free from prejudices! These -are really philosophical views! And it will be said of -you, that you were enabled to convert to your advantage -the lessons of time and adversity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Sire, during our stay on board the Northumberland, -and the leisure hours of our passage, the English alluded -more than once to this delicate topic. Misled by the -war, which they had carried on with fury against us, as -well as by the maxims with which the interest of the -moment filled their journals, even in opposition to their -national doctrines, they conversed about the merits of -the emigration, and the virtues they had witnessed: and -condemned the nation for having resisted it. But when -the arguments became too complicated, or we were desirous -of putting a sudden stop to them, we gained our -point with a single word. We merely said to them:—‘Go -back to the period of your own Revolution; imagine -James II. threatening you from the opposite shore and -under French banners: although surrounded by faithful -subjects, what would you have done? And if Louis XIV. -had brought him back to London at the head of 50,000 -French, who should have afterwards maintained garrisons -in your country, what would have been your feelings?’—‘Ah!... -But ... Ah!...’ they exclaimed, -endeavouring to find out some difference, but not being -able to discover it, they laughed, and were silent.” “And -in fact,” said the Emperor, “there was not a word to be -said in reply.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He then began to review, with his accustomed rapidity -and talent, the different subjects I had noticed, and stopped -to reflect on the absurdity, the inconsistency, the -great mistake of our emigration, and the real injuries -that it had done to France, to the King, and to ourselves. -“You have established, and consecrated in political -France,” he observed, “a separation similar to that which -the Catholics and Protestants introduced into religious -<span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span>Europe; and to what calamities has it not given rise! I -had succeeded in destroying its results, but are they not -on the point of being revived?” He next developed the -means which he had employed to annihilate that plague, -the precautions he had been forced to adopt, and the -effects which he had in view. How every thing that fell -from his tongue was changed in appearance!—how every -thing seemed magnified in my eyes in proportion as he -discussed the subject! “And,” he remarked, “a peculiar -singularity in my situation was that in the whole of -those transactions I held the helm myself constantly in -the midst of rocks. Every one, judging according to his -own standard, attributed to passion, to simple prejudice, -or to littleness, what in me, however, was but the consequence -of profound views, of grand conceptions, and -the most elevated state maxims. It might have been -said that I reigned only over pigmies with respect to -intellectual talent. I was comprehended by none. The -national party felt only jealousy and resentment at what -they saw me do in favour of the emigrants, and the latter, -on their part, were persuaded that I sought only to gain -lustre by their assistance. Poor creatures!...</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I obtained, however, my object, in spite of reciprocal -infatuation and prejudice, and I had the satisfaction of -leaving every thing quiet in port, when I launched out to -sea in prosecution of my grand enterprises.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Having mentioned, since my return to Europe, these -expressions of Napoleon’s to a great Officer of the Crown, -who had often the honour of conversing with him in -private (Le Comte de S——), he related to me, in his -turn, a conversation precisely on the same subject. Its -coincidence with what has been just read is so very -striking as to induce me to insert it here. The Emperor -said to him one day: “What, think you, is my reason -for endeavouring to have about me the great names of -the ancient monarchy?”—“Perhaps, Sire, for the splendour -of your throne, and for the purpose of keeping up -certain appearances in the eyes of Europe.”—“Ah! -That is just like you, with your pride and your prejudices -of rank! Well then, learn, that my victories and -my power are much better recommendations for me in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>Europe than all your great names, and that my apparent -predilection for them does me a great deal of injury, and -renders me very unpopular at home. You attribute to -narrow views what arise from most extensive ones. I -am engaged in renovating a society, a nation, and the -elements that I am obliged to employ are hostile to each -other. The nobility and the emigrants are but a point in -the mass, and that mass is inimical to them, and continues -very much exasperated against them; it hardly forgives -me for having recalled them. For my own part, I -considered it as a duty: but if I suffer them to continue -as a body, they may one day be serviceable to foreign -powers, prove injurious to us, and subject themselves to -great dangers. My object, then, is to dissolve their -union, and to render them independent of each other. -If I place some of them about my person, in the different -branches of administration, and in the army, it is for the -purpose of consolidating them with the mass, and of -managing so as to reduce all classes into a whole; for I -am mortal, and if I should happen to leave you before -that fusion is accomplished, you would soon see what -disasters would arise from these heterogeneous parts, and -the dreadful dangers of which certain persons might -become the victims! Thus, then, Sir, my views are all -connected with humanity and elevated political considerations, -and, in no respect, with vain and silly prejudices.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>When I observed to the person who related this anecdote, -how little we were acquainted at the Tuileries with -Napoleon’s real character, and the great and excellent -qualities of his soul and heart, he answered that, for his -own part, he had been personally more fortunate, and -that he would give me a proof of it, which he selected -out of ten: “The Emperor shewed himself, one day, in -his Privy Council, very much incensed against General -La F——, whom he attacked with great severity, and -whose opinions and principles, he said, were capable of -effecting the complete dissolution of a state: becoming -animated by degrees, he at length put himself into a -real passion. I was present as a member of the Council; -I had been recently admitted, and was little accustomed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>to the Emperor’s manners, and, although stopped by the -two members placed next to me, I undertook to speak in -defence of the accused, asserting that he had been calumniated -to the Sovereign, and that he lived quietly on -his estate, with personal opinions which were productive -of no ill effect whatever. The Emperor, still in a passion, -resumed the charge for the purpose of pressing it with -vehemence; but after five or six words, he stopped short, -and addressing himself to me, said: ‘But he is your -friend, Sir, and you are right. I had forgotten that.—Let -us speak of something else.’ ‘And why,’ I asked, -‘did you not make us acquainted with all this at the -time?’—By a fatality which would seem to belong to -Napoleon’s atmosphere, whether from prejudice or otherwise, -the impression on our minds was that it could only -be told to his intimate friends; for whoever had said -much about it would only have passed for a clumsy -romancer of a courtier, who told not what he believed to -be true, but what he conceived best suited to obtain -favour and rewards.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Since I have mentioned this great Officer of the Crown, -who is no less distinguished by the graces of his mind -and the amenity of his manners than by his exalted character, -I shall notice one of his answers to Napoleon, remarkable -for its ingenious and delicate flattery. The -Emperor, at one of his levees, having been obliged to -wait some time for his appearance, attacked him on his -arrival, openly, in the presence of all. It happened to -be precisely at the time when five or six Kings (and -among others, those of Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurtemberg), -were at Paris. “Sire,” replied the culprit, “I -have, no doubt, a million of excuses to make to your -Majesty, but at this time, one is not at perfect liberty to -go through the streets as one pleases. I just now had -the misfortune to get into a <em>crowd of kings</em>, from which -I found it impossible to extricate myself sooner. This, -Sire, was the cause of my delay.” Every one smiled, -and the Emperor contented himself with saying, in a -softened tone of voice: “Whatever, Sir, may be the -cause, take proper precautions for the future, and above -all, never make me wait again.”</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span> - <h3 class='c006'>NAPOLEON’S SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY.—PUBLIC SPIRIT<br /> OF THE TIME.—EVENTS OF THE 10TH OF AUGUST.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>3rd.—The weather is somewhat improved; the Emperor -attempted to take a walk in the garden. General -Bingham and the Colonel of the 53d requested to see the -Emperor, who kept them rather long. The appearance -of the Governor put us all to flight. General Bingham -disappeared, and, for our part, we went to the wood, for -the purpose of keeping away from the spot.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, during his walk, conversed a great deal -about a journey which he took to Burgundy in the beginning -of the Revolution. This he calls his <cite>Sentimental -Journey</cite> to Nuitz. He supped there with his comrade -Gassendi, at that time captain in the same regiment, and -who was advantageously married to the daughter of a -physician of the place. The young traveller soon remarked -the difference of political opinion between the -father and son-in-law; Gassendi, the gentleman, was, -of course, an aristocrat, and the physician a flaming -patriot. The latter found in the strange guest a powerful -auxiliary, and was so delighted with him that the -following day at dawn he paid him a visit of acknowledgment -and sympathy. The appearance of a young -officer of artillery, with good logical reasoning and a -ready tongue, was, observed the Emperor, a valuable -and rare accession to the place. It was easy for the -traveller to perceive that he made a favourable impression. -It was Sunday, and hats were taken off to him -from one end of the street to the other. His triumph, -however, was not without a check. He went to sup at -the house of a Madame Maret or Muret, where another of -his comrades, V——, seemed to be comfortably -established. Here the aristocracy of the canton were -accustomed to meet, although the mistress was but the -wife of a wine-merchant, but she had great property and -the most polished manners; she was, said the Emperor, -the duchess of the place. All the gentlefolks of the -vicinity were to be found there. The young officer was -caught, as he remarked, in a real wasp-nest, and it was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>necessary for him to fight his way out again. The contest -was unequal. In the very heat of the action, the -mayor was announced. “I believed him to be an assistant -sent to me by Heaven in the critical moment, but -he was the worst of all my opponents. I see this villanous -fellow now before me in his fine Sunday clothes, -fat and bloated, in an ample scarlet coat; he was a miserable -animal. I was happily extricated by the generosity -of the mistress of the house, perhaps from a secret -sympathy of opinion. She unceasingly parried with her -wit the blows which were dealt at me; and was a protecting -shield on which the enemy’s weapons struck in -vain. She guarded me from every kind of wound, and -I have always retained a pleasing recollection of the -services I received from her in that sort of skirmish.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The same diversity of opinions,” said the Emperor, -“was then to be met with in every part of France. In -the saloons, in the streets, on the highways, in the -taverns, every one was ready to take part in the contest, -and nothing was easier than for a person to form an -erroneous estimate of the influence of parties and opinions, -according to the local situation in which he was placed. -Thus a patriot might easily be deceived, when in the -saloons, or among an assembly of officers, where the -majority was decidedly against him; but, the instant he -was in the street, or among the soldiers, he found himself -in the midst of the entire nation. The sentiments -of the day succeeded even in making proselytes among -the officers themselves, particularly after the celebrated -oath to the Nation, the Law, and the King. Until that -time,” continued the Emperor, “had I received an order -to point my cannon against the people, I have no doubt, -that custom, prejudice, education, and the name of the -King, would have induced me to obey; but, the national -oath once taken, this would have ceased, and I should -have acknowledged the nation only. My natural propensities -thenceforth harmonized with my duties, and -happily accorded with all the metaphysics of the Assembly. -The patriotic officers, however, it must be -allowed, constituted but the smaller number; but with -the soldiers, as a lever, they led the regiment and imposed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>the law. The comrades of the opposite party, and -the officers themselves, had recourse to us in every critical -moment. I remember, for instance, having rescued -from the fury of the populace a brother officer, whose -crime consisted in singing from the windows of our -dining-room the celebrated ballad <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>O Richard! O mon -Roi!</em></span> I had little notion then that that air would one -day be proscribed in the same manner on my account. -Just so, on the 10th of August, when I saw the palace -of the Tuileries stormed and the person of the King -seized, I was certainly very far from thinking that I -should replace him, and that that palace would be my -place of residence.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In dwelling upon the events of the 10th of August, he -said: “I was, during that horrible epoch, at Paris, in -lodgings in the Rue du Mail, Place des Victoires. On -hearing the sound of the tocsin, and the news of the -assault upon the Tuileries, I ran to the Carousel, to the -house of Fauvelet, the brother of Bourrienne, who kept -an upholsterer’s shop. He had been my comrade at the -military school of Brienne. It was from that house, -which, by the by, I was never afterwards able to find, in -consequence of the great alterations made there, that I -had a good view of all the circumstances of the attack. -Before I reached the Carousel, I had been met by a -group of hideous-looking men, carrying a head at the -end of a pike. Seeing me decently dressed, with the -look of a gentleman, they called upon me to shout <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Vive -la Nation!</em></span> which, as it may be easily believed, I did -without hesitation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The palace was attacked by the vilest rabble. The -King had unquestionably for his defence as many troops -as the Convention afterwards had on the 13th <a id='corr90.33'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Vendemiaire'>Vendémiaire</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_90.33'><ins class='correction' title='Vendemiaire'>Vendémiaire</ins></a></span>, -and the enemies of the latter were much better -disciplined and more formidable. The greater part of the -national guard shewed themselves favourable to the -King; this justice is due to them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here the Grand Marshal observed “that he actually -belonged to one of the battalions which manifested the -most determined devotion. He was several times on the -point of being massacred as he returned alone to his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>residence.” We remarked, on our part, that in general -the national guard of Paris had constantly displayed the -virtues of its class; the love of order, attachment to -authority, the dread of plunder, and the detestation of -anarchy; and that also was the Emperor’s opinion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The palace being forced, and the King having repaired -to the Assembly,” continued he, “I ventured to -penetrate into the garden. Never since has any of my -fields of battle given me the idea of so many dead bodies, -as I was impressed with by the heaps of the Swiss; -whether the smallness of the place seemed to increase -the number, or because it was the result of the first impression -I ever received of that kind. I saw well dressed -women commit the grossest indecencies on the dead -bodies of the Swiss. I went through all the coffee-houses -in the neighbourhood of the Assembly; the -irritation was every where extreme; fury was in every -heart and shewed itself in every countenance, although -the persons thus enflamed were far from belonging to -the class of the populace; and all these places must necessarily -have been frequented daily by the same visitors: -for, although I had nothing particular in my dress, or -perhaps it was because my countenance was more calm, -it was easy for me to perceive that I excited many hostile -and distrustful looks, as some one who was unknown -or suspected.”</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>MASKED BALLS.—MADAME DE MÉGRIGNY.—PIEDMONT AND THE PIEDMONTESE.—CANALS OF FRANCE.—PLANS RESPECTING PARIS.—VERSAILLES.—FONTAINEBLEAU, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>4th.—The weather was much improved. The Emperor -ordered his calash, and walked a good way until it -took him up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conversation turned upon masked balls, which -the Emperor was peculiarly fond of and frequently -ordered. He was then always sure of a certain meeting -which never failed to take place. He was, he said, regularly -accosted every year by the same mask, who -reminded him of old intimacies, and ardently entreated -to be received and admitted at Court. The mask was a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>most amiable, kind, and beautiful woman, to whom -many persons were certainly much indebted. The Emperor, -who continued to love her, always answered;—“I -do not deny that you are charming, but reflect a little -upon your situation; be your own judge and decide. -You have two or three husbands, and children by several -of your lovers. It would have been thought a happiness -to have shared in the first fault; the second would have -caused pain, but still it might be pardoned; but the -sequel—and then, and then!... Fancy yourself the -Emperor and judge; what would you do in my place, I -who am bound to revive and maintain a certain decorum.” -The beautiful suitor either did not reply, or said:—“At -least do not deprive me of hope;” and deferred her -claims of happiness to the following year. And each of -us,” said the Emperor, “was punctual at the new -meeting.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor took great pleasure in getting himself -insulted at these balls. He laughed heartily at the house -of Cambacérès one day, on being told by a Madame de -St. D——, “that there were people at the ball who -ought to be turned out, and that they certainly could not -have got admittance without stolen tickets.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Another time, he forced the tender and timid Madame -de Mégrigny to rise and retire in anger, and with tears -in her eyes, complaining that the freedom, allowed at a -masked ball, had, in her case, been sadly abused. The -Emperor had just put her in mind of a very remarkable -favour, which he had formerly granted to her, and added -that every one supposed she had paid for it by granting -him the lord’s right. “But there was,” said the Emperor, -“nobody but myself who could say so, without -insulting her; because, although such was the report, I -was certain of its falsehood.” The following is an -account of the circumstance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the Emperor was on his way to be crowned at -Milan, he slept at Troyes. The authorities were presented -to him; and with them was a young lady, on the -point of being married, with a petition, intreating his -protection and assistance. As the Emperor was, besides, -desirous of doing something which might produce a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>good effect, and prove agreeable to the country, the circumstance -appeared favourable, and he took advantage of -it with all imaginable grace. The young lady (Madame -de Mégrigny) belonged to the first families of this province, -but had been completely ruined by the emigration. -She had scarcely returned to the miserable abode of her -parents, when a page arrived with the Emperor’s decree, -which put them in possession of an income of 30,000 -francs or more. The effect of such a proceeding may be -well imagined. However, as the young lady was very -charming and perfectly handsome, it was decided that -her fascinations had some share in his gallantry, although -he left the town a few hours afterwards, and never -thought more of the thing; but the general opinion was -not a jot altered on that account. It is well known how -stories are formed; and as she married one of his equerries, -and had consequently come to Court, all this had -been so well mingled together that, when she was afterwards -appointed sub-governess to the King of Rome, the -choice shocked, for a moment, the austere Madame de -Montesquiou, who suspected, said the Emperor, that it -was but a mere arrangement.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor said that he renewed at Turin, in the -person of Madame de Lascaris, the gracious gallantry -exercised at Troyes; and that, in both instances, he had -reason to be gratified with the results of his liberality. -The two families gave proofs of attachment and gratitude.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We enquired what might have been the sentiments of -Piedmont with regard to himself. He had, he said, a -particular affection for that province. M. de Saint-Marsan, -on whose fidelity he relied to the end, had -assured him, at the period of our reverses, that the -country would shew itself one of his best provinces.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In fact,” continued the Emperor, “the Piedmontese -do not like to be a small state; their King was a real -feudal lord, whom it was necessary to court, or to dread: -He had more power and authority than I, who, as Emperor -of the French, was but a supreme magistrate, -bound to see the laws executed, and unable to dispense -with them. Had I it in my power to prevent the arrest -<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>of a courtier for debt? Could I have put a stop to the -regular action of the laws, no matter upon whom they -operated?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>During the conversation at dinner, the Emperor inquired -whether the quantity of river water flowing into the -Mediterranean and the Black Sea had been calculated. -This led him to express a wish that a calculation of the -fluvial water of Europe should be made, and that the -proportion contributed by each valley and each stream, -should be ascertained. He regretted much that he had -not proposed this series of scientific questions. This -was, he observed, his grand system. Did any useful, -curious or interesting idea suggest itself to him: “I -proposed, at my levees, or in my familiar communications, -analogous questions to my Members of the Institute, -with orders to resolve them. The solution became the -subject of public inquiry; it was analyzed, contested, -adopted or rejected; and there is nothing which cannot -be accomplished in this way. It is the grand lever of -improvement for a great nation, possessing a great deal -of intelligence, and a great deal of knowledge.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor also observed on this subject, that -geography had never been so successfully cultivated as -at present, and that his expeditions had contributed -somewhat to its improvement. He afterwards noticed -the canals, which he had caused to be made in France, -and particularly mentioned that from Strasburg to Lyons, -in which, he hoped sufficient progress had been made to -induce others to complete it. He thought that, out of -thirty millions, twenty-four must have been already -expended.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Communications are now established in the interior -from Bordeaux to Lyons and Paris. I had constructed a -great number of canals, and projected a great many -more.” One of us having observed that a proposal for -the construction of a very useful canal had been submitted -to the Emperor, but that measures had been taken -to deceive him, for the purpose of preventing his acceptance -of the offer: “Without doubt,” said the Emperor, -“the plan must have appeared advantageous only on -paper; but I suppose it would have been necessary to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>advance money, which was drawn from me with difficulty.”—No, -Sire, the refusal was but the effect of an -intrigue. Your Majesty was deceived.”—“It was impossible, -with respect to such a subject. You speak -without sufficient information.”—“But I am confident -of it. I was acquainted with the plan, the offers and the -subscribers; my relations had put down their names for -considerable sums. The object was the union of the -Meuse with the Marne. The length of the canal would -have been less than seven leagues.”—“But you do not -tell us all; it was, perhaps, required that I should grant -immense national forests in the environs, which I should -not have agreed to.”—“No, Sire, the whole was an -intrigue of your Board of Bridges and Roads.”—“But -even then, it was necessary for them to allege some reasons, -some appearance of public interest. What reasons -did they assign?”—“Sire, that the profits would have -been too considerable.”—“But in that case the plan -ought to have been submitted to me in person, and I -would have carried it into execution. I repeat, that you -are not justified by the facts; you are speaking now to a -man upon the very subject which constantly engaged his -attention. The Board of Bridges and Roads were, on -their part, never better pleased than when they were -employed. There never was an individual who proposed -the construction of a bridge that was not taken at his -word. If he asked for a toll for twenty-five years, I was -disposed to grant him one for thirty. If it cost me -nothing, it was a matter of indifference whether it would -prove useful. It was still a capital with which I enriched -the soil. Instead of rejecting proposals for canals, -I eagerly courted them. But, my dear Sir, there are no -two things that resemble each other so little as the conversation -of a saloon, and the consideration of an Administrative -Council. The projector is always right in a -saloon; his projects would be magnificent and infallible, -if he were listened to, and if he can, by some little -contrivance, but connect the refusal under which <a id='corr95.38'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='be'>he</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_95.38'><ins class='correction' title='be'>he</ins></a></span> -suffers with some bottles of wine, with some intrigue -carried on by a wife or a mistress, the romance is complete, -and that is what you probably heard. But an -<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>Administrative Council is not to be managed so, because -it comes to no decision but on facts and accurate measurement. -What is the canal you mentioned? I cannot -be unacquainted with it.”—“Sire, from the Meuse to the -Marne, a distance of seven leagues only.”—“Very well! -my dear Sir, it is from the Meuse to the Aisne you mean, -and it would have been less than seven leagues. I shall -soon recollect all about it; there is, however, but one -little difficulty to overcome, and that is that at this very -instant it is doubtful whether the project be practicable. -There, as in other places, Hippocrates says <em>yes</em>, and Galen -says <em>no</em>. Tarbé maintained that it was impossible, and -denied that there was a sufficiency of water at the point -where it was to commence. I repeat, that you are -speaking to him, who, of all others was the most attentive -to these objects, more especially in the environs of -Paris. It was the constant subject of my thoughts to -render Paris the real capital of Europe. I sometimes -wished it, for instance, to become a city with a population -of two, three, or four millions, in short, something fabulous, -colossal, unexampled until our days, and with public -establishments suitable to its population.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some one having then observed that, if Heaven had -allowed the Emperor to reign sixty years, as it had -Louis XIV., he would have left many grand monuments: -“Had Heaven but granted me twenty years, and a little -more leisure,” resumed the Emperor with vivacity, “ancient -Paris would have been sought for in vain; not a -trace of it would have been left, and I should have -changed the face of France. Archimedes promised to -do any thing, provided he had a resting place for his -lever; I should have done as much, wherever I could -have found a point of support for my energy, my perseverance, -and my budgets; a world might be created with -budgets. I should have displayed the difference between -a constitutional Emperor and a King of France. The -Kings of France have never possessed any administrative -or municipal institution. They have merely shown -themselves great Lords who were ruined by their men of -business.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The nation itself has nothing in its character and -its tastes but what is transitory and perishable. Every -<span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>thing is done for the gratification of the moment and of -caprice, nothing for duration.... That is our motto, -and it is exemplified by our manners in France. Every -one passes his life in doing and undoing; nothing is ever -left behind. Is it not unbecoming that Paris should not -possess even a French theatre, or an Opera house, in any -respect worthy of its high claims?</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have often set myself against the feasts which the -city of Paris wished to give me. They consisted of dinners, -balls, artificial fire-works, at an expense of four, six, -or eight hundred thousand francs; the preparations for -which obstructed the public for several days, and which -afterwards cost as much for their removal as they had -for their construction. I proved that, with these idle -expenses, they might have erected lasting and magnificent -monuments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“One must have gone through as much as I have, in -order to be acquainted with all the difficulty of doing -good. If the business related to chimneys, partitions, -and furniture for some individuals in the imperial palaces, -the work was quickly accomplished; but if it was necessary -to lengthen the garden of the Tuileries, to render -some quarters wholesome, to cleanse some sewers, and to -perform a task beneficial to the public, in which particular -persons had no direct interest, I found it requisite to -exert all the energy of my character, to write six, ten -letters a day, and to get into a downright passion. It -was in this way that I laid out as much as thirty millions -in sewers, for which no body will ever thank me. I -pulled down a property worth seventeen millions in -houses in front of the Tuileries, for the purpose of forming -the Carousel, and throwing open the Louvre. What -I did is immense; what I had resolved to do and what I -had projected was much more so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A person then remarked that the Emperor’s labours -had not been limited either to Paris or to France, but -that almost every city in Italy exhibited traces of his -creative powers. Wherever one travelled, at the foot as -well as on the top of the Alps, in the sands of Holland, -on the banks of the Rhine, Napoleon, always Napoleon, -was to be seen.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>In consequence of this remark, he observed that he -had determined on draining the Pontine marshes. -“Cæsar,” he said, “was about to undertake it, when he -perished.” Then reverting to France; “The kings, he -said, had too many country-houses and useless objects. -Any impartial historian will be justified in blaming -Louis XIV. for his excessive and idle expenditure at -Versailles, involved as he was in wars, taxes, and calamities. -He exhausted himself for the purpose of forming -after all but a bastard town.” The Emperor then analyzed -the advantages of an administrative city, that is to -say, calculated for the union of the different branches -of administration, and they seemed to him truly problematical.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor did not conceal his opinion that the -capital was not, at times, a fit residence for the sovereign; -but, in another point of view, Versailles was not suitable -to the great, the ministers, and the courtiers. Louis XIV. -therefore committed a blunder, if he undertook to build -Versailles solely for the residence of the kings, when -Saint Germain was, in every respect, ready for the purpose; -Nature seemed to have made it expressly for the -real residence of the kings of France. Napoleon himself -had committed faults in that respect: for it was not -right he said to praise himself for all that had been done -in this way. He ought, for instance, to have given up -Compiegne, and he regretted having celebrated his marriage -there instead of selecting Fontainebleau. “That,” -said he, referring to Fontainebleau, “is the real abode of -kings, the house of ages; it is not, perhaps, strictly -speaking, an architectural palace; but it is, unquestionably, -well calculated and perfectly suitable. It was -certainly the most commodious and the most happily -situated in Europe for a sovereign.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He then took a review of the capitals he had visited, -of the palaces he had seen, and claimed a decided superiority -in our favour. Fontainebleau, he further added, -was also, at the same time, the most suitable political and -military situation. The Emperor reproached himself -with the sums he had expended on Versailles, but yet -it was, he said, necessary to prevent it from falling into -<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>ruin. The demolition of a considerable part of that -palace was a subject of consideration, during the Revolution; -it was proposed to take away the centre, and thus -to separate the two wings. “It would have been of -essential service to me,” he observed; “for nothing is -so expensive or so truly useless as this multitude of palaces: -and if, nevertheless, I undertook that of the King -of Rome, it was because I had views peculiar to myself; -and besides, in reality, I never thought of doing more -than preparing the ground. There I should have -stopped.<a id='r5' /><a href='#f5' class='c008'><sup>[5]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>“My errors, in disbursements of this kind, could not, -after all, be very great. They were, thanks to my budgets, -observed and necessarily corrected every year, and -could never exceed a small part of the expense occasioned -by the original fault.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor assured us that he experienced every -possible difficulty in making his system of budgets intelligible, -and in carrying it into execution. Whenever a -plan to the amount of thirty millions, which suited me, -was proposed; Granted, was my answer, but to be completed -in twenty years, that is to say, at a million and a -half francs a-year. So far, all went on very smoothly; -but what am I to get, I added, for my first year? For if -my expenditure is to be divided into parts, it is, however, -my determination to have the result, the work, as far as -it goes, entire and complete. In this manner, I wished -at first for a recess, an apartment, no matter what, but -something perfect, for my million and a half of francs. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>The architects seemed resolved not to comprehend my -meaning; it narrowed their expansive views and their -grand effects. They would, at once, have willingly -erected a whole façade, which must have remained for a -long time useless, and thus involved me in immense disbursements, -which, if interrupted, would have swallowed -up every thing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was in this manner, which was peculiar to myself, -and in spite of so many political and military obstacles, -that I executed so many undertakings. I had collected -furniture belonging to the Crown, to the amount of forty -millions, and plate worth at least, four millions. How -many palaces have I not repaired? Perhaps, too many; -I return to that subject. Thanks to my mode of acting, -I was enabled to inhabit Fontainebleau within one year -after the repairs were begun, and it cost me no more -than 5 or 600,000 francs. If I have since expended six -millions on it, that was done in six years. It would have -cost me much more in the course of time. My principal -object was to make the expense light and imperceptible, -and to give durability to the work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“During my visits to Fontainebleau,” said the Emperor, -“from 12 to 1500 persons were invited and lodged, -with every convenience; upwards of 3000 might be -entertained at dinner, and this cost the Sovereign very -little, in consequence of the admirable order and regularity -established by Duroc. More than twenty or five-and-twenty -Princes, Dignitaries, or Ministers, were -obliged to keep their households there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I disapproved the building of Versailles; but in my -ideas respecting Paris, and they were occasionally gigantic, -I thought of making it useful and of converting it, -in the course of time, into a kind of fauxbourg, an adjacent -site, a point of view from the grand capital; and, -for the purpose of more effectually appropriating it to -that end, I had conceived a plan, of which I had a description -sketched out.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was my intention to expel from its beautiful groves -those nymphs, the productions of a wretched taste, and -those ornaments <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>à la Turcaret</em></span>, and to replace them by -panoramas, in masonry, of all the capitals, into which we -<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>had entered victorious, and of all the celebrated battles, -which had shed lustre on our arms. It would have been -a collection of so many eternal monuments of our -triumphs and our national glory, placed at the gate of -the capital of Europe, which necessarily could not fail -of being visited by the rest of the world.” Here he -suddenly left off, and began reading Le Distrait, but he -almost instantly laid it aside, whether from the agitation -of his own thoughts, or from a nervous cough, with -which he had, for a short time, been often affected after -dinner. He certainly gets considerably worse, and his -health is altogether declining.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>PLAN OF A HISTORY OF EUROPE.—SELIM III.—FORCES OF A TURKISH SULTAN.—THE MAMELUKES.—ON THE REGENCY.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>5th.—The Emperor did not go out until after five -o’clock. He was in pain, and had taken a bath, where -he remained too long, in consequence of the arrival -of Sir H. Lowe, as he would not leave it until the -Governor was gone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor had been reading, while in the bath, -the Ottoman History, in two volumes. He had conceived -the idea, and regretted that he had been unable to -execute it, of having all the histories of Europe, from -the time of Louis XIV., composed from the documents -belonging to our office for Foreign Affairs, where -the regular official reports of all the ambassadors are -deposited.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My reign,” he observed, “would have been a -perfect epoch for that object. The superiority of -France, its independence, and regeneration, enabled the -then government to publish such matters without inconvenience. -It would have been like publishing ancient -history. Nothing could have been more valuable.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He next adverted to Sultan Selim III., to whom, he -said, he once wrote: “Sultan, come forth from thy -seraglio; place thyself at the head of thy troops, and -renew the glorious days of thy monarchy.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Selim, the Louis XVI. of the Turks,” said the Emperor, -“who was very much attached and very favourable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>to us, contented himself with answering, that the -advice would have been excellent for the first Princes of -his dynasty; but that the manners of those times were -very different; and that such a conduct would, at present, -be unseasonable, and altogether <a id='corr102.5'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='useless.'>useless.”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_102.5'><ins class='correction' title='useless.'>useless.”</ins></a></span></p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor added, however, that nobody knew how -to calculate, with certainty, the energy of the sudden -burst, which might be produced by a Sultan of Constantinople, -who was capable of placing himself at the -head of his people, of infusing new spirit into them, and -of exciting that fanatical multitude to action. At a later -period, he observed, that, for his own part, if he had -been able to unite the Mamelukes with his French, he -should have considered himself the master of the world. -“With that chosen handful, and the rabble,” he added, -with a smile, “recruited on the spot, to be expended in -the hour of need, I know nothing that could have resisted -me. Algiers trembled at it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“‘But should your Sultan,’ said, one day, the Dey -of Algiers to the French Consul, ‘ever take it into his -head to pay us a visit, what safety could we hope for? -For he has defeated the Mamelukes.’ The Mamelukes,” -observed the Emperor, “were, in fact, objects of veneration -and terror throughout the East; they were looked -upon as invincible until our time.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, while waiting for dinner in the midst of -us, opened a book, which lay at his side on the couch; it -was the Regency. He stigmatized it as one of the most -abominable eras of our annals: and was vexed that it -had been described with the levity of the age, and not -with the severity of history. It had been strewed with -the flowers of fashionable life, and set off with the -colouring of the Graces, instead of having been treated -with rigorous justice. The Regency, he observed, had -been, in reality, the reign of the depravity of the heart, -of the libertinism of the mind, and of the most radical -immorality of every species. It was such, he said, that -he believed all the horrors and abominations with which -the manners of the Regent were reproached in the bosom -of his own family; while he did not give credit to the -stories told of Louis XV., who, although plunged in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span>foulest and most frightful debauchery, afforded, however, -no grounds to justify his belief in such shocking and -monstrous indulgencies; and he vindicated him very -satisfactorily from certain imputations, which would have -seriously affected the person of one of his (Napoleon’s) -former aides-de-camp. He considered the epoch of the -Regent to have been the overthrow of every kind of property, -the destruction of public morals. Nothing had -been held sacred either in manners or in principles. The -Regent was personally overwhelmed with infamy. In -the affair of the legitimate Princes, he had exhibited the -most abject baseness, and committed a great abuse of -authority. The King alone could authorize such a decision, -and he, the Regent, had felt pleasure in gratuitously -dishonouring himself in the person of his wife, the -natural daughter of Louis XIV., whom he had found it -his interest, however, to marry, while that King was on -the throne.</p> - -<p class='c000'>6th.—As we wished to try the tent, which was just -finished, the table was laid there, and we invited the -English officers, who had superintended the work, to -breakfast with us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor sent for me to his apartment; he -dressed himself, and, when he went out, I accompanied -him to the bottom of the wood, where we walked for -some time. He entered into the discussion of some -important subjects.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor returned to the calash for the purpose -of ordering it to be in readiness, and we resumed our -walk, until it took us up. On our return, the Emperor -visited the tent, and said a few words, expressive of his -satisfaction to the officer and seamen who were employed -in putting the last hand to it.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>CAMPAIGNS OF ITALY, &C.—EPOCH OF 1815, &C.—GUSTAVUS III.—GUSTAVUS IV.—BERNADOTTE.—PAUL I.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>7th.—After breakfasting in the tent, the Emperor -took a fancy to review some chapters of the Campaigns -in Italy: he sent for my son, whose foot was at length -mending, and whose eyes were much better. He finished -the chapters of Pavia and Leghorn. He afterwards -<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>walked towards the bottom of the wood, having ordered -the carriage to follow. On the way, the Emperor said -that he considered the Campaigns of Italy and Egypt as -completely finished, and in a fit state to be given to the -public, and it would, no doubt, he remarked, be a very -agreeable present to the French and Italians; it was the -record of their glory and their rights. He did not think, -however, that he ought to put his name to it; and he -repeated that the different epochs of his memoirs would -perpetuate those of his faithful companions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the arrival of the calash, the conversation, continuing -on the same subject, he was earnestly pressed to -finish 1815; and its importance, interest, and results, -were warmly canvassed. “Very well!” said he, with a -smile, “I must give myself up to it entirely; it is a -pleasure to be encouraged; but it is also requisite to go -to work with a proper temper. We are surfeited here -with disgust and trickery; we seem to be envied the air -we breathe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He returned to his apartment, and I followed him, -when a conversation peculiarly interesting and remarkable -took place. It related to Gustavus III., to Sweden, -to Russia, to Gustavus IV., to Bernadotte, to Paul I., &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have said that, at Aix-la-Chapelle, Gustavus III. -lived among us as a private individual under the name of -Count de Haga. He constituted the charm of society, -by the vivacity of his wit and the interest he imparted -to his conversation. I had heard from his own mouth -his famous Revolution of 1772, and I was in the happiest -situation to obtain a thorough knowledge of that epoch -of the history of Sweden. I was, at the same time, very -well acquainted with a Baron de Sprengporten, who, -after having displayed great zeal for Gustavus, had the -misfortune to remove to Russia, and to return at the -head of foreigners to fight against his country. The -consequence was that sentence of death had been passed -upon him in Sweden. He was also at Aix-la-Chapelle -at the moment, and had banished himself from it, out -of courtesy, he said, on the arrival of Gustavus. He -had not, however, removed farther off than half a league, -so that all I heard the King say in the evening was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>controverted, modified, or confirmed for me the next -morning at breakfast by the Baron. He had enjoyed a -very considerable share of that Prince’s confidence, and -he communicated the most numerous and minute particulars, -as positive facts, respecting the romance of the -birth of Gustavus IV., who had been represented as -altogether unconnected by blood with Gustavus III., -according to his full knowledge and his own desire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor observed that this same Sprengporten -had been actually sent to him as envoy by Paul, at the -time of his Consulate. With respect to Gustavus IV., -he said that that Prince had, on his appearance in the -world, announced himself as a hero, and had terminated -his career merely as a madman, and that he had distinguished -himself in his early days by some very remarkable -traits. While yet a boy, he had insulted Catharine -by the refusal of her grand-daughter, at the moment -even when that great <a id='corr105.18'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Express'>Empress</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_105.18'><ins class='correction' title='Express'>Empress</ins></a></span> seated on her throne, -and surrounded by her Court, waited only for him to -celebrate the marriage ceremony.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At a later period, he had insulted Alexander, in no -less marked a manner, by refusing, after Paul’s catastrophe, -to suffer one of the new Emperor’s officers to -enter his dominions, and by answering, to the official -complaints addressed to him on this subject, that Alexander -ought not to be displeased that he, Gustavus, -who still mourned the assassination of his father, should -shut the entrance of his States against one of those, -accused by the public voice of having immolated his -(Alexander’s).</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On my accession to the sovereignty,” said the Emperor, -“he declared himself my great antagonist; it -might have been supposed that nothing short of renewing -the exploits of the great Gustavus Adolphus would have -satisfied him. He ran over the whole of Germany, for -the purpose of stirring up enemies against me. At the -time of the catastrophe of the Duke d’Enghien, he swore -to avenge it in person; and at a later period, he insolently -sent back the black eagle to the King of Prussia, -because the latter had accepted my legion of honour.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“His fatal moment at length arrived; a conspiracy, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>of no common kind, tore him from the throne and -banished him from his country. The unanimity evinced -against him is, no doubt, a proof of the blunders which -he had committed. I am ready to admit that he was -inexcusable and even mad, but it is, notwithstanding, -extraordinary and unexampled that, in that crisis, not a -single sword was drawn in his defence, whether from -affection, from gratitude, from virtuous feeling, or even -from stupidity, if you please; and truly, it is a circumstance -which does little honour to the atmosphere of -Kings.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This Prince, tossed about and deceived by the English, -who wished to make him their instrument, and repulsed -by his relatives, seemed determined to renounce the world, -and, as if he had felt his existence disgraced by his contempt -of mankind and his disgust at things, he voluntarily -lost himself altogether in the crowd.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor said that, after the battle of Leipsic, he -had been informed on the part of Gustavus, that he had -no doubt been his enemy a long time; but that, for a -long time, he (Napoleon) was of all others the sovereign -of whom he had the least to complain, and that, for a long -time also, his only sentiments with regard to him were -those of admiration and sympathy; that his actual misfortunes -permitted him to express his feelings without -restraint; that he offered to be his Aide-de-camp, and requested -an asylum in France.<a id='r6' /><a href='#f6' class='c008'><sup>[6]</sup></a> “I was affected,” observed -the Emperor; “but I soon reflected that if I -received him, my dignity would be pledged to make -exertions in his favour. Besides, I no longer ruled the -world, and then common minds would not fail to discover -<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>in the interest I took for him, an impotent hatred against -Bernadotte; finally, Gustavus had been dethroned by the -voice of the people, and it was the voice of the people -by which I had been elevated. In taking up his cause, -I should have been guilty of inconsistency in my own -conduct, and have acted upon discordant principles. In -short, I dreaded lest I should render affairs more complicated -than they were, and silenced my feelings of generosity. -I caused him to be answered that I appreciated -what he offered me, and that I was sensible of it, but -that the political interest of France did not allow me -to indulge in my private feelings, and that it even imposed -upon me the painful task of refusing, for the moment, -the asylum which he asked; that he would, however, -greatly deceive himself, if he supposed me to entertain -any other sentiments than those of extreme good will and -sincere wishes for his happiness, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Some time after the expulsion of Gustavus, while -the succession to the Crown was vacant, the Swedes, desirous -of recommending themselves to me and securing -the protection of France, asked me to give them a King. -My attention was, for an instant, turned to the Viceroy; -but it would have been necessary for him to change his -religion, which I deemed beneath my dignity and that of -all those who belonged to me. Besides, I did not think -the political result sufficiently important to excuse an -action so contrary to our manners. I attached, however, -too much value to the idea of seeing the throne of -Sweden in possession of a Frenchman. It was, in my -situation, a puerile sentiment. The real King, according -to my political system and the true interests of France, -would have been the King of Denmark, because I should -then have governed Sweden by the influence of my simple -contact with the Danish provinces. Bernadotte was -elected, and he was indebted for his elevation to his wife, -the sister-in-law of my brother Joseph, who then reigned -at Madrid.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Bernadotte, affecting great dependence on me, came -to ask my approbation, protesting, with too visible an -anxiety, that he would not accept the Crown, unless it -was agreeable to <a id='corr107.41'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='me,'>me.</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_107.41'><ins class='correction' title='me,'>me.</ins></a></span></p> - -<p class='c000'>“I, the elected Monarch of the people, had to answer -<span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>that I could not set myself against the elections of other -nations. It was what I told Bernadotte, whose whole -attitude betrayed the anxiety excited by the expectation -of my answer. I added that he had only to take advantage -of the good-will of which he had been the object; -that I wished to be considered as having had no weight -in his election, but that it had my approbation and my -best wishes. I felt, however, shall I say it, a secret instinct, -which made the thing disagreeable and painful. -Bernadotte was, in fact, the serpent which I nourished -in my bosom; he had scarcely left us before he attached -himself to the system of our enemies, and we were -obliged to watch and dread him. At a later period, he -was one of the great active causes of our calamities; it -was he who gave to our enemies the key of our political -system and communicated the tactics of our armies; it -was he who pointed out to them the way to the sacred -soil! In vain would he excuse himself by saying that, -in accepting the Crown of Sweden, he was thenceforth -bound to be a Swede only; pitiful excuse, valid only with -those of the populace and the vulgar that are ambitious! -In taking a wife, a man does not renounce his mother, -still less is he bound to transfix her bosom and tear out -her entrails. It is said that he afterwards repented, that -is to say, when it was no longer time, and when the -mischief was done. The fact is that, in finding himself -once more among us, he perceived that opinion exacted -justice of him; he felt himself struck with death. Then -the film fell from his eyes; for it is not known to what -dreams his presumption and his vanity might have incited -him in his <a id='corr108.30'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='blindness.'>blindness.”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_108.30'><ins class='correction' title='blindness.'>blindness.”</ins></a></span></p> - -<p class='c000'><a id='corr108.31'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='“At'>At</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_108.31'><ins class='correction' title='“At'>At</ins></a></span> the end of this and many other things besides, I -presumed to observe to him, as a very fantastical and -extraordinary matter of chance, that Bernadotte, the -soldier, elevated to a Crown, for which Protestantism was -a necessary qualification, was actually born a Protestant, -and that his son, destined, on that account, to reign over -the Scandinavians, presented himself in the midst of -them precisely with the national name of <em>Oscar</em>. “My -dear Las Cases,” replied the Emperor, “it is because -that chance, so often cited, of which the ancients made a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>deity, which astonishes us every day and strikes us every -instant, does not, after all, appear so singular, so capricious, -so extraordinary, but in consequence of our ignorance -of the secret and altogether natural causes, by which -it is produced; and yet this single combination is sufficient -to create the marvellous and give birth to mysteries. -Here, for instance, with respect to the first point, that of -having been born a Protestant, let not the honour of that -circumstance be assigned to chance; blot that out. With -regard to the second, the name of Oscar; I was his -godfather, and, when I gave him the name, I doted upon -Ossian; it presented itself, of course, very naturally. -You now see how simple that is which so greatly -astonished you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the end of this conversation, the Emperor returned -to Paul; he talked of the passionate fits brought upon -him by the perfidy of the English ministry. He had been -promised Malta, the moment it was taken possession of, -and accordingly, he was in great haste to get himself -nominated Grand Master. Malta reduced, the English -ministers denied that they had promised it to him. It is -confidently stated that, on the reading of this shameful -falsehood, Paul felt so indignant that, seizing the dispatch -in full Council, he ran his sword through it, and ordered -it to be sent back in that condition, by way of answer. -“If it be a folly,” said the Emperor, “it must be allowed -that it is the folly of a noble soul; it is the indignation -of virtue, which was incapable, until then, of suspecting -such baseness.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the same time, the English ministers, treating with -us for the exchange of prisoners, refused to include, on -the same scale, the Russian prisoners taken in Holland, -who were in the actual service and fought for the sole -cause of the English. “I had,” said the Emperor, “hit -upon the bent of Paul’s character. I seized time by the -forelock; I collected these Russians; I clothed them and -sent them back to him without any expense. From that -instant, his generous heart was altogether devoted to -me; and, as I had no interest in opposition to Russia, -and should never have spoken or acted but with justice, -there was no doubt that I should be able, for the future, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>to have had the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh at my disposal. -Our enemies were sensible of the danger, and it -has been thought that this good-will of Paul proved fatal -to him. That might have been the case; for there are -Cabinets with whom nothing is sacred.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It has been already mentioned that the Emperor complained -that the Prince of Ponte-Corvo (Bernadotte) -was scarcely in Sweden before he had occasion to distrust -and counteract his schemes. The following letter -is a decisive proof of this assertion, and also contains an -important exposition of the continental system.</p> - -<div class='c010'>“<em>Tuileries, August 8, 1811.</em></div> - -<p class='c000'>“Monsieur, the Prince Royal of Sweden, your private -correspondence has reached me; I have appreciated, as -a proof of the sentiments of friendship you entertain for -me, and as a testimony of the loyalty of your character, -the communications which you make to me. There is -no political reason which prevents me from answering -you.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You appreciate, without doubt, the motives of my -decree of the 21st of November, 1806. It prescribes no -laws to Europe. It merely traces the steps that are to -be followed, to reach the same end; the treaties, which -I have signed, constitute the remainder. The right of -blockade, which England has arrogated to herself, is as -injurious to the commerce of Sweden and as hostile to -the honour of her flag, as it is prejudicial to the commerce -of the French Empire and to the dignity of its -power. I will even assert that the domineering pretensions -of England are still more offensive with regard to -Sweden; for your commerce is more maritime than continental; -the real strength of the kingdom of Sweden -consists as much in the existence of its navy as in the -existence of its army.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The development of the forces of France is altogether -continental. I have been enabled to create, within -my states, an internal trade, which diffuses subsistence -and money, from the extremities to the centre of the -empire, by the impulse given to agricultural and manufacturing -industry, and by the rigorous prohibition of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>foreign productions. This state of things is such that it -is impossible for me to decide whether French commerce -would gain much by peace with England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The maintenance, observance, or adoption of the -decree of Berlin is, therefore, I venture to say, more for -the interest of Sweden and of Europe, than for the -particular interest of France.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Such are the reasons which my ostensible policy -may set up against the ostensible policy of England. -The secret reasons that influence England are the following: -She does not desire peace; she has rejected all the -overtures which I have caused to be made to her; her -commerce and her territory are enlarged by war; she is -apprehensive of restitutions; she will not consolidate the -new system by a treaty; she does not wish that France -should be powerful. I wish for peace, I wish for it in -its perfect state, because peace alone can give solidity to -new interests, and States created by conquest. I think, -that on this point, your Royal Highness ought not to -differ in opinion from me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have a great number of ships; I have no seamen: -I cannot carry on the contest with England for the purpose -of compelling her to make peace; nothing but the -continental system can prove successful. In this respect, -I experience no obstacle on the part of Russia and -Prussia; their commerce can only be a gainer by the -prohibitive system.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your cabinet is composed of enlightened men. There -is dignity and patriotism in the Swedish nation. The -influence of your Royal Highness in the Government is -generally approved: you will experience few impediments -in withdrawing your people from a mercantile -submission to a foreign nation. Do not suffer yourself -to be caught by the too tempting baits which England -may hold out to you. The future will prove to you that, -whatever may be the revolutions which time must produce, -the Sovereigns of Europe will establish prohibitive -laws, which will leave them masters in their own -dominions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The third article of the treaty of the 21st of February, -1802, corrects the incomplete stipulations of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>treaty of Fredericsham. It must be rigorously observed -in every point which relates to colonial commodities. -You tell me that you cannot do without these commodities, -and that, from the want of their introduction, the -produce of your customs is diminished. I will give you -twenty millions worth of colonial produce, which I have -at Hamburgh; you will give me twenty millions worth -of iron. You will have no specie to export from Sweden. -Give up these productions to merchants; they will pay -the import duties; you will get rid of your iron; this -will answer my purpose. I am in want of iron at Antwerp, -and I know not what to do with the English -commodities.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Be faithful to the treaty of the 24th of February: -drive the English smugglers from the roads of Gottenburg; -drive them from the coasts, where they carry on -an open trade: I give you my word that I will, on my -part, scrupulously observe the conditions of that treaty. -I shall oppose the attempts of your neighbours to appropriate -to themselves your continental possessions. If -you fail in your engagements, I shall consider myself -released from mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is my wish to be always on an amicable understanding -with your Royal Highness; I shall hear with -pleasure your communication of this answer to his -Swedish Majesty, whose good intentions I have constantly -appreciated.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My Minister for Foreign Affairs will return an official -answer to the last note, which the Comte d’Essen has -submitted for my perusal.</p> - -<div class='c011'>“This letter having no other end, &c.</div> -<div class='c012'><span class='sc'>Napoleon.</span>”</div> - -<div id='i112b' class='figcenter id003'> -<img src='images/illus-112b.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>HOUSE IN WHICH NAPOLEON WAS BORN,<br /><br /><span class='large'>AT AJACCIO, IN CORSICA.</span><br /><br /><span class='small'>London: Published for Henry Colburn, Feb. 1836.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c009'>NAPOLEON’S PATRIMONIAL VINEYARD, &C.—HIS NURSE—HIS PATERNAL HOME.—TEARS OF JOSEPHINE DURING WURMSER’S SKIRMISHES IN THE ENVIRONS OF MANTUA.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>8th.—I went to the Emperor’s apartment about eleven -o’clock. He was dressing himself, and looking over, -with his valet, some samples of perfumery and scents, -received from England. He enquired about them all,</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>did not know one of them, and laughed heartily at his -gross ignorance, as he called it. He wished to breakfast -in the tent, and we all assembled there.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He complained of the bad quality of the wine; and -appealed to his maître-d’hôtel, Cipriani, who is a Corsican, -whether he had not much better in their country. -He said that he had received, as part of his patrimony, -the best vineyard in the island, extensive and productive, -called <span lang="it" xml:lang="it"><em>l’Esposata</em></span>, and he felt it his duty, he said, not to -mention it but with gratitude. It was to that vineyard -that he was indebted, in his youth, for his visits to Paris; -it was that which supplied the expenses of his vacations. -We asked him what had become of it. He told us, -that he had long ago given it to his nurse, to whom, he -was sure he must have given at least one hundred and -twenty thousand francs in lands and houses in the -island. He had even resolved, he said, to give her his -patrimonial house; but finding it too much above her -situation, he had made a present of it to the Romalino -family, his nearest relatives by his mother’s side, on -condition that they should transfer their habitation to -his nurse.<a id='r7' /><a href='#f7' class='c008'><sup>[7]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>In short, he had, he said, made a great lady of her. -She had come to Paris at the time of the coronation, and -had an audience of the Pope for upwards of an hour and -a half. “Poor Pope,” exclaimed the Emperor, “he -must have had a good deal of spare time! She was, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>however, extremely devout. Her husband was a coasting -trader of the island. She gave great pleasure at the -Tuileries, and enchanted the family by the vivacity of her -language and her gestures. The empress Josephine -made her a present of some diamonds.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After breakfast, the Emperor, adhering to his resolution -of yesterday, proceeded with his work. He finished -the chapter of Castiglione, and then went to the wood, -with the intention of waiting for the calash. In continuance -of the conversation, which had been brought on by -the chapter, he related that Josephine had left Brescia -with him, and had thus commenced the campaign -against Wurmser. Arrived at Verona, she had witnessed -the first shots that were fired. When she returned -to Castel-Nuovo, and saw the wounded as they passed, -she was desirous of reaching Brescia; but she found -herself stopped by the enemy, who was already at Ponte-Marco. -In the anxiety and agitation of the moment, -she was seized with fear, and wept a great deal, on -quitting her husband, who exclaimed, when embracing -her, and with a kind of inspiration: “Wurmser shall -pay dearly for those tears which he causes thee!” -She was obliged to pass in her carriage very close to -the fortifications of Mantua. She was fired upon from -the place, and one of her suite was even wounded. -She traversed the Po, Bologna, Ferrara, and stopped at -Lucca, attended by dread and the unfavourable reports, -which were usually spread around our patriotic armies; -but she was internally supported by her extreme confidence -in her husband’s good fortune.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was, however, already the opinion of Italy, observed -the Emperor, and the sentiments impressed by -the French General, that, in spite of the crisis of the -moment, and of all the false reports which accompanied -him, his wife was received at Lucca by the Senate, and -treated with the same respect as the greatest princess. -It came to compliment her, and presented her with the -oils of honour. It had reason to applaud itself for that -conduct. A short time afterwards the couriers brought -intelligence of the prodigious achievements of her husband, -and the annihilation of Wurmser.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>The Emperor returned to the saloon for the first time -since the fire. It is gradually furnished with articles sent -expressly from London, which make it a little more -tolerable. After dinner, the Emperor began with reading -Turcaret, with which, he said, notwithstanding all -its wit, he felt himself disgusted, in consequence of its -vulgarity; but it bore, he remarked, the impression of -Le Sage. He then took up l’Avocat Patelin, and was -much amused with its genuine humour.</p> - -<p class='c000'>9th.—The Emperor breakfasted in the tent, and revised -the chapter of the Brenta. At three o’clock, he took -an airing in the calash. The Governor called during our -ride. It was understood that he wished to speak to the -Emperor on the celebration of the Prince Regent’s birthday, -which is to take place next Monday, the 12th inst., -and to give him notice of the salutes and volleys that are -to be fired on the occasion at the camp, situated so -closely to us. It is said, on the other hand, that he has -given directions for supplying the Emperor’s table only, -and that each of us is to be put upon a particular allowance, -as he finds the expense very much beyond his -credit. At any rate, we shall see.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>CATHERINE II.—IMPERIAL GUARDS.—PAUL I. &C.—PROJECTS<br /> ON INDIA, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>10th.—The Emperor was indisposed and took a bath. -At three he walked out and called for the carriage. He -had just read the history of Catherine. “She was,” he -said, “a commanding woman; she was worthy of having -a beard upon her chin. The catastrophe of Peter and -that of Paul were seraglio revolutions, the work of janissaries. -These palace-soldiers are terrible, and dangerous -in proportion as the Sovereign is absolute. My imperial -guard might also have become fatal under any other but -myself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor said that he and Paul had been on the -best terms together. At the time of his murder, in -which the public spared neither his relations nor his -allies, he had concerted a plan with him, at that very -moment, for an expedition to India, and he would have -certainly prevailed upon him to carry it into execution. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>Paul wrote to him very often, and at great length. His -first communication was curious and original. “Citizen -First Consul,” (he had written to him with his own hand,) -“I do not discuss the merits of the rights of man; but, -when a nation places at its head a man of distinguished -merit and worthy of esteem, it has a government, and -France has, henceforth, one in my eyes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>On our return, we found the Admiral and his lady; -the Emperor took them in the calash and made another -tour. He afterwards walked for some time with Lady -Malcolm, to whom he behaved in a most gracious -manner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor turned over the leaves of -two volumes of the Théâtre Français, without being -able to find any thing capable of fixing his attention.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE EMPEROR BISHOP, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>11th.—After our breakfast in the tent and a few turns -in the garden, the Emperor read, for the last time, the -chapter of Arcole.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During our ride in the calash, somebody observed that -it was Sunday. “We should have mass,” said the Emperor, -“if we were in a Christian country, if we had a -priest; and that would have been a pastime for us during -the day. I have been always fond of the sound of the -bells in the country. We should,” he added in a gay -tone, “resolve upon choosing a priest among us;—the -curate of St. Helena.”—But how ordain him, it was said, -without a bishop?—“And am I not one,” replied the -Emperor, “have I not been anointed with the same oil, -consecrated in the same manner? Were not Clovis and -his successors anointed, at the time, with the formula of -<span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>Rex Christique sacerdos</em></span>? Were they not, in fact, real -bishops? Was not the subsequent suppression of that -formula caused by the jealousy and policy of the bishops -and popes?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I did not eat at dinner, the Emperor wished to know -the cause. I had a violent pain in my stomach, a complaint -to which I said I was very subject. “I am more -fortunate than you,” he observed. “In all my life, I -never had either the head-ache or a pain in my <a id='corr116.40'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='stomach.’'>stomach”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_116.40'><ins class='correction' title='stomach.’'>stomach”</ins></a></span> -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>The Emperor often repeated what he had said, and he -has pronounced these same words perhaps ten, twenty, or -thirty times, in the midst of us at different moments.<a id='r8' /><a href='#f8' class='c008'><sup>[8]</sup></a></p> - -<h3 class='c006'>CAMPAIGN OF 1809, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>12th.—The Emperor passed the morning in his bath, -reading the Journals des Debats of March and April, received -yesterday by way of the Cape. The Emperor -was very much occupied with them; they produced a -great degree of agitation in his system.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In general, since the Emperor had received books, and -particularly the Moniteur, he continued much more at -home; he scarcely ever went abroad; he no longer used -a horse, nor even the calash; he hardly took the air for -a few moments in the garden; he was not the better for -it, his features and his health underwent a visible -alteration.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I found him to-day reading Les Croisades by Michaud, -which he left to run over Les Memoires de -Bezenval. He stopped at the duel between the Comte -d’Artois and the Duc de Bourbon. He found the details -curious, but they seemed to be very remote from us. “It -is difficult,” he observed, “to reconcile times so close to -us with manners so different.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the course of this day’s conversations, the Emperor -happened to repeat, what I have mentioned elsewhere, -that his finest manœuvre had been at Eckmuhl, without, -however, specifying it any further.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span> - <h3 class='c009'>ON THE WAR WITH RUSSIA.—FATALITIES, &C.—M. DE TALLEYRAND, &C.—MADAME DE STAEL’S CORINNE.—M. NECKER, &C.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>13th. At an early hour in the morning, I accompanied -the Emperor very far into the wood; he conversed for upwards -of an hour, on the situation of France, and then -reverted to the persons who had betrayed him, and the -numerous fatalities which had hurried him along; to the -perfidious security caused by his marriage with Austria; -to the infatuation of the Turks, who made peace precisely -when they ought to have made war; to that of Bernadotte, -who was actuated by his self-love and his resentment, -rather than by his real grandeur and stability; to -a season severe beyond measure, and even to the superiority -of talent, evinced by M. de Narbonne, who, discovering -the designs of Austria, compelled her to take -active measures. Finally, he reverted to the successes of -Lutzen and Bautzen, which, by bringing back the king -of Saxony to Dresden, put him, Napoleon, in possession -of the hostile signatures of Austria, and deprived her of -all further subterfuge. “What an unhappy concurrence!” -he exclaimed in a most expressive tone, “and yet,” he -continued, “the day after the battle of Dresden, Francis -had already sent a person to treat. It was necessary, -that Vandamme’s disaster should happen at a given -moment, to second, as it were, the decree of fate.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>M. de Talleyrand, to whose conduct the Emperor frequently -alluded, for the purpose of discovering, he said, -when he had really begun to betray him, had strongly -urged him to make peace, on his return from Leipsic. -“I must,” he observed, “do him that justice. He found -fault with my speech to the Senate, but warmly approved -of that which I made to the Legislative Body. He uniformly -maintained, that I deceived myself with respect to -the energy of the nation; that it would not second -mine, and that it was requisite for me to arrange my -affairs by every possible sacrifice. It appears that he -was then sincere. I never, from my own experience, -found Talleyrand eloquent or persuasive. He dwelt a -great deal, and a long time, on the same idea. Perhaps -<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>also, as our acquaintance was of old date, he behaved in -a peculiar manner to me. He was, however, so skilful -in his evasions and ramblings that, after conversations -which lasted several hours, he has gone away, frequently -avoiding the explanations and objects I expected to -obtain from him on his coming.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>With regard to the affairs of the moment and to the -contents of the last journals which described France in a -constantly increasing agitation, the result was that the -chances of the future seemed indefinite, multiplied, and -inexhaustible for all Europe, and that there existed, at -that instant, an incontrovertible fact, communicated to -us from all quarters, that nobody in Europe considered -himself in a permanent situation. Every one seemed to -apprehend or to foresee new events.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor kept me to breakfast with him in the -tent. He afterwards sent for Madame de Staël’s Corinne, -and read some chapters of it. He said that he could not -get through it. Madame de Staël had drawn so complete -a likeness of herself in her heroine, that she had succeeded -in convincing him that it was herself. “I see her,” -said he, “I hear her, I feel her, I wish to avoid her, and -I throw away the book. I had a better impression of -this work on my memory, than what I feel at present. -Perhaps it is because, at the time, I read it with my -thumb, as M. l’Abbé de Pradt ingeniously says, and not -without some truth. I shall, however, persevere; I am determined -to see the end of it; I still think that it was not -destitute of some interest. Yet I cannot forgive Madame -de Staël for having undervalued the French in her romance. -The family of Madame de Staël is unquestionably -a very singular one—her father, her mother and -herself, all three on their knees, in constant adoration of -each other, regaling one another with reciprocal incense, -for the better edification and mystification of the public. -Madame de Staël may, nevertheless, exult in surpassing -her noble parents, when she presumed to write, that her -sentiments for her father were such that she detected -herself in being jealous of her mother.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Madame de Staël,” he continued, “was ardent in -her passions, vehement and extravagant in her expressions. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>This is what was discovered by the police, while -she was under its superintendence. ‘I am far from you;’ -(she was probably writing to her husband,) ‘come instantly;—I -command;—I insist upon it; I am on my -knees; I beseech you, come.—My hand grasps a dagger. -If you hesitate, I shall kill myself; and you alone -will be guilty of my <a id='corr120.7'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='destruction.'>destruction’</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_120.7'><ins class='correction' title='destruction.'>destruction’</ins></a></span>” This was Corinne.</p> - -<p class='c000'>She had, said the Emperor, combined all her efforts -and all her means to make an impression on the General -of the army of Italy; without any knowledge of him, she -wrote to him, when far off; she tormented him when -present. If she was to be believed, the union of genius -with a little insignificant Creole, incapable of appreciating -or comprehending him, was a monstrosity. Unfortunately -the General’s only answer was an indifference which -women never forgive, and which, indeed, he remarked -with a smile, is hardly to be forgiven.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On his arrival at Paris, he was followed with the same -eagerness, but he maintained, on his part, the same reserve, -the same silence. Madame de Staël resolved, however, -to extract some words from him and to struggle -with the conqueror of Italy, attacked him face to face, at -the grand entertainment given by M. de Talleyrand, -Minister for Foreign Affairs, to the victorious General. -She challenged him in the middle of a numerous circle, to -tell her who was the greatest woman in the world, whether -dead or living. “She, who has had most children,” -answered Napoleon, with great simplicity. Madame de -Staël was, at first, a little disconcerted, and endeavoured -to recover herself by observing that it was reported that -he was not very fond of women. “Pardon me, Madam,” -again replied Napoleon, “I am very fond of my wife.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The General of the army of Italy, said the Emperor, -might, no doubt, have excited the enthusiasm of the -Genevese Corinna to its highest pitch; but he dreaded -her politic perfidy and her thirst of celebrity; he was, -perhaps, in the wrong. The heroine had, however, been -too eager in her pursuit and too often discouraged, not -to become a violent enemy. “She instigated the person, -who was then a under her influence, and he,” observed the -Emperor, “did not enter upon the business in a very -<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>honourable manner. On the appointment of the Tribunate, -he employed the most pressing solicitations with -the First Consul to be nominated a member. At eleven -o’clock at night, he was supplicating with all his might; -but at twelve, when the favour was granted, he was already -erect and almost in an insulting attitude. The -first meeting of the Tribunes was a splendid occasion -for his invectives against me. At night, Madame de -Staël’s hotel was illuminated. She crowned her Benjamin -amidst a brilliant assembly, and proclaimed him a -second Mirabeau. This farce, which was ridiculous -enough, was followed by more dangerous plans. At the -time of the Concordat, against which Madame de Staël -was quite furious, she united at once against me the -aristocrats and the republicans. ‘You have,’ she exclaimed, -<a id='corr121.15'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='but'>‘but</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_121.15'><ins class='correction' title='but'>‘but</ins></a></span> a single moment left; to-morrow the tyrant -will have forty thousand priests at his disposal.’”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Madame de Staël,” said Napoleon, “having at -length tired out my patience, was sent into exile. Her -father had seriously offended me before, at the time of -the campaign of Marengo. I wished to see him on my -way, and he struck me merely as a dull bloated college -tutor. Shortly afterwards, and with the hope, no doubt, -of again appearing, by my help, in public life, he published -a <a id='corr121.24'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='pamphet'>pamphlet</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_121.24'><ins class='correction' title='pamphet'>pamphlet</ins></a></span>, in which he proved that France could -neither be a republic nor a monarchy. What it might -be,” remarked the Emperor, “was not sufficiently -evident. In that work, he called the First Consul, -<em>the necessary man</em>, &c. Lebrun replied to him, in a -letter of four pages, in his admirable style, and with all -his powers of sarcasm; he asked him whether he had -not done sufficient mischief to France, and whether his -pretensions to govern her again were not exhausted by -his experiment of the Constituent Assembly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Madame de Staël, in her disgrace, carried on hostilities -with the one hand, and supplicated with the other. -She was informed, on the part of the First Consul, that -he left her the universe for the theatre of her achievements; -that he resigned the rest of the world to her, -and only reserved Paris for himself, which he forbade -her to approach. But Paris was precisely the object of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>Madame de Staël’s wishes. No matter; the Consul was -inflexible. Madame de Staël, however, occasionally renewed -her attempts. Under the empire, she wished to -be a lady of the palace. Yes or no might certainly be -pronounced; but by what means could Madame de Staël -be kept quiet in a palace?” &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor read the Horatii, and was -frequently interrupted by our bursts of admiration. Never -did Corneille appear to us grander, more noble, more -nervous, than on our rock.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>SHOOTING PARTY AT ST. HELENA, &c.—EVE OF THE<br /> 15TH OF AUGUST, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>14th. The Emperor went out early. He sent for me -before nine o’clock. His intention was to mount his -horse, and endeavour to get a shot at some partridges, -which we saw every time we were in the carriage; but -which never let any one with a fowling-piece come near -them. The Emperor walked on for the purpose of placing -himself in a convenient situation, but the partridges were -no longer to be found. He was soon fatigued, and got -on horseback, observing that our shooting party was not -exactly after the fashion of those of Rambouillet and -Fontainebleau. We breakfasted, on our return, in the -tent. The Emperor placed little Tristan, whom he saw -crossing the meadow, at table, and was much amused -with him during the whole of the repast.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After breakfast, the Emperor had the chapter of -Rivoli read over again to him, and finished it. We had -gone through three-fourths of it, when the Governor -being announced, we made a precipitate retreat from the -tent, and each of us took refuge in his den. The Emperor -was less inclined than any other person to let himself -be seen: his conversations with the Governor are by -far too disagreeable and painful to him. “I am determined,” -he said, “to have no more to do with him. -Harsh remarks escape me, which affect my character and -my dignity; nothing should fall from my lips but what -is kind and complimentary.” He found himself fatigued -with his exercise in the morning, and took a bath.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About five o’clock, he took a turn in the calash, the -weather was delicious.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>The Governor had expressed an earnest desire to see -the Emperor; he wished, he said, to speak with him on -business. It is suspected that it was to tell him that he -had no more money, that he had exhausted all, and that -he no longer knew how to act; a matter of perfect indifference -to the Emperor, who would not have failed, -once more, to entreat to be let alone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor played at chess, before dinner, in the -saloon; he had taken some punch. It was late when I -arrived; he told me, on entering, to take my share of -the punch; but it was observed that there were no more -glasses. “O yes,” said he, handing me his, “and he -will drink out of it, I am sure.” He then added, “This -is the English fashion; is it not? In our country one -seldom drinks after any one but one’s mistress.“</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was remarked, during dinner, that it was the eve -of the 15th of August; the Emperor then observed; -“Many healths will be drunk to-morrow, in Europe, to -St. Helena. There are certainly some sentiments, some -wishes, that will traverse the ocean.” He had entertained -the same thought in the morning when on horseback, -and had said the same things to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, Cinna;—Corneille appears to us divine.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE EMPEROR’S BIRTH-DAY.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>15th.—This day, the 15th of August, was the Emperor’s -birthday. We had determined to wait upon him, in -a body, about eleven o’clock. He disappointed us by -appearing gaily at our doors at nine. The weather was -mild; he went to the garden, and we all assembled there -in succession. The Grand Marshal, with his wife and -children, joined us. The Emperor, surrounded by his -faithful servants, breakfasted in the large and beautiful -tent, which is a really fortunate acquisition. The temperature -was fine, and he himself cheerful and talkative. -He seemed, for some instants, to participate in our sentiments -and wishes. He desired, he said, to pass the -whole day in the midst of us. Accordingly, we continued -together, and spent the time in conversation, in different -pursuits, in walking, and in riding in the carriage.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span> - <h3 class='c006'>POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL SUPPRESSED, &c.—INDECENCY OF<br /> THE ENGLISH JOURNALS.—ICE MACHINE.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>16th.—My son and I went, at a very early hour, to the -tent, where the Emperor continued employed on different -chapters of the Campaign of Italy until two o’clock, when -the Governor being announced, he retired, muttering, -“The wretch, I believe, envies me the air I breathe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>During breakfast, he had called for the Journal des -Débats, which contained the organization of the academies; -he wished to see the names of the members, who -had been expelled from the Institute. This led him to -revert to the suppression of the Polytechnic School, -which was said to be useless and dangerous. The English -Journal, which we had received, was not of that opinion. -It maintained that the suppression alone was more valuable -to the enemies of France than a signal victory, and -that nothing could more decidedly prove the real pacific -sentiments and the extreme moderation of the dynasty, -which then governed France, &c. It also stated several -other things.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Somebody remarked, upon this subject, that the English -papers shewed a malevolence against the French Government, -which extended to coarseness and indecency.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Lord or Lady Holland had, with a peculiar degree of -attention, sent to Longwood, for the Emperor’s use, a -newly invented machine, adapted to the formation of ice. -It was delivered to us to-day, through the intervention of -Admiral Malcolm. The Emperor went out about five -o’clock, and was desirous of witnessing the experiment; -the Admiral was present, but the experiment proved very -imperfect.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, after some time, took a walk, accompanied -by the Admiral, and the conversation turned -upon a variety of subjects; it was maintained in the -most affable and friendly manner on the part of the -Emperor.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span> - <h3 class='c009'>RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF NAPOLEON.—BISHOP OF NANTES (DE VOISINS).—THE POPE.—LIBERTIES OF THE GALLICAN CHURCH.—ANECDOTES.—CONCORDAT OF FONTAINEBLEAU.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>17th.—While the Emperor was at breakfast in the -tent, two persons described the excesses which they had -witnessed in the army, and which had not come to his -knowledge. They noticed the numerous violations of his -orders, the violent abuses of authority, and other outrages. -The Emperor listened; but some were so shocking -that he could not, he said, give credit to them, and -observed: “Come, gentlemen, these are libels.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The wind was very violent; it blew a storm, with occasional -showers. The wet obliged the Emperor to go -in again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner Zaire and the beautiful scenes of Œdipe -were read, among which he particularly pointed out that -of the discovery, which he pronounced the finest and the -most finished of the drama.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In speaking of priests and religion, the conversation -led the Emperor to say: “Man, entering into life, asks -himself: Whence do I come? What am I? Whither am -I to go? These are so many mysterious questions, which -urge us on to religion. We eagerly embrace it; we are -attracted by our natural propensity; but as we advance -in knowledge our course is stopped. Instruction and -history are the great enemies of religion, deformed by -human imperfection. Why, we ask ourselves, is the -religion of Paris neither that of London nor of Berlin? -Why is that of Petersburgh different from that of Constantinople? -Why is the latter different from that of -Persia, of the Ganges, and of China? Why is the religion -of ancient times different from that of our days? -Then reason is sadly staggered; it exclaims, O religions, -religions! the children of man!... We very properly -believe in God, because every thing around us -proclaims him, and the most enlightened minds have -believed in him; not only Bossuet, whose profession it -was, but also Newton and Leibnitz, who had nothing to -do with it. But we know not what to think of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>doctrine that is taught us, and we find ourselves like the -watch which goes, without knowing the watchmaker that -made it. And observe a little the stupidity of those who -educate us; they should keep away from us the idea of -paganism and idolatry; because their absurdity excites -the first exercise of our reason, and prepares us for a -resistance to passive belief; and they bring us up, nevertheless, -in the midst of the Greeks and Romans, with -their myriads of divinities. Such, for my own part, has -literally been the progress of my understanding. I felt -the necessity of belief; I did believe, but my belief was -shocked and undecided, the moment I acquired knowledge -and began to reason; and that happened to me at -so early an age as thirteen. Perhaps, I shall again believe -implicitly; God grant I may! I shall certainly -make no resistance, and I do not ask a greater blessing; -it must, in my mind, be a great and real happiness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In violent agitations, however, and in the casual -suggestions of immorality itself, the absence of that religious -faith has never, I assert, influenced me in any -respect, and I never doubted the existence of God; for, -if my reason was inadequate to comprehend it, my mind -was not the less disposed to adopt it. My nerves were -in sympathy with that sentiment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When I seized on the helm of affairs, I had already -fixed ideas of all the primary elements by which society -is bound together; I had weighed all the importance of -religion; I was convinced, and I determined to re-establish -it. But the resistance I had to overcome in -restoring Catholicism would scarcely be credited. I -should have been more willingly followed had I hoisted -the standard of Protestantism. This reluctance was carried -so far that in the Council of State, where I found -great difficulty in getting the Concordat adopted, several -yielded only by forming a plan to extricate themselves -from it. ‘Well!’ they said to one another, ‘let us turn -Protestants, and that will not affect us.’ It is unquestionable -that, in the disorder which I succeeded, upon -which I found myself I was at liberty to choose -between Catholicism and Protestantism; and it may also -be said, with truth, that the general disposition, at the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>moment, was quite in favour of the latter: but, besides -my real adherence to the religion in which I was born, -I had the most important motives to influence my decision. -What should I have gained by proclaiming -Protestantism? I should have created two great parties, -very nearly equal, in France, when I wished for the existence -of none at all; I should have revived the fury of -religious disputes, when their total annihilation was called -for by the light of the age and my own feelings. These -two parties would, by their mutual distractions, have -destroyed France, and rendered her the slave of Europe, -when I had the ambition to make her the mistress of it. -By the help of Catholicism I attained much more effectually -all the grand results that I had in view. In the -interior, at home, the smaller number was swallowed up -by the greater, and I relied upon my treating the former -with such an equality that there would be shortly no -motive for marking the difference. Abroad, the Pope -was bound to me by Catholicism; and, with my influence, -and our forces in Italy, I did not despair, sooner -or later, by some means or other, of obtaining for myself -the direction of that Pope, and from that time, what an -influence! What a lever of opinion on the rest of the -world!” &c. He concluded with saying; “Francis I. -was really in a state to adopt Protestantism, at its birth, -and to declare himself the head of it in Europe. Charles V., -his rival, was the zealous champion of Rome, because he -considered that measure as an additional means to assist -him in his project of enslaving Europe. Was not that -circumstance alone sufficient to point out to Francis the -necessity of taking care of his independence; but he -abandoned the greater to run after the lesser advantage. -He persevered in pursuing his imprudent designs on -Italy, and, with the intention of paying court to the -Pope, he burnt Protestants at Paris.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Had Francis I. embraced Lutheranism, which is -favourable to royal supremacy, he would have preserved -France from the dreadful religious convulsions brought -on, at later periods, by the Calvinists, whose efforts, altogether -republican, were on the point of subverting the -throne and dissolving our noble monarchy. Unfortunately, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>Francis I. was ignorant of all that; for he could -not allege his scruples for an excuse, he, who entered -into an alliance with the Turks, and brought them into -the midst of us. It was precisely because he was incapable -of extending his views so far. The folly of the -time! The extent of feudal intellect! Francis I. was, -after all, but a hero for tilts and tournaments, and a -gallant for the drawing-room, one of those pigmy great -men.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Bishop of Nantes (De Voisins), said the Emperor, -made me a real Catholic by the efficacy of his -arguments, by the excellence of his morals, and by his -enlightened toleration. Marie Louise, whose confessor -he was, consulted him once on the obligation of abstaining -from meat on Fridays.—‘At what table do you dine?’ -asked the Bishop.—‘At the Emperor’s.’ ‘Do you give -all the orders there?’—‘No.’ ‘You cannot, then make -any alteration in it; would he do it himself?’—‘I am -inclined to think not.’ ‘Be obedient then, and do not -provoke a subject for scandal. Your first duty is to -obey, and make him respected; you will not be in want -of other means to amend your life, and to suffer privations -in the eyes of God.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“He also behaved in the same way with respect to a -public communion, which some persons put into Marie -Louise’s head to celebrate on Easter-day. She would -not, however, consent, without the advice of her prudent -confessor, who dissuaded her from it by similar arguments. -What a difference, said the Emperor, had she -been worked upon by a fanatic! What quarrels, what -disagreements might he not have caused between us! -What mischief might he not have done, in the circumstances -in which I was placed!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor remarked to us, “that the bishop of -Nantes had lived with Diderot, in the midst of unbelievers, -and had uniformly conducted himself with -consistency; he was ready with an answer to every one; -and, above all, he had the good sense to abandon every -thing that was not maintainable, and to strip religion of -every thing which he was not capable of defending.—He -was asked, ‘has not an animal, which moves, combines, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>and thinks, a soul?’ ‘Why not,’ was his answer. -‘But whither does it go? For it is not equal to ours.’ -‘What is that to you? It dwells, perhaps, in limbo.’ -He used to retreat within the last intrenchments, even -within the fortress itself, and there he reserved excellent -means for defending himself. He argued better than -the Pope, whom he often confounded. He was the -firmest pillar, among our bishops, of the Gallican -liberties. He was my oracle, my luminary; in religious -matters, he possessed my unbounded confidence. For, -in my quarrels with the Pope, it was my first care, -whatever intriguers and marplots in cassocs may say, not -to touch upon any dogmatic point: I was so steady in -this conduct, that the instant this good and venerable -bishop of Nantes said to me, ‘Take care, there you are -grappling with a dogma,’ I immediately turned off from -the course I was pursuing, to return to it by other ways, -without amusing myself by entering into dissertations -with him, or by seeking even to comprehend his meaning; -and, as I had not let him into my secret, how -amazed must he not have been at the circuits I made! -How whimsical, obstinate, capricious, and incoherent, -must I not have appeared to him! It was because -I had an object in view, and he was unacquainted -with it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Popes could not forgive us our liberties of the -Gallican church. The four famous propositions of -Bossuet, in particular, provoked their resentment. It -was, in their opinion, a real hostile manifesto, and they -accordingly considered us at least as much out of the -pale of the church as the Protestants. They thought us -as guilty as they, perhaps more so, and if they did not -overwhelm us with their ostensible thunderbolts, it was -because they dreaded the consequences—our separation. -The example of England was before them. They did -not wish to cut off their right arm with their own hand, -but they were constantly on the watch for a favourable -opportunity; they trusted to time for it. They are, no -doubt, ready to believe, that it has now arrived. They -will, however, be again disappointed by the light of the -age and the manners of the times.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>“Some time before my coronation,” said the Emperor, -“the Pope wished to see me, and made it a point to -visit me himself. He had made many concessions. He -had come to Paris for the purpose of crowning me; he -consented not to place the crown on my head himself; -he dispensed with the ceremony of the public communion; -he had, therefore, in his opinion, many compensations to -expect in return. He had accordingly at first dreamt -of Romagna and the Legations, and he began to suspect -that he should be obliged to give up all that. He then -lowered his pretensions to a very trifling favour, as he -called it, my signature to an ancient document, a worn-out -rag, which he held from Louis XIV. ‘Do me that -favour, said he, in fact, it signifies nothing.’ ‘Cheerfully, -most holy father, and the thing is done, if it be -<a id='corr130.16'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='feasible.’'>feasible.’”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_130.16'><ins class='correction' title='feasible.’'>feasible.’”</ins></a></span> It was, however, a declaration, in which Louis -XIV. at the close of his life, seduced by Madame de -Maintenon, or prevailed upon by his confessors, expressed -his disapprobation of the celebrated articles of 1682, the -foundations of the liberties of the Gallican church. The -Emperor shrewdly replied, that he had not, for his own -part, any personal objection, but that it was requisite for -him, as a matter of form, to speak to the bishops about -it; on which the Pope repeatedly observed, that such a -communication was by no means necessary, and that the -thing did not deserve to make so much noise. <a id='corr130.26'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='‘I'>“‘I</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_130.26'><ins class='correction' title='‘I'>“‘I</ins></a></span> shall -never,’ he remarked, ‘shew the signature, it shall be -kept as secret as that of Louis XIV.’ ‘But, if it signifies -nothing,’ said Napoleon, ‘what use is there for my signature? -And if any signification can be drawn from it, I -am bound by a sense of propriety to consult my -doctors.’”</p> - -<p class='c000'>With the view, however, of avoiding the imputation -of a constant refusal of every request, the Emperor -wished to seem rather inclined to grant the favour. -“The Bishop of Nantes and the other bishops, who were -really French, came to me in great haste. They were -furious, and watched me,” said the Emperor, “as they -would have watched Louis XIV. on his death-bed, to -prevent him from turning Protestant. The Sulpicians -were called in; they were Jesuits <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>au petit pied</em></span>, they -<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>strove to find out my intention, and were ready to do -whatever I <a id='corr131.2'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='wished.'>wished.”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_131.2'><ins class='correction' title='wished.'>wished.”</ins></a></span> The Emperor concluded with observing;—“The -Pope had dispensed with the public -communion in my favour, and it is from his determination -in that respect that I form my opinion of the -sincerity of his religious belief. He had held a congregation -of cardinals for the purpose of settling the -ceremonial. The greater number warmly insisted upon -my taking the communion in public, asserting the great -influence of the example on the people, and the necessity -of my holding it out. The Pope, on the contrary, fearful -lest I should fulfil that duty as if I were going through -one of the articles of M. de Ségur’s programme, looked -upon it as a sacrilege, and was inflexible in opposing it. -‘Napoleon,’ he observed, ‘is not perhaps a believer; -the time will, no doubt, come, in which his faith will be -established, and in the mean time, let us not burthen his -conscience or our own.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In his Christian charity, for he really is a worthy, -mild, and excellent man, he never once despaired of seeing -me a penitent, at his tribunal; he has often let his -hopes and thoughts on that subject escape him. We -sometimes conversed about it in a pleasant and friendly -manner. ‘It will happen to you, sooner or later,’ said -he, with an innocent tenderness of expression; ‘you will -be converted by me or by others, and you will then feel -how great the content, the satisfaction of your own -heart,’ &c. In the mean time, my influence over him -was such, that I drew from him, by the mere power of -my conversation, that famous Concordat of Fontainebleau, -in which he renounced the temporal sovereignty, -an act on account of which he has since shown that he -dreaded the judgment of posterity, or rather the reprobation -of his successors. No sooner had he signed than -he felt the stings of repentance. He was to have dined -the following day with me in public; but at night, he -was, or pretended to be ill. The truth is that, immediately -after I left him, he again fell into the hands of his -habitual advisers, who drew a terrible picture of the -error which he had committed. Had we been left by -ourselves, I might have done what I pleased with him; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>I should have governed the religious with the same -facility that I did the political world. He was, in truth, -a lamb, a good man in every respect, a man of real -worth, whom I esteem and love greatly, and who, on his -part, is, I am convinced, not altogether destitute of -interest with regard to me. You will not see him make -any severe complaints against me, nor prefer, in particular, -any direct and personal accusation against me, -any more than the other sovereigns. There may, perhaps, -be some vague and vulgar declamations against -ambition and bad faith, but nothing positive and direct; -because statesmen are well aware, that when the hour of -libels is past, no one would be allowed to prefer a public -accusation without corroborative proofs, and they have -none of these to produce: such will be the province of -history. On the other hand, there will be at most but -some wretched chroniclers, shallow enough to take the -ravings of clubs, or intrigues, for authentic facts, or -some writers of memoirs, who, deceived by the errors of -the moment, will be dead before they are enabled to -correct their mistakes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When the real particulars of my disputes with the -Pope shall be made public, the world will be surprised at -the extent of my patience, for it is known that I could not -put up with a great deal. When he left me, after my -coronation, he felt a secret spite at not having obtained -the compensations which he thought he had deserved. -But, however grateful I might have been in other respects, -I could not, after all, make a traffic of the -interests of the empire by way of paying my own -obligations, and, I was, besides, too proud to seem to have -purchased his kindnesses. He had hardly set his foot -on the soil of Italy, when the intriguers and mischief-makers, -the enemies of France, took advantage of the -disposition he was in, to govern his conduct, and from -that instant every thing was hostile on his part. He no -longer was the gentle, the peaceable Chiaramonti, that -worthy bishop of Imola, who had at so early a period -shown himself worthy of the enlightened state of the -age. His signature was thenceforth affixed to acts only -which characterised the Gregories and Bonifaces more -<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>than him. Rome became the focus of all the plots -hatched against us. I strove in vain to bring him back -by the force of reason, but I found it impossible to ascertain -his sentiments. The wrongs became so serious, -and the insults offered to us so flagrant, that I was imperatively -called upon to act, in my turn. I, therefore, -seized his fortresses; I took possession of some provinces; -and I finished by occupying Rome itself, at the same -time declaring and strictly observing that I held him -sacred in his spiritual capacity, which was far from being -satisfactory to him. A crisis, however, presented itself; -it was believed, that fortune had abandoned me at -Essling, and measures were in immediate readiness for -exciting the population of that great capital to insurrection. -The officer, who commanded there, thought that -he could escape the danger only by getting rid of the -Pope, whom he sent off to France. That measure was -carried into effect without my orders, and was even in -direct opposition to my views. I despatched instant orders -for stopping the Pope, wherever he might be met -with, and he was kept at Savona, where he was treated -with every possible care and attention; for I wished to -make myself feared, but not to ill-treat him; to bend him -to my views, not to degrade him;—I entertained very -different projects! This removal served only to inflame -the spirit of resentment and intrigue. Until then, the -quarrel had been but temporal; the Pope’s advisers, in -the hope of re-establishing their affairs, involved it in -all the jumble of spirituality. I then found it necessary -to carry on the contest with him on that head; I had my -council of conscience, my ecclesiastical councils, and I -invested my imperial courts with the power of deciding -in cases of appeal from abuses; for my soldiers could be -of no further use in all this: I felt it necessary to fight -the Pope with his own weapons. To his men of erudition, -to his sophists, his civilians, and his scribes, it was -incumbent upon me to oppose mine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“An English plot was laid to carry him off from -Savona; it was of service to me, I caused him to be -removed to Fontainebleau; but that was to be the period -of his sufferings, and the regeneration of his splendour. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>All my grand views were accomplished in disguise and -mystery. I had brought things to such a point, as to -render the development infallible, without any exertion, -and in a way altogether natural. It was accordingly -consecrated by the Pope in the famous Concordat of -Fontainebleau, in spite even of my disasters at Moscow. -What then would have been the result, had I returned -victorious and triumphant? I had consequently obtained -the separation, which was so desirable, of the spiritual -from the temporal, which is so injurious to his Holiness, -and the commixture of which produces disorder in -society, in the name and by the hands of him who ought -himself to be the centre of harmony: and from that time -I intended to exalt the Pope beyond measure, to surround -him with grandeur and honours. I should have succeeded -in suppressing all his anxiety for the loss of his -temporal power; I should have made an idol of him; -he would have remained near my person. Paris would -have become the capital of the Christian world, and I -should have governed the religious as well as the political -world. It was an additional means of binding -tighter all the federative parts of the empire, and of preserving -the tranquillity of every thing placed without it. -I should have had my religious as well as my legislative -sessions; my councils would have constituted the representation -of Christendom, and the Popes would have -been only the presidents. I should have called together -and dissolved those assemblies, approved and published -their discussions, as Constantine and Charlemagne had -done; and if that supremacy had escaped the Emperors, -it was because they had committed the blunder of letting -the spiritual heads reside at a distance from them; and -the latter took advantage of the weakness of the princes, -or of critical events, to shake off their dependence and to -enslave them in their turn.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But,” resumed the Emperor, “to accomplish that -object, I had found it requisite to manœuvre with a great -deal of dexterity; above all, to conceal my real way of -thinking, to give a direction, altogether different to -general opinion, and to feed the public with vulgar trifles -for the purpose of more effectually concealing the importance -<span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>and depth of my secret design. I accordingly -experienced a kind of satisfaction on finding myself accused -of barbarity towards the Pope, and of tyranny in -religious matters. Foreigners, in particular, promoted -my wishes in this respect, by filling their wretched libels -with invectives against my pitiful ambition, which, according -to them, had driven me to devour the miserable -patrimony of Saint Peter. But I was perfectly aware, -that public opinion would again declare itself in my -favour at home, and that no means could exist abroad -for disconcerting my plan. What measures would not -have been employed for its prevention, had it been anticipated -at a seasonable period; for how vast its future -ascendency over all the Catholic countries, and how great -its influence even upon those that are not so, by the -co-operation of the members of that religion who are -spread throughout these countries!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor said, that this deliverance from the -Court of Rome, this legal union, the control of religion -in the hands of the sovereign, had been, for a long time, -the constant object of his meditations and his wishes. -England, Russia, the northern crowns, and part of Germany, -are, he said, in possession of it. Venice and -Naples had enjoyed it. No government can be carried on -without it; a nation is otherwise, every instant, affected -in its tranquillity, its dignity, its independence. But -the task,” he added, “was very difficult; at every step -I was alive to the danger. I was induced to think, that, -once engaged in it, I should be abandoned by the nation. -I more than once sounded and strove to elicit public -opinion, but in vain, and I have been enabled to convince -myself that I never should have had the national co-operation. -And this explains a sally, which I had -witnessed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor perceiving, at one of those grand Sunday -audiences, which were very numerously attended, the -Archbishop of Tours (de Barral) addressed him in a very -elevated tone; “Well! Monsieur l’Archevêque, how -do our affairs with the Pope go on?—‘Sire, the deputation -of your bishops is about to set out for Savona.’ -Very well! endeavour to make the Pope listen to reason; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>prevail upon him to conduct himself with prudence; -otherwise, the consequences will be unpleasant. Tell -him plainly, that he is no longer in the times of the -Gregories, and that I am not a Débonnaire. He has the -example of Henry the VIIIth., and, without his wickedness, -I possess more strength and power than he had. -Let him know, that whatever part I may take, I have -600,000 Frenchmen in arms, who, in every contingency -will march with me, for me, and as myself. The -peasantry and mechanics look to me alone, and repose -unlimited confidence in me. The prudent and enlightened -part of the intermediate class, those who take care of -their interest, and wish for tranquillity, will follow me; -the only class favourable to him will be the meddling and -talkative, who, will forget him at the end of ten days, to -chat upon some fresh subject.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And as the archbishop, who betrayed his embarrassment -by his countenance, was about to stammer out some -words, the Emperor added in a greatly softened tone: -“You are out of all this; I participate in your doctrines; -I honour your piety; I respect your character!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, I now understand him perfectly, had, -no doubt, merely thrown out those observations, in order -that we might give effect to them in other places; but -he deceived himself with respect to our dispositions, or -at least to those of the palace. Some, the least reflecting -part, were decided and loud in censuring his conduct -on these occasions; others, with the best intentions, were -extremely cautious not to let a word transpire, lest it -should prove injurious to him in the public opinion; for, -such was, in general, our misconception, our singular -manner of understanding and explaining the Emperor’s -meaning, that, although without any bad design, and -solely through levity, incoherency, or for fashion’s sake, -instead of making him popular, we were perhaps the -very persons who did him most injury. I very well -remember that, on the morning when that famous concordat -of Fontainebleau unexpectedly appeared in the -Moniteur, some persons confidentially assured each other -in the saloons of St. Cloud, that nothing was less authentic -than that document, and that it was a base fabrication. -Others whispered, that it was, no doubt, genuine -<span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span>in the main points, but that it had been extracted from -the Pope by the Emperor’s anger and violence. To that -I should not be surprised, if the piquant dramatic episode -of Napoleon, at Fontainebleau, <em>dragging the father of the -faithful by his white hair</em>, was not precisely the invention -of the political proser who wrote it, but caught up -from the mouths of the courtiers and even of the Emperor’s -servants themselves; and this is the way in which -history is written!</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>WARM CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR, IN THE<br /> ADMIRAL’S PRESENCE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>18th. The weather was most dreadful during the whole -of the night and day. About three o’clock, the Emperor -took advantage of its clearing up a little and went -out. He came to my apartment, and we called on General -Gourgaud, who was indisposed. We then visited -Madame de Montholon, who accompanied us to the -garden. The Emperor was in excellent spirits, which -enlivened the conversation. He undertook to persuade -Madame de Montholon to make a general confession, -particularly insisting upon her setting out with her first -sin. “Come,” said he, “speak out without apprehension, -do not let our neighbour constrain you; consider -him merely as your confessor; we shall forget it all in a -quarter of an hour.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And I really believe he would have succeeded in persuading -her, when the Governor unfortunately came to -interrupt so pleasant a scene; he made his appearance, -and the Emperor to avoid receiving him, hastily took -shelter in the bottom of the wood. We were joined in -a few moments by M. de Montholon, who acquainted the -Emperor that the Governor and the Admiral earnestly requested -the honour of speaking with him. He thought -that some communication was to be made on their part, -and returned to the garden, where he received them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We remained behind, with the Governor’s officers. The -conversation soon became animated on the part of the -Emperor, who, as he walked between the Governor and -the Admiral, almost uniformly addressed himself to the -latter, even when he spoke to the former. We continued -<span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>at too great a distance to hear any thing distinctly; but -I have since learned, that he again repeated, and with, -perhaps, more energy and warmth, all that he said to -him in the preceding conversations.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In consequence of the favourable explanations, which -the Admiral, who acted the part of mediator, laboured to -give of the Governor’s intentions, the Emperor observed: -“The faults of M. Lowe proceed from his habits of -life. He has never had the command of any but foreign -deserters, of Piedmontese, Corsicans, and Sicilians, all renegadoes, -and traitors to their country; the dregs and -scum of Europe. If he had commanded Englishmen; -if he were one himself, he would shew respect to those -who have a right to be honoured.” At another time, -the Emperor declared, that there was a moral courage, -as necessary as courage on the field of battle; that M. -Lowe did not exercise it here with regard to us, in dreaming -only of our escape, instead of employing the only -real, prudent, reasonable, and sensible means for preventing -it. The Emperor also told him that, although his -body was in the hands of evil-minded men, his soul was -as lofty and independent as when at the head of -400,000 men, or on the throne, when he disposed of -kingdoms.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To the article respecting the reduction of our expenses, -and the money which was required of the Emperor, he -answered: “All those details are very painful to me; -they are mean. You might place me on the burning -pile of Montezuma or Guatimozin without extracting from -me gold, which I do not possess. Besides, who asks you -for any thing? Who entreats you to feed me? When -you discontinue your supply of provisions, those brave -soldiers, whom you see there,” pointing, with his hand, -to the camp of the 53d, “will take pity on me; I shall -place myself at the grenadiers’ table, and they will not, I -am confident, drive away the first, the oldest soldier of -Europe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor having reproached the Governor with -having kept some books, which were addressed to him, -he answered, that he had done so in consequence of their -having been sent under the address of <em>Emperor</em>. “And -<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>who,” replied the Emperor, with emotion, “gave you -the right of disputing that title? In a few years, your -Lord Castlereagh, your Lord Bathurst, and all the others—you, -who speak to me—will be buried in the dust of -oblivion, or if your names be remembered, it will be only -on account of the indignity with which you have treated -me, while the Emperor Napoleon shall, doubtless, continue -for ever the subject, the ornament of history, and -the star of civilized nations. Your libels are of no avail -against me; you have expended millions on them; what -have they produced? Truth pierces through the clouds, -it shines like the sun, and like it, is imperishable.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor admitted that he had, during this conversation, -seriously and repeatedly offended Sir Hudson -Lowe; and he also did him the justice to acknowledge, -that Sir Hudson Lowe had not precisely shewn, in a single -instance, any want of respect; he had contented himself -with muttering, between his teeth, sentences which were -not audible. He once said that he had solicited his -recal, and the Emperor observed, that that was the most -agreeable word he could possibly have said. He also -said, that we endeavoured to blacken his character in -Europe, but that our conduct, in that respect, was a -matter of indifference to him. The only disrespect, perhaps, -said the Emperor, on the part of the Governor, and -which was trifling, compared with the treatment he had -received, was the abrupt way in which he retired, while -the Admiral withdrew slowly, and with numerous salutes. -“The Admiral was precisely then,” observed the Emperor, -in a gay tone of voice, “what the Marquis de -Gallo was at the time of my rupture of Passeriano.”—An -allusion to one of the chapters of the Campaign in -Italy, which he had dictated to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor remarked that, after all, he had to reproach -himself with that scene. “I must see this officer -no more; he makes me fly into a violent passion; it is -beneath my dignity; expressions escape me which would -have been unpardonable at the Tuileries; if they can at -all be excused here, it is because I am in his hands and -subject to his power.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor caused a letter to be read, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>in answer to the Governor, who had officially sent the -treaty of the 2nd of August, by which the allied Sovereigns -stipulated for the imprisonment of Napoleon. Sir -Hudson Lowe, by the same conveyance, asked to introduce -the foreign Commissioners to Longwood. The -Emperor had, in the course of the day, dictated the letter -to M. de Montholon. It was his wish, that every one -of us should make his objections, and state his opinions. -It seemed to us a master-piece of dignity, energy, and -sound reasoning.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>THE CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR AGAIN NOTICED, &C.—EFFECT OF THE LIBELS AGAINST NAPOLEON.—TREATY OF FONTAINEBLEAU.—THE WORK OF GENERAL S——N.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>19th.—The weather continued as dreadful as we had -ever seen it. It has been, for several days, like one of -our equinoctial storms in Europe. The Emperor exposed -himself to it, to come to my apartment about ten -o’clock; in going out, he struck one of his legs against -a nail near the door; his stocking was torn halfway down -the leg; luckily the skin was only scratched. He was -obliged to return to change. “You owe me a pair of -stockings,” he said, while his valet de chambre was -putting on another pair; “a polite man does not expose -his visitors to such dangers in his apartments. You are -lodged too much like a seaman; it is true, that is not -your fault. I thought myself careless about these matters, -but you actually surpass me.”—<a id='corr140.28'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Sire,”'>“Sire,”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_140.28'><ins class='correction' title='Sire,”'>“Sire,”</ins></a></span> I answered, -“my merit is not great, no choice is left me. I am -truly a hog in its mire, I must confess; but as your -Majesty says, it is not altogether my fault.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We went into the garden, when it had cleared up for -a moment. The Emperor reverted to the conversation -which he had yesterday with the Governor, in the Admiral’s -presence, and again reproached himself with the -violence of his expressions. “It would have been more -worthy of me, more consistent and more dignified, to -have expressed all these things with perfect composure; -they would, besides, have been more impressive.” He -recollected, in particular, a name which had escaped him -<span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>as applied to Sir H. Lowe (<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>scribe d’etat-major</em></span>,) which -must have shocked him, and the more so because it expressed -the truth, and that, we know, is always offensive. -“I have myself,” said the Emperor, “experienced that -feeling in the island of Elba. When I ran over the most -infamous libels, they did not affect me even in the slightest -manner. When I was told or read, that I had -<em>strangled</em>, <em>poisoned</em>, <em>ravished</em>; that I had massacred my -sick; that my carriage had been driven over my wounded; -I laughed out of commiseration. How often did -I not then say to Madame: ‘Make haste, mother, come -and see the <em>savage</em>, the <em>man-tiger, the devourer of the -human race</em>; come and admire your child!’ But when -there was a slight approach to truth, the effect was no -longer the same; I felt the necessity of defending myself; -I accumulated reasons for my justification, and even -then, it never happened, that I was left without some -traces of a secret torment. My dear Las Cases, such is -man!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor passed from this subject to his protest -against the treaty of the 2nd of August, which had been -read to us after dinner. I presumed to ask him, whether -after noticing in a conspicuous manner the acknowledgment -of his title of Emperor by the English, during their -negotiations at Paris and Chatillon, he had not forgotten -that, which they must have made on occasion of the -treaty of Fontainebleau, and which, it struck me, was -omitted. “It was,” he quickly replied, “done on purpose; -I have nothing to do with that treaty; I disclaim -it; I am far from boasting of it, I am rather ashamed of -it. It was discussed for me. I was betrayed by N——, -who brought it to me. That epoch belongs to my history, -but to my history on a large scale. If I had then -determined to treat in a sensible manner, I should have -obtained the kingdom of Italy, Tuscany, or Corsica,—all -that I could have desired. My decision was the result -of a fault inherent in my character, a caprice on my -part, a real constitutional excess. I was seized with a -dislike and contempt of every thing around me; I was -affected with the same feeling for fortune, which I took -delight in defying. I cast my eye on a spot of land, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>where I might be uncomfortable and take advantage of -the mistakes that might be made. I fixed upon the island -of Elba. It was the act of a soul of rock. I am, -no doubt, my dear Las Cases, of a very singular disposition, -but we should not be extraordinary, were we not of -a peculiar mould; I am a piece of rock, launched into -space! You will not, perhaps, easily believe me, but I do -not regret my grandeur, you see me slightly affected by -what I have lost.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And why, Sire,” I observed, “should I not believe -you? What have you to regret?... The life of man -is but an atom in the duration of history, but with regard -to your majesty, the one is already so full, that you -scarcely ought to take any interest but in the other; if -your body suffers here, your memory is enriched a hundred-fold. -Had it been your lot to end your days in the -bosom of uninterrupted prosperity, how many grand and -striking circumstances would have passed away unknown! -You yourself, Sire, have assured me of this, and I have -remained impressed with the force of that truth. Not a -day, in fact, passes in which those, who were your enemies, -do not repeat with us, who are your faithful servants, -that you are unquestionably greater here than in -the Tuileries. And even on this rock, to which you have -been transferred by violence and perfidy, do you not -still command? Your jailors, your masters, are at your -feet; your soul captivates every one that comes near you; -you shew yourself what history represents St. Louis in -the chains of the Saracens, the real master of his conquerors. -Your irresistible ascendancy accompanies you -here. We, who are all about you, Sire, entertain this -opinion of you; the Russian commissioner expressed the -same sentiment, we are assured, the other day, and it is -felt by those who guard you. What have you to regret?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>On our return the Emperor, in spite of the storm, -ordered his breakfast in the tent, and kept me with him. -The rain did not penetrate; the only inconvenience was -a considerable degree of damp; but the squalls of wind -and rain whirled round us, and vented themselves far -before us, towards the bottom of the valley; the spectacle -was not destitute of beauty.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>The Emperor retired about two o’clock; he sent for -me some time afterwards to his cabinet. “I have,” said -he, laying down the book, just read General S——n; -he is a madman, a hair-brained fellow, he writes nonsense. -He is, however, after all, readable and amusing; -he cuts up, dissects, judges, and pronounces sentence -upon men and things. He does not hesitate to give -advice, in several instances, to Wellington, and asserts, -that he ought to have made some campaigns under -Kleber, &c. Kleber was no doubt a great general, but -the notice taken of Soult is not precisely the best part of -the book; he is an excellent director, a good minister -at war.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This S——n,” he continued, “deserted from the -camp at Boulogne, carrying all my secrets to the English; -that might have been attended with serious -consequences. S——n was a general officer; his -conduct was dreadful and unpardonable. But observe -how a man, in the moment of revolution, may be a bad -character, impudent, and shameless. I found him, on -my return from the island of Elba; he waited for me -with confidence, and wrote a long letter in which he -attempted to make me his dupe. The English, he said, -were miserable creatures; he had been a long time -among them; he was acquainted with their means and -resources, and could be very useful to me. He knew -that I was too magnanimous, too great, to remember the -wrongs I had suffered from him. I ordered him to be -arrested, and as he had been already tried and condemned, -I am at a loss to know why he was not shot. Either -there was not time to carry his sentence into effect, or -he was forgotten. There can be no forbearance, no -indulgence for the general, who has the infamy to prostitute -himself to a foreign power.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Grand Marshal came in; the Emperor, after continuing -the conversation for some time, took him away to -play at chess. He suffered much from the badness of -the weather.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, he read Le Tartuffe; but he was so -fatigued, that he could not get through it. He laid -down the book, and, after paying a just tribute of eulogy -<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>to Moliere, he concluded in a manner which we little -expected. “The whole of the Tartuffe,” he remarked, “is, -unquestionably, finished with the hand of a master, it -is one of the best pieces of an inimitable writer. It is, -however, marked with such a character, that I am not at -all surprised, that its appearance should have been the -subject of interesting negotiations at Versailles, and of a -great deal of hesitation on the part of Louis XIV. If I -have a right to be astonished at any thing, it is at his -allowing it to be performed. In my opinion, it holds -out devotion under such odious colours; a certain scene -presents so decisive a situation, so completely indecent, -that, for my own part, I do not hesitate to say, if the -comedy had been written in my time, I would not have -allowed it to be represented.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE BARONESS DE S——, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>20th.—About four o’clock, I attended the Emperor, -according to his orders, in the billiard-room. The weather -still continued dreadful; it did not allow him to set -his foot out of doors, and he was, he said, nevertheless, -driven from his apartment and the saloon by the smoke. -My looks told him, he said, that I was quite flustered; -it was with the most lively indignation, and he wished to -know the cause of it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Two or three years ago,” said I, “a clerk in the war -office, a very worthy man, as far as I know, used to come -to my house to give my son lessons in writing and in -Latin. He had a daughter, whom he wished to make a -governess, and begged us to recommend her, should an -occasion present itself. Madame Las Cases sent for her; -she was charming, and in every respect highly attractive. -From that moment, Madame Las Cases invited her occasionally -to her house, with the view of introducing her -into the world, and obtaining some acquaintances for her -who might prove useful. But, how strange! this young -person, our acquaintance, our obliged friend, is actually -at this moment the Baroness de S——, the wife of -one of the Commissioners of the allied powers, who -arrived nearly a month since, in the island.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your Majesty may judge of my surprise, and of all -my joy at this singular freak of fortune. I am then -<span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>about to have, I said to myself, positive, particular, and -even secret information respecting every thing that -interests me. Several days passed without any communication, -but without any anxiety, and even with some -satisfaction on my part. For, I thought, the greater the -caution, the more I had to expect. At length, hurried -on by my impatience, I sent three or four days ago my -servant to Madame de S——; I had described her -very properly, and, as an inhabitant of the island, he -found no difficulty in gaining admittance. He returned -soon with an answer from Madame de S——, that -she did not know the person who had sent him. I might, -under every circumstance, be still induced to think, that -this was an excess of prudence, and that she was -unwilling to place confidence in one unknown to her. -But this very day, I received notice from the governor, -not to attempt to form any secret connexion in the -island; that I ought to be aware of the danger to which -I exposed myself; and that the attempt with which he -reproached me was not a matter of doubt; for he was -put in possession of it by the very person to whom I had -addressed myself. Your Majesty now knows what has -confounded me. To find that so villainous a charge -should come from a quarter where I had a right to -expect some interest in my affairs, and even gratitude, -has irritated me beyond measure; I am no longer the -same person.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor laughed in my face: “How little do -you know of the human heart! What! her father was -your son’s tutor, or something of that kind; she enjoyed -your wife’s protection when she was in want of it, and -she is become a German baroness! But, my dear Las -Cases, you are the person whom she dreads most here, -who lay her most under constraint; she will allege that -she never saw your wife at Paris, and besides, this mischievous -Sir Hudson Lowe may have been delighted -with giving an odious turn to the thing; he is so artful, -so malignant.” And he then began to laugh at me and -my anger.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor resumed his reading of the -Tartuffe, which he had not finished yesterday, and there -<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>was enough left for to-day. The Emperor was quite -dejected; the bad weather has a visible effect upon him.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>CORVISART.—ANECDOTES OF THE SALOONS OF PARIS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>21st.—The weather as horrible as ever.—We are -seriously incommoded with the wet in our apartments; -the rain penetrates every where.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The governor’s secretary brought me a letter from -Europe; it afforded a few moments of real happiness; -it contained the recollections and good wishes of my -dearest friends. I went and read it to the Emperor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor suffered seriously from the badness of -the weather. He went to his saloon about four o’clock; -he thought that he was feverish, and found himself -much depressed; he called for some punch, and played -a few games at chess with the grand marshal. The -doctor is come from the town. The two vessels just -arrived are from the Cape; one of them is the Podargus, -which left Europe ten days after the Griffin; the other, -a small frigate, on her way from India to Europe. There -was, it was said, a letter for the <em>Emperor Napoleon</em>, but -it was not delivered, and we did not know from whom -it came.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner it was said that the medicines in the -island were exhausted, and it was remarked, that the -Emperor could not be accused of having contributed to -it. This led him to observe, that he did not recollect -having ever taken any medicine. At the Tuileries, he -had had three blisters at once, and even then he had not -taken any. He received a serious wound at Toulon; it -was, he said, like that of Ulysses, by which his old nurse -knew him again; he had recovered altogether, without -taking physic. One of us taking the liberty to say; “If -your majesty had the dysentery to-morrow, would you -still reject all kind of medicine?” The Emperor answered; -“Now that I am tolerably well, I answer, yes, -without hesitation; but if I were to be very ill, I should, -perhaps, alter my mind, and should then feel that kind -of conversion, which is produced on a dying man through -the fear of the devil.” He again mentioned his incredulity -in physic, but he did not think so, he said, of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>surgery. He had three times commenced a course of -anatomy, but they had always been broken off by -business and disgust. “On a certain occasion, and -at the end of a long discussion, Corvisart, desirous of -speaking to me, with his proofs in hand, was so abominably -filthy as to bring a stomach, wrapped up in his -pocket-handkerchief, to St. Cloud, and I was instantly -compelled, at that horrible sight, to cast up all that -I had in mine.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor attempted, after dinner, to read a -comedy, but he was so fatigued, and suffered so much, -that he was forced to stop and retire about nine o’clock. -He made me follow him, and as he felt no inclination to -sleep, he said; “Come, my dear Las Cases, let us see; -let us have a story about your fauxbourg Saint Germain, -and let us endeavour to laugh at it, as if we were listening -to the <a id='corr147.17'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='‘Thousand'>Thousand</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_147.17'><ins class='correction' title='‘Thousand'>Thousand</ins></a></span> and One Nights’!”—“Very well, -Sire; there was, formerly, one of your Majesty’s chamberlains, -who had a grand-uncle, who was very old, very -old indeed, ... and I remember your Majesty telling -us the story of a heavy German officer, who, taken prisoner -at the opening of the campaign in Italy, complained -that a young conceited fellow had been sent to -command against them, who spoiled the profession, and -made it intolerable. Well! we had precisely his likeness -among us; it was the old grand-uncle, who was -still dressed nearly in the costume of Louis XIV. He -showed off, whenever you sent accounts of any extraordinary -achievements on the other side of the Rhine; -your bulletins of Ulm and Jena operated upon him like -so many revulsions of bile. He was far from admiring -you. You also spoiled the profession, in his opinion. -He had, he frequently said, made the campaigns under -Marshal de Saxe, which indeed were prodigies in war, -and had not been sufficiently appreciated. ‘War was, -no doubt, then an art; but now!!!’ he remarked, -shrugging up his shoulders.... ‘In our time we carried -on war with great decorum; we had our mules; we -were followed by our canteens; we had our tents; we -lived well; we had even plays performed at head-quarters; -the armies approached each other; admirable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>positions were occupied; a battle took place; a siege -was occasionally carried on, and afterwards we went into -winter-quarters, to renew our operations in the spring. -That is,’ he exclaimed, with exultation, ‘what may be -called making war! But now, a whole army disappears -before another in a single battle, and a monarchy is overturned; -a hundred leagues are run over in ten days; as -for sleeping and eating, they are out of the question. -Truly, if you call that genius, I am, for my own part, -obliged to acknowledge, that I know nothing about it; -and, accordingly, you excite my pity, when I hear you -call him a great man.’”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor burst into fits of laughter, particularly -when the mules and canteens were mentioned. He then -added; “You were of course accustomed to say a great -many foolish things about me.”—“O yes, Sire, and in -vast abundance.” “Very well! We are alone; nobody -will intrude; tell me some more of them.” “A fine -gentleman, who had formerly been a captain of cavalry, -and who seemed perfectly satisfied with his own person -and accomplishments, was introduced to a select society -where I was present. ‘I come,’ he said, ‘from the -Plain of Sablons. I have just seen <em>our Ostrogoth</em> manœuvre.’ -That, Sire, was your Majesty. ‘He had two -or three regiments, which he threw into confusion upon -each other, and they were all lost in some bushes. I -would have taken him and all his men prisoners with -fifty maitres (formerly troopers) only. An usurped -reputation!’ he exclaimed. ‘Accordingly, Moreau was -always of opinion, that he would fail in Germany. A -war with Germany is talked of; if it takes place, we -shall see how he will get out of it. He will have justice -done to him.’</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The war took place, and your Majesty sent us, in -a very few days, the bulletin of Ulm, and that of Austerlitz; -our fine gentleman again made his appearance in -the same company, and for the moment, in spite of our -malevolence, we could not help crying out all at once: -‘And your fifty maitres!’ ‘Oh! truly,’ said he, ‘it is -impossible to comprehend the thing; this man triumphs -over every obstacle: Fortune leads him by the hand, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>and, besides, the Austrians are so awkward; such -fools!’”...</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor laughed heartily, and wished for some -anecdote still more absurd. “That would indeed, Sire, -be very difficult to find. I recollect, however, an old -dowager, who, to the day of her death, obstinately refused -to give credit to any of your successes in Germany. -When Ulm, Austerlitz, and your entrance into Vienna -were mentioned in her presence:—‘So, you believe all -that,‘ said she, shrugging up her shoulders. ‘It is all -his fabrication. He would not presume to set a foot in -Germany; be assured, that he is still behind the Rhine, -where he is perishing from fear, and sends us those silly -stories: you will learn, in time, that I am not to be imposed -upon.’”</p> - -<p class='c000'>And these stories being over, the Emperor sent me -away, saying: “What are they doing, what must they -say, at present? I am certainly now giving them a fine -opportunity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>22nd.—This was a day of real mourning for me: it -was the first, since our departure from France, in which -I did not see the Emperor. I was the only one, in consequence -of fortunate circumstances, who, until now, had -enjoyed that happiness. His sufferings were great, and -his seclusion complete. He did not ask to see a single -person.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE EMPEROR CONTINUES ILL.—REMARKABLE OFFICIAL<br /> DOCUMENT, ADDRESSED TO SIR HUDSON LOWE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>23d.—The weather has continued wet and rainy. -About half-past three, the Emperor sent for me to his -chamber. He was dressing himself; he had been very -seriously indisposed, but, thanks to his mode of treating -himself, he said, and to his hermetical seclusion of the -preceding day, his complaint was over. He was again -well.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I dared to express my sincere grief; I had inscribed, -I said, an unhappy day in my journal; I should have -marked it in red ink. And when he learned what it -was: “What indeed,” he said, “is it the only day, -since we left France, in which you have not seen me?... -<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>And you are the only one!...” And after a silence -of some seconds, he added, in a tone peculiarly adapted -to make me amends, if that were possible; “But, my -dear Las Cases, if you set such a value on it, if you consider -it of so much moment, why did you not come and -knock at my door? I am not inaccessible to you.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Doctor was introduced; he assured us that the -Governor had promised never again to set foot at Longwood. -It was ironically observed by one of us that he -began to make himself agreeable.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor then went to his library, where a long -letter which I had written to Rome,<a id='r9' /><a href='#f9' class='c008'><sup>[9]</sup></a> was read to him -by my son. He was driven out by the wet, and, on his -way to the saloon and billiard-room, he was tempted by -the sight of the steps to walk a little. “I know,” he -said, “I am doing what is not prudent.” Luckily, the -wet weather forced him to return almost instantly. He -took a seat in the saloon, where there was a good fire, -called for infusion of orange-leaves, and played some -games of chess.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor read Marmontel’s Tales, -and stopped at that of the self-styled philosopher. He -still coughed a great deal, and again called for some of -the same drink. He entered into a long and most interesting -review of Jean Jacques, of his talents, his influence, -his eccentricities, his private vices. He retired at ten -o’clock. I regret very much, that I cannot now recollect -the particulars relative to all these subjects.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the course of the day M. de Montholon addressed -the following official answer to the Governor, who had -sent a letter, respecting the commissioners of the allied -powers, and the embarrassed state of his finances. It is -the letter, which I have already noticed on the 18th of -this month.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span> - <h3 class='c006'>OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>“General,—I have received the treaty of the 2d of -August, 1815, concluded between his Britannic Majesty, -the Emperor of Austria, the Emperor of Russia, and the -King of Prussia, which was annexed to your letter of the -23d of July.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Emperor Napoleon protests against the purport -of that treaty; he is not the prisoner of England. After -having placed his abdication in the hands of the representatives -of the nation, for the benefit of the constitution -adopted by the French people, and in favour of his son, -he proceeded voluntarily and freely to England, for the -purpose of residing there, as a private person, in retirement, -under the protection of the British laws. The -violation of all laws cannot constitute a right in fact. -The person of the Emperor Napoleon is in the power of -England; but neither, as a matter of fact, nor of right, -has it been, nor is it, at present, in the power of Austria, -Russia, and Prussia; even according to the laws and -customs of England, which has never included, in its -exchange of prisoners, Russians, Austrians, Prussians, -Spaniards, or Portuguese, although united to these powers -by treaties of alliance, and making war conjointly with -them. The Convention of the 2d of August, made -fifteen days after the Emperor Napoleon had arrived -in England, cannot, as a matter of right have any -effect; it merely presents the spectacle of the coalition -of the four principal powers of Europe, for the -oppression of a single man; a coalition which the opinion -of all nations disavows, as do all the principles of <a id='corr151.30'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='sound,'>sound</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_151.30'><ins class='correction' title='sound,'>sound</ins></a></span> -morality. The Emperors of Austria and Russia, and the -King of Prussia, not possessing, either in fact or by right -any power over the person of the Emperor Napoleon, -were incapable of enacting any thing with regard to him. -If the Emperor Napoleon had been in the power of the -Emperor of Austria, that prince would have remembered -the relations formed by religion and nature between a -father and a son, relations which are never violated with -impunity. He would have remembered that four times -Napoleon re-established him on his throne; at Leoben, -in 1797, and at Luneville in 1801, when his armies were -<span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>under the walls of Vienna; at Presburgh in 1806, and -at Vienna in 1809, when his armies were in possession of -the capital and of three-fourths of the monarchy. That -prince would have remembered the protestations which -he made to him at the bivouac in Moravia in 1806, and -at the interview at Dresden in 1812. If the person of -the Emperor Napoleon had been in the power of the -Emperor Alexander, he would have remembered the ties -of friendship, contracted at Tilsit, at Erfurth, and during -twelve years of daily intercourse; he would have remembered -the conduct of the Emperor Napoleon the day -after the battle of Austerlitz, when, having it in his -power to take him prisoner with the remains of his army, -he contented himself with his word, and suffered him to -effect his retreat; he would have remembered the dangers -to which the Emperor Napoleon personally exposed himself -to extinguish the fire of Moscow and preserve that -capital for him: unquestionably that prince would not -have violated the duties of friendship and gratitude -towards a friend in distress. If the person of the -Emperor Napoleon had been even in power of the King -of Prussia, that sovereign would not have forgotten that -it was optional with the Emperor, after the battle of -Friedland, to place another prince on the throne of Berlin; -he would not have forgotten, in the presence of a disarmed -enemy, the protestations of attachment and the -sentiments which he expressed to him in 1812, at the -interviews at Dresden. It is, accordingly, evident from -the 2d and 5th articles of the said treaty, that, being incapable -of any influence whatever over the fate, and the -person of the Emperor Napoleon, who is not in their -power, these princes refer themselves in that respect to -the future conduct of his Britannic Majesty, who undertakes -to fulfil all obligations.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“These princes have reproached the Emperor Napoleon -with preferring the protection of the English laws to -theirs. The false ideas which the Emperor Napoleon -entertained of the liberality of the English laws, and of -the influence of a great, generous, and free people on its -government, decided him in preferring the protection of -these laws to that of his father-in-law, or of his old -<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>friend. The Emperor Napoleon always would have been -able to obtain the security of what related personally to -himself, whether by placing himself again at the head of -the army of the Loire, or by putting himself at the head -of the army of the Gironde, commanded by General -Clausel; but, looking for the future only to retirement -and to the protection of the laws of a free nation, either -English or American, all stipulations appeared useless to -him. He thought that the English people would have -been more bound by his frank conduct, which was noble -and full of confidence, than it could have been by the -most solemn treaties. He has been mistaken, but this -error will for ever excite the indignation of real Britons, -and, with the present as well as future generations, it -will be a proof of the perfidy of the English administration. -Austrian and Russian commissioners are arrived at -St. Helena; if the object of their mission be to fulfil part -of the duties, which the Emperors of Austria and Russia -have contracted by the treaty of the 2d of August, and to -take care, that the English agents, in a small colony, in -the midst of the Ocean, do not fail in the attentions due -to a prince connected with them by the ties of affinity, -and by so many relations, the characteristics of these two -sovereigns will be recognized in that measure. But you, -Sir, have asserted, that these commissioners possessed -neither the right nor the power of giving any opinion on -whatever may be transacted on this rock.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The English ministry have caused the Emperor -Napoleon to be transported to Saint Helena, two thousand -leagues from Europe. This rock, situated under -the tropic at the distance of five hundred leagues from -any continent is, in that latitude, exposed to a devouring -heat; it is, during three-fourths of the year, covered -with clouds and mists; it is at once the driest and wettest -country in the world. This is the most inimical -climate to the Emperor’s health. It is hatred which -dictated the selection of this residence, as well as the -instructions, given by the English ministry to the officers -who command in this country; they have been ordered -to call the Emperor Napoleon, General, being desirous -of compelling him to acknowledge that he never reigned -<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>in France, which decided him not to take an incognito -title, as he had determined on quitting France. First -magistrate for life, under the title of first consul, he concluded -the preliminaries of London and the treaty of -Amiens with the king of Great Britain. He received as -ambassadors, Lord Cornwallis, Mr. Merry, and Lord -Whitworth, who resided in that quality at his court. -He sent to the King of England, Count Otto and General -Andreossi, who resided as ambassadors at the Court of -Windsor. When, after the exchange of letters between -the ministers for foreign affairs belonging to the two -monarchies, Lord Lauderdale came to Paris, provided -with full powers from the King of England, he treated -with the plenipotentiaries provided with full powers from -the Emperor Napoleon, and resided several months at -the court of the Tuileries. When, afterwards, at Chatillon, -Lord Castlereagh signed the ultimatum, which the -allied powers presented to the plenipotentiaries of the -Emperor Napoleon, he thereby recognized the fourth -dynasty. That ultimatum was more advantageous than -the treaty of Paris; but France was required to renounce -Belgium and the left bank of the Rhine, which was contrary -to the propositions of Frankfort and to the proclamations -of the allied powers; and was also contrary -to the oath by which, at his consecration, the Emperor -had sworn the integrity of the empire. The Emperor -then thought these national limits were necessary to the -security of France as well as to the equilibrium of -Europe; he thought that the French nation, in the circumstances -under which it found itself, ought rather to -risk every chance of war than to give them up. France -would have obtained that integrity, and with it preserved -her honour, had not treason contributed to the success -of the allies. The treaty of the 2d of August, and the -bill of the British parliament, style the Emperor, Napoleon -Bonaparte, and give him only the title of General. -The title of <em>General Bonaparte</em> is, no doubt, eminently -glorious; the Emperor bore it at Lodi, at Castiglione, <a id='corr154.38'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='a'>at</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_154.38'><ins class='correction' title='a'>at</ins></a></span> -Rivoli, at Arcole, at Leoben, at the Pyramids, at Aboukir: -but for seventeen years he has borne that of First -Consul and of Emperor; it would be an admission that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>he has been neither first magistrate of the republic, nor -sovereign of the fourth dynasty. Those, who think that -nations are flocks, which, by divine right, belong to some -families, are neither of the present age, nor of the spirit -of the English legislature, which has several times -changed the succession of its dynasties, because the great -alterations occasioned by opinions, in which the reigning -princes did not participate, had made them enemies to -the happiness of the great majority of that nation. For -kings are but hereditary magistrates, who exist but for -the happiness of nations, and not nations for the satisfaction -of kings. It is the same spirit of hatred, which -directed that the Emperor Napoleon should not write or -receive any letter, without its being opened and read by -the English ministers and the officers of St. Helena. He -has, by that regulation, been interdicted the possibility -of receiving intelligence from his mother, his wife, his -son, his brothers; and when, wishing to avoid the inconvenience -of having his letters read by inferior officers, -he wished to send sealed letters to the Prince Regent, he -was told, that open letters only could be taken charge of -and conveyed, and that such were the instructions of the -ministry. That measure stands in need of no comment; -it will suggest strange ideas of the spirit of the administration -by which it was dictated; it would be disclaimed -even at Algiers! Letters have been received for general -officers in the Emperor’s suite; they were opened and -delivered to you; you have retained them, because they -had not been transmitted through the medium of the -English ministry; it was found necessary to make them -travel four thousand leagues over again, and these -officers had the misfortune to know, that <a id='corr155.32'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='their'>there</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_155.32'><ins class='correction' title='their'>there</ins></a></span> existed -on this rock news from their wives, their mothers, and -their children, and that they could not be put in possession -of it, in less than six months!!!—The heart -revolts.</p> - -<p class='c000'><a id='corr155.37'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Permission'>“Permission</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_155.37'><ins class='correction' title='Permission'>“Permission</ins></a></span> could not be obtained to subscribe to the -Morning Chronicle, to the Morning Post, or to some -French journals: some broken numbers of the Times -have been occasionally sent to Longwood. In <a id='corr155.40'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='consesequence'>consequence</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_155.40'><ins class='correction' title='consesequence'>consequence</ins></a></span> -of the demand made on board the Northumberland, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>some books have been sent, but all those which -relate to the transactions of late years have been carefully -kept back. It was since intended to open a correspondence -with a London bookseller for the purpose of -being directly supplied with books which might be -wanted, and with those relative to the events of the day; -that intention was frustrated. An English author, having -published at London an account of his travels in France, -took the trouble to send it as a present to the Emperor, -but you did not think yourself authorized to deliver it to -him, because it had not reached you through the channel -of your government. It is also said, that other books, -sent by their authors, have not been delivered, because -the address of some was—To the Emperor Napoleon, -and of others—To Napoleon the Great. The English -ministry are not authorized to order any of these vexations. -The law, however unjust, considers the Emperor -Napoleon as a prisoner of war; but prisoners of war -have never been prohibited from subscribing to the journals, -or receiving books that are printed; such a prohibition -is exercised only in the dungeons of the Inquisition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The island of St. Helena is ten leagues in circumference; -it is every where inaccessible; the coast is -guarded by brigs; posts within sight of each other are -placed on the shore; and all communication with the -sea is rendered impracticable. There is but one small -town, James Town, where the vessels anchor, and from -which they sail. In order to prevent the escape of an -individual, it is sufficient to guard the coast by land and -sea. By interdicting the interior of the island, one object -only can be in view, that of preventing a ride of -eight or ten miles, which it would be possible to take on -horseback, and the privation of which, according to the -consultations of medical men, is abridging the Emperor’s -days.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Emperor has been placed at Longwood, which -is exposed to every wind; a barren spot, uninhabited, -without water, and incapable of any kind of cultivation. -The space contains about 1200 uncultivated fathoms. At -the distance of 11 or 1200 fathoms, a camp has been -formed on a small eminence; another has been since -<span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>placed nearly at the same distance in an opposite direction, -so that, in the intense heat of the tropic, whichever -way the eye turns nothing is seen but camps. Admiral -Malcolm, perceiving the utility of which a tent would be -to the Emperor in that situation, has had one pitched by -his seamen at the distance of twenty paces from the -house; it is the only spot in which shade is to be found. -The Emperor, has, however, every reason to be satisfied -with the spirit which animates the officers and soldiers -of the gallant 53d, as he had been with the crew of the -Northumberland. Longwood House was built for a -barn to the company’s farm; some apartments were -afterwards made in it by the Deputy-Governor of the island; -he used it for a country-house; but it was, in no -respect, adapted for a residence. During the year that -it has been inhabited, people have always been at work -in it, and the Emperor has been constantly exposed to -the inconvenience and unwholesomeness of a house, in -which workmen are employed. His bedchamber is too -small to contain a bedstead of ordinary size; but every -kind of building at Longwood would prolong the inconvenience -arising from the workmen. There are, however, -in this wretched island, some beautiful situations, with -fine trees, gardens, and tolerably good houses, among -others Plantation House; but you are prevented by the -positive instructions of the ministry from granting this -house, which would have saved a great deal of expense -laid out in building, at Longwood, huts covered with -pitched paper, which are no longer of any use. You -have prohibited every kind of intercourse between us and -the inhabitants of the island; you have, in fact, converted -Longwood House into a secret prison; you have even -thrown difficulties in the way of our communication with -the officers of the garrison. The most anxious care -would seem to be taken to deprive us of the few resources -afforded by this miserable country, and we are no better -off here than we should be on Ascension Rock. During -the four months you have been at St. Helena, you have, -Sir, rendered the Emperor’s condition worse. It was -observed to you by Count Bertrand, that you violated -the law of your legislature, that you trampled upon the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>privileges of general officers, prisoners of war. You -answered, that you knew nothing but the letter of your -instructions, and that they were still worse than your -conduct appeared to us.</p> - -<div class='c013'>I have the honour, &c.</div> -<div class='c011'>(Signed) <span class='sc'>Count de Montholon.</span></div> - -<p class='c000'>“P.S.—I had, Sir, signed this letter, when I received -yours of the 17th, to which you annex the estimate of an -annual sum of 20,000<em>l.</em> sterling, which you consider indispensable -to meet the expenses of the establishment of -Longwood, after having made all the reductions which -you have thought possible. The consideration of this -estimate can, in no respect, concern us; the Emperor’s -table is scarcely supplied with what is necessary; all the -provisions are of bad quality and four times as dear as at -Paris. You require a fund of twelve thousand pounds -sterling from the Emperor, as your government allows -you only eight thousand pounds for all these expenses. I -have had the honour of telling you, that the Emperor -had no funds; that no letter had been received or written -for a year; and that he was altogether unacquainted -with what is passing or what may have passed in Europe. -Transported by violence to this rock, at the distance of -two thousand leagues, without being able to receive or to -write any letter, he now finds himself at the discretion -of the English agents. The Emperor has uniformly -desired and still desires to provide himself for all his -expenses of every kind, and he will do so, as speedily -as you shall give possibility to the means, by taking off -the prohibition, laid upon the merchants of the island, of -carrying on his correspondence, and releasing it from all -kind of inquisition on your part or on that of any of your -agents. The moment the Emperor’s wants shall be -known in Europe, the persons who interest themselves -for him will transmit the necessary funds for his supplies.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The letter of Lord Bathurst, which you have communicated -to me, gives rise to strange ideas! Can your ministers -then be so ignorant as not to know that the spectacle -of a great man struggling with adversity is the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>most sublime of spectacles? Can they be ignorant, that -Napoleon at St. Helena, amidst persecutions of every -kind, against which his serenity is his only shield, is -greater, more sacred, more venerable than on the first -throne of the world, where he was, so long, the arbiter -of Kings? Those, <a id='corr159.6'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='who,'>who</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_159.6'><ins class='correction' title='who,'>who</ins></a></span> fail in respect to Napoleon, thus -situated, merely degrade their own character and the -nation which they represent!”</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>MY ENGLISH FAMILY.—JUST DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE ENGLISH ON THE PART OF THE EMIGRANTS, &C.—GENERAL JOUBERT.—PETERSBURG.—MOSCOW; THE CONFLAGRATION.—PROJECTS OF NAPOLEON, HAD HE RETURNED VICTORIOUS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>24th.—I went, at two o’clock, to the Emperor, in his -apartment. He had sent for my Atlas in the morning. -I found him finishing his examination of the map of -Russia and of that part of America adjoining the Russian -establishments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had suffered, and coughed a great deal, during the -night. The weather had, however, become milder. -While he was dressing to go out, he often dwelt upon -the happy idea of the Atlas, the merit of its execution, -and the immensity of its contents. He concluded, as -usual, with saying; “What a collection! what details! -How complete in all its parts!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor went to the garden. I told him, that -I had written, in the morning, to England, and answered -the letter which I had read to him two or three days -ago. “Your English family,” he then observed, “seem -to be very good kind of people; they are very fond of -you, and you appear very much attached to them.” I answered; -“Sire, I took care of them in France, during -their ten years captivity, and they had taken care of me -in England, during my ten years emigration. It is -altogether the hospitality of the ancients which we exercise -towards each other. I rely upon them, in every -respect, and they are at liberty to dispose of all I possess.”—“This,” -said he, <a id='corr159.38'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='is'>“is</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_159.38'><ins class='correction' title='is'>“is</ins></a></span> a very happy connexion. -How did you obtain it? To what are you indebted for -it?” I then told him how I became acquainted with -this family.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>“Never was the plank, by the assistance of which an -unfortunate person, after shipwreck, preserved his life, -dearer to him than this family is to me. There are, -Sire, no favours, no treasures, which can compensate -the kindnesses I have received from it, and the happiness -it has conferred upon me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When the horrible excesses of our revolution compelled -us to take refuge in England, our emigration produced -the liveliest sensation in that country; the arrival -of so many illustrious exiles, their past fortunes, and -their then forlorn condition, were impressed on every -mind, and filled every heart. They became the subject -of consideration in political assemblies, in places of divine -worship, in fashionable circles, and in private families. -That catastrophe agitated every class, and excited every -sympathy. We were surrounded by a generous and -feeling multitude. We were the objects of the most -delicate attentions, and of the most substantial favours. -Such, it must be acknowledged, was the affecting sight -held out by a vast portion of English society, even in -spite of the difference of opinions. It is a testimony due -from our gratitude to the truth of history.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was then in London, with a cousin of my name, -whose situation at the court of Versailles had enabled -her to be of some service to the most distinguished -persons in Europe, where she was a lady of honour to -the Princess Lamballe, who was herself sub-intendant of -the Queen’s household. That turned out a fortunate -circumstance for our family. My cousin experienced -proofs of the greatest benevolence; a great number of -persons were eager to make a tender of their services, -and, among others, a certain young couple. The wife -was charming, and distinguished for the elegance and -dignity of her manners; the husband was of an easy -temper, of a mild and honourable character. Their -house was almost instantly open to my cousin and to all -her relations, who had every reason to find themselves -as much at their ease there, as if they had been in their -own families.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This worthy couple took every occasion to oblige -and to be of use to our refugees. Their house was frequented -<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>by the most distinguished emigrants. A great -number of us there contracted a debt of gratitude which, -notwithstanding all its extent, I should not despair of -paying, were I alone left to discharge it. I shall leave -it as a legacy to my children, who, if they resemble me, -will look upon it as sacred, and deem themselves happy -in redeeming the obligation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Elevation of soul, and the emotions of a French -heart, characterized the conduct of Lady .... When the -Prince of Condé (arrived in London,) was looking for a -country residence, she sent me to offer him the superb -mansion which she possessed, in the county of Durham. -The Prince, after hearing the particulars, having remarked -that it would, no doubt, cost him a King’s ransom, was -agreeably surprised at learning that it was presented to -him by a French woman, who would, she said, consider -that she had received an inestimable price, should a -Condé condescend to inhabit it. He went, instantly, to -express his acknowledgments in person.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This family visited Paris after the peace of Amiens, -and it was in its bosom, and through its protection, that -I was enabled, a few days sooner, to breathe the air of -my country. I was exempted, through its means, from -the tedious and painful formalities required from me by -the act of amnesty on the frontier, and I felt it my duty -to provide for their accommodation at Paris, with much -more facility and less inconvenience than they could have -done themselves. I had also the happiness, when the -measure for detaining the English residents was carried -into effect, and this family was placed among the number, -of alleviating their condition in my turn, and becoming -their security.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We were, at length, separated by time and circumstances; -but they have lost nothing in my recollection; -and the needle is less constant to the pole, and less faithful -in its guidance, than are my thoughts and my gratitude, -with respect to those good and valuable friends. -Such, Sire, is what your Majesty is pleased to call my -English family.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We had, however, during my relation, walked to the -stable, and called for the calash. The Emperor ordered -<span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>it to take us up at the bottom of the wood. We waited for -it a long time, because Madame de Montholon was seized -with a sudden indisposition. Her husband came to apologize -for the delay, and the Emperor made him get in.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conversation turned, during our ride, upon General -Joubert, whose brother-in-law and aid-de-camp M. de -Montholon had been.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Joubert,” said the Emperor, “entertained a high -veneration for me; he deplored my absence at every reverse -experienced by the Republic, during the expedition -to Egypt. He was, at that time, at the head of the army -of Italy; he had taken me for his model, aspired to imitate -my plans, and attempted to accomplish nothing less -than what I afterwards effected in Brumaire: he had, -however, the Jacobins to assist him. The measures and -intrigues of that party, to place the means of executing -that grand enterprise in his power, had raised him to -the command in Italy, after the disasters of Scherer; of -that Scherer who was an ignorant peculator, and deserving -of every censure. But Joubert was killed at Novi, in -his first rencounter with Suwarrow; any attempt of his, -at Paris, would have failed; he had not yet acquired a -sufficient degree of glory, of consistency, and maturity. -He was, by nature, calculated for all these acquirements, -but, at that moment, he was not adequately formed; he -was still too young, and that enterprise was then beyond -his ability.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor could not take more than one round; he -found himself too much fatigued, and was far from being -well.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At half past eight o’clock, the Emperor ordered me to -be called. He told me that he had been obliged to take -a bath, and thought he was a little feverish. He felt -that he had suddenly caught cold, but he had ceased to -cough since he was in the bath. He continued for a -long time in the water. He dined in it, and a small -table was laid for me by the side. The Emperor reverted -to the history of Russia. “Had Peter the Great,” -he asked, “acted with wisdom in founding a capital at -Petersburgh at so vast an expense? Would not the results -have been greater, had he expended all his money -at Moscow? What was his object? Had he accomplished -<span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>it?” I replied: “If Peter had remained at Moscow, -his nation would have continued Muscovite, a -people altogether Asiatic; it was necessary that it -should be displaced for its reform and alteration. He -had, therefore, selected a position on the very frontiers, -wrested from the enemy, and in founding his capital, -and accumulating all his strength, he rendered it invulnerable; -he connected himself with European society; -he established his power in the Baltic sea, by which he -could with ease prevent his natural enemies, the Poles -and the Swedes, from forming alliances, upon occasion, -with the nations situated in their <a id='corr163.11'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='rear.'>rear.”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_163.11'><ins class='correction' title='rear.'>rear.”</ins></a></span></p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor said that “he was not altogether satisfied -with these reasons. Be it as it may,” he observed, -“Moscow has disappeared, and who can compute the -wealth that has been swallowed up there? Let us contemplate -Paris, with the accumulation of buildings and -of industry, the work of centuries. Had its capital, for -the 1400 years of its existence, increased but a million a -year, what a sum! Let us connect with that the warehouses, -the furniture, the union of sciences and the arts, -the complete establishments of trade and commerce, &c., -and this is the picture of Moscow; and all that vanished -in an instant! What a catastrophe! Does not the bare -idea of it make one shudder?... I do not think that -it could be replaced, at the expense of two thousand -millions.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He expatiated at great length on all these events, and -let a word escape him which was too characteristic not -to be specially noted down by me. The name of Rostopchin -having been pronounced, I presumed to remark -that the colour at that time given to his patriotic action -had very much surprised me, for he had interested me -instead of exciting my indignation: nay, I had envied -him!... The Emperor replied with singular vivacity, -and with a kind of contraction which betrayed vexation: -“If many at Paris had been capable of reading and feeling -it in that way, believe me, I should have applauded -it! But I had no choice left me.” Resuming the subject -of Moscow, he said:—“Never, with all the powers -of poetry, have the fictions of the burning of Troy -<span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>equalled the reality of that of Moscow. The city was of -wood, the wind was violent; all the pumps had been -taken away. It was literally an ocean of fire. Nothing -had been saved from it; our march was so rapid, our -entrance so sudden. We found even diamonds on the -women’s toilets, they had fled so precipitately. They -wrote to us a short time afterwards that they had sought -to escape from the first excesses of a dangerous soldiery; -that they recommended their property to the generosity -of the conquerors, and would not fail to re-appear in the -course of a few days to solicit their kindness and testify -their gratitude.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The population was far from having plotted that -atrocity. Even they themselves delivered up to us three -or four hundred criminals, who escaped from prison, -and had executed it,”—“But, Sire, may I presume to -ask, if Moscow had not been burnt, did not your Majesty -intend to establish your quarters there?”—“Certainly,” -answered the Emperor, “and I should then have -held up the singular spectacle of an army wintering in -the midst of a hostile nation, pressing upon it from all -points; it would have been the ship beset by the ice. -You would have been in France without any intelligence -from me for several months; but you would have remained -quiet, you would have acted wisely. Cambacèrés -would, as usual, have conducted affairs in my name, and -all would have been as orderly as if I had been present. -The winter, in Russia, would have weighed heavy on -every one; the torpor would have been general. The -spring also would have returned for all the world. All -would have been at once on their legs, and it is well -known that the French are as nimble as any others.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the first appearance of fine weather, I should -have marched against the enemy; I should have beaten -them; I should have been master of their empire. Alexander, -be assured, would not have suffered me to proceed -so far. He would have agreed to all the conditions -which I might have dictated, and France would then -have begun to enjoy all her advantages. And, truly, my -success depended upon a mere trifle. For I had undertaken -the expedition to fight against armed men, not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>against nature in the violence of her wrath. I defeated -armies, but I could not conquer the flames, the frost, -stupefaction, and death!... I was forced to yield to -fate. And, after all, how unfortunate for France!—indeed -for all Europe!</p> - -<div id='i164b' class='figcenter id003'> -<img src='images/illus-164a.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>THE BURNING OF MOSCOW.<br /><br /><span class='small'>London: Published for Henry Colburn, March, 1836.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>“Peace, concluded at Moscow, would have fulfilled -and wound up my hostile expeditions. It would have -been, with respect to the grand cause, the term of -casualties and the commencement of security. A new -horizon, new undertakings, would have unfolded themselves, -adapted, in every respect, to the well-being and -prosperity of all. The foundation of the European system -would have been laid, and my only remaining task -would have been its organization.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Satisfied on these grand points, and every where at -peace, I should have also had my Congress and my -Holy Alliance. These are plans which were filched from -me. In that assembly of all the sovereigns, we should -have discussed our interest in a family way, and settled -our accounts with the people, as a clerk does with his -master.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The cause of the age was victorious, the revolution -accomplished; the only point in question was to reconcile -it with what it had not destroyed. But that task -belonged to me; I had for a long time been making -preparations for it, at the expense, perhaps, of my popularity. -No matter. I became the ark of the old and -the new covenant, the natural mediator between the old -and the new order of things. I maintained the principles -and possessed the confidence of the one; I had -identified myself with the other. I belonged to them -both; I should have acted conscientiously in favour of -each. My glory would have consisted in my equity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“And, after having enumerated what he would have -proposed between sovereign and sovereign, and between -sovereigns and their people, he continued: “Powerful -as we were, all that we might have conceded would have -appeared grand. It would have gained us the gratitude -of the people. At present, what they may extort will -never seem enough for them, and they will be uniformly -distrustful and discontented.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>He next took a review of what he would have proposed -for the prosperity, the interest, the enjoyment, -and the well-being, of the European confederacy. He -wished to establish the same principles, the same system, -every where—a European code; a European court of -appeal, with full powers to redress all wrong decisions, -as our’s redresses at home those of our tribunals; money -of the same value, but in different coins; the same -weights, the same measures, the same laws.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Thus Europe,” he said, “would soon have formed, in -reality, but one and the same people, and every one, who -travelled, would have every where found himself in one -common country.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He would have required that all the rivers should -be navigable in common; that the seas should be thrown -open; that the great standing armies should, in future, -be reduced to the mere guards of the sovereign.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In short, a multitude of ideas fell from him, the -greater part of which were new; some of the simplest -nature, others altogether sublime, relative to the different -political, civil, and legislative branches; to religion, to -the arts, and commerce: they embraced every subject.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He concluded: “On my return to France, into the -bosom of my country, at once great, powerful, magnificent, -at peace, and glorious, I would have proclaimed the -immutability of boundaries; all future wars, as purely <em>defensive</em>; -all new aggrandizement, as <em>anti-national</em>. I would -have associated my son with me in the empire; my -dictatorship would have terminated, and his constitutional -reign commenced.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Paris would have been the capital of the world, and -the French the envy of nations!... <a id='corr166.32'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='“My'>My</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_166.32'><ins class='correction' title='“My'>My</ins></a></span> leisure -and my old age would have been devoted, in company -with the Empress, and, during the royal apprenticeship -of my son, to visiting slowly and with our own horses, -like a plain country couple, every corner of the empire; -to receiving complaints, redressing wrongs, founding -monuments, and doing good every where and by every -means!... These also, my dear Las Cases, were -among my reveries!!!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor conversed a great deal about the interior -<span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>of Russia, of the prosperity of which, he said, we had no -idea. He dwelt, at great length, upon Moscow, which -had, under every point of view, much surprised him, and -might bear a comparison with any of the capitals of -Europe, the greater number of which it surpassed. -Here unfortunately I can find but bare outlines in my -notes, which it is impossible for me to fill up now.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was particularly struck with the gilded spires of -Moscow, and it was that which induced him, on his -return, to have the dome of the Invalids regilt; he -intended to embellish many other edifices at Paris in -the same manner.<a id='r10' /><a href='#f10' class='c008'><sup>[10]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>As the city of Moscow seems to have been so different -from the idea which we have generally entertained of it -in our Western world, I am inclined to think that a -description of it in this place, supplied by an eye-witness, -a distinguished person, attached to the expedition, will -not prove disagreeable. It is by Baron Larrey, surgeon-in-chief -to the grand army. I take it from a work of -that celebrated character (Mémoires de la Chirurgie Militaire), -in no great circulation, on account, perhaps, of its -peculiarly scientific nature.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The relation begins at the moment when the French -army was setting out for Moscow, after the battle of -Mozaisk or of the Moskowa.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We were hardly a few miles off from Mozaisk, when -we were all surprised at finding ourselves, notwithstanding -the vicinity of the spot to one of the greatest capitals -in the world, on a sandy, arid, and completely desert -plain. The mournful aspect of that solitude, which discouraged -the soldiers, seemed an omen of the entire -abandonment of Moscow, and of the misfortunes which -awaited us in that city, from the opulence of which we -had promised ourselves such advantages.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>“The army marched, with difficulty, over that <a id='corr168.1'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='tract'>tract.</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_168.1'><ins class='correction' title='tract'>tract.</ins></a></span> -The horses were harassed, and exhausted with hunger -and thirst, for water was as rare as forage. The men -had also a great deal to suffer. They were, in fact, overwhelmed -with fatigue, and in want of all subsistence. -The troops had not, for a long time, received any rations, -and the small quantity of provisions found at Mozaisk -was only sufficient for the young and old guard. A considerable -number of the former corps fell victims to -their abuse of the spirits of the country. They were -observed to quit their comrades a few paces, to totter, -whirl round, and afterwards fall on their knees or sit -down involuntarily; they remained immoveable in that -attitude, and expired shortly afterwards, without uttering -a single complaint. These young men were pre-disposed -to the pernicious effects of that liquor by languor, -privations and excessive fatigue.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We arrived, however, on the evening of the 14th of -September, in one of the suburbs of Moscow; we there -learnt that the Russian army had, in its passage through -the city, carried off all the citizens and public functionaries, -some of the lower classes and servants alone were -left; so that, in going through the principal streets of -that great city, which we entered the following morning, -we scarcely met any one; all the houses were completely -abandoned. But what very much surprised us was to -see the fire break out in several remote quarters, where -none of our troops had yet been, and particularly in the -bazar of the Kremlin, an immense building, with porticoes -which have some resemblance to those of the Palais -Royal at Paris.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“After what we had witnessed on our passage through -Little Russia, we were astonished at the vastness of -Moscow, at the great number of churches and palaces -which it contained, at the beautiful architecture of those -edifices, at the commodious disposition of the principal -houses, and all the objects of luxury which were found in -the greater part of them. The streets in general were -spacious, regular, and well laid out. Nothing had the -appearance of discordance throughout that city. Every -thing announced its wealth, and the immense trade it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>carried on in the productions of the four quarters of -the world.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The variety displayed in the construction of the -palaces, houses, and churches, was an infinite addition to -the beauty of the city. There were places which, by the -peculiar kind of architecture of the different edifices, -indicated the nations that generally inhabited them; -thus, the residence of the Franks, Chinese, Indians, -and Germans, was easily distinguished. The Kremlin -might be considered as the citadel of Moscow; it is in -the centre of the town, situated on an eminence sufficiently -elevated, surrounded by a wall with bastions, -and flanked, at regular distances, by towers, mounted -with cannon. The bazaar, which has been already -noticed, usually filled with the merchandize of India, -and valuable furs, had become the prey of the flames, -and the only articles preserved were those which had -been deposited in the vaults, where the soldiers penetrated, -after the fire that consumed the whole of the -exterior of that beautiful edifice. The palace of the -Emperors, that of the senate, the archives, the arsenal, -and two very ancient churches, occupy the rest of the -Kremlin. These different buildings, of a rich style of -architecture, form a magnificent appearance about the -parade. One might imagine one’s self transported to -the public place of ancient Athens, where the Areopagus -and the temple of Minerva on one side, and the academy -and the arsenal on the other, were the objects of admiration. -A cylindrical tower rises between the two -churches, in the form of a column, known by the name -of Yvan’s tower; it is rather an Egyptian minaret, -within which several bells, of different sizes, are hung. -At the foot of this tower, is seen a bell of a prodigious -magnitude, which has been noticed by all the historians. -The whole of the city and its environs are seen from the -top of the towers; it looks like a star, with four forked -rays. The city has a most picturesque appearance, from -the variegated colours of the roofs of the houses, and -from the gold and silver which cover the domes and the -tops of the steeples, of which there is a considerable -number. Nothing can equal the richness of one of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>churches of the Kremlin (it was the burial-place of the -Emperors); its walls are covered with plates of silver -gilt, five or six lines thick, on which the history of the -Old and New Testament is represented in relievo; the -lustres and candelabra, of massy silver, were particularly -remarkable for their extraordinary size.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The hospitals, to which my attention was peculiarly -directed, are worthy of the most civilized nation in the -world; I divide them into military and civil. The great -military hospital is divided into three parts, forming -altogether a parallelogram. The principal part was -constructed on the side of a great road, opposite to an -immense barrack, which may be compared to the military -school at Paris. Two lateral buildings, intersecting the -first at right angles, inclose the court, which communicates -with a fine and extensive garden appropriated to -the use of the sick. A portico, with columns of the -composite order, forms the front of this building, which -is two stories high. At the entrance is a spacious lobby, -with corresponding doors to the wards on the ground-floor, -and a large and magnificent staircase leading to -the upper stories. The wards occupy the entire length -of the building, and the windows on each side reach -from the ceiling to the floor; they are made with double -sashes, as is customary throughout Russia, and are completely -closed in winter; stoves are placed in the inside at -suitable distances. The wards contain four rows of beds -of the same kind, separated by the requisite space for -wholesomeness: each row consists of fifty beds, and the -total number may be estimated at more than three -thousand; the hospital contains fourteen principal wards -of very nearly the same extent. The offices, dispensary, -kitchen, and other accessories, are very commodiously -situated, in separate places, at a convenient distance -from the wards.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The civil hospitals are equally entitled to notice. -The four principal are those of Cheremetow, Galitzin, -Alexander, and the foundlings.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The first, remarkable for its form, its structure, and -its internal arrangements, was used to receive the sick -and wounded belonging to the guard.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>“This hospital, which is three stories high, is built in -the form of a crescent; the requisite offices are situated -in the rear. A beautiful portico, projecting from the -centre of the half-moon, forms the entrance of a chapel -which occupies the middle of the edifice; this chapel, -surmounted by a dome, is the central point of all the -wards, and contains the mausoleum of the Prince who -founded the hospital: it is adorned with columns in -stucco, statues, and beautiful pictures. The dispensary -is one of the finest and best supplied that I know.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Foundling Hospital, situated on the banks of -the Moscowa, and protected by the cannon of the -Kremlin, is indisputably the largest and noblest establishment -of the kind in Europe. It consists of two masses -of building; the first, where the entrance is placed, is -appropriated to the residence of the Governor, who is -selected from the old generals of the army, of the board -of management, of the medical officers, and of all those -employed in the service of the hospital. The second -forms a perfect square. In the centre of the court, -which is very spacious, is a reservoir, that supplies the -whole of the <a id='corr171.22'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='establisment'>establishment</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_171.22'><ins class='correction' title='establisment'>establishment</ins></a></span> with water from the river. -Each of the sides consists of four stories, round which -runs a regular corridor, not very broad, yet sufficiently -spacious for the admission of air, and the accommodation -of persons passing through it. The wards occupy the -remainder of the breadth, and the whole length of each -wing of the building. There are two rows of beds with -curtains in each ward, their size corresponds with that -of the children: the boys are kept separate from the -girls, and the greatest cleanliness and regularity are -observed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We had scarcely taken possession of the city, and -succeeded in extinguishing the fire, kindled by the -Russians in the most beautiful quarters, when, in consequence -of two principal causes, the flames again broke -out in the most violent manner, spread rapidly from one -street to another, and involved the whole place in one -common ruin. The first of these causes is justly reported -to have been the desperate resolution of a certain -class of Russians, who were said to have been confined -<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>in the prisons, the doors of which were thrown open on -the departure of the army; these wretches, whether -incited by superior authority, or by their own feelings, -with the view, no doubt, of plunder, openly ran from -palace to palace, and from house to house, setting fire to -every thing that fell in their way. The French patroles, -although numerous and on the alert, were unable to -prevent them. I saw several of those miscreants taken -in the act; lighted matches and combustibles were found -in their possession. The pain of death inflicted upon -those caught in the actual commission of the atrocity -made no impression on the others, and the fire raged -three days and three nights without interruption; in -vain houses were pulled down by our soldiers, the flames -quickly overleaped the vacant space, and the buildings -thus insulated, were set on fire in the twinkling of an -eye. The second cause must be attributed to the -violence of the equinoctial winds, which are always very -powerful in those parts, and by means of which the -conflagration increased and extended its ravages with -extraordinary activity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It would be difficult, under any circumstances, to -imagine a picture more horrible than that with which -our eyes were afflicted. It was more particularly during -night, between the 18th and 19th of September, the -period when the fire was at the highest pitch, that its -effects presented a terrific spectacle: the weather was -fine and dry, the wind continuing to blow from East to -North, or from North to East. During that night, the -dreadful image of which will never be effaced from my -memory, the whole of the city was on fire. Large -columns of flames of various colours shot up from every -quarter, entirely covered the horizon, and diffused a -glaring light and a scorching heat to a considerable distance. -These masses of fire, driven by the violence of -the winds in all directions, were accompanied in their -rise and rapid movement, by a dreadful whizzing and by -thundering explosions, the result of the combustion of -gunpowder, saltpetre, oil, resin, and brandy, with which -the greater part of the houses and shops had been filled. -The varnished iron plates, with which the buildings were -<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>covered, were speedily loosened by the heat, and whirled -far away; large pieces of burning beams and rafters of -fir were carried to a great distance, and contributed to -extend the conflagration to houses which were considered -in no danger, on account of their remoteness. Every -one was struck with terror and consternation. The -guard, with the head-quarters and the staff of the army, -left the Kremlin and the city, and formed a camp at -Petrowski, a mansion which belonged to Peter the Great, -on the road to Petersburg. I remained with a very -small number of my comrades, in a house built of stone, -which stood alone, and was situated on the top of the -quarter of the Franks, close to the Kremlin. I was -there enabled to observe all the phenomena of that tremendous -conflagration. We had sent our equipage to -the camp, and kept ourselves constantly on the look-out, -to be prepared for, or to prevent, danger.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The lower classes, who had remained at Moscow, -driven from house to house by the fire, uttered the most -lamentable cries; extremely anxious to preserve what -was most valuable to them, they loaded themselves with -packages, which they could hardly sustain, and which -they frequently abandoned to escape from the flames. -The women, impelled by a very natural feeling of humanity, -carried one or two children on their shoulders, -and dragged the others along by the hand; and, in order -to avoid the death which threatened them on every side, -they ran, with their petticoats tucked up, to take shelter -in the corners of the streets and squares; but they were -soon compelled, by the intenseness of the heat, to -abandon those spots, and to fly with precipitation by any -way that was open to them, sometimes without being -able to extricate themselves from that kind of labyrinth, -where many of them met with a miserable end. I saw -old men, whose long beards had been caught by the -flames, drawn on small carts by their own children, who -endeavoured to rescue them from that real Tartarus.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“As for our soldiers, tormented with hunger and -thirst, they exposed themselves to every danger, to -obtain, in the burning cellars and shops, eatables, wines, -liquors, or any other article more or less useful. They -<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>were seen running through the streets, pell-mell with -the broken-hearted inhabitants, carrying away every -thing they could snatch from the ravages of this dreadful -conflagration. At length, in the course of eight or ten -days, this immense and superb city was reduced to ashes, -with the exception of the Kremlin palace, some large -houses, and all the churches: these edifices are built of -stone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This calamity threw the army into great consternation, -and was a presage to us of more serious misfortunes. -We all thought that we should no longer find either -subsistence, cloth, or any other necessary for equipping -the troops, and of which we were in the most urgent -want. Could a more dismal idea suggest itself to our -imagination? The head quarters were, however, after -the fire, again established at the Kremlin, and the guard -sent to some houses of the <a id='corr174.17'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Franks,'>Franks’</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_174.17'><ins class='correction' title='Franks,'>Franks’</ins></a></span> quarter, which had -been preserved. Every one resumed the exercise of his -duties.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Magazines of flour, meal, salt-fish, oil, wine and -liquors, were discovered by dint of perseverance. Some -were served out to the troops, but there was too great a -wish to spare or hoard up these articles, and that excess -of precaution, which is sometimes a mere pretext, induced -us to burn or leave behind us, in the end, provisions -of every kind, from which we might have derived -the greatest benefit, and which would have even been -sufficient for the wants of the army for more than six -months, had we remained at Moscow. The same conduct -was pursued with regard to the stuffs and furs, -which ought to have been immediately worked up for -the purpose of supplying our troops with all the clothing -capable of preserving them, as much as possible, from -the inclemency of the cold that was at hand. The -soldiers, who never think of the future, so far from -obviating, on their part and for their own advantage, -that want of precaution, were solely engaged in searching -for wines, liquors, and articles of gold and silver, and -despised every other consideration.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This unexpected abundance, which was owing to the -indefatigable researches of the troops, was attended with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>a bad effect on their discipline and on the health of those -who were intemperate. That motive alone ought to -have made us hasten our departure for Poland. Moscow -became a new Capua to our army. The enemy’s generals -flattered ours with the hopes of peace; the preliminaries -were to be signed from day to day. Meanwhile clouds -of Cossacks covered our cantonments and carried off -every day a great number of our foragers. General -Kutusoff was collecting the wreck of his army and -strengthening himself with the recruits who joined him -from all parts. Imperceptibly, and under various pretences -of pacification, his advanced posts drew near to -ours. Finally, the period of negotiation had arrived, -and it was at the moment in which the French ambassador -was to obtain a first decision, that Prince -Joachim’s corps d’armée was surrounded. It was with -difficulty that our general, the ambassador, surmounted -the obstacles which were opposed to his return to -Moscow. Several parties of our troops and some pieces -of cannon had been already carried off. The different -corps of this advanced guard, which were at first dispersed, -were nevertheless rallied, broke the Russian column -that hemmed them in, took up a favourable position, and -charged successively the enemy’s numerous cavalry, -which they repulsed with vigour, retaking part of the -artillery and some of the soldiers made prisoners in the -first onset. At length, the arrival of General Lauriston, -and of the wounded, was to us, at head quarters, a confirmation -that hostilities would be resumed. Orders -were immediately given for the sudden departure of the -army; the drum beat to arms, and all the corps prepared -to execute that precipitate movement. Some provisions -were hastily collected and the march commenced on the -19th of October.”</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>ON THE CORONATION, &C.—DECREES OF BERLIN AND MILAN.—THE GRAND CAUSE OF THE HATRED OF THE ENGLISH.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>25th.—The weather has become fine in every respect. -The Emperor breakfasted in the tent and sent for us all. -The conversation turned upon the ceremonies of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>coronation. He asked for particulars from one of us, -who had been present, but was unable to satisfy him. -He made the same inquiries of another, but the latter -had not seen it. “Where were you then at that time?” -asked the Emperor.—“At Paris, Sire.”—“How then! -you did not see the coronation!”—“No Sire.” The -Emperor, then casting a side glance at him, and taking -him by the ear, said; “Were you so absurd as to carry -your aristocracy to that point?”—“But, Sire, my hour -was not come.”—“But at least you saw the retinue?”—“Ah! -Sire, had my curiosity prevailed, I should have -hastened to witness what was most worthy and most -interesting to be seen. I had, however, a ticket of admission, -and I preferred presenting it to the English -lady whom I lately mentioned to your Majesty, and who, -by way of parenthesis, caught a cold there, that nearly -killed her. For my own part I remained quietly at -home.”—“Ah, that is too much for me to put up with,” -said the Emperor, “the villanous aristocrat! How! -And you were really guilty of such an absurdity?”—“Alas! -I was,” replied the accused, “and yet here I -am near you, and at St. Helena.” The Emperor smiled, -and let go the ear.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After breakfast, a captain of the English artillery, who -had been six years at the Isle of France, called upon me. -He was to sail for Europe the next day. He entreated -me in a thousand ways to procure him the happiness of -seeing the Emperor. He would, he said, give all he had -in the world for such a favour; his gratitude would be -boundless, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We conversed together for a long time; the Emperor -was taking his round in the calash. On his return, I -was fortunate enough to fulfil the English officer’s -wishes. The Emperor received him for upwards of a -quarter of an hour; his joy was extreme, as he was aware -that the favour became every day more rare. Every -thing about the Emperor had struck him, he declared, -in a most extraordinary manner; his features, his affability, -the sound of his voice, his expressions, the -questions he had asked; he was, he exclaimed, a hero, -a god!...</p> - -<p class='c000'>The weather was delightful. The Emperor continued -<span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span>to walk in the garden in the midst of us. He discussed -the failure of a negotiation undertaken by one of us; a -business which the Emperor had judged very easy, but -which turned out to be of the most delicate nature for -the person entrusted with it. The object of it was to -prevail upon some English officers to publish a certain -paper in England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor expressed his disapprobation of the -failure in his usual mode of reasoning, and with the intelligence -and point that are familiar to him: he was, -however, very much disappointed at it: his observations -were rather strong; he pushed them to a degree of ill -humour of which the person he found fault with had -never, perhaps, before, received any proofs. At length, -he concluded with saying: “After all, Sir, would you -not have accepted yourself what you proposed to others, -had you been in their place?”—“No, Sire.”—“Why -not? Well then,” he added, in a tone of reproof, “you -should not be my Minister of Police.” “And your -Majesty would be in the right,” quickly replied the other, -who felt himself vexed in his turn; “I feel no inclination -whatever for such an office.” The Emperor, seeing him -enter the saloon, a little before dinner, said: “Ah! there -is our little Officer of Police! Come, approach, my little -Officer of Police;” and he pinched his ear. Although -hours had passed since the warm conversation took -place, the Emperor recollected it; he knew that the person -who had been the subject of it was full of sensibility, -and it was evident that he wished to efface the impression -it had made upon him. These are characteristic -shades, and those which arise from the most trifling -causes are the most natural and the most marked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor was led, by the turn which -the conversation took, to review the special subject of his -maritime quarrel with England. “Her pretensions to -blockade on paper,” he observed, “produced my famous -Berlin decree. The British council, in a fit of resentment, -issued its orders; it established a right of toll on the -seas. I instantly replied by the celebrated Milan decrees, -which denationalized every flag that submitted to the -English acts; and it was then that the war became, in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>England truly personal. Every one connected with -trade was enraged against me. England was exasperated -at a struggle and energy, of which she had no example. -She had uniformly found those who had preceded me -more complaisant.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor explained, on a later occasion, the -means, by which he had forced the Americans to make -war against the English. He had, he said, discovered -the way of connecting their interests with their rights; -for people, he remarked, fight much more readily for the -former than for the latter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At present, the Emperor expected, he said, some approaching -attempt, on the part of the English, on the -sovereignty of the seas, for the establishment of the right -of universal toll, &c. “It is,” said he, “one of the principal -resources left them for discharging their debts, -for extricating themselves from the abyss into which -they are plunged; in a word, for getting rid of their -embarrassments. If they have among them an enterprising -genius, a man of a strong intellect, they will -certainly undertake something of that kind. Nobody -is powerful enough to oppose it, and they set up their -claim with a sort of justice. They may plead, in its justification, -that it was for the safety of Europe they involved -themselves in difficulties; that they succeeded, and that -they are entitled to some compensation. And then, the -only ships of war in Europe are theirs. They reign, in -fact, at present, over the seas. There is an end to -existence of public rights when the ballance is the -broken, &c., &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The English may now be omnipotent, if they will -but confine themselves to their navy. But they will -endanger their superiority, complicate their affairs, and -insensibly lose their importance, if they persevere in -keeping soldiers on the continent.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>ACCOUNT OF THE CAMPAIGN OF WATERLOO DICTATED<br /> BY NAPOLEON.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>26th.—The Emperor went out early in the morning, -before seven o’clock; he did not wish to disturb any of -us. He began to work alone in the garden beneath the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>tent, where he sent for us all to breakfast with him. He -continued there until two o’clock.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At dinner, he conversed a great deal about our situation -in the island. He would not, he said, leave Longwood; -he did not care for any visitors; but he was -desirous that we should take some diversion, and find out -some means of amusement. It would, he said, be a pleasure -to him to see us move about and get abroad more.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The narrative of the battle of Waterloo, which the -Emperor had dictated to General Gourgaud, was read by -his desire. What a story! It is painful to think of it. -The destinies of France suspended by so slight a thread!</p> - -<p class='c000'>This production was published in Europe in 1820. The -measures contrived to transmit it clandestinely from -St. Helena proved successful, in spite of every kind of -vigilance. The instant this narrative appeared, every -body was agreed as to its author. An exclamation burst -from every quarter that Napoleon alone was capable of -describing in that manner, and it is confidently stated -that the Generalissimo, his antagonist, expressed himself -precisely in the same way. What noble chapters! It -would be impossible to attempt an analysis of them, or to -pretend to convey their excellence in terms adequate to -their merits. We literally transcribe, however, in this -place, the last pages, containing, in the shape of a summary, -nine observations of Napoleon, on the faults with -which he has been reproached in that campaign.</p> - -<p class='c000'>They are points which will become classic, and we -are of opinion that our readers will not be displeased at -again finding here subjects which become, every time -the occasion presents itself, topics of earnest and important -discussion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We shall preface these observations with a description, -also from Napoleon’s dictation, of the resources which -France still possessed after the loss of the battle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The situation of France was critical, but not desperate, -after the battle of Waterloo. Every preparatory -measure had been taken, on the supposition of the failure -of the attack upon Belgium. Seventy thousand men were -rallied on the 27th, between Paris and Laon; from 25 -to 30,000, including the depôts of the guard, were on -<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>their march from Paris and the depots; General Rapp, -with 25,000 men, chosen troops, was expected on the -Marne, in the beginning of July; all the losses sustained -in the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>materiel</em></span> of the artillery had been repaired. Paris, -alone, contained 500 pieces of field-artillery, and only -170 had been lost. Thus an army of 120,000 men, equal -to that which had passed the Sambre on the 15th, with -a train of artillery, consisting of 350 pieces of cannon, -would cover Paris by the 1st of July. That capital possessed, -independently of these means, for its defence, -36,000 men of the National Guard, 30,000 sharpshooters, -6000 gunners, 600 battering cannon, formidable entrenchments -on the right bank of the Seine, and, in a -few days, those of the left bank would have been entirely -completed. The Anglo-Dutch and Prusso-Saxon armies, -diminished, however, by more than 80,000 men, and no -longer exceeding 140,000, could not cross the Somme -with more than 90,000; they would have to wait there -for the co-operation of the Austrian and Russian armies, -which could not be on the Marne before the 15th of July. -Paris had, consequently, twenty-five days to prepare for -its defence, to complete the arming of its inhabitants, its -fortifications, its supplies of provisions, and to draw -troops from every point of France. Even by the 15th of -July, not more than 30, or 40,000 men could have -arrived on the Rhine. The mass of the Russian and -Austrian armies could not take the field before a later -period. Neither arms, nor ammunition, nor officers were -wanting in the capital; the number of sharpshooters -might be easily augmented to 80,000, and the field -artillery could be increased to 600 pieces.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Marshal Suchet, in conjunction with General Lécourbe, -would have had, at the same time, upwards of 30,000 -men before Lyons, independently of the garrison of that -city, which would have been well armed, well supplied -with provisions, and well protected by entrenchments. -The defence of all the strong places was secured; they -were commanded by chosen officers, and garrisoned by -faithful troops. Every thing might be repaired, but decision, -energy, and firmness, on the part of the officers, -of the Government, of the Chambers, and of the whole -<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>nation, were necessary. It was requisite that France -should be animated by the sentiment of honour, of glory, -of national independence; that she should fix her eyes -upon Rome after the battle of Cannæ, and not upon -Carthage after that of Zama!!! If France had raised -herself to that height, she would have been invincible. -Her people contained more of the military elements -than any other people in the world. The <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>materiel</em></span> of -war existed in abundance, and was adequate to every -want.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the 21st of June, Marshal Blucher and the Duke -of Wellington entered the French territory at the head of -two columns. On the 22nd, the powder magazine at -Avesnes took fire, and the place surrendered. On the -24th, the Prussians entered Guise, and the Duke of Wellington -was at Cambray. He was at Peronne on the -26th. During the whole of this time, the fortresses on -the first, second, and third line in Flanders were invested. -The two generals learned, however, on the 25th, the -Emperor’s abdication, which had taken place on the 22d, -the insurrection of the Chambers, the discouragement -occasioned by these circumstances in the army, and the -hopes excited among our internal enemies. From that -moment, they thought only of marching upon the capital, -under the walls of which they arrived at the latter -end of June, with fewer than 90,000 men; an enterprise -that would have proved fatal to them, and drawn on their -total ruin, had they hazarded it in the presence of Napoleon: -but that Prince had abdicated!!! The troops of -the line at Paris, more than 6000 men of the depôts of -the guard, the sharpshooters of the National Guard, -chosen from among the people of that great capital, were -devoted to him; they had it in their power to exterminate -the domestic enemy!!! But in order to explain the -motives which regulated his conduct in that important -crisis, which was attended with such fatal results both -for him and for France, the narrative must go back to -an earlier period.</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>First Observation.</em>—“The Emperor has been reproached, -1st, With having resigned the dictatorship, at -the moment when France stood most in need of a dictator; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>2nd, With having altered the constitutions of the -empire, at a moment when it was necessary to think only -of preserving it from invasion; 3rd, With having permitted -the Vendeans to be alarmed, who had, at first, -refused to take arms against the imperial government; -4th, With having assembled the Chambers, when he -ought to have assembled the army; 5th, With having -abdicated and left France at the mercy of a divided and -inexperienced assembly; for, in fine, if it be true, that it -was impossible for the Prince to save the country without -the confidence of the nation, it is not less true that -the nation could not, in these critical circumstances, preserve -either its happiness or its independence without -Napoleon.</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Second Observation.</em>—“The art, with which the movements -of the different bodies of the army were concealed -from the enemy’s knowledge, on the opening of the -campaign, cannot be too attentively remarked. Marshal -Blucher and the Duke of Wellington were surprised; -they saw nothing, knew nothing, of the operations which -were carrying on near their advanced posts.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In order to attack the two hostile armies, the French -might have out-flanked their right or left, or penetrated -their centre. In the first case, they might have advanced -by the way of Lisle, and fallen in with the Anglo-Dutch -army; in the second, they might have moved forward -by Givet and Charlemont, and have fallen in with the -Prusso-Saxon army. These two armies would have remained -united, since they must have been pressed the -one upon the other, from the right to the left, and from -the left to the right. The Emperor adopted the plan of -covering his movements with the Sambre, and piercing -the line of the two armies at Charleroi, their point of -junction, executing his manœuvres with rapidity and skill. -He thus discovered, in the secrets of the art, means to -supply the place of 100,000 men, whom he needed. The -plan was executed with boldness and prudence.</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Third Observation.</em>—“The character of several generals -had been affected by the events of 1814; they had -lost somewhat of that spirit, of that resolution, and that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>confidence, by which they had gained so much glory and -so much contributed to the success of former campaigns.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“1st.—On the 15th of June, the third corps was to -march at three o’clock in the morning, and arrive at -Charleroi at ten; it did not arrive until three o’clock -in the afternoon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“2ndly.—The same day the attack on the woods in -front of Fleurus, which had been ordered at four in the -afternoon, did not take place until seven. Night came -on before the troops could enter Fleurus, where the -Commander in Chief had intended to establish his head-quarters -the same day. The loss of seven hours was -very vexatious on the opening of a campaign.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“3rdly.—Ney received orders to advance on the 16th -with 43,000 men, who composed the left under his command, -in front of Quatre-Bras, to take up a position -there at day-break, and even to entrench himself; he -hesitated, and lost eight hours. The Prince of Orange, -with only 9000 men, retained, on the 16th until three -o’clock in the afternoon, that important position. When -at length, the Marshal received at twelve o’clock at noon -the order dated from Fleurus, and saw, that the Emperor -was on the point of attacking the Prussians, he -advanced against Quatre-Bras, but only with half his -force, leaving the other half to cover his retreat at the -distance of two leagues in the rear; he forgot it until -six in the evening, when he felt the want of it for his -own defence. In other campaigns, that General would -have made himself master of the position in front of -Quatre-Bras at six o’clock in the morning; he would -have routed and captured the whole of the Belgic division, -and either turned the Prussian army by sending a -detachment on the Namur road to fall on the rear of -their line of battle; or, by moving rapidly along the road -to Gennapes, he would have surprised and destroyed the -Brunswick division on its march, and the fifth English -division as it advanced from Brussels. He would have -afterwards marched to meet the third and fourth English -divisions, which were advancing by way of Nivelles, and -were both destitute of cavalry and artillery, and overwhelmed -with fatigue. Ney, who was always first in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>the heat of battle, forgot the troops that were not directly -engaged. The courage which a Commander in Chief -should display is different from that of a general of -division, as that of the latter ought to differ from the -bravery of a captain of grenadiers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“4thly.—The advanced guard of the French army -did not arrive on the 16th, in front of Waterloo, until -six o’clock in the evening; it would have arrived at -three but for some vexatious hesitations. The Emperor -was very much mortified at the delay, and, pointing at -the sun, exclaimed, “What would I now give to have -the power of Joshua, and to stop its progress for two -hours!”</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Fourth Observation.</em>—“The French soldier never -displayed more bravery, cheerfulness, and enthusiasm; -he was animated with the sentiment of his superiority -over all the soldiers of Europe. His confidence in the -Emperor was altogether unabated; it had, perhaps, increased: -but he was suspicious and distrustful of his -other Commanders. The treasons of 1814 were always -in his thoughts, and he was uneasy at every movement -which he did not understand; he thought he was betrayed. -At the moment when the first cannon-shots -were firing near St. Amand, an old corporal approached -the Emperor and said: “Sire, beware of General Soult; -be assured that he is a traitor.”—“Fear nothing,” replied -the Emperor, “I can answer for him as for myself.” -In the middle of the battle, an officer informed Marshal -Soult that General Vandamme had gone over to the -enemy, and that his soldiers demanded, with loud cries, -that the Emperor should be made acquainted with it. -At the close of the battle, a dragoon, with his sabre -covered with blood, galloped up to him crying, “Sire, -come instantly to the division. General Dhénin is persuading -the dragoons to go over to the enemy.”—“Did -you hear him?“—“No, Sire, but an officer, who is -looking for you, saw him and ordered me to tell your -Majesty.” During this time, the gallant General -Dhénin received a cannon shot, which carried off one of -his legs, after he had repulsed the enemy’s charge.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the 14th, in the evening, Lieutenant-General -<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>B——, Colonel C——, and V——, an -officer of the staff, deserted and went over to the enemy. -Their names will be held in execration as long as the -French shall constitute a nation. The uneasy feelings -of the troops had been considerably aggravated by that -desertion. It appears nearly certain that the cry of -Sauve <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>qui peut</em></span> was raised among the soldiers of the -fourth division of the first corps, on the evening of the -battle of Waterloo, when Marshal Blucher attacked the -village of La Haye. That village was not defended as it -ought to have been.<a id='r11' /><a href='#f11' class='c008'><sup>[11]</sup></a> It is equally probable that several -officers, charged with the communication of orders, -disappeared. But, if some officers deserted, not a single -private was guilty of that crime. Several killed themselves -on the field of battle, where they lay wounded, -when they learned the defeat of the army.</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Fifth Observation.</em>—“In the battle of the 17th, the -French army was divided into three bodies; 69,000 men -under the Emperor’s command, marched against Brussels -by the way of Charleroi; 34,000, under the command of -Marshal Grouchy, directed their operations against that -capital by way of Wavres, in pursuit of the Prussians; -7 or 8000 men remained on the field of battle at Ligny, -of whom 3000, belonging to Girard’s division, were employed -in assisting the wounded, and in forming a reserve -for any unexpected casualty at Quatre-Bras; and 4 or -5000 continued with the reserve at Fleurus and at -Charleroi. The 34,000 men under the command of -Marshal Grouchy, with 108 pieces of cannon, were -sufficient to drive the Prussian rear-guard from any position -it might take up, to press upon the retreat of the -conquered army, and to keep it in check. It was a -glorious result of the victory of Ligny, to be thus enabled -to oppose 34,000 men to an army which had consisted -of 120,000. The 69,000 men, under the Emperor’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>command, were sufficient to beat the Anglo-Dutch -army, composed of 90,000. The disproportion which -existed on the 15th between the two belligerent masses -in the ratio of one to two, was materially changed, and -it no longer exceeded three to four. Had the Anglo-Dutch -army defeated the 69,000 men opposed to it, -Napoleon might have been reproached with having ill-calculated -his measures; but it is undeniable, even from -the enemy’s admission, that, unless General Blucher had -arrived, the Anglo-Dutch army would have been driven -from the field of battle between eight and nine o’clock at -night. If Marshal Blucher had not arrived at eight -with his first and second corps, the march on Brussels -with two columns, during the battle of the 17th, would -have been attended with several advantages. The left -would have pressed upon and kept in check the Anglo-Dutch -army; the right, under the command of Marshal -Grouchy, would have pursued and restrained the operations -of the Prusso-Saxon army; and in the evening, -the whole of the French army would have effected its -junction on a line of less than five leagues from Mont -Saint Jean to Wavres, with its advanced posts on the edge -of the forest. But the fault committed by Marshal Grouchy, -in stopping on the 17th at Gembloux, having marched -scarcely two leagues in the course of the day, instead -of pushing on three leagues more in front of Wavres, -was aggravated and rendered irreparable by that which -he committed the following day, the 18th, in losing -twelve hours, and arriving at four o’clock in the afternoon -in front of Wavres, when he should have been -there at six in the morning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“1st,—Grouchy, charged with the pursuit of Marshal -Blucher, lost sight of him for twenty-four hours, from -four o’clock in the afternoon of the 17th until a quarter -past twelve at noon on the 18th.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“2dly,—The movement of the cavalry on the plain, -while General Bulow’s attack was not yet repulsed, -proved a distressing accident. It was the intention of the -Commander in Chief to order that movement, but not -until an hour later, and then it was to have been sustained -<span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span>by the sixteen battalions of infantry belonging to the -guard, with one hundred pieces of cannon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“3dly.—The horse grenadiers and the dragoons of the -guard, under the command of General Guyot, engaged -without orders. Thus, at five in the afternoon, the army -found itself without a reserve of cavalry. If, at half past -eight, that reserve had existed, the storm which swept -all before it on the field of battle would have been dispersed, -the enemy’s charges of cavalry driven back, and -the two armies would have slept on the field, notwithstanding -the successive arrivals of General Bulow and -Marshal Blucher: the advantage would also have been -in favour of the French army, as Marshal Grouchy’s -34,000 men, with 108 pieces of cannon, were fresh troops -and bivouacked on the field of battle. The enemy’s -two armies would have placed themselves in the night -under cover of the forest of Soignes. The constant practice -in every battle was for the horse-grenadiers and the -dragoons of the guard never to lose sight of the Emperor, -and never to make a charge but in consequence of -an order verbally given by that Prince to the General -who commanded them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Marshal Mortier, who was Commander in Chief of -the guards, gave up the command on the 15th, at Beaumont, -just as hostilities were on the point of commencing, -and no one was appointed in his stead, which was attended -with several inconvenient results.</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Sixth Observation.</em>—“1st, The French army manœuvred -on the right of the Sambre, on the 13th and 14th. -It encamped, the night between the 14th and 15th, -within half a league of the Prussian advanced posts; and -yet Marshal Blucher had no knowledge of it, and when, -on the morning of the 15th, he learned at his head-quarters -at Namur that the Emperor had entered Charleroi, -the Prusso-Saxon army was still cantoned over an extent -of thirty leagues; two days were necessary for him -to effect the junction of his troops. It was his duty, -from the 15th of May, to advance his head-quarters to -Fleurus, to concentrate the cantonments of his army -within a radius of eight leagues, with his advanced posts -on the Meuse and Sambre. His army might then have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>been assembled at Ligny on the 15th at noon, to await -in that position the attack of the French army, or to -march against it in the evening of the 15th, for the purpose -of driving it into the Sambre.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“2dly.—Yet, notwithstanding this surprise of Marshal -Blucher, he persisted in the project of collecting his -troops on the heights of Ligny, behind Fleurus, exposing -himself to the hazard of being attacked before the arrival -of his army. On the morning of the 16th, he had collected -but two corps, and the French army was already -at Fleurus. The third corps joined in the course of the -day, but the fourth, commanded by General Bulow, was -unable to get up in time for the battle. Marshal Blucher, -the instant he learned the arrival of the French at -Charleroi, that is to say, on the evening of the 15th, -ought to have assigned, as a point of junction for his -troops, neither Fleurus nor Ligny, which were under -the enemy’s cannon, but Wavres, which the French could -not have reached until the 17th. He would have also -had the whole of the 16th, and the night between the -16th and 17th, to effect the total junction of his army.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“3dly.—After having lost the battle of Ligny, the -Prussian General, instead of making his retreat on -Wavres, ought to have effected it upon the army of the -Duke of Wellington, whether at Quatre-Bras, where -the latter had maintained himself, or at Waterloo. The -whole of Marshal Blucher’s retreat on the morning of -the 17th was contrary to common sense, since the two -armies, which were, on the evening of the 16th, little -more than three miles from each other, and had a fine -road for their point of communication, in consequence -of which their junction might have been considered as -effected, found themselves, on the evening of the 17th, -separated by a distance of nearly twelve miles, and by -defiles and impassable ways.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Prussian General violated the three grand rules -of war; 1st, To keep his cantonments near each other; -2dly, To assign as a point of junction a place where his -troops can all assemble before those of the enemy; 3dly, -To make his retreat upon his reinforcements.</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Seventh Observation.</em>—“1st, The Duke of Wellington -<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>was surprised in his cantonments; he ought to have -concentrated them on the 15th of May, at eight leagues -about Brussels, and kept advanced guards on the roads -from Flanders. The French army was for three days -manœuvring close upon his advanced posts; it had commenced -hostilities twenty four hours, and its head-quarters -had been twelve hours at Charleroi, and yet the English -General was at Brussels, ignorant of what was passing, -and all the cantonments of his army were still in full -security, extended over a space of more than twenty -leagues.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“2dly.—The Prince of Saxe-Weimar, who belonged -to the Anglo-Dutch army, was, on the 16th, at four -o’clock in the afternoon in position before Frasne, and -knew that the French army was at Charleroi. If he had -immediately despatched an aide-de-camp to Brussels, he -would have arrived there at six in the evening; and yet -the Duke of Wellington was not informed that the -French army was at Charleroi until eleven at night. He -thus lost five hours, in a crisis, and against a man, that -rendered the loss of a single hour highly important.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“3dly.—The infantry, cavalry, and artillery of that -army were in cantonments, so remote from each other -that the infantry was engaged at Waterloo without -cavalry or artillery, which exposed it to considerable loss, -since it was obliged to form in close columns to make -head against the charges of the cuirassiers, under the fire -of fifty pieces of cannon. These brave men were -slaughtered without cavalry to protect or artillery to -avenge them. As the three branches of an army cannot, -for an instant, dispense with each other’s assistance, -they should be always cantoned and placed in such a -way as to be able to assist each other.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“4th.—The English General, although surprised, -assigned Quatre-Bras, which had been, for the last <a id='corr189.36'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='four and-twenty'>four-and-twenty</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_189.36'><ins class='correction' title='four and-twenty'>four-and-twenty</ins></a></span> -hours in possession of the French, as the -rallying point of his army. He exposed his troops to -partial defeats as they gradually arrived; the danger -which they incurred was still more considerable, since -they came without artillery and without cavalry; he -delivered up his infantry to his enemy piece-meal, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>destitute of the assistance of the two other branches. He -should have fixed upon Waterloo for his point of junction; -he would then have had the day of the 16th, and the -night between the 16th and 17th, an interval quite -sufficient, to collect the whole of his army, infantry, -cavalry, and artillery. The French could not have -arrived until the 17th, and would have found all his -troops in position.</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Eighth Observation.</em>—“1st, The English General -gave battle at Waterloo on the 18th; that measure was -contrary to the interests of his nation, to the general -system of war adopted by the Allies, and to all the rules -of war. It was not the interest of England, who wants -so many men to recruit her armies in India, in her -American colonies, and in her vast establishments, to -expose herself, with a generous vivacity, to a sanguinary -contest in which she might lose the only army she had, -and expend, at the very least, her best blood. The plan -of the Allies consisted in operating in a mass and in -avoiding all partial actions. Nothing was more contrary -to their interests and their plan than to expose the success -of their cause in a doubtful battle with a nearly equal -force, in which all the probabilities were against them. -If the Anglo-Dutch army had been destroyed at Waterloo, -of what use to the allies would have been the great -number of armies that were preparing to cross the Rhine, -the Alps, and the Pyrenees?</p> - -<p class='c000'>“2ndly.—The English General, in accepting the battle -of Waterloo, placed his reliance on the co-operation of -the Prussians, but that co-operation could not be carried -into effect until the afternoon; he therefore continued -exposed alone from four o’clock in the morning until -five in the afternoon, that is to say, for thirteen hours; -no battle lasts generally more than six hours; that co-operation -was therefore an illusion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But, if he relied upon the co-operation of the -Prussians, he must have supposed that the whole of -the French army was opposed to him, and he must -consequently have undertaken to defend his field of -battle, during thirteen hours, with 90,000 men of different -nations, against an army of 104,000 French. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>That calculation was evidently false; he could not have -maintained himself three hours; the battle would have -been decided by eight o’clock in the morning, and the -Prussians would have arrived only to be taken in flank. -Both armies would have been destroyed in one battle. -If he calculated that a part of the French army had, conformably -to the rules of war, pursued the Prussian army, -he ought, in that case, to have been convinced that he -could receive no assistance from it, and that the -Prussians, beaten at Ligny, having lost from 25 to -30,000 men on the field of battle, having 20,000 -scattered and dispersed over the country, and pursued -by from 35 to 40,000 victorious French, would not have -risked any fresh operation, and would have considered -themselves scarcely sufficient to maintain a defensive -position. In that case, the Anglo-Dutch army alone -would have had to sustain the shock of 69,000 French -during the whole of the 18th, and there is no Englishman -who will not admit that the result of that struggle -could not have been doubtful, and that their army was -not so constituted as to be capable of sustaining the -attack of the imperial army for four hours.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“During the whole of the night between the 17th and -18th, the weather was horrible, and the roads were impassable -until nine o’clock in the morning. This loss of -six hours from day-break, was entirely in the enemy’s -favour; but could the English General stake the fate of -such a struggle upon the weather which happened in the -night between the 17th and 18th? Marshal Grouchy, -with 34,000 men and 180 pieces of cannon, found out -the secret, which one would suppose was not to be -found out, of not being in the engagement of the 18th, -either on the field of battle of Mont St. Jean or of -Wavres. But, had that Marshal pledged himself to the -English General to be led astray in so strange a manner? -The conduct of Marshal Grouchy was as unexpected as -that his army should, on its march, be swallowed up by -an earthquake. Let us recapitulate. If Marshal Grouchy -had been on the field of battle of Mont St. Jean, as he -was supposed to be by the English General and the -Prussian General, during the whole night between the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>17th and 18th, and all the morning of the 18th, and the -weather had allowed the French army to be drawn up in -order of battle at four o’clock in the morning, the -Anglo-Dutch army would have been dispersed and cut -in pieces before seven; its ruin would have been complete, -and if the weather had not allowed the French -army to range itself in order of battle until ten, the fate -of the Anglo-Dutch army would have been decided -before one o’clock; the remains of it would have been -driven either beyond the forest or in the direction of -Hal, and there would have been quite time enough in -the afternoon to go and meet Marshal Blucher, and -treat him in a similar manner. If Marshal Grouchy -had encamped in front of Wavres in the night between -the 17th and 18th, no detachment could have been sent -by the Prussians to save the English army, which must -have been completely beaten by the 69,000 French -opposed to it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“3dly.—The position of Mont St. Jean was ill -chosen. The first requisite of a field of battle is to be -without defiles in its rear. The English General derived -no advantage, during the battle, from his numerous -cavalry; he did not think that he ought to be and would -be attacked on the left; he believed that the attack -would be made on his right. Notwithstanding the -diversion operated in his favour by General Bulow’s -30,000 Prussians, he would have twice effected his retreat, -during the battle, had that measure been possible. -Thus, in reality, how strange and capricious are human -events! the bad choice of his field of battle, which prevented -all possibility of retreat, was the cause of his -success!!!</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Ninth Observation.</em>—“It may be asked, what then -should have been the conduct of the English General, -after the battle of Ligny and the engagement of Quatre -Bras? On this point posterity will not entertain two -opinions: he ought, in the night between the 17th and -18th, to have crossed the forest of Soignes, by the road of -Charleroi; the Prussian army ought also to have crossed -it by the road of Wavres; the armies would have effected -a junction by break of day in Brussels; left their rearguards -<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>for the defence of the forest, gained some days in -order to give time to the Prussians, dispersed after the -battle of Ligny, to join their army; reinforced themselves -with fourteen English regiments, which were in -garrison in the fortresses of Belgium, or had been just -landed at Ostend, on their return from America, and let -the Emperor of the French manœuvre as he pleased.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Would he, with an army of 100,000 men have -traversed the forest of Soignes to attack in an open -country the two united armies, consisting of more than -200,000 men, and in position? It would have certainly -been the most advantageous thing that could have -happened to the allies. Would he have been content -with taking up a position himself? He could not have -long remained in an inactive state, since 300,000 -Russians, Austrians, Bavarians, &c. were on their march -to the Rhine; they would have been in a few weeks on -the Marne, which would have compelled him to hasten -to the assistance of his capital. It was then that the -Anglo-Prussian army ought to have marched and effected -its junction with the Allies, under the walls of Paris. It -would have exposed itself to no risk, suffered no loss, -and have acted conformably to the interests of the -English nation, and the general plan of carrying on the -war adopted by the Allies, and sanctioned by the rules of -the military art. From the 15th to the 18th, the Duke -of Wellington invariably manœuvred as his enemy -wished; he executed nothing which the latter apprehended -he would. The English infantry was firm and -solid; the cavalry might have conducted itself better: -the Anglo-Dutch army was twice saved, in the course of -the day, by the Prussians—the first time before three -o’clock, by the arrival of General Bulow with 30,000 -men, and the second time by the arrival of Marshal -Blucher with 31,000 men. In that battle, 69,000 -French beat 120,000 men; the victory was wrested -from them, between eight and nine, by 150,000 men.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Let the feelings of the people of London be -imagined, if they had been doomed to hear of the destruction -of their army, and the prodigal waste of their best -blood, in support of the cause of kings against that of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span>nations, of privileges against equality, of the oligarchs -against the liberals, and of the principles of the -Holy Alliance against those of the sovereignty of the -people!!!”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>PLAN FOR A POLITICAL DEFENCE OF NAPOLEON;<br /> SKETCHED BY HIMSELF.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>Tuesday, August 27th.—About four o’clock I -joined the Emperor in the garden: he had been engaged -in dictating during the whole of the morning. -The wind was very rough, and the Emperor declined -riding out in the calash: he therefore walked about for -a considerable time in the great alley through the wood, -attended by all the persons of his suite. He jokingly -teased one of the party, by observing that he was sulky, -and accusing him of being very often discontented and -ill-humoured, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, on rising from the dinner table, adverted -to his recent protest against the treaty of the 2d -of August. He expatiated with warmth on the subject, -and remarked, while he walked rapidly about the apartment, -that he intended to draw up another protest, on a -more extensive and important scale, against the Bill -that had been passed in the British Parliament. He -would prove, he said, that the Bill was not a law, but a -violation of every existing law. Napoleon was proscribed, -and not judged by it. The English Parliament -had done, not what was just, but what was deemed to -be expedient; it had imitated Themistocles, without -hearing Aristides. The Emperor then arraigned himself -before all the nations in Europe, and proved that each -would successively acquit him. He took a review of -the different acts of his reign, and justified them all.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The French and the Italians,” said he, “lament my -absence; I carry with me the gratitude of the Poles, and -even the late and bitter regrets of the Spaniards. -Europe will soon deplore the loss of the equilibrium, -to the maintenance of which my French empire was -absolutely necessary. The Continent is now in the -most perilous situation, being continually exposed to the -risk of being overrun by Cossacks and Tartars. And -<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>the English,” said he in conclusion, “the English will -deplore their victory at Waterloo! Things will be -carried to such a length that posterity, together with -every well-informed and well-disposed person among -our contemporaries, will regret that I did not succeed in -all my enterprises.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In course of his remarks, the Emperor occasionally -rose to a pitch of sublimity. I shall not follow him -into all his details. He promised to dictate the observations -he had made, and said that he had already -sketched out a plan for his political defence, in fourteen -paragraphs.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>CATINAT; TURENNE; CONDÉ.—QUESTIONS RESPECTING THE GREATEST BATTLE FOUGHT BY THE EMPEROR; THE BEST TROOPS, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>28th.—The Emperor did not go out until four o’clock; -he had spent three hours in the bath. The weather was -very unpleasant, and in consequence he merely took a -few turns in the garden. He had just written to inform -the Governor that henceforth he would receive no strangers, -unless they were admitted to Longwood by passes -from the Grand Marshal, as in the time of Admiral -Cockburn.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor proposed playing a game at chess; but, -before he sat down to do so, he took up a volume of -Fenelon. It was <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>La Direction de Conscience d’un Roi</cite></span>. -He read to us several articles, criticising them with considerable -spirit and gaiety. At length he threw down -the volume, saying that the name of an author had never -influenced him in forming an opinion of his writings; -that he always judged of works according to the sentiments -with which they inspired him; being always -equally willing to praise or to censure. He added that, -in spite of the name of Fenelon, he had no hesitation in -declaring that the work he had just looked through was -a mere string of rhapsodies; and truly it would be difficult -to refute this assertion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor conversed about the old -marine establishment, and alluded to M. de Grasse, and -his defeat on the 12th of April. He wished to learn -<span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>some particulars on this subject; and he asked for the -Dictionary of Sieges and Battles. He looked over it, and -it afforded him matter for a multitude of observations. -Catinat came under his consideration, and the remarks -he made on that commander lowered him infinitely in our -estimation. Napoleon said that he thought him very -inferior to the reputation he enjoyed, after viewing the -scenes of his operations in Italy, and reading his correspondence -with Louvois. “Having risen from the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>tiers-état</em></span>,” -said he, “and being educated for the law, distinguished -for urbanity of manners and moral integrity, -affecting the practice of equality, residing at St. Gratien, -at the gates of Paris, Catinat became the favourite of -the <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>literati</em></span> of the capital and the philosophers of the day, -who exalted him beyond his real merits. He was in no -way comparable to Vendôme.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor said, that he had endeavoured, in the -same manner, to study the characters of Turenne and -Condé, suspecting that they were also the objects of -exaggerated eulogy; but that he was convinced those -two men were fully entitled to all the commendation that -has been bestowed on them. With regard to Turenne, -he remarked that his intrepidity encreased in proportion -as he acquired experience; as he grew old, he evinced -greater courage than he seemed to possess in early life. -The contrary was observable in Condé, who displayed -so much dauntless valour at the commencement of his -career.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Now that I am alluding to Turenne, Condé, and other -distinguished men, I may mention, as a curious fact, that -I never, by any chance, heard Napoleon utter the name -of Frederick the Great. Yet many circumstances prove -that Frederick held a high rank in Napoleon’s regard. -The large silver watch, a kind of alarum used by that -Prince, which hangs by the fire-place in the Emperor’s -apartment at St. Helena;—the eagerness with which -Napoleon, on his entrance into Potzdam, seized the sword -of the Prussian hero, exclaiming, “Let those who will -seek other spoil; I value this beyond millions!”—finally, -his long and silent contemplation of the tomb of Frederick—sufficiently -<span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>attest the deep interest which Napoleon -attached to every thing connected with that sovereign.<a id='r12' /><a href='#f12' class='c008'><sup>[12]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>In the Dictionary of Sieges and Battles, which the -Emperor was looking over to-day, he found his name -mentioned in every page; but connected with anecdotes -either totally false, or at least misstated. This led him -to exclaim against the whole swarm of inferior writers, -and their unworthy abuse of the pen. “Literature,” he -said, “had become the food of the vulgar, while it ought -to have been reserved exclusively for people of refined -taste.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For example,” said the Emperor, “it is affirmed -that, when at Arcole, I one night took the post of a -sentinel who had fallen asleep. This idea was doubtless -conceived by a citizen, by a lawyer, perhaps, but certainly -not by a soldier. The author evidently wishes to -represent me in a favourable point of view; and he of -course imagined that nothing could reflect greater credit -on me than the story he has invented. He certainly -wrote it with the view of doing me honour; but he knew -not that I was totally incapable of the action he describes. -I was much too fatigued for any such thing; and it is -very probable that I should myself have fallen asleep -before the sentinel.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We then enumerated about fifty or sixty great battles -that had been fought by the Emperor. Some one present -having asked which was the greatest, the Emperor replied -that it was difficult to answer that question, since it was -first necessary to enquire what was meant by the greatest -battle. “Mine,” continued he, “cannot be judged of -separately. They had no unity of place, action or design. -They formed merely a portion of extensive plans. They -can therefore only be judged of by their results. The -battle of Marengo, which was so long undecided, procured -for us the dominion of all Italy; Ulm annihilated a -whole army; Jena threw the whole Prussian monarchy -into our hands; Friedland opened to us the Russian -<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>empire; and Eckmühl decided the fate of a war. The -battle of Moscow was one in which the greatest talent -was displayed, and in which the fewest results were obtained. -Waterloo, where every thing failed, would, had -every thing succeeded, have saved France and re-established -Europe.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Madame de Montholon having asked what troops -might be accounted the best, “Those who gain victories, -Madam,” replied the Emperor. “But,” added he, -“soldiers are capricious and inconstant, like you ladies. -The best troops were the Carthagenians under Hannibal; -the Romans under the Scipios; the Macedonians under -Alexander; and the Prussians under Frederick.” He -thought, however, he might safely affirm that the French -troops were, of all others, those who could most easily be -rendered the best, and preserved so.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“With my complete guard of 40 or 50,000 men, I -would have pledged myself to march through all Europe. -It may, perhaps, be possible to produce troops as good -as those who composed my army of Italy and Austerlitz; -but certainly nothing can ever surpass them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, who had dwelt for a considerable time -on this subject, which was so interesting to him, suddenly -recollecting himself, asked what it was o’clock. -He was informed that it was eleven.—“Well,” said -he, rising, “we at least have the merit of having got -through our evening without the help of either tragedy or -comedy.”</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>MADAME DE COTTIN’S MATHILDE, &C.—ALL FRENCHMEN INTERESTED IN NAPOLEON.—DESAIX AND NAPOLEON AT MARENGO.—SIR SIDNEY SMITH.—CAUSE OF GENERAL BONAPARTE’S RETURN TO FRANCE.—ACCOUNT OF HIS VOYAGE.—INSTANCES OF THE CAPRICE OF FORTUNE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>29th. About two o’clock the Emperor desired me to -attend him in his chamber, and he gave me some private -orders. At four I rejoined him. I found him sitting -under the tent, surrounded by all his suite; he was -swinging backward and forward on his chair, laughing, -talking, and making every effort to be cheerful, while, at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>the same time, he continually repeated that he felt dull -and languid. He rose and took a drive in the calash.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the conversation turned on romance -writing. Some one mentioned Madame Cottin’s Mathilde, -the scene of which is laid in Syria. The Emperor -asked the person who had alluded to the work whether -he had ever seen Madame Cottin, whether she liked him -(Napoleon), whether her work was favourable to him, &c., -but as he did not receive a ready answer he thus continued: -“But every body has loved me and hated me: -every one has been for me and against me by turns. I -may truly say that there is not a single Frenchman in -whom I have not excited interest. All must have loved -me, from Collot d’Herbois (had he lived) to the Prince of -Condé; only not all at the <a id='corr199.15'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='same,'>same</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_199.15'><ins class='correction' title='same,'>same</ins></a></span> time but at different -intervals and periods. I was like the sun which crosses -the equator to travel through the ecliptic. According -as my influence was felt in each different climate, all -hopes expanded, and I was blessed and adored; but when -I had departed, when I was no longer understood, unfavourable -sentiments arose.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Egypt next became the subject of conversation; and -the Emperor again sketched the characters of Kleber and -Desaix. The latter joined the First Consul on the eve -of the battle of Marengo. Napoleon asked him how he -could have thought of signing the capitulation of Egypt; -since the army was sufficiently numerous to maintain -possession of it. “We ought not to have lost Egypt,” -he observed.—“That’s very true,” replied Desaix, “and -the army was certainly numerous enough to enable us to -retain possession of the country. But the General-in-chief -left us; and at that distance from home, the General-in-chief -is not a single man in the army; he is the -half, the three-fourths, the five-sixths of it. I had no -alternative but to resign the possession of the country. -I doubt whether I could have succeeded had I acted -otherwise; besides, it would have been criminal to make -the attempt, for in such a case it is a soldier’s duty to -obey, and I did so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Desaix, immediately after his arrival at Marengo, obtained -the command of the reserve. Towards the end of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>the battle, and amidst the greatest apparent disorder, -Napoleon came up to him:—“Well,” said Desaix, -“affairs are going on very badly, the battle is lost. I -can only secure the retreat. Is it not so?”—“Quite -the contrary,” said the First Consul; “to me the result -of the battle was never for a moment doubtful. Those -masses, which you see in disorder on the right and left, -are marching to form in your rear. The battle is gained. -Order your column to advance: you have but to reap the -glory of the victory.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor afterwards spoke of Sir Sidney Smith, -He had, he said, just read in the Moniteur the documents -relating to the convention of El-Arish, in which -he remarked that Sir Sidney had evinced a great share -of intelligence and integrity. The Emperor said he bewildered -Kleber by the stories which he made him believe. -But when Sir Sidney received intelligence of the refusal -of the English Government to ratify the treaty, he was -very much dissatisfied, and behaved very honourably to -the French army. “After all,” said the Emperor, “Sir -Sidney Smith is not a bad man. I now entertain a better -opinion of him than I did; particularly after what I daily -witness in the conduct of his confederates.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was Sir Sidney Smith who, by communicating the -European journals to Napoleon, brought about the departure -of the General-in-chief, and consequently the -dénouement of Brumaire. The French, on their return -from St. Jean d’Acre, were totally ignorant of all that -had taken place in Europe for several months. Napoleon, -eager to obtain intelligence, sent a flag of truce on board -the Turkish admiral’s ship, under the pretence of treating -for the ransom of the prisoners whom he had taken at -Aboukir, not doubting that the envoy would be stopped -by Sir Sidney Smith, who carefully prevented all direct -communication between the French and the Turks. -Accordingly, the French flag of truce received directions -from Sir Sidney to go on board his ship. He experienced -the handsomest treatment; and the English commander, -having among other things ascertained that the disasters -of Italy were quite unknown to Napoleon, he indulged -in the malicious pleasure of sending him a file of newspapers.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>Napoleon spent the whole night in his tent, perusing -the papers; and he came to the determination of immediately -proceeding to Europe, to repair the disasters of -France, and, if possible, to save her from destruction.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Admiral Ganthaume, who brought Napoleon from -Egypt in Le Murion frigate, frequently related to me the -details of his voyage. The Admiral remained at head-quarters -after the destruction of the fleet at Aboukir. -Shortly after the return from Syria, and immediately after -a communication with the English squadron, the General-in-chief -sent for him and directed him to proceed forthwith -to Alexandria, to fit out secretly, and with all -possible speed, one of the Venetian frigates that were -lying off that port, and to let him know when the vessel -was ready to sail.</p> - -<p class='c000'>These orders were executed. The General-in-chief, -who was making a tour of inspection, proceeded to an -unfrequented part of the coast, with a party of his guides. -Boats were in readiness to receive them, and they were -conveyed to the frigate without passing through -Alexandria.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The frigate weighed that very evening, in order to get -out of sight of the English cruisers and the fleet that -was anchored at Aboukir, before daylight. Unfortunately, -a calm ensued while the vessel was still within sight of -the coast, and from the tops the English ships at Aboukir -were still discernible.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The utmost alarm prevailed on board the frigate. It -was proposed to return to Alexandria; but Napoleon -opposed this suggestion. The die was cast; and happily -they soon got beyond the reach of observation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The voyage was very long and very unfavourable. The -idea of being overtaken by the English frequently occasioned -alarm. Though no one knew the intentions of -the General, each formed his own conjectures, and the -utmost anxiety prevailed. Napoleon alone was calm -and undisturbed. During the greater part of the day -he used to shut himself up in his cabin, where, as -Ganthaume informed me, he employed himself in reading -sometimes the Bible, and sometimes the Koran. Whenever -he appeared on deck, he displayed the utmost -<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>cheerfulness and ease, and conversed on the most indifferent -subjects.</p> - -<p class='c000'>General Menou was the last person to whom Napoleon -spoke on shore. He said to him, “My dear General, -you must take care of yourselves here. If I have the -happiness to reach France, the reign of ranting shall he -at an end.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>On a perusal of the papers furnished by Sir Sidney -Smith, Napoleon formed such an idea of the disasters of -France that he concluded the enemy had crossed the -Alps, and was already in possession of several of our -Southern Departments. When therefore the frigate approached -the coast of Europe, Napoleon directed the -Admiral to make for Collioure and Port-Vendre, situated -at the extremity of the Gulf of Lyons. A gale of wind -drove them upon the coast of Corsica. They then entered -Ajaccio, where they obtained intelligence of the -state of affairs in France.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ganthaume informed me that he saw, at Ajaccio, the -house which was occupied by Napoleon’s family, the -patrimonial abode. The arrival of their celebrated -countryman immediately set all the inhabitants of the -island in motion. A crowd of cousins came to welcome -him, and the streets were thronged with people.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon again set sail, and the frigate now steered -towards Marseilles and Toulon. However, just as they -were on the point of reaching the place of their destination, -a new source of alarm arose. At sunset, on the larboard of -the frigate, and precisely in the sun’s rays, they observed -thirty sail making towards them with the wind aft. -Ganthaume proposed that the long boat of the frigate -should be manned with the best sailors, and that the -General should get on board, and under favour of the -night, endeavour to gain the shore. But Napoleon declined -this proposition, observing that there would always -be time enough for that mode of escape; and he directed -the captain to continue his course as though nothing had -occurred. Meanwhile, night set in, and the enemy’s -signal-guns were heard, at a distance, and right astern: -thus it appeared that the frigate had not been observed. -Next day they anchored at Frejus. The rest is well -known.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>The Emperor concluded the evening’s conversation, by -relating to us three curious instances of the caprice of -fortune, which took place in the same quarter of the -world, and about the same period.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A corporal, who deserted from one of the regiments -of the army of Egypt, joined the Mamelukes, and was -made a Bey. After his elevation, he wrote a letter to his -former General.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A fat sutler’s wife who had followed the French army, -became the favourite of the Pasha of Jerusalem. She -could not write, but she sent a messenger with her compliments -to her old friends, assuring them that she -would never forget her country, but would always afford -protection to the French and the Christians. “She -was,” said the Emperor, “the Zaire of the day.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A young peasant-girl of Cape Corso, being seized in a -fishing-boat by corsairs, was conveyed to Barbary, and -subsequently became the ruling favourite of the King of -Morocco. The Emperor, after some diplomatic communications, -caused the brother of this young girl to be -brought from Corsica to Paris, and, after having him -suitably fitted out, sent him to his sister; but he never -heard of them afterwards.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was late when the Emperor retired to rest; he had -spent upwards of three hours in conversation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>30th.—I attended the Emperor at four o’clock. He -had been engaged in dictating under the tent. The -Governor had returned answers to the letters which M. -de Montholon addressed to him by the Emperor’s -orders.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To the first communication, containing the protest -against the treaty of the 2d of August, and various other -complaints, no answer was returned, except that the -Governor wished to be informed what letter he had kept -back. This we could not tell him, since we had not seen -the letters. We had asked <em>him</em> that question; and he -was the only person capable of answering it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To the second letter, which stated that the Emperor -would not receive strangers at Longwood unless they -were admitted by the Grand Marshal’s passes, as was -usual in the time of Admiral Cockburn, the Governor -<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>replied that he had been sorry to see General Bonaparte -troubled by intrusive visitors at Longwood, and that he -wished to prevent such importunity for the future. This -was a most revolting piece of irony, considering the -situation in which the Emperor was placed, and the tenor -of M. de Montholon’s letter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner the Emperor retired to the drawing-room, -and desired us all to seat ourselves round the table, to -form, as he said, an academic sitting. He began to dictate -to us on some subjects; but when the parts that had -been written were read over to him, he resolved to cancel -them. Conversation was then resumed, and was kept up -for a considerable time, partly in a serious and partly in a -lively strain. It was near one o’clock when the Emperor -retired. For some time past we have sat up later than -we used to do. This is a good sign: the Emperor feels -better, and he is more cheerful and talkative than he -lately was.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>HISTORICAL DOUBTS.—THE REGENCY OF THE DUKE OF ORLEANS.—MADAME DE MAINTENON.—HER MARRIAGE WITH LOUIS XIV.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>31st.—The Emperor rose very early, and took a turn -round the park alone. On his return, not wishing to -have any one disturbed, he desired my son, who had -risen, to sit down under the tent, and write from his -dictation: in this manner he employed himself for two -hours. We all breakfasted with him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We took an airing in the calash. The conversation -turned on the doubts that were attached to various points -of history. The Emperor made some very curious remarks -on this subject, and concluded with a circumstance -relating to the Regent. “If,” said he, “Louis XV. had -died in his childhood, and nothing was more possible, -who would have doubted that the Duke of Orleans had -poisoned the whole royal family? Who would have -ventured to defend him? Had not one child survived, -that Prince would not have had justice done him.” The -Emperor then alluded to the character of the Duke of -Orleans, and particularly to his errors in the affair of the -legitimate princes. “There he degraded himself,” said -<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>Napoleon; “not to say, however, that their cause was -good. Louis XIV. usurped a right in nominating them -to the succession. On the extinction of the Royal House, -the choice of a Sovereign is unquestionably the prerogative -of the nation. The act of Louis XIV. was doubtless -an error into which that Monarch was betrayed by his -own greatness. He conceived that every thing emanating -from him must necessarily be great. Yet he seemed -to entertain a suspicion that the world might not be -exactly of his opinion; for he took precautions to consolidate -his work by giving his natural children in -marriage to the legitimate princes and princesses of the -royal family. As to the Regency, it is very certain that -it devolved by right on the Duke of Orleans. Louis -XIV.’s will was a downright absurdity: it was a violation -of our fundamental laws. France was a monarchy, -and he gave us a republic for a Regency.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor then mentioned Madame de Maintenon, -whose career, he said, was most extraordinary. She -was, he observed, the Bianca Capello<a id='r13' /><a href='#f13' class='c008'><sup>[13]</sup></a> of her age; but -less romantic, and not quite so amusing. Pursuing his -historical doubts, he said a great deal on the subject of -Madame de Maintenon’s marriage with Louis XIV. He -declared that he was sometimes inclined to regard the -circumstance as very problematical, in spite of all that -was said about it in the Memoirs of the time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The fact is,” observed he, “that there does not, and -never did, exist any official and authentic proof of the -marriage. What could be Louis XIV.’s object in keeping -the measure so strictly secret, both from his contemporaries -and posterity? and how happened it that the -Noailles family, to whom Madame de Maintenon was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>related, suffered nothing to transpire on the subject? -This was the more singular considering that Madame de -Maintenon survived Louis XIV.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, feeling somewhat fatigued this evening, -retired to rest early. He seemed indisposed and low -spirited.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE FRENCH MINISTERS, &C.—ANECDOTE OF M. DARU.—FADED<br /> FINERY AT ST. HELENA.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>Sunday, September 1st.—The Emperor went out -about three o’clock: he said that he had felt feeble, languid, -and dull the whole of the day. We all felt indisposed -in the same way: it was the effect of the weather. -We strolled out to the great path in the wood, while the -calash was preparing; but no sooner had we reached -the extremity of the path than a shower of rain came -on. It was so heavy that the Emperor was obliged to -take refuge at the foot of a gum-tree, the scanty foliage -of which, however, afforded but little shelter. The -calash soon arrived to take us up; and we were returning -home with all speed, when we perceived the Governor, -at some distance, making towards us. The Emperor -immediately ordered the coachman to turn, observing, -that of two evils he would choose the least; and we took -a circuitous route homewards, in spite of the wind and -rain. We, however, escaped Sir Hudson Lowe: that -was an advantage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Before dinner, the Emperor, in his chamber, took a -review of the individuals who had been attached to his -Household, the Council of State, and the different ministerial -departments. Alluding to M. Daru, he observed -that he was a man distinguished for probity and for indefatigable -application to business. At the retreat from -Moscow, M. Daru’s firmness and presence of mind were -remarkable, and the Emperor often afterwards said that -he laboured like an ox, while he displayed the courage -of a lion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Business seemed to be M. Daru’s element; he was -incessantly occupied. Soon after he was appointed -Secretary of State, one of his friends was expressing a -fear that the immense business in which he would thenceforth -<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>be absorbed might prove too much for him. “On -the contrary,” replied Daru, “I assure you that, since I -have entered upon my new functions, I seem to have -absolutely nothing to do.” On one occasion only was -his vigour ever known to relax. The Emperor called -him up, after midnight, to write from his dictation: -M. Daru was so completely overcome by fatigue that he -scarcely knew what he was writing; at length he could -hold out no longer, and he fell asleep over his paper. -After enjoying a sound nap, he awoke, and, to his astonishment, -perceived the Emperor by his side quietly engaged -in writing. The shortness of the candles informed -him that his slumber had been of considerable duration. -While he sat for a few moments overwhelmed with confusion, -his eyes met those of the Emperor, who said to -him: “Well, Sir, you see I have been doing your work, -since you would not do it yourself. I suppose you have -eaten a hearty supper, and passed a pleasant evening; -but business must not be neglected.”—“I pass a pleasant -evening, Sire!” said M. Daru. “I have been for -several nights without sleep, and closely engaged. Of -this your Majesty now sees the consequence, and I am -exceedingly sorry for it.”—“Why did you not inform -me of this?” said the Emperor, “I do not want to kill -you. Go to bed. Good night, M. Daru.” This was -certainly a characteristic trait, and one that was well -calculated to remove the false notions which were generally -entertained respecting Napoleon’s harshness of -temper. But I know not by what fatality facts of this -kind were concealed from our knowledge, while any absurd -inventions unfavourable to the Emperor were so -actively circulated. Was it because the courtiers reserved -their flattery for the interior of the palace, and -sought to create a sort of counterpoise, by assuming -elsewhere an air of opposition and independence? Be -this as it may, had any individual related traits of the -above kind in the saloons of Paris, he would probably -have been told that he had invented them, or would have -been looked upon as a fool for giving credit to them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Grand Marshal and his lady came to dine at -Longwood, which they were accustomed to do every -Sunday.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>During dinner, the Emperor jokingly alluded to the -faded finery of the ladies. He said that their dresses -would soon resemble the gay trappings of those old -misers who purchase their wardrobes from the dealers -in second-hand clothes; they no longer displayed the -freshness and elegance that characterized the millinery -of Leroi, Despeaux, Herbault, &c. The ladies craved -indulgence for St. Helena; and their husbands reminded -the Emperor of his fastidiousness with regard to female -dress at the Tuileries, which, it was remarked, had -proved the ruin of some families. At this the Emperor -laughed, and said that the idea of his scrupulous taste in -dress was a mere invention of the ladies of the Court, -who made it a pretence, or an excuse, for their extravagance. -The conversation then turned on our splendour -at St. Helena. The Emperor said that he had told -Marchand he would wear every day the hunting-coat -which he then had on, until it was completely worn out: -it was already very far gone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Both before and after dinner the Emperor played a -few games at chess: he felt low-spirited and nervous, -and retired to bed early.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>THE CAMPAIGN OF SAXONY IN 1813.—REFLECTIONS.—ANALYSIS.—BATTLES<br /> OF LUTZEN AND WURTZEN.—NEGOTIATIONS.—BATTLES<br /> OF DRESDEN, LEIPSIC, HANAU,<br /> &c.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>Sept. 2.—To-day there was some horse-racing at the -camp, at which one of the Emperor’s suite was present.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor did not go out until late, and he walked -to the calash. The wind blew very hard, and he renounced -his intention of taking a drive. He sat down -beneath the tent: but, finding it not very pleasant -without doors, he retired to his library, where he took up -the Letters of Madame de Chateauroux, looked through -the Expedition to Bohemia, and analysed the Life of -Marshal de Belle-Isle. He again went out to take a -walk in the garden; but he returned almost immediately, -and directed me to follow him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He took up a book relating to our last campaigns, -and, after perusing it for some time, he threw it down, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>saying, “It is a downright rhapsody—a mere tissue of -contradictions and absurdities.” He conversed for a -considerable time on the two celebrated campaigns of -Saxony: his observations were principally moral, and -few or none military; I noted down the following as -the most remarkable: “That memorable campaign,” -said he, “will be regarded as the triumph of courage in -the youth of France; of intrigue and cunning in English -diplomacy; of intelligence on the part of the Russians; -and of effrontery in the Austrian Cabinet. It will mark -the period of the disorganization of political societies, -the great separation of subjects from their Sovereigns; -finally, the decay of the first military virtues—fidelity, -loyalty, and honour. In vain people may write and -comment, invent falsehoods and suppositions; to this -odious and mortifying result we must all come at last: -time will develop both its truth and its consequences.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But it is a remarkable circumstance, in this case, -that all discredit is equally removed from sovereigns, -soldiers, and people. It was entirely the work of a few -military intriguers and headlong politicians, who, under -the specious pretext of shaking off the foreign yoke and -recovering the national independence, purposely sold -their own rulers to envious rival Cabinets. The results -soon became manifest: the King of Saxony lost half his -dominions, and the King of Bavaria was compelled to -make valuable restitutions. What did the traitors care -for that? They enjoyed their rewards and their wealth, -and those who had proved themselves most upright and -innocent were visited with the severest punishment. -The King of Saxony, the most honest man who ever -wielded a sceptre, was stripped of half his territories; -and the King of Denmark, so faithful to all his engagements, -was deprived of a crown! This, however, was -affirmed to be the restoration and the triumph of morality!... -Such is the distributive justice of this world!...</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To the honour of human nature, and even to the -honour of Kings, I must once more declare that never -was more virtue manifested than amidst the baseness -which marked this period. I never for a moment had -cause to complain individually of the Princes our allies. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>The good King of Saxony continued faithful to the -last; the King of Bavaria loyally avowed to me that -he was no longer his own master; the generosity of -the King of Würtemburg was particularly remarkable; -the Prince of Baden yielded only to force, and in the -very last extremity. All, I must render them this -justice, gave me due notice of the storm that was -gathering, in order that I might take the necessary -precautions. But, on the other hand, how odious was -the conduct of subaltern agents! Military history will -never obliterate the infamy of the Saxons, who returned -to our ranks for the purpose of destroying us! Their -treachery became proverbial among the troops, who still -use the term <em>Saxonner</em> to designate the act of a soldier -who assassinates another. To crown all, it was a -Frenchman, a man for whom French blood purchased a -crown, a nursling of France, who gave the finishing -stroke to our disasters! Gracious God!</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But in the situation in which I was placed, the -circumstance which served to fill up the measure of my -distress was that I beheld the decisive hour gradually -approach. The star paled; I felt the reins slip from my -hands, and yet I could do nothing. Only a sudden turn -of fortune could save us: to treat, to conclude any -compact, would have been to yield like a fool to the -enemy. I was convinced of this, and the event sufficiently -proved that I was not mistaken. We had, -therefore, no alternative but to fight; and every day, by -some fatality or other, our chances diminished. Treason -began to penetrate into our ranks. Great numbers of -our troops sunk under the effects of fatigue and discouragement. -My lieutenants became dispirited, and, -consequently, unfortunate. They were no longer the -same men who figured at the commencement of the -Revolution, or who had distinguished themselves in the -brilliant moments of my success. I have been informed -that some presumed to allege, in their defence, that at -first they fought for the Republic and for their country; -while afterwards they fought only for a single man, for -his individual interests, and his ambition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Base subterfuge! Ask the young and brave soldiers, -and the officers of intermediate rank in the French army, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>whether such a calculation ever entered their thoughts;—whether -they ever saw before them any thing but the -enemy, or behind them any thing save the honour, -glory, and triumph of France! These men never fought -better than at the period alluded to. Why dissemble? -Why not make a candid avowal? The truth is that, -generally speaking, the officers of high rank had gained -every object of their ambition. They were sated with -wealth and honours. They had drunk of the cup of -pleasure, and they henceforth wished for repose, which -they would have purchased at any price. The sacred -flame was extinguished; they were willing to sink to -the level of Louis XV.’s marshals.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>If the words above quoted require any comment—if -the sense here, or in other similar passages of my -Journal, should be found to be incomplete, I must not -be held responsible. I have literally noted down what -Napoleon uttered, and I am accountable for nothing -more. I have already several times mentioned that, -when the Emperor spoke, I never ventured to interrupt -him by questions or remarks. On the subject of the -celebrated campaign of 1813, I may mention that, from -various detached conversations of Napoleon, which I -have not noted down at the time when they occurred, -he was far from being deceived as to the crisis which -threatened France, and he correctly estimated the full -extent of the risk by which he was surrounded in the -opening of the campaign. Ever since his return from -Moscow, he had seen the danger, he said, and endeavoured -to avert it. From that moment he resolved on -making the greatest sacrifices; but the choice of the -proper moment for proclaiming these sacrifices was the -difficult point, and that which chiefly occupied his -consideration. If the influence of material power be -great, he said, the power of opinion is still greater; -it is magical in its effects. His object was to preserve -it; and a false step, a word inadvertently uttered, might -for ever have destroyed the illusion. He found it indispensable -to exert the greatest circumspection, and -to manifest the utmost apparent confidence in his own -strength. It was, above all, necessary to look forward -to the future.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>His great fault, his fundamental error, was in supposing -that his adversaries always had as much judgment -and knowledge of their own interests, as he himself -possessed. From the first, he said, he suspected that -Austria would avail herself of the difficulties in which -he was placed, in order to secure great advantages to -herself; but he never could have believed that the -Monarch was so blind, or his advisers so treacherous as -to wish to bring about his (Napoleon’s) downfall, and -thereby leave their own country henceforth at the mercy -of the uncontrolled power of Russia. The Emperor -pursued the same train of reasoning with regard to the -Confederation of the Rhine, which, he admitted, might, -perhaps, have cause to be dissatisfied with him; but -which, he concluded, must dread still more the idea of -falling under the power of Austria and Prussia. Napoleon -conceived that the same arguments were not -inapplicable to Prussia; which, he presumed, could not -wish entirely to destroy a counterpoise, that was -necessary to her independence, and her very existence. -Napoleon made full allowance for the hatred of his enemies, -and for the dissatisfaction and malevolence which, -perhaps, existed among his allies; but he could not -suppose that either wished for his destruction, since he -felt himself to be so necessary to all; and he acted accordingly. -Such was Napoleon’s ruling idea throughout -the whole of this important period. It was the key of -his whole conduct to the very last hour, and even to the -moment of his fall. It must be carefully borne in mind, -for it serves to explain many things, perhaps, all;—his -hostile attitude, his haughty language, his refusal to -treat, his determination to fight, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>If he should be successful, he thought he could then -make honourable sacrifices, and a glorious peace; while -the illusion of his superiority would remain undiminished. -If, on the contrary, he should experience reverses, it -would still be time enough to make concessions; and he -concluded that the interest of the Austrians and all true -Germans must secure him the support of their arms or -of their diplomacy; for he supposed they were convinced, -as he himself was, that his power had henceforth become -indispensable to the structure, repose, security, and existence -<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>of Europe. But that of which he had reason to -doubt proved most prosperous: victory continued faithful -to him; his first successes were admirable, and -almost incredible. On the other hand, that which he -believed to be infallible was precisely what failed him:—his -natural allies betrayed him, and hastened his downfall.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In support of what I have just alleged, and with the -view of throwing light on the Emperor’s remarks above -quoted, I shall here insert a brief recapitulation of the -events of that fatal campaign. In France, at the time, -we were made acquainted only with its results; the -bulletins gave us but little information, and we received -no foreign publications. Besides, the period is now -distant, and so many important events have since occurred -to occupy public attention, that these details may -be partly forgotten by those who once knew them. -They are here arranged in chronological order.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I extract this recapitulation from a work written by -M. de Montveran, which was published in 1820. The -author has bestowed great care on the collection of -official and authentic documents; and he has availed -himself of the information furnished by preceding -writers. I am, therefore, of opinion, that this work -is, unquestionably, the best that has been written on the -subject. M. de Montveran is far from being favourable -to Napoleon; however, it is but just to admit that he -maintains a tone of impartiality which does credit to his -character, while, at the same time, it enhances the merit -of his work.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the 2nd of May, Napoleon opened the campaign -of Saxony by the victory of Lützen, a most surprising -event, and one which reflects immortal honour on the -conquerors. A newly embodied army, without cavalry, -marched to face the veteran bands of Russia and Prussia; -but the genius of the Chief, and the valour of the young -troops whom he commanded, made amends for all. -The French had no cavalry; but bodies of infantry -advanced in squares, flanked by an immense mass of -artillery, presenting the appearance of so many moving -fortresses. Eighty-four thousand infantry, consisting of -French troops, or troops of the Confederation, with only -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>4,000 cavalry, beat 107,000 Russians or <a id='corr214.1'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Prussians’'>Prussians</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_214.1'><ins class='correction' title='Prussians’'>Prussians</ins></a></span> -with more than 20,000 cavalry. Alexander and the -King of Prussia witnessed the conflict in person. Their -celebrated guards could not maintain their ground against -our young conscripts. The enemy lost 18,000 men; -our loss amounted to 12,000, and our want of cavalry -prevented us from reaping the usual fruit of our conquests. -However, the moral result of the victory was -immense. The enthusiasm of our troops resumed its -ascendency, and the Emperor recovered the full influence -of opinion. The Allies retreated before him without -venturing the chances of another battle.<a id='r14' /><a href='#f14' class='c008'><sup>[14]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the 9th, Napoleon entered Dresden as a conqueror, -conducting back to his capital the King of Saxony, -who, from the consciousness of his own interests, as well -as the wish to remain faithful to his engagements, had -retired on the approach of the Allies, whose proposals he -had constantly rejected.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the 21st and 22d, Napoleon again triumphed at -Würtzen and Bautzen. The Allies had chosen their -ground, which the brilliant campaigns of Frederick had -rendered classic. They had intrenched themselves, and -they thought their position impregnable: but every -thing yielded to the grand views and well-conducted -plans of the French general who, at the very commencement -of the conflict, declared himself to be certain of the -victory.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Allies lost 18,000 or 20,000 men. They were -unable to retain their position, and they retired in disorder. -The Emperor pursued them. He had already -passed through Lusatia, crossed Silesia, and reached the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>Oder, when the Allies demanded an armistice to treat -for peace; and Napoleon, thinking the favourable moment -had arrived, granted it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the 4th of June, the armistice of Pleissvitz was -concluded. This event had the most decisive influence -in producing our misfortunes; it was the fatal knot to -which were attached all the chances and destinies of -the campaign.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Should the Emperor have granted this armistice, or -have followed up his advantages? This was, at the moment, -a problem which time, and the events that have -proved so fatal to us, solved when too late. The Emperor, -crowned with victory, halted before his fallen enemies, -to whom he could now make concessions without -compromising his dignity; his sacrifices could be regarded -only as moderation. Austria, hitherto uncertain -as to what course she should pursue, struck with our -success, rejoined us. Napoleon now reasonably hoped -to see the ratification of a peace which he wished for, -and he would not let slip so favourable an opportunity, -to run the risk of a check that might have lost all, and -which was the more likely to take place since his army -had marched forward in haste and in the utmost disorder, -and his rear was uncovered and harassed by the enemy. -He conceived that the armistice, at all events, afforded -him an opportunity of concentrating and organizing his -forces, and opening his communications with France, by -which means he should be enabled to receive immense -reinforcements, and to create a corps of cavalry.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Unfortunately, in spite of all the Emperor’s calculations, -this fatal armistice proved advantageous only to our -enemies: it was maintained for nearly three months, and -it served only to bring about their triumph and our destruction. -Austria, who was still our ally, by a deception, -which history will justly characterize, availed herself -of that title to oppose us with the greater advantage. -Requiring delay, she obtained it. The Russians, who -were waiting for reinforcements, received them; the -Prussians doubled their numbers; the English subsidies -arrived, and the Swedish army rejoined. Secret associations -were set on foot; a general insurrection of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>whole German population was excited; while, at the -same time, the defection of the Cabinets of the Rhenish -Confederation, and the corruption of the Allied officers, -were effected. Treason also began to creep into the -superior ranks. General Jomini, the Chief of the Staff -of one of our army corps, went over to the enemy with -all the information he had been able to collect respecting -the plans of the campaign, &c.<a id='r15' /><a href='#f15' class='c008'><sup>[15]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>The result sufficiently proved to the Emperor all the -errors of the armistice, and convinced him that he would -have done better had he persisted in pressing forward; -for had he continued successful, the Allies, alarmed at -finding themselves deprived of the aid of Austria, with -whom they could no longer have maintained intelligence, -cut off from the Prince of Sweden, who would have remained -behind, seeing blockades of the fortresses of the -Oder raised, and the war carried back to Poland, to the -gates of Dantzick, amidst a people ready to rise in a -mass—the Allies, I say, would infallibly have treated. -If, on the other hand, we had sustained a reverse, the -consequences could not have been more fatal than those -which were actually experienced. The judicious calculations -of the Emperor ruined him: that which seemed -to be indiscretion and temerity would probably have -saved him.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>CONGRESS OF PRAGUE ON THE 29TH OF JULY.—</h3> - -<p class='c007'>“After two months of difficulties and obstacles, the -Congress opened under the mediation of Austria; if, -indeed, the term Congress can be properly applied to an -assembly in which no deliberations took place, and where -one party had determined beforehand that none should -be held.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The mediator and the adversaries were equally our -enemies; all concurred in their hostility to us, and they -had already decided on war. Why then did they wait? -Because Austria still possessed a shade of modesty, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>she wished, in the debates, to gain a pretence for declaring -war against us. Prussia and Russia, on their part, -thought it necessary to preserve their credit in Europe -by this false manifestation of their desire and their efforts -to preserve peace. All were merely affixing the seal to -their Machiavelian system.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“For them the real Congress was not the assembly at -Prague; it had already taken place two months before. -Time has since thrown into our hands the authentic records -of the intrigues, machinations, and even treaties, -in which they were engaged during that interval. It is -now evident that the armistice was resorted to by pretended -friends and avowed enemies, only for the sake of -artfully cementing the union that was to effect the overthrow -of Napoleon, and creating the triumvirate destined -to oppress Europe while it pretended to deliver her.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Austria had, from interested motives, long delayed -the opening of the Congress of Prague. Resolved to -repair her losses at any price, she did not hesitate to -sacrifice her honour, the better to ensure her success. -She masked her perfidy under the disguise of friendship. -Declaring herself our ally, and eagerly complimenting us -on every new triumph, she insisted, with an air of the -warmest interest, on being our mediatrix when she had -already entered into an agreement to make common -cause with our enemies. Her propositions were accepted. -But she wished to gain time for her preparations; and -thus every day fresh obstacles were started, while the -utmost tardiness was evinced in settling them.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Austria at first offered her services as a mediatrix; -but, changing her tone in proportion as her warlike preparations -advanced, she soon signified her wish to become -an arbitress, at the same time intimating that she -expected great advantages in return for the services she -might render. At length, after an armistice of two -months, when Austria thought herself perfectly prepared, -and when every thing was agreed upon among the coalesced -powers, they opened the Congress, not to treat of -peace and to establish amicable relations, but to develop -their real sentiments, and to insult us unreservedly. -The Russians, in particular, behaved with unusual ill -<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>grace. They were no longer the Russians who anxiously -solicited an armistice after the routs of Lützen, Würtzen, -and Bautzen. They now looked upon themselves as the -dictators of Europe, which, indeed, they have since really -become, by the spirit of their diplomacy, the blindness of -their allies, their geographical situation, and finally by -the force of things. But whom did Alexander select as -his minister to this Congress? Precisely one who, by -personal circumstances, was, according to the laws of -France, unqualified for such a post;—one who was by -birth a Frenchman. Certainly it would have been difficult -to offer a more personal and direct insult. Napoleon -felt it; but he concealed his resentment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Under such circumstances much could not be expected -from the Congress: during the few days of its -sitting, our enemies merely drew up a series of notes -more or less acrimonious, while the conduct of Austria -was marked by the most odious partiality.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the 10th of August, only two days after the first -meeting of the negotiators, the Russians and Prussians -haughtily withdrew; and on the 12th, Austria, that -faithful ally, that obsequious and devoted friend, who -had shewn herself so eager to become our mediatrix and -arbitress, suddenly laid aside those titles to declare war -against us, allowing no interval save that required for -the signature of the manifesto, which she had been for -two months secretly concerting with her new allies, and -which will ever remain a record of her shame and degradation, -since it acknowledges the sacrifice of an Archduchess -to the necessity of crouching before a detested -ally. History will decide on these acts. However, to -the honour of the throne and of morality, there is reason -to believe that most of these transactions, and in particular -the real course of affairs, was unknown to the Emperor -Francis, who is reputed to be the most gentle, upright, -moral, and pious of princes. It has been affirmed -that many of these acts were determined on without his -knowledge, and that others were represented to him under -a totally false colouring. The whole of these disgraceful -proceedings must be attributed to British gold, -to the craftiness of Russian diplomacy, and to the passions -<span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>of the Austrian aristocracy, excited by the English -faction which at that time ruled Europe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Congress broke up with mutual feelings of -irritation. The Emperor then expressed his sentiments -in official and public documents, in the most forcible -language, and in a tone of the highest superiority. But -this he did with the view of creating a favourable impression -on the public mind; for he remained so far -master of himself as that, though hastening to take up -arms, he nevertheless demanded a renewal of the negotiations, -which were resumed at Prague. He deemed it -advisable not to lose the advantages of constant communications: -Austria would be easily detached if we obtained -advantages, and she would be easily convinced if we -sustained reverses. Such was the Congress of Prague.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It will perhaps be asked whether Napoleon was duped -by this Congress and the circumstances arising out of it. -The answer is that he was not, or at least not entirely. -If he had not a knowledge of every fact, he was never -for a moment mistaken as to the intentions and sentiments -that were really entertained.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Napoleon, from the moment of his first victory at -Lutzen, had authentically proposed a general congress. -This he conceived to be the only means of treating for a -general peace, insuring the <a id='corr219.25'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='independance'>independence</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_219.25'><ins class='correction' title='independance'>independence</ins></a></span> of France, and -the guarantee of the modern system. Every other mode -of negotiation appeared to him merely a lure; and if he -seemed to depart from this principle, in accepting the -mediation of Austria, and agreeing to the conferences at -Prague, it was because, as time advanced, affairs became -more complicated. The defeat of Vittoria, the evacuation -of Spain, and the spirit of the French people, which was -declining, had considerably diminished his prosperity. -He anticipated the result of the negotiations: but he -wished to gain time, in his turn, and to await the course -of events. He was not deceived as to the part which -Austria would act; and, without knowing precisely how -far she would carry her deception, he could well discern, -from her mysterious conduct and delays, what was likely -to be her determination. At Dresden, he had even had -personal conversations with the first negotiator of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>Austrian government, who had sufficiently indicated the -line of conduct he intended to pursue. The Emperor -having remarked that he had, after all, eight hundred -thousand men to oppose the enemy, the negotiator -eagerly added, ‘Your Majesty may say twelve hundred -thousand; for you may, if you please, join our force to -your own.’ But what was to be the price of this advantage? -Nothing less than the restitution of Illyria, the -cession of the Duchy of Warsaw, the frontier of the -Inn, &c. ‘And after all,’ said the Emperor, ‘what should -I have gained by this? Had we made all these concessions, -should we not have been humbling ourselves for nothing, -and furnishing Austria with the means of making farther -demands, and afterwards opposing us with greater advantage?’ -He never relinquished the idea that the true -interests of Austria being closely connected with our -danger, we should be more certain of regaining her by -our misfortunes than of securing her by our concessions. -Napoleon was therefore deaf to every demand; but he -had so little doubt of the engagements which Austria -had already contracted with our enemies that he is -described as having said, half good-humouredly and half -indignantly, to the Austrian negotiator: ‘Come now, -confess: tell me how much they have paid you for -this.’”</p> - -<p class='c000'>How severely did Napoleon suffer on this occasion! -What trials of patience did he not undergo! And yet he -was accused at the time of not wishing for peace! “How -was I perplexed,” said he, “when conversing on this -subject, to find myself the only one to judge of the extent -of our danger and to adopt means to avert it. I was -harassed on the one hand by the coalesced Powers, who -threatened our very existence, and on the other by the -spirit of my own subjects, who in their blindness, seemed -to make common cause with them; by our enemies, who -were labouring for my destruction, and by the importunities -of my people and even my Ministers, who urged -me to throw myself on the mercy of foreigners. And I -was obliged to keep up a bold look in this embarrassing -situation: to reply haughtily to some, and sharply to -rebuff others, who created difficulties in my rear, encouraged -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>the mistaken course of public opinion, instead -of seeking to give it a proper direction, and suffered me -to be tormented by demands for peace, when they ought -to have proved that the only means of obtaining it was -to urge me ostensibly to war.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“However, my determination was fixed. I awaited -the result of events, firmly resolved to enter into no -concessions or treaties which could present only a temporary -reparation, and would inevitably have been attended -by fatal consequences. Any middle course must have -been dangerous; there was no safety except in victory, -which would have preserved my power, or in some -catastrophe, which would have brought back my allies.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I beg to call the reader’s attention to this last idea, -which I have already noticed on a former occasion. It -will perhaps be thought I attach great importance to it; -but this is because I feel the necessity of rendering it -intelligible. Though I now enter into it completely, yet -it was long before I understood it, and it appeared to me -paradoxical and subtle.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In what a situation was I placed!” continued the -Emperor. “I saw that France, her destinies, her -principles, depended on me alone!”—“Sire!” I ventured -to observe, “this was the opinion generally entertained; -and yet some parties reproached you for it, exclaiming, -with bitterness, Why would he connect every thing with -himself personally?”—“That was a vulgar accusation,” -resumed the Emperor warmly. “My situation was not -one of my own choosing, nor did it arise out of any -fault of mine; it was produced entirely by the nature and -force of circumstances—by the conflict of two opposite -orders of things. Would the individuals who held this -language, if indeed they were sincere, have preferred to -go back to the period preceding Brumaire, when our -internal dissolution was complete, foreign invasion -certain, and the destruction of France inevitable? From -the moment when we decided on the concentration of -power, which could alone save us; when we determined -on the unity of doctrines and resources which rendered -us a mighty nation, the destinies of France depended -solely on the character, the measures, and the principles -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>of him whom she had invested with this accidental dictatorship: -from that moment the public welfare, <em>the State</em>, -<em>was myself</em>. These words, which I addressed to men -who were capable of understanding them, were strongly -censured by the narrow-minded and ill-disposed; but -the enemy felt the full force of them, and, therefore, his -first object was to effect my overthrow. The same outcry -was raised against other words which I uttered in -the sincerity of my heart: when I said that <em>France had -more need of me than I of her</em>. This profound truth -was declared to be merely excess of vanity. But, my -dear Las Cases, you now see that I can relinquish every -thing; and as to what I endure here, my sufferings -cannot be long. My life is limited; but the existence -of France...!” Then, resuming his former idea, -he said: “The circumstances in which we were placed -were extraordinary and unprecedented; it would be vain -to seek for any parallel to them. I was myself the keystone -of an edifice totally new, and raised on a slight -foundation! Its stability depended on each of my battles! -Had I been conquered at Marengo, France would have -encountered all the disasters of 1814 and 1815, without -those prodigies of glory which succeeded, and which -will be immortal. It was the same at Austerlitz and -Jena, and again at Eylau and elsewhere. The vulgar -failed not to blame my ambition as the cause of all these -wars. But they were not of my choosing; they were -produced by the nature and force of events; they arose -out of that conflict between the past and the future—that -constant and permanent coalition of our enemies, -which obliged us to subdue under pain of being subdued.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>But to return to the negotiations of 1813. On a reference -to the documents and manifestoes published at -the time by the two parties, whether because we can now -peruse them with more impartiality, or because our eyes -have been opened by the conduct of those who triumphed, -it is impossible to avoid feeling astonished at the two-fold -error which led the Germans to rise so furiously -against him from whose yoke they pretended to free -themselves, and in favour of those whom they expected -to become their regenerators!</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span><em>Renewal of Hostilities—Battle of Dresden—26th and -27th of August.</em>—“The hostile powers again presented -themselves on the field of battle. The French, with a -force of 300,000, of which 40,000 were cavalry, occupied -the heart of Saxony, on the left bank of the Elbe; and -the Allies, with 500,000 men, of whom 100,000 were -cavalry, threatened them in three different directions, -from Berlin, Silesia, and Bohemia, on Dresden. This -prodigious disproportion of numbers had no effect on -Napoleon: he concentrated his forces, and boldly assumed -the offensive. Having fortified the line of the Elbe, -which had now become his <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>point d’appui</em></span>, and, protecting -his extreme right by the mountains of Bohemia, he directed -one of his masses on Berlin against Bernadotte, -who commanded an army of Prussians and Swedes, while -another marched upon Silesia, against Blucher, who commanded -a corps composed of Prussians and Russians, and -a third was stationed at Dresden, as the key of the position, -to observe the great Austrian and Russian army in -Bohemia. Finally, a fourth mass was placed as a reserve, -at Zittau, with the threefold object:—1st, to penetrate -into Bohemia, in case we should gain advantages over -Blucher; 2d, to keep the great body of the allied force -confined in Bohemia, through the fear of being attacked -on their rear, should they attempt to debouch by the -banks of the Elbe; 3d, to assist, if necessary, in assailing -Blucher, or in the defence of Dresden; in case that -city should be attacked.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Emperor, who had already made a rapid movement -against Blucher, kept him in action before him, -when he was suddenly called away for the defence of -Dresden, where 65,000 French troops found themselves -opposed to 180,000 of the allied forces. Prince Schwartzenberg, -the General-in-chief, had on the 26th made a -faint attack upon Dresden, instead of making a precipitate -and decided assault; which, it was affirmed, was the -intention of the deserter Jomini, who so well understood -the real state of things. Napoleon came up with the -rapidity of lightning and he combined a force of 100,000 -French troops to oppose the 180,000 Allies. The affair -was not for a moment doubtful; and to his sagacity and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>penetration the whole success must be attributed. The -enemy was overwhelmed: he lost 40,000 men, and was -for some time threatened with total destruction. The -Emperor Alexander was present at the battle, and Moreau -was killed by one of the first balls fired by our -imperial guard, only a short time after he had spoken -with the Russian Emperor.<a id='r16' /><a href='#f16' class='c008'><sup>[16]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>The happy chance, so anxiously looked for by Napoleon, -which was expected to re-establish our affairs, to procure -peace, and to save France, had at length arrived. Accordingly, -on the ensuing day, Austria despatched an -agent to the Emperor with amicable propositions. But -such is the uncertainty of human destiny! From that -moment, by an unexampled fatality, Napoleon had to encounter -a chain of disasters. At every point, except that -at which he was himself present, we sustained reverses. -Our army in Silesia lost 25,000 men in opposing Blucher; -the force which attacked Berlin was defeated by -the Prince of Sweden with great loss; and finally, -nearly the whole of Vandamme’s corps, which, after the -victory of Dresden, was sent into Bohemia with the view -of assailing the enemy’s rear and accomplishing his destruction, -being abandoned to itself and to the temerity -of its chief, was cut in pieces by that part of the Allied -army which was precipitately falling back. This fatal -disaster and the safety of the Austrians, were owing to -a sudden indisposition of Napoleon’s, who, at the moment, -was supposed to have been poisoned. His presence -no longer excited the ardour of the different corps -in maintaining the pursuit; indecision and dejection -ensued; Vandamme’s force was destroyed, and all the -fruit of the splendid victory of Dresden was lost!</p> - -<p class='c000'>After these repeated checks, the spell was broken; the -spirit of the French troops became depressed, while that -of the Allies was the more highly excited. The hostile -forces were now to be estimated only by their numerical -<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>value; and a catastrophe seemed to be at hand. Napoleon, -in despair, made vain efforts; he hastened to every -threatened point, and was immediately called away by -some new disaster. Wherever he appeared, the Allies -retreated before him; and they advanced again as soon -as his back was turned. Meanwhile, all the enemy’s -masses were constantly gaining ground; they had effected -communications with each other, and they now formed -a semicircle, which was gradually closing round the -French, who were driven back upon the Elbe, and -threatened completely to surround them. On the other -hand, our rear, which was uncovered, was assailed by -detached parties. The kingdom of Westphalia was in -open insurrection; our convoys were intercepted, and we -could no longer maintain free communications with -France.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was in this state of things that the negotiators -of Prague submitted to the Emperor the result of their -new conferences. In addition to numerous restitutions -required from Napoleon and his allies, two propositions -were made: 1st, the surrender of all the influence and -acquisitions of France in Italy; 2nd, the resignation -of the French influence and acquisitions in Germany. -Napoleon was to take his choice of one of these two divisions -of power; but the other was to be consigned to -the Allies, to be entirely at their disposal, without any -interference on his part. Neither friends nor enemies -entertained a doubt that Napoleon would eagerly accept -these proposals. “For,” said those about him, “if you -choose Italy, you remain at the gates of Vienna, and the -Allies will soon dispute among themselves respecting the -division of Germany. If, on the contrary, you prefer -the surrender of Italy, you will thereby secure the friendship -of Austria, to whose share it will fall, and you will -remain in the heart of Germany. In either case you will -soon re-appear in the character of a mediator, or a ruler.” -Napoleon, however, was not of this opinion: he rejected -the propositions, and persisted in following up his -own ideas.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Certainly, said he to himself, such proposals in themselves, -and in the natural course of things, are most -<span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>acceptable; but where is the guarantee of their sincerity? -He saw plainly that the Allies were only endeavouring -to lure him into the snare. They determined -thenceforth to abide neither by faith nor law. They did -not conceive themselves bound by any law of nations, or -any rule of integrity in their conduct towards us. In -opposition to the suggestions of his counsellors, Napoleon -said; “If I relinquish Germany, Austria will but -contend the more perseveringly until she obtains Italy. -If, on the other hand, I surrender Italy to her, she will, -in order to secure the possession of it, endeavour to expel -me from Germany. Thus, one concession granted will -only serve as an inducement for seeking or enforcing new -ones. The first stone of the edifice being removed, the -downfall of the whole will inevitably ensue. I shall be -urged on from one concession to another, until I am -driven back to the Tuileries, whence the French people, -enraged at my weakness, and blaming me for their -disasters, will doubtless banish me, and perhaps justly, -though they may themselves immediately become the -prey of foreigners.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>May not this be regarded as a literal prediction of the -events which succeeded the insidious declaration of -Frankfort, the propositions of Chatillon, &c.?</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It would be a thousand times better to perish in -battle amidst the fury of the enemy’s triumph,” continued -the Emperor; “for even defeats leave behind -them the respect due to adversity, when they are attended -by magnanimous perseverance. I therefore prefer to -give battle; for, if I should be conquered, we still have -with us the true political interests of the majority of our -enemies. But, if I should be victorious, I may save all. -I have still chances in my favour—I am far from -despairing.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Intended movement on Berlin.</em>—“In this state of -things, the King of Bavaria, the chief of the Confederation -of the Rhine, wrote to the Emperor, assuring him, -confidentially, that he would continue his alliance for six -weeks longer. “This was long enough,” said Napoleon, -“to render it very probable that he would no longer find -it necessary to abandon us.” He determined immediately -<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>to attempt a great movement, which he had long -contemplated, and which plainly indicates the resources -of his enterprising mind. Pressed upon the Elbe, the -right bank of which was already lined by the great mass -of the Allied force, and nearly turned on his rear, he -conceived the bold idea of changing positions with the -enemy, place for place; to penetrate the enemy’s line, to -form in his rear, and compel him to pass in his turn, -with his whole force, to the left bank of the river. If, -in this situation, he abandoned his communications with -France, he would have in his rear the enemy’s territory, -a tract of country not yet ravaged by war, and which -was capable of maintaining his troops, Berlin, Brandenburg, -and Mecklenburg, he would recover his fortresses, -with their immense garrisons, the separation and the loss -of which would be a great fault after a reverse of fortune, -and would be regarded as resources of genius in case of -triumph. Napoleon now looked forward to new combinations, -and a new prospect of future success: he beheld -before him only the errors, the astonishment, and the -stupor of his enemies, and the brilliancy of his own -enterprise and his hopes.</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Battles of Leipsic</em>, (16th, 18th, and 19th Oct.)—“At -first fortune seemed to smile on the Emperor. But soon -a letter from the King of Würtemberg informed him -that the Bavarian army, seduced by the intrigues and the -prevailing spirit of the moment, had joined the Austrians, -against whom it was intended to be opposed; that it -was marching on the Rhine to cut off the communication -with France; and that the King of Würtemburg was -himself under the necessity of yielding to circumstances. -This unexpected event obliged Napoleon to suspend his -preparations, and to fall back, in order to secure his -retreat. This complication of false movements proved -servicable to the Allies, who pressed and surrounded us: -a great battle seemed inevitable. Napoleon assembled -his forces in the plains of Leipsic. His army consisted -of 157,000 men, and six hundred pieces of artillery; but -the Allies possessed 1000 pieces of artillery, and 350,000 -men. During the first day, the action was furiously -maintained: The French remained triumphant and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>victory would have been decisive, if one of the corps -stationed at Dresden had taken part in the battle, as the -Emperor hoped it would. General Merfeld was taken -prisoner, but liberated on parole, with an intimation that -the Emperor was at length willing to renounce Germany. -But the Allies, who were encouraged by the arrival of -an immense reinforcement, resumed the engagement on -the following day; and they were now so numerous -that, when their troops were exhausted, they were regularly -relieved by fresh corps, as on the parade. The -most inconceivable fatality was now combined with inequality -of numbers; the most infamous treachery -unexpectedly broke out in our ranks; the Saxons, our -allies, deserted us, went over to the enemy, and turned -their artillery against us. Still, however, the presence -of mind, energy, and skill of the French general, together -with the courage of our troops, made amends for all, and -we again remained masters of the field.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“These two terrible engagements, which history will -record as battles of giants, had cost the enemy 150,000 -of his best troops, 50,000 of whom lay dead on the field -of battle. Our loss amounted to 50,000 only. Thus the -difference between our forces was considerably diminished: -and a third engagement presented itself, with -changes much more favourable. But our ammunition -was exhausted; our parks contained no more than 16,000 -charges; we had fired 220,000 during the two preceding -days. We were compelled to make arrangements for -our retreat, which commenced during the night, on -Leipsic. At day-break the Allies assailed us; they -entered Leipsic along with us, and an engagement commenced -in the streets of the city. Our rear-guard was -defending itself valiantly and without sustaining great -loss, when a fatal occurrence ruined all: the only bridge -across the Elster, by which our retreat could be effected, -was, by some accident or misunderstanding, blown up. -Thus all our forces on the Leipsic bank of the river were -lost, and all on the opposite bank marched in haste and -disorder upon Mentz. At Hanau we were compelled to -force a passage through 50,000 Bavarian troops. Only -the wrecks of our army returned to France; and, to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>render the misfortune complete, they brought contagion -along with them.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Such was the fatal campaign of Saxony, our last -national effort, the tomb of our gigantic power. Opposed -to the united efforts of all the forces of Europe, -and in spite of all the chances that were accumulated -against us, the genius of a single man had, in the course -of this campaign, been four times on the point of restoring -our ascendancy, and cementing it by peace: after -the victories of Lützen and Bautzen, after the battle of -Dresden, at the time of the last movement on Berlin, -and finally on the plains of Leipsic.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon failed only by a complication of fatalities -and perfidies, of which history furnishes no example. I -here note down only those which occur to me on a -retrospective view of the events of this period.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>FATALITIES.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>(A.) Sudden indisposition of Napoleon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(B.) Unexpected overflow of the Bober.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(C.) Confidential letter from the King of Bavaria.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(D.) Orders which did not reach the corps at -Dresden.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(E.) Deficiency of ammunition after the two battles of -Leipsic.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(F.) Blowing up of the bridge across the Elster.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>PERFIDIES.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>(G.) Machinations and bad faith of Austria, the first -and true cause of our disasters.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(H.) Violation of the armistice of Pleisswitz, relative -to our blockaded fortresses.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(I.) Desertion of the chief of the staff of the 3d -corps.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(K.) Defection of the Bavarian government.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(L.) Treachery of the Saxons.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(M.) Violation of the capitulation of Dresden, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following are a few lines of explanation:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>(A.) After the victory of Dresden, some one complimented -Napoleon on his great success. “Oh! this -is nothing,” observed he, while his countenance beamed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>with satisfaction; “Vandamme is in their rear, it is -there that we must look for the great result.” The Emperor -was proceeding in person to assist in accomplishing -this decisive operation, when, unfortunately, after one of -his meals, he was seized with so violent a retching, -that he was supposed to have been poisoned, and it was -found necessary to convey him back to Dresden. Thus -the operations were interrupted. The fatal consequences -that ensued are well known. How trivial was the cause, -and how calamitous were the results!</p> - -<p class='c000'>(B.) A sudden overflow of the Bober in Silesia was -the principal cause of the disasters of Marshal Macdonald. -His corps, while in full operation, were overtaken -by the flood, which impeded their operations, and caused -the terrible losses which have been above described.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(C.) About the end of September, the King of Bavaria -addressed a confidential letter to Napoleon, stating that -he would maintain his alliance with him for six weeks or -two months longer; and that during that interval he -would obstinately refuse every advantage that might be -held out to him. The Emperor, who was placed in a -most critical situation, and who, but for this circumstance, -might, perhaps, have lent an ear to the propositions -that were made to him, now no longer hesitated, -but immediately determined on the bold movement which -he had contemplated on Berlin. He conceived that six -weeks would be sufficient to change the state of affairs, -and to remove the fears of his allies. Unfortunately, -military intrigues proved more powerful than the -wishes of the King of Bavaria. Napoleon was forced to -suspend his movement, and to give battle at Leipsic -with disadvantage. The consequences have already been -seen.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(D.) Napoleon, in making his <a id='corr230.34'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='arangements'>arrangements</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_230.34'><ins class='correction' title='arangements'>arrangements</ins></a></span> for the -battles of Leipsic, had relied on a diversion of those -corps of the army which he had left in Dresden. Their -co-operation might have rendered the victory decisive, -and have given a new turn to affairs. But, unfortunately -the enemy’s force was so numerous, and we were so -completely surrounded, that the Emperor’s orders could -not be transmitted to Dresden.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>(F.) After the two terrible engagements at Leipsic, the -French were effecting their retreat across the Elster by a -single bridge. An officer who was stationed to guard it -was ordered to blow it up if the enemy should present -himself in pursuit of our rear-guard. Unluckily this -officer was, by some mistake or other, informed that the -Emperor wanted him. He immediately obeyed the summons, -and in his absence a corporal of sappers, at the -first sight of some detached Russian corps, fired the train -and blew up the bridge, thus dooming to perdition that -portion of our force which still remained on the Leipsic -bank of the river. The whole of our rear-guard and -baggage, two hundred pieces of artillery, and thirty -thousand prisoners (stragglers, wounded and sick), fell -into the hands of the enemy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the publication of the bulletins containing this -intelligence, a general outcry was raised by the discontented -party in Paris. It was asserted that the whole -was a fabrication, and that the Emperor himself had -ordered the blowing up of the bridge, with a view to -ensure his own safety at the expense of the rest of the -army. It was in vain to refer to the statement of the -officer, who confirmed the fact, while he attempted to -justify himself. This was declared to be another fabrication -or a piece of complaisance on the part of the officer. -Such was the language of the time.<a id='r17' /><a href='#f17' class='c008'><sup>[17]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>(G.) The duplicity and bad faith of Austria, the numerous -contradictions between her acts and her professions, -have already been mentioned. Unmindful of the -generosity of which she had been the object after the -battles of Leoben, Austerlitz, and Wagram, she discharged -her debt of gratitude according to the rules of -policy, by eagerly seizing the opportunity of repairing -her losses at any price.</p> - -<p class='c000'>She ruined us by making us consent to the armistice of -Pleisswitz; and her conduct was the more odious, as -she was determined to make war against us; and a few -days afterwards, though still our friend and ally, and -offering herself as a mediatrix, she entered into engagements -hostile to us. Her participation in the conventions -of Rechembach about the middle of June, and in -the conferences of Trachenbergh, at the commencement -of July, is now well known. The necessity of maintaining -a certain appearance of decorum occasioned these -matters to be kept a secret for about a month after the -commencement of hostilities. They were at first proposed -to Francis merely as eventual and precautionary -measures; and he was induced to affix his signature to -them only by the representations of his ministers, who -described Napoleon as the scourge of mankind, and attributed -to him the delays in the opening of the Congress, -which in reality were occasioned by themselves. -(<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>Montveran,</cite></span> vol. vi. p. 262.)</p> - -<p class='c000'>But, in spite of the conduct of Austria, Napoleon still -cherished the hope of seeing her resume her alliance with -him; not that he could calculate on any misunderstanding -between her and the other <a id='corr232.31'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='co lesced'>coalesced</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_232.31'><ins class='correction' title='co lesced'>coalesced</ins></a></span> Powers, but because -he supposed her to be sufficiently clear-sighted with -respect to her own interests. This idea never forsook -him until the moment of signing his abdication.<a id='r18' /><a href='#f18' class='c008'><sup>[18]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>(H.) The fortresses occupied by French troops in those -places which were in the possession of the Allied forces, -were to have a clear circuit of one league, and to receive -supplies of provisions every five days; but this article -was not honestly fulfilled.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the Armistice was prolonged, the French commissaries -demanded that officers of their army should be -sent to the commanders of the fortresses; but the Russian -General-in-chief objected to this, and circumstances -were such that we were obliged to give up the point. -(<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>Montveran</cite></span>, vol. vi. p. 270.)</p> - -<p class='c000'>(I.) The chief of the staff of the 3d corps, a Swiss by -birth, but educated in our ranks, went over to the enemy -a few days before the renewal of hostilities, taking with -him all the information he could collect. For this service -the Emperor of Russia rewarded him with particular favour -and made him one of his Aides-de-camp. It has -been said that this officer, who was possessed of great -talent, had reason to complain of some injustice; but -can any thing palliate such an act, or remove the disgrace -attending it?</p> - -<p class='c000'>(K.) Part of Napoleon’s plan of Campaign was that -the Bavarian army, stationed on the Danube, should act -in concert with the army of Italy stationed in Illyria, -and that their combined efforts should be directed upon -Vienna. The important effect which these measures must -have produced on the fate of the Campaign may be easily -conceived. But the chief of the Bavarian army, under -some pretence or other, but in reality because he had -entered into an understanding with the enemy, remained -constantly inactive, and thus paralyzed the efforts of the -Viceroy, who had to oppose the great bulk of the Austrian -force. It has already been stated that the open defection -of the Bavarians, at the most critical moment of the -campaign, mainly contributed to bring about our disasters.</p> - -<p class='c000'>(L.) But nothing equalled the infamous and disgraceful -treachery of the Saxons, who, though they were then -<span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>serving in our ranks and were our companions in danger -and glory, suddenly turned against us. Whatever might -be the fatal effects of their desertion, the disgrace -attached to themselves is greater than all the mischief -they occasioned to us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conduct of Napoleon during this period, when he -was described as a monster of deception and bad faith, -presents, on the contrary, an example of singular magnanimity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had added a corps of Saxons to his Imperial -guard; but, on the desertion of their countrymen, he -ranged them round their Sovereign, whom he left at -Leipsic,<a id='r19' /><a href='#f19' class='c008'><sup>[19]</sup></a> releasing him from all his engagements. There -were also some Bavarians in his army, and he wrote to -their chief, informing him that, Bavaria having disloyally -declared war against him, this circumstance would -authorize him in disarming and detaining prisoners all -the Bavarians in his service; but that such a measure -would destroy the confidence which Napoleon wished -that the troops under his orders should repose in him. -He therefore ordered them to be supplied with provisions, -and dismissed.<a id='r20' /><a href='#f20' class='c008'><sup>[20]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>(M.) I have before me the notes of a distinguished -officer relative to the capitulation of Dresden. Estimating -the number of troops which we had left behind us -in the fortresses from which we were separated, he -concludes that they must have amounted altogether to -177,000. The Emperor had but 157,000 men at Leipsic. -How different, therefore, might have been our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>fate, had those masses, or even a portion of them, been -at his disposal in this decisive event. But this unfortunate -dispersion was occasioned by extraordinary circumstances, -and was not the result of any regular system. -The following particulars, relative to the violation of the -capitulation of Dresden, are literally quoted from the -notes above alluded to:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Above all, it is necessary to understand that it was -determined in the plan of the coalition against France, of -which Prince Schwartzenberg had the credit, that according -as offers were made for the capitulation of each -of our numerous garrisons, the conditions should be fairly -and honourably granted, but without any intention of -fulfilling them. This point being established, the reason -of the refusal of the capitulation, signed at Dresden -by Marshal St.-Cyr and Generals Tolstoy and Klenau, -was, that Prince Schwartzenberg could not ratify it, -because the Count de Lobau, Napoleon’s aide-de-camp, -who was shut up in Dresden with the Marshal, had -protested against the capitulation. Some time after, the -capitulation of Dantzick, with General Rapp, was declined, -under the odiously false pretence that the garrison of -Dresden, in spite of the conditions of its capitulation, had -entered into service immediately on its arrival at Strasburg, -and that, in consequence, the capitulation of -Dantzick could not be approved without incurring the -risk of similar inconveniences.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The following is an additional proof of the bad faith -of the Allies. The garrison of Dresden, which was -composed of two <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>corps d’armée</em></span>, forming altogether -45,000 men, capitulated on the 11th of November.<a id='r21' /><a href='#f21' class='c008'><sup>[21]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>“According to the terms of the capitulation, the -French were to evacuate the fortress in six columns and -in six successive days, and to repair to Strasburgh.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This capitulation was fulfilled, so far at least as -regarded our evacuation of the fortress and its occupation -by the enemy; but our sixth column had scarcely made -a day’s march from the town when it was announced -that the capitulation was declined and rejected by the -General-in-chief, Prince Schwartzenberg, by an order of -the 19th of November.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When Marshal Saint-Cyr remonstrated against this -conduct, it was proposed, by way of compensation for -the injustice, that he should be permitted to re-enter -Dresden with his troops, and be again placed in possession -of all the means of defence which he had before the -capitulation: this was merely a piece of irony.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In vain did the Marshal negotiate for the literal -fulfilment of the articles agreed upon by Count Klenau, -who had full powers for so doing; the unfortunate -garrison, broken up and dispersed, was under the necessity -of repairing to the different cantonments that were -assigned to it in Bohemia, instead of pursuing its march -towards the Rhine.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Marshal, indignant at this flagrant breach of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>faith, despatched a superior officer to communicate the -circumstance to Napoleon; but the Allies retarded his -progress under various pretences, and he did not reach -Paris until the 18th of December. Subsequent events -had by this time rendered the evil past all remedy.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the series of deceptions and perfidies which I -have here disclosed, and which the Allies had established -as a system, it is not surprising that Napoleon should -have placed no reliance on the famous declaration of -Frankfort, and that he should have felt indignant at the -blindness of our Legislative Body, the committee of -which, either from evil designs or mistaken views, completed -the ruin of affairs. Napoleon assured me that he -was several times on the point of summoning the -members of this committee before him, in order to -consult with them confidentially and sincerely on the real -state of things, and the imminent danger with which we -were threatened. Sometimes he thought that he should -undoubtedly bring them back to a right sense of their -duty; sometimes, on the contrary, he feared that obstinacy -of opinion, or mischievous intention, might have -involved the affair in controversy, which, considering -the spirit of the moment, would have weakened our -resources and hastened our dissolution.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor frequently adverted to this critical point -in the destinies of France; but I have hitherto refrained -from entering upon the detail of a subject which presents -nothing either agreeable or consolatory.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>BENEVOLENT ACTIONS PERFORMED BY THE EMPEROR.—HIS VISIT TO AMSTERDAM.—OBSERVATIONS ON THE DUTCH, &C.—THE MASSACRES OF THE THIRD OF SEPTEMBER.—REMARKS ON REVOLUTIONS IN GENERAL.—UNHAPPY FATE OF LOUIS XVI.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>3rd. About three o’clock, the Emperor sent for me -to attend him in his chamber. He had just finished -dressing; and, as it was raining at the time, he went -into the drawing-room, where he communicated to me -some very curious particulars, which, as it may be supposed, -concerned him, and in which I played a conspicuous -part.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>Some time afterwards the Emperor took a turn on the -lawn contiguous to his library; but, finding the wind very -violent, he soon returned to the house and played at -billiards, a thing which he very seldom thought of doing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the course of the day, the Emperor related that, -as he was once travelling with the Empress, he stopped -to breakfast in one of the islands in the Rhine. There -was a small farm house in the neighbourhood, and while -he was at breakfast he sent for the peasant to whom it -belonged, and desired him to ask boldly for whatever he -thought would render him happy; and, in order to inspire -him with the greater confidence, the Emperor made him -drink several glasses of wine. The peasant, who was -more prudent and less limited in his choice than the -man described in the story of the three wishes, without -hesitation specified the object which he was ambitious to -possess. The Emperor commanded the prefect of the -district immediately to provide him with what he had -made choice of, and the expense attending the gratification -of his wish did not exceed 6 or 7000 francs.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon added that, on another occasion, when he -was sailing in a yacht in Holland, he entered into conversation -with the steersman, and asked him how much -his vessel was worth. “My vessel!” said the man, “it -is not mine; I should be too happy if it were, it would -make my fortune.”—“Well, then,” said the Emperor, -“I make you a present of it;” a favour for which the man -seemed not particularly grateful. His indifference was -imputed to the phlegmatic temperament natural to his -countrymen; but this was not the case. “What benefit -has he conferred on me?” said he to one of his comrades -who was congratulating him; “he has spoken to me, -and that is all; he has given me what was not his own -to give—a fine present truly!” In the mean time Duroc -had purchased the vessel of the owner, and the receipt -was put into the hands of the steersman, who, no longer -doubting the reality of his good fortune, indulged in the -most extravagant demonstrations of joy. The expense -of this purchase was about the same as that attending the -present made to the countryman. “Thus,” said the -Emperor, “it is evident that human wishes are not so -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>immoderate as they are generally supposed, and that it is -not so very difficult to render people happy! These two -men undoubtedly found themselves completely happy.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the Emperor visited Amsterdam, the people, he -said, were very hostile to him; but he soon completely -ingratiated himself in the public favour. He declined -being attended by any other guard than the guard of -honour belonging to the city; and this mark of confidence -immediately gained him the esteem of the Dutch. He -constantly appeared among every class of citizens. On -one occasion he addressed a crowd of people in the following -blunt manner:—“It is said that you are discontented—but -why? France has not conquered, but adopted, -you: you are excluded from no benefits which are -enjoyed by the French; you are a portion of the same -family, and participate in all its advantages. Consider -now: I have selected my Prefects, Chamberlains, and -Councillors of State from amongst you in a just proportion -to the amount of your population, and I have augmented -my guard with your Dutch guard. You complain -of distress; but, in this respect, France has still greater -reason to be dissatisfied. We all suffer, and we must -continue to do so until the common enemy, the tyrant of -the sea, the vampire of your trade, shall be brought to -reason. You complain of the sacrifices you have made; -but come to France and see all that you still possess -beyond what we do, and then, perhaps, you will deem -yourselves less unfortunate. Why not <a id='corr239.28'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='raher'>rather</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_239.28'><ins class='correction' title='raher'>rather</ins></a></span> congratulate -yourselves on the circumstances that have brought about -your union with France. In the present state of Europe, -what would you be, if left to yourselves?—The slaves of -all the world. Instead of which, identified as you are -with France, you will one day possess the whole trade of -the great Empire.” Then, assuming a tone of gaiety, he -said:—“I have done every thing in my power to please -you. Have I not sent you as a Governor precisely the -man who suits you—the good and pacific Lebrun. You -condole with him, he condoles with you: you bewail your -distresses together. What more could I do for you?” -At these words the assembly burst into a loud fit of -laughter. The Emperor had secured the good graces of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>the multitude.—“However,” said he, “let us hope that -the present state of things will not last long. Believe -me, I am as anxious for a change as you can be. Every -man of discernment among you must be aware that it is -neither my wish, nor for my interest, that matters should -remain as they now are.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor left the people of Amsterdam full of -enthusiasm for him; and he, on his part, carried away -impressions decidedly in their favour. Previously to his -journey he had often complained that whosoever he sent -to Holland immediately became a Dutchman. After his -return, that circumstance occurred to his recollection in -the Council of State, and he said that he had himself -become a Dutchman. One day, when a member of the -Council spoke slightingly of the Dutch, the Emperor said, -“Gentlemen, you may be more agreeable than they; but -I can wish you nothing better than to be possessed of their -moral qualities.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, some one happened to mention the -date of the day, the 3rd of September; upon which the -Emperor made some very remarkable observations; -among which were the following:—“This,” said he, “is -the anniversary of horrid and appalling executions, of a -repetition, in miniature, of Saint-Bartholomew’s day: -less disgraceful, certainly, because fewer victims were -sacrificed, and because the atrocities were not committed -under the sanction of the Government, which, on the -contrary, used its endeavours to punish the crime. It -was committed by the mob of Paris; an unbridled power, -which rivalled, and even controlled, the Legislature.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The atrocities of the 3rd of September were the result -of fanaticism rather than of absolute brutality: the -authors of the massacres put to death one of their own -party, for having committed theft during the executions. -This dreadful event,” continued the Emperor, “arose -out of the force of circumstances and the spirit of the -moment. No political change ever takes place unattended -by popular fury; the people are never exposed -to danger, without committing disorders and sacrificing -victims. The Prussians entered the French territory; -and the people, before they advanced to meet them, resolved -<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>to take revenge on their adherents in Paris. -Probably, this circumstance was not without its influence -on the safety of France. Who can doubt that if, during -recent events, the friends of the invaders had been the -victims of similar horrors, France would have fallen -under the yoke of foreigners? But this could not have -happened, for we had become legitimate. The duration -of authority, our victories, our treaties, the re-establishment -of our old manners, had rendered our government -regular. We could not plunge into the same horrors -as had been committed by the multitude; for my part, -I neither could nor would be a King of the mob.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No social revolution ever takes place unaccompanied -by violence. Every revolution of this kind is at first -merely a revolt. Time and success alone can exalt and -render it legitimate; but still it can never be brought -about without outrage. If people enjoying authority -and fortune are required to relinquish these advantages, -they of course resist: force is then resorted to; they are -compelled to yield. In France this point was gained -by the lantern and public executions. The reign of terror -commenced on the 4th of August, with the abolition -of titles of nobility, tithes, and feudal rights, the wrecks -of which were scattered among the multitude, who then, -for the first time, understood and felt really interested in -the Revolution. Before this period there was so much -of dependence and religious spirit among the people that -many doubted whether the crops would ripen as usual -without the King and the tithes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“A revolution,” concluded the Emperor, “is one of -the greatest evils by which mankind can be visited. It -is the scourge of the generation by which it is brought -about; and all the advantages it procures cannot make -amends for the misery with which it embitters the lives -of those who participate in it. It enriches the poor, who -still remain dissatisfied; and it impoverishes the rich, -who cannot forget their downfal. It subverts every -thing; and, at its commencement, brings misery to all -and happiness to none.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Beyond a doubt, true social happiness consists in the -harmony and the peaceful possession of the relative -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>enjoyments of each class of people. In regular and tranquil -times, every individual has his share of felicity: the -cobbler in his stall is as content as the King on his -throne; the soldier is not less happy than the general. -The best-founded revolutions, at the outset, bring universal -destruction in their train; the advantages they may -produce are reserved for a future age. Ours seems to -have been an irresistible fatality: it was a moral eruption, -which could no more be prevented than a physical -eruption. When the chemical combinations necessary -to produce the latter are complete, it bursts forth: in -France the moral combinations which produce a revolution -had arrived at maturity, and the explosion accordingly -took place.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We asked the Emperor whether he thought it would -have been possible to suppress the Revolution in its -birth; and he replied that, if not impossible, the attempt -would at least have been difficult. “Perhaps,” said he -“the storm might have been laid or averted by some -great Machiavelian act; by striking with one hand the -great ringleaders, and with the other making concessions -to the nation, granting freely the reformation required -by the age, part of which had already been mentioned in -the famous royal sitting. And yet, after all,” he observed, -“this would only have been guiding and directing -the Revolution.” He thought that some other plan -of the same kind might perhaps have succeeded on the -10th of August, if the King had remained triumphant. -“These two periods,” he said, were the only ones which -afforded any chance, however desperate; for, at the -affair of Versailles, the people had not yet entirely shaken -off their allegiance, and on the 10th of August they were -already beginning to be tired of disorder. But those -who were chiefly interested in quelling the revolutionary -spirit were not adequate to encounter the difficulties of -the moment.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor then rapidly ran over the series of errors -committed during this period. “The line of conduct -then pursued,” said he, “was truly pitiable. Louis XVI. -should have had a prime minister, and M. Necker under -him in the finance department. Prime ministers seem to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>have been invented for the last reigns of the French -monarchy; and yet the prevailing false notions and -vanity of the time caused them to be dispensed with.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>A great deal was said respecting the equivocal conduct -of several great personages during this critical period, -and the Emperor said: “We condemn Louis XVI.; -but, independently of his weakness, he was placed in -peculiar circumstances. He was the first monarch on -whom the experiment of modern principles was tried. -His education, his innate ideas, led him to believe -sincerely that all that he defended, either openly or -secretly, belonged to him of right. There might be a -sort of honesty even in his want of faith, if I may so -express myself. At a subsequent period, the same -conduct would have been inexcusable, and even reprehensible. -Add to all this that Louis XVI. had every -body against him, and one may form an idea of the -innumerable difficulties which Fate had accumulated on -that unhappy Prince. The misfortunes of the Stuarts, -which have excited such deep interest, were not more -severe.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE BODY-GUARD OF THE KING OF FRANCE.—A DESERTER<br /> IN THE EMPEROR’S SUITE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>4th.—The Emperor sent for me after he had finished -his breakfast. He was stretched on a sofa, with several -books scattered about him. He wore his nightcap, and -looked pale. “Las Cases,” said he, “I am unwell. I -have been looking over a great many books, but I can -find nothing to interest me. I feel wearied.” He fixed -his eye on me; that eye, naturally so animated, was now -dim, and its expression told me more than his eye had -uttered. “Sit down,” said he, pointing to a chair that -was beside him, loaded with books, “and let us chat.” -He spoke of the Island of Elba, of the life he had led -there, of some visits which he had received, &c. He -then put some questions to me concerning Paris and the -French Court during the corresponding period. The -conversation having led to the mention of the King’s -body-guard, some one present remarked, as a curious -circumstance, that there was a deserter from the guard -<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>in Napoleon’s suite at St. Helena. “How? explain -yourself,” said the Emperor.—“Sire,” continued the -person who had just spoken, “at the time of the restoration, -one of the captains of the guard, for whom I entertained -great friendship, and who, in spite of the difference -of our opinions, had always evinced a high regard for me, -proposed to enter my son in his company, assuring me -that he would treat him as though he were his own. -I replied that he was too young, and that the appointment -might retard the progress of his education; but my -friend silenced all my objections. I however requested -some time to consider of the matter; and on my mentioning -it to some persons of my acquaintance, they were -astonished that I should have declined so good an offer, -and assured me that in a short time my son might attain -great advancement, without any interruption of his -education. I then waited on the captain of the guard, -and acknowledged that I had not shewn myself sufficiently -grateful for his offer; and he replied that he was -fully aware I had not understood the extent of the -advantage he proposed to me. However, by one circumstance -or another, your Majesty returned before my -son had the honour of being presented to his colonel, -and as I took him from his Lyceum on our departure -for St. Helena, he is clearly and truly a deserter.” The -Emperor laughed heartily and said; “This is another -effect of revolutions! What new interests, connexions, -and opinions do they create! It is fortunate when they -do not disunite families, and set the best friends at -variance with each other.” He then began to question -me concerning my family, and concluded by saying, “I -saw in Alphonse de Beauchamp’s work, your name mentioned -among the individuals who, on the 30th of -March, endeavoured to excite demonstrations in favour -of the Royal Family in the Place Louis XV. I know it -was not you; I think you once explained the matter to -me, but I have forgotten the particulars.”—“Sire,“ said -I, “it was a cousin of mine, of the same name. The -circumstance vexed me a good deal at the time; I -inserted contradictions in the journals; and it was rather -<span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>droll that my cousin, on his part, addressed letters to the -public prints, desiring that he might be particularly -specified as the individual alluded to. I believe that the -general way in which the name was introduced, in -Alphonse de Beauchamp’s work, was kindly meant on the -part of the author, who wished, by this means, to afford -me an opportunity of ingratiating myself in the favour -of the ruling party, if I had a mind to do so. I must do -my cousin the justice to say that, when I obtained an -appointment about your Majesty’s person, I several times -offered to solicit for him a post in your household or -elsewhere; but this he constantly declined. I wish he -may now enjoy the reward of his fidelity.” The Emperor -again repeated that all private interests were -subverted by revolutions. “And it is these private -wounds,” said he, “which occasion the general ferment, -and render the shocks so acute and violent.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The weather was so bad the whole of the day that it -was impossible to go out. The Emperor dismissed me -and sent for General Gourgaud, to whom he dictated -in his library, from two to six o’clock, almost the whole -of Moreau’s campaign during the Consulate. After -dinner, he read to us Madame de Maintenon’s celebrated -sumptuary letter to her brother, in which she fixes her -household expenditure at six thousand francs a-year. -The Emperor had several volumes of the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>Grands Hommes</cite></span> -brought to him, and, after perusing some articles, he -amused himself by looking at the outline portraits at the -end of each volume.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>NAPOLEON’S REPROOFS, &C. THE GOVERNOR BARGAINS<br /> FOR OUR EXISTENCE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>5th.—To-day, in the course of my morning conversation -with the Emperor, I happened to mention some acts -of oppression and injustice, which excited dissatisfaction -in the public mind, and rendered him unpopular, because -they were executed in his name, and were by many supposed -to emanate from him. “But how?” said he, “was -there no one among the multitude that surrounded me, -none of my chamberlains, who had sufficient spirit and -independence to complain and bring these matters to my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>knowledge? I would have rendered justice wherever it -had been withheld.”—“Sire, few would have ventured -to call your attention to these things.”—“Did you really -stand so much in awe of me? I suppose you dreaded my -sharp rebuffs; but you ought to have known that I always -lent a ready ear to every one, and that I never refused to -administer justice. You should have balanced the reward -of the good action against the danger of the reprimand. -After all, I confess that my reproofs were in most instances -the result of calculation. They were frequently the -only means I possessed of learning a man’s temper, of -discovering by stealth the different shades of his character. -I had little time for inquiry; and a reprimand was -one of my experiments. For example, I lately gave you -a repulse, and this enabled me to discover that you were -somewhat headstrong, extremely susceptible, sufficiently -candid, but sullen; and, I may say, too sensitive,” he -added, pinching my ear. “I was,” continued he, “obliged -to surround myself, as it were, with a halo of fear; -otherwise, having risen as I did from amidst the multitude, -many would have made free to eat out of my hand, -or to slap me on the shoulder. We are naturally inclined -to familiarity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The weather continued very bad, and the Emperor -spent the chief part of the day in writing, as he did -yesterday.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Governor has renewed his cavilling on the subject -of our supplies, descending into petty details about a few -bottles of wine, or a few pounds of meat. Instead of -eight thousand pounds, the sum fixed by Government, he -now applied for an allowance of twelve thousand, which -he himself declared to be indispensable; but he insisted -on having the surplus delivered into his own hands, or -subjecting us to great retrenchments. He bargained for -our existence. When this was mentioned to the Emperor -he replied that the Governor might do as he pleased; but -he desired, at all events, that he might not be troubled -about the business.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the evening the conversation again turned on -Madame de Maintenon, and the Emperor made many -remarks on her letters, her character, her influence on the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>affairs of her time, &c. He asked for the Historical -Dictionary to read the articles on the Noailles family; -and he retired to rest at eleven o’clock.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION.—THE LETTERS OF MADAME<br /> DE MAINTENON AND SEVIGNÉ.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>6th.—The weather proved as bad as it had been on the -preceding day. After finishing his toilet, the Emperor -retired to his library, attended by one of his suite, with -whom he held a long confidential conversation on a topic -intimately concerning us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have now,” said he, “been at St. Helena more -than a year, and with regard to certain points we remain -just as we were on the first day of our arrival. I must -confess that I have hitherto come to no determination in -my own mind upon these subjects. This is very unlike -me; but how many mortifications have I to encounter! -A victim to the persecutions of Fate and man, I am -assailed every where and on all hands. Even you, my -faithful friends and consolers, help to lacerate the wound. -I am vexed and distressed by your jealousies and dissensions.”—“Sire,” -replied the individual to whom he -addressed himself, “these things should remain unnoticed -by your Majesty. In all that concerns you, our -jealousy is merely emulation; and all our dissension ceases -on the expression of your slightest wish. We live only -for you, and will always be ready to obey you. To us -you are the <em>Old Man of the Mountain</em>; you may command -us in all things, except crime.”—“Well,” said the -Emperor, “I will think seriously of the subject I have -just alluded to, and each shall have his own particular -task.” He dictated a few notes, and afterwards went -down to the garden, where he walked about for a short -time alone, and then withdrew to his own apartment.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor did not quit his chamber until the moment -dinner was announced. He resumed his remarks -on Madame de Maintenon, whose letters he had been -reading. “I am charmed,” said he, “with her style, her -grace, and the purity of her language. If I am violently -offended by what is bad, I am at the same time exquisitely -sensible to what is good. I think I prefer Madame -<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>de Maintenon’s letters to those of Madame de Sevigné: -they tell more. Madame de Sevigné will certainly always -remain the true model of the epistolary style; she has a -thousand charms and graces, but there is this defect in -her writings, that one may read a great deal of them -without retaining any impression of what one has read. -They are like trifles, which a man may eat till he is tired -without overloading his stomach.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor then made some observations on grammar. -He asked for the grammar of Domairon, who had -been our professor at the military school at Paris. He -glanced through it with evident pleasure. “Such is the -influence of youthful impressions,” said he; “I suspect -that Domairon’s is not the best of grammars, yet to me -it will always be the most agreeable. I shall never open -it without experiencing a certain pleasure.”</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>ERRORS OF THE ENGLISH MINISTERS.—MEANS OF WHICH ENGLAND MIGHT HAVE AVAILED HERSELF FOR THE LIQUIDATION OF HER DEBT.—THE GOVERNOR’S REDUCTIONS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>7th.—The Emperor remained within doors the whole -of the day. The Governor appeared on the grounds -accompanied by a numerous party; but we fled at his -approach. Several vessels have been observed out at -sea.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was summoned to attend the Emperor, and I found -him engaged in perusing a work on the state of England. -This became the subject of conversation; the Emperor -said a great deal respecting the enormous national debt -of England, the disadvantageous peace she had concluded, -and the different means by which she might have extricated -herself from her difficulties.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon possesses in an eminent degree the instinct -of order and harmony. I once knew a man who, being -much engaged in arithmetical calculations, confessed -that he could not enter a drawing-room without being -led irresistibly to count the people who were in it; and -that, when he sat down to table, he could not help summing -up the number of plates, glasses, &c. Napoleon, -though in a more elevated sphere, has also an irresistible -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>habit of his own, which is to develop the grand and the -beautiful in every subject that comes under his attention. -If he happens to converse about a city, he immediately -suggests improvements and embellishments; if a nation -be the object of his consideration, he expatiates on -the means of promoting her glory, prosperity, useful -institutions, &c. Many of his observations, that have -already been noted down, must have rendered this fact -obvious to the reader.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Either the contents of the journals and other publications -of the day, or the nature of our situation here, -occasioned the Emperor’s attention to be constantly directed -to the state of England. He frequently adverted -to what she ought to have done, as well as to what she -still had to do, and which might render her future condition -more prosperous. I subjoin here a few of the -observations, on this subject, which escaped him at -various times:—</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Colonial system,” said he one day, “is now at -an end for all; for England, who possesses every colony, -and for the other powers, who possess none. The -empire of the seas now belongs indisputably to England; -and why should she, in a new situation, wish to continue -the old routine? Why does she not adopt plans -that would be more profitable to her? She must look -forward to a sort of emancipation of her colonies. In -the course of time, many will doubtless escape from her -dominion, and she should therefore avail herself of the -present moment to obtain new securities and more -advantageous connexions. Why does she not propose -that the majority of her colonies shall purchase their -emancipation by taking upon themselves a portion of -the general debt, which would thus become specially -theirs. The mother-country would by this means relieve -herself of her burthens, and would nevertheless preserve -all her advantages. She would retain, as pledges, the -faith of treaties, reciprocal interests, similarity of language, -and the force of habit; she might moreover -reserve, by way of guarantee, a single fortified point, a -harbour for the ships, after the manner of the factories on -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>the coast of Africa. What would she lose? Nothing; -and she would spare herself the trouble and expense of -an administration which, too often, serves only to render -her odious. Her ministers, it is true, would have fewer -places to give away; but the nation would certainly be -no loser.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I doubt not,” added he, “that, with a thorough -knowledge of the subject, some useful result might be -derived from the ideas which I have just thrown out, -however erroneous they may be in their first hasty conception. -Even with regard to India, great advantages -might be obtained by the adoption of new systems. The -English who are here, assure me that England derives -nothing from India in the balance of her trade; the -expenses swallow up, or even exceed, the profits. It is -therefore merely a source of individual advantage, and -of a few private fortunes of colossal magnitude; but -these are so much food for ministerial patronage, and -therefore good care is taken not to meddle with them. -Those nabobs, as they are styled, on their return to England, -are useful recruits to the aristocracy. It signifies -not that they bear the disgrace of having acquired fortunes -by rapine and plunder, or that they exercise a -baneful influence on public morals by exciting in others -the wish to gain the same wealth by the same means; -the present ministers are not so scrupulous as to bestow -a thought on such matters. These men give them their -votes; and, the more corrupt they are, the more easily -are they controlled. In this state of things, where is the -hope of reform? Thus, on the least proposition of -amendment, what an outcry is raised! The English aristocracy -is daily taking a stride in advance; but, as soon -as there is any proposal for retrograding, were it only -for the space of an inch, a general explosion takes place. -If the minutest details be touched, the whole edifice -begins to totter. This is very natural. If you attempt -to deprive a glutton of his mouthful he will defend -himself like a hero.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>On another occasion the Emperor said:—“After a -twenty year’s war, after the blood and treasures that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>were lavished in the common cause, after a triumph beyond -all hope, what sort of peace has England concluded? -Lord Castlereagh had the whole Continent at his disposal, -and yet what advantage, what indemnity, has he -secured to his own country? He has signed just such a -peace as he would have signed had he been conquered. -I should not have required him to make greater sacrifices -had I been victorious. But, perhaps, England -thought herself sufficiently happy in having effected my -overthrow; in that case, hatred has avenged me! During -our contest, England was animated by two powerful -sentiments—her national interest and her hatred of me. -In the moment of triumph, the violence of the one caused -her to lose sight of the other. She has paid dearly for -that moment of passion!“ He developed his idea, glancing -at the different measures which demonstrated the -blunders of Castlereagh, and the many advantages which -he had neglected. “Thousands of years will roll away,” -said he, “before there occurs such another opportunity -of securing the welfare and real glory of England. Was -it ignorance, or corruption, on the part of Castlereagh? -He distributed the spoil generously, as he seemed to -think, among the Sovereigns of the Continent, and reserved -nothing for his own country; but, in so doing, -did he not fear the reproach of being considered as the -agent rather than the partner of the Holy Allies? He -gave away immense territories; Russia, Prussia, and -Austria acquired millions of population. Where is the -equivalent to England? She, who was the soul of all this -success, and who paid so dearly for it, now reaps the -fruit of the <em>gratitude</em> of the Continent, and of the errors -or treachery of her negotiator. My continental system -is continued; and the produce of her manufactures is -excluded. Why not have bordered the Continent with -free and independent maritime towns, such, for example, -as Dantzick, Hamburg, Antwerp, Dunkirk, Genoa, &c., -which would of necessity have become the staples of her -manufactures, and would have scattered them over Europe, -in spite of all the duties in the world. England -possessed the right of doing this, and her circumstances -required it: her decisions would have been just, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>who would have opposed them at the moment of the -liberation? Why did she create to herself a difficulty, -and, in course of time, a natural enemy, by uniting Belgium -to Holland, instead of securing two immense resources -for her trade, by keeping them separate? Holland, -which has no manufactures of her own, would have -been the natural depôt for English goods; and Belgium, -which might have become an English colony, governed -by an English Prince, would have been the channel for -dispersing these goods over France and Germany. Why -not have bound down Spain and Portugal by a commercial -treaty of long duration, which would have repaid all -the expenses incurred for their deliverance, and which -might have been obtained under pain of the enfranchisement -of their colonies, the trade of which, in either case, -England would have commanded? Why not have stipulated -for some advantages in the Baltic, and to balance -the States of Italy? These would have been but the -regular privileges attached to the dominion of the seas. -After so long a contest in support of this right, how happened -its advantages to be neglected at the moment -when it was really secured? Did England, while she -sanctioned usurpation in others, fear that opposition -would be offered to hers? and by whom could it have -been offered? Probably England repents now, when it -is too late; the opportunity cannot be recovered; she -suffered the favourable moment to escape her!... -How many <em>whys</em> and <em>wherefores</em> might I not multiply!... -None but Lord Castlereagh would have acted -thus: he made himself the man of the Holy Alliance, -and in course of time he will be the object of execration. -The Lauderdales, the Grenvilles, and the Wellesleys, -would have pursued a very different course; they would -at least have acted like Englishmen.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>At another time the Emperor said;—“The national -debt is the canker-worm that preys on England; it is -the chain of all her difficulties. It occasions the enormity -of taxation, and this in its turn raises the price of -provisions. Hence the distress of the people, the high -price of labour and of manufactured goods which are -not brought with equal advantage to the continental -<span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>markets. England then ought at all hazards to contend -against this devouring monster; she should assail it on -all sides, and at once subdue it <em>negatively</em> and <em>positively</em>, -that is to say, by the reduction of her expenditure and -the increase of her capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Can she not reduce the interest of her debt, the -high salaries, the sinecures, and the various expenses -attending her army establishment, and renounce the latter, -in order to confine herself to her navy? In short, -many things might be done, which I cannot now enter -into. With regard to the increase of her capital, can -she not enrich herself with the ecclesiastical property, -which is immense, and which she would acquire by a -salutary reform, and by the extinction of titular dignities -which would give offence to no one? But if a word -be uttered on this subject, the whole aristocracy is up in -arms, and succeeds in putting down the opposition; for -in England it is the aristocracy that governs, and for -which the Government acts. They repeat the favourite -adage, that, if the least stone of the old foundation be -touched, the whole fabric will fall to the ground. This -is devoutly re-echoed by the multitude; consequently -reform is stopped, and abuses are suffered to increase -and multiply.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is but just to acknowledge that, in spite of a compound -of odious, antiquated, and ignoble details, the -English constitution presents the singular phenomenon of -a happy and grand result; and the advantages arising -out of it secure the attachment of the multitude, who -are fearful of losing any of the blessings they enjoy. -But is it to the objectionable nature of the details -that this result must be attributed? On the contrary, -it would shine with increased lustre if the grand and -beautiful machine were freed from its mischievous -appendages.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“England,” continued the Emperor, “presents an example -of the dangerous effects of the borrowing system. -I would never listen to any hints for the adoption of that -system in France; I was always a firm opposer of it. It -was said, at the time, that I contracted no loans for want -of credit, and because I could find no one willing to -lend; but this was false. Those who know any thing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>of mankind and the spirit of stock-jobbing, will be convinced -that loans may always be raised by holding out -the chance of gain and the attraction of speculation. -But this was no part of my system, and, by a special -law, I fixed the amount of the public debt at what had -generally been supposed to be conducive to the general -prosperity, namely, at eighty millions interest for my -France in her utmost extent, and after the union with -Holland, which of itself produced an augmentation of -twenty millions. This sum was reasonable and proper; -a greater one would have been attended by mischievous -consequences. What was the result of this system? -What resources have I left behind me? France, after so -many gigantic efforts and terrible disasters, is now more -prosperous than ever! Are not her finances the first in -Europe? To whom and to what are these advantages to -be attributed? So far was I from wishing to swallow up -the future, that I had resolved to leave a treasure behind -me. I had even formed one, the funds of which I lent -to different banking-houses, embarrassed families, and -persons who held offices about me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I should not only have carefully preserved the sinking -fund, but I calculated on having, in course of time, -funds which would have been constantly increasing, and -which might have been actively applied for the furtherance -of public works and improvements. I should have -had the fund of the Empire for general works; the fund -of the departments for local works; the fund of the -communes for municipal works, &c.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the course of another conversation, the Emperor -observed:—“England is said to traffic in every thing: -why, then, does she not sell liberty, for which she might -get a high price, and without any fear of exhausting her -own stock; for modern liberty is essentially moral, and -does not betray its engagements. For example, what -would not the poor Spaniards give her to free them from -the yoke to which they have been again subjected? I am -confident that they would willingly pay any price to recover -their freedom. It was I who inspired them with -this sentiment; and the error into which I fell might, at -least, be turned to good account by another government. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>As to the Italians, I have planted in their hearts principles -that never can be rooted out. What can England -do better than to promote and assist the noble impulses -of modern regeneration? Sooner or later, this regeneration -must be accomplished. Sovereigns and old aristocratic -institutions may exert their efforts to oppose it, -but in vain. They are dooming themselves to the -punishment of Sisyphus; but, sooner or later, some -arms will tire of resistance, and, on the first failure, the -whole will tumble about their ears. Would it not be -better to yield with a good grace?—this was my intention. -Why does England refuse to avail herself of the -glory and advantage she might derive from this course -of proceeding? Every thing passes away in England as -well as elsewhere. Castlereagh’s administration will -pass away, and that which may succeed it, and which is -doomed to inherit the fruit of so many errors, may become -great by only discontinuing the system that has -hitherto been pursued. He who may happen to be placed -at the head of the English cabinet, has merely to allow -things to take their course, and to obey the winds that -blow. By becoming the leader of liberal principles, instead -of leaguing with absolute power, like Castlereagh, -he will render himself the object of universal benediction, -and England will forget her wrongs. Fox was capable -of so acting, but Pitt was not; the reason is, that, in -Fox, the heart warmed the genius; while, in Pitt, the -genius withered the heart. But it may be asked, why I, -all-powerful as I was, did not pursue the course I have -here traced out?—how, since I can speak so well, I -could have acted so ill? I reply to those who make this -inquiry with sincerity, that there is no comparison between -my situation and that of the English government. -England may work on a soil which extends to the very -bowels of the earth; while I could labour only on a -sandy surface. England reigns over an established order -of things; while I had to take upon myself the great -charge, the immense difficulty, of consolidating and establishing. -I purified a revolution, in spite of hostile -factions. I combined together all the scattered benefits -that could be preserved; but I was obliged to protect -<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>them with a nervous arm against the attacks of all parties; -and in this situation it may truly be said that the -public interest, <em>the State, was myself</em>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Our principles were attacked from without; and, in -the name of these very principles, I was assailed in the -opposite sense at home. Had I relaxed ever so little, we -should soon have been brought back to the time of the -Directory; I should have been the object, and France -the infallible victim, of a <em>counter-Brumaire</em>. We are in -our nature so restless, so busy, so loquacious! If twenty -revolutions were to happen, we should have twenty constitutions. -This is one of the subjects that are studied -most, and observed the least. We have much need to -grow older in this fair and glorious path; for here our -great men have all shewn themselves to be mere children. -May the present generation profit by the faults that have -hitherto been committed, and prove as wise as it is enthusiastic!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>To-day the Governor commenced his grand reductions, -and it was thought proper to deprive us of eight -English domestics, who had formerly been granted to -us. To the servants this was a subject of deep regret, -and it was gratifying to ourselves to observe that we -won the regard of all who were permitted to approach us. -We are now absolutely in want of daily necessaries, to -supply which the Emperor proposes to dispose of his -plate; this is his only resource.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner the Emperor read the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>Cercle</cite></span>, and retired -immediately, although it was very early in the evening. -He was indisposed, and could not sleep. He sent for me -about midnight. By chance I had not retired to rest, -and I remained in conversation with him for two hours.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>THE EMPEROR’S COURT AT THE TUILERIES.—THE PRESENTATION OF THE LADIES.—ON WOMEN’S AGES.—MANUSCRIPT OF THE ISLAND OF ELBA.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>8th.—The Emperor sent for me very early: he was -just finishing his toilet. He had had no sleep during the -night, and he seemed much fatigued. The weather had -become somewhat tolerable, and he desired to have his -breakfast under the tent. While it was preparing, he -took a few turns about the garden, and resumed the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>conversation he had had with me on the preceding night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He invited Madame de Montholon to breakfast, and -afterwards we took a drive in the calash, of which the -Emperor had made no use for a considerable time. He -had scarcely breathed the fresh air for several days.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conversation once more turned on the subject of -the Emperor’s Court at the Tuileries, the multitude of -persons composing it, the spirit and address with which -Napoleon went through the ceremony of the presentations, -&c. I pass over many of the observations that -were made, for the sake of avoiding repetition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is more difficult than is generally supposed,” said -the Emperor, “to speak to every body in a crowded assemblage, -and yet say nothing to any one; to seem to -know a multitude of people, nine-tenths of whom are -total strangers to one.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Again, when alluding to the period when he was in -the plentitude of his power, he observed that it was at -once easy and difficult to approach him, to communicate -with him, and to be appreciated by him; and that it depended -on the merest chance in the world whether his -courtiers made or missed their fortune. “Now that I -am myself entirely out of the question,” said he, “now -that I am a mere private individual, and can reflect philosophically -on the time when I was called to execute the -designs of Providence, without, however, ceasing to be a -man, I see how much the fate of those I governed really -depended upon chance; and how often favour and credit -were purely accidental. Intrigue is so dexterous, and -merit often so awkward, and these extremes approximate -so closely to each other that, with the best intentions in -the world, I find that my benefits were distributed like -prizes in a lottery. And yet could I have done better? -“Was I faulty in my intentions, or remiss in my exertions? -Have other sovereigns done better than I did? It is only -thus that I can be judged. The fault was in the nature of -my situation, and in the force of things.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We then spoke of the presentation of the ladies at -Court, their embarrassment, and the plans, views, and -hopes that were formed by some of them. Madame de -Montholon revealed the secrets of several of her acquaintance, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>by which it appeared that if in the saloons of -Paris some were heard to exclaim against the Emperor’s -coarseness of manners, harshness of expression, and ugliness -of person, others, who were better disposed, better -informed, and differently affected, extolled the sweetness -of his voice, the grace of his manners, the delicacy of his -smile, and above all, his famous hand, which was said to -be ridiculously handsome.</p> - -<p class='c000'>These advantages, it was observed, combined with -great power and still greater glory, were naturally calculated -to excite and to give rise to certain romantic -stories. Thus at the Tuileries how many endeavoured to -render themselves pleasing to the sovereign! How -many sought to inspire a sentiment which it is probable -they themselves really felt!</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor smiled at our remarks and conjectures; -and he confessed that, notwithstanding the mass of business -and the cloud of flattery in which he was enveloped, -he had oftener than once observed the sentiments to -which we alluded. A few of the least timid among his -admirers had, he said, even solicited and obtained interviews. -We now laughed in our turn, and said that, at -the time, these stories had been the subject of a great -deal of mirth. But the Emperor seriously protested that -they were void of foundation. In a more private conversation -at the Briars, during one of our walks by moonlight, -the Emperor, as I have stated in a former part of -my Journal, made the same assertion, and contradicted -every report of this nature, except one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Our next subject of conversation was the repugnance -of women to let their age be known. The Emperor made -some very lively and entertaining remarks. An instance -was mentioned of a woman who preferred losing an important -law-suit to confessing her age. The case would -have been decided in her favour, had she produced the -register of her baptism, but this she could not be prevailed -on to do.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Another anecdote of the same kind was mentioned. -A certain lady was much attached to a gentleman, and -was convinced that her union with him would render -her happy; but she could not marry without proving -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>the date of her birth, and she preferred remaining -single.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor informed us that a distinguished lady, -at the time of her marriage, had deceived her husband, -and represented herself to be five or six years younger -than she really was, by producing the baptismal register -of her younger sister, who had been dead some time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“However,” said the Emperor, “in so doing, poor -Josephine exposed herself to some risk. This might -really have proved a case of nullity of marriage.” These -words furnished us with the key to certain dates, which, -at the Tuileries, were the subject of jesting and ridicule, -and which we then attributed wholly to the gallantry -and extreme complaisance of the Imperial Almanack.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About four o’clock the Emperor took a short walk. -I did not accompany him. On his return, he informed -us that he had visited the Company’s garden, where he -had met several very pretty women. “But I had not -my interpreter with me,” he added, pointing to me. -“The rogue left me, and nothing could be more provoking, -for I never felt more inclined to avail myself of -his assistance.” This little walk, however, did the Emperor -no good, for he was presently seized with a severe -tooth-ache.</p> - -<p class='c000'>A vessel, which had come from the Cape some time -ago, sailed for Europe this day. Several English military -officers, who were passengers in this ship, had not -been permitted to wait on the Emperor, in spite of their -repeated solicitations. This was a new instance of the -Governor’s spite. These officers were men of distinction, -and their reports on their return home might have had -some influence. The Governor, in defiance of all truth, -informed them that Napoleon had determined to receive -no one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor some time ago analyzed to us a subject -which he said he intended to dictate in fourteen chapters, -and which had forcibly struck me by its truth, its force, -its just reasoning, and its dignity. I frequently alluded -to it when I <a id='corr259.39'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='happenend'>happened</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_259.39'><ins class='correction' title='happenend'>happened</ins></a></span> to be alone with him; and he -laughed more than once at the perseverance I shewed, -which, he said, was not usual with me. To-day he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>informed me that he had at length produced something, -though not in fourteen chapters, nor on the promised -subject; but that I must be content with it. I have -read it, and it is certainly a very remarkable fragment. -I do not believe that the Revolution has produced any -thing more comprehensive and energetic on the governments -of the last twenty-five years in France, namely, -the Republic, the Consulate, and the Empire.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The exposition and development of the ten chapters -which compose this work may be regarded as a perfect -outline of the subject. The style is remarkably simple -and nervous. Each chapter is full and forcible, and the -whole, which consists of fifty pages, is struck off and -finished with a masterly hand. I have understood that -the substance of these ideas was to have formed the -Emperor’s manifesto at the time of his landing from -Elba.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Since my return to Europe, this little work has -been published, under the title of <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>Manuscrit de l’Ile -d’Elbe</cite></span>; though I have reason to believe that at first -another title was intended for it. Be this as it may, -since the work is but little known, and as those who -have read it may be ignorant of its real origin, I here -transcribe almost literally several chapters, which will -serve to prove its source and its authenticity.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Chap. I.</span>—In the sixteenth century, the Pope, Spain, and the</h3> -<p class='c007'>Sixteen, attempt in vain to raise a fourth dynasty to the throne -of France. Henry IV. succeeds Henry III. without an interregnum: -he conquers the League; but finds that the only way -to secure himself on the throne is by sincerely joining the -party which constitutes the majority of the nation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>”Henry IV. was proclaimed King at St. Cloud, on -the day on which Henry III. died. His sovereignty was -acknowledged by all the Protestant churches and by a -part of the Catholic nobility. The Holy League <a id='corr260.35'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='which which'>which</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_260.35'><ins class='correction' title='which which'>which</ins></a></span> -had been formed against Henry III., in hatred of -the Protestants, and to avenge the death of the Duke of -Guise, was master of Paris, and commanded five-sixths of -the kingdom. The Leaguers refused to acknowledge -Henry IV., but they proclaimed no other sovereign. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>The Duke of Mayenne, the chief of the League, exercised -authority under the title of Lieutenant-general of the -kingdom. The accession of Henry IV. produced no -change in the forms adopted by the League for exercising -its power; each town was governed as in -disturbed and factious times, by local or military -authorities. At no period, not even on the day -succeeding his entrance into Paris, did Henry IV. -acknowledge the acts of the League, and the latter -never set up any pretensions that he should do so. -No law, no regulation, emanated from the League. -The Parliament of Paris was divided into two parties; -one for the Leaguers, which sat at Paris, and the other -for Henry IV., which assembled at Tours. But these -<a id='corr261.15'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='parliments'>parliaments</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_261.15'><ins class='correction' title='parliments'>parliaments</ins></a></span> drew up and registered none but judicial acts. -The provinces retained their own organization and privileges, -and were governed by their own common laws. -It has already been observed that the League had not -proclaimed any other sovereign; but it acknowledged for -a moment as King, the Cardinal de Bourbon, Henry’s -uncle. The Cardinal, however, did not consent to second -the designs of the enemies of his house. Besides, Henry -had seized his person; no act emanated from him, and -the League continued subject to the authority of the -Lieutenant-general the Duke of Mayenne. There was -therefore no interregnum between Hen. III. and Hen. IV.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The League was split into several parties. The -Sorbonne had decided that the rights of birth could -confer no right to the crown on a Prince who was an -enemy to the Church. The Pope had declared that -Henry IV. having relapsed, had forfeited his rights for -ever; and that he could not recover them, even though -he should return to the bosom of the Church. Henry IV., -King of Navarre, was born a Protestant; but on -the massacre of St. Bartholomew, he was compelled to -marry Margaret de Valois, and to abjure the reformed -religion. However, as soon as he withdrew from the -Court, and found himself amidst the Protestants on the -left bank of the Loire, he declared that his abjuration -had been wholly compulsory, and he again embraced the -Protestant faith. This step caused him to be characterized -<span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>as an obstinate renegado; but the majority of the -League were of opinion that it would be proper to -summon Henry to return to the bosom of the Catholic, -Apostolic, and Romish Church; and acknowledge him -as sovereign, as soon as he should abjure Protestantism -and receive absolution from the Bishops.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The leaguers convoked the States-general of the -kingdom at Paris. The Spanish ambassadors now unmasked -the designs of their sovereign, and urged the -States to establish a fourth dynasty on the throne of -France, on the ground that Henry and Condé, having, -by their apostacy, forfeited their rights to the crown, -the male line of the Capets was extinct. They accordingly -set forth the claims of the Infanta of Spain, the -daughter of Henry II. of France, who was the first in -the female line. Even supposing that, by the extinction -of the male line of descent, the nation possessed the right -of disposing of the crown, they still insisted that its -choice ought to fall on the Infanta, for two reasons: -first, because it was impossible to select a princess of -more illustrious family; and secondly, because France -was indebted to Philip II. for his exertions in supporting -the cause of the League. The Infanta was to marry a -French Prince, and mention was even made of the Duke -of Guise, the son of the Duke who had been assassinated -at Blois. There was already a body of Spanish troops -in Paris, commanded by the Duke of Mayenne; and it -was proposed that an army of 50,000 Spaniards should -be maintained in Paris by the Court of Madrid, which -would devote its whole power and resources to ensure -the triumph of this fourth dynasty. The sixteen supported -these propositions, which were sanctioned by the -Court of Rome, and seconded by the utmost efforts of -the Legate. But all was vain; public spirit was roused -at the idea of a foreign nation disposing of the throne -of France. That part of the Parliament which sat at -Paris addressed remonstrances to the Duke of Mayenne -the Lieutenant-general of the kingdom, and urged him -to enforce the observance of the fundamental laws of the -monarchy, and of the Salic law in particular. Had the -designs of the Spanish faction succeeded; had the Statesgeneral -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>declared the crown forfeited by the descendants -of Hugues Capet; had a fourth dynasty been raised to -the throne, accepted by the nation, and sanctioned by -the religion acknowledged among the powers of Europe, -the rights of the third dynasty would have been extinct.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Henry conquered the League at Arques and on the -plains of Ivry, and he then besieged Paris. However, he -was convinced of the impossibility of reigning in France, -unless he joined the national party. He had conquered -with an army composed entirely of French troops: if he -had under his command a small corps of English, the -Leaguers had a still more considerable number of Spaniards -and Italians. On both sides, therefore, the contest had -been maintained by Frenchmen against Frenchmen; the -foreigners were merely auxiliaries; the national honour -and independence could not be compromised, whichever -party might be declared victorious. <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Ventre Saint-gris! -Paris vaut bien une messe!</em></span> were the exclamations by -which Henry used to sound the opinion of the Huguenots; -and when, at the Council of Beauvais, he assembled the -principal leaders of the Protestant party, to deliberate on -the resolution which it was most expedient to adopt, the -majority, and in particular the most intelligent persons -among them, advised the King to abjure his faith and to -join the national party. Henry pronounced his abjuration -at Saint-Denis, and received absolution from the Bishops; -the gates of Paris were thrown open to him, and his -authority was acknowledged by the whole kingdom. He -now frankly espoused the national party. Almost all -the public posts were occupied by the Leaguers. The -Protestants, those who had constantly served the King, -and to whom he was indebted for his victories, frequently -raised complaints against him, and taxed him with ingratitude. -Still, however, in spite of all the discretion -that was observed, the nation continued long to mistrust -the secret intentions of Henry. It was remarked that -<em>what is bred in the bone will never be out of the flesh</em>.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Chap. II.</span>—The republic sanctioned by the will of the people, by</h3> -<p class='c007'>religion, by victory, and by all the Powers of Europe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Hugues Capet ascended the throne by the choice of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>the Parliament, consisting of Lords and Bishops, which -two classes then constituted the nation. The French -monarchy was never absolute; the intervention of the -States General has always been necessary for sanctioning -the principal acts of the Legislature, and for levying -new taxes. Subsequently, the French Parliaments, -under the pretence of being States General on a small -scale, and seconded by the Court, usurped the rights of -the nation. In 1788, the Parliaments were the first to -acknowledge them. Louis XVI. convoked the States -General in 1789, and the nation exercised a portion of -the sovereignty. The Constituent Assembly framed a -new constitution for the state, which was sanctioned by -the approval of the whole French people, and which -Louis XVI. accepted and swore to maintain. The Legislative -Assembly suspended the King. The convention, -which consisted of the deputies of all the primary assemblies -in the Kingdom, and which was invested with -special powers, proclaimed the abolition of the monarchy -and the establishment of the Republic. The adherents -of the royal party fled from France, and solicited the aid -of foreign arms. Austria and Prussia signed the convention -of Pilnitz; and Austrian and Prussian armies, -joined by the French royalist forces, commenced the war -of the first coalition to subdue the French people. The -whole nation took up arms; and the Austrians and Prussians -were conquered. The second coalition was afterwards -formed by Austria, England, and Russia; but this -was destroyed like the first, and all the Powers in Europe -acknowledged the French Republic.</p> - -<p class='c000'>1st.—The Republic of Genoa, by an extraordinary embassy, -on the 15th of June, 1792.</p> - -<p class='c000'>2d.—The Porte, by a declaration, on the 27th of -March, 1793.</p> - -<p class='c000'>3d.—Tuscany, by the treaty of the 9th of February, -1795.</p> - -<p class='c000'>4th.—Holland, by the treaty of 16th of May, 1795.</p> - -<p class='c000'>5th.—The Venetian Republic, by an extraordinary -embassy, on the 30th of December, 1795.</p> - -<p class='c000'>6th.—The King of Prussia, by the treaty signed at -Bâle, on the 5th of April, 1795.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>7th.—The King of Spain, by the treaty signed at -Bâle, on the 22nd of July, 1795.</p> - -<p class='c000'>8th.—Hesse-Cassel, by the treaty of the 28th of -July, 1795.</p> - -<p class='c000'>9th.—Switzerland, by the treaty of the 19th of August, -1795.</p> - -<p class='c000'>10th.—Denmark, by a declaration, on the 18th of -August, 1795.</p> - -<p class='c000'>11th.—Sweden, by an embassy, on the 23rd of -April, 1795.</p> - -<p class='c000'>12th.—Sardinia, by the treaty of Paris, on the 28th of -April, 1796.</p> - -<p class='c000'>13th.—America, by an extraordinary embassy, on the -30th of December, 1796.</p> - -<p class='c000'>14th.—Naples, by the treaty of the 10th of October, -1796.</p> - -<p class='c000'>15th.—Parma, by the treaty of the 5th of November, -1796.</p> - -<p class='c000'>16th.—Wurtemburgh, by the treaty of the 7th of August, -1796.</p> - -<p class='c000'>17th.—Baden, by the treaty of the 22d of August, -1796.</p> - -<p class='c000'>18th.—Bavaria, by the treaty of the 24th of July, -1797.</p> - -<p class='c000'>19th.—Portugal, by the treaty of the 19th of August, -1797.</p> - -<p class='c000'>20th.—The Pope, by the treaty signed at Tolentino on -the 19th of February, 1797.</p> - -<p class='c000'>21st.—The Emperor of Germany, by the treaty of -<a id='corr265.30'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Campio'>Campo</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_265.30'><ins class='correction' title='Campio'>Campo</ins></a></span>-Formio, on the 7th of October, 1797.</p> - -<p class='c000'>22d.—The Emperor of Russia, by a treaty signed on -the 8th of October, 1801.</p> - -<p class='c000'>23d.—The King of England, by the treaty signed at -Amiens on the 27th of March 1802.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The government of the Republic sent ambassadors to -all the Powers of Europe, and received envoys from those -powers in return. The tri-coloured flag was acknowledged -in every sea, and throughout the world. At Tolentino, -the Pope had treated with the Republic as a temporal -sovereign; but he acknowledged and treated with it as -head of the Catholic religion, by the Concordat which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>was signed at Paris on the 18th of April, 1802. Most -of the Bishops, who had followed the Royalist party -abroad, now submitted to the Republican government, -and those who refused forfeited their sees. In short, -the French Republic, which was sanctioned by the -citizens, and victorious by its armies, was acknowledged -by every sovereign, every power, and every religion, in -the world, and in particular by the Catholic Church.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Not only was the Republic acknowledged by all -the powers in the world, after the death of Louis XVI., -but none of these powers ever acknowledged a successor -to him. In the year 1800, therefore, the third dynasty -was ended as completely as the first and second. The -rights and titles of the Merovingians were extinguished -by the rights and titles of the Carlovingians; the rights -and titles of the Carlovingians were extinguished by the -rights and titles of the Capetians; and the rights of the -Capetians were, in like manner, extinguished by the -Republic. Every legitimate government supersedes the -rights and the legitimacy of the governments that have -preceded it. The Republic was a government, in fact -and in right, rendered legitimate by the will of the -nation, sanctioned by the Church, and by the adhesion -of all the world.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Chap. III.</span>—The Revolution rendered France a new nation:—it</h3> -<p class='c007'>emancipated the Gauls from the tyranny of the Franks: it -created new interests, and a new order of things conformable -with the welfare and rights of the people, and the justice and -knowledge of the age.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The French Revolution was not produced by the -jarring interests of two families disputing the possession -of the throne; it was a general rising of the mass of -the nation against the privileged classes. The French -nobility, like that of every country in Europe, dates its -origin from the incursion of the barbarians, who divided -the Roman Empire among them. In France, -nobles represented the Franks, and the Burgundians, -and the rest of the nation, the Gauls. The feudal system -which was introduced established the principle that all -land should have a lord. All political privileges were -<span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>exercised by the Priests and the Nobles; the peasants -were slaves, and in part attached to the glebe. The progress -of civilization and knowledge emancipated the -people. This new state of things promoted industry and -trade. The chief portion of the land, wealth, and information, -belonged to the people in the eighteenth -century. The nobles, however, still continued to be a -privileged class: they were empowered to administer -justice, and they possessed feudal rights under various -denominations and forms: they enjoyed the privilege of -being exempt from all the burdens of the state, and of -possessing exclusively the most honourable posts. These -abuses roused the indignation of the citizens. The principal -object of the Revolution was to destroy all privileges; -to abolish signorial jurisdictions, justice being an -inseparable attribute of sovereign authority; to suppress -feudal rights, as being a remnant of the old slavery of -the people; to subject alike all citizens and all property, -to the burdens of the state. In short, the Revolution -proclaimed equality of rights. A citizen might attain -any public employment, according to his talent and the -chances of fortune. The kingdom was composed of -provinces which had been united to the Crown at various -periods: they had no natural limits, and were differently -divided, unequal in extent and in population. They possessed -many laws of their own, civil as well as criminal: -they were more or less privileged, and very unequally -taxed, both with respect to the amount and the nature -of the contributions, which rendered it necessary to detach -them from each other by lines of custom-houses. -France was not a state, but a combination of several -states, connected together without amalgamation. The -whole had been determined by chance and by the events -of past ages. The Revolution, guided by the principle -of equality, both with respect to the citizens and the -different portions of the territory, destroyed all these -small nations: there was no longer a Brittany, a Normandy, -a Burgundy, a <a id='corr267.38'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Champangne'>Champagne</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_267.38'><ins class='correction' title='Champangne'>Champagne</ins></a></span>, a Provence, or a -Lorraine; but the whole formed a France. A division -of homogeneous territory, prescribed by local circumstances, -confounded the limits of all the provinces. They -<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>possessed the same judicial and administrative organization, -the same civil and criminal laws, and the same -system of taxation. The dreams of the upright men of -all ages were realized. The opposition which the Court, -the Clergy, and the Nobility, raised against the Revolution -and the war with foreign powers, produced the law -of emigration and the sequestration of emigrant property, -which subsequently it was found necessary to -sell, in order to provide for the charges of the war. A -great portion of the French nobility enrolled themselves -under the banner of the princes of the Bourbon -family, and formed an army which marched in conjunction -with the Austrian, Prussian, and English forces. -Gentlemen who had been brought up in the enjoyment -of competency served as private soldiers: numbers were -cut off by fatigue and the sword; others perished of -want in foreign countries; and the wars of La Vendée -and of the Chouans, and the revolutionary tribunals, -swept away thousands. Three-fourths of the French -nobility were thus destroyed; and all posts, civil, judicial, -or military, were filled by citizens who had risen -from the common mass of the people. The change produced -in persons and property by the events of the -Revolution, was not less remarkable than that which -was effected by the principles of the Revolution. A -new church was created; the dioceses of Vienne, Narbonne, -Frejus, Sisteron, Rheims, &c., were superseded -by sixty new dioceses, the boundaries of which were -circumscribed, in the Concordat, by new Bulls applicable -to the present state of the French territory. The -suppression of religious orders, the sale of convents and -of all ecclesiastical property, were sanctioned, and the -clergy were pensioned by the State. Every thing that -was the result of the events which had occurred since the -time of Clovis, ceased to exist. All these changes were -so advantageous to the people that they were effected -with the utmost facility, and, in 1800, there no longer -remained any recollection of the old privileges and sovereigns -of the provinces, the old parliaments and bailiwicks, -or the old dioceses; and to trace back the origin -of all that existed, it was sufficient to refer to the new -<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>law by which it had been established. One-half of the -land had changed its proprietors; the peasantry and the -citizens were enriched. The advancement of agriculture -and manufactures exceeded the most sanguine hopes. -France presented the imposing spectacle of upwards of -thirty millions of inhabitants, circumscribed within their -natural limits, and composing only a single class of citizens, -governed by one law, one rule, and one order. All -these changes were conformable with the welfare and -rights of the nation, and with the justice and intelligence -of the age.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Chap. IV.</span>—The French people establish the Imperial throne, to</h3> -<p class='c007'>consolidate the new interests of the nation. The fourth dynasty -did not immediately succeed the third; it succeeded the -Republic. Napoleon is crowned by the Pope, and acknowledged -by the Powers of Europe. He creates kings, and the armies of -all the Continental Powers march under his command.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The five members of the Directory were divided. Enemies -to the Republic crept into the councils; and thus -men, hostile to the rights of the people, became connected -with the government. This state of things kept -the country in a ferment; and the great interests which -the French people had acquired by the Revolution were -incessantly compromised. One unanimous voice, issuing -from the plains of France and from her cities and her -camps, demanded the preservation of all the principles -of the Republic, or the establishment of an hereditary -system of government, which would place the principles -and interests of the Revolution beyond the reach of factions -and the influence of foreigners. By the constitution -of the year VIII. the First Consul of the Republic -became Consul for ten years, and the nation afterwards -prolonged his magistracy for life: the people subsequently -raised him to the throne, which it rendered hereditary in -his family. The principles of the sovereignty of the -people, of liberty and equality, of the destruction of the -feudal system, of the irrevocability of the sale of national -domains, and the freedom of religious worship, were -now established. The government of France, under the -fourth dynasty, was founded on the same principles as -the Republic. It was a moderate and constitutional -<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>monarchy. There was as much difference between the -government of France under the fourth dynasty and the -third, as between the latter and the Republic. The -fourth dynasty succeeded the Republic, or, more properly -speaking, it was merely a modification of it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>No Prince ever ascended a throne with rights more -legitimate than those of Napoleon. The crown was not -presented to him by a few Bishops and Nobles; but he -was raised to the Imperial throne by the unanimous -consent of the citizens, three times solemnly confirmed. -Pope Pius VII. the head of the Catholic religion, the -religion of the majority of the French people, crossed -the Alps to anoint the Emperor with his own hands, in -the presence of the Bishops of France, the Cardinals of -the Romish Church, and the Deputies from all the districts -of the Empire. The sovereigns of Europe eagerly -acknowledged Napoleon: all beheld with pleasure the -modification of the Republic, which placed France on a -footing of harmony with the rest of Europe, and which -at once confirmed the constitution and the happiness of -that great nation. Ambassadors from Austria, Russia, -Prussia, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and America, in fine, -from all the powers of Europe, came to congratulate the -Emperor. England alone sent no ambassador: she had -violated the treaty of Amiens, and had consequently -again declared war against France; but even England -approved the change. Lord Whitworth, in the secret -negotiations which took place through the medium of -Count Malouet, and which preceded the rupture of the -peace of Amiens, proposed, on the part of the English -government, to acknowledge Napoleon as King of France, -on condition of his agreeing to the cession of Malta. -The First Consul replied that, if ever the welfare of -France required that he should ascend the throne, it -would only be by the free and spontaneous will of the -French people. In 1806, when Lord Lauderdale came -to Paris to negotiate peace between the King of England -and the Emperor, he exchanged his powers, as is proved -by the protocol of the negotiations, and he treated with -the Emperor’s plenipotentiary. The death of Fox broke -up the negotiations of Lord Lauderdale. The English -<span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>Minister had it in his power to obviate the Prussian campaign,<a id='r22' /><a href='#f22' class='c008'><sup>[22]</sup></a> -to prevent the battle of Jena. When, in 1814, -the Allies presented an <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>ultimatum</em></span> at Chaumont, Lord -Castlereagh, in signing this <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>ultimatum</em></span>, again acknowledged -the existence of the Empire in the person and the -family of Napoleon. If the latter did not accept the -propositions of the Congress of Chatillon, it was because -he did not conceive himself at liberty to cede a portion -of the Empire, the integrity of which he had, at his -coronation, sworn to maintain.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Electors of Bavaria, Wurtemberg, and Saxony, -were created Kings by Napoleon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The armies of Saxony, Bavaria, Wurtemberg, Baden, -and Hesse, fought in conjunction with the French armies; -and the Russian and French troops fought together in -1809, in the war against Austria. In 1812, the Emperor -of Austria concluded at Paris an alliance with Napoleon, -and Prince Schwartzenburg commanded, under his -orders, the Austrian contingent in the Russian campaign, -in which he attained the rank of Field Marshal, on the -application of the French Emperor. A similar treaty of -alliance was concluded at Berlin, and the Prussian army -also fought with the French in the campaign in Russia.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>The Emperor healed the wounds which the Revolution -had inflicted: the emigrants returned, and the list of -proscription was obliterated. Napoleon enjoyed the -glory most gratifying to a monarch, by recalling and re-establishing -in their homes upwards of 20,000 families: -their unsold property was restored to them; and, the -veil of oblivion being thrown over the past, persons of -every class, whatever line of conduct they might previously -have pursued, were admitted to all public employments. -Families who had distinguished themselves by -the services they had rendered to the Bourbons, those -who had shewn themselves most devoted to the Royal -Family, filled places about the Court, and in the ministry, -and held commissions in the army. All party denominations -were forgotten: aristocrats and Jacobins were no -longer spoken of; and the institution of the Legion of -Honour, which was at once the reward of military, civil, -and judicial services, placed on a footing of unity the -soldier, the man of science, the artist, the prelate, and -the magistrate; it became the badge of concord among -all classes and all parties.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Chap. V.</span>—The blood of the Imperial dynasty mingled with that</h3> -<p class='c007'>of all the monarchical Houses in Europe; with those of Russia, -Prussia, England, and Austria.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Imperial House of France contracted alliances with -all the sovereign families of Europe. Prince Eugéne -Napoleon, the adopted son of the Emperor, married the -eldest daughter of the King of Bavaria, a princess distinguished -for her beauty and her virtues. This alliance, -which was contracted at Munich on the 14th of January, -1806, afforded the highest satisfaction to the Bavarian -nation. The Hereditary Prince of Baden, the brother-in-law -of the Emperor of Russia, solicited the hand of -Princess Stephanie, the adopted daughter of the Emperor -Napoleon: this marriage was celebrated at Paris on the -7th of April, 1806. On the 22d of August, 1807, Prince -Jerome Napoleon married the eldest daughter of the King -of Wurtemburg, cousin-german of the Emperor of Russia, -the King of England, and the King of Prussia. Other -alliances of this nature were contracted with sovereign -<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>princes of Germany, of the House of Hohenzollern. -These marriages have proved happy, and all have given -birth to princes and princesses, who will transmit to -future generations the recollection of the Imperial government -of France.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“When the interests of France and the Empire induced -the Emperor and the Empress Josephine to break bonds -which were equally dear to them both, the greatest sovereigns -in Europe courted the Alliance of Napoleon. Had -it not been for religious scruples, and the delays occasioned -by distance, it is probable that a Russian princess -would have occupied the throne of France. The Archduchess -Maria Louisa, who was married to the Emperor -by procuration granted to Prince Charles, at Vienna, on -the 11th of March, 1810, and at Paris on the 2d of April -following, ascended the throne of France. As soon as -the Emperor of Austria learned that Napoleon’s marriage -was in agitation, he expressed his surprise that an alliance -with the House of Austria had not been thought of. The -choice was hitherto divided between a Russian and a -Saxon princess: Francis explained his sentiments on this -subject to the Count de Narbonne, the Governor of -Trieste, who was then at Vienna; and, in consequence, -instructions were forwarded to the Prince of Schwartzenberg, -the Austrian ambassador at Paris. In February, -1810, a Privy Council was convoked at the Tuileries: -the Minister for Foreign Affairs submitted to the Council -the despatches of the Duke of Vicenza, the French ambassador -at the Court of Russia. These communications -shewed that the Emperor Alexander was very much disposed -to give his sister, the Grand-duchess Anne, in -marriage to Napoleon; but he seemed to make it a point -of importance that the Princess should be allowed the -public exercise of her religious worship, and a chapel -appropriated to the Greek rites. The despatches from -Vienna developed the insinuations and the wishes of the -Austrian Court. There was a division of opinions in the -French Council: the Russian, the Saxon, and the Austrian -alliance, all found supporters; but the majority voted for -the choice of an Archduchess of Austria. As Prince -Eugéne had been the first to propose the Austrian alliance, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>the Emperor, breaking up the sitting at two in the morning, -authorized him to make overtures with Prince -Schwartzenberg. He at the same time authorized the -Minister for Foreign Affairs to sign, in the course of the -day, the contract of marriage with the Austrian ambassador; -and, to obviate all difficulties with respect to the -details, he directed him to sign, word for word, the same -contract as that which had been drawn up for the marriage -of Louis XVI. and the Archduchess Marie-Antoinette. -In the morning, Prince Eugéne had an interview with -Prince Schwartzenberg: the contract was signed the same -day, and the courier who conveyed the intelligence to -Austria agreeably surprised the Emperor Francis. The -peculiar circumstances attending the signature of this -marriage contract led the Emperor Alexander to suspect -that he had been trifled with, and that the Court of the -Tuileries had been conducting two negotiations at once. -But this was a mistake: the negotiation with Vienna was -begun and concluded in one day.<a id='r23' /><a href='#f23' class='c008'><sup>[23]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>“Never did the birth of any Prince excite so much -enthusiasm in a people, or produce so powerful a sensation -throughout Europe, as the birth of the King of Rome. -On the firing of the first gun, which announced the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>delivery of the Empress, the whole population of Paris -was in the most anxious suspense. In the streets, the -promenades, at the places of public amusement, and in -the interior of the houses, all were eagerly intent on -counting the number of guns. The twenty-second excited -universal transport: it had been usual to discharge -twenty-one guns on the birth of a Princess, and a hundred -and one on the birth of a Prince. All the European -Powers deputed the most distinguished noblemen of their -Courts to present their congratulations to the Emperor. -The Emperor of Russia sent his Minister of the Interior; -and the Emperor of Austria despatched Count Clary, one -of his highest officers of the crown, who brought, as presents -to the young King, the collars of all the Orders of -the Austrian Monarchy set with diamonds. The baptism -of the King of Rome was celebrated with the utmost -pomp, in the presence of the French bishops, and deputies -from all parts of the Empire. The Emperor of Austria -was sponsor to the young king by proxy; he was represented -by his brother, the Archduke Ferdinand, Grand-Duke -of Tuscany.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'><span class='sc'>Chap. VI.</span>—Containing some account of the campaign of Saxony,<a id='r24' /><a href='#f24' class='c008'><sup>[24]</sup></a></h3> -<p class='c007'>and shewing that the league of 1813 was in its object -foreign to the Restoration.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The victories of Lützen and Würtzen, on the 2nd and -22nd of May, 1813, had re-established the reputation of -the French arms. The King of Saxony was brought back -in triumph to his capital; the enemy was driven from -Hamburg; one of the corps of the grand army was at -the gates of Berlin, and the imperial head-quarters were -established at Breslau. The Russian and Prussian -armies, disheartened by their defeats, had no alternative -<span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>but to repass the Vistula, when Austria interfered and -advised France to sign an armistice. Napoleon returned -to Dresden, the Emperor of Austria quitted Vienna and -repaired to Bohemia, and the Emperor of Russia and the -King of Prussia established themselves at Schweidnitz. -Communications took place between the different Powers. -Count Metternich proposed the Congress of Prague, -which was agreed on; but it was merely the shadow of -a Congress. The Court of Vienna had already entered -into engagements with Russia and Prussia, and intended -to declare itself in the month of May, when the unexpected -success of the French army rendered greater circumspection -necessary. Notwithstanding all the efforts -which Austria had exerted, her army was still inconsiderable -in number, badly organized, and ill prepared to enter -upon a campaign. Count Metternich demanded, on the -part of Austria, the surrender of the Illyrian Provinces, -one half of the kingdom of Italy, (that is to say, Venice, -as far as the Mincio,) and Poland. It was moreover required -that Napoleon should renounce the Protectorate -of Germany, and the departments of the thirty-second -military division. These extravagant propositions were -advanced only that they might be rejected. The Duke of -Vicenza proceeded to the Congress of Prague. The -choice of Baron d’Anstetten, as the Russian plenipotentiary, -shewed that Russia wished not for peace, but was -merely anxious to afford Austria time to complete her -military preparations. The unfavourable augury, occasioned -by the selection of Baron d’Anstetten as a negotiator, -was confirmed: he declined entering upon any -conference. Austria, who pretended to act as mediatrix, -declared, when her army was in readiness, that she adhered -to the coalition, though she did not even require -the opening of a single sitting, or the drawing up of a -single protocol. This system of bad faith, and of perpetual -contradictions between words and acts, was -unremittingly pursued, at this period, by the Court of -Vienna. The war was resumed. The brilliant victory -gained by the Emperor at Dresden, on the 27th of August, -1813, over the army commanded by the three -Sovereigns, was immediately followed by the disasters -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>which Macdonald, through his ill-concerted manœuvres, -brought upon himself in Silesia, and by the destruction -of Vandamme’s force in Bohemia. However, the superiority -was still on the side of the French army, which -supported itself on three points, viz: Torgau, Wittenberg, -and Magdeburg. Denmark had concluded a -treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive, and her -contingent augmented the army of Hamburg.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In October, the Emperor quitted Dresden to proceed -to Magdeburg, by the left bank of the Elbe, in order to -deceive the enemy. His intention was to recross the -Elbe at Wittenburg and to march on Berlin. Several -corps of the army had already arrived at Wittenburg, -and the enemy’s bridges at Dessau had been destroyed, -when a letter from the King of Wurtemburg informed -the Emperor that the King of Bavaria had suddenly gone -over to the enemy; and that, without any declaration of -war or any previous intimation, the Austrian and Bavarian -forces, cantoned on the banks of the Inn, had formed -themselves into one camp; that these forces, amounting -to 80,000, under the orders of General Wrede, were -marching on the Rhine; that he (the King of Wurtemberg), -seeing the impossibility of his opposing this united -force, had been obliged to add his contingent to it. The -letter farther added that 100,000 men would soon surround -Mentz, the Bavarians having made common cause -with Austria. Upon receiving this unexpected intelligence, -the Emperor found himself compelled to change -the plan of the campaign which he had projected two -months previously, and for which he had prepared the -fortresses and magazines. This plan had for its object -to drive the Allies between the Elbe and the Saale; and, -under the protection of the fortresses and magazines of -Torgau, Wittemberg, Magdeburg, and Hamburg, to establish -the seat of war between the Elbe and the Oder -(the French army being at that time in possession of the -fortresses of Glogau, Cüstrin, and Stettin), and, according -to circumstances, to raise the blockades of the fortresses -of the Vistula, Dantzick, Thorn, and Modlin. It -was anticipated that the success of this vast plan would -have been the means of breaking up the coalition, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>that, in consequence, all the German Princes would have -been confirmed in their allegiance and their alliance with -France. It was hoped that Bavaria would have delayed -for a fortnight to change sides, and then it was certain -that she would not have changed at all.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The armies met on the plains of Leipsic, on the 16th -of October. The French were victorious; the Austrians -were beaten and driven from all their positions; and -Count Meerfeld, who commanded one of the Austrian -corps, was made prisoner. On the 18th, notwithstanding -the check sustained by the Duke of Ragusa on the -16th, victory was still on the side of the French, when -the whole of the Saxon army, with a battery of sixty -guns, occupying one of the most important positions of -the line, passed over to the enemy, and turned its -artillery on the French ranks. Such unlooked-for -treachery could not but cause the destruction of the -French army, and transfer all the glory of the day to -the Allies. The Emperor galloped forward with half his -guard, repulsed the Swedes and Saxons, and drove them -from their positions. This day (the 18th) was now -ended: the enemy made a retrograde movement along -the whole of his line, and bivouacked in the rear of the -field of battle, which remained in the possession of the -French. In the night, the French army made a movement, -in order to take its position behind the Elster, -and thus to be in direct communication with Erfurt, -whence were expected the convoys of ammunition that -were so much wanted. In the engagements of the 16th -and 18th, the French army had fired more than 150,000 -discharges of cannon. The treachery of several of the -German corps of the Confederation, who were seduced -by the example of the Saxons on the preceding day, and -the destruction of the bridge of Leipsic, which was -blown up by mistake, occasioned the French army, -though victorious, to experience the losses which -usually result from the most disastrous engagements. -The French re-crossed the Saale by the bridge of Weissenfeld: -they intended to rally their forces, and await the -arrival of the ammunition from Erfurt, which had abundant -supplies.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>“Intelligence was now received of the Austro-Bavarian -army, which, by forced marches, had reached the Maine. -It was necessary therefore to repair thither, in order to -come up with the Bavarians; and, on the 30th of -October, the French fell in with them, drawn up in order -of battle before Hanau and intercepting the Frankfort -roads. The Bavarian force, though numerous, and occupying -fine positions, was completely routed, and driven -beyond Hanau, which was in the possession of Count -Bertrand. General Wrede was wounded. The French -forces continued their movement with the view of falling -back behind the Rhine, and they re-crossed the river on -the 2nd of November. A parley ensued: Baron de St. -Aignan repaired to Frankfort, where he had conferences -with Counts Metternich and Nesselrode and Lord -Aberdeen, and he arrived at Paris with proposals for -peace on the following bases:—That the Emperor Napoleon -should renounce the Protectorship of the Confederation -of the Rhine, Poland, and the departments of the -Elbe; but that France should retain her boundaries of -the Alps and the Rhine, together with the possession of -Holland, and that a frontier line in Italy should be -determined upon, for separating France from the States -of the House of <a id='corr279.26'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Austria'>Austria.</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_279.26'><ins class='correction' title='Austria'>Austria.</ins></a></span> The Emperor agreed to these -bases; but the Congress of Frankfort, like that of -Prague, was merely a stratagem employed in the hope -that France would reject the terms which were proposed. -It was wished to have a new subject for a manifesto to -operate on the public mind; for at the moment when -these conciliatory propositions were made, the Allied -army was violating the neutrality of the cantons, and -entering Switzerland. However, the Allies at last -developed their real intentions; they named Chatillon-sur-Seine, -in Burgundy, as the seat of the Congress. -The battles of Champ-Aubert, Montmirail, and Montereau, -destroyed the armies of Blucher and Witgenstein. -No negotiations took place at Chatillon; but the coalesced -Powers presented an <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>ultimatum</em></span>, the conditions of which -were as follows:</p> - -<p class='c000'>“1st, That France should surrender the whole of Italy, -Belgium, Holland, and the departments of the Rhine; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>2nd, that France should return to her limits as they -existed previously to 1792. The Emperor rejected this -<span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>ultimatum</em></span>. He consented to sacrifice Holland and Italy -to the circumstances in which France was then placed; -but he refused to resign the limits of the Alps and the -Rhine, or to surrender Belgium and particularly Antwerp. -Treason secured the triumph of the Allies, notwithstanding -the victories of Arcis and St. Dizier. Hitherto the -Allies had intimated no design of interfering in the -internal affairs of France; this is proved by the <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>ultimatum</em></span> -of Chatillon, signed by England, Austria, Russia, and -Prussia. At length, however, some of the returned -emigrants, excited by the presence of the Austrian, -Russian, and Prussian armies, in whose ranks they had -long borne arms, imagined that the moment had arrived -in which their dreams were to be realized: some -mounted the white cockade, and others displayed the -cross of St. Louis. This conduct was disapproved by -the Allied Sovereigns; and it was even censured by -Wellington at Bourdeaux, though in reality he secretly -favoured all who endeavoured to raise the ensigns of the -House of Bourbon. In the transactions which detached -Prussia from her alliance with France, and bound her to -Russia by the treaty of Kalisch; in the treaty which -united Austria with the coalition; in the diplomatic proceedings, -public and private, which took place down to -the treaty of Chatillon; and even in that concluded in -France, in 1814, the Allies never made any reference -to the Bourbons.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The VIIth, VIIIth, and IXth Chapters shew that the -Bourbons after their return ought to have commenced -a fifth dynasty, and not to have endeavoured to continue -the third. The first course would have rendered -all easy, the second has involved every thing in difficulty.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Xth Chapter closes with a passage of a few lines -which forcibly describe the magical effect of the Emperor’s -return on the 20th of March. These last chapters -contain the most nervous and energetic writing, but the -applications are direct, and indeed often personal. I -have suppressed the details, because I wish not to afford -<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>any ground for my being accused of bringing forward a -hostile statement. Time, which modifies all things, will -render this work merely an historical document, which is -the only light in which I wish it to be considered here, -as well, indeed, as all works of a similar nature that -I may think it necessary to quote. I have written in -France and other countries, under different laws and circumstances, -and I have always found the liberty of the -press existing for me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I hope to experience its influence on the present -occasion, although my subject is one of a most delicate -nature. I now look forward to the speedy termination -of my voyage; the port is within sight, and I hope to -reach it safely, in spite of all the shoals I may encounter.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>MY DOMESTIC AFFAIRS.—THE EMPEROR’S VIEWS IN<br /> HIS MUNIFICENCE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>9th—10th. The Emperor passed a bad night. He -desired me to be called early in the morning. When I -went to him, he told me that he was half dead, that he -had had no rest, and was feverish. He has continued -very ill for these two days, and has reclined almost constantly -on his couch, which in the evenings is drawn -near the fire. He has been unable to eat, and has drunk -nothing but warm lemonade. I have been in continual -attendance on him during these two days; he has enjoyed -a little sleep at intervals, and the rest of the time -he has spent in conversing with me upon various subjects. -He spoke of the expense of giving parties in Paris; and, -passing from that subject to my domestic affairs, he -expressed a wish that I should make him acquainted -with the minutest details on that point.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I told him that my income had amounted only to -20,000 francs a year, 15,000 of which were derived -from my own property, and 5000 from my salary as a -Councillor of State. On hearing this he exclaimed: -“You must have been mad! How could you venture to -approach the Tuileries with so straitened an income? -The expenses of attending the Court were enormous!”—“Sire,” -I replied, “I contrived to keep up my dignity -<span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>as well as the rest: and yet I never solicited any thing -from your Majesty.” The Emperor observed, “I do not -say you did; but you must have been ruined in less -than four or five years.”—“No, Sire,” I rejoined, “I -had been an emigrant during the greater part of my life; -I had lived amidst privations, and, with a few exceptions, -I still subjected myself to them. It is true that, in spite -of all my economy, I ran through 7 or 8000 francs of -my capital every year. But I calculated thus: it was -well known that every person about you must, by dint of -zeal and attention to their duties, sooner or later, attract -your notice, and that he who once gained your favour -might consider his fortune made. I had still four or -five years left to try this chance; at the expiration of -which, if fortune did not smile on me, I was determined -to renounce the illusions of the world, and to retire from -the capital with an income of ten or twelve thousand -livres; poor enough, to be sure, but, nevertheless, richer -than ever I had been in Paris.”—“Well,” said the Emperor, -“your scheme was not a bad one, and the moment -had just arrived when you would have been indemnified -for all your losses. I was just about to do something -for you, and it was wholly your own fault that you did -not make a more rapid and brilliant fortune. I believe -I have told you before that you did not know how to -avail yourself of favourable opportunities for securing -your own advancement.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This conversation led us to speak of the enormous sums -which the Emperor had lavished on the persons about -him, and, gradually becoming animated, he said:—“It -would be difficult to estimate all that I bestowed in this -way. I might, on more than one occasion, have been -accused of profusion, and I am grieved to see that it -has been of little use in any respect. There must certainly -have been some fatality on my part, or some -essential fault in the persons whom I favoured. What -a difficulty was I placed in! It cannot be believed that -my extravagance was caused by personal vanity. To act -the part of an Asiatic monarch was not a thing to my -taste. I was not actuated either by vanity or caprice; -every thing was with me a matter of calculation. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span>Though certain persons might be favourites with me, yet -I did not lavish my bounty on them merely because I -liked them: I wished to found, through them, great -families, who might form rallying-points in great national -crises. The great Officers of my Household, as well -as all my Ministers, independently of their enormous -salaries, often received from me handsome gratuities,—sometimes -complete services of plate, &c. What was -my object in this profuseness? I required that they -should maintain elegant establishments, give grand dinners -and brilliant balls!—And why did I wish this? In -order to amalgamate parties, to form new unions, to -smooth down old asperities, and to give a character to -French society and manners. If I conceived good ideas, -they miscarried in the execution: for instance, none of -my chief Courtiers ever kept up a suitable establishment. -If they gave dinners, they invited only their party friends; -and when I attended their expensive balls, whom did I -find there? All the Court of the Tuileries: not a new -face; not one of those who were offended at the new -system—those sullen malcontents, whom a little honey -would have brought back to the hive. They could not -enter into my views, or did not wish to do so. In vain -I expressed displeasure, intreated, and commanded: -things still went on in the same way. I could not be -every-where at once, and they knew that;—and yet it -was affirmed that I ruled with a rod of iron. How, then, -must things go under gentle sovereigns?”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>REMOVAL OF THE EMPEROR’S BED.—ANECDOTE OF A<br /> GASCON SOLDIER.—THE GUARDS OF THE EAGLE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>11th.—The Emperor continued unwell. I found him -very low-spirited. He had ordered the situation of his -bed to be changed—that bed, so long the constant companion -of his victories, was now a couch of sickness. He -complained that it was too small for him, that he could -hardly turn himself in it; but his chamber would not have -afforded room for a longer one. He ordered the camp-bed -to be carried into his cabinet, and placed beside a -couch; so that the two combined formed a bed of tolerable -size. To what an extremity is he reduced! The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span>Emperor stretched himself on his sofa, and entered into -conversation, which revived him a little. Speaking of -his accession to the Consulship, and of the dreadful disorders -which he found existing in all the branches of the -public service, he said that he had been compelled to -adopt numerous measures of reform, which caused a -great outcry, but which had not a little contributed to -strengthen the bonds of society. These measures extended -to the army, among the officers, and even among the -generals, who, he said, had become such, Heaven knows -how. Here I took the liberty to relate an anecdote -which had at one time afforded great amusement to the -circle in which I moved. One of my friends, (who was -as dissatisfied with the then existing government as I -was myself,) travelling in one of the small <a id='corr284.15'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Versailles,'>Versailles</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_284.15'><ins class='correction' title='Versailles,'>Versailles</ins></a></span> -diligences with a soldier of the guard, maliciously excited -him to express his opinions. The man complained that -every thing went wrong, because it was required that a -soldier should know how to read and write before he -could be advanced from the ranks. “So you see,” he -exclaimed, “the <em>tic has returned again</em>.”<a id='r25' /><a href='#f25' class='c008'><sup>[25]</sup></a> This phrase -pleased us, and was often repeated among us. “Well,” -observed the Emperor, “what would your soldier have -said when I created the Guards of the Eagle? That -measure would, doubtless, have re-established me in his -good opinion. I appointed two sub-officers to be the -special guards of the Eagle in every regiment, one of -whom was placed on either side of the standard; and, -lest their ardour in the midst of the conflict might cause -them to lose sight of the only object which they ought -to have in view, namely, the preservation of the Eagle, -they were prohibited from using the sabre or the sword: -their only arms were a few braces of pistols; their only -duty was coolly to blow out the brains of the enemy who -might attempt to lay hands on the Eagle. But, before -a man could obtain this post, he was required to prove -that he could neither read nor write, and of course you -guess the reason why.” “No, Sire.” “Why, simpleton! -Every man who has received education is sure to -rise in the army, but the soldier who has not these -<span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>advantages, never attains advancement except by dint of -courage and extraordinary circumstances.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>As I was in the humour for gossiping, I related another -anecdote, which had also produced merriment in the -saloons of Paris. It was said that, a regiment having -lost its Eagle, Napoleon harangued the men on the subject, -and expressed great indignation at the dishonour -they had brought upon themselves by suffering their Eagle -to be taken. “But we tricked the enemy,” exclaimed a -Gascon soldier, “they have only got the staff, for here is -the <em>cuckoo</em> in my pocket;” and he produced the Eagle. -The Emperor laughed and said, “Well, I could not -venture to affirm that this circumstance, or something -very like it, did not actually take place. My soldiers -were very much at their ease and made very free with -me; often addressing me familiarly by the pronoun <em>thou</em>.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I mentioned having heard that on the eve of the battle -of Jena, or some other great engagement, as Napoleon -was passing a particular station, accompanied by a very -small escort, a soldier refused to let him pass, and, growing -angry when the Emperor insisted on advancing, -swore that he should not pass even though he were the -<em>Little Corporal</em> himself. When the soldier ascertained -that it was really the Little Corporal, he was not at all -disconcerted. The Emperor observed, “That was because -he felt the conviction of having done his duty; -and indeed the fact is that I passed for a terrible tyrant -in the saloons, and even among the officers of the army, -but not among the soldiers: they possessed the instinct -of truth and sympathy, they knew me to be their protector, -and, in case of need, their avenger.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE EMPEROR CONTINUES UNWELL.—HORRIBLE<br /> PROVISIONS, EXECRABLE WINE, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>12th.—To-day the Emperor, although no better than -he had been for some days past, determined, as he said, -to nurse himself no longer. He dressed and repaired to -the drawing-room, where he dictated, for two or three -hours, to one of his suite. He had eaten nothing for -three days: he had not yet been relieved by the crisis -which he expected, and which is usually produced by the -singular regimen which he prescribes for himself. He -<span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>continued drinking warm lemonade. This circumstance -led him to inquire how long a person might live without -eating, and how far drink might supply the place of solid -food. He sent for the <cite>Encyclopedia Britannica</cite>, in which -he met with some very curious facts: for instance, he -found that a woman had existed for fifty days without -solid food, and drinking only twice. Another instance -was mentioned of a person who had lived twenty days -upon water alone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Somebody observed, in reference to this subject, that -Charles XII., out of pure contradiction to the opinions of -those around him, had abstained from eating for the space -of five or six days, at the expiration of which, however, -he devoured a turkey and a leg of mutton, at the hazard -of bursting. Napoleon laughed at this anecdote, and -assured us that he felt no wish to run to such extremes, -however attractive the model might be in other respects.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor played a game at piquet with Madame -de Montholon. The Grand Marshal having entered, he -left off playing, and asked him how he thought he looked. -Bertrand replied, “Only rather sallow;” which was -indeed the case. The Emperor rose good-humouredly, -and pursued Bertrand into the saloon, in order to catch -him by the ear, exclaiming, “Rather sallow, indeed! -Do you intend to insult me. Grand Marshal? Do you -mean to say that I am bilious, morose, atrabilarious, -passionate, unjust, tyrannical! Let me catch hold of your -ear, and I will take my revenge.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The dinner-hour arrived, and the Emperor for some -time was undecided whether he would sit down to table -with us, or dine alone in his own room. He decided -upon the latter plan, lest, as he said, he should be tempted -to imitate Charles XII. if he sat at the great table: but -he would have found it difficult to do that. He returned -while we were at dinner, and, from the scanty way in -which our table was served, he said he really pitied us, -for in fact we had scarcely any thing to eat. This circumstance -induced the Emperor to resort to a painful -extremity: he instantly gave orders that a portion of his -plate should be sold every month, to supply what was -necessary for our table. The worst thing connected with -our wretched dinner was the wine, which had for some -<span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>days been execrable, and had made us all unwell. We -were obliged to send for some to the camp, in the hope -that that which had been furnished to us would be changed, -as we could not drink it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the course of a conversation which took place respecting -the wine, the Emperor stated that he had -received a great number of instructions and directions -from chemists and physicians, all of whom had concurred -in declaring that wine and coffee were the two things -respecting which it was most necessary he should be on -his guard. Every professional man had cautioned him -to reject both wine and coffee if he found any unpleasant -flavour in them. Wine, in particular, he was advised to -abstain from, if he found any thing <em>uncommon</em> in the -taste of it. He had always been in the habit of getting -his wine from Chambertin, and had therefore, seldom -occasion to find fault with it; but the case is different -now, if he had refused wine whenever he found any thing -<em>uncommon</em> in it, he must have abstained from it for a -considerable time past.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>CRITICISM ON PRINCE LUCIEN’S POEM OF<br /> CHARLEMAGNE.—HOMER.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>13th.—The weather is very bad; and it has continued -so for three weeks or a month. The Emperor sent for -me before one o’clock: he was in his saloon; our Amphitryon -had paid me a visit, and I took him to the Emperor, -who spoke to him on matters of a private and -personal nature.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon is much altered in his looks.—To-day he -wished to set to work. I sent for my son, and he went -over the chapters relating to the Pope and Tagliamento. -He continued thus employed until five o’clock. He was -very low-spirited, and appeared to be suffering much; he -retired, saying he would try to eat a little.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Two ships came within sight, one was supposed to be -the Eurydice, which was every moment expected to -arrive from Europe, having touched at the Cape: they -proved to be, however, one of the Company’s ships and -another vessel that was accidentally passing the island.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor came to us while we were at dinner; he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>said he had eaten enough for four persons, and that this -had quite restored him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He wanted something to read, and looked over his -brother Lucien’s poem of Charlemagne. He analysed -the first canto, and afterwards glanced over a few others: -he then examined the subject and the plan of the work, -&c. “How much labour, ingenuity and time,” he observed, -“have been thrown away upon this book! what -a wreck of judgment and taste! Here are twenty thousand -verses, some of which may be good, for aught I -know; but they are destitute of interest, design, or effect. -It might have been regarded as a compulsory task, had -it been written by a professed author. Why did not -Lucien, with all his good sense, consider that Voltaire, -master as he was of the French language and the art of -poetry, failed in a similar attempt, though that attempt -was made in Paris, in the midst of the sanctuary! How -could Lucien suppose it possible to write a French poem, -when living at a distance from the French capital? How -could he pretend to introduce a new metre? He has -written a history in verse, and not an epic poem. An -epic poem should not be the history of a man, but of a -passion or an event. And, then, what a subject has -Lucien chosen! What barbarous names has he introduced! -Does he think he has succeeded in raising the religion -which he conceived to be fallen? Is his poem intended -as a work of re-action? It certainly bears the stamp of -the soil on which it was written: it is full of prayers, -priests, the temporal authority of the Popes, &c. How -could he think of devoting twenty thousand lines to absurdities -which do not belong to the present age, to prejudices -which he could not enter into, and opinions which -he could not entertain! What a misapplication of talent! -He might undoubtedly have produced something more -creditable to himself; for he possesses judgment, facility, -and industry. He was in Rome amidst the richest materials, -and with the means of satisfying the deepest -research. He understands the Italian language: and, as -we have no good history of Italy, he might have written -one. His talents, his situation, his knowledge of affairs, -his rank, might have enabled him to produce an excellent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>classic work. It would have been a valuable acquisition -to the literary world, and would have conferred honour -on its author. But what is Charlemagne? What reputation -will it gain? It will be buried in the dust of libraries, -and its author will obtain at most a few scanty and -perhaps ridiculous notices in biographical dictionaries. -If Lucien could not resist the temptation of scribbling -verses, he should have prepared a splendid manuscript, -embellished with elegant designs and superb binding, with -which he might now and then have gratified the eyes of -the ladies, occasionally allowing a few quotations from it -to creep into publicity; and finally he should have left it -to his heirs, with a severe prohibition against committing -it to the press. One might then have been able to understand -his taste.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He laid the work aside, and said: “Let us turn to the -Iliad.” My son went to fetch it, and the Emperor read -a few cantos, stopping at various passages, in order, as -he said, to admire them at his ease. His observations -were copious and remarkable. He was so deeply interested -in what he read, that it was half-past twelve before -he retired to rest.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS.—RIDICULOUS ALLOWANCE OF<br /> WINE.—NAPOLEON’S RETURN FROM ELBA.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>14th.—The terrible state of the weather still continued, -and confined us to our miserable huts. We are all -indisposed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor dictated during part of the day, and he -felt himself much better.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At dinner we had literally scarcely any thing to eat. -The Governor continued his successive reductions. The -Emperor ordered some additional provisions to be purchased -and paid for out of the produce of the sale of his -plate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Governor intimated that the allowance of wine -should continue fixed at one bottle for each person, the -Emperor included. Will it be credited? <em>One bottle for -a mother and her children!</em> these were the words used -in the note.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor retired to his own apartment, and sent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>for me to attend him. “I am not inclined to sleep,” -said he, “and I sent for you to help me to keep my -vigil; let us have a little chat together.” The turn of -the conversation led us to speak of the Island of Elba, of -the Emperor’s occupations, sensations, and opinions -while he continued there; finally, his return to France, -and the brilliant success which attended him, and which, -he said, he never for a moment doubted. Many observations -were repeated, which I have already noted down -at different times. At one moment he said: “They -may explain this as they will: but I assure you, I never -entertained any direct or personal hatred of those whose -power I subverted. To me it was merely a political -contest: I was astonished myself to find my heart free -from animosity, and, I may add, animated by good will -towards my enemies. You saw how I released the Duke -d’Angoulême; and I would have done the same by the -King, and even have granted him an asylum of his own -choosing. The triumph of the cause in no way depended -on his person, and I respected his age and his misfortunes. -Perhaps also I felt grateful for a certain degree -of consideration which he in particular had observed towards -me. It is true that, at the moment to which I am -now alluding, he had, I believe, outlawed me and set a -price upon my head; but I looked upon all this as belonging -to the <em>manifesto style</em>. The same kind of denunciations -were also issued by the Austrian government, without, -however, giving me much uneasiness; though I -must confess that my dear father-in-law was rather too -hard with the husband of his beloved daughter.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Since I have once more had occasion to mention the -Emperor’s return from the Island of Elba, this is, perhaps, -the proper place to fulfil the promise I have made of -giving a narrative of the circumstances connected with -that extraordinary event. I here combine together the -statements that fell from him at different times.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon was residing at the Island of Elba, on the -faith of treaties, when he learned that at the Congress of -Vienna some idea was entertained of transporting him -from Europe. None of the articles of the treaty of Fontainebleau -were fulfilled. The public papers informed him -<span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>of the state of feeling in France, and he accordingly formed -his determination. He kept the secret until the -last moment;<a id='r26' /><a href='#f26' class='c008'><sup>[26]</sup></a> and, under one pretence or another, means -were found for making the requisite preparations. It -was not until they were all on board that the troops first -conceived a suspicion of the Emperor’s purpose: a thousand -or twelve hundred men had set sail to regain possession -of an empire containing a population of thirty -millions!</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were nearly five or six hundred men on board -the brig in which Napoleon embarked; this was, he said, -the crew of a seventy-four. They fell in with a French -brig of war, which they spoke. It was asserted that the -captain of the French brig recognised them, and at parting -cried out three times, “A good voyage to you!” -At all events, the officer who commanded the Emperor’s -vessel, proposed to pursue and capture the brig. The -Emperor rejected the idea as absurd; such a proceeding -could only have been excusable, had necessity demanded -it. “Why,” said he, “should I introduce this new incident -into my plan? What advantage should I derive -from its success? To what risks would its failure expose -me!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After the check they experienced on landing, by the -capture of twenty men who had been sent to summon -Antibes, a variety of opinions was advanced, and urged -with some warmth. Some proposed that they should -make immediately an attack and carry Antibes, in -order to obviate the evil consequences which might ensue -<span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>from the resistance of that place and the imprisonment of -the twenty men. The Emperor replied that the taking -of Antibes would be no step towards the conquest of -France; that, during the brief interval that would be -occupied in the execution of that project, a general alarm -would be raised throughout the country; and that obstacles -would be opposed to them in the only course which -it was expedient they should pursue. He added that -time was valuable; and that the ill consequences of the -affair of Antibes might be effectually obviated by marching -forward with sufficient speed to anticipate the news. -An officer of the guard indirectly hinted that it was not -right thus to abandon the twenty men who had been -made prisoners; but the Emperor merely observed that -he had formed a poor idea of the magnitude of the enterprise; -that, if half of his followers were in the same situation, -he would not scruple to abandon them in the same -manner; and that if they were all made prisoners, he -would march forward alone.<a id='r27' /><a href='#f27' class='c008'><sup>[27]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>A few hours before nightfall he landed at the gulf of -Juan, where he bivouacked. Soon after, a postilion in -splendid livery was conducted to him. It turned out -that this man had formerly been in the Imperial household. -He had been a domestic of the Empress Josephine’s, -and was now in the service of the Prince of -Monaco, who himself had been equerry to the Empress. -The postilion, on being questioned by the Emperor, informed -him, after expressing his great astonishment at -finding him there, that he had just come from Paris, and -that he was sure he would every where be joyfully greeted. -He affirmed that all along the road, as far as <a id='corr292.29'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Avingnon'>Avignon</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_292.29'><ins class='correction' title='Avingnon'>Avignon</ins></a></span>, -he had heard nothing but regret for the Emperor’s absence; -that his name was publicly in every mouth, and -that, when once fairly through Provence, he would -find the whole population ready to rally round him. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span>The man added, that his splendid livery had frequently rendered -him the object of odium and insult. This -was the testimony of one of the common class of society: -it was very gratifying to the Emperor, and entirely -corresponded with his expectations. The Prince of -Monaco himself, on being presented to Napoleon, was -less explicit. Napoleon refrained from questioning him -on political matters: there were persons present, and he -did not wish to incur the risk of eliciting any detail which -might create unfavourable impressions on those about -him. The conversation therefore assumed a lively character, -and turned entirely on the ladies of the Imperial -court of the Tuileries, concerning whom Napoleon made -the minutest inquiries.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as the moon had risen, which was about one -or two o’clock in the morning, the bivouack broke up, -and Napoleon gave orders for proceeding to Grasse. -There he expected to find a road which he had ordered -during the Empire. However, the design had not been -executed, and he was reduced to the necessity of passing -through narrow defiles filled with snow. He therefore left -behind him, in the charge of the municipality of Grasse, -his carriage and two pieces of cannon, which had been -brought ashore: this was termed a capture in the bulletins -of the time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The municipality of Grasse was devoted to the royalist -party; but the sudden appearance of the Emperor afforded -little time for hesitation, and they came to make -their submission to him. The Emperor, having passed -through the town, halted on a little height at some distance -beyond it, where he breakfasted. He was soon -surrounded by the whole population of the town: and -went through this multitude as though he had been in the -midst of his Court circle at the Tuileries. He heard the -same sentiments and the same prayers as before he quitted -France. One complained of not having received his -pension, another solicited an addition to his allowance, -a third represented that his cross of the legion of honour -had been withheld from him, a fourth prayed for promotion, -&c. A number of petitions had already been -drawn up and were presented to him, just as though he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span>had come from Paris, and was making a tour through the -departments.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some enthusiastic patriots, who were well acquainted -with the state of affairs, secretly informed Napoleon that -the authorities of the place were very hostile, but that the -mass of the people were devoted to him, and that they -only waited until his back should be turned, in order to -rid themselves of the miscreants. “Be not too hasty,” -said the Emperor. “Let them have the mortification of -seeing our triumph, without having any thing to reproach -us with. Be tranquil and prudent.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor advanced with the rapidity of lightning. -“Victory,” said he, <a id='corr294.12'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='depended'>“depended</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_294.12'><ins class='correction' title='depended'>“depended</ins></a></span> on my speed. To me -France was in Grenoble. This place was an hundred -leagues distant, but I and my companions reached it in -five days,<a id='r28' /><a href='#f28' class='c008'><sup>[28]</sup></a> and by what roads and what weather! I entered -the city just as the Count d’Artois, warned by the -telegraph, was quitting the <a id='corr294.17'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Tuileries.'>Tuileries.”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_294.17'><ins class='correction' title='Tuileries.'>Tuileries.”</ins></a></span></p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon himself was so perfectly convinced of the -state of affairs, and of popular sentiment, that he knew -<span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>his success in no way depended on the force which he -might bring with him. A piquet of gendarmerie, he -said, was all that was necessary. Every thing turned -out as he had calculated: “Victory advanced <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>au pas de -charge</em></span>, and the national Eagle flew from steeple to steeple, -till at length it perched on the towers of Notre Dame.” -The Emperor, however, admitted that at first he was -not without some degree of alarm and uncertainty. As -he advanced, it is true, the whole population enthusiastically -declared themselves in his favour; but he saw no -soldiers: they were all carefully removed from the places -through which he passed. It was not until he was -between Mure and Vizille, within five or six leagues of -Grenoble, and on the fifth day after his embarkation, -that he met the first battalion. The commanding officer -refused even to parley. The Emperor, without hesitation, -advanced alone, and one hundred of his grenadiers -marched at some distance from him, with their arms reversed. -The sight of Napoleon, his costume, and in -particular his grey military great coat, produced a magical -effect on the soldiers, and they stood motionless. -Napoleon went straight up to a veteran, whose arm was -covered with <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>chevrons</em></span>, and very unceremoniously seizing -him by the whisker, asked him whether he would have -the heart to kill his Emperor. The soldier, his eyes -moistened with tears, immediately thrust the ramrod into -his musquet, to shew that it was not loaded, and exclaimed, -“See, I could not have done thee any harm: -all the others are the same.” Cries of <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Vive l’Empereur!</em></span> -resounded on every side. Napoleon ordered the battalion -to make half a turn to the right, and all marched -on to Paris.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At a little distance from Grenoble, Colonel Labédoyère, -at the head of his regiment, came to join the Emperor. -The impulse was then confirmed, and the question was -nearly decided.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The peasantry of Dauphiny lined the road-sides: they -were transported and mad with joy. The first battalion, -which has just been alluded to, still shewed some signs -of hesitation; but thousands crowded on its rear, and -by their shouts of <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Vive l’Empereur!</em></span> endeavoured to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span>urge the troops to decision; while others, who were in -Napoleon’s rear, excited his little troop to advance, declaring -that no harm whatever would be done to it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In a valley through which they passed, a very affecting -spectacle presented itself: many communes were assembled -together, accompanied by their mayors and curates. -Amidst the multitude was observed a handsome young -man, a grenadier of the Guard, who had been missing -since the time of Napoleon’s landing, and whose disappearance -had given rise to suspicion. He now advanced -and threw himself at the Emperor’s feet: the -tears glistened in his eyes, and he supported in his arms -an old man of ninety, whom he presented to the Emperor:—this -was his father, in quest of whom he had -set off as soon as he landed in France. The Emperor, -after his arrival at the Tuileries, ordered a picture of this -circumstance to be painted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It was night when Napoleon arrived before the walls -of Grenoble: his promptitude defeated all the measures -that were to have been taken to oppose him. There -was no time to cut down the bridges, nor even to put the -troops in motion. He found the gates of the city closed, -and the colonel commanding the fortress refused to open -them. “A peculiar circumstance attending this extraordinary -revolution,” said the Emperor, “was that the -soldiers were not deficient, to a certain degree, in discipline -and obedience to their commanding officers: their -only resistance was by inert force, of which they availed -themselves as of a right.” Thus the first battalion -performed all the movements that were ordered, retired -and refused to communicate; but the men did not load -their guns, and they would not have fired. When Napoleon -arrived before Grenoble, the whole garrison, -assembled on the ramparts, shouted <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Vive l’Empereur!</em></span> -They shook hands with Napoleon’s followers, through -the wickets; but they would not open the gates, because -the commander had forbidden them to do so. The -Emperor found it necessary to force the gates; and this -was done under the mouths of ten pieces of artillery on -the ramparts, loaded with grape-shot. To complete this -<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>union of singular circumstances, the commander of the -first battalion and the colonel, who had so openly opposed -the Emperor, when asked by him whether he could -depend on them, replied that he could;—that their troops -had deserted them, but that they would never desert -their troops; and that, since the men had declared themselves -for Napoleon, they also would be faithful to him. -The Emperor retained these officers in his service.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In none of his battles did Napoleon ever imagine -himself to be in so much danger as at his entrance into -Grenoble. The soldiers seemed to turn upon him with -furious gestures; for a moment it might have been supposed -that they were about to tear him in pieces. But -these were merely transports of love and joy. The Emperor -and his horse were both borne along by the multitude; -and he had scarcely time to breathe in the inn -where he alighted, when an increased tumult was heard -in the streets: the inhabitants of Grenoble came to -offer him the gates of the city, since they could not present -him with the keys.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Being once established in Grenoble,” said the Emperor, -“and having attained a positive power, I could -have maintained hostilities had it been necessary to -do so.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon, at this time, very much regretted not having -got his proclamations printed at the Island of Elba; -but of course this could not have been done without the -risk of promulgating his secret designs. He dictated -his proclamations on board the brig, where every man -who could write was employed in copying them. It was -found necessary to transcribe them over again during -the Emperor’s march to Paris, that they might be circulated -on the road, so eager was the demand for them. -They were then very scarce, often incorrect and even -illegible; and yet the necessity of promulgating them -was felt at every step, for wherever they were read they -produced an immediate and powerful sensation. The -events of the last twenty years have contributed in a -high degree to enlighten the mass of the people, for, -notwithstanding the joy they felt at the Emperor’s return, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>they eagerly enquired what was his object. All -were satisfied with the national sentiments contained in -the proclamations; and the utmost joy was evinced when -it was understood that Napoleon had brought no foreign -troops with him. His advance had been so rapid and -his movements so unexpected, that a thousand reports -had been circulated respecting the amount and nature -of his forces. It was said that he was accompanied -by Neapolitans, Austrians, and even Turks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>From Grenoble to Paris, Napoleon may be said to have -made a triumphal march. During the four days of his -stay at Lyons, there were continually upwards of twenty -thousand persons assembled before his windows, and -their acclamations were incessant. It would never -have been supposed that the Emperor had for a moment -been separated from his subjects. He signed decrees, -issued orders, reviewed troops, &c.; all military corps, -all public bodies, all <a id='corr298.19'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='classes,'>classes</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_298.19'><ins class='correction' title='classes,'>classes</ins></a></span> of the citizens, eagerly -came forward to offer him their homage and demonstrate -their attachment. Even the national horse -guards, a corps composed of men who had shewn themselves -most ardent in the Royalist cause, solicited the -honour of forming his escort; but these were the only -persons whom the Emperor treated with coldness. “Gentlemen,” -said he, “I thank you for this offer of your -services; but your conduct towards the Count d’Artois -sufficiently proves how you would act by me, were fortune -to forsake me. I will not subject you to this new -trial.” On quitting Lyons, the Count d’Artois, it is -said, found only one of the guards willing to follow him -to Paris. The Emperor, whose heart was so keenly -alive to every generous sentiment, on hearing of the -fidelity of this volunteer, ordered the decoration of the -legion of honour to be presented to him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At Lyons, Napoleon issued orders, through the medium -of proclamations, with all that precision, firmness, -and confidence, which usually attend established and -uninterrupted power. His conduct indicated no trace of -the terrible reverses he had so lately sustained, or the -great risks he had yet to encounter. If it were possible -to mention every circumstance, that took place, I could -<span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span>relate a very pleasant private anecdote indicative of the -calmness of mind evinced by Napoleon, during the great -crisis which was about to change the face of France and -to rouse all Europe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As soon as the Emperor quitted Lyons, he wrote to -inform Ney, who, with his army, was at Lons-le-Saunier, -that he must immediately march with his forces to join -him. Ney, amidst the general confusion, abandoned by -his troops, confounded by the Emperor’s proclamations, -the addresses of Dauphiny, and the defection of the garrison -of Lyons, overpowered by the enthusiasm of the -people of the surrounding provinces—Ney, the child of -the Revolution, yielded to the general impulse, and issued -his famous order of the day. But the recollection of the -events of Fontainebleau induced him to write to the Emperor, -informing him that, in his recent conduct he had -been guided principally by a view to the interests of his -country; and that, convinced he must have forfeited all -claim to Napoleon’s confidence, he solicited permission -to retire from the service. The Emperor again wrote, desiring -that he would immediately come and join him, and -that he would receive him as he had done the day after -the battle of the Moscowa. Ney, on presenting himself -before the Emperor, was much embarrassed; and repeated -that, if he had lost his confidence, he asked for -nothing but to be reduced to the rank of one of his -grenadiers. “Certainly,” said the Emperor, “he had -behaved very ill to me; but how could I forget his -brilliant courage, and the many acts of heroism that had -distinguished his past life! I rushed forward to embrace -him, calling him the ‘<em>bravest of the brave</em>’—and from -that moment we were reconciled.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor went nearly post haste all the way from -Lyons to Paris. He no where experienced opposition, -and no fighting took place. Literally his presence produced -merely a theatrical change of scene. His advanced -guard was composed of the troops which happened to be -before him on the road, and to which couriers were sent -forward. Thus Napoleon entered Paris, escorted by the -very troops who in the morning had been sent out to oppose -him. A regiment posted at Montereau spontaneously -<span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>crossed the bridge, repaired to Melun, and charged a -party of the body guards who were stationed at the latter -place: this circumstance, it is said, occasioned the sudden -departure of the Royal family.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor frequently told us that, if he had chosen, -he might have brought with him to Paris two millions -of peasants. On his approach the people every where -rose in a mass; and he often repeats that there were no -conspirators excepting opinion.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the day after Napoleon’s arrival at the Tuileries, -some one having remarked to him that his life was a -succession of prodigies, but that the last surpassed all -the rest, I heard him say in reply, that his only merit, -in this instance, consisted in having formed a just -opinion of the state of affairs in France, and in having -been able to penetrate into the hearts of Frenchmen. At -another time he said to us, when conversing on this subject: -“If I except Labédoyère, who flew to me with -enthusiasm and affection, and another individual who -freely rendered me important services, nearly all the -other generals whom I met on my route evinced hesitation -and uncertainty: they yielded only to the impulse of -their troops, if indeed they did not manifest a hostile -feeling towards me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is now clear to every one,” said he, “that Ney -quitted Paris quite devoted to the King, and that if he -turned against him a few days afterwards, it was because -he thought he could not do otherwise.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I was so far from relying at all on Massena that, -on my landing in France, I felt it necessary to get past -him with all speed; and on my asking him some time -after, at Paris, how he would have acted, had I not left -Provence so precipitately as I did, he was frank enough -to reply that he should feel some embarrassment in -answering me; but that the course I had pursued was, -at all events, the safest, and the <a id='corr300.36'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='best'>best.</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_300.36'><ins class='correction' title='best'>best.</ins></a></span></p> - -<p class='c000'>“Saint-Cyr found himself in danger by attempting to -restrain the soldiers under his command.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Soult confessed to me that he had conceived a sincere -regard for the King, so much did he admire his -government; and he would not return to my service -until after the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Champ de Mai</em></span>.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span>“Macdonald never made his appearance, and the Duke -of Belluno followed the King to Ghent. Thus,” said -he, “if the Bourbons have reason to complain of the -complete desertion of the soldiers and the people, they -certainly have no right to reproach with infidelity the -chiefs of the army, those pupils or even leaders of the -Revolution, who, in spite of twenty-five years’ experience, -proved themselves, in this instance, mere children in -politics. They could neither be looked upon as emigrants -nor patriots!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon seemed instinctively attached to his grand -principle of acting only on masses and by masses. Both -at the commencement of the enterprise, and after his -landing in France, he was repeatedly urged to treat with -some of the authorities, but he constantly returned the -same excellent answer: “If I still hold a place in the -hearts of the people, I need concern myself but little -about persons in authority, and if I could only rely on -the latter, what service could they render me in opposing -the great mass?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following fact will shew how little communication -Napoleon had maintained with the capital. On the -morning of his entry into Paris, after his return from -the Isle of Elba, a hundred and fifty half-pay officers -quitted St. Denis, where they had been stationed by the -Princes, and marched to the capital, bringing with them -four pieces of artillery. They were met on the road by -some generals, who placed themselves at their head; and -the little troop thus proceeded to the palace of the Tuileries, -where they assembled together the heads of the different -departments of the ministry, who all agreed to act in -the name of the Emperor. Thus Paris was tranquilly -governed that day by the torrent of opinion and the -transport of private affections. None of the great -partisans of the Emperor, none of his former ministers, -having received any communication from him, dared -sign an order, or assume any responsibility. The public -papers would not have appeared next day but for the -zeal of private individuals, who, spontaneously and -without authority, filled them with expressions of the -<a id='corr301.41'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='eelings'>feelings</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_301.41'><ins class='correction' title='eelings'>feelings</ins></a></span> by which they were animated, and with the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>statements of passing events. In the same manner -Lavalette took possession of the post-office. Paris was -that day without police and without government, and -yet never did greater tranquillity prevail in the capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor entered the Tuileries about nine o’clock -in the evening, with an escort of a hundred horse, just -as if he had come from one of his country residences. -On alighting, he was almost squeezed to death by a -crowd of military officers and citizens, who thronged -around him, and fairly carried him in their arms into his -saloon. Here he found dinner ready, and he was just -sitting down to table, when the officer who had been -despatched in the morning to Vincennes to summon the -fortress, arrived. He brought intelligence of the capitulation -of the commandant, whose only conditions were, -that he should receive a passport for himself and his -family.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is a very singular circumstance that, on the morning -after the Emperor’s arrival at the Tuileries, while a -messenger had gone out to procure a tri-coloured flag, -one was found at the pavilion Marsan, during the search -that was made, as a matter of prudence, through the -palace. This flag was immediately hoisted. It was -quite new, and larger than the usual size. No one could -guess how it had got into the Tuileries, and for what -purpose it had been intended.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In fact, the more light there is thrown on the subject, -the more evident it must be that there was no other -conspiracy than that of the nature of things. Party-spirit -alone can seek in the present age to raise a doubt -on this point; history will have none.</p> - -<div id='i302b' class='figcenter id003'> -<img src='images/illus-302b.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -<div class='ic002'> -<p>THE RETURN FROM ELBA.<br /><br /><span class='small'>London: Published for <span class='sc'>Henry Colburn</span>, December, 1835.</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>A few days after Napoleon’s removal to Longwood, -his return from Elba became the subject of conversation -among the officers who were presented to him, when -one of them observed that that astonishing event -presented to the eyes of Europe the contrast of all that -was most feeble and most sublime, the Bourbons -<a id='corr302.39'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='abondoning'>abandoning</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_302.39'><ins class='correction' title='abondoning'>abandoning</ins></a></span> a monarchy, and flying on the approach -of a single man, who by his own individual efforts boldly -undertook the conquest of an empire. “Sir,” said the -Emperor, “are mistaken, you have taken a wrong -<span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span>view of the matter. The Bourbons were not wanting in -courage; they did all they could. The Count d’Artois -flew to Lyons; the Duchess d’Angoulême proved herself -an amazon in Bourdeaux, and the Duke d’Angoulême -offered as much resistance as he could. If, in -spite of all this, they could attain no satisfactory object, -the fault must not be attributed to them, but to the force -of circumstances. The Bourbons, individually, could do -no more than they really did; the contagion had spread -in every direction.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>POEM OF CHARLEMAGNE.—THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS<br /> OF THE EMPEROR WHO HAVE BECOME AUTHORS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>15th.—To-day the Emperor took advantage of a short, -interval of fine weather to walk to the Company’s garden. -I was alone with him, I made certain representations -to him, after which, I ventured to suggest some ideas, -but he rejected them as absurd. “Go, my dear Las -Cases,” said he; “you are a <em>simpleton</em>. But be not -offended at the epithet,” he added, “I do not apply it to -every one; with me it is nearly synonymous with an -honest man.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor attempted to read a part of -the poem of Charlemagne, which he had taken up yesterday -evening, and again laid aside. This evening, like the -two preceding, was divided between Charlemagne and -Homer. The latter the Emperor said he read for the -sake of recruiting his spirits, and he again resumed -his censure of Prince Lucien, and his admiration of -Homer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Some one present informed the Emperor that Lucien -had ready for the press another poem, similar to his -Charlemagne, to be entitled “Charles Martel in Corsica.” -It was added that he had likewise written a -dozen tragedies. “Why, the devil’s in him,” exclaimed -the Emperor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He was then informed that his brother Louis was the -author of a novel. “His work may possess spirit and -grace,” said he, “but it will not be without a mixture -of sentimental metaphysics, and philosophic absurdity.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span>It was mentioned that Princess Eliza had likewise -written a novel, and that even Princess Pauline had produced -something in literature. “Yes,” said the Emperor, -“as a heroine perhaps, but not as an authoress. -At that rate,” continued he “all my brothers and sisters -must be authors, except Caroline. The latter, indeed, in -her childhood was regarded as the fool and the Cinderella -of the family; but she grew up to be a very beautiful -and a very clever woman.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>WANT OF PROVISIONS.—GAY SOPHISTRY.—ON <a id='corr304.9'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='IMPOSIBILITIES.'>IMPOSSIBILITIES.</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_304.9'><ins class='correction' title='IMPOSIBILITIES.'>IMPOSSIBILITIES.</ins></a></span></h3> - -<p class='c007'>16th.—In the morning, my servant came to tell me -that there was neither coffee, sugar, milk, nor bread, for -breakfast. Yesterday, some hours before dinner, feeling -hungry, I asked for a mouthful of bread, and was told -that there was none for me. Thus we are denied the -very necessaries of life. This fact will scarcely be credited, -and yet I have stated nothing but the truth.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The weather has now become fine. For some time -the Emperor has been unable to walk out; but to-day -he went into the garden, and he afterwards ordered the -calash, with the intention of taking his usual drive, -which had been so long suspended. As we were walking -about, Madame de Montholon drove away a dog -that had come near her.—“You do not like dogs, Madam?” -said the Emperor,—“No, Sire.”—“If you do -not like dogs, you do not like fidelity; you do not like -those who are attached to you; and, therefore, you are -not faithful.”—“But ... but....” said she—“But -... but....” repeated the Emperor, -“where is the error of my logic? Refute my arguments -if you can!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>One of the suite having a few days ago proposed -making some chemical experiments, the Emperor enquired -whether he had been successful. The other complained -of not having the necessary apparatus. “A -true child of the Seine,” said Napoleon, “an absolute -Parisian cockney! Do you think you are still at the -Tuileries? True industry does not consist in executing -by known and given means; the proof of art and genius -is to accomplish an object in spite of difficulties, and to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span>find little or no <em>impossibility</em>. But what do you complain -of? The want of a pestle, when the bar of any chair might -answer your purpose? The want of a mortar? Any thing -is a mortar that you choose to convert to that use; this -table is a mortar; any pot or kettle is a mortar. Do you -think you are still in the Rue Saint-Honoré, amidst all -the shops in Paris?”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Grand Marshal here remarked that this circumstance -reminded him of something that had occurred the -first time he had the honour of being presented to Napoleon, -and of the first words he had received from him. -When Bertrand was about to leave the army of Italy, to -proceed on a mission to Constantinople, the young General, -perceiving that he was an officer of engineers, gave -him a commission relative to that department. “On my -return,” said Bertrand, “I came up with you at a short -distance from head quarters, and I informed you that I -had found the thing impossible. On this your Majesty, -whom I had addressed with great diffidence, said with the -most familiar air—‘But let us see how you set to work, -Sir: that which you found impossible may not be so to -me.’ <a id='corr305.22'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='“Accordingly,”'>Accordingly,”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_305.22'><ins class='correction' title='“Accordingly,”'>Accordingly,”</ins></a></span> continued Bertrand, “when I -mentioned the means by which I had proposed to execute -what your Majesty wished, you immediately substituted -others. In a few moments I was perfectly convinced of -the superiority of your Majesty’s plans; and this circumstance -furnished me with sentiments and recollections -which have since proved very useful to me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor retired to rest early. We observed that -he is very much altered in his looks, particularly since -his last illness. He grows very weak, and feels fatigued -after two turns round the garden.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>STATISTICAL CALCULATION.—POPULATION OF THE<br /> ISRAELITES IN EGYPT.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>17th—18th. The fine weather has now completely -set in. The Emperor went into the garden, attended by -all his suite. After walking about for a short time, he -proceeded to the wood.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On his return from his walk, we all breakfasted together -under the tent; and, the weather being very favourable, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span>the Emperor expressed his wish to take a drive in -the calash.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About five o’clock, he desired me to attend him in -his closet, to assist in searching for some documents -on the interior of Africa, bordering upon Egypt. This is -a point on which he has been engaged for some days -past, as he intends to make it the subject of some chapters -in his Campaign of Egypt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He complained of being unwell, and desired me to -order some tea for him. This was something extraordinary. -The Grand Marshal soon after came to take my -place in writing from his dictation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor was engaged with the pen -in his hand, in investigating the comparative production -of the soils of Egypt and France. He found the production -of France to be greatly inferior to that of Egypt. -This calculation was made from Peuchet’s “Statistical -Surveys of France.” The Emperor was satisfied with -the result at which he had arrived; it corresponded with -the opinion he had previously formed. This naturally -gave rise to the consideration of several other subjects; -for instance, what was the probable and possible population -of Egypt in ancient times?—what might have been -the population of the Israelites, if, during the short -period that they remained in captivity, they had increased -to the degree mentioned in Scripture? &c. The Emperor -desired me to present to him next day something on -this latter subject. A great deal was said on the probabilities -of human life, the tables of which were also found -in Peuchet’s work; and on this subject the Emperor -made some very ingenious, novel, and striking remarks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I presented to the Emperor the calculation I had -made on the problem which he had given to me the -preceding day. The result surprised him not a little; -and it furnished a subject for considerable discussion. The -following is the substance of what I presented to him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Israelites remained two hundred years in Egypt, -during which time we may calculate ten generations. -They married early, and their marriages were very fruitful. -I supposed the children of Jacob, the twelve chiefs -<span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span>of tribes, to be all married; I also supposed each of them -to have had the same number of children, or six couples, -and so on in succession. The tenth generation would -then have amounted to 2,480,064,704 persons. But the -ninth generation and even the eighth was still in existence. -Hence what an awful number of figures. At -any rate, let an ample deduction be made from the number -of children, for the mortality occasioned by accidents, -disease, &c., and still it is very certain that no calculation -can be brought forward to contradict the account of -Moses. The Emperor amused himself for a considerable -time in detecting and shewing the errors of my -reasoning.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During dinner, he exercised himself in English, by -asking my son questions in that language, in history -and geometry. After dinner the Emperor took up -the Odyssey, the reading of which afforded a treat -to us all.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE EMPEROR ALTERS VISIBLY, AND LOSES HIS<br /> STRENGTH.—SALE OF HIS PLATE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>19th.—Napoleon spent the morning in collecting -information on the sources of the Nile, from the works -of several modern authors, Bruce, &c.... I assisted -him in this labour. At three o’clock, he dressed and -went out. The weather was tolerably fine. He ordered -the calash, and then went into the wood on foot, and we -walked till we came within sight of the Signal Hill. He -conversed with me on our moral position, and the vexations -which even circumstances arising from our intimacy -with him could not fail to cause him. The calash came -up with us, and Monsieur and Madame Montholon were -in it. The Emperor was very glad of this, as he said he -did not feel strong enough to walk back to the house. -He evidently grows feeble, his step becomes heavy and -lagging, and his features alter. His resemblance to his -brother Joseph is now striking; so much so, that, on -going to meet him the other day in the garden, I could -have sworn it was Joseph, until the very moment when -I came close to him. Others have remarked the likeness, -as well as myself; and we have often said, that, if -<span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>we believed in the <em>second sight</em> of the Scotch Highlanders, -we should be inclined to expect that something -extraordinary would happen to Joseph or to the -Emperor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On our return, the Emperor examined a large basket -full of broken plate, which was to be sent next day to -the town. This was to be for the future the indispensable -complement for our monthly subsistence, in consequence -of the late retrenchments of the Governor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We knew that captains in the East India Company’s -service had offered as much as a hundred guineas for a -single plate. This circumstance induced the Emperor to -order the arms to be erased and the pieces to be broken, -so as to leave no trace of the plate having belonged to -him. All the dish covers were topped with small massive -eagles; these were the only things he wished to save, -and he had them put by. These last fragments were the -objects of the wishes of every one of us; we looked upon -them as relics. There was something religious, and at -the same time mournful, in this feeling.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the moment came for breaking up this plate, it -had produced a most painful emotion and real grief -amongst the servants. They could not without the -greatest reluctance, bring themselves to apply the -hammer to these objects of their veneration. This act -upset all their ideas; it was to them a sacrilege, a -desolation. Some of them shed tears on the occasion. -After dinner, the Emperor continued the Odyssey, and -afterwards read some passages of Esmenard’s poem, “La -Navigation,” which he was pleased with.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>FRESH VEXATION FROM THE GOVERNOR.—TOPOGRAPHY<br /> OF ITALY.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>20th.—The Emperor sent to wake me before eight -o’clock, desiring that I should join him with the calash -in the wood, where he was already walking with M. de -Montholon, conversing about the household expenses of -the establishment. The weather had at last become fine -once more, it was like a delightful spring morning. We -took two turns.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We have experienced to-day a fresh and inconceivable -<span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span>vexation from the Governor. He has forbidden us to -sell our plate, when broken up, to any other person than -the one he should appoint. What can have been his -intention in committing this new act of injustice? To -make himself more obnoxious, and to give another -instance of the abuse of authority.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor breakfasted under the tent; immediately -afterwards, he dictated the account of the Battle of -Marengo to General Gourgaud. He bade me remain -with them and listen. About twelve o’clock he retired -to his apartment to endeavour to rest himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Towards three o’clock, the Emperor came into my -room again. He found my son and myself engaged in -comparing and looking over the account of the Battle of -Arcole. He knew that it was my favourite chapter, and -that I called it a canto of the Iliad. He wished to read -it again, and expressed himself also pleased with it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The perusal of this account of Arcole awakened the -Emperor’s ideas respecting what he called “that beautiful -theatre, Italy.” He ordered us to follow him into -the drawing-room, where he dictated to us for several -hours. He had caused his immense map of Italy, which -covered the greatest part of the drawing-room, to be -spread open on the floor, and having laid himself down -upon it, he went over it on his hands and his knees, -with a compass and a red pencil in his hand, comparing -and measuring the distance with a long piece of string, -of which one of us held one of the ends. “It is thus,” -said he to me, laughing at the posture in which I saw -him, “that a country should be measured in order to -form a correct idea of it, and lay down a good plan of a -campaign.”</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>THE CELEBRATED BILLS OF ST. DOMINGO.—INSPECTORS OF THE REVIEWS, &C.—PLANS OF ADMINISTRATION, &C.—GAUDIN, MOLLIEN, DEFERMONT, LACUEE, &C.—MINISTER OF THE TREASURY.—MINISTER SECRETARY OF STATE.—IMPORTANCE OF THEIR FUNCTIONS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>21st.—Admiral Malcolm called upon me to-day. He -came to take leave of us all; he was to sail the next day -for the Cape, and would be two months absent.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span>We are sorry to lose the Admiral; his manners, -always polite, and a kind of tacit sympathy existing -between us, contrast him continually in our mind with -Sir Hudson Lowe, who is so unlike him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Admiral had seen the Emperor, who is also partial -to him. They had taken together some turns in the -garden, and the Admiral told me had collected some excellent -information respecting the Scheldt and the -Nievendip, a maritime establishment in Holland which -was entirely unknown to him, and which was founded by -Napoleon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the conversation turned upon what the -Emperor termed the celebrated bills of St. Domingo. -It gave rise to the following curious details.—“The -administrator of St. Domingo,” said the Emperor, “took -it into his head one day to draw from the Cape, without -authority, for the sum of sixty millions, in bills, on the -treasury in Paris, which bills were all payable on the same -day. France was not then, and had, perhaps, never -been, rich enough to meet such a demand. Besides, -where and by what means had the administration of St. -Domingo acquired such a credit? The First Consul -could not command any thing like it in Paris; it was as -much as M. Necker could have done at the time of his -greatest popularity. Be that as it may, when these bills -appeared in Paris, where they arrived before the letters -of advice, the First Consul was applied to from the -treasury, to point out what was to be done. ‘Wait for -the letters of advice,’ said he, ‘in order to learn the -nature of the transaction. The treasury is like a capitalist; -it possesses the same rights, and should follow -the same course. These bills are not accepted, they are, -consequently, not payable.’ However, the necessary -information, and the vouchers, arrived. These bills -stated value received, but the receipts of the officers in -charge of the chest, into whose hands the money had -been paid, were for only one tenth, one fifth, one third -of the amount of the respective bills. The treasury, -therefore, would only acknowledge and refund the sum -really and <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>bona fide</em></span> paid; and the bills in their tenour -were declared to be false. This raised a great clamour, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>and produced a terrible agitation amongst the merchants. -A deputation waited upon the First Consul, who, far -from endeavouring to avoid it, opened the business at -once, and asked ‘whether they took him for a child, -whether they thought he would sport thus with the -purest blood of the people, or that he was so indifferent -a guardian of the public interest? What he refused to -give up,’ he said, ‘did not affect him personally, did not -trench upon his civil list, but it was public property, of -which he was the guardian, and which was the more -sacred in his eyes on that account.’ Then, addressing -the two persons at the head of the deputation, he said: -‘You, gentlemen, who are merchants, bankers, men of -business, give me a positive answer. If one of your -agents abroad were to draw upon you for very large -sums contrary to your expectations and to your interests, -would you accept, would you pay his bills?’ They were -obliged to admit they would not. ‘Then,’ said the First -Consul, ‘you, who are simple proprietors, and in the -right of your majority responsible for your own actions -only, you would wish to possess a right which you refuse -to allow to me, proprietor in the name of all, and who -am in that quality always a minor and subject to revision! -No, gentlemen, I shall enjoy your privileges in the name -and for the benefit of all; the actual amount received for -your bills shall be repaid you and no more. I do not -ask the merchants to take the bills of my agents: it is -an honour, a mark of credit, to which I do not aspire; -if the merchants do take them, it must be at their own -risk and peril; I only acknowledge and consider as -sacred the acceptance of my Minister of the Treasury.’ -Upon this they again expostulated, and a great deal of -idle talk ensued. They should be obliged, they said, to -declare themselves bankrupts; they had received these -bills, for ready money; their agents abroad had committed -the error of taking them, through respect for, and -confidence in, the government. ‘Very well,’ said the -First Consul, ‘become bankrupts. But they did not,’ -observed the Emperor, ‘they had not received these bills -for ready money, and their agents had not committed -any error.’</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>“The members of the deputation left the First Consul, -convinced in their own minds of the validity of his -reasons; nevertheless, they filled Paris with their clamours -and with falsehoods, misrepresenting the affair -altogether.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“This transaction,” said the Emperor, “and its details, -explain many other transactions which have been -much spoken of in Paris under the Imperial administration.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The commercial world had particularly said, and -repeated, that this proceeding was unexampled; that -such a violation of credit was a thing hitherto unheard -of; but to that the First Consul replied that he would -set the question at rest by quoting precedents, and he -recalled to their minds the Bills of Louis XIV., the liquidations -of the Regent, the Mississippi <a id='corr312.15'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Company'>Company,</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_312.15'><ins class='correction' title='Company'>Company,</ins></a></span> the -liquidations of the wars of 1763 and of 1782, &c.; and -proved to them that what they contended to be a thing -unexampled had been the constant practice of the -monarchy.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>From this affair the Emperor turned to different -branches of the administration. He defended the institution -of the post of Inspectors of Reviews. “It was -only through them that the actual number of men present -could be ascertained; through them alone had this advantage -been obtained, and it was one of immense importance -in the active operations of war. And these -inspectors were not less useful in an administrative point -of view; for, whatever trifling abuses might exist in the -details, and however numerous these abuses might be, it -is on a general principle that such things should be considered; -and, in order to estimate fairly the utility of this -institution, it should be asked what other abuses would -have taken place if it had not existed? For myself,” -said Napoleon, “I must say that, checking the expenditure, -by trying how much the total number of troops -ought to have cost according to their fixed rates of pay, -I have always found the sum paid by the treasury to fall -short of my estimate. The army, therefore, cost less -than it ought to have cost: what result more beneficial -could be required?”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_313'>313</span>The Emperor quoted the administration of the navy as -having been the most regular and the most honest; it -had become a master-piece. “In that,” said he, “consisted -the great merit of Decrès.” The Emperor considered -that France was too large to have only one minister -for the administration of the war department. “It -was,” he said, “a task beyond the powers of one man. -Paris had been made the centre of all decisions, contracts, -supplies, and organizations; whilst the correspondents of -the minister had been subdivided amongst a number of -persons equal to the number of regiments and corps. -The contrary ought to have been the case; the correspondences -should have been entered, and the resources -subdivided, by raising them on the spot where they were -required. I had long meditated a plan to establish in -France twenty or twenty-five military districts, which -would have composed so many armies. There would -have been no more than that number of accountants; -these would have been twenty under-ministers; it would -have been necessary to find twenty honest men. The -minister would have had only twenty correspondents; -he would have centralised the whole and made the machine -move with rapidity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Messieurs Gaudin and Mollien,” said the Emperor, -“were of opinion that it was necessary that the receivers-general, -public financiers and contractors, should have -very large fortunes, that they should have it in their -power to make considerable profits, and openly avow -them, in such a manner as to retain a degree of consideration -which they might be careful not to endanger; -and a character of honour, which they might be anxious -not to compromise. This could not be otherwise,” he -said, “in order to obtain from them support, service, and -credit, in case of need.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Another set of men, Defermont, Lacuée, and Marbois, -thought, on the contrary, that it was impossible to -be too watchful, too economical, and too strict. For -my own part, I was inclined to be of the opinion of the -first, considering the views of the last to be narrow, and -such as were applicable to a regiment, but not to an -army; to the expenses of a private household, but not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_314'>314</span>to the expenditure of a great empire. I called them the -Puritans and the Jansenists of the profession.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor observed that the minister of the treasury, -and the minister secretary of state, were two of his institutions -on which he most congratulated himself, and from -which he had derived the greatest assistance. “The -minister of the treasury concentrated all the resources, -and controlled all the expenses of the empire. From the -minister secretary of state all acts emanated. He was -the minister of ministers, imparting life to all intermediate -acts; the grand notary of the empire, signing and -authenticating all documents. Through the first I knew, -at every moment, the state of my affairs; and through -the second I made known my decisions and my will in all -directions and every where. So that, with my minister -of the treasury and my minister secretary of state alone, -and half-a-dozen clerks, I would have undertaken to govern -the empire from the remotest parts of Illyria, or -from the banks of the Niemen, with as much facility as -in my capital.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor could not conceive how affairs could go -on with the four or five secretaries of state of our kings. -“And, indeed, how did they go on?” said he. “Each -imagined, executed, and controlled his own operations. -They might act in direct opposition one to another; for -as the kings only affixed their sign on the margin of the -plans proposed, or authenticated only the rough draft of -their ordinances, the secretaries of state could fill them -up, or act as they pleased, without fear of any great responsibility. -Add to this that the secretaries of state -had the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>griffe</em></span><a id='r29' /><a href='#f29' class='c008'><sup>[29]</sup></a>, a contrivance, which they wanted to -make me adopt, but which I rejected as a tool appropriated -to the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Rois faineans</em></span>. Amongst these ministers, -some might have money for which they had no employment, -and others might be unable to proceed for want of -a farthing. There was no common centre to combine -their movements, provide for their wants, and direct the -execution of their measures.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_315'>315</span>The Emperor said that a minister secretary of state -was exactly suited for kings without talents, but vain, -who would want the assistance of a prime minister and -not like to own it. “Had my minister secretary of state -been made president of the council of state,” said he, “he -would have been from that moment a real prime minister, -in the fullest acceptation of the term; for he would have -carried his plans to the council of state to have them digested -into laws, and would have signed for the Prince. -There can be no doubt that, with the manners and habits -of the first race of our kings, or with princes like them, -my minister secretary of state would have become in a -very short time a Mayor of the <a id='corr315.13'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Palace.'>Palace.”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_315.13'><ins class='correction' title='Palace.'>Palace.”</ins></a></span></p> - -<h3 class='c006'>REVISION OF THE CHAPTERS ON THE ARMY OF ITALY.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>22d.—The Emperor resumed his researches respecting -Egypt. He gave me Strabo to look over; it was the -edition which he had caused to be made. He commended -the care and pains bestowed upon it, and said that it -had been his intention to give us, in course of time, editions -of all the works of the ancients, through the official -medium of the Institute.—Before dinner the Emperor -sent for me and my son, and spent at least six hours with -us, reading over and recasting the chapters on the Tagliamento, -Leoben, and Venice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All is fine in these chapters on the Campaign of Italy. -In that on the Tagliamento, we see how one single disposition, -made on the banks of that river and hardly -noticed, one of those movements which the Emperor calls -<em>the thought of the battle</em>, must inevitably lead to the gates -of Vienna.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The chapter on Venice is written after the manner of -the ancients. However, the last chapter read always -seems to be that which pleases most.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I was extremely unwell and very tired, not so much -from fatigue occasioned by work, as from bodily indisposition. -We amused ourselves this evening by reading the -description of Ulysses’ departure from the Island of -Calypso, and his arrival amongst the Pheacians.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_316'>316</span> - <h3 class='c006'>ON SENSIBILITY.—ON THE INHABITANTS OF THE EAST AND<br /> WEST; DIFFERENCES OBSERVABLE BETWEEN THEM, &C.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>23d.—This morning the Emperor, conversing in his -room, after touching on several subjects, spoke about -sentiment, feelings, and sensibility, and having alluded to -one of us who, as he observed, never pronounced the -name of his mother but with tears in his eyes, he said, -“But is this not peculiar to him? Is this a general feeling? -Do you experience the same thing, or am I unnatural -in that respect? I certainly love my mother with -all my heart; there is nothing that I would not do for -her, yet if I were to hear of her death, I do not think that -my grief would manifest itself by even a single tear; but -I would not affirm that this would be the case if I were -to lose a friend, or my wife, or my son. Is this distinction -founded on nature? What can be the cause of it? -Is it that my reason has prepared me beforehand to expect -the death of my mother, as being in the natural -course of events, whereas the loss of my wife, or of my -son, is an unexpected occurrence, a hardship inflicted by -fate, which I endeavour to struggle against? Perhaps -also this distinction merely proceeds from our natural -disposition to egotism. I belong to my mother, but my -wife and my son belong to me.” And he went on multiplying -the reasons in support of his opinion, with his -usual fertility of invention, in which there was always -something original and striking.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It is certain that he was tenderly attached to his wife -and his son. Those persons who have served in the interior -of his household now inform us how fond he was of -indulging his feelings of affection towards his family; and -point out some shades in his disposition, the existence of -which we were far from suspecting at the time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He would sometimes take his son in his arms, and embrace -him with the most ardent demonstrations of paternal -love. But most frequently his affection would manifest -itself by playful teazing or whimsical tricks. If he met -his son in the gardens, for instance, he would throw him -down or upset his toys. The child was brought to him -every morning at breakfast time, and he then seldom -<span class='pageno' id='Page_317'>317</span>failed to besmear him with every thing within his reach -on the table. With respect to his wife, not a day passed -here without his introducing her into his private conversations; -if they lasted any length of time, she was sure to -come in for a share in them, or to become the exclusive -subject of them. There is no circumstance, no minute -particular relating to her, which he has not repeated to -me a hundred times. Penelope, after ten years’ absence, -in order to convince herself that she is not deceived, puts -some questions to Ulysses which he alone could answer. -Well! I think that I should not find it difficult to present -my credentials to Maria-Louisa.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the course of the conversation in the evening, the -Emperor, speaking of different nations, said he knew of -only two,—the Orientals and the people of the West. -“The English, the French, the Italians, &c.” said he, -“compose one family, and form the western division; -they have the same laws, the same manners, the same -customs; and differ entirely from the Orientals, particularly -with respect to their women and their servants. -The Orientals have slaves; our servants are free: the -Orientals shut up their women; our wives share in all -our rights: the Orientals keep a seraglio, but polygamy -has never been admitted in the West at any period. -There are several other distinctions,” said the Emperor; -“it is said that as many as eighty have been reckoned. -The inhabitants of the East and of the West are therefore,” -observed the Emperor, “really two distinct nations:—with -the Orientals every thing is calculated to -enable them to watch over their wives and make sure of -them; all our institutions in the West tend, on the contrary, -to put it out of our power to watch over ours, and -to make it necessary for us to rely upon them alone. -With us, every man who does not wish to pass for an -idiot must have some occupation; and whilst he is attending -to his business, or fulfilling the duties of his situation, -who will watch for him? We must therefore, with -our manners, rely entirely on the honour of our women, -and place implicit confidence in them. For my part,” -added he good-humouredly, “I have had both wives and -mistresses; but it never came into my head to use any -<span class='pageno' id='Page_318'>318</span>particular precaution to watch over them, because I -thought that it was with these things as with the fear of -daggers and poison in certain situations of life; the torment -of guarding against them is greater than the -danger we wish to avoid: it is better to trust to one’s -fate.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is, however, a very knotty question to decide, -which is the best method, ours or that of the Orientals; -though, probably, not for you, ladies,” said he, casting -an arch-look upon those who were present. “Yet it -is certain that it would be a very great error to suppose -that the Orientals have fewer enjoyments than we have, -and are less happy than we are in the West. In the -East, the husbands are very fond of their wives, and the -wives are very much attached to their husbands. They -have as many chances of happiness as we have, however -different they may seem; for every thing is conventional -amongst men, even in those feelings which, one would -suppose, ought to be dictated by Nature alone. Besides, -the women in the East have their rights and privileges, -as ours have theirs: it would be quite as impossible to -prevent them from going to the public bath, as it would -be to prevent our women from going to church; and -both abuse that liberty. You see, therefore, that the -imagination, feelings, virtues, and failings of human -nature, are circumscribed within a very narrow compass; -and that the same things, with few exceptions and -differences, are to be found everywhere.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He then proceeded to account for, or to justify, polygamy -among the Orientals in a very ingenious manner. -“It never existed,” he said, “in the West: the Greeks, the -Romans, the Gauls, the Germans, the Spaniards, the -Britons, never had more than one wife. In the East, on -the other hand, polygamy has existed in all ages: the -Jews, the Assyrians, the Tartars, the Persians, the -Turcomans, had all of them several wives. Whence -could this universal and invariable difference have arisen? -Was it owing to accident and to mere caprice? Did it -depend on physical causes in individuals? No. Were -woman less numerous, in proportion, among us than in -Asia? No. Were they more numerous in the East than -<span class='pageno' id='Page_319'>319</span>the men? No. Were the latter of superior stature, to -us, or differently constituted? No. The fact is that the -legislator, or that wisdom from on high which supplies -his place, must have been guided by the force of circumstances -arising from the respective localities. All the -people of the West have the same form, the same colour; -they compose but one nation, one family: it has been -possible, as at the moment of the Creation, to assign to -them but one helpmate—happy, admirable, beneficent -law, which purifies the heart of the man, exalts the condition -of the woman, and assures to both a multitude of -moral enjoyments!</p> - -<p class='c000'><a id='corr319.13'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='The'>“The</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_319.13'><ins class='correction' title='The'>“The</ins></a></span> Orientals, on the other hand, differ from one -another as much as day and night, in their forms and -colours: they are white, black, copper-coloured, mixed, -&c. The first thing to be thought of was their conservation, -to establish a consanguineous fraternity among -them, without which they would have been everlastingly -persecuting, oppressing, exterminating one another: this -could only be accomplished by the institution of polygamy, -and by enabling them to have at one and the same -time a white, black, mulatto, and copper-coloured wife. -The different colours now constituting part of one and -the same family, thus became blended in the affections -of the chief and in the opinions of each of the females -relatively to the others.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Mahomet,” he added, “seems to have been acquainted -with the secret, and to have been guided by it: -otherwise how happened it that he, who treads so closely -in the steps of Christianity, and deviates from it so little, -did not suppress polygamy? Do you reply that he retained -it only because his religion was wholly sensual? -In this case, he would have allowed the Mussulmans an -indefinite number of wives, whereas he limited it to four -only, which would seem to imply a black, a white, a -copper-coloured, and a mixed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Besides, let it not be supposed that this favour of the -law was put in practice for the whole nation; or there -would not have been wives for them all. In fact, eleven -twelfths of the population have but one, because they -cannot maintain more, but polygamy in the chiefs is -<span class='pageno' id='Page_320'>320</span>sufficient to attain the grand object: for, the confusion -of races and of colours existing, by means of polygamy, -in the higher class, it is enough to establish union and -perfect equality among all. We must, therefore admit,” -he concluded, “that if polygamy was not the offspring -of a political combination, if it owed its origin to chance -alone, that chance has in this instance, produced as much -as consummate wisdom.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor said that he had seriously thought of -applying this principle to our colonies, in order to harmonize -the welfare of the Negroes with the necessity for -employing them. He had even, he said, consulted -divines on this subject, to ascertain if there were not -means, considering local circumstances, of reconciling -our religious notions with this practice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor continued conversing in this manner -until after midnight.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>ON HOLLAND AND KING LOUIS.—COMPLAINTS OF THE EMPEROR AGAINST THE MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY.—MATTERS OF HIGH POLICE, &C.—LETTER TO KING LOUIS, THE EMPEROR’S BROTHER.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>24th.—The Emperor sent for me at about half-past -twelve to his closet. Our conversation turned upon the -succession of authors through which the light of history -has been transmitted to us from the remotest antiquity -down to the present time. This led him to read that -part of the first table of the Historical Atlas which gives -a recapitulation of them, and presents the whole at one -view.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conversation turned on the diversities of the human -species. The Emperor sent for Buffon, to throw light -upon the question; and continued for some time employed -in seeking information on the subject.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Having dressed, the Emperor sent for my son, and -we worked three or four hours at the chapters of the -Campaign of Italy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When this was completed, the conversation, through -a variety of subjects, turned upon Holland and King -Louis, respecting whom he said some things worthy of -observation.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_321'>321</span>“Louis is not destitute of intelligence,” said the Emperor, -“and has a good heart; but even with these qualifications -a man may commit many errors, and do a -great deal of mischief. Louis is naturally inclined to be -capricious and fantastical, and the works of Jean Jaques -Rousseau have contributed to increase this disposition. -Seeking to obtain a reputation for sensibility and beneficence, -incapable by himself of enlarged views, and, at -most, competent to local details, Louis acted like a Prefect -rather than a king.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No sooner had he arrived in Holland, than, fancying -that nothing could be finer than to have it said that he -was thenceforth a true Dutchman, he attached himself -entirely to the party favourable to the English, promoted -smuggling, and thus connived with our enemies. It -became necessary from that moment to watch over him, -and even to threaten to attack him. Louis, then, seeking -a refuge against the weakness of his disposition in -the most stubborn obstinacy, and mistaking a public -scandal for an act of glory, fled from his throne, declaiming -against me and against my insatiable ambition, my -intolerable tyranny. What then remained for me to do? -Was I to abandon Holland to our enemies? Ought I to -have given it another King? But in that case could I have -expected more from him than from my own brother? -Did not all the kings that I created act nearly in the -same manner? I therefore united Holland to the empire; -and this act produced a most unfavourable impression in -Europe, and contributed not a little to pave the way to -our misfortunes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Louis was delighted to take Lucien as his model: -Lucien had acted nearly in the same manner; and if, at -a later period, he has repented, and has even nobly made -amends for his errors, this conduct did honour to his -character, but could not produce any favourable change -in our affairs.</p> - -<p class='c000'><a id='corr321.37'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='On'>“On</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_321.37'><ins class='correction' title='On'>“On</ins></a></span> my return from Elba in 1815, Louis wrote a long -letter to me from Rome, and sent an ambassador to me. -It was his treaty, he said, the conditions upon which he -would return to me. I answered that I would not make -<span class='pageno' id='Page_322'>322</span>any treaty with him, that he was my brother, and that -if he came back he would be well received.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Will it be believed that one of his conditions was -that he should be at liberty to divorce Hortense! I -severely rebuked the negotiator for having dared to be -the bearer of so absurd a proposal, and for having believed -that such a measure could ever be made the subject of a -negotiation. I reminded Louis that our family compact -positively forbade it, and represented to him that it was -not less forbidden by policy, morality, and public opinion. -I farther assured him that, actuated by all these motives, -if his children were to lose their state through his fault, -I should feel more interested for them than for him, -although he was my brother.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Perhaps an excuse might be found for the caprice of -Louis’s disposition in the deplorable state of his health, -the age at which it became deranged, and the horrible -circumstances which produced that derangement, and -which must have had a considerable influence upon his -mind; he was on the point of death on the occasion, and -has, ever since, been subject to most cruel infirmities: -he is almost paralytic on one side.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is certain, however,” added the Emperor, “that I -have derived little assistance from my own family, and -that they have severely injured me and the great cause. -The energy of my disposition has often been extolled; -but I have been a mere milksop, particularly with my -family; and well they knew it after the first moment of -anger was over, they always carried their point by perseverance -and obstinacy. I became tired of the contest, -and they did with me just as they pleased. These are -great errors which I have committed. If, instead of this, -each of them had given a common impulse to the different -bodies which I placed under their direction, we should -have marched on to the poles; every thing would have -given way before us; we should have changed the face -of the world; Europe would now enjoy the advantages -of a new system, and we should have received the benedictions -of mankind! I have not been so fortunate as -Gengis Khan, with his four sons, each of whom rivalled -the other in zeal for his service. No sooner had I made -<span class='pageno' id='Page_323'>323</span>a man a king, than he thought himself king <em>by the grace -of God</em>, so contagious is the use of the expression. He -was then no longer a lieutenant, on whom I could rely, -but another enemy whom I was obliged to guard against. -His efforts were not directed towards seconding me, but -towards rendering himself independent. They all immediately -imagined that they were adored and preferred -to me. From that moment I was in their way, I endangered -their existence! Legitimate monarchs would -not have behaved differently; would not have thought -themselves more firmly established. Weak-minded men! -who, when I fell, had occasion to convince themselves -that the enemy did not even do them the honour to demand -the surrender of their dignities, or even to allude to it. -If they are now put under personal restraint, if they are -subject to vexation, it must proceed, on the part of the -conqueror, from a wish to impose the weight of power, -or from the base motive of gratifying his vengeance. If -the members of my family excite a strong interest -amongst mankind, it is because they belong to me and to -the common cause; but assuredly there is not the least -danger of any movement being produced by any of -them. Notwithstanding the philosophy of several of -them (for some of them had said, after the fashion of -the chamberlains of the Faubourg St-Germain, that they -were <em>forced</em> to reign,) their fall must have been sensibly -felt by them, for they had soon accommodated themselves -to the pleasures and comforts of their station; they were -all really kings. Thanks to my labours, all have enjoyed -the advantages of royalty; I alone have known its cares. -I have all the time carried the world on my shoulders; -and this occupation, after all, is rather fatiguing.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It will perhaps be asked, why I persisted in erecting -states and kingdoms? The manners and the situation -of Europe required it. Every time that another country -was annexed to France, the act added to the universal -alarm which already prevailed, excited loud murmurs, -and diminished the chances of peace. Then why, will it -be farther said, did I indulge in the vanity of placing -every member of my family on a throne? (for the generality -of people must have thought me actuated by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_324'>324</span>vanity alone:) why did I not rather fix my choice upon -private individuals possessing greater abilities? To this -I reply that it is not with thrones as with the functions -of a prefect; talents and abilities are so common in the -present age, among the multitude, that one must be -cautious to avoid awakening the idea of competition. In -the agitation in which we were involved, and with our -modern institutions, it was proper to think rather of -consolidating and concentrating the hereditary right of -succession, in order to avoid innumerable feuds, factions, -and misfortunes. If there was any fault in my person -and my elevation, consistently with the plan of universal -harmony which I meditated for the repose and happiness -of all, it was that I had risen at once from the multitude. -I felt that I stood insulated and alone, and I cast out -anchors on all sides into the sea around me. Where -could I more naturally look for support than amongst -my own relations? Could I expect more from strangers? -And it must be admitted that if the members of my -family have had the folly to break through these sacred -ties, the morality of the people, superior to their blind -infatuation, fulfilled in part my object. With them their -subjects thought themselves more quiet, more united as -in one family.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“To resume: acts of that importance were not to be -considered lightly; they were involved in considerations -of the highest order; they were connected with the -tranquillity of mankind, the possibility of ameliorating -its condition. If, notwithstanding all these measures, -taken with the best intentions, it seems that no permanent -good has been effected, we must admit the truth -of this great maxim, that to govern is very difficult for -those who wish to do it conscientiously.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following letter, of a very old date, will serve to -throw great light upon the words of Napoleon, mentioned -a few pages back, respecting the conduct of his -brother in Holland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At a later period, King Louis published a sort of -account of his administration, addressed to the Dutch -nation; it is particularly interesting, after having read -the above paragraph and the accompanying letter, to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_325'>325</span>take up that document of King Louis, in order to be able -to form an opinion on the subject founded on a due -knowledge of all the circumstances.</p> - -<div class='c010'>“<em>Castle of Marach, 3d April, 1808.</em></div> - -<p class='c000'>“Sir and brother.—The auditor D——t delivered to -me an hour ago your despatch, dated 22d March. I -send a courier who will take this letter to you in -Holland.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The use you have just made of the privilege of -mercy cannot but produce a very bad effect. This -privilege is one of the finest and noblest attributes of the -sovereign power. In order not to bring it into discredit, -it must be used only in cases when the royal clemency is -not detrimental to the ends of justice, or when it is calculated -to leave an impression of being the result of -generous feelings. The present case is that of a number -of banditti, who attacked and murdered several custom-house -officers, with the intention of smuggling afterwards -without interruption. These people are condemned to -death; and your Majesty extends the royal mercy to -them ... to a set of murderers, to men whom nobody -can pity. If they had been caught in the act of smuggling; -if, in defending themselves, they had killed some -of the officers, then you might perhaps have taken into -consideration the situation of their families, and their -own; and have shewn an example of a kind of paternal -feeling, by modifying the severity of the law, by a commutation -of punishment. It is in cases of condemnation -for offences against the revenue laws, it is more particularly -in cases of condemnation for political offences, that -clemency is well applied. In these matters the principle -is that, if it is the Sovereign who is attacked, there is a -certain magnanimity in pardoning the offender. On the -first report of an affair of that kind, the sympathy of the -public is immediately excited in favour of the offender, -and not of him who is to inflict the punishment. If the -Prince remits the sentence, the people consider him -superior to the offence, and the public clamour is directed -against those who have offended him. If he follows the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_326'>326</span>opposite system, he is thought vindictive and tyrannical. -If he pardons atrocious crimes, he is looked upon as -weak, or actuated by bad intentions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do not fancy that the privilege of mercy can always -be used without danger, and that society will always -commend the exercise of it in the Sovereign. The Sovereign -is blamed when he applies it in favour of murderers -or great malefactors, because it then becomes injurious -to the interests of the community. You have too -frequently, and on too many occasions, extended the -royal mercy. The kindness of your heart must not be -listened to when it can become prejudicial to your people. -In the affair of the Jews, I should have done as you did; -but in that of the smugglers of Middelburg, I should not -have pardoned on any account. Many reasons ought to -have induced you to let justice take its course, and give -the example of an execution which would have produced -the excellent effect of preventing many crimes by the -terror which it would have inspired. Public officers are -murdered in the middle of the night—the murderers are -condemned. Your Majesty commutes the punishment of -death into a few years’ imprisonment! How much will -this not tend to dishearten all the persons employed in -the collection of your revenue! The political effect produced -by it is also very bad, for the following reasons:—Holland -was the channel through which England had, -for many years, introduced her goods on the Continent. -The Dutch merchants have made immense profits by this -trade; and that is the reason why the Dutch nation is -partial to England, and fond of smuggling, and why it -hates France, who forbids smuggling and opposes England. -The mercy which you have extended to these -smugglers and murderers is a kind of compliment which -you have paid to the taste of the Dutch for smuggling. -You appear to make common cause with them,—and -against whom? Against me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Dutch love you: your disposition is amiable, your -manners are unaffected, and you govern them according -to their inclination; but you would make a beneficial use -of the influence you possess if you shewed yourself positively -determined to suppress smuggling, and if you -<span class='pageno' id='Page_327'>327</span>opened their eyes to their real interests: they would then -think that the system of prohibition is good, since it is -observed by the King. I cannot see what advantage your -Majesty can derive from a species of popularity which -you would acquire at my expense. Certainly Holland is -no longer what it was at the time of the treaty of -Ryswick; and France is not in the situation in which it -was placed during the last years of the reign of Louis -XIV. If, therefore, Holland is unable to follow a system -of policy independent of that of France, it must fulfil -the conditions of the alliance.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It is not to the present alone that sovereigns must -accommodate their policy; the future must also be the -object of their consideration. What is at this moment -the situation of Europe? On one side, England, who -possesses, by her sole exertions, a dominion to which the -whole world has been hitherto compelled to submit. On -the other side, the French Empire and the Continental -States, which, strengthened by the union of their powers, -cannot acquiesce in this supremacy exercised by England. -Those states had also their colonies and a maritime trade; -they possess an extent of coast much greater than England; -but they have become disunited, and England has -attacked the naval power of each separately: England -has triumphed on every sea, and all navies have been -destroyed. Russia, Sweden, France, and Spain, which -possess such ample means for having ships and sailors, -dare not venture to send a squadron out of their ports. It -is, therefore, no longer from a confederation amongst the -maritime powers—a confederation which it would be besides -impossible to maintain, on account of the distance, -and of the interference of the various interests of each -with those of the others—that Europe can expect its -maritime emancipation, and a system of peace, which can -be established only by the will of England.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I wish for peace; I wish to obtain it by every means -compatible with the dignity of the power of France; at -the expense of every sacrifice which our national honour -can allow. Every day I feel more and more that peace -is necessary; and the sovereigns of the Continent are as -anxious for peace as I am. I feel no passionate prejudice -<span class='pageno' id='Page_328'>328</span>against England; I bear her no insurmountable hatred: -she has followed against me a system of repulsion; I have -adopted against her the Continental system, not so much -from a jealousy of ambition, as my enemies suppose, but -in order to reduce England to the necessity of adjusting -our differences. Let England be rich and prosperous; -it is no concern of mine, provided France and her allies -enjoy the same advantages.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Continental system has, therefore, no other object -than to advance the moment when the public rights of -Europe and of the French Empire will be definitively -established. The sovereigns of the North observe and -enforce strictly the system of prohibition, and their trade -has been greatly benefited by it: the manufactures of -Prussia may now compete with ours. You are aware -that France, and the whole extent of coast which now -forms part of the Empire, from the Gulf of Lyons to the -extremity of the Adriatic, are strictly closed against -the produce of foreign industry. I am about to adopt a -measure with respect to the affairs of Spain, the result of -which will be to wrest Portugal from England, and subject -all the coasts of Spain, on both seas, to the influence -of the policy of France. The coasts of the whole of -Europe will then be closed against England, with the -exception of those of Turkey, which I do not care about, -as the Turks do not trade with Europe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Do you not perceive, from this statement, the fatal -consequences that would result from the facilities given -by Holland to the English for the introduction of their -goods on the continent? They would enable England to -levy upon us the subsidies which she would afterwards -offer to other powers to fight against us. Your Majesty -is as much interested as I am to guard against the crafty -policy of the English Cabinet. A few years more, and -England will wish for peace as much as we do. Observe -the situation of your kingdom, and you will see that the -system I allude to is more useful to yourself than it is to -me. Holland is a maritime and commercial power; she -possesses fine sea-ports, fleets, sailors, skilful commanders, -and colonies, which do not cost any thing to the -mother-country; and her inhabitants understand trade as -<span class='pageno' id='Page_329'>329</span>well as the English. Has not Holland, therefore, an interest -in defending all those advantages? May not peace -restore her to the station she formerly held? Granted -that her situation may be painful for a few years; but is -not this preferable to making the King of Holland a mere -governor for England, and Holland and her colonies a -vassal of Great Britain? Yet the protection which you -would afford to English commerce would lead to that result. -The examples of Sicily and Portugal are still before -your eyes.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Await the result of the progress of time. You want -to sell your spirits, and England wants to buy them. -Point out the place where the English smugglers may -come and fetch them; but let them pay for them in -money and never in goods, <em>positively never!</em> Peace must -at last be made; and you will then conclude a treaty of -commerce with England. I may perhaps also make one -with her, but in which our mutual interests shall be -reciprocally guaranteed. If we must allow England to -exercise a kind of supremacy on the sea, a supremacy -which she will have purchased at the expense of her -treasure and her blood, and which is the natural consequence -of her geographical position and of her possessions -in the three other parts of the globe; at least our -flags will be at liberty to appear on the ocean without -being exposed to insult, and our maritime trade will cease -to be ruinous. For the present we must direct our efforts -towards preventing England from interfering in the -affairs of the Continent.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I have been led on, from the consideration of the -mercy which you have granted, to the above details, and -I have entered into them because I feared that your -Dutch Ministers may impress your Majesty’s mind with -false notions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I wish you to reflect seriously upon the contents of -this letter, and to render the different subjects it treats -upon objects of the deliberations of your councils, in order -that your Ministers may give a proper direction and -tendency to their measures. Under no pretence whatever -will France allow Holland to separate herself from -the Continental system.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_330'>330</span>“With respect to these smugglers, since the fault has -been committed, it cannot be undone. I advise you, -however, not to leave them in the prison of Middelburg; -it is too near the spot where the crime was perpetrated: -send them to the remotest part of Holland. The present -having no other object, &c.</p> - -<div class='c011'>(Signed) “Napoleon.”</div> -<p class='c007'>During dinner the Emperor asked his groom how his -horse was; the groom answered that it was well fed, in -good spirits, and in excellent condition. “I hope he -does not complain of me,” said the Emperor, “if ever -horse led the life of a canon, it is assuredly this.” It -is now two or three months since the Emperor was on -horseback.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>ZEAL FOR WORKING.—IDEAS AND PLANS OF NAPOLEON RESPECTING OUR HISTORY, &C.—ON THE WORKS PUBLISHED, &C.—M. MÉNÉVAL; CURIOUS PARTICULARS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>25th—27th. The Emperor for some days past has -been remarkably assiduous. All our mornings have been -spent in making researches concerning Egypt, in the -works of the ancient authors. We have looked over -Herodotus, Pliny, Strabo, &c., together, without any -other intermission than that which we required to eat -our breakfast, which was served on his small table. The -weather continued unfavourable, and the Emperor dictated -every day and the whole day.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At dinner he told us that he found himself much better, -and we then observed to him that for some time past, -however, he had not been out of the house, and was occupied -eight, ten, or twelve hours a day. “That is the -very reason of my being better,” said he: “occupation is -my element; I was born and made for it. I have found -the limits beyond which I could not use my legs; I have -seen the extent to which I could use my eyes; but I have -never known any bounds to my capability of application. -I nearly killed poor Ménéval; I was obliged to relieve -him for a time from the duties of his situation, and place -him for the recovery of his health near the person of Maria -Louisa, where his post was a mere sinecure.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_331'>331</span>The Emperor added that, if he were in Europe and -had leisure, his pleasure would be to write history. He -complained of the very indifferent manner in which history -was written every where. The researches in which -he had lately been engaged had proved this fact to him to -a degree beyond any thing he could ever have suspected.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“We have no good history,” observed he, “and we -could not have any; and the other nations of Europe -are nearly in the same predicament as ourselves. Monks -and privileged persons, that is to say, men friendly to -abuses and inimical to information and learning, monopolized -this branch of writing; they told us what they -thought proper, or rather that which favoured their -interests, gratified their passions, or agreed with their -own views!—He had formed,” he said, “a plan for -remedying the evil as much as possible; he intended, -for instance, to appoint commissions from the Institute, -or learned men whom public opinion might have pointed -out to him, to revise, criticize, and re-publish our annals. -He wished also to add commentaries to the classic -authors which are put in the hands of our youth, to explain -them with reference to our modern institutions. -With a good programme, competition, and rewards, this -end would have been accomplished; every thing,” he -said, “can be obtained by such means.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>He then repeated, what I believe I have mentioned -before, that it had been his intention to cause the history -of the last reigns of our kings to be written from the -original documents in the archives of our Foreign Office. -There were also several manuscripts, both ancient and -modern, in the Imperial Library, which he intended to -have printed, classifying and embodying them under their -different heads, so as to form codes of doctrine on science, -morality, literature, fine arts, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He had, he said, several other plans of a similar nature. -And could any other period be found equally favourable -to the execution of such plans? When will there be -again united in the same man the genius to conceive and -the power to execute them?</p> - -<p class='c000'>In order to check the production of the immense -number of inferior works with which the public was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_332'>332</span>inundated, without however trenching upon the liberty -of the press, he asked what objection there could have -been to the formation of a tribunal of opinion, composed -of members of the Institute, members of the University, -and persons appointed by the government, who would -have examined all works with reference to these three -points of view, science, morality, and politics; who -would have criticized them, and defined the degree of -merit possessed by each. This tribunal would have been -the light of the public; it would have operated as a -warranty in favour of works of real merit, insured their -success, and thus produced emulation; whilst, on the -contrary, it would necessarily have discouraged the -publication of inferior productions.</p> - -<p class='c000'>All our evenings were devoted to the Odyssey, with -which we are delighted. Polyphemus, Tiresias, and the -Syrens, have quite charmed us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The following details relate to M. Ménéval, to whom -the Emperor alluded above; they will be considered -invaluable, as they will serve to exhibit Napoleon in the -sphere of his private life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, when First Consul, complained that he -had no Secretary. He had just dismissed the one he had -had during the campaigns of Italy and the expedition in -Egypt; he was an old college acquaintance of the Emperor’s, -a man full of intelligence, and to whom he was -very much attached; but he had been obliged to part -with him. His brother Joseph then offered him his own -secretary, whom he had only had for a short time: Napoleon -accepted the offer, and acquired a treasure. This the -Emperor has repeated several times since. It was Ménéval, -whom he has since made a baron, <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em><a id='corr332.30'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Mâitre'>Maître</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_332.30'><ins class='correction' title='Mâitre'>Maître</ins></a></span> des Requêtes</em></span>, -and <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Secrétaire des Commandemens</em></span> to the Empress Maria -Louisa.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Ménéval’s title, when attached to the First Consul, -was Secretary of the Portfolio; a long regulation was -even made expressly regarding him; the principal article -of which was that he should never, under any pretence -whatever, have a secretary, or employ an amanuensis; -which condition was strictly observed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>M. Ménéval was a man of gentle and reserved manners, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_333'>333</span>very discreet, working at all times and at all hours. The -Emperor never had reason to be dissatisfied or displeased -with him, and was very much attached to him. The -Secretary of the Portfolio had generally all the current -business, all affairs that arose on a sudden emergency, -or from a sudden thought. How many affairs, plans, -and conceptions, have been discussed and transmitted -through his medium! He opened and read all letters -addressed to the Emperor; classed them for the Emperor’s -examination, and wrote under his dictation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor dictated so fast that, most frequently, in -order to save time, the Secretary was obliged to endeavour -to recollect the words, rather than attempt to write -them down at the moment they were pronounced. In -this, Ménéval particularly excelled. In the course of -time, Ménéval was authorized himself to return answers -on many subjects. He might easily have acquired great -influence; but it was not in his disposition to seek to -obtain it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor was almost always in his closet; it might -be said that he spent the whole day and part of the night -in it. He usually went to bed at ten or eleven o’clock, -and rose again about twelve, to work for a few hours -more. Sometimes he sent for M. Ménéval, but most -frequently he did not; and, aware of his zeal, he would -sometimes say to him, “You must not kill yourself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>When the Emperor went into his closet in the morning, -he found bundles of papers already arranged and prepared -for him by Ménéval, who had been there before -him. If the Emperor sometimes allowed twenty-four -hours, or two days, to elapse without going into it, his -Secretary would remind him of it, and tell him that he -would suffer himself to be overwhelmed with the mass of -papers that were accumulating, and that the closet would -soon be full of them. To this the Emperor usually answered -good-humouredly: “Do not alarm yourself, it -will soon be cleared;” and so indeed it was, for in a few -hours the Emperor had despatched all the answers, and -was even with the current business. It is true that he -got through a great deal by not answering many things, -and throwing away all that he considered useless, even -<span class='pageno' id='Page_334'>334</span>when coming from his Ministers. To this they were -accustomed; and when no answer appeared they knew -what it meant. He himself read all letters that were addressed -to him; to some he answered by writing a few -words in the margin, and to others he dictated an answer. -Those that were of great importance were always put by, -read a second time, and not answered until some time -had elapsed. When leaving his closet, he generally recapitulated -those affairs that were of the greatest consequence, -and fixed the hour at which they must be ready -for him, which was always punctually attended to. If at -that hour the Emperor did not come, M. Ménéval followed -him about from place to place through the palace to remind -him of it. On some of these occasions the Emperor -would go and settle the affair, at other times he would -say, “To-morrow; night is a good adviser.” This was -his usual phrase; and he often said that he had indeed -worked much harder at night than during the day; not -that thoughts of business prevented him from sleeping, -but because he slept at intervals, according as he wanted -rest, and a little sufficed for him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It often happened that the Emperor, in the course of -his campaigns, was roused suddenly upon some emergency; -he would then immediately get up, and it would have -been impossible to guess from the appearance of his eyes -that he had just been asleep. He then gave his decision, -or dictated his answer, with as much clearness, and with -his mind as free and unembarrassed, as at any other moment. -This he called the <em>after-midnight presence of -mind</em>; and he possessed it in a most extraordinary degree. -It has sometimes happened that he has been perhaps called -up as often as ten times in the same night, and each -time he was always found to have fallen asleep again, not -having as yet taken his quantum of rest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Boasting one day to one of his ministers (General -Clarke) of the faculty which he possessed of sleeping -almost at pleasure and how little rest he required, Clarke -answered in a jocular tone, “Yes, Sire, and that is a -source of torment to us, for it is often at our expense; -we come in for our share of it sometimes.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor did every thing himself and through the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_335'>335</span>medium of his Cabinet. He appointed to all vacant situations, -and most frequently substituted new names to -those of the persons proposed to him. He read the plans -of his Ministers, adopted, rejected, or modified them. He -even indited the notes of his Minister for Foreign Affairs, -which he dictated to Ménéval, from whom he kept no -secret. It was through Ménéval also that he wrote to -the different sovereigns; in addressing whom he observed -a formula which he had had drawn up from the reports -of former times, and to the strict observance of which he -attached great importance. All the Ministers transacted -business with the Emperor together on one day of the -week, appointed for that purpose, unless something occurred -to prevent it. The business of each Minister was -transacted in the presence of all the others, who were -allowed to give their opinions respecting it, and each of -them thus emptied his portfolio. A register was kept of -the deliberations, of which there must be many volumes. -Those documents that had been decided on were left to -have the signature affixed to them, which was done -through the medium of the Minister Secretary of State, -who countersigned them. Sometimes some of these papers, -after they had been thus decided on, were still sent -to the Emperor’s cabinet to be revised and modified before -the signature was put to them. The Minister for -Foreign Affairs was the only one who, independently of -his share in the general business transacted by the other -Ministers, had besides, from the secret nature of his -functions, other business to despatch in private with the -Emperor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One of the favourite aides-de-camp of the Emperor -was entrusted with all that related to the <em>personnel</em> of the -war-department. For a long time Duroc occupied this -confidential post; afterwards Bertrand and Lauriston; -Count Lobau was the last who filled it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>M. Ménéval, being in a very indifferent state of health, -worn down by fatigue from application, and requiring -some interval of repose, the Emperor gave him a situation -in the household of the Empress Maria Louisa, -which was, he said, quite a sinecure. However, the -Emperor only parted with him on condition that he should -<span class='pageno' id='Page_336'>336</span>come back to him as soon as he was well; and he never -failed to remind him of it every time he saw him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After Ménéval’s retirement, the business of the Emperor’s -cabinet ceased to be conducted by one person only; -Ménéval had a great many successors at the same moment, -and the cabinet became a kind of office, in which -several persons were employed. One of these persons, -whom the Emperor had taken on the recommendation of -others who had thought they could answer for him as for -themselves, received an order, at the time of the disasters -of 1814, to burn the documents that were in the closet; -but, instead of obeying this order, he so far forgot his -duty as to take them away with him: and, after the -King’s restoration, he wrote to one of his Ministers to -offer them to him. The Emperor found the proof of his -treachery amongst the papers left at the Tuileries at the -period of the 20th of March; and one morning having -gone into his closet before any body was come, he wrote -several times on a piece of paper, as if he had been trying -his pen, <em>Such a one (naming him) is a traitor</em>—<em>Such a -one is a traitor</em>; and laid it on the table where sat one of -those who had recommended him, and who was himself, -said the Emperor, a man on whose zeal and fidelity every -reliance could be placed. This was the only reproach he -ever addressed to him, and the only revenge he ever -exercised on the offender.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Several traces may therefore still be found, and several -documents must exist, of the business transacted in the -Emperor’s cabinet. Some of these documents have been -alluded to in the debates of the British Parliament; but -Napoleon solemnly declared, on his return at the period -of the 20th of March last, that these documents had been -falsified. And they are not the only documents that are -left of that ever-memorable administration.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There must be twenty or thirty folio volumes, and as -many in quarto, containing the correspondence of the -campaigns of Italy and of Egypt, collected and regularly -classed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There must be also about sixty or eighty folio volumes -of the deliberations of the Council Ministers, collected by -the Secretaries of State, the Duke of Bassano and Count -<span class='pageno' id='Page_337'>337</span>Daru; and lastly, the minutes of the sittings of <a id='corr337.1'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='the the'>the</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_337.1'><ins class='correction' title='the the'>the</ins></a></span> -Council of State, written and arranged by M. Locré.</p> - -<p class='c000'>These are real and proud titles of glory for Napoleon. -Upon these immortal monuments, all subsequent governments -have modelled and directed their administration; -and from them all future governments, of every country, -will henceforth inevitably seek and derive information: -so sure and solid have been the foundations which he has -laid—so judiciously placed the landmarks—so deep are -the roots—so much, in one word, does the whole bear -the stamp of genius, and the character of rectitude and -of duration.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>OBSERVATIONS OF THE EMPEROR CONCERNING MY WIFE.—DICTATION OF THE EMPEROR FOR ANOTHER PORTION OF HIS MEMOIRS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>28th.—The Emperor to-day availed himself of an interval -of fine weather to take two turns in the calash: -he said he wanted a little jolting. His left cheek was -still swelled. About three o’clock he returned; and, a -short time afterwards, having nothing to do, he sent for -me, and we walked round the garden for some time. -Having perceived the Doctor, he beckoned to him. The -Doctor came up to us, and from him Napoleon heard that -the Russian and Austrian Commissioners had come the -day before to the entrance to Longwood, from which they -had been turned away by the centry placed by the -Governor.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When we were alone, the Emperor, after having conversed -upon a variety of subjects, spoke of my wife, -conjecturing what she might be doing, what had become -of her, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“There is no doubt,” said he, presently afterwards, -“that your situation at St. Helena inspires a lively interest, -and must tend to cause your wife’s company to be -sought after. Every thing relating to me is still dear to -many persons. From this rock I still bestow crowns!... -Yes, my dear friends, when you return to Europe, -you will find yourselves crowned!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then, speaking again of my wife, he said, with an expression -of the utmost kindness, “The best thing she -<span class='pageno' id='Page_338'>338</span>could do would be to go and spend the time of her separation -from you with Madame, or some other members -of my family. They would undoubtedly feel much pleasure -in taking care of her,” &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When we went back into the house, the Emperor sat -down to work. The Campaign of Italy was nearly finished -but he provided me with a new subject.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“<em>Note, write</em>:”—These were the words which the -Emperor uttered abruptly when a new idea occurred. -What follows is literally what he dictated to me, in this -instance: nothing has been altered in it, and he has -never read it over.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Note.—The Campaign of Italy being completed, -Las Cases will, in the course of a week, undertake the -period from the breaking of the treaty of Amiens to the -battle of Jena. In 1802 all Europe is at peace; shortly -afterwards all Europe begins war: the Republic is -changed, and becomes the Empire; the maritime question -becomes the chief cause of the rupture of the peace -of Amiens.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Las Cases will begin by causing extracts to be made -from the Moniteur of that time, by little Emanuel, under -his directions: he must get through at least six or seven -a-day, which will make one hundred and eighty, or a -period of six months in one month.—There must be at -least a period of six months extracted before we begin.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The periods preceding and following that period -will be prepared and arranged by the other gentlemen. -In making the extracts, the plan already prescribed to -M. Montholon must be followed; that is, of extracting -all that relates to one event, and referring to the page -and month.</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>The following will be the great events of this period</em>:—</p> - - <ul class='ul_1'> - <li>“1st, History of the flotilla. - </li> - <li>“2d, Declaration of Austria. - </li> - <li>“3d, Movements of the fleets. - </li> - <li>“4th, Battle of Trafalgar. - </li> - <li>“5th, Ulm—Austerlitz. - </li> - <li>“6th, Peace of Vienna. - </li> - <li>“7th, Negotiation of Lord Lauderdale at Paris. - </li> - <li>“8th, Battle of Jena. - </li> - <li><span class='pageno' id='Page_339'>339</span>“<em>To be inserted in their respective places</em>:— - - </li> - <li>“1st, Conspiracy of Georges. - </li> - <li>“2d, Affair of the Duc d’Enghien. - </li> - <li>“3d, Coronation of the Emperor, by the Pope. - </li> - <li>“4th, Imperial organization. - </li> - </ul> - -<p class='c000'>“This will be one of the most glorious periods of the -history of France; for it exhibits, in the space of one -year, on one side a Pope coming to France to crown an -Emperor,—an event which had not taken place for one -thousand years before; and, on the other, the French -flag waving over the capitals of Austria and Prussia, the -Roman empire dissolved, and the Prussian monarchy -destroyed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I take pleasure in transcribing literally the above dictation -of the Emperor’s, with his first ideas and in his -first words, in order to shew his style and manner.</p> - -<p class='c000'>It will be easily conceived with what zeal and ardour -both my son and myself devoted ourselves to this our -task, the importance of which we fully appreciated. We -had not yet completed the analysis of our six months, -when I was torn from Longwood.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>ON A HOLE IN THE GARDEN.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>29th.—During dinner somebody mentioned a pool -which stands in our garden, not far from the house, and -which is deep enough to admit of a lamb having once -been drowned in it, in attempting to drink. The Emperor -said on that occasion, to one of the inmates of the -house: “Is it possible, Sir, that you have not yet had -this pool filled up? How guilty you would be, and what -would not your grief be, if your son were to be drowned -in it, as it might easily happen!” The person thus censured -answered that he had often intended to have it -done, but that it was impossible to get workmen. “That -is not an excuse,” said the Emperor sharply: “if <em>my</em> -son were here, I should go and fill it up with my own -hands.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor was already in bed when he sent for me: -he wished, he said, to put some questions to me, and to -inquire concerning some dates connected with matters -which concerned us materially. . . . . . . . . . . . -. . . . . . . . .</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_340'>340</span> - <h3 class='c006'>ELOQUENT DICTATIONS OF THE EMPEROR.—CHARACTERISTIC<br /> DETAILS, AND PARTICULARS.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>30th.—Whenever the Emperor took up a subject, if -he was in the least animated, his language was fit to be -printed. He has often, when an idea struck him forcibly, -dictated in an off-hand way to any one of us -who happened to be in his way, pages of the most -polished diction. The other gentlemen of his suite -must possess a great many of these dictations, which are -all most valuable. Unfortunately for me, the weak state -of my eyes, which prevented me from writing, most frequently -deprived me of this advantage.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On one occasion, when the English ministerial newspapers -adverted to the treasures which Napoleon must -possess, and which he, no doubt, concealed, the Emperor -dictated as follows:</p> - -<p class='c000'>“You wish to know the treasures of Napoleon? They -are immense, it is true, but they are all exposed to light. -They are: The noble harbours of Antwerp and Flushing, -which are capable of containing the largest fleets, and of -protecting them against the ice from the sea,—the -hydraulic works at Dunkirk, Havre, and Nice,—the immense -harbour of Cherbourg,—the maritime works at -Venice,—the beautiful roads from Antwerp to Amsterdam; -from Mentz to Metz; from Bordeaux to Bayonne;—the -passes of the Simplon, of Mont Cenis, of -Mont Genevre, of La Corniche, which open a communication -through the Alps in four different directions; and -which exceed in grandeur, in boldness, and in skill of -execution, all the works of the Romans: in these alone -you will find eight hundred millions;—the roads from -the Pyrenees to the Alps, from Parma to Spezzia, from -Savona to Piedmont,—the bridges of Jena, Austerlitz, -the Arts, Sevres, Tours, Rouanne, Lyons, Turin, of the -Isere, of the Durance, of Bordeaux, of Rouen, &c.—the -canal which connects the Rhine with the Rhone by the -Doubs, and thus unites the North Sea with the Mediterranean; -the canal which connects the Scheldt with the -Somme, and thus joins Paris and Amsterdam; the canal -which unites the Rance with the Vilaine; the canal of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_341'>341</span>Arles, that of Pavia, and the canal of the Rhine—the -draining of the marshes of Burgoing, of the Cotentin, of -Rochfort—the rebuilding of the greater number of the -churches destroyed during the Revolution—the building -of others—the institution of numerous establishments of -industry for the suppression of mendicity—the works at -the Louvre—the construction of public warehouses, of -the Bank, of the canal of the Ourcq—the distribution of -water in the city of Paris—the numerous sewers, the -quays, the embellishments, and the monuments of that -large capital—the works for the embellishment of Rome—the -re-establishment of the manufactures of Lyons—the -creation of many hundreds of cotton manufactories for -spinning and for weaving, which employ several millions -of hands—funds accumulated to establish upwards of -400 manufactories of sugar from beet-root, for the consumption -of part of France, and which would have -furnished sugar at the same price as the West Indies, if -they had continued to receive encouragement for only -four years longer—the substitution of woad for indigo, -which would have been at last brought to equal in -quality, and not to exceed in price, the indigo from the -Colonies—numerous manufactories for all kinds of objects -of art, &c.—fifty millions expended in repairing -and beautifying the palaces belonging to the Crown—sixty -millions in furniture for the palaces belonging to -the Crown in France and in Holland, at Turin, and at -Rome—sixty millions in diamonds for the Crown, all purchased -with Napoleon’s money—<em>the Regent</em> (the only -diamond that was left belonging to the former diamonds -of the Crown) withdrawn from the hands of the Jews at -Berlin, with whom it had been pledged for three millions—the Napoleon -Museum, valued at upwards of four -hundred millions, filled with objects legitimately acquired -either by money or treaties of peace known to the whole -world, by virtue of which the master-pieces it contains -were given in lieu of territory or of contributions—several -millions amassed for the encouragement of agriculture, -which is the paramount consideration for the interest -of France—the introduction into France of Merino -sheep, &c.——these form a treasure of several thousand -<span class='pageno' id='Page_342'>342</span>millions, which will endure for ages! these are the -monuments that will confute calumny!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>History will say that all these things were accomplished -amidst perpetual wars, without having recourse -to any loan, and whilst the national debt was even -diminishing every day, and that nearly fifty millions of -taxes had been remitted. Very large sums still remained -in his private treasury; they were guaranteed to him by -the treaty of Fontainebleau, as the result of the savings -effected on his civil list and of his other private revenues. -These sums were divided and did not go entirely into the -public treasury, nor altogether into the treasury of -France!!</p> - -<p class='c000'>On another occasion, the Emperor reading in an -English newspaper that Lord Castlereagh had said, at a -meeting in Ireland, that Napoleon had declared at St. -Helena that he never would have made peace with -England but to deceive her, to take her by surprise, and -to destroy her; and that, if the French army was attached -to the Emperor, it was because he was in the habit of -giving the daughters of the richest families of his empire -in marriage to his soldiers: the Emperor, moved with -indignation, dictated as follows: “These calumnies -uttered against a man who is so barbarously oppressed, -and whose voice is not allowed to be heard in answer to -them, will be disbelieved by all persons well educated and -susceptible of feeling. When Napoleon was seated on -the first throne in the world, then no doubt his enemies -had a right to say whatever they pleased; his actions -were public, and were a sufficient answer to them; at -any rate, that conduct now belonged to public opinion, -and history; but to utter new and base calumnies against -him at the present moment is an act of the utmost meanness -and cowardice, and which will not answer the end -proposed. Millions of libels have been and are still published -every day, but they are without effect. Sixty millions -of men, of the most polished nations in the world, raise -their voices to confute them, and fifty thousand English, -who are now travelling on the Continent, will, on their -return home, publish the truth to the inhabitants of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_343'>343</span>three kingdoms of Great Britain, who will blush at -having been so grossly deceived.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“As for the Bill, by virtue of which Napoleon has been -dragged to this rock, it is an act of proscription similar to -those of Sylla, and still more atrocious. The Romans -unrelentingly pursued Hannibal to the utmost extremities -of Bithynia; and Flaminius persuaded King Prusias to -assent to the death of that great man; yet at Rome -Flaminius was accused of having acted thus in order to -satisfy his personal hatred. It was in vain that he urged -in his defence that Hannibal, yet in the vigour of life, -might still become a dangerous enemy, and that his death -was necessary; a thousand voices were raised, and -answered that acts of injustice and ungenerous actions -can never be useful to a great nation; and that, upon -such pretences as that now set forth, murder, poisoning, -and every species of crime might be justified! Succeeding -generations reproached their ancestors with this base -act. They would have paid a high price to efface the -stain from their history, and, since the revival of letters -among modern nations, there is not a generation that -has not added its imprecations to those pronounced by -Hannibal at the moment when he drank the fatal cup: -he cursed Rome, who, whilst her fleets and legions -covered Europe, Asia, and Africa, wreaked her vengeance -against a man alone and unprotected, because she feared, -or pretended to fear, him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Romans, however, never violated the rights of -hospitality: Sylla found an asylum in the house of -Marius. Flaminius, before he proscribed Hannibal, did -not receive him on board his ship and declare that he -had orders to treat him favourably; the Roman fleet did -not convey him to the Port of Ostia; and Hannibal, -instead of placing himself under the protection of the -Romans, preferred trusting his person to a King of Asia. -When he was proscribed, he was not under the protection -of the Roman flag; he was under the banners of a -king who was an enemy of Rome.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“If ever, in the revolutions of ages, a King of -England should be brought before the awful tribunal of -his nation, his defenders will urge in his favour the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_344'>344</span>sacred character of a king, the respect due to the throne, -to all crowned heads, to the anointed of the Lord! But -his accusers will have a right to answer thus: ‘One of -the ancestors of this King, whom you defend, banished a -man that was his guest, in time of peace; afraid to put -him to death in the presence of a nation governed by -positive laws and by regular and public forms, he caused -his victim to be exposed on the most unhealthy point of -a rock, situated in another hemisphere, in the midst of -the ocean, where this guest perished, after a long agony, -a prey to the climate, to want, to insults of every kind! -Yet that guest was also a great Sovereign, raised to the -throne on the shields of thirty-six millions of citizens. -He had been master of almost every Capital of Europe; -the greatest Kings composed his Court; he was generous -towards all; he was during twenty years the arbiter of -nations; his family was allied to every reigning family, -even to that of England; he was twice the anointed of -the Lord; twice consecrated by the august ceremonies of -religion!!!’”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This passage is certainly very fine, for its truth, its -diction, and above all, for its historical richness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor always dictated without the least preparation. -I never saw him, on any occasion, make any -research respecting our history or that of any other -nation; and yet no man ever quoted history more -faithfully, more <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>apropos</em></span>, or more frequently. One might -have supposed that he knew history by quotations only, -and that these quotations occurred to him as by inspiration. -And here I must be allowed to mention a fact -which has often struck me, and which I never could -satisfactorily account for to myself; but it is so very -remarkable, and I have witnessed it so often, that I -cannot pass it in silence. It is that Napoleon seems to -possess a stock of information on several points, which -remains within him, in reserve as it were, to burst forth -with splendour on remarkable occasions, and which in -his moments of carelessness appears to be not only -slumbering, but almost unknown to him altogether. -With respect to history, for instance, how often has it -happened that he has asked me whether St. Louis reigned -<span class='pageno' id='Page_345'>345</span>before or after Philip the Fair, and other questions of the -same kind. But, when occasion offered, when his -moment came, then he would quote without hesitation, -and with the most minute details; and when I have -sometimes happened to be in doubt, and to go and -verify, I have always found him to be right and most -scrupulously exact: I have never been able to detect him -in error.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Another singular peculiarity in him of the same kind -is this:—In his common intercourse of life, and his -familiar conversation, the Emperor mutilated the names -most familiar to him, even ours; yet I do not think that -this would have happened to him on a public occasion. -I have heard him many times, during our walks, repeat -the celebrated speech of Augustus; and he has never -missed saying, “Take a seat, Sylla.”<a id='r30' /><a href='#f30' class='c008'><sup>[30]</sup></a> He would frequently -create names of persons according to his fancy; -and, when he had once adopted them, they remained -fixed in his mind, although we pronounced them as they -should be, a hundred times in the day, within his hearing; -but he would have been struck if we had used them -as he had altered them. It was the same with respect -to orthography: in general, he did not attend to it; -yet, if our copies had contained any faults of spelling, he -would have complained of it. One day the Emperor -said to me; “You do not write orthographically, do -you?” This question gave rise to a sarcastic smile from -a bystander, who thought that it was meant to convey -a reproach. The Emperor, who saw this, continued:—“At -least, I suppose you do not; for a man occupied -with public or other important business, a Minister, for -instance, cannot, and need not, attend to orthography. -His ideas must flow faster than his hand can trace; he -has only time for hieroglyphics; he must put letters for -words, and words for sentences; and leave the scribes to -make it out afterwards.”—The Emperor left a great deal -for the copyists to do; he was their torment: his handwriting -actually formed hieroglyphics; he often could -<span class='pageno' id='Page_346'>346</span>not decipher it himself. My son was one day reading to -him a chapter of the Campaign of Italy: on a sudden he -stopped short, unable to make out the writing. “The -little blockhead,” said the Emperor, “cannot read his -own writing!”—“It is not mine, Sire.”—“And whose -then?” “Your Majesty’s.”—“How, you little rogue! -do you mean to insult me?” The Emperor took the -manuscript, tried a long while to read it, and at last -threw it down, saying, “He is right: I cannot tell -myself what is written.”—He has often sent the copyists -to me, to try to read to them what he had himself been -unable to decipher.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor accounted for the clearness of his ideas, -and the faculty of extremely protracted application which -he possessed, by saying that the different affairs were -arranged in his head as in a closet. “When I wish to -turn from any business,” said he, “I close the drawer -which contains it, and I open that which contains another. -They do not mix together, and do not fatigue me or inconvenience -me.” He had never been kept awake, he -said, by an involuntary pre-occupation of mind. If I wish -to sleep, I shut up all the drawers, and I am soon <a id='corr346.22'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='asleep.”'>asleep.</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_346.22'><ins class='correction' title='asleep.”'>asleep.</ins></a></span> -So that he had always, he added, slept when he wanted -rest, and almost at will.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>MY ATLAS.—PREDESTINATION, &C.—THE GOVERNOR MAKES FRUITLESS ATTEMPTS TO BE RECEIVED BY THE EMPEROR.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>Tuesday, 1st October. When I entered the Emperor’s -room, he had my Atlas in his hands. He turned over -several of the genealogical maps, whose relation and -correspondence with each other he now understands -remarkably well. On closing the book, he said, “What -a concatenation! how each part results from and corroborates -what goes before it! How every part unfolds -itself and remains fixed in the mind! Las Cases, if you -had done nothing more than point out the true method -for instruction, you would still have rendered a most -essential service. Every one may now clothe the -skeleton as they like; it will, no doubt, be improved -upon, but the first conception is yours,” &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_347'>347</span>Amongst the numerous subjects of conversation which -followed, predestination was mentioned. The Emperor -made many remarkable observations on that subject; -amongst others, “Pray,” said he, “am I not said to be -given to the belief in predestination?” “Yes, Sire, at -least by many people.” “Well, well! let them say on; -one may sometimes be tempted to imitate, and it may -occasionally be useful.... But what are men!... -How much easier it is to occupy their attention, and to -strike their imaginations, by absurdities than by rational -ideas! But can a man of sound sense listen for one -moment to such a doctrine? Either predestination admits -the existence of free will, or it rejects it. If it admits it, -what kind of predetermined result is that which the mere -will, a step, a word, may alter or modify, <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>ad infinitum</em></span>? -If predestination, on the contrary, rejects the existence -of free will, it is quite another question; in that case a -child need only be thrown into its cradle as soon as it is -born; there is no necessity for bestowing the least care -upon it; for if it be irrevocably determined that it is to -live, it will grow though no food should be given to it. -You see that such a doctrine cannot be maintained: predestination -is but a word without meaning. The Turks -themselves, those patrons of fatalism, are not convinced -of the doctrine, or medicine would not exist in Turkey; -and a man residing in a third floor would not take the -trouble to go down by the longer way of the stairs, he -would immediately throw himself out of the window: -you see to what a string of absurdities that will -lead.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>At about three o’clock, the Emperor was told that the -Governor wished to communicate to him some instructions -which he had just received from London. The -Emperor replied that he was unwell, that the instructions -might be sent to him, or communicated to some of his -suite; but the Governor insisted on being admitted, -saying, that he wished to communicate directly with the -Emperor: he added that he had also a few words to say -to us in private, after having spoken to <em>the General</em>. -The Emperor again refused; upon which the Governor -retired, saying that he begged he might be informed when -<span class='pageno' id='Page_348'>348</span>he <em>could</em> see <em>the General</em>. This period may be distant -indeed; the Emperor, with whom I was at that moment, -having said to me that he was determined never to -receive him again.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor had Buffon and Valmont -de Bomare brought to him. He looked at what these -authors say respecting the diversities in the human -species, the difference between a negro and a white; but -he was not much satisfied with what he found in them on -the subject. He retired early to his apartment: he was -unwell.</p> - -<p class='c000'>2d. The Emperor having told me that he was determined -to apply again to the study of English, and that I -must oblige him every morning to take his lesson, I -accordingly went to his apartment at about half-past -twelve. I was not fortunate in the choice of the moment, -for he was lying on his sofa asleep after his breakfast. -I must have vexed him, and was very much vexed -myself. However, he would not let me go away, and -read a little English for about half an hour. He was not -very well. He dressed. Having told him that we had -finished what he had given us to do, he at first proposed -to go to work on the chapters of the Campaign of Italy; -but he afterwards altered his mind, and was busy the -whole day on something else. At about five o’clock he -attempted to walk out, but found the weather too cold. -After dinner, he tried to read, but in vain; he could not -go on: he felt tired, drowsy, indisposed, and withdrew -almost immediately.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>JURISPRUDENCE; THE CODE; MERLIN, &C.—MONUMENTS IN EGYPT.—PLAN OF AN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE IN PARIS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>3d. After breakfast, the Emperor took two or three -turns in the garden. We were all with him. He spoke -of the communications which the Governor had to make -to us, and took a review of the different conjectures—some -good, some bad—which each of us formed on the -subject. The weather was tolerable; he ordered the -calash, and we went round the wood. The heat and the -heaviness of the atmosphere, though the sun was obscured, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_349'>349</span>obliged him to go into the house again. He sat -down and dictated to my son until five o’clock.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We again tried to take a few turns in the garden; but -the air was cold and damp. He went in-doors again, -and made me go to converse with him. He turned over -an English book, and stopped at a part relating to jurisprudence, -and the criminal codes of France and England, -endeavouring to compare them. Every body knows how -extremely well versed he is in our codes; but he has -little knowledge of that of England, and, with the exception -of some general points, I could not answer his questions. -In the course of the conversation he said: Laws -which in theory are a model of clearness become too -often a chaos in their application; because men, with -their passions, spoil every thing they touch, &c.... Men -can only avoid being exposed to the arbitrary acts of the -judge, by submitting to the despotism of the law, &c.... -I had at first fancied it would be possible to reduce all -laws to simple geometrical demonstrations; so that -every man who could read, and connect two ideas together, -would be able to decide for himself; but I became -convinced, almost immediately that this idea was absurd. -However,” added he, “I should have wished to start -from some fixed point, and follow one road known to all; -to have no other laws but those inserted in the code; and -to proclaim, once for all, that all laws which were not in -the code were null and void. But it is not easy to obtain -simplicity from practical lawyers: they first prove to you -that simplicity is impossible, that it is a mere chimera; -and endeavour next to demonstrate that it is incompatible -with the stability and the existence of power. Power, -they say, is exposed alone to the unforeseen machinations -of all: it must therefore have, in the moment of need, -arms kept in reserve for such cases: so that, with some -old edicts of Chilperic or Pharamond, ferreted out for the -occasion,” said Napoleon, “nobody can say that he is -secure from being hanged in due form and according -to law.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“So long as the subjects of discussion in the Council -of State,” said the Emperor, “were referable to the code, -I felt very strong; but when they diverged from it, I was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_350'>350</span>quite in the dark, and Merlin was then my resource—he -was my light. Without possessing much brilliancy, Merlin -is very learned, wise, upright, and honest; one of -the veterans of the good old cause: he was very much -attached to me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No sooner had the code made its appearance, than it -was almost immediately followed by commentaries, explanations, -elucidations, interpretations, and the Lord knows -what besides. I usually exclaimed, on seeing this: Gentlemen, -we have cleaned the stable of Augeas; for God’s -sake do not let us fill it again!” &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During dinner, the Emperor made some very remarkable -observations respecting Egypt, which will be found -in the chapters dictated to Bertrand. He then reverted -to his expedition to Syria, and declared that the grand -object of the expedition to Egypt was to shake the -power of England in the four quarters of the world, by -effecting a revolution capable of changing the whole face -of the East, and giving a new destiny to India. Egypt, -he said, was to stand us in stead of St. Domingo, and our -American Colonies, to reconcile the liberty of the blacks -with the prosperity of our commerce. This new colony -would have ruined the English in America, in the Mediterranean, -and even on the banks of the Ganges.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Then, answering the reproach preferred against him of -having deserted his army, he said: “I merely obeyed the -call of France, which summoned me to save her, and I -had a right to do so. I had received from the Directory a -<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>carte blanche</em></span> for all my operations in the basin of the -Mediterranean, in Africa, and in Asia. I had full powers -for treating with the Russians, the Turks, the Barbary -States, and the provinces of India. I was at liberty to appoint -a successor, to bring back the army, or to return -myself, if I thought proper.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor thought that all he had seen in Egypt, -and, particularly, all those celebrated ruins so much -talked of, were not to be compared with Paris and the -Tuileries. The only difference between Egypt and us -was, in his opinion, that Egypt, thanks to the pureness -of its air and the nature of its materials, preserved her -ruins for ever; whereas the nature of our European atmosphere -<span class='pageno' id='Page_351'>351</span>would not admit of our having any for any -length of time, every thing being soon corroded and gone.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Vestiges of a thousand years’ date might be found on -the banks of the Nile; but not one would subsist on the -banks of the Seine in fifty years. He, however, regretted -very much that he had not caused an Egyptian -temple to be erected at Paris: he could have wished to -adorn the capital with such a monument, &c.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>RESOURCES DURING THE EMIGRATION: ANECDOTES, &C.—OFFICIAL<br /> COMMUNICATIONS.—NEW OFFENCES.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>4th. At about twelve o’clock, I went to the Emperor’s -apartment. He took a good lesson of English in -Telemachus: he resolved to take up my method again; -he approves of it, he said, and derives great benefit from -it. He observed that he thought I had excellent dispositions -for being a very good schoolmaster; I told -him it was the fruit of my experience. He then made -me enter into a great many details respecting the time -when I gave lessons in London, during my emigration, -and he was very much amused by them. “However,” -said he, “you gentlemen, must have done credit to the -profession, if not by your learning, at least, by your -manners.” I then told him that one of our Princes had -taught mathematics during his emigration. “And this -alone,” said he, with animation, “would make a man -of him, and shew him to have possessed some merit; that -is assuredly one of the greatest triumphs of Madame de -Genlis.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I then related to him the following curious anecdote, -which I had heard on that subject. “The Prince was in -Switzerland: and, being so circumstanced as to find it -advisable to conceal his existence, he wished to take a -name that might favour his disguise. One of our Bishops, -from the South of France, fancied that nothing -could be better than to give him the name of a young -man from Languedoc then at Nismes, who was a very -zealous Protestant; which was just as it ought to be, the -Prince being in a Protestant canton. The Bishop added -that there was no appearance that the young man would -ever be in the way to falsify the Prince’s assumption of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_352'>352</span>his name. But it had so happened that the young man -had gone into the army, and had become an aide-de-camp -to M. de Montesquiou, and that shortly afterwards he had -emigrated precisely into Switzerland with his general. -What was his surprise to find himself at the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>table d’hôte</em></span>, -at dinner with a person of his own name, of the same -religion, and who belonged to the same town! It was -exactly like the scene of the two Sosias.<a id='r31' /><a href='#f31' class='c008'><sup>[31]</sup></a> But the best -of the joke was that the young man had also changed -his name, and carefully concealed his own. Such incidents -are only to be met with in novels; they are -thought of impossible occurrence. Perhaps the present -story has been rather embellished; yet, I think, I can -affirm that I heard it from the young man himself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>“But,” observed the Emperor afterwards, “those -amongst you emigrants who had created for yourselves -resources abroad must have felt quite lost when you -returned to France, and ruined once more?”—“Certainly, -Sire; for we found nothing of what we had -formerly left in France, and we had just abandoned the -little we had made ourselves. But we had not calculated: -our impatience to revisit our native land had over-balanced -every other consideration, and several amongst -us soon found themselves in the greatest distress, in -want of every thing, although acquainted and even intimate -with many of the great personages of the day—with -your Ministers, Sire, your Councillors of State, and -others. This circumstance gave rise to a <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>bon mot</em></span> from -one of our <em>wits</em>. Meeting one day, in the saloon of the -Minister for Maritime Affairs, a friend who like himself -hardly knew how to manage to subsist, he exclaimed, by -way of consolation: “Well, my friend, if we die of hunger, -we may still have two or three Ministers at our -funeral.” The Emperor laughed heartily at the jest, and -admitted that it gave an exact description of the situation -of affairs at the time.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After his lesson of English, and the conversation -which followed, the Emperor went out for a walk. We -walked to the end of the wood, where the calash drove -up to us.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_353'>353</span>On the Emperor’s return, the Doctor came to inform -him that Colonel Reade, whom he had consented to -receive instead of the Governor, wished to be presented -to him. Colonel Reade delivered to the Emperor a note -of considerable length; and I was sent for to translate -it. It contained the communications which Sir Hudson -Lowe had for three or four days past been vainly endeavouring -to make in person. The note was couched in -the most offensive terms, and the Governor wished to -have reserved to himself the satisfaction of communicating -its contents to the Emperor. This is a characteristic -trait, and it requires no comment. The harsh terms -in which it was expressed, and in particular the repeated -threat that we should be separated from the Emperor, -vexed us exceedingly, and put us out of spirits for the -remainder of the day.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>THE EMPEROR READS MY JOURNAL, AND DICTATES TO ME.—CONFERENCE BETWEEN THE GRAND MARSHAL AND THE GOVERNOR.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>5th.—At an early hour this morning, before I had -risen, I heard some one softly open my chamber-door. -My apartment is so encumbered with my own bed and -that of my son, that it is no easy matter to enter it. -I perceived a hand drawing aside my bed-curtain: it -was the Emperor’s. I was reading a book of geometry, -a circumstance which amused him very much, and, as he -said, saved my reputation. I instantly rose, and soon -rejoined the Emperor, who was proceeding to the wood -alone. He conversed for a considerable time on the -events of the preceding day. He then returned to the -house for the purpose of taking a bath: he was very ill, -and had passed a bad night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He sent for me at one o’clock. He was in the -drawing-room, and he expressed a wish to take his English -lesson. The weather was very hot and close. The -Emperor felt languid and dispirited: he could not bend -his mind to study, and several times fell asleep. At -length he rose, saying he was determined to shake off -his lethargy, and he proceeded to the billiard-room to -breathe a little fresh air.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_354'>354</span>Conversing on the subject of the Campaigns of Italy, -he enquired what I had done with the first rough -draughts, observing that all the chapters had been -several times re-copied. I told him that I had carefully -preserved them. He desired to have all the manuscripts -brought to him, and, laying aside two complete copies, he -sent the rest into the kitchen to be burnt.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have already several times mentioned that the Emperor -knew I kept a Journal. This was a secret, and -therefore he never spoke to me on the subject, except -when we happened to be alone together. He often -asked me whether I still continued my Journal, and what -I could find to set down in it. “Sire,” I replied, “all -that your Majesty does and says, from morning to -night.” “Then,” said he, “you must have a monstrous -deal of repetition, and must tell many useless things! -But no matter, go on, some day we will look it over -together.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>When he visited my chamber, he frequently found the -faithful Aly engaged in re-copying my Journal; for he -had kindly offered to employ himself in this way, during -his leisure hours. The Emperor sometimes cast his eyes -upon Aly’s writing, and, after reading a few lines, that -is to say, as soon as he ascertained what it was, he would -turn away and speak about something else, without ever -alluding to the subject. This is precisely what had occurred -this morning; and the Emperor, recollecting the circumstance, -said that he wished at length to have a sight -of this famous <em>jumble of trifles</em>. My son brought a portion -of the manuscript, and the Emperor spent upwards -of two hours in perusing it. The introduction, which -relates to myself personally, fixed his attention; he read -it over twice, and then said: “Well, very well; this is a -fine inheritance for little Emanuel.” As to the Journal, -he approved of its form and general plan. He made several -corrections with his own hand, on those parts which -related to his family and his childhood. He desired my -son to take the pen, and he dictated to him some details -respecting Brienne, Father Patrault, &c. When he had -done, he desired me to continue my labours, as he was -pleased with them; and he promised to furnish me with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_355'>355</span>many anecdotes, particularly concerning Alexander and -the other sovereigns.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He afterwards took a drive in the calash, in which I -accompanied him, and the Journal again became the topic -of conversation. The Emperor said a great deal on the -subject, and expressed himself very much pleased with -the idea. He gave me several hints respecting it, and -concluded by observing that, from the peculiar circumstances -under which it was produced, it might become a -work truly unique in its character, and an invaluable -treasure to his son.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On our return to Longwood, we found the Grand Marshal, -who had just returned from Plantation House, where -he had been to hold a conference on the subject of the -communications of yesterday. We anxiously awaited the -answer he might bring back. He informed us that a -proposition had been made, which was nothing less than -that four of us should be separated from the Emperor. -There were many other minor points of a very vexatious -nature; but this one caused us to lose sight of all the rest. -The Governor had, however, finally agreed to remove -only the Pole and three of the domestics. According to -the report of the Grand Marshal, I was the individual -upon whom the storm had lowered, of whom the Governor -most particularly complained, and whose removal, he -said, he should certainly have decided upon, had he not -thought me too useful to the Emperor. He complained -that I was constantly writing to Europe, declaiming -against the Government and the injustice and oppression -which I alleged were exercised towards us. His other -subjects of complaint were, that I spoke of the Emperor -to the strangers who visited Longwood in such a way as -to excite their interest; that I was constantly endeavouring -to establish communications with different individuals -on the island (and he mentioned the instance of Mrs. -Sturmer); that I had addressed, or endeavoured to transmit, -various documents to Europe, &c. However, after -having spoken of me in the most angry terms, for some -reason or other, he endeavoured to soften down what he -had said by a few complimentary observations. He remarked -that he could scarcely have expected such conduct -<span class='pageno' id='Page_356'>356</span>in a man possessing so much information, and whose -good character was established throughout Europe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner, the Emperor amused himself by solving -some problems in geometry and algebra: this, he said, -reminded him of his youthful days; and it surprised us -all to find that the subjects were still so fresh in his recollection.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCE CONNECTED WITH MY JOURNAL.—THE<br /> EMPIRE OF OPINION.—TALMA, CRESCENTINI, &C.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>6th—7th. During these two days, a circumstance has -occurred, which is so nearly connected with the nature of -the present work, that I cannot omit noticing it. I have -just mentioned that the Emperor had expressed himself -well satisfied with my journal: he alluded to it several -times in the course of the day, assuring me that he should -feel great pleasure in perusing and correcting it. This -information, as it may be supposed, was highly gratifying -to me. The moment which I had so long and ardently -looked for had at length arrived. That which I -had hastily, and, perhaps, inaccurately, collected, was now -about to receive an inestimable correction and sanction. -Imperfect points would be developed, chasms filled up, -and obscurities explained. What a fund of historical -truths and political secrets was I about to receive! Elated -by these expectations, I the first day presented myself -to the Emperor at the usual hour, having my journal -with me; but he began to dictate to me on a totally different -subject, and I was obliged to put up with the disappointment. -Next day, the same thing occurred again. -I now wished to call the Emperor’s attention to my Journal; -but he did not appear to understand me, and I took -the hint. I know Napoleon so well! He possesses in the -highest degree the art of not seeming to understand; he -resorts to it frequently, and always for some particular -object. In the present instance I understood him sufficiently, -and I did not again attempt to draw his attention -to the subject. At first I was much puzzled to guess the -motive that had induced him to act thus; and I made -several conjectures, which have probably occurred to the -reader, as well as to myself. A few days afterwards I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_357'>357</span>was forced away from him, though I had not the least -cause in the world to anticipate this fatal event.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have dwelt on this circumstance with scrupulous -exactness, because I conceive that it affords a new guarantee -of my sincerity, and serves to explain precisely the -nature of my Journal. Of the great bulk of its contents, -and in particular the important events described in it, no -doubt can be entertained. Some involuntary errors may, -however, have crept into the details, from the hasty -manner in which they were collected, and from my being -deprived of the advantage of having the manuscript -revised by the only individual who was capable of correcting -its inaccuracies.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, while he was dressing and waiting for -the Grand Marshal to take his turn in writing, amused -himself by conversing on different subjects.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He spoke of the influence of opinion, to which he so -frequently alludes. He traced its secret progress, its -uncertainty, and the caprice of its decisions. He then -adverted to the natural delicacy of the French, which he -said was exquisite in matters of decorum, the laudable -susceptibility of our manners, and the graceful action -and gentleness of touch which authority must employ, -if an attempt is made to interfere with the national -feeling.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In conformity with my system,” observed he, <a id='corr357.26'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='of'>“of</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_357.26'><ins class='correction' title='of'>“of</ins></a></span> -amalgamating all kinds of merit, and of rendering one -and the same reward universal, I had an idea of presenting -the cross of the Legion of Honour to Talma; but I -refrained from doing this, in consideration of our capricious -manners and absurd prejudices. I wished to make -a first experiment in an affair that was unimportant, and -I accordingly gave the Iron Crown to Crescentini. The -decoration was foreign, and so was the individual on -whom it was conferred. This circumstance was less -likely to attract public notice or to render my -conduct the subject of discussion; at worst, it could -only give rise to a few malicious jokes. Such,” continued -the Emperor, “is the influence of public opinion. -I distributed sceptres at will, and thousands readily -bowed beneath their sway: and yet I could not give -<span class='pageno' id='Page_358'>358</span>away a bit of ribbon without the chance of incurring -disapprobation; for I believe my experiment, with regard -to Crescentini, proved unsuccessful.” “It did, -Sire,” observed some one present. “The circumstance -occasioned a great outcry in Paris; it drew forth a general -anathema in all the drawing-rooms of the metropolis, -and afforded ample scope for the expression of malignant -feeling. However, at one of the evening parties of the -Faubourg Saint-Germain, a <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>bon-mot</em></span> had the effect of -completely stemming the torrent of indignation. A -pompous orator was holding forth, in an eloquent strain, -on the subject of the honour that had been conferred on -Crescentini. He declared it to be a disgrace, a horror, -a perfect profanation, and inquired what right Crescentini -could have to such a distinction? On hearing this, the -beautiful Madame G—— who was present, rose -majestically from her chair, and, with a truly theatrical -tone and gesture, exclaimed, ‘<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>Et sa blessoure Monsieur!</em></span> -do you make no allowance for that?’ This produced a -general burst of laughter and applause, and poor -Madame G—- was very much embarrassed by -her success.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, who now heard this anecdote for the -first time, was highly amused by it. He often afterwards -alluded to it, and occasionally related it himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At dinner, the Emperor informed us that he had -worked for twelve hours; and we observed that his -day was not yet ended. He seemed to be ill and -fatigued.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE ODYSSEY—COMBAT BETWEEN ULYSSES AND IRUS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>8th. When I entered the Emperor’s apartment this -morning, I found him engaged in reading the files of the -<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>Journal des Debats</cite></span>, which had lately arrived. At three -o’clock he began to dress. His first valet de chambre -was ill; and he observed that those who acted as his -substitutes were not equal to him in address.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The weather was tolerable, and we walked to the extremity -of the wood, where the calash was to take us up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I had a disposable sum of money in London, which I -had conveyed thither in 1814. The recollection of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_359'>359</span>privations I had endured during my emigration, and the -chance of being exposed to future want, had prompted -me to this act of prudence, and I was now reaping the -fruits of it. Owing to this circumstance, I was more at -my ease, as to pecuniary affairs, than any other individual -of the Emperor’s suite at St. Helena; but what led -me to regard this sum as an inestimable treasure was -the happiness of being able to lay it at the feet of the -Emperor. I had already several times proposed that he -should accept it; and I now once more repeated the -offer, while I adverted to the renewed outrages which -we had just experienced from the Governor. At this -moment we were joined by Madame de Montholon, who -had set out after us. She observed that the Emperor -walked so fast that she should certainly have lost sight -of him, had not my gesticulations enabled her to keep -her eye upon us; and that she had been puzzled to guess -the cause of my vehemence of manner. “Madam,” said -the Emperor with the most captivating grace, “he has -been trying to make me accept his bounty; he has been -offering to support us here.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>We returned almost immediately to the house, as the -weather was very damp and the Emperor complained of -tooth-ache. For some time past he has been troubled -with a profuse secretion of saliva.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner he resumed the reading of the Odyssey: -we had arrived at the passage describing the combat between -Ulysses and Irus, on the threshold of the palace, -both in the garb of beggars. The Emperor very much -disapproved of this episode, which he pronounced to be -mean, incongruous, and beneath the dignity of the King. -“And yet,” continued he, “independently of all the faults -which, in my opinion, this incident presents, I still find -in it something to interest me. I fancy myself in the -situation of Ulysses, and then I can well conceive his -dread of being overpowered by a wretched mendicant. -Every prince or general has not the broad shoulders of -his guards or grenadiers; every man has not the strength -of a porter. But Homer has remedied all this by representing -his heroes as so many giants. We have no such -heroes now-a-days. What would become of us,” he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_360'>360</span>added, glancing round at us all, “if we lived in those -good times when bodily vigour constituted real power? -Why, Noverraz (his valet-de-chambre) would wield the -sceptre over us all. It must be confessed that civilization -favours the mind entirely at the expense of the -body.”</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>THE POLE ARRESTED BY THE GOVERNOR.—THE EMPEROR’S REFLECTIONS ON HIS SON AND ON AUSTRIA.—NEW VEXATIONS.—REMARKS ON LORD BATHURST.—OBSERVATIONS DICTATED BY NAPOLEON.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>9th.—As we were walking to come up with the calash, -we received information that the Pole had just been put -under arrest by the Governor. This was, of course, -merely a first step—a warning of what we all had to expect. -Intimidation seems to be the system to which the -Governor has resorted since the arrival of his last instructions, -which he endeavours to fulfil to the utmost of his -ingenuity. We shall see how far he will go.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When I waited on the Emperor, before dinner, I found -him dull and apparently absent. The conversation led -him to mention Austria, and he alluded to the wrongs -which he had received from that Power, and the errors -of her policy. He described the weakness of the monarch, -who, he said, had never evinced energy, except -when it tended to ruin him in the estimation of his subjects. -He dwelt on the venality and want of principle -which distinguished the men who had advised and executed -the measures of the Austrian cabinet. He spoke -of the blind policy of Austria, and described her dangerous -situation. “She now stands,” said he, “in the -most imminent peril, advancing to meet the embraces of -a colossus in her front, while she cannot recede a single -step, because an abyss is yawning on her flank and -rear.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>This turn of the conversation naturally led the Emperor -to speak of his son. “What education will they give -him?” said he. “What sort of principles will they inculcate -in his youthful mind? On the other hand, if he -should prove weak in intellect—if they should inspire him -with hatred of his father! These thoughts fill me with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_361'>361</span>horror! and where is the antidote to all this? Henceforth -there can be no certain medium of communication—no -faithful tradition between him and me! At best my -Memoirs, or perhaps your Journal, may fall into his hands. -But to subdue the false precepts imbibed in early life, to -counteract the errors of a bad education, requires a certain -capacity, a certain strength of mind and decision of -judgment which fall not to the share of every one.” He -appeared deeply affected; and, after a pause of a few moments, -he said, suddenly and with emphasis, “But let us -talk of something else;” however, he still continued -silent. I sat down to write, and after an hour or two the -Grand Marshal came and took my place.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Just after I had quitted the Emperor’s apartments, I -was again sent for to translate to him a large packet of -papers which had been received from the Governor. The -state of my eyes, which are now altogether failing me, -obliged me to avail myself of M. de Montholon’s assistance -in reading the papers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Their contents were 1. Some of the new restrictions -that have been imposed on us, in which the Emperor is -treated in a way that may be termed curious; for indecency -and indecorum are carried so far as to prescribe the -nature and limits of the conversations which he is to be -permitted to hold. This will scarcely be credited!</p> - -<p class='c000'>2. The form of the declaration which was presented for -our signature. This was merely a series of arbitrary -and useless vexations, heightened by every irritating -circumstance that vengeance could suggest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>3. Finally a letter from the Governor to the Grand -Marshal, founded on the note presented by Colonel -Reade, which I translated to the Emperor, and which -the colonel had refused to leave behind him; the reader -will recollect my having already noticed it. However, -in the letter now transmitted to the Emperor certain -essential points were very ingeniously suppressed or modified: -the Emperor frequently remarked that the Governor -possesses a peculiar talent for business of this -sort. I will here retrace this note from recollection. -Though I read it only once, namely, at the time when I -translated it to the Emperor, yet I think I can vouch for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_362'>362</span>the following being an accurate representation of its -contents.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The Frenchmen who wished to remain with General -Bonaparte, were required to sign the formula which -should be presented to them, and by which they would -subject themselves to all the restrictions imposed on the -General. This obligation was to be regarded as perpetual. -Those who should refuse to enter into this -agreement were to be sent to the Cape of Good Hope. -Four individuals were to be removed from the suite of -General Bonaparte. Those who might remain were to -be considered as though they were Englishmen by birth, -and to be subject to the laws established for securing -the safe custody of General Bonaparte; that is to say, -they would incur the punishment of death by conniving -at his escape. Any Frenchmen who might use insulting -language or reflections, or behave so as to give offence -to the Governor or the Government, would be immediately -removed to the Cape of Good Hope, without being -provided with the means of returning to Europe: the -whole expense of the voyage devolving on himself.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>During dinner, and the greater part of the evening, -these documents became the subject of conversation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We were much amused by that passage in the Governor’s -letter which transmitted the ministerial instructions, -and informed us that those who might be wanting -in respect for the Governor, or render themselves obnoxious, -would be removed to the Cape, and the expense -attending their return to Europe was to be defrayed by -themselves. We thought this very droll, and the Emperor -said, “Of course this threat appears to you very -extraordinary and ridiculous; but no doubt it was perfectly -natural to Lord Bathurst. I dare say he could -not imagine a more terrible punishment. It is a true -shopkeeper idea!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor concluded the evening by reading to us -Adelaide Duguesclin, which contains a fine rhodomontade -upon the Bourbons.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After reading it, the Emperor said, “During the time -of my power, an order was given for suppressing the performance -of this drama, under the idea that it would be -offensive to me. This circumstance accidentally came to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_363'>363</span>my knowledge, and I ordered the piece to be revived. -Many things of the same kind took place; people often -acted very unwisely under the idea that they were serving -or pleasing me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I transcribe here the restrictions to which I have just -alluded. They are curious in themselves, and will serve -better than volumes of description, to give a just idea of -our situation; but what enhances the value of this document -is that the observations which accompany each -article were made by the Emperor himself.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='sc'>Restrictions</span> drawn up by Sir Hudson Lowe, and -transmitted to Longwood on the 19th of October, 1816, -but which he had already put into execution by different -secret orders, since the preceding month of August, -though he never communicated them to the English -officers on duty, doubtless, because he was ashamed of -them.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>TEXT OF THE RESTRICTIONS.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>“1st.—Longwood, with the road by Hut’s Gate, -along the hill, as far as the signal-post near Alarm-House, -are to be fixed as boundaries.“</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='sc'>Observation.</span> Sir Hudson Lowe’s predecessor had -extended the boundary line to the summits of the hills; -but in about a fortnight, he perceived that, by removing -the sentinels to a little further distance, the house and -garden of Secretary-general Brook would be included -within the boundaries, and he immediately gave orders -for the change.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At about forty fathoms from the road-side is Corbett’s -garden, which contains about eight or ten oak trees and -a fountain; thus affording a cool and agreeable shade.<a id='r32' /><a href='#f32' class='c008'><sup>[32]</sup></a> -According to the new restrictions, which confined him to -the high-road, a line is substituted for a surface, and the -secretary’s house and Corbett’s garden are excluded -from the boundaries.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“2d.—Sentinels will mark the boundary lines, which -nobody must pass to approach the house or grounds of -Longwood, without the Governor’s permission.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_364'>364</span><span class='sc'>Observation.</span> By the regulations which were first -laid down, respecting our establishment at St. Helena, -and which were approved by the English Governor, -persons were admitted to Longwood in the following -manner: The Governor, the Admiral, the Colonel commanding -the regiment and the camp, the two members -of the East India Company’s Council, and the Secretary-general, -who were the persons highest in authority on -the island, might pass the line of sentinels without any -order or permission whatever. The inhabitants of the -Island were required to have a pass from the Governor; -naval men to be furnished with one from their Admiral, -and military with one from their colonel; and finally, the -inhabitants, sailors, and officers might all come to Longwood -by the permission of Count Bertrand, when the -Emperor wished to receive them. This arrangement, -which continued for eight months, was attended by no -inconvenience. By the present regulation (which has -been in force since the month of August, though it was -not formally communicated to us until we were furnished -with the list of new restrictions,) we may be said to be -kept in solitary confinement, and cut off from all intercourse -with the inhabitants. The latter, the officers and -seamen are all equally averse to the idea of being obliged -to solicit the Governor’s permission to visit Longwood, -and to subject themselves to an interrogatory respecting -the motive of their visit. Strangers, whether civil or -military, officers, touching at St. Helena on their passage -from India, and who might be desirous of seeing the -Emperor, usually applied to Count Bertrand, who appointed -the day and the hour when they would be received. -During their stay in the island they were -regarded as citizens, and with the permission of Count -Bertrand, they might when they pleased visit Longwood; -and it may once more be observed that this arrangement -subsisted for eight months without being attended by any -inconvenience. If any strangers touching at the island -might excite the suspicion of the Governor, he could -prevent them from landing, or passing the first post. -Finally, the Governor, by the report of the sentinels, was -daily made acquainted with the names of the persons who -<span class='pageno' id='Page_365'>365</span>visited Longwood. But in the month of August, the -Governor sought to impose on us the obligation of receiving -strangers, to whom he wished to render himself -agreeable, and also of receiving them at the time he -might think proper to appoint. This was putting the -finishing stroke to all his offensive conduct! To put a -stop to all these insults, the Emperor found himself -obliged to declare that he would in future receive no -one.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“3d.—The road to the left of Hut’s Gate, which turns -off by Woodridge to Longwood, never having been frequented -by General Bonaparte since the arrival of the -Governor, the post by which it was observed, will be in -a great measure withdrawn. But whenever the General -may wish to ride on horseback in this direction, on giving -timely notice to the officer he will experience no obstacle.“</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='sc'>Observation.</span>—In the first observation it was proved -that the limits had been contracted in this quarter; and, -by this third article, they are still more circumscribed. -To say that the valley has not been frequented for six -months is a strange reason for adopting this decision. -It is certainly true that Napoleon has for several months -declined going out, in consequence of the harassing -conduct of the Governor; but it must also be observed -that one part of the valley is not accessible in rainy -weather, and that in the other part a camp has been -formed. Yet Lord Bathurst stated, in his speech in -Parliament, that “this road had been prohibited, when -it was found that he (General Bonaparte) had abused the -confidence which had been reposed in him, and had -endeavoured to corrupt the inhabitants of the island.” -But here Lord Bathurst contradicts Sir Hudson Lowe. -The offer of permission to ride in the valley, whenever it -may be wished, is a mere pretence; the forms prescribed -for the attainment of this permission render it impossible. -This offer never has been, and never can be, fulfilled. -The ride in the valley being thus prohibited, it has become -impossible to visit Miss Mason’s garden, in which there -are some large trees which afford agreeable shade. -Within the boundaries to which the captives are now -<span class='pageno' id='Page_366'>366</span>restricted, there is not a single spot in which they can -enjoy the sight of trees or water: sentinels are posted -at different distances throughout the boundaries; and, -under the pretence of misunderstanding in the orders, -&c., any individual may be arrested. This has frequently -happened to the French officers.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“4th. If he (General Bonaparte) should wish to -prolong his ride in any other directions, an officer of -the Governor’s staff (if he receives timely notice) will be -in readiness to attend him. If the notice should be -short, the officer on duty at Longwood may take the -place of the staff-officer.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The inspecting officer has orders not to approach -General Bonaparte, at least unless he be asked for; and -not to watch him in his rides, except so far as his duty -requires; that is to say, he must observe that the established -rules are not violated; and if they should be -transgressed, he must intimate the circumstance in a -respectful way”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='sc'>Observation.</span> This regulation is useless. The Emperor -will not go out so long as he sees there is a wish -to subject him to direct and public inspection. Besides, -the staff-officers have orders to report all that the French -may say when in conversation with them. This affords -opportunities for calumny. Several English officers -have refused to act this dishonourable part, declaring -that they would not degrade themselves to the level of -spies, and repeat the conversations that may take place -in the unguarded confidence of a ride or walk.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“5th. The rules already in force, for preventing -communications with any one whatever, without the -Governor’s permission, must be strictly enforced. Consequently, -it is requisite that General Bonaparte should -abstain from entering into any conversation (except such -as the interchange of customary salutations may demand) -with the persons whom he may happen to meet, unless -it be in the presence of an English officer.“</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='sc'>Observation.</span>—Hitherto this extremity of insult had -been avoided. The Emperor does not acknowledge, -either in the Governor or his agents, the right of imposing -any restrictions on him. But what is the object -<span class='pageno' id='Page_367'>367</span>of this article? To insult and degrade the character of -the captives!—to give rise to disputes between them and -the sentinels. To prohibit them from speaking to any -one, or entering any house, is, in fact, a moral annulment -of the circuit allowed them. This is so extraordinary -that we are now actually induced to believe, what many -persons have already suspected, that Sir Hudson Lowe -is occasionally subject to fits of lunacy.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“6th.—Those persons who, with the consent of General -Bonaparte, may receive the Governor’s permission to -visit him, must not communicate with any individual of -his suite, unless a permission to that effect be specially -expressed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='sc'>Observation.</span>—This is useless; for nobody has been -received since the present Governor abolished the regulations -which were established by his predecessor. However, -the consequence of this restriction is that, if Napoleon -should receive a stranger, as none of his officers can -be present, and none of his servants in attendance, he -would be reduced to the necessity of opening the doors -himself. Besides, as the Emperor does not understand -English, it follows, if the individual admitted to him -should not speak French, that they must both remain -mute, and thus the interview would be reduced to a mere -exhibition.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“7th.—At sunset, the garden round Longwood is to -be regarded as the extent of the boundaries. At that -time sentinels will be posted at the limits of the garden; -but so as not to incommode General Bonaparte by observing -his motions, should he wish to continue his -walks. During the night, sentinels will be stationed -close to the house, as they formerly were; and all admission -must be prohibited until the sentinels are withdrawn -from the house and garden on the following -morning.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='sc'>Observation.</span>—During the excessively hot season, -the only time when it is possible to walk is after sun-set. -In order to avoid meeting the sentinels, the Emperor -finds it necessary to return to the house while it is still -broad day-light; though the heat of the sun has rendered -it impossible for him to go out during the day, as the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_368'>368</span>grounds round Longwood are without shade, water, or -verdure. According to this new restriction, the Emperor -cannot enjoy a walk in the evening; while he is -likewise deprived of the exercise of riding on horseback. -He is confined in a small house, in all respects insufficient -for his accommodation, badly built, unwholesomely -situated, and without a supply of water; and, in addition -to all this, every opportunity is taken to expose him to -insult and disrespect. His constitution, though naturally -robust, is very much enfeebled by the treatment he -experiences.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“8th.—Every letter for Longwood will be enclosed -by the Governor in a sealed envelope, and forwarded to -the officer on duty, to be delivered, sealed, to the officer -of General Bonaparte’s suite to whom it is addressed, -who by this means will be assured that nobody except -the Governor knows its contents.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“In like manner, letters from any of the residents of -Longwood must be delivered to the officer on duty, enclosed -in a second sealed envelope and addressed to the -Governor, which will be a security that no individual -except the latter can peruse its contents.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“No letter can be written or sent, and no communication -of any kind whatever can be made, except in the -manner above mentioned. No correspondence can be -maintained with any individual in the island, except for -the necessary communications to the purveyor. The -notes containing these communications must be delivered -open to the officer on duty, who will forward -them to the proper quarter.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The above-mentioned restrictions will be observed -from the date of the 10th inst.</p> - -<div class='c011'>“<span class='sc'>H. Lowe.</span>“</div> -<p class='c000'>“<em>St. Helena, October 9th, 1816.</em>“</p> - -<p class='c007'><span class='sc'>Observation.</span>—This last restriction has no reference -to the Emperor, who neither writes nor receives letters. -A simple explanation is, therefore, all that is required. -Will the observations that may be contained in the confidential -letters from the Emperor’s officers to their -friends be regarded as offensive? When those who may -<span class='pageno' id='Page_369'>369</span>read these letters shall be convinced that they are in no -way hostile to the safety or policy of the state, will they -forget their contents, so that they may never become the -subject of conversation or abuse? This explanation will -decide whether all correspondence is, or is not, to be -considered as prohibited. The seizure of the person of -Count Las Cases completely justifies this observation.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The object of the 8th article of the restrictions, as the -inquisitorial system established on the island sufficiently -proves, is to prevent the European journals from giving -publicity to the criminal conduct that is pursued here. A -vast deal of trouble is taken to secure this object: it would -have been far easier to have acted in such a way as to -render concealment unnecessary. A letter addressed to -Count Bertrand, dated the 1st of July, 1816, goes to still -greater lengths; for it prohibits even verbal communications -with the inhabitants of the island. This is the delirium -of fury and hatred; or rather, it may be said to be a -proof of downright madness. The regulation here alluded -to is but a trifling example of the vexations to which we -are exposed, and the invention of which seems to be the -sole occupation of the present Governor. Can Lord Bathurst -now affirm that Sir H. Lowe has imposed no -restriction; that the instructions of the English ministry -were of a nature advantageous to Napoleon and his suite, -and had no other object than that of securing their safe -custody? In consequence of this absurd and insulting -treatment, the Emperor has not enjoyed exercise without -doors for several months. His medical attendants foresee -that this confinement will prove fatal to his constitution. -It is a more certain, and far more inhuman, mode -of assassination, than poison or the sword. [What a -horrible prophecy!]</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>ANXIETY OCCASIONED BY THE NEW RESTRICTIONS.—ANECDOTES OF CAMPO-FORMIO.—MM. DE COBENTZEL, GALLO, AND CLARKE.—THE COUNT D’ANTRAIGUES.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>10th.—This morning we had agreed to meet together -at the Grand Marshal’s, to deliberate on the restrictions -which the Governor had recently transmitted to us, and -to adopt a uniform resolution. I was unwell, and could -<span class='pageno' id='Page_370'>370</span>not attend. I, however, wrote down my opinion: I -stated that in the delicate situation in which I was placed -I could do nothing; I could arrive at no positive conclusion; -I always found 0—0.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The point in question was, indeed, of the most serious -and difficult nature. We were required to subject ourselves -to new restrictions, to place ourselves under the -dependence of the Governor, who shamefully abused his -power, employed the most insulting language towards the -Emperor, and announced that we must submit to every -grievance, under pain of being immediately separated from -Napoleon, sent to the Cape, and thence to Europe.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On the other hand, the Emperor, indignant at the -mortifications to which we were exposed on his account, -insisted that we should no longer submit to them. He -urged us rather to quit him, and to return to Europe, -to bear witness that we had seen him absolutely buried -alive.</p> - -<p class='c000'>But how could we for a moment endure this thought! -Death was preferable to separation from him whom we -served, admired, and loved; to whom we daily became -more and more attached, through his personal qualities, -and the miseries which injustice and hatred had accumulated -upon him. This was the real state of the question. -In these distressing circumstances, we knew not what -determination to adopt. I closed my letter by stating -that, if left to myself alone, I would sign, without scruple, -any thing that the Governor might present to me; -and that, if a collective resolution were taken, I would -implicitly adopt it.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Governor had now found out a method of attacking -us in detail: he declared his intention of removing -any individual of Napoleon’s suite according to his will -and caprice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor was indisposed: the Doctor has observed -incipient scurvy. He desired me to attend him, and we -conversed on the subjects which chiefly occupied our attention -at the moment. He wanted something to amuse -him, and he took up the chapter of Leoben, which happened -to be beside him. When he had finished reading -it, the conversation turned on the conferences which -<span class='pageno' id='Page_371'>371</span>brought about the treaty of Campo-Formio. I refer to -the chapters on that subject for the portrait and character -of the first Austrian negotiator, M. de Cobentzel, -whom Napoleon surnamed the “<em>great northern bear</em>,” -on account of the influence which, he said, his heavy -paw had exercised on the green table of the conferences.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“M. de Cobentzel was at that time,” said the Emperor, -“the agent of the Austrian monarchy, the main -spring of its plans, and the director of its diplomacy. He -had been appointed on all the principal European embassies, -and had been long at the Court of Catharine, whose -peculiar favour he enjoyed. Proud of his rank and importance, -he doubted not that his dignified and courtly -manners would easily overawe a General who had just -issued from the revolutionary camp. Thus,” observed -Napoleon, “he shewed a want of respect in addressing the -French General; but the first words uttered by the latter -sufficed to reduce him to his proper level, above which -he never afterwards attempted to rise.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The conferences at first proceeded very slowly; for M. -de Cobentzel, according to the custom of the Austrian -Cabinet, proved himself very skilful in the art of retarding -business. The French General, however, determined to -bring matters to an issue: the conference, which he had -declared should be the last, was maintained with great -warmth. Napoleon came, resolved to have a decisive -answer to his propositions; they were rejected. He then -rose in a fit of passion, and exclaimed energetically: -“You wish for war then?—You shall have it:” and laying -his hands on a magnificent piece of porcelain (which -M. de Cobentzel used with great complacency to boast of -having received as a present from the great Catharine), -he dashed it with all his force on the ground, where it -was broken into a thousand pieces. “There,” he exclaimed, -“such, I promise you, will be the fate of your -Austrian monarchy in less than three <a id='corr371.36'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='months: “and'>months:” and</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_371.36'><ins class='correction' title='months: “and'>months:” and</ins></a></span> so -saying, he rushed out of the apartment. M. de Cobentzel -stood petrified; but M. de Gallo, who was of a more -conciliatory temper, followed the French General to his -carriage, endeavouring to detain him. “He almost -dragged me back by main force,” said the Emperor, “and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_372'>372</span>with so pitiable an air, that, in spite of my apparent -anger, I could not refrain from laughing in my sleeve.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>M. de Gallo was the ambassador from Naples to -Vienna, whither he had conducted the Neapolitan Princess, -the second wife of the Emperor Francis. He -possessed the full confidence of the Princess, and she, in -her turn, ruled her husband: thus the ambassador enjoyed -great influence at the Court of Vienna. When the -army of Italy, marching on Vienna, dictated the armistice -of Leoben, the Empress, at this critical juncture, -cast her eyes on her confident, and charged him to avert -the danger. He was to gain an interview with the -French General, as if accidentally, and to endeavour to -prevail on him to accept his services as a negotiator. -Napoleon, who was well acquainted with every circumstance, -determined to turn his knowledge to a good -account. Accordingly, on receiving M. de Gallo, he -inquired who he was. The favourite courtier, disconcerted -to find himself under the necessity of telling his -name, replied that he was the Marquess de Gallo, and -that he had been charged by the Emperor of Austria to -make overtures to Napoleon. “But,” said the latter, -“your name is not German.” “True,” replied M. de -Gallo,” I am the Neapolitan ambassador.” “And how -happens it,” said Napoleon drily, “that I have to treat -with Naples? We are at peace. Has the Emperor of -Austria no negotiators of the old school? Is the old -aristocracy of Vienna extinct?” M. de Gallo, alarmed at -the idea of such observations being officially communicated -to the Cabinet of Vienna, now became intent -on ingratiating himself into the favour of the young -General.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon enquired what news had been received from -Vienna, and spoke of the armies of the Rhine, the Sambre, -and the Meuse. He obtained all the intelligence he -could; and, when he was about to withdraw, M. de -Gallo, in the most suppliant tone, inquired whether he -might hope to be accepted as a negotiator, and whether -he should proceed to Vienna to obtain full powers. Napoleon -had no wish to decline this proposal; he had -gained an advantage which he was not willing to lose. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_373'>373</span>M. de Gallo, who subsequently became ambassador from -Naples to the First Consul, and also ambassador from -Joseph to the Emperor Napoleon, frequently mentioned -this scene, and frankly avowed that he had never been so -frightened in the whole course of his life.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In the French negotiations, Clarke acted the same -kind of secondary part which M. de Gallo maintained -with regard to Austria. “Clarke,” said the Emperor, -“had been sent to Italy by the Directory, which had -begun to consider me as dangerous. He was charged -with an ostensible and public mission; but he had secret -orders to keep an eye upon me, and to ascertain if, in -case of necessity, it would be possible to arrest me. But -little reliance could have been placed on the officers of -my army, in an affair of this kind, and therefore the first -inquiries were addressed to the Cisalpine Directory. The -answer was that it would be as well to spare trouble on -this point, and to give up all idea of it. As soon as I -was made acquainted with Clarke’s real instructions, I -frankly told him all I knew; at the same time assuring -him that I should concern myself but very little about -any reports that might be made. He was soon convinced -of this. When, on his mission to Austria, he was dismissed, -by that Power, I offered to find employment for -him, and he afterwards remained with me; though -perhaps there was, in reality, but little sympathy between -us. I should undoubtedly have again taken him into -my service, after my return, if I had found him in the -ranks along with the rest. You know that I could not -easily rid myself of those to whom I had become accustomed: -when people had once embarked with me, I -could never prevail on myself to throw them overboard. -Nothing but absolute necessity could force me to such a -course. Clarke’s chief merit was that of being a good -man of business.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After Brumaire, Clarke naturally came in contact -with the First Consul as his aid-de-camp, &c. There -was then little etiquette observed at the palace; the duties -were not distinctly separated, and the whole presented -a kind of family circle. The officers immediately -connected with the Consul dined at a general table. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_374'>374</span>Clarke, who was extremely susceptible and punctilious, -got involved in quarrels with one of these persons. The -circumstance having reached the ears of the First Consul, -he appointed Clarke ambassador to Florence, to the court -of the Queen of Etruria. This post was in itself highly -agreeable; but Clarke had been appointed to it by way -of disgrace. He urgently solicited his recal; and, at -length, to his great satisfaction, he received an order to -return to France. But his punishment was not yet at an -end. The First Consul took but little notice of him: he -sent him to the Tuileries, to St. Cloud, and to the camp -of Boulogne, without explaining his intentions, or granting -him any thing. Clarke, in despair, told one of his -friends that he had no alternative but to throw himself -into the Seine, as he could no longer endure the contempt -to which he was exposed, added to the mortification -of being deprived of his situation. Just at this time -he was unexpectedly made Secretary of the Topographical -Cabinet, Councillor of State, and appointed to some other -posts, which altogether produced him a salary of 60 or -80,000 francs. This was Napoleon’s way: his first -favour was usually followed immediately by several others. -In these cases his bounty was overwhelming. But it was -necessary to take advantage of the interval of favour; -it might be endless, or it might be instantly and irretrievably -lost.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I knew General Clarke well; he had been my comrade -at the Military School. He informed me that, some -days before the battle of Jena, the Emperor, from whose -dictation he had just written numerous orders and instructions, -entering into a familiar conversation, while he -walked up and down his chamber, said: “In three or -four days I will fight a battle, which I shall gain: it will -bring me at least as far as the Elbe, and perhaps to the -Vistula. There I will fight a second battle, which I -shall also gain. Then ... then ...,” said he, -with a meditative air, and placing his hand on his forehead ... -“but that is enough; it is useless to invent -romances,—Clarke, in a month you will be Governor of -Berlin; and history will record that, in the space of one -year, and in two different wars, you were Governor of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_375'>375</span>Vienna and Berlin; that is to say, of the Austrian and -Prussian monarchies. By the bye,” continued he, -smiling, “what did Francis give you for governing his -capital?”—“Nothing at all, Sire.”—“How, nothing at -all?—That was hard indeed! Well, in that case, I must -pay his debt.” And he gave him, as far as I can recollect, -a sum sufficient to purchase an hotel in Paris, or a country -house in the vicinity of the capital.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The course of events exceeded even Napoleon’s expectations. -He fought but one battle, which brought -him to Berlin, and enabled him to advance to the -Vistula.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Clarke,” said Napoleon, “possessed a strong taste -for family parchments. At Florence he spent a great -portion of his time in investigating my genealogy. He -also took great pains to trace out his own, and I believe -he at length persuaded himself that he was related to the -whole Faubourg Saint-Germain. Doubtless he has a -much higher opinion of his own dignity, now that he is -the Minister of a legitimate King <a id='corr375.19'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='then'>than</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_375.19'><ins class='correction' title='then'>than</ins></a></span> he had when he -was merely the Minister of an upstart Emperor. It is -said that he at present enjoys great favour; I wish it may -last. It commenced a few days before my arrival at Paris, -when the cause of the King was desperate. It certainly -appeared useless to accept a ministry when all was lost; -but I have nothing to say against that. This sort of -conduct may have its fair side; yet it is necessary to observe -some degree of decorum, and in that Clarke was -wholly wanting. However, I willingly forgive him in -all that concerns me.... In 1813 and 1814 some persons -endeavoured to inspire me with doubts of Clarke’s -fidelity; but I never would listen to any thing of the -kind. I always believed him to be an honest man.” The -intimate friends of the Duke de Feltre can bear witness -that Napoleon was correct in the opinion he had formed -of the character of his minister.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Duke de Feltre, on communicating to the Emperor -the intelligence of the arrival of the Count d’Artois in -Switzerland, advised him to make peace. Napoleon replied, -under date of 22d of February, 1814:—“As to your -advice of making peace, it is too absurd: it is by cherishing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_376'>376</span>such notions as this that public spirit is destroyed. -Besides, it is supposing me either mad or stupid to -imagine that, if I could conclude peace, I would not -immediately do it. To the prevailing notion that it has -been in my power to make peace for four months past, -but that I declined doing so, must be attributed all the -misfortunes of France. I expected, at least, to have -been spared the pain of hearing such sentiments -expressed.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, reverting to the events of Campo-Formio, -alluded to the arrest of the Count d’Antraigues, the -papers that were found upon him, and the discoveries to -which they gave rise; he also mentioned the indulgence -which the Count experienced, and the treachery with -which that indulgence was repaid.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Count d’Antraigues, who was a man of considerable -talent, fond of intrigue, and endowed with personal -advantages, had acquired a certain degree of importance -at the commencement of our Revolution. He was a -member of the right hand side of the Constituent Assembly, -and he emigrated at the time of its dissolution. -At the period when the French were about to assail Venice, -the Count d’Antraigues was residing there, where -he held a diplomatic appointment from the Russian -Government, and was the main spring and agent of all -the machinations that were plotting against France. On -seeing the danger of the Venetian Republic, he attempted -to escape; but he fell in with one of our posts, and was -seized, with all his papers. The General-in-chief appointed -a special commission to examine these documents, -and the secrets which they unfolded were the subject of -great astonishment. They contained, among other things, -full proof of the treason of Pichegru, who had sacrificed his -troops to <a id='corr376.34'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='faciliate'>facilitate</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_376.34'><ins class='correction' title='faciliate'>facilitate</ins></a></span> the operations of the enemy. “Pichegru,” -exclaimed the Emperor indignantly, “was guilty -of the most odious crime that can possibly be conceived, -that of coldly sacrificing the men whose lives had been -entrusted to his honour and discretion.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Count <a id='corr376.39'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='D’Antraigues'>d’Antraigues</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_376.39'><ins class='correction' title='D’Antraigues'>d’Antraigues</ins></a></span>, finding that all his secrets -were discovered, conducted himself with so much address -and apparent candour, that Napoleon, conceiving he had -<span class='pageno' id='Page_377'>377</span>gained him over, or, to speak more properly, suffering -himself to be gained over by the Count, treated him with -the utmost indulgence. He defended him against the -proceedings of the Directory, which insisted on having -him shot, and the Count was allowed to proceed to Milan -on his parole. But what was Napoleon’s surprise on -learning that M. d‘Antraigues had escaped to Switzerland, -and had published an infamous libel against him, -reproaching him with ill-treatment, and complaining of -having been confined in chains? These falsehoods occasioned -so much indignation that several foreign diplomatists, -who knew how Napoleon had really acted -towards the Count, spontaneously made a public declaration -of what they had witnessed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>So late as the year 1814, the Count d‘Antraigues died -in England, in a horrible way, being assassinated by his -valet-de-chambre in the presence of his wife, who was -the celebrated singer Saint Huberti.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the time of the seizure of the Count d‘Antraigues‘ -papers, Pichegru was at the head of the Legislative -Body, and was almost at open war with the Directory. -It may well be supposed that the members of the -Directory were highly gratified by thus obtaining important -and authentic documents against their adversaries. -This discovery greatly influenced Napoleon in the course -which he adopted in the events of Fructidor: it was one -of the principal causes of his famous proclamation, -which brought about the triumph of the Directory.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Desaix, who was serving under Moreau in the army of -the Rhine, having taken advantage of the armistice to -introduce himself to the General-in-chief of the army of -Italy, for whom he had conceived the highest admiration, -was with Napoleon at the time of the important discovery -above mentioned. Napoleon having informed -him of the treason of Pichegru, Desaix observed; “But -we knew all this on the Rhine three months ago. A -waggon, belonging to General Klinglin’s corps, which -fell into our hands, furnished us with all Pichegru’s correspondence -with the enemies of the Republic.”—“And -did Moreau give no intimation of this to the Directory?” -“No.”—“Then he is very blameable,” exclaimed Napoleon; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_378'>378</span>“when the safety of one’s country is at stake -silence is guilt!” After Pichegru’s fall, Moreau communicated -to the Directory all he knew respecting the -conspiracy, at the same time pronouncing a severe reprobation -on those who were concerned in it. “This was -but another instance of misconduct,” said Napoleon; “by -not speaking earlier, he betrayed his country; and by -speaking so late, he merely struck a blow at one who -was already fallen.”</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>THE EMPEROR’S DREAM.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>11th—12th. The produce of the sale of a portion of -plate, amounting to 6000 francs, was this day received. -This sum the Emperor considered indispensible to make -up our deficiencies at the expiration of every month; -and he ordered the sale to be repeated regularly.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor continues very ill, and is in very low spirits. -To-day he did not leave his room until dinner-time. -He conversed very little, and did not apply himself -to any kind of occupation. I remained with him the -greater part of the day. He spoke frequently of the -situation in which we stood with respect to the Governor, -and made some very remarkable observations on -that subject. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p class='c000'>After dinner he mentioned a dream which he had had -during the night. A lady with whom he had been but -little acquainted (Madame Clarke, Duchess de Feltre) -appeared to him in his dream, and told him she was -dead, at the same time adding several observations which -were expressed in language perfectly connected and -intelligible. “Every thing was so clear and distinct,” -said the Emperor, “that it has made a forcible impression -on me; so much so that if I were really to hear of the -death of the Duchess de Feltre, I must confess that my -established ideas would be shaken; and perhaps,” said -he, smiling and looking at one of the company, “I -too should become a believer in dreams and apparitions.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor ate little; his spirits were depressed, -and he was evidently very ill. He retired almost immediately, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_379'>379</span>and his manner affected us greatly. We -could not help remarking how much he was altered.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>PRIVATIONS TO WHICH THE EMPEROR IS SUBJECTED.—HIS<br /> CLAIMS ON PRINCE EUGENE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>13th.—The Emperor came to me about ten o’clock. -He looked in at my room-door, and blamed me for not -having risen earlier. He found me using the foot-bath -for I was not well. I soon joined him beneath the tent, -where he wished to breakfast. He told me he had given -orders for drawing up some notes relative to the new -restrictions, to prevent condemnation being passed on us -without a sort of responsibility being attached to those -who passed the sentence. He then proceeded to calculate -the lots of plate which remain to be sold, and the -period during which they would serve to maintain us. I -repeated the offers which I have already several times -made, telling him that it was hard he should be reduced -to the necessity of disposing of his plate; but he replied,—“My -dear Las Cases, under whatever circumstances I -may be placed, those articles of luxury are never of any -importance to me; and as far as regards others, that is -to say, as far as regards the public, simplicity will always -be my best ornament.” He added that he could, after -all, claim the assistance of Prince Eugène; and that he -was even inclined to write to him for the loans which -would be necessary for his subsistence when the plate -should be exhausted. He also expressed his intention -of commissioning Eugène to forward to him some important -books which he wished to have sent from -London, together with a small quantity of choice wine, -which it was necessary he should take as a medicine. -“This commission for wine,” said he, will make our -enemies in Europe say that we think of nothing here -but eating and drinking.” He said that he should feel -no hesitation in addressing himself on this subject to -Eugène, who owed to him every thing he possessed; -and that it would be insulting the character of the -Prince to doubt his readiness to serve him, particularly -as he had, besides, a legal claim upon him for about ten -or twelve millions.</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_380'>380</span>While we were at breakfast, the Emperor sent for -the Pole, who is soon to leave us. After breakfast he -wished to employ himself in reading or dictating; but -he felt very drowsy, and fell asleep several times. -He retired to his chamber, to lie down for a while, -desiring me to attend him at one o’clock for his English -lesson. But when the appointed hour arrived, he was -still in the same state of drowsiness; and he only -succeeded in rousing himself by taking a bath, in which, -according to custom, he remained for a long time. It is -surprising that this practice, joined to that of taking -very hot baths, does not prove injurious to him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor ate but little dinner, and he complained -of not enjoying regular and sound rest. He conversed -for some time on the subject of balloons, and laughed -at those biographical notices which represent him as -having forced himself, sword in hand, into the balloon -of the military school. He mentioned, as a sort of -prodigy, the circumstance of the balloon which ascended -at his coronation having fallen, in the space of a few -hours, in the neighbourhood of Rome, bearing intelligence -of the ceremony to the inhabitants of that -city.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor took up Don Quixote; but he closed -the book in about half an hour: he cannot now apply -himself to reading for a longer interval. His health -visibly declines. He often observes to me that we are -both growing very old, and that he is much the older of -the two: these words tell a great deal.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>THE REQUIRED DECLARATION IS SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.—THE EMPEROR REMARKS THAT MANY MODERN BOOKS ARE MERELY BOOKSELLERS‘ SPECULATIONS.—FALSE NOTIONS CREATED BY PARTY SPIRIT.—GENERAL MAISON.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>14th.—To-day the Grand Marshal forwarded to the -Governor the new declarations which he required us to -make. They were all alike, and were as follows:</p> - -<p class='c000'>“I, the undersigned, hereby declare that I wish to -remain at St. Helena, and to share the restrictions which -are imposed on the Emperor Napoleon personally.”</p> - -<p class='c000'><span class='pageno' id='Page_381'>381</span>About one o’clock I went to attend the Emperor in his -chamber. I gave him an account of some private commissions. -He was reading a work on the government -of France. He thought it very indifferent, and observed -that, since he had been in the habit of perusing new -publications, he had found them, for the most part, to be -merely matters of speculation,—things got up for sale -by booksellers. The world, he said, was now threatened -with a deluge of bad books, and he saw no remedy that -could effectually counteract so great an evil.</p> - -<p class='c000'>After having dressed, the Emperor repaired to the -drawing-room, where he looked over a few English -newspapers, and read some lines of Telemachus. But he -felt fatigued and low-spirited, and suspended his reading. -We discoursed on several subjects which intimately concerned -the Emperor, who closed the conversation by -several times repeating,—“<em>Poor human nature!</em>”</p> - -<p class='c000'>During another interval of conversation, Napoleon, -taking a review of several well-known individuals, on -whom he pronounced his opinion, alluded to one, whom -he represented as being a most immoral and base character. -I happened to be acquainted with this person, and -I observed that I knew him to be quite the reverse of -what I had just heard described. I was defending the -individual in question with considerable warmth when -the Emperor interrupted me, saying: “I give full credit -to what you say; but I had heard a different account of -him: and though I generally made it a rule to hear -things of this kind with suspicion, yet you see I could -not always avoid retaining some impression of what I -heard. Was this my fault? When I had no particular -motive for inquiry, how could I arrive at the knowledge -of facts? This,” continued he, “is the inevitable consequence -of civil commotions: there are always two reputations -between the two parties. What absurdities, -what ridiculous stories, are related of the individuals who -figured in our Revolution!<a id='r33' /><a href='#f33' class='c008'><sup>[33]</sup></a> The saloons of Paris are -<span class='pageno' id='Page_382'>382</span>full of them. I have had my full share of this kind of -scandal. After me who can have any right to complain? -Yet I protest that nothing of this sort ever produced any -influence on my mind, or occasioned me in any instance -to alter my determinations, &c.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>After alluding to several military officers, the Emperor -mentioned General Maison. “His manœuvres,” said -he, “round Lille, in the crisis of 1814, attracted my -attention, and fixed him in my recollection. He was -not with us in 1815. What became of him? Where -was he at that time?”—I could not answer these -questions, as I did not know the General.</p> - -<h3 class='c009'>DIFFICULTIES STARTED BY THE GOVERNOR RESPECTING OUR DECLARATIONS.—THE EMPEROR’S SENTIMENTS ON THAT SUBJECT.—THE GOVERNOR’S CONVERSATION WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL OF THE EMPEROR’S SUITE.—NAPOLEON’S REMARK.—CONSUMMATION OF OUR SLAVERY.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>15th. For some time past I have found it impossible -to sleep; and I have passed whole nights without -closing my eyes. About eight o’clock this morning, as -I was endeavouring to compose myself to rest, the Grand -Marshal entered my chamber, to inform me that the -Governor had sent back our declarations, and was -coming himself to oblige us to sign that which he had -sent as a model, and which differed from ours only with -respect to the title which we gave to the Emperor. It -was wished that we should designate him merely by the -name <em>Bonaparte</em>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Grand Marshal proceeded to the Emperor’s -apartments, whither I was almost immediately summoned. -On entering, I found the Emperor walking -about and expressing himself with great warmth. All -<span class='pageno' id='Page_383'>383</span>the individuals of the suite were assembled together. -“The insults,” said he, “which are daily heaped upon -those who have devoted themselves to me, insults which, -it is very probable, will be multiplied to a still greater -extent, present a spectacle which I cannot and must not -longer endure. Gentlemen, you must leave me; I cannot -see you submit to the restrictions which are about to -be imposed on you, and which will doubtless soon be -augmented. I will remain <a id='corr383.9'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='her'>here</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_383.9'><ins class='correction' title='her'>here</ins></a></span> alone. Return to Europe, -and make known the horrible treatment to which -I am exposed; bear witness that you saw me sinking -into a premature grave. I will not allow any one of you -to sign this declaration in the form that is required. I -forbid it. It shall never be said that hands which I had -the power to command were employed in recording my -degradation. If obstacles are raised respecting a mere -foolish formality, others will be started to-morrow for an -equally trivial cause. It is determined to remove you in -detail; but I would rather see you removed altogether -and at once. Perhaps this sacrifice may produce a result.” -With these words he dismissed us, and we withdrew -overwhelmed with dismay.</p> - -<p class='c000'>In a few moments the Emperor again sent for me. -He was walking up and down, through the whole length -of his two little rooms. There was a peculiar tenderness -in the tone of his voice, and I never observed more easy -familiarity in his manner. “Well, my dear Las Cases,” -said he, “I am going to turn hermit,” “Sire,” said I, -“are you not one already? What resources does our -society present to you? We can only offer you prayers -and good wishes; which, though they can contribute but -little to your consolation, are every thing to us. Our -present situation is the most distressing that can possibly -be conceived; for, in the question under consideration, -we now perhaps, for the first time, find it difficult to obey -your Majesty. You hold the language of reason; while -we are guided only by sentiment. The arguments which -you just now addressed to us admit of no reply. Your -determination is in unison with your character; it will -astonish no one, but its execution is beyond our power. -The thought of leaving you here alone exceeds in horror -<span class='pageno' id='Page_384'>384</span>all that our imagination can picture.”—“Such, however, -is my fate,“ replied the Emperor calmly, “and I must -prepare for the worst: my mind is strong enough to -meet it. They will cut short my life; that is certain.”—“Sire,” -I observed, “the step which you command is -not to be thought of. To the last moment I will speak -out as your Majesty has done: on this point I will resist -to the utmost; but I shall find it impossible to act as I -speak.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor seated himself, and desired me to sit -down beside him. He observed that he was much -fatigued; and he ordered breakfast, desiring me to stay -with him. For a considerable time past, I had not been -in the habit of dining with him; he told me the reason -why I had been denied this happiness; and I considered -it as a favour that he should condescend to tell me. -When the coffee was brought in, there was no cup for -me. Marchand was going to fetch one; but the Emperor -called him back, saying: “Take that one from the -mantel-piece: he shall drink out of my handsome gold -cup.”<a id='r34' /><a href='#f34' class='c008'><sup>[34]</sup></a></p> - -<p class='c000'>Just as breakfast was over, the Grand Marshal entered -and told us that the Governor had arrived, and had expressed -a wish to see him at his (Bertrand‘s) new house, -which is a very short distance from our establishment, -and is at length on the point of being completed. The -Emperor desired him to attend the Governor. The -Grand Marshal, as he was about to withdraw, seemed -desirous to know whether the Emperor still persisted in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_385'>385</span>the orders he had given us this morning, in case the -Governor should not yield. The Emperor sharply observed: -“I am not a child; when I have once thoroughly -considered a question, I no longer entertain two opinions -upon it. I have directed battles which have decided the -fate of empires, and the orders I issued were always the -result of my mature deliberation. In this instance I am -alone concerned. Go!”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Grand Marshal soon returned with an account -of the interview, which he had closed by his refusal. The -Governor, he said, had desired to see the other three persons -of the suite together; but we thought that it would -be more proper to present ourselves in succession.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I went to wait on the Governor. I found him, surrounded -by several of his attendants, in the garden, near -the path leading to the Grand Marshal’s house. He -withdrew on perceiving me; but I joined him in the -court before the house.</p> - -<p class='c000'>As he had expressed himself very much irritated -against me, I went as well fortified as I possibly could. -He, however, conducted me with great politeness into the -house, leaving the officers of his suite on the outside; -and, having told me that he awaited the arrival of Messrs. -de Montholon and Gourgaud, to enter upon the business, -I asked him whether he had any objection to treat immediately -with me. He replied that he had not; and, calling -in his officers, he told me, in their presence, that I -had no doubt learned from the Grand Marshal what he -had to propose on the subject of my declaration. I replied -in the affirmative, at the same time observing that -I regarded the Grand Marshal as my model and guide, -on account of his rank, as well as the respect and esteem -I entertained for him, and therefore it was natural to expect -that my answer should correspond with his. I added -that I could not conceive why so much importance was -attached to a mere matter of form, which was so painful -to our feelings, while it could be of no service to those -who insisted on it. “It is out of my power,” said the -Governor, “to make the alteration you wish. I am directed -to present to you for signature the declaration -written in my hand: now I, being an Englishman, cannot -<span class='pageno' id='Page_386'>386</span>write the title you wish.”—“I was not aware of <a id='corr386.1'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='that'>that,</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_386.1'><ins class='correction' title='that'>that,</ins></a></span>” -replied I; “to that argument I have no reply to make. -You, as an Englishman, must write thus; but I, being a -Frenchman, must sign in my language; that is to say, -with the translation from yours. Allow me, therefore, -to add to my signature any phrase that you may think -proper to dictate to me, in which I can express myself -in my own language. You may now judge,” added I, -“whether I deal candidly, and whether I seek to create -difficulties.” This proposal seemed to claim his attention. -“We are now,” I continued, “merely disputing -about words, which may appear very silly, considering -the important circumstances in which we are placed; but, -Sir, who created these difficulties? Who will suffer from -them? Your refusal places us in a most distressing situation! -You see me reduced to the utmost despair! To me -separation from the Emperor would be worse than death; -yet I would rather submit to it than suffer my hand to -be the instrument of his degradation. The Emperor -unites in himself all that constitutes an august character, -in the eyes of God and man: to deny this would be to -deny the light of the sun.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Governor observed that he, as an Englishman, -could not acknowledge the Emperor; and I replied that I -could urge no objection to that. I added that however -much I might be hurt by his mode of designating the -Emperor, yet I <a id='corr386.27'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='dld'>did</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_386.27'><ins class='correction' title='dld'>did</ins></a></span> not mean to question his right of using -whatever terms he might think proper; and that, for the -same reason, he ought not to object to my opinions and -expressions, considering that I was a Frenchman, and -that he demanded my signature.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here Sir Hudson Lowe angrily alluded to some past -circumstances relating to himself personally; and he observed -that, after all, moral character was the only real -title to respect. “At that rate, Governor,” replied I, -with some warmth, and turning to the Officers who were -in attendance, “the Emperor may divest himself of all -his titles, and he will but gain in the opinion of the -world, if his character be estimated by the scale to which -you allude.” The Governor was silent: then, after a -pause of a few moments, he observed that we still treated -<span class='pageno' id='Page_387'>387</span>our General as though he were an Emperor. “And -how can we treat him otherwise?”—“I mean to say, -that you continue to look upon him as a Sovereign.”—“Governor, -you talk of revering him as our Sovereign; -we do more—we worship him! We now consider the -Emperor as removed from this world; we view him as -though he were in Heaven!... When you leave -us a choice that is in opposition to him, it is like the -choice given to martyrs, when they are commanded to -renounce their faith or die. “Death, therefore, must be -our alternative.” These words produced a visible impression -on the officers who were present, and even on the -Governor. Contrary to custom, his countenance assumed -a mild expression, and the tone of his voice was -softened.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Our situation here,” continued I, “is so horrible as -to be almost beyond endurance. You know this;—but -what we now suffer is nothing to the misery which is reserved -for us. What I ask will be no sacrifice to you, -and it will be every thing to us. I implore you to grant -what I request; and this is something, for you know I -am not in the habit of soliciting favours from you. Make -but this one concession, and you will claim my eternal -gratitude. Besides, consider that a responsibility rests -with you; that there is a public opinion in Europe, which -you may forfeit without gaining any advantage in return. -You cannot be a stranger to the sentiments which animate -me; they must, I am sure, go to the hearts of all -who listen to me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Here the Governor appeared somewhat moved; the -officers were evidently affected. Sir Hudson Lowe, after -a few moments‘ silence, bowed to me, and I took my -leave.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Messrs. de Montholon and Gourgaud had each an interview -in their turn; and we all four attended the Emperor -during his toilet, without, however, being able to tell -him whether any decision had been formed on the subject -that so deeply interested us.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor expressed a wish to go out, though the -wind was extremely boisterous: we all walked to the -extremity of the wood. He took a review of the Governor’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_388'>388</span>conduct, making remarks upon it in the rapid and -copious way peculiar to himself; and he concluded by -saying that if to-day we should agree to sign the declaration, -in order to avoid being separated from him, to-morrow -another ground of expulsion would be brought -forward; and that he should wish our removal to be effected -forcibly and at once, rather than tranquilly and in -detail. Then, suddenly assuming a tone of pleasantry, -he said that, after all, he could hardly believe the Governor -wished to reduce his subjects to one only; and what -sort of subject would that one be! added he—an absolute -porcupine, on which he would not dare to lay a -finger.</p> - -<p class='c000'>During our walk, two strangers approached pretty -near to us. The Emperor made some one enquire who -they were, and he was informed that they belonged to a -vessel which was about to sail to-morrow for Europe. -The Emperor asked whether they were likely to see any -of the Ministers on their arrival in London; and they -replied that they should see Lord Bathurst. “Tell him,” -said <a id='corr388.21'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='“Napoleon, '>Napolean, “</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_388.21'><ins class='correction' title='“Napoleon, '>Napolean, “</ins></a></span>that his instructions with respect to my -treatment here are most odious, and that his agent -executes them with scrupulous fidelity. If he wished to -get rid of me, he should have despatched me at a blow, -instead of thus killing me by inches. This conduct is -truly barbarous; there is nothing English in it; and I -can only attribute it to some personal hatred. I have -too much respect for the Prince Regent, the majority of -the Ministers, and the English nation, to suppose that -they are responsible for my treatment. Be this as it -may, their power extends only to the body; the soul is -beyond their reach: it will soar to Heaven even from -the dungeon.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, on his return home, took a bath; he -was fatigued and harassed by the events of the day. He -fell asleep, and I watched beside him, meditating on our -new grievances.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At dinner he ate but a little. Some one made an -observation, and the Emperor, not having heard it -distinctly, asked what had been said—a thing which -frequently happens. The words were then repeated in a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_389'>389</span>louder tone, upon which he observed: “I am certainly -growing deaf, for I occasionally miss hearing what is -said, and I feel inclined to be angry when people speak -louder than usual.” He concluded the evening by -reading a part of Don Quixote. He was much amused -at some comic passages; and, laying down the book, he -remarked that we certainly showed a great deal of courage, -since we could laugh at such trifles under our present -circumstances. He paused for some moments, and -seemed deeply wrapped in thought: then rising, he -withdrew, saying: “Adieu, my dear friends.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>During dinner, a letter had been delivered to me from -the Grand Marshal; but I had kept it concealed, conceiving -that it augured no good. I opened it as soon as -the Emperor withdrew. It enclosed a letter from the -Governor, announcing that if we still persisted in our -refusal to sign the declaration, he would immediately -give orders for our removal to Europe. We yielded to -the dictates of our hearts: to determine on leaving the -Emperor was beyond our power; while at the same time -it would have been going beyond his wishes, and perhaps -too beyond his orders. With unanimous sentiments, we -eagerly signed the declarations in the form in which they -were presented to us, and delivered them to the English -officer on duty at Longwood, together with a letter to -the Grand Marshal, acquainting him with what we had -done without his participation. We had been guided -solely by our feelings, and we trusted that those feelings -would afford us consolation, even though the Emperor -should disapprove of the step we had taken.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We have now reached the consummation of our absolute -slavery and dependence on the will and caprice of -Sir Hudson Lowe; not merely by the signature we have -just given him, but because he now knows our secret, -and therefore it is in his power to compel us to submit to -any thing he pleases.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_390'>390</span> - <h3 class='c009'>ANECDOTES OF SIEYES.—THE EMPEROR FREQUENTLY ATTENDED POPULAR FESTIVITIES IN DISGUISE.—HIS VISITS TO THE FAUBOURG SAINT-ANTOINE, AFTER HIS RETURN FROM MOSCOW AND FROM THE ISLAND OF ELBA.—MANNERS DURING THE TIME OF THE DIRECTORY.—REMARKABLE OFFICIAL NOTE.</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c007'>16th.—The Emperor sent for me about noon. He -had <a id='corr390.8'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='beed'>been</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_390.8'><ins class='correction' title='beed'>been</ins></a></span> reading and was just finishing his coffee. He -desired me to sit down, and he entered into conversation. -Not a word escaped him that could lead me to suppose -he knew the determination we had adopted yesterday -evening; he made no allusion to the subject, and it was -not mentioned throughout the whole of the day. After -breakfast, the Emperor walked about his apartments. -The turn of the conversation introduced some anecdotes -of former times, of which Sieyes was the subject. The -Emperor related that while Sieyes was chaplain to the -Princes of Orleans, being one day engaged in performing -mass, something unexpectedly occasioned the Princes to -withdraw during the service; upon which the Abbé, -looking up and seeing only the valets present, immediately -closed his book, observing that he was not engaged -to perform mass to the rabble.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“Your Majesty,” said I, “was the first who made me -acquainted with the name and person of Sieyes. A few -days after my presentation at Court, your Majesty, at one -of your audiences, having passed by me, stopped to speak -to the person who stood next to me, addressing him by -name. All my emigrant prejudices were yet in full force -and I thought myself polluted by coming in contact with -one whom I regarded as an absolute monster, and whom -I had never heard mentioned except as an object of the -bitterest imprecation.” “Doubtless,” said the Emperor, -“you were thinking of the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>mort sans phrase</em></span>. But I -have heard it affirmed that Sieyes denied that.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I now repeated an anecdote which used to be circulated -in the Faubourg Saint-Germain, and on which, the -first time I related it, the Emperor made no observation. -Sieyes was described as having used the epithet <em>tyrant</em> in -speaking of Louis XVI., to which Napoleon was said to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_391'>391</span>have replied, “Monsieur l‘Abbé, if he had been a tyrant, -I should not be here, and you would still be performing -mass.” “I might have thought so,” said the Emperor, -on my relating this anecdote for the second time; “but -I should certainly not have been fool enough to say so. -This is one of the absurd stories invented in the drawing-rooms -of Paris. I never committed blunders of that -kind: my object was to extinguish, and not to feed, the -flame. The torrent of hostility was already too forcibly -directed against certain leaders of the Revolution. I -found it necessary to support and countenance them; -and I did so. Some one having procured—God knows -where—a bust of Sieyes in his ecclesiastical character, it -was publickly exhibited, and occasioned a universal uproar. -Sieyes, in a furious passion, set out to make a -complaint to me; but I had already given the necessary -reprimand, and the bust was again consigned to obscurity.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“My great principle was to guard against re-action, -and to bury the past in oblivion. I never condemned -any opinion, or proscribed any act. I was surrounded -by the men who had voted for the death of Louis XVI.: -they were in the Ministry, and in the Council of State. -I did not approve of their doctrines; but what had I -to do with them? what right had I to constitute myself -their judge?” Some had been actuated by conviction, -others by weakness and terror, and all by the delirium -and fury of the moment. The fatality of the Greek -tragedy was exemplified in the life of Louis XVI.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I told the Emperor that it was reported in the Faubourg -Saint-Germain that Sieyes had been detected in a -conspiracy against him, in the affair of M. Clement de -Ris; and that he (Napoleon) had pardoned him, on -condition of his entirely withdrawing himself from any -participation in political affairs. “This is another idle -story, for which there is not the slightest foundation,” -said the Emperor. “Sieyes was always attached to me, -and I never had any cause to complain of him. He was -probably vexed to find that I opposed his metaphysical -ideas; but he was at length convinced that it was necessary -for France to have a ruler, and he preferred me to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_392'>392</span>any other. Sieyes was, after all, an honest and a very -clever man: he did much for the Revolution.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor mentioned that at one of the first public -festivals that took place during the Consulate, as he was -viewing the illuminations in company with Sieyes, he -asked him what he thought of the state of affairs. Sieyes -replied in a cold and even a disheartening tone. “And -yet,” resumed Napoleon, “I had this morning very -satisfactory proofs of the spirit of the people.”—“It is -seldom,” replied Sieyes, “that the people shew their real -spirit, when the man who is possessed of power presents -himself to their gaze. I can assure you they are far -from being satisfied.”—“Then you do not think the -present government firmly established?”—“No.”—“And -when do you suppose we shall be settled?“—“When -I see the Dukes and Marquises of the old court -in your ante-chamber.“—“Sieyes,” added the Emperor, -“little dreamed that this would so soon be the case. He -was short-sighted, and could not see very far before him. -I thought, as he did, that all could not end with the -Republic; but I foresaw the establishment of the Empire. -Accordingly, two or three years afterwards, the circumstance -I have just related being still fresh in my recollection, -I said to Sieyes, at one of my grand audiences: -Well, you are now pell-mell with all the old Dukes and -Marquises; do you think all is settled now?”—“Oh, -yes,” replied Sieyes, bowing profoundly; “you have -wrought miracles, which were never before equalled, -and which I never could have foreseen.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>During the Consulate, Napoleon was once standing in -front of the Hotel de la Marine, viewing a public illumination. -Beside him was a lady, who to all appearance -had formerly moved in a distinguished sphere, accompanied -by her daughter, a very pretty girl, to whom she -was pointing out all the persons of note, as they passed -to and fro in the apartments. Calling her daughter’s -attention to a certain individual, she said: “Remind me -to go and pay my respects to him some day. We ought -to do so, for he has rendered us great service.” “But, -mother,” replied the young lady, “I did not know that -we were expected to shew gratitude to such people. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_393'>393</span>thought they were too happy in being able to oblige -persons of our quality.” “Certainly,” said the Emperor, -“La Bruyere would have turned this incident to -good account.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>Napoleon sometimes went out in disguise early in the -morning, traversing the streets of the capital alone, and -mingling with the labouring classes of the people, with -whose condition and sentiments he wished to make himself -acquainted. In the Council of State I have often -heard him advise the Prefect of Police to adopt this plan. -He called it the <em>Caliph system of police</em>, and said he -esteemed it to be the best.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On his return from the disastrous campaigns of Moscow -and Leipsic, Napoleon, in order to maintain the -appearance of confidence, frequently appeared amidst -the multitude with scarcely any attendants. He visited -the market-places, the faubourgs, and all the populous -districts of the capital, conversing familiarly with the -people; and he was every where received and treated -with respect.</p> - -<p class='c000'>One day, at La Halle, a woman with whom he had -been holding a little dialogue, bluntly told him he ought -to make peace. “Good woman,” replied the Emperor, -“sell your greens, and leave me to settle my affairs. -Let every one attend to his own calling.” The bystanders -laughed, and applauded him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On another occasion, at the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, -when surrounded by an immense concourse of people, -whom he was treating very condescendingly, some one -asked whether affairs were really as bad as they were -represented to be? “Why, certainly,” replied the Emperor, -“I cannot say that things are going on very -well.” “But what will be the end of this?” “Heaven -knows!” “Will the enemy enter France?” “Very -possibly; and he may even march to Paris if you do not -assist me. I have not a million of arms. I cannot do -all by my own individual efforts.” “We will support -you,” exclaimed a number of voices. “Then I shall -beat the enemy, and preserve the glory of France.” -“But what must we do?” “You must enlist and -fight.” “We will,’ said one of the crowd; “but we -<span class='pageno' id='Page_394'>394</span>must make a few conditions!” “What are they?” -“We will not pass the frontier.” “You shall not be -required to do so.” “We wish to serve in the guards,” -said another. “You shall do so.” The air instantly -resounded with acclamations. Registers were immediately -opened, and two thousand men enlisted in the -course of the day. Napoleon returned to the Tuileries; -and, as he entered the Place Carousel on horseback, surrounded -by the multitude, whose acclamations rent the -air, it was supposed that an insurrection had broken out, -and the gates were about to be closed.</p> - -<p class='c000'>On his return from the Island of Elba, the Emperor -made another visit to the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, where -he was received with equal enthusiasm, and conducted -back to the palace in a similar manner. As he passed -through the Faubourg Saint-Germain, the multitude who -escorted him halted before the principal hotels, and -manifested their disapprobation by angry words and gestures. -The Emperor observed that he had scarcely ever -been placed in so delicate a situation. “How many -evils might have ensued,” said he, “had a single stone -been thrown by the mob. Had a single imprudent -word, or even an equivocal look, escaped me, the whole -Faubourg might have been destroyed; and I am convinced -that its preservation was to be attributed wholly -to my presence of mind, and the respect which the multitude -entertained for me.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>To-day I attended the Emperor at his toilet. Santini -was cutting his hair, and a large tuft fell at my feet. I -stooped to pick it up, and the Emperor, observing me, -asked what I was doing. I replied that I had dropped -something, upon which he smiled and pinched my ear: -he guessed what I had picked up.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Speaking of the depravity and corruption of manners -which prevailed at the time when he commanded the -army of the interior in Paris, Napoleon mentioned that -a contractor came to solicit some signatures from him, -and to beg that he would give his support to certain appointments -and supplies: this he promised to do without -hesitation, conceiving that there was nothing unfair in -the proposal. Before he withdrew, the contractor dextrously -<span class='pageno' id='Page_395'>395</span>took an opportunity of leaving on the chimney-piece -two rouleaux containing a hundred Louis. This -was an enormous sum in specie, for at that time paper -money was chiefly in use. Fortunately, the General was -the first to discover the circumstance, and the visitor -was called back before he had gone far. He at first attempted -to deny having left the money; but he afterwards -acknowledged it, observing that every one must -live, and that the method he had adopted was, he believed, -the general one. He, however, hoped that he -might be forgiven if he had unintentionally done wrong, -adding that it was very seldom necessary to ask pardon -for such offences.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At the hour at which the Emperor generally takes his -walk, he found himself very drowsy; but he was determined -to rouse himself, and he went out though the wind -was blowing violently. After walking a short distance, -he returned to the house, and we entered Madame de -Montholon’s apartment. The Emperor had no sooner -seated himself on the sofa, than he felt inclined to fall -asleep. He rose and proceeded to the drawing-room. -He complained of great internal heat, and asked for a -glass of toast and water. His drowsiness still continued, -and he retired to his chamber to lie down.</p> - -<p class='c000'>About seven o’clock he sent for me, and gave me the -following note, which he desired me to keep along with -the rest of the official papers. It was the copy of a note -which he had sent that morning to the Governor....</p> - -<p class='c000'><em>Note.</em>—“I recollect that in a conversation which took -place between General Lowe and some of the gentlemen -of my suite, (alluding to the conversation of the 15th,) -some observations were made respecting my situation, -which were not conformable with my ideas. I abdicated -to the Representatives of the people and in favour of my -son. I proceeded with confidence to England, with the -intention of living either there or in America, in profound -retirement, and under the name of a Colonel who was -killed in battle by my side. <em>I had resolved to have nothing -to do with political affairs of any kind whatever.</em></p> - -<p class='c000'>“When I went on board the Northumberland, I was -informed that I was a prisoner of war, that I was to be -<span class='pageno' id='Page_396'>396</span>transported beyond the Line, and that I was to be called -<em>General Bonaparte</em>. This obliged me to retain ostensibly -the title of the Emperor Napoleon, in opposition to the -name of General Bonaparte, which was thus to be forced -upon me.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“About seven or eight months ago, Count Montholon -proposed to obviate the little difficulties that are continually -arising, by my adopting an ordinary name. The -Admiral thought it necessary to write to London on this -subject, and there the matter rested.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“The name which is now applied to me has the advantage -of not prejudging the past; but it is not in -unison with the forms of society. <em>I am still disposed to -assume a name that may be conformable with custom</em>; I -once more repeat that whenever I may be released from -my cruel captivity, <em>I am still willing to continue a stranger -to all political affairs, whatever may take place in -the world</em>. Such is my determination; and no other -declaration, on this subject, has my sanction.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor ate but little dinner; there was something -very extraordinary in the lethargy that had come -over him. He had been overpowered by drowsiness during -the whole of the day; and yet when he withdrew he -said he was afraid he should not sleep, his sensations -were so extraordinary. He generally rests soundly when -he is inclined to sleep, but he had been dozing all day -long without being able to get any rest.</p> - -<p class='c000'>To-day a frigate sailed for Europe.</p> - -<h3 class='c006'>LOUIS XVI.—MARIE ANTOINETTE.—MADAME CAMPAN.—LEONARD.—THE<br /> PRINCESS DE LAMBALLE.</h3> - -<p class='c007'>17th. About noon the Emperor sent for me; he had -just finished his breakfast. He was no better than he -had been yesterday. He endeavoured to converse a little, -and then read in English a few pages of the Vicar of -Wakefield. He still complained of drowsiness, and, after -several vain efforts to rouse himself, he retired to his -chamber to try to get a nap. He was the more astonished -that this heaviness should continue, as he said he -had slept well during the night.</p> - -<p class='c000'>He did not leave his chamber until dinner was ready, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_397'>397</span>and after dinner he tried to read a little of Don Quixote; -but he almost immediately laid down the book, and retired. -As it was very early, he sent for me after he had -gone to bed, and I remained with him nearly an hour -conversing on different subjects.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We spoke of Louis XVI., the Queen, Madame Elizabeth, -their martyrdom, &c. He asked me to tell him what I -knew of the King and Queen, and what they had said to -me on my presentation. The forms and ceremonies of -the Court were, I informed him, the same as those which -were adopted during the Empire. As to character, I -observed, it was generally admitted that the Queen had -disappointed public expectation. During the first moments -of the revolutionary storm, there was every reason -to suppose her to be a woman of great talent and energy; -but subsequently these qualities seemed entirely to forsake -her. With regard to the King, I mentioned the opinion -formed of him by M. Bertrand de Molleville, with whom -I had been well acquainted, and who was Minister of -Marine to Louis XVI. at the height of the crisis. He -pronounced the King to have possessed considerable -information, sound judgment, and excellent intentions; -but there it all ended. He lost himself by the multiplicity -of advice which he solicited, and by his irresolute -and wavering mode of following that advice.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor, in his turn, retraced the portrait of the -Queen, by Madame Campan, who, he observed, having -been her confidante, and having served her with zeal, -affection and fidelity, might be expected to have known -a great deal about her, and deserved to be considered as -good authority. Madame Campan, he said, had communicated -to him many details of the private life of the -Queen; and he related some particulars which he had -derived from that source.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Queen, according to Madame Campan, was a -fascinating woman, but destitute of talent: she was better -calculated to be a votary of pleasure than a participator -in affairs of State. She possessed an excellent -heart, was parsimonious, rather than extravagant, and by -no means possessed strength of character equal to the -trying circumstances in which she was placed. She obtained -<span class='pageno' id='Page_398'>398</span>regular information of the schemes that were -carrying on abroad; and she never entertained a doubt -of her deliverance, even up to the fatal 10th of August, -the catastrophe of which was brought about solely by -the intrigues and hopes of the Court, which were developed -to the world through the imprudence of the King -and those who surrounded him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“On the terrible night of the 5th of October,” said the -Emperor, “a person for whom the Queen entertained a -high regard, and whom I afterwards treated very ill at -Rastadt, hastened to join the Princess at Versailles: -whether he had been sent for, or whether he went of his -own accord to share her dangers, I know not. It is in these -trying moments,” continued the Emperor, “that we feel -most in need of the advice and consolation of those who -are devoted to us. At the moment of the catastrophe, -when the palace was stormed, the Queen fled for refuge -to the King’s apartments; but her confident was -exposed to the greatest dangers, and only escaped by -leaping out of a window.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>I informed the Emperor that the Queen had greatly -fallen in the estimation of the emigrants, by her conduct -during the events of Varennes; she was reproached for -not having allowed the King to set out alone, and for -having betrayed a want of skill and energy during the -flight of the Royal family. Nothing indeed, could be -more ill managed and confused than the journey to Varennes. -A curious circumstance connected with that -event was, that Leonard, the Queen’s famous <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>coiffeur</em></span>, -found means to pass, in his cabriolet, through the midst -of the tumult; and he arrived at Coblentz, bringing with -him the Marshal’s baton, which, it was said, the King -had carried away from the Tuileries, in order to deliver -it to M. de Bouillé, when he should join him.</p> - -<p class='c000'>“It was,” said the Emperor, “an established rule -with the members of the House of Austria to observe -profound silence respecting the Queen of France. Whenever -Marie Antoinette was mentioned, they cast down -their eyes, and dexterously changed the conversation, as -if to avoid a disagreeable and embarrassing subject. This -rule,” continued the Emperor, “was adopted by all the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_399'>399</span>members of the family, and recommended to their agents -abroad. The efforts lately made by the French Princes -in Paris to revive the interest attached to the memory of -the unfortunate Queen must certainly have been displeasing -to the Court of Vienna.”</p> - -<p class='c000'>The Emperor next asked me some questions concerning -the Princess de Lamballe, of whom he said he knew -nothing. I was enabled to answer his questions, as I -had known the Princess well. One of my cousins had -been her lady of honour; and, on my arrival at <a id='corr399.10'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Aix-la Chappelle'>Aix-la-Chapelle</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_399.10'><ins class='correction' title='Aix-la Chappelle'>Aix-la-Chapelle</ins></a></span>, -at the commencement of my emigration, I was -received as one of her household, and treated with the -utmost kindness.</p> - -<p class='c000'>At Aix-la-Chapelle the Princess de Lamballe had assembled -round her many of the wrecks of Versailles: -she was surrounded by nobles and persons of fashion, -who had been connected with the old Court. She was -also visited by many illustrious foreigners; and while I -remained with her, I frequently saw Gustavus III., King -of Sweden, who went by the name of the Count de Haga; -Prince Ferdinand of Prussia, and his children, the eldest -of whom (Prince Louis) was killed just before the battle -Jena; the duchess of Cumberland, widow of a brother -of the King of England, &c.</p> - -<p class='c000'>When Louis XVI. solemnly accepted the Constitution, -and thus recomposed the nation, the Princess received -an official letter from the Queen, inviting her to -return to her situation. She consulted her old friends, -who declared themselves of opinion that the Queen was -not free, and, conceiving that there would be no safety -in Paris, they advised her to take no notice of the Queen’s -letter, and to let it be supposed that it had never come -to hand. The Princess, however, having asked some -other individuals, how they would advise her to act, they -unfortunately replied: “Madam, you shared the prosperity -of the Queen, and you have now a noble opportunity -of proving your fidelity, particularly since you are -no longer her favourite.” The Princess possessed lofty -sentiments, warm affections, and was of a rather romantic -turn of mind. She declared her intention of setting -out next day for Paris. The unfortunate lady, therefore, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_400'>400</span>returned to the capital, with a full knowledge of the -danger to which she was exposed; and she fell the victim -of generosity and noble sentiment. When the Princess -determined on proceeding to Paris, my friends proposed -that I <a id='corr400.5'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='shoulda’ccompany'>should accompany</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_400.5'><ins class='correction' title='shoulda’ccompany'>should accompany</ins></a></span> her as one of her suite. -My youth, together with the circumstance of my being -almost a stranger in Paris, would have enabled me to -pass unnoticed, and I might perhaps have been serviceable -to her; but at <a id='corr400.9'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='ithe'>the</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_400.9'><ins class='correction' title='ithe'>the</ins></a></span> moment of her departure, -some difficulties arose which prevented me from accompanying -her. However, I became her correspondent; -and every other day I transmitted to her the absurd stories -of every kind, which served to feed our hopes, and -to which we failed not to give implicit credit. I continued -my correspondence while we remained in the -country; I even continued it after she had ceased to -exist!</p> - -<p class='c000'>The extreme affliction in which I was plunged, on -hearing of her dreadful fate, was occasionally augmented -by the fear that my letters might perhaps have had some -share in producing it. I happen to have now in my -possession some lines which she wrote a few days before -the horrible catastrophe that closed her existence. They -are dated <em>from my dungeon</em>; for so she called the -Pavilion of Flora, which she at that time occupied in -the Tuileries.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>END OF VOL. III.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='small'>ANDOVER: STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY B. BENSLEY</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<div class='tnotes'> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c014'>Footnotes</h2> -</div> - -<div class='footnote' id='f1'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. The diameter of these cones, which were 60 feet high, was -104 feet at the base, and 60 at the top.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f2'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. It was not until 1789, five years after the commencement of -these works, that orders were given by government for taking the -soundings of the harbour and ascertaining the state of the bottom. -Up to that time, the works had been carried on solely on vague -and imperfect notions!! (Mémoire du Baron Cachin, Inspecteur -Général des ponts et chaussées.)</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f3'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r3'>3</a>. Some one who considers himself well informed has assured -me that this is erroneous, as M. de Calonne did not reach Germany -till the measure of emigration had been already decided upon; -adding that, so far from having contrived or instigated it, he had -actually censured it.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f4'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r4'>4</a>. It is certainly an inherent weakness in our nature to deceive -ourselves with respect to the sentiments that are entertained of us -by others. At Coblentz, where we threw away so much money, -where so many amiable and brilliant young men, more to be -dreaded, no doubt, from an excess than a want of education, filled -every house and visited every family, it was natural to believe that -we should be beloved, and accordingly we thought ourselves -adored. Well! at the time of my exile at the Cape of Good Hope, -I was placed by a singular chance under the guard of an inhabitant -of Coblentz, who had witnessed the brilliant moments of our -emigration. I felt great pleasure in renewing the subject with him. -We could not have any secrets on that head to conceal from one -another; twenty-five years had elapsed. Well, then, “you were -not absolutely hated,” said he, “but our real affection was reserved -for your adversaries, for their cause was ours. Liberty had slipped -in among us through you. There, in the midst of you, even -before your eyes, we had formed clubs, and God knows how often -we laughed in them at your expense, &c.” And it happened -to him more than once, he assured me, when mingled with the -crowd, which resounded with acclamations as we passed, to shout -with a considerable number of his comrades, “Long live the French -Princes, and may they drink a little in the Rhine! You spoke of -the reception we gave you,” said he, “it was that which we gave to -Custine, which you should have seen! There you would have had -an opportunity of appreciating our real sentiments. We ran with -enthusiasm to meet him: we crowned his soldiers; a great number -of us enlisted in his army, and several of them became generals. -As for me, I missed the opportunity of making my fortune.”</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f5'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r5'>5</a>. All the world knows, or ought to have known (if, by a fatality, -altogether peculiar to Napoleon, the greater part of his -most commendable actions had not been, at the time, stifled -under the weight of malignity and libels), the history of that -miserable hut, enclosed within the circuit of the palace of the -King of Rome; the proprietor of which demanded successively -ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred times its real value. When he -had reached that ridiculous price, the Emperor, whose directions -on that point were taken, suddenly commanded a stop to be put to -the bargain, exclaiming that that wretched stall, amidst all the -magnificence of the palace of the King of Rome, would be, after -all, the vineyard of Naboth, the most decisive testimony of his -justice, the noblest trophy of his reign.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f6'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r6'>6</a>. It is right to remark that Colonel Gustafson (Gustavus IV.) -has declared this statement to be erroneous. But, from his letter -itself, one would be induced to think that the error proceeds solely -from misinterpretation of his real words: now every one knows how -easy, how common such inaccuracies are in regard to circumstances -transmitted through several intermediate persons. Fearful that the -misunderstanding might originate with myself, which is possible -enough, I should not have hesitated a moment to charge myself -with the error; but every reader must judge that the length of -Napoleon’s conversation and the development of his ideas on this -subject, could not leave me in any doubt.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f7'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r7'>7</a>. The patrimonial house of Napoleon, his cradle, at present -(1824) in the possession of M. Romalino, member of the Chamber -of Deputies, is, as it might naturally be supposed, an object of -eager curiosity and great veneration to travellers and military men -in particular.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I am assured by eye-witnesses, that, on the arrival of every -regiment in Corsica, the soldiers instantly run to it in crowds, and -obtain admission with a certain degree of authority. It might be -said that they believe themselves entitled to it as a right. Once -admitted, every one conducts himself according to the warmth of -his feeling, one raises his hands to heaven, as he looks about him, -another falls on his knees, a third kisses the floor, and a fourth -bursts into tears. There are some who seem to be seized by a fit -of insanity. Something similar is said of the tomb of the great -Frederic. Such is the influence of heroes.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f8'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r8'>8</a>. I commonly pass over all details of this kind as trivial, -unless an occasion for their utility presents itself, and unfortunately -I have not time to look for, or to give rise to, such occasions. -The trifling circumstance, however, which I relate here, -acquires but too great a value by the nature of the death and the -protracted and terrible agonies of the immortal victim, who expired -under the triple tortures of body, mind, and heart. He would have -had much less to endure from the hands of cannibals!... And -these sufferings and these torments were coldly reserved for him by -a barbarous administration, which, by that proceeding, has stained -the annals of a people so justly renowned for the elevation of their -sentiments and their sympathy with misfortune!... But a sad -and painful celebrity will attach to the names of the executioners of -Napoleon. The indignation of the generous hearts of every age -and of every country strikes them for ever with eternal reprobation!</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f9'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r9'>9</a>. It was my letter to Prince Lucien, since so celebrated in the -history of my persecutions, and which will be found in its proper -place.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f10'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r10'>10</a>. Since the first appearance of this work, it has been remarked to -me that this is an anachronism; as the gilding of the dome of the -Invalids was begun before the campaign in Russia. It was the -minarets of Cairo and not the steeples of Moscow which must have -suggested the idea to Napoleon; and this was no doubt what he meant -to say: it is easy to imagine that a mistake of this kind might be -made by him in a conversation without any special object: in fact -every body is liable to such mistakes.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f11'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r11'>11</a>. General Durutte, who was mutilated on that disastrous day, -and who commanded the fourth division here mentioned, declares -that there must be some mistake in regard to the number specified -in this dictation of Napoleon’s; or that there was some inaccuracy -or malice in the report that was made to him.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f12'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r12'>12</a>. After my removal from Longwood, Napoleon undertook a -special work on Frederick the Great, with notes and Commentaries -on his Campaigns.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f13'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r13'>13</a>. A noble Venetian lady of great beauty, whose adventures -form a truly romantic and dramatic history. She eloped from -her father’s house to follow a young Florentine pedlar, and was -reduced to the greatest wretchedness. She subsequently became -Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and she closed her career by coolly -poisoning herself at table, in a fit of vexation at seeing the Grand -Duke, her husband, partake of a poisoned dish, which she had -prepared for her brother-in-law, Cardinal de Medicis, who, on his -part, obstinately abstained from tasting it.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f14'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r14'>14</a>. At the victory of Lützen the Emperor sustained a severe loss -in the death of the brave and loyal Marshal Bessières, Duke of -Istria, who was so sincerely devoted to Napoleon. The King of -Saxony raised a monument to his memory on the very spot where -he received his death-blow. By a glorious coincidence the monument -is similar to that of Gustavus Adolphus, and is placed not -far distant from it. It consists of a simple stone surrounded by -poplars. This is not the only instance in which foreigners have -rendered that homage to the memory of brave Frenchmen, which -their own countrymen have neglected.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f15'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r15'>15</a>. A reference to Count Montholon’s Memoirs of Napoleon will -shew that the Emperor admits the falsehood of this charge against -Jomini, who he says was not even acquainted with his plans.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f16'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r16'>16</a>. The death of the celebrated Moreau, while fighting under the -Russian banner, and opposed to a French army, was and will ever -continue to be a source of affliction to his sincerest friends and -warmest partizans.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f17'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r17'>17</a>. When I visited London in 1814, public attention was occupied -by the recent events of the Continent, and the battle of Leipsic was -the general topic of conversation. It was related that, at the -moment of the defeat, Napoleon’s presence of mind completely forsook -him. He wandered about the city, and lost his way in a -lonely street. Though on horseback, faintness obliged him to support -himself against a wall, and in this situation he inquired his way -of an old woman, and asked her for a glass of water. The blowing up -of the bridge was not forgotten, and the story was related precisely as -at Paris. These details, which were echoed in the drawing-rooms, -and circulated about the streets, were credited among the higher -ranks, as well as by the vulgar. Prints, representing the different -events of the battle, were exhibited in the shop-windows. The subject -of one of these engravings was the above described incident in -the street of Leipsic. Such a multitude of absurdities was circulated -that people of common sense had no resource but to shrug up their -shoulders and patiently endure all that they heard.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f18'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r18'>18</a>. This supposition was not altogether ill-founded; for it still remains -doubtful whether the consent of Austria to the dethronement -of the Emperor was compulsory or voluntary. By one of -those fatalities which attended the close of Napoleon’s career, a -momentary success separated the Austrians and the Russians, and -the order for marching upon Paris, as well as the famous declaration -proscribing Napoleon and his family, proceeded solely from -Alexander. When Francis presented himself, he had no alternative -but to give his assent to measures which were already determined -on; but many circumstances induce the belief that he did so with -great repugnance and dissatisfaction.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f19'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r19'>19</a>. The venerable and faithful King of Saxony followed his ally -Napoleon, at whose head-quarters he established himself. The -coalesced powers, on their entrance into Leipsic, seized the person -of the King, and announced their design of disposing of his states. -His misfortunes are known throughout Europe; they excited a -deep interest in every generous heart.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f20'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r20'>20</a>. Amidst the general disloyalty, the conduct of the King of -Würtemburg presents an honourable exception. That prince, -though already at war with us, broke the brigade of cavalry, and -the corps of infantry, who went over to the enemy, and at -the same time withdrew the decoration of his Order from their -officers.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f21'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r21'>21</a>. The determination to surrender had been far from unanimous -in the garrison. Opinions were divided on this point. -Some were for returning to France by means of a capitulation, -which course was adopted; others were in favour of an enterprise -of a much bolder nature. This was nothing less than to -quit Dresden, with the chosen troops of the garrison, to descend -the Elbe by successively raising the blockade of Torgau, where -there were 28,000 men; of Wittemberg, where there were 5000; -of Magdeburg, where there were 20,000, and to proceed to Hamburg -where there were 32,000. The army thus collected together, -which would have amounted to 60 or 80,000 men, was -to repair to France, cutting a passage through the enemy’s -ranks, or compelling him to retrograde by manœuvring on his -rear; while the levies in mass that might have advanced to assail -our veteran bands would have been paralyzed. And even -had this plan failed, the issue was not likely to be more fatal than -the capitulation. This opinion was warmly advocated by the -Count de Lobau, Generals Teste, Mouton-Duvernet, and others. -The design was grand, worthy of our glory, and quite in harmony -with our past acts. It was the Emperor’s intention to -carry it into effect, and for this purpose he issued orders, which, -however, did not reach the place of their destination. The despair -occasioned by the thought of surrendering was such that -a portion of the troops urged the officer who was at the head of -the opposing party to take the command upon himself. Respect -for discipline at length prevailed over enthusiasm; but the officer -above alluded to expressed himself in the most violent way -in the council. It is said that, in his indignation, he exclaimed -to the General-in-chief;—“The Emperor will tell me that, pistol -in hand, I ought to have taken the command upon myself.“</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f22'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r22'>22</a>. While Lord Lauderdale was in Paris, and negotiating with the -Emperor’s plenipotentiaries, Prussia took up arms and assumed a -hostile attitude. Lord Lauderdale seemed to disapprove of this -conduct, and to consider the contest very unequal. Being informed -that Napoleon intended to march at the head of the army, he -enquired whether the Emperor would consent to defer his departure, -and to enter into arrangements with Prussia, if England -would accept the basis of the negotiations, that is to say, the <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>uti -possidetis</em></span> on both sides, including Hanover. The discussion was -maintained on the subject of Hanover, which England wished to -recover independently of this basis. By the reply of the Cabinet -of St. James’s, Lord Lauderdale was recalled. The Emperor set -out, and the battle of Jena took place: Fox was then dead.</p> - -<p class='c000'>We were, at this period, eye-witnesses to the regret and repugnance -which Napoleon evinced at the necessity of going to war with -Prussia. He was disposed to leave Hanover in the possession of -that power, and to recognise a Confederation of the North of -Germany. He felt that Prussia, having never been beaten or -humbled by France, and her power being still unimpaired, she could -have no interests hostile to his; but that, if once she were -subdued, she must be destroyed.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f23'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r23'>23</a>. A report was pretty generally circulated that the marriage -of the Archduchess Maria-Louisa with the Emperor Napoleon was -a secret article of the treaty of Vienna: this idea is void of -foundation. The treaty of Vienna is dated Oct. 15, 1809, and -the marriage contract was signed at Paris on the 7th of Feb. -1810.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Every individual who was present at the deliberations of the -Privy Council can attest that the circumstances of the marriage -were such as they have been above described; that no idea of the -Austrian alliance was entertained before the contents of the Count -de Narbonne’s despatches were made known; and that the marriage -with the Archduchess Maria-Louisa was proposed, discussed, and -determined on in the Council, and signed within the space of twenty-four -hours.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The members of the Council were—the Emperor, the great Dignitaries -of the Empire, the high Officers of the Crown, all the -Ministers, the Presidents of the Senate and the Legislative Body, -and the Ministers of State, Presidents of the sections of the Council -of State; amounting, in all, to 25.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f24'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r24'>24</a>. I did not choose to suppress this summary of the campaign in -Saxony, although the same subject has already been particularly -treated of at the commencement of this volume. If, however, -some readers should consider it merely a repetition, others will -find in it the means of comparing and verifying what has been -before stated: one of the accounts is drawn up from documents -published in Europe, whilst the other was dictated at St. Helena -by Napoleon himself.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f25'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r25'>25</a>. <span class='sc'>Tic</span> is the French term for any bad habit.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f26'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r26'>26</a>. I must take this opportunity of correcting an error which has -occasioned considerable pain to an individual whom I greatly esteem. -In a former part of this Journal it is mentioned that, <em>eight days</em> -before the Emperor quitted Elba, General Drouot communicated -his intentions to the Princess Borghesse, &c. General Drouot, -however, affirms that he was not honoured with the Emperor’s confidence -until the <em>very last moment</em>, and that consequently he could -not have divulged the secret at the time alluded to. General -Drouot must of all others be the best informed, as well as most -interested, with regard to these facts: for my own part I have only -to observe, that, in this instance, I merely noted down a current -report, which was repeated without any ill design, and which had -never been contradicted.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f27'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r27'>27</a>. It must not, however, be supposed that he shewed any unfeeling -disregard of these men; for he directed the war commissioner, -Charles Vautier, who was with him, to repair with all haste to Antibes, -and to release the prisoners by attempting to take the garrison. -When Vautier set out, he several times called after <a id='corr292.39'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='him.”'>him:</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_292.39'><ins class='correction' title='him.”'>him:</ins></a></span> “Take -care you do not get yourself made prisoner too.”</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f28'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r28'>28</a>. March 1st. The Emperor landed at Cannes, at the Gulf of Juan.</p> - -<p class='c000'>2d. Entered Grasse.</p> - -<p class='c000'>3d. Slept at Barême.</p> - -<p class='c000'>4th. Dined at Digne, and slept at Maligeai.</p> - -<p class='c000'>5th. Slept at Gap.</p> - -<p class='c000'>6th. Slept at Corps, and a little beyond the town on the following -day, the Emperor harangued and rallied the troops of the 5th. -A few hours afterwards he was joined by Labédoyère, at the head -of the 7th.</p> - -<p class='c000'>7th. Arrived at Grenoble and halted.</p> - -<p class='c000'>9th. Slept at Bourgouin.</p> - -<p class='c000'>10th. Reached Lyons, where he remained three days.</p> - -<p class='c000'>13th. Slept at Macon. Ney’s famous proclamation issued.</p> - -<p class='c000'>14th. Slept at Chalons.</p> - -<p class='c000'>15th. Slept at Autun.</p> - -<p class='c000'>16th. At Avalon.</p> - -<p class='c000'>17th. At Auxeres, where he remained for a day, and was joined -by the Prince of the Moskowa.</p> - -<p class='c000'>20th. Arrived at Fontainebleau, at four in the morning, and -entered the Tuileries at nine in the evening.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f29'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r29'>29</a>. A kind of seal on which a signature is engraved.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f30'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r30'>30</a>. Instead of Cinna, in Corneille’s tragedy of <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><cite>Cinna</cite></span>, act v. scene -1st.—<em>Eng. Ed.</em></p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f31'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r31'>31</a>. In Moliere’s Comedy of Amphitryon. <cite>Eng. Ed.</cite></p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f32'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r32'>32</a>. In the very spot here described by Napoleon is his grave.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f33'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r33'>33</a>. I take this opportunity of correcting an error of the nature -here alluded to. In a preceding part of this work, it is stated that -M. Monge ascended the Jacobinical tribune, &c. The friends and -relatives of that distinguished man have, however, assured me that -all who knew him at the time in question can bear witness that he -never appeared among them, and that he never spoke in any public -assembly. I feel pleasure in mentioning this circumstance; for -nothing affords me greater happiness than to be the means of -developing truth.</p> -</div> -<div class='footnote' id='f34'> -<p class='c000'><a href='#r34'>34</a>. This was the cup belonging to his dressing-table, which stood -on the chimney-piece as an ornament.</p> - -<p class='c000'>I have now the happiness of possessing the saucer belonging to -this cup. M. Marchand, that faithful servant, to whom Napoleon -declared himself so much attached, on his return from St. Helena, -came and presented this saucer to me, in a manner that forcibly -roused my gratitude and sensibility. “The beautiful cup,” said -he, “out of which you sometimes drank, belonged to the Emperor’s -dressing-table, and was accordingly restored to its place. The -saucer, however, among other articles, fell to my share; and I now -present it to you, being assured that you will feel as much pleasure -in receiving as I have in giving it.”</p> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c002' /> -</div> -<p class='c000'><a id='endnote'></a></p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='large'>Transcriber’s Note</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c000'>Certain conventions of the text have been modified. For instance, a -series of dots (....) were employed where a name was elided. These -have been replaced with long dashes (———) in order to avoid awkward -line breaks.</p> - -<p class='c000'>Given the publication date, spelling has been generally allowed to -stand as printed. For instance, the words ‘somnabule’ and ‘somnabulism’, -on p. <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>, are apparently in error, but are consistent with one -another. However, errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s -have been corrected, and are noted below.</p> - -<p class='c000'>There were a number of instances in the text where quoted words were -missing either an opening or closing quotation mark. The proper -placement is not always obvious, but the most plausible choice has been -made, based on the context and voice. Among the most challenging is the -author’s recounting of Napolean’s recollection of an interchange -with the Pope on p. <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>.</p> - -<p class='c000'>The issues tabulated below should be noted, along with the resolutions. -The references below are to the page and line in the original.</p> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='12%' /> -<col width='69%' /> -<col width='18%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_25.25'></a><a href='#corr25.25'>25.25</a></td> - <td class='c015'>“In obta[in]ing possession of Illyria</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_43.25'></a><a href='#corr43.25'>43.25</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[somnabule], who, at night runs along the roof</td> - <td class='c016'><em>sic</em></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_43.29'></a><a href='#corr43.29'>43.29</a></td> - <td class='c015'>on his [somnabulism],</td> - <td class='c016'><em>sic</em></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_52.32'></a><a href='#corr52.32'>52.32</a></td> - <td class='c015'>The Emperor rema[r]ked</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_63.15'></a><a href='#corr63.15'>63.15</a></td> - <td class='c015'>that adulation w[sa/as] not pushed so far</td> - <td class='c016'>Transposed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_66.35'></a><a href='#corr66.35'>66.35</a></td> - <td class='c015'>a suitable match for your Princess.[’]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_72.20'></a><a href='#corr72.20'>72.20</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“/‘]You will see me again shortly</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_77.33'></a><a href='#corr77.33'>77.33</a></td> - <td class='c015'>while we[re / re]tained possession of it.</td> - <td class='c016'>Moved space.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_81.19'></a><a href='#corr81.19'>81.19</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[‘]How’, exclaimed he,</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_90.33'></a><a href='#corr90.33'>90.33</a></td> - <td class='c015'>the 13th Vend[e/é]miaire</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_95.38'></a><a href='#corr95.38'>95.38</a></td> - <td class='c015'>under which [b/h]e suffers</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_102.5'></a><a href='#corr102.5'>102.5</a></td> - <td class='c015'>and altogether useless.[”]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_105.18'></a><a href='#corr105.18'>105.18</a></td> - <td class='c015'>even when that great E[x/m]press seated on her throne</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_107.41'></a><a href='#corr107.41'>107.41</a></td> - <td class='c015'>unless it was agreeable to me[,/.]</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_108.30'></a><a href='#corr108.30'>108.30</a></td> - <td class='c015'>might have incited him in his blindness.[”]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_108.31'></a><a href='#corr108.31'>108.31</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“]At the end of this</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_116.40'></a><a href='#corr116.40'>116.40</a></td> - <td class='c015'>or a pain in my stomach.[’/”]</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_120.7'></a><a href='#corr120.7'>120.7</a></td> - <td class='c015'>will be guilty of my destruction[’]”</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_121.15'></a><a href='#corr121.15'>121.15</a></td> - <td class='c015'>she exclaimed, [‘]but a single moment left;</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_121.24'></a><a href='#corr121.24'>121.24</a></td> - <td class='c015'>he published a pamph[l]et</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_130.16'></a><a href='#corr130.16'>130.16</a></td> - <td class='c015'>if it be feasible.’[”] It was, however,</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_130.26'></a><a href='#corr130.26'>130.26</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“]‘I shall never,’ he remarked,</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_131.2'></a><a href='#corr131.2'>131.2</a></td> - <td class='c015'>whatever I wished.[”]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_140.28'></a><a href='#corr140.28'>140.28</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“]Sire,” I answered,</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_147.17'></a><a href='#corr147.17'>147.17</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[‘]Thousand and One Nights’</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_151.30'></a><a href='#corr151.30'>151.30</a></td> - <td class='c015'>as do all the principles of sound[,] morality.</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_154.38'></a><a href='#corr154.38'>154.38</a></td> - <td class='c015'>at Lodi, at Castiglione, a[t] Rivoli, at Arcole</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_155.32'></a><a href='#corr155.32'>155.32</a></td> - <td class='c015'>the[ir/re] existed on this rock</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_155.37'></a><a href='#corr155.37'>155.37</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“]Permission could not be obtained to subscribe</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_155.40'></a><a href='#corr155.40'>155.40</a></td> - <td class='c015'>In conse[se]quence of the demand</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_159.6'></a><a href='#corr159.6'>159.6</a></td> - <td class='c015'>Those, who, who> fail in respect to Napoleon,</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_159.38'></a><a href='#corr159.38'>159.38</a></td> - <td class='c015'>said he, [“]is a very happy connexion.</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_163.11'></a><a href='#corr163.11'>163.11</a></td> - <td class='c015'>with the nations situated in their rear.[”]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_166.32'></a><a href='#corr166.32'>166.32</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“]My leisure and my old age would have been devoted,</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_168.1'></a><a href='#corr168.1'>168.1</a></td> - <td class='c015'>The army marched, with difficulty, over that tract tract[.]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_171.22'></a><a href='#corr171.22'>171.22</a></td> - <td class='c015'>supplies the whole of the establis[h]ment with water</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_174.17'></a><a href='#corr174.17'>174.17</a></td> - <td class='c015'>to some houses of the Franks[,/’] quarter</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_189.36'></a><a href='#corr189.36'>189.36</a></td> - <td class='c015'>four[-]and-twenty hours</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_199.15'></a><a href='#corr199.15'>199.15</a></td> - <td class='c015'>only not all at the same[,] time</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_230.34'></a><a href='#corr230.34'>230.34</a></td> - <td class='c015'>ar[r]angements for the battles of Leipsic</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_232.31'></a><a href='#corr232.31'>232.31</a></td> - <td class='c015'>co[ /a]lesced Powers</td> - <td class='c016'>Restored.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_239.28'></a><a href='#corr239.28'>239.28</a></td> - <td class='c015'>ra[t]her congratulate yourselves</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_259.39'></a><a href='#corr259.39'>259.39</a></td> - <td class='c015'>when I happene[n]d to be alone with him</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_260.35'></a><a href='#corr260.35'>260.35</a></td> - <td class='c015'>The Holy League which[ which] had been formed against Henry III.</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed/</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_261.15'></a><a href='#corr261.15'>261.15</a></td> - <td class='c015'>But these parli[a]ments drew up</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_214.1'></a><a href='#corr214.1'>214.1</a></td> - <td class='c015'>beat 107,000 Russians or Prussians[’]</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_219.25'></a><a href='#corr219.25'>219.25</a></td> - <td class='c015'>insuring the independ[a/e]nce of France</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_265.30'></a><a href='#corr265.30'>265.30</a></td> - <td class='c015'>by the treaty of Camp[i]o-Formio</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_267.38'></a><a href='#corr267.38'>267.38</a></td> - <td class='c015'>a Burgundy, a Champa[n]gne</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_279.26'></a><a href='#corr279.26'>279.26</a></td> - <td class='c015'>from the States of the House of Austria[.]</td> - <td class='c016'>Restored.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_284.15'></a><a href='#corr284.15'>284.15</a></td> - <td class='c015'>in one of the small Versailles[,] diligences</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_292.29'></a><a href='#corr292.29'>292.29</a></td> - <td class='c015'>as far as Avi[n]gnon, he had heard nothing but regret</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_292.39'></a><a href='#corr292.39'>292.39</a></td> - <td class='c015'>he several times called after him.[”/:]</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_294.12'></a><a href='#corr294.12'>294.12</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“]depended on my speed.</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_294.17'></a><a href='#corr294.17'>294.17</a></td> - <td class='c015'>was quitting the Tuileries.[”]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_298.19'></a><a href='#corr298.19'>298.19</a></td> - <td class='c015'>all public bodies, all classes[,] of the citizens</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_300.36'></a><a href='#corr300.36'>300.36</a></td> - <td class='c015'>the safest, and the best[.]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_301.41'></a><a href='#corr301.41'>301.41</a></td> - <td class='c015'>with expressions of the [f]eelings</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_302.39'></a><a href='#corr302.39'>302.39</a></td> - <td class='c015'>the Bourbons ab[o/a]ndoning a monarchy</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_304.9'></a><a href='#corr304.9'>304.9</a></td> - <td class='c015'>ON IMPOS[S]IBILITIES.</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_305.22'></a><a href='#corr305.22'>305.22</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“]Accordingly,” continued Bertrand,</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_312.15'></a><a href='#corr312.15'>312.15</a></td> - <td class='c015'>the Mississippi Company[,]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_315.13'></a><a href='#corr315.13'>315.13</a></td> - <td class='c015'>in a very short time a Mayor of the Palace.[”]</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_319.13'></a><a href='#corr319.13'>319.13</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“]The Orientals, on the other hand, differ</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_321.37'></a><a href='#corr321.37'>321.37</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[“]On my return from Elba</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_332.30'></a><a href='#corr332.30'>332.30</a></td> - <td class='c015'><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>M[âi/aî]tre des Requêtes</em></span></td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_337.1'></a><a href='#corr337.1'>337.1</a></td> - <td class='c015'>the[ the] Council of State</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_346.22'></a><a href='#corr346.22'>346.22</a></td> - <td class='c015'>and I am soon asleep.[”]</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_357.26'></a><a href='#corr357.26'>357.26</a></td> - <td class='c015'>observed he, [“]of amalgamating all kinds of merit</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_371.36'></a><a href='#corr371.36'>371.36</a></td> - <td class='c015'>in less than three months[: “]/:”] and so saying,</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_375.19'></a><a href='#corr375.19'>375.19</a></td> - <td class='c015'>th[e/a]n he had when he was merely the Minister</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_376.34'></a><a href='#corr376.34'>376.34</a></td> - <td class='c015'>who had sacrificed his troops to facili[t]ate the operations</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_376.39'></a><a href='#corr376.39'>376.39</a></td> - <td class='c015'>[D/d]’Antraigues>, finding that all his secrets</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_383.9'></a><a href='#corr383.9'>383.9</a></td> - <td class='c015'>I will remain her[e] alone.</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_386.1'></a><a href='#corr386.1'>386.1</a></td> - <td class='c015'>“I was not aware of that[,]” replied I;</td> - <td class='c016'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_386.27'></a><a href='#corr386.27'>386.27</a></td> - <td class='c015'>yet I d[l/i]d not mean to question his right</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_388.21'></a><a href='#corr388.21'>388.21</a></td> - <td class='c015'>“Tell him,” said [“]Napoleon, [“]that his instructions</td> - <td class='c016'>Moved.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_390.8'></a><a href='#corr390.8'>390.8</a></td> - <td class='c015'>He had bee[d/n] reading</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_399.10'></a><a href='#corr399.10'>399.10</a></td> - <td class='c015'>on my arrival at Aix-la[-]Chappelle</td> - <td class='c016'>Restored.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_400.5'></a><a href='#corr400.5'>400.5</a></td> - <td class='c015'>my friends proposed that I should[a’/ a]ccompany her</td> - <td class='c016'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c015'><a id='c_400.9'></a><a href='#corr400.9'>400.9</a></td> - <td class='c015'>but at [i]the moment of her departure,</td> - <td class='c016'>Removed.</td> - </tr> -</table> - -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoirs of the life, exile, and -conversations of the Emperor Napoleon, by Emmanuel-Auguste-Dieudonné Las Cases - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS VOLUME 3 OF 4 *** - -***** This file should be named 53969-h.htm or 53969-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/9/6/53969/ - -Produced by KD Weeks, Josep Cols Canals and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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