If I

be the sole object of my wishes. Do not deplore my fate. consent to live, it is that I may still contribute to your glory. I will record the great achievements we have performed together. Farewell, my comrades! I should wish to press you all to my bosom: let me, at least, embrace your standard." At these words, General Petit took the eagle, and came forward. Napoleon received the general in his arms, and kissed the flag. The silence of this affecting scene was interrupted only by the occasional sobs of the soldiers. Having kissed the flag, Napoleon said with great emotion, "Farewell once more, my old comrades!-let this kiss be impressed on all your hearts!" He hurried through the group that surrounded him-stepped into his carriage-and instantly drove off. The carriages took the road to Lyons, and were escorted by French troops.

Louis XVIII. made his public entry into Paris on the 21st of April. The Count d'Artois had preceded him by some days. The new king was escorted by the members of the provisional government, the ministers, the senate and the marshals of France, headed by Berthier. The Duchess d'Angoulême followed the king in a calash drawn by eight horses taken from the Emperor's stables, and led by men who still wore his livery. The senate had busied themselves, in the interval, in framing a constitution which they had already presented to their royal master, who had not yet, it is presumed, informed them of the kind of respect he intended to pay to it. The populace cried "Vive le Roi!" for which they have been applauded by one party as having been loyal at heart all this time; and reviled by another party as treacherous, or affording evidence of the light and vacillating character of Frenchmen. But all this is unjust. The populace has done such things from time immemorial, and will do such again, till the spread of education has substituted in their minds the recognition of principles for the mere passing impulses of the day. Even the populace, however, were disgusted at seeing the marshals of Napoleon parading themselves before the carriage of Louis; and cries of "Go to Elba, Berthier!" were frequently raised as the procession moved forwards.

During the first part of Napoleon's journey, he was the object of universal respect and affectionate interest. Advancing towards Provence, the popular manifestations became different, and the Emperor was once or twice subject to personal insult and danger of violence. He was obliged to adopt a disguise, and rode forward on horseback. No doubt he felt keenly the evil intentions thus demonstrated against him; no doubt he was both grieved and disgusted, and was most anxious to avoid a sort of death, at once disgraceful to the perpetrators, and revolting to all his feelings. This has been desig

UU

nated as a want of all courage, by those who seem to have thought that he ought not to possess the common feelings of nature.

At a chateau on the road, he had an interview with his sister Pauline. Arrived at the place of embarkation, an English and a French vessel were waiting to receive him. He went on board the English vessel (the Undaunted) by preference. He was accompanied by the Austrian and the English commissioner. During the passage,

he conversed cordially with Captain Usher. He laughed at the idea of the caricatures in England which his voyage would occasion. The sailors, who expected to see some hideous and deformed little figure, answering to their previous notions of "Boney," were surprised at his appearance, and soon became delighted with his ease and good humour. They arrived at Porto Ferrajo, the principal town of Elba, on the 4th of May. The Emperor first landed incog.; but returned on board to breakfast. He went ashore, in form, about two o'clock. On leaving the vessel, he presented the jolly tars with a purse of two hundred napoleons, and the boatswain, who undertook to return thanks in the name of the crew, concluded with "wishing him his health-and better luck the next time." As he left the Undaunted, the vessel fired a royal salute, and Napoleon was received as Emperor of the little island of Elba.

NAPOLEON IN ELBA-STATE OF FRANCE UNDER THE BOURBONS-THEIR INFRACTIONS OF THE TREATY OF FONTAINEBLEAU-NAPOLEON LEAVES ELBA-LANDS IN FRANCE-ADVANCES TO GRASSE-JOINED BY A DETACHMENT FROM GRENOBLE-JOINED BY LABEDOYEREENTERS GRENOBLE-LYONS-ASSUMES THE REINS OF GOVERNMENT-JOINED BY NEYARRIVES AT FONTAINEBLEAU-JOINED AT MELUN BY THE LAST ROYALIST ARMY-FLIGHT OF LOUIS XVIII.

THE island of Elba is near the coast of

Tuscany, and not more than sixty miles in circumference. The air is healthy; and its produce is chiefly salt, wine, and iron-ore. Napoleon lost no time in exploring every corner of his little state; visiting the iron-mines, harbours, salt-marshes, fortifications and woods, and projecting all manner of novelties and improvements. He devoted himself to these with the same unre

mitting attention as that with which he had directed the affairs of France, and of half Europe besides. He established four houses of residence at four different corners of the island, and was in continual motion from one to the other of them,-so that he appeared to be living at all four of them at the same time. He seemed quite resigned to his fate; spoke of himself as politically dead; and continued to devise

more buildings, roads, and other matters, than could have been accomplished in a life, notwithstanding the very limited space he possessed for his operations. Climbing a mountain above Ferrajo, one day, and observing the ocean approach its base almost on every side, he said musingly, "It must be confessed that my island is very little."

Napoleon shortly added to his "dominions" by sending two or three dozen of his guards to take possession of a small adjacent islet called Rianosa, which was uninhabited, having been deserted on account of the incursions of corsairs. He sketched out a plan of fortifications, and humorously observed, "Europe will say that I have already made a conquest.' He planned and commenced new roads; contrived means for conveying water from the mountains to Porto Ferrajo; designed two palaces-one for the country, another for the town; a separate mansion for his sister the Princess Pauline; stables for a hundred and fifty horses; a lazaretto; receptacles for the tunnyfishers; and salt-works on a new construction at Porto Gorgone. He also placed his court, as Emperor of Elba, on as regular a footing as though it were held at the Tuileries; reviewed his small body of troops, and endeavoured to obtain recruits; displayed a national flag on which were three bees; gave a new stimulus to trade, till the little port of Ferrajo was crowded with vessels from the opposite coasts of Italy; and such was still the influence of his name, that the new flag of Elba, with the Napoleon bees, was suffered to pass unmolested even in places most infested by Moorish pirates.

Baron Kohler, the Austrian, and Sir Niel Campbell, the English commissioner, had remained as residents on the island; but towards the end of May the former departed. Napoleon was visited by his mother, and his sister Pauline, during the summer of 1814. He expected to be rejoined at this time by his wife Maria Louisa, but she was not permitted to proceed to Elba. Napoleon during the voyage had conversed on easy and friendly terms with the two commissioners, and also during their residence in the island; but, finding Sir Niel Campbell remain after the Austrian commissioner had departed, he gradually became cool and distant towards Campbell, under the impression that he was there as a kind of spy, or guard, of the English government.

As the winter approached, a change was observed in the manners and habits of Napoleon. He became grave and reserved. He proceeded no further with his public works and improvements, and ceased to take any interest in what he had already effected. He became embarrassed for money, and was obliged to attempt to levy a tax upon the islanders; but they were too poor to pay it. He was compelled to lower the allowances of most of his followers; to reduce

the wages of the miners; to raise money by the sale of the provisions and stores laid up for the garrison, and to sell a train of brass artillery to the Duke of Tuscany. He also disposed of some property in a barrack, and meant to have sold the town-house at Porto Ferrajo. His embarrassments were attributable to the sums he had expended in improvements, and various works all over the island, and to the dishonourable conduct of the French government, who never paid him the stipend agreed on in the terms of the treaty of Fontainebleau.

*

His household condition, at this period, was very meagre indeed; and, for a sovereign, almost squalid. A Scotch gentleman of rank who visited him, has given an account of the interior of "the Imperial Palace," which is. interesting. "Bonaparte is in perfect health, but miserably lodged in a worse house than the worst description of dwellings appropriated to our clergy in Scotland, yet still keeping up the state of Emperor; that is, he has certain officers with grand official names about him. We were first shewn into a room where the only furniture was an old sofa and two rush-bottom chairs, and a lamp with two burners, only one of which was lighted. An aidede-camp received us, who called a servant, and said that one of the lights had gone out. The servant said, it had never been lighted. The other said, 'Light it, then.' Upon which the servant begged he would excuse him, as he had not received the orders of the Emperor on the subject! We were then introduced into an inner apartment, where we were received by Bonaparte. The Emperor wore a very old French guard uniform with three orders; and had on very dirty boots, being just come in from his country-house. The interview lasted two hours and a half, during which time Bonaparte mentioned many of the principal occurrences of his life; and, with apparent candour, stated where he had been to blame. Reverting to the situation of France, he said, we should have been satisfied with forcing the French to take back the Bourbons; that we were pressing matters too hard, with respect to their boundaries on the side of Holland, and that we might depend upon it, that sooner or later (like a vessel into which people attempt to force more air than it can hold), there would be a tremendous explosion. That France was a military. country. The Bourbons had better take care what they were about. That there were still in France five hundred thousand excellent soldiers; and then making a rapid turn, he said, 'But what is all that to me? I am to all intents and purposes dead.' The manner he assumed was that of a blunt, honest, good-hearted soldier; his smile,

• In a private letter, with a copy of which the Editor has been favoured.