"J\,

GIFT or
FREDERICK SHELDON PARKER B.A,I-LB.
YALE IS73
TO THE
YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
1916

THE LAST DAYS OF NAPOLEON.

MEMOIRS

OF

THE LAST TWO YEARS
OF
NAPOLEON'S EXILE
BY
F. ANTOMMARCHI.FORMING A SEQUEL
TO THE
JOURNALS OF DR. O'MEARA AND COUNT LAS CASES.
IN TWO VOLS.
VOL. I.

SECOND EDITION.
LONDON :
HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURLINGTON-STREET.
1826.

LONDON :
PRINTED BY S. AND H. BENTLEY, DORSET STllEET.

TO
CORSICA,

THE LAND WHICH GAVE HIM BIRTH,

WHICH HE HAS NEVER CEASED TO LOVE.

F. ANTOMMARCHI.

PREFACE.

I had not intended, for the present,
to embody the recollections I have pre
served from St. Helena : but works are
rapidly succeeding each other; in some
of which Napoleon is described as a
man of a violent temper, constantly
irritated, and pursuing with base hatred
all those who formerly surrounded him ;
whilst others, arming his own hand
against himself, represent him as seek
ing to terminate at Fontainebleau that

VI PREFACE.
existence, which was only to be closed
at Longwood, after a long series of suf
ferings. I must confess, that neither in that
description, nor in this attempt, do I
recognize the great man whom I ap
proached for a considerable time. Ami
able, kind, hasty but just, he took a
pleasure in exalting the services, and
in recalling the noble actions, of even
those who had offended him ; in a
word, his mind was as inaccessible to
hateful passions as it was incapable of
yielding to the blows of fate.
He loved to revert to the events of
his life, without omitting the slightest
details or the most trivial incidents ;

PREFACE. VU
in order, as he would say, that I might
be acquainted with all the sensations
through which he had passed, and be
the better able to appreciate his situ
ation. It is therefore highly impro
bable, that, in those moments of unre
served confidence of a patient to his
physician, he would have concealed
from me the fact of his having made an
attempt which must ever be attended
with consequences of a most serious
nature. Overwhelmed, and wounded
in his dearest affections, he certainly
was attacked by a most violent over
flowing of the bile: but he never
thought, for a moment, of putting a
period to his existence.
The scenes and preparations which
such an event suggest may have a

Vlll PREFACE.
most dramatic effect ; but their only
existence, in the case alluded to, has
been in the imagination of the writer
who is pleased to describe them.

THE

LAST MOMENTS OF
NAPOLEON.

In writing the following pages I have no in
tention to cast blame or censure upon any one ;
but having witnessed Napoleon's last moments,
having attended him during his protracted ago
ny, and closed his eyes, I think I owe it to
the world to relate what I have seen.
I was acquainted with the Chevalier Colonna,
chamberlain to Madame Mere. His zeal and
devotedness, and the noble indignation which
had prompted him to resign the government
of the Abbruzzi, were known to me ; and I
therefore felt entire confidence in his honour
and integrity, and could have no hesitation in
» VOL. I. B

2 LAST MOMENTS
following any advice he might give me. He
proposed to me to proceed to St. Helena, and
I immediately made up my mind to accept his
proposal. I consequently settled my own pri
vate affairs, made arrangements to prevent the
publication of the posthumous works of the ce
lebrated Mascagni, which I superintended, from
being interrupted or retarded by my absence,
and prepared to depart. This activity was ob
served, and became obnoxious. Some honest
people set to work, and in a short time I was
noted as a suspected individual, and had all
the agents of the police after me. Marquesses,
abbe's, spies, — all worthy souls, had taken the
alarm ; it seemed as if I alone could fire
Italy from one extremity to the other ! Some
threatened me, others directed the attention of
the Minister towards me : secret informations,
anonymous letters, — all were employed against
me. But these base intrigues did not affect me.
I was going to be attached to the person of the
greatest man of the age, to share his exile, to
enjoy his presence; Uttle did I care for that
vile tribe of insects that are for ever fluttering
round the light of power !
The police, to whom I was a source of un
easiness, was however unwilling to let me go.

»F NAPOLEON. 3
I was anatomical prosector* at the hospital of
Sainte-Marie-Neuve at Florence, attached to the
University of Pisa, and as such obliged to re
side on the spot. I asked for leave of absence —
it was refused ; I tendered my resignation — it
was not accepted : I could not remain, and was
not allowed to go. At a loss what steps to
take, I had recourse to negotiations; but the
more J insisted, the more I awakened suspicion.
The name of Napoleon filled their minds with
terror ; nothing could dissipate their fears. If I
enumerated all the obstacles which rendered the
return of that great man impossible, — the seas,
fleets, mountains that intervened between him
and Europe,— I endeavoured to lull their vigi
lance into security, I magnified those obstacles
because they were perhaps already overcome ; I
was his agent, his accomplice — I deserved to be
held up to public animadversion. These fears
of the man in office made me smile ; he per
ceived it, turned pale with anger, and seizing
the bell-rope, " You seem to defy me, Sir !" said
he. — " I am listening to you." — " You insult
me !"— " Far from it, Sir." -— " Recollect, Sir,
that a word, a sign"  — " I know it." —
* Prosecteur d'Anatomie, one who dissects for a Pro
fessor of Anatomy.
B 2

4 LAST MOMENTS
" Your plots, your secret practices". . .—"Ana
tomical?" — " Your accomphces" . . - — " The
corpses?"—" You interrupt me, Sir, and I will
not be interrupted. Yes, Sir, neither your
plots, your secret practices, nor your accom
plices, have escaped the vigilance of the police.
Every thing is known to me, even your most
trifling arrangements"...—" In the dissect
ing-room?"—" No, Sir, in the ball-room : the
vapours— the scenes a. la Campbell. Is Co
lonna still indisposed ? Is he coming ? What
mad-cap of a woman have you chosen?" I
looked at him, to endeavour to make out what
he meant. — " My questions are obscure ; you
do not understand me. It was I who set that
old fool B . . . . . after Campbell : I am not to be
deceived by your feigned astonishment, Sir ; you
are a " . . . — " Physiologist ?" — " A conspirator,
Sir ! However, physiologist and conspirator are
one and the same thing. You sigh after the re
turn of the Saturnalia ; you regret the time when
an executioner, stained with the blood of the
victims which his knife had polluted, put on
the gown and exercised his share of power." —
" Every body is now in his place, Sir ; that time
will never return. I was saying, Sir, that Napo
leon". . . — " Keeps all Europe in a state of alarm."

OF NAPOLEON. 5
" Chained, closely confined?" — " He is regretted
by the people." — " Vast oceans separate him from
them." — " Those oceans maybe crossed." — " But
how can he escape the vigilance of the English?"
— " He will deceive them, take them by surprise:
water, air, earth, or some new element will as
sist him ; he will recover his liberty once more.
1 expect any thing ; but I watch over Tus
cany." — " What has Tuscany to fear, — what can
happen to it ?" — " The very misfortune you de
sire for it. Do you think that I deceive my
self? do you think that I am not aware of the
effect that would be produced if the demon
of war appeared once more on the summit of
the Alps, and called on the people of Italy to
arm for liberty ?"
Nothing is to be gained by discussion, parti
cularly with the police ; I therefore left this
man to brood over his fears, and applied to
Cardinal Fesch. I did not wait long before I
received the following answer from his Emi
nence : " Rome, 19th December, 1G18.
" Monsieur Antommarchi,
" Having been requested by Lord Bathurst
to procure a surgeon of some fame to be sent
to St. Helena, to attend the Emperor Napoleon,

0 LAST MOMENTS
I have selected you to fill that situation, in con
sequence of the exceUent testimonials that have
been given to me concerning you, and of the
assurance I have received of your ardent wish
to devote your zeal and talents to the service
of that Prince. You wiU, therefore, deUver the
enclosed letter to his ExceUency Lord Burg-
hersh, the British Minister at Florence, in order
to obtain from him the passports necessary
to enable you to proceed to Rome, and from
Rome to London through Germany.
" The sum required for your voyage wiU be
deUvered to you here, and the Emperor wiU
himself fix your annual salary.
" You wUl find here some traveUing com
panions, who are going to the same1 place as
yourself. " Accept, Sir, the assurance of my friend
ship and gratitude.
" J. Cardinal Fesch."
*.
I delivered to the British Minister the Car
dinal's letter, which contained the original des
patch of Lord Bathurst, authorizing his Emi
nence to send out four persons to St. Helena.
The Minister read it, offered me his counte
nance and his services, and told me that he

of napoleon. 7
should immediately inform the Grand Duke of
the intentions of the English Government. That
communication did not, however, put a stop
to the informations and insults directed against
me. I continued to be watched and threatened,
and I even expected every moment to be ar
rested. My fate, I knew, had been discussed in
councU; and ministers had assembled three times
to deUberate upon that grave affair. It had,
in fact, been decided that I should be arrested ;
but the British Minister represented the odium
that would attach to such a measure, and its
execution was suspended, and the matter re
ferred to the Cabinet of Vienna, who did not
consider my resolution so culpable as the Tus
cans had judged it. My resignation was, there
fore, accepted. I received my. .passports, and
set off on the 5th January for Rome, where I
arrived on the 7th.
I was introduced to Madame Mere, to the
Cardinal, and to aU the members of the Im
perial fanrily then at Rome. I thought I should
not remain in that city longer than the time
necessary to receive their orders, and that I
should proceed without delay; but his Emi
nence was deeply engaged in bulls and ortho
doxy, in order to be satisfied that the priest

last moments

who was to accompany me did not err in mat
ters of faith. Uufortunately Abbe Parigi was a
very accompUshed man, — a man of taste and
literary acquirements, and of elegant manners,
and one who might have greatly contributed to
enUven the tedious hours spent by the Emperor
at St. Helena. But his determination had dis
pleased certain devout personages, and means
were found to prepossess against him the Pope,
the Archbishop, and aU those who had any
influence at Rome.
The Cardinal was aware that the Abbe was
the victim of calumny ; but susceptible, like
Caesar, he nevertheless rejected him, and with
drew the buU from him. A successor to him
was now to be found ; and that was no easy
matter ; so many qualifications are required to
make an apostle ! But grace, which never
forsakes the just, inspired his Eminence with
the idea that a missionary, knowing enough
of theology and physic to instruct and cure
the savages of the South Sea Islands, was pre
cisely the man fitted for St. Helena. Tried
both in faith and works, such a man would
unite every advantage, and offer no objec
tions ; and such a man ought to be sent. Buo-
navita was consequently selected and appoint-

OF napoleon. 9
ed ApostoUcal Prefect. After a residence of
twenty-six years in Mexico, Buonavita had
returned to Europe, and had been succes
sively almoner to Madame Mere at Elba, and
chaplain to Princess Pauline at Rome. He
was fuU of zeal ; but feeble, gouty, and in
firm, he could not possibly fulfil the object of
his mission. A recent attack of apoplexy had
also affected his tongue, and almost entirely
deprived him of speech. Nevertheless, he
did not hesitate to accept the appointment.
His wish to serve the Emperor made him
forget the weakness of his powers. How
ever, as member of the CoUege of the Propa
ganda, he could not go alone. Missions in
which the Une is to be crossed must be com
posed of at least two missionaries ; and a
young Abbe VignaU, who had some notions of
medicine, was therefore attached to Buonavita.
Princess PauUne gave her cook, Madame Mire
one of her valets, and thus a Uttle colony
was formed. It now remained to be deter
mined whether we should proceed by sea or
land ; whether we should journey by long or
short stages. The Emperor was suffering, and
without a , physician ; but as a priest was to
be sent to him who had lost the use of all

10 LAST MOMENTS
his limbs, it was resolved that we should go
at a snail's pace, crossing Germany without
changing horses, and stopping every where ; aiid
that we should wait until the health of our
ApostoUcal Prefect was re-established.
I had already been a month at Rome :
time was passing, and we did not move. My
patience was almost exhausted ; but his Emi
nence was assailed with doubts and scruples ;—
I was obhged to submit. To beguile the te
dious hours, I tried to visit the soU which I was
treading, and which had been trodden by the
masters of the world. Here the Gracchi had
perished ! — there Scipio — further on Servuius !
Wherever I turned my eyes, they feU on some
spot poUuted by crime or bloodshed. It was
quite enough for me ; and I had no need of
the recoUections awakened by the aspect of
the ruins that Flaminius had once inhabited,
to estimate the value of an aristocracy.
At length I received Dr. O'Meara's report of
the Emperor's complaint. It was as foUows :
" In the last days of September, symptoms
have been developed which indicate a disor
dered state of the hepatic regions. Napoleon
had before that time had frequent attacks of

OF NAPOLEON. 11
catarrh, head-ach, and rheumatism ; but these
affections are now aggravated, — his legs and
feet are swoUen.
" The gums have assumed a spongy, scor
butic appearance, and signs of indigestion have
become manifest.
" 1st Oct. 1817. — Acute pain, heat, sensation
of heaviness in the right hypochondriac region,
accompanied by dyspepsia and costiveness.
" From that period the disease has continu
ally increased. Its progress has been slow,
but unceasing. The pain, which at first was
sUght, has become so violent that an inflam
matory hepatitis may be feared. This aggra
vation of the disorder proceeds from a violent
catarrh. " Three of the molar -teeth were carious,
and I thought they might be, in part, the
cause of the inflammatory affections of the
maxiUary muscles and membranes, and that
they might also have produced the catarrh.
I therefore extracted them at proper intervals,
and the attacks have since been less fre
quent. " In order to remove the scorbutic appear
ance of the gums, I prescribed a vegetable
diet, and the use of acids. This treatment had

12 LAST MOMENTS
the desired effect; the affection disappeared,
returned again, and again yielded to it.
" Opening medicines and frictions had re-
Ueved the legs : they were, however, again at
tacked after some time, but less violently.
Purgatives, warm baths, abundant perspira
tions, have often diminished the pain in the hy
pochondriac region, without, .however, dissipat
ing it completely. In the months of April and
May it increased considerably ; became irregu
lar, and produced costiveness, diarrhoea, abun
dant evacuations of biUous and mucous matter,
choUc, and flatulency, accompanied with loss of
appetite, sensations of heaviness, uneasiness,
and oppression at the pit of the stomach.*
Face pale; sclerotic tunicle of the eyef yel
low ; urine acrid and strongly coloured ; de
pression of spirits, and head-ach. The patient
could not lean on the left side. He experi
enced heat in the right hypochondriac region ;
nausea, sometimes foUowed by vomiting of
bilious matter, acrid and viscous, and which
increased with the pain ; almost total absence
of sleep ; extreme weakness.
" The sweUing of the legs again appeared,
but in a less degree than at first. Head-ach,
* Anticardium. t Cornea.

OF NAPOLEON. 13
uneasiness, anxiety, oppression in the epigastric
and precordial region, paroxysm of fever in the
earlier part of the night ; skin hot, thirst, nau
sea, pulse quick. Towards day calm and per
spiration. This is an effect that may be gene
raUy observed in the case of the patient : the
fever leaves him after an abundant perspira
tion. There is in the right hypochondriac re
gion a tumefaction, which is felt on exterior
pressure. The tongue is almost constantly
white. The pulse, which before his Ulness
gave 54 to 60 pulsations per minute, now beats
88. Pain above the shoulder-blade. Ordered
two purgatives to stimulate the Uver and the
bowels, and to re-establish the secretion of the
bile. This gave relief, but it was of short
duration. In the last days of May and the
first days of June, the effects produced were
slight and momentary. Proposed the use of
mercury ; but the patient manifested the great
est repugnance to take it, and objected to it
under any shape. I advised him to ride on
horseback, to rub every day the hypochondriac
regions with a brush, to wear flannel, to take
warm baths, to use remedies, to seek diversion,
to foUow a diet, and not to expose himself
to bad weather, and to the variations of the

14 LAST MOMENTS
atmosphere. He has neglected the two most
important things, — viz. exercise and diversion.
At last, on the 11th of June, I overcame his
repugnance, and obtained that he would try
mercury ; and he took mercurial piUs, No. ij,
gr. vj. He continued this medicine until the
16th. I administered them night and morning,
and gave him now and then some opening
medicines to remove costiveness. At the end
of six days I changed the prescription, and
substituted calomel (submurias hydrargyri) for
mercury ; but it produced nausea, vomiting,
choUc, and a general sensation of uneasiness.
I suspended the use of it, and tried it again
on the 19th: it caused the same effects. I
returned to the first mercurial preparation, and
gave it three times a day untU the 27th, when
I discontinued it altogether. The apartments
were extremely damp, and Napoleon had a
violent catarrh, with high fever and extreme
irritation. I again had recourse to the former
remedy on the 2d of July, and continued it
tUl the 9th, but without success. The saUvary
glands were still in the same state. Absence
of sleep, irritation, and vertigos were of more
frequent occurrence. Two years of inaction, a
murderous climate, apartments low and ill-ven-

OF NAPOLEON. 15
tilated, a most barbarous treatment, soUtude, —
every circumstance that can painfully affect the
mind, has concurred in this case ; and, aU com
bined, have acted with simultaneous effect on
the patient. Can it be a matter of surprise
if the hepatic regions are disordered? Is it
not, on the contrary, wonderful that the pro
gress of the malady has not been more rapid?
That it has not, must be attributed to the
strength of mind of the patient, and to the
soundness of a constitution unimpaired by in
temperance or debauchery.
(Signed) " Barry E. O'Meara,
Surgeon, &c."
" Longwood, 9th July, 1818."
The Cardinal and Madame Mere wished
to lay this report before some members of the
profession at Rome; and for that purpose they
assembled a consultation of those who enjoyed
the greatest reputation. I was present at the
conference, together with one of the missiona
ries, but without taking part in the deUbera-
tions. The result of the consultation was de
livered to me a few days after in writing.
That document was to be my law, my guide ;
I was not to deviate from it. A copy of it

16 LAST MOMENTS
was also given to VignaU; I could not then
comprehend why, but I learnt it at St. Helena.
The document was of the following tenor :
" We the undersigned, who have been caUed
together to consult respecting the health of his
Majesty the Emperor Napoleon, having care-
fuUy examined a report from Dr. O'Meara, who
has attended the patient until the 25th July,
1818, have concurred in the following opi
nion: " 1st. The disease of the august patient con
sists of an obstruction of the liver, and a scor
butic dyscrasy.
" 2d. To oppose the progress of the first-
mentioned disorder, it is necessary to have re
course to a diet tempered by the use of fresh
vegetables, subacid fruits, and animal substances
of easy digestion, and calculated to produce
chyle of an emolUent nature. Exercise in open
air, on foot, on horseback, or in a carriage ;
a habitation in an airy situation, exposed to
the driest and healthiest winds; the use of
mUd remedies which do not irritate the system,
— are so many means that may be successfuUy
resorted to. Preference should, however, be
given to the extract of cicuta, acetate of potass,

OF NAPOLEON. 17
and a Uttle salt mineral water, of the nature
of that of Tettucio in Tuscany.
" 3d. If these remedies should not open the
bowels, a smaU dose of piUs, composed of soap,
rhubarb, sulphate of soda or potass, and mixed
with extract of taraxicum *,- might be adminis
tered to the patient three times a week before
supper. " 4th. In order to eradicate the scorbutic
affection, it is necessary, in addition to the three
first remedies prescribed in the preceding para
graph, to administer the depurated juices of
anti-scorbutic plants, such as Jumaria, veronica
beccabunga, nasturtium aquaticum, but particu
larly cochlearia. To restore to the gums the
vigour and consistency which they ought natu
raUy to have, a dentifrice may be used, com
posed of anti-scorbutic plants pulverised, and
mixed with conserve of roses.
" 5th. Should the hepatic affection and its
consequences, particularly loss of appetite and
flatulency, be removed, it wiU then be proper
to administer whey, made of mare's or ass's
milk, mixed with the juice of some bitter, but
not aromatic plants : preference to be given
to the various kinds of endive.
* Dandelion.
VOL. I. C

18 LAST MOMENTS
" 6th. Lastly, in the hottest time of the year,
cold, or at least sUghtly tepid baths, as weU as
shower-baths, on the right hypochondriac re
gions, may be resorted to, but with prudence, if
the continuation or increase of the obstruction
in the Uver should require it, and the scorbutic
affection should not forbid their use.
" The applicabiUty of the advice contained in
this consultation must depend on the peculiar
circumstances of the case of the august patient,
and on the state of his disorder, when the me
dical attendant selected for him shaU visit
him.
(Signed) " Paul-Baptist Mucchielli,
Physician to his Highness.
" John-Baptist Bomba,^
Peter Ltjpi, f Professors
Dominique Minchini,/ tt°. * e. „
\ University.
Joseph Sisco. j
" Rome, 1st February, 1819."
In the midst of aU these consultations, cares,
and anxieties, time was rapidly passing away :
the end of February approached, and the

OF napoleon. J9
period of our departure was not yet fixed. It
was in vain that I begged and prayed; his
•Eminence had always stiU some case to provide
for, some arrangements to make, and my so-
Ucitations produced no effect. At last, how
ever, by dint of perseverance I succeeded. He
yielded, and gave the desired order; but we
were still obUged to lose two days in order to
accept a most magnificent dinner, at which
Madame Mere, Pauline, and Louis were pre
sent. Every body was in very good spirits,
and they aU wished us a pleasant journey and
a safe passage.
We had numberless ornaments for the Em
peror's chapel, but not a single letter, not a
word for the Emperor himself. His Emi
nence had been so much engaged with buUs
and symbols, and other matters of faith, that
he had not had time to announce our depar
ture, or even to write a few Unes of introduc
tion for us to the Grand-Mare" chai. He, how
ever, promised to send to London despatches
for St. Helena ; and on the 25th, in the morn
ing, we at last quitted Rome. But unfortu
nately our horses were not good, and the roads
were bad, so that we proceeded but slowly, and
c 2

20 last moments
were twelve days going to Bologna. Her
Majesty the Archduchess Maria Louisa had
arrived there the day before us ; she was going
to Florence, whither she was to precede her
august father. She did not stop, but the inha
bitants had run to meet her, and taking the
horses from her carriage, had drawn her a con
siderable distance in the midst of the most
lively acclamations. We continued our jour
ney, and reached successively Modena and
Parma. At the latter place we got a lock of
little Napoleon's hair, which we reUgiously car
ried to' St. Helena. We passed through Turin,
over Mount Cenis, through Geneva, part of
Switzerland, the duchy of Baden, along the
right bank of the Rhine, and reached Frankfort
on the 1st of AprU. In that city I had been
directed to see the Countess of SurvUUers, who
received me in the most flattering manner,
and enquired very particularly respecting the
health of Madame Mere. She also introduced
me to her two daughters, whose beauty was
only equaUed by their modesty, and asked
me several questions concerning the eldest son
of Prince Canino. Being ignorant of the
marriage that was then projected, I was at

OF napoleon. 21
a loss to account for the Uvely interest he
inspired. I went the foUowing day to Offenbach,
where Count Las Cases resided. Abbe Buona
vita had a letter for him from his Eminence,
and I wished to offer my services to him, and
take his commands for St. Helena; but we
found him so Ul and so exhausted, that he could
scarcely make himself heard. He entered into
some detaUs respecting his complaint, and asked
my advice as to what he was to do ; and this
discussion, and the information he gave us
about St. Helena, made it very late when I re
turned to Frankfort. However, as we were to
set off the next morning, I went to take leave
of Madame de SurvilUers. She again asked
me several questions, appeared satisfied with
my answers, and expressed a wish to see the
introduction to the great anatomical work of
Mascagni, of which I had a copy with me.
The subject was not one much calculated to
flatter the deUcate taste of a lady ; but she de
sired it, and I obeyed. She admired the neat
ness and beauty of the execution of the work,
and was pleased to address me some highly
flattering encomiums on the subject, She then

22 LAST MOMENTS
requested me to remember her to the Emperor,
and deUvered to Abbe Buonavita various trifling
things, some of which were for his Majesty,
and the others for Madame Bertrand. On
leaving Frankfort we proceeded through Ant
werp to Ostend, where we embarked on board
the packet.
Our destination was known, and we received
marked attention from every body on board.
Some addressed congratulations to us ; others,
expressions of regret : all, save one, seemed as
if they would wittingly have shared our extte.
«' What madness !" exclaimed he : " Bonaparte —
a traitor !" I was going to reply to the excla
mations of this Englishman, who continued
them in a tone participating of anger and
shame; " Let him alone," said somebody; "it
is CampbeU : he has some right to be abusive- —
do not interrupt him." I foUowed this advice.
Our Captain was in high spirits ; his pleasantry
entertained us aU : and we aU agreed with
him, to Napoleon's shame, that to set an old
woman after a man, at a baU, was to play him a
scandalous trick, and laugh at him in a most
cruel manner ! But however much we might
approve our Captain's resentment, we were un
witting that he should carry it too far. We

OF NAPOLEON. 23
told him so : he was going to be angry, but we
begged he would not, and he Ustened to us.
We soon got to Dover, and afterwards to Lon
don, where we arrived on the 1 9th.
Two days after our arrival we caUed at
Lord Bathurst's office. We were desirous of
delivering to his Lordship the letter from the
Cardinal, announcing to him the departure of our
Uttle colony for St. Helena ; but his Lordship
did not condescend to receive us. He sent us
his Secretary, who asked us some questions re
lative to our departure, our arrival, and the in
cidents of our journey ; and promised to lay our
despatches before his Lordship, and to send us
an answer very shortly.
Accordingly, a few days afterwards, Abbe
Buonavita received a letter, informing us that
we were to hold ourselves in readiness to set
off, and that we should proceed to the Cape
in the first instance, there being no opportunity
direct for St. Helena. VignaU could not go
with us, we were told at the same time, one
priest being sufficient for Bonaparte, and the Car
dinal having received permission for four per
sons only. This determination was very un
welcome, and upset all the calculations of his
Eminence; but, fortunately, our Apostolical

24 LAST MOMENTS
Prefect succeeded in obtaining its revocation.
He wrote to Lord Bathurst, representing his age
and infirmities, and the orders of his Holiness
the Pope forbidding all Missionaries to go singly
into a country that is not CathoUc. The Mi
nister relented, gave some hopes to the old man,
and granted, at last, to his grey hairs what he
had refused to the Cardinal.
Nothing now remained but to set off. But
the winds were contrary, there were no oppor
tunities for St. Helena, and the ships for the
Cape had already sailed. We must wait until
after the weather became favourable, and we
should be sent out by the first transport that
sailed : such was the language held to us. Op
portunities for those places occurred frequently ;
we knew it : but on every occasion the Minister
had received no intelligence of it, and it would
have ttl become us to be better informed than
the Government.
Dr. O'Meara had just arrived in London. I
immediately went to him, to obtain some detaUs
respecting the Emperor's situation. He told
me that it was daily growing worse ; that he
patitis is endemic at St. Helena; that aU his
cares, all the most famed remedies, had failed to
arrest its progress ; and that he considered Napo-

OF NAPOLEON. 25
leon's cure impossible, unless he were to be re
moved from the fatal influence of that climate.
At his departure, he had advised him to call in
Dr. Stokoe of the Conqueror ; but this gentle
man had scarcely paid a few visits, when the
Governor had taken umbrage at it. Dr. O'Meara
dettvered to me Dr. Stokoe's reports, which were
of the foUowing tenor :
" Longwood, 17th January, 1819.
" I have visited Napoleon this morning, and
found him in a state of extreme weakness. He
suffered great pain in the right side, in the
hepatic region, and shooting pains in the
shoulder. In the middle of the night he had
had a violent head-ach, followed by vertigoes,
which lasted a quarter of an hour. After it
was over he took a warm bath, which brought
on abundant perspiration and gave him consi
derable relief.
" Considering the tendency to a determina
tion of blood to the head, I think it indispensa
ble that a medical attendant should be con
stantly with him, to render in time every assist
ance required in a case of so grave a nature.
(Signed) " John Stokoe."

26 LAST MOMENTS
TO COUNT BERTRAND.
" Longwood, 18th January, 1819.
" Notwithstanding the symptoms of chronic
hepatitis which first appeared sixteen months
ago, and the disorders they have produced, I do
not think there is any imminent danger. The
disease assumes every day a more unfavourable
character, and wUl, in aU probability, termi
nate Napoleon's life. But however pernicious
the influence of the cUmate may be, and how
ever rapid the progress of the disease, I re
peat it, I do not think there is any imminent
danger. " The most alarming symptoms are those
which were developed in the course of the night
before last. If they should appear again they
might produce fatal consequences, particularly
if medical assistance were not at hand.
(Signed) " John Stokoe."
" Longwood, 19th January, 1819.
" Yesterday, soon after my arrival at Long-
wood, I was requested to go to see Napoleon
Bonaparte. Count Bertrand asked me the rea
son of my long absence ; and I told him, that as
the Admiral had not received any official inti-

of napoleon. 27
mation from Longwood, I had only obtained
leave very late in the afternoon. I have seen the
patient. The fever continued the same, the heat
of the skin was considerable, the head-ache had
increased, and he had had no motion for twenty-
four hours. I was apprehensive of an attack
simUar to that which occurred in the night from
Saturday to Sunday, and advised him to lose a
Uttle blood, and to take a strong purgative. He
manifested repugnance to my prescriptions, and
preferred an enema. At about three o'clock
in the morning Count Bertrand sent for me,
and begged me to go with him to Napoleon.
The symptoms had not diminished, and the
head-ach had been continuaUy increasing. I
strongly insisted upon his being bled : he con
sented, and experienced almost immediate re
lief. He also took a strong dose of Cheltenham
salts. " On this occasion I examined the hepatic
region more particularly than I had done before,
and I am now convinced that the Uver is se
riously affected. I have consequently recom
mended the use of mercury, and of other medi
cines which agree with the constitution of the
patient. (Signed) " John Stokoe."

28 last moments

" St. Helena, 20th January, 1819.

" Sir,

" I have strong reasons to suppose that my
visits at Longwood wttl be suspended, either by
direct orders from my superiors, or because
means wiU be found to render my attendance
there so very unpleasant, that I shaU be obttged
to give it up. However that may be, if I have
not the opportunity of speaking to you on a
subject in which I feel extremely interested, let
me request you to do aU in your power to in
duce Napoleon to follow the course of medicine
which I have prescribed for him. That alone
can avert the danger that threatens him. He
patitis, at whatever stage it may be, is a dan
gerous disease, particularly in a cUmate like that
of St. Helena.
" The obstruction of the liver, an habitual
state of costiveness, and the derangement of the
digestive organs, wiU produce a determination
of blood to the head, precisely as it happened
on Saturday.
" I therefore entreat you, Sir, if I am no longer
allowed to attend him, to use all your endea-

OF NAPOLEON. 29
vours to obtain that Dr. Verling may be my
successor at Longwood.
" I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) " John Stokoe."
TO COUNT BERTRAND.
" Longwood, 21st January, 1819.
" An hour and a half after my arrival at
Longwood I saw Napoleon. The fever was
sUght, but the pain in the right side had in
creased. The purgative had produced evacua
tions, accompanied by violent coUc. The pa
tient had not slept well, and the pain in the
side continued unabated. I advised him to take
a warm bath, and left him in it. Before I went
away, I insisted upon the necessity of recom
mencing a medical treatment. I told him that
I had already prepared some medicines, and
that I should send him others, with proper in
structions how to use them, since I could not
continue my visits. He repUed, that he would
never take any medicine that was not adminis
tered to him by his own surgeon.
" I have the honour, &c.
(Signed) " John Stokoe."

30 LAST MOMENTS
These reports fixed my determination ; and
without stopping at the office, or inqiuring for
the Secretary, I went to Lord Bathurst himself.
I recalled to his mind the promises that had
been made to us, and the intimation we had
received from him : told him that ships were
now ready to saU ; that the opportunities
which he wished to avaU himsett of were now
offering ; and that we were very anxious that
they should not be allowed to escape by unne
cessary delays. Those delays, I added, were
doubly painful to us, for they put us to im
mense expenses, and exposed Napoleon to se
rious accidents. — " So you think him ill?" —
" The reports are unanimous on that subject."
— " Ah !"... — " Stokoe ! O'Meara !"...—
" Stokoe ! O'Meara ! What do they think of
his complaint at Rome?" — "They entertain
very serious alarms;" — " They dread the influ
ence of the cUmate?"- — " In the highest de
gree." — "The penury, the privations, the bad
treatment to which he is exposed?" — "They
anticipate all the consequences that may result
from so rigorous a captivity." — "Seriously?"
— "Undoubtedly." — "WeU, calm your appre
hensions and those of his family; I have

OF NAPOLEON. 31
just received intelligence respecting him, — he
is perfectly well."
These last words were pronounced with an
expression of truth that went to my heart ; I
could not contain the manifestation of my joy.
His Lordship observed it, and without shewing
any signs of disapprobation continued : — " He
cries out, he complains, but he has every thing
he can want at St. Helena : Government sup-
pUes him with every thing in abundance ; he
costs us immense sums ! However, be com
forted; you wiU soon judge by your own ob
servation whether I tell the truth."
I should have wished to beUeve the intetti
gence, and probably his Lordship also; but the re
spect I already entertained for Sir Hudson Lowe
could not prevail over the assertions of profes
sional men. I resolved to take the benefit of the
experience of some skUful practitioners, parti
cularly of those who had practised within the
tropics, or even at St. Helena. The publica
tion of the posthumous works of Mascagni had
given me a sort of celebrity, and I naturaUy
found myself in social intercourse with the
first men in London. AU proffered their ad
vice and assistance; every one invited me to

32 LAST MOMENTS
have recourse to him ; one and all seemed
anxious to contribute to alleviate sufferings of
which they deprecated the cause. I accord
ingly took advantage of their favourable dispo
sitions : I addressed circular letters to them ; I
laid before them the consultation which had
been deUvered to me, and the reports which I
had received, and I requested them to give me
their opinion respecting the Emperor's com
plaint, and to point out the means which they
considered the best calculated to effect its cure.
AU, but particularly the venerable James Curry,
so celebrated for his labours on hepatitis, an
swered me with a zeal and kindness that af
fected me most sensibly. I collected together
their different opinions, and submitted them to
the discussion of some physicians whose prac
tice had been more particularly directed to the
kind of disease in question. The result of
their discussion was the foUowing prescription :
" We have deUberated upon the written and
verbal statements of Doctors O'Meara and
Stokoe, and think we have discovered that the
disease of Napoleon is chronic hepatitis. That
disorder almost always proceeds from acute
hepatitis ; particularly when the patient, born

OF NAPOLEON. 33
in another country, accustomed to other cU-
mates, is obUged to reside within the tropics ;
but it is also sometimes produced by local cir
cumstances which have a tendency to disturb
perspiration. Such is the case in the present
instance. The relaxation of the primitive tex
ture of the Uver, added to the sudden cessation
of activity in the cerebral and muscular func
tions, and to the debilitation of the inteUectual
faculties, must naturally have accelerated the
progress of humoral obstruction in that organ.
We can affirm that scorbutic dyscrasy does not
exist yet. The mucous membranes that cover
the gums, and others of the same nature, are
generaUy the first to be affected by any irre
gularity of the viscera that acts directly upon
the functions of chyUfication, sanguification, and
the successive nutrition of organic parts."
The curative means to be resorted to are
described in the following letter :
"Sir,
" I have attentively perused the two re
ports which you have been kind enough to
send me. If I were not convinced of the little
value of an opinion formed without seeing the
patient, I should be disposed to complain of
VOL. I. D

34 LAST MOMENTS
the want of information upon certain points,
which I generally consider important when I
wish to obtain an exact diagnostic in hepatic
cases ; but instead of entering into a disserta
tion which would appear to you useless, I
think it sufficient to repeat in general terms
what I have already had the pleasure of men
tioning to you personally; that is, that all the
experiments and observations I have made, or
been able to collect, have fuUy convinced me
that mercurial preparations are the only means
by which a radical cure can be effected. Mer
cury is, of all medicines, that which most ef-
fectually answers our expectations, provided
there be yet no organic injury ; and provided
it be administered with prudence, and under
proper circumstances. I should not, however,
wish it to be understood that I mean to ex
clude all other remedies, such as local bleeding,
bUsters, purgatives, refrigerants, Sec.
" I am afraid you wiU think I am entering
into superfluous detatts with you, who as a
pupil of Mascagni must know better than any
body, that nothing so satisfactorily exhibits the
state of an organ as the manner in which it
executes its functions, if I add, that as the
ordinary operation of mercurial medicines is to

OF NAPOLEON. 35
stimulate the liver to perform its natural secre
tions, the quantity and quality of the prepa
ration must be solely adapted to obtain that
end ; the appearance must point out to us the
advantages already gained, and must be our
sole guide in the appUcation of the great re
medy, the recommendation of which is the
principal object of this letter.
" I have the honour to be, &c. « S."
" London — Saturday."
One of the most distinguished pupils of Dr.
Curry did not confine himself to recommending
to me the use of mercurial preparations; he
wished to enable me to judge by my own ob
servation of the efficacy of this specific. For
that purpose he took me to the different esta-
bUshments of the capital, and gave me oppor
tunities of witnessing the effect produced by
it in cases of hepatitis and of chronic fluxes,
occasioned by residence in India, or within the
tropics. I experienced the same kindness and
attentions from several other skttful practitioners
of London. Every one communicated to me
the result of his observations, and his own
views and ideas on the subject. I had also
D 2

36 LAST MOMENTS
access to every museum or collection : the name
of Napoleon was a passport of admittance every
where ; nobody wished to appear an accompUce
in the conduct of Ministers.
I had with me the introduction to and
the proofs of thirty plates of the great anato
mical work of Mascagni, the publication of
which I had superintended. I shewed them
to some physiologists, who spoke of them in
the world, and curiosity was generally ex
cited. Every body wished to see that beautiful
work, and from the learned the expression of
the admiration it excited found its way into
the pubUc papers. We now possessed, it was
said, a topographical map,---a panorama of the
human body. The frame of the edifice — the
pieces which determine its form, give it grace
and produce its motions — the fibres which
transmit the acts of the will, the canals through
which flow the humours that form the blood, —
all was described, all was traced with a degree
of neatness and perfection hitherto unexampled.
Dissection was henceforth superfluous, and ana
tomy was no longer a disgusting study.
This introduction was pubhshed under the
patronage of the Prince Regent, and the edi-

OF NAPOLEON. 37
tors had requested me to present the dedica
tion of it to his Royal Highness. This I did,
through the medium of Lord Bathurst, to
whom I again renewed our incessant request
to be allowed to set off. As usual, I received
the most positive promises, and the usual result
foUowed them. Ships were continually sailing
for the Cape, or St. Helena ; but his Lordship
was so unlucky that he was either not apprised
of it in time, or could not procure a passage.
Up to the moment of my departure I had
not had any thing to do with the pottce, — and
I had no idea that it was so timorously incUned.
I could hever have supposed, for instance, that
anatomical plates would furnish matter for sus
picion ; I thought there could be no difficulty
opposed to my taking them with me ; but I
found the case different. In the present age
every thing conspires ; and muscles and ten
dons might compass the death of kings, or
communicate with usurpation ! I interceded
with Lord Bathurst on their behalf, and re-
quested him to allow me to make them the
companions of my exUe, and to get from
Europe the books that were necessary to en
able me to complete the work ; but his Lord-

38 LAST MOMENTS
ship gave me an answer that was far from being
satisfactory. It seemed, therefore; that suspi
cions existed, which it was necessary to dispel.
To open a correspondence would have been a te
dious process, and of doubtful issue; and I there
fore adopted a more straight-forward course.
I took the plates to Lord Bathurst's office, and
submitted them to his inspection. His Lord
ship's reception was most affable : he looked at
the plates, examined them minutely, and asked
me several questions concerning the work itself,
and the obstacles and delays that my residence
at St. Helena would oppose to its pubttcation.
Several persons came in whttst his Lordship
was looking at the plates, and they also ex
pressed themselves equaUy gratified. The un
dertaking was vast, they said, and weU con
ceived, and deserved to be patronized by the Bri
tish Government. How could I abandon occu
pations so noble and useful, to go and reside on a
miserable rock? What inconceivable infatua
tion ! — They were Englishmen, and I am a
Frenchman ; we could not possibly understand
each other : I therefore thanked them for their
kindness, and requested his Lordship to hasten
the period of our departure, which had been
so often promised and deferred. My interview

OF NAPOLEON. 39
with his Lordship had lasted more than an hour,
and I had received the assurance that I should
be aUowed to take the plates with me, and that
we should saU very shortly. I went away full
of hope and joy. But the illusion was of short
duration : I was soon assaUed with offers and
threats. England abounds in first-rate practitioners,
and I could not therefore suppose that there
reaUy existed any intention to secure my pre
sence and my services ; — the object was to
insult Napoleon, to degrade me ; and aU the
riches of India would have been insufficient to
atone for so base an attempt.
Every endeavour to corrupt me having proved
ineffectual, means were tried to bring me to
commit mysetf. We had at last received no
tice to hold ourselves in readiness to depart,
and I had been to take leave of some friends,
and was accompanying a lady home, when I
was accosted by several individuals of mean
appearance, who began to load me with the
most opprobrious epithets, and to vociferate
abuse against the French, and against the lady
who was with me. As long as they had con
fined their insults to me, personally, I had con
tained myself ; but I could not suffer them to

40 LAST MOMENTS
insult a lady of respectability ; and I was on the
point of giving way to a movement of anger, but
my companion checked me, and led me into a
neighbouring house, where I met with one of the
chief magistrates. I was greatly agitated, and
almost out of breath, and related to him with ve
hemence the insult to which I had been exposed.
'• You may think yourself very fortunate," said
he, " that this lady perceived the snare laid for
you, otherwise you might have committed
yourself with those vagabonds, and been arrest
ed and detained. Justice would have been
ultimately done, and you would have had sa
tisfaction ; but in the mean time the vessel
might have satted, and you would have lost
your passage." These observations of this ma
gistrate had the effect of pacifying me imme
diately ; I perceived the danger from which I
had escaped, and became perfectly calm and
resigned. All the agents of the police toge
ther would have been unable to provoke me.
It was the 8th of July, and our departure
was fixed for the next day. We were re
quired to sign our consent to our exUe, and a
promise to submit to the regulations in force
at St. Helena. I should have accepted much
harder conditions still, and I therefore signed

OF NAPOLEON. 41
without making a single observation ; and never
in my Ufe did I give my signature with so
much satisfaction. The letter from the Minister
stated that we were to embark at Deptford ;
but it afterwards turned out to be a mistake,
and that Gravesend was the place. To Graves-
end, therefore, we accordingly went. The vessel
in which we were to sail was caUed the Snipe,
and was worthy of the hands that had selected
it. It was a trading brig of very inferior de
scription, laden with flour, encumbered with
large pieces of timber of every kind, and not
having a clear space of two square feet. It
also leaned on one side, so that we had no space
in which to move : we were compeUed to keep
ourselves in a painful attitude during a long
voyage, and we ran the risk of being upset
from one moment to the other. I appUed to a
magistrate : he Ustened to us, as they aU did, —
made a great many promises, and kept none.
The captain and his crew corresponded with
the vessel; and I concluded that he had not
been selected without some motive. It ap
peared that my complaint to the magistrate
had soured him, and I therefore resolved to be
prepared to encounter his benevolence. I pur
chased provisions : he exclaimed against the in-

42 LAST MOMENTS
utility of the expense, in which Abbe Buonavita
joined him, and he swore that his vessel was
amply supptted, and that we should have every
thing we could wish for during our passage.
I took no notice of these observations, and con
tinued to lay in my stock : and it was fortunate
that I did so, as I soon had occasion to find
out. We had to do with a man of sordid feel
ings, who calculated every thing, even the ad
vantages that could be gained over the powers
of the appetite. A pot of beer, some salt beef,
and a fowl, which a single saUor would have
easily dispatched, composed the dinner of the
whole colony.
This was sUght diet, no doubt ; but what was
to be done ? We were assailed by storms, and
he only replied to our complaints by relating
stories inculcating resignation. He had ob
served in particular that the ApostoUcal Prefect
was displeased. We were just leaving the Bay
of Biscay, and the storm was subsiding ; he
came and sat by the side of him, and related
to us with apparent indifference that his usual
navigation was between Alexandria and Djedda,
and that he conveyed pilgrims from one of
those places to the other. The Koran prescribes
abstinence ; and he took care to enforce the

OF NAPOLEON. 43
observance of that precept. But temperance is
not generaUy the virtue of devotees, and these
pilgrims wanted water and provisions : aU the
springs and all the productions of the coast
would not have sufficed, had he not found out
that the horsewhip, the hold, and the sea fur
nished him with less expensive means of putting
an end to their murmurs. From that moment
nobody had ever attempted to make a tavern
of his ship, and aU had religiously submitted
to a praiseworthy abstinence. Having finished
this story, he got up and went away, giving
several orders to the saUors in a very loud tone
of voice, and left the missionary to reflect upon
what he had heard. This hint produced its
due effect : from that moment the holy man
found every thing good, and ceased to complain.
My turn came next. The weather had become
fine — a favourable wind fitted our saUs, and we
were in sight of Mogador. Our provisions were
nearly exhausted ; we had no more fresh meat,
vegetables, nor fermented Uquors, and even our
water was nearly out ; so that we were on the
point of finding ourselves destitute of every
thing. Suffering horribly from sea-sickness, I
could not myself eat any thing, and I therefore
cared Uttle about being on short commons ; but

44 LAST MOMENTS
the other passengers were dying with hunger,
and I could not bear to see it. I accordingly
went to the captain, reproached him severely
for his conduct, and summoned him to go
ashore and purchase provisions. He refused,
and spoke of subordination; but aU the crew
joined with me. I offered to purchase the pro
visions on my own account: he consented, and
I gave him the money. I wanted to accom
pany him, but he obstinately refused, and per
sisted in going alone.
The vessel was lying-to, the motion had
ceased, and I found mysett better. I took
advantage of that moment of calm to observe
the coast and the town of Mogador. The town
appeared to me Ul-buttt and irregular, and the
plain without trees or verdure : I saw nothing
but sand and misery ; and such is, indeed, the
only prospect these desolate regions offer. The
scene was, however, varied by a few dromeda
ries that were eating a scanty grass growing in
the midst of the downs, and dragging on their
wretched existence. An immense cloud of dust
appeared at a distance: I took my glass, in
order to ascertain what had raised it, and saw
camels, asses, and beasts of burden. I was
busily engaged observing this spectacle, when

OF NAPOLEON. 45
the captain returned with his boat. He had
brought no provisions with him, and seemed to
be in a most violent passion. We tried to ascer
tain what could have produced it. I asked him
what mishap brought him back with empty
hands ; but he was giving orders to tack, and
did not answer me.
It was only after we were out at sea again
that he told us Mogador was a horrible place ;
that he had not been able to dispose of his
timber, and that nobody had come forward to
make him any offer. " But the provisions ?"
— " D  the provisions ! I wanted to sell my
planks." — " And it is for that purpose that you
went ashore ?" — " What other motive could in
duce me to go ?" — " Starve us in this way !" —
" We are now close to Cape Verd." — " Leave
us without meat or biscuits!" — "The distance
is less than from Babel-Mandel to Djedda."
— " An immense voyage <!" — " Like that from
Iambo to Cosseir." — " Putrid water !" — " The
CathoUc reUgion does not command ablution." —
" I understand you ; you threaten, you wish to
intimidate !"— " I "  — " To insinuate that the
indignities to which the pilgrims were exposed,
privations and dungeons, await us !" — " You
exaggerate." — ¦" You exult in the recollection

46 LAST MOMENTS
of the infamous manner in which you then ber
haved."— " Towards Turks." — "They were
men;" — " Very untractable, who would not
listen to any thing, and who harangued too
much : do you understand me ? But what
have I to do with these discussions ? There is
every thing on board my ship that can be de
sired, and the passengers whom I receive may
be content with what I think sufficient for
myself. You are five, and I have received two
hundred pounds for you all ; is it enough to
entitle you to be so particular? Ought I to
have paid one pound ten anchorage, in order to
satisfy an inordinate appetite ?"
Such was the noble motive of this pirate.
He exposed his passengers and the crew of
the ship to die of hunger, in order to save
the expense of so large a sum ! I would
have given ten times that amount to relieve
them from their painful situation ; but it was
too late : the wind continued favourable, and
we were going four knots an hour ; we were
obliged to resign ourselves to our fate. Pre
sently we got amongst some rocks ; but fortu
nately the sea was calm, and our sordid captain
very skilful. He sounded, tacked, steered clear
of the rocks, and succeeded in extricating us

OF NAPOLEON. 47
from the perilous situation into which he had
thrown us. He thought to touch at the island
of Goree, and it turned out to be an Tinculti-
vated shore, on which he fancied there must be
a great number of savages. He, therefore, re
solved to go and reconnoitre it ; and taking from
his cabin a few rusty swords, and guns out of
order, he prepared to set out on this great ex
pedition, at the head of four persons. The
ApostoUcal Prefect would not remain inactive in
an occurrence of so much importance : the crew
were going to subdue nations ; he sent VignaU
to baptise them. Unfortunately, however, the
conquerors and the missionary found nobody to
reduce or to convert ; they came back, and we
were going to sail, when we saw an armed
schooner bearing down upon us. It was a
revenue schooner. Surprised to see a vessel on
the spot where we were detained by the war
like disposition of our captain, they suspected
us of fraudulent intentions, and came in chase
of us. They asked us who we were, whence we
came, and whither we were going. We told
them, and immediately we found ourselves
warmly greeted and welcomed ; — we were, in
fact, quite at home. I went ashore, in spite of
the captain's remonstrances, to recruit myself

48 LAST MOMENTS
a little, after the fatigues and privations I had
experienced. I received the greatest civility and attention
from every Frenchman in the island, and was
desirous of expressing to them my gratitude for
their kindness. I asked them all to dinner,
and introduced to them my traveUing compa
nions, whom I had brought from the vessel. I
had also invited our odious captain, but he had
the discretion not to come. Shame was not the
only motive that induced him to remain away;
he had another : but I cared little about it, and
aUowed him to go on his own way. We drank
to the prosperity of France, and then replenished
our stock of provisions. I lodged with a French
man, a native of MarseiUes. The dinner having
taken place at his house, I was anxious to
remunerate him for the expense he must have
incurred, but he would not hear of it. " His
mother was a Corsican, I was a Corsican, and
I had been selected to be Napoleon's medical
attendant. He considered himself happy in
having received me under his roof." — I thought
of offering him some hams, which were all that
remained of the provisions I had purchased in
London ; and we accordingly went on board of
the vessel to fetch them- But our pirate had

OF NAPOLEON. 49
been beforehand with us; he had taken my
hams and sold them, and had got in their stead
a cargo of ducks, hogs, and sows, which were
running after each other, fighting, Uttering, and
offering a spectacle equaUy offensive to the
sight and to the smell. This was the height of
indignity ; but what had we to oppose to a con
duct so profoundly immoral ? We were going
to be out at sea again, and complaints were
therefore of dangerous experiment, and expe
rience had fully convinced us that representa
tions were of no avaU. We had, then, nothing
better to do than to submit once more; and
having embarked, we set all sail, and soon found
ourselves off Cape Palmas. We approached the
coast, and immediately saw canoes filled with
people, push off, and make towards us. This
was a fortunate circumstance, as we had only
been able to lay in a small stock of provisions.
Our captain, indeed, was provided with claret
and fowls ; but he intended them for the market
of St. Helena, and had nothing for us. We had
fallen again into our former state of destitution,
and hunger again assailed us. We therefore
foUowed, with some degree of anxiety, the pro
gress of these canoes. They were Ught and
rapid, narrow and long, and were guided by
VOL. I. E

50 LAST MOMENTS
men squatting down, who struck the sea with
their hands and thus gttded upon its surface. The
slightest movement caused them to upset ; but,
nimble as fishes, they righted their boats again
in an instant, and continued their course. We
were lying-to, and they therefore soon came up
to us. They appeared to be a strong, robust,
wett-made race of men. They brought us pro
visions, and we received them with all the ame
nity in our power. " Where are you going?"
asked one of them.—" To St. Helena." The
name of St. Helena struck him, he seemed pe
trified. — " To St. Helena !" replied he, with an
accent of grief and surprise. " Is it true that
he is there ?"— " Who ?" said the captain. The
African cast upon him a look of disdain, came
towards us, and repeated the question. We
answered that he was there. He looked at us,
shook his head, and pronounced at last the
word " Impossible !" We looked at each other ;
we could not make out who that savage could
be who spoke English and French, and had so
high an opinion of Napoleon. " You know
him ?" said we. — " I have known him long
since." — " You have seen him?"—" In the
height of his glory."—" Often ?"— " At Cairo,

OF NAPOLEON. 5]
in the desert, on the field of battle." — You do
not believe in his misfortunes ?"— - " His arm is
strong, and his tongue sweet as honey ; nothing
can resist him." — " He has long contended
against the united efforts of aU Europe."—
" Neither Europe nor the whole world can
overcome such a man : Mamelukes, Pachas, —
all disappeared before him; he is the god of
battles." — " Where did you then know him ?"
— " I have already t61d you; in Egypt." — "You
have served?" — "Yes, in the 21st Semi-brigade.
I was at Bir-am-bar, at Samahout, at Cosseir,
at Coptos, — wherever that corps was. What
is become of General Bettiard ?*¦ — " He is living ;
he has rendered his name Ulustrious by nume
rous noble actions. You also know him?" —
" He commanded the 21st; he would run over
the desert like an Arab ; no obstacle stopped
him." — " Do you recoUect General Desaix ?" —
" Nobody who has belonged to the expedition
of Upper Egypt can ever forget him. He was
brave, ardent, generous, and an admirer of ruins
as well as a lover of battles. I served under him
a long time." — •" As a soldier ?" — " Not at first :
I was a slave, and belonged to one of the sons
of the king of Darfour. I was brought to Egypt,
E 2

52 LAST MOMENTS
ill-treated, and sold, and I fell into the hands of
an aide-de-camp of the Just* They dressed
me according to the European fashion, and en
trusted me with some domestic offices, of which
I acquitted myself to their satisfaction. The
Sultan was pleased with my zeal, and attached
me to his person. I afterwards became soldier
and grenadier, and would have shed the last
drop of my blood for him. But Napoleon can
not be at St. Helena !" — " His misfortunes are,
however, but too certain. Lassitude, disaffec
tion, plots  " — " AU disappeared before him.
A word rewarded us for our fatigues. As
soon as we saw him our wishes were fulfilled,
and fear was banished from our minds." —
" Have you fought under him ?" — " I had been
wounded at Coptos, and was sent to Lower
Egypt, and I was at Cairo when Mustapha ap
peared. The army then marched ; I foUowed
it, and was present at Aboukir. What preci
sion, what quickness of perception, what bril
hant charges ! Oh ! it is impossible that Napo
leon should have been beaten, — that he should
be at St. Helena."
Seeing that this man persisted in his incre-
* A name given by the Egyptians to General Desaix.

OF NAPOLEON. 53
duttty, we did not insist: he cherished his
illusion, and we did not wish to destroy it.
We gave him some tobacco, some powder, a
few clothes, and other trifles, which were of
some value amongst his countrymen ; and he
left us quite pleased, speaking about the 21st
Semi-brigade and its officers, and about the
generals under whom he had served ; and pro- ,
testing that it was impossible that so great a
man as Napoleon should be at St. Helena.
We had taken in reefs as it blew fresh,
but we were fearful of being soon becalmed ;
we therefore spread all our canvass, and passed
the Gulf of Guinea and the Une ; on which oc
casion we went through aU the accustomed
ablutions and ceremonies. But the sea soon
grew very rough ; our rigging was much
strained, and the vessel leaked in every di
rection. We made no way : the heat was
. suffocating ; and ducks, pigs, and ourselves,
were all pell-mell together, weltering in filth.
Sickness soon made its appearance, and Abbe
Buonavita was at the last extremity, whilst
our dainty captain was gorging himself with a
certain dish relished by the Romans. Our
passage was longer than he had expected, and

54 LAST MOMENTS
his provision of poultry was nearly exhausted :
he bethought himself of turning to account
the poor sows that were fast dying with hun
ger, and distributed them to the crew, reserv
ing for him sett" the Uttle pigs half-formed,
which they had not yet Uttered. He thought
that disgusting mess delicious ; he praised it,
he extoUed it, and wished to make us all par
takers of his pleasures. He was tormented with
choUc, and wanted my assistance ; I was there
fore the first whom he honoured with an invi
tation. " Come," said he, " it is a most exqui
site dish : we wiU have them fried ; we will
make Uttle pies of them ! AU the crew . . . ."
I did not give him time to finish his sentence ;
an involuntary movement told him my thoughts.
He left me, murmuring in an under-tone the
polite epithet of " French dog !"
It was the 10th of September. The labour of
the pump, the heat of the weather, indiges
tions, gave the sailors no respite ; they were
extenuated — even the captain himself could
hardly support himself. He was less insolent
and sordid ; he no longer spoke of the insults
whien he had offered to the Turks on board his
ship ; he only aspired to reach our destination.
All of a sudden he thought he perceived it :

OF NAPOLEON. 55
we were, he said, off St. Helena ; he made his
observations, and was certain of it. Unfortu
nately, however, he proved himsett less skilful
as an astronomer than as a purveyor : St. He
lena disappeared during the night ; when day-
Ught came there were no traces of it to be
seen ; — in fact, it was only in the course of the
morning of the 18th that we actuaUy did
see it.
What an inauspicious aspect it presented from
afar ! What masses of cragged and barren
rocks ! What a residence ! But there was the
Emperor ; there EngUsh cruelty persecuted its
victim with relentless fury ! There the Sove
reigns of Europe were taking revenge upon that
great man for the errors of his generosity. We
were going to tread the same sott, to breathe
the same air: could we complain of sharing
the fate of the master of the world ?
We were extremely impatient to land ; but
not so Sir Hudson Lowe. It was necessary to
lay a snare for us, and he wanted a few hours
to meditate how to do it. He sent us word
that we could not enter the port immediately ;
but that we should be admitted the next morn
ing at day-break. I enquired how Napoleon
was : " Very weU, quite well !" answered Sir

56 LAST MOMENTS
Hudson's messengers : " He enjoys excellent
health; he is better than we are!" They
withdrew, and we saw several boats come and
row about the ship. I was not deceived by
this sort of stratagem, but I felt a curiosity to
know precisely the truth. "What do these
boats want ?" said I to the captain. " They
are fishing-boats." — " Probably the men have
fish; ask them to sell us some." He asked
them, but they had not yet cast their nets.
My question had disconcerted them, and they
went away. It is impossible to foresee every
thing; besides, men of that stamp were not
calculated to baffle the plots that we might
have formed : the glory of intercepting a letter,
or a scrap of paper, — of insuring, in a word, the
repose of the world, — belonged to his Excel
lency, or to Reade, or Gorrequer !
As we had not entrusted any thing to the
fishermen of Sir Hudson, it was clear that all
the plan of the conspiracy was about our per
sons. Increased vigUance was therefore used ;
and before we entered the port we were ex
amined, searched, and placed under the surveil
lance of officers sent on board. But all these
precautions did not prevent communication,
not from us, nor through us, but through our

OF NAPOLEON. 57
worthy Captain, who, however, was not the
wiser for it. Some wag had deUvered to him
at Deptford seventeen sealed copies of a reUgious
work, addressed to different inhabitants of St.
Helena. I had judged from its size that this
was not a biblical production, and I even
thought I knew what it was ; but our pirate
had been paid for the freight of it, and it was
not my business to advise him to detain it.
He therefore took the books out of the box one
by one, and sent them on shore through the
officer on duty. So much the better ! The
inhabitants of St. Helena would now become
more AngUcan. Whilst these people were en
gaged in disseminating the word of God in
the island, his ExceUency had read Lord
Bathurst's dispatch, and had sent us one of his
officers to authorize us to land, and to accom
pany us to his Excellency's, who expressed a
wish to see us. We accordingly went to Plan
tation-house, where we were received with a
degree of kindness and pottteness that filled us
with astonishment. Sir Hudson introduced us
to the Adjutant-general, to the Major, and to
every individual at St. Helena that enjoyed his
confidence. He was attentive and affable, and
seemed to take the liveliest interest in even the

58 LAST MOMENTS
most trifling incidents of our passage. He
spoke of Ajaccio, told us that he had resided
there; that he liked the Corsicans, that they
are generous and brave ; and that he was cer
tain we should live upon the best terms toge
ther. Had we but said a word, his Excellency
would have hanged our corsair, for the sake of
concord : but we had now nothing more to do
with him; we had no longer to fear that he
would offer to make us eat certain pies ....
He was now going to be in the hands of his
Excellency, and that was quite enough.
Doctor Verling came in from Longwood,
and Sir Hudson introduced me to him. I
thought he had succeeded Stokoe, and I there
fore asked him how Napoleon was. " Napo
leon !" said he, consulting the eyes of the Go
vernor to know what answer he was to make.
His ExceUency reUeved him from his embarrass
ment, by telUng me that Dr. VerUng did not
attend General Bonaparte, but General Mon-
tholon. The Doctor felt that his visit was
ill-timed, and withdrew. After he had left us,
his Excellency continued to hold forth respect
ing the good dispositions which he concluded
we brought to St. Helena, the advantages we
should find in it, and the pleasure he should

OF NAPOLEON. 59
have in rendering our residence there agreeable.
Dinner was served : Sir Hudson insisted upon
our staying, and Reade, Gorrequer, and himself
vied with each other in politeness and attention
towards us. But Corsica was still the prevatting
subject of their conversation. Men born there
possessed a greater degree of courage and sagacity
than elsewhere ; they formed a more correct judg
ment of circumstances and events — they yielded
with a better grace to necessity. Besides, what
was there so unpleasant in the island? The cli
mate was good, the air healthy, the temperature
tolerable. The variation between James Town
and Longwood was not more than eight or ten
degrees, and the range of the excursions of the
thermometer did not exceed from sixty-five to
ninety. Sir Hudson related all this with an air of so
much simplicity, that it was necessary to recol
lect that we were his prisoners, to find pa
tience enough to Usten to him. I affected not to
understand him ; and he then turned the conver
sation upon General Bonaparte, blamed his pride
and his stubbornness, and complained bitterly
of one of his protests.* And there was indeed
* That of the 2d of August, 1815 ; for which see Las
Cases, Part V. Vol. iii. p. 241 to 254.

60 LAST MOMENTS
matter for complaint; the document was too
vehement ; his Excellency deserved to be more
respectfully treated.
The dinner over, and Sir Hudson having
given vent to his ill humour, we prepared to go
to Longwood : but we might be the bearers of
letters, manuscripts or plans, and nothing of that
kind could be allowed to be introduced there
without having been submitted to M. Gorre-
quer's inspection. He informed us of it, and apolo
gized ; but he was, he said, a sworn enemy to
correspondences, and waged war against them
without mercy. We immediately emptied our
pockets, and opened our pocket-books ; Cerberus
relented, and we passed: but he might have
required us to undress if he had thought proper !
Gorrequer having done with us, Reade's turn
came ; and he was not so easily satisfied, but
opened and examined one by one every article
in our possession. This great operation over,
we got into a carriage, and entered on a most
frightful road. Wherever we looked, we saw
nothing but sentries and precipices : on one side
was a deep abyss, on the other a stern-looking
soldier. We proceeded thus amidst the precau
tions of war and the convulsions of nature, and
never before had we seen so gloomy a spectacle.

OF NAPOLEON. 61
At last we reached Longwood, and went to
General Bertrand's ; but he was with the Empe
ror. His Majesty had just received newspapers
from London, and was perusing the columns of
the Morning Chronicle, which spoke of me. He
found there abundance of praise bestowed on the
anatomist, but not a word about the physician ;
and he concluded that I was altogether a stran
ger to the profession, " a kind of Cuvier, to whom
he would give his horse for dissection, but not
trust the cure of his own foot." Such were the
dispositions in which he was, when our arrival
was announced to him. " Go," said he to the
Grand Marshal, " and see what men they have
" sent me : observe particularly the physiologist."
— Bertrand accordingly came out to us ; ,but he
had an appearance of restraint, : he told Buona
vita to follow him, and requested us to wait.
I did not know what to make of such a sin
gular reception, and remained petrified with
astonishment; and VignaU felt no less surprised.
The General soon appeared again, and I followed
him into an adjoining room. He requested me
to sit down, and asked me how long it was since
I had left Rome ; whether I knew the Emperor's
family; how were Madame Mere, the Cardinal,
Lucien, Pauline, &c. ; how it had happened that

62 LAST MOMENTS
I had been selected to come out to St. Helena,
in what capacity I came, where I had practised,
whether I had any letter or message for Napo
leon from his family, what motive had induced
me to leave Italy for this rock ; whom I had
seen on my way from Rome to London, what
persons I had frequented in the latter capital,
and what had been said to me. Having repUed
to att these questions, I had the honour of being
introduced to the Countess, who was conversing
with Dr. VerUng and Abbe Buonavita. She
received me very kindly, and asked me some
questions relative to the countries we had passed
through. Vignatt's turn came next; and he
having gone through the same ordeal of interro
gatories, introduction, and reception, supper was
served to us, and we were afterwards shown into
our apartments. I was beginning to undress
when Count Bertrand came once more, and re
quested me to go to General Montholon, who had
something to say to me. I went, and Ustehed to
what he said, utterly at a loss to account for the
motive of so strange an interview. I however
soon recovered my presence of mind, and repUed,
that a noble feeling of pride had alone prompted
me to come to St. Helena; that I had been
inspired with the ambition of becoming useful

OF NAPOLEON. 63
to the greatest man of the age ; that no sacrifice
had been considered too great to serve the Em
peror; and that if my services were not agreeable,
I would make another, by embarking for Europe
immediately, Having said this, I withdrew into
my apartment ; but fatigue and sleep were gone,
— the interview had banished both. I met in my
ante-chamber the cook ChandeUer, who having
no room yet, asked me to aUow him to pass the
night there. I could not close my eyes, and was
curious to know whether he had met with the
same kind of reception as I had. He told me
in reply to my questions, that he had been wel
comed by his comrades ; but that they had asked
him numerous questions concerning our journey,
the persons we had seen, and the news we had
heard. He added, that the Emperor had sent
for him and Coursaut, and had enquired of
them what was said at Rome of the choice of
the physician and of the priests, what they had
seen and heard of them at London, and what
houses they frequented in that capital. It
was now evident that I excited mistrust and
suspicions, and that my character had been mis
represented ; but how that had been done, was
what I could not understand. Day appeared, and
I found myself calmer, and resolved to wait pa-

64 LAST MOMENTS
tiently until the mystery should be unravelled.
In the course of the morning I had a third visit
from Count Bertrand. He begged me to give
him a detailed written report, stating the place
of my birth, my age, my family, and the towns
where I had studied; and asked me how long
and where I had practised, whether I had been
attached to any service, and to what branch of
the profession I had applied more particularly.
I immediately drew up the statement required,
and sent it to him, together with my diplomas,
my papers, and the Cardinal's letter. Buona
vita and VignaU were also obliged to produce
a simUar summary.
This was a sad reception after having tra-
veUedso far : but his Eminence in the midst of his
grave occupations had not been able to devote a
few moments to write either to the Emperor or to
the Grand Marshal, and not any individual of the
Emperor's famUy had made up for his neglect.
Added to this the circumstance of our being
sent by the English Government, recommended
by the English Minister, and graciously received
by the Governor, and there was more than
enough to awaken suspicion. Another circum
stance also concurred to give to the whole affair
the appearance of an intrigue. The Cardinal

OF NAPOLEON. 65
who had not had time to give us a letter of intro
duction, had however found leisure enough to
concert the means of making VignaU Napoleon's
physician ; and to write to Count Las Cases for
that purpose, requesting him to recommend the
missionary to the Emperor. But Las Cases did
not think proper to transform a priest into a
physician, and contented himself with giving
the Cardinal's letter to the Abbe, who had has
tened to deliver it, Uttle foreseeing the effect
it would produce. Ultimately, however, every
thing was arranged ; we were Frenchmen and
Corsicans, and could not in that double capacity
be the agents of England. Napoleon there
fore admitted us into his service.
This point settled, I prepared to fetch my
baggage, which had remained on board ; and Sir
Hudson Lowe having so strongly protested that
we should be aUowed freely to go about the
island, I thought of going alone ; but the officer
on duty at Longwood had received orders, and
I was obttged to accept his offer to accompany
me. I therefore went on board the Snipe closely
watched, and every one of my movements strictly
observed; but what was my surprise on finding
our exceUent captain in precisely the same situa
tion ! — " What, guards ! Captain," said I to him.
VOL. i. F

66 LAST MOMENTS
" How is this ? what accident has happened?"—
" Oh that * * * * of a Governor !" — " What, Sir
Hudson? WeU..."— "He prevents me from going
ashore and setting my goods."— "For what rea
son ? How have you offended him ?"— " My pigs
and my claret disappear !" — " And your ducks ?"
— " Eat more than they are worth." — " But once
more, what fault have you committed?" —
" Those cursed books !" — "What, those reUgious
tracts?" — " Religious, indeed! It is a treacherous
snare, downright murder. Look at those pigs, at
those planks ; what a loss !" — " But those works
were on pious subjects !" — " You thought so, and
so did I when I took them ; but it turns out that
they are the books that cursed O'Meara has
written against the Governor." — I left him
bewailing his fate, and having landed my luggage,
I returned to Longwood. AU doubts and sus
picions were now dispelled, and I received the
following letter from Count Bertrand, informing
me that I was appointed surgeon in ordinary to
the Emperor : — " Longwood, 22d September, 1819.
" M. ANTOMMARCHI,
" The Emperor accepts you as his surgeon,
and allows you a salary of nine thousand francs

OF NAPOLEON. 67
a-year. Your functions will commence as soon
as you shall have taken the oath; for which
purpose I request you will caU upon me at a
quarter past two." I have the honour to be,
"Sir,
" Your very obedient humble Servant,
" Count Bertrand."
I accordingly repaired to the Grand Marshal's
at the appointed hour, and made the engage
ment required of me. I was not to communicate
or say any thing to the English, and I was to
take especial care not to give them the least in
formation respecting the progress of Napoleqn's
disorder. All I had myself heard and experi
enced, had taught me what people we had to deal
with, and had not disposed me to be very con
fiding with them : I therefore swore that I would
pot repeat or communicate any thing ; and I had
the honour of being introduced to his Majesty.
The room was small and very dark, and
Napoleon was in his bed, so that at first I did
not see him. I approached silently, with a kind
of reUgious awe: he perceived it, and addressipg
himself to me most graciously, — " Approach,
v 2

68 LAST MOMENTS
" Capo Corsinaccio,"* said he in Italian, the lan
guage he ever afterwards used in our conver
sation, " approach, that I may see you more
" distinctly; and above aU that I may hear you
" better, for on this miserable rock I am become
" quite deaf." — I approached, and Napoleon
having cast upon me a look which seemed
rather favourable, " I have," continued he, " been
" very near your country in my youthful days.
" I landed not far from MorsigUa, at the port
" of Macinajo ; from thence I went to Rogliano,
" where I saw a fine house painted after the
" Genoese fashion, — to Tomino and to Porticciolo.
" I was on my way to Bastia ; but, wiU you
"beUeve it? I had the greatest trouble in the
" world in finding a horse and a man wUUng to
" accompany me. I, however, succeeded at last.
" The skeleton of a horse they gave me could
" hardly stand on its legs ; but it was accus-
" tomed to the steep and rugged roads we had
" to pass, and I found it extremely useful. I
" arrived at Bastia: I was very weU satisfied
" with my guide, and he had no reason to be
" dissatisfied with me.
" The Cape is the most sterile part of aU
" Corsica ; and yet its inhabitants are the best
* Cape-Corsican, — inhabitant of the Cape of Corsica.

OF NAPOLEON. 69
" husbandmen and the most industrious traders
" in the whole island. Poor but intelligent, bad
" soldiers but excellent sailors, they are in general
" sober, peaceable, and honest. They enjoy pro-
" found peace, even when other districts are a
" prey to the most violent agitation. Their man-
" ners and habits are quite different from those of
" our countrymen who live in the mountains ; and
" they tremble before the latter, and not without
" cause. The mild and placid disposition of the
" inhabitant of the plain cannot cope with the
" haughtiness and impetuosity of the mountain-
" eer. GeneraUy speaking, your countrymen are
" poor : they work hard, they exhaust themselves
" in endeavouring to fertittze their soU, or rather
" their rocks ; but their labour produces very
" little, and they find it difficult to earn a sub-
" sistence. My countrymen, on the contrary,
" fatigue themselves but Uttle, or not at aU ;
" and if they are not rich, they at least lead a
" quiet, independent Ufe, running about with
" their gun on their shoulder. But this is
" saying quite enough of a country which I
" shall never see again. How long is it since
" you were in Corsica?" — " Two years, Sire." —
" How old are you?"—" About thirty."—" Oh !
" oh ! you might be my son. If I had known

70 LAST MOMENTS
"your mother, I should have left Macinajo,
" and landed at MorsigUa." — " At Centuri ?"—
" Right, at Centuri : there is no port at Mor-
" sigtta. Is your mother still attve?" — i( No,
Sire, she died when I was yet in infancy." —
" Was she pretty, graceful, bewitching ?" —
" She was a pretty woman, and an exceUent
mother." — " Just the thing ! Oh I should
"certainly have landed at Centuri, and should
" have gone to MorsigUa to pay my court to an
" amiable Capo Cor sina, to Madame Antom-
" marchi. How old is your father?" — "He is
near seventy." — " He is a notary : Does he
" sometimes, like his worthy coUeagues, make
" false acts, or forge Wills?" I did not answer:
he repeated the question, laughing louder. —
" My father enjoys the esteem and confidence
of the whole district wherein he Uves." — " Oh,
" if that is the case, there is nothing to be
" said. Do you remember the period when I
" conquered Italy for the first time ?"— " I have
a vague recoUection of it." — "What enthusiasm !
"what acclamations! what universal demon-
" strations of joy ! The population crowded to
" meet me: I was their god, their idol; and they
" have remained faithful to me. Probably you
" scarcely remember, for you were then so young,

OF NAPOLEON. 71
" my expedition to Egypt, my arrival and land-
" ing at Ajaccio, and at Frejus, and the trans-
" ports of joy with which I was greeted?" — " I
recoUect your unexpected appearance, which
changed the face of Europe. I Ustened with ad
miration to what was related to me of General
Bonaparte, and of the miracles he had performed.
Your health was drunk, Sire, and the most ar
dent wishes were formed for your success. I have
preserved a perfect recollection of the impression
produced on my mind by the exultation of a
whole nation, which had rested all its hopes in
you." — ¦" How old were you when you quitted
" Corsica?"—" About fifteen."—" There are at
" Leghorn some very rich Capo Corsini." —
" Yes, Sire ; some are become patricians, others
have been made noblemen : the Grand Duke
has treated them very well." — " You stu-
" died at Pisa ?"— " I commenced my studies at
Leghorn, and continued them at Pisa and
Florence." — " At what period?" — " I was re
ceived a Doctor in PhUosophy and Medicine at
the University of Pisa in the month of March,
1808; I afterwards went to Florence, where I
applied myself to anatomical researches, and
was attached to the hospital of St. Marie-
Neuve. In 1812 I obtained from the Imperial

72 LAST MOMENTS
University the diploma of surgeon ; and the
president appointed me Anatomical Prosector,
attached to the Academy of Pisa.* I resided in
that capacity at Florence, where I practised untU
my departure." — " Was the Grand Duchess
" Eliza beloved in Tuscany?"— "She was both
loved and feared." — " Did she do any thing to
" concttiate the affection of her subjects?" —
" She cherished the fine arts, extended her pro
tection to science, and governed solely with a
view to the pubttc welfare." — " She was adored
" at Lucca, where she had formed good and use-
" ful estabttshments. I beUeve she is very rich.
" The Tuscans have been pleased to see their
" former Grand Duke again ; do you not think
" so ?" — " His sway is very mild, and he is
beloved by the people whom he governs." —
" With the exception of the speculators of Leg-
" horn, to whom nothing comes amiss, the Tus-
" cans are an exceUent people ; enlightened, in-
" dustrious, skiUed in agriculture, they occupy
" the finest country of Italy. But what motive
" has prompted you to forsake the delightful
" residence of Florence, your patrons, your
" employment, your occupations, for this mise-
* See note at p. 3.

OF NAPOLEON. 73
" rable rock ? What considerations have in-
" duced you to come and share my exile?" —
" Your Majesty may have presaged : I seek
neither gold nor favours ; I have set no price on
my services, I have stipulated no conditions. It
was proposed to me to approach your person,
and that glory sufficed me : I desire no other
reward." — " But why, before you agreed to the
" proposal of your friend Colonna, did you not
" secure to yourself a competency from my
rt famUy ?" — " Pecuniary advantages are in
adequate compensations in my mind ; glory alone
could determine me." — " Glory is a very fine
" thing ; but if, as it very nearly happened, you
" had been sent away, what would you have
" done ? In what an embarrassing situation you
" would have found yourself!" — " Such a re
ception would have deeply affected me; but
still I should have the satisfaction of having
been on this miserable rock. My profession
would every where have placed me above
want : my only regret would have been to see
my actions misjudged, and my motives mis
understood." — " You are a Corsican, and that
" consideration has saved you; but still you
" might not have suited me — you might have
" been dismissed ; and if so, what would have

74 LAST MOMENTS
" been the consequence of your imprudent com-
" pttance ?" — " These reflections are just ; but
they did not occur to me." — " Your lucky star
" has made all right. But I am sorry this
" affair was entrusted to the Cardinal, and that
" he has behaved as he has done. I ask him
" to send me a surgeon, and he selects you : you
" are young, but stUl he selects you ; and at
" the same time he writes a letter to Las
" Cases, which the priests have delivered to me,
" in which he insists upon my employing VignaU
" only : and yet I am very certain VignaU has
" not studied more than three years, though he
" himself told me four. I must confess that
" letter displeased me exceedingly. Neither
" my mother nor the Cardinal has written to
" inform me of your departure, and I mistrusted
"every individual composing your expedition.
" You must have felt surprised and hurt at the
" repeated visits of the Grand Marshal, and at
" the questions he addressed to you." — " Very
much indeed, Sire: I felt confused and hum
bled. I could not account for the existence
of the suspicions entertained against me." —
" Think no more about it ; you shaU be my
" surgeon ; consider me as your father. I have
" informed Abbe VignaU, that I will not aUow

OF NAPOLEON. 75
" him to practise at Longwood. He shaU not
" try his skill upon any body, not even the
" lowest Chinese. Let him apply himsett to
" his ecclesiastical duties — that is his profession.
" I have told him this through the medium of
"his superior, Buonavita, an excellent old man,
" whom I scarcely saw — at Elba. I very much
" fear he is come out here to be buried. I re-
" commend him to your care; he deserves our
" good will and protection. I have blamed him
" very much for having accepted the Cardinal's
" proposal ; at his age, infirm and feeble as he is,
" a man should not undertake so long and perUous
" a voyage. After having pondered a long whUe
" the Archbishop sends me a very respectable
" man, no doubt, but one so broken with age
" and infirmities that he cannot be of any ser-
" vice to me. The Grand Duke must have been
" delighted to see a person, employed in his ser-
" vice, come out to try the resources of his art in
" administering reUef to me on this rock." — " I
should suppose so, Sire ; you have been so
kind to him." — " I was very well acquainted
" with him. Maria Louisa was partial to him,
"and he was not insensible to the charms' of
" the Queen of Naples. I have always consi-
" dered him a worthy prince. How long did

76 LAST MOMENTS
" you remain at Rome ?" — " About two months."
— " You had time to know that city well. I
" am really sorry not to have seen it. I in-
" tended to restore it to its former splendour, to
" make it the capital- of Italy ; but fate had
"ordered otherwise. Part of my family re-
" sides there. The Pope is a good old man,
" whom I have always treated well. Now
" speak to me candidly ; give me some intelli-
" gence respecting my relations ; begin by Ma-
" dame Mere, La Signora Letizia." — " She is not
disheartened by adversity; she bears it with
courage, resignation, and dignity." — " Does she
" receive company ? does she go out in the
" world ? What kind of a Ufe does she lead ?" —
" A very retired Ufe : the circle of her ac
quaintance is very small — it consists of a few
intimate friends only. Those of her chUdren
who are at Rome are very attentive to her ; but
all her wishes, all her thoughts, are at St.
Helena: she only waits for a single word to
brave the dangers of the sea, and fold you in her
arms." — " She has been all her Ufe an exceUent
" woman, a mother unequaUed ; she has always
" loved me most tenderly. When you left
" her she was very much affected, was she not?"
— " At first she could scarcely suppress her

OF NAPOLEON. 77
emotion, but she soon recovered and shewed a
courage and strength of mind quite super
human." — " I am certain she would not have
" dreaded the fatigues you have undergone.
" Does she frequent any society?" — " She goes
sometimes to his Eminence." — " Does the Car-
" dinal see her frequently ?" — " Several times
every day." — " And her sons ?" — " Almost
every day." — "And PauUne ?" — " Not so often ;
her indisposition keeps her at home." — "What
" do you think of her complaint ?" — " I do not
know the nature of it." — " You know per-
" fectly weU every individual of my family resid-
" ing at Rome, do you not? Pray how are
" they ? What do they say about me ?" — " All
their thoughts are centred in St. Helena ; they
only aspire after your deUverance." — " State to
" me with precision aU that every one of them
" has commissioned you to say to me. What
" did my mother say ?" — " That she herself, her
children, and her fortune, are at your disposal ;
that on the slightest intimation, she would give
up aU she possesses, even though she should
endure the greatest misery."- — " And Prince
" Canino ?" — " That he had arranged with Jo
seph, that they should each of them come and
spend three years with your Majesty, if you

78 LAST MOMENTS
did not disapprove of it." — " And Pauline ?" —
" That she only awaited the orders of your
Majesty to hasten to you." — " We wUl think of
it." He simled, and remained silent for a few
minutes, and then added, — " No ; I shall not
" allow any of the members of my famUy to
" come and expose themselves to the insults of
" the EngUsh, and witness the indignities offered
" to me by this ****. It is quite enough that I
" am obhged to endure them." Then suddenly
passing to another subject — "Is La Signora
Letizia fresh as ever?" — " She stiU looks very
well." — " And PauUne, is she stUl young and
" handsome ?"—" She is."— " She never had
" any other occupation but dress and pleasure.
" Do Louis and Lucien meet ?" — " Frequently,
at the house of Madame Mere." — " Do they
" receive company at home ?"¦ — " Prince Canino
has a few select friends, but Louis leads a Ufe
of retirement." — " They say he is very much
" given to devotion, do you betteve it ?" — " I
have heard it: he is even thought a bigot."
The Emperor laughed : " What do you think
" of his health ?"— " It is in a most deplorable
state; remedies are henceforth unavaittng." —
" What a handsome young man he was at the
" time of my first expedition in Italy ! He has

OF NAPOLEON. 79
" been lost by his timidity. How unfortunate
" it was that I was not informed in time ! He
" would have preserved his health, he would
" have fulfilled his destiny, his sufferings would
" not have rendered him incapable of foUowing
" the path of glory, and he would have shared
" in our triumphs. How many sons has Prince
" Canino ?'' — I told him. " How many daugh-
" ters ?" — I told him also. " Whom did you see
" whilst you were at Rome ?" — I named all the
persons whose society Ihadfrequented in that city.
" Is the Cardinal still an admirer of pictures ?
"Does he still seek after them?" — "He receives
every morning coaches full of them, he examines
them in his anti-room, purchases some and un
derrates the others. It is a fancy which costs
him immense sums of money." — -" When did
" you leave Rome?"—" The 25th of February."
— " How did you travel ?" — ¦" By short stages
in a coach which took us as far as Antwerp." —
" Did Madame Letizia give you a great deal
" of money?" — " Two hundred Napoleons, and
a draft for twelve thousand francs on her banker
in London." — " She is, I betteve, the richest of
" the famUy. I used always to reproach her for
" being too moderate in her expenses. Do you
" know whether she expends much in charities

80 LAST MOMENTS
" at Rome?"—" I do not."—" Did you see
" Maria Louisa when you passed through
" Parma ?" — " She had left Parma, and we
were strictly enjoined not to make the object
of our mission known." — " Do you know whe-
" ther she was in correspondence with my
" mother, or some of my family ?" — " Madame
Mere has written to her twice, but without
receiving any answer." — " Because she is not
" aUowed to answer. Who are the persons you
" have seen during the course of your journey ?"
I named them, and stated to him what they
had said to me. "Did you see at Frankfort
Princess Julia ?" — " She received me with that
kindness and affabiUty which are natural to
her." — " How are her two daughters ?" — " Tall,
handsome, and fresh as roses." — "One of them
"is, I beUeve, going to be married to one of
" Lucien 's sons ; have you not heard any thing
" about it ?" — " The Princess asked me several
questions respecting the eldest son, and I easUy
guessed the motive of so lively an interest." —
" I must confess that such a marriage would
" please me. So you were well received ?" — " I
could not have been better." — " She has more
" deUcacy of feettng and sentiment than any
" woman I know ; and it is impossible to have

OF NAPOLEON. 81
" a better heart. You have seen Las Cases ?" —
" Yes, Sire." — " How is he ?" — " He is seriously
iU." — " Have you seen his son Emanuel?" —
" He was at Strasburg." — " The Priests have
" told me, if I recoUect right, that you had
" not met with any obstacle on your way from
" Rome to London ?" — " None whatever, Sire."
— "When did you arrive in London?" — "On
the 19th of April." — " How long did you re-
" main there ?" — " We left it only on the 9th
of July." — " Whom did you see there more
" particularly ?" — " Physicians and professional
men, chiefly those who have practised within
the tropics." — " When did you call upon Lord
" Bathurst ?" — " Two days after our arrival." —
" What questions did he ask you ?" — " He spoke
to us about Rome, the Cardinal, Madame Mere,
Prince Canino ; and asked if they really beUeved
that you were UL" — " What did you reply?" —
" That there could be no doubt on that subject,
" and that the reports of O'Meara and Stokoe
" did not admit of any." — " What did he say to
" that ?" — " That those reports were not correct ;
that he had just received positive inteUigence
that you enjoyed perfect health; and that
we might write to Rome, and communicate
that intelligence." — " How many times did
VOL. I. G

82 LAST MOMENTS
" you see him." — Three or four." — " Did you go
" to see Lord HoUand ?" — " Yes ; Prince Canino
had given me a letter of introduction to his
Lordship." — " Were you weU received? Did
" Lady Holland receive you weU ?" — " Perfectly
well." — " Does his Lordship live in London, or
" in the country ?" — " He resides at a short
distance from the capital." — " You saw O'Meara
"frequently, did you not?" — "Everyday." —
" What did he say to you about me and my
" disorder?" — I recapitulated to him the con
tents of the reports. — " Is he satisfied with
" me ?"— " Perfectly, Sire."—" Relate to me in
" detaU aU that you saw and did during your
" residence in London ; name the persons you
" became acquainted with, and those you fre-
" quented." — I gave him the desired account :
he afterwards continued his questions. " Lon-
" don is a very large city, is it not?" — " It is ;
and as remarkable for its population as for its
size." — " Have you been at Paris?" — " I have
never been in France." — "Enough. Now go
" and see General Montholon ; ask for the
" doctor who attends him, and consult with
" him before he is recaUed. Enquire also what
" other persons he attended, in order that you
" may visit them after he is gone. Ascertain

OF NAPOLEON. 83
" what are the diseases prevalent in this climate,
" and particularly on the spot where we are,
" and do not forget to ask the doctor what
" curative method he adopts." This island is
" quite another world ; you require the advice
" of those who have studied it. I have con-
" stantly refused to see your predecessor; but I
" nevertheless think him capable of giving you
" every information necessary to ensure success
" in the exercise of your profession. Try to
" persuade him to remain a few days longer,
" that you may acquire aU the information it is
" essential for you to obtain."
After, a few hours had elapsed I was again
sent for. The Emperor was in his drawing-room,
where a single wax-candle hardly gave sufficient
Ught to distinguish the objects. He came to
wards me, took me by the ears, and said laugh
ing, — "' You thought I had lost aU my_s,trength
" in this horrible climate !" I was struck with
astonishment and remained motionless, when I
heard some person laugh close to me. I looked
round and saw it was the Grand Marshal, who
was standing behind us near the fire-plae& Na
poleon asked me some questions relative to the
subjects we had been conversing upon a few
hours before ; and then began to speak about
g2

84 LAST MOMENTS
anatomy, physiology, and the phenomena of
generation. His observations were learned, just,
and precise, abounding with new views and
ideas on the subjects he was discussing. He
made me undergo a rigorous examination in the
shape of a conversation which lasted above an
hour. I was fortunate enough to answer his
questions in a manner that satisfied him, and
he expressed his satisfaction in very kind and
highly flattering terms, after which he bade me
retire. Count Bertrand was present during this
long interview, but did not say a single word.
23d. Sept. — I went to see the Emperor,
and found him lying on a camp bed. The room
was Ughted so that I could observe the progress
of the disorder. His ear was hard, his com
plexion unhealthy, his eyes Uvid, the white part
of the eye* of a reddish hue tinged with yellow,
the whole body excessively fat, and the skin
very pale. I examined the tongue, and found it
sUghtly covered with a whitish substance. He
was seized with violent and prolonged sneezing,
sometimes accompanied by a dry cough, foUowed
by a viscous expectoration; the nature of which
varied from one moment to the other. The
* Conjunctiva.

OF NAPOLEON. 85
nostrtts were discoloured and obstructed; the
secretion of saUva abundant at intervals, and
the abdomen rather hard. Pulse low but regu
lar, giving about sixty pulsations per minute.
AU these symptoms appeared to me alarming.
I examined more minutely, and observed that
part of the left lobe of the liver, which corre
sponds to the epigastric region, was hard and
painful on being touched. The vesicle of the
bUe was full, resisting pressure and projecting
outwards in the right hypogastric region, near
the cartttage of the third false rib. Vague pains
on the right side about the regions of the loins
and ribs ; fixed pain more or less acute round
the breast, and sensation of extreme uneasiness
in the right shoulder : on pressing the pit of the
stomach,* breathing was rendered more difficult.
Napoleon also complained of a pain which va
ried in intensity, and which had long affected
the right hypochondriac region. It was internal,
and he endeavoured to indicate precisely the
seat of it, by saying it was at the depth of'
two inches. For some days past he had been
without appetite, with frequent nausea and vo
miting, sometimes acrid, sometimes bittous.
* Anticardium or Scrobiculus cordis.

86 LAST MOMENTS
The urinary evacuations though frequent were
natural, and abundant perspirations took place
every day.
Whttst I was analyzing these symptoms, the
Emperor's questions were unceasing. They
were sometimes gloomy, and sometimes enU-
vened by pleasantry. Goodness, indignation,
and merriment were alternately expressed by
his words and in his countenance. " Well,
" Doctor," said he, " what do you think of it ?
" Am I yet destined to disturb for a long time
" the digestion of the rulers of the earth ?" —
" You will outlive them. Sire." — " I think so :
" they wul not succeed in putting the fame of
..," our victories under the ban of Europe ; it
" witt be handed down from age to age ; it will
" proclaim the conquerors and the conquered —
" those that were generous, and those that
" were not ; and posterity will judge: I do not
J^ dread its decisions." — " The glory of your life
is immutably'secured, Sire ; and your name will
never excite the admiration of the world, with
out recalling to mind at the same time the
recoUection of those inglorious warriors so basely
united together against a single man. But you
are not yet near the term of your existence — ;

OF NAPOLEON. 87
you have still a long space before you." — " No,
" Doctor ; the work of England is fast hastening
" to its consummation ; I cannot last long in
" this horrible chmate." — " Your exceUent con
stitution, Sire, wiU resist its pernicious effects."
— " The strength of my constitution was equal
" to the strength of mind with which nature
" has gifted me ; but the passage from a life of
" so much activity to one of complete reclusion
" has destroyed it. I am grown fat, I have lost
" att energy ; the spring is unbent." I did not
seek to combat an opinion unfortunately too
well founded, but changed the subject of the
conversation, and having recourse to one of
those transitions of which I already knew the
effect, I began to discourse upon the hopes and
expectations of Europe, and asked Napoleon
whether he would betray his own glory, and
become an accompttce in the criminal deed that
England was perpetrating on his person. —
" WeU, be it so," said he ; " I like your frank-
" ness, your independent spirit : you have
" given up every thing to come and attend
" me; — it is but fair that I should also do some-
" thing. I therefore resign myself; let physic
" command, I submit to its decisions and en-

88 LAST MOMENTS
" trust my health into your hands. But for that
" purpose I think it right to give you an ac-
" count of the habits I have contracted, and of
" the affections to which I am subject.
" I am habitually costive — I have been so from
" childhood, and the habit grows daily stronger
" and more painful. But for baths and enemas I
" could not endure it, and I am even sometimes
" obliged in addition to these remedies, to take
" emolttent beverages and herb broths, and to
" observe a diet : sometimes even aU these
" means are ineffectual, and I am obliged to
" have recourse to my heroic remedy, the Soupe
" a la reine. That composition of mttk, yolk of
" egg, and sugar, produces upon me the effect
" of a lenient purgative, and never fails to ad-
" minister rettef; it is to this day the only
" medicine I have employed. The urinary
" functions have never been satisfactorUy per-
" formed ; I have always experienced great
" difficulty in that respect, and the more so
" as the want was more frequently felt. How-
" ever, this sometimes slumbered and gave me
" every night some hours of repose, which satis-
" fied nature, and I gained the time that indo-
" lence would have absorbed. I never consulted
" a physician. At present I am less saving of

OF NAPOLEON. 89
" time ; and my sufferings are intolerable. The
" hours at which I satisfy the wants- of nature
" are very irregular. I sleep or eat according
" to the time, the circumstances, or the situation
" in which I find myself. In general my sleep
" is placid and peaceful, and should suffering
" or any accident interrupt it, I jump out of
" bed, call for a Ught, walk about, work,
" and fix my mind upon some object. Some-
" times I remain in the dark, I pass into
" another room, go into another bed, or stretch
" myself on a sofa. I am up at two, three, or
" four o'clock in the morning, and I call some-
" body to keep me company, and talk of re-
" collections or affairs until dayUght. As soon
" as it appears I go out, I take a walk, and im-
" mediately that the sun shows itself I come in-
" doors and get into bed again, where I remain
" more or less as the day announces itself more
" or less favourably. If it turns out bad, and I
" experience irritation or uneasiness, I try the
" experiment I have already mentioned to you
" — I change and vary, I go from the bed to the
" sofa, from the sofa to the bed, until I find some
" cool place, and then I am better. I shall not
" describe to you my morning dress — it has
" nothing to do with my sufferings, and besides.

90 LAST MOMENTS
" I wUl not deprive you of the pleasure of ad-
" miring it. These beautiful evolutions lead me
"on till nine or ten o'clock, and sometimes
" later : I then order breakfast, which I some-
" times eat in the bath, but more frequently in
" the garden. Either Bertrand or Montholon
" keeps me company, and sometimes both. The
"police of the table is always the province of
" the physician, and it is therefore proper that
" I give you a description of mine. It consists
" of a soup, two dishes of meat, one dish of
" vegetables, and sallad when I can get it. My
" beverage is half a bottle of claret diluted with
" a great deal of water, and a small quantity
" pure at the end of the dinner. Sometimes,
" when I am tired of claret, I take champaign
" instead, and that is an infaUible way of exciting
" the stomach." I asked him what was the kind
of vegetable he ate most frequently. " Potatoes,
" lentUs, peas, French beans, and cauUflowers,"
said he ; " but do you know that .we put
" the whole island in a tumult by asking for
" lentils ? They would not betteve us ; we only
" asked as a joke, but not to make any use of
" them. LentUs ! lentils were not food for men.
" The cook insisted, was laughed at, and re-
" fused ; and with difficulty obtained that some

OF NAPOLEON. 9]
" should be sent for from the Cape." I was
desirous of knowing in what manner his meat
was dressed, and whether it was made rich and
strongly spiced. " It consists," said he, " of
" chops or a leg of mutton, of which I Uke the
" part that is most roasted and brownest. I am
" fond of plain cooking, and do not like cooks
" who are only wits in their art, {les cuisiniers
" qui ne font que de r esprit). A good 6touffe
" a la Genoise, a pilau a la Milanaise, and tail-
" ISrans a la Corse, are preferable, in my opinion,
" to all the wonders of the art of Beauvilliers."
I expressed to him my admiration of such
uncommon temperance, and he resumed : • " On
" our marches with the army of Italy I always
" had some wine, some bread, and a roasted fowl
" fastened to my saddle-bow, and that provision
" sufficed for the whole day : I may even say,
"that I often shared it with my suite. I thus
" saved time and economised on the table for the
" field of battle. I eat fast and masticate very
" little ; my meals therefore do not consume
" much of my time. This is not what you
" must approve, I know ; but in the situation in
" which I am placed, what need have I to
" trouble myself about care and mastication ?
" I am attacked with a chronic hepatitis, a dis-

92 LAST MOMENTS
" order endemic in this horrible climate. I
" must faU a prey to it— I must expiate on this
" rock the glory I have shed over France, and
" the blows I have inflicted upon England.
" Ahd see how they proceed. It is now more
" than a year since they have deprived me of all
" medical assistance. I have not been allowed
" to have a physician in whom I had con-
" fidence, and have been debarred from the
" right of trying the resources of art. The
" wretch thinks my agony too slow, he hastens
" its progress, my death is the object of all his
" wishes ; he grudges even the air I breathe.
" Will you betteve that his attempts against
. " me have been open and continued, * * *
* * * * * # * *
* * * * General Montholon was
" ill, and he refused to communicate with Ber-
" trand, and wished to open a correspondence
" direct with me. He sent me his sateUites
" twice a day : Reade, Wynyard, his confidential
" officers, beset these miserable cabins, and
" wanted to penetrate into my apartments ;
" but I caused the door to be barricaded,
" loaded my guns and my pistols, and have kept
" them so ever since, and swore that I would

OF NAPOLEON. 93
" blow out the brains of the first that violated
" my asylum. They then retired, vociferating
" that they wanted to see Napoleon Bonaparte,
" and that they should find means to oblige
" Bonaparte to appear. I then thought those
" disgraceful scenes at an end, but they were re-
" peated every day with greater violence, and I
" was assailed with threats, vociferations, and
" letters fuU of abuse. My servants threw
" those papers into the fire, but exasperation
" had reached the highest pitch, and a cata-
" strophe might ensue from one moment to ano-
" ther : never had I been so much exposed. It
" was the 16th of August, and these outrages
"had lasted ever since the 11th: I at last
" sent to inform the Governor that my patience
" was exhausted, and my mind fully made up
" to dispatch the first of his people who should
" pass the threshold of my door. This warning
" had its due effect, and put an end to these
" insulting proceedings. It is an additional
" act of cruelty on the part of the English Go-
" vernment to have selected such a man ; but
" iniquity seeks iniquity, and guesses where it
" is to be found ; and Ministers never me-
" ditate any atrocity without meeting with

94 LAST MOMENTS
" some corsair ready to assist them in the
" execution. I freely and voluntarily abdicated
" in favour of my son and of the Constitution ;
" and freely and voluntartty bent my steps to-
" wards England, where I wished to Uve in re-
" tirement, and under the protection of its laws.
" Its laws ! Does aristocracy know any law ?
" Is there a crime it will hesitate to commit, or
" a right it wiU scruple to trample under foot ?
" Its chiefs have aU lain prostrate before my
" eagles ; to some I gave crowns out of the
"fruit of my victories; I replaced others on
" their thrones, from which victory had hurled
" them ; I shewed clemency, magnanimity to-
" wards all ; and all have betrayed me, desert-
" ed me, and basely contributed to rivet my
" chains. I am at the mercy of a freebooter."
I endeavoured to calm the Emperor's agita
tion. He had not been out for eighteen months;
I represented to him the dangers to which he
exposed himself by so prolonged a state of inac
tivity, and requested him not to remain pent up
in his apartment, but to come out and breathe
the open air. " No," said he ; " insults have
" long confined me to these cabins, and now
" want of strength prevents me from leaving
" them. Examine that leg, see whether you

OF NAPOLEON. 95
"find any thing that ails it ; I feel that it gives
" way under me." I looked, and having ob
served and examined the whole of the right side,
I acquired the painful certainty that it was
weaker than the left. " You feel too gently,"
said he ; " press harder, and tell me whether
" nature is in league with this Calabrian, and
" whether the chmate will soon yield up to the
" Minister the corpse he waits for !" — " Nothing,
Sire, is to be seen or felt ; it is only a tem
porary weakness which will soon be removed."
The Emperor had spoken to me of a pro
test which I felt a curiosity to see : it was
shewn to me, and was that of the 16th of
August, 1819.*
24th Sept. — I saw the Emperor at ten
o'clock, A.M. He was still in bed, being weak
and languid after having passed a bad night.
He is tormented by vague sensations of pain,
and experiences one in the interior of the right
breast which never leaves him. I advised him
to take a bath, and a sedative draught, and to
use frictions with a liniment composed of am
monia and opium.
At two o'clock the Emperor was better,
* Which see in O'Meara' s " Napoleon in Exile,"
vol. II. Appendix, p. 514.

96 LAST MOMENTS
though stiU in bed. He began to converse
about Italy, enumerating the plans and views
he had formed respecting that country ; and
mentioning the great men it has produced.
He discussed the merit of Volta, Spallanzani,
Aldini; and suddenly addressing himself to
me, — " You do not speak to me of Mascagni,"
said he ; " you have pubhshed the posthumous
" works of Mascagni ; I must see them. I am
" anxious to admire those plates, of which the
" EngUsh papers have spoken in such high
" terms." I showed them to him. He laid
them before him, examined them, discussed
the subjects they represented, questioned me
respecting them, and took so Uvely an interest
in this representation of the human frame, that
five o'clock came before he perceived how time
had passed. " Two hours of anatomy," said
he, " for a man who never could bear the sight
" of a dead body ! — Ah ! Doctor, what are you
" thinking about ? But it is impossible to write
" or to execute better. You are a seducer ;
" you will soon persuade me that pills are plea-
" sant things to take."
25th. — The Emperor continues to be better.
He has had a good night. I ordered another
bath. I presented myself again at three o'clock

OF NAPOLEON. 97
and was introduced. — " Well, Doctor," said he,
" what is your opinion respecting me ? — Am I
" to Uve or to die ? TeU me candidly what you
" think ?"— " I think that your Majesty is not
yet arrived at the end of your career ; other
destinies await you !" — " Ah, ah ! Doctor, true as
" a physician, I see ; but I will oblige you to be
" sincere. You possess the skill of Corvisart, and
" you must adopt his rough unceremoniousness.
" You keep a journal of my complaint, do you
" not ?"— " Yes, Sire."—" Well, I wUl write it
" under your dictation ; or you shaU transcribe
" it under mine. You will then no longer have
" it in your power to brighten the prospects of
" the future ; I shaU know what I am about ; I
" shall be able to compare each day what I feel
" and what I suffer, with what I have felt and
" suffered before. You wttl no longer deceive
" me. Doctor, you are caught !" — " But, Sire . ."
" But ! It is a settled thing ; I shall write
" or dictate my own bulletins. Have you not
" brought me some books ?" — " We have some,
Sire."—" What are they ?" — " I do not know ;
it was not I who purchased them." — "I warn
" you that I wttl see every one of them!" — "But,
Sire, some Ubels may have sUpped in amongst
VOL. I. H

98 LAST MOMENTS
them !" — " Poh ! the sun has no more spots ?
" The herd of UbeUists has exhausted its pas-
" ture : let me see every thing !"
A cart was advancing towards Longwood,
and I was foUowing it with my eyes through
the window, to ascertain whether it contained
the boxes of books. — I found that it did ; and
told the Emperor. " They are most welcome,"
said he ; "I shall be relieved from the weight
" Of a few hours ! Let them be brought into
" the drawing-room, I wiU see them opened."
The boxes were brought, broken open, and
some books were taken out of them, which
Aly was going to give to the Emperor. " No !"
said Napoleon, " that is not what I want ! Look
" into the box — examine it carefully — make
" haste ! — a package sent from Europe must
" contain something else : books are not the
" first things a father has to look at." He
was right ; we presently found a picture sent
to him by Prince Eugene. He received it
with transports of joy ; pressed it to his Ups ;
and gazing upon it for some time, with tears
in his eyes — " Dear boy !" exclaimed he, " if
" he does not faU a victim to some political atro-
" city, he will not be unworthy of his father !

OF NAPOLEON. 99
" But what is the matter with you ? Why do
" you not continue to unpack ?" We had all
stopped, and stood in an attitude of religious
awe. We shared his emotion ; we experi
enced his alarms ; we were breathless. How
ever, we set to work again ; the servants
took out the books, and Napoleon passed them
in review, and examined them. He had hoped
to find " De I 'Allemagne," and " Polybius ; "
but, unfortunately, neither of those works was
in the boxes : they had been filled without
choice or discrimination, and hardly contained
any thing but works which they already pos
sessed at St. Helena. Napoleon was much
grieved at this, and repeatedly said to me,
" Why did you not devote some twenty thou-
" sand francs to make these purchases? — My
" mother would have paid them ; and you would
" have administered consolation to me by bring-
" ing me some books. If, at least, I had ' Poly-
" bius !' but, perhaps, it will reach me from some
" other quarter." — The work did reach him a
short time before his death, through the kindness
of Lady Holland ; but not so the work of Ma
dame de Stael — he died without having read it.
Some bundles of newspapers were next taken
h 2

100 LAST MOMENTS
out of the box. " Ah !" said the Emperor,
" this will bring up the arrears of my informa-
" tion about the state of affairs. It is curious
" enough to see the wise measures which were to
" cancel the recollection of my tyranny ! Poor
" Europe ! what convulsions are preparing for
" it !" — " Here, Sire, is your correspondence."
" — Unpublished ! that, at least, is not the con-
" ception of a libeUist ; it has not been falsified,
" altered, and carried to Vienna. — Egypt !
" we were all young then ; we played with
" death ; we only thought of victory ; — the
" period of defections had not yet arrived."
" Alexandria, 5th Fructidor, Anno VI.
" To General Bonaparte : —
" You would be unjust, Citizen-general, if
you were to construe into a proof of weakness
or discouragement, the vehemence with which
"Miave exposed our wants to you. As I have
already told you, the event of the 14th* has
only fcpduced indignation and thirst for ven
geance in the minds of the troops. For my
part, it matters Uttle where I am to Uve or
* The first battle of Aboukir.

OF NAPOLEON. 101
die, provided I Uve for the glory of our arms,
and die as I shaU have Uved ! Rely, therefore,
upon me in aU this concourse of circumstances,
as well as upon those whom you may place
under my orders."
" Such were the sentiments of brave Kleber !
" — At a later period he suffered himself ta
" be misled by intrigue ; but his heart was
" truly French. He never would have cove-
" nanted with the emigrants. He never would
" have disowned our eagles. I am glad to have
" this coUection ; it wiU refresh my recottec-
"tion; I shall increase it — add notes to it.
" But what boxes have you there ? Eau de
" Cologne ! Send it to Madame Bertrand ; I
" commission you, Doctor, to deliver it. Ano-
" ther ! — it is for you. Here are numerous
" dupUcate copies of books; I give them up to
" the priests."
The last box had been broken open : it con
tained the vases and church ornaments. "Stop!"
said Napoleon ; " this is the property of St.
" Peter ; have a care who touches it ; send
" for the Abbes.— But talking of Abb6s, do
" you know that the Cardinal is a poor crea-
" ture ? — He sends me missionaries and propa-

]02 LAST MOMENTS
" gandists, as if I were a penitent ; and as if
" a whole string of their Eminences had not
" always attended at my chapel. I will do
" what he ought to have done : I possess the
" right of investiture, and I shall use it. Abbe !"
(Buonavita was just entering the room,) " I
" give you the episcopal mitre." — " Sire ! . . . -"
" I restore it to you ; you shall wear it in
" spite of the heretics : they will not again
" take it from you."—" But, Sire !...." "I
" cannot add to it so rich a benefice as that
" of Valencia, which Suchet had given you ;
" but at any rate your see shall be secure
" from the chances of battles. — I appoint you
" Bishop of  let me see, of the Jum-
" na. — The vast countries through which
" that river flows, were on the point of en-
" tering into alliance with me. — All was in
" readiness ; all were going to march ; we
" were about to give the finishing blow to Eng-
" land ; when one man — I dare not call him a
" Frenchman,— upset the whole scheme. Abbe,
" it is understood ; I will have you wear the epis-
" copal insignia. — I insist upon it : they com-
" mand respect and veneration. You wUl strike
" with awe all the heretics that surround you.
" General Montholon, procure from James-

OF NAPOLEON. 103
" Town, or the Cape, what is necessary to dress
" the Abbe !" — Unfortunately the general could
not succeed ; neither of those places is Catholic,
and neither red nor violet is in request. The
good Abbe remained, therefore, modestly attired
in the bure* of the missionary, in spite of his
double promotion !
It now remained to be settled how the chapel
should be arranged, where it should be, and
how the altar should be erected and fixed. The
missionary could not at all conceive how all
that was to be done. " I will tell you," said the
Emperor ; "I will not have any service except on
" Sundays, and the hoUdays acknowledged by
" the Concordate ; on those days I wttl give you
" up the dining-room, and you shall say mass in
" it on a moveable altar which will be taken
" away immediately afterwards. You are old
" and infirm, I therefore choose the hour the
" most convenient for you ; you shall say mass
" between nine and ten o'clock. We have the
" chef-d'oeuvre to supply us with all the props
" and boards that wiU be required. You wiU
" take from it the rafters, the traverses, and aU
" that you may think useful for your purpose ;
* A dark coarse woollen stuff.

104 LAST MOMENTS
" and throw the remainder of that ill-shaped
" construction into some corner of the garden.
" Did you ever see a more singular kind of
" bed ? * Every thing moves in that absurd
" machine. It is a tottering fabric, where the
" help of a ladder is required to get at a mouse-
" trap. British taste alone could be deUvered
" of such a conception !"
26th. — The Emperor much the same. He
had passed the night in perusing the news
papers, and was very tired. I recommended
rest, some food, and a bath in the course of
the day. " Very weU, Doctor," said he, look
ing at the picture of the King of Rome, which
he stUl held in his hands : " Here, place this
" admirable chUd by the side of his mother ! . . .
" There ... to the right, nearer to the mantel-
" piece. You know her by her blooming looks —
" that is Maria Louisa : she holds her son in her
" arms ! And that other picture, you know it
" also ? It is the Imperial Prince. You do not
" guess what graceful hand held the needle that
" sketched this representation of his features? —
" It was that of his mother. That picture before
" which you now stand, is Maria Louisa again ;
* That sent out by Government.

OF NAPOLEON. 105
" the two others are portraits of Josephine. — I
" loved her tenderly. You are examining that
" large clock ? — It served to wake the Great
" Frederick early in the morning. I took it at
" Potsdam : it was all Prussia was worth.
" Move the bust of the Imperial Prince to the
" left, it is too much to the right. The orna-
" ments of my mantel-piece are, as you see, not
" very sumptuous. — The bust of my son, two
" candlesticks, two gilt cups, two phials of Eau
" de Cologne, a pair of scissars to cut natts with,
" and a small glass, are all it contains. — This is
" no longer the splendour of the Tuileries. But
" no matter ; if I am decayed in my power, I
" am not in my glory : I preserve aU my re-
" collections. Few sovereigns have immolated
" themselves for their people : a sacrifice so
" immense is not without its charms." In a
few minutes I withdrew.
I shall here take up and continue the de
scription which the Emperor was giving of his
furniture, in the conversation just related. At
one end of the room, to the right, was a smaU
camp-bed of iron, quite plain, with four sUver
eagles and silk curtains. Two small windows,
both without any ornament, gave light to the
apartment. Between them stood a scrutoire,

106 LAST MOMENTS
upon which was a large dressing-case, and be
fore it was an arm-chair, in which Napoleon
sat when he was studiously engaged, and when
he came out of the bath. A second chair was
placed to the left of it ; and on the right was
the sword which the Emperor wore at AusterUtz.
The door leading into the bath-room was con
cealed by an old screen, next to which was
an equaUy old sofa, covered with caUco. Upon
that sofa it was that Napoleon usually reclined,
and sought shelter from dampness and the
gnats ; his legs thrust into a sack of flannel, and
a shabby table by the side of him, on which
were his books or his breakfast. The second
room was quite as good as the first. Like
it, it was buUt of mud; its size was 7 feet
in height, 15 in length, and 12 in breadth ;
it had one window, and opened into the gar
den, and into the dining-room. Its furni
ture consisted of a camp-bed, several guns,
two Chinese screens, a chest of drawers, two
smaU tables, on one of which were books and
on the other, bottles ; a chair and a magnificent
wash-hand stand, brought from the Elysee.
Such was the miserable habitation in which
the Emperor was pent up : a noble specimen
of British magnificence and sumptuousness.

OF NAPOLEON. 107
27th. — The Emperor has had a restless
night: he had been reading for several hours,
and was still reading, when I saw him at ten
o'clock in the morning. He complained of
vague pains in the abdomen, which an enema
soon dispelled. I advised his Majesty to cease
reading, and to take a bath, and a little ex
ercise. The dampness of the two rooms was exces
sive ; it attacked and destroyed every tiling.
The paltry nankeen which served as tapestry
was hanging in rags against the waUs. We took
it down, and endeavoured to place before the
Emperor's eyes something more pleasing, by
putting up in its stead some musUn we had
purchased, and which we adorned with some
fine birds of Egypt, of which we had a col
lection painted on paper. We grouped our
paintings, and placed in the midst of them an
eagle, which was to protect and guide them.
Napoleon smtted on seeing that symbol of vic
tory. " Dear eagle !" said he, " it would still
" soar on high, if those whom it covered with
" its wings had not arrested its flight !"
When I returned into my apartment I found
an invitation from the Governor. He had heard
of the anatomical plates I had brought with

108 LAST MOMENTS
me, and wished to see them. I shewed them
to him. He looked at them, examined them,
turned from one to the other and back again,
and I thought I observed in the eagerness
with which he opened them, a kind of pre
occupation of mind, which alarmed me. But
I was wrong : his ExceUency had become sud
denly enamoured of physiology, and that was all;
he harboured no evil thought, at least he did
not. manifest it outwardly ; on the contrary, I
heard nothing but encomiums upon the beauty
of the work, and nothing else was talked of.
28th. — The Emperor a Uttle better. I or
dered a bath and exercise as I had done the day
before. " Whttst you were still in bed, Doctor,"
said he, " I was following your prescription. —
" I had risen at day-break ; and was walking out
" to take a Uttle fresh air; and I am now turning
" over some ideas which have occurred to me,
" respecting an operation in which my orders
" were not weU executed." The flannel bag was
on the ground, and Napoleon on his legs ; so
that I had an opportunity of admiring his
costume. It consisted of a white dressing-
gown, a pair of very wide white trowsers with
feet, red sUppers, a Madras shawl round his
head, no cravat, and the shirt-collar open. I

OF NAPOLEON. 109
examined this singular dress ; the Emperor
perceived it, and said, laughing, " Ah ! I see
" what arrests your attention ; and to punish you
" for your want of respect for my dress, I close
" my door against your drugs until to-morrow.
" I have some algebraical calculations to make."
29th. — The Emperor very much dejected ;
and complained, to repeat his own expression,
of a deep pain in the liver. He continues to
read, consents but with reluctance to use exer
cise, and takes a bath.
The carpet of his room was strewed with
books ; there were some round the bed, some in
the middle of the apartment, some close to
the waUs. I could not understand why they
were thus scattered about, and asked the cause
of this confusion. — " The Emperor has read all
night." — " Well ?"— " When he wishes to read,
he covers his bed with books, takes them up, turns
them over, and throws them away when he has
done with them." — " But why not pick them
up ?" — " Because he was still reading." — " Did
that prevent its being done?" — "As long as the
Emperor holds a book in his hand he will not
suffer any body to interrupt him. Good works
are allowed to sttde down on the floor, indif
ferent ones are disdainfully pushed aside, and

110 LAST MOMENTS
bad ones thrown against the wall ; but it is
only when the Emperor is out of the room, or
in his bath, that it is allowed to touch them."
30th. — The Emperor somewhat better. I
recommend the use of mercury both inter
nally and externally ; but he refuses it, and
takes a bath.
1st and 2d Oct. — The Emperor in the same
state. I again proposed mercurial preparations,
and recommended exercise.
3d. — The Emperor found himself better, and
agreed to take a little exercise. I accompanied
him into the garden, and was speaking to him
of the care his health required, and of the ap
proaching cessation of his sufferings. — " I be-
" lieve you, Doctor," said he; "the climate has
" been well chosen ; it will not let its victim
" escape ! — But you, how do you find yourself
" in your situation ? — Are the nine thousand
" francs assigned to you, sufficient to satisfy
" your wants ?" I assured him that I was too
happy in being near his person ; that I did not
seek fortune; and that my only ambition had
been to offer my services to him. " That Is
" very well, dear Doctor ; but to unite both
" things is better still. — I give you what I
" gave at Paris ; circumstances are no longer

OF NAPOLEON. 1 1 1
" the same, there is no comparison, but for
" that very reason I wish your temporary
" salary to be equivalent to your wants. Such
" is my intention ; see whether too low an
" estimate has not been made." — I repUed,
" that I had more than I wanted, and that
his kindness quite overpowered me." — " How
" long do you intend to remain here ?" — " As
long as my services are agreeable to your Ma
jesty. — " Do you know that my surgeon is
" also the surgeon of the persons forming my
" estabUshment ? — that being alone, he must
" be at the same time, surgeon, physician, and
" apothecary ?" — " I know it, Sire ; I am de
voted to you for ever ; dispose of me as you may
think fit." — " WeU, I wttl not detain you more
" than five years on this rock ; and after that
" time, I wttl settle upon you a pension of eight
" or nine thousand francs per annum. You
" will then return to Europe, having enough
" to lead an independent IUe ; you will be able
" to resume your anatomical labours ; and will,
" in time, be ranked amongst the first phy-
" siologists of the age. You are entitled to
" my gratitude, esteem, and affection, for the
" sacrifices you have made for me : and you
" will justify those sentiments by taking care of

112 LAST MOMENTS
" me." The Emperor continued to converse
a long time upon the same subject; and in
a few days after General Montholon, by his
order, repeated to me what he had said.
4th. — The Emperor's health in the same
state. I advised warm sulphureous baths.
After his usual bath he walked in the garden,
and I foUowed him. He was gloomy and low-
spirited. Having seated himsett under a tuft
of trees which commanded an extensive view,
" Ah ! Doctor," said he, " where is the fine
" cttmate of Corsica?" He paused a few mi
nutes, and then continued : — " Fate has not
" permitted me to see once more those sites
" endeared to me by aU the recollections of my
" infant days ... I intended to reserve to myself
" the sovereignty of that island, and I could
" have done so, but an intrigue, a moment of
" Ul-humour, altered my choice and I preferred
" Elba. Had I followed my first idea and re-
" tired to Ajaccio, perhaps I should not have
" thought of seizing again the reins of power ;
" I should not have been vulnerable on every
" point ; the promises made would not have
"been broken, and I should not be here. I
" had some idea of seeking refuge there in
"1815. I was certain of uniting the opinions,

OF NAPOLEON. 113
" wishes, and efforts of att, and I should have
" found myself in a condition to brave the
" malevolence of the Attied Powers. You know
" the inhabitants of our mountains ; you know
" their energy, their perseverance, their courage,
" and with what a noble and undaunted mind
" they face the enemy. Islands, besides, have
" their peculiar means of defence; winds, dis-
" tance and the difficulties of landing, weaken
" the chances in favour of an aggression against
" them ; and they avoid three fourths of the
" evUs with which continents are afflicted. The
" whole population would have received me
" with open arms, it would have become my
" famUy, and all its hearts would have been at
" my disposal. Do you think that a coaUtion
" of thirty, forty, or even fifty thousand men
" would have been capable of subduing us, and
" that they would have dared to attempt it ?
" What sovereign would have engaged in a
" conflict in the issue of which there was every
" thing to lose and nothing to gain ? — for, I
" repeat it, the people were devoted to me ;
" from my earUest days I have had a name
" and influence in Corsica. Its steep moun-
" tains, its deep vaUeys, its torrents and pre^
" cipices, offered no dangers to me. I have vi-
VOL. I. I

114 LAST MOMENTS
"sited them aU from one extremity of the island
" to the other, and never has a single accident
" or the slightest insult taught me that my con-
" fidence was misplaced, Even at Bocognano,
" where sentiments, of hatred and yengeance are
" transmitted down to the seventh generation —
"where in fixing the marriage-portion of a
" young girl the number of her cousins is taken
" into account, I was greeted and welcomed,
" and every sacrifice would have been made for
" me. It was not, therefore, the sentiments of
" the population that gave me the least unea-
" siness ; for I knew that every arm was devoted
" to me : but it would have been said that I
" got out of the way, that I sought the port
" whilst all was perishing, and I would not seek
" for a refuge amidst the wreck of so many brave
" men. I resolved, therefore, to retire to Ame-
" rica, and bent my steps towards England ; but
" I was far from foreseeing on what horrible
" terms she grants her hospitattty. I was also
" deterred by another consideration. Once in
" Corsica, I did not fear the issue of the strug-
" gle ; but I should have been in the centre of
" the Mediterranean ; the eyes of France and
" Italy would have been turned towards me, and
" the effervescence would not have subsided.
" In order to ensure their own tranquillity, the

OF NAPOLEON. 115
" sovereigns would have been obhged to attack
" me, and the Island would have been torn by
" war, and I could not bear the idea of being
" reproached as the cause of its misfortunes.
" Besides, I had abdicated in favour of my son,
" and such an act could not be ittusory : I
" wished to render it more certain and more
" advantageous for the nation, and feared to
" paralyze its effects.
" Ah ! Doctor, what recollections Corsica has
" left me! I still enjoy in imagination its sites
" and its mountains : methinks I still tread its
" sott, and know it even by the odour it exhales.
" I intended to ameliorate its condition, to render
" it happy — in a word, to do every thing in its
" favour, and the rest of France would not have
" disapproved of my predttection, . . . but our
" disasters came, and I could not carry into effect
" the plans I had formed.
"Though mountainous, Corsica is deficient
" in water, and has no large rivers. That was
" an obstacle to contend with, but the excel-
" lence of the soil and local dispositions would
" have made amends for this defect.
" The salt pits near Ajaccio are favourable
" for the growth of coffee and sugar-canes : this
" has been proved by experiments, and I proposed
" to turn this circumstance to account. I in-
i 2

116 LAST MOMENTS
" tended to encourage industry, commerce, agri-
" culture, sciences and arts ; to give facUities to
" the inhabitants,, to invite famUies of foreigners
" into the island, to increase its population ; in a
" word, to put it in a condition to suffice to itself,
" and render itself independent of the continental
" markets. I had adopted a plan of fortifications
" upon which I had long meditated, and which
" would have been inexpugnable. St. Florent is
" one of the most favourable situations I know,
" and the most advantageous for trade. It is
" close to France, and borders upon Italy ; and its
" harbours are safe and convenient, and capable of
" receiving large fleets : I should have built there
" a large and fine city, which would have been the
" capital ; I should have appointed it a fortress,
" and it would have had ships constantly station-
" ed there. Such were my ideas — such were the
" plans I had formed ; but my enemies have had
" the art of making me waste my existence on
" the field of battle ; they have transformed into
" the demon of war, the man who desired only
" the /blessings of peace ; the nations have been
" deceived by the stratagem — all have risen, and
" I have been overpowered. However, if I have
" not had it in my power to carry into execution
" the plans I had formed in favour of Corsica, I

OF NAPOLEON. 1 1 7
" have at least the satisfaction of having done
" something for Ajaccio : its port is small, but
-" good and well situated."
I was greatly affected whUst the Emperor
was speaking, and could scarcely command my
emotion. What I heard harrowed up my very
soul, when I compared the state of prosperity
which was in store for Corsica, with the pitiable
condition into which it had fallen ; and, in spite
of myself, tears escaped from my eyes. " What
" is the matter with you ?" said the Emperor.
— " Ah ! Sire, pardon my agitation, I cannot
control my feettngs ; the contrast is too strik
ing." — " Doctor, our country ! — our country !
" If St. Helena were France, I should like even
" this frightful rock."
5th. — SUght abdominal pains, which a bath
removed. The Emperor was better, and autho
rised me to Write to Sir • Hudson, to ask his
leave to visit the hospitals.
I was not yet famihar with the forms of ce
remony observed towards the Emperor, and
endeavoured to learn them, and to model my
behaviour and manner upon those of the indi
viduals that surrounded his person. None of
us ever appeared before his Majesty without
having been previously announced; and in his

118 LAST MOMENTS
presence we were respectful and attentive,
standing up, uncovered, without presuming to
approach or to put our hats on until invited so
to do. Nobody addressed him, unless in general
conversation ; in which case he Ustened, an
swered, animated the discussion and enlivened
it by his wit, shewing himself at the same time
briUiant, just, kind, and fuU of amenity. Napo
leon was to us amiable and affectionate, seek
ing to centre in himself all our affections ; his
advice was that of a father, his reproaches those
of a friend. In his anger he was impetuous and
terrible, and would not brook contradiction ; but
the fit over, he was all kindness and attention,
and tried by every means in his power to con
sole those whom he had ill-treated ; his actions,
the tone of his voice, all expressed his kindly
feelings and manifested his regret. When the
subject of offence was serious, he discarded the
guilty, and kept him aloof for a time ; but the
period of interdiction elapsed, everything was for
gotten, the exile was received into favour again,
and not a word more was said about the matter.
Every thing relating to these rules of general
conduct was easUy understood, and I had soon
learnt ft ; but etiquette has its forms, which it is
impossible to divine. I did not know, for in
stance, that it forbade leaving the Emperor's

OF NAPOLEON. 119
room until ordered by him to withdraw. — Na
poleon had faUen asleep, and, fearful of dis
turbing him, I left the room ; but I had not yet
reached my own before he was awake again.
He looked round, and not seeing me, rang the
bell and sent for me. I went back to him, and
found him in the same state in which I had left
him. He woke a second time with a deep sigh,
and fixing his eyes upon me — " Oh ! oh !" said
he, " you are still here ?" — " Yes, Sire, but I
had gone away." — " Ah !" said he, rising, looking
steadfastly at me, and taking me by the ear*
laughing at the same time, " Dottoraccio di
" Capo Corso !* you leave me alone ! you
" withdraw without my leave ! You are a no-
" vice, and I forgive you ; but neither the Grand
" Marshal nor General Montholon would have
" retired from my bed-side until I sent them
away." I entreated him to excuse my ignorance,
and he again laughed, repeating once more
that I was a novice.
6th. — I saw the Emperor at 10 o'clock in
the morning, and found him better. — He took
his bath and his usual exercise. When he came
into the house again he took up a volume of
Racine, turned over the leaves for some time,
and at last stopped at the scene where Mith-
* Great Cape Corsican Dector.

120 LAST MOMENTS
ridates developes his plan of attack against
Rome.* " You expect me to recite that pas-
" sage so much admired by wiseacres in general,
" but, my dear Dottoraccio, I shaU do no such
" thing : it is all foolery clothed in poetry too
" elegant. Let us turn to this other passage ; it
" is less pompous, but contains much more truth
" and reason." And he began to read with
a dettcacy and truth of expression, and inflexion
of voice, which would have done honour to an
actor. He, however, soon grew weary, threw
down the book, feU back into his arm-chair pro
nouncing the name of his mother in an under
tone, and sunk into a kind of stupor. I endea
voured to recaU him to himself; I felt his chest
heave, and as it were some great effort agitating
his whole frame. He looked at me, but spoke
not, and I did not know what to think of the
state in which I saw him. Suddenly a crisis took
place, and he was reUeved. " Doctor," said he,
" I am dead ; what do you think about it ?"
Then rising from his chair and advancing to
wards me, he looked at me from head to foot,
took hold of me by the ears and whiskers, and
* The opening scene of the third act of Racine's
" Mithridates."

OF NAPOLEON. 121
pushed me against the waU, exclaiming, " Ah !
" you rascal of a Doctor Capo-Corsino, you are
" come to St. Helena to physic me, are you ?—
" Do you know that I will have you hanged at
" your own house at Cape Corsica ?" In speak
ing thus he laughed, gesticulated, and said the
drollest things imaginable.
7th. — Same state of health ; — bath and exer
cise as usual. The Emperor had authorised
me to go to Plantation-house. I went and paid
my first visit to the Governor, who received me
in presence of his Adjutant-general, Sir G. Gor
requer. I complained of the restrictions im
posed upon us, of the melancholy state to which
they had brought the Emperor's health, and
added a prognostic as to the issue of his dis
order; stating that every symptom tended to
prove that the diagnostic of chronic hepatitis
already existed, and declaring that the climate
of St. Helena engenders, nourishes, and increases
that kind of affections, and that their issue
cannot but be extremely dangerous. " You
think so ?" said Sir Hudson : " General Bona
parte enjoys exceUent health, notwithstanding
att he says. This is the healthiest cttmate I
know ; and it has been chosen for that rea
son — Undoubtedly, undoubtedly !"

122 LAST MOMENTS
8th. — The Emperor continues to feel well,
and recovers by degrees his appetite and
strength. — Bath and usual exercise. The Em
peror sent for the chUdren of the Grand Mar
shal; — they had not seen him for some days
past. They hastened to him full of joy, and
immediately began to play and sport around
him. To him they appealed as arbiter of their
discussions : — " Is it not true, Sire, that my cup
and ball goes best ?" — " No, it is mine." — " It
is mine," said a third : " I refer it to you — your
Majesty shall decide." The Emperor laughed,
gave his decision, laughed louder still, and the
tumult went on as before. " You are too noisy,
" children ; I shall not keep you to dinner." —
" Yes, do ! we witt not make any more noise :"
and they were quieter. Napoleon kept them,
placed Uttle Hortensia next to him, and order
ed dinner to be served. But their appetite
satisfied, the discussions began again : each con
tended for the palm of victory, — each pretended
to have been the most skUful. The Emperor
was again established judge, and appealed to,
right and left. " Is it not true, Sire ? Your
Majesty has seen ; — have you not ?" Napo
leon, almost stunned with the noise, did not
know whom to answer, and laughed more and

OF NAPOLEON. 123
more. " Hold your tongues," said he to them at
last ; " you are Uttle chatter-boxes. True, but
" be quiet ; you make too much noise." And
they all began again, accusing each other mu
tually of crying out too loud, until, dinner be
ing over, the Emperor sent them away. " You
will send for us to-morrow, Sire ; — will you
not ?"-r— " You are, then, very fond of playing
" with me ?" — " Yes ! yes !" exclaimed they all
together, and withdrew in the hopes of coming
again. " How happy they are when I send for them,
" or play with them !" said the Emperor ; " aU
" their wishes are satisfied. Passions have not
" yet approached their hearts : they feel the
" plenitude of existence ; — let them enjoy it I
" At their age, I thought and felt as they do :
" what storms since ! . . . But how much
" that Uttle Hortensia grows and improves ! If
" she Uves, of how many young elSgans wUl she
" not disturb the repose ! I shaU then be no
" more : what say you, Doctor ?"
9th. — The Emperor's health in the same
state ; continuation of the same remedies.
I had just received despatches from Planta
tion-house : what could they contain ? what
further luminous restrictions had Sir Hudson

124 LAST MOMENTS
imagined? I was impatient to know, and
sUpped out to read them; but I found it was a
letter from his Excellency in answer to mine.
Permission was granted to me to visit the hos
pitals, but on condition that I should not go
alone, but under the surveillance of an officer.
This precaution was most prudent ; for the sick
might he stirred up into sedition, and so war
like an individual as myself might beat Eng
land with a few dying patients !
The Emperor was walking round Longwood.
I observed him looking about, peeping into the
interior of the apartments to see what was
going forward there, and visiting, one after the
other, every room occupied by his suite. I was
going up to him to shew him the letter I had
received, when I was stopped by one of the ser
vants — " You must not go near the Emperor —
his Majesty is incognito/' — " How incognito ?"
— " Certainly : do you not see that he has not
his usual dress on, nor the cocked hat, which he
never leaves off, excepting during the short time
he is at table ? Well, whenever the Emperor is
dressed as you now see him, — when he puts on
that long green great-coat, and buttons it up to
the neck, and takes that large round hat, —
he does not wish to be approached by any body,

OF NAPOLEON. 125
and even the Grand Marshal himself does not
disturb him." I thanked the servant for his
information, and waited tiU the Emperor should
come in ; but he went to pay a visit to Madame
Bertrand, and remained there two hours. I
was beginning to find the time very long.
" Have a Uttle patience," said Noveraz* ; "I see
some movement at the posts ; they are going to
reUeve the sentries : the Emperor does not ex
pose himsetf to be elbowed by the red-coats ; he
wiU soon come in." In a short time he actuaUy
did come in ; and having undressed and put on
a dressing-gown, he walked for a long whtte in
his drawing-room. He was in good spirits.
The conversation feU upon Paris, and he spoke
a great deal about the English colony :. it was
the head-quarters, the parade, of all polices ; —
Fouche and WUUam Flint held their market,
and the highest bidder was the" purchaser. " I
" was one day speaking to the King of Wur-
" temberg at the Tuileries ; we were standing
" near a window, and had a view of the saloons.
" I had just received a report disclosing some of
" the dirty practices then going forward, and

* One of the servants.

126 LAST MOMENTS
" had not been able to control a movement of
" impatience. ' These insects torment you ?
" crush them ! You have conquered the world,
" and you retreat before a set of spies ! I
" should settle them in a few hours.' — ' By
" what means ?' — ' A dungeon ! the gibbet !
" Marquises, Countesses — all should march to-
" gether to the gallows ! Nobody would stir
" after that, and Flint's gold would have been
" spent in vain.' His Majesty was growing
" very warm on the subject : I did not contra-
" diet him. His advice was good, no doubt,
" but it could not suit me : it is only a legiti-
" mate monarch who can put half his subjects
" in chains."
It was late ; the Emperor went into his bed
room. There was nobody there to undress him,
and I rang the beU ; but before I could call any
one, his clothes were already flying about in all
directions; the furniture and the floor were
strewed with them when Marchand came in.
" Ah ! you rogue," said Napoleon to him, " you
" were not there ! — and the gnats ! take care,
" your ears shall pay for it if there are any
" under the gnat-curtain." He laughed, got
into bed, and attempted to arrange a sUding
candlestick which he used at night; but the

OF NAPOLEON. 127
adjusting-screw being heated, he burned his
hand, which he shook for a long time, joking
with the servant, and accusing him of having
formed a conspiracy against his fingers. " I am
" the victim of fire and gnats," said he ; " sleep
" has fled : Doctor, you must suffer for it !"
He got out of bed again, put on his dressing-
gown and his flannel-bag, and threw himself
into his arm-chair. " You have read the bat-
" ties of Alexander ?"—" No, Sire."—" Those
" of Caesar?" He saw that my answer was
going to be a negative, and continued, " Mine,
" at all events ?" — " No, Sire ; hitherto I have
only had to deal with dead bodies." — " Very
" bad company, Doctor; but Montholon wttl
" give you a sketch of those campaigns which
" have shaken the world. I wish you to have
" some idea of them." And accordingly I after
wards received some lessons on the subject :
but my conceptions are not warttke ; I did not
profit by my instructions, and confined myself
to my scalpel — that is my staff of office.
The Emperor began to take a review of the
situation of affairs, and the intrigues which had
effected his downfal. " I was aware of those
" intrigues," said he ; "I could have punished
" the leaders of them, and perhaps I ought to

128 LAST MOMENTS
" have done so; but executions were repug-
" nant to my feelings — I was averse to shed-
" ding blood."
30th.— The Emperor complained of sttght
abdominal pains, which yielded to a bath and
an enema. " I am weU," said he ; " I do not
" want any doctoring to-day ; go and take
" advantage of the Sicilian's permission to visit
" the hospitals : I see one of his Kalmoucks
" coming; probably it is the one appointed to
" watch over you." Napoleon had guessed
rightly ; it was Doctor Arnott, whom his Excel
lency had ordered to accompany me. I placed
myself under his guidance, and we started.
We went first to James Town, where I found
nothing but dysentery, and acute and chronic
hepatitis : nobody escaped the influence of the
cUmate. There were, however, some cases of in
flammatory fevers, but the number of them was
small. The hospital of James Town exhibited
nothing that I had not under my eyes at Long-
wood. I went to that of Deadwood. Here were
the very same disorders as at James Town ; but
so rapid in their progress, so terrible in their ef
fects, that one hour, one instant, was sufficient to
upset the whole system of the animal economy,
and render unavailing the most efficacious re-

OF NAPOLEON. 129
medies. I never had a better opportunity of
learning to appreciate the value of time, and
the fatal consequences of delay.
Having seen and examined this hospital, and
admired the order and regulations of the esta-
bUshment, I proceeded back to Longwood. I
was no longer in company with Dr. Arnott ;
bat under the escort of a brave officer, with
whom I soon began to enter into conversation.
The rain had saturated the ground, and I felt
impatient on seeing my horse floundering in the
mire. " That is," said my companion, " the
inconvenience of argiUaceous soils ; we must put
up with it."— "Very well," answered I, "but
persons perched on the summit of mountains
Ought not to be exposed to the inconveniencies
to which plains are subject. We are now on a
bank of clay ; the rain does not penetrate into
it ; it either settles on the surface and makes it
clammy, or sUdes over it from its summit to its
base, and renders the whole extent of it greasy,
sttmy, and sUppery." In conversing thus we
reached a spot whence we discovered a prospect
which offered to our view rocks half detached
from their bases, and abysses of almost immea
surable depth. My guide examined and ex-r
plained these convulsions of nature, with a de-
VOL, i. K

J 30 LAST MOMENTS
gree of care and pleasure which a geologist
alone could feel in witnessing such a scene ; ex
patiating on volcanos, lava, fissures, levels, &c.
I could see that St. Helena is a volcanic pro
duction, and that was quite enough for me ; I
felt less interested about the interior than about
the surface. I gazed upon that heap of rocks
whose summits are lost in the clouds. I foUow
ed them, running in chains from east to west,
breaking suddenly into bifurcated groups, ad
vancing towards the south, bending towards
the north, and offering a spectacle of disorder
and confusion, of masses of needles, precipices,
fragments, and mountains, seeming to dispute
for space, which no other spot in the world
could exhibit. " You would see much worse,"
said my guide, " if you were to climb to the
top of Diana's Peak, whence your eye would
compass the whole island." — " What could I
possibly see worse than peaks and precipices,
without a tree or any signs of vegetation ?
How dreary, how barren every thing appears !
And could they . . . ?"— " Undoubtedly
We continued to advance ; suddenly the pro
spect expanded, and the officer stopped to
point out to me the picture befdre our eyes :
it was composed of patches of verdure, with
a few bullocks and rawboned horses grazing

OF NAPOLEON. 13]
on some scanty blades of grass growing on the
brink of the precipices. " I see them," said I,
" but do you observe where they are stuck up ?
Are those our consolations, our resources?" —
" Resources ! oh no, certainly not ; every thing
here is dry and tough, however  However,
there is never either snow or thunder." —
" I know it : but the rains are frequent, the
winds impetuous, and the temperature in a
perpetual state of variation. Sometimes you
are in a hollow, where you choke ; then in a
current of air where you are frozen ; further on,
in a thick fog. You are panting with heat, be
numbed with cold, or wet through. In a few
minutes you pass through all the degrees of
the thermometrical scale. We have scarcely
entered this mass of air, and already the mois
ture is condensed, and water streams down our
clothes." — -" It is not for its sudden transitions
that the cUmate of St. Helena is commendable.
I admit that the atmosphere is alternately frozen,
warm, dry, and damp, and that these variations
occur twenty times a day : nevertheless the
hygrometer - . . ." " Is a useless instrument in
this case. My boots supply the place of one ; I
take them off at night, clean and pottshed, and
the next morning they are covered with mould.
Do you think that indication is not as certain
K 2

132 LAST MOMENTS
as that of an hygrometer ? The Bedouins, en
camped in the midst of the Desert, are at least
sheltered from the inclemency of the weather ;
but we are exposed to all the rigour of the sea
sons. If it rains hard our roofs are immedi
ately soaked through ; if, on the contrary, the
sun shines upon them, the tar with which they
are covered- becomes liquid, runs, and destroys
every thing." — " The situation is far from being
a pleasant one; but you are animated and up
held by a powerful sentiment. Besides, the
heat does not last long at St. Helena ; and ex
perience has proved, that the number of days
when the sky is obscured with clouds is double
the number of those when the sun shines in aU
its power."—" But the rain ?"— " Ah ! that, in
deed, is our plague ; the rain here is almost
incessant : it falls upon an average 135 days in
the year. The celebrated Banks, desirous of
knowing the quantity of rain that falls on these
mountains, sent out from London instruments
to measure it with precision ; and it was found
to be 33° 38 inches — 12° 13 inches more than
in England. Every thing around us is very
unlike the beautiful cttmate of Italy ; and,
above aU, very different from the circumstances
in which he was placed in that country at a

OF NAPOLEON. 133
certain period, when his ascendancy there was
all powerful. I then fought under other ban
ners ; we were numerous, resolute, and deter
mined to conquer ; but his dispositions were so
skilful, and his movements so prompt and rapid,
that we were always beaten. It was in vain
that we excited the nations to war : he dis
armed them with a proclamation — calmed them
with an order of the day. I recoUect stUl his
beautiful address to the inhabitants of Carin
thia,* and the effect it produced.
1 1th. — The Emperor has had a good night.
— Bath — usual exercise.
" Well, Doctor," said he to me, " what have
" you observed ?" I gave him in a few words an
account of what I had seen. " You are a dunce,
" Sir : Bathurst would even say a dishonest
" man, a traitor ! Liver complaints ! why they
" are unknown in the island. Ask the Go-
" vernor, the Minister, ask all England ? This
" is the most salubrious spot on the globe ! It
" has been chosen by the pupUs of Pitt ; you
" may rely upon their sagacity. Do you not
"know that hepatitis is not tolerated at St.
" Helena ? — that Sir Hudson wttl not admit
" those kinds of disorders ; and that he forbids
* See Las Cases. — Vol. II. Part iv. page 23.

134 LAST MOMENTS
" the approach of the coasts to them ? Every
*' disease has permission to put in here, except
"diseases of the Uver! Madame Montholon
" thought proper when here, some time ago, to
" suffer from an affection which she had already
" laboured under at Paris. She complained of
" it, and asked to return to Europe ; but was
" told that it was aU idea and imagination ; and
'' her doctor was severely reprimanded. He
" soon acknowledged his error, and the seat of
" complaint was removed to some other place.
" It was no longer the Uver that was affected,
" but another organ, I forget which, — and that
" alone. His Excellency then assented, and
" granted a passage. — Ah ! Doctor, what men
" we have to deal with ! — To transform the air
" into an instrument of murder, is an idea that
" never occurred to even the most ferocious
" of our Pro-consuls ; it could only originate
" on the banks of the Thames ! How wrong
" I was to ... . ! — But events were following
" each other so rapidly that I had not time to
" reflect, or to make any arrangements."
12th. — The Emperor is every day better.
After his bath he went out into the garden,
whither I followed him. He first spoke of
Corsica ; and described, in glowing language,

OF NAPOLEON. 135
its sites, its vaUeys, its mountains : then passing
suddenly from his country to his family, he
said, "You have resided a long time in Flo-
" rence ; you know that my famUy is origi-
" natty from that place ?" — " Yes, Sire ; your
famtty was patrician, and ranked one of the
first there." — " Do you know the house they
" inhabited ?" — " It is a monument, Sire ; a
curiosity which does not escape the notice of
anybody." — " It is in the centre of the town, is
" it not ? and has a coat of arms sculptured in
" stone on the front ?" — " Yes, Sire ; and it is
preserved entire." — "When I passed through
" Florence, on my march to Leghorn, I was
" strongly invited to see it ; but I was so busy,
" so overburthened with affairs, that I could
" not go. The day of my departure, I went in
" the evening to San Miniato, where I had an
" old relation, a canon, and the last shoot of the
" Tuscan branch of Bonapartes, and whom I
" therefore wished to visit. We were welcomed,
" and a most deUcious repast was set before us.
" Having satisfied our appetite, we began to
" chatter ; we were aU young, cheerful, noisy,
" and as republican as Brutus ; and some ex-
" pressions escaped us now and then, which
" were not very sanctified. But the good old

136 LAST MOMENTS
" man was not at aU disconcerted ; he listened,
" repUed, and threw out from time to time some
" reflections, which struck us by their justness.
" My staff were delighted to see a priest without
" bigotry, and the bottle circulated freely : we
" drank his health, and he drank to the success
" of our arms. The conversation was enttvened
" by jest and pleasantry, and we had an oppor-
" tunity of observing the exceUent judgment
" and the amenity of this worthy Canon. My
" officers were quite reconctted to his gown,
" and he did not take offence at our mUitary
" irreverence. He tried to detain us the fol-
" lowing day ; but the troops were on the march,
" and we told him that we were obliged to go,
" but should see him again on our way back.
" We were fearful that the good old man had
" not beds enough for so numerous a retinue,
" and requested him not to be concerned about
" our sleeping; that we were accustomed to
" lead a soldier's life, and should be satisfied
" with a bundle of straw to stretch ourselves
" upon. * No,' replied he ; ' my house is plain,
" but large enough to lodge you all ;' and he
" accompanied every one of us, in turn, to the
" room he had prepared for us, and wished us a
" good night. I went to bed; but had not yet

OF NAPOLEON. 137
" put out the Ught, when I heard a knock at my
" door : I thought it was Berthier, but it was
" the worthy prelate himself, who came to ask
" me to grant him a few minutes' conversation.
" He had begun at table to speak about genea-
" logy ; but a discussion of that nature could
" only be attended with unpleasant consequences
" in the situation in which I then was, and I
" therefore made a sign to him to desist, which
" he did. I now dreaded that he was going to
" begin again the subject which I had thus
" avoided ; but I did not, however, let him per-
" ceive my fears, and requested him to sit down,
" assuring him that I should hear with great
" pleasure what he had to say. He began by
" speaking about the protection which Heaven
" had extended towards me, promising a con-
" tinuance of the same protection, if I would
" undertake a pious act, which would not cost
" me much. I had Ustened patiently to the
" recital of the history of aU the Bonapartes,
" and of the actions of one of them ; and was
"at a loss to guess what he was driving at,
" when he suddenly told me, in a kind of ec-
" stasy, that he was about to show me a docu-
" ment of infinite value. I certainly thought
" he was going' to produce the pedigree of the

138 LAST MOMENTS
" famUy, and the fear I had to offend the old
" gentleman was scarcely sufficient to suppress
" a burst of laughter, which was rising in spite
" of myself; but, to my great surprise, instead
" of a parchment, or a grotesque diploma, some-
" thing still more comical made its appearance —
" being no less than a memoir in favour of a
" Father Bonaventure, whose beatification had
" been long since acknowledged, but whose name
" had not yet been inscribed in the Calendar,
" on account of the excessive expense required
" for the ceremony of canonization. ' Ask the
" Pope to proclaim him,' said the worthy canon ;
" ' he will grant your request ; and, perhaps, it
" wttl cost nothing, or at least very Uttle : out
" of consideration for you, his HoUness wiU not
" refuse to place another saint in Heaven. Ah !
" dear kinsman, you do not know what it is to
" have a saint in one's family ! It is to him —
" to Saint Bonaventure — that you owe the suc-
" cess of your arms ; it was he that conducted
" you and directed you in the midst of your
" battles : and be assured also, that the visit you
" are now paying is not the effect of chance ;
" no, dear kinsman ! it was again St. Bonaven-
" ture who inspired you, in order that you
" might have an opportunity of knowing his

OF NAPOLEON. 139
" merit, and of returning good for good, service
" for service. Do, therefore, for him with the
" Pope, what he has done for you with God.' I
" felt strongly incttned to laugh at the pious
" eloquence and the earnestness of the old man ;
" but he was so sincere in his beUef, that it
" would have gone against my conscience to
" wound his feeUngs. I therefore answered
" him with fair words, alleging the spirit of the
" age and the cares of the war, and promised
" him to take up the affair of St. Bonaventure
" as soon as the state of irreverence of the pub-
" Uc mind should be less strongly pronounced.
" ' Dear kinsman,' said he, ' you satisfy my
" most ardent wishes ; allow me to embrace
" you : you take the interests of Heaven to
" heart, and I predict that success wttl crown
" your enterprises. I am old, and shall per-
" haps not see the effect of your promises ;
" but I rely upon them, and shall die happy.'
" He then gave me his benediction ; I wished
" him a good night, and he retired. I endea-
" voured to sleep, but could not, the adventure
" was so singular ; and I thought the fancy so
" odd a one for the times in which we were
" living, that I had scarcely closed my eyes
" when Berthier came into my apartment.

140 LAST MOMENTS
" The other Generals soon came in also ; and
" my staff being assembled, I related the
" conversation I had had with the Canon.
" The solicitations of the good old man, his
" ambition, his way of accounting for our vic-
" tories, excited the mirth of every one. We
" laughed, we joked, we expatiated on the wor-
" thy Canon, and on the Saint who was fighting
" for us with aU his might. If the Canon had
" heard us ! — if he had known how devout I
" was !
" We were going to set off, and I was desi-
" rous of leaving the Canon a token of remem-
" brance and of satisfaction for the reception we
" had met with. But what could I offer him
" except the legend? I thought in vain, when
" suddenly I recollected that I could dispose of
" a cross of St. Stephen. I dictated a few
" words to Berthier, a courier was dispatched,
" and we took our leave of the old man, who
" embraced us, and gave us his benediction. In
" a few days after, the cross was sent to him.
" We proceeded to Leghorn, where a scene
" of another description took place. The town
" was governed by a man whose character I
" have had an opportunity of appreciating since
" my downfal. I had but little to fear from

OF NAPOLEON. 141
" him then ; but he had not been favourably
" spoken of to me ; my troops were extenuated,
" and time was precious. Unwitting to be
" exposed to useless chicanery, I sent for him;
" I loaded him with reproaches, and got rid of
" him. However, I went too far ; I exceeded
" all bounds : I had only intended to remove
" him — but I ill-treated him. I was wrong :
" and I have been enabled to convince myself
" since that Spanochi was full of loyalty and
" noble sentiments ; I had proofs of it at Elba.
" The adventure of San Miniato was soon
" forgotten in the multipUcity of affairs which
" assailed me, and which left me no time to
'' amuse myself about those of the legend. The
" Pope, however, had abundance of leisure ;
" and having crowned the grand-nephew, he
" would have had no objection to canonize
" the grand-uncle. He spoke to me about it,
" and repeated the homily of the Canon. But
" the ranks of Heaven occupied me less than
" those of this world ; I therefore turned a deaf
" ear to his HoUness, and left to the Consistory
" the care of its own promotions."
13th. — Same state of the Emperor's health.
Bath and exercise as usual.
Sir Hudson could no longer close his eyes :

142 LAST MOMENTS
whenever his soldiers met our priests, they ran
and knelt down before them ; they were seduced
or sold, and England was lost ! It was in vain
that he used increased vigUance, reprimands, or
punishment: piety prevatted over fear, holy-
water over flogging; and no sooner did his
Irishmen perceive the cassock than they pro
strated themselves, kissed the hands and feet of
the missionaries, and craved their benediction.
The Governor, overcome by the obstinacy of the
troops, laid the blame upon the missionaries,
and caused them to be closely watched. The
Emperor could not possibly see what importance
could be attached to that interchange of agnuses
and genuflexions, and felt hurt at the manner
in which the missionaries were treated. " I
" shall not allow that heretic to humble the
" tiara of St. Peter," said he to me laughing ;
" the Pope and Consistory would never forgive
" me, were I to put up with these insults : call
" the priests." Buonavita came, and received
orders never to go beyond the Umits. " Let
" people say, after that, that I do not take care
" to cause the Church to be respected."
14th. — The Emperor had been tolerably weU
all day yesterday, and part of the night. This
morning he was rather dejected; and after

OF NAPOLEON. 143
having taken a few turns he came into the
house again, breakfasted, and went into his
apartment. " I feel uncomfortable," said he ;
" I should wish to sleep, to read, to do — I don't
" know what. Ring for Marchand ; let him
"bring me some books, and close the windows.
" I shall go to bed, and see in a Uttle whUe whe-
" ther I am better. But here is Racine, Doc-
" tor. Now, you are on the stage, and I am
" Ustening. Andromache ! — ah ! that is the
" play for unfortunate fathers." — " Sire, if it
were Metastasio !" — " Oh, you are afraid of
" your accent? The metre of the poetry wttl
" conceal your Italian inflexions — Begin." I
hesitated, and he took the book, read a few
fines, and let the volume escape fromjiis hands^.
He had faUen upon this celebrated passage* :
" Je passais. jusqu'aux lieux ou l'on garde mon fils.
" Puisqu'une fois le jour vous souffrez que je voie
" Le seul bien qui me reste et d'Hector et de Troie,
" J'allais, Seigneur, pleurer un moment avec lui.
" Je ne l'ai point encore embrasse d'aujourd'hui."
He was greatly affected, and hid his face.
" Doctor," said he, " I am too agitated ; leave
* Act I. Scene IV.

144 LAST MOMENTS
"me alone." I withdrew. He became more
calm, slept a few minutes, and sent for me again.
Sleep had dispelled his indisposition, and he was
less gloomy and agitated. He was going to
shave ; and as I had heard that this ceremony
was singular, I remained to witness it. He
was in his shirt, his head uncovered, and two
servants by the side of him ; one held the look
ing-glass and towel, the other the remainder of
the apparatus. The Emperor soaped half his
face, gave back the brush, wiped his hands and
his mouth, took a razor which had been dipped
in warm water and shaved the right side of his
face with an uncommon degree of dexterity.
— " Is it ready, Noveraz ?"— " Yes, Sire."—
"Well! now face about— there, halt!" The Ught
feU upon the left side of his face, which he shaved
with the same ceremonies and the same promp
titude. The expression of his countenance was
full of kindness. He passed his hand over his
chin. — " Hold the glass up ; am I well shaved ?
" Yes, that is right. Not a hair has escaped,
"what say you?" — "No, Sire," said the ser
vant. — "No? I think I see some. Hold the
" glass up higher — place it in a better light.
" How is this, rogue — you flatter, you deceive
" me, here at St. Helena ! on this rock ! and you !

OF NAPOLEON. 145
" you are an accomplice ;" and at the same
time he gave Uttle blows to both, gently boxed
their ears, laughed, made them laugh, and pur
sued them in the most comical manner. After
this he took a tooth-pick, then brushed his teeth,
and washed his mouth with a mixture of brandy
and cold water, part of which he swaUowed.
I asked him why he did not reject the whole.
" Because," said he, " what does good to the
" gums, cannot do any harm to the stomach.
" Is it not odd that I have never been able to
" use any thing but cold water to wash my
" mouth? Tepid water occasions a convulsive
" cough, hot water produces vomiting ; and I
" never could gargle without running the risk of
" choking, or swallowing the gargle, even if it
" were poisonous." And I observed, indeed, that
part of the Uquid being raised by the epiglottis,
feU through the aperture of the glottis into the
larynx, and produced the cough, the efforts and
the vomiting.
WhUst I was speaking with the Emperor,
Marchand had prepared in the next room his
sponge, his wash-hand stand and his clothes;
He passed into it; and washed his face and
head, throwing the flannel far from him after
he had done. " You see, Doctor," said he, " fine
VOL. I. L

146 LAST MOMENTS
" arms, breast plump and rounded, skin white.
" And my hand, how many amongst the fair
" sex would be jealous of it!" The servant
was washing his skin, and Napoleon was pass
ing in review the charms and the defects of
some European ladies, interrupting his descrip
tion to stimulate his servant, taking it up again,
and again discontinuing: — "Madame 
" was lively, animated, . . . harder, you rascal, . . .
" and was very anxious to have a chUd of the
" race of heroes . . . harder, I teU you, as if you
" were scrubbing an ass . . . she came one day. . .
" but that fellow does not brush me  Doc-
" tor, I wttl relate that to you another time . . .
"get out of the way, let me punish this fel-
" low's shoulders for having spared mine as
" he has done ;" and in saying this he gently
pulled the servant's ears, and gave him some
sttght blows. "Now let us see what the
" correction has produced — give me the Eau de
" Cologne." — Having caused some to be poured
on his hands and washed part of his body with
it, he put on a flannel waistcoat, silk stockings,
breeches of white kerseymere, shoes with
gold buckles, a black stock, a white waistcoat,
the riband ef the grand cross of the Legion of
Honour, which he constantly wore when he was

OF NAPOLEON. 147
not in an undress, a green coat, and the cocked
hat ; and his dress was complete. " Now, Doctor,"
said he, " the remainder of the day is ours ; no
" more working, no more reading ! As soon as
" I am en costume, I either receive visits or walk
" about ; I think no more about any thing."
15th. —The Emperor had slept but little.
The pain in the liver had become more acute. — ¦
Bath as usual.
I had seen Madame Bertrand the day before,
and found her suffering more than usual. Na
poleon was uneasy about her, and apprehen
sive that her complaint might take a serious
tiWQ. — " Is your patient better ? does the pain
" subside a Httle?" — "No, Sire, her strength is
decUning, and she is a prey to all the malig
nant influence of the latitude in which we are
Uving." — "Do you, then, entertain anyapprehen-
" sions for her Ufe?" — " No, Sire, I do not mean
that exactly ; but the organs are wearing, and
the action of this fatal chmate upon them is
unceasing." — " Undoubtedly the situation is
" horrible : we men are accustomed to pain and
" privations, and can bear them ; but a woman,
" deprived all at once of every thing that tends
" to render Ufe cheerful and agreeable, trans-
" ported to a frightful rock, — how much more
L 2

148 LAST MOMENTS
" she is to be pitied, and how much resigna-
" tion she requires ! Madame Bertrand rises
" late, her illness obliges her to remain in bed ;
" she cannot attend at mass, and yet she would
" perhaps be glad to hear it said? I did not
" reflect that she is an invaUd, when I fixed
" the hour of the service ; I only considered the
" great age of the good old Abbe. TeU her
" that I order VignaU to go and officiate at her
" house, and let her inform VignaU of the hour
" that suits her ; that priest is henceforth at her
" disposal. He may do as we do, construct a
" moveable altar, or use ours, and place it in an
" apartment of the Grand Marshal's house. Any
" person may go to that mass whom the Coun-
" tess thinks proper to admit ; but for my part
" I persist that nobody shall attend at mine, ex-
" cept those persons whom I shall have invited.
" By the by, the Abbes instruct the chUdren,
" do they not ? Does Uttle Arthur read ? —
" does he begin to spell at least ?" — " I suppose
so, Sire ; the priests seem to take a great deal of
pains with them."
16th. — The Emperor a Uttle better. The
pain in the Uver had become bearable. — Bath.
The Emperor was at his desk. Around him

OF NAPOLEON. 149
were rulers and compasses, and he twisted in
his fingers a pencil, the instrument he habituaUy
wrote with, very seldom using pen and ink for
that purpose. I perceived plans, sketches, and
algebraic formulae ; but Napoleon whistled, and
that announced a storm. I said nothing; we
always guessed the sensations which agitated
him,fby his manner of applying to work. If his
application was serious, we could judge that he
was suffering, and the subject before him diffi
cult. If, on the contrary, his appttcation was
slight and cheerful ; if we heard him hum a few
Unes of some Uvely Italian air, we knew that his
sufferings and recoUections were suspended, and
that he was restored to his usual amenity of
disposition. But if the air resounded through
his lips, he was crossed, displeased, out of tem
per, and only waited an opportunity or a word
to break out. Woe to whoever was then in the
way ! — he had to weather a squaU ! I was not
anxious to find myself exposed to one, but that
was, however, going to happen. Napoleon was
shaking an oblong-shaped snuff-box to and fro :
I seized the opportunity, and ventured to say a
word respecting the inconvenience of snuff. —
" Poh ! sheer medical importance ! As if I took

150 LAST MOMENTS
" any snuff! I wear this box, Mr. Doctor, on
" account of the medaUions that are mounted
" upon it, [they represented Alexander, Caesar,
" Mithridates, &c. :] but as to snuff, I am weeks
" together without taking any — I merely
"smeU it."
He threw himself upon his sofa, opened at
random the second volume of his unpubUshed
correspondence, meditated, and then, as if struck
with something, his countenance and manners
assumed a mttder aspect, and he began to read
aloud :-— " ' 13th Vendemiaire, Vllth Year
of the Republic.
" * TO GENERAL KXERER.
" ' I am afraid that a certain degree of cold-
" ness subsists between us; you would be un-
" just to doubt how grieved I should be to find
" that such is the case.
" ' In the cttmate of Egypt, clouds, when there
" are any, disappear in six hours ; if there were
" any on my side, they would pass away in
" three. The sentiments of esteem which I
" entertain for you, are at least equal to those
" which you have sometimes manifested for
" me.'

OF NAPOLEON. 151
" What say you, Doctor? ought not Kleber
" after that to have discarded all recollection of
" some discussions we had had on the subject
" of the administration of Alexandria?" — " I
should think so, Sire."' — " He was as enduring
"as a Doctor whose prescriptions are ques-
" tioned. You shall see how he had repUed to
" my reproaches : —
" ' TO GENERAL BONAPARTE.
" ' You forgot, Citizen-General, when you
" wrote, that you were furnishing materials for
" history, and that you were writing to Kleber.
" I do not, however, suppose that any unex-
" pressed thought or meaning lurks beneath
" your words : you would not be beUeved.'
" * You would not be believed ! ' Do you ob-
" serve the noble confidence, the pride of a brave
" man ! No, certainly I should not have been
" beUeved, and I should have been extremely
*' grieved if I had heen. 1 complained of want
" of economy, but did not impute malversa-
a tion. But such was Kleber — ardent, impe-
" tuous, and easUy acted upon ; and intrigue
" took advantage of this disposition."
17th. — Same state of Napoleon's health. —
Bath.

152 LAST MOMENTS
The Emperor spoke again of his abdication,
and expatiated on the intrigues and illusions
which existed at that epoch. I expressed my
surprise that men of experience and business —
that Sebastiani, that Lafayette, should have
been duped by Fouche ; that they should have
confounded epochs so far as to imagine that
the AUied Powers would grant after a defeat,
what five years of victories could scarcely
obtain from them. " True," said Napoleon ;
" the deputation was an absurd one, and their
" simpUcity unequaUed. But, as the inhabitants
" of Vienna said on the occasion of the prisoners
" of Olmutz, Lafayette leaves behind him
" two daughters who will protect his memory :
" ' the declaration of rights,' and ' the institu-
" tion of the national guard.' "
1 8th. — The Emperor complained of having
experienced violent pain in the Uver during
the night. His palate and gums were in a
state of irritation arising from catarrh. I pre
scribed proper remedies, and he took his usual
bath. 1 9th. — The Emperor better. After his bath
he spent the day in sleeping or reading.
20th. — Napoleon in the same state. He was

OF NAPOLEON. 153
in a very gloomy mood, and having taken a
bath, remained the whole day in close appli
cation. 2 1 st. — The Emperor better. He took a walk
after the bath, and exercise restored his strength
and enttvened his spirits. I was standing near
him, he came up to me and pushed me against
the wall, lifting up his hand — " Great rogue of a
" Doitoraccio, you physic me ! What do you
" say about my chest ? What do you think of my
" lungs ? You, who know the human frame, say,
" shall I die of a pulmonary complaint ? What
" is the decision of Galen ?" — " That with a voice
like yours, there is no fear of consumption." —
" But this liver of mine ?" — His attitude, the
sound of his voice, were quite changed ; and
he held his hand on the right hypochondriac
region. " There is the seat of the disorder —
" that is the assattable part of the armour ; the
" climate has laid hold of it. . . . Well, let us
" think no more about it. England will soon
" reap the reward of her ignominy."
22d. — Napoleon complained of an acute
pain in the Uver ; which also extended over the
whole of the right side, up to the shoulder. —
Bath.

154 LAST MOMENTS
After a short time he felt a little better,
and took up his correspondence again : —
" ' Alexandria, 17 Brumaire, Vllth Year
of the Republic.
" ' MY DEAR GENERAL . . .'
" Who is this ?" — -He looked for the signa
ture. — " Marmont !— ah ! yes !
" ' It is more than probable that the English
" have coUected the ships that are before Alex-
" andria, have obhged them to come here, and
" have completely deceived them with a false
" declaration of war. Hassan Bey appears to
" be so completely the dupe of the EngUsh,
" that it would be impossible to persuade him
" that we are on good terms with the Porte. . . .'
" See ! how incredulous ! — •' The citizen Bruce-
" vich has read very attentively the manifesto
" of the Porte, It is weU drawn up, in the
" usual form, and in a style truly Oriental ;
" but none but a Turk could be deceived by
" such a snare.' — What sagaeity ! — ' Ibraham
" Aga has spoken to Hassan Bey, and thinks
" he is duped by the English ; yet he seems
" to entertain some apprehensions respecting
" the dispositions of the Porte towards us. —
" I know not how that may be ; but every

OF NAPOLEON. 155
" thing that occurs here bears the character of
" falsehood and imposture.' — What could be the
" object of this ? — Manscourt was removed !
" ' It appears to me that the EngUsh have, by
" force, and with the help of false representa-
" tions, caused the Turkish sloop of war to
" approach the port, and to fire upon us, in
" order to induce us to return the fire ; and
" prove thereby to these Turks, that we are
" their enemies. If that be the case, it is one
" of MachiaveUsm, quite consistent with the
" EngUsh character !'
" And very much like the machinations of
" Brienne. — Marmont wished very much for
" the governorship of Alexandria ; and Mans-
" court was consequently misrepresented, ca-
" lumniated, and superseded. I had no idea
" that I was deceived ; and that it was an
" affair concerted with Menou.— Were you at
" Florence when that OsmanUs was sent there
" as governor ? — Did you know him ?" — " Yes,
Sire." — " What was the opinion entertained
" respecting him?"—" The opinion that can be
formed from a Ufe of luxury and scandal ?" —
" What kind of Ufe, then, did that old original
"" lead ?" — " He was ever surrounded by cour-

156 LAST MOMENTS
tezans ; one of whom he kept in the palace,
where she presided over the fites and parties of
the Governor, who took her every where with
him : it was one continued scene of debauchery."
— " I recognize in that description the faithful
" Abdalla ! — But after he had been recalled ?" —
" Every impropriety ceased, the courtezans dis
appeared, Princess Eliza renewed the furniture
which they had polluted, and Menou was no
longer thought of but by his creditors !" — " Of
" whom no doubt he had a host ?" — " A great
many, Sire." — " Quite like him ; voluptuous
" and prodigal, and lavish in expressions of
" sentiments of moraUty : he always spent
" double the amount of his income. — How
" often have I paid his debts ! Did the Flo-
" rentines know that he had turned Mussul-
" man ?" — " It was said of him, — of you, Sire,
and of all the army." — " Oh, that might be
" for Menou ; but for me and my staff, we
" had no time to lose in ablutions.
" When I entered Cairo, the Turks, who had
" measured my stature by the fame of my vic-
" tories, thought I was at least six feet high !
" When they saw me, I was much lowered in
" their estimation. I was neither so tall nor
" so stout as one of their Mamelukes : I could

OF NAPOLEON. 157
" not possibly command an army ! The Imans
" excited the people to revolt ; it became ne-
" cessary to oppose artifice to artifice, and I
" pretended to be inspired."
He began to turn the leaves rapidly over ;
and having met the place he was looking for,
he read : —
" ' Cherifs, Ulemas, Orators of the Mosques !
" Impress on the minds of the people, that
" those who shall wilfully declare against me,
" wUl have no repose either in this world, or
" the world to come ! Is there a man blind
" enough not to see that fate itself directs my
" operations ? Is there a man incredulous
" enough to doubt that every thing in this vast
" universe is subject to the influence of fate ?
" ' Let the people know that it is written
" ever since the creation of the world, that
" after having destroyed all the enemies of
" Islamism, and cast down the cross, I should
" come from the West to fulfil the task which
" has been assigned to me ! Show them
" that in more than twenty passages of that
" holy book, the Koran, what happens now is
" foreseen ; and what will happen hereafter,
" explained ....
" ' I might ask every one of you to render an

158 LAST MOMENTS
" account of the most secret sentiments of his
v heart ; for I know every thing, even that
" which you have not said to any body ! But
" the day will come, when it wiU be evident to
" att that I am led on by a superior power ;
" and that all human efforts are unavaUing
" against me !'
" The artiUery of the Mokatan, the noise of
" thunder which broke out very opportunely,
" the diamonds of Malta which I distributed
" amongst the men possessing the greatest
" influence, my confidence, the language I
" held, aU concurred, and dispelled the in-
" surrection ! I was henceforth a friend of the
" Prophet : inspired, and sent by God. All the
" Cheicks were devoted to me. They, however,
" embarrassed me, by proposing to me to pro-
" claim Islamism, and to take the turban. —
" ' We wttl see,' said I. — ' You would have one
" hundred thousand men !' — ' I shall think about
" it.' — ' The whole of Arabia would range it-
" self under your banners !' — ' But absti-
" nence ? — We are from the West, and
" should perish if we did not drink wine.' —
" ' The use of wine may be tolerated.' — ' And
" circumcision ?' — 'Is not indispensable.' I
" was thus forced from every entrenchment ; I

OF NAPOLEON. 159
" no longer knew what to say, or what ob-
" stacle to invent ; and was obhged to have
" recourse to a subterfuge : ' If such be the
" case,' said I, ' we are aU Mussulmen ! But
" the ceremony of our conversion must be
" great and imposing, and marked by acts of
" piety. I shall order a mosque to be built,
" finer than St. Sophia ; and it shaU be conse-
" crated for that occasion.' The Imans were
" satisfied ; and consented to what they had,
" till then, obstinately refused. They offered
" up prayers for me to the Prophet : the people
" respected me and obeyed me ; and I did every
" thing I wished. I thus profited by the stu-
" pidity of the Mussulmen, and amused myself
" at their expense ; but I made no profession,
" and never appeared in the mosque to pray.
" But for the circumstances that imperiously
" commanded my return to France, the affairs
" of Egypt would have taken a very different
" turn ; and they never would have had the
" deplorable issue they had, if Kleber had not
" fallen under the dagger of an assassin. It
" required but very ttmited talents to throw the
" EngUsh at Aboukir into the sea ; beat the
" Turks, if they came out of the Desert ; and
" go and compound with the Sepoys, who came

160 LAST MOMENTS
" down from Upper Egypt : but the incapacity
" of Menou was beyond aU calculation, and he
" ruined every thing."
23d. The Emperor better.— Bath.
Napoleon had sent for the children of the
Grand-Marshal. — He played and frolicked with
them ; and excited them himself to be noisy.
Little Arthur got out of temper, and began to
grumble. " What is the matter with you, lit-
" tie urchin ? — What do you say?" said the
Emperor to him, making him jump and laugh
at the same time in spite of himself. — " This
"Jittle fellow," said Napoleon to me, " is as
" independent as I was at his age ; but the
" fits of passion to which I often gave way,
" proceeded from more excusable motives : I
" leave you to judge. — I had been placed in
" a school of young ladies, the mistress of
" which was known to our family ; and being
" a pretty boy, and the only one there, I was
" caressed by every one of my fair schoolfellows.
" I might generally be seen with my stockings
" down, and covering hatf my shoes ; and in our
" walks I constantly held the hand of a charm-
" ing Uttle girl, who was the cause of many
" broils and quarrels. My maUcibus comrades,
" jealous of my Giacominetta, combined these

OF NAPOLEON. 161
" two circumstances together in a song which
" they made, and whenever I appeared in the
" street they foUowed me, singing, " Napoleone
" ' di mezza calzetta, fa I'amore a Giacomi-
" nettd /' I could not bear to be laughed at ;
" and seizing sticks or stones, or any thing that
" came in my way, I rushed into the midst
" of the crowd : fortunately it always happen-
" ed that somebody interfered, and got me out
" of the scrape ; but the number opposed to
" me never stopped me — I never reckoned how
" many they were."
The chUdren withdrew, and the conversa
tion then became serious, and turned by degrees
upon the events which foUowed the return from
Egypt. The Emperor entered into numerous
details relative to the battle of Marengo, and
gave an account of that day very similar to
what I had already heard.
" The army of reserve assembled at Dijon
" enabled me to pass rapidly into Germany or
" Italy, as circumstances might require. The
" season favoured me a little, for the monks of
" St. Bernard assured me that the snow dis-
" appeared that year twenty days sooner than
" usual. Our army, harassed by the passage
" of the Alps, was very weU received by these
VOL. I. M

162 LAST MOMENTS
" monks. I had informed them of our ap-
" proach, and sent them money, and they sup«-
" pUed us With provisions and exceUent wine.
" The monks of St. Bernard form an order of
" the highest respectabUity ; and their establish-
" ment is one of those institutions which go-
" vernments should never destroy, but on the
" contrary protect and encourage by every
" means in their power.
" On entering Italy I found myself Timme-
" diately on the rear of the enemy, and master
" of his magazines and equipage. I had ob-
" tained great advantages; and once, at Stra-
" della, the campaign might be considered as
" closed. Had Genoa held Out, I should have
" remained firm in my entrenched camp Of
" Stradella, one of the strongest positions of
" Italy. I had on the Po five bridges, which
" facttitated my communication with the divi-
" sions of Chabrun, Lapoype, Turreau, and
" Moncey, which I might call to my assist-
" ance if attacked ; or assist, if the enemy an-
" noyed them. To re-estabttsh his communi-
" cations, M. de Melas would have been obliged
" to offer me battle on ground chosen by my-
" self, being a plain intersected with woods,
" very favourable to my infantry, but in which

OF NAPOLEON. f63
" his cavalry could do nothing, whUst I had
" all my troops at my disposal.
" The capture of Genoa entirely changed the
" face of affairs. From that moment the ene-
" my had a secure retreat and very advantageous
" positions : he could retire to Genoa and de-
" fend himself there, by receiving provisions
" by sea; or place batteries on the heights of
" Babbio, and in spite of aU my efforts enter
" Placentia, — retake Mantua and Peschiera, —
" place himself in communication with Austria,
" and oblige me to carry on a defensive war :
" — my plan of campaign was frustrated. An
" expedient offered itself to my mind, and I
" resolved to risk the attempt. I left Milan,
" made 32 leagues in seven hours, and fought
" itlhe battle of Montebello. — We won it ; and
" that victory obliged the enemy to evacuate
"iGenoa; but it also weakened my army,
" and I was reduced to draw reinforcements
" from the divisions stationed on the other
" side of the Po, to defend the entrance into
" the MUanese States. It is true that these
" divisions were not more than three leagues
" from me ; but they could not jo™ nie under
three (days' march, being qbttged to pass
M 2

"f

164 LAST MOMENTS
" through Placentia or StradeUa. Another
" circumstance also operated against me. The
" country between Montebello and Alessandria
" is an extensive plain, very favourable to the
" German cavalry. I nevertheless made up
" my mind to make a partial attack, for I was
" placed in an extraordinary situation, and risk-
" ed Uttle to gain a great deal. — If I should be
" beaten, I retired to my entrenched camp
" at StradeUa, crossed the Po over my five
" bridges, protected by my batteries, without
" the possibiUty of opposition on the part of
" the enemy ; joined my first division with the
" corps of Moncey, Lecchy, and Turreau ; al-
" lowed one of the corps of Melas to pass the
" Po (which was aU he wished for), and then
" superior in number, I could attack him with
" all my forces. — If I should be victorious
" I obtained the same results. The army of
" Melas, blocked up between us and the river,
" would have been obhged to lay down its arms,
" and to surrender att its forts. — Had I been
" beaten, which I think was impossible, I should
" have engaged a regular war, and caUed in
" the aid of Switzerland.
"Determined to give battle, I ordered an
" account to be presented to me of the effective

OF NAPOLEON. 165
" state of my army. I had altogether twenty-
" six thousand men, and Melas had forty thou-
" sand; of whom eighteen thousand were ca-
" valry. — At two o'clock in the morning a
" report was brought to me that the enemy had
" attacked our vanguard, and that our troops
" were giving way. The French soldier does
" not like to be attacked ; our troops were fatt-
" ing back rather in disorder, the enemy had
" already taken some prisoners, and we had lost
" a league and a half of ground in our retreat.
" The generals commanding the vanguard,
" Lannes, Murat, and Berthier, sent me mes-
" sage after message, informing me that their
" troops were flying, and that they could not
" stop them. — They asked me to send them
" reinforcements, and entreated me to march
" with my reserve. I answered to all, ' Hold
" out as long as you can ; and when you can
" no longer maintain your ground, retire.' I
" perceived that the Austrians had not engaged
" their reserve ; and in such cases the great
" point is to endeavour to oblige the enemy to
" employ all his forces, whilst we husband our
" own, and to induce him to attack our
" flanks before he perceives his mistake ; for
" the difficulty is to force him to bring for-

166 LAST MOMENTS
" ward his reserve. The enemy had forty-four
" thousand men against twenty thousand at
" most, and even those twenty thousand wei*e
" in disorder. Melas had, therefore, only to
" follow up his success.— -I placed myself in
" front of the first legion, in a rich uniform, and
" at the head of a demi-brigade attacked and
" drove back the Austrians, and broke through
" their ranks. Melas, seeing nie at the head
" of my army, and his own legions repulsed,
" thought that I had arrived with my reserve
" to stop the troops that Were retreating ; and,
" therefore, advanced with the whole of his
" own reserve, consisting of six thousand Hun-
" garian grenadiers, the flower of his infantry.
" This corps filled up the gap I had made,
" and attacked Us in our turn.— I then gave
" Way, and during a retreat of hatt a league,
" exposed to their fire, I rattied the whole
" army, and re-formed its Une of battle. As
" soon as I had joined my reserve, consisting
" of six thousand men and 15 pieces of can-
" non, under the orders of Dessaix, who was
" then my sheet-anchor, by a rapid manoeu-
" vre I deployed aU my forces, formed with
" my army the two wings of the division of
" Dessaix, and opposed to the enemy six thou-

OF NAPOLEON. 167
" sand men of fresh troops. A powerful dis-
" charge of artillery, and a desperate charge
" with bayoneta, broke through their Une and
" cut off the two wings. — I then ordered
" KeUerman to attack with eight hundred
"horse; he advanced, and with these eight
" hundred horse separated the six thousand
" Hungarian grenadiers from the remainder
" of the army, before the very eyes of the
" Austrian cavalry. This cavalry, however,
" was hatt a league off, and required a quar-
" ter of an hour to arrive on the field of ac-
" tion ; and / have observed that it is always
" those quarters of an hour that decide the fate of
" a battle. The troops of KeUerman threw the
" Hungarian grenadiers upon our infantry, and
" they were immediately taken prisoners. The
" Austrian cavalry now arrived ; but our infantry
" was in a Une with its artillery in front, and a
" dreadful discharge and a barrier of bayonets
" obliged this body of cavalry to faU back, and
" it retired rather in disorder. I then followed
" with three regiments that had just joined me- —
" it deployed ; I drove it before me, and a great
" part of it was drowned in attempting to pass
" the bridge of the Bormida, which is very nar-
" row ; what remained was pursued till dark.

168 LAST MOMENTS
" I learnt after the battle, from some general
" officers, that the Austrians, even in the midst
" of their first successes, were not without feel-
" ing a degree of uneasiness ; they had a secret
" foreboding of their defeat. During the action
" they questioned our prisoners, and asked
" them, ' Where is General Bonaparte ?' — ' In
" the rear-guard.' — And those who had already
" fought against me in Italy, and who knew my
" custom of reserving myself for the end, ex-
" claimed, ' Our task is not yet over!' They
" also confessed, that on seeing me in the first
" Une they had been completely deceived by
" the stratagem, and had believed that my re-
" serve was engaged.
"In aU battles a moment occurs when
" the bravest troops, after having made the
" greatest efforts, feel disposed to fly. That
" terror proceeds from a want of confidence in
" their own courage ; and it only requires a
" sttght opportunity, a pretence, to restore con-
" fidence to them : the great art is to give rise
" to the opportunity, and to invent the pre-
" tence. " At Arcole I won the battle with twenty-
" five horsemen ; I seized that moment of lassi-

OF NAPOLEON. 169
" tude in the two armies ; I perceived that the
" Austrians, although old soldiers, would not
" have been sorry to be in their camp ; and that
" our Frenchmen, however brave, wished them-
" selves under their tents. — The whole of my
" forces had been engaged. I had been obhged
"to re-form them in order of battle several
" times, and had only twenty-five guides left.
" These I sent on the flank of the enemy, with
" three trumpets sounding the charge. A general
" cry was heard throughout the Austrian ranks
" of * Here is the French cavalry /' and they
" fled. It is true that the proper moment
" must be seized; one minute sooner or later
" that attempt would have proved useless, even
" though I had sent two thousand horse ; for the
" infantry would have made a conversion cover-
" ed by its artiUery, and opened its fire, and
" the cavalry would not even have attacked.
" You thus see that two armies are two
" bodies which meet and endeavour to frighten
" each other ; a moment of panic occurs, and
" that moment must be turned to advantage.
" All that is merely the effect of a mechanical
" and moral principle ; it only requires habit ;
" and when a man has been present in many

170 LAST MOMENTS
" actions he distinguishes that moment without
" difficulty ; it is as easy as the casting up of
" an addition.
" The first time I entered Italy, I found there
" a government rather despotic, it is true, but
" whose administration was mUd. But now
" every thing was altered ; the country was agi-
" tated by a most furious re-action, and every
" individual who had had any thing to do with
" us, had been thrown into prison and fined. I
" had appointed men of the Austrian party to
" various situations in the Cisalpine Republic,
" because my system is to neutrattze the sen-
" timents of the great mass of the people, in
" order that the country where I make war
" may not become a closed arena ; weU, all
" these persons so placed by me had been
" looked upon with an evU eye on account of
" the hatred borne to revolutionists. Add to
" this, that the EngUsh, the Russians, and the
" Turks, by despising the reUgion of the coun-
" try in proportion to the scrupulousness with
" which they observe their own, had quite in-
" disposed the Italians, who pay much more at-
" tention to the outward forms of reUgion than
" we do in France. The German paper-money
" also was at a discount of sixty per cent., and yet

OF NAPOLEON. 171
" the inhabitants were obttged to receive it as
" coin. This circumstance completed the entire
" estrangement of the affection of the Italians
" from Austria ; and when the former saw that
" we paid for every thing in cash, they were de-
" Ughted, and exclaimed—' Here are the French
" Louis' come back again !' (Ecco i Luigi di
" Francia tornati /")
" The church of Our Lady of Loretto was
" used as barracks for a Turkish corps. I had
" not much difficulty in ranging the ItaUans on
" my side : I said to them, ' The Austrians caU
" themselves the defenders of your religion, and
" they bring you a regiment of Englishmen — of
" people who burn the Pope regularly once a
" year; legions of Russians, who have been
" heretics and schismatics ever since the 15th
" century; and, to crown the whole, Turks,
" Mahometans, a race of unbeUevers ! whttst I
" am CathoUc, have fought against the Turks,
" and am almost a crusader.'
" I gave several situations in the Government
" of the Cisalpine RepubUc to priests. The
" Italian priests are remarkable for tolerance,
" and do not form a separate and powerful
" corps, as formerly the clergy of France did.
" Accustomed, besides, to see their country in-

172 LAST MOMENTS
" vaded twice every century, they Uft up their
" hands as often as you please, and take any oath
" required of them. In short, I found them just
" what I wanted. In Italy I made use of some
" priests, in Egypt I filled the administration
" with them. We could not speak the lan-
" guage of the country, and wanted some in-
" termediate agent between us and the people;
" and the character of these priests, and their
" riches, gave them a certain influence. Besides,
" they are cowards, who do not understand
" the use of arms, nor know how to ride on
" horseback." 24th. — Fever and slight head-ach ; the
Emperor cannot sleep. Continuation of the
same symptoms. I ordered foot baths and sim
ple enemas.
25th. — The Emperor had passed a more
favourable night ; the fever had yielded to
abundant perspiration, and he was altogether
better. He was upon his usual text, and spoke of
Corsica; of its mountains, and of the happy
moments he had passed there. He afterwards
mentioned Paoli : " He was a very great man,"
said Napoleon ; " I loved him, and he was very
" much attached to me and to aU my family.

OF NAPOLEON. 173
" We were at Corte when he adopted the fatal
" resolution of bringing the island of Corsica
" under the dominion of England. At first he
" concealed his intention from me, and Gentitt
" was equaUy sUent on the subject; but some
" words, that escaped inadvertently, awakened
" a suspicion in my mind ; I recapitulated aU
" I had seen and heard, and no longer enter-
" tained any doubts as to their intention. Our
" ideas and sentiments were widely different on
" this occasion, and I several times indirectly
" gave them to understand that such was the
" case. However, as I commanded a corps of
" national guards, it became necessary to put
" me into the secret ; they did not despair of
" changing my ideas, and overcoming my an-
" tipathy, and proposed to me to act in concert
" with them. But this was far from being my
" intention : I was ardently devoted to France,
" and would not begin by betraying her ; still,
" in order to escape, it was necessary to gain
" time, and I therefore asked to reflect a little
" before I decided. PaoU's friendship was dear
" to me, and I was grieved at the idea of a rup-
" ture with him ; but my country was my polar
" star ! I retired, and proceeded to Bocognano.
" On arriving there I was seized by the moun-

174 LAST MOMENTS
" taineers who had pursued me, put into confine-
" ment, and guarded by forty men. The situa-
" tion was a critical one ; nevertheless I found
" means to extricate myself from it. The Captain
" who guarded me was a good-natured man, att
" attention to me, and who endeavoured to ex-
" cuse himself for being under the necessity of
" obeying the orders he had received ; the execu-
" tion of which, he said, was peculiarly painful to
" him on this occasion. I entered into eonver-
f sation with him, and he proposed to me to go
" out with him and breathe the fresh air. I
" accepted, and directed my servant to station
" -himself on the road at a distance of about five
" or six hundred paces. Suddenly I feigned a
" aaaost imperious necessity to satisfy the wants of
" nature — my gaoler believed me, and stepped
" aside, and I was on my horse before he had
" turned his head. He cried out, hallooed,
" called to arms, but swift as the wind I was
" out of reach before he could fire, and arrived
" at Ajaccio. The mountaineers were, however,
" at nay heels, and I found myself obUged to
" ask an asylum of a friend. Barberi received
";me, sand conduQted me to the coast, from
" whence I went to Galvi to join Lacombe St.
"Michel. I had escaped from partisans., posts,

OF NAPOLEON. 175
" and pottce ; aU had been unavailing : Paott
" was grieved and vexed beyond measure. He
" wrote, complained, threatened ; my brothers
" and myself had betrayed, he said, his in-
" terests and those of our country, and did not
" deserve the sentiments he entertained for us ;
" nevertheless we might return — his arms were
" open to receive us ; but if, for the last time, we
"were deaf to his advice, and insensible to his
" offers, he should no longer have any mercy.
" The execution of this threat was as prompt
" as the answer to it had been scornful; he
" seized our flocks, burnt, pillaged, and de-
" stroyed att our property. We did not inter-
" fere to save it, but having excited the patriots,
" we ran to their assistance. The citadel was
" occupied, and kept up an incessant fire; so
" that, finding it impossible to land, we went
"and anchored opposite to the north of the gulf.
" The insurgents foUowed us : I had had time
" to land a few guns, and I covered them with
" grape-shot. They, however, returned, loaded
" me with reproaches, expressing their indigna-
" tion that one of theirs should fight for France.
" They had cttmbed upon trees, and heights,
" and wherever they hoped to be better heard
" from : I loaded with a cannon-ball, aimed,

176 LAST MOMENTS
" fired, and cut down a branch upon which one
" of these orators was perched. He feU — his
" fall amused the mob ; it dispersed, and was
" seen no more. We returned to Calvi, and
" tried again a few coups-de-main, which were
" not all to our disadvantage ; but the EngUsh
" had landed, the mountaineers inundated the
" plain — we could not oppose the storm.
" My mother went to Marseilles; she ex-
" pected to find there a spirit of patriotism,
" and to meet with a reception proportioned to
" the sacrifices she had made ; but she scarcely
" could obtain a safe asylum. All had given
" way ; my presence was no longer of any use
" in Corsica, — I left it and went to Paris. The
"fiderSs had just deUvered up Toulon, the
" future was big with events, and I did not
" despair that amongst the number one might
" arise which would re-estabUsh our affairs.
" They were much in want of such an event,
" for the mountaineers had completly ruined
" them, and but for the revolution they were
" irretrievably lost. The harm done to us by
" Paoli had not sufficed to estrange me from
" him ; I loved him, and never ceased to regret
" him. He was tall, his attitude was noble,
" he spoke well, knew the Corsicans and

OF MAPOLEON. 177
" exercised unlimited influence over them.
" EquaUy skilful in discovering the importance
" of a mUitary position or of a measure of ad-
" ministration, he fought and governed with
" a degree of tact and sagacity which I have
" never seen but in him. During the war for
" Uberty I accompanied him in his excursions,
" and he explained to me, as we proceeded, the
" advantages of the ground we passed over, the
" best way to render it available and to remedy
" its defects. I recollect that one day as we
" were going to Port-Neuf, at the head of a large
" detachment, I submitted to him some obser-
" vations upon the ideas he had expressed. He
" listened to me very attentively, and looking
" steadfastly at me when I had done : — ' Ah !
" Napoleon,' said he, ' you are not of this age —
" your sentiments are those of the men de-
" scribed by Plutarch. Courage ! you wttl rise in
" the world.' — -And so I did; but he was obliged
" to yield to fate, and took refuge in England,
" where he resided at the period of the ex-
" peditions of Italy and Egypt. Every one of
" my victories transported him with joy; to
" hear him celebrate and exalt my success, it
" might have been supposed that we Were on
" the same footing of intimacy as we had been.
VOL. I. N

178 LAST MOMENTS
" When I was raised to the Consulate, and after-
" wards to the Empire, it was worse still ; party
" followed party,: and dinner succeeded dinner,
" and nothing was heard but shouts of joy and
" satisfaction. The head of the state was dis-
" pleased at these manifestations of enthusiasm,
" and Paoli was sent for. — ' Your reproaches
" are just,' said the latter, ' but Napoleon is one
" of mine : I have seen him grow up — I foretold
" his fortune. Can you expect me to detest his
" glory, to disinherit my country of the honour
" he does her?' — I felt for that great man aU the
" sentiments he had for me : I wished to recall
" him and give him a share of power, but I was
" overwhelmed with the multiplicity of affairs ;
" time passed, — he died, and I had not the sa-
" tisfaction of making him a witness of the
splendour that surrounded me."
26th. — The Emperor continues better.
Some ships had anchored off the island, and
several passengers had landed in the hope of
seeing Napoleon. I saw them coming with
Lowe. " They come from India," said the Em
peror to me, " and I should like to ask them
" some questions ; but this Calabrian inspires
" me with too much disgust. I shall not receive
" them. Hudson is the Paria of St. Helena — he

OF NAPOLEON. 1/9
" corrupts every thing he sees or touches ; he
" forms a mixture of stupidity and low cunning,
" against which I know not what kind of in-
" stinct forewarns me — I wttl not see them."
And he began to discourse about India. He had
not, he said, properly attacked that country;
he had gone to work by way of Persia, and it
was not through that quarter that the attempt
ought to have been made ; but the adventurers
he had sent into those regions had leagued with
the Presidencies and betrayed the Nabobs: he
would have nothing more to do with them.
" I had for some time," continued he, " intended
" to send two or three thousand Chouans* on
" the Jumna :f they asked to go and to have
" Bourmont for their chief, and I should have
" acted wisely in aUowing them. French blood
" is always good opposed to a foreign foe; I
" should have been rid of those old habituSs of
" discord ; I should not have foottshly dragged
" some of them to Waterloo, and a great disaster
" would not have taken place. But every one
" must fulfil his destiny — nobody can command
" it. I have shown to France what she can
" do — let her execute it.
* Insurgent Royalists in the West of France.
t A riyer in India.
N 2

180 LAST MOMENTS
27th. — The Emperor had passed a bad
night, but the general state of his health had
not suffered from it.
" Well, Doctor, how do you find me ? am I
" better ?" said he, extending his arm towards
me, whilst he was reatling at the same time. —
" Your Majesty is at least not worse. It is
those pttls — (the box was open, and he had not
taken any :) they possess some efficacy." — •
" No doubt." — " They disengage the humours."
— " Ah !" — " They keep the bowels open." —
" Assuredly, they possess every virtue in the
" world," said Napoleon, throwing down his
book. " Why, zounds ! Doctor, you preach for
" your piUs with more fervour than is used in
" favour of legitimacy now-a-days. Do you
" take any yourself ?" — I laughed. — " Very
" well; I understand you, — the sermon for your-
" self, v and the physic for the patient ; is it not
" so ? Betteve me, we had better leave off att
" these remedies ; Ufe is a fortress which nei-
" ther you nor I know any thing about ; why
'" throw obstacles in the way of its defence ?
" its own means are superior to aU the appa-
" ratus of your laboratories. Corvisart candidly
" agreed, that att your filthy preparations and
" mixtures are good for nothing. Medicine

OF NAPOLEON. 181
" is a collection of uncertain prescriptions which
" kill the poor, and succeed sometimes with the
" rich ; and the results of which, collectively
" taken, are more fatal than useful to mankind.
" Speak to me no more about these fine things ;
" I am not a man for drugs."
I endeavoured to combat the theories he had
formed ; I was serious, and felt grieved on con
sidering all the consequences they might pro
duce. " You appear thoughtful and downcast,
" Doctor ; what is the matter with you? Have
" I found out the weak part of the armour ? ' —
" Sire, there are medicines the efficacy of which
has been tried and proved." — " Like those
" that Corvisart used to give to the Empress ;
" pills composed of crumbs of bread, but which
" operated with excellent effect. Maria Louisa
" one day extolled their virtues: — they are all
" alike."—" No, Sire." — " What an obstinate
" man ; just what I expected." — " Facts . . ." —
" Are visible, and causes are occult, but I am one
" of yours — I have practised." — "You, Sire?" —
" Myself." — " But your Majesty did not pre
scribe ?"¦ — " Can you ask me such a question ?
" What would have become of my dignity ? I
" should have been looked upon as an intruder."
— " You chose your remedies, and they were not

182 LAST MOMENTS
unpleasant to take." — "Sometimes, but generally
" speaking I did not draw them from the apo
thecary's shop; water, air, and cleanUness,
" were the chief articles Of my pharmacopoeia,
" and I seldom had recourse to any other means.
" You laugh at my method ; do so : your col-
" leagues in Egypt laughed at it also; but^ex-
" perience demonstrated that my flannel and
" brush were preferable to their puis. I under-
" stand you, sir ; I see that, Uke a worthy Chris-
" tian, you are surprised at my ablutions; but
" we were destroyed by the plague and by
" assassination. The Arabs murdered my sol-
" diers, and the doctors refused to attend them.
" I could not forsake them in their miserable
" condition ; I vainly endeavoured to animate
" the courage of the professional men whose
" devotion is generally so conspicuous, and pu-
" nished One of them who had shewn himself
" more pusttlanimous than the others, by de-
" grading him, and causing him to be walked
" through the streets of Alexandria with a
" board, upon which was Written, ' He is not a
" Frenchman— he fears death.' StiU the igno-
" miny of one did not restore energy to the
" others ; the service was carried on tamely,
«' and the ravages of the disorder remained

OF NAPOLEON. 183
" unabated. I made some advances to the
" Cheiks, and ordered the troops to encamp ;
" tranquillity was restored, the malady ceased,
" and I derived great advantage from the step
" I had taken. However, approve or blame
" as you think proper, here is the ordinance : —
" Cairo, 9th Pluviose, Vllth Year
of the Republic.
" TO GENERAL MARMONT.
" I suppose, Citizen-General, that you have
changed the system of service of Alexandria,
and that you have placed small and permanent
posts in the various batteries. On the height
of the observatory, and at the battery des Bains,
for instance, you wUl have placed twelve or fif
teen men, who are not to go out of it, and
whom you wttl keep there cut off from aU com
munication. The sentry required to guard the
post wttl be taken from those twelve or fifteen
men. Your position with respect to the sea
reUeves you from the necessity of exercising
any considerable degree of surveillance at this
moment, and you therefore want but few troops.
Why do you employ grenadiers for the service
of the town ? I cannot comprehend the obsti
nacy of Commissary Michaux in remaining in
his house, since it is infected by the plague.

184 LAST MOMENTS
Why does he not go and place himself on a hill
near the column of Pompey ?
" All your battattons are at least hah0 a
league distant from each other ; keep but a
small number in town ; and it being the most
dangerous post, do not keep any chosen troops
there  Place the battalion of the 75th under
those trees where you have long been stationed
-with the 4th regiment of light infantry. Let it
bivouac there, and let aU communication be
tween that battatton and the town and Egypt
be strictly forbidden. Send the battatton of the
85th towards Marabon, where it can easily be
furnished with suppttes by sea. With respect
to the unfortunate demi-brigade of Ught infan
try, order the men to be stripped stark naked,
and bathed in the sea : let every man scrub
himself well from head to foot, and thoroughly
wash his clothes ; and see that they keep them
selves clean in future. No more parades, no
more guards : let every one remain in the camp.
Order a large pit to be dug filled with quick
lime, to throw the dead in.
" From the moment a French house is in
fected with the plague, let the individuals be
longing to it be either in camp or barracks ;
but let them carefully avoid the house, and let
them be placed in reserve in the open air.

OF NAPOLEON. 185
Lastly, order every one to wash his hands and
face every day, and to keep himself clean.
" If you cannot preserve the whole of the
corps where the disorder has appeared, from
the contagion ; preserve, at least, the majority
of your garrison. It appears to me, that you
have not yet taken any measures commensu
rate with the circumstances in which you are
placed." " He was amusing himself with correspond-
" ing with Menou ; he was writing, joking,
" losing time, and only busying himself about
" the turban and the wife of that old fool. — -
" 'Those bttndfoldmarriages are very dangerous,'
" said the one. — ' They have succeeded in my
" case,' rejoined the other. — ' Is Madame hand-
" some ?' — ' She is very desirable.' — ' Shall you
" use the privilege?' — 'No ; *******
"*************' and a hun
dred fooleries of the same kind ; but read on."
" If I had not at Alexandria some depots
which I cannot do without, I should have already
told you to go with your garrison and encamp
three leagues off, in the desert. I know that
you cannot now do this, but approach as near
to it as you can. Endeavour to impress on your

186 LAST MOMENTS
mind the spirit of the instructions contained in
this letter ; execute them fn as far as they are
practicable, and I hope you wttl derive some
benefit from them. „ Bonaparte."
28th. — The Emperor had suffered in the
night with acute pains in the liver. He was
better this morning.
I was relating to the Emperor the discussions
I had heard at Florence respecting the nobttity
of his famUy, and the causes of its emigration.
" Those causes are very simple," said he. " The
" last of my ancestors who inhabited Tuscany,
" professed the same principles as I do : he de-
" fended them as I defended mine ; and, Uke
" me, he fell a victim to them. The foreign
" faction prevatted, the national party was de-
" feated and outlawed, and Bonaparte sought
" an asylum, first at Sarzana, and afterwards in
" Corsica. But the famUy intercourse did not
" cease ; his descendants continued to corre-
" spond with the members of the branch that
" was settled at San Miniato, and addressed to
" them those of their children whom they wish-
" ed to send to study at Pisa. That branch is
" now extinct ; the good Canon, of whom I
" spoke to you, was the last shoot of it. He

OF NAPOLEON. 187
" died, — I forget now in what year, — and left
" me his fortune, which I devoted to the assist-
" ance of the suffering classes in Tuscany. My
" own nobUity dates from MUlesimo, Rivott,
" and from the 1 8th Brumaire, when I defeat-
" ed the plots laid against the nation. The
" nobittty of my family is more ancient,1 its
" origin is lost in the obscurity of the middle
" age : the genealogist Joseph alone could trace
" it to its source ; he pretends to be descended
" from I know not how many obscure tyrants.
" Attempts were frequently made to bring
" my vanity into play on that subject, but
" the bait would not take : I never Would
" listen to any of these suggestions. After the
" battle of Arcole, when I was general-in-chief
" of the army of Italy, the whole population of
" Treviso came out to meet me. My ancestors
" had held the first rank in that city ; they pre-
" sented me the acts and parchments that proved
" it, and offered me the sovereignty which my
" famUy had lost. At Bologna, Marescalchi,
" Caprara, and Aldini came by order of the
" Senate to lay before me the golden book,
" in which the name and the arms of my
" family were inscribed. At a later period I
" was obUged to advance as far as Tolentino.

3.88 LAST MOMENTS
" I was unwUUng to display bayonets before
"priests, or to wage war with a saint; but
" seventy-five thousand Frenchmen had already
" been murdered under his reign : it was too
" much — I resolved to put an end to it. AU
" those who surrounded me insisted upon over-
" throwing the idol ; but France had become
" Cathottc again : it was necessary to render the
" revolution popular, to use the influence of the
" priesthood, and I therefore had recourse to
" negotiations. Besides, we obtained rich pro-
" vinces, and the port of Ancona, whence one
" might in twenty-four hours pass into Mace-
" doma— that was a fine result. The Pope's
" envoys exclaimed against my victories, and
" the rapidity with which Italy had been con-
" quered and the Austrians defeated. ' I was,'
" said one of them to me, 'the first French-
" man that had marched against Rome since
" the Connetable de Bourbon ; and what was
" rather singular, the history of the first ex-
" pedition had been written by one of the an-
" cestors of the man who commanded the second.'
" The expedition of Egypt and the Consulate
" put aU the genealogists in motion ; every
" parchment was turned over, and consulted.
" I was allied to the ancient house of Este, to

OP NAPOLEON. 189
" that of England ; in short, it is impossible
" to say to whom I did not belong. The Duke
" of Feltre was particularly anxious about these
" researches. A female of the Bonaparte famtty
" had married a Medici, another had given
" birth to Paul V., a third to I know not what
" other personage. I was altted to sceptres and
" tiaras by the women, and to literary fame by
" the men. The latter had distinguished them-
" selves as historians and dramatists, in juris-
" prudence and in diplomacy. Have you read
" ' The Widow ? ' or, at least, have you heard of
" it whilst you were at Florence ? " I replied
in the negative. " It is an old play," continued
the Emperor, " but not devoid of interest ; the
" manuscript of it is at Paris, in the national
" Ubrary. The author was a distinguished
" writer, who is much spoken of in Mazzu-
" cheUi's Biography of the writers of Italy. It
" was he who instituted, at the university of
" Pisa, the class of jurisprudence, which after-
" wards became so celebrated.
" But to return to the attempts that were
" made to prove that I am nobly descended.
" We were in the year 1810 ; and yielding to
" the proposals I had refused in 1805, I had
" allied myself to Austria. The Emperor

190 LAST MOMENTS
" Francis, who thought much more of the lus-
" tre derived from parchments, than of that ac-
" quired by victory, ordered all the archives of
" Italy and Germany to be searched, and at
" last succeeded in finding the documents he
" wanted. He informed me of the circumstance,
" and begged me to allow him to publish them ;
" but I excused myself in the best way I
" could, and refused. He insisted, wrote to me,
" spoke to me about it again when we were
" at Dresden, and could not at all understand
" whence proceeded my repugnance to consent
" to his wishes ; for, after all, it was an honour to
" be descended from a family of sovereigns, as
" he could prove that mine was, by producing
" the title-deeds and documents he had obtain-
" ed. ' Those titles,' said I, ' are too ancient for
" me ; mine date only from MUlesimo.' — -' You
" date from a much earlier period." — 'No, I go no
" higher.' — ' But. . . .' He understood at last that
" I prided myself more upon being the Rodolph
" of my own family, than the descendant of some
" odious legitimate.—' A Sovereign famtty ! —
" Maria Louisa must be informed of this dis-
" covery ; she witt appreciate the value of it — it
" wttl please her ; do tell Maria Louisa of it.'
" I requested him to make the communication

OF NAPOLEON. 191
" himself, and did not conceal from him the
" Uttle importance I attached to affairs of that
" nature. He felt hurt at the manner in which
" I received what he thought would have been
" a most agreeable surprise prepared for me.
" His care and trouble had been thrown away;
" I despised titles, and was, after my disasters,
" a mere jacobin. Had I consented to this
" foolery, who knows but that there might have
" been one hundred thousand men less on the
" plains of Leipsic ?"
29th.— -The Emperor's health in the same
state. He was arranging his naUs, and brush
and scissars succeeded each other rapidly.
He examined his hand for some time without
saying a word, and suddenly asked me seve
ral questions. " What are the natts ? What
" is the beard, the epidermis ? * How are
" they formed ? What are their functions,
" their structure? You have not explained
" that to me very clearly; begin again." — " Sire,
as I told your Majesty, the epidermis is divided
into two layers, one exterior and the other
interior. One is thin, transparent, unalterable
by the air ; the other is opaque. The first, of a
close and firm texture, is composed of small and
* Scarfskin.

192 LAST MOMENTS
delicate absorbent vessels, proceeding from the
inhalent orifices which cover the surface of that
membrane. The second, which is placed under
neath, reposes upon the papilla?, and extends
over the intervals which separate them. It is
composed of the same vessels, but they are con
siderably larger, and contain numerous orifices
which Une the internal surface. These two
layers are united by a multitude of smaU trunks
and lymphatic vessels passing from one to the
other, and serving to bind them together. The
absorbents, which form the internal layer of the
epidermis, are filled with a kind of matter, which
is black in some individuals and opaque in
others ; and produces the difference between
the negro and the white man : — such is the
epidermis. Its use is as follows : the numerous
inhalent orifices of the absorbent vessels, which
are heaped together and occupy the whole of
the external surface of that membrane, are thin,
slender, capillary, and only admit substances in
the state of gas ; the inhalent orifices of the
second layer, which are, as we have already said,
stronger and larger, are capable of receiving
liquids : and thus the use of the epidermis is to
absorb foreign substances, and repair the losses
of the human frame.

OF NAPOLEON. 193
" Hair, feathers, bristles, and consequently the
beard, perform the same functions. Implanted in
the fat cellular membrane, they are surrounded
by two tubes, the second of which contains
small glands filled with a taUowy substance,
whence oozes an unctuous Uquid, which lu
bricates them, and tends to preserve them.
Their texture is thicker, and composed of capil
lary vessels which absorb the particles floating
in the air, and pour them into the circulation.
The scales of fishes and the feathers of birds
differo in that respect, inasmuch only as the
first absorb Uquids and the others only admit
aeriform fluids. Women have more hair on the
head, and we have more on the body : but the
object of both is merely to pour out and to draw
from the air; consequently the hair is more
abundant and stronger, in proportion as the part
where it grows is more subject to perspiration.
See how admirably it is adapted to the use for
which nature has intended it. Of the two sets
of vessels which compose it, some run from the
extremity of the hair towards the root, and
their office is to draw in the aeriform fluids ;
the others go from the root to the extremity,
and convey the otty substances contained in the
skin. They restore the equilibrium, which
vol. i. o

194 LAST MOMENTS
many causes tend to disturb ; they coUect what
is wasted by perspiration, compensate for losses,
and repair disorders." — " So then, Doctor, hairs
"are leaves?" — "Yes, Sire, the comparison is
exact ; it is the same principle of action." — " To
" absorb, throw out, form new combinations, con-
" stitute life ?" — " Yes, Sire, the epidermis and
the hair have no other use." — " And we cut
" it !"— " It is an abuse."—" We shave !"— " It
is contrary to nature." — " What, then, would you
" have us look like Capucins ? * Why, Doctor,
" you have now explained to me the reason for
" using hair in the construction of hygrometers."
— " Yes, Sire ; the property which suits them for
that purpose is a consequence of their structure."
—"And the natts?" — "Are composed of the
same vessels as the epidermis ; but their texture
. is thicker and more compact than the epidermis,
of which they form the prolongation."
30th. — I knew that the Emperor was better ;
and being tormented by the gnats, I went to take
a ride on horseback. " What ! you have already
" been out ?" said Napoleon to me on my return.
" Yes, Sire, I have been endeavouring to escape
from being stung." — " And I from devastations.
" Here, see how the rats run about my room !
* Friars who suffer their beards to grow.

OF NAPOLEON. 195
" They have almost destroyed the partition waU :
" every thing is eaten through in these mise-
" rable cabins. But you have not told me
" what has struck you most in your excursions :
" what have you observed?" — •" A few plants and
shrubs." — " Steeps and ravines ! Nature in con-
" vulsion." — "But, Sire, after having doubled the
Munder .... "— " Well ?"— " The prospect ex
pands, and you perceive James-Town." — " And
" a fine prospect it is ! a few wretched hovels over-
" hung by rocks, squeezed up between mountains
" as if they were to be smashed by them,"—
" That renders the point of view more pictu
resque." — " Picturesque indeed ! About a
" hundred cabins built of mud and stone, scat-
" tered about in the bottom of a ravine ; mitttary
" posts, an hospital, and a church, in keeping
" with the rest — such is the romantic picture!"
— " But Plantation-House ?" — " It is the Oasis
" of the desert. BuUt close against a chain of
" mountains, it is sheltered from being dried up
" by the south-east winds : plants, shrubs, of the
" most opposite natures, grow and thrive there,
" and present to the eye an aspect of vegeta-
" tion which is seen on no other part of the
" island. The spot is unique of its kind, like
" the Calabrian who inhabits it : but one is
o2

196 LAST MOMENTS
" not more a favourable specimen of the island,
" than the other is an unfavourable one of man-
" kind." — " There are places worse than . . . ." —
" No ! there are none like that where we are.
" No shade, no verdure ; we have only a few
" gum-trees, and they are mutUated ; the wind
*' has bent them in the direction in which it
" blows. At the height at which we are (two
" thousand feet) vegetation and Ufe cease.
" British magnanimity had its motives for
" hoisting me up here." — " But, Sire. . . ." — " I
" know it. A few vegetables escape from the
" baneful influence of this spot, but we cannot
" draw from them a conclusion respecting us ;
" they are more hardy and vivacious, exposed
" to fewer chances : that was weU known ; and
" it was equally so, that men cannot Uve long
" in regions where the vegetation of plants is
" weak and slender : all that was taken into
" account in their calculation. — ¦ Is not the
" length of a Ufe in St. Helena ascertained ?
" Are there any aged people to be seen here ?
" many individuals who reach the age of fifty ?
" and amongst those labouring under hepa-
" titis, how many die, and how many Uve ?
" Anxiety, sufferings, a prolonged state of
" moral nulUty — such is the lot of the most

OF NAPOLEON. 197
" fortunate. How should they recover ? They
" inhale the air ; and each breath is like the
" wound of a pin, which cooperates to hasten
" their destruction. — Such were the intentions
" of noble England, when she treacherously en-
" snared me ; and such the novel manner in
" which she perpetrates destruction."
31st. — The Emperor was uneasy and agi
tated : I advised him to take some calming me
dicine which I pointed out to him. " Thanks,
" Doctor," said he ; "I have something bet-
" ter than your pharmacy. The moment ap-
" proaches, I feel, when Nature wttl relieve her-
" self." In saying this he threw himself upon a
chair, and seizing his left thigh, tore it open
with a kind of eager delight. His scars opened
anew, and the blood gushed out. " I told you
" so, Doctor ; I am now better. I have my pe-
" riods of crisis, and when they occur I am saved."
A kind of lymph issued at first abundantly, but
soon ceased to flow, and the wound closed of itself.
" You see," said Napoleon, " that Nature in this
" case wants no assistance ; when there is a su-
" perabundance, an over-fulness, she expels the
" excess and the equttibrium is restored."
This singular phenomenon excited my curi
osity ; I enquired into every circumstance con-

198 LAST MOMENTS
nected with it, and ascertained that it was of
regular occurrence, and dated from the siege of
Toulon. The Emperor, who was then only a
colonel, commanded the fire of a battery, when
a gunner fell dead by his side : he took up the
rammer, loaded and fired the cannon, and being
in a state of perspiration, imbibed the infection
of the itch, with which the soldier was covered.
He commenced a treatment, but the impati
ence of youth, the activity of the service, and a
wound received from a bayonet above the knee,
soon obUged him to discontinue it. The erup
tion disappeared, and the humour was ab
sorbed through the wound into the system.
This neglect was nearly attended with fatal
consequences ; the virus developed itself during
the campaigns of Egypt and Italy, and produced
pains in the chest, incessant coughing, and dif
ficulty of breathing.
The first Consul was thin, pale, and wan,
and seemed to be near the term of his exist
ence. " Att around me," said Napoleon, " be-
" set me then with representations upon my indif-
" ference : but as it did not impede the march
" of affairs, I took no notice of what they said.
" At last, however, their solicitations became
" so pressing, that I consented to take the ad-

OF NAPOLEON. 199
*' vice of a physician. Desgenettes %as pro-
" posed to me ; and being indifferent as to the
" choice of one, I accepted him : but he en-
" tered into so long a dissertation, and pre-
" scribed so many medicines, that I remained
" convinced he was a mere talker, and the pro-
" fession an imposture ; and I did nothing. The
"importunities commenced again : I yielded
" once more, and Corvisart was brought to
" me. He was blunt, rough, and impatient ;
"and scarcely leaving me time to give him an
" account of my state of health, he said, ' Your
" complaint is nothing ; it is an eruption which
" has passed into the system, and which we
" must bring back to the skin ; a few days! btts-
" tering wiU do it.' He accordingly applied two
" bttsters on the chest, and the cough disap-
" peared: I became stout, my energy returned,
" and I was able to bear the greatest fatigue.
" The sagacity of Corvisart delighted me. I
" saw that he had found out my constitution,
" that he was the proper physician for me; and
" I therefore attached him to my person, and
" loaded him with marks of my favour. At a
" later period he opened an issue in my left
" arm ; but the war of Spain having broken out,
" I suffered it to, close, and did not find my-

200 LAST MOMENTS
" self tfTe worse for it. The irritation and
" itching continued as usual ; I opened new
" wounds, and new scars were formed ; the
" humour found a vent, and I enjoyed perfect
" health." The Emperor's health was now re-estabttsh-
ed : he slept, bathed, walked, and led his
usual life. I often accompanied him into the
garden. He spoke of his campaigns, and I spoke
to him of Corsica, and endeavoured to suggest
topics of conversation that were pleasing to his
mind. One day, after having spoken at consi
derable length about the troubles of that unfor
tunate country, he gave me an account of the
services rendered by Cervoni, the suppUes fur
nished by Arena, and the extortions the latter
had been guttty of, and of the intrigues in which
Moltedo had shared. " My unexpected return
" from Egypt had disconcerted him ; the prisons
" were full ; the parties in presence of each
" other ; the patience of the public exhausted :
" the municipal authorities accused the depar-
" mental, who, in their turn, accused the ma-
" gistrates : exasperation and discord were the
" order of the day.
" Contrary winds drove us from the coasts
" of France : we sought refuge near those of

OF NAPOLEON. 201
" Corsica, reached Ajaccio, and anchored in
" the bay. The public bodies and the whole
" population immediately ran to the sea-side :
" every one was anxious to see me, and caUed
" upon me to land ; the acclamations increased
" every moment. The leaders were upon
" thorns ; they, however, summoned up courage :
" the Board of Health assembled, and decided,
" after a long discussion, that I could not land.
" ' Express to him, at least,' said Barberi, who
" presided at the Board, ' how very painful
" this decision is to your feelings ! and let us go
" and congratulate the General upon his vic-
" tories ; he has weU deserved that mark of
" respect.' This proposal was agreed to ; a
" boat was taken, and they directed their course
" towards the frigate La Muiron. The sailors
" threw out ropes ; Barberi got on board the
" first, and the others foUowed him ; I was then
" invited to land. I had no suspicion that the
" President took advantage of the circumstance,
" and exceeded his powers ; I thought the in-
" vitation unanimous, accepted, and landed
" with all my suite. I was received as a man
" is sometimes received by his countrymen ;
" acclamations resounded in att directions.
" The troops were under arms : poor, misera-

202 LAST MOMENTS
" bie objects ! they had neither shoes nor cloth"
" ing. I asked where the chest was ; but no
" money had been paid into it for seven months.
" And the paymaster had made advances, and
" raised upon his own bond 40,000 francs,
" which he had distributed amongst the diffe-
" rent corps, in order to ensure the subsistence
" of the soldiers, and to satisfy the innkeepers
" who refused to supply the officers. I felt in-
" dignant at this disordered state of affairs ;
" and having collected all the money I could
" dispose of, I ordered the arrears of pay to be
" paid up, and that the appearance of the
" troops should no longer excite compassion.
" In the evening there was a ball and iUumina-
" tions ; the poor vied with the rich in demon-
" strations of joy. Kind-hearted inhabitants
" of Ajaccio ! I never shall forget your re-
" ception. " The excellent Barberi had sent me notes
" and newspapers : I knew how Corsica and
" France were situated, and had an idea of the
" state of parties. A gondola manned by four-
" teen chosen sattors was to foUow my frigate,
" so that" I could overtake the swift-sailing
" vessels sent to Toulon, and escape from the
" English cruisers who were on the look-out.

OF NAPOLEON. 203
" The next morning I received the congratula-
" tions of the civU and mitttary authorities : I
" praised some, treated others with severity,
" and intimidated the department. The pri-
" sons were thrown open, some vacant situa-
" tions fitted ; doubt and mistrust vanished,
" courage returned, and in four days order,
" peace, and confidence were completely re-
" stored. " The accompttces of CittadeUa had sent
" him a messenger to inform him of my return,
" but he was detained by contrary winds. In
" the mean time I set off, arrived at Frejus,
" Grenoble, Auxerre, and did not stop until I
" reached Paris. I upset the Directory ; the
" 18th Brumaire occurred; the enemies of
" France were confounded : I restored order,
" recalled victory, and estabUshed the Consulate
" government. But if winds had been favour-
" able, if the dispatches to CittadeUa had ar-
" rived before me, all my plans might have
" been defeated, and France from that moment
" would have become a prey to the emigrants."
Napoleon had often spoken to me of the in
trigues which had agitated his reign, and ac
compUshed, at last, his downfall. He was ac
quainted with them all; knew the leaders.

204 LAST MOMENTS
their accompttces, and the places where they
met. " During the hundred days I followed
" their movements," said he ; "I saw them run
" from my presence to their assemblies ; and I
" might have punished, for I held the docu-
" ments which convicted them. These docu-
" ments had reached me in a singular manner.
" A foreign officer of rank, whose situation
" obliged him to Usten to these plots, was in-
" dignant on seeing men whom I had created
" conspire to effect my ruin. He demanded
" an audience, deUvered up aU the plans to me,
" and protested that if ever his troops should be
" in the line of battle I might reckon upon him.
" I was deeply affected, and was on the point
" of casting these wretches back into the mire
" from which I had raised them ; but the crisis
" approached, it was necessary to conquer, and
" I postponed this signal act of national justice
" until after the enemy should be defeated.
" The enemy, however, was not defeated; mea-
" sures were too well concerted, and I fell.
" Ah, Doctor ! how many contemptible beings
" surrounded me ! But if fortune had not be-
" trayed our courage, if we had conquered at
" Waterloo, every thing would have been re-
" paired and revenged ; the nation would have

OF NAPOLEON. 205
" been put in possession of the secret of our disas-
" ters ; and I should have offered an expiatory
" sacrifice to the manes of my soldiers. What
" have these wretches done ? they were sa-
" tiated with glory, and they have covered
" themselves with opprobrium. But every ac-
" tion meets with its due reward ; for who
" would be M  ? A  ?" &c. &c. He
named several individuals, and stopped at S . . . .
" Base miscreant !" said he, " he betrayed me
" with aU the turpitude natural to men of his
" cast. After having made his own terms, he
" ran to Fontainebleau, represented to me his
" situation and his misery ; I divided with him
" what remained in my chest, gave him a
" thousand Scus, and he left me apparently agi-
" tated by every feeling of gratitude. A few
" hours afterwards he had gone over to the
" Austrians." From the plots of these last periods the
Emperor passed to those that were formed at
the commencement of his career ; and spoke at
length of the machinations which had inter
fered with his operations during the campaigns
of Italy. He related how he had discovered
and defeated them, and the light that had been
thrown upon the movements of the interior

206 LAST MOMENTS
by the papers he had seized at Padua and
Verona. His correspondence had given me
some insight into all these intrigues ; I had a
general idea of them, but their detaUs escaped
me, and I could not understand many of the
principal documents. " There are some from
you, Sire, from Augereau, from Bemadotte. I
see that you had guessed WUlot; that you
would not have ' men who only love liberty to
lead them to revolutions ;' that you gave orders
that — ' some individuals should not be aUowed
to style themselves the people, and commit
crimes in its name.' You say in one of your
despatches — ' Revolutionists are detested here,
and all are ready to oppose them, whatever
their object may be. No more revolutions ;
that is the dearest hope of the soldier. He
does not ask for peace, which is the object of
his secret wishes, because he knows that it
would be the only way not to obtain it, and
that those who dread peace call for it loudly, in
order that it may not take place. The soldier
is preparing for fresh battles ; and if he some
times turns his eyes towards some towns of the
interior, and observes the spirit which animates
them, he is grieved to see deserters received
and protected, and the laws without efficacy, at

OF NAPOLEON. 207
a moment which is to decide the fate" of the
French nation.' In another place you ask for
' officers accustomed to fight ;' you wttl not have
' generals skilled in scientific retreats.' You
exclaim — ' that you can only be overcome by
disproportion of numbers ; that, perhaps, the
last moment of the brave Augereau, of the in
trepid Massena, of Berthier, and of ... . is ap
proaching.' I understand: I trace the exist
ence of malevolence and imbecttity in the
choice of officers, and in the state of abandon
ment in which you were left. But nothing
escaped you ; you spoke openly, and they took
care not to commit themselves. The emigrants
impeded the transports, and encouraged spies ;
but the army was devoted, and only Uved for
France and victory. But what signifies the
proclamation of Augereau ?" — " What procla-
" mation ? Read it to me."
" Soldiers ! what have I heard ? can it be
that those arms, which in your hands have
been the terror of Europe and the triumph of
the Repubttc, — those victorious arms which you
had devoted to the most sacred of causes, and
which were once so formidable to the enemies
of your country, — are now turned against her
by yourselves ; that your hands are stained

208 LAST MOMENTS
with French blood, and that you have polluted
by fratricides the laurels with which you were
crowned ? What evU genius has sown discord
amongst you ? Who has fanned its fire ? Who
has spread its poison ?
" I have seen my country threatened from
abroad, betrayed at home, torn by civil war, tor
mented by factions, invaded at its frontiers, and
a prey to all the horrors of anarchy : I have
seen all my fellow-citizens, driven in contrary
directions by opposite parties, flock under the
banners of each in turn ; murdering one day
in the name of justice, and the next in the
name of humanity : I have seen att the crimes
of intolerance, fanaticism, and ambition, and I
have shuddered : but in the midst of all these
disorders, my eyes were turned towards the
army, where I saw union, concord, and frater
nity ; there, all hatred and passions disappeared
before the sacred fire of patriotism and honour
leagued together for the defence of all : I ad
mired the sublime example of zeal, constancy, and
devotedness it displayed ; and I said, if virtue,
Uberty, and heroism, are banished from the rest
of the universe, it is there, in the Repubttcan
army, that they have a sure asylum. That
consoUng reflection has constantly upheld me
in the most violent crisis ; I felt proud of

OF NAPOLEON. 209
being in your ranks : Oh, comrades ! will you
oblige me to alter my opinion ? No ; you
know that I am your friend. My voice has often
guided you to victory : obey the impulse it now
seeks to give you. Let us argue : a single
word is the cause of your dissensions, — how ab
surd ! You betteve yourselves really divided in
opinion ; but you are mistaken, you all think
alike. When you pursued your victorious
course from the Pyrenees to the banks of the
Danube, and from the ocean to the banks of
the Tiber, what was your object — to be free ?
You are free. You possess laws and rights ;
in a word, you are citoyens. This title has
been dearly bought, and ought therefore to be
dearly valued ; and yet, either from levity or
love of novelty, an unmeaning, barbarous, un-
harmonious name — a name without etymology —
after having been proscribed by good sense, has
been revived by folly, and fashion has under
taken to bring it into vogue once more. That
fashion has crossed the Alps, and our ears have
been offended by the whistling sound of Mon
sieur. I am far from suspecting those who
have used the word of any bad intention, and
I attribute their having done so to want of
reflection. I know my countrymen. At first
vol. i. p

210 LAST MOMENTS
Monsieur has been said, without attaching any
importance to it : those who have been dis
pleased with the expression, have perhaps re
quired in too haughty a tone that it should be
banished from the intercourse of society ; and
it has then been thought that compUance with
the interdiction might be ascribed to fear. All
that is quite enough to produce obstinacy on
both sides, but is it enough to justify hatred
and destruction ?
" I have bought as dearly as any one the va
luable title of citoyen, and I am disposed to
submit to every sacrifice to preserve it : who
amongst you thinks differently ? Nobody, I
hope. If there are any that do, let them go
and carry elsewhere their baseness and their
maxims ; their departure wttl be the signal for
the return of harmony and union amongst the
worthy defenders of our country.
" You are now approaching the moment
when you wttl enjoy the reward of your la
bours : peace wttl enable Government to com
pensate your sufferings ; and I, who have con
stantly witnessed aU the privation you have been
exposed to, and all the efforts you have made ; I,
who know your wants, and wish to supply them,
am already preparing at Verona the means of

OF NAPOLEON. 211
accomplishing that object on your arrival there.
Dress, equipment, arms, food, hospitals, and
pay, have all been the subject of my earnest so-
Ucitude, and you wttl feel its effects ; but I ex
pect from you the oblivion of those dissensions
which grieve my heart and cause our enemies
to smile. Let the love of your country and the
honour of the army produce a reconciliation ;
so that, when I shaU appear again at your
head, I may find no more traces of what has
happened. I trust that these motives are pow
erful enough to bring you back to sentiments
more worthy of yourselves, and that you will
not obttge me, after having tried persuasion, to
have recourse to force. " ORDER.
" General Augereau, considering that malevo
lence, ever ready to seize opportunities of doing
harm, has taken advantage of the word Mon
sieur being used in conversation or elsewhere,
to sow discord and produce confusion, and that
the blood required for the defence of our country
has been shed in the quarrels that have foUowed
its adoption ; considering also, that after what
has occurred, those who should obstinately per
sist in using that word can have no other ob-
p 2

212 LAST MOMENTS
ject in view than the total ruin of the army ;
declares, that henceforth any individual of the
division who shall use the word Monsieur, either
verbally or in writing, under any pretence what
ever, shall be degraded and rendered incapable
of serving in the armies of the Republic. The
present order shall be inserted in the Order of
the Day, and read at the head of each company.
" Augereau."
" What ! degrade a man for a single word ?"
— ¦" Why not, if that word produces bloodshed,
" as it did ?"
" Bemadotte had gone from the army of the
Rhine to that of Italy ; his troops had appeared
cold, stiff, and lukewarm, and had become the
object of the jokes and sarcasms of the corps
commanded by Massena. Anger ensued ; the
names of Monsieur and Sans Culotte were reci
procally given, and bloodshed followed.
" Such is the disorder which Augereau wish
ed to repress ; and his proclamation gives a
faithful picture of the circumstances in which
we were placed. Attempts are now made to
falsify history ; men incapable of appreciating
our labours endeavour to turn the current of
opinion ; but the facts speak for themselves,

OF NAPOLEON. 213
and they must at last be understood. It was
not in the army of Italy that our enemies sought
for traitors : from the moment it was com
manded by Napoleon, the emigrants could not
find in its ranks any body to seduce ; the reU
gion of its banners was the only one known. We
marched, and every thing vanished before us ;
Italy was conquered, and Austria reduced to
the last extremity. We were striking the aris
tocracy blow after blow ; its existence was
threatened, and in its own defence it espied and
seized upon every opportunity of retattation.
A victory only produced fresh battles : Wurmser
came to avenge BeauUeu, Alvinzi to avenge
Wurmser. The army of the Rhine, which was
for ever on the point of marching, never moved.
" The question was between us and them,
and was soon decided : success crowned valour,
and we triumphed in every direction. The
General-in-chief advanced through Tyrol, pe
netrated into Carinthia, and drove every thing
before him. He had made dispositions to be
able to support his movement, and prevent
the enemy from intercepting us : every chance
was foreseen. Having reached Clagenfurt and
taken the offensive, he directed his troops to
the right, and refused his left, which was

214 LAST MOMENTS
protected by various works." — "I proposed,"
said the Emperor, " to occupy Salzburg and
" Inspruck, to cross the Inn, to levy contribu-
" tions on the suburbs of the capital, and
" to march into Bavaria. The army of the
" Rhine again remained inactive, and the plan
" fatted. If Moreau had' chosen to co-operate
" with me, we should have made the most
" astonishing campaign that ever was fought, —
" we should have upset Europe : but he went to
" Paris, did nothing, attempted nothing, and
" left me once more to cope with aU the forces
" of the Austrian monarchy. I had penetrated
" into Germany without the least considera-
" tion. I had taken 80,000 prisoners, and
" obUged the Emperor to evacuate Vienna : but
" immense levies of troops were being raised
"in all directions ; Hungary was flying to arms;
" the Tyrol was on fire ; my position was very
" critical ; I therefore had recourse to negotia-
" tion." The departments of the war and marine,
the whole administration in short, was sup
ported by his victories ; he was obUged to sup
ply the wants of the other armies, to secure the
pay of the troops, to furnish horses, to satisfy
every claim. In the space of a few months

OF NAPOLEON. 215
he had sent fifty-two millions into France. —
On the other hand, the Directory had attached
to our rear a host of rascals who devoured
every thing. Our soldiers were without shoes,
money, or clothes, and the hospitals were desti
tute of the most essential articles : we were
assailed by scarcity in the midst of plenty.
It was in vain that he represented, threat
ened, assembled mUitary Commissions, drew
bttls ; the commissions were seduced, andi the
bttls dishonoured : he was alone to combat cor
ruption ; it was like the task of forcing a torrent
back to its source. — " There was but one way of
" putting an end to this state of things, which
" was, to estabttsh a commission possessing the
" power of inflicting the punishment of death
" on these pirates. The pottcy of the measure
" was confirmed by experience and history, and
" consistent with the nature of the government :
" but it was not to be expected that the depre-
" dators themselves would deUver up the sword
" which was to strike them : the proposal was re-
" jected." Every thing was exhausted : he no
longer knew where to apply, and was besides
aware of his potttical position ; he therefore
signed the preliminaries of Leoben. The ques
tion was now to pass from provisjpnal to de-

216 LAST MOMENTS
finitive conditions, and lay down the basis of
a permanent peace: but the democrats did
not wish for peace, and the aristocrats stiU
less ; the first were anxious to municipalize
Europe, and the second waited to see the re
sult of the plots they had formed. " The
Emperor wUl not sign," wrote confidentially the
Elector of Hesse ; " Clichy is averse to these
transactions ; and Clichy rules over Paris and
its councUs : the affair is, therefore, suspended
for the present." " These delays did not suit
" either my ideas or my views : I had seized
" the papers of the party at Verona, and had
" just got possession of its papers at Venice.
" I discovered its plans, its means, the informa-
" tion it possessed ; and I knew that corrup-
" tion prevaUed every where, that aU were
" seduced, and ready to betray their trust. In
" desperate cases, violent remedies must be ap-
" pUed : I appealed to the patriotism of the
" troops ; we framed an address ; Augereau
" carried it, and the club was confounded.
" Bemadotte also contributed a great deal to
" defeat the plot : I had sent him to the Di-
" rectory : he ran to the Manege* harangued,
* An assembly so called from holding its deliberations
in a riding-school.

OF NAPOLEON. 217
" speechified, and struck aU the emigrants with
" terror. But the collection must contain
'• some of his letters : look, after the affair of
" Venice." — I opened the book and read : — " I
laugh at the extravagance of the partisans of
royalty. They must possess very little know
ledge of those who lead the armies, and of the
armies themselves, to hope to muzzle them so
easUy ; or to betteve that an orator more or less
learned, more or less venal, can disturb our
tranquillity ! Those deputies who speak with
so much impertinence, are far from imagining
that we should enslave Europe, if you only
formed the project of so doing."
" Enslave Europe ! that is just like the man :
" a slave in the saloon, and a brawler in the
" anti-chamber, he intrigued and speechified for
" ever ; I do not know a man of less probity.
" — But look further back ; there must be
" another letter." — " Your firmness and your
courage alone can deUver the Republic from the
frightful precipice prepared for it by the hypo
crisy, perfidy, and practised criminality of the
agents of the altar and the throne." — " Was he
" then already plotting the conspiracy of the Con-
" cordate ? I recognize the style of his pamph-
" lets." — " A conspiracy ?"— " Yes. The generals

218 LAST MOMENTS
" who defile now-a-days before missionaries,
" vergers, cross-bearers, were then indignant at
" my re-opening the churches ; my death was to
" expiate the outrage offered to reason. Times
" are much altered ; but we shaU return to the
" subject. Read on, I wish to hear his letter." —
I saw it just now ; you mean that where his
honour begins to totter ! — " Precisely. Ho-
" nour was with him what modesty is with
" women — a fly ; the least thing alarmed it.
" He only felt secure at the Manege. But pro-
" ceed ; I am listening to you."
" TO THE GENERAL IN CHIEF.
" I saw General KeUerman in passing
through Chambery, and communicated to him
your notes. He answered : first, That the depot
of the 21st demi-brigade has been sent to
Italy, and that it must now have arrived at
MUan. Secondly, That the chief of your staff
has only tP order the 79th demi-brigade to
march, and that he can see no objection to it.
He told me that he cannot get rid of the small
number of cavalry he has at Lyons ; he must
have written to you on the subject. He will
send you swords, but he wants money.
" I have found the repubUcan spirit grown

©F NAPOLEON. 219
very lukewarm. Since my passage through the
interior of the country, the counter-revolution
is effecting itself in the minds of the people :
the laws are without vigour ; emigrants return ;
and the tribunals acquit part of them, and do
not seek after the remainder. Many deputies
say there is in the Assembly of Five Hundred
a party decided for the re-establishment of roy
alty : another party is planning a movement to
defeat this faction ; but if it takes place, the
commotion wttl be dreadful, for those who shaU
have excited it wttl no longer be able to repress
it. In the midst of this conflict there is a class
of men who fear anarchy as much as royalism :
they say Uttle, and are not much seen ; but
they wait for the proper moment to annihttate
the two parties one by the other. These men
always apply calming measures to the events
that are preparing, and they gain time ; so
that by removing the period of the explosion
from day to day, the Government wttl by de
grees become firmly estabttshed, provided it
acts with order and prudence.
" The Five Hundred fear the Directory, and
that is enough to ensure the superiority of the
latter: but to maintain it they must skilfully
take advantage of circumstances as they may

220 LAST MOMENTS
occur ; know how to give rise to others; and
frighten, at least by appearances, those members
who march openly and with rapid strides to the
re-establishment of the throne. These gen
tlemen seem to have taken Pichegru for their
mark : he is flattered, coaxed, caressed : they
appear to laugh at him ; and, in point of fact,
the party that thrusts him forward knows very
well that he is a man of very ordinary stamp.
Pichegru has been base enough to abandon the
RepubUcan cause : he confounds men with
events ; and attempts have been made in vain
to convert him. Urged to explain his senti
ments, he has answered fooUshly, without logic,
and with the tone of a man puffed up with
pride, and who fancies that his name alone is
worth an army. Poor man ! Alas ! he is not
very strong.
" The ice is broken : Pichegru is now known ;
— his old friends forsake him, and he loses
every day a part of his colossal reputation. I
met him at Kleber's with several northern ge
nerals, but we scarcely noticed each other. He
had probably been informed of the way in
which I had spoken of him, and he was ex
tremely reserved. I followed his example.
" Three generals are on the lists to command

OF NAPOLEON. 221
the guard of the Assembly of Five Hundred ;
the first is Kleber, the second Dessaix, and the
third Serrurier. Every body has felt that
such a command would not be very flattering
for either of those three generals, and every
one has made his remarks upon the subject ;
and the last argument seems to be this — -
all these three personages have a reputation,
and would be very useful, in the event of a
commotion, in rallying round the Legislative
Body a great number of soldiers and officers of
the armies in which they have served. Kle
ber wttl not accept the command. Repub
lican from phttosophy, he laughs at the per
plexity of some, and at the awkwardness
of others ; but if ever a commotion takes place,
Kleber wttl put his head out of the window
to look at the two parties, and witt go and
range himself on that side where he will per
ceive tri-coloured cockades. He is desirous of
visiting the field of your glory : I shall bring
him with me, and he wttl be delighted to see
the man whose brttliant achievements he has
so often admired in the number of flags taken
and prisoners made, but still more in the di
rection he has given to the reins of government.
"Paris is a horrible residence for a man of

222 LAST MOMENTS
honour ; I am tired to death of it, and shall
leave it very soon. I shall endeavour to send
you some cavalry ; if possible, the Richepanse di
vision. Carnot is convinced that if the opera
tions of the war again become active, you will
want reinforcements of both cavalry and in
fantry. I shall speak to Barras and to Rewbell
on the subject to-morrow. Adieu ! I love you
as much as I esteem you."
" There has been a want of sense in all that
" man's proceedings which I cannot account for.
" He only aspired after fame and celebrity, and
" when he had the finest opportunities in the
" world to acquire them, he did not avatt himself
" of them. At Jena he might have covered him-
" self with glory : he had only to march ; by so
" doing he would have placed himself in the rear
" of the Prussian army, and the whole would
" have been taken. In Saxony, in Belgium ....
" the result would have been unique in history ;
" but it required a soul to conceive and execute."
The Emperor expatiated at great length on the
offences of this general : not againstfhimself — -he
did not value that ; but against France, which
had given him birth, and the army, to which he
owed every thing. " At Austertttz he had suf-
" fered his ranks to be broken through ; he had

OF NAPOLEON. 223
" slumbered on the Elbe, and run away at
" Wagram. He had many times exposed our
" eagles to defeat, and had at last guided the
" savages of the Don and of Dalecarlia against
" them." Napoleon was animated and vehe
ment. I endeavoured to turn the conversation
into another channel. I thought the diplomatic
career of Bemadotte irreproachable, and spoke
about it. " What, his talents ? "— " But his em
bassy ? " — " Was a series of blunders. Dessaix
" was highly incensed against him, and Moreau
" shrugged up his shoulders : even his best
"friends condemned him."—" He hoisted our
colours." — " Could he do less ? but they had no
" connection with the riot." — ¦" The people of
Vienna . . . ." — " Had been taught upon fifty
" fields of battle to respect those colours, and
" would have taken care not to insult them.
" But I had spared the emigrants in Italy ; I
" had not pursued to the last extremity a few
" unfortunate Frenchmen in the last stage of
" misery, and had incurred the blame of the
" Manege. It was necessary to give proofs of
" patriotism, and deserve praises. The am-
" bassador endeavoured to submit to his juris-
" diction aU the emigrants that were beyond
" the Rhine. Men rejected by France were

224 LAST MOMENTS
" not amenable to his agents : they became in-
" dignant at a persecution without object ; raised
" up and excited a few poor wretches ; and
" thus the officious meddling of a blundering
" busy-body had weU nigh re-opened the arena.
" Is that what you admire ? " — " I had heard
other causes assigned to the insurrection." —
" Where ? in his Memoirs ? "— " I had the de
tails from one of my friends who was at Vienna
at the time." — " And from whom did your
" friend hear them ? " — " From a Pole who
possessed the confidence of Bemadotte." —
" Ja  ?"— " Yes, Sire."—" The Providence oi
" the embassy, and the guide which the Austrian
" police had had the art of giving him ! and
" accordingly the citoyen ambassador transmitted
" precious information to Brune ! If the con-
" queror of the Helder had not possessed the
" instinct necessary for that kind of war, the
" Italian vespers would have taken place. You
" have resided a long time in Florence, and
" have of course heard of the movements of
" Manfredini at that period ? " — " No, Sire ; I
only know, that in one of his clandestine jour
neys to Vienna he was strangely frightened
by one of your soldiers." — " How so ? " — " The

OF NAPOLEON. 225
enemy's troops insulted our posts, and provoked
them by words and gestures. ' Advance with
your corporal!' cried an old Austrian sergeant to
the commanding officer of a French round. —
' If,' repUed the Frenchman, ' you had a cor
poral Uke him, and an escort Uke his, you would
come more openly to the point.' Manfredini,
who was passing hy, thought the observation
intended for him ; and believing himself dis
covered, became more circumspect. Rome
broke out too soon, Bristol was taken by sur
prise, and the scheme failed." — " But, Doctor,
" you told me, if I recollect rightly, that you
" had hitherto only frequented corpses. Let
" me tell you that those corpses were tolerably
" well informed of the state of affairs. The
" account they have given you is not true in
" every particular, but neither is it altogether
" false. Yet, after all, it is not impossible that
" a word pronounced by chance may have had
"the result you ascribe to it; the most ;im-
" portant determinations have often been pro-
" duced by circumstances quite as trivial as the
" one you have just mentioned : besides, . Man-
" fredini had some reason to believe in the tact
" of our soldiers." I endeavoured to recollect
VOL. I. Q

226 LAST MOMENTS
the circumstance the Emperor was alluding to ;
and learnt that, in point of fact, the reddition
of Mantua was due as much to their sagacity
as to their courage. Alvinzi was hastening to
its assistance with a numerous army, and had
sent before him a confidential man, to whom he
had entrusted his despatches. The sorties of
the garrison were to coincide with his attacks :
it was necessary to concert measures for that
purpose, and he had nearly succeeded. Our
Unes were already passed, and the emissary was
on the point of entering the fortress, when he
was seized by a patrole. He was questioned
and searched, but nothing was found on his
person ; and he was going to be placed with the
mass of other prisoners, when a voltigeur present
at the interrogatory took him to task. ' Where
are your orders ?'—' I have none.' — ' You have.'
— 'But . . . .' — ' Yes you have some, there, in
your beUy : confess, or my sword shall soon bring
them to light.' The Austrian was disconcerted ;
and after some hesitation owned the fact, and
was shut up in a separate room until he had
been deUvered of his despatches. They Were
enclosed in a small cyUnder, covered over with
a coat of wax, which' was dipped in a kind of
elixir to facilitate its passage. The Imperialists

OF NAPOLEON. 227
had very often had recourse to that expedient ;
but the perspicacity of this voltigeur deterred
them from attempting to use it in future.
This recalls to my mind an anecdote relating
to the war with Corsica, which the Emperor
often told me. Paoli was master of the island,
and his mountaineers covered the plain : it
was impossible to correspond with the pa
triots scattered about in the interior, and
yet it was highly expedient to do so, and to
threaten Paoli on his rear in order to prevent
his marching upon us. " I was acquainted,"
said Napoleon, " with the friends of France ;
" I knew those that were devoted, and
" might be relied upon, and I induced La-
" combe Saint Michel to give them commis-
" sions, The difficulty was, to get the com-
" missions delivered; for the passes were weU
" guarded, and the roads covered with spies,
" and success was therefore not probable : I,
" however, made the attempt. I ;chose a cun-
" ning active countryman, whom I dressed up
" in the most miserable rags I could find, and
" launched him amongst the mountaineers.
" He was stopped at every post, and for a
" length of time deceived their vigUance. On
"these occasions he placed on the ground the
Q2

228 LAST MOMENTS
" gourd he carried in his hand, and encouraged
" and facttitated the search of his person. ' He
" had no other object,' he said, ' than to obtain
" some means of supporting his existence ; he
" had relations at Ajaccio, who were in easy
" circumstances, and he was going to implore
" their compassion. Was it to be supposed
" that he, : in his miserable condition, would
" trouble his head about any thing else ? that
" he would serve the French, who had des-
" troyed his . cottage ?' He proceeded in this
" manner as far as Corte, where the gendar-
" merie, less confiding, cut up his clothes, from
" head to foot, even to the soles of his shoes ;
" but nothing was found, and he was going to
" be released, when some one thought it would
" be better to inform PaoU. ' A man who goes
" about the country to beg, in the circum-
" stances in which we are placed ! he . must
" be an emissary ; go and search him, he has
" some message.'— '^Impossible ! we have taken
" his dress to pieces thread by thread ; every
" part of it has been undone.'- — ' His mission .is
" then verbal, for he has one ; question him
" again.' — ' We have tried every thing.' — ,' What
" has he about him?' — ' A Uttle gourd.' — 'Break
" it.' They did so, and the commissions were

OF NAPOLEON. 229
" found in it. Paoli was not to be so easily
" deceived." The favourable state of the Emperor's health
did not long continue : his strength was nearly
exhausted; the influence of the latitude was
unabated, and it was evident that he must fall
a prey to it. Indeed, it was not long before his
situation became extremely unsatisfactory. I
had left him tolerably well on the 10th, and
the next day I found him very much altered.
1 1th. — I saw the Emperor at four o'clock in
the morning. He complained of pains of co-
Uc, want of sleep, agitation, sensation of un
easiness. The symptoms begin to assume a
serious character; they, however, yielded for
the present to a bath and enemas.
12th. — The night had been more tranquil,
but the Emperor complained of a kind of he-
micrania. He took a foot-bath.
13th. — The Emperor had passed a good
night, and the hemicrania was gone. Bath. —
Walk. I accompanied the Emperor into the
garden. He was weak ; and having sat down,
he looked around him to the right and to the
left, and said, with a painful expression : "Ah,
" Doctor ! where is France and its cheerful ctt-
" mate ? If I could but see it once more ! If

230 LAST MOMENTS
" I could but breathe a little air that had
" passed over that happy country ! What
" a specific is the soil that gave us birth !
" Antaeus renewed his strength by touching the
" earth ; and I feel that this prodigy would be
" repeated in me, and that I should revive on
" perceiving our coasts. Our coasts ! Ah ! I
" had forgotten that cowardice has taken vic-
" tory by surprise ; its decisions are without
" appeal. " But do you know, Doctor, that you are a
" terrible man ? You have disturbed all the
" notions I had acquired ; you have upset att
" the ideas I had formed : I am at a loss what
" to make of your work. — ' The epidermis is
" an organic mass ; veins are only prolongations
" of the arteries ; they form a net, the threads
" of which wind back upon themselves, and the
" two extremities of which are mixed and con-
" fused together ...-.' — You criticise without
" mercy every thing that has been written
" upon the subject. Your introduction to the
" works of Mascagni is a revolution in ana-
" tomy." — " I think so, Sire ; for it rectifies
many results improperly studied." — " And does
" not contain any views too lightly adopted and
" promulgated?" — « I believe not."—" What

OF NAPOLEON. 231
" wttl the anatomists say on seeing old and ac-
" knowledged theories destroyed?" — " What
men say when they discover their error." —
" But your doctrine is totally different from
"that of our schools. Are there not clever
" anatomists in Paris ?" — " Yes, Sire, many."
" Well ! how, then, does it happen that you do
" not agree together on the subject ?" — ¦" You
cultivate science. Sire, and could answer that
question better than I can." — " Ah ! you want
" me to give the answer myself; you are afraid
" the faculty may be Ustening to what we
" say ?" — " No, Sire ; but every man takes his
own view of a subject. One follows one thing,
another pursues another ; and very often the
man who does not obtain any result, displays
more sagacity than the man who makes a dis
covery." — " You fear that I may accuse you
" of presumption ; such is not my intention :
" but you come from the Cape of Corsica ; are
" you not marked with the stamp of your
" country?"—" How, Sire ?"— " Oh ! I know
" you well, Capo-Corsini ; you are always dis-
" satisfied ; you find nothing good but what
" you have done yourselves." — " We, Sire ?" —
" Yes, you. I came into this world in the
" arms of old Mammuccia Caterina; so you

232 LAST MOMENTS
" may judge whether I have experience on the
" subject. She was stubborn and testy, and
" constantly quarrelling with aU around her ;
" and particularly with my grandmother, to
" whom she was, however, very much at-
" tached, and who also loved her very much
" in return. They were continually arguing
" and disputing ; their discussions were inter-
" minable, and amused us exceedingly. You
"look serious, Doctor; the description , hurts
" your feeUngs : but be consoled, for if your
" countrywoman was of a scolding disposition,
" she was also kind and affectionate ; she
" walked out with us, amused us, and treated
" us with a degree of care and sottcitude which
" I have never forgotten. I stttl recoUect the
" tears she shed when I left Corsica,now upwards
" of forty years ago. You were not born then ;
" and I was young, and did not foresee the
" glory that awaited me, and still less that we
" should one day meet here. But the decrees
" of fate are immutable, and every one must
" submit to his destiny. Mine was to run
" through the extremes of life, and I set out
" to accomplish the task allotted to me. My
" father was going to VersaUles as deputy of
" the nobility of Corsica, and I accompanied

OF NAPOLEON. 233
" him. We passed through Tuscany, where I
" saw Florence and the Grand Duke, and ar-
" rived at Paris. We were recommended to
" the Queen : my father met with a most flat-
" tering reception, and I entered Brienne. I
" was happy ; my ideas began to ferment ; I
" felt a want to learn, to know, to push myself
" forward ; and I devoured the contents of
" every book I could procure. In a short time
" I became the theme of universal conversation
" at the school : I was admired and envied ; I
" felt a consciousness of my own powers, and
" enjoyed my superiority. Not that there did
" not already then exist some charitable souls
" who endeavoured to embitter my satisfaction.
" I had, on arriving at the school, been intro-
" duced into a room, in which was a portrait of
" the Duke of Choiseul ; and the sight of that
" odious man, who had sold my country, had
" drawn from me an expression of hatred and
" contempt. This was blasphemy— this was a
" crime sufficient to efface my success ; but I
" aUowed malevolence to vent itself, and ap-
" plied to study with redoubled ardour and
" application. I saw what men are, and made
" my profit of the observation."
14th. — Napoleon a little better. — Bath.- Ex-

234 LAST MOMENTS
ercise. I foUowed the Emperor into the garden.
" Did you frequently visit Corsica," said he,
" whilst you resided in Italy ?" — " Very seldom,
Sire." — " You are at all events acquainted with
" the history of Corsica ? You know that I
" have written one of that country?" — "Yes,
Sire ; I have heard that you have." — " I was
" then eighteen years old, and full of fire : the
" struggle was not yet over ; and I was burning
" with patriotism and liberty ; repubttcanism
" issued from every pore. I submitted the re-
" suit of my labour to Raynal,* who approved
" of it, praised me, and advised me to print
" my work. — I Ustened to his praises, and dis-
" regarded his advice ; and I acted wisely ; for
" young as I then was, I must have followed
" the beaten track — distorted events, supposed
" intentions, and lost myself in erroneous
" views. I was quite a novice, a stranger to
" the arts of war and of administration, and
" not yet initiated into the secret of affairs ;
" andl probably judged those who had directed
" them with the same impertinence as I am
" now judged. — Have you read .... But you
" only read books on physiology ; you know
* Abbe Raynal, the historian.

OF NAPOLEON. 235
" nothing about the rhapsodies which are every
" day issued into the world."
The Emperor passed some works in review,
and reverted again to Corsica, and the friends of
his infancy. — "Do you know Barberi?" — " The
son of the President of the Board of Health,
who conducted the friends of Moltedo and Cit
tadeUa on board the Muiron ?" — " Precisely.
" I one day played him a trick which caused
" his appetite to murmur sadly. — It was in the
" year 1793: I had obtained leave of absence,
" and had come to spend it at Ajaccio. I was
" then only a captain, and foreseeing the war
" was likely to be long and severe, I was pre
paring myself accordingly. I had, therefore,
" established my study in the quietest room in
" the house — in one of the garrets ; I received
" nobody, seldom went out, and devoted my
" whole time to study. One Sunday morning
" as I was crossing the Place du Mole I met
" Barberi, who reproached me with my se-
" elusion and never being seen by my friends,
" and proposed to me to take a walk. I con-
" sented to accompany him, on condition that
" we should make an aquatic excursion. He
" beckoned to the sailors of a ship, of which he
" was in part owner : they came, and we em-

236 LAST MOMENTS
" barked. My object was to measure the extent
" of the gulf, and I directed them to proceed
" towards tlie-Jtecanta. I seated myself astern,
" let out my ball of string, and obtained the re-
" suit I wanted. When we got to the Costa we
" cttmbed to its summit : the position was mag-
" nificent ; it is the same" upon which the Eng-
" Ush afterwards placed a redoubt ; it com-
" manded Ajaccio, and I was desirous of study-
" ing it. Barberi, who took very little interest
" in that kind of researches, urged me to put
" an end to mine. I endeavouipd to engage
" his attention, and to gain time ; but hunger
" closed his ears. If I spoke of the extent of
" the gulf, he repUed, that he had not yet
" broken his fast ; if I pointed out the steeple,
" or such and such a house, which I could easUy-
" strike with my bombs, ' Very weU,' answered
" he ; ' but I have just taken exercise, and a
" good breakfast is waiting for me : let us go.?
" We started at last ; but his friends had been
" tired of waiting for him, and when he ar-
" rived, repast and guests had all disappeared. ^
" He resolved to be more circumspect in fu-
" ture, and to take good care to observe an-
" other time the hour at which he should go
" out on a reconnoitring excursion."

OF NAPOLEON. 237
15th. — I saw the Emperor at nine o'clock
A.M. and found him in the same state. — Bath
and exercise.
16th. — The Emperor was gloomy, and ap
peared uneasy. He questioned me respecting
his sufferings, and the symptoms of his disorder.
I perceived that something preyed upon his
mind which he could not bring himself to ex
press ; and I thought I guessed what it was.
I began a discussion about hereditary diseases.
" You do not beUeve in them?" — "No, Sire."
" The mal-organisation of a father does not in-
" fluence the constitution of his chUdren ?" — " If
such were the case, hump -backed parents
would only produce hump -backed chUdren ;
and the progeny of ricketty individuals would
be ricketty in their turn : and yet we see
every day the finest men spring from sources the
most ill-favoured by nature." — " That doctrine
" is, however, admitted in all the schools." —
" No, Sire : there exists none that does not
now disown it." — " What ! the schools in Eng-
" land also ?" — " Also, Sire. Hunter, one of the
greatest physicians England has produced, was
the first to combat that theory; and all the
schools have adopted his ideas on the subject."
-- — " And yet the professional men who are here,

238 LAST MOMENTS
" endeavour to give currency to a contrary
" opinion. Do they, perhaps, derive their
" medical inspirations from Hudson ?" — "I
cannot pretend to say, Sire ; but they cannot
possibly betteve in the transmission of diseases ;
the utmost they can do is to admit the trans
mission of a certain aptitude to contract them.''
— " Ah ! but neither England nor myself have
" any thing to do with their connexion." And
he began to relate the detaUs of the disorder of
which his father had died.
" He was Ul when he set off from Corsica, and
" change of air had not done him any good.
" He suffered, grew thin, and could not digest
" what he ate ; and finding no benefit to com-
" pensate for absence, he became desirous of
" seeing his famtty again. He started, and got
" as far as MontpeUier : but suddenly the com-
" plaint, took a serious turn ; he was attacked
" by constant vomiting, and nothing passed
" through or remained on his stomach. He
" consulted physicians, and gorged himself with
" medicines, without deriving the least benefit
" from either. At last he was advised to fol-
" low a certain diet, and to eat juicy pears ;
" and he returned to Paris, where they are more
" common and ¦ of a better quattty. He ate

OF NAPOLEON. 239
" a great quantity of them, and took a great
" deal of exercise, and got weU again. He
" was fresh and active, and his complexion was
" that of a man likely to Uve two hundred
" years. Unfortunately, however, the principle
" of the disorder was not extirpated : this was
" only a reprieve ; the disease had only halted,
" and it soon resumed its course with increased
" violence. My father had not been many
" months in Corsica before he found himself
" worse than before. The faculty had once
" saved his Ufe, and he thought they might
" save it again ; he therefore took Joseph with
" him, and set out for MontpeUier : but his
" hour was come ; all medicines proved unavatt-
" ing, and he died. It was dying very young,
" for he was only thirty-eight years old. His
" complaint had appeared singular ; he was
" opened, and it was found that he had a
" scirrkosis in the pylorus. You do not think
" that kind of affection can be transmitted with
" the principle of Ufe ?" — " No, Sire ; diseases
no more pass from father to son than inclina
tions and talents ; the difference in which is
not contested by any body." — " It is true
" that my father and myself are very unlike
" each other in many respects. He was fond

240 LAST MOMENTS
" of spirituous liquors — I cannot bear them :
" he loved good living — my stomach will not
" allow the slightest excess. The smallest piece
" of bread, or a drop of water, above the usual
" quantity, is immediately thrown up : and ob-
" serve the sagacity of Nature — she stops when
" the superabundant portion has been rejected.
" My father was, however, a man endowed with
" courage and penetration ; he cultivated poe-
" try, was eloquent, and would have shone if
" he had lived.
" I was entirely ignorant of his situation and
" his sufferings, and was quietly pursuing my
" studies, whttst he was struggling against the
" violence of a painful agony. He asked for me,
" called for me, and in his deUrium invoked
" the assistance of my great sword : but I was
" too far from him ; he died, and I had hot the
" consolation to close his " eyes : this sad duty
" was reserved for Joseph, who acquitted him-
" self of it with aU the zeal of an affectionate
" son. A circumstance connected with this
" melancholy event struck me very forcibly : —
" my father, who was far from being religiously
" incUned, and who had even composed some
" anti-religious poetry, no sooner saw the grave
" half-opened, than he became passionately fond

OF NAPOLEON. 241
" of priests ! He wished for them — caUed for
" them ; there were not priests enough in
" MontpeUier to satisfy him. A change so sud-
" den, and which, however, occurs in the case
" of every individual labouring under a serious
" Ulness, can only be accounted for by the
" disorder into which the disease throws the
" human frame. — The organs become blunted,
" their re-action ceases, the moral faculties are
" shaken ; the head is gene, and thence the
" desire for confession, oremuses* and all the
" fine things, without which, it seems, we can-
" not die. But see man in the plenitude of
" his powers : see those columns ready to march
" on the field of battle ; the drum beats the
" charge — they rush forward — the cannon roars
" — they fall ; and priests and confession are out
" of the question."
17th. — Same state of health. — Same pre
scription. The Emperor was pre-occupied and thought
ful, and I was endeavouring to divine the cause
of his anxiety, when I saw my anatomical work
half open before him. This circumstance was
decisive. I had guessed rightly : Napoleon
* A term of the Catholic church, corresponding to our
" Let us pray/'
VOL. 1. R

242 LAST MOMENTS
dreaded being attacked with the disease which
had killed his father. He dared not avow his
fears ; and consulted books, to obtain from them
that information which he would not ask of
men. I would have given the world to dissi
pate those vain alarms ; but I had learnt by
experience not to promote confidential commu
nications, and I avoided opening a discussion
which would have wounded his feettngs. He
was silent ; and having planned a botanical
excursion, I was going to retire. " No," said he,
" stay ; I recollect what you said to me, and
" have a few questions to ask you. You are
" continually speaking of air, of the liver :
" what action do those two bodies exercise one
" Upon the other ? How is it that that action
"which is mortal here on this rock is beneficial
" elsewhere ?" — " It is not known, Sire." —
" How ! it is not known what in an aeriform
" fluid wounds such or such an organ ?" — " No
more -than it is known what constitutes pes
tilence, what produces the difference between
a pure and an impure air." — " Has no attempt
" been made to isolate that fatal principle ?" —
" The attempt has been made, but in vain : it
is too subtile ; and escapes from every pro
cess science has hitherto been able to devise."

OF NAPOLEON. 243
¦ — " But the atmosphere that surrounds an
" individual infected with the plague, cannot
" offer the same elements of composition as
" that of a healthy individual." — "I should
think not ; but I do not believe there are many
chemists who would be tempted to analyse
such an atmosphere." — " Why not ? There is
" the courage of the laboratory as well as that
" of the field of battle ; besides, what a differ-
" ence in the results ! Do you not think that
" the glory of putting an end to this dreadful
" scourge, or of having attempted to do so,
" would counterbalance the danger of the ex-
"periment? — But to return to our subject,
" what are the functions of the Uver, its action,
" and structure ?" — I explained them to him.
" Very weU," said he, when I had done ; " your
" method appears to me new and correct ; you
" simplify the human frame, which is reaUy
" complex enough not to want the super-addi-
" tions of the physiologists : but whence does it
" arise that your doctrines are so unlike what is
" found in the works that exist on the subject ?
" Is, then, France behind-hand, in that respect ?
" Paris less advanced than Florence?" — " Mas
cagni has given such an impulse to science, that
he has left all those who cultivate it far behind
r2

244 LAST MOMENTS
him : there are only a few men in France, in
Germany  " — " In Germany ! who are they,
" pray ? Is Doctor Frank one of them ?" — I
shared the general opinion respecting the skill
of that celebrated practitioner, and therefore
immediately repUed that he was a very clever
man. " Clever indeed ! I had a proof of his
" talents the last time I was at Vienna. A
" sttght eruption had broken out on the back
" of my neck ; it was a mere trifle, but my
" suite were uneasy about it, and urged me
" to see a physician whose merit was so much
" extoUed. I consented, and Frank was sent
" for. He found that I was attacked with
" a malignant scurfy affection — a serious com-
" plaint. I was to undergo a preparatory
" treatment, take medicines ; in short, there
" was no end to all I was to do. I sent for
" Corvisart, and that circumstance was quite
" enough to revive past hopes. I was Ul, in
" bed, mad : every one told his own story,
" made his own conjecture ;"agitation already
" began to manifest itself every where. The
" physician, whose uneasiness was increased by
" all that he heard and saw, made the utmost
" haste, and did not stop untU he got to
" Schoenbrunn. He expected to find me dying,

OF NAPOLEON. 245
" and his surprise was extreme when he was
" told that I was passing a review. I came in,
" and his arrival was announced to me. I
" laughed at his astonishment. ' WeU, Corvi-
" sart, what news ? what is said at Paris ? Do
" you know that they maintain here that I am
" very Ul ? I have a sttght eruption, and a slight
" pain, in my head, and Doctor Frank pretends
" that I am labouring under a scurfy affection,
" which requires a long and serious treatment ;
" what do you think about it ?' I had taken
" off my cravat : Corvisart examined my neck.
" ' Ah, Sire ! to make me come from such a
" distance to prescribe a blister, which the
"last of physicians might have done as well as
" myself. Frank is dreaming ; you are perfectly
" well : this eruption is merely the remains of
" a former one that was not well cured, and will
" not resist four days' blistering.' Corvisart
" was right ; it disappeared as he had said,
" and never returned. ' You see, Sire,' said
" he, as he was dressing the wound for the last
" time, ' aU the dreadful diseases which this
" German had threatened you with, are reduced
" to this.' He went to pay a visit to Frank,
" thanked him, not very graciously, for the
" rapid journey he had occasioned him, and

246 LAST MOMENTS
" set off again for Paris. His return calmed the
" agitation that had prevailed ; it shewed that
" I was not yet near my end. There is a time
" for every thing." The Emperor here changed
the conversation, and passed in review the in
trigues which disturbed Germany at that pe
riod. He spoke of Schttl, of Dornberg, of the
Queen of Prussia. The plan, he said, was vast
and well conceived; but hesitation, hurry,
and a want of unity, prevailed in its execu
tion. Wagram occurred, and it became ne
cessary to postpone the game to some future
period. It was the first time I heard of these
plots and intrigues, and I could neither under
stand their secret springs nor their ensemble.
I therefore tried to turn the conversation, and
mentioned the name of Mutter. On hearing it,
Napoleon expressed himself in the kindest terms
respecting that celebrated man, and expatiated
on his talents. He was short, thin, ttl-favoured,
and mean-looking : but thifwretched exterior,
and the ugttest features imaginable, concealed
the most comprehensive mind ever possessed
by man. He was introduced to the Emperor
after the battle of Jena ; and being supposed to
be the author of the manifesto, Napoleon ad
dressed to him some jocular observations on the

OF- NAPOLEON. 247
subject. " I, Sire !" said Mutter, " the author
of the manifesto against you ! Your Majesty
must have a very poor opinion of me !"— " I
" spent a few hours in conversation with him,"
added Napoleon ; " his views were profound
" and his ideas vast and elevated. I put him
" at the head of the foreign affairs of West-
" phatta ; but Jerome, who had placed his con-
" fidence elsewhere, superseded him, and gave
" him a situation for which he was quite unfit."
From MuUer Napoleon proceeded to Goethe
and Wieland, and passed the highest encomium
upon those two celebrated characters. I re
minded him of the conversation he had had
with the last mentioned. " You have heard of
"it?" — "Yes, Sire; it has been circulated
every where throughout Germany, and I took
a copy of it at Frankfort." The Emperor ex
pressed a wish to see it, and I deUvered it to
him. It was as follows : —
" I had not been many minutes in the
drawing-room, (it is Wieland who speaks),
when Napoleon crossed it to come towards us.
The Duchess of Weimar introduced me to him
with the usual ceremonies. He addressed him
self to me in the most affable manner, uttering
some flattering expressions in my praise, and

248 LAST MOMENTS
looking steadfastly at me at the same time.
Few men have appeared to me to possess, in
the degree he does, the faculty of reading the
thoughts of another at the first glance. He
immediately guessed that, notwithstanding my
fame, I was simple and unaffected ; and as he
seemed desirous of producing a favourable im
pression upon my mind, he had assumed the
tone the best calculated to attain that end.
I have never seen a man apparently more calm,
or milder, or who displayed less pretensions.
Nothing in him betrayed the sentiment of con
sciousness of his power as a great monarch.
He spoke to me as an old acquaintance would
speak to his equal ; and what was most extra
ordinary for him, he conversed exclusively with
me an hour and a half, to the great surprise of
aU present. At last, it being nearly twelve
o'clock, I began to feel that it was not proper
to occupy so much of his time, and I took the
Uberty of asking his Majesty's permission to
withdraw. ' WeU, go !' said he, in the most
friendly tone, ' good night !'
" The following are the most remarkable
parts of our conversation. The tragedy that had
just been represented having led us to speak of
Julius Caesar, Napoleon said, that he was one of

OF NAPOLEON. 249
the greatest men named in history, and that he
would have been the greatest of all, but for the
fault he committed. I was going to ask him
to what fault he alluded, when, appearing to
read in my eyes the question I was about to
put, he added : ' Caesar knew the men that
were plotting to get rid of him ; he, therefore,
ought to have got rid of them.' If Napo
leon had been able to see what was then pass
ing in my mind, he would have read that he
would never be accused of committing such a
fault." The Emperor paused awhUe, pronounced a
few words, and continued to read. " From
Caesar the conversation turned upon the Ro
mans, and Napoleon warmly eulogised their
political and mUitary system. The Greeks, on
the contrary, did not appear to rank high in
his estimation. ' The eternal quarrels of their
petty republics,' said he, ' were not calculated
to produce any thing great ; whttst the Ro
mans, on the contrary, always aimed at great
things, and thus raised that colossus which
traversed the world.' I pleaded in favour of
the fine arts and Uterature of the Greeks;
but he treated them with contempt, and said
that they only served in their hands to fo-

250 LAST MOMENTS
ment dissensions. , He preferred Ossian to
Homer; he only relished poetry -of a sublime
cast, writers possessing energy and pathos, and,'
above .all, tragic poets. He spoke of Ariosto'
in the same terms as the Cardinal Hyppolite
D'Este, not perceiving that he thereby paid me
a very ungracious compliment. He seemed to
have no taste for Uvely and humorous compo
sitions ; and, in spite of the flattering affability
of his manners, the thought occurred to, me
more than once, that he appeared to be made
of bronze. .
" Napoleon had So completely divested me of
aU feettng of restraint, that I asked him how
it had happened that pubttc worship, which he
had restored in France, had not become more
philosophical, and more in harmony with the
spirit of the times ? ' My dear Wieland,' an
swered he, * reUgion is not made for philoso
phers ; they neither betteve in me, nor in, my
priests : and as for those who do believe, it is
impossible to give them, or to leave them, too
much of the marveUous. If I were to make
a reUgion for philosophers, it would be quite
the reverse of that professed by the credu
lous.' "  " That is just Uke them," said
Napoleon, as he gave me back the document ;
" blaming, discoursing, pronouncing with that

OF NAPOLEON. 251
" laughable assurance which characterises these
" men of theory. I( received the priests, be-
" cause it was necessary, to render the Reyolu-
" tion popular, to consecrate the republic, and
" make them preach up those very dogmas re-
" specting which they had alarmed the peo-
" pie's conscience. They had been foottshly
" excluded from the nation, and thus reduced
" to oppose doctrines which they had at first
" adopted. I reconctted them with those doc-
" trines, and they desired no better. I knew,
" besides, by experience, what a powerful lever
" they hold in their hands. It was in vain that
" I conquered in Italy, and dispersed the armies
" opposed to me ; the least reverse sufficed to
" render problematical, once more, what the
*' fate of arms had decided. The Austrians
" would then come forward, and the Pope join
" them ; the former supplying troops, the latter
" fanaticism, and their soldiers, predictions,
" and miracles, produced an effect which stag-
" gered even our own partisans. I was
" much struck with the impression made
" upon the Bolognese, by the withholding of
" some benedictions which were lavished on
" the inhabitants of Lugo ; and I began to treat
" with the Pope. The Directory did not relish
" this negociation ; they wished to upset the

252 LAST MOMENTS
" idol, and attack Naples, Genoa, and Venice,
" and municipaUze Europe. I refused to lend
" myself to these extravagant plans, and did not
" conceal it. ' The prestige of our power is va-
" nishing, the enemy now reckons our numbers,'
" said I to the President: ' it is indispensably
" necessary that you should take into consi-
" deration the situation of the army, and should
" adopt a system calculated to insure you
" friends, as weU amongst the princes as
" amongst the people. Diminish the number
" of your enemies. The influence of Rome is
" incalculable : it was wrong to break with
" that power ; she derives advantages from our
" rupture. Had I been consulted, I should
" have delayed the negociation as I have de-
" layed that of Genoa and Venice. Each thing
" has its turn. In the mean time send me
" troops, if you wish, I do not say to upset
" thrones, but to preserve Italy.' — All that
" was, however, so Ul conducted, that it was
" enough to excite compassion. Since it had
" been resolved not to conclude with Rome, it
" was necessary, at least, to wait untU she had
" fulfilled the conditions of the armistice ; we
" should then have had the five miUions which
" the Pope was paying, to balance the amount
" of the contributions I had imposed upon him,

OF NAPOLEON. 253
" and a part of which was already at Rimini.
" Instead of obliging him to decide upon every
" article of the treaty, and aUowing time for
" the arrival at Bologna of a corps of troops,
•' the strength of which would have been mag-
" nified by report, the whole treaty was shewn
" to him at once, and at the moment the army
" was engaged in the passes of the Tyrol.
'¦ This ill-advised measure very nearly cost us
" ten miUions in suppttes, and the chefs-d'oeuvre
" of Italy, which a delay of a few days would
" have secured to us. But I repaired these
" errors ; I drove back the Austrians ; Maury
*' calmed the preachers whom he had excited,
" and we escaped from the seditions prepared
" against us." The Emperor spoke at length
about the system of concUiation which he had
adopted from that moment, and of the repug
nance and the obstacles opposed to him by his
friends, his relations, and even his aides-de-camp.
The foUowing letter wiU give some idea of the
aversion with which he was surrounded, and of
all the fears and forebodings over which he had
to triumph.
" Your letter, my dear Lannes, has refreshed
my blood, and never, I confess, did I stand so
much in need of consolation. I cannot con
template without terror that host of emigrants

254 LAST MOMENTS
thirsting after vengeance, who surround the
Government, and seize upon the patrimony of
the Republicans. Let Bonaparte not deceive
himself: these men who have at first considered
their return as a favour, wttl soon look upon it
as an act of necessity; their pretensions wttl
rise in proportion as they gain influence, and
they wUl in the end renew their plots and ma
chinations, if, indeed, those, plots have ever
been interrupted. A frightful alternative, then,
presents itself,— either the Government will
adopt violent measures, which wttl tend to ren
der it odious, or it wttl be overthrown. The
only way to escape from such a fate, to save
France, and to gain immortal fame, is, as I have
told Bonaparte a hundred times, to call around
him men who have sincerely the interest of
their country at heart. What can he expect
from those political cameleons, Who, under every
new circumstance, have assumed a new mask ;
who are as contemptible by the rnutabttity of
their opinions, as by the baseness of their cha
racter ; who have been the flatterers of power in
whatever hands it was placed ; who have shared
in all the crimes, fomented all the excesses, and
aggravated all the misfortunes, of the Revolution ?
Repubhcans are the only men he can unalterably

OF NAPOLEON. 255
attach to himself, and it is easy to see why :
the RoyaUsts wttl ever regret their distinctions,
their privileges, their riches ; places and in
fluence wttl never console them for the absence
of their idol, and they wttl only accept them in
order] to be enabled to rebuUd its altars. The
RepubUcans, on the contrary, no longer consider
that , they possess the right to exact any thing ;
and they wUl be grateful for the good done to
them, and even for the evU which wiU not be
inflicted upon them. Let no fears be entertain
ed With respect to old demagogue dreams ; they
have vanished. Let talents, probity, and even
fortune, be required of men holding pubhc si
tuations ; I can see no objection to it: but let
nothing be exclusive; for, notwithstanding the
fine arguments of our metaphysicians, the first
merit of a man towards a Government is de-
votedness to it.
" The fate of our country, my dear Lannes,
now depends upon the stability of the order
established; but the truth of this proposition,
which for us bears the character of evidence, is
not yet i generally felt. Every letter I receive
from the interior informs me that there exist
seeds . of ; discontent, and that, mistrust and
anxiety prevail to a considerable, extents The

256 LAST MOMENTS
army also does not view quietly certain ap*
pointments. The name of Bonaparte alone
stUl maintains confidence ; but let him answer
this question : If the First Consul were not
present to restrain the excesses of passions,
what would become of the State ? And who
can warrant the duration of his existence ? It
is therefore necessary to raise up a rampart
independent of that existence, and sufficiently
strong to oppose disorders, the bare idea of
which makes one shudder ; and such a rampart
wttl be raised when public situations shall be
fitted by staunch patriots. Never cease, my
dear friend, to repeat these truths; and, since his
ear is stUl accessible to the accents of candour,
use the influence your integrity and your friend
ship for him give you, to induce him to be
ware of those perfidious beings who only flatter
him to kiU him. Bonaparte is the man of our
country : our fate is closely linked with his ; we
must undeceive him and save him. Yours, " O."
18th. Found the Emperor's health in the
same state. — Ordered the same remedies.
Napoleon was now quite well again. He
was active and in good spirits, congratulating

OF NAPOLEON. 257
himself upon having escaped from medicines.
Patience, he said, was at least as efficacious
as pills; and I had some reason to be con
vinced of its virtue. I was going to reply,
but he had hardly said the last words, before
he was in the next room. I followed him,
and we went into the garden, where the con
versation turned exclusively upon Corsica, the
years of his chUdhood, and his relations. His en
trance into this world had been as sudden and
unexpected, as his elevation and his subsequent
misfortunes. His mother, though near her
term, had shared the fatigues of the war for
liberty; the celebration of the festival of the
Assumption occurred, and she thought her
strength still sufficient to allow her to be pre
sent at the solemnization of the day : she was,
however, mistaken ; for before she could reach
the church the pains of labour came on. " She
" then hasttty turned back, got as far as her
" drawing-room, where she deposited me on an
" old carpet. I was called Napoleon — the name
" which for centuries past was given to the
" second sons of our family, in order to per-
" petuate the remembrance of our connection
" with a certain Napoleon des Ursins, celebrated
'in the records of Italy." In recapitulating the
vol, i. s

258 LAST MOMENTS
events that had preceded his birth, he admired
the courage and strength of mind his mother
had then displayed, and with which she had
borne losses and privations of every kind, and
braved fatigue and danger. " She had the head
" of a man upon the body of a woman. Such
" was not the case with the Archdeacon ; he
" regretted his goats, the Genoese, and every
" thing that was gone. He was, however, a
" most worthy man ; good, generous, and en-
" lightened : he acted the part of a father
" towards us, and retrieved the affairs of our
" house. Sound in mind, though bed-ridden
" by infirmities, he suffered no abuse to escape
" his vigUance. He knew the strength and the
" number of our cattle, ordered such animal to
" be killed, such other to be sold or kept, as-
" signed to each herdsman his lot, and gave
" each his particular instructions. Our mttls,
" our cellars, our vineyards, were kept under
" the same strict regulations ; order and abun-
" dance reigned every where, and our situation
" had never been more prosperous. The old
" gentleman was rich, but did not Uke to part
" with his cash, and was particularly bent upon
" persuading us that he did not economize.
" When I asked him for money, he would

OF NAPOLEON. 259
" answer, * You know very weU that I have
" none, and that the expeditions of your father
" have not left me any thing.' At the same
" time he authorized me to sell a head of cattle,
" or a pipe of wine, and that answered the same
" purpose. We had, however, seen a certain
" bag, and we were vexed to hear him plead
" poverty with gold pieces in his bed ; we
" therefore resolved to play him a trick. Pau-
" line was then quite a chUd : We gave her our
" instructions. She putted out the bag, and the
" doubloons rolled about and covered the floor.
" We laughed heartUy, whttst the old gentle-
" man was half choked with rage and con-
" fusion. Mamma came, scolded us, and picked
" up the money, which the Archdeacon as-
" sured us did not belong to him. We had our
" own opinions upon that subject, but took
" care not to contradict him. Shortly after this
" he was taken Ul, and was soon at the point of
" death. We were aU standing round his bed,
" and deploring the loss we were about to
" sustain, when Fesch, suddenly fired with a
" holy zeal, offered to read him the usual
" homUies. The dying man interrupted him, but
" Fesch took no notice of it, and continued his
" pious occupation. At last the Archdeacon lost
s 2

260 LAST MOMENTS
" aU patience ; ' Leave me alone !' said he ; c I
" have only a few minutes to Uve, which I wish
" to . devote to my family.' He then bade us
" approach his bed, and gave us some advice
" and instructions. ' You are the eldest of the
" famUy,' said he to Joseph, ' but the head of it
" is Napoleon ; recollect that ! ' and he expired,
" amidst the tears and lamentations which this
" melancholy spectacle drew from us.
" Left without a guide or protector, my
" mother was obliged to take upon herself the
" direction of affairs ; and the burthen was not
" too much for her strength. She conducted
" and administered every thing with a degree
" of wisdom and sagacity not to be expected
" from her sex and age. Ah, Doctor ! what a
" woman ! where shall we find her equal ?"
I was Ustening, and admiring the Emperor's
recital, and waiting until he should think of
himself again and speak to me about his
health. This soon occurred. He had not taken
any exercise for such a length of time that he
was quite tired, and felt surprised at his lassi
tude, which was a natural consequence of the
Ufe he had been leading. " What am I to do,
" Doctor ?"— " Take exercise."—" Where ?"—
" In the gardens— in the fields — in the open

OF NAPOLEON. 261
air." — " What ! in the midst of the red-coats "?"
— " No, Sire."—" How then?"—" You must
dig the ground, turn up the earth, and thus
escape from inactivity and insult at the same
time." — " Dig the ground ! yes,. Doctor, you are
" right, I wttl dig the ground." We return
ed in-doors, the Emperor made his arrange
ments, and the next morning he was already
at work. He named Noveraz, who had been
accustomed to rural occupations, head-gardener,
and worked under his directions. His first
attempts were successful; and, desirous that I
should witness his dexterity, he sent for me.
" Well, Doctor," said he, as I approached, " are
" you satisfied with your patient? is he obedient
" enough ?" In saying this, he held up his
spade, laughed, looked at me, shook his head,
glancing his eye at what he had done. " This
" is better than your pills, Dottoraccio; you shall
" not physic me any more." He set to work
again, but left off after a few minutes. " This
" occupation is too laborious ; I am exhausted.
" My hands conspire with my weakness, they
" pain me ; the remainder another time." And
he threw down the spade. " You are laugh-
" ing," said he ; "I see the cause of your mer-
" riment ; you- pity my fair hands. Never mind,

262 LAST MOMENTS
" I have always accustomed my body to bend
" to my wttl, and I shall bring it to do so
" now, and inure it to this exercise." He did
so, and soon grew fond of it. He carried away
the mould, caused it to be conveyed from one
spot to another, and pressed all Longwood into
his service. The ladies, alone, escaped from
their share of the labour, though not without
great difficulty, and reluctance on the part of
the Emperor to refrain from setting them to
work. He laughed at them, pressed them,
entreated them, and used every art of per
suasion, particularly with Madame Bertrand.
He assured her that the exercise of gardening
was more beneficial to health than the medicines
I was continually prescribing ; that, moreover,
it formed part of my prescriptions — that I had
ordered it.
The Emperor urged us, excited us, and
every thing around us soon assumed a different
aspect. Here was an excavation, there a basin
or a road. We made alleys, grottoes, cascades :
the appearance of the ground had now some
Ufe and diversity. We planted wUlows, oaks,
peach-trees, to give a Uttle shade round the
house. — Having completed the ornamental part
of our labours, we turned to the useful. We

OF NAPOLEON. 263
divided the ground, we manured it, and
sowed it with abundance of beans, peas, and
every vegetable that grows in the island. The
Governor heard of our plantations, &c, and
looked upon them with a suspicious eye: this
great movement was certainly intended to mask
some conspiracy, some plot. He hastened to
the spot. I was taking my usual walk; he
saw me, quickened his pace, and came up to
me. " Is it by your advice that General Bona
parte takes this violent exercise ?" I assented,
and he shrugged up his shoulders, protesting
that he could not conceive what we were
about. " You harass yourselves in transplanting
trees in a soU without humidity, and exposed
to a burning sun ; it is labour lost, they wttl
die — not one wttl grow up." I thanked his
Excellency for his kind solicitude, and assured
him that he entertained too unfavourable an
opinion of the country under his command;
that our young shoots were doing very weU,
and that many were already budding. Sir
Hudson shook his head and withdrew. I in
formed the Emperor of my having met the
Governor, and of our conversation. " The
" wretch," said he, " envies me every minute
" that he does not embitter. He wishes my

264 LAST MOMENTS
" death ; he caUs for that moment ; it comes too
" slowly to satisfy his impatience. But let him
" be comforted ; this horrible cttmate is charged
" with the execution of the crime, and it wttl
" fulfil its trust sooner than he expects."
The activity of our labours was such, that
we should soon, at the rate we were going on,
have dug the island aU over, — and we had but
a small fraction of it. Napoleon, perceiving
that we should come too soon to the end of our
task, slackened our exertions, and I Remained
alone with him to finish the sowing. I broke
the furrows, he threw the seed ahd covered it
over, arguing at the same time, or relating
some anecdote, and only stopping now and
then for a joke. One day, as he was arranging
a bed of French beans, he perceived some small
roots, and began a dissertation upon the pheno
mena of vegetation. He analysed them, and
descanted upon them with his usual sagacity,
drawing from them the conclusion of the ex
istence of a Superior Being who presides over
the wonders of Nature. " You do not betteve
" in aU that, Doctor; you physicians are above
" those weaknesses. Tell me, you who are
" so well acquainted with the human frame,
" who have searched it in all its turnings and

OF NAPOLEON, 265
" windings, have you ever met with the soul
" under your scalpel ? Where does the soul
" reside ? in what organ ?" I hesitated to an
swer. " Come, be sincere ; there is not a phy-
" sician that betteves in God, is there ?" — " No,
Sire, they are seduced by the example; they
imitate mathematicians." — " How so? Mathe-
" maticians are in general religious  How-
" ever, your recrimination reminds me of a sin-
" gular expression used by one of them. I was
" conversing with L  ; and, congratulating
" him upon a new work he had just pubhshed,
" I asked him how it happened that the name
" of God, so often used in the works of La-
" grange, had never once occurred in his. ' It
" is,' answered he, ' because I have not found it
" necessary to have recourse to that hypo-
" thesis.' " I employed anecdote in my turn,
and quoted Lalande and a few others ; but
he still persevered in his opinion : we were,
generally speaking, Atheists ; and moreover, as
deficient in courage as in faith, we were fright
ened out of our wits as soon as the cannon
began to roar ; the sight of a field of battle
disconcerted the most skilful of us, and it was
only by dint of time and habit that we ac
quired the confidence necessary to enable us to

266 LAST MOMENTS
perform our operations. He had often thought
how to obviate this disorder ; and he had wish
ed that no medical man might be allowed to
practise, or to sottcit patronage or protection,
UntU he had served in one or two cam
paigns. Had he known me, he would have
obliged me also to pass first through that
ordeal. This discussion led him to speak of some
of his expeditions; and he rendered ample
justice to the services of the officers of the
mUitary surgical department, praised their zeal,
their activity, and extoUed the firmness and
perseverance of which they had given proofs
on several occasions, under circumstances of
great difficulty. He had, it is true, always
watched over and encouraged that department,
and had even in some cases himself taken care
to see the prescriptions duly followed. A fever
committed great ravages amongst the troops
that were besieging Mantua, and the exhausted
soldiers sinking under the disease, refused the
assistance of the medical men. The general
hastened to the spot, threw bark into the casks
of wine, and distributed this infusion with his
own hand to the different corps as they defiled
before him. The care and anxiety of their ge
neral revived the courage of the soldiers — they

OF NAPOLEON. 267
submitted to the use of the medicine, and found
themselves better. StiU, it was only when
this kind of contagion had entirely disappeared,
that he ceased to watch in person over the
health of the troops. In Egypt he had done
more : every means calculated to prevent the
occurrence of disease, or to limit its duration,
had been inquired into, settled, and regulated
by himself. Baths, cleanttness, and other mea
sures conducive to health, were the constant
subjects of his orders of the day. He had even
determined the posts of Boulac, and the limits
beyond which the convalescents were not to pass.
" The gardens are spacious enough; there let
" them walk without going out of them, lest a
" popular commotion or a reverse should expose
" them to the dagger of the Turks." In Syria,
the sick and the wounded were the unceasing
objects of his solicitude. He caused hospitals
to be estabttshed at Jaffa, Ramleh, Scheffamer ;
and nothing could equal his grief when he
heard that a wretch had employed, on a private
speculation, the camels appointed for the trans
port of medicines. He was going to have the
guttty individual tried and shot ; in short, there
was no punishment sufficiently severe for so in*
famous an action : but the corps to which he

268 LAST MOMENTS
belonged would have been disgraced, without
any relief being afforded to the brave wounded ";
and he therefore spared the wretch's Ufe, and
dismissed him from the service. " St. Jean
d'Acre received reinforcements; we sustained
losses, and were obUged to raise the siege of the
place! The first thing to be done under these
circumstances was to remove the wounded :
on this occasion the anxiety of the General
was particularly conspicuous." — But I am not
relating what I have heard, I am quoting what I
have read, and shaU not stoop to discuss a base
calumny. " Camp before Acre, 22d Floreal, Vllth Year
of the Republic, (11th May, 1799.)
" TO REAR-ADMIRAL PERREE.
" Rear-admiral Gantheaume will give you
directions how to carry away four or five
hundred wounded, whom I send to Tentoura,
and whom it is absolutely necessary that you
should transport to Alexandria and Damietta.
Your zeal, your intelligence, and your nautical
skttl, wttl overcome every obstacle; and you
and your crews wttl acquire more glory by this
action than from the most brilliant engagement.
No cruise wiU ever have been so useful as yours,

OF NAPOLEON. 269
and no frigates will have ever rendered a more
essential service to the repubttc than those
under your command."
" Camp before Acre, 27th Floreal, Vllth Year
of the Republic, (16th May, 1799.)
" TO GENERAL DUGUA.
" You must have received the battalion of
the 4th regiment of light infantry, which I
despatched a fortnight ago, and which must
have reached Cairo by this time.
" In three days I shall march to Cairo with
the whole army; I am only delayed by the
transport of the wounded, of whom I have six
or seven hundred.
" I have carried the principal points within
the outer enclosure of Acre, but we have not
thought proper to persist in attacking the se
cond inclosure, because it would have occasioned
a loss of too much time and too many men.
" Djezzar received, two days ago, a reinforce
ment of five or six hundred men, and thirty
large Greek vessels. This expedition was des
tined for Alexandria.
" Perree has taken two of those vessels, in
which were gunners, bombardiers, miners, and
several pieces of cannon.

270 LAST MOMENTS
" Adopt measures to render the navigation
of Damietta secure, in order that the wounded
may pass rapidly into the hospitals of Cairo."
" Camp before Aere, 27th Floreal, Vllth Year
of the Republic, (16th May, 1799.)
" TO ADJUTANT-GENERAL ALMEYRAS.
" I am going to send as many wounded as
I possibly can to Damietta : if the communi
cations are open, pass them on immediately to
Cairo, where they wttl find more comforts.
The number wttl be about four or five hundred.
" It witt be necessary to have at Oum-
Furedge a certain number of boats ready for
the sick or wounded that may be with us."
" Camp before Acre, 27th Floreal, Vllth Year
of the Republic, (16th May, 1799.)
" TO ADJUTANT-GENERAL BOYER.
" Send the wounded to Jaffa, or on board
the frigates : the adjutant-general Leturcq, who
is at Caiffa, wttl send you to-morrow a large
convoy of them.
" Make arrangements that on the morning
of the 13th there be neither sick nor wounded
at Tentoura. Two hundred wounded will be

OF NAPOLEON. 271
sent to-morrow to Tentoura, coming from Mount
Carmel ; pass them on to Jaffa immediately.
" Embark as much of the artillery, that has
been sent to you at Jaffa, as you possibly can
without inconveniencing the sick.
" Let me have to-morrow night an exact
statement of the prisoners sent away, and of
those remaining.
" Let the wounded be informed that the ene
my has attempted a sortie, and has lost four
hundred men, and had nine flags taken from
him."
" Camp before Acre, 27th Floreal, Vllth Year
of the Republic, (16th May, 1799.)
" TO ADJUTANT-GENERAL LETURCQ.
" To-morrow morning march four hundred
wounded upon Tentoura. Adjutant-general
Boyer informs me that he has this day sent
four hundred by land, and one hundred and
fifty by sea. You inform me that you only
sent one hundred to-day ; it is therefore possible
that the frigates might come in, and there be
no wounded yet arrived for them to take —
which would be unfortunate ; therefore lose not
a moment.

272 LAST MOMENTS
" Let me have to-morrow, at twelve o'clock,
a statement of the wounded at Caiffa and Mount
Carmel. The sick must also be sent off, but
separately. " On the evening of the 29th not a single
sick or wounded must remain at Caiffa."
" TO GEN. BERTHIER, CHIEF OF THE STAFF.
"Please to give immediate orders for the
establishment of two hospitals in the vUlage of
Scheffamer ; one for the wounded, the other
for the sick with fever.
" These two hospitals shall be established in
the castle. To-morrow, at twelve o'clock, all
the sick and wounded now in the moveable
hospitals and in the camp hospital, and all the
sick in the camp itself, will be sent to those
hospitals. " A pharmacy will be estabttshed. A com
missary, the head of the medical and that of the
surgical department, and the director of hos
pitals, wiU immediately repair to the village of
Scheffamer, in order to organize the said hos
pitals. " The captain of the dromedaries to be ap
pointed commandant of the village. Its garrison
wttl be composed of the third battalion of the

OF NAPOLEON. 273
18th, with the exception of the company of
grenadiers. " TO THE COMMISSARY-IN-CHIEF DAURE.
" I have just visited the hospital, and I find
that boilers and vessels for washing the wounds
are wanting.
" The wounded only require barley and
honey, to make water-gruel, and there is none.
These unfortunate beings, who possess so many
claims on our compassion, are suffering, whilst
barley and honey are every day sold in the
camp. " I desire that you wttl, as speedtty as possi
ble, purchase barley, honey, and utensils, which
are easUy procured in the mountains.
" Lint and linen wttl also soon be wanting;
order precautionary measures to be taken on
that head."
I shall quote another document : the date on,
the place in, and the circumstances under which
it was written, render it one of great value. At
this distance, painful recollections are not che
rished — still less revived. I allude to the instruc
tions given to the Duke of Treviso, when Napo
leon evacuated Moscow. I have extracted them
VOL. I. T

274 LAST MOMENTS
from the Memoirs of one of his aides-de-camp,*
who, having made the campaign of Egypt, must
have been fully acquainted with the particulari
ties of the anecdote to which allusion is made
by the Emperor in those instructions.
We passed our time in gardening and con
versing : natural history, medicine, war, politics,
every thing that fell under the observation, or
occurred to the memory of the Emperor, be
came in turn the subject of our discussions. But
if the conversation suggested any circumstance
that recalled to his mind either the Empress or
his son, he immediately abandoned every other
subject, to talk exclusively of the amiable qua
lities of the one, and the destiny of the other.
' What a forlorn state ! What misfortunes !'
But he had his father's name, and he would
possess his father's courage ; he would not suffer
that inheritance to depart from him : and pass
ing abruptly to Maria Louisa, as if he feared
to contemplate the future prospects of the
child, he expatiated in the highest terms on
her goodness, her sweetness of disposition, and
the unalterable affection she bore him. He
* General Count Rapp. — See the document in question
at page 222 to 225 of his Memoirs.

OF NAPOLEON. 275
fully repaid that affection; and he, perhaps,
owed his ruin to it. Had he loved her less, he
should not have written the fatal letter which
fell into the hands of the Allies. He would
probably have been followed, and victorious ;
and France would have been saved. Fate de
cided otherwise : he abdicated, and the Empress
was obUged to retire to Vienna. The repeat
ed shocks she had been exposed to produced
their effect, the health of that princess became
deranged, and the physicians advised her to
drink the waters of Aix, whither she accord
ingly went. F  , who was also there for
the same purpose, immediately took the alarm.
Maria Louisa was accompanied by Madame de
BrignoUes, Corvisart, and Isabey ; and Talma
had also made his appearance. It was clear,
therefore, that a conspiracy existed, and that
the throne was in danger ; and no time ought to
be lost in resorting to every means calculated to
defeat the plot. He wrote, begged, denounced,
and stimulated the exertions of both civU and
mUitary authorities. To the former he applied
for their spies ; to the latter to their gen
darmes : every step of the Empress was to him
a subject of terror. She, however, lived in the
simplest manner possible ; walking, mixing with
t 2

276 LAST MOMENTS
the crowd, and only busying herself about the
fine sites and prospects the country offered,
climbing the mountains to obtain a sight of
them, with the activity natural to her; but she
listened to the recital of lines recalttng our ex
ploits ; she cherished the name of her husband,
she adored her son : all that was quite enough
to prevent F  and the Duke of C  —
from closing their eyes. Another circumstance
tended to increase their fears. She had received
some of our soldiers under her protection, and
collected in that manner about twelve or fifteen
hundred men : she was going to conquer France.
Lacronier endeavoured to avert this dire mis
fortune : he had some troops and an orderly
officer, and he attempted to close the passage
of St. Jeoire against the Austrian couriers ; but
Neiperg, incensed at the affront, threatened :
the gendarmes dared not proceed to further
extremities, and poor F  remained a prey
to his anxiety. That anxiety was sufficiently
ridiculous : men, circumstances, events, every
thing gave him umbrage ; and he was quite in
despair, on observing that the heart of Ma
ria Louisa continued devoted to the interest of
Napoleon. But the measure of his anguish
was filled, when he saw that the departure of

OF NAPOLEON. 277
the Empress, which had been fixed for the
first of September, did not take place. This
unexpected delay nearly turned his brain ; he
could think of nothing but disasters, flight, and
insurrections. It was evident this departure had
been retarded by instructions from the island
of Elba ; not the shadow of a doubt could be
entertained on that subject. Poor A  ,
beset on all sides by these fears, yielded at last
to a sentiment he himself had never known.
True it is, that he was also guided by some mo
tives of his own, and that he had grown old.
This circumstance, however, had the effect of
restoring to him the activity of his youth ;
spies, despatches— he found time to attend to
every thing. He sent to reconnoitre Italy, and
sought to rally the nation round its sovereign
— and what is more, its legitimate sovereign !
" Do you know to what measure he thought of
" having recourse in order to obtain this great
" result ? — to a coronation. On the same
" day, and at the same hour, troops, pubUc
" functionaries, the whole population of France,
" were to repair to their temples, there to pro-
" claim, what ? — their gratitude ! Assuredly
" there were ample reasons for feeling the most
" lively gratitude! but was it for the hero of

278 LAST MOMENTS
"  to come forward as the capuchin of that

" party ? Ought a man to be thus false to his
" own glory ? ought he, on the verge of existence,
" to tarnish his own fame ? But time wears out
" every thing — even personal dignity."
Whilst the Emperor was speaking thus he
perceived Reade. " As to that man," said he,
" he is beyond the reach of time ; I defy it to
" make him baser than he is : he is like the
" steel that blunts the edge of the file ; he was
" worthy of being yoked with our Calabrian." —
" You flatter him, Sire ; for his productions are
very indifferent, whereas Sir Hudson's poetry
is dettghtful." — " What ! is this spy a poet ?" —
" Yes, Sire;. he writes Latin verse with the same
elegance as French. He is the Tyrtaeus of the
Col-di-Tende ! — judge. You had baffled British
sagacity, taken Malta and Alexandria, and
threatened the estabttshments of England on
the Red Sea: she was trembttng for her trade,
and was arming at Bombay, at Gibraltar, at
Calcutta, and Admiral Blancket had sailed to
go and excite the Arabs to revolt. AU these
precautions were, however, insufficient to calm
the apprehensions of England : she felt that to
arrest your progress it was necessary to fire
the whole world, and she went about Europe

OF NAPOLEON. 279
begging for war ; but finding that your name
chilled every courage,- she imagined to spread a
report of your death. Lowe put the news into
verse, and had it stuck up in Italy. The mor-
ceau ran thus :
" ' Bonaparte a ete pris a Alexandrie ;
II a perdu sa funeste vie.
Francois, tremblez !
Vous serez guillotines.' "
" For guiUotined, read * * * ***** ;
" every one must speak his own language : but
" is that all ?" — " No, Sire ; and here is some
thing better :
" ' Anglorum rursus virtutem sentit ; fur, cave !
Jam enim furum dux Bonapars cecidit !' "
" So much for his poetry ! but what do you
" know about his exploits ?" — " Very little,
Sire ; affairs of that kind were out of the circle
of my pursuits, and I did not Usten to them with
any great degree of attention ; however, as I
was very much in the world at Florence, and as
my profession gave me access to every family,
I could not but collect numberless valuable de
tails. One spoke of the intention of the King
of Sardinia to exasperate the French, in order

280 LAST MOMENTS
to obtain the crown of martyrdom ; another
exposed the plans of the ministers of his go
vernment, and the hopes they built upon the
franc -chasseurs. The army commanded by
Brune had been on the point of being com
pletely destroyed. Every prince was to feign
the existence of insurrections in his dominions,
to stimulate alarms, and apply for assistance ;
and when our forces would have been scattered
by these means, Austria was to march, the people
to fly to arms, and our army, to the last man, was
to be sacrificed. Arms, ammunition, and men,
had been procured : every thing was arranged,
when a lady of the court felt some scruples
whieh she confided to her confessor; the con
fessor betrayed ministers, put Brune on his
guard, and the plot failed. I learnt in the
same way the intrigues which had for such a
length of time disturbed Liguria, agitated the
Cisalpine States, and fired Bologna. The ob
ject of Beccalozzi was, to be bought by the
aristocracy ; Lahoz had his own views ; Fene-
roli cherished his own chimera : every one in
trigued, and entertained the most culpable hopes.
Sommariva carried on a secret correspondence
in Lucca ; Porro excited the disaffected of Ge
noa : Zorti those of Oneglia : at the moment

OF NAPOLEON. 281
when a man thought himself secure of his ex
istence, new wars sprang up, and conquests
were meditated. The presence of our troops
checked the views of the ambitious, and they,
therefore, disposed their measures in conse
quence ; they threw difficulties in the way of
the service, excited the population, encouraged
every excess ; nothing was seen or heard of but
insurrections, assassinations and disasters, and
we were repulsed to the Col-di-Tende. Our
enemies, seeing that we had experienced re
verses, thought it advisable to endeavour to
stir up the South to revolt and murder. Eng
land dispatched Lowe for that purpose : he
crept like a malefactor on the mountains oc
cupied by our troops, organized a few obscure
plots, and hastily fled when he heard of your
victories." Dec. 17th. — The Emperor had now enjoyed
upwards of a month of uninterrupted health.
His strength had returned; the digestive or
gans had resumed their functions ; every thing
seemed to wear a favourable aspect, when sud
denly the disorder again manifested itself, and
with increased violence. Acute pains of chottc
— almost intolerable pain in the liver — every
symptom of an inflammation in the bowels. —

282 LAST MOMENTS
Ordered bathing, simple and emollient enemas,
fomentations of the same nature on the abdo
men, and castor-oU.
18th. — The pains in the bowels were to-day
less violent, without, however, ceasing altoge
ther, or aUowing the patient to repose a single
instant. A dry and painful cough came on at
daybreak ; but the use of anodynes diminished
its intensity. — Bath.
19th. — The latter part of the day, yester
day, the Emperor was tolerably calm. The
pains in the bowels recommenced again in the
night, but with less force and frequency ; the
pain in the Uver had entirely disappeared.
20th. — The Emperor better to-day. He had
some sleep, and took a bath in the evening.
21st. — Napoleon much better than yester
day. He took a Uttle walk, came in, and had
a bath. I had been out rambling, agreeably to my
custom, and had strayed a few minutes in the
park ; and as I came into the house, the Em
peror had just come out of his bath. " I
" thought," said he, " that you were engaged,
" entertaining a party of the English physi-
" cians : have they not been exact to the ap-

OF NAPOLEON. 283
" pointed time ?" — " No', Sire : they had each
separately appeared flattered by the invitation,
and accepted it with pleasure ; but suddenly
altering their mind, they have since sent an
excuse. I know not whether the hand that
kept them back be not the same that has just
caused me to be arrested." — "Arrested!" —
" Yes, Sire. I was quietly returning to my
hut, when the sentry refused to allow me to
pass, and I have been taken to the guard-house.
It is that which has made me late." The
Emperor dropped the conversation ; I did not
dwell upon it, and retired. But these vexa
tions assumed a character of personattty ; I
was again arrested and insulted a few days
afterwards. Napoleon would no longer allow
me to endure this treatment. " Write to the
" Calabrian," said he ; " let him know the con-
" tempt that his base maUce inspires you with ;
" teU him that you wttl leave St. Helena, if he
" persists in this line of conduct. I shall not
" suffer you to be denied the liberty of breath-
" ing the open air — to be exposed to die under
" my eyes." I was highly incensed, and had
soon written the following letter : —

284 LAST MOMENTS
" Longwood, 22d December, 1819.
" Excellency,
" I hope you wttl excuse me if my importu
nity interrupts your occupations, to call your
attention to some circumstances that affect me
personally. Last night, about seven o'clock, as
I was returning from a walk in the park, I
was stopped by the sentry placed near the
garden-gate ; and having been, during half an
hour, prevented from going to my dwelling,
which was not two hundred yards distant from
the spot where I was thus detained, I only at
last recovered my Uberty by the interference
of the sergeant of the guard of Longwood, the
orderly captain being then absent. In the
evening of the 19th instant, as I also returned
from my usual walk, I had already been stop
ped in a simUar manner by a sentry placed
on the same spot ; but who, much less rigorous
than his comrade of yesterday evening, suffered
me to repair to my habitation after a deten
tion of a few minutes only. Thus, during the
short space of three months that I have resided
in the island, I have been three times arrested.
Such proceedings appear to me in direct opposi
tion with the reiterated proofs and assurances
your Excellency has kindly given me of your

OF NAPOLEON. 285
favourable disposition towards me ; and they
assuredly are opposed to the rules of conduct
laid down for the government of St. Helena —
rules which were officially communicated to me
previously to my departure from Europe, and
in the propriety of which I did not hesitate
to believe, since the persons confined here are
not criminals. I, however, find myself shut
up in my habitation, as in a cloister, and
unless I am accompanied by one of your subor
dinate officers, I can neither see nor attend
any body beyond the limits fixed by yourself:
I am, moreover, perfectly well received in pri
vate by my colleagues in my profession ; but in
public I am shunned, and even rejected by
them. I am witting to believe, that this kind
of shyness only proceeds from the deep im
pression of terror made on the minds of the
inhabitants of this island ; nevertheless, my si
tuation is most painful and difficult to be
borne ; and but for the motive which in
duced me to come here, — but for the treatment
which I have already successfully employed
against the endemic chronic hepatitis under
which the Emperor Napoleon has long been
labouring in this variable and dangerous cli
mate, I do not hesitate to say, that I should

280 LAST MOMENTS
have already requested your Excellency's per
mission to return to my native land.
" Allow me, at least, to request you will
take into consideration the true state of affairs ;
the heat of the season, the power of the sun,
which darts its rays almost perpendicularly
upon our heads, the effects of which, as prompt
as they are fatal, are probably not unknown to
your Excellency.
" Let me further beg of you to recollect the
unhealthy climate we inhabit, and to spare me
the unpleasantness of being arrested during the
only hours at which, at this time of the year,
it is possible to walk out and breathe, at least
in the park, a pure air, or rather an air less
injurious ; as I have already been, on two sepa
rate occasions, violently attacked with coUcs,
which have confined me several days together
to my bed, and have been attended with some
danger. " Lastly, I entreat your Excellency to grant
us that degree of Uberty which is not denied
to all honest men — to all men who cannot
be accused of even the shadow of crime ; if,
indeed, there exist the possibility of liberty in
this island.
" Excuse the liberty I have taken of occupy-

OF NAPOLEON. 278
ing so much of your time, to inform you of the
difficulties under which I am labouring in the
exercise of my profession.
" I have the honour to be,
" Sir,
" Your Excellency's most humble
" and most obedient Servant,
" F. ANTOMMARCHI."
" Very well," said the Emperor, " now write
" also to Hamilton. That minister has bestow-
" ed praises on your work : he feels an interest
" for you ; it is not possible that he should
" suffer this ***** to deny you even the
" liberty of going to breathe a Uttle air under
" a leafless tree."
I followed the Emperor's advice, and wrote.
" Longwood, 23d Dec. 1819.
" Sir,
" Three months have elapsed since my ar
rival in this island, which I had the honour of
announcing to you in another letter. Allow
me to avatt myself of the kind dispositions you
have manifested in my favour, to inform you of
the situation in which I find myself, in a place
to which I have come of my own accord.
" I begin by confessing frankly, that I can-

288 LAST MOMENTS
not conceive why attempts are made to oblige
me to consider my condition in the light of
that of a monk, a hermit, or a slave, since
habits long since acquired render me totally
unfit to fulfil the duties which such conditions
might impose upon me.
" I find myself in the middle of the ocean,
in an almost uninhabitable island, and deprived
of every kind of Uberty : what more have I to
fear ? . . . . Such, however, is my situation, that,
although all my time is devoted to study, and to
the relief of suffering humanity in this island,
which nature seems to have stamped with a
deep impression of melancholy and reprobation,
I see all its inhabitants shun the neighbourhood
of Longwood with as much dread as, in eter
nity, they might fly from the approach to Hell.
This terror seems to have taken possession of
their minds, to the total exclusion of every
other feeling. My coUeagues in my profession
share the general alarm : they seem to tremble
at my aspect ; and, instead of a return of the
polite manner in which I am in the habit of
behaving towards them, I only experience from
them rough deportment and refusals. Nor can
I well blame them, since they could not possibly

OF NAPOLEON. 289
come near me, or say a single word to me,
without the certainty that the local authorities
would immediately be informed of it. Tele
scopes, pointed towards our habitations, pry even
into our apartments ; and telegraphs, very dex
terously contrived, instantly convey a report of
every thing that takes place in them. If I wish
to stray beyond the narrow limits to which we
are circumscribed, I am obUged to accept the
company of an agent of the Governor, who is
ordered to give him a faithful account of every
thing I may do or say in his presence ; so that,
in order to escape from the danger of his com
munications, I find myself under the necessity
of foregoing every kind of relation or social
intercourse. This is not all : after half-past six
in the afternoon, I am no longer allowed to walk
even in the park near my residence ; and what
is worse, the inhabitants of Longwood, who hap
pen to be out after that hour, are not at Uberty
to return home, as it has already happened to
me three times. Is it possible to conceive a mea
sure more absurd, and tyrannical at the same
time, particularly in this burning chmate ?
" As soon as it is half-past six in the even
ing, the limits of Longwood, which comprise
vol. i. u

290 LAST MOMENTS
a circle of about thirty toises* in circumference,
are surrounded by a great number of sentries ;
whose express orders, are, not to allow any per
son either to go in or come out, and to stop
every one that appears. At nine these sentries
narrow the circle they form, and are placed so
near our habitations, that I cannot leave my
apartment to go to my laboratory, to Count
Bertrand's, or even to the stables, without being
exposed to receive a thrust of a bayonet from
not knowing how to answer properly to the
chaUenge of the soldiers, addressed to me in
a language in which I am not yet conversant.
In the evening, or at night, when the duties of
my situation require my attendance on the Em
peror, as the local distribution of Longwood
does not admit of my going through his apart
ments, I am obUged to pass before I know not
how many sentries, who look at me, watch me,
and do not lose sight of me, untU I have reach
ed my destination.
" Such is the faithful account of my horrible
situation ; and unless your kind mediation with
Lord Bathurst should succeed in obtaining for
me a sufficient degree of liberty, to enable me
at least to acquire some scientific notions rela-
* A toise measures about 6^ English feet.

OF NAPOLEON. 291
tive to this dismal rock, I know not whether
my resignation will be able to bear, for a
greater length of time, the excess of violence
to which it is exposed : but I am full of con
fidence in your powerful protection ; and I pre
sume to hope, that your generous interference
will have the effect of rendering my residence
on this island less melancholy and less un
pleasant. " Accept the sincere assurance of the pro
found respect with which I have the honour
to be, " Your ExceUency's
" Most humble and most devoted
" Servant, " F. ANTOMMARCHI."
I complained, unable to do any thing better,
and his Excellency cared little about my com
plaints ; but the Minister had shown himself
kindly disposed in my favour, and I appUed to
him : this gave a more serious turn to the case.
The limits were, therefore, widened, and I could
henceforth breathe and circulate freely, and had
no longer to fear being taken to the guard
room, or wounded by a thrust of a bayonet.
And this was not all : Hudson added advice
u2

292 LAST MOMENTS
to liberty, and addressed me a lecture, which I
reaUy deserved. — I constantly repeated a name
which he could not hear ; I always spoke of
the Emperor : I should oblige him to refuse
receiving my letters, and, consequently, to de
prive himself of the pleasure of corresponding
with me . . . This solicitude was most affecting
no doubt, but was very ill-bestowed.
We had made our arrangements to dig a
basin. The Emperor was dressed in a large
pair of trowsers and a jacket, with an enor
mous hat, made of straw of Bengal, on his
head, and a kind of sandal to his feet. I
therefore left this stuff without an answer, and
followed him, as he proceeded towards a party
of Chinese, whom he had sent for, to assist
us in the completion of our labours. We saw
them examining us, laughing, and becoming less
noisy, as we advanced nearer to them. " What
" is the matter with them ? what amuses them ?
" It is, perhaps, my dress ?"— " Probably, Sire,
they are surprised to see you dressed as a work
man, like themselves." — We had joined them ;
and they set to work, and continued working
for some time, until at last mirth prevailed,
and became so general that it reached the Em
peror himself. — " What is it ? what do they

OF NAPOLEON. 293
" say?" — Not one of us understood the Chi
nese; so that we were unable to answer him.
" It must be my costume that causes their
" mirth ; and it is, indeed, odd enough. But
" with all their laughing they must not be
" burnt up by the heat : every one of them
" shall also have a straw-hat, as a present from
" me." The Emperor left us, and bent his steps to
wards a clump of trees. We thought he had
gone for the purpose of seeking a Uttle fresh
air, when we saw him on horseback, followed
by his piqueur. He rode up and down for a
few minutes, and then, starting suddenly, he
galloped to Deadwood. Having reached the
summit of the mountain, he stopped, pointed
his glass, looked round him, and came back as
swiftly as he had gone. This simple excursion
immediately became an affair of state. A
horseman had been seen, dressed like a Chinese :
How had he made his appearance ? whence
did he come ? what was his business ? The
Governor could not possibly make it out. The
Emperor, who was highly amused by his fears,
took it into his head to increase them. For
that purpose he made VignaU put on a dress
similar to his own, gave him his horse, his

294 LAST MOMENTS
piqueur, and his glass, ordering him to ride
fast, and appear to be making observations.
The missionary went, was seen and noticed,
and the tranquiUity of the whole island was
immediately disturbed. Signals were made;
Hudson, Gorrequer, Reade— all instantly turned
out, and proceeded to Longwood. This was a
conspiracy — an attempt to carry off somebody
... it was . . . VignaU in disguise. The Go
vernor confused, withdrew. I met him as he
was going away : he came up to me, gave vent
to his anger, and ended by declaring, that the
individual who thus laughed at his expense was
only an usurper. — " No doubt !" was my reply.
The tone of simpttcity with which it was pro
nounced deceived Sir Hudson : his eye assumed
an expression of benevolence towards me, as he
continued to rave and swear, ending once more
by the astounding statement, that he was an
usurper, and that I could not deny the fact. —
" Certainly not," answered I ; "it is a fact of
which I feel too much ashamed to attempt to
dispute its existence." His ExceUency, sur
prised at this concession on my part, now be
came quite gracious, and invited me to speak
without reserve. I immediately obeyed. " The
Emperor," said I, " (for by catting him General

OF NAPOLEON. 295
you acquit him of one of his usurpations, and
I wish to reckon them all,) is loaded with the
crime of which you accuse him. At Toulon,
he usurped the victory, and wickedly snatched
the torch from the hands of your Eratostratus ;
he usurped it again at Montenotte, CastigUone,
Lodi, and on the Tagttamento : he usurped
our admiration by the rapidity of his triumphs ;
by revenging, under the waUs of Pavia, the
affront sustained by Francis the First ; by his
famous retreat, when, sacrificing his hopes and
his artillery, he raised the siege of Mantua,
marched, beat the enemy, and taught him that
a surprise, an advantage, are often only the
forerunners of a defeat : he usurped it again,
when, left to himself, deprived of fleets and
transports, he carried on the war in the midst
of the deserts, opened canals, searched the sands,
and cultivated, as he fought, all the arts of
peace." I was going to continue this catalogue
of usurpations ; but I had the awkwardness to
mention the manner in which some emigrants
had been cut to pieces at Quiberon, and some
Russians at the Helder : his Excellency would
hear no more.
I returned to the Chinese, whom the Em
peror was exciting to work. " Well ! what did

296 LAST MOMENTS
" Hudson say to you ? Is he afraid that I
" shall some day get wings and fly away, and
" escape the grave ?" — " I know not, Sire : I
was relating to him how you had usurped vic
tory and pubhc admiration ; the sketch dis
pleased him, and he retired." Napoleon was
very much amused at this new misadventure ;
he laughed, pitied Hudson, and thought he had
been too much teazed for one day. By de
grees the Emperor turned the conversation
upon the events I had been endeavouring to
recapitulate to Lowe, repeated some anecdotes
connected therewith, bestowed praise on some,
related honourable actions of others. " Auge-
" reau was skilful and courageous ; he was be-
" loved by the soldiers, and fortunate in his
" operations. — Joubert had the genius of war. —
" Massena was endowed with a degree of dar-
" ing confidence and a quickness of conception
" which I have never seen equalled; but he
" was covetous of glory, and would not suffer
" himself to be deprived of the praises he
" thought he had deserved. The bulletins
" were hastily drawn up ; they were intended
'¦ to satisfy the curiosity of the idle, and some-
" times did not give to every one his due
" share of applause. He thought his services

OF NAPOLEON. 297
" before Mantua had not been properly appre-
" ciated, and he expostulated, and wrote to me
" on the subject. ' I have read,' said he, ' your
" account of the battle of St. George, and of
" the affair of Cerea ; and have observed; with
" the utmost surprise, that you bestow praises
" upon some generals who, far from having
" contributed to the success of that brUUant
" day, have nearly caused the destruction of
" my division destined to the attack of La Fa-
" vorite, and that you do not say a single word
" about me or Rampon. I have also reason to
" complain of your reports of the affairs of
" Lonado and Roveredo, in which you do not
" render to me the justice I deserve.
" ' These omissions wound my feelings, and
" quite dishearten me ; and I shaU therefore
" recal to mind, since I am forced to it, that
" the gaining of the battle of St. George is due
" to my military dispositions, to my activity,
" coolness, and foresight.
" ' Through the fault of General Sahuguet,
" who had not attacked La Favorite, as your
" orders directed, considerable numbers of the
" enemy had thrown themselves between St.
" George and La Favorite ; and but for the
" order I gave to the intrepid General Rampon,

298 LAST MOMENTS
" to advance on my right and attack the ene-
" my, my division would have been outflanked,
" and the day lost. The brave 32d had to
" maintain a most obstinate combat during four
" hours, and yet you say not a word either of
" myself or Rampon, who have both acted the
" principal parts in that memorable day.
" ' Chabran, alone, marched at the head of
" the grenadiers ; he remained there during the
" whole action : Marmont and Leclerc only
" came up in the midst of the conflict. I have
" undoubtedly every reason to be satisfied with
" the manner in which they behaved ; but then'
" conduct ought not to make us forget what is
" due to Chabran, an officer as intelligent as he
" is brave, and whom I have long since asked
" you in vain to promote to the rank of briga-
" dier-general. " ' My letter is written with my accustomed
" candour and loyalty ; and I flatter myself that
" by opening my heart to you, I shall induce
" you to render justice to myself, and to several
" officers of my staff'
" — Laharpe was a man of the same cast: se-
" vere, independent ; prodigal of his Ufe in the
" field of battle, but jealous of his share in
" the victory. He perished by one of those

OF NAPOLEON. 299
" accidents so common during a war. He was
" returning from reconnoitring ; the night was
" dark and tempestuous, he did not answer
" the chaUenge of the sentry, and fell a vic-
" tim to his zeal. He was a Swiss of the
" Canton of Berne, a warm partizan of the new
" order of things, and having been obliged to
" fly, his property had been confiscated. I had
" the satisfaction of causing it to be restored
" to his son. The Swiss were in want of grain,
" and applied for permission to purchase some
" in Italy ; I granted it, but on condition that
" the confiscation should be revoked ; and I or-
" dered Barthelemy, our ambassador at Bale,
" to see it done.
" I had more trouble with an aide-de-camp
" of mine, the brave Colonel Muiron, who was
" killed at Arcole. He had served from the
" very beginning of the Revolution in the corps
" of artttlery, and had particularly distinguish-
" ed himself at the siege of Toulon, where he
" had been wounded as he entered through an
" embrasure into the celebrated English re-
" doubt. " His father had been arrested on account of
" his being a fermier- general. Colonel Muiron
" presented himself before the Convention and

300 LAST MOMENTS
" the Revolutionary Committee of his section,
" covered with the blood he had just shed in
" defence of his country, and succeeded in ob-
" taining his father's liberation.
" On the occasion of the 13th Vendemiaire,
" Muiron commanded one of the divisions of
" artillery which defended the Convention, not-
" withstanding the entreaties of a great num-
" ber of his acquaintances, and of the persons
" composing his society. I asked him whether
" the Government might rely upon him. — ' Yes,'
" answered he, ' I have sworn to maintain the
" Republic ; I belong to the armed force, and
" shall obey by obeying my chiefs. I am, be-
" sides, by principle, an enemy to all Revolu-
" tionists ; and quite as much to those who only
" adopt their maxims and proceedings, in order
" to re-establish the throne, as to those who
" would bring back that cruel system under
" which my father and my family have so long
" suffered.' And, in fact, he behaved very
" gattantly, and was extremely useful in that
" engagement which saved liberty.
" I had selected him to be my aide-de-camp
" at the commencement of the campaign of
" Italy. He rendered most essential services

OF NAPOLEON. 301
' in almost every action, and died gloriously
' at last, on the field of battle, at Arcole, leav-
' ing a young widow eight months gone with
chttd. " In consideration of the services he had
' rendered in the different campaigns of this
war, I asked that the name of his mother-
' in-law should be erased from the list of emi
grants, on which it had been inscribed,
although she had never left France; and I
' claimed the same act of justice in favour of
' his brother-in-law, whose name had been re-
' gistered in the fatal list, when he was only
' fourteen years old, whUst abroad for his edu-
' cation." From the men who had contributed to his
victories, the Emperor passed to the considera
tion of the movements and combinations which
had decided them. These form a series of con
ceptions, manoeuvres, and proofs of intrepidity,
of which no other example is to be found in
the annals of history. In three years he had
conquered aU the northern part of Italy; op
posed, with about thirty or forty thousand men,
the greatest efforts of Austria ; and made six
campaigns.

302 LAST MOMENTS

FIRST CAMPAIGN.

Bonaparte draws General Beaulieu under the
watts of Genoa, attacks him on his flanks, out
flanks his right, defeats him at Montenotte,
marches alternately to Dego and Mondovi,
drives Beautteu to Milan, Cotti, Turin ; reduces
the King of Sardinia to submit, passes the
bridge of Lodi, takes possession of Lombardy,
crosses the Mincio, besieges Mantua, and in less
than two months, from the mountains of Genoa,
plants his flag on those of Tyrol, traverses IUy-
ria, and appears on the confines of Germany.
The impression of surprise produced all over
Europe by these brilliant achievements is not
yet forgotten. The parties in France, and our
enemies abroad, described this general, twenty-
six years old, as a rash-headed young man,
whose very presumption would cause his ruin
and confusion. Subsequent events shewed what
reliance was to be placed on their predictions.
SECOND CAMPAIGN.
The first effect of these signal advantages
was to oblige Wurmser to evacuate Alsatia, and

OF NAPOLEON. 303
cross the Rhine with forty thousand men to
come to the assistance of Tyrol. This general
arrives on the Adige with eighty thousand men,
takes Montebaldo, penetrates through the vaUey
of Sabia, and reaches Verona and Brescia at the
same time. To this new and formidable enemy
we could only oppose thirty thousand men;
having to preserve our conquests, and to besiege
Mantua, which was on the point of surrender
ing, though it contained a garrison of upwards of
eight thousand men. In this second campaign
it is that Bonaparte shews himself superior to
Frederick, who had been in a simUar situation.
He does not obstinately persist in the siege of
Mantua, as the King of Prussia had done with
that of Prague ; but supplying the inferiority
of his numbers by the resources of his great
genius, and the celerity of his movements, his
resolutions and his operations fottow each other
with the same rapidity, and entirely disconcert
the enemy, who never could find the French
army, at daybreak, where he had left it at
the beginning of the night. These bold and
beautiful conceptions were crowned by the
battles of Lonato and Castiglione ; and Wurm
ser, defeated in spite of his numerous ca-

304 LAST MOMENTS
valry, returned to the passes of Tyrol, leaving
great part of his army in the hands of the
French. In att these movements, which wttl present
matter for useful meditation to those who fol
low the career of arms, Bonaparte shewed that
very often the best means of defence consists
in attacking ; and that the art of conducting a
war on a large scale hes chiefly in being able
to regain the liberty of option, when it has been
lost by the first success of the enemy.
His reputation was now estabhshed all over
Europe ; all the French generals acknowledged
him as their master, and the old companions of
Frederick, from that moment, proclaimed him
to be the hero worthy of bearing the sceptre of
war, unappropriated since Frederick's death.
THIRD CAMPAIGN.
Bonaparte had conquered ; but, having had
to contend with the greatest difficulties, he
preserved a UvCly feeling of resentment. He
recoUected that Wurmser had more than once
occupied his head-quarters, and he did not con
sider himself sufficiently avenged by the de
struction of his plans and of part of his army.

OF NAPOLEON. 305
He heard that that general had received rein
forcements, and had marched from Tyrol on the
Brenta. Bonaparte immediately proceeded up
the Adige towards Roveredo, defeated half the
Austrian army, advanced towards Lavis, made
a feint to march on Inspruck, and suddenly
extended his operations along the Brenta. The
dispositions of the Austrians were useless — he
triumphed over every obstacle.
Bonaparte attacked and defeated the enemy,
pursued him closely, and drove him on the
Adige, which he crossed before him. Wurmser
was on the point of laying down his arms, but
one of those chances which baffle att calcula
tions enabled him to effect his retreat, and he
went and shut himself up in Mantua, with ten
thousand cavalry, several regiments of cui
rassiers, his staff and baggage.
The execution of these movements was so
rapid, and the defeat so complete, that Austria
was not apprised of these disasters, until she
heard by public report that she no longer had
an army of Italy, that her frontiers were quite
unprotected, and her general shut up in the
only place that remained in his possession.
It is easy to observe that in these bold
manoeuvres Bonaparte had not left any thing
vol. i. x

306 LAST MOMENTS
to chance ; and although his marches at first
view excite surprise, it is soon perceived that
a retreat is secured, and the measures to be
adopted in case pf a reverse decided upon.
MiUtary men wttl notice, with a deep interest,
the numerous and frequent points of resem
blance between this campaign and that of the
army of reserve. In both they wttl find Bona
parte manoeuvring upon the enemy's line of ope
rations, placing himself between the enemy's
troops and his magazines, intercepting his re
treat, and deciding at one blow the fate of a
whole army. FOURTH CAMPAIGN.
It wiU be easUy conceived how much the
Court of Vienna must have felt irritated by
these repeated reverses. Austria was aware
that Bonaparte had only a handful of men, and
she resolved to try her utmost to Uberate her
blockaded Field-marshal and save Mantua.
Alvinzi was sent for that purpose at the head
of a formidable army. Fifty thousand men
marched through Friuli, and twenty thou
sand through Tyrol. We could not oppose
so great a force, and finding it impossible to

OF NAPOLEON. 307
resist, or to preserve a range of country so ex
tensive, the French general only endeavoured
at first to check the movements of the enemy
by various corps of observation which he posted
on the Brenta. Alvinzi forced these corps,
passed the Piava, and Bonaparte was obliged to
evacuate the whole tract of country comprised
between the Brenta and the Adige. At Caldero
he endeavoured to resume the offensive, but his
efforts were unsuccessful ; and he besides re
ceived information that some of the enemy's
divisions occupied the right bank of the river,
and had already reached RivoU.
Italy now appeared irretrievably lost, and
the raising of the siege of Mantua inevitable.
The army was mustered at Verona, and was
found to consist of only fifteen thousand men
capable of bearing arms. These defiled in the
dark of the evening ; and every one thought we
were continuing to effect our retreat, but this
was not the case. The troops were ordered to
move on the Adige, which they crossed at two
o'clock in the morning, and Bonaparte gave the
celebrated battle of Arcole. Although the chief
object he had in view had fatted from the com
mencement of the action, this skilful manoeuvre
procured him the advantage of forcing the
x2

308 LAST MOMENTS
enemy to evacuate the fine position of Caldero,
and driving him amongst the marshes, where
he was compelled to fight upon the dykes; by
which means the advantage of the superiority
of his numbers was greatly diminished. Hi3
divisions, beaten one after the other, and discou
raged, fled from the field of battle, and threw
themselves in disorder behind the Brenta.
Bonaparte having constantly rallied victory
round our standard, the public, who frequently
judge only by results, have perhaps thought that
all his plans had constantly been successful.
Such a supposition would be very erroneous:
the best-concerted measures have often turned
against him ; but nobody was more prompt or
more skilful in substituting others in place of
those that had failed, and in obliging fortune
again to become favourable.
FIFTH CAMPAIGN.
In this fifth campaign were fought the battles
of RivoU and La Favorite, which led to the
possession of Mantua. The first of these battles
was more glorious for our army than that of
Marengo, since, with eighteen thousand men,
we defeated forty thousand, of which twenty

OF NAPOLEON. 309
thousand were taken prisoners. With such an
inferiority of numbers, and on a field of battle
of only five square leagues, it was particularly
in this action that the chief of the army dis
played the great art of shewing his superiority
on every point of attack. He could not, on a
surface of only seven or eight leagues, or in an
interval of thirty-six or forty-eight hours, out
march the Austrian columns ; but he de
feated them one after the other, although they
were only distant from each other a few hun
dred toises. The issue of these brilliant affairs
of RivoU and La Favorite was the consequence
of a perfect knowledge of the field of battle, of a
rare sagacity in penetrating the plans of the ene
my, and of an unequaUed degree of promptitude
in devising the means of counteracting them.
At RivoU, the division of the enemy selected
to turn the French army arrived accordingly
at the position it was directed to take; but it
only arrived after the other divisions had been
defeated, and was surrounded and reduced to
lay down its arms. SIXTH CAMPAIGN.
Master of Mantua, Bonaparte marched on
Rome, taking with him only five thousand men>

310 LAST MOMENTS
and signed the treaty of Tolentino, whilst
Europe stiU thought him beyond the Appenines.
Disregarding the vain glory of making a tri
umphal entry in the Capitol, he loses not a mo
ment, joins his army once more on the Piava,
and commences his sixth campaign.
In this campaign, after having, in less than
two months, defeated the Archduke Charles
on the Tagliamento, on the Isonzo, and at Tar-
vis; after having crossed the Julian Alps, the
Draave^ the Saave, and the Muehr, he obliges
the House of Austria to conclude a peace.
He was master of Trieste, of Istria, Carniola,
Carinthia, Styria, and of a great part of Aus
tria : he was in a situation to cause the voice
of humanity to be Ustened to.
Our troops- had penetrated to the gates of
Vienna. BeUegarde and Merfeldt hastened to
his head- quarters, to implore him to grant a
suspension of arms. Bonaparte consented ; and
as they were discussing the limits of the corps
of Generals Bemadotte and Joubert, " Where do
" you think, gentlemen," said he, " that Ber-
" nadotte is ?"— " Perhaps at Fiume ?" — " No ;
" he is in my drawing-room, and his division is
" half-a-mile from here. And Joubert, where
" do you suppose him to be?" — " Perhaps at

OF NAPOLEON. 311
Inspruck, if indeed he has been able to oppose
the column of grenadiers that is marching from
the army of the Rhine ?" — " WeU, he is also in
" my drawing-room, and his troops are march-
" ing after him.''
These two answers surprised the Austrians ;
and the more so, as their general had just sent
considerable detachments to defend the provinces
of Carniola and Tyrol, through which he
thought Generals Bemadotte and Joubert were
to pass. Thus, whilst the enemy was dividing
his forces* Bonaparte had concentred in a space
of about six square leagues the whole of his
troops, amounting to forty-six thousand men.
CAMPAIGNS OF EGYPT AND SYRIA.
Shortly after peace had been concluded, Bo
naparte satted for Egypt. He appeared before
Malta; and the influence of his name, the con
fidence inspired by his intervention, and the
vigour of his attack, disconcerted the enemy,
who surrendered the place, which had never
before been taken.
Having landed in Egypt, he at once perceives
what kind of warfare is adapted to the country,
estimates- the value of the troops by which it is

312 LAST MOMENTS
defended, and prepares the tactics the most
proper to be adopted.
The battle of the Pyramids, at the gates of
Cairo ; that of Mount Thabor, in the heart of
Syria; and that of Aboukir, — are all three of
a different character of conception. He man
oeuvres with unequalled skttl, and applies to cir
cumstances, as new as they are varied, all the
resources of the art of war.
WhUst these events were passing in Egypt,
our armies were beaten at Stokach and on the
Adige. We had conquered at Zurich, but
Italy was lost to us; and our armies, discou--
raged, and without combination, either in their
plans or in their movements, had ceased to be
the terror of the enemies of France. Civil war
raged in our western and southern depart
ments ; factions were tearing each other to
pieces, and an imbectte Government vainly sought
to ensure its safety by fomenting divisions.
CAMPAIGN OF THE ARMY OF RESERVE.
Bonaparte arrives from Egypt ; hope returns,
expectations are revived. The events of the
18th Brumaire justify those expectations, and
every thing rallies round or yields to the genius

OF NAPOLEON. 313
that conceives, the power that directs, and the
moderation that restores confidence. But it is
not enough to bring back order by the power
of the laws, peace must be conquered by victory.
When Bonaparte was appointed First Consul,
we had just lost the last place we possessed in
Italy (Coni) ; our posts had fallen back on the
summit of the Alps ; we had not an inch of
ground or a single place in Italy ; all Germany
was evacuated : we acted on the defensive, and
occupied the places on the left bank of the
Rhine. The western departments were up in
arms ; our enemies were every where for
midable, ready to invade our frontiers, and
change the destinies of the state : but Bona
parte took the direction of affairs; we once
more crossed the Rhine, passed the Alps, and
the Coalition, beaten and humbled, was reduced
to accept a peace.

Our labours advanced : we had dug the basin,
and prepared part of the pipes that were to
bring the water from a distance of three thou
sand feet. We had stiU several pipes to lay
down ; but the weather threatened rain, and
Napoleon being satisfied with his Chinese work-

314 LAST MOMENTS
men, was unwitting that they should be ex
posed to it. — " It is useless," said he, " that
" these people should get wet : there is no
" hurry for this basin ; let them rest, we wfll
" resume our task hereafter. I have, besides,
" some observations to make : come, follow me ;
" you wttl find them interesting." I went, and
found that the object of his observations was
some ants, whose manners he had been study
ing. These insects had appeared in greater
numbers in his bed-room since he occupied it
less, and had climbed upon his table, on which
there was usuaUy some sugar. Allured by the
bait, they had immediately established a Chain
of communication and taken possession of the
sugar-basin. Napoleon was anxious that they
should not be disturbed m their plans ; he only
now and then moved the sugar, following their
manoeuvres, and admiring the activity and
industry they displayed until they had found it
again. " This is not instinct,'' said he ; " it is
" much more*— it is sagacity, intelligence,, the
" ideal of civil association. But these little
" beings have not our passions, our cupidity ;.
" they assist, but do not destroy each other.
" I have vainly endeavoured to defeat their
" purpose : I have removed the sugar to every

OF NAPOLEON. 315
" part of the room ; they have been one, two,
" or sometimes three days, looking for it, but
" have always succeeded at last. The idea
" strikes me to surround the basin with water,
" and see whether that will stop them : Doctor,
" send for some." But water did not stop
them — the sugar was stttl pillaged. The Em
peror then substituted vinegar, and the ants no
longer ventured to approach. — " You see it is
" not instinct alone that guides them : they are
" prompted by something else ; but what, I
" know not. However, be the principle which
" directs them what it may, they offer to man
" an example worthy of observation and reffec-
" tion, It is only by perseverance and tenacious-
" ness that any object can be attained .... Had
" we possessed such unanimity of views ! . . . .
" But nations have also their moments of for-
" getfumess and lassitude .... Allowance must
" be made for the weakness of human nature.
" However, att had not yielded to the storm.
" If the hero of Castiglione was extinct, Gerard,
" Clausel, Belliard, Lamarque, and a host of
" others, still preserved the fire and energy
" which mark the early steps in a career. Eu-
" rope would have been beaten, and those sove-
" reigns, now so proud at the idea of no longer

316 LAST MOMENTS
" having for their equal a man of the people,
" would have been ecttpsed in my presence !" —
Napoleon then began to discuss the new dogmas
which they seek to defend, and the mystical
lights on which they found them. — " What
" ridiculous pretensions ! what contradictions !
" Are these principles of legitimacy in con-
" formity with the Scripture — with the laws
" and maxims of religion ? Are nations simple
" enough to believe themselves the property of
" a family ? Was David, who dethroned Saul,
" a legitimate ? Had he any other rights
" than those he derived from the consent of his
" nation ? In France, various families have suc-
" ceeded each other on the throne, and have
" formed several dynasties, either by the wiU of
" the people, represented by the assemblies of
" the Champ-de-Mars or Champ-de-Mai ; or
" by the votes of the parUaments, composed of
" barons and bishops, who at that period re-
" presented the nation. How many famUies
" have successively occupied the throne of Eng-
" land ! — The house of Hanover, which suc-
" ceeded the prince it dethroned, now reigns,
" because such was the wttl of the ancestors of
" the present race of these touchy people, who

OF NAPOLEON. 317
" thought this change of Government absolutely
" necessary to the preservation of their inte-
" rests and of their political and religious rights.
" Some of the old men still living have wit-
" nessed the efforts made by the last branch of
" the Stuarts to land in Scotland, where they
" were seconded by those whose ideas and sen-
" timents were conformable to their own. The
" attempt was opposed, and the Stuarts ex-
" pulsed by an immense majority of the people,
" whose new interests and opinions were op-
" posed to those of that degenerate famtty."
The Emperor now recapitulated all the cir
cumstances of his elevation, and insisted on his
having had the voice and consent of the people.
" The Auttc Council," added he, laughing, " also
" persisted in denying the existence of the Re-
" public, from which it had, however, received
" some severe blows. At a later period, indeed,
" its plenipotentiaries offered me, during the ne-
" gotiations of Campo Formio, to acknowledge
" it. — ' No,' said I ; ' strike out that clause : the
" existence of the Republic is as clear as that of
" the sun — bttndness alone can prevent any one
" from seeing it. Times are now altered, and
" I must not lend my sanction to an absurdity.

318 LAST MOMENTS
" But let us go out and take a walk." We
went out accordingly : the Chinese were com
pleting their arrangements, and we witnessed
the arrival of the water into our basin. — " This
" is well ; but where shall we place the aviary?"
— " Here, Sire ?'' — " No, further — behind you ;
" it wttl be better there, the prospect is more
" open. You wttl arrange that, Doctor ; if, how-
" ever, occupations of a more serious nature
" do not occur to prevent you."
Unfortunately such occupations did occur. —
The Emperor, whose disorder I considered, if
not entirely removed, at least considerably
abated, suddenly relapsed into his former state.
I had recourse to baths, to emollients, to every
remedy, in short, which he did not refuse to
take, but in vain : the blow was struck ; and
if I succeeded in arresting the progress of the
disease for one moment, it was to see it rage the
next with increased violence. This cruel alter
native alarmed me, and I thought it my duty
to inform the Emperor's famUy of what was
going on. I requested his permission to write
to Rome, and having obtained it, I addressed to
the Chevalier Colonna the foUowing letter :

OF NAPOLEON. 319
" St. Helena, Longwood,
"18th July, 1820.
" MY DEAR FRIEND,
" I have not heard from you since I left
Europe, and am uneasy at your silence. I wish
to know how you are, and I am sure you will
be desirous of having some account of the
Emperor Napoleon, whose health is entrusted
to my care.
" I have now been already ten months in this
island, and I can assure you that I have not
passed a single day or night without devoting
to the illustrious patient att the care and assist
ance my zeal and my medical knowledge could
suggest. I found him labouring under a chronic
hepatitis of the most serious nature. The
remedies I had adopted seemed to have pro
duced a beneficial effect ; he was recovering,
took exercise, and I had advised him to super
intend, or rather to conduct, the formation of
a garden consisting of a few toises of ground
round his house ; but whttst indulging the most
flattering hopes, I have had the bitter disap
pointment of seeing those hopes destroyed, and
the fruit of several months of care and anxiety
entirely lost. The complaint has exhibited a
continual alternation of amendment and re
lapse ; and I must confess that I now despair

320 LAST MOMENTS
of a favourable issue, the influence of the ctt-
mate, which is the primary cause of the chronic
hepatitis, being too contrary to the constitution
of the Ulustrious patient, and to the action of
the remedies I have prescribed.
" The Emperor has lately experienced a most
serious relapse. Violent fever — deep and acute
pain in the liver — acute and pulsative pain in
the articulation between the right leg and foot
— erysipelatous inflammation, extending along
the back of the foot and a third part of the
lower extremity of the leg. I do not hesitate to
affirm that these affections are produced by
a disordered state of the digestive, and an alte
ration of the functions of the biliary organs.
The patient's case does not, however, present
any imminent danger, but precludes all hopes
of recovery in a tropical climate. By degrees
the morbific symptoms extend, and assume a
more serious appearance, and I am afraid my
cares and wishes may be soon as crueUy disap
pointed as your hopes.
" I had at first thought of laying before his
Eminence Cardinal Fesch a detailed report of
the state of the Emperor's health ; but the fear
of increasing the affliction of Madame Mere,
by this melancholy picture, has determined me

OF NAPOLEON. 321
to address it to you ; and you will make that
use of my letter which wttl appear to you the
most proper with regard to his Majesty's family.
" Accept the assurance of the sincere attach
ment of " Your affectionate friend,
" F. ANTOMMARCHI."
19th July. — The Emperor experienced shi
vering, fever, pain in the head, nausea, dry and
frequent coughing, and vomiting of a bttious
quattty, extremely bitter. — Pain in the liver, ex
cessively violent, and extending to the shoulder
— respiration difficult and painful — lower part
of the leg, and the right foot, affected with a
tumour, attended with violent pain, and erysi
pelatous inflammation, particularly above the ex
ternal malleolus.* These symptoms, which ap
peared on the 7th, had now reached the highest
state of aggravation. — Ordered rest, refrigerant
beverages, local fomentations, saponaceous lini-.
ments and enemas.
20th. — Saw the Emperor at ten o'clock,
a.m. ; he had slept about three hours. At day
break, sttght intermittent perspiration — pulse ,
* Part of the ancle.
VOL. I. Y

322 LAST MOMENT'S
apyretic. The intensity of the morbific syilip^
toms had diminished, but the pain in the arti*
culation was stUl felt. The patient refused-
purgatives, and I continued the use of locaB
fomentations, liniments, enemas, &c.
21st. — The Emperor better. — Enemas — lini--
ments. 22d— Same state of health.— Bath.— To
wards the evening the pain in the articulation
decreased, and the tumour increased. — Enema
— liniment.
23d. — The Emperor had passed a most rest
less and agitated night. — Dry cough — pain in
the liver, extending over the whole lateral
region. Saw him again at four, p. M., and
found that relief had been produced by the
bath. At ten, p.m.j the tumour of the articu
lation had still increased; pain and erysipela
tous inflammation in the same state. Continued
the appUcation of liniments, and advised clari
fied whey. — Bath.
24th. — Napoleon better. — Whey — liniment
— bath.
25th. — Same state. — Napoleon refused to
continue to take whey, — Liniment — bath.
26th. — Same state. — Substituted rice-water
for whey— liniment — bath. The Emperor felt

OF NAPOLEON. 323
better. I had been speaking to him about
Rome, and aU his recollections had centered
on his mother. He recalled her affection, the
tender care she had bestowed on him ; and
suddenly stopping — " You are very much at-
" tached to me, Doctor ; you care not for con-
" trarieties, pain, or fatigue, when you can re-
" lieve my sufferings ; yet aU that is not mater-
" nal solicitude. Ah ! Mamma Letizia !...."
In saying this he hid his face. I endeavoured to
offer to his mind some less melancholy images,
by speaking to him of Italy, of Corsica, of those
he had loved. At first he Ustened to me with
indifference : but the name of his nurse having
been pronounced in the course of the conver
sation, he expatiated on the care she had taken
of bim in his infancy, and her kind of worship
of him. " She wished to witness the corona-
" tion, and came to Paris. I was very much
" entertained by her stories, and the Mvely ani-
" mated manner in which she told them, and
" the gesticulations a la Ginoise with which she
" accompanied them. She pleased Josephine
" and aU the famtty, and also the Pope, who
" gave her abundance of benedictions, not con-
" ceaBflg at the same time his surprise at the
" good sense and occasional flashes of wit of the
y2

324 LAST MOMENTS
" pious old lady. I gave her something more;
" substantial than those benedictions, which she,
" however, highly prized : I transferred to her
" landed property and vines to the amount of
" one hundred and twenty thousand francs, and
" my paternal house. My mother, advised by
" the Cardinal, took upon herself not to give up
" the house ; and put in it Ramolino, who offer- ¦
" ed part of his own in exchange. The nurse
" remonstrated, but was not Ustened to. She
" sent her daughter to Paris to complain ; but
" aU access to me was closed, and she was
" more than six months before she could get
" her petition deUvered. This opposition sur-
" prised me, and I caused ample satisfaction
" to be given to the old lady. I sent word to
" Ramolino, that since he chose to keep our
" house, he must immediately resign his own
" entirely to the nurse, and pay her a sum of
" twenty thousand francs. This he did; every
" body was pleased, and my nurse had this
" additional sum of money."
27th. — The Emperor had passed a bad night.
The pain in the liver became more acute,
extending over the whole of the right costal
region, up to the shoulder. Violent pains in
the bowels — dry cough — frequent nausea — vo-

OF NAPOLEON. 325
miting of bttious matters — cephalalgia — oppres
sion — skin yellowish white. — The patient re
fused to take rice-water. — Prescribed a cholo-
gogue purgative, anodyne beverage, simple ene
mas, fomentations, Uniments, and bathing ; and
at ten o'clock at night, he was rather better.
28th. — The Emperor continued better. — The
pain in the articulation had entirely subsided ;
but the foot was still rather swollen. — Liniment
— bath. 29th and 30th. — Same state of health — same
prescription. — Advised, for the second time,
thermal waters.
31st. — The Emperor well again. — His
strength had returned, and he went out.— Fish
had been brought to put into the ponds we had
dug; and Napoleon desirous of throwing them
into the water himself, went into the gar
den. The children of the Grand Marshal per
ceived him, and were soon round him. He
had not seen them for some days, and purposing
to send for them, was not sorry to find them
beforehand with him. — " Send for the Doctor,"
said he to General Montholon, " I want his
" ministry ; he must bore these pretty Uttle
•" ears" (showing those of Uttle Hortense, and
opening a paper, in which a pair of coral ear-

326 LAST MOMENTS
rings were folded-up.) I prepared accordingly
to perform the little operation, but the sight of
the instrument produced the usual effect, — the
chUd cried, and the Emperor, fearing lest
mamma should not be pleased, hesitated. His
presence, however, and that of the ear-rings,
soon dried up her tears. We retired under the
shade of an oak-tree : General Montholon sup
ported the patient ; Napoleon looked on, and
Uttle Arthur stamped and stormed, crying out
that he would not allow his sister to be hurt !
Napoleon was highly amused by the anger,
threats, and EngUsh phrases, of the Uttle fellow,
who only grumbled the more. " What do you
" say, little rogue?" said the Emperor to him ;
" if you do not be quiet, I will have your ears
" bored also : come, will you be obedient ?"—
The operation over, and the ear-rings put on,
Napoleon embraced the amiable little creature,
congratulating her on her courage, and sent her
away: " Go and show your ears to mamma, and
" if she is not satisfied, and does not approve
" of the operation, tell her that it was not I,
" but the Dottoraccio, who did it !" — " Yes,
Sire ;" and she bounded away and disappeared
in an instant.
I remained alone with the Emperor. The

OF NAPOLEON. .327
spirit of little Arthur had struck him ; and, as
he walked, he made me observe the firmness
of the child.— " The Uttle urchin!" said he; "I
" was just as resolute at his age ; nothing could
" frighten or disconcert me. I was noisy and
" quarrelsome, and feared nobody. I beat one,
" scratched another, and made myself formi-
" dable to aU. Most of my encounters were
" with my brother Joseph : he was beaten, bit-
" ten, scolded; and I had already gone to com-
" plain of him before he had had time to look
" around him ; and it was fortunate for me to
" be thus alert, for Mamma Letizia would have
" restrained my warlike humour, and would not
** have put up with my pranks. Her affection
" was tempered by severity ; she punished and
" rewarded without distinction — nothing we did,
" either good or evil, was lost. My father, an
M enttghtened man, but too fond of pleasure to
" trouble himself about our infancy, sometimes
" endeavoured to excuse our faults. On those
" occasions my mother would say to him, 'Leave
" that to me, it is not your business ; it is my
" duty to watch over them :' and this she did
*' with unexampled care, discarding and stamp-
¦" ing with disgrace every ignoble sentiment
" and affection, and only allowing our young

328 LAST MOMENTS
" minds to imbibe impressions of what was
" great and elevated- She abhorred falsehood,
" punished disobedience, and did not aUow any
" fault to pass unnoticed. I recollect a mis-
" adventure that happened to me, and the pe-
" nalty that was inflicted upon me for my fault.
" — There were some fig-trees in one of our
" vineyards, and we liked to climb them ; but
" in so doing we might fall or meet with some
*' accident, and she, therefore, forbade us to
" approach them without her knowledge. This
" prohibition was a source of great disappoint-
" ment to me ; but still it was made, and I re-
" spected it. One day, however, being unoc-
" cupied, and assatted by ennui, I took it into
" my head to covet the figs : they were ripe,
" nobody saw me, and consequently, nobody
" would know any thing about the matter ....
" I hastened to a tree, and gathered aU the
" fruit it bore. My appetite being satisfied, I
" was laying in a provision for the road, by
" fitting my pockets, when a keeper made his
" appearance. I was half dead, and remained
" motionless on the branch on which he had
"" caught roe. He threatened to bind me hand
" and foot, and carry me before my mother m
" Fear rendered me eloquent : I described the

OF NAPOLEON. 329
" ennui produced by idleness, promised to re-
" spect the figs in future, and at last succeeded
" in appeasing him.. I congratulated myself
" upon my narrow escape, and flattered myself
" that this adventure would not come to light ;
" but the traitor keeper had told the whole
" story ; and accordingly, the next day, the
" Signora Letizia felt desirous of gathering
" some figs, and proceeded to the tree for that
" purpose; but there were none left — I had
" carried all away. The keeper was sent for, an
" explanation ensued, a disclosure was made,
" and the guttty paid the penalty of his fault."
The Emperor had resumed his habits of
early rising, and would frequently go and
breathe the fresh air before sunrise. One day,
his gums being painful, he entered my room,
and addressing himself to me before I had per
ceived him : " I suffer, Doctor," said he : " my
" teeth ach ; what is to be done ? let us see —
" what says your work ?" My anatomical plates
were lying open before me, and without
allowing me time to answer him, he began to
discuss upon the work. He regretted it had
not been executed sooner : he would have
applied to anatomy ; he would know it, and that
would be an additional satisfaction to him.

330 LAST MOMENTS
He had often tried to study it, but disgust had
overcome his wish to learn ; he had never been
able to conquer the sort of horror with which
the sight of a corpse inspired him. These
plates rendered dissection, as it were, useless ;
a single glance enabled one to discover the play
and structure of the various organs, to observe
their relation one to another, to trace their ra
mifications : the human frame was laid open and
published. He was sorry the execution of the
plan had been so long delayed. " Doctor, your
" plates form a magnificent work : I wish them
" to be dedicated to me — to appear under my
" auspices : I am anxious to render this last
" service to science. I wUl supply you with the
" money, and you shaU return to Europe and
" pubttsh them : I feel ambitious to contribute
" to raise this monument/' The Emperor often
returned to this subject, and spoke each time
with renewed satisfaction of the undertaking.
" But why have you not drawn a Une of demar-
4t cation to point out your share of the work, and
" distinguish it from that of Mascagni ? Every
*' man should enjoy the merit of the result of
" his own researches. You have framed the
" introduction to the work, you have written
" the text of the anatomy of painters, and you

OF NAPOLEON. 331
" pubttsh the whole in the name of the professor !
" This is sacrificing too much, and acting too
" disinterested — too modest a part : every one
" must have his own." — " True, Sire, but my
share is naturally pointed out in the work itself.
Mascagni has engraved thirty plates, and given
an account of his discoveries ; what remains
over and above that, is mine : let a comparison
be made, I only claim the difference."
The progress of the Emperor's complaint
was slow, but unceasing and visible ; and it
was particularly on the mind that its effect was
marked. Napoleon now only spoke of the ob
jects that had arrested his attention during his
infancy, and of his friends and relations. The
news that had been circulated respecting his
son had grieved him beyond measure; he
complained and bewailed the fate of that child,
whose cradle had been surrounded by so many
hopes. At last he heard that he had been
named a corporal. " Ah ! I breathe !" said he ;
and then, as if unwttling to betray his emotion,
he began to speak of Corsica, and of the recoUec
tions he had preserved of that country. " When
" I visited Genoa after my accession to the
" throne of Italy, I thought myself suddenly
" transported to our mountains. Shape, man-

332 LAST MOMENTS
" ners, dress, arrangement of the shops — every
" thing was like our country. This simttarity
" struck me, and Josephine enjoyed my asto-
" nishment, and endeavoured to prolong its du-
" ration." — " What ! the features and habits are
the same ?" — " Yes ; probably the Corsicans are
" the bastards of the Genoese. This idea made
" her laugh, and amused her very much. I
" went out on horseback, rode over the heights,
" and visited the positions which defend Genoa,
" and fixed the works to be made to protect the
" town. I could not help admiring this odd
" fancy of Nature, in having, as it were, carved
" the two countries after the same model. I
" had been three hours rambling over these
" rugged places : it was eleven o'clock, and I
" was exhausted ; I returned and set to work
" with the worthy Gaudin, who presented me
" the plan of the financial organization of Ligu-
" ria. I was completely overcome with fatigue,
" and he had hardly begun to read before I
" was asleep. I begged him to desist for a
" short time, whttst I went to take a few mi-
" nutes rest ; but I met in my passage some
" generals who awaited my orders. I despatch-
" ed their business, and remained thirty-six
" hours at work ; and it was only at my de-

OF NAPOLEON. 333
" parture that I could sign the minister's" plan.
" This Duke of Gaeta was a man full of zeal,
" and of the greatest probity : what services
" he has rendered !" The Emperor briefly re
capitulated the share he had had in our suc
cesses by his financial operations, and added:
" A short time after the battle of Austerlitz, he
" came and asked me for my cannons of bronze.
" ' How !' said I, ' do you wish to wage war
" against me ?' — ' No, Sire, I only wish to make
" coining-dies pf them.' — ' My cannons for such
" a purpose! use something else.' — ' But I in-
" tended that the words Dies qf Austerlitz
" should be engraved on every one.' — ' Mini-
" ster, you assail my vanity ; well, be it so, I
"give them to you.' "
We had now got to the end of the first
fortnight in September. The pain in the Uver
returned, and became more acute; and the
Emperor experienced disgust and nausea, fol
lowed by vomiting of bUious matter, and sensa
tion of violent heat in the right hypochondriac
and epigastric regions. Walking in open air,
be the weather what it might, either hot or
cold, calm or boisterous, became intolerable
to him ; he felt exhausted, and was obliged
to seek rest.

334 LAST MOMENTS
18th. — Eyes sunk, conjunctiva of a yellow
cast; lips and gums discoloured; tongue covered
with a whitish substance ; skin excessively pale,
bordering upon yeUow ; complexion tinged with
a greenish cast ; pain in the head, particularly
about the forehead and the eyebrows ; night
mare (incubus); uneasy sensation of heat in the
thorax ; breathing difficult, interrupted by deep
sighs; feet and legs icy cold, — warmth restored
to them by the application of warm Unen ; skin
dry and burning; pulse low and quick (80);
the epigastric region painful on pressure. The
Emperor experienced a sensation of heaviness
in the abdomen, disgust, and an almost un
conquerable disposition to sleep. ^1 endeavoured
to rouse him from that state of lethargy by
speaking of the care his health required. " Ah !
" Doctor, forbear !" said he ; " we are happy
" when we sleep ; wants, privations, cares, and
" anxiety, are then no more :" and he feU again
upon his pillow. He had a violent headach ;
and after many entreaties I succeeded in making
hhn consent to take a purgative chologogue,
which afforded great refief.
19th. — The Emperor had passed a better
night, but the morbific symptoms had lost
nothing of their intensity. The pain in the

OF NAPOLEON. 335
head was, however, less violent, and the green
ish cast of the face and the yellow tinge of the
conjunctiva were also rather softened. The
sensation of heaviness in the abdomen had
disappeared, but had been succeeded by one of
intolerable suffering, and by pains in the liver
much more violent than before, — Bath. — The
pulse Was more regular, and the skin less dry
and burning.
20th. — Same state. The Emperor went to
take a ride in the calash, but returned in a few
minutes exhausted with fatigue.
2 1st. — Same state of health. I advised tonics
internaUy, and blisters on the arm and the nape
of the neck, and particularly insisted upon
opening an issue in the left arm ; but Napoleon
rejected every prescription that was recom
mended to him. I informed the Grand Mar
shal and General Montholon of the Emperor's
situation. 22d. — The Emperor was better. After hav
ing taken a bath, wishing to breathe the open
air, he tried to walk, to ride on horseback or in
the calash, but fatigue and indisposition soon
obUged him to come back and go to bed.
23d. — The Emperor's health in the same
state. He however persisted in attempting to

336 LAST MOMENTS
take the air. He rode on horseback, and in
the calash ; but after having gone a short dis
tance, he found himself compelled to return
again, and to go to bed. He continued to try
this kind of exercise for some days, persuad
ing himself that motion is the first of remedies ;
but what with the heat of the sun, his cough,
and shiverings that ran through att his limbs,
he was obliged to give up the attempt. He
again renewed it two days after; and alternately
experiencing relief and relapses, he reached the
3d of October ; on which day he experienced
a general torpor, which was only dispeUed by
his being placed near the fire. The lower ex
tremities were a long time getting warm ; and
this result had hardly been obtained before he
was seized with convulsive contractions, and a
sensation of extreme heaviness in the head.
4th October. — The Emperor came in at two
o'clock, p. M., extremely tired, and went to bed,
desiring that he might not be disturbed. He
had taken a ride of two leagues and a half,
partly on horseback, and partly in the calash ;
had rested at Sandy-bay-ridge, and stopped at
Mr. Doveton's, where he breakfasted, and drank,
he said, three glasses of champagne. He ex
perienced a violent headach, and a general

OF NAPOLEON. 337
sensation of uneasiness — dry and nervous cough
— face extremely pale — eyes sunk— pulse low
and nervous.
5th. — -The Emperor continued to complain of
head-ach, which was, however, less violent than
yesterday. The pain in the liver had consider
ably increased, and extended as far as the right
shoulder, and he still felt a most troublesome
heaviness and a deep pain in the left hypo
chondriac region. No sensible alteration had oc
curred in the other symptoms. He took a Uttle
exercise in the garden.
6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th. — The bad weather
prevented the Emperor from taking his ride in
the calash, but he took a walk in the garden,
after which he got into a bath heated to a
high degree of temperature. I endeavoured
to oppose this practice, but he told me it was
foUowed in Egypt, and that he had derived
the most beneficial results from it. " Your
" coUeagues, then, were also not sparing of
" their remonstrances. I should catch the . . .
" I cannot tell you what complaints I was to
" catch ! — Well ! I caught none, and remained in
" perfect health. My instinct served me better
" than the science of Hippocrates, aTid my
" brush and flannel were more efficacious than
" all the efforts of his followers. This does not
vol. i. z

338 LAST MOMENTS
" apply to you, Doctor, in whose skiU.Iplace
" the greatest confidence ; but I have the be-
" nefit of my own experience, and am also
" rather tenacious of my opinions."
10th. — The Emperor remained an hour in
his bath, and was obliged to get out of it to
go to bed, being so weak that he almost
fainted. His strength did not return after he
had been in bed ; his face was pale, approaching
to yellow, and he experienced a sensation of icy
coldness att over the body. The senses, particu
larly that of hearing, seem impaired : pulse low
and irregular.
11th, 12th, 13th.— The Emperor's health
had not improved ; on the contrary his strength
appeared to decUne. He woke in the middle of
the night with a violent headach, and in a state
of costiveness which enemas were insufficient to
dispel: the extremities were deadly cold, his
frame shook ; he felt palpitations in the heart,
and a general uneasiness, agitation in the ab
domen, pain in the region of the sternum,
breathing difficult, dry and nervous cough.
His weakness was such that the slightest
movement was sufficient to produce vertigps.
At two o'clock in the morning the costiveness
ceased, and he had copious evacuations, which

OF NAPOLEON. 339
were followed by excessive debility. From
three to five o'clock the intensity of these various
symptoms diminished ; but a new pain made its
appearance, extending down the vertebral co
lumn, from the nape of the neck and the
shoulders to the middle of the back.
14th. — -The Emperor slept from six o'clock
untU nine, and woke with a deep pain in the
left side of the head. The pain in the sternum
still continued. Pulse low and regular. I
advised emottients, and insisted upon the ap
plication of bttsters. — " Doctor," said Napoleon,
" no physicking. We are, as I have already
" often told you, a machine made to live ; we
" are organized for that purpose, and such is
" our nature. Do not counteract the Uving prin-
" ciple: let it alone; leave it the Uberty to de-
" fend itself — it wttl do better than your drugs.
" Our body is a watch that is intended to go a
" given time. The watch-maker cannot open it,
" and must, in handling it, grope his way blind-
" fold and at random. For once that he assists
" and reUeves it, by dint of tormenting uNrith
" his crooked instruments, he injures it ten
" times, and at last destroys it." Thinking,
probably, that this comparison which had par
ticularly struck his fancy had not convinced me,
z 2

340 LAST MOMENTS
he began to discuss the uncertainty of medi
cine, and the danger arising from the drugs
which the faculty distribute indiscriminately^
and added : — " You are aware, Doctor, that
" the art of heattng consists only in lulling and
" calming the imagination. That is the rea-
" son why the ancients dressed up in robes, and
" adopted a costume striking and imposing.
" That costume you have unadvisedly aban-
" doned; and in so doing you have exposed
" the imposture of Galen, and no longer exercise
" the same powerful influence over your patients.
" Who knows whether, if you were suddenly to
" appear before me with an enormous wig, a
" cap, and a long train, I should not take you
" for the god of health ! whereas you are only
" the god of medicines.
The Emperor, fearing lest I should again
renew my importunities, endeavoured to elude
them by joking on the subject: but mirth also
affords reUef to sufferings, and I therefore pro
longed the conversation as much as possible.
15th. — The Emperor had passed a quiet
night. The pain in the head ' was still felt,
that of the sternum extended round the right
breast, and the dry cough continued, with fre
quent and insipid ructations from the stomach.

OF NAPOLEON. 341
The patient had eaten with a tolerable appetite,
and his pulse, though low, was regular ; but the
paleness of the face, the Ups, and aU the linibs,
had reached the highest pitch. At last I ob
tained leave to apply bttsters, and put two on
the arm at one o'clock, which only began to
operate at five. — Perpetual state of agitation
the whole day.
16th. — The bttsters were removed : very Uttle
serosity was found beneath the portions of
cuticle they had raised, and the paleness of the
skin below was not altered.
The bttster on the left side seemed to have
produced a greater effect than that on the right,
but neither had acted powerfully. The agitation
continued ; the pain in the head and chest had
disappeared, but the cough had increased. The
skin was dry and burning — pulse low and ner
vous. At four o'clock in the morning an
abundant evacuation, accompanied with violent
gripings. At eleven the cough still lasted, the
head-ach returned, the pulse was low but
regular. Napoleon took a walk of two hours
in the garden ; and towards evening his strength
improved, and the head-ach left him.
17th. — The Emperor had passed a bad
night, having suffered slight pains of colic, ac-

342 LAST MOMENTS
companied by frequent evacuations. He was,
when I saw him at nine o'clock, rather better. —
Pulse low but regular, and strength returning.
A walk in the garden improved this favourable
state. At sunset the patient experienced a ge
neral sensation of languor, wliich was dispel
led by taking a Uttle food.
18th. — Napoleon a Uttle better. He went
out, walked a few minutes in the garden, and
returned to bed towards eight o'clock. The
coldness of the feet extended by degrees up to
the thighs ; but by constant appttcation of hot
towels, the natural heat was restored. — Pulse
regular and low.
19th. — The Emperor a Uttle better; but at
sunset the lower extremities again became
cold. The bttsters were dried up. — Pulse as
usual. 20th. — The Emperor rather better. He
went out in the calash, rode two hours, and
came in exhausted with fatigue. He had
scarcely got into bed before the coldness of the
lower extremities appeared with increased vio
lence, but was dispelled by degrees, and suc
ceeded by a burning heat, which spread all
over the body, and was followed by a general
calm. — Pulse low and nervous.

OF NAPOLEON. 343
21st/ — Napoleon tolerably well. He took a
bath, in which he remained about three-quarters
of an hour. At twelve o'clock he went out
into the garden, conversing upon the facilities
and the obstacles he had met with at the period
of the Consulate. "The arinies were discou-
" raged, beaten, driven on the Une of the Var ;
" the enemy were close to our frontiers ; we
" were threatened with an invasion ; but the
" population fled to arms — all came forward: we
" marched, and France was saved." — Napoleon
entered into the most minute detaUs : he spoke
of VaUongnes, of the reports in circulation at
the time, and of the spirit which animated the
South. The picture did not much agree with
the statement made by a noble emigrant in the
tribune,* and with the offensive preparations
which the inconceivable battle of Marengo ren
dered unavaittng. " The Marquis must cer-
" tainly have made a mistake as to numbers :
" an army of twenty-five thousand men, pos-
" sessed of courage, does not remain concealed,
" and wait to beat to arms until the enemy has
"left the field of battle. However, I do not
" insist on this point ; I merely recommend the
* Place from which members of public assemblies in
France deliver their speeches.

344 LAST MOMENTS
" foUowing document to the consideration of
" this occult General ; it is worth comparing
" with his muster-roUs," " Antibes, 20th Floreal, VHIth Year of
the Republic (10th May, 1800.)
" THE PREFECT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
" THE VAR TO THE MINISTER OF WAR.
" CITIZEN MINISTER,
" By a concourse of unfortunate circum
stances, added to grave errors, the department
of the Var has, in eight days, become an open
frontier, seriously threatened by a superior
enemy. To-morrow, or even this night, it
may be the scene of an invasion followed by
fire and devastation.
" Lines rendered formidable by their posi
tion have been abandoned, and the town of
Nice was this morning evacuated. Eighteen
thousand Austrians line the left bank of the
Var, and there only remains between them
and us a torrent, the passage of which is de
fended by four or five thousand men — of troops
discouraged, and commanded by generals who
do not agree together.
" On the first intimation of this retrograde
movement, I proceeded to the Une of the Var.

OF NAPOLEON. 345
I sought in vain for an army; instead of
one, I only saw soldiers dispersed and wounded,
abandoned on the roads, and sighing after hos
pitals which do not exist. The retreat of
every branch of the army is directed towards
the interior, and is pushed on as far as Mar-
settles. A host of employe's of every description
is flying, accompanied by covered waggons,
the excessive load of which excites strong sus
picions against the persons on whose account
they journey.
" In the midst of this confusion, of which it
is impossible to form an idea, I have not lost
courage, and have endeavoured to form an
army, by marching on the Var all the moveable
columns of the department, with suppUes for
five days. At my voice the peasantry have left
their fields, and unyoked their ploughs ; and
twelve hundred horses or mules perform the
service of mUitary transports.
" This measure witt deceive and awe the
enemy for a few days ; but he has secret com
munications with the interior, and will soon
penetrate the secret of our weakness. It is,
therefore, urgent to provide for the defence of
this frontier, and to have recourse to regular
and adequate means.

346 LAST MOMENTS
" I have seen at Antibes, General Oudinot, and
have thought that I might — nay, that I ought, to
ask him what were his means of defence ; what
Une he thought of occupying ; on what points
he wished the levies of citizens to be directed ;
and lastly, what description of assistance he
stood in need of, and to what amount. I have
offered to place , myself at the head of my de
partment, on the points the most exposed and
threatened. I am still waiting for his answer.
" ObUged by his delay to take upon myself
the duty of this General towards you, I think
it right to inform you that the moveable
columns are marching ; that they hasten from
every point to the head-quarters at Antibes ;
and that success has crowned this first measure.
At the same time, however, you wttl permit me
to lay before you the following considerations.
— I think
" 1st. That no reliance ought to be placed on
Antibes, on account of its unfavourable situa
tion in a country covered and commanded by
heights. If it is attacked with artillery, it will
not hold out eight days ; if it is merely block
aded, it wttl be equally compelled to surrender,
since it is unprovisioned.
" 2dly. That rettance cannot be placed on the
moveable columns. The time of the harvest,

OF NAPOLEON. 347
which is drawing near, wttl recall the husband
men, who form the greatest proportion of these
columns, to their fields, and it wttl be impos
sible to check desertion.
" 3dly. That advantage must, therefore, be
taken without loss of time, of the effect the
imposing appearance of this levy wiU produce
on the enemy, to assemble troops of the Une,
and to give them, above att, an intelligent com
mander, and one whose reputation may put an
end to all private rivalry.
" 4thly. That, with a reinforcement of six
thousand men of good troops, and by mustering
the moveable columns of the department of the
Pouches du Rhdne, the department may be
covered by fortifying the line of the Esteron,
and the post of Gillette. The enemy wttl not
dare to penetrate into the interior without pos
sessing that post. The country is too much
intersected by mountains to allow the Austrians
to engage in it, unless they are masters of the
upper department, through which alone they
could effect a retreat.
" 5thly. That no apprehensions need be en
tertained with respect to the means of subsist
ence ; but that it is absolutely necessary to
supply the means of transport, which the de
partment of the Var could not do.

348 LAST MOMENTS
" I feel that I am, perhaps, entering too
much into detaUs to which I might be ex
pected to be a stranger; but the communi
cation is confidential, the information true
and impartial; and it is essential that you
should not be deceived by reports resting on
sttght foundation, or framed with interested
views. " Watch over Toulon : that important place
is also destitute of provisions, and inadequately
provided with arms. We may stiU be saved
by the methodical sloth of the Austrians ; but
the least delay, on our part, might be the cause
of great evils, and considerable losses to the
Republic. " Respectfully yours, " Fauchet."
22d. — The Emperor much better. His
strength and appetite had returned, and he had
been four hours seriously engaged at work.
He had kept the Grand Marshal and his family
to dinner, and was pleased and happy. His
sufferings had slumbered during a whole day
— they might never wake again: he was full
of hope. " When my health is once re-esta-
" bUshed, I shall restore you to your studies.

OF NAPOLEON. 349
" You shall proceed to Europe and publish your
"works; I wttl not suffer you to waste your
" existence on this horrible rock. You have
" told me, if I recollect rightly, that you do not
" know France : you wttl then see that coun-
" try ; you wUl see those canals, those monu-
" ments, with which I covered it during the
" time of my power. The duration of that
" power has been Uke that of a flash of light-
" ning ! But no matter, it is filled with useful
" institutions." — " Immortal, Sire ! — Cherburg,
Turin, Antwerp !".... — "I have done bet-
" ter than all that."—" What, then, Sire ?
What prodigy ?" — I waited for his answer.
" Yes, Doctor, I have done better; I have hal-
" lowed the Revolution, by infusing it into our
" laws. My code is the sheet-anchor which
" wttl save France, and entitle me to the bene-
" dictions of posterity ; besides that, there are, as
" you were saying, estabUshments, foundations
" —Flushing, Corfu, Ostend !" . . . — " The Alps
levelled ! " — " The plan of that undertaking
" is one of the first, formed at the commence-
" ment of my career. I had entered Italy, and
" finding that the communications with Paris
" occupied a considerable time, and were at-
" tended with much difficulty, I endeavoured

350 LAST MOMENTS
" to render them quicker, and resolved to open
" them through the valley of the Rhone. I
" also wished to render that river navigable,
" and blow Up the rock under which it engulphs
" and disappears. I had sent engineers on the
" spot : the expense would have been inconsi-
" derable, and I submitted the plan to the Di-
" rectory ; but we were carried away by events :
" I went to Egypt, and nobody thought any
" more about it. On my return, I took it up
" again : I had dismissed the lawyers, and having
" no more obstacles in my way, we appUed our
" hammers to the Alps ; we executed what the
" Romans had not dared to try, and traced,
" through blocks of granite, a solid and spacious
" road, capable of resisting the efforts of time."
— " But not those of Piedmontese industry* " —
"How so? Do the Piedmontese" spoU: that
"road?" — "I have heard so." — "Ah, that is
" not right ! I was entitled to a little more re-
" spect from the House of Savoy." Napoleon
then entered into numerous detaUs respecting
the armistice of Cherasco, the democratic fer
vour of the Directory, and its repugnance for
peace, when he insisted on the ratification of the
treaty. — " 'What! with a despot!' was the reply.
" — ' His resources are stiU immense.'— 'We will

OF NAPOLEON. 351
" stir up popular commotions against him,' — we
" wUl excite the vaUeys to revolt.' — ' But his
"troops!' — 'They must be seduced.' — In fact
" there was no kind of trick and chicanery to
" which TaUeyrand did not resort in order to
" avoid signing the treaty, as the foUowing
" letter wiU exemplify : —
" 30th Fructidor, Vth Year
of the Republic.
" TO GENERAL BONAPARTE.
" I add to my despatches of this day some
explanations upon objects which have not
seemed to me of a nature to appear amongst
the official documents ; but concerning which
it is nevertheless proper you should receive
some information.
" The Directory refuses to sign the treaty
with the King of Sardinia. There would be a
kind of inconsistency in our binding ourselves
by solemn treaties with a monarchy, the speedy
destruction of which might be the result of our
operations in Italy : we should be accused of
the same kind of Machiavelism with which the
King of Prussia behaved in Poland. Besides,
the article of the treaty upon which the King
of Sardinia lays the greatest stress, is that by

352 LAST MOMENTS
which the security of his kingdom is guaran
teed, and we cannot give to kings a guarantee
against the people : such an engagement would
lead us to wage war against the same principles'
for which we have hitherto fought, and to which'
we owe the greatest part of our victories. The
fate of Piedmont, situated as it is between
France and Italy (both free), wiU become what
it may : all we can do in that country is to let
things follow their natural course.
" You therefore cannot have the ten thousand
Piedmontese that had been promised to you;
but there is nothing to prevent you from having
as many soldiers from this country as you wish.
There is no want here of men willing to fight
for Uberty, and under your orders : att Revolu
tionists wttl immediately come forward ; it wiU
be sufficient for you to induce the Cisalpine Re
public to enlist, pay, and equip them. You
wttl thus have the little army which the King
of Sardinia was to furnish ; and we shall have
no obligation to a prince of the House of Bour
bon. It is very probable that the Court of Tu
rin wUl not oppose the raising of these levies,
and that it wUl perhaps be very glad to be rid
of some individuals who give her cause for un
easiness ; and this measure, useful to us, will

OF NAPOLEON. 353
thus retard the explosion there : the only dif
ficulty consists in paying them. I am aware
that the Cisalpine Republic already pays a great
deal ; but it is only money, and France has paid
a much dearer price for her liberty. It is, be
sides, greatly for her interest that this measure
should take place ; and if the campaign opens
again, it will be more on her account than on
ours. " With respect to Mr. Thugut, who is the
sovereign of Vienna, and who preaches the con
tinuation of war, against the opinion of the Em
peror and the wishes of the people ; he is a
man whom we ought to have undermined be
fore this time. He has always demanded and
obtained money for leading his masters into
most detestable affairs. You wttl find in the
instructions given to Clarke, some information
respecting an old piece of treachery, which has
already been communicated to the Grand Duke
of Tuscany. You may cause some allusion to
be made to this circumstance in the newspapers
of Italy, which are most read at Vienna, and in
such a way as to make him fear that more
might be said ; and if afterwards war does take
place, the traitor must be totally unmasked, and
the official documents published, in order that
VOL, I. 2 A

354 LAST MOMENTS
it may be known at Vienna and all over Eu
rope, that he has formerly received, and still
receives money, and that he is the sole cause of
a warj which he only prolongs to favour Eng
land and increase the treasure with which she
supplies him. If any thing then excites sur
prise, it wttl be our having so long delayed the
publication of such facts, and at last they must
come to the knowledge of the Emperor.
" On our side we shall labour to turn in our
favour the opinion of Europe, which i» in great
part already for us ; this is an expedient, or
rather a weapon, which we must not neglect.
We intend to circulate documents that wttl
clearly make it appear that the Courts of Vienna
and London were quite agreed with the faction
which has just been upset in France, and witt
show how far the negotiations of the two Courts
and the movements of the interior proceeded si
multaneously. The common and evident object
of the members of Clichy, and of the Cabinet
of the Emperor, was, the re-estabttshment of a
King in France, and a degrading peace by which
Italy was to be restored to her former masters.
" Should they talk to you about equUibrium
and the balance of Europe, how much will you
not have it in your power to say respecting Po-

OF NAPOLEON. 355
land, which has so materially increased the
power of Austria ; and respecting which the Di
rectory has condescended to forbear pronoun
cing during the course of the negotiation, though
continually prompted to do so by the interest
which they take in the fate of the Poles and of
their country !
" If you find that the negotiation cannot be
brought to a favourable issue, you wttl then
prosecute the plan for the expulsion of the
House of Austria ; and in that case you will
feel that the neutrality of Tuscany must not be
regarded. " Ch. M. Talleyrand."
24th. — The Emperor had continued well du
ring the remainder of yesterday : he had passed
the greatest part of the night reading news
papers, and was engaged in the same occupation
when I saw him this morning at ten o'clock.
At two o'clock p» M. he took a bath, in
which he remained half an hour. His strength
increased, and the state of costiveness dimi
nished ; but he complained of an acute pain in
the right hypochondriac region, which extended
as far as the breast on the same side.
25th. — The Emperor, after having expe-
2 A 2

356 LAST MOMENTS
rienced a violent pain in the frontal region, was
seized with a kind of drowsiness. He took a foot
bath into which some mustard-seeds were thrown,
ahd found rettef from it. He complained of the
miserable state of his health. " Can any thing
" be more deplorable than my present condi-
" tion ? This is not life, it is mere existence
"  my health will never be restored  even
" my present situation must be precarious, and
" perhaps death will soon terminate my suffer-
" ings." He recommended to me the autopsy
of his corpse. — " We are not come to that,
Sire," answered I, " if your Majesty will only
condescend to foUow the treatment I have pre
scribed  you are not near the term of your
career." — " I should wish to believe you, Doc-
" tor, but . the blisters dry very quickly." —
" They will soon resume energy, if your Ma
jesty wttl  "—"Medicines again! You are
" a Doctor, and would promise life to a corpse
" if it could take pttls. But I do not deceive
" myself; I feel that I am near my end. All
" the powers of the vital functions are concen-
" trated on the spot which the cantharides have
" excited : you will keep them on a week or
" ten days longer, when you will have obtained
" all the effect that can possibly be expected

OF NAPOLEON. 357
" from them." — " In that case, Sire, we might
try an issue." — " No : Corvisart had opened
" one, but it is too troublesome and inconve-
" nient ; I wttl not have any."
26th. — Napoleon worse than yesterday. — Ge
neral atony — icy coldness of the extremities, in
spite of every means I could devise to restore
warmth to them — excessive paleness. At three
o'clock the Emperor went to the Grand Mar
shal's, where he remained till six. During that
interval he was seized with a shivering in all his
frame, accompanied by excessive thirst. He
drank lemonade, and caused a large fire to be
lighted, near which he endeavoured to warm
himself. His strength was entirely exhausted.
" In what a state am I, Doctor ! every thing
" seems to weigh upon me, to fatigue me ; I
" can scarcely support myself. You have not,
" amongst the resources of your art, any means
" of reviving the play of the machine ?" He
accompanied this with a gesture, indicating the
whole frame. I told him that medicine possessed
many such means. — " Prompt and efficacious ?"
— " Sire, time  " — " Ah ! yes; time ! You
" begutte pain, and death puts an end to it."
27th and 28th.^-Same state. — Pulse weak
and agitated. — No improvement.

358 LAST MOMENTS
29th. — The state of weakness had increased.
Deep pain in the right hypochondriac region —
abundant evacuations of ill-digested matters. —
These evacuations had already lasted some
daiys. I endeavoured to obviate the serious
consequences to which a continuation of such
a state might lead, and insisted upon the ne
cessity of a medical treatment. I dropped a
few observations upon the alteration which had
taken place in the functions of the stomach, as
well as the liver ; the Emperor hastily took
them up : " What are you saying about the
"stomach? Know, Sir, that mine is sound; and
" that I have never, in anyplace, or under any
" circumstances, suffered the slightest pain from
" it. Therefore no more on that subject : do you
" hear ?"
30th. — The Emperor very pale, and com
plaining of his extreme weakness. He had
a violent head-ach, and felt an annoying pain
along the third part of the lower extremity of
the right leg, in the right hypochondriac region,
and in the epigastric region. During the night,
evacuation of bilious matters. He refused to
take any medicine.
3 1 st. — Napoleon worse than yesterday. He
had passed a very restless night, and had had
successively eight evacuations of liquid matters,

OF NAPOLEON. 359
and undigested substances. The pain in the
head and in the right hypochondriac region
was still as violent — pulse low and agitated.
During the day, three evacuations simUar to
those of the night. The patient was lying on
a sofa, under several coverings, though the
thermometer of Fahrenheit was at sixty -five
to sixty-six degrees. The lower extremities
almost constantly cold. He persisted in refusing
to take any medicines : I prescribed a strict
diet, rice-water, and some enemas. Towards
the evening, pulse more regular, but weak, and
Napoleon felt rather better. He complained
that the skin upon which the blisters had been
applied was still red, and occasioned a sensa
tion of excessive irritation.
November 1st. — The Emperor had passed
a tolerable night, and had only had one evacua
tion, of the same nature as the preceding. — Pulse
irregular and nervous ; pain in the head, rather
violent; digestion very laborious, though the
patient had taken but very little food ; the
stomach painfully distended by the presence of
gas, which occasioned frequent insipid nictations.
The pain in the liver had increased : a dry and
almost continual cough, caused by the state of
the stomach, produced vomiting of aqueous
matters. The icy coldness of the extremities

360 LAST MOMENTS
caused a spasmodic contraction of the cerebral
nerves. Towards evening all these symptoms
disappeared, and the patient, was evidently
better. 2d. — After a short slumber, the Emperor was
awakened at four A. M. by a dry and nervous
cough, accompanied by insipid ructations and
vomitings of aqueous matters. Anodyne po
tions allayed the irritation of these symptoms
towards the break of day. At nine the Em
peror was calm and weak, and took some light
food. At three P. M. the fits of coughing re
turned, accompanied by frequent ructations of
an insipid nature, vomiting of aqueous matters,
and painful distension of the stomach. Pain in
the head and the liver — icy coldoess of the lower
extremities. — AppUcation of warm towels on
the legs, friction on the abdomen, with a
Umment of ammoniac and opium — calming
draught. Towards evening all these alarming
symptoms subsided.
3d. — The Emperor had passed a tolerably
good night ; and there was an evident improve
ment in the patient's health. The prostration of
strength, however, still continued. At twelve
o'clock Napoleon felt a violent pain in the head,
coldness, and spasmodic contractions at the lower
extremities. He recovered his appetite a little.

OF NAPOLEON. 361
I proposed tepid baths of sea-water. — Conti
nued coldness of the extremities. — AppUcation
of warm towels.
4th. — Napoleon rather better.- — Return of
appetite— pulse low and regular. — Tepid bath,
composed of two-thirds of sea-water and one-
third of soft water, in which the patient re
mained thirty-five minutes.
5th. — Continued improvement in the Empe
ror's health. He took another bath of salt-water,
in which he remained about three quarters of an
hour. His sufferings had ceased awhile, and he
began to talk and converse ; passing in review,
amongst other topics, the works he had executed
and the men he had protected in Italy. He had
made roads from Pavia to Padua, from Padua
to Fusine and Ponte Longo, from Sarravalle to
Belluno and Cadore, . and from Vicenza to No-
varra., He had dug the port of Malomocco,
drained the valleys which terminate at Verona,
thrown bridges over the Adige, restrained the
inundations of the Bacchigttone, raised dykes,
re-constructed canals and aqueducts -— and yet
this was only the beginning of what he had
planned for Italy. From the things he had
done, the Emperor passed to the men he had
known, and spoke at some length of Cesa-
rotti, the pomp and harmony of whose poetry

362 LAST MOMENTS
he liked. He had assisted him, and loaded him
with favours ; but hatred followed the abuse of
victory : we became odious — we were beaten ;
the poet yielded to the general feeling of exas
peration, and applauded our reverses. This
error did not, however, deprive him of Napo
leon's benevolence ; for one of the first things
the Emperor did, after the incorporation of
Venice, was to recommend Cesarotti to Prince
Eugene. " My son," wrote he to him, " when I com
manded as General-in-Chief in the Venetian
States, before the treaty of Campo - Formio,
the Abbe Cesarotti was presented to me at
Padua. He was a man of merit, but poor ; I
received him in a distinguished manner, and
gave him a pension from the funds of the town,
which was paid to him as long as the country
remained under my dependence. The Aus
trians, who succeeded me, wttl, however, cer
tainly not have continued the pension to him :
leam, therefore, what is become of him ; and
if you find him out, let the pension be again
paid to him, with the arrears."
6th. — The Emperor's health continued to
improve. — Third bath of salt-water, in which
Napoleon remained an hour, and then went
into the garden. He was weak, and could

OF NAPOLEON. 363
hardly support himself. He pat down near the
pond, which was the usual object and Umit of
his walks. He would remain there for hours
together, amusing himself by following the mo
tion of the fishes, throwing bread to them, stu
dying their manners, taking an interest in their
loves and their quarrels, and endeavouring with
real anxiety to find out the relations that exist
between us and them. He pointed them out
to our observation, enumerated them to us, and
often sent for us to communicate his remarks.
Unfortunately these little creatures were at
tacked with vertigoes ; they struggled, floated
on the water, and perished one after the other.
Napoleon was deeply affected by this circum
stance. — "You see very well," said he, "that
" there is a fatality attached to me. Every
" thing I love, every thing that belongs to me,
" is immediately struck : heaven and mankind
" unite to persecute me."
From that moment, neither weather nor sick
ness could prevent him from going daily to visit
them himself; and he told me to see whether
there were no means of assisting and saving
them. I could not conceive whence proceeded
this singular mortattty, and examined whether
it was caused by the water ; but the exami
nation was too slow for the Emperor's im-

364 LAST MOMENTS
patience, and he sent for me several times every
day, and despatched me to ascertain whether
others had perished. I went, and mUst confess
that I experienced a lively satisfaction when I
was enabled to inform him that they were all
alive. At last I discovered the cause of this
accident which grieved Napoleon so much : we
had cemented the bottom of the basin with a
mastich containing a great proportion of copper,
which had poisoned the water and destroyed
the fishes. We took out those that were still
attve, and put them into a tub.
7th. — Same state as yesterday. — Fourth bath
of salt-water. — The Emperor rode out in the
park. 8th. — The Emperor continued better. — Fifth
bath of salt-water. — Ride in the park in calash.
9th and 10th. — Napoleon was tolerably well
on the preceding day ; but he had passed the
night reading newspapers, and was extremely
weak and languid. — Bath of salt-water, in
which he remained half an hour.
1 1 th and 1 2th. — The state of the patient's
health, which on the preceding day had been
very unfavourable, had now become still worse.
He was melancholy and oppressed, and expe
rienced a great prostration of strength, disgust,

OF NAPOLEON. 365
a sensation of heaviness, and flatulencies in the
abdomen. The pain in the Uver recommenced
with renewed violence, and extended towards
the epigastric region. To these symptoms were
superadded a rather acute pain along the
spine and in the left shoulder, a stubborn
state of costiveness, and a pulse low and ner
vous. — Bath of salt-water of three quarters of
an hour — enema — frictions on the spine and
the left shoulder, with a liniment composed of
ammoniac ; which produced an excellent re
sult. 13th. — The state of the Emperors strength
was not much more favourable than yesterday.
He felt an unconquerable drowsiness, but his
pulse was regular. He took a Uttle food, and at
two P. m. his usual bath of salt-water.— Con
tinuation of the frictions on the spine and the
left shoulder.
1 4th. — After the bath of salt-water the Em
peror felt stronger and in better spirits, and ate
with tolerable appetite. — Frictions, with the
usual Uniment.
Napoleon again took up the subject of Italy,
and spoke at length of Oriani. " He is the
" greatest geometrician that ever existed !"
Napoleon had treated him with great dis-

366 LAST MOMENTS
tiuction, protected him, and recommended him
to Bmne when he went out on his expedition
to Egypt, He had taken pleasure in testifying
pubttcly the respect he entertained for his learn
ing, by writing to him immediately after he had
entered Milan ; thus honouring in his person aU
those who cultivate sciences in Italy : —
" Head-quarters of Milan, 5th Prairial, IVth Year
of the Republic (24th May, 1796.)
" BONAPARTE, GENERAL-IN-CHIEF OF THE
ARMY OF ITALY, TO THE CITIZEN ORIANI,
ASTRONOMER. " Sciences which honour the human mind,
arts which embellish Ufe and transmit great
actions to posterity, are entitled to special pro-
-tgetion in republics. All men of genius, att
those who have obtained a distinguished rank in
the repubttc of letters, are Frenchmen, in what
ever country they may be horn.
" Learned men have not hitherto enjoyed in
Milan the consideration due to them. Retired
in their closers, they deemed themselves for
tunate when kings and priests would condescend
not to molest them. This is no longer the case;
the mind has become free in Italy .... in
quisitions, intolerance, and despots no longer

OF NAPOLEON. 367
exist in that country. I invite the learned to
unite together, and make known to me their
views respecting the measures to be adopted, to
give to science and to the fine arts fresh vigour
and a new existence. All those who choose to
go to France wttl receive a distinguished wel
come from the Government. The French nation
attaches a greater value to the acquisition of a
learned mathematician, a painter of repute, or a
man eminent in his profession, whatever it may
be, than of the finest and most flourishing city.
" I therefore request, Citizen, that you wiU
be the medium through which these sentiments
are conveyed to the men distinguished for their
learning in Milan."
Napoleon had preserved a most particular
recollection of this celebrated man; he often
spoke of him, and took pleasure in relating the
detaUs of the first audience he had given him.
He described Oriani's timidity and embarrass
ment at the sight of the stately retinue of the
staff, which quite dazzled him, and the trouble
he had had to restore to him confidence and
composure. " ' You are here with your friends ;
" we honour learning, and only wish to shew the
" respect we entertain for it.' — ' Ah ! General,
" excuse me, but this pomp and splendour quite

368 LAST MOMENTS
" overpower me; I am not accustomed to witness
" them.' '' He, however, recovered his self-pos
session, and held with Napoleon a long con
versation, which produced in his mind a feeUng
of surprise which he could not for a long time
overcome. He was unable to conceive how it
was possible to have acquired, at the age of
twenty-six, so much glory and science: the
General was to him an inexplicable phenomenon.
In praising the astronomer the Emperor men
tioned the name of M  . " As for that man,
Sire, att the indulgence of your Majesty  " —
" Yes, I know it ; he was only faithful after a
" victory. Berthier had often pointed him out
" to me : but who would not have become re-
" fractory with so weak a man as Berthier ?
" When I asked him whether he would be the
" sport of a few busy intermeddling fellows,
" and whether he was not General-in-chief,
" ' No ! ' he would answer ; ' you know very
" well that even here (at Genoa) I have not
" ceased to be the chief of your staff' "
15th. — The Emperor took his usual bath.
Three enemas produced an excellent effect ; but
the patient complained of a sensation of heavi
ness in the abdomen, and the pain proceeding
from the liver extended to both shoulders.

OF NAPOLEON. 369
16th.- — At eleven o'clock A. M. the Emperor
went down into the garden. He was weak and
unable to walk ; I supported him : he reached a
chair, and seeming to recover after a long and
painful effort, " Well, Doctor, here am I then
" at my last cast ! No more energy or strength
" left ; I bend , under the load." I was going
to answer him, but he was before-hand with
me. " I shall recover, of course ? A doctor
" would sooner die than not assure a man at
" the last extremity that he is not Ul." — " No,
Sire; but when the principle of Ufe is stiU en
tire  "- — " It is no longer so; I am going, I
" feel that my hour is come." — " Your Majesty
has not yet reached the term of your exist
ence, if you wttl only condescend to  " —
" Do what ? Take pttls ? or a decoction of
" bark, like at Mantua ? " — " No, Sire, much
less Uke at Venice." — " How so, Venice ! Your
" corpses have then been constantly on the look-
** out ?'* Probably they also told you the num-
" ber of patients towards whom I had recourse
" to coercive measures ? '' — " No, Sire ; I only
heard of Unt, vinegar, and camphorated brandy,
which the Venetian authorities were to supply,
and the generals of division cause to be admi-
* See page 225.
VOL. I. 2 B

370 LAST MOMENTS
nistered." — " It was necessary to provide for
the moveable hospitals  "— " And to cure the
sick and wounded." — " What an obstinate man,
" with his eternal medicines ! Doctor, we wttl
" think about it." He rose, and I supported
him again back to the house.
He took a bath, in which he remained an
hour. The atony became general ; the pain in
the liver was violent, and extended to the epi
gastric region. The stomach was distended by
flatulencies, producing frequent insipid ructa
tions. Pulse low and nervous.
17th. — Napoleon's health nearly in the same
state. At ten o'clock he took a bath.
18th.— The Emperor was labouring under a
deep depression of spirits and faculties. He
experienced continual insipid eructations, and
complained of acute pain in the epigastric re
gion. An issue was opened on the left arm,
the incision for which did not produce a single
drop of blood. The salt-water baths suspended
for the present.
19th. — The Emperor went to look at his
fishes, took a turn in the garden, and afterwards
went out in the calash ; but he returned back
before he had reached the park.
The bandages of the issue were deranged ; I

OF NAPOLEON. 371
replaced them. The patient ate with tolerable
appetite ; the functions of the stomach appeared
less deranged.
The Emperor no longer had any strength or
energy left : he was overpowered by the want
of sleep, and experienced a degree of lassitude
which he could not overcome. " Doctor, what a
" delightful thing rest is ! The bed is become for
" me a place of luxury ; I would not exchange
" it for att the thrones in the world. What an
" alteration ! How fallen am I ! I, whose ac-
" tivity was boundless, whose mind never slum-
" bered, am now plunged in a lethargic stupor,
" and must make an effort even to raise my
" eyelids ! I sometimes dictated upon different
" subjects to four or five secretaries, who wrote
" as fast as words could be uttered : but then I
" was Napoleon; now I am no longer any thing;
" my strength, my faculties forsake me ; I do
" not live, I merely exist."
20th. — The Emperor was absorbed in pro
found melancholy, and did not pronounce a
single word.
21st and 22d. — Napoleon appeared stiU la
bouring under the same depression of spirits.
He ate very little, and consented to resume the
salt-water baths.
2 B 2

372 LAST MOMENTS
23d, 24th, 25th, and 26th. — Same state as
the preceding days. — Salt-water baths.
27th. — The Emperor was in a gloomy mood.
I examined the issue, and found it in a state of
putrefaction ; I washed it with wine mixed
with tepid water. — Usual bath.
28th. — Napoleon was extremely dejected, and
complained of a violent head-ach, and of a pain
in the liver, accompanied by a sensation of hea
viness (douleur gravative au foie), — such were
his expressions. He took some food, and found
himself a little better. At three p. m. he ate
with more than his usual appetite, and at four
went out in the calash ; but after having driven
very slowly in the park for a short time, he was
seized with violent nausea, and soon after vo
mited all the food he had taken. — State of stub
born costiveness. — Usual bath. — The patient
took two tonic pills.
29th. — At seven in the morning the Empe
ror took two tonic pills. At three p. m. he
was seized, immediately after his repast, with a
dry cough extremely fatiguing. He attributed
it to the use of the pills, and took advantage of
that pretence to proscribe them entirely. — Con
tinual state of somnolency. — The patient re-

OF NAPOLEON. 373
mained late in bed, rose, and went out in the
calash for an hour. — Usual bath.
30th. — The Emperor was in the same state
as yesterday, with the exception of the cough,
which had ceased. He refused to take any re
medy, even a bath. I attempted to combat his
resolution. " What hopes can I entertain ?
" What beneficial effect can I expect from me-
" dicines ? Doctor ! nothing useless should be
" done." Dec. 1st. — The Emperor was a little better:
he rode out in the calash. I endeavoured to
revive his recollections, by speaking to him of
the effect produced by his return from Egypt.
" It is true," said he, " that it was incalculable :
" it restored confidence to the troops, and hope
" to the generals, who, condemned, dismissed,
" beaten, only aspired to avenge their defeats,
" and to escape from the ignominious yoke of a
" handful of lawyers who were hastening France
" to her ruin. I appeared to them Uke the
" Messiah ; every one hailed my arrival with
" blessings. But the man of all others to whom
" it was most acceptable (because he lamented
'• most deeply the misfortunes of our country,)
" was Championet : he immediately wrote to

374 LAST MOMENTS
" the Directory, and tendered his resignation.
" Look for his letter." I did so, and read, —
" Head-quarters, Coni, 4th October, 17Q9.
" CHAMPIONET, GENERAL-IN-CHIEF, TO THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORY.
" I have just heard in an authentic manner,
Citizens Directors, of the safe arrival of General
Bonaparte in France, and I have hastened to
communicate this intelligence to the army of
Italy, by an order of the day. It has diffused
joy and hope in every heart, and I am certain
that the army will again march from victory to
victory, if it is again guided by that hero. His
name carries terror in the ranks of the enemy,
and doubles the courage of our soldiers. It is
for him to raise up the prostrate tree of liberty
on the spot where he himself planted it, and to
make the tyrant of Austria tremble a second
time upon his tottering throne. In requesting
you, Citizens Directors, in the name of our
country, of the army, and of the liberty of
Italy, to entrust the command of the army to
General Bonaparte, I beg you will accept my
resignation. The burthen is too heavy for me;
and I shall be sufficiently rewarded for all the
efforts I have hitherto made to assure the

OF NAPOLEON. 375
triumph of the republic, and the Uberty of my
countrymen, if I can again contribute to render
our dear country free and happy. " Championet."
2d. — The Emperor was in a state of deep
languor, and complained very much of the pain
occasioned by the issue, which, however, pre
sented a satisfactory appearance.
3d. — Napoleon evidently much better.
4th. — Same state.
5th and 6th. — The Emperor's health goes on
improving. 7th. — He was weU ; and applied himself dur
ing two successive hours to serious occupations,
without experiencing the least inconvenience.
At nine o'clock, as the weather was fine, he ex
pressed a wish to take an airing in the open ca
lash ; but having been too much exposed to the
heat of the sun, he came back extremely tired,
and with a violent head-ach. I advised a pe-
dttuvium. He then told me that he had been
suffering for the last three days with a kind of
strangury. — Tepid bath of half an hour's dura
tion. Towards evening the patient experienced
an acute pain in the head. He was in a state
of profound melancholy, and almost continual

376 LAST MOMENTS
somnolency. Pulse weak and nervous — general
sensation of ailing.
8th. — The Emperor was a little better ; but
he was still gloomy and restless. I endeavoured
to divert his mind by recalling the recollection
of men who had, I knew, been dear to him. I
pronounced the name of Dessaix. — " Dessaix !
" he was full of devotedness, generous, and tor-
'' mented by the passion of glory: his death
" was one of the calamities that befel me." He
stopped. I was at a loss how to renew the con
versation. I hazarded a word respecting the
victories which this general had gained in
Egypt. — " He would have conquered any where.
" He was skttful, vigilant, daring; Uttle re-
" garding fatigue, and death still less : he would
" have gone to the end of the world in search
" of victory. I had, besides, chosen for him
" lieutenants worthy of him. Belliard . was
" equally quattfied for the cabinet and the field :
" he directed the irrigations, encouraged culti-
" vation, and dispersed the Beys ; he was agri-
" culturist, governor, captain, and as much
" dreaded by the Mamelukes as he was agree-
" able to the Cheiks. He commanded the van-
" guard of Alexandria at Cairo. He had the
" option of all the privations to which we were

OF NAPOLEON. 377
" exposed : but nature had gifted him with an
" undaunted courage ; the desert did not alarm
" him. He restrained the troops which many
" others were exciting to rebellion, and ever
" remained devoted to the cause. I was aware
" of his capacity and of his fidelity, and wished
" to take him to Syria, but Dessaix remonstrated
" against my doing so ; he was anxious to pre-
" serve BeUiard, and I therefore did not re-
" move him. Brave Dessaix ! he was much
" grieved at the faults committed by the Direc.
" tory, and at the great preparations they had
" made for offensive warfare. ' The intelligence
" of these reverses,' answered he to me, when I
" announced to him that war had again broken
" out in Europe, ' has not surprised me, but has
" been the subject of considerable affliction to
" me. It is easy to see that you are no longer
" in that Italy where you have had such bril-
" Uant success : but you wttl return there ; you
" will render the nation illustrious, whttst we
" are dragging on a miserable existence in the
" midst of the Arabs. Who will know the
" greatness of your ideas? Who wttl appre-
" ciate your generous intentions ? That war
" of Germany is a horrible thing : I am quite
" enraged at not being there. Think of us, of

378 LAST MOMENTS
" our situation, our passion for glory ; but first
" of all save France.' — I was not sorry to have
" his approbation, and I set out : you know
" the result."
15th. — The Emperor went out in the calash,
but returned extremely tired, and suffering with
nervous agitation. He could not enjoy a single
moment of tranquillity; but after having taken
a calming draught, he found himself better dur
ing the remainder of the day.
16th. — Napoleon had passed a night of ex
cessive agitation, and was still labouring under
extreme depression of spirits. At about three
o'clock he took a tepid bath, in which he re
mained until four. He was weak and dejected:
he attempted to walk about the drawing-room,
but his legs bent under his weight, and he was
obliged to sit down.—" They are exhausted,"
said he, with an expression of sorrow ; " see,"
(he was feettng them) "there is nothing left:
" mere skeletons." I endeavoured to persuade
him that their emaciated state was a conse
quence of the disease, and did not prognosticate
any thing as to the final residt. — •" No, Doctor ;
" every thing must have a term : I am fast ap-
" proaching mine, and I do not regret it, for I
" have, indeed, no reason to be attached to life."

OF NAPOLEON. 379
1 7th. — The Emperor had* again experienced
violent agitations during the night, head-ach,
and pain in the abdomen ; gloomy and peevish
mood. The state of languor less apparent than
on the preceding days.
18th. — Alternations of improvement and re
lapse were continual until the 28th.
25th. — Extreme prostration of strength. The
Emperor passed a bad night, and one of great
agitation. He complained of an acute pain,
which extended from the right hypochondriac
to the epigastric region. The abdomen was
hard and swelled, head heavy and painful,
pulse low and nervous.
I had long begged of Napoleon to allow his
teeth to be cleaned, and he at last agreed.
They were so loaded with tartar, this sub
stance had so insinuated itself between the
teeth, the gums, and the sockets, that the for
mer were almost entirely detached. The four
inferior incisors were entirely isolated, and no
longer held.
26th. — The Emperor had passed a better
night ; but he persisted in remaining two hours
in the bath, and found himself rather incom
moded from it. He perused with great avidity
the newspapers which had. arrived from Europe ;

380 LAST MOMENTS
and in them he rtad the death of his sister,
Princess Ettza. This intelligence threw him
into a state of stupor. He was in his arm-chair,
his head hanging down on his breast, motionless,
like one a prey to violent grief: deep sighs
escaped at intervals from his breast ; he raised
his eyes, cast them down again, fixing them
alternately upon me and the ground, and look
ing fixedly at me without uttering a single
word. At last he extended Ids arm towards
me, and I felt his pulse. It was weak and
irregular. I wished him to take a little orange-
flower water, but he did not seem to have
heard ine. I entreated him to go out and
breathe the open air in the garden. — " Do you
" think," said he, in a low and altered tone of
voice, " that it can relieve me from the state of
" oppression under which I am labouring?" —
"T do, Sire; and, at the same time, I again en
treat your Majesty to use also the beverage I
have proposed to you." He consented, and
after having tasted it, a considerable quantity
of gas escaped from his mouth ; his sighs be
came less frequent and less deep, and he was
seized with hiccups. I again presented the glass
to him : he drank a second time, and felt re
lieved. — " You wish me to go into the garden :

OF NAPOLEON. 381
" be it so." He rose with difficulty ; and lean
ing on my arm, " I am very weak," said he ;
" my trembling legs can hardly support me."
The weather was beautifid. We went as far
as the summer-house, and he attempted to walk
a few paces ; but his strength failed, and he
was obliged to sit down upon a bench which
was near us. " Ah ! Doctor, how tired I am !
" I must, however, own that the oppression is
" considerably diminished. The orange-flower
" water which you have given me has detached
" that superabundance of gas which fatigued
" me, and I feel that the pure air I breathe does
" me good. I had never, to this day, experi-
" enced any pain in the stomach or the bowels,
" and I did not know that air could lodge
" there in such considerable quantity. It is
" true, that having never been iU, and never
" having taken any medicines, I am not likely
" to know much of these matters, and the state
" I am now in appears to me so extraordinary,
" that I can hardly conceive it." He was silent
for a few minutes, and then resumed : " The
" papers announce that Princess EUza died of
" a nervous fever, and that she has appointed
" Jerome guardian of her children. What do
" physicians understand by nervous fever?" — I

382 LAST MOMENTS
told him. — " Did you know Princess EUza when
" she was Grand Duchess of Tuscany ?" — " Yes,
Sire." — "She had become extremely delicate, and
" assured me that, if she had given way to her
" attings, she would have been constantly confined
" to her bed; and that it was only her great ac-
" tivity that had upheld her and kept her attve.
" For my part, I am of her opinion, and think
"that a life of activity is always favourable to
" health in men as well as animals. I have tried
" the experiment upon my own self, and you may
" now observe the consequences of a contrary
" regimen. Ettza, from her infancy, was proud
" and independent ; she was a match for every
" one of us. She was endowed with abttities, and
" a prodigious degree of activity, ahd knew the
" affairs of her cabinet and states as weU as the
" most skilful diplomatist might have done. She
" conducted the department for foreign affairs ;
" and, although she felt a reluctance in being
" obliged to apply to my ministers, she corre-
" sponded directly with them, and resisted them
" often, and sometimes even obliged me to in-
" terfere in the discussions. Being, however,
" lively, and of acute feelings, she was easily
" moved ; the least obstacle or opposition was
" sufficient to excite her anger: but that anger

OF NAPOLEON. 383
" was almost immediately dispelled; for Eliza's
" heart was excellent, generous, and elevated.
" She was fond of luxury, cultivated sciences
" and arts, and had the ambition to exercise
" a kind of superiority over her sisters. She
" wished to be above them in authority, as she
" was in age. I know not how far the news of
" her death must be credited, in the manner
" related in the papers ; but what appears to
'• me unfounded is, that she has appointed Je--
" rome guardian of her children. To render
" that admissible, it must be supposed that
" Baciocchi is either dead or absent, otherwise
" he is their guardian, by the right of law and
" nature. Have you known Prince Baciocchi?" —
" I have seen him sometimes, but have never
spoken to him.'' — " What was the opinion enter-
" tained of him at Florence ?" — " He was looked
upon as a good kind of man, who did not apply
himself much to affairs, and only sought to enjoy
the advantages of his situation." — " That opi-
" nion was a correct one. He was always very
" fond of a retired life, and never liked to
" trouble himself about any thing but his own
" person. His peaceable disposition formed a sin-
" gular contrast with the active unquiet spirit
" of Princess Eliza. Do you know how many

384 LAST MOMENTS
" chUdren she has left ? " — " She was delivered
of a pretty Uttle girl in Tuscany, and of a boy
in the Venetian States. I do not know whether
she has had any chUdren since."
The Emperor rose, leant upon my arm, and
looking steadfastly at me, said: "You see, Doc-
" tor, Ettza has just shewn us the way. Death,
" which seemed to have overlooked my famUy,
" now begins to strike it : my turn cannot be
" very far distant ; what think you ? " — " Your
Majesty is not yet near the term of your exist
ence ; you are still destined for some glorious
enterprise."—" Ah ! Doctor, you are young,
" full of health ; but I ! I have no longer any
" strength, activity, or energy left ; I am no
" longer Napoleon. You endeavour in vain to
" revive hope — to recall life on the point of
" escaping. Your care is without avatt against
" fate ; its decrees are immutable, its decisions
" without appeal. The first person of our famUy
" who wiU follow Ettza to the grave, is that
" great Napoleon, who here drags on a misera-
" bie existence, who sinks under its weight ;
" but who, however, stiU keeps Europe in a
" state of alarm. It is thus, Doctor, that I con-
" sider my present situation. Young as you
"are, you have a long career before you; but

OF NAPOLEON. 385
" for me, all is over ; and I repeat that my
" days wttl soon end on this miserable rock!"
We returned into the house, and Napoleon
went to bed. " Let the windows be closed,
" Doctor, and leave me : I wttl send for you
" presently." He did send ; and I found him
greatly depressed in spirits : he was speaking
of his son, and of Maria Louisa. Such a con
versation was painful, and I endeavoured to
give it another turn, and recall to his mind re
collections which did not appeal painfully to
his feelings. " I understand you, Doctor : well !
" be it so ; let us forget — if, indeed, the heart
" of a father can forget."
27th. — The Emperor was labouring under
a deep depression of spirits.
28th. — Same state as the preceding day.
Head-ach — frequent and insipid ructations —
nausea — dry and nervous cough. I ordered a
calming draught.
29th. — The Emperor nearly in the same
state; the cough had, however, in a measure
subsided : the pulse was low and irregular.
30th. — Napoleon was much worse: he was
seized with a general shivering, and experienced
alternations of heat and cold. His pulse was
weak and nervous, deglutition difficult — intole-
vol. i. 2 c

.386 LAST MOMENTS
able head-ach. — " Well, Doctor, how do you
" find me ? What do you think of the state in
" which I am ?"— " That it is not alarming ;
that it is improving, and that your Majesty
would be quite well if you would consent to
take a medicine very simple in itself." — " What
" is it ?" — " Some syrup of ether." — " What is
"syrup of ether?" I explained it to him.
" What effect does it produce ?" I told him.
" You are quite sure of it ?" — " Yes, Sire." —
" Well, let me have some : make haste !" I
gave him a spoonful of it; he took it, and
found himself retteved, but the medicine left
a taste in his mouth : that was quite enough,
he would have no more of it.
31st. — The Emperor was rather better ; but
having remained two hours in a tepid bath, he
was indisposed the remainder of the day, and
all the morbific symptoms of the preceding
day reappeared. I entreated Napoleon to take
another dose of syrup of ether, but he refused :
I insisted — he grew impatient, and told me it
was labour lost. " But, Sire, the effects are so
evident." — " Evident indeed ! I did not close
" my eyes a single moment : I never passed so
" bad a night." — " The action of this medicine
" is so mild." — " It may be, for stomachs accus-

OF NAPOLEON. 387
" tomed to physic ; but mine is yet undefiled,
" and a stranger to medicines : the mere
" effluvia arising from your drugs is sufficient
" to contract it. Apply on the exterior every
" remedy you think proper, I have no objec-
" tion ; but to introduce into my body a mass
" of preparations and ingredients capable of
" destroying the strongest constitution, is what
" I never wttl consent to : I wttl not have two
" diseases ; one given by nature, and the other
" by the physician." January 1st, 1821.
The health of the Emperor did not present
any apparent improvement.
2d. — I saw Napoleon at eight o'clock A. M.,
and found him a little better. He was in
bed; and, wishing to give a little air to the
room, I opened the window, in doing which it
slipped from my hand ; I sought to seize it,
wounded myself, and the blood began to flow.
The Emperor saw it, and jumped out of bed.
" Doctor, you have cut your hand ! Quick! a
" physician ! Run for the EngUsh surgeons I
" Wounds are dangerous in this cttmate : you
" know that the least delay may be mortal.
" Hasten, some of you, to the camp."
2 c 2

388 LAST MOMENTS
The wound was indeed serious enough : the
tendons extensors of the three last fingers were
almost severed; but I felt so affected and
confiised on seeing the . anxiety manifested by
Napoleon, that I thought much more of quiet
ing his apprehensions than of dressing my own
wound : this I, however, did. I had to suffer
fever, and a general sensation of indisposition ;
and after three or four days' confinement found
myself again able to attend the Emperor, who
had been unremitting in demonstrations of in
terest and solicitude.
5th. — The Emperor had been for the last
three days in the same situation, neither better
nor worse. He took two pttls, each composed
of three grains of watery extract of bark and
a quarter of a grain of opium of Beaume.
6th. — The pulse was more favourable, and
the Emperor found himself better and ate with
appetite. State of extreme costiveness, which
three enemas were insufficient to remove.
7th. — The patient passed a tolerable night :
at daybreak took an enema, which afforded
relief. Pulse low and nervous — heaviness in
the abdomen — general agitation. I prescribed
four tonic piUs ; two at night and two in the
morning.

OF NAPOLEON. 389
8th. — The Emperor took the tonic pttls, but
his health did not improve.
9th. — Same state as yesterday. The Em
peror only took two tonic pills.
1 Oth. — I presented the pttls to the Emperor,
but he refused to take them any more. " The
" effect they produce is so evident," said he,
" that it is not worth while to continue them :
" put them by ; I have a superabundance of
" health since I have taken them. If I must
" die, I wish to die of disease." I was going to
answer, but he resumed. " I know you wttl
" tell me that time is necessary, and it is always
" safe to appeal to time. But were tonic pttls
" known to Hippocrates or Galen ? Had they
" tried their marvellous virtues ? Ah ! Doctor,
" life is a mystery, which you vainly endeavour
" to penetrate ! you see no more in it than
" they did ; and they saw no more than you
" do. Let us cease to grope our way blindfold,
" and trust to nature ; that is much better."
14th. — The Emperor was better ; he ate with
appetite, and rode out in the calash in the park.
22d.— Napoleon's health had evidently im
proved since the 14th; his strength and ap
petite returned, and he continued to take
exercise in the garden and the park. I often

390 LAST MOMENTS
attempted to induce him to take some medicines
to complete his cure ; but I never could succeed.
" The devtt take your medicines," said he at
last ; " I have already told you a hundred times
" that they would not do for me. I know my
" disease and my constitution better than you
" and att the physicians in the world. If I
" can perspire, and the wounds in my thigh
" open anew, I am cured. Yes, Doctor, give
" me strength to go three or four leagues on
" horseback without stopping, and to continue
" the same exercise during fifteen or twenty
" successive days, and you will see what health
" I shall enjoy. Suppose that instead of being
" Napoleon, I was one of the poor devils of this
" island, and that by dint of thrashing and horse-
" whipping about the legs I was forced to run
" about and work Uke them, should I not be
" soon weU again ? Should I not perspire con-
" siderably? Would not the equittbrium' be
" soon restored ? Should I not recover my
" health ? " The more he spoke, the more he
exalted his idea of the extraordinary power of
the human wttl. " You seem not to believe me,
" Doctor ; but tell me, if I were at this moment
" in presence of a lion, a tiger, or a bear, and I
" had no other means of escape than flight, do

OF NAPOLEON. 391
" you think that my strength would not sudden-
" ly return ; that my legs would not obey the
" impulse of my wiU, and that my nerves would
" not answer the appeal of nature, to save me
" from danger ? At this very moment, whilst
" I am speaking to you, I feel in me something
" that electrifies me, and induces me to believe
" that the machine would still act in obedience
" to my sensations and to my wttl; and is that
" not a stimulus fully equal to the fear of horse-
" whipping ? Well ! what do you think about
" it now, Dottoraccio di Capo Corso ?" continued
he, putting my ears. " Come, am I not right ?"
I replied, that his remedies might be exceUent,
but that they were capable of killing the strong
est men, and that as they were not to be found
in the Pharmacopoeia I could not recommend
them to him. The Emperor laughed, and then
began to argue respecting his disease, and the
treatment proper to be used for it. " I am
" certain," said he, " that to commit an excess
" would restore the equilibrium in my frame.
" My curative system has never been to take
" medicines, but to observe diet during one or
" two days, or to commit some excess in op-
" position with my usual habits. Thus, for
" instance, if I had been too long resting, I

392 LAST MOMENTS
" took a long ride on horseback, or hunted for
" a whole day without stopping. If I had been
" undergoing too much fatigue, I remained quiet
" during twenty-four hours or longer ; and I
" assure you that my method has never fatted,
" and that the shock always produced a favour-
" able result. It is true also that a constitution
" Uke mine is seldom to be met with. When I
" wished to sleep, I slept, be the place or the
" hour what they might ; when I happened to
" drink or to eat too much, my stomach rejected
" the superfluous portion ; in a word, my nature
" was not Uke that of all men. All that is
" now gone; I feel it; but am not yet without
" resource." Then after a pause he exclaimed,
" WUl you not say at last, Dottoraccio Maledetto,
" that I am right ? Is my medicine not pre-
" ferable to yours ?" I replied that undoubted
ly his system was good, since he had in its fa
vour a constantly successful experience, but that
in his present situation the case might be very
different : His Majesty was now reaUy ill, and
his disease required the use of internal remedies
to cure it and re-establish his health : that he
ought to lead a quiet life, take moderate exercise,
and in proportion to his strength, and that any
excess could only be productive of fatal con
sequences. " We have it now," said he laugh-

OF NAPOLEON. 393
ing ; " these devtts of physicians are aU alike ;
" when they wish to bring their patient to do a
" thing, they deceive him and frighten him. Is
" it not so, DottoraccioV (slightly striking me
with his hand.) " WeU, then, we wiU obey the
" orders of medicine."
He was, however, so fully convinced of the
excellency of his system, and so full of confi
dence in the favourable results that would follow
a violent and sudden alteration in his way of
living, that he resolved to try the experiment.
He therefore ordered his horse to be saddled,
gaUoped about the old limits of Longwood, and
rode no less than five or six miles. He was fol
lowed only by his chasseur Noverraz, and his pi
queur. But this violent exercise did not produce
the effect he had anticipated ; no perspiration
took place, and he even found himself much in
disposed. He repeated the attempt three or
four times, and with as little success: in fact, he
was rather worse than better. " I now see," said
he, with a tone of affliction, " that my strength
" forsakes me ; Nature no longer answers as
" formerly to the appeals of my wttl; violent
" shocks are no longer suited to my debilitated
" frame : but I shall attain the end I propose
" by moderate exercise."

394 LAST MOMENTS
23d. — The Emperor was labouring under
a profound depression of spirits ; he still felt
persuaded that exercise would save him, and
lamented his situation, which did not attow him
to take any. " If, at least, I could bear the
" calash; but the jerks give me nausea, and the
" motion of riding on horseback is worse still." —
" Sire," said General Montholon, " perhaps the
see-saw would do you good, if your Majesty
were to try ?" — " True ! the see-saw, perhaps ;
" I witt try : have one arranged." This was im
mediately done ; but this motion produced no
favourable effect, and he soon gave it up.
24th. — Napoleon was still very much deject
ed : he spoke of his health ; complained of
weakness and nervous irritation. I asked him
to allow me to feel his pulse, and he extended
his arm with indifference, saying, " A general
" might as well listen, in order to ascertain how
" his army is manoeuvring." When I had done
he withdrew his arm. " Well, what does the
"pulse indicate ?"—" That your strength, is
returning, and that your Majesty is going to be
better." — " Of course ! I feel a repugnance for
" every thing ; every thing inspires me with
" disgust ; my stomach cannot bear the lightest
" solid substance ; but still I am going to be

OF NAPOLEON. 395
" better! Doctor, do not attempt to deceive
"me; I can die !"
25th. — The Emperor was plunged in the
deepest melancholy. He experienced nervous
agitations, was weak, and felt himself ill, very ill.
26th. — Napoleon was much better, and his
spirits were consequently much less depressed.
He only complained of slight attacks of colic,
which were soon dispelled.
He had heard, a few days before, the detaUs
of the Spanish revolution. That event did not
appear to surprise him much ; he had foreseen
it, and merely said to us, " Ferdinand is a man
" incapable of governing himself, and, ct fortiori,
" the Peninsula. With respect to the Constitu-
" tion of the Cortes, it is in opposition with the
" dogmas of the Holy Attiance ; it strikes at
" the foundation of the prejudices and interests
" of devotees, and cannot therefore last long.
" Those who have promulgated it have nei-
" ther the strength nor the means necessary to
" maintain it."
The intelligence of the eveints at Naples pro
duced a greater effect, and put him in good
spirits. " As for that revolution," said he, " I
" must confess I did not expect it. Who would
" ever have supposed that a set of Maccheronai

396 LAST MOMENTS
"would ape the Spaniards, proclaim their prin-
" ciples, and rival them in courage?" Then,
quitting the tone of pleasantry, " No doubt,"
said he to us, " that of the two Ferdi-
" nands one is not better than the other ; but
" the question does not turn upon them — it is
" upon their respective nations; and between
" these there is so great a difference in point of
" energy and elevation of sentiments, that either
" the Neapolitans are mad, or this movement of
" theirs is the forerunner of a general insurrec-
" tion : for, in presence as they are of the rulers
" of Italy, what can they do if they are not
" supported by some great nation ? If they are,
" I applaud their patriotism ; but if it be other-
" wise, how much I pity my good and ; dear
" Italians ! They will be immolated, and the
" sacrifice of theh* generous blood wttl not
" benefit the beautiful soU which gave them
" birth; I pity them ! Unfortunate people! they
" are distributed in groups, divided, separated
" among a parcel of princes who only serve to
" excite aversions, to dissolve the "ties which
" unite them, and to prevent them from agreeing
" together, and co-operating with each other for
" the attainment of their common liberty. It
" was that tribe-like spirit I was endeavouring

OF NAPOLEON. 397
" to destroy ; it was with a view to gain this
" object that I annexed part of Italy to France,
" and formed a kingdom of the other part. I
" wished to eradicate local habits, partial and
" narrow views, to model the inhabitants after
" our manners, to accustom them to our laws ;
" then to unite them together, and restore them
" to the ancient glory of Italy. I proposed to
" make of all these States, thus agglomerated, a
" compact and independent power, over which
" my second son would have reigned, and of
" which Rome, restored and embellished, would
" have been the capital. I should have removed
" Murat from Naples ; and from the sea to the
" Alps only one sway would have been acknow-
" ledged. I had already begun the execution
" of that plan, which I had formed with a view
" to the interest of Italy ; workmen were al-
" ready engaged in clearing Rome of its ruins,
" and in draining the Pontine Marshes : but
" war, the circumstances in which I was placed,
" and the sacrifices I was obUged to ask of the
" people, did not allow me to do for them what
" I wished. Such were, my dear Doctor, the
" motives which stopped me. I saw, in 1814,
" the fault, the great fault, I had committed ;
" but the hour of reverses was come, and the

398 LAST MOMENTS
" evU was irreparable. Had I had time to
" carry my projects and intentions into effect, I
" should not have faUen; I should not have been
" exiled to the island of Elba, and still less
" thrown upon this rock. Ah ! Doctor, what
" recoUections, what epochs, that beautiful Italy
" recaUs to my mind J Methinks the moment
" is only just gone by when I took the com-
" mand of the army that conquered it. I was
" young like you, I possessed your vivacity,
" your ardour, I felt the consciousness of my
" powers, and burned to enter the lists. I had
" already given proofs of what I could do : my
" aptitude was not contested, but my youth
" displeased those old soldiers who had grown
" grey on the field of battle. Perceiving this,
" I felt the necessity of compensating this dis-
" advantage by an austerity of principles from
" which I never departed. BriUiant actions
" were required to concUiate the affection and
" confidence of the mitttary, and I performed
" some : we marched, and every thing vanished
" at our approach. My name was soon as dear
" to the people as to the soldiers ; I could not
" be insensible to this unanimity of homage,
" and became indifferent to every thing that
" was not glory. The air resounded with ac-

OF NAPOLEON. 399
" clamations on my passage ; every thing was
" at my disposal ; all were at my feet : but I
" only thought of my brave soldiers, of France,
" and posterity ! It was in vain that the
" beautiful Italian ladies displayed all their at-
" tractions ; I remained unmoved by their se-
" ductions. They consoled themselves with
" my suite ; and one of them, Countess C— — ,
" left Louis, at our passage through Brescia,
" a token of her favours which he wttl long
" recoUect." Seven a. M. — The Emperor was in bed, al
ternately dosing and waking: he afterwards
went out, took a ride in the calash for an hour,
came in very tired, and feU asleep on his sofa.
At seven p . M. bilious evacuations, accompa
nied by sttght pains of colic. Napoleon had
scarcely taken any thing the whole day. — Pulse
weak and nervous.
27th. — The Emperor had passed a very bad
night. — Extreme weakness — pulse low and
slightly nervous — dry cough — countenance
gloomy. I ventured to propose a prescription, but
Napoleon grew impatient, and manifested the
greatest aversion to every kind of medicine.
At seven p. m. he was in bed ; he had dined

400 LAST MOMENTS
at six, but his stomach rejected the food he
had eaten, almost immediately after.
28th. — Extreme prostration of strength —
eyes livid and nearly extinct — dry and ner
vous cough — mouth parched — distressing thirst
— painful sensation in the stomach.
29th. — Same state.— Deep melancholy.
30th.-— The Emperor's health was in a de_
plorable state ; but his sufferings only tended to
increase his aversion to att medicines. I en
deavoured in vain to combat and overcome his
repugnance : he resisted, promised, eluded ; and
at the very moment when I thought I had ob
tained what I wished, I found that I had not
gained any thing. I was overwhelmed with
the spectacle of this great man consuming
before my eyes ; grief at seeing the remedy at
hand, and not being able to apply it, affection,
regret — att these sentiments agitated my mind ;
my strength was exhausted. Napoleon per
ceived it, and said to me, " You are not well ;
" you are suffering ; you are sinking under some
" disease. Are you also doomed to fall a vic-
" tim to this horrible cttmate ? Courage ! I
" wttl send for a physician from Europe to
" assist you." I was so overjoyed at this re
solution, that I did not aUow myself sufficient

OF NAPOLEON. 401
leisure to weigh my answer. " Ah ! Sire," re
plied I with emotion, " make haste, then, whilst
it is yet time."—" Whilst it is yet time ! What
" do you mean ? Is it you that are to die before
" he arrives, or I ? If such is my fate, be it so :
" but in no case will I consult, or see, the English
" physicians who are in the island : I would
" rather suffer than see them round me. Be-
" sides, of what use could they be to me ? I have
" placed my confidence in you — you take an
" interest in me : I judge of your attachment by
" your zeal, and am grateful for the care you
" take of me ; but, dear Doctor, if my hour is
" come, if it is written above that I am to die,
" neither you nor all the physicians in the
" world can alter the decree." In saying these
words his eyes were raised towards heaven, and
the sound of his voice was elevated and sono
rous : I could not master my emotion, and with
drew. I had a violent fever, and was for seve
ral days unable to attend him. At last, as he
wished to see me, I made an effort and went to
him. I found him in bed, complaining of an
intolerable pain proceeding from the left hypo
chondriac region, and extending on one side up
to the corresponding shoulder, and on the other
to the lumbar region. He experienced great
vol. i. 2d

402 LAST MOMENTS
difficulty in breathing, and the abdomen was
considerably distended. — Ordered fomentations,
an enema, and an anodyne draught : the latter
produced frequent and insipid eructations.
Feb. 1 1th. — The Emperor had passed a good
night, and at six in the morning took a rice-
soup. The symptoms of the preceding day ap
peared again, and were again removed by the
same means. In the afternoon I prescribed a
bitter mixture.
12th. — Napoleon a little better this morning.
He however rejected, at ten o'clock; the little
food he had taken. He would hear no more of
the bitter mixture.
1 3th. — The Emperor took a little cream and
jelly. The vomiting ceased. — Spirits gloomy.
14th. — The illustrious patient was better
than on the preceding day, and ate with tole
rable appetite ; his spirits were also considerably
better. 15th. — Continued amendment. " Were you
" at MUan, Doctor," said he, " when I went to
" take the iron crown ?" — " No, Sire." — " And
" when I went to Venice ?" — " I was not there
either ; but your Majesty had just planted our
eagles on the banks of the Vistula; Italy was

OF NAPOLEON. 403
intoxicated with glory ; its whole population
eagerly flocked around you." — " It is true that
" I was enthusiastically received, particularly
" in the Lagunes. Venice had put all her gon-
" dolas out to sea; nothing was seen on all
" sides but fringes, feathers, sUks, &c. ; att that
" was handsome and elegant had assembled
" from att parts at Fusine, and never had the
" Adriatic witnessed so pompous a spectacle." —
" That explosion of feeling was not to be won
dered at ; for with one hand you were driving
the Sarmatians from a land which they had
polluted, and with the other you were erecting
monuments, making roads, and constructing or
creating every where the most useful estabttsh-
ments. Besides, the march of your administra
tion was so firm and so rapid !" — " You are
" right : it was an immense machine, the wheels
" of which were perfectly well adapted. I ex-
" posed their action and its cause to the Legisla-
" tive Body, and produced a great effect : Italy
" approved of the principles I developed." I
felt anxious to know what were the principles
to which the Emperor was alluding ; and having
looked for, and found, the speech he pronounced
on the occasion referred to, I read it : —
2 d 2

404 LAST MOMENTS
" Gentlemen of the Legislative Body," said
he, " I have taken a minute review of all
the different branches of administration, and
have introduced into them the same simpttcity
which, with the help of advice and censure, I
have applied to the revision of the Constitution
of Lyons. Whatever is good and grand is
always the result of a system of simpttcity and
uniformity. I have suppressed the double or
ganization of the departmental and prefectural
administrations, because I have thought that,
by entrusting the administrative duties to the
prefects alone, not only a saving of one million
would be effected in the expenses, but a greater
rapidity would be obtained in the march of
affairs. If I have placed near the prefects a
councU for the decision of litigious transactions,
it is" in conformity with the principle, that ad
ministration should be the act of one man, and
the decision of litigations the act of many.
" The statutes which have just been read to
you extend to my people of Italy the advan
tages of the operation of the Code, over the
framing of which I myself presided. I have
directed my CouncU to prepare an organization
of the judicial department' that may give to
the tribunals the importance and consideration

OF NAPOLEON. 405
I intend they shall possess. I could not ap
prove that a pretor alone should have the
power of pronouncing upon the fortunes of the
community, and that judges concealed from the
public view should secretly decide, not only
upon their interests, but upon their Uves. In
the organization which will be presented to you.
my Council will endeavour to bestow upon my
people att the advantage resulting from collec
tive tribunals, public proceedings, and the public
defence of both parties. It is in order to secure
to them an administration of justice more evi
dently enttghtened, that I have decided that the
judges who pronounce judgment shall be those
who have also presided at the debates. I have
not thought that the circumstances in which
Italy is placed could allow me to think of the
establishment of juries ; but the judges are to
pronounce, as juries would, upon their own con
viction, and without adopting that system of
semi-evidence which tends more frequently to
endanger innocence than to lead to the discovery
of the guilty. The surest mie to guide the
judge who has presided at a trial is the convic
tion of his own conscience.
" I have superintended in person the esta
blishment of regular and secure forms in the

406 LAST MOMENTS
finances of the state, and I hope my people will
feel the advantage of the order which I have
directed my minister of finances and of the
public treasure to introduce into the accounts,
which will be published. I have consented
that the public debt should bear the name of
Mont-Napoleon, in order to give an additional
security to its engagements and a renewed
vigour to credit.
" Public instruction wUl cease to be depart
mental ; I have fixed certain bases, in order to
give it the unity, uniformity, and direction,
which must exercise so great an influence over
the manners and habits of the rising genera
tion. " I have thought it advisable to begin from
this year to introduce a greater degree of
equattty in the repartition of departmental ex
penditure, and to assist those of my depart
ments, such as the departments of Mincio and
Lower Po, who are suffering from the necessity
of defending themselves against the devasta
tions caused by the waters.
" The finances are in the most prosperous
condition, and no arrears exist in any of the
payments of the State. My people of Italy pay
less taxes than any other; they wiU not be

OF NAPOLEON. 407
called upon to bear any additional burthen in
that respect: and if alterations have been ef
fected in some df the contributions, if a duty
for the registry of acts has been intro
duced in the project of the budget, upon a
moderate scale, it is in order to be able to
diminish taxes of a more onerous nature. The
cadastre* is full of imperfections, which become
apparent every day; I shall endeavour to re
medy those defects, and to overcome the ob
stacles opposed to such operations, much less
by the nature of things than by private inte
rests. I do not, however, flatter myself to
obtain such results as witt obviate the necessity
of allowing a tax to reach its full amount.
" I have adopted measures for bestowing on
the clergy a suitable endowment, of which they
have been in part deprived for the last ten
years ; and my object In restoring some con
vents, as I have done, has been to protect
those who devote themselves to services of
public utility, or Who, placed in the interior of
the country amongst the peasantry, find them
selves in a situation and in circumstances to
supply the place of the regular clergy. I have
* Doomsday book.

408 LAST MOMENTS
also made such provision as wttl enable the
bishops to be useful to the poor; and I only
wait, to take into consideration the condition of
the curates, until I have received the informa
tion resulting from the inquiries I have directed
tp be immediately made respecting their true
situation. I know that many of them, parti
cularly those living in the mountains, are in a
state of poverty, which I have the most anxious
wish to relieve.
" In addition to the road of the Simplon,
which wttl be completed this year, and on which
four thousand workmen are at this moment
employed for that part only which crosses the
kingdom of Italy, I have ordered that the port
of Velano should be begun, and that these im
portant labours should be commenced without
delay, and carried on with activity.
" I have not neglected any of the objects
respecting which my experience in matters of
administration could be useful to my people ;
and before I repass the mountains I shall visit
some of the departments, in order to be better
acquainted with their wants.
" I shall leave, as depositary of my authority,
a young prince whom I have brought up from
his childhood, and who will, therefore, be ani-

of Napoleon. 409
mated with the same spirit as myself. But I
have, at the same time, made such arrange
ments as witt bring the most important affairs
of the State under my immediate direction.
" The orators of my Council wttl present to
you the project of a law for granting to Melzi,
my chancellor and keeper of the seals, and dur
ing four years the depositary of my authority
as vice-president, a domain which may remain
in his family, as a testimony to his descendants
of the satisfaction I have derived from his
services. " I think I have furnished additional proofs
of my undeviating resolution, to do for my
people of Italy all they expect from me ; I
hope they wttl, in their turn, occupy that
place in my estimation which I have intended
for them ; they can only do this by being
thoroughly persuaded that the army is the
principal prop of a State.
" It is time that those young men who lead
the idle Ufe of cities, should cease to dread the
fatigues and dangers of war, and should place
themselves in a situation to be able to cause
their country to be respected, if they wish it to
be respectable.
" Gentlemen of the Legislative Body, emu-

410 LAST MOMENTS
late by your zeal my Council of State ; and by
your joint co-operation towards the attainment
of public prosperity, afford to my representa
tive that support Which he must derive from
you. " The British Government having given an
evasive answer to the proposals I had made to
them, and the King of England having imme
diately made those proposals publicly known,
and insulted my people in his Parttament, the
hopes I had entertained of the re-estabttshment
of peace have considerably diminished. The
French fleets have, however, since then, ob
tained advantages, to which I only attach some
importance, because they must serve to con
vince my enemies of the inutility of a war, in
which they can gain nothing, and may lose
every thing. The divisions of the flotilla, the
frigates buUt at the expense of the finances of
my kingdom of Italy, and which now form part
of the French forces, have, on several occasions,
rendered beneficial services. I still hope that
the peace of the Continent will not be disturbed,
though my position does not allow me to dread
any of the chances of war. I shall be in the
midst of you, whenever my presence is neces
sary to the safety of my Iringdom of Italy."

OF NAPOLEON. 41 1
19th. — Since the 15th the Emperor had suc
cessively lost and regained strength at various
degrees. He was to-day suffering with flatu
lencies developed in the intestinal canal, and
more particularly in the stomach. He could
not eat any meat, and only took milky and
farinaceous substances.
20th. — Tonic pill. — Sensation of uneasiness ;
nervous irritation. — Cough very dry and fatigu
ing. Napoleon was exhausted. — "Well, Doctor,
" this wttl soon end ?'— " No, Sire, the irritation
is subsiding." — " Ever the same, Doctor ; when
" wttl you be tired of promising health ?" —
" When health is come." — " In that case you
" have a long while to promise." — " Not so
long as your Majesty supposes ; and if you wiU
only use mineral waters . . ." — " Do you think
" they wiU allow me?" — "A refusal would ex
pose them too much ; it would be acknowledg
ing murder !" — " Poor Capo-Corsino ! you do
" not know them." — " But if your health re
quires it, and the Doctor orders it, there would
be too much inhumanity in a refusal." — " Un-
" doubtedly." — He was looking at and following
a cloud which was seen at a distance. — " What
" effect do clouds produce upon us ? What in-

412 LAST MOMENTS
" fluence do they exercise over the individual
" who breathes them ? They must every mo-
" ment derange the equUibrium — produce a
" muscular contraction — a tension which can
" only be attended with fatal consequences, and
" lead to death : for we are also governed by
" the same laws as other bodies ; fluid is con-
" tained in our composition — we feel it by those
" nervous irritations which denote stormy wea-
" ther. To place a man amongst the clouds —
" to obttge him to Uve in the sphere of activity,
" of those masses which change, pass, return —
" every moment is condemning him to experi-
" ence a series of shocks and decompositions
" which must soon exhaust Ufe ; it is exposing
" him to the terrible energy of the galvanic
" battery : am I right ?" 1 assented. " You
" must know, Doctor, that I am, as it were,
" one of your profession ; I know almost with
" certainty what must result from such and
" such a situation. For instance, a man
" placed in a vapour-bath, and immediately
" afterwards under the influence of excessive
" heat, would experience a disorganization
" analogous to that of a damp body suddenly
" exposed to the action of fire : he would

OF NAPOLEON. 413
" become warped, would torment himself, and
" would soon exhaust his strength and powers.
" Do you not think so ?" I began to perceive the
conclusion he was going to arrive at ; and, how
ever founded it was, I could not think of agreeing
in it, as it favoured his aversion to medicines,
and precluded all hope of recovery. I therefore
told him that such was not the case ; that in
a climate decidedly bad, where the transitions
of the temperature from heat to cold were
sudden, where the wind never ceased to blow,
where it rained incessantly and abundantly.
. . . ." He did not allow me time to finish.
" Doctor, you are always disposed to see the
" bright side of every thing : take that memo-
" randum-book, which you see there, near my
" scrutoire ; it will describe to you such a
" climate as you are speaking of. To-day
" is the 20th of February — how many tolerable
" days have we had ?" — " But, Sire, this year
. . . ." — " Take any other, the first that comes,
" 1817, for instance : now I am listening." —
" One, two, . . . ." — " No ; do not count the
" days, read the statement from one end to the
" other ; I like to hear what climate I have
" borne." I read : —

414

LAST MOMENTS

METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS,
Made at Longwood during the Years 1816 and 1817-

Date. Mora. IN ood. I Even.

1N00D. 1 1

February, 1817-

1
2 3 45 6789
1011 12 1314 15161718192021222324 2526
27 28

Fahr. 68 661

67 m6766A67f68 6967 67

6766t68 68 m

Fahr. 71 70
69 707270

73

67| 6867

72
74 7171 697269 70 72 7170

Fahr.

67i68

67;
6768

6767 6767 6968^ 6968

68 68i

REMARKS.
Violent rain, fine weather, wind.
Wind, rain, and fog.
Do. do. do.
Do. do. do.
{Fine weather in the morning ; in
the evening rain.
Wind, weather generally fine.
Do. do.
Slight rain.
Light wind, fine weather.
Do. do.
Wind, rain, and fog.
Do. do.
Wind, slight rain, and fog.
Do. do. do.
{Wind, slight rain, and fog ; in the
evening much rain.
Fog, and much rain.
Light wind, and fine weather.
Do. do. do.
Much rain.
Much rain, fog, and wind.
Violent rain and fog.
Light wind, and much rain.
Light wind, much rain, and fog.
Light wind, rain, and fog.
Fine weather.
Fine weather, light wind.
Fine weather, strong breezes.
High wind, rain and fog.

"Well, Doctor?"--" You are right, Sire: but
it is not possible that every month should have

OF NAPOLEON. 415
been so bad."--" Continue to read : see March,
" it is one of the finest months at St. Helena."
I again read.

Date. Morn. Noon

1
2
3 45678
9
10
1112131415
16171819
2021
22
2324252627
282930
31

67661
6767|69

691 68"
681
69 70*
6836767i
6867|68169

6769

70

71

6<i

72

71

67

72

68

7U

69

72

70

71

69

73i

71

73

71

70

71

69

7271737472
69,70'

6971
731 7172171

707^

Even.

Fahr.
68

707071

68168
681 71
697068
70i693 70

March, 1817

REMARKS.
Wind, fog, and rain.
Do. do.
Fresh breezes, and fog.
Fresh breezes, fog, and rain.
Fresh breezes, cloudy, and slight rain.
Wind moderate, and fine weather.
Wind, rain, anjj fog.
Do. do. do.
Slight wind, clouds, rain.
Slight wind, fine weather.
Generally fine, light winds.
Fresh breezes, fog, and rain.
Fresh breezes, fog, and slight rain.
Fine weather, strong wind.
Cloudy, but fine weather.
Light wind, rain, and fog.
Do. do.
Light wind, and fine weather.
Wind, fog, and intermittent rain.
Wind, fog, and much rain.
Do. do.
Light wind, and rain.
Light wind, rain, and fog.
High wind, and fine weather.
Rainy weather.
Do. do.
Do. do.
{Rain in the morning ; fine weather
in the evening.
Fine weather.
Light rain.
{Clouds in the morning; rain in the
evening. 

416 LAST MOMENTS OF NAPOLEON.
"Are you convinced, Doctor? have you found
" the climate you were going to describe ?" —
" Why, Sire  " — " What ?" - - " Your Ma
jesty must be proof against every thing ; and
destined not to die." — " Very well, Doctor ;
" hope is the best specific you can administer."

END OF VOL. I.

LONDON :
PRINTED EY S. AND R. BENTLEY, DORSET STREET.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

A39002040470842B

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