JET. 36.] FRENCH FICKLENESS. 113 



referred to, made use of expressions very different 

 from the words he once applied to Frenchmen, whom, 

 he said, "posterity would celebrate for patriotic hero- 

 ism, as the citizens by whose efforts the fabric of des- 

 potism fell to the ground."""" 



It is not surprising that the author of the ' Vindicise 

 Gallicse' should have felt this deeply. I remember his 

 telling me that among the few who had not altogether 

 forgotten Napoleon were some who discussed the ques- 

 tion whether he ought not to have killed himself ; while 

 others declared they always believed that he was too 

 great a coward to play the Eoman part ; and Mackin- 

 tosh added that Napoleon, before he left Fontainebleau, 

 had argued for and against suicide, concluding with 

 this singular avowal, " D'ailleurs, je ne suis pas entiere- 

 ment depourvu de tout sentiment religieux." I may 

 add that the surprise I then felt at the conduct of the 

 French people was much modified when I afterwards, 

 during a long residence in France, acquired a more 

 intimate knowledge of the national character and of 

 its distinguishing attributes vanity and fickleness ; a 

 knowledge that has impressed me with the strong 

 conviction that the day may come scilicet et tempus 

 veniet when Napoleon's successor may, by dynastic 

 aspirations by no means unnatural, or, more probably, 

 by insane attempts at territorial aggrandisement, end 

 his life a captive in a foreign prison ; and, despite the 

 substantial benefits he has conferred upon his country, 

 may find himself, like his mighty predecessor, aban- 

 doned, vilified, and forgotten. But these speculations 

 are foreign to my present subject, which is the visit I 

 made to Paris in 1814, when, as soon as the circuit 



* 'Vindicise Gallic.' London: 1791. 

 VOL. IT. H 



