NAPOLEON'S LIBRARIES

Evening Star, Issue 21316, 21 January 1933, Page 19

NAPOLEON'S LIBRARIES

READING FOR ELBA Yet another of Napoleon Bonaparte’s libraries is in the public eye, for the Italian Government has decided to restore the small library collected by Napoleon while in exile in Elba, says the London ‘ Daiy Telegraph.’ When he went to Elba he took with him close on 1,000 books. At St. Helena he had with him a similar collection, which was afterward dispersed at the old Sotheby Galleries in London. These books were brought back by the British Government, and sold to redeem certain debts outstanding on the part of Napoleon s entourage. But apart from these minor libraries there exists in Europe at the present time the collection of books niade by Napoleon and given to the Empress Marie Louise. These were recently sent to Berlin for disposal. Then, again, there is the Napoleonic collection in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, and tho magnificent library formed by Napoleon in the Palace of Fontainebleau. to bo lifted on to those useful potato scales by the Mr Terrey of that day. He doubtless little thought as he boro that frail burden that within a short time he would be quoted by her to her husband as an example of tho personal goodwill that pervaded the reception accorded to Carlyle’s Lord Rectorship of Edinburgh. , . In a letter of April 12, 1806, just nine days before her death, she wrote: “ Dearest, I sent you better than a letter yesterday—a charming Punch. . . , From Punch to Terrey the greengrocer is a good step, but let me tell you ho (Terrey) asked Mrs Warren : ‘ Was Mr Carlyle the person they wrote of as Lord Rector ? ' and Mrs Warren, having answered in her stage voice: ‘The very same!’ Terrey shouted out (quite shouted it, ma’m!), ‘ I never was so glad of anything! By George, I am glad! ’ ” The link with a great Victorian is not tho only one that will be broken by this demolition, for this shop is probably one of the oldest secular buildings in Chelsea. Its gable roof marks the end of the west wing of Shrewsbury House, in which the fourth Earl of Shrewsbury was living in 1519. In the back part of the present premises there is still a splendid stairway and also some panelling that formed part of tho old house, whose mam room was 120 ft long.