BONAPARTE AND THE WEED

Dunstan Times, Issue 2486, 21 June 1909, Page 4

BONAPARTE AND THE WEED

Napoleon Bonaparte could never smoke, although when in Egypt he attempted several times to do so in order to please the people. On one occasion, when the Persian Ambassador presented to him, on behalf of the Shah, a very valuable and gorgeous pipe, " all diamonds and rare jewels,” Napoleon’s attendant filled the pipe, and a light Was applied ; but in the way the Emperor went to work no smoke would have appeared until doomsday. He merely opened and shut his lips in the manner of a mechanical figure. The attendant ventured , to observe that his majesty was not proceeding in the usual manner, and showed him the correct way in which to manage his pipe of peace. But the inapt pupil persistently returned to his bad imitation of yawning, until tired and vexed with repeated failures he at last desisted, saying, “ Constant, do you light thejpipe, I cannot.’’* So said, so done. And we are 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; the smoke, which he did not know how to get rid of, went down his throat and ran up through his eyes and nose. As soon as he regained breath, he gasped the words, “ Take it away! What an infliction ! What pigs they must be who smoke 1 lam so ill !” And ill, wears told, he was for some time, afterwards renouncing for ever more the " soothing weed.”"