CHAPTER II.1816

SOME SHORT TIME AFTER HIS arrival at Longwood, I communicated to the Emperor the news of Murat’s death. He heard it with calmness, and immediately inquired if he had perished on the field of battle? At first I hesitated to tell him that his brother-in-law had been executed by military law. On his repeating the question, I informed him of the manner in which Murat had been put to death, to which he listened without any change of countenance. I also communicated the intelligence of the death of Ney. ‘He was a brave man, nobody more so; but he was a madman,’ said he. ‘He betrayed me at Fontainebleau the proclamation against the Bourbons which he said in his defense I caused to be given to him was written by himself, and I never knew anything about that document until it was read to the troops. It is true that I sent him orders to obey me. What could he do? His troops abandoned him. Not only the troops, but the people wished to join me.’

I had lent him Miss Williams’s Present State of France to read. Two or three days afterwards he said to me, while dressing, ‘That is a vile production of that countrywoman of yours. It is a heap of falsehoods. This,’ opening his shirt and showing his flannel waistcoat, ‘is the only coat of mail I ever wore. My hat lined with steel too! There is the hat I wore,’ pointing to the one he always carried.

Napoleon’s hours of rising were uncertain, much depending upon the quantum of rest he had enjoyed during the night. He was in general a bad sleeper, and frequently got up at three or four o’clock, in which case he read or wrote until six or seven, at which time, when the weather was fine, he sometimes went out to ride, attended by some of his generals, or lay down again to repose for a couple of hours. When he retired to bed, he could not sleep unless the most perfect darkness was obtained, by the closing of every cranny through which a ray of light might pass, although I have sometimes seen him fall asleep on the sofa, and remain so for a few minutes in broad daylight. When ill, Marchand occasionally read to him until he fell asleep.

At times he rose at seven and wrote or dictated until breakfast time, or, if the morning was very fine, he went out to ride. When he breakfasted in his own room, it was generally served on a little round table at between nine and ten; when along with the rest of his suite at eleven : in either case a la fourchette. After breakfast he generally dictated to some of his suite for a few hours, and at two or three o’clock received such visitors as, by previous appointment, had been directed to present themselves. Between four and five, when the weather permitted, he rode out on horseback, or in the carriage for an hour or two, accompanied by all his suite, then returned, and dictated or read until eight, or occasionally played a game at chess, at which time dinner was announced, which rarely exceeded twenty minutes or half an hour in duration. He ate heartily and fast, and did not appear to be partial to high-seasoned or rich food. One of his most favorite dishes was a roasted leg of mutton, of which I have seen him sometimes pare the outside brown part off; he was also partial to mutton chops.

He rarely drank as much as a pint of claret at his dinner, which was generally much diluted with water. After dinner, when the servants had withdrawn, and when there were no visitors, he sometimes played at chess or at whist, but more frequently sent for a volume of Corneille, or of some other standard author, and read aloud for an hour, or conversed with the ladies and the rest of his suite. He usually retired to his bedroom at ten or eleven, and to rest immediately afterwards. When he breakfasted or dined in his own apartment (dans VinUrieur) he

sometimes sent for one of his suite to converse with him during the repast. He never ate more than two meals a day, nor, since I knew him, had he ever taken more than a very small cup of coffee after each repast, and at no other time. I have also been informed by those who have been in his service for fifteen years that he had never exceeded that quantity.

On the 14th of April the Phaeton frigate. Captain Stanfell, arrived from England, having on board Lieutenant-General Sir Hudson Lowe, Lady Lowe; Sir Thomas Reade (Deputy-Adjutant-General); Major Gorrequer, aide-de-camp to Sir Hudson Lowe; Lieutenant-Colonel Lyster, Inspector of Militia; Major Emmett of the Engineers; Mr. Baxter, Deputy Inspector of Hospitals; Lieutenants Wortham and Jackson of the Engineers and Staff Corps, and other officers.

The following day Sir Hudson Lowe landed and was installed as Governor with the customary forms. A message was then sent to Longwood that the new Governor would visit Napoleon at nine o’clock on the following morning. Accordingly, a little before that time, Sir Hudson Lowe arrived, in the midst of a pelting storm of rain and wind, accompanied by Sir George Cockburn, and followed by his numerous staff. As the hour fixed upon was rather unseasonable, and one at which Napoleon had never received any person, intimation was given to the Governor on his arrival that Napoleon was indisposed and could not receive any visitors that morning. This appeared to disconcert Sir Hudson Lowe, who, after pacing up and down before the windows of the drawing-room for a few minutes, demanded at what time on the following day he could be introduced two o’clock was fixed upon for the interview, at which time he arrived, accompanied as before by the Admiral, and followed by his staff. They were at first ushered into the dining-room, behind which was the salon, where they were to be received. A proposal was made by Sir George Cockburn to Sir Hudson Lowe that the latter should be introduced by him, as being, in his opinion, the most official and proper manner of resigning to him the charge of the prisoner; for which purpose Sir George suggested that they should enter the room together.

On the ‘18th of April I brought up some newspapers to Napoleon, who, after asking me some questions concerning the meeting of Parliament, inquired who had lent the newspapers?’ I replied that the Admiral had lent them to me. Napoleon said, ‘I believe that he was rather ill-treated the day he came up with the new Governor what does he say about it?’ I replied, ‘The Admiral considered it an insult offered to him, and certainly felt greatly offended at it. Some explanation, has however, been given by General Montholon upon the subject.’ Napoleon said, ‘I shall never see him with pleasure, but he did not announce himself as being desirous of seeing me.’ I replied, ‘He wished to introduce officially to you the new Governor, and thought that, as he was to act in that capacity, it was not necessary to be previously announced.’ Napoleon answered, ‘He should have sent me word by Bertrand that he wanted to see me; but,’ continued he, ‘he wished to embroil me with the new Governor, and for that purpose persuaded him to come up here at nine o’clock in the morning, though he must have known that I never received any person at that hour. It is a pity that a man who really has talents—for I believe him to be a very good officer in his own service—should have behaved in the manner he has done to me. Insulting those who are in your power, and consequently cannot make any opposition, is a sign of an ignoble mind.’ I said that I was convinced it was quite a mistake, and that the Admiral never had the smallest intention of insulting or embroiling him with the Governor. He resumed, ‘I, in my misfortunes, sought an asylum, and instead of that I have found contempt, ill-treatment, and insult. Shortly after I came on board his ship, as I did not wish to sit at table for two or three hours drinking wine, I got up and walked out upon deck. While I was going out he said in a contemptuous manner, “I believe the General has never read Lord Chesterfield;” meaning that I was deficient in politeness, and did not know how to conduct myself at table.’ I endeavored to explain to him that the English, and above all naval officers, were not in the habit of going through many forms, and that it was wholly unintentional on the part of the Admiral. ‘If,’ said he, ‘Sir George wanted to see Lord St. Vincent, or Lord Keith, would he not have sent beforehand and asked at what hour it might be convenient to see him; and should not I be treated with at least as much respect as either of them? Putting out of the question that I have been a crowned head, I think,’ said he, laughing, ‘that the actions which I have performed are at least as well known as anything they have done.’ I endeavored again to excuse the Admiral, upon which he recalled to my mind what he had just related about Lord Chesterfield, and asked me ‘What could that mean?’

The request to the domestics to sign the paper sent by Sir H. Lowe had produced a wish for further explanation amongst them; and some who applied to Sir Thomas Reade for that purpose received answers of a nature to inculcate a belief that those who signed it would be compelled to remain in the island during the lifetime of Bonaparte. This, however, did not prevent any of them from signing the paper which was presented to them.

April 19.—The weather has been extremely bad for some days, which has contributed, with other circumstances, to make Napoleon a little dissatisfied. ‘In this isola maladetta,’ said he, ‘there is neither sun nor moon to be seen for...