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

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 671
and other official persons, with snch means of ho- good-humoured smile, " It must be confessed my
nour as they possessed, who conducted him to the isle is very little."
H6tel de Ville in procession, preceded by a wretch- He professed, however, to be perfectly resigned
ed band of fiddlers. The people welcomed him tohis fate; often spoke of himself as a man politiwith many shouts. The name of Bonaparte had cally dead, and claimed credit ftl, wnat lie said
been unpopular among them as Emperor of France, upon public affairs, as having no remaining intei-est
but they anticipated considerable advantages from in them. He professed his intentions were, to dehis residing among them as their own particular vote himself exclusively to science and literature.
sovereign. At other times, he said lie would live in his little
island, like a justice of peace in a country town in:
CHAPTER C. England.
The character of Napoleon, however, wvas little
Elba-Napoleon's mode of life and occupation there.- known to himself, if he seriously thought that his.E#ects produced by his residerce at Elba upon the ad- restless and powerfill mind could be satisfied with
joifnin~g Kiadom of Italy.-He is visited by his nsother the investigation of abstract truths, or amused by
anld Me Princess Paline-and by a Polish latdy-Si, tile leisure of literary research. He compared his
Niel Campbell the only commissioner left at Elba.Napoleon's conversations on the state of Europe.-His abdication to tat of Charles V., forgetting that the
pecuniary diofliculties-and fears of assassination-His Austrian Emperor's retreat was voluntary, that he
impatience untader these causes of complaint. -Motley had a turn towards inechanical pursuits, and that,
talure of his court-He withdras himnself awithin court- even with these means of solace, Charles became
forms Jiroin intercoutrse with Sir Niel Campbell -Symp- discontented with his retirement. The character of
tlois f somne approaching crisis.-A part of the Old Bonaparte was, on the contrary, singularly opposed
Guard disbanded, who returnt to France.-Napoleon to a state of seclusion. His Iropensities continued
escapes frol;Elba. - Fruitless pucrsuit by Sir _Niel
esapes from E, ba. - Fruitless pursuit by Sir iel to be exactly of the same description at Elba, which
had so long terrified and disquieted Europe. To
ELBA, to the limits of which the mighty empire change the external face of what was around him;
of Napoleon was now contracted, is an island oppo- to imagine extensive alterations, without accurately
site to the coast of Tuscany, about sixty miles in considering the means by which they were to be
circumference. The air is healthy, excepting in the accomplished; to work within his petty province such
neighbourhood of the salt-marshes. The country is alterations as its limits permitted; to resume, in
mountainous, and, having all the florid vegetation short, upon a small scale, those changes which he
of Italy, is, in general, of a romantic cliaracter. It had attempted upon that which was most magtlifiproduces little grain, but exports a considerable cent; to apply to Elba the system of policy which
quantity of wines; and its iron ore has been famous he had exercised so long in Europe, was the only
since the days of Virgil, who describes Elba as mode in which lie seems to have fbund amusement
and exercise for the impatient energies of a temper.
Insula inexhaustis chalybum generosa me tallis. b
exhsts chayum generosa m. accustomed from his early youth to work upon others,
There are also other mineral prodmluctions. The is- but apt to become lethargic, sllesn, and discontented,
land boasts two good harbhours, and is liberally pro- when it was compelled, for want of other exercise,
ductive of vines, olives, fruits, and nmaise. Perhaps, to recoil upon itself.
if an enimpire could be. supposed to exist within such During the first two or three weeks of his resi,
a brief space, Elba possesses so much both of beauty dence in the island of Elba, Napoleon had already
and variety, as mnighit constitute the scene of a stim- planned improvements, or alterations and innlovamer-nig,,ht's dream ofsovereignty. Bonaparteseemed tions at least, which, had they been to be carried
to lend himself to the illusion, as, accompanied by into execution with the means which he possessed,
Sir Niel Campbell, lie rode in his usual exploring would have perhaps taken his lifetime to execute.
nood, around the shores of his little state. lie did It was no wonder, indeed, accustonmed as lie had
not fail to visit the iron mines, and being informed been to speak the word, and to be obeyed, and to
the annual produce was 500,000 francs, " These, consider the improvemlents which lie meditated as
then," he said, " are mine." But being renmiaded those which became the head of a great empire,
that lie had conferred that revenue on the Lesion of' that he shomuld not have been able to recollect that
HIonour, lie exclaimed, " Where was my head when his present operations respected a petty islet, where
I gave such a g'rant! But I have made many fool- magnificence was to be limited, not only by utility,
ish decrees of that sort." but by the want of funds.
One or two of the poorer class of inhabitants In the course of tuvo or three days' traveling,
knelt, and even prostrated thenlselves when they with the same rapidity which characterized his movemet him. Hle seemed disgusted, and imputed this ments in his frequent progresses through France,
hufmliliating degree of abasement to the wretchedness and showing the same impatience of rest or delay,
of their education, under the auspices of the monks. Napoleon had visited every spot in his little island,
On these excursions he showed the same apprehen- mines, woods, salt-marshes, harbours, fortifications,
sion of assassination which had marked his journey and whatever was worthy of an instant's considerto Fr6juls. Two couriers, well armed, rode before ation, and had meditated improvements and innovahim, and examined every suspicions spot. But as tions respecting every one of them. Till he had done
lie climbed a mountain above Ferrajo, and saw the this he was impatient of rest; and, having done so,
ocean approach its feet in almost every direction, he lacked occupation.
tihe expression broke from him, accompanied with a One of his first, and perhaips most characteristic,