History of the wars resulting from the Frenchrevolution. To which is added, an appendix

quels corps servez vous?" "In what corps do you serve?" The officer replied, "In the Artillery. Je sors de ce service moi-même," "I was in that service myself," replied Napoleon. After taking leave of the officers of the Bellerophon, and embracing the nephew of Josephine, he retired into the after cabin, where Lord Keith, Sir George Cockburne, Lord Lowther, and the Hon. Mr. Littleton were assembled. Bertrand then said, “I never gave in my adhesion to Louis XVIIIth. It is, therefore palpably unjust to prosecute me. However, I shall return in a year or two, to superintend the education of my children. Lord Lowther and the Hon. Mr. Littleton, had a long conversation with the Ex-Emperor. Various were the subjects discussed on this occasion. Speaking of the Prince Regent of England, Bonaparte said, "Je voulais préparer au Prince Régent, l'époque la plus glorieuse de son regne." "I wished to occasion the most glorious epoch in the reign of the Prince Regent;" adverting to an idea he fondly cherished, that the British government would grant him an asylum for the residue of his days in England, in a manner similar to that granted his brother Lucien at Thorngrove in Worcestershire. In the course of his remonstrance against his detention, he said, "Vous ne connoissez pas mon charactere. Vous auriez dû vous fier à ma parole d'honneur," "You do not sufficiently know my character. You ought to place confidence in my word of honour." One of the interlocutors observed, "Oserai-je vous dire la vérité nette ?" "Shall I tell you the real truth?" "Dites," "Say on, replied Napoleon. "Il faut donc que je vous dise, que depuis le moment de l'invasion de l'Espagne, il n'y a pas de particulier en Angleterre, qui ne se defie de vous, et de vos engagemens même les plus solemnels. "It is then necessary to tell you, that from the moment you invaded Spain, there is not an individual in England who would not distrust even the most solemn engagements you might enter into." Bonaparte replied,« J'ai été appelé en Espagne par Charles IV. pour l'aider contre son fils." "I was called into Spain by Charles IV. to assist him against his son." The answer was, "Pas, à ce que je crois, pour placer le Roi Joseph sur le trône.” "That cannot be believed, it was to place King Joseph on the throne." To this Bonaparte replied, "J'avais un grand systême politique; il etait necessaire d'etablir un

contrepoids a votre enorme puissance sur mer, et d'ailleurs ce n'etait que ce qu'avoient fait les Bourbons," " I had a grand political system in view. It was indispensibly requisite to establish a counterbalance against your enormous power at sea, and besides it was only acting as had been done with respect to the Bourbons." To this it was replied, that General Bonaparte must grant, that there was more to fear from France while under his sceptre, than during the last years of the reign of Louis XIV. So greatly had it been aggrandized by Bonaparte. "L'Angleterre de son côté etait devenue bien plus puissante," "And England on its side also had become more powerful:" when he introduced our colonies, and particularly our East Indian acquisitions. The gentleman rejoined, that it was the opinion of many enlightened politicians, that our possessions in the East was rather a disadvantage than a benefit to the empire. Adverting then to the invasion of Spain, he said, "I wished to regenerate Spain, and to do what the Cortes have endeavoured to do." Referring to the invasion of France, he said with great animation, "I was Sovereign then, I had a right to make war. The King of France did not fulfil his engagements. I made war with the King of France with six hundred men." He bitterly exclaimed against his detention, saying, that it was acting, "Comme une petite puissance aristocratique, et non comme un grand état et un grand peuple libre." "Like a little aristocratic power, and not like a great nation and a free people.' He observed, that he had often seen Mr. Fox at the Thuilleries, and addressing the persons whom he was conversing with, he said, "He was devoid of your prejudices. He sincerely wished for peace, and so did I also. His death prevented peace being concluded. Those who succeeded him did not possess his sincerity."

When in Plymouth Sound, as well as at Torbay, immense multitudes of persons from all parts of the kingdom, flocked to behold so extraordinary a personage; regardless of expence, or even of personal safety. While on board the Bellerophon, Napoleon Bonaparte drew up the following protest:-

"I solemnly protest before God and man, against the violation of my sacred rights, in disposing by force of my person and my liberty; I come voluntarily on board

VOL. II.-47.

4 D

the Bellerophon. I am not a prisoner, I am a denizen of England.

"As soon as I was on board the Bellerophon, I was under the protection of the British people; if their government in giving orders to the Captain of the Bellerophon, to receive me and my suite, only meant to entrap me, it has forfeited its honour, and tarnished its flag.

"If this act is put into execution, it will be in vain that the English boast of their fidelity, their laws, and their liberty. British faith will be obscured by the hospitality of the Bellerophon.

" I appeal to History, whether an enemy, after having for twenty years waged war against the English people, comes deliberately in his misfortunes, to seek an asylum under the protection of their laws, can give a more convincing proof of his esteem and confidence. But how have the English answered such confidence and magnanimity? They pretended to extend a friendly hand to this enemy: and when he relied on their good faith, they sacrificed him.

"NAPOLEON.

"On board the Bellerophon, at sea, Aug. 4, 1815.”

The protest of Napoleon was drawn up with wonderful adroitness. It exhibited some truths, intermingled with many observations which were diametrically opposite to the existing circumstances under which he was.

Such was the termination of the political career of General Napoleon Bonaparte, at one time first Consul, and afterwards, for many years, Emperor of France, and King of Italy. In contemplating the vicissitudes of fortune, future historians will mark the astonishing epoch of Napoleon's reign. It forms the most wonderful era in modern history; and we should be wanting in our duty if we did not here make a pause, and endeavour to sketch the character of a man, who has made so great a figure in the History of the French Revolution.

There was from the earliest period of Bonaparte's life, a spirit of daring enterprize displayed. He sought military glory from his youth. His aspiring spirit burst through the trammels of a common military education. He rushed from the "Ecole de Militaire" with an ambition like that of Alexander or Cæsar. Happy would

it have been for himself, and for the repose of Europe, nay, the world, had he confined his ambition to the limits which his military genius prescribed. But from his insatiable ambition arose his ruin. When Sovereign of the Isle of Elba, he might have acquired a just celebrity, but he condemned himself for ever, when he broke the treaty of Fontainbleau, and made an unjust attack upon the restored Prince of Bourbon. Omnipotent Justice caused the aggressor to become a prisoner, on the shores of Great Britain, from whence he has been sent to St. Helena. He arrived off Madeira on August 24, in his voyage to that Island.

It is but justice to mark in the character of Bonaparte, the high attention which he paid to the fine arts during his holding the reins of Empire. He achieved many great works for the embellishment of the capital, and he would have done more, had he not been hurled from his usurped seat of power.

Since the restoration, a second time, of Louis XVIIIth, France in its numerous departments, but especially the capital, has been greatly agitated. The Emperor of Russia, and recently the Emperor of Austria, have been resident in Paris. The allied Powers have not only held in terrorem, the inhabitants, but very justly have exerted their influence to procure the restitution of precious vestiges of antiquity, and "Chef-d'Ouvres of art, which, during the revolutionary wars, and the usurpation of Bonaparte, had been pillaged from various countries.

A treaty of peace has been concluded with respect to England, France, and the allied Powers; and we close our work with expressing our most ardent wishes, that the happy period may soon arrive, when wars and rumours of wars shall cease, when the trumpet shall no longer call men to the ensanguined field, when swords shall be exchanged for 'pruning-hooks, and spears for implements of agriculture, and nations never learn the art of war more.