620 
ground-floor; and ‘twovgarrets, »which 
Napoleon, not willing to cause any ins 
convenience to the family of his host, se- 
lected for his abode.° In the lower room 
his camp-beds was“put: up, and in this 
room hevatey slept, read, and dictated a 
portion of his eventful life. Las Cases 
and his son:were accommodated in one 
of the garrets above, and Napoleon's 
premier valet de chambre, and others of 
his honsehold, slept in the other, and 
upon tlie floor in the little hall opposite 
the entrance‘of the lowerroom, At first 
his dianer was sent ready cooked from 
the town; but afterwards, Mr. Balcombe 
found means to get a kitchen fitted up 
for his use. 
Mr. Balcombe’s family consisted of 
his wile, two daughters, one about 
twelve and the other fifteen years of 
age, and two boys of five or six. ‘The 
young ladies spoke French fluently, and 
Napolcon frequently dropt in to play a 
rubber of whist or bold a little conversa- 
zione. On one occasion he indulged 
them by participating in a game of blind- 
man’s-boff, very much to the amuse- 
menatof the young ladies. Nothing was 
left undone’ by this worthy family that 
could contribute to lessen the inconve- 
niences of his sitnation. 
FIRST RESIDENCE. 
During ; the tiine ‘that Napoleon re- 
sidediat' the Briars, L kept no regular 
journal, and/consequently can give only 
a brief outline of whattook place. His 
time was oceupied principally in dictat- 
ing to Les Cases and his son, or to 
Counts, Bertrand, Montholon, and Gour- 
gaud, some of whom daily visited him. 
He occasionally received some visitors, 
who came, too pay their respects to him 
on the dawn before the house; and, ina 
few instances, ssome who had received 
that permission, were presented to bim, 
when at. Mrs Baleombe’s inthe evening. 
He frequently walked for hours) ini ithe 
shady paths and shrubberies of ‘the Bri- 
ars, where,.care was taken. to prevent 
his being, intruded upon. Daring one.of 
these walks, he stepped and pointed out 
to me the frightfub precipices which en-= 
vironed, us, and) said,‘ Behold your 
country’s generosity, ¢hisis their libera= 
lity to the unfortunate: man; who,blindly 
relying on what be'so falsely imagined 
to be their national character;in an: evil 
hour unsuspectingly confided \hiniself to 
them. I once thought, that you. wexe 
free: [now see that your ministers laugh, 
at. your laws; which are, like: those) of 
other nations; formed. only to oppress 
the defenoeless, and screen the power- 
O'Meéara’s Voice from St. Helena. 
ful, whenever your/goverament has: any 
object in view.” listo 
MURAT AND NEY!) D115 
Some'short ‘time after his) arrival at’ 
Longwood, I communicated tohim the 
news of Murat’s' death, | He lieard: it 
with calmness; and immediately, |de=> 
manded, if he had perished: on’ thre? field 
of battle?) At first Dhesitated> to» tell 
him: that his» brother-in-law \ had “been 
executed like ‘avcriminal. Onehisore- 
peating the question, I informed him of 
the manneroin whieh: Marat had: been 
put to death, which he listened: tonwith- 
out any change of countenance.:>Talso 
communicated, the intelligence of ‘the 
death of Ney. “He was a brave! man; 
nobody more so; but»he owas a mad-) 
man,” said-hes ‘S He hasodied without 
having the esteem of mankiridio: He be- 
trayed me at Fontainebleau: the pro- 
claination against the Bourbons, which’ 
he said in his defeiice I caused to be 
given him, was written by bimself, ‘and 
I never knew any thing aboutthat doct- 
mentuntil it was read to the troops... Lt 
is true, that 1 sent him orders to obey. 
me. What could he do?) His troops: 
abandoned him. Not! only the ‘troops, 
but the people wished to joimme.”» 
MISS) WILLIAMS.) y! 01%" 
I had lent him Miss W illiamis’s“ Pre+ 
sent State of France” to'read.) oDwo or 
three days afterwards) he \saidy to:-me, 
while dressing, “ That is\a vile:produc- 
tion of that lady of yours. Itis)acheap: 
of falsehoods. This,” opening this)shirt, 
and shewing: his flannel «waisteoat, fis) 
the only coat of mail I everavores My. 
hat lined with steel too} There is)'the 
hat I wore,” pointing: to the one he \ab- 
ways carried. ‘¢ Oh, she has:doubtless 
been well paid for all themalice and ithe: 
falsehoods she has poured forth.” 
HIS) HABITS. . 
Napoleon’s: hours of rising-were un- 
certain, muchdepending upon the quan- 
tum of rest:he had enjoyed:during the 
night. «He \was in general a bad sleeper, 
and: frequently got up at three or four 
o’cloek,.in which ease hesread: or wrote 
until six or seven, atwhieh time; when 
the weather was‘fine, he sometimes went: 
out)to ride,:attended by some: of his:ge- 
nerals, or laid down again to rest ifdria 
couple of hours); When he retired to 
bed, ie could notsleep unless the:most 
perfect;statesof darkness was: obtained, 
by.therclosute of every cranny through 
whieh away of ‘ight might pass -al- 
thongh Dhave sometimes seen him fall 
asleep: on the sofa, and remain so for a: 
fewominutesin broad day-light. |) When 
, ill, 
