what could have prevented me from remaining concealed for years among a people who were all attached to me. But I preferred to settle as a private individual in England."

Bunbury went to London to report the terms of this appeal. A few days later Napoleon put the substance of it into writing, as follows :

"I here protest solemnly, in the face of Heaven and of mankind, against the violence done me, against the violation of my most sacred rights, in disposing by force of my person and my liberty.

“I came voluntarily on board the Bellerophon; I am not a prisoner; I am the guest of England. I came on board even at the instigation of the Captain who said he had the orders of his Government to receive me, and to conduct me to England with my suite if that was agreeable to me. I presented myself in good faith to place myself under the protection of the laws of England. Once on board the Bellerophon I was on the hearth of the British people. If the Government when giving orders to the Captain of the Bellerophon to receive me and my suite intended merely to lay a snare for me, it has forfeited its honour and disgraced its flag. If this act should be consummated it will be in vain for the English to boast to Europe of their loyalty, their laws, their liberty. British good faith will be gone in the hospitality of the Bellerophon. I appeal to history; it will say that an enemy who for twenty years made war against the British nation, came freely, in his misfortune, to seek an asylum under her laws. What more brilliant proof could he give of his esteem and his confidence? But what return did England make to such magnanimity? They feigned to proffer a hospitable hand to that enemy, and when he had delivered himself up in good faith, they sacrificed him.

"NAPOLEON."

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As we have shown, Maitland told Las Cases that he was authorized to take Napoleon to England, but that he could not give any guarantee as to his reception, this qualification being repeated and emphasized, and quite understood; it was regarded as a rebuff by the party of fugitives at Aix, who turned at once to consider plans for escape. The charge of perfidy now brought against Maitland was for public consumption. In private, Napoleon said to Maitland: Certainly I made no conditions; how could an individual enter into terms with a nation? As for you, Capitaine, I have no cause of complaint; your conduct to me has been that of a man of honour." He was, indeed, so pleased with Maitland, that he said he wished to ask the Prince Regent to promote him to Rear-Admiral. And when Maitland complained to Montholon of the insinuation of Las Cases that he had promised that Napoleon would be well received, Montholon replied: "Las Cases attributes the Emperor's situation to himself, and is therefore desirous of giving it the best countenance he can; but I assure you that the Emperor is convinced your conduct has been most honourable." In the Mémorial, Las Cases gives the case away. He says: "When there was no resource left but to accept the hospitality of the Bellerophon, it was not, perhaps, without a kind of secret inward satisfaction that he saw himself irresistibly driven to it by the force of events.”1

At St. Helena Napoleon was in the habit of asserting that he would have been well received in Russia or in Austria. But, as already noticed, he told Hortense as early as 21st June, that he would never trust himself to either Power, and now on the Bellerophon, when Russia was mentioned in conversation, he hastily exclaimed, "La Russie, Dieu m'en garde!" In a confidential report sent at this time from Paris to London, it was asserted that when the Allied Sovereigns were asked for an armistice, the King of Prussia and the Czar of Russia demanded as a preliminary that 1 “Mémorial de Sainte-Hélène," May 26th, 1816.

THE

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By Planat

Napoleon should be put to death, while the Emperor Francis voted for imprisonment for life.1 Napoleon was well acquainted with the feelings of these Sovereigns towards him; he knew that Wellington had spoken out strongly against the death sentence, and that among the English at least his life would be safe. From the first he foresaw that, St. Helena having been much spoken of during the Elba sojourn, that island would probably now be his destination. With that expectation, he fled from the Continent to the milder embrace of the most generous of his enemies, to be guarded by British sailors, the only people in the world amongst whom he had no fear for his life.

The proposal to send Napoleon to St. Helena had been first suggested by Lord Liverpool, the Prime Minister, on the 15th July, before it was known in England that he had surrendered himself. In a letter to Lord Castlereagh, who was in Paris, Liverpool said that England was prepared to take charge of the person of Napoleon on behalf of the Allies, and that the Cape or St. Helena were the most suitable places for his detention.2

On the 20th July, Liverpool received the news of Napoleon's surrender. He wrote to Castlereagh as follows:

"FIFE HOUSE, July 20th, 1815.

"MY DEAR CASTLEREAGH,

"I have this moment received your letter of the 17th instant, with the intelligence of the surrender of Bonaparte, of which I wish you joy.

"We are all decidedly of opinion that it would not answer to confine him in this country. Very nice legal questions might arise upon the subject, which would be particularly embarrassing. But, independent of these considerations, you know enough of the feelings of people in this country not to doubt he would become an object of curiosity imme

1 Wellington, Supp. Desp. XI, 45.

2 Castlereagh's Letters, 3rd series, vol. ii, p. 430.