84] 
his resignation, had entirely ceas- 
ed to appear on the public scene, 
and it was scarcely known whi- 
ther he had withdrawn himself ; 
the general opinion, however, was, 
that he had proceeded towards the 
western coast for the purpose of 
watching an opportunity of em- 
barking to America. From au- 
thentic accounts it appears that on 
July 3rd he arrived at Rochefort, 
where he resided in the house of 
the prefect till the 8th. Being 
then urged by the general who 
had been charged to escort him 
till his going on board, and by 
the maritime prefect, not to neg- 
lect any occasion for putting his 
intention in practice, he embark- 
ed on that day in one of the boats 
which were kept continually in 
waiting, and at night went on 
board the Saale frigate. On the 
next day he landed on the isle of 
Aix, and viewed its fortifications. 
The wind was favourable for his 
putting to sea on the 10th, but 
he was too closely watched by the 
English cruizers posted for the 
Pupose, to venture the attempt. 
de then sent a flag of truce on 
board the English man of war 
Bellerophon, Captain Maitland, 
which returned on the following 
day. At this time he received in- 
formation from his brother Joseph 
of the King’s entrance into Pa- 
ris, and the dissolution of the 
chambers, which put.an end to 
his last hopes of a recall. Two 
more days were passed in unde- 
terminate projects for escaping by 
sea; and on the night of the 13th 
he went on board the Epervier 
brig, to which, on the 14th, after 
the return of Gen. Becker, who 
had been parleying with the Eng- 
lish cruizers, he caused his suite 
ANNUAL REGISTER, Iss. 
and baggage to be conveyed. Ort 
the morning of the 15th the 
Epervier made sail towards the 
English admiral as a flag of truce. 
It was met by some boats, which 
conducted it to the Bellerophon, 
where the passengers were taken 
on board. These, besides Buo- 
naparte, consisted of Gen. Count 
Bertrand, grand marshal of the 
palace, his lady and three chil- 
dren, the Dukeof Rovigo( Savary ), 
General Lallemand, Baron Gour- 
gaud, aide-de-camp to Buona- 
parte, Count Monthelon Semon- 
ville, his lady and child, Count 
Las Casas, councillorof state, and 
his son, several other officers, a 
surgeon, and a suite of 40 per- 
sons. The Bellerophon immedi- 
ately set sail for England, and ar- 
rived at Torbay on the 24th.— 
Thus, after all the vicissitudes of 
this extraordinary man’s life, dur- 
ing many years of which he had 
been the most conspicuous object 
of the age, the wonder and the 
terror of all Europe, he saw the 
sphere of his activity limited to the 
quarter-deck of a man of war, be- 
longing to that nation which alone 
had perpetually resisted his power, 
and curbed his restless ambition. 
The conduct to be observed 
with respect toa prisoner who had 
proved himself capable, even after 
his fall, of lighting up so destruc- 
tive a flame, was an important 
subject of consideration. His rank 
and character were equivocal, for 
he had been left, by the treaty of 
Paris, an emperor in title, and the 
sovereign of Elba in fact; so that 
he might (as he did) lay a plausi- 
ble claim to the rights of an inde- 
pendent prince, conquered in a 
Jawful war. But the peace of the 
world was not to be sacrificed to 
