8th. When I entered the Emperor’s apartment this morning, I found him
engaged in reading the files of the _Journal des Debats_, which had
lately arrived. At three o’clock he began to dress. His first valet de
chambre was ill; and he observed that those who acted as his substitutes
were not equal to him in address.
The weather was tolerable, and we walked to the extremity of the wood,
where the calash was to take us up.
I had a disposable sum of money in London, which I had conveyed thither
in 1814. The recollection of the privations I had endured during my
emigration, and the chance of being exposed to future want, had prompted
me to this act of prudence, and I was now reaping the fruits of it.
Owing to this circumstance, I was more at my ease, as to pecuniary
affairs, than any other individual of the Emperor’s suite at St. Helena;
but what led me to regard this sum as an inestimable treasure was the
happiness of being able to lay it at the feet of the Emperor. I had
already several times proposed that he should accept it; and I now once
more repeated the offer, while I adverted to the renewed outrages which
we had just experienced from the Governor. At this moment we were joined
by Madame de Montholon, who had set out after us. She observed that the
Emperor walked so fast that she should certainly have lost sight of him,
had not my gesticulations enabled her to keep her eye upon us; and that
she had been puzzled to guess the cause of my vehemence of manner.
“Madam,” said the Emperor with the most captivating grace, “he has been
trying to make me accept his bounty; he has been offering to support us
here.”
We returned almost immediately to the house, as the weather was very
damp and the Emperor complained of tooth-ache. For some time past he has
been troubled with a profuse secretion of saliva.
After dinner he resumed the reading of the Odyssey: we had arrived at
the passage describing the combat between Ulysses and Irus, on the
threshold of the palace, both in the garb of beggars. The Emperor very
much disapproved of this episode, which he pronounced to be mean,
incongruous, and beneath the dignity of the King. “And yet,” continued
he, “independently of all the faults which, in my opinion, this incident
presents, I still find in it something to interest me. I fancy myself in
the situation of Ulysses, and then I can well conceive his dread of
being overpowered by a wretched mendicant. Every prince or general has
not the broad shoulders of his guards or grenadiers; every man has not
the strength of a porter. But Homer has remedied all this by
representing his heroes as so many giants. We have no such heroes
now-a-days. What would become of us,” he added, glancing round at us
all, “if we lived in those good times when bodily vigour constituted
real power? Why, Noverraz (his valet-de-chambre) would wield the sceptre
over us all. It must be confessed that civilization favours the mind
entirely at the expense of the body.”
THE POLE ARRESTED BY THE GOVERNOR.—THE EMPEROR’S REFLECTIONS ON HIS SON
AND ON AUSTRIA.—NEW VEXATIONS.—REMARKS ON LORD BATHURST.—OBSERVATIONS
DICTATED BY NAPOLEON.
9th.—As we were walking to come up with the calash, we received
information that the Pole had just been put under arrest by the
Governor. This was, of course, merely a first step—a warning of what we
all had to expect. Intimidation seems to be the system to which the
Governor has resorted since the arrival of his last instructions, which
he endeavours to fulfil to the utmost of his ingenuity. We shall see how
far he will go.
When I waited on the Emperor, before dinner, I found him dull and
apparently absent. The conversation led him to mention Austria, and he
alluded to the wrongs which he had received from that Power, and the
errors of her policy. He described the weakness of the monarch, who, he
said, had never evinced energy, except when it tended to ruin him in the
estimation of his subjects. He dwelt on the venality and want of
principle which distinguished the men who had advised and executed the
measures of the Austrian cabinet. He spoke of the blind policy of
Austria, and described her dangerous situation. “She now stands,” said
he, “in the most imminent peril, advancing to meet the embraces of a
colossus in her front, while she cannot recede a single step, because an
abyss is yawning on her flank and rear.”
This turn of the conversation naturally led the Emperor to speak of his
son. “What education will they give him?” said he. “What sort of
principles will they inculcate in his youthful mind? On the other hand,
if he should prove weak in intellect—if they should inspire him with
hatred of his father! These thoughts fill me with horror! and where is
the antidote to all this? Henceforth there can be no certain medium of
communication—no faithful tradition between him and me! At best my
Memoirs, or perhaps your Journal, may fall into his hands. But to subdue
the false precepts imbibed in early life, to counteract the errors of a
bad education, requires a certain capacity, a certain strength of mind
and decision of judgment which fall not to the share of every one.” He
appeared deeply affected; and, after a pause of a few moments, he said,
suddenly and with emphasis, “But let us talk of something else;”
however, he still continued silent. I sat down to write, and after an
hour or two the Grand Marshal came and took my place.
Just after I had quitted the Emperor’s apartments, I was again sent for
to translate to him a large packet of papers which had been received
from the Governor. The state of my eyes, which are now altogether
failing me, obliged me to avail myself of M. de Montholon’s assistance
in reading the papers.
Their contents were 1. Some of the new restrictions that have been
imposed on us, in which the Emperor is treated in a way that may be
termed curious; for indecency and indecorum are carried so far as to
prescribe the nature and limits of the conversations which he is to be
permitted to hold. This will scarcely be credited!
2. The form of the declaration which was presented for our signature.
This was merely a series of arbitrary and useless vexations, heightened
by every irritating circumstance that vengeance could suggest.
3. Finally a letter from the Governor to the Grand Marshal, founded on
the note presented by Colonel Reade, which I translated to the Emperor,
and which the colonel had refused to leave behind him; the reader will
recollect my having already noticed it. However, in the letter now
transmitted to the Emperor certain essential points were very
ingeniously suppressed or modified: the Emperor frequently remarked that
the Governor possesses a peculiar talent for business of this sort. I
will here retrace this note from recollection. Though I read it only
once, namely, at the time when I translated it to the Emperor, yet I
think I can vouch for the following being an accurate representation of
its contents.
“The Frenchmen who wished to remain with General Bonaparte, were
required to sign the formula which should be presented to them, and by
which they would subject themselves to all the restrictions imposed on
the General. This obligation was to be regarded as perpetual. Those who
should refuse to enter into this agreement were to be sent to the Cape
of Good Hope. Four individuals were to be removed from the suite of
General Bonaparte. Those who might remain were to be considered as
though they were Englishmen by birth, and to be subject to the laws
established for securing the safe custody of General Bonaparte; that is
to say, they would incur the punishment of death by conniving at his
escape. Any Frenchmen who might use insulting language or reflections,
or behave so as to give offence to the Governor or the Government, would
be immediately removed to the Cape of Good Hope, without being provided
with the means of returning to Europe: the whole expense of the voyage
devolving on himself.”
During dinner, and the greater part of the evening, these documents
became the subject of conversation.
We were much amused by that passage in the Governor’s letter which
transmitted the ministerial instructions, and informed us that those who
might be wanting in respect for the Governor, or render themselves
obnoxious, would be removed to the Cape, and the expense attending their
return to Europe was to be defrayed by themselves. We thought this very
droll, and the Emperor said, “Of course this threat appears to you very
extraordinary and ridiculous; but no doubt it was perfectly natural to
Lord Bathurst. I dare say he could not imagine a more terrible
punishment. It is a true shopkeeper idea!”
The Emperor concluded the evening by reading to us Adelaide Duguesclin,
which contains a fine rhodomontade upon the Bourbons.
After reading it, the Emperor said, “During the time of my power, an
order was given for suppressing the performance of this drama, under the
idea that it would be offensive to me. This circumstance accidentally
came to my knowledge, and I ordered the piece to be revived. Many things
of the same kind took place; people often acted very unwisely under the
idea that they were serving or pleasing me.”
I transcribe here the restrictions to which I have just alluded. They
are curious in themselves, and will serve better than volumes of
description, to give a just idea of our situation; but what enhances the
value of this document is that the observations which accompany each
article were made by the Emperor himself.
RESTRICTIONS drawn up by Sir Hudson Lowe, and transmitted to Longwood on
the 19th of October, 1816, but which he had already put into execution
by different secret orders, since the preceding month of August, though
he never communicated them to the English officers on duty, doubtless,
because he was ashamed of them.