Napoleon's young neighbor

Front matter

HELEN LEAH REED

Copyright^

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.

Preface

THIS book, chronicling some little known passages in the last few years of Napoleon, is based on the "Recollections of Napoleon at St. Helena," by Mrs. Abell (Elizabeth Balcombe), published in 1847 by John Murray.

Her little book is written in an old-fashioned and quiet style, and the present writer, without altering any words of Napoleon's, has, so far as possible, given a vivid form to conversations and incidents related undramatically and has rearranged incidents that Mrs. Abell told without great attention to chronology. The writer has also added many pages of matter (with close reference to the best authorities) in order to make the whole story of Napoleon clear to those who are not familiar with it.

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Great News 1

II. A Distinguished Tenant . , 18

Chapter I

FAR south in the Atlantic there is an island that at first sight from the deck of a ship seems little more than a great rock. In shape it is oblong, with perpendicular sides several hundred feet high. It is called St. Helena because the Portuguese, who discovered it in 1502, came upon it on the birthday of St. Helena, Constantine's mother. To describe it as the geographies might, we may say that it lies in latitude 15° 55' South, and in longitude 5° 46' West. It is about ten and a half miles long, six and three-quarters miles broad, and its circumference is about twenty-eight miles. The nearest land is Ascension Island, about six hundred miles away, and St. Helena is eleven hundred miles from the Cape of Good Hope.

From the sea St. Helena is gloomy and forbidding. Masses of volcanic rock, with sharp and jagged peaks, tower up above the coast, an iron girdle barring all access to the interior. A hundred years ago its sides were without foliage or verdure and its few points of landing bristled with cannon. Jamestown, the only town, named for the Duke of York, lies in a narrow valley, the bottom of a deep ravine. Precipices overhang it on every side ; the one on the left, rising directly from the sea, is known as Rupert's Hill, that on the right as Ladder Hill. A steep and narrow path cuts along the former, and a really good road winds zigzag along the other to the Governor's House. Opposite the town is James's Bay, the principal anchorage, where the largest ships are perfectly safe.

The town really consists of a small street along the beach, called the Marina, which extends about three hundred yards to a spot where it branches off into two narrower roads, one of which is now called Napoleon Street. In 1815 there were about one hundred and sixty houses, chiefly of stone cemented with mud, for lime is scarce on the island. Among its larger buildings were a church, a botanical garden, a tavern, barracks, and, high on the left, the castle, the Governor's town residence.

About a mile and a half from the town there stood in the early part of the past century a cottage built in the style of an Indian bungalow. It was placed rather low, with rooms mainly on one floor. A fine avenue of banyan trees led up to the house, and around it were tall evergreens and laces, pomegranates and myrtles, and other tropical trees. Better than these, however, in the eyes of the dwellers at The Briars were the great whiterose bushes, like the sweetbriar of old England. From these the house took its name, and thus the family in it seemed less far away from their old home.

In a grove near the house were trees of every description, grapes of all kinds and citron, orange, shaddoc, guava, and mango trees in the greatest abundance. The surplus raised in the garden beyond what the family could use brought its owner several hundred pounds a year. The little cottage was shut in on one side by a hedge of aloes and prickly pear and on the other by high cliffs and precipices. From one of these cliffs, not far from the house, fell a waterfall, not only beautiful to the eye but on a hot day refreshing to the mind with its cool splash and tinkle.

The owner of The Briars at this time was an Englishman named Balcombe, who was in the service of the government. Besides his servants his household consisted of his wife, his daughters Jane and Betsy, in their early teens, and two little boys much younger. They formed a happy, contented household, living a simple, quiet life, and though the parents were sometimes homesick, the children were very fond of their island abode.

One evening in the middle of October, 1815, the Balcombe children were having a merry time with their parents, when a servant, entering, announced the arrival of two visitors.

"It is the captain of the Icarus/' said Mr. Balcombe, turning to his wife, "and another naval officer."

"The man-of-war that came in to-day?" asked one of the children. "We heard the alarm sound from Ladder Hill."

"Yes, yes, my dear." Then, turning to a servant, "Show them in."

As the gentlemen entered the room, it was plain that they had something of importance to communicate.

"Sir," said the senior officer to Mr. Balcombe, after the first greetings, "I come to tell you that the Icarus is sent ahead of the N oHhumberland to announce that the Northumberland is but a few days' sail from St. Helena."

"Yes," responded Mr. Balcombe politely, wondering why this announcement should be made so seriously.

"Sir George Cockburn," continued the other, "commands the Northumberland, and in his care is Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he brings to St. Helena as a prisoner of state."

Mr. Balcombe started to speak; his expression was one of annoyance. He was not fond of practical jokes. His wife leaned back in her chair, gazing incredulously at the speaker. The children laughed. The officer's story was too absurd. Then one of the little boys began to cry. In their play the older children were in the habit of frightening the others with the name of Napoleon Bonaparte. It was alarming to hear that the terrible Napoleon was to come to live on their peaceful island.

Before Mr. Balcombe could express his surprise, the officer repeated:

"Yes, Napoleon Bonaparte, the enemy of England.' ,

"But how can that be?" asked Mr. Balcombe, hardly understanding. "Bonaparte was on Elba months ago; what has England to do with him now ? "

"Surely — " began the captain; then recalling himself, "but I forgot how far St. Helena is from the rest of the world. After Napoleon escaped from Elba in February, he gathered a great army. But the Allies, with our Iron Duke at the head, met him near Brussels, and there in June was fought the great battle of Waterloo. Thousands were killed, brave English as well as French. That battle marked the downfall of Napoleon, and soon he was England's prisoner."

Mr. and Mrs. Balcombe, as well as their children, listened eagerly, absorbed in a story they now heard for the first time.

"So they send him here?" It was Mr. Balcombe who first spoke.

"Yes; no spot in Europe can hold him. Even on Elba he had begun to establish a kingdom. He reached beyond that little island, and now he has had his Waterloo."

"It is clear, then," said Mr. Balcombe, "why they have sent him here. This is a natural fortress and it belongs to England."

"Yes," said the officer; "England knows that here, in her keeping, Bonaparte will never again escape to torment the world."

After a few more words of explanation on the one hand and of surprise on the other, the visitors withdrew.

Of those who had listened to the officer young Elizabeth, or Betsy as she was commonly called, was the most disturbed. She shivered and turned pale, and her mother, noticing her agitation, soon sent her to bed. There she silently wept herself to sleep and her dreams were filled with visions of that dreadful ogre, Bonaparte. It was not a very long time since she had really believed Napoleon to be a huge monster, a kind of Polyphemus with one large, flaming eye in the middle of his forehead and with long teeth protruding from his mouth, with which he devoured bad little girls.

Although Betsy had outgrown this first idea of Napoleon, implanted in her young brain by careless servants, she was still afraid of the Conqueror. It is true that she realized he was not an ogre, but a human being; that is to say, the very worst human being that had ever lived. She knew this must be so, for she had heard sensible grown-up persons speak of him in this way, even her own father and mother. What wonder, then, that her dreams should be disturbed by thoughts of the misery that must come to St. Helena with such a man as Napoleon living on the island ?

The next morning after the visit of the officer from the Icarus, the little girl rose early. She was far from cheerful as she looked about her on the lovely garden and grove. A wave of hot anger passed over her. Why should that terrible man be permitted to land and destroy all this beauty, as he would, of course, on the first opportunity ?

From the garden she looked toward the rugged mountain, known as Peak's Hill, which shut off the valley from the south. Her father had spoken of the island as a natural fortress. Except for the mountains the Government would never have thought of sending the dreadful Napoleon to St. Helena. So she hated the mountains and cliffs.

Perhaps, however, even at that moment when she dreaded the coming of the exiled Emperor, Betsy may have recalled her own first impressions of St. Helena and cast a halfpitying thought toward the great man who now saw in its rocky heights only his prison wall.

One day Betsy's mother had reminded the young girl of the bitter tears she shed when she had first seen the island.

: 'You were a silly girl to cry when you first came in sight of land," said her mother, recalling the circumstance.

"Yes, but some had told me that the island was really the head of a great negro that was only waiting for the breakfast bell; then it would devour me first, and later the rest of the passengers and crew."

"Well, I am glad you told me your fears."

"So am I, for you showed me that these things could not be true."

"Yet I remember," responded Betsy's mother, "that you would not take your head from my lap until eight bells had sounded. For some reason the nearness of breakfast made you believe that danger was over."

"But you can't say that I made much fuss when I really was in the power of a negro," rejoined Betsy; "for I can well remember how strange it seemed when I was lifted in a basket, and told that a big negro was to carry me out to The Briars. At first I was a little frightened, for I had never seen a black man before, but he spoke so pleasantly when he put me down to rest, even though grinning from ear to ear, that I decided he would not harm me."

: 'You saw at once that he was good natured."

"Yes, and he asked me so kindly if I were comfortable in my little nest, that I trusted him. I was as proud as a peacock when he said he was honored in being allowed to carry me, because usually he had nothing but vegetables in his basket. When we reached The Briars I told father I had had a delightful ride, and so he gave the negro a little present that made him grin more than ever, and he went off singing merrily at the top of his voice."

Thus Betsy recalled her first impression of St. Helena.

If Mr. Balcombe and the rest of the family at The Briars were surprised at the news of Napoleon's approach, people on the island in general were equally astonished. No communication had reached Governor Wilks, no letter of instructions as to what should be done with the illustrious prisoner.

The captain of the Icarus could only tell the residents of St. Helena that Napoleon was near and that the Second Battalion of the Fifty-third Regiment had embarked with the squadron. Even in those days, when there were no cables to flash the news of coming events, when there were no swift steamboats to act as heralds, it seems strange that in more than seven months no news of the escape from Elba had reached the little island.

Now, when the people of St. Helena heard the news, they were greatly disturbed. They were afraid that the coming of Napoleon might cause changes in their government, and they were so fond of the Governor that they did not wish to lose him.

Their fears were well grounded, for when Sir George Cockburn landed it was found that he had received an appointment that gave him the chief civil and military power on the island, while Governor Wilks took secondary rank. Later it was learned that on account of the distinction of the prisoner, a governor of higher rank than Colonel Wilks would be sent from England to supersede him, a governor who held his appointment directly from the Crown.

Two or three days after the visit of the officer to The Briars, Betsy and her brothers and sister were in a state of great excitement.

"Ah, I hope papa will not be killed," cried little Alexander.

"How silly you are!" responded the older Jane. "Why should he be killed ?"

"Because Napoleon is such a monster. If he should suddenly take out his sword — "

"Yes, or open his mouth and swallow papa, how terrible it would be!" added Betsy mockingly.

"Of course Bonaparte is a monster, but he would never dare hurt any one on this island, especially an Englishman. Don't worry. Papa will come home safely enough, but I wish he would hurry, so we could hear all about the wretch."

Later in the day the children gathered eagerly around their father, who had returned from his visit to the ships.

"Oh, papa, what was he like?" asked each in turn.

"Who, Napoleon?"

"Of course. We wish to hear about him. Didn't you see him ? Didn't you see anybody there?"

"I could hardly visit a fleet without seeing some one."

"Is it a large fleet?"

"Yes, it would be called large in any part of the world."

"How large is it?"

"Besides the Northumberland there are several other men-of-war, and the transports with the Fifty-third Regiment."

"But did you see Napoleon?" asked one of the children, returning to the subject of greatest interest.

"I did not see General Bonaparte," replied the father, pausing to see the effect of his words on the children. Then, as he noted their expression of disappointment, he quickly added: "But I saw some of the others, — some of his suite."

"Oh, tell us about it!"

"There is little to tell. After paying my respects to Sir George Cockburn, I was introduced to Madame Bertrand and Madame Montholon, and then to the rest of Napoleon's suite."

"What were they like?" asked one of the girls eagerly, as if she expected her father to describe a group of strange beings.

"Like any travellers, my child, who had had a long voyage, from the effects of which they were anxious to rest."

"Oh, I wish you had seen Napoleon!"

"I am likely to see him soon, and you may, also, as he is to land to-night."

At this news the children were silent. To have Napoleon on the island was not a pleasant prospect. They were not so sure now that they cared to see him.

"But where will he live, papa, when he comes ashore?" ventured Jane at last. "Will they put him in a dungeon?"

"Certainly not, my child. He is to live at Longwood, but as the house needs to be put in repair, he will stay for a while with Mr. Porteous."

"When will he come ashore?" asked Betsy timidly. Now that her father had spoken so reassuringly of Napoleon, she was curious to see him, at least from a safe distance.

"He will land to-night, — after dark, I imagine, to escape the gaze of the crowd;" and their father, turning from the children, went toward the house.

As he left them, the young people began an animated discussion of Napoleon. They were already getting used to the idea that he was to live on St. Helena and that he was an ordinary human being, not unlike the British officials of high rank sent out by the Crown.

"As he cannot possibly hurt us, why shouldn't we go to the valley to see him land ? " asked Betsy.

"Why shouldn't we?" echoed Jane. So it happened, when they had asked their parents, that the older children were permitted to go to Jamestown to see Napoleon land. When they reached the wharf it was dusk and crowds of people were gathered on every side.

"I did not know there were so many people on the island," whispered Betsy, as she pressed closer to her sister. "Do you suppose he will be in the first boat ? "

"I don't know. But see, it is coming!'*

"Yes, little ladies," said a bystander, "Bonaparte will surely be in the first boat."

"Here it is, here it is," cried Betsy. "Look, Jane, look!"

Even as she spoke, the passengers from the longboat were coming ashore, and although it was seven o'clock in the evening, there was still enough light to enable the watchers to see the figures of those who were landing.

The girls strained their eyes. Three men marched slowly up from the ship's boat. "See," cried Betsy, "probably Napoleon is in the middle."

"That little man, and in an overcoat!"

"Yes, for there is something flashing, probably a diamond."

"A man with a diamond! How foolish!" objected Jane.

"But it is, indeed it is!"

"I wish people wouldn't crowd so."

"They've got to move back. I'm glad of it. The sentries are standing with fixed bayonets to keep more people from rushing down from the town."

If Napoleon had landed earlier in the day, he would have been greeted by an even greater crowd, for people had been gathering on the Marina from the earliest hours; but disappointed that he was not to land until after sunset, most of them had gone home. Still, however, a large enough crowd had gathered to make it necessary for the sentries to use some force to keep them in order.

In spite of the crowd, the sisters felt that they had been rewarded for their trouble, for when they reached home they learned that the little man in the green coat was indeed the dreaded monster.

Chapter II

THE next morning Betsy rose early. The night before the family had sat up later than their custom, talking about the arrival of the ship and the distinguished prisoners.

"Are General Bertrand and Count Montholon prisoners too?" asked one of the girls.

"No, my dear; I understand that they are at liberty to leave St. Helena whenever they wish. Of course while they are here they must obey whatever rules are made for them, but they would not be here if they had not chosen to share the fate of Napoleon."

"That is very noble," said Jane, "to leave one's home for the sake of such a man as Napoleon;" and the conversation changed into a discussion of the reasons that had induced those Frenchmen to follow their leader. The next morning Betsy awoke feeling that something unusual had happened.

Her little brothers plied her and Jane with questions about the landing of the Frenchmen.

"I wish we lived close to the town," complained Alexander, "that we might hear more about Napoleon."

"Look, look!" cried Betsy, before the little fellow had finished speaking. "What is that on the side of the mountain ? "

Following the direction of her finger, the other children broke into excited cries. "The French, it must be the French! There are horses with men on them. There, see the swords flash! They must be guarding a prisoner."

"Oh, I suppose it is a prisoner. But what is that white thing ? "

"It is a plume; you can see that for yourself. Let us get a spyglass."

For some time the children watched the little procession curving around the mountainside, high above them.

"It makes me think of a great serpent winding along," said Betsy.

"It doesn't look like a serpent, through the glass. There are five men on horseback. One of them has a cocked hat. It must be Napoleon, though he wears no greatcoat."

"They 're going to Longwood. That 's what it is. Papa says he's to live there. I wonder how he'll like it after all his palaces in Europe."

"I'm glad he won't live near us. I should never dare leave the house, if he lived near."

"Who's he?"

"Napoleon, of course."

The morning passed. The children thought of little but Napoleon. They talked to each other of his victories and were proud that Englishmen had overthrown him.

Early in the afternoon two gentlemen called, Dr. Warden of the Northumberland and Dr. O'Meara of the garrison.

"Oh, have you seen him?"

"Seen whom?"

"Why, Napoleon; don't tease us, — Napoleon Bonaparte."

"Well, then, since you are so curious, yes, we have seen him." Dr. Warden smiled, for he was surgeon of the ship that had brought Napoleon.

"Oh, was he perfectly awful? Weren't you frightened ? "

"If we were frightened, I tried not to show it. Napoleon seemed harmless. He did not even try to bayonet us," replied Dr. O'Meara.

"But how did he look?"

"He hadn't horns or hoofs; at least, we didn't see them, and on the whole he was charming, though he seemed tired. You girls will like him."

"Oh, no!" cried Betsy. "I shake and shiver whenever I think of him. If ever I look at him it will be only at a distance, but I could never, never speak to him."

"Mark my words, you will change your mind, Miss Betsy," cried one of the two as he turned away.

About four o'clock that same afternoon, when it was approaching dusk in the little valley, one of the children reported that the same horsemen they had seen in the morning were again winding around the mountain.

Soon the whole family gathered outside, and as they looked, to their great astonishment they observed the procession halt at the mountain pass above the house, and then, after a few minutes' pause, begin to descend the mountain toward the cottage.

"Oh, mamma, do you suppose they are coming here? I must go and hide myself," cried the excitable Betsy.

"No, my dear, you will do nothing of the kind. I am surprised that a great girl should be so foolish."

"But Napoleon is coming, don't you understand, Napoleon. I could not bear to look at him."

"You will look at him and speak to him, if he comes here. It will be a good chance for you to put your French to use."

Poor Betsy! Up to this time she had been proud of the French acquired during a visit to England a few years before, which she had conscientiously kept up by conversation with a French servant.

It seemed hard that she was now to be called on to do a disagreeable thing just because of this accomplishment. Of course she could not disobey her mother, and in spite of her fright she really had some curiosity to see the distinguished guest.

Not long after the party first came in sight, the French and their escort were at the gate of The Briars. As there was no carriage road to the house, all, except Napoleon, got off their horses. He rode over the grass, while his horse's feet cut into the turf. His horse was jet black, with arched neck, and as he pranced along he seemed to feel conscious of his own importance in carrying so distinguished a man as the Emperor.

"He's handsome," whispered Jane to Betsy.

"The horse?"

"No, Napoleon; just look at those jewels and ribbons on his coat — and I never saw so beautiful a saddlecloth. It is embroidered with gold."

Before more could be said, Mr. and Mrs. Balcombe were moving forward to meet Sir George Cockburn and his distinguished companion. The sisters closely followed their parents, and after the older people had been presented to Napoleon the turn of the girls came. Betsy, looking up, was impressed by the charm of Napoleon's smile. She saw that his hair was brown and silky fine; his eyes were a brilliant hazel. She also noticed one slight defect, — that his even teeth were dark, the result, she afterwards learned, of his habit of using much licorice.

The children at first were surprised to find Napoleon neither as tall nor as impressive as he had appeared on horseback. When they looked in his face they decided that he was very attractive, and when he spoke his smile and kindly manner at once won their hearts. From that moment Betsy forgot that she had ever considered him an ogre. To herself she called him the handsomest man she had ever seen.

"This is a most beautiful situation," he said to Betsy's mother. "One could be almost happy here!" he added with a sigh.

"Then perhaps you will honor us with a visit until Longwood is ready," interposed Mr. Balcombe. "I understand that you prefer this to the town, and I have already put some rooms at Sir George Cockburn's disposal."

"I do prefer it."

"Then the rooms are at your service."

Strange language this to a prisoner, — the children may have thought as they listened, — to give him a choice of abode. Later they learned why their father had put the matter in this way. They heard how wretched it made the Emperor to think of returning to the small house where he had lodged in the town and where people stared into the windows, as if he were some kind of wild animal. When he found that Longwood would not be ready for him for several weeks, he had at once declared his unwillingness to return to Jamestown. The glimpse of The Briars that he had had from a distance pleased him greatly, and he had asked if it might not be possible to lodge him there. Mr. Balcombe, as an official of the Government, having placed some rooms at the disposal of the Admiral, Sir George Cockburn, was now anxious to put Napoleon at his ease about occupying them.

The Balcombe children were greatly stirred up when they found that Napoleon was to be their neighbor, for the rooms to be assigned him were near, but not in, the main house. Their fear of the Emperor had almost wholly disappeared.

Continuing to praise the view, Napoleon asked that some chairs be brought out on the lawn.

"Come, Mademoiselle," he said to Betsy in

French, "sit by me and talk. You speak French?"

"Yes, sir," replied Betsy with apparent calmness, though her heart was beating violently.

"Who taught you?"

"I learned in England, when I was at school."

"That is well, and what else did you study ? Geography, I hope."

<f Yes, sir."

"Then you can tell me what is the capital of France?"

"Paris, monsieur."

"Of Italy?"

"Rome."

"Of Russia?"

"St. Petersburg."

He looked up quickly. "St. Petersburg now; it was Moscow."

Then he asked, sternly and abruptly, "Qui Va brule?" ["Who burned it?"]

Betsy trembled. There was something terrifying now in his expression, as well as in the tones of his voice. She could not find words to reply as she recalled what she had heard about the burning of the great Russian city and the question as to whether the French or the Russians had set it on fire.

"Qui Va brule?" repeated Napoleon.

But there was a twinkle in his eye and a smile in his voice that encouraged Betsy to venture a stammering "I don't know, sir."

"Oui, oui" he responded, laughing heartily. " Vous savez ires bien. C'est moi qui Va brule." ["Yes, yes, you understand well. It is I who burned it."]

Then Betsy ventured further:

"I believe, sir, the Russians burned it to get rid of the French."

Again Napoleon laughed and, instead of being angry, seemed pleased that the little girl knew something about the Russian campaign.

Now while Napoleon was sitting in the garden or walking about the beautiful grounds, all was confusion and excitement within The Briars. Betsy's mother, like any other good English housewife, was naturally somewhat taken aback at having suddenly to make plans to entertain Napoleon and part of his suite. Even though the English Government might pay for his board, she must still regard him as her guest, and in the small time at her disposal do all that she could to make him comfortable.

Rooms, therefore, must be rearranged and what furniture could be spared from the rest of the house must be put into Napoleon's apartments. So, in the short space of a few hours, the dreaded Emperor of the French, the ogre feared by the children, had become the neighbor, almost the inmate of a happy English household — English, in spite of its distance, many thousands of miles away, from the islands of Great Britain.