The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

| 850 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
that they would heartily rejoice in being enabled to extension of commerce could have enabled you to
withdraw the British contingent in France (to which bear your immense taxes, and you made no effort to
he seemed to have alluded); that the actual distress obtain it." Bonaparte miscalls English names and
in England arose from the system of public credit; words more than any foreigner I ever before heard,
by which the war had been supported, and the who had pretensions toa knowledge of the language;
consequences of which were in their nature lasting; and notwithstanding his reading, and the attention
that these consequences had been anticipated, and lie has probably paid to the subject, he seems little
were not, it was to be hoped, irremediable. "Yes," acquainted with the nature of our domestic policy.
said Napoleon, " your resources are great: but your His plans, like his practice, are all despotic, and are
ruin, from persisting in your present policy, is cer- formed without adverting to constitutional restrictain. Your ministers have affected generosity, and tions.
have ruined the country. In this generosity you have In his conversation with Lord Amherst, he dwelt
departed from the system of your ancestors, who much upon his present situation; and expressed himt never concluded a peace without gaining, or at- self with great and unjustifiable bitterness respecting
tempting to gain, some advantage; they were steady Sir H. Lowe. Lord Bathurst's speech had evidently
merchants who filled their purses, but you have set annoyed him, and he expressed disappointment at
up for gentlemen, and are ruined. Although the the countenance such language and treatment repeace, on the termination of the American war, was ceived from Lords Sidmouth and Liverpool, with
honourable to France, for she compelled England to whom he affected to consider himself as having been
acknowledge the independence of America, the formerly on terms of amicable intercourse. He said
treaty in ]783 was fatal to French commerce; and such a man as Lord Cornwallis ought to have been
how do you suppose that came to be concluded? placed in Sir H. Lowe's situation. It is difficult to
The French ministers were fully aware of its in- conceive any complaints more unreasonable, than
jtrions consequences, but England threatened war, those made by Bonaparte of Sir H. Lowe's conduct.
and they had no money to defray the expenses." I There perhaps never was a prisoner so much reunderstood Bonaparte to say that this account was quiring to be watched and guarded, to whom so
supported by Memoirs in the Buleau des Affaires much liberty and range for exercise was allowed.
EtrangerLes. With an officer he may go over any part of the
During the conversation, which, notwithstanding island; wholly unobserved, his limits extend four
the variety of topics started, if not discussed, did miles-partially observed, eight-and overlooked,
not occupy more than half an hour, there were fre-.tvelve. At night, the sentinels certainly close round
quent repetitions of particular expressions; such as Longwood itself. The house is small, but well fur"L'Anyleterre est dichue; avec 45,000 hommes, nished; and altogether as commodious as the cirvous ne serez jamais puissance continentale." cumstances under which it was procured would
Bonaparte never listened to any reply naturally admit. I can only account for his petulance and
arising froln his observations, but continued his own unfounded complaints, from one of two motives,view of the subject lie was discussing; he seemed either lie wishes by their means to keep alive interest
little studious in arrangement, but poured out his in Europe, and more especially in England, where
ideas with a rapidity of language almost equal to the he flatters himself he has a party; or his troubled
rapidity of their succession in the mind. His style mind firids an occupation in the tracasseries which
upon political subjects is so epigrammatic and tran- his present conduct gives to the governor. If the
chant, that in a man whose actions had not been latter be the case, it is in vain for any governor to
correspondent, it would look like charlatanerie. unite being on good terns with him, to the performBonaparte must be allowed to be eloquent, and ance of his duty. Bonaparte in concluding the
possesses that species of oratory well adapted for a observations which he thought proper to address to
popular assembly, or for influencing persons already me, made a Imotion with his hand to Lord Amherst
prepared to look up to him. Upon the former, his for the introduction of Captain Maxwell and tthe
point would produce impression; and a sort of gentlemen of' the embassy. They entered, accolmoracular confidence, in which he abounds, would panied by Generals Bertrand, Montholon, and
command the conviction of the latter. His manner, Gourgand. A circle under the direction of the
on the whole, was pleasing, and had a mixture of grand marshal was formed, and Lord Amherst
simplicity anrd conscious superiority which I never having presented Captain Maxwell, Bonaparte said,
before witnessed. The expression of his counte- " I have heard of you before-you took one of mny
nance is more intellectual than commanding: and frigates, the Pauline; vous etes un mkchiant; well,
his person, so far from being overgrown with corpu- your government can say nothing about your losing
lency, seems fuilly equal to the endurance of the the ship, for you have taken one for them before."
gleatest exertion. I should say that he was as fit as He observed of Lord Amherst's son, that he must
ever to go through a campaign, and that, considering resemble his mother, and good-humouredly asked
his age, he was not unusually corpulent. I have him what he had brought from China, whether a
omitted to mention an illustration made use of by bonnet or a mandarin. He inquired of MrM'Leod,
Bonaparte, in speaking of the conduct of the English the surgeon of the Alceste, how long hie had served,
ministers at the congress. " You were," said he, and if he had been wounded; repeating the question
"like the dog in the fable, who dropt the piece of in English. On Mr Abel being introduced as naturmeat in the water, while looking at his own image. alist, he inquired if lie knew Sir Joseph Banks,
Yoa had the commerce of the world, and you took saying that his name had always been a passport,
ao precautions to retain it. Nothing but a great and that, even during the war, his requests had