increased, coldness spread over his limbs, his strength was quite gone.
He spoke a few words of encouragement to Antommarchi; then in a tone of
perfect calmness and composure he delivered to him the following
instructions: "After my death, which cannot be far off, I wish you to
open my body: I wish also, nay, I require, that you will not suffer any
English physician to touch me. If, however, you find it indispensable to
have some one to assist you, Dr. Arnott is the only one I am willing you
should employ. I am desirous, further, that you should take out my
heart, that you put it in spirits of wine, and that you carry it to Parma
to my dear Maria Louisa: you will tell her how tenderly I have loved her,
that I have never ceased to love her; and you will report to her all that
you have witnessed, all that relates to my situation and my death. I
recommend you, above all, carefully to examine my stomach, to make an.
exact detailed report of it, which you will convey to my son. The
vomitings which succeed each other without intermission lead me to
suppose that the stomach is the one of my organs which is the most
deranged, and I am inclined to believe that it is affected with the
disease which conducted my father to the grave,--I mean a cancer in the
lower stomach. What think you? "His physician hesitating, he continued
--"I have not doubted this since I found the sickness become frequent and
obstinate. It is nevertheless well worthy of remark that I have always
had a stomach of iron, that I have felt no inconvenience from this organ
till latterly, and that whereas my father was fond of high-seasoned
dishes and spirituous liquors, I have never been able to make use of
them. Be it as it may, I entreat, I charge you to neglect nothing in
such an examination, in order that when you see my son you may
communicate the result of your observations to him, and point out the
most suitable remedies. When I am no more you will repair to Rome; you
will find out my mother and my family. You will give them an account of
all you have observed relative to my situation, my disorder, and my death
on this remote and miserable rock; you will tell them that the great
Napoleon expired in the most deplorable state, wanting everything,
abandoned to himself and his glory." It was ten in the forenoon; after
this the fever abated, and he fell into a sort of doze.
The Emperor passed a very bad night, and could not sleep. He grew light-
headed and talked incoherently; still the fever had abated in its
violence. Towards morning the hiccough began to torment him, the fever
increased, and he became quite delirious. He spoke of his complaint, and
called upon Baxter (the Governor's physician) to appear, to come and see
the truth of his reports. Then all at once fancying O'Meara present, he
imagined a dialogue between them, throwing a weight of odium on the
English policy. The fever having subsided, his hearing became distinct;
he grew calm, and entered into some further conversation on what was to
be done after his death. He felt thirsty, and drank a large quantity of
cold water. "If fate should determine that I shall recover, I would
raise a monument on the spot where this water gushes out: I would crown
the fountain in memory of the comfort which it has afforded me. If I
die, and they should not proscribe my remains as they have proscribed my
person, I should desire to be buried with my ancestors in the cathedral
of Ajaccio, in Corsica. But if I am not allowed to repose where I was
born, why, then, let them bury me at the spot where this fine and
refreshing water flows." This request was afterwards complied with.
He remained nearly in the same state for some days. On the 1st of May he
was delirious nearly all day, and suffered dreadful vomitings. He took
two small biscuits and a few drops of red wine. On the 2d he was rather
quieter, and the alarming symptoms diminished a little. At 2 P.M.,
however, he had a paroxysm of fever, and became again delirious. He
talked to himself of France, of his dear son, of some of his old
companions-in-arms. At times he was evidently in imagination on the
field of battle. "Stengel!" he cried; "Desaix! Massena! Ah! victory
is declaring itself! run--rush forward--press the charge!--they are
ours!"
"I was listening," says Dr. Antommarchi, "and following the progress of
that painful agony in the deepest distress, when Napoleon, suddenly
collecting his strength, jumped on the floor, and would absolutely go
down into the garden to take a walk. I ran to receive him in my arms,
but his legs bent under the weight of his body; he fell backwards, and I
had the mortification of being unable to prevent his falling. We raised
him up and entreated him to get into bed again; but he did not recognise
anybody, and began to storm and fall into a violent passion. He was
unconscious, and anxiously desired to walk in the garden. In the course
of the day, however, he became more collected, and again spoke of his
disease, and the precise anatomical examination he wished to be made of
his body after death. He had a fancy that this might be useful to his
son." "The physicians of Montpelier," he said to Antommarchi, "announced
that the scirrhosis in the pylorus would be hereditary in my family;
their report is, I believe, in the hands of my brother Louis; ask for it
and compare it with your own observations on my case, in order that my
son may be saved from this cruel disease. You will see him, Doctor, and
you will point out to him what is best to do, and will save him from the
cruel sufferings I now experience. This is the last service I ask of
you." Later in the day he said, "Doctor, I am very ill--I feel that I am
going to die."
The last time Napoleon spoke, except to utter a few short unconnected
words, was on the 3d of May. It was in the afternoon, and he had
requested his attendants, in case of his losing consciousness, not to
allow any English physician to approach him except Dr. Arnott. "I am
going to die," said he, "and you to return to Europe; I must give you
some advice as to the line of conduct you are to pursue. You have shared
my exile, you will be faithful to my memory, and will not do anything
that may injure it. I have sanctioned all proper principles, and infused
them into my laws and acts; I have not omitted a single one.
Unfortunately, however, the circumstances in which I was placed were
arduous, and I was obliged to act with severity, and to postpone the
execution of my plans. Our reverses occurred; I could not unbend the
bow; and France has been deprived of the liberal institutions I intended
to give her. She judges me with indulgence; she feels grateful for my
intentions; she cherishes my name and my victories. Imitate her example,
be faithful to the opinions we have defended, and to the glory we have
acquired: any other course can only lead to shame and confusion."
From this moment it does not appear that Napoleon showed any signs of
understanding what was going forward around him. His weakness increased
every moment, and a harassing hiccough continued until death took place.
The day before that event a fearful tempest threatened to destroy
everything about Longwood. The plantations were torn up by the roots,
and it was particularly remarked that a willow, under which Napoleon
usually sat to enjoy the fresh air, had fallen. "It seemed," says
Antommarchi, "as if none of the things the Emperor valued were to survive
him." On the day of his death Madame Bertrand, who had not left his
bedside, sent for her children to take a last farewell of Napoleon. The
scene which ensued was affecting: the children ran to the bed, kissed the
hands of Napoleon, and covered them with tears. One of the children
fainted, and all had to be carried from the spot. "We all," says
Antommarchi, "mixed our lamentations with theirs: we all felt the same
anguish, the same cruel foreboding of the approach of the fatal instant,
which every minute accelerated." The favourite valet, Noverraz, who had
been for some time very ill, when he heard of the state in which Napoleon
was, caused himself to be carried downstairs, and entered the apartment
in tears. He was with great difficulty prevailed upon to leave the room:
he was in a delirious state, and he fancied his master was threatened
with danger, and was calling upon him for assistance: he said he would
not leave him but would fight and die for him. But Napoleon was now
insensible to the tears of his servants; he had scarcely spoken for two
days; early in the morning he articulated a few broken sentences, among
which the only words distinguishable were, "tete d'armee," the last that
ever left his lips, and which indicated the tenor of his fancies. The
day passed in convulsive movements and low moanings, with occasionally a
loud shriek, and the dismal scene closed just before six in the evening.
A slight froth covered his lips, and he was no more.
After he had been dead about six hours Antommarchi had the body carefully
washed and laid out on another bed. The executors then proceeded to
examine two codicils which were directed to be opened immediately after
the Emperor's decease. The one related to the gratuities which be
intended out of his private purse for the different individuals of his
household, and to the alms which he wished to be distributed among the
poor of St. Helena; the other contained his last wish that "his ashes
should repose on the banks of the Seine, in the midst of the French
people whom he had loved so well." The executors notified this request
to the Governor, who stated that his orders were that the body was to,
remain on the island. On the next day, after taking a plaster cast of
the face of Napoleon, Antommarchi proceeded to open the body in the
presence of Sir Thomas Reade, some staff officers, and eight medical men.
The Emperor had intended his hair (which was of a chestnut colour) for
presents to the different members of his family, and it was cut off and
kept for this purpose.
He had grown considerably thinner in person during the last few months.
After his death his face and body were pale, but without alteration or
anything of a cadaverous appearance. His physiognomy was fine, the eyes
fast closed, and you would have said that the Emperor was not dead, but
in a profound sleep. His mouth retained its expression of sweetness,
though one side was contracted into a bitter smile. Several scars were
seen on his body. On opening it it was found that the liver was not
affected, but that there was that cancer of the stomach which he had
himself suspected, and of which his father and two of his sisters died.
This painful examination having been completed, Antommarchi took out the
heart and placed it in a silver vase filled with spirits of wine; he then
directed the valet de chambre to dress the body as he had been accustomed
in the Emperor's lifetime, with the grand cordon of the Legion of Honour
across the breast, in the green uniform of a colonel of the Chasseurs of
the Guard, decorated with the orders of the Legion of Honour and of the
Iron Crown, long boots with little spurs, finally, his three cornered
hat. Thus habited, Napoleon was removed in the afternoon of the 6th out
of the hall, into which the, crowd rushed immediately. The linen which
had been employed in the dissection of the body, though stained with
blood, was eagerly seized, torn in pieces, and distributed among the
bystanders.
Napoleon lay in state in his little bedroom which had been converted into
a funeral chamber. It was hung with black cloth brought from the town.
This circumstance first apprised the inhabitants of his death. The
corpse, which had not been embalmed, and which was of an extraordinary
whiteness, was placed on one of the campbeds, surrounded with little
white curtains, which served for a sarcophagus. The blue cloak which
Napoleon had worn at the battle of Marengo covered it. The feet and the
hands were free; the sword on the left side, and a crucifix on the
breast. At some distance was the silver vase containing the heart and
stomach, which were not allowed to be removed. At the back of the head
was an altar, where the priest in his stole and surplice recited the
customary prayers. All the individuals of Napoleon's suite, officers and
domestics, dressed in mourning, remained standing on the left. Dr.
Arnott had been charged to see that no attempt was made to convey away
the body.
For some-hours the crowd had besieged the doors; they were admitted, and
beheld the inanimate remains of Napoleon in respectful silence. The
officers of the 20th and 66th' Regiments were admitted first, then the
others. The following day (the 7th) the throng was greater. Antommarchi
was not allowed to take the heart of Napoleon to Europe with him; he
deposited that and the stomach in two vases, filled with alcohol and
hermetically sealed, in the corners of the coffin in which the corpse was
laid. This was a shell of zinc lined with white satin, in which was a
mattress furnished with a pillow. There not being room for the hat to
remain on his head, it was placed at his feet, with some eagles, pieces
of French money coined during his reign, a plate engraved with his arms,
etc. The coffin was closed, carefully soldered up, and then fixed in
another case of mahogany, which was enclosed in a third made of lead,
which last was fastened in a fourth of mahogany, which was sealed up and
fastened with screws. The coffin was exhibited in the same place as the
body had been, and was also covered with the cloak that Napoleon had worn
at the battle of Marengo. The funeral was ordered for the morrow, 8th
May, and the troops were to attend in the morning by break of day.
This took place accordingly: the Governor arrived first, the Rear-Admiral
soon after, and shortly all the authorities, civil and military, were
assembled at Longwood. The day was fine, the people crowded the roads,
music resounded from the heights; never had spectacle so sad and solemn
been witnessed in these remote regions. At half-past twelve the
grenadiers took hold of the coffin, lifted it with difficulty, and
succeeded in removing it into the great walk in the garden, where the
hearse awaited them. It was placed in the carriage, covered with a pall
of violet-coloured velvet, and with the cloak which the hero wore at
Marengo. The Emperor's household were in mourning. The cavalcade was
arranged by order of the Governor in the following manner: The Abbe
Vignale in his sacerdotal robes, with young Henry Bertrand at his side,
bearing an aspersorium; Doctors Arnott and Antommarchi, the persons
entrusted with the superintendence of the hearse, drawn by four horses,
led by grooms, and escorted by twelve grenadiers without arms, on each
side; these last were to carry the coffin on their shoulders as soon as
the ruggedness of the road prevented the hearse from advancing; young
Napoleon Bertrand, and Marchand, both on foot, and by the side of the
hearse; Counts Bertrand and Montholon on horseback close behind the
hearse; a part of the household of the Emperor; Countess Bertrand with
her daughter Hortense, in a calash drawn by two horses led by hand by her
domestics, who walked by the side of the precipice; the Emperor's horse
led by his piqueur Archambaud; the officers of marine on horseback and on
foot; the officers of the staff on horse-back; the members of the council
of the island in like manner; General Coffin and the Marquis Montchenu on
horseback; the Rear-Admiral and the Governor on horseback; the
inhabitants of the island.
The train set out in this order from Longwood, passed by the barracks,
and was met by the garrison, about 2500 in number, drawn up on the left
of the road as far as Hut's Gate. Military bands placed at different
distances added still more, by the mournful airs which they played, to
the striking solemnity of the occasion. When the train had passed the
troops followed and accompanied it to the burying-place. The dragoons
marched first. Then came the 20th Regiment of infantry, the marines, the
66th, the volunteers of St. Helena, and lastly, the company of Royal
Artillery, with fifteen pieces of cannon. Lady Lowe and her daughter
were at the roadside at Hut's Gate, in an open carriage drawn by two
horses. They were attended by some domestics in mourning, and followed
the procession at a distance. The fifteen pieces of artillery were
ranged along the road, and the gunners were at their posts ready to fire.
Having advanced about a quarter of a mile beyond Hut's Gate the hearse
stopped, the troops halted and drew up in line of battle by the roadside.
The grenadiers then raised the coffin on their shoulders and bore it thus
to the place of interment, by the new route which had been made on
purpose on the declivity of the mountain. All the attendants alighted,
the ladies descended from their carriages, and the procession followed
the corpse without observing any regular order.
Counts Bertrand and Montholon, Marchand and young Napoleon Bertrand,
carried the four corners of the pall. The coffin was laid down at the
side of the tomb, which was hung with black. Near were seen the cords
and pulleys which were to lower it into the earth. The coffin was then
uncovered, the Abbe Vignale repeated the usual prayers, and the body was
let down into the grave with the feet to the east. The artillery then
fired three salutes in succession of fifteen discharges each. The
Admiral's vessel had fired during the procession twenty-five minute guns
from time to time. A huge stone, which was to have been employed in the
building of the new house of the Emperor, was now used to close his
grave, and was lowered till it rested on a strong stone wall so as not to
touch the coffin. While the grave was closed the crowd seized upon the
willows, which the former presence of Napoleon had already rendered
objects of veneration. Every one was ambitious to possess a branch or
some leaves of these trees which were henceforth to shadow the tomb of
this great man, and to preserve them as a precious relic of so memorable
a scene. The Governor and Admiral endeavoured to prevent this outrage,
but in vain. The Governor, however, surrounded the spot afterwards with
a barricade, where he placed a guard to keep off all intruders. The tomb
of the Emperor was about a league from Longwood. It was of a
quadrangular shape, wider at top than at bottom; the depth about twelve
feet. The coffin was placed on two strong pieces of wood, and was
detached in its whole circumference.
The companions of Napoleon returned to France, and the island gradually
resumed its former quiet state, while the willows weeping over the grave
guarded the ashes of the man for whom Europe had been all too small.
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