316 napoleon's garden. 



We had been informed that Napoleon had 

 laid out a little garden near his dwelling, in 

 which he often worked, assisted by Madame 

 Bertrand ; and, after many fruitless attempts, 

 had been at length rewarded by the blossoming 

 of a few hardy flowers, and the successful plan- 

 tation of some young oaks ; that one of the 

 latter was set by the hand of Napoleon him- 

 self, another by that of ^ladame Bertrand. 



As we could see nothing resembling a garden, 

 I enquired of our guide where it lay ; he point- 

 ed, with a sarcastic smile, to a spot which had 

 been routed up by hogs, saying, " Here Napo- 

 leon was as successful in rearing flowers as he 

 had once been in founding empires, and both 

 have equally vanished.'' Some oaks are still 

 standing beside a broken hedge, but whether 

 planted by Napoleon or not, no one can tell. 

 We were also shown a pretty house, which had 

 been built for Napoleon b}^ the King's com- 

 mand, but which was not complete till a very 

 short time before his death. Though much 

 better and more convenient than the one he 

 inhabited, he never could be induced to re- 

 move to it ; perhaps already conscious of the 



