memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v14-第10节

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and　said；　〃The　idea；　of　it　is　horrible　to　me。　　To　be　placed　for　life　on
an　island　within　the　tropics；　at　an　immense　distance　from　any　land；　cut
off　from　all　communication　with　the　world；　and　everything　that　I　hold
dear　in　it！c'est　pis　que　la　cage　de　fer　de　Tamerlan。　　I　would　prefer
being　delivered　up　to　the　Bourbons。　　Among　other　insults；〃　said　he；
〃but　that　is　a　mere　bagatelle；　a　very　secondary　considerationthey　style
me　General！　　They　can　have　no　right　to　call　me　General；　they　may　as　well
call　me　‘Archbishop；'　for　I　was　Head　of　the　Church　as　well　as　of　the
Army。　　If　they　do　not　acknowledge　me　as　Emperor　they　ought　as　First
Counsul；　they　have　sent　ambassadors　to　me　as　such；　and　your　King；　in　his
letters；　styled　me　'Brother。'　　Had　they　confined　me　in　the　Tower　of
London；　or　one　of　the　fortresses　in　England　（though　not　what　I　had　hoped
from　the　generosity　of　the　English　people）；　I　should　not　have　so　much
cause　of　complaint；　but　to　banish　me　to　an　island　within　the　tropics！
They　might　as　well　have　signed　my　death…warrant　at　once；　for　it　is
impossible　a　man　of　my　habit　of　body　can　live　long　in　such　a　climate。

Having　so　expressed　himself；　he　wrote　a　second　letter　to　the　Prince
Regent；　which　was　forwarded　through　Lord　Keith。　　It　was　the　opinion　of
Generals　Montholon　and　Gourgaud　that　Bonaparte　would　sooner　kill　himself
than　go　to　St。　Helena。　　This　idea　arose　from　his　having　been　heard
emphatically　to　exclaim；　〃I　will　not　go　to　St。　Helena！〃　　The　generals；
indeed；　declared　that　were　he　to　give　his　own　consent　to　be　so　exiled
they　would　themselves　prevent　him。　　In　consequence　of　this　threat　Captain
Maitland　was　instructed　by　Lord　Keith　to　tell　those　gentlemen　that　as　the
English　law　awarded　death　to　murderers；　the　crime　they　meditated　would
inevitably　conduct　them　to　the　gallows。

Early　on　the　morning　of　the　4th　of　August　the　'Bellerophon'　was　ordered
to　be　ready　at　a　moment's　notice　for　sea。　　The　reason　of　this　was　traced
to　a　circumstance　which　is　conspicuous　among　the　many　remarkable
incidents　by　which　Bonaparte's　arrival　near　the　English　coast　was
characterised。　　A　rumour　reached　Lord　Keith　that　a　'habeas　corpus'　had
been　procured　with　a　view　of　delivering　Napoleon　from　the　custody　he　was
then　in。　　This；　however；　turned　out　to　be　a　subpoena　for　Bonaparte　as　a
witness　at　a　trial　in　the　Court　of　King's　Bench；　and；　indeed；　a　person
attempted　to　get　on　board　the　Bellerophon　to　serve　the　document；　but　he
was　foiled　in　his　intention；　though；　had　he　succeeded；　the　subpoena
would；　in　the　situation　wherein　the　ex…Emperor　then　stood；　have　been
without　avail。

On　the　5th　Captain　Maitland；　having　been　summoned　to　the　flag…ship　of
Lord　Keith；　acquainted　General　Bertrand　that　he　would　convey　to　the
Admiral　anything　which　Bonaparte　（who　had　expressed　an　urgent　wish　to　see
his　lordship）　might　desire　to　say　to　him。　　Bertrand　requested　the　captain
to　delay　his　departure　until　a　document；　then　in　preparation；　should　be
completed：　the　〃PROTEST　OF　HIS　MAJESTY　THE　LATE　EMPEROR　OF　THE　FRENCH；
ETC。〃

Captain　Maitland　denied　that　any　snare　was　laid　for　Bonaparte；　either　by
himself　or　by　the　English　Government；　and　stated　that　the　precautions　for
preventing　the　escape　of　Napoleon　from　Rochefort　were　so　well　ordered
that　it　was　impossible　to　evade　them；　and　that　the　fugitive　was　compelled
to　surrender　himself　to　the　English　ship。

On　the　7th　of　August　Bonaparte；　with　the　suite　he　had　selected；　was
transferred　from　the　'Bellerophon'　to　the　'Northumberland'。　　Lord　Keith's
barge　was　prepared　for　his　conveyance　to　the　latter　vessel；　and　his
lordship　was　present　on　the　occasion。　　A　captain's　guard　was　turned　out；
and　as　Napoleon　left　the　'Bellerophon'　the　marines　presented　arms；　and
the　drum　was　beaten　as　usual　in　saluting　a　general　officer。　　When　he
arrived　on　board　the　Northumberland　the　squadron　got　under　weigh；　and
Napoleon　sailed　for　the　place　of　his　final　exile　and　grave。'

　　　　　＇For　the　continuation　of　Napoleon's　voyage　see　Chapter　XIII。＇





End　of　The　Memoirs　of　Napoleon；　V14；　1815