Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
her fate must be either to be crushed by France, or else, by annexing
the states enclosed in her dominions, to become the predominating power
in Germany. It was impossible for her to remain as she was left.
The Allies tightly bound France. They had no desire to have again to
march on Paris to restore Louis to the subjects who had such unfortunate
objections to being subjected to that desirable monarch. By the second
Treaty of Paris, on the 20th of November 1815, France was to be occupied
by an Allied force, in military positions on the frontier, not to exceed
150,000 men, to be taken from all the Allied armies, under a commander
who was eventually the Duke of Wellington. Originally the occupation was
not to exceed five years, but in February 1817 the army was reduced
by 30,000 men, one-fifth of each contingent; and by the Treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle of 9th October 1818, France was to-be evacuated by the
30th of November 1818.
The three monarchs were probably not sorry to get the Congress over
on any terms. Alexander had had his fill of displaying himself in the
salons in his favourite part of an Agamemnon generous towards Troy, and
he had worn out his first popularity. He was stung by finding some of
his favourite plans boldly opposed by Talleyrand and by Metternich,
and, indeed, was anxious to meet the last in open combat. Francis had
required all the firmness of what he called his Bohemian head to resist
the threats, entreaties, and cajoleries employed to get him to acquiesce
in the dethronement of the King of Saxony, and the wiping out of the
Saxon nationality by the very alliance which professed to fight only for
the rights of nations and of their lawful sovereigns.
All three monarchs had again the satisfaction of entering Paris, but
without enjoying the full glories of 1814. "Our friends, the enemies"
were not so popular then in France, and the spoliation of the Louvre was
not pleasant even to the Royalists. The foreign monarchs soon returned
to their own drained and impoverished States.
The Emperor Francis had afterwards a quiet reign to his death in 1835,
having only to assist his Minister in snuffing out the occasional
flashes of a love of freedom in Germany.
The King of Prussia returned in a triumph well won by his sturdy
subjects, and, in the light of his new honours, the Countess Von Voss
tells us he was really handsome. He was now at leisure to resume the
discussions on uniform, and the work of fastening and unfastening the
numerous buttons of his pantaloons, in which he had been so roughly
interrupted by Jena. The first institution of the Zollverein, or
commercial union with several States, gradually extended, was a
measure which did much for the unification of Germany. With his brother
sovereigns he revisited Paris at the end of the military occupation
in 1818, remaining there longer than the others, "because," said the
Parisians, "he had discovered an actor at a small theatre who achieved
the feat of making him laugh." He died in 1840. His Queen--heartbroken,
it was said--had died in 1810.
Alexander was still brimming over with the best and most benevolent
intentions towards every one. The world was to be free, happy, and
religious; but he had rather vague ideas as to how his plans were to be
carried out. Thus it is characteristic that when his successor desired
to have a solemn coronation as King of Poland it was found that
Alexander had not foreseen the difficulties which were met with in
trying to arrange for the coronation of a Sovereign of the Greek Church
as King of a Roman Catholic State. The much-dreaded but very misty Holy
Alliance was one of the few fruits of Alexander's visions. His mind
is described as passing through a regular series of stages with
each influence under which he acted. He ended his life, tired out,
disillusioned, "deceived in everything, weighed down with regret;"
obliged to crush the very hopes of his people he had encouraged, dying
in 1825 at Taganrog, leaving his new Polish Kingdom to be wiped out
by-his successors.
The minor sovereigns require little mention. They retained any titles
they had received from Napoleon, while they exulted, at being free from
his heavy hand and sharp superintendence. Each got a share, small or
great, of the spoil except the poor King of Denmark, who, being assured
by Alexander on his departure that he carried away all hearts, answered,
"Yes, but not any souls."
The reintroduction of much that was bad in the old system (one country
even going so far as to re-establish torture), the steady attack on
liberty and on all liberal ideas, Wurtemberg being practically the
only State which grumbled at the tightening of the reins so dear to
Metternich,--all formed a fitting commentary on the proclamations by
which the Sovereigns had hounded on their people against the man they
represented as the one obstacle to the freedom and peace of Europe. In
gloom and disenchantment the nations sat down to lick their wounds: The
contempt shown by the monarchs for everything but the right of conquest,
the manner in which they treated the lands won from Napoleon as a
gigantic "pool" which was to be shared amongst them, so many souls to
each; their total failure to fulfil their promises to their subjects of
granting liberty,--all these slowly bore their fruits in after years,
and their effects are not even yet exhausted. The right of a sovereign
to hold his lands was now, by the public law of Europe, to be decided
by his strength, The rights of the people were treated as not existing.
Truly, as our most gifted poetess has sung--
"The Kings crept out--the peoples sat at home,
And finding the long invocated peace
(A pall embroidered with worn images
Of rights divine) too scant to cover doom
Such as they suffered, nursed the corn that grew
Rankly to bitter bread, on Waterloo."
CHAPTER XIII
--[This chapter; by the editor of the 1836 edition, is based upon
the 'Memorial', and O'Meara's and Antommarchi's works.]--
1815-1821.
Voyage to St. Helena--Personal traits of the Emperor--Arrival at
James Town--Napoleon's temporary residence at The Briars--Removal to
Longwood--The daily routine there-The Campaign of Italy--The arrival
of Sir Hudson Lowe--Unpleasant relations between the Emperor and the
new Governor--Visitors at St. Helena--Captain Basil Hall's interview
with Napoleon--Anecdotes of the Emperor--Departure of Las Cases and
O'Meara--Arrivals from Europe--Physical habits of the Emperor--Dr.
Antommarchi--The Emperor's toilet--Creation of a new bishopric--
The Emperor's energy with the spade--His increasing illness--
Last days of Napoleon--His Death--Lying in state--Military funeral--
Marchand's account of the Emperor's last moments--Napoleon's last
bequests--The Watch of Rivoli.
The closing scenes in the life of the great Emperor only now remain
to be briefly touched upon. In a previous chapter we have narrated the
surrender of Napoleon, his voyage to England, and his transference from
the Bellerophon to the Northumberland. The latter vessel was in great
confusion from the short notice at which she had sailed, and for the two
first days the crew was employed in restoring order. The space abaft the
mizenmast contained a dining-room about ten feet broad, and extending
the whole width of the ship, a saloon, and two cabins. The Emperor
occupied the cabin on the left; in which his camp-bedstead had been
put up; that on the right was appropriated to the Admiral. It was
peremptorily enjoined that the saloon should be in common. The form of
the dining-table resembled that of the dining-room. Napoleon sat with
his back to the saloon; on his left sat Madame Bertrand, and on his
right the Admiral, who, with Madame de Montholon, filled up one side
of the table. Next that lady, but at the end of the table, was Captain
Ross, who commanded the ship, and at the opposite end M. de Montholon;
Madame Bertrand, and the Admiral's secretary. The side of the table
facing the Emperor was occupied by the Grand-Marshal, the Colonel of the
field Regiment, Las Cases, and Gourgaud. The Admiral invited one or
two of the officers to dinner every day, and the band of the 53d,
newly-formed, played during dinner-time.
On the 10th of August the Northumberland cleared the Channel, and lost
sight of land. The course of the ship was shaped to cross the Bay of
Biscay and double Cape Finisterre. The wind was fair, though light, and
the heat excessive. Napoleon breakfasted in his own cabin at irregular
hours. He sent for one of his attendants every morning to know the
distance run, the state of the wind, and other particulars connected
with their progress. He read a great deal, dressed towards four o'clock,
and then came into the public saloon; here he played at chess with one
of the party; at five o'clock the Admiral announced that dinner was on
the table. It is well known that Napoleon was scarcely ever more than
fifteen minutes at dinner; here the two courses alone took up nearly
an hour and a half. This was a serious annoyance to him, though his
features and manner always evinced perfect equanimity. Neither the
new system of cookery nor the quality of the dishes ever met with his
censure. He was waited on by two valets, who stood behind his chair.
At first the Admiral was in the habit of offering several dishes to the
Emperor, but the acknowledgment of the latter was expressed so coldly
that the practice was given up. The Admiral thenceforth only pointed out
to the servants what was preferable. Napoleon was generally silent, as
if unacquainted with the language, though it was French. If he spoke,
it was to ask some technical or scientific question, or to address a few
words to those whom the Admiral occasionally asked to dinner.
The Emperor rose immediately after coffee had been handed round,
and went on deck, followed by the Grand-Marshal and Las Cases. This
disconcerted Admiral Cockburn, who expressed his surprise to his
officers; but Madame Bertrand, whose maternal language was English,
replied with spirit, "Do not forget, sir, that your guest is a man who
has governed a large portion of the world, and that kings once contended
for the honour of being admitted to his table."--"Very true," rejoined
the Admiral; and from that time he did his utmost to comply with
Napoleon's habits. He shortened the time of sitting at table, ordering
coffee for Napoleon and those who accompanied him even before the rest
of the company had finished their dinner. The Emperor remained walking
on deck till dark. On returning to the after-cabin he sat down to play
vingt et un with some of his suite, and generally retired in about
half an hour. On the morning of the 15th of August all his suite asked
permission to be admitted to his presence. He was not aware of the cause
of this visit; it was his birthday, which seemed to have altogether
escaped his recollection.
On the following day they doubled Cape Finisterre, and up to the 21st,
passing off the Straits of Gibraltar, continued their course along the
coast of Africa towards Madeira. Napoleon commonly remained in his
cabin the whole morning, and from the extreme heat he wore a very
slight dress. He could not sleep well, and frequently rose in the night.
Reading was his chief occupation. He often sent for Count Las Cases to
translate whatever related to St. Helena or the countries by which
they were sailing. Napoleon used to start a subject of conversation; or
revive that of some preceding day, and when he had taken eight or nine
turns the whole length of the deck he would seat himself on the second
gun from the gangway on the larboard side. The midshipmen soon observed