“The periods preceding and following that period will be prepared and arranged by the other gentlemen. In making the extracts, the plan already prescribed to M. Montholon must be followed; that is, of extracting all that relates to one event, and referring to the page and month.
The following will be the great events of this period:—
- “1st, History of the flotilla.
- “2d, Declaration of Austria.
- “3d, Movements of the fleets.
- “4th, Battle of Trafalgar.
- “5th, Ulm—Austerlitz.
- “6th, Peace of Vienna.
- “7th, Negotiation of Lord Lauderdale at Paris.
- “8th, Battle of Jena.
- “To be inserted in their respective places:—
- “1st, Conspiracy of Georges.
- “2d, Affair of the Duc d’Enghien.
- “3d, Coronation of the Emperor, by the Pope.
- “4th, Imperial organization.
“This will be one of the most glorious periods of the history of France; for it exhibits, in the space of one year, on one side a Pope coming to France to crown an Emperor,—an event which had not taken place for one thousand years before; and, on the other, the French flag waving over the capitals of Austria and Prussia, the Roman empire dissolved, and the Prussian monarchy destroyed.”
I take pleasure in transcribing literally the above dictation of the Emperor’s, with his first ideas and in his first words, in order to shew his style and manner.
It will be easily conceived with what zeal and ardour both my son and myself devoted ourselves to this our task, the importance of which we fully appreciated. We had not yet completed the analysis of our six months, when I was torn from Longwood.
ON A HOLE IN THE GARDEN.
29th.—During dinner somebody mentioned a pool which stands in our garden, not far from the house, and which is deep enough to admit of a lamb having once been drowned in it, in attempting to drink. The Emperor said on that occasion, to one of the inmates of the house: “Is it possible, Sir, that you have not yet had this pool filled up? How guilty you would be, and what would not your grief be, if your son were to be drowned in it, as it might easily happen!” The person thus censured answered that he had often intended to have it done, but that it was impossible to get workmen. “That is not an excuse,” said the Emperor sharply: “if my son were here, I should go and fill it up with my own hands.”
The Emperor was already in bed when he sent for me: he wished, he said, to put some questions to me, and to inquire concerning some dates connected with matters which concerned us materially. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .