the struggle, all the dissension arose afterwards, upon the preference of a despotic Democracy to a government of reciprocal control. The triumph of the victorious party was over the principles of a British Constitution." At some distance, but connected with the argument, a passage of remarkable beauty, and of no less dignity and wisdom, follows:-"All" this violent cry against the nobility, I take to be a mere work of art. To be honoured and even privileged by the laws, opinions, and usages of our country, has nothing to provoke horror and indignation in any man. Even to be too tenacious of those privileges is not absolutely a crime. The strong struggle in every individual to preserve possession of what he has found to belong to him, and to distinguish him, is one of the securities against injustice and despotism, implanted in our nature. It operates as an instinct to secure property, and to preserve communities in a settled state. What is there to shock in this? Nobility is a graceful ornament to the civil order. It is the Corinthian capital of polished society! Omnes boni nobilitati semper favemus,' was the saying of a wise and good man. It is indeed one sign of a liberal and benevolent mind to incline to it with some sort of partial propensity. He feels no ennobling principle in his own heart, who wishes to level all the artificial institutions which have been adopted for giving a body to opinion, and permanence to fugitive existence. It is a sour, malignant, and envious disposition, without taste for the reality, or for any image of virtue, that sees with joy the unmerited fall of what had long flourished in splendour and in honour. I do not like to see any thing destroyed, any void produced in society, any ruin on the face of the land." The singularly happy image of the nobles as the consummate decoration of the great social column, excited universal admiration on the first appearance of the Reflections, as uniting equal appositeness and elegance. It was at once ingenious, forcible, and true. His vindication of the ruined French clergy has an additional value to us, from its close, prospective, penetration into the spirit, which, in all times of conspiracy against the state, will first rage against the church. The vindication is general, not of the doctrines or professional observances of an establishment so totally distinct from that which he revered as his own, but of the common principles of human honour, assailed by the common principles of rapine and revenge. It was with the same satisfaction I found that the result of my enquiry concerning your clergy was not dissimilar. It is no soothing news to my ears, that great bodies of men are incurably corrupt. It is not with much credulity I listen to any, when they speak evil of those whom they are going to plunder. I rather suspect that vices are feigned, or exaggerated, when profit is looked for in their punishment. An enemy is a bad witness, a robber is a worse. Vices and abuses there were undoubtedly in that order, and must be. It was an old establishment, and not frequently revised. But I saw no crimes in the individuals that merited confiscation of their substance! ***** If there had been any just cause for this new religious persecution, the atheistic libellers, who act as trumpeters to animate the populace to plunder, do not love anybody so much as not to dwell with complacence on the vices of the existing clergy. This they have not done. They find themselves obliged to rake into the histories of former ages, for every instance of oppression and persecution by that body, or in its favour, in order to justify, upon every iniquitous, because very illogical, principle of retaliation, their own persecutions, and their own cruelties. After destroying all other genealogies and family distinctions, they invent a sort of pedigree of crimes. It is not very just in man to chastise men for the offences of their natural ancestors; but to take the fiction of ancestry in a corporate succession, as a ground for punishing men who have no relation to guilty acts, except in names and general descriptions, is a sort of refinement in injustice belonging to the philosophy of this enlightened age." It is thus among ourselves that the mob orators look into the history of the Romish supremacy for the crimes of the British establishment. The fourteenth century sits for the picture of the nineteenth. The powers and assumptions of those, partly ecclesiastical barons, who rode at the head of armies of their own vassals, held high festivals in their own castles, when they were storming the castles of others, and usurped the fairest domains of Europe, are oratorically quoted against a generation of men, nine-tenths of whom cannot command the salary of one of the grooms of those mitred warriors; who must make their way, not on prancing chargers, but on foot, through their obscure circuit, and who, instead of moat and tower, battlement and barbican, feel themselves fortunate in having a thatched cabin to shelter themselves and their philosophy. Such is the honesty of identifying the most opu lent body of Europe with a body, nine-tenths of whom have little above the income of a common weaver, and in whose estimate the thriving trader of their village might appear a Croesus. Two thousand of the livings in the Church of England are under a hundred sa-year! The truth is, that the declamation has nothing to do with the time. It is od bise od erin 1911 historical, not contemporary. Its favourite phrases of " pampered priest, haughty dignitary, proud, persecuting, middling, domineering son of the Church," are ransacked from the dusty repositories of forms and fashions, which died together; which belonged to the Church, extinguished by the virtue and valour of our fathers, and which will never appear in the land again, until in some fatal stretch of a criminal toleration, in some frenzied extravagance of contemptuous liberality, that obsolete establishment shall be placed side by side with the Church of England, the dead linked to the living, until the living perishes by the contact, and the papacy sits alone in all her ancient escutcheons and trappings, her warlike caparison, and her spiritual pomps and vanities; the effigy of the ancient ecclesiastical tyranny of the world. But until those days return, and the epoch may not be among impossible, nor even distant things, the charges of arrogance and superfluity are childishly inapplicable. As well might we brand Lazarus at the gate with the heartlessness and pride of the Sadducee, in his purple and fine linen, feasting sumptuously within. 16 b BY A LADY.'" 997 REMINISCENCES OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, AT ST HELENA." During the two years I lived at which proved to me very provoking, as they were confidential and careless communications, never intended for the public eye. Indeed, during the years 1815-16-17, the craving and mania for anecdotes of the prisoner of St Helena were so great, that people seemed not to be at all scrupulous how or where they obtained them. I remember well, that, when we landed at Portsmouth, in September, 1817, and it was known that our regiment had been two years in surveillance of the Ex-Emperor, persons of all ranks seemed ready to tear us in pieces for information. We had not been two hours there, at the Crown Hotel, before several portraits of him were brought by strangers for our inspection, and to wait our decision as to their resemblance to the original. This delirium has passed away the hero is no more-new monarchs sway the different sceptres of Europe -and many chances and changes have occurred in the conduct of human affairs, since the astonishing events of 1815 seemed to have come like a new avatar on the world. The things of those days are now quite of the past, and I can with safety, and without any doubt of propriety, indulge my friends with a sketch of Bonaparte, as I myself saw him. Of course I make no allusion to party or politics. The truth is, I have no genius that way; besides, I consider them as away from the female character. I shall carefully keep within the sphere which Bonaparte himself allotted to the female sex; else will outrage one of his favourite axioms, which was, "Let women mind their knitting,” i. e. their domestic concerns. My first introduction to Bonaparte was in the Island of St Helena, at the place called the Briers, in the month of December, 1815, about six weeks after his arrival at the Island. This introduction was by chance, and through the means of two young and lively English ladies, who had lately returned from a boarding school in England, daughters of the proprietor of the Briers. We went, by invitation, to dine at the Briers, where Bonaparte resided for some weeks after his arrival, until the house at Longwood was put in order and prepared for his reception. I was walking with my little daughter (eight years of age), and the two young ladies before mentioned, in the garden before the Briers, when Bonaparte came forth from his tent (which was pitched on one side of the house), accompanied by his secretary, Count Las Casas. Bonaparte was a little man, stout and corpulent, of a dark olive complexion, fine features, eyes of a light bluish grey, and, when not speaking or animated, of an abstracted, heavy countenance. But when light ed up and interested, his expression was very fine, and the benevolence of his smile I never saw surpassed. He was particularly vain of a small and beautiful hand, and handsome little feet; as vain nearly (I dare say) as having conquered half the universe. Bonaparte laid a great VOL. XXXV. NO. CCXVII. stress on the beauty of hands in ladies, and frequently enquired of me, during our residence in St Helena, respecting the hands of the ladies he had not seen; and seemed to think a pretty and delicate hand the ne plus ultra of beauty and gentility. Napoleon was dressed, on the day of my first introduction to him, in a green coat, silk stockings, small shoes, large square gold buckles, and a cocked hat, with a ribbon of some order, seen through the button-hole of his coat. The two young ladies, who were respectively about thirteen and fifteen years of age, were quite familiar with the Ex-Emperor, ran playfully towards him, dragging me forward by the hand, and saying to him, "This lady is the mother of the little girl who pleased you the other day by singing Italian canzonets." Upon this he made me a bow, which I returned by a low and reverential curtsy, feeling, at the same time, a little confused at this sudden and unceremonious introduction. "Madame," said he," you have a sprightly little daughter; where did she learn to sing Italian songs?" On my replying that I had taught her myself, he said "Bon." He then asked me what country woman I was? "English."-"Where were you educated?"-" In London.""What ship did you come out in to St Helena? What regiment is your husband in? And what rank has he in the army?" And a variety of like questions, as quick as possible, did Bonaparte make to me, and all in Italian. I then ventured to request he would speak to me in French, as I was more conversant with that language than with Italian. All this time the two young ladies and my little daughter were running to and fro around us, and chattering to the Great Hero, who seemed to delight much in their lively and unsophisticated manners. After walking some time in the garden, Bonaparte requested me to go into the house at the Briers, where a pianoforte stood open, to sing some Italian songs. Accordingly, we all entered the drawingroom, which was ground floor, when my playful little daughter, perceiving me agitated and trembling at the idea of D on the singing before so great a personage, whispered to me," Why are you so much afraid, dear mamma? he is only a man." The little creature had seen him at the Briers a few days before with some young friends, and had pleased and surprised him by singing seve ral of Milico's Italian canzonets, and had accompanied herself on the pianoforte, although her little hands were scarcely able to reach the octaves; she had been always accustomed to play and sing whenever she was ordered or requested so to do; and she was not old enough to comprehend the prowess and renown of Napoleon Bonaparte, and to judge of the awe and agitation his name was likely to produce, and had produced even on kings and queens. Behold me now seated at the pianoforte, with the Conqueror of the World standing behind my chair, What an indefinable, indescribable sensation! I forgot my fears in my astonishment, and got through the song of "Ah che nel Petto," tolerably well.-"Bien," cried Bonaparte; "C'est de Paesiello," which shewed he was well acquainted with the style of the composers. "Ah," said he, "in my youth I could also perform a little on the pianoforte." He then ran over the keys of the instrument in tolerable style, to shew that he was not boasting of what he could not perform. "The Italians," said he, "have certainly the first taste for music and composition in the world; then the Germans; then the Portuguese and Spaniards; then the French; and, lastly, the English; but really I do not know which of these two last have the worst taste in composition. But stay, I had nearly forgotten the Scotch. Yes; they have composed some fine airs." All this he said in French, with his usual rapidity. "Madame," said he, "you no doubt delight in performing musical pieces and in singing?" I bowed affirmatively. "I was certain of it," said he; "we all delight to do what we know we do well." With this flattering speech he made a sliding bow and departed. I was sitting one morning in our tent at Deadwood Camp, when the Countess Bertrand came in, accom panied by Captain My of the 53d Regiment (the officer at that period in surveillance of Bonaparte), with an invitation from the Ex-Emperor for me to dine that day with him at Longwood House. "The Emperor," said the Countess Bertrand, "will invite your husband on another day; for he makes it a sort of rule never to invite husband and wife on the same day; so you can, if you wish, go with me and the Grand Maréchal Bertrand" I then replied, "I shall be exceedingly happy to accept the invitation, provided my husband shall have no objection to it. He is not at present within; but as soon as he comes, I will ask if he likes me to go." "What!" exclaimed the Countess, are the English wives in such subjection, that they cannot accept an invitation, even from an Emperor, without leave of their husbands ?" "Yes," replied I; "nor can I give an answer until mine returns." And at this answer she looked surprised, and rather offended. But Captain My looked highly delighted, and proud of the superior power of English over French husbands. The Countess Bertrand, however, soon resumed her charming and amiable manuer, and said she would remain with me until my lord and master returned, which, as he did not do so for some time, she was obliged to depart. When he at length came home, he did not much approve of my going without him; for how was I to return to the camp alone? But on hearing that our Colonel, Sir George Bingham, was also invited to dine at Longwood, and would bring me safe to my tent, he consented to my going; and away I went to dress myself for the occasion with no small delight. I went to the Countess Bertrand's house first, and found her splendidly arrayed; for the ladies were dressed every day the same as at Paris, although they dined every day at Longwood. Bonaparte's carriage and four horses came to fetch General and Countess Bertrand from Hutts Gate, where they then resided, and I ac companied them. When we arrived at Longwood, we found Count and Countess Montholon, Baron Gourgaud, and Count Las Casas, and Sir George Bingham, assembled in the drawingroom. Bonaparte soon after entered, and sat down at the chess-table, for he always played a game at chess before dinner. He asked me to play with him, which I declined, saying I was a bad player. He then asked me if I could play at backgammon. "You must teach me," said he, "for I know but little of the game." So down he sat. I was in considerable agitation at the idea of giving instructions to the great Conqueror. But luckily, as soon as he had placed the backgammon men, a servant entered, saying, "Le diner de sa Majesté est servi." Madame Bertrand then whispered to me, "You are to sit in the Empress's seat. It has been so ordered." I accordingly was led to it by the Grand Maréchal Bertrand. The instant Bonaparte was seated, a servant came behind him and presented him with a glass of wine, which he drank off before he began to eat. This, it seems, was his invariable custom. The dinner was served on superb gold and silver plate, and beautiful china. The meat was served on the side-tables by several smart servants in magnificent liveries of green and gold. There was a vast variety of dishes and vegetables, cooked in the most delicate manner. Bonaparte ate of a number of dishes with great appetite; he several times offered things to me an honour, I was told by Las Casas, he never condescended to do even to queens. Napoleon talked a great deal to me; his conversation was chiefly questions respecting India, and the manners and dress of the natives there, and I must not forget to inform my female friends that he admired my dress, which consisted of a silver worked muslin in stripes. He asked me how much I gave ayard for it in India. He also admired, or pretended to admire, my bracelets, which were of beautiful pearls. Be that as it may, I believed it all, and began to feel tolerably conceited and much at my ease. "Your English gentlemen," said he, "sit an intolerable time at dinner-and afterwards drink for hours together, when the ladies have left them. As for me, I never allow more than twenty minutes for dinner, and five minutes additional for General Bertrand, who is very fond of bonbons." Saying this he started up, and we all followed him into the drawingroom, when each of the Generals taking a chapeau-bras under his arm, formed a circle round Bonaparte; all continuing standing. Coffee was presently brought, and the cups and saucers were the most splendidly beautiful I ever beheld. Napoleon now conversed with all around most agreeably. I admired the china; upon which he took a coffee-cup and saucer to the light to point out its beauties,-each saucer contained a portrait of some Egyptian Chief; and each cup some landscape or views of different parts of Egypt. "This set of china," said he, "was given me by the city of Paris after my return from Egypt." He afterwards made a present of one of these beautiful coffee-cups to Lady Malcolm, wife of Admiral Sir Pultney Malcolm, on her departure from St Helena. Sir Pultney had shewn Bonaparte much kindness and consideration. Napoleon then requested me to sing, and I sang a few Italian airs. The Countess Montholon then performed some little French songs, and he joined in humming the tune. A party of reversis was then formed for him by his Generals, and I sat down to a round game with the two Countesses and Sir G. Bingham. Napoleon was now in high spirits; he was winning at reversis, and he always liked to win at cards; he began to sing merry French songs. About ten o'clock he retired, making a sliding bow, to his private apartments, attended by Count Las Casas. The second time I dined with Bonaparte at Longwood, the invita tion was by chance, and from his own mouth. I went with my husband and little daughter to pay a visit to Countess Bertrand, who at this period had removed from Hutts Gate to a house built by Government for General Bertrand, close to Longwood House. After having paid our visits to her and to Countess Montholon, we met Bonaparte walking in the garden with General Bertrand; he walked up to us, and talked a long time to us, and told little E―y she had a "Spanish countenance." When we were about to take leave |