THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For JULY, 1822.

ART. I. Napoleon in Exile; or, a Voice from St. Helena. The Opinions and Reflections of Napoleon on the most important Events of his Life and Government, in his own Words. By Barry E. O'Meara, Esq. his late Surgeon. 8vo. 2 Vols. 11. 8s. Boards. Simpkin and Marshall. 1822.

FEW books have been greater favorites with the public than Boswell's Life of Johnson; and, in spite of the occasional displeasure which it may excite by the servility of the narrator, by the trifling nature of the dialogue related, and by the gladiatorial effort at display which the "great man" is so often made to exhibit, it not only maintains its hold on the reader, but has often excited an ardent wish that we had similar records of the habits, opinions, and daily life of other great men, the sages of antiquity and the glory of past times. Certainly, this sort of conversational biography, continued with the perseverance and minuteness which Mr. Boswell manifested, gives us a complete insight into the character of the person who is the object of contemplation, makes us (as it were) his actual companions, and not only renders us acquainted with all that he says and does, but imparts to it the freshness and interest of the passing moment, and impresses the reader as much as if he were the actual auditor or spectator.

Mr. O'Meara appears in the present volumes almost a Boswell of biography, as far as he goes; and, if his hero be a very different character from the sage of Bolt Court, and created as many enemies as the latter excited admirers, still he also was not only an indisputably eminent man, but played a part on the great theatre of life much exceeding that of Johnson in activity, in splendor, and in influence over the fortunes of his contemporaries. In various respects, indeed, the comparison of the two biographies of the Goliath of Literature and the Goliath of Empires-will not maintain. itself; and most particularly in this: that Boswell portrays, his sitter through a large portion of his career, and always in the calm relations of literary and private life: while Mr. REV. JULY, 1822. O'Meara's

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O'Meara's picture represents only a stormy setting sun, declining amid clouds, after a day of feverish effulgence, and sinking almost unnoticed into the obscurity of dreary night.

The small period of time, therefore, which this work embraces, the peculiar circumstances in which the object of it was placed during that interval, and the tinge which those circumstances must give to his mind, prevent these details from having that universality of personal bearing, that generality of attraction, or that placidity of event, which belong to Boswell's memoranda. For the same reasons, moreover, they cannot serve as so complete a delineation of the character who is brought before us; and the peculiar situation of that individual himself prevents him from being invested with the tranquillity of mind, and the freedom from suspicion, which belong to the representation of Samuel Johnson. His conversations, therefore, his opinions, his assertions, and his complaints, must be received with "grains of allowance;" the proportion of which will depend on the judgment of his character that each reader of the book may have formed. It is yet in vain to expect an impartial and adequate estimate of such a man as Napoleon Bonaparte: but it is time for every reflecting, discerning, and candid mind, to divest itself of much of the acrimonious feeling, and wholesale condemnation, that he excited during his plenary possession of that mixed and transient gift, earthly power. We have had frequent opportunities of expressing our ideas respecting him and his actions, we hope with the calmness, the information, and the discrimination which ought to belong to us; and we do not know that those ideas are altered by a perusal of this work: but some points of character, some motives of action, and some acts themselves, may be placed by it in a different light to the general eye, as far as, (according to our preceding remark,) under allthe circumstances, they can even now be viewed without dis

trust.

The chief purpose of utility, perhaps, to which the volumes will conduce, is the illustration of events, and of other characters, to which the conversations of Napoleon with the writer referred; and this subserviency to the ends of history must still be limited by the considerations already stated.

With regard to the authenticity of these details, we see no ground for doubt. As to the visitations inflicted on the author, in consequence of his attendance on Bonaparte, and his undeniable partiality towards him, it is not a point which we shall now discuss, nor is it new to the general reader; Mr. O'Meara having addressed the public in various ways, and at several times, on this subject; and in 1819 having

printed

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printed a small octavo volume, intitled "An Exposition of some of the Transactions that have taken Place at St. Helena," &c. Of that work many parts appear also in the volumes be fore us, excepting the conversations of Napoleon: none of which there occur. Even as to the more important question respecting the treatment experienced by Napoleon himself, from the British officers who ruled over him at St. Helena, we are tempted to waive the discussion, for more than one reason. In the first place, it is not a topic of literary examination, adapted to the office and functions of literary censors: but, still more, it is a topic on which we consider it as impossible for us to arrive at the exact truth, if we debate it to the utmost extension. Constantly and obtrusively as the imperfections of our common nature are before us, we are all too apt to forget them in judging of others; and rarely as we can find in the case of two parties quarrelling that either is totally free from blame, we are too ready to espouse one side and oppose the other without restriction or allowance. Even if at the commencement of a quarrel the right should be wholly on one side, and the behaviour of the supporter of it be blameless, this state of things is not likely to continue; for the influence of persevering opposition and irritation must produce a corresponding effect on every human mind.

We shall speak only in general terms, therefore, of one great and pervading feature of these volumes: the complaints of Napoleon concerning the conduct manifested towards him by Sir Hudson Lowe, the British governor of St. Helena, and his sentiments respecting that officer. According to the representations of Mr. O'Meara, a dislike of Sir Hudson was conceived by Napoleon almost immediately on seeing him, and the rigor of the governor's system was perfectly adequate to maintain and to augment such a feeling. Certainly, no reserve or moderation on the part of Napoleon is observed in expressing it, either directly or indirectly, orally or by written communication; and, on the other hand, the hostile feeling of the governor towards his prisoner, as well as the intemperate language used by him, is rendered amply manifest in several of the author's statements. (See, for instance, vol. i. pages 118. 366. 384, &c. &c.) In one place, (i. 507.) Sir Hudson is oddly made to excite a singular inference, as a matter of argument, by observing, on the favorable opinion of the late Lord Cornwallis which Bonaparte had declared, that "Lord Cornwallis was too honest a man to deal with him." riously speaking, however, there can be no doubt that Sir Hudson was deemed by our government a fit man " to deal with him," and we apprehend that they have expressed no dissatisfaction at their choice or at his conduct. It cannot be

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denied that Sir Hudson Lowe had a difficult part to act: that so had Napoleon, in a different respect; and that so had Mr. O'Meara, in his situation. Faults, therefore, were probably committed by all; and neither have we the means nor is it our duty to hold the scales, and declare the exact balance between their merits and their demerits. It will not, we imagine, be urged that Sir Hudson erred on the score of consideration or leuity, accommodation or confidence; - he did not say or feel,

-"Victrix causa Diis placuit, sed victa Catoni;” — he saw before him no great man in adversity, whose talents and achievements demanded respect, whose misfortunes excited sympathy, whose faults were in a course of expiation, and whose manners conciliated regard, but a once formidable enemy, now completely within his power, whom it was unavoidable for him to behold with indignation, whom it was his feeling to visit with retributive mortification, and whom it was his duty to guard from escape with unremitting care and insurmountable obstacles. As to Mr. O'Meara, that he did not always act prudently we may judge from his own relation in many instances, and particularly in one, vol. ii. p. 385., where we find him communicating to Napoleon the treatment he had experienced the day before at Plantation House,' from the governor, which could only serve to add to the ill will and ill humour of the Ex-Emperor. Still we conceive that the usage of "the Doctor" was unjustifiably harsh. - Of Bonaparte's own murmurs, perhaps the best defence is that he did not arraign the measures of Sir George Cockburne, his first governor, but spoke of him with commendation, though he said that he regarded him as a stern and even imperious superintendant.

We shall now dismiss this ungrateful subject, and attend to the information which we here obtain relative to Napoleon's opinions of various men, and transactions, that have been conspicuous in the progress of the late eventful years.

In perusing these volumes, we could not but be surprized to observe how numerous were the topics on which, more Boswelliano, the author sought for information from his ExImperial patient. Indeed, if Mr. O'Meara very willingly and in this case literally lent an ear to Napoleon, which was frequently pulled by him, more Bonaparteiano, the latter appears to have been quite as well disposed to talk as the Doctor was to listen and to record. We are told, too, (vol. i. p. 430.) that Bonaparte, when speaking of Mr. Warden's publication about him*, remarked to Mr. O'Meara, that

* "Letters from H. M. Ship Northumberland." vol. lxxxi. p. 418.

See Review,

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when he (Mr. O'M.) went to England he also would probably make a book about him: adding, You certainly have a better right to publish about me than Warden, and you can say that you have heard me say many things, and have had long conversations with me. You would gain a great deal of money, and every body would believe you. Truly, no French physician has ever been so much about me as you have been. I saw them only for a few minutes.' - Of Mr. Warden's work he said that it was incorrect in many respects, apparently owing to that gentleman not having accurately understood the French language, in which they conversed; and he proceeded to point out several instances of misconception.

Many important topics occur in this narrative to which we should be disposed to advert, but that we find them all introduced in Mr. Warden's Letters, and in our account of that publication; and that in general the statements agree so essentially, that it would be repetition to extract them. It should be added, however, that this circumstance tends much to support the assertions of Napoleon on the points in question; such as the death of Captain Wright, the execution of the Duke d'Enghien, the shooting of the Turkish prisoners in Egypt, Bonaparte's profession of Mohammedanism, the poisoning of the sick French troops at Jaffa, the threatened invasion of England, the battle of Waterloo, on suicide, &c. On the subject of his own career, Napoleon is stated to have made and repeated some strong and extraordinary assertions

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"Nothing has been more simple than my elevation. It was not the result of intrigue or crime. It was owing to the peculiar circumstances of the times, and because I fought successfully against the enemies of my country. What is most extraordinary, and I believe unparalleled in history, is, that I rose from being a private person to the astonishing height of power I possessed, without having committed a single crime to obtain it. If I were on my death-bed, I could make the same declaration." 'While walking about the room, he asked, "What sort of a man did you take me to be, before you became my surgeon? What did you think of my character, and what I was capable of? Give me your real opinion frankly." I replied, I thought you to be a man, whose stupendous talents were only to be equalled by your measureless ambition, and although I did not give credit to one-tenth part of the libels which I had read against you, still, I believed, that you would not hesitate to commit a crime, when you found it to be necessary, or thought it might be useful to you, "This is just the answer that I expected," replied Napoleon, "and is perhaps the opinion of Lord Holland, and even of numbers of the French. I have risen to too great a pitch of human glory and elevation not to have excited the envy and jealousy of mankind. They will say, 'It is true that he has raised himself to ૨૩

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