The Press. — London, England, 1853-07-16 00:00:00

JULY 16, 1853. sublime and the ridiculous); explained the progress of the plot, and introduced the dra mati►r persoNfe, from the ex-Caesar to his man cook ; with prefatory lucubrations I►ased on Mr. Kean's bill of the play Son/ono/a anal we HOW suggest to him this melodrama of a modern Prometheus. chained to a rock, as a substitute for The tiorsiran Brothers. The never-to-be-satiated eagle anal at rich vein of residetta runs through both pieces, like gold in granite. We shall now summon up in our Paolo() glass some of the chief actors on the St. 114..1ena scenes, allowing c►tclt to tell his story in his own words. Napoleon naturally comes first, who performs his difficult part as becomes at pupil of the great Tatum, shifting in at momentfrom the lofty, the Learand Corio hams, to the low, the Shylock and Sir (files Overreach : " I passed," says Sir Hudson Lowe, describing an inter view with him, thrintgh his outer dining-room into his drawing-room. He was alone, standing with hat under his arsa, in the manner he usually presents himself when he assumes his imperial dignity." After some silence "he commenced, but spoke with such rapidity, such intemperance, and KO much warmth, that it is difficult to repeat every word he used. Without appa rently having lent an ear to what l had said, he began, ' I cannot understand the conduct of your tiuvernment to wards me. 1)o they want to kill me ? Are you come here to be my executioner—my gaoler? Posterity will judge of the way in which I have been treated ; the sufferings I ex perience will recoil upon your nation. No, air, I will never allow any one to enter the interior of my house, to penetrate into my bedchamber, as you have ordered to be done. When I heard of your arrival in this island I thought that, as an officer of the army, I should find you possessed of politer manners tlum the admiral, who, as a naval officer, might have had a rougher bearing. I have no fault to find with his heart. But how do you treat ate? It is an insult to invite me to 'limier, and to call me Ge nend Itoetaparte. I tun the Emperor Napoleon. Are you come here to he my executioner—my gaoler ?' Whilst speaking in this manner his tight arm moved backwatsls and forwards, his person stood fixed, his eyes and Clllll4e. 111111C11 exhibiting everything which could be supposed in a iierson who Meant to intimidate or to irritate. I suffered him to proceed, though not without a strong feeling of re straint upon myself, until he was nearly Out 14 h 11•1411, on his stopping, 1 said, ' Sir, I have not como here to be insulted, but to trent of an affair which concerns you more than it does me. If you KM not disposed to speak tilsott. it I will retire." I had no intenti on to insult you, sir ; bid how have you treated me? lids it been in a way becoming a soldier?" Sir, I am a soldier to perfOrm the duties I owe to my country in conformity with its customs, :rod 1114 according to the mode of other e toles. Be sides, if you think you have any cause to complain, you have only to write, and I will transmit your representa tions to Engboal by the Nest opportunity.' " All this bullying and bluster, this tearing passion to rags, failed, as in the similar scene with Imrd Whitworth, for the governor kept what his prisoner lost—his temper. This phlegm and forbearance dealt the worst cut of all, according to Las Cases:— Atter dinner the Emperor reverted to the interview. " behaved very ill lo hiss, no doubt, and nothing but my present situation Omuta excuse n o ; lint I was out of humour, and could not help it. I should blush for it in any other situation : hunt such a Weill' taken place ;it. the Tuileries, l should have lilt myself bounsl in eillitiekilett to make some atonement. Never during the period of my power did I speak harshly to tuly one without afterwards saying ttttt thing to make amends lot it ; but here I at terell not a syllable of coueiliation, and 1 had no wish to do SII. However, the governor proved himself very insen sible to my severity his delicacy dill nut seem wounded by it. I should have likeil,frr his sake, to have seen him evince a little anger, or pull the door violently atter him when he went away. This would at least have shown that there was some spring, some elasticity about him ; but I found nothing of the kind." It was, however, impossible to please the ex-Emperor and his petty court, who perverted the best-intentioned acts into studied injuries, and returned courtesy with contumely. One exception may be cited. Sir Hudson, who was always thinking of the creature comforts of his captives, whose body-and-soul consolations centered in the kitchen, sent some coffee to the " a ieneral" to the horror of his Polonium lord of the bedchamber, who hesitated to notify the ' fact, fearing the imperial answer would require it to be thrown on the fire, when, to his great astonishment, Napo leon said, "Cause the case to be carried to the pantry ; good (4)&0 is a precious thing. This horrible place!" Montholon Was thought mad by the maitre (Motel fin• the mere men tion of this " poisoned gift," and the imperial orders were obliged to be rel,eaate►l before the chief cook, who suspected death in the pot, would roast and boil the berries. Finally, the aromatic fumes dispelled the blue devils of the court above and below stair . The id- THE PRESS. sinters at one time bCCIII to have been placed MI a l►reud-►u u i water diet, and were once ex posed to broil their I►eef themselves, like heroes in the "Iliad," when the thumb of their etrtiste was hurt in service. Count Mon tholon apprised the orderly otlieer of the " general consternation," and requested a sig nal to be made with all haste, as if the kith of Caesar and Wane depended upon it : You etuund conceive t wrote O'M extra) how th e drooping spirits of both were revived at the exhilatv►tiug sight of the French cook. General Montholott observed to me how prols•r Itnd necessary it would be to have a etsek in reserrr t like a spare topmast 1, in ease of any unforeseen cab iiii ity befalling la. ; for," said he, "what would become of us if any *evident happened to hint ? What could we do? OW only knows r This was aceomptutied with such tut interrogatory countenance, so expressive of expected misery, that he put me in mind of a condemned criminal, for whom no hopes of panlon existed. imploring the aid of a confessor. When Jetumette (a French kitehemnaid) tu•rived, Maitre Le Page, after having an observation at het', declared his intend (610oi lie had spoken a single word to her) of nituTying her. l'iprani, the maitre &hotel, to wl he expressed himself, told hint that it would b e necessary first to teteelitilli that she hail not aiready a hus band, in', perhaps. II lover. " Oh! that last is no• thing," said I,e Page; " I don't care how many she limy have hail of them." Then, 11 1111 l Mg, with his arm in 14 sling, towards her, said he, " Madam, are yea nuuried? ' '• No, sir." "'Then, it• you please, I will u u u•n• you ium►e diately." She told hint, however, that she could not think ut• it so very soon. "At last," said she, " let tue wait two or three days first ;" which he consented to do with great apparent reluettume. Mr. O'Meara had less reluctant.° in reveal ing other secrets of Hymen and VCIMI4 made known to him in his professional character ; nor ever missed MI Oellitriloli of indulging in such indecent ribaldry. But Mr. Forsyth de clines soiling his pages with details that seem to have administered especial delight to the Cabinet Itlttl 111-1110 USC. Generally speak ing, the rudest health and appetit4.94 were the rule on the rock, and, however easy the transi tion from such eating to the hospital, the "bulletins" were " cooked up" chiefly to create an idea of livers hteerated by climate. The medical notes of one ease will suffice : tiourgasti is now recovering from dysentery, of which he has bad a severe attack. I luring his illness I never saw a luau, 'minty so nitwit rear of dying as he did on various occanions : in fact., 1 was completely seandalised at Miring a man of the sword No excessively timorous. One night a barge black beetle got into the bed and crawled up abongsitie of him. Ilisdlstr stusl imaginat . • mntediately magnified this insect into a devil, or some other formidable appouition, armed with taboos, long teeth, and ready to tear away his lingering soul (ruin its rtal abode. Ile shrieked, lleeatue terribly agitated, convulsed, ot cold sweat bedewed his pallid face, and, when I entered, he presented all the appearance of a num about to expire with the most terrific ideas of what. would bto his future lot; and it was nut until after a considerable time that he was restored to Monte d..tnn t of CI omptot4llll.. 1111131 who, when he roma, here first, most itstentatismsly IlYsisteril a sword to the Misty Italcom I WS, W 1111.1.1. he 1110 rerivsetited in the act of killing a Cossack who wan endeavouring to take lionmparte prisoner, with a pompons inseript• de. scribing the partieulars. At the end of the Wade hr made them ohserve a spot, which he explained to the young ladies as being stained with the blo ts! of two Knglislimen slain by him at the battle of Waterloto. Ile also added, that at the MOM battle he might. readily have made the !hike of Wellington, prisoner; but that, indeed, he saw the bnsiuess WWI decided, a n d was unwilling to promlitee any more effusion of human Wool. A change for the better (-lune over the spirit of Napoleon himself when O'Meara, the double spy and (miter, was sent away, As he found the chance of the Whigs coming in, and of his getting out, hopeless, he ceased to shut him self sulkily up ; the improvement in his health and manners was manifest ; lie refreshed his spirits in his garden, with the children of Ber trand playing about him. The picture of the ex-Emperor delving and digging himself forms a oilman! l i to I Hoeletian boasting of his "fine vegetables" at Spalatro, and with Charles V. dis porting amid his garlic beds at Yuste. " Nit " roleon defended his little terntory against " invasion by animals with as much energy as " when at the head of armies." January Ist, volatilities the report:—" He was out till gun " tire (nine tieback), looking at the boys and " others tiring crackers. The next. day he " was amusing himself with the pipe of the " tire-engine spouting water on the trees and " flowers ; at other times he takes a watering " pot in his hand, nor did he mind a little lain." On these occasions the robes of the ex-Caesar. with their linings of care and ermine, were laid aside for " at white gown and straw hat with /I " broad brim "—a costume more com and horticultural than imperial. Soothed by I kW tloweru, braced by exerc6c and ruse air, 257 ho extvinled his amusements, and the amiahlo features of his eharaetor are thus 'Awn to ad vantage, when ho sallied forth on a picnic to the grounds of Sir William Doveton On the wonting of the Ills of I/slather, ass the old gentionnua was taking his usual walk before Nettle:lt. be oltservetl several persons sat hortwlsick coming towards his II se, and, en reconnoitring wlth hig spyglass, (sired they wen• the party from L ong w o4 , 4 l, t'oni t t Months , lsm dim 111111 l ited tirom his home, and Sir William' went to the door to rts_sive the 'smut informed him that this Emperor presented his compliments, and re 'pleaded he might come ;teal rest himself. Sit W Attain replied that lie should he glad to see him, and that any awettn 1111 l slat bait his house atlitnled was 111 lis an al Ilottapterte's t.erviee. Msaltholon then mounted ht. home. anal having joined the party, they all entered the lawn. Unfortunately the venendolo knight was quite ignorant of the French language, 'aid could lady csa Inv thraitgli the medium of t'atitid. Bertrand, whose knotvileilgit of English was not as perfect as it might have been. However, Sir William mule his eemplimente it. the best 111411111.1' he couhl, and, as Itoitaparte appeared a good deal fatigued, he 11.1111eStell that he would walk its and rest blue 11110111tIliell the ex.l.:liiiivror Nalveuwed towards the door, and 011 1.0111i141 1111 this Alert wets Ily Itertimulti arm. Hr sat eta the sofa, a n d entered into ettitrermattiam with his boost through Bertrand as interpreter. iloserveng Sir William's eldest. grotalolaughter in the mom, he said he supposed she was about ten years old. Ile was bold she was only !Seven, KIRI his &Idled her to him, plastid tan of his lingers over her noose, and gave her a piel'l. of which lie tosak front a small tortoiseshell box. Sir William Dovetim begged Itertranal to inform Ilona party that he hoped he would stop and loreakfitat with Mtn; but this the Must ri 111 l S visitors 1114'111114, saying they had lorsought their sawn breakfast, told prefermil taking it on the lawn. Sir William emleavisured to dissuade him frame this, saying that the house, anal whatever accommodation he could afford, wets at their service, and he hook Kane pause Seel Itoiranal into the wristlet, where he 11/tinted to a large pat of fresh butter on the breaktasttable, toying it was sit the 141.131111 of WS guests. Upon this Ilona parte tanilssl, awl gently took hold of his last's right is% as was his custom whets he wished to signify his allonym. They then returned to the drawing Atom, and Itsintspatio resumed his Sent all the sofa. SIMIII afterwards, toile of Sir Williant'os daughters, Mrs. Onside' s., came into the room with her youngest child in her arms, and Napoleon rose and pointed to the sofa as a sign she was to sit them. Two id' her little girls had each their Humes taken hula sal by the tillable visitor, and received I'l'olllllllll a Slllllll 1164'11 of liquartire. In the meantime Yount Monthailifil had got ot table anal laid it an the lawn. Sir William I tovetiut sent 10111 It Variety ist . l4l/11111 things, anal then the a. t alone in and a 11l samictsl that Illellk(1114 was ready. Their least aas 1'e11111.1414 le go and share their meal, whit+ he slid, taking with hint, he says, a pint bottlos of Mount Pleasant water (alum linings) shrub), made by his daughter, anal four liqueur-glatises. Ifiampotrie reserved for hint a chair on his right hand, mid desired him to sit them. Alter doing justice to wend /41111SIIIIItiall Siltllllll, 110111111S111. filled a small tumbler of champagne for Sir William and another file himself, and he afterwards drank a gloss of the shrub. wins thee 111'01101i, HMI 11.1111111131111. 111111141.11 that Mrs. 1;114'10We Slam . anal partake sal it. After alas haul boded the coffee, which she t's)ttitil and disagree able, Bannipartoi tilled a liimenr-glans with shrub and ottbreil it to her. The party then 111S4', Mei No 111101111! handed Mrs. Oreentree into the Manse, wh e re f ie i th ak his former seat on the sofa, with her beside hill. lit the camese of the eionveraat' he put his favourite question to Sir William Dovetail', mill asked him, through 'omit Bertrand, whillier be ever gnat drunk to whit+ Sir William replied, rather " I like a gloists of wine• l li1111.14." Ile that. hinted too Mrs. Oreentrue, anal ite• " I low tenet' ol.wm your husband gel drank Is he sal Heusi a week " She answered," Na." "Is Ile 41111 . 4 . Is ortnight ? " She again replied, " Na..'' "(Mee a ;teasels "NO ; it is Mains• years toeless I Saw him M s." Ils.thipartit then said " halt !" and eltatigeal the isieweisottion. After sitting Males' tissue he MSS and Is Mlk leave, holding Iler. telll4l'S arm 1114 /11l went 1141W11 The breakfast (Mir William tells us) consisted of a 1 11111 111111141 1111111, l'lll4l turkey, curried fowl, ham, sir 'mirk, 1 Would not hell which, 14111/ e, 11/41114, id ds, oranges, a n d A very tine salad. From every appearance loin his pole Cllllllll' it might be concluded mum iii giMMt health: his face is 10.11 ill imhingly fat, and his Is sly and thighs very round and plwup. leaved, to Ilse the gn4sil knight's owe %/11.111/, which 1411! 111111 . 1* I'librepo.i%l' 1111111 111.g11111, " he Wilted ■u fa 111111 Its 111111111 114 11 Clung pig." " Uu sublime au riJicule, it uy it pay.•' The elietoes. A Novel. London . Bentley. Wie. have derived from the perusal of this work great, and what we may call legitimate, plea sure, though we tear it. ►nay not take the ',we e in public estimation! to which its meti Ls entitle it. It is essentially a domestic novel, de cribing ordinary characters moving in ordinary life. and it seeks to awaken the interest of the reader rather by analysing their feelings than by following them into stirring and exciting sit mit ion's. This is not, we fear. a style adapted too the public taste--corrupted by the litcraturc that. strives to t i •cd the mot•lrid appetite of the present age tin• excitement, by unnatural skim lion's, and, too often, by visions sentiment . Readers are more likely to be attracted by the .)laruws and complaints of a worldly hviviuv,