1824.] After the Restoration of the Bourbons. 



of infantry.' 'Then,' said he, 'you tended for dancin 



will be but little amused, for we shall 

 go quick ; take your seat there in my ca- 

 lash ;' and immediately I was mounted 

 by his side. 



Napoleon had a particular taste for 

 hearing stories and anecdotes; he 

 made me repeat all my adventures in 

 the island, previous^ly asking a num- 

 ber of questions. In conclusion, with 

 many obliging expressions, he invited 

 me that day to the honour of bis 

 table. 



He had purchased a vineyard, which 

 he said was to teach his soldiers the 

 use of tlic wine-press. One day, he 

 came suddenly upon some individuals 

 that were making free with the unripe 

 grapes. ' My lads,' he exclaimed, 

 ' why in such a hurry ? they arc yours, 

 but wait till they are prepared and 

 ripened, when they can do you no 

 harm ;' adding, in a very short and 

 familiar way, ' Here is something 

 better for you than verjuice.' 



On a soldier saying to him, ' I had 

 rather send this to my mother than 

 spend it here,' the emperor immedi- 

 ately entered into conversation with 

 him; and, having informed himself of 

 the circumstances of his family, he 

 added, varying and adapting himself 

 with great ease, very agreeably to the 

 occasion, ' Go on, my friend, with your 

 amusements, and do not lurmoil your- 

 self in considering by what way you 

 can most successfully aid your mother. 

 I will send her 600 francs; I wish I 

 was richer.' Napoleon was admirable 

 in venting the energy of his concep- 

 tions in expressions no less strong ; it 

 is unnecessary for roe to say any thing 

 to the reader concerning my imperfect 

 manner of representing these. 



Napoleon's good nature extended so 

 far as to protect us against any teasing 

 inuendos that might have been aimed 

 against us at court. These are so 

 frequent with parasites of every de- 

 scription, from the favourite to the 

 gentleman-usher, that readers of any 

 puliiical acumen must be in tolerable 

 possession of the subject. It will be 

 readily conceived, that we were not 

 as expert in warding olf the shafts of 

 ridicule as in parrying the blows of an 

 enemy in the field of battle. The fol- 

 lowing is an adventuie of this kind, 

 that one day occurred. 



When the Princess I'aulina came to 

 visit her brother, there were often 

 balls at court. One day I was dancing 

 with a very great lady, who seemed to 

 think that my feet were but little in^ 



19 

 Such a hint 

 could not but give some offence, and 

 I thought it necessary to subjoin one 

 particular reason that would account 

 for the defect. ' Madam,' said I, 

 modestly, 'permit me to offer an ob- 

 servation upon this matter; my feet 

 were distorted in the frosts of Russia.' 

 This reply, with which I had well 

 replenished my memory, gave rise to 

 immoderate laughter. Napoleon, who 

 was behind us, and wished to show the 

 great regard he had to our services, 

 came up to us iu a great hurry, mean- 

 ing to show that he was well ac- 

 quainted with all that I had suffered 

 for him. ' I know,' said he, very 

 seriously, ' the mass of troubles that 

 this gentleman has borne up against 

 for my sake. He has withdrawn from, 

 and sacrificed, his other prospects, in 

 favour of ray service; and I can aver 

 that bis feet, hardened and swoln as 

 they are, contributed not a little to 

 that authority, power, and sway, which 

 I acquired as emperor.' Where now 

 was the candour of these bj-standers? 

 Their levity seemed at a great distance 

 from its proper place, and my conduct 

 regained its real point of view. All 

 the smiles I met with were then on my 

 side ; and this leads me to say, that, 

 even in trifles and indifl'erent objects, 

 the emperor, with great facility, and 

 without any extraordinary effort, 

 could practise the art of acquiring 

 friends. This, in fact, was what he 

 was accustomed to do, I can declare 

 from repeated observation. 



A critical history of Uonaparte in 

 his leisure hours, and as a sovereign 

 in his little empire in the isle of Elba, 

 replete with accurate facts, and sound 

 philosophical reflections, in relation to 

 the subject of it, would contain very 

 interesting articles, as, from some de- 

 gree of discrimination I can venture to 

 pronounce, that he more justly de- 

 served the name of Great after his fall 

 than before. His life here would exhi- 

 bit, and duly appreciate, his merits as 

 a man and a chief magistrate. Essen- 

 tial circumstances would exclusively, 

 peremptorily, indisputably, point him 

 out, as deriving and maintaining all 

 his grandeur from and in himself. 



One evening we had orders to be 

 ready with arms and baggage, in pre- 

 paration for our departure ; cand it is no 

 less extraordinary than true, that, in a 

 lew hours, we were on-board a vessel 

 bound for «ine of the ports of France. 

 Napoleon let u» into the history of his 

 project, with that air of oowfideiice and 



