r 3 Defeription of Bonaparte and bis Wife 
forefinger under the end of his nofe: 
_* Kick if you will, but I have ye. faft 
enough.’’ A new play, however, called 
Henri VIII., cameout, which heattend- 
ed, ashe often does a firf reprefentation ; 
it contained a continual inveétive againtt 
him, and he inftantly ordered the piece to 
be fupprefled. You may afk, how they 
dared bring it forth? Why he might 
with more fafety imprifon every man in 
Paris, than encroach upon the liberty of 
the ftage 5 it isa Frenchman’s birth-right, 
Imay fay. It is the fchool in which they 
receive all their principles; and where 
twenty-eight are opened every night, you 
may imagine it to be the fubfitute both 
for {choo] aed church. 
“© To continue my fubjeét: when Bo- 
naparte rifes to quit the theatre, he turns 
to the audience, fhews a fine row of teeth 
i (what a tiger’s grin!) makes feveral 
quick bows, and difappears. A few 
voices immediately, as ordered, found forth 
the “ Vive PEmpereur !” and afew clap 
their hands; but I never yet have witnefl- 
ed any thing but accld indifference in any 
audience. The French are very quick 
and unanimous ; and could he once ex- 
cite them to applaud him, it would per- 
vade the whole audience, and there would 
be no end to their enthufiafm. ae 
<< As to the Emprefs, the looks, from 
knowing a little of the old Court, fome- 
what as becomes imperial majefty. There 
Is an appearance of great anxiety, of that 
Kind of difturbed feelings which a perfon 
has who is mounted on a high place, or in 
danger of being overturned in a carriage 3 
a look which all her guards and {plendour 
cannot banifhi from her countenance. She 
is generally very well painted, well dreff- 
ed, and feems to be about fifty. She is, 
or pretends to be, very religious. I faw 
on her toilette at St. Cloud feveral religious 
works and a fplendid bible! It is faid 
fhe. is much troubled by the predictions of 
a fortune-téller when young. She was 
told that fhe would marry a nobleman, 
Count Beauharnois ; that he would die an 
unnatural death; that afterwards fhe 
_ would pafs a miferable and perilous life ; 
would finaily be a queen, and greater than 
a queen, but ** gare Ja chute !’’ was the 
fentence : ‘* Beware of the fall!’ All 
this would naturally be invented, but I 
was told it by Frenchmen whe were in the 
habit of meeting her during Bonaparte’s 
abfence in Egypt. 
‘¢ She feldom is feen in public, which I 
ean account for only from her averfion to 
meet the eyes of fame former gallants, 
_ [Febsas, 
‘who would proudly proclaim their intiv” 
macy. 
‘*T fhould like to defceribe to you the 
wonderful magnificenee of the apartments 
of St. Cloud, to which I had accefs in 
company with Madame Laurifton. Among 
other things, T could not help obferving 
in the hall of the throne, fitted up or 
begun defore he was proclaimed Emperor, 
that the cornice was ornamented by a cock 
(France) on the back ef a crotching 
lion ! (England). The gentleman point- 
ed at it very fignificantly. In four com- 
partments of the ceiling were the imperial 
arms, executed before the people willed fo 
kindly that he fhould be urged to do them 
the favour to accept the empire ! 
‘¢ The apartments of the Emprefs are 
the meft beautiful. The window-curtains 
are principally of the fineft muflin and filk, 
thrown over a rod or arrow, and drawn 
afide; filk on one and muflin the other 
‘fide of the window. 
‘¢ Her bathing-room is a curiofity. It 
is about eight feet {quare, and compofed - 
entirely of mirrors. On two oppofite fides 
are narrow pilafters, which are fo regularly 
and fo many times reflected, that one is 
obliged to feel of the walls not to believe 
that it is a gallery three hundred feet 
long. 
‘© T could not avoid obferving at Mal- 
maifon, that in Beraparte’s library every 
thing relates to Egypt ; books, maps, and 
models. And at the annual exhibition 
the painting which was crowned with lau- 
rel reprefented him in the famous hofpital 
at Jaffa, among the_peftiferous foldiers,. 
touching the virulent fore of one. I could 
‘mention other things fhowing not only his ¥ 
penchant to Egypt, but that he is proud 
and flattered by his bloody and abomi-— 
nable achievements there. Frenchmen _ 
are kept ignorant of, and many will not 
believe, what Sir R. W5lfon wrote. 
‘* I often afked at Paris, whether Je 
governed, or Talleyrand, or fome others, 
and was always afured that he originates 
and conduéts every thing. Talleyrand 
may be ordered to draw up-fuch a docu- 
ment ;. Cambaceres fuch a law ; Marbois 
or Lebrun fuch a fcheme of finance: but 
he is prime mover. | 
‘‘ Bonaparte governs with an energy 
truly admirable ; and although we hear of 
“¢ deeds of darknefs,’’ and all that, much 
exaggerated, the people of Paris, from the 
excellency of the police, enjoy all the be- 
nefits which refult from perfeét order 5 _be- 
nefits which I wiih were to be enjoyed as 
furely in Bofton.” 
. Te 
