. A life of Napoleon Boneparte:. ing a prisoner meant humiliating him, and of-fensive and unnecessary restrictions were made whichwounded and enraged Napoleon. The effect of this treatment on his character is one of themost interesting studies in connection with the man, and, onthe whole, it leaves one with increased respect and admi-ration for him. He received the announcement of his exilein indignation. He was not a prisoner, he was the guestof England, he said. It was an outrage against the lawsof hospitality to send him into exile, and he would neversubmit voluntarily. When he became convi
. A life of Napoleon Boneparte:. ing a prisoner meant humiliating him, and of-fensive and unnecessary restrictions were made whichwounded and enraged Napoleon. The effect of this treatment on his character is one of themost interesting studies in connection with the man, and, onthe whole, it leaves one with increased respect and admi-ration for him. He received the announcement of his exilein indignation. He was not a prisoner, he was the guestof England, he said. It was an outrage against the lawsof hospitality to send him into exile, and he would neversubmit voluntarily. When he became convinced that theBritish were inflexible in their decision, he thought ofsuicide, and even discussed it with Las Cases. It was themost convenient solution of his dilemma. It would injureno one, and his friends would not be forced then to leavetheir families. It was easier because he had no scrupleswhich opposed it. The idea was finally given up. A manought to live out his destiny, he said, and he decided thathis should be NAPOLEON AT ST. HELENA. By Delaroche. 284 NAPOLEONS SURRENDER TO ENGLAND 285 The most serious concern Napoleon felt in facing hisnew life was that he would have no occupation. He sawat once that St. Helena would not be an Elba. But he reso-lutely made occupations. He sought conversation, studiedEnglish, played games, began to dictate his memoirs. Itis to this admirable determination to find something to do,that we owe his clear, logical commentaries, his essays onCcEsar, Turenne, and Frederick, his sketch of the Republic,and the vast amount of information in the journals ofhis devoted comrades, OMeara, Las Cases, Montholon. But no amount of forced occupation could hide the deso-lation of his position. The island of St. Helena is a mass ofjagged, gloomy rocks; the nearest land is six hundred milesaway. Isolated and inaccessible as it is, the English placedNapoleon in its most sombre and remote part—a placecalled Longwood, at the summit of a mountain,
Size: 1339px × 1867px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectnapoleo, bookyear1901
