Recollections of Napoleon at St. Helena/Chapter 3

VIEW OF THE CAVALCADE GOING AND RETURNING FROM LONGWOOD, THE DAY AFTER NAPOLEON'S LANDING AT ST. HELENA.—THE EMPEROR'S ADMIRATION OF THE BRIARS.—TAKES UP HIS RESIDENCE AMONGST US.—DESCRIPTION OF HIS MANNER, PERSON, ETC.—QUESTIONS ME IN GEOGRAPHY.—HIS OPINION OF ENGLISH MUSIC..

THE next morning, we observed a large cavalcade moving along the path which wound round the mountain, at the base of which our dear little cottage was lying, almost hidden in its nest of leaves. The ​effect of the party was very picturesque. It consisted of five horsemen, and we watched them with great interest, as, following the windings of the road, they now gleamed in the sun's rays, and were thrown into brilliant relief by the dark background behind, and then disappearing, we gazed earnestly until, from some turn in the road, they flashed again upon us. Sometimes we only saw a single white plume, or the glitter of a weapon in the sun. To my already excited fancy, it suggested the idea of an enormous serpent with burnished scales, occasionally showing himself as he crawled to our little abode.

We were still doubtful whether Napoleon were of the party. We had already learnt to look for the grey surtout and small cocked hat, but no figure in that dress could be distinguished, though our spy-glass was in anxious requisition. Every one thought he would be best able to discover him. At last, one of the party exclaimed, "I see a ​figure with a small cocked hat, but no great coat;" and then we were at last certain that it was the emperor. We concluded he was on his way to Longwood, to look at his future residence.

About two o'clock on that day, Mr. O'Meara and Dr. Warden called on us, and were overwhelmed with all kinds of questions about Bonaparte, his manner, appearance, &c., &c. They described him as most agreeable and pleasing, and assured us we should be delighted with him. But all their fair words were thrown away upon me; I could think of him only with fear and trembling. When leaving us, they again repeated that our opinion of Napoleon would entirely change when we had once seen and conversed with him.

At four o'clock in the evening, the same horsemen whom we had seen in the morning, again appeared on their return from Longwood. As soon as they reached the head of the narrow pass which led down to the ​Briars, they halted, and after apparently a short deliberation, with terror I saw them begin to descend the mountain and approach our cottage. I recollect feeling so dreadfully frightened, that I wished to run and hide myself until they were gone: but mamma desired me to stay, and to remember and speak French as well as I could. I had learned that language during a visit my father had paid to England some years before, and as we had a French servant, I had not lost what I had then acquired.

The party arrived at the gate, and there being no carriage-road, they all dismounted, excepting the emperor, who was now fully visible. He retained his seat and rode up the avenue, his horse's feet cutting up the turf on our pretty lawn. Sir George Cockburn walked on one side of his horse, and General Bertrand on the other. How vividly I recollect my feelings of dread mingled with admiration, as I now first looked ​upon him whom I had learned to fear so much. His appearance on horseback was noble and imposing. The animal he rode was a superb one; his colour jet black; and as he proudly stepped up the avenue, arching his neck and champing his bit, I thought he looked worthy to be the bearer of him who was once the ruler of nearly the whole European world!

Napoleon's position on horseback, by adding height to his figure, supplied all that was wanting to make me think him the most majestic person I had ever seen. His dress was green, and covered with orders, and his saddle and housings were of crimson velvet richly embroidered with gold. He alighted at our house, and we all moved to the entrance to receive him. Sir George Cockburn introduced us to him.

On a nearer approach Napoleon, contrasting, as his shorter figure did, with the noble height and aristocratic bearing of Sir George Cockburn, lost something of the ​dignity which had so much struck me on first seeing him. He was deadly pale, and I thought his features, though cold and immovable, and somewhat stern, were exceedingly beautiful. He seated himself on one of our cottage chairs, and after scanning our little apartment with his eagle glance, he complimented mamma on the pretty situation of the Briars. When once he began to speak, his fascinating smile and kind manner removed every vestige of the fear with which I had hitherto regarded him.

While he was talking to mamma, I had an opportunity of scrutinizing his features, which I did with the keenest interest; and certainly I have never seen any one with so remarkable and striking a physiognomy. The portraits of him, give a good general idea of his features; but his smile, and the expression of his eve, could not be transmitted to canvas, and these constituted Napoleon's chief charm. His hair was dark brown, and as fine and silky as a child's ​rather too much so indeed for a man, as its very softness caused it to look thin. His teeth were even, but rather dark, and I afterwards found that this arose from his constant habit of eating liquorice, of which he always kept a supply in his waistcoat pocket.

The emperor appeared much pleased with the Briars, and expressed a wish to remain there. My father had offered Sir George Cockburn apartments at the cottage, and he immediately assured us of his willingness to resign them to General Bonaparte, as the situation appeared to please him so much; and it was arranged, much apparently to Napoleon's satisfaction, that he should be our guest until his residence at Longwood were fit to receive him.

Our family, at the time of the emperor's arrival, consisted of my father, my mother, my elder sister, myself, and my two brothers, who were quite children. Napoleon determined on not going down to the town again, and wished his rooms to be got ready ​for him immediately. Some chairs were then brought out at his request, upon the lawn, and seating himself on one, he desired me to take another, which I did with a beating heart. He then said, "You speak French: I replied that I did, and he asked me who had taught me. I informed him. and he put several questions to me about my studies, and more particularly concerning geography. He inquired the capitals of the different countries of Europe. "What is the capital of France?" "Paris." "Of Italy?" "Rome." "Of Russia?" "Petersburg now," I replied; "Moscow formerly." On my saying this, he turned abruptly round, and, fixing his piercing eyes full in my face, he demanded sternly, "Qui l'a brulé?" When I saw the expression of his eye, and heard his changed voice, all my former terror of him returned, and I was unable to utter a syllable.

I had often heard the burning of Moscow talked of, and had been present at discus​sions, as to whether the French or Russians were the authors of that dreadful conflagration, I therefore feared to offend him by alluding to it. He repeated the question, and I stammered, "I do not know, sir." "Oui, oui," he replied, laughing violently: "Vous savez très bien, c'est moi qui l'a brulé." On seeing him laugh, I gained a little courage, and said, "I believe, sir, the Russians burnt it to get rid of the French." He again laughed and seemed pleased to find that I knew any thing about the matter.

The arrangements made for him were necessarily most hurried; and while we were endeavouring to complete them in the way we thought most likely to contribute to his comfort, he amused himself by walking about the grounds and garden.

In the evening he came into the house; and as my father and mother spoke French with difficulty, that language being then much less studied in England than it is at ​present, he addressed himself again to me, and asked me whether I liked music, adding. "You are too young to play yourself." I felt rather piqued at this, and told him I could both sing and play. He then asked me to sing, and I sang, as well as I could, the Scotch song, "Ye banks and braes."

When I finished, he said it was the prettiest English air he had ever heard. I replied it was a Scottish ballad, not English: and he remarked, he thought it too pretty to be English: "their music is vile—the worst in the world." He then inquired if I knew any French songs, and among others, "Vive Henri Quatre." I said I did not. He began to hum the air, became abstracted, and, leaving his seat, marched round the room, keeping time to the song he was singing. When he had done, he asked me what I thought of it: and I told him I did not like it at all, for I could not make out the air. In fact, Napoleon's voice was most unmusical, nor do ​I think he had any ear for music; for neither on this occasion, nor in any of his subsequent attempts at singing, could I ever discover what tune it was he was executing. He was, nevertheless, a good judge of music, if any Englishwoman may say so, after his sweeping denunciation of our claims to that science, probably from having constantly listened to the best performers. He expressed a great dislike to French music, which, he said, was almost as bad as the English, and that the Italians were the only people who could produce an opera.

A lady, a friend of ours, who frequently visited us at the Briars, was extremely fond of Italian singing, which "she loved, indeed, not wisely, but too well," for her own attempts in the bravura style were the most absurd burlesque imaginable. Napoleon, however, constantly asked her to sing, and even listened with great politeness; but when she was gone, he often ​desired me to imitate her singing, which I did as nearly as I could, and it seemed to amuse him. He used to shut his eyes and pretend he thought it was Mrs. ———, "our departed friend," and then pay me gravely the same compliments he would have done to her.

The emperor retired for the night shortly after my little attempt to amuse him, and thus terminated his first day at the Briars.