the menial-if I became an official slave instead of an honest servant-if I courted power, by straining my loyalty to suit the purposes of mean vexation and unmanly vengeanceif I lifted up my hoof against the dead lion, or displayed my pigmy prowess by a dastard warfare upon the helpless infirmities of a fallen enemy; I should not only have had no opportunities of access, but I should have been proscribed Napoleon's, and man's society. But I acted altogether upon different principles; after having devoted the best fifteen years of my life to combating his soldiers in the field, and on the wave, I forgot when he was my country's prisoner, that he had ever been my country's foe. I thought the conquest of clemency, superior even to that of valour, and that a proud country should make her enemies confess, not only that she conquered, but that she deserved to conquer. In such a place as St. Helena, there could have been no danger from the worst man's deviating into feelings of humanity; fenced round, as it is, with the most frightful precipices, with only one practicable place of egress, and that one not only bristling with cannon, and crowded with guards, but effectually barri

cadoed by our squadron, escape could scarcely have been effected by a miracle. The simple precaution which Napoleon himself suggested, of never suffering any ship to sail, until his actual safety should be ascertained, might have obviated the necessity of almost any other. Having said thus much upon the motives by which my conduct has been actuated, I have only to add, that although I shall contemptuously pass by any anonymous insinuations, I am ready to meet any charge before any tribunal whatsoever, where the truth can be investigated. Let me only have an opportunity of proof and a responsible In the face of the world, I challenge investigation. With respect to the mandate issued by the Admiralty against publicaton, it is suited to the meridian rather of Algiers, than of England-the very attempt in a free country, need only be mentioned to be reprobated; it must have proved as abortive as it was despotic, for even were any Englishman base enough to obey it, the Frenchman need not; so that it was at best but a bungling refinement on the revolutionary device said to have been proposed, of burning the books in Paris, to annihilate learning, as if no other

accuser.

copies existed in the world. With this remark, however, I shall dismiss the subject, as it is difficult to say, whether the credit of the measure is due to the present literary board, or to those lay philosophers, whose future censorship has been since cruelly dispensed with by the House of Commons.

With respect to the views of men and things taken by Napoleon in his remarks, I beg to guard myself against any adoption of them as my own. I am merely the narrator. I give them as the substance of his interesting and unreserved conversations, neither vouching for the critical exactness of his dates, nor the justness of his opinions, nor indeed for any thing but the accuracy of my report. I only engage to the reader to lay before him Napoleon's sentiments as that extraordinary man uttered them.

"Warm from the heart, and faithful to its fires."

In making this remark, however, I am bound to add, that I neither avoid nor evade inquiry; in any investigation in which the truth can be told I am perfectly willing to take my share, ready to abide the event, whether it bring reward or responsibility.

August 21st, 1822.

P. S.-It has just been communicated to me, that I am in error in having stated (vol. i. p. 127), that it was Sir G. Cockburn's brother that was seized in Hamburgh by order of Napoleon; the person, according to the information of the gentleman who write to me, was Sir George Rumbold. Although I can scarcely believe that I was mistaken, yet I think it my duty to mention this friendly correction.

October 24th, 1822.

On the subject of the foregoing postscript, the following Letter appeared in The Morning Herald of the 23rd September, 1822:

To the Editor of the Morning Herald.

SIR. Dr. O'Meara is correct in his statement of Mr. Cockburn, the consul at Hamburgh being seized and made a prisoner in the manner related. The writer of this was a co-détenu with him at Verdun. He owed his liberation to a most singular circumstance. His wife was a French lady, and had been a school-fellow with Madame Beauharnois. Mr. C. was advised to send her to Paris, to obtain an interview with Madame Beauharnois, and solicit her husband's release. She went to Paris: Madame B. recognized her, and shewed her great kindness and attention, promised to exert all her interest with the emperor on the first favourable opportunity; but added, that she could not promise all the success she wished, as at that moment the emperor had, to use her own words, "grand rancune contre les Anglois." In about a month after Mr. Cockburn received a passport for England, and his name ordered to be struck off the list of the détenus at the dépôt.

(Signed)

Sept. 15.

A CI-DEVANT DETENU AT VERDUN.

PREFACE

TO THE

SECOND EDITION.

THE rapidity with which a Second Edition of this Work has been called for, is an unequivocal proof of the favourable opinion of the Public. Its reception has been highly flattering to my feelings, and is the best answer that can be given to the calumnies by which it has been assailed by some of the hirelings of the corrupt journals of the present day.

This edition has been carefully revised, a few verbal inaccuracies corrected, and a new Engraving added of a drawing from the statue presented to me by Napoleon on my leaving St. Helena.

It is with feelings of deep regret that I find it necessary to allude to a transaction, the remembrance of which will always be considered by me as one of the most unfortunate events