1824.] 



After the Restoration of the Bourbons. 



him of the use of his right haud, could 

 not abate his ardour. In fact, he had 

 so distinguished himself, that on the 

 king's return he was placed on the 

 half-pay ; his long standing and ser- 

 vices, however, gave iiim an incon- 

 ttstible right to retain his company. 

 My brother did not reclaim against 

 this measure, well assured, that, in the 

 event of a war, his services would not 

 be overlooked ; and, till that took place, 

 he cared little whether he was em- 

 ployed or not. 



He judged right; for, when Napoleon 

 came to re-assert his claim to the 

 crown, my brother obtained a com- 

 pany in the Guards, without any solici- 

 tation for it. He possessed an advan- 

 tage, derived from an early literary 

 education, the praise and benefits of 

 which were continually angmented 

 and exalted by the fervent enthusi- 

 asm with which he cultivated the 

 knowledge thus acquired. He had 

 not long to wait, as I had, in subaltern 

 grades, wherein the 'mind languishes 

 from the want of a due stimulus to 

 labour and study. He would doubt- 

 less have risen to the highest ranks, if 

 events had not compelled us to lay 

 down our arms, ere we bad purged 

 France of its invaders. 



I prepared to accompany Napoleon 

 to the Isle of Elba, as soon as 1 knew 

 that any of us would be permitted to 

 accompany him. There was. not a 

 little canvassing to obtain this honour ; 

 the ex-emperor condescended to ac- 

 cept me. 



This token of personal friendship 

 struck me more forcibly than other 

 I)ermanent advantages, and more 

 splendid appearances, which he had 

 previously dispensed, and enabled me 

 to exhibit. 1 was aninsadverting upon 

 my exile, but with much spirit and 

 animation, ruminating only on the 

 glory ot the saciihce, and repeating 

 the transferred sentiment of Philoc- 

 tetes, 



L'aniitie d'lin grand liomme est uu bien- 

 fait des ciciix. 



The generous friend.ship of a great 

 man brings with it no ordinary gratifi- 

 cation ; it resembles the gifts of Hea- 

 ven, and furnisly^s a high regale to 

 warm or tranciuillize the lieurt of sen- 

 sibility. Here I must disavow that 

 inculpation which has reproached 

 Napoleon for preferring an l-^nglish to 

 a French frigutc, for his conveyance to 

 the island. It may be said without 

 Monthly Mag. No. -392. 



J7 



presumption, that this report, however 

 current, was equally frivolous and ill- 

 founded. The following will enable 

 the reader to judge of the true state of 

 the case. 



The re-instated French government 

 had dispatched orderstoM. the Count 

 de Moncabri6 to take the command of 

 a frigate, and to convey Napoleon to 

 the Isle of Elba. When the cx-em- 

 peror arrived at the gulph Juan, the 

 French frigate had not yet appeared. 

 Recollecting what had taken place at 

 the scene of Orgon, he was for hasten- 

 ing his departure, and immediately 

 had his baggage removed on-board an 

 English frigate in the roads. Soon 

 after, M. de Moncabrie entered the 

 port, and placed his vessel at the dis- 

 position of the ex-emperor, who inti- 

 mated his having accepted of an en- 

 gagement with the English commo- 

 dore, and that he should be desirous 

 of having M. de Moncabrie for an es- 

 cort. The latter felt himself obliged to 

 decline this invitation, as it would be 

 putting the French flag in some mea- 

 sure under the orders of a stranger. 

 This intercourse was conducted with 

 delicacy on all sides ; but, to impnte a 

 concealed regard in favour of the 

 English to Napoleon, would be most 

 absurd, and as grossly indecent as to 

 tax him with an unbecoming want of 

 personal courage. 



Napoleon's court at the isle of Elba 

 varied little from that at Paris ; it was 

 quite differciit, however, in one re- 

 spect; there were no courtiers twisting 

 themselves into solicitors ; titled spies, 

 and a great variety of other turns and 

 forms, merely for the sake of individual 

 benefits to be derived, or to appear 

 with advantage as sycophants. The 

 Emperor of Porto Ferrajo had his 

 guards, his officers of service, his hours 

 of business, and his hours for ceremo- 

 nies of reception, just as when Emperor 

 of the Tuillcries. A minute observer 

 would also have remarked another 

 fixed and ai)propriate dissimilarity ; 

 although the etiquette was the same, 

 the crowd was less. Candid investi. 

 gation would have discovered a do- 

 mestic, a rather familiar, family tone 

 pervading the wliole establishnicnt ; 

 a real gaiety, indeed, of an opeu 

 generous strain, not lictitious, not one 

 invested with false colours, or en- 

 larged to gigantic loftiness by the 

 mists through which it is seen. I'his 

 striking cllect was perfectly adapted to 

 the lively airs, tho penetrating viva- 

 D cioui 



