The events which followed Leipzig are bearing their fruit; the heads of the Coalition have been called in, and 'Boney' is being subjected to rigorous treatment; he is seated on a throne constructed of skeletons and skulls, wrapped round with the Imperial purple, powdered with his emblems; but the bees are taking flight and forsaking their protégé; Field Marshal Prince Blucher is offering the sufferer, who is sick in extremity, a huge goblet to be quaffed to the dregs—'Blucher's black draught.' The crown and sceptre of tyranny and all the 'Corsican's' conquests, Portugal, Vienna, Poland, Milan, Spain, Rome, Moscow, Holland, Switzerland, Vienna, Saxony, Florence, Dantzig, &c., have been disgorged. The figure of Father Time has winged his way to reckon with the usurper; his hourglass is held aloft, and with a golden extinguisher Time is about to snuff Boney out. Wellington, the Emperor Alexander of Russia, the Emperor of Austria, and the Crown Prince are in attendance to see the last of their troublesome enemy. France is once more freed, joyful and smiling; the labours of agriculture are resumed, and three symbolical nymphs are executing a joyful dance appropriate for the occasion, and supporting the arms of the restored Bourbons.
April 25, 1814. Nap Dreading his doleful Doom, or his grand entry into the Isle of Elba. Published by T. Tegg (328).—The general has arrived in his island kingdom, according to the satirist; the ship which conveyed the abdicated monarch is riding in the bay; Boney's luggage has just been set on the shore by a smaller craft; a single guard, one of the Mamelukes, is sitting disconsolately by the diminished effects of his master. The somewhat squalid inhabitants, Nap's future subjects, are crowding down the rocks with vulgar curiosity, pressing onwards through a narrow pass leading to the shore; they seem inclined to ridicule the deserted state of their distinguished guest, who is plunged into dejection at his prospects.
Woe is me, seeing what I have seen,
And seeing what I see!
A coarse stout female is patting the exile familiarly on the back and offering him her pipe by way of hospitality: 'Come, cheer up, my little Nicky; I'll be your Empress!'
May 1, 1814. The Tyrant of the Continent is Fallen; Europe is Free; England Rejoices. Published by R. Ackermann, 101 Strand.—The 'Corsican' is exposed to a worse fate than fell to Belshazzar; his conquests are taken from him, the throne of state is overset, the Imperial purple is stripped from his shoulders, the diadem and sceptre have fallen; the sovereignties, crowns, and dignities which were his playthings are swept away; the once almost master of the world is now in a desperate strait; his person is seized by the Father of Evil, who is claiming his due; the presence of the Foul Fiend has disturbed Napoleon less than the hand of Fate: 'Empire and victory be all forsaken to plagues, poverty, disgrace, and shame. Strip me of all my dignities and crowns. Take oh take your sceptres back. Spare me but life!' An arm of vengeance, appearing from the clouds, has effectually paralysed the faculties of the conscience-smitten conqueror; a flaming sword is hanging over his devoted head, and a voice of terror is proclaiming retribution:—
Thou'rt doom'd to pains at which the damn'd will tremble,
And take their own for joys.
May 1, 1814. Boney turned Moralist. Published by R. Ackermann.—1. What I was—a cruel tyrant. The Emperor is shown in all his glory of empire and conquest, his back to the Palace of the Tuileries, and dressed in the robes of state, the purple mantle on his shoulders, the diadem on his head, the orb and sceptre in his hands; his feet raised on crowns of vanquished kings, and potentates enslaved to prop his state.
2. What I am—a snivelling wretch.—The general is seen in solitary abandonment on the island rock which constituted his miniature kingdom of Elba, shedding tears over 'the brief history of my life, which I intend to publish.' This view is, like most of the deductions of satirists, rather beyond the strict veracity of the case. Bonaparte showed himself during his stay in Elba, as it will be remembered, both active and cheerful-minded; and it is recorded that he would discuss with the visitors—who flocked to his miniature kingdom from motives of curiosity—his present condition and his past state with pleasant humour and even jocularity.
3. What I ought to be—hung for a fool.—The figure of Napoleon, with an ass's ears added, is suspended on a gallows.
May 1, 1814. Irish Jaunting Car.—Hull, Esq., del. Etched by T. Rowlandson. Published by T. Rowlandson, 1 James Street, Adelphi.