Napoleon's Attempt to Smoke.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 32, 8 February 1890, Page 3 (Supplement)

Napoleon's Attempt to Smoke.

Napoleon 1., the great Emperor of France, never could smoke, although when in Egypt he several times attempted to do so' in order to please the people. On one occasion (says Mr Sparvel-Bayly, in -'New Studies in Old Subjects'), when <tha Persian Ambassador presented to him, on behalf of the Shah, a very valuable and gorgeous pine, 'all diamonds and rare jewels,' Napoleon's attendant filled the jiipe, and a light was applied j but in the way the Emperor* wenrj to work no smoke would have appeared until doomsday. He merely opened and-ahufc bis lips in the energetic manner of a mechanical figure. The attendant ventured to observe that His Majesty was not exactly proceeding in the usual manner, and showed him the correct way in Which to manage bis pip 9of peace. But the inapt pupil persistently returned to bad imitation of yawning, until, tired and vexed with repeated failures, he at last desisted, saying, ' Con-, stanb, do you light the pipe; I cannot.* So said, so done, and we were informed that the pipe was returned to him with the tobacco burning at a furious rate, and a tremendous amount of smoke. Soon veiled in vapour, the unfortunate Napoleon was again in difficulty; tha smoke, which he did not know how to ge* rid of, went down his throat and up ou b through his eyes and nose. As soon as he regained breath, he gasped the words— 1 Take st away.! What an infection ! Whafc pigs they must be who smoke ! I am so ill.* And ill we are told be was for some conuiderable time, and renouncedtfor evermore the soothing weed.