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fity, to commit felf-deftru&ion, or
to have perished vainly, tt the head
of a few remaining, faithful and
desperate followers, who mult ine
vitably have (hared his fate.
It is remarkable, what opposite
opinions are entertained of the cha
ra&qr of this last aft. Some assert,
it would have been better to have
died by his own hand ; others, to
have headed the wreck of the army
on the Loire, and have perished
with them I But men do not re
member, Bonaparte, after the battle
of Mount Saihtf John, made an Bf
fer to the provisional government
to head the army, divide the British
and Prussian forces, and to save the
Capital . ‘Phis offer was fajefted /*
It was then that he law all hopes
were loft. It was then he petceiv
ed, that “ there %as something rot
ten in the state.” The people or
the government had fold tihem
felves; and the man whom they
had exposed to the vengeancemf
potentates, was deferred !
The few brave fellows who had re
tired upon the Loire, would only
have fallen an useless facrifice to
overpowering numbers, 1 & had he
perished, posterity would have said
he died the death of Cataline.
Had Bonaparte, hopeless of all ef
forts, retired into fome desolate
corner, and taken poiFon—the cry
would hase been, the coward . could
not live after the loss of empire !
But the loss of empire has been*
twice his fate. Had he pofftfted
the obstinacy of Achii.ees, when
the offer was made for his return
from Elba, he might have exclaim
ed,
Wrong* din my hopes, all proffers I
disdain,
<e Deceived for once, I trust not men ‘
agaifiP j
But Bonaparte did trust them, and I
his been again Received, He has i
fallen from po#er but not from
dignity. His personal influence
feecns already to have formed a
roifnd him, the proteftion, which
talents and cheerfulnefs under mil
fortune, must command. As in
the day of prosperity, he appeared to *
have commanded fortune, so will
he not fufier his foul to be deprelf
ed, when she has fled his preience.
Phe confidence he has in iiis own j
intelleftual resources, the philo- <
fophic calmness and rich acquire- 1
ments he has won from Time, will ’
rtill lift him. above all ordinary
mortals, with a wing more equable,
but not as daring, as the presump
tion which railed him to glory,
only todafh him d-own with greater
velocity. The charafteriftic of the
man is ftiil forSmoft in all his ac
tions. He fears no reiults. He
afts, and leaves the consequences to
futurity. Quid times, exclaimed
daring Roman, Ccesarem veftis !
OF N APOLEON.
The following letter will not,
perhaps, be unintereiling to our
readers:
“‘BellerophoHy Plymouth Aug. 2.
“It was on Sunday the papers
announced the determination of
fending Bonaparte to Sr. Helena,
and as he regularly enquires for
them, perusing, with the afliftance
of madame’ Bertand, almost evdry
item, that part did not long escape
his notice. Indeed it was now
publicly spoken of by every person.
Before this I had heard it was his
determination never to quit the
ship alive to be sent to St. Helena ;
and madame Bertrand informed
*:;e or rending the above, he had
again pontively asserted they fho.uld
firft take his life.
“On Saturday evening he had
the marks of much agitation in his
countenance. On Monday, when
he officially learnt hi§ destination,
he remained on the deck but a short
time, and appeared as pale as death
YBfterday-he was something better.
I fear, on the arrival of the North
umberland, we shall witness fome
tragic scene. You know we are
not the (hip destined toxonvey him
to St. Helena.
“ A circumstance occurred last
Sunday night which seemed to be
very near being a beginning to the
scene I mentioned above At a
bout nine o’clock marlhal and ma
dame Betrand were walking on the
opposite fide of the deck to where
I was, in earnest conyerfation—
fuddenly madame B. rufiled into
Napoleon’s cabin, threw herfelf at
his feet for agbout half a minute,
then flying binow to her own cabin,
threw herfelf nearly out of the stern
window, when (lie was fortunately
caught by the leg by gen. Mont
holen. She continued delirious
the whole night. To day she is
better. -
“On the following morning
lord Keith and major gen. 11. Bun
bury, waited upon him, informing
him it was the determination of the
allied foverergns to fend him to the
above place, and granted permis
sion to take with him part of his
suite, with the exception of those
proscribed, Savary, Lallemand and
Bertrand. I ‘mnderftand he sent
forcapt. Maitland, and again affu*
red the admiral and general it Was
his fixed relolution never to quit
tfits (hip alive.
“ Notwithstanding the news has
greatly affected him, he continues
to shew himfelf for about 20 min
utes every evening to the really as
tonishing number of people, which
L think daily increases. It is with
great difficulty the men of war’s
boats prevent the crowd from ap
proaching too near the (hip. He
now continues but a short time on
the gang-way, and is visible only
to the inside boats. There is no
troth in the account of his having
taken polfeffion, inan authoritative
manner, of capt. Maitland’s cabin.
“ We are so full in the ship, and
all of us given up our cabins and
wardrooms to Bonaparte’s suite,
that we have been forced to ileep
on deck.
“ We are anxious to know whe
ther it is intended to give up all
persons proscribed. Lallemand
has written a letter to the prince
regent, (fating the manner in which
he , treated fome English prisoners,
to whom he wishes a reference to
be made.
“ Bonaparte has written another
letter, from which he seems to have
hopes of being permitted to remain
in this country ”
Sir H. Bunbury went on board
the Bellerophon on Tuesday morn
ing, to announce to Bonaparte the
determination of government as to
his future destination. When St
Helena vvas mentioned, Napoleon,
it is said exclaimed, that he could
not that the report which
he had heard of such a determina
j iioa would have been officially con
firmed ; that no power on earth
should force him to leave the Bel
lerophon on such a voyage ; that
he would not go alive out of the
found; and that if his purpose was
prevented, he hoped that he could
rely on his officers to put an end
to his existence. When he ap
peared, as usual in the evening, be
fore tfie multitudes afloat, he.look
ed extremely dejefted and unwell.
Such are the reports circulated
since the visit of Sir. H- Bun
bury, A and which continued to cir
culateat Plymouth dock uncontra
difted In the mean time the
Northumberland, &c. are hourly
looked for.
Shortly after Sir H. Bunbury
had quitted the ship, an order was
issued to keep all boats in future at >
cable’s length 5 from her. It was
found impossible, however to carry
the orders into effeft on that day,
and on Wednesday evening the
difficulty was nearly as great as on
Tuesday.—The press of boats is o
verwhelming ; and among such
multitudes of persons as are col
lefted, any othePmeafure than of
using gun boats would be attended
with mod disastrous consequences.
% ISLAND OF St. HELENA.
St. Helena , which is to be the
future residence of Bonaparte, is an
island in theS. Atlantic ocean, held
by,the English East-India company.
Its circumference is about twenty
miles, and has the appearance at a
distance of a rock rjiing out of the
ocean, being only accessible at one
particular lpot, where the town is
erefted in a valley at the bottom
of a bay, between tyvo steep dreary
mountains. Tire buildings both
public and private, are plain but
neat. It has fome mountains, par
ticularly one called Diana’s Peak,
which is covered with woods to the
very top —ruo woods.J There
are other hills aifo whicn bear evi
dent marks ot a volcanic origin $
and fome have huge rocks of lava,
and a kind of half vitrified flags.
The country, however, is far from
being barren: the little hills are
covered with rich verdure, and in
terspersed with fertile valleys, which
contain gardens, orchards, and va
rious plantations. The vaileys
are watered by rivulets, and the
mountains, in the centre of the ifl
ahd, are covered with wood. The
foil which covers the rocks and
mountains is, in general, a rich
mound, from fix to ten inches deep,
clothed with a variety of plants and
lhrubs. The walks of peach trees,
loaded with fruit which have
a peculiar rich flavor * but theo
tber European fruit trees and vines,
which have been planted here do
not all succeed.
Cabbage, and other greens thrive
extremely well, but are devoured
by catterpiilars ; as aye the barley
and other kinds of grain, by the
rats, which are very numerous.—
The ground, for these reasons, is
laid out chiefly in pastures, the ver
dure ot which is surprising; and
the island can support 3000 head
of their final! cattle.— They have
English sheep here, and a fmali
breed of horses with goat* and rab
bits. The number of inhabitants
on the island does not exceed 2000,
including nearsoofoldiers, & about
600 slaves, who are supplied with
all forts of manufaftures by the
company’s (hips, in return for re
frefhments ; and many of the slaves
are employed in catching fifh, which
are very plentiful. This island is
fiuated between the continents of
Africa and South-America, about
1200 m. VV. of the former and
1800 E. of the latter.
Tne Bourbons.
The names ,of fome of the Bour
bon family so frequently recurs in
the papers, that a short notice of
them refpeftively appears desirable.
When Louis XVIII. afcencfed
the thronS in 1774, there were in
France ofamiiies of the royal blood,
viz:— 1. reigning family. 2. fam
ily of Orleans. 3. of Conde. 4of
Contij. 5.’ of Penthievre, (the last
a legitimated family, viz : its parent
stock born out of wedlock, but ■
acknowledged.) !
There were, besides, in Europe,
3 families decended from the house
of Bourbon, viz—one in Spain,
one in Naples and one in Parma^
Louis Stanillaus Xavier, now
Louis the 18th, was born Nov. 17,
1755. * a
Charles Phillip, count d’Artois, ‘
3d brother to Louis XVI. was born
Oftober 9, 1775.
The duke d’Angouleme, eldest:
son to count d’Artois, was born i
August 6th. 1775.
Maria iherefa, Charlotte, Duch
ess of Angouleme, (Daughter of
Louis XVI, and firft cousin to her.
husband) was born Dec. 19, 1778.
N. B- By the falic law, women did
not inherit the crown of France.
The lilies do not spin , was the ad
a g e -
-1 he duke of Berri, second son to
the count d’Artois, was born Jan.
24, 1778.
Philip, duke of Orleans, son cf
the nojed Egalite, was born Oft 6.
He afterwards came to the United
States, through which he travelled
with his t\Vo brothers, one of whom
is since dead. Philip taught French
in Canada—he was once a republi
can; he since became reconciled to
Louis XVIII. having, of course ab
jured former principles.
The mother of Phillip d’Orleans
is a daughter” of the,virtuous duke
of Penthievre If her husband’s
life was a tifiue of infamy, her own
is a bright pattern of whatever is
atnaible or attraftive in the female
charafter. She is on earth a fuf
fering angel. Bonaparte is said to
have lately fettled on her a large
pertfion. Her misfortunes did not
come from him. Let this little di
gression be excused. We havei
seen her so often at Anet, Vernon ‘
and other places, visiting the abodes
of indigence and fickoefs, encour
aging industry, disseminating piety
and virtue, in all which she was
accompanied and aided by her ven
erable father, that we cannot for
bear adding our distant blessing to
those, which, we doubt not, (he
ftiil continues to receive.—Her o
ther children, not being conspicu
ous at present, are not mentioned
here. . , >
The branch of Conde has been
remarkable for courage and gallant
ry. The prince of Conde long
headed the Emigrants. The high
qualities and the melancholy fate
of the duke d’Enghien, are well
known.
Ihe Bourbons are reproached
with degeneracy. Religious ideas
and a faftious dignity prevented
their intermarrying with protestant
families of royal rank abroad, or in
noble families of the kingdom.-
Their connubial connexions were j
confined to the catholic houses of
Austria, Savoy, Spain, Bavaria and
Bourbon. National history re
quires no more to account for that
degeneracy. Moral causes, ftiil
more efficient, might be adduced
to aid the explanation—We leave
the talk to others. Strange, yet
necessary decline of dynasties ! In
evitable effefts of luxury, inertnefs*
