NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4258, 18 January 1901, Page 2

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

HIS LAST DAYS AS A FinSONlcR IN THE ISLAND OF SI. HELENA. (From “Napoleon : The Last Bhaso, by Lord Rosebery. Loudon: A. L. Humphrey’s.) In the Act which passed through Bar. liament “for more effectually detaining Napoleon in custody,” lie is carefully' called “Napoleon Bonaparte,’ as it to deny that he had oven been French at all. This, would be pitiable were it not ridiculous. Cockbuni had on, shipboard resolutely inaugurated this solemn farce. And so soon ns he landed ho thus answorod a note in which' Bertrand mentioned the Emperor:—“Sir,—l have the uunour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter and note of yesterday’s date. \ by’ -which you. oblige me officially to explain: to you that X have no cognisance of any Emperor being actually upon, this island, or of any person possessing sucly dignity having (as .stated by you) come hither with me in Hie Northumberland:, With regard to yourself, and tho other officers, of distinction who have accompanied you.bore,” and so ho proceeds. Napoleon was one of these! Cockburn complacently sends the correspondence to Bath.ur.st, with a note in which he speaks of “General Bonaparte (if by the term ‘Emperor’ he meant to designate itliat person).” 'ibis is too much even for Forsyth. Lowe carried on., this puerile affectation, with scrupulous fidelity. Hobhousc sent hi.s hook on the Hundred Days to Napoleon writing inside i it ‘TmpcraLori Knpoleom. This, though tho inscription after all m strictness meant ‘‘To Geneva! Napoleon, the conscientious Lowe sequestrated. And bn, this occasion ho laid down a principle. Ho had allowed, loiters direct, ed under tho Imperial, title to reach, Napoleon from his relations or his former subjects, “but this was from an English person.” A Mr Elphiustonc, who was grateful for attentions paid to a wounded brother at AVafcorloo, sent him some chessmen.from China. Lowe made difficulties about fox-warding these because they bore N and a crown. \Ve feel tempted to ask if Napoleon’s linen, marked as it was with the. objectionable cipher, vvas admitted to the honours of tho island 1 laundry. It would be easy to multiply instances of Lowe’s childishness in this respect; but ■we will only add one more. Three weeks before his death tho sick captive sent Coxo’s “Life of Marlborough” as a token of goodwill to , the officers of the 20th Regiment. Unfortunately the Imperial title was written or stamped on the, title page, and tho present, under the orders of the Governor, was declined. In these days the 20th Regiment would perhaps not mind: possessing the Life of -ho greatest of English. Generals given, by tho greatest , of French. It’ is humiliating to be obliged to add that this pettiness survived even Napoleon himself. On tho Emperor’s coffin-plate his followers desired to place tho simple inscription “Napoleon,” with the date and place of his birth and death. Sir Hudson refused to sanction this, unless “Bonaparte” were added. * But the Emperor’s suite felt themselves unable to agree to the stylo wliibh their master had declined to accept. So there was no name on the coffin. It seems incredible, but it is true.

Miss Betsy Balcombe is < he girl whoso name occurs most frequently in the St. Helena, records. Twenty-three years after the Emperor’s death, under the married name of Mrs Abell, she published her recollections of his exile. Her father, Mr Balcomhe. was a sort of gen-ex-al purveyor, sometimes called by courtesy a'banker; and the traditions of the Island declared him to ho a son of George IV. Napoleon lived at this gentleman’s villa wEile Longwood was being prepared for lus reception, and there made acquaintance with his two daughters. Betsy'was about 15, and the younger of the two. They both talked French, but Betsy was the prettier and the fa,v_ burite, for she represented a type which was new to the Emperor, a high-spirited hoyden, who said and did whatever occurred to her on the spur of the moment. The pranks that she played sho still records in her book; they must have certainly been in the nature of a piquant novelty to Napoleon, She boxed his cars, slip attacked! him with his- own. sword. But the suite was not unnaturally' disgusted at the familiarity with which she treated their master, and Napoleon. himself, wearied of her. denounced the , whole family as “canaille” and as “miserables.” One flirtation kept the whole island alive—-Would Major Ferzen marry Betsy or not? Napoleon said, No. the Major would-.not degrade him. self. Still at rare intervals she amused him to the last. The Emperor, a few weeks before she left, sent the sisters two plates of bon bans. And. with this last characteristic memory of St, Helena and its ruler, the Balcombe family sailed from the island on the same ship with Gourgaud.