17th.—At six o’clock in the morning, the Emperor mounted his horse,
and we rode round the park, commencing in the neighbourhood of our
valley, and proceeding as far as the road leading from the camp to the
Grand Marshal’s residence. A party of about 150 or 200 sailors,
belonging to the Northumberland, who were daily employed in removing
planks of wood or stones for the service of Longwood or the camp,
ranged themselves in a line fronting Marshal Bertrand’s house, while
the Emperor passed by. The Emperor spoke to the officers, and smiled
complacently on his old ship-mates; they appeared delighted at seeing
him.
I have already mentioned that we occasionally received parcels of
newspapers from Europe, the contents of which occupied our attention,
and occasioned the Emperor to draw some lively and animated pictures.
Conversing to-day on the subject of the intelligence we had recently
received, the Emperor observed that the condition of France was by no
means improved. “The Bourbons,” he repeated, “have now no other
resource than severity. Four months have already elapsed; the Allied
forces are about to be withdrawn, and none but half measures have been
taken. The affair has been badly managed. A government can exist only
by its principle. The principle of the French government evidently is
to return to old maxims; and it should do this openly. In present
circumstances, the Chambers, above all, will be fatal; they will
inspire the King with false confidence, and will have no weight with
the nation. The King will soon be deprived of all means of
communication with them. They will no longer follow the same religion,
nor speak the same language. No individual will henceforth have a
right to undeceive the people with regard to any absurdities that may
be propagated; even if it should be wished to make them believe that
all the springs of water are poisoned, and that trains of gunpowder
are laid under ground.” The Emperor concluded by observing that there
would be some juridical executions, and an extreme desire of
re-action, which would be sufficiently strong to irritate, but not to
subdue.
As to Europe, the Emperor considered it to be as violently agitated as
it had ever been. The powers of Europe had destroyed France, but she
might one day revive through commotions arising among the people of
different nations, whom the policy of the sovereigns was calculated to
alienate; the glory of France might also be restored through a
misunderstanding among the Allied powers themselves, which would
probably ensue.
As to our own personal affairs, they could only be improved through
the medium of England; and she could only be induced to favour us by
political interests, a change in her ministers or her sovereign, or
the sentiment of national glory excited by the torrent of public
opinion. As for political interests, there were circumstances which
might affect them; the change of individuals depends on accidents;
finally, with respect to the sentiment of national glory, so easy to
be understood, the present ministry had disavowed it, but another
might not be insensible to it.
PICTURE OF DOMESTIC HAPPINESS DRAWN BY
THE EMPEROR.—TWO YOUNG LADIES OF THE ISLAND.
18th.—The Emperor sent for me about ten o’clock; he had just returned
home. Some one had informed me that he had been out shooting; but he
said that he had not. He rode out on horseback as early as six
o’clock; but he gave orders that _His Excellency’s_ slumbers should
not be disturbed. We set to work with the English lesson. Breakfast
was served up; it was most detestable; and I could not refrain from
making the observation. He pitied me for making so bad a meal, and
added that it was certainly necessary to have a good appetite to make
a repast on such fare. We continued our lesson until nearly one
o’clock, when the excessive heat obliged us to desist, and take a
little repose.
About five the Emperor went to walk in the garden. He began to draw a
sketch of the happiness of a private man in easy circumstances,
peacefully enjoying life in his native province, in the house and
surrounded by the lands which he had inherited from his forefathers.
Certainly nothing could be more philosophic. We could not refrain from
smiling at the tranquil domestic picture, and some of us got our ears
pinched for our pains. “Felicity of this kind,” continued the Emperor,
“is now unknown in France except by tradition. The Revolution has
destroyed it. The old families have been deprived of this happiness,
and the new ones have not yet been long enough established in the
enjoyment of it. The picture which I have sketched has now no real
existence.”—He observed that, to be driven from our native home, from
the fields in which we had roamed in childhood, to possess no paternal
abode, was in reality to be deprived of a country. Some one here
remarked that the man who had been robbed of the home which he had
created for himself after the storm had blown over; who was driven
from the house in which he had dwelt with his wife, and which had been
the birth-place of his children; might truly say that he had lost a
second country. How many individuals are reduced to that extremity;
and what vicissitudes the present age has produced!
We seated ourselves in the calash, and took our accustomed airing.
During dinner, the conversation turned on two young ladies, residents
of the island: the one tall, handsome, and very fascinating; the other
not so pretty, but perfectly well bred, and pleasing in her deportment
and manners. Opinions were divided respecting them. The Emperor, who
was only acquainted with the one first described, declared himself in
her favour. Some one remarked that, if he were to see the second, he
would not be induced to change his mind. The Emperor then wished to
know the gentleman’s own opinion respecting the ladies, and he
replied, that he was an admirer of the second. This seemed rather
contradictory, and the Emperor requested him to explain himself.
“Why,” said he, “if I wished to purchase a slave, I should certainly
fix on the first; but if I thought I should derive any happiness from
becoming a slave myself, I should address myself to the second.”—“That
is to say,” resumed the Emperor, quickly, “that you have no very high
opinion of my taste?”—“Not so, Sire, but I suspect your Majesty’s
views and mine would be different.” The Emperor smiled, and said
nothing more on the subject.
19th.—The Emperor rode on horseback very early this morning; it was
scarcely six o’clock when he went out. I was quite ready; for I had
ordered some one to call me; and the Emperor was astonished to see me
so active. We strolled about the park at random, and returned about
nine: the sun was already beginning to be warm.
About four o’clock the Emperor wished to take his English lesson; but
he was not very well. He said that every thing had gone wrong with him
to-day; and that nothing had done him any good. His walk in the garden
did not restore him; he was not well at dinner-time. He did not play
his usual number of games at chess; but retired, indisposed, after the
first game.
THE EMPEROR’S WORKS IN THE ISLAND OF ELBA.—PREDILECTION
OF THE ALGERINES FOR THE EMPEROR.
20th.—The weather had been extremely bad. The Emperor had been rather
unwell the whole of the night, but felt himself much better in the
morning. He did not leave his room before five o’clock. About six we
took advantage of a gleam of fine weather to drive round the park in
the calash. The horses which have been provided for us are vicious;
they shy at the first object that comes in their way, and become
restive. They stood still several times during our drive. The rain,
indeed, had rendered the roads very heavy, and at one time it required
all our efforts to obviate the necessity of returning on foot. The
Grand Marshal and General Gourgaud were in one instance obliged to
alight and put their shoulders to the wheel. At length, after a great
deal of trouble we reached home. The conversation, during our drive,
turned on the Island of Elba. The Emperor spoke of the roads he had
made, and the houses he had built, which the best painters of Italy
begged, as a favour, to be permitted to adorn with their works.
The Emperor observed that his flag had become the first in the
Mediterranean. It was held sacred, he said, by the Barbary ships, who
usually made presents to the Elba Captains, telling them that they
were paying the debt of Moscow. The Grand Marshal told us that some
Barbary ships, having anchored off the Island of Elba, had caused
great alarm among the inhabitants, who questioned the pirates with
regard to their intentions, and ended by asking them plainly whether
they came with any hostile views.—“Against the Great Napoleon!” said
the Algerines: “Oh! never ... we do not wage war against God!”
Whenever the flag of the Island of Elba entered any of the ports of
the Mediterranean, Leghorn excepted, it was received with loud
acclamations: all the national feeling seemed to return. The crews of
some French ships from Britanny and Flanders, which touched at the
Island of Elba, testified the same sentiment.
“Every thing is judged by comparison in this world,” said the Emperor;
“the Island of Elba, which, a year ago, was thought so disagreeable,
is a paradise compared to St. Helena. As for this island, it may set
all future regret at defiance.”