Nelson & His World

Since I have a problem with on-screen reading of more than a few pages, I managed to buy a copy of the published version of the conversations with Napoleon: ‘A Diary of St Helena’ by Lady Malcolm. (www.abebooks.co.uk) that I mentioned on another thread. Lady Malcolm was the wife of Sir Pulteney Malcolm who had command of the Cape Station, including St Helena during Napoleon’s exile there. Not all of the conversations took place in Lady Malcolm’s presence; sometimes, she recorded Sir Pulteney’s dictated details of his meetings with Napoleon.

Napoleon was clearly a man of moods: on some occasions, he is in great good humour, flattering and attentive to Lady Malcolm who records that ‘He frequently laughed loud.’ On others, he is querulous and complaining, saying he will not last three years, and upbraiding the Governor, Sir Hudson Lowe, for ensuring that the restrictions (ordered by the Government) on Napoleon and his entourage are scrupulously observed. ‘His [Sir Hudson’s] manners are so displeasing to me that if he were to come and tell me that a frigate was ready to take me to France, and I was at liberty to go where I please, he could not give me pleasure.’ Napoleon said ‘we ought to have confined him in England; he would have liked the Tower or any prison better than St Helena.’

Napoleon dwells much on the past, and has forthright opinions on people and events, and often makes bold generalisations, and frequently speculates on alternative courses that events might have taken, had the protagonists behaved differently. He agreed with Sir Pulteney that Lord Nelson [was] the greatest sea officer who had ever appeared, but insisted that the French had well defended the honour of their flag. He greatly admired Fox. He expands at length on the subject of Egypt, ‘his favourite topic’ to which he reverted frequently. Had Admiral Brueys taken his advice he would have saved his fleet by getting them into Alexandria. He makes critical and astute comments on the political situation in Europe, condemns the restoration of the Bourbons, and insists that he always held the English in the highest esteem, and compares the English aristocracy, ‘the chiefs of the populace’ with the French nobility, ‘a vain, poor set.’ However, on another occasion, he remarks to Sir Pulteney: ‘You are so much of an Englishman there is no reasoning with you; like all Englishmen you think everything your countrymen do must be right, and a foreigner must be wrong.’ The French are ‘a fickle nation’ and much worse besides.

The diary reveals a complex character: intelligent, opinionated, with a wide-ranging curiosity but with decided opinions that indicate a lack of nuance and subtlety in his thinking. Like many deposed tyrants, he is both grandiose and self-pitying, constantly railing at the demeaning position he is in, while poor Sir Hudson is at his wits’ end, finding it impossible to maintain Napoleon and his entourage on the £8000 per annum allowed by the government. Expenditure was nearer £17000. Nevertheless, Napoleon asserts, ‘I have worn the imperial crown of France, the iron crown of Italy; England has now given me a greater and more glorious that either of them – for it is that worn by the Saviour of the world – a crown of thorns. Oppression and every insult that is offered to me only adds to my glory, and it is to the persecutions of England I shall owe the brightest part of my fame.’ He is deeply offended that he is addressed as 'General', not 'Emperor.'

He was clearly an exasperating, difficult, occasionally charming charge who was a great trial to those who were responsible for him.

There is much more of interest in this fascinating, and quite short book.

I should make it clear that the book mentioned above and the on-line version, from notes made by Captain Meynell of HMS Newcastle, are said to be broadly the same - though there are some differences, apparently.

http://www.archive.org/stream/conversat ... h_djvu.txt

I haven't read the on-screen version beyond a few pages. I shall need to print off a hard copy.

Anna,

One can understand then the many problems that Captain Maitland had with Napoleon and his entourage, especially Madame Bertrande, on board the 'Bellerophon' following his capture after Waterloo. It makes very interesting reading and Napoleon's charm was apparent. At least one member of the crew, Midshipman Home, appears to have fallen under its spell and Lord Keith, when approached by Napoleon through Maitland, for an interview with the Prince Regent remarked, 'Damn the fellow, if he had obtained an interview with his Royal Highness, in an hour they would have been the best friends in England.'

Maitland noted that, 'He (Napoleon) possessed, to a wonderful degree, a facility in making a favourable impression upon those with whom he entered into conversation; this appeared to me to be accomplished by turning the subject to matters he supposed the person he was addressing was well acquainted with, and on which he could show himself to good advantage.'

However this charm was more than balanced by his other remarks, Maitland being shocked for example when Napoleon demanded that the captain be made a Rear Admiral. Maitland replied that that was not the way of the service, but that he was not ungrateful for the idea! All in all, I think Captain Maitland was more than grateful however to be relieved of his charge to the 'Northumberland', for passage to St Helena.