considered personal and private property. She left all the palaces newly and superbly furnished, with plate, linen, pictures, &c. &c. &c.; two hundred horses in the stables, and one hundred and eight carriages. The king found the national debt cleared off; though in 1789 it amounted to twenty-nine millions, and was considerably increased during the interval of their majesties' absence in Sicily. All this, however, has not softened the implacable king, whose hatred to the name of Murat is so inveterate, that on the occasion of a law process, which occurred at Naples, 1820, the name of Madame Murat occurring in the course of evidence, the crown lawyer, to avoid mentioning her name, called her "La Moglie dell' occupazione militaire," "the wife of the military occupation." It is said in Naples that nothing would satisfy the king, but the life of the unfortunate Murat; and that half doubtful of the good news being true when it reached him, he expressed himself like the vindictive little boy in the drama of the "Children in the Wood"-" Kill him again, Walter-kill him again."

BLACAS' PAPERS.

On the emperor's arrival in Paris on the evening of the 20th of March, 1815, he found, on one of the tables, a vast number of documents of the most treasonable nature; but the most complete records of baseness, deceit, and villany, were found in the apartments of M. Blacas, grand master of the wardrobe, and minister of the household; these were filled with plans, reports, and petitions of every kind. There were few of these papers in which

the writers did not put themselves forward at the expense of Napoleon, whom they were far from expecting to return. They formed altogether such a mass, that the emperor was obliged to appoint a committee of four persons to examine them; he afterwards thought he was to blame in not having confided that office to a single individual, and with such injunctions that he might have felt confident nothing was suffered to escape. He afterwards had reason to believe that these papers might have afforded some salutary hints respecting the treachery which surrounded him on his return from Waterloo.

Among these papers, Napoleon experienced the mortification to meet with some containing the most infamous remarks respecting himself personally; and those too in the very hand-writing of individuals who only the day before had assembled round him, and were already in the enjoyment of his fa

vours.

The first impulse of his indignation was to determine that they should be printed, and to withdraw his protection: a second thought restrained him. "We are so volatile, so inconstant, so easily led away," said he, "that after all, I could not be certain that those very people had not really and spontaneously come back to my service: in that case, I should have been punishing them at the very time when they were returning to their duty. I thought it better to seem to know nothing of the matter, and I ordered all their letters to be burnt."

VOL. V.

ENTHUSIASTIC ADMIRATION OF THE FRENCH TROOPS.

DURING the Russian expedition, orders were given to go into winter quarters at Smolensko; but the emperor having reconnoitered the ground upon which the battle of Volentino had been fought, and the lofty heights which had been carried with so much bravery by General Gudiu's division, could no longer contain himself, but exclaimed, “With such troops, one might go to the end of the world— to Moscow !"

GENERAL VANDAMME.

GENERAL VANDAMME, when made prisoner by the Russians, was brought before the Emperor Alexander, who reproached him in bitter terms with being a robber, a plunderer, and a murderer; adding, that no favour could be granted to such an execrable character. This was followed by an order that he should be sent to Siberia, whilst the other prisoners were sent to a much less northern destination. Vandamme replied, with great sang froid," It may be, sire, that I am a robber and a plunderer; but at least I have not to reproach myself with having soiled my hands with the blood of a father!!"

THE IMPROVEMENT OF LONDON SUGGESTED.

NAPOLEON asked Mr. O'Meara a number of queștions about London, of which he had lent him a history. He appeared to be well acquainted with the

contents of the book, though he had not had it in his possession many days; described the plates, and tried to repeat several of the cries;-said that if he had been King of England, he would have made a grand street on each side of the Thames, and another from St. Paul's to the river.

THE EMPEROR'S OPINION OF FOUCHE.

"FOUCHE is a miscreant of all colours, a priest, a terrorist, and one who took an active part in many bloody scenes in the revolution. He is a man who can worm all your secrets out of you with an air of calmness and unconcern. He is very rich," added he, "but his riches were badly acquired. There was a tax upon gambling houses in Paris, but, as it was an infamous way of gaining money, I did not like to profit by it, and therefore ordered that the amount of the tax should be appropriated to an hospital for the poor. It amounted to some millions; but Fouché, who had the collecting of the impost, put many of them into his own pockets, and it was impossible for me to discover the real yearly sum total. I always thought that it would be Talleyrand who would hang Fouché! perhaps they will go to the gallows together. The Bishop is a Fox, the Orator is a Tiger."

THE POPE IN PARIS.

POPE PIUS the Sixth was described by one deep read in human character, who had lived in habits of intimacy with the holy father, as blending in his

character the eager curiosity and simplicity of a recluse, with great natural shrewdness and intelligence; Paris opened a new scene of observation to this dignified monk, and he expressed his wonder and admiration, with all the naivete and frankness of childhood. "I have seen a great deal," he observed to one whom Napoleon had recommended to bim as a Ciceroni, “but I have not yet seen the Palais Royal; pray let us go there."—" St. Pére,” returned the baron," c'est impossible," adding, that it would commit the character of his holiness, and compromise the discretion of his guide. "But I would go," replied the pope, eagerly, travestito da curato." This extraordinary masquerade did not, however, take place.

deux sous!"

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While the pope remained in Paris, a number of idle boys made a trade of assembling under his windows, to sell his benediction, which they did by crying, "Les benedictions du très St. Pére, pour "The benedictions of the most holy father, for one penny!" and when they had collected a crowd, and received the money, they commenced an outcry, calling on the pope to appear, and to bestow his benediction; in the same manner as the English mob called for "Blucher" and "the Emperor," when those personages were in London. The pope always complied with their demand, appeared, and gave the required benediction, perfectly unconscious of the trick that was played on him. His amiable manners won golden opinions from all who had access to him; and as far as he was known in France, either as a guest, or as a prisoner, he was popular, pitied, and admired.