122 PRESENT CONDITION OF THE HOUSE. 



plot of gar den -ground, enclosed by a wooden 

 fence, and a few steps, conducting to a portico 

 covered by a light veranda, occupied the front of 

 the dwelling ; while the interior consisted of a 

 billiard-room and drawing-room, consecutively 

 disposed, and a third, and more interior apart- 

 ment, communicating on either side with a small 

 closet, one of which had served as Napoleon's 

 study, the other as his bed-room. The sacra 

 auri fames had then spared the first apartment, 

 or billiard-room, which, furnished with a table 

 and chairs, was employed as a refreshment-room 

 for visitors ; the drawing-room, in which Napo- 

 leon expired, was more dilapidated, and con- 

 tained a threshing and winnowing machine, pro- 

 fusely pencilled and chalked with names of 

 persons. Now, alas ! the floors of all the rooms 

 were broken, decayed, and scarce safe to tread ; 

 the drawing-room was filled with manure ; and 

 the rest of the building devoted to stabling, or 

 something worse ; the whole presenting a scene 

 of filth and ruin that would scarcely bear in- 

 vestigation. Many rustic impediments, also, 

 cast in the way of easy access to the building, 

 sufficiently evinced that visitors to the spot were 

 rather tolerated than desired. But few relics 

 of the garden behind the house now remained, 

 beyond a portion of the quick-turf enclosure, a 



