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between Napoleon's friends and his enemies, | the difficulty of conveying to my readers and which will ever be the most important my own impression of the disposition of of all in the estimation of a woman, is, Napoleon. Matters of feeling are often whether he furnished another proof of the incapable of demonstration. "close affinity between superlative intellect The innumerable acts of amiability and and the warmth of the generous affections," kindness which he lavished on all around (to use the words of the Rev. Crabbe, in him at my father's house, derived perhaps his delightful life of his father,) or whether their chief charm from the way in which he is to be considered a superior kind of they were done-they would not bear being calculating machine, the reasoning power told. Apart from the sweetness of his smile perfect, but the heart altogether absent. and manner, their effect would have been Bourrienne, who, although conscientious comparatively nothing. But young people and exact in the main, exhibits no partiality are generally keen observers of character. to the emperor, describes him as "très peu Their perceptive faculties are ever on the aimant," and reports his having said, "I alert, and their powers of observation not have no friend except Duroc, who is unfeel- the less acute, perhaps, that their reason ing and cold, and suits me ;" and this may lies dormant, and there is nothing to interhave been true in his intercourse with the rupt the exercise of their perceptions. And world, and with men whom he was accus- after seeing Napoleon in every possible tomed to consider as mere machines, the mood, and in his most unguarded moments, instruments of his glory and ambition: and when I am sure from his manner that the whom he therefore valued in proportion to idea of acting a part never entered his head, the sternness of the stuff they were made I left him impressed with the most complete of. Even his brothers, whom he is said to conviction of his want of guile, and the have included in this sweeping abnegation thorough amiability and goodness of his of friendship, he taught himself to look upon heart. That this feeling was common to as the means of carrying out his ambitious almost every one who approached him, the projects, and as they were not always sub- respect and devotion of his followers at St. servient to his will, but came at times into Helena is a sufficient proof. They had then political collision with him, his fraternal nothing more to expect from him, and only affection, which seldom resists the rude entailed misery on themselves by adhering shocks of contending worldly interests, was to his fortunes. cooled and weakened in the struggle.

But my own conviction is, that unless Napoleon's ambition interfered, to which every thing else was sacrificed, he was possessed of much sensibility and feeling, and was capable of strong attachment.

The Duchess d'Abrantes, who was intimately acquainted with Napoleon at an early age, gives him credit for much more warmth of heart than is allowed him by the world; and, brought up as she had been with himself and his family, she was well qualified to form an opinion of him.

Shortly after he left the Briars for Long. wood, I was witness to an instance of the almost worship with which he was regarded by those around him. A lady of high distinction at St. Helena, whose husband filled one of the diplomatic offices there, rode. up one morning to the Briars. I happened to be on the lawn, and she requested me to show her the part of the cottage occupied by the emperor. I conducted her to the pavilion, which she surveyed with intense interest; but when I pointed out to her the crown which had been cut from the turf by I think his love of children, and the de- his faithful adherents, she lost all control light he felt in their society, and that, too, over her feelings. Bursting into a fit of at the most calamitous period of his life, passionate weeping, she sunk on her knees when a cold and unattachable nature would upon the ground, sobbing hysterically. At have been abandoned to the indulgence of last she fell forward, and I became quite selfish misery; in itself speaks volumes for alarmed, and would have run to the cottage his goodness of heart. After hours of la- to tell my mother and procure some reborious occupation, he would often permit storatives; but starting up, she implored us to join him; and that which would have me, in a voice broken by emotion, to call fatigued and exhausted the spirits of others, no one, for that she should soon be herself seemed only to recruit and renovate him. again. She entreated me not to mention His gaiety was often exuberant at these to any one what had occurred; and promoments; he entered into all the feelings ceeded to say that the memory of Napoleon of young people, and when with them was was treasured in the hearts of the French a mere child, and, I may add, a most amus- people as it was in hers; and that they ing one. I feel, however, even painfully, I would all willingly die for him. She was

herself a Frenchwoman, and very beautiful.

She recovered herself after some time, and put a thousand questions to me about Napoleon, the answers to which seemed to interest her exceedingly. She said several times, "How happy it must have made you to be with the emperor !"

Napoleon, too, in the absence of every thing more worthy of supplying food to his mighty intellect, did not disdain to interest himself in the merest trifles. My father has often described him as appearing as much absorbed and occupied in the details of some petty squabble with the governor, as if the fate of empires had been under After a long interview, she put a thick discussion. He has often made us laugh veil down over her still agitated features, with his account of the ridiculous way in and returning to her horse, mounted and which Napoleon spoke of Sir Hudson rode away. For once, I kept a secret, and Lowe; but their disputes were generally though questioned on the subject, I merely on subjects so trivial, that I deem it my said she had come to see the pavilion, with-duty to draw a veil over these last infirmiout betraying what had taken place. ties of so noble a mind.

Napoleon, on his first arrival, showed an inclination to mix in what little society St. Helena afforded, and would, I think, have continued to do so but for the unhappy differences with Sir Hudson Lowe. These at length grew to such a height, that the emperor seemed to consider it almost a point of honor to shut himself up, and make himself as miserable as possible, in order to excite indignation against the governor. Into the merits of these quarrels it is not my intention to enter. With all my feeling of partiality for the emperor, I have often doubted whether any human being could have filled the situation of Sir Hudson Lowe, without becoming embroiled with his unhappy captive. The very title with which he was accosted, and the manner of addressing him when contrasted with the devotion of those around him, must have seemed almost insulting; and the emperor was most brusque and uncompromising in showing his dislike to any one who did not please him. The necessary restrictions on his personal liberty would always have been a fruitful source of discord. And even had Napoleon himself been inclined to submit to his fate with equanimity, it is doubtful whether his followers would have allowed him. Accustomed as they had been to the gaiety and brilliancy of the French capital, their "séjour," to use their own words, on that lone island, could not fail to be "affreux." And as they were generally the medium of communication between Napoleon and the authorities, the correspondence would necessarily be tinged with more or less of the bitterness of their feelings. Their very devotion to the emperor would make them too tenacious and exacting with regard to the deference his situation entitled him to; and thus orders and regulations, which only seemed to the authorities indispensable to his security, became a crime in their eyes, and were represented to the emperor as gratuitous and cruel insults. VOL. III. No. III. 23

One circumstance I may relate.

Napoleon, wishing to learn English, procured some English books, and amongst them "Esop's Fables" were sent him. In one of the fables the sick lion, after submitting with fortitude to the insults of the many animals who came to exult over his fallen greatness, at last received a kick in the face from the ass.

"I could have borne every thing but this," the lion said.

Napoleon showed the woodcut, and added, "It is me and your governor.'

Amongst other accusations against Napoleon, some writers have said that he was deficient in courage. He always gave me the idea on the contrary of being constitutionally fearless. I have already mentioned his feats of horsemanship; and the speed with which his carriage generally tore along the narrow mountainous roads of St. Helena would have been intolerable to a timid person. I have more than once seen gentlemen, whose horses were rather skittish, obliged to turn, to their great annoyance, when the emperor approached almost at speed, and fairly take to their heels, pursued by him, until they reached an open space where they could pass his carriage without danger of their horses shying and going down a precipice.

He had a description of jaunting car, in which he yoked three Cape horses abreast in the French style. And if he got any one into this, he seldom let his victim out until he had frightened him heartily.

One day he told General Gourgaud to make his horse rear, and put his fore-paws into the carriage, to my great terror. He seemed indeed to possess no nerves himself, and to laugh at the existence of fear in others.

Napoleon, as far as I was capable of judging, could not be considered fond of literature. He seldom introduced the topic in conversation, and I suspect his reading

was confined almost solely to scientific subjects. I have heard him speak slightingly of poets, and call them rêveurs; and still I believe the most visionary of them all was the only one he ever read. But his own vast and undefined schemes of ambition seemed to have found something congenial in the dreamy sublimities of Ossian.

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?

From Tait's Magazine.

THY neighbor who? son of the wild?
"All who, with me, the desert roam ;
The freemen sprung from Abram's child,
Whose sword 's his life, a tent his home-
Whose steeds, with mine, have drunk the well
Of Hagar and of Ishmael."

Thy neighbor who? oh tell me, thou, With burning cheek, and eyes of flame!"The iron breast-the dauntless browThe souls that Persia could not tame; The free-the brave-by me led onThe conquering bands of Marathon!"

Who were thy neighbors? name them, thou,
The sire of academic lore-

There's something on thy noble brow
Bespeaks a spirit that can soar;
The echoes tell-while Plato smiles,
"The free of Doric lands and isles."

Who is our neighbor? Ask at Rome
The marble bust-the mould'ring heaps ;-
At Ctesiphon, the Parthan's home-
His bow's now broke, his charger sleeps-
At every mound that awes or shocks,
From Indus to the Grampian rocks.

A voice comes o'er the northern wave-
A voice from many a palmy shore-
Our neighbor who? "The free-the brave-
Our brother clansmen, red with gore,
Who battled on our left or right,
With fierce goodwill and giant might."

Who, then, 's our neighbor? Son of God,
In meekness and in mildness come!—
Oh! shed the light of life abroad,
And burst the cerements of the tomb!
Then bid earth's rising myriads move
From land to land on wings of love.

Our neighbor's home 's in every clime
Of sun-bright tint, or darker hue,-
The home of man since ancient time,
The bright green isles, 'mid oceans blue;
Or rocks, where clouds and tempests roll
In awful grandeur near the pole.

My neighbor, he who groans and toils,
The serf and slave, on hill and plain
Of Europe, or of India's soils,-
On Asia, or on Afric's main,-

Or in Columbia's marshes deep,

Where Congo's daughters bleed and weep.

Poor, sobbing thing, dark as thy sire,
Or mother sad, heartbroken, lorn-
And will they quench a sacred fire ?—
And shall that child from her be torn?-
'Tis done-poor wrecks, your cup is gall;
Yet ye're my neighbors, each and all.

Who is my neighbor? Is it he
Who moves triumphant down the vale,
While shouting myriads bend the knee,
And poison all the passing gale
With adulation's rankest breath,
To one whose trade is that of death ?-

Yes; he's my neighbor-he and they
Who press around yon gallant steed,
That, in the frenzy of the fray,
Has crown'd his rider's ruthless deed-
Crush'd out life's slowly ebbing flood,
And stain'd his iron hoofs in blood!

The gallant chief is passing by,
And crowds on crowds hang round his way,
And youth has lift the voice on high,
And age has bared his locks of gray;
And gentle forms, like birds on wing,
Are passing by and worshipping!

My neighbors all-each needs a sigh,
Each in due form a friendly prayer:-
"Oh! raise the low, bring down the high
To wisdom's point, and fix them there;
Where men are men, and pomp and pride
Are mark'd, and doom'd, and crucified."
Thou art my neighbor, child of pain;
And thou, lorn pilgrim, steep'd in woe;
Our neighbor she, with frenzied brain,
Whose pangs we little reck or know;
Who loved while hope and reason shone,
Nor ceased to love when both were gone.

And if on this green earth there be
One heart by baleful malice strung,
A breast that harbors ill to me,

A sland'rous, false, reviling tongue,―
My neighbor he-and I forgive;
Oh may he turn, repent, and live.

AMICUS.

IMMENSE BELL.-An immense bell, the largest ever cast in England, weighing no less than 7 tons, 11 cwt. 2 qrs. and 12 lbs., has been shipped for Montreal, intended for the new Catholic cathedral. The bell is heavier than the Great Tom of Lincoln, by 32 cwt.-Examiner.

DEATH FROM SYMPATHY.-An inquest has been held on the body of Edward Pearson, aged 25, a coppersmith. On Tuesday last, as deceased was assisting some men to place a large roll of sheet copper into a truck in Shoe lane, it slipped aside, and was near maiming one of them. Deceased, upon witnessing the occurrence, stood motionless, and the workmen asked him if he had received any injury. It was found that he had not; but he was so greatly affected at the danger from which his fellow workman had escaped, that he trembled, and was unable to proceed with his business for more than a quarter of an hour. At twelve o'clock at night his wife found him lying insensible by her side, and in a few minutes he died. Mr. Ray, surgeon, said he thought deceased had died from diserse of the heart, most probably hastened by the effects of the fright.—Ibid.

THE SCOTCH CHURCH

From the Examiner.

Queen in a violation of the coronation oath. He moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months.-Mr. A. B. COCHRANE also objected to the bill.-Mr. RUTHERFORD followed, expressing his surprise at the introduction of the bill at so late a period of the session. Warmly eulogizing the conduct of the seceders, who had acted from deep conscientious feeling,

vernment could not interfere while the church of Scotland was in opposition to the law of the land; but that objection having been removed In the House of Commons, Monday, July 31, by the acts of the assembly, the present measure the second reading of the church of Scotland was now introduced, (Cheers.)—Mr. WALLACE benefices bill was moved, and Sir J. GRA-rose to oppose the bill, which, he said, so far HAM entered into a historical review of the ques- from removing doubts, would be the means of tion, from the time of the reformation down to exciting a litigation hitherto unknown. It sethe present time. From which it appears-1.cured the rights of the clergy, but destroyed That the exercise of lay patronage has existed those of the people; and would involve the since the reformation, but that it has always been viewed with great jealousy by the Presbyterian people of Scotland. 2. That the Presbyterian settlement of 1690 established, and substantially recognized three rights, namely, the right of the patron to present, the right of congregations to object, and the right of the Presbyteries, or church courts, to consider and decide upon and between the claims of the patron and the objec-as evinced by no less than two hundred licentions of the congregation. 3. That though, es- tiates voluntarily abandoning those prospects sentially, this has remained law and practice, which constituted the highest object of their the statute of Queen Anne, and subsequent ambition; he proceeded, in a lengthened and usage, gave power to the patrons, and diminished learned argument, to show that the original limor obscured the powers and rights of the people itations on the rights of lay patronage had not and of the church courts. 4. That the general been affected by subsequent enactments, as the assembly of the church of Scotland continued statute of Queen Anne, and that therefore the formally to protest against patronage, until the right of the people to object generally to a preyear 1784; but from that year, down to 1834, sentee, and of the church courts to sustain the no protest had been adopted by the assembly, objection, existed in law, of which the Veto act and patronage existed unquestioned and abso- of the assembly was an assertion. The bill pro lute. 5. That on the revival of the anti-patron- fessed to be "declaratory," but where was the age spirit in Scotland, doubts existed as to the law to be found which it professed to "declare?" interpretation of the right of the congregation Nay, if it were only declaratory, whence the to object; the law courts deciding, in the Auch-necessity of announcing the consent of the crown terarder case, that the right of objection was to the introduction of the measure? The bill confined to "life, learning, and doctrine," and was, in fact, "enactive;" it changed the consti-that no presentee could be refused admission to tution of the church of Scotland, as secured by a charge, except on grounds narrowed to these statute; it interfered with the rights of patrons, considerations. 6. But by the passing of the and altered the internal government of the Veto act, the general assembly conferred on the church, by interfering with its judicatories; and people an absolute right of objecting to any in handing over the rights of the patrons to the presentee on any ground whatever, thereby over-church-the priesthood-it vested them in the throwing the legal rights of the patrons. 7. worst depositories which could be devised, for Hence arose the controversy-the Non-intru- "presbyter was but priest writ large." (Hear.) sionists claiming for the people and the church In the present temper of the people it would courts an entire and absolute right of rejection; only aggravate all its evils, and drive more of the and the law courts sustaining the rights of the members of the establishment from it. (Hear.) patrons, whose presentees were held to be "duly-Sir W. FOLLETT said the claims of the Nonqualified," and therefore entitled to the posses-intrusionists were such as no government could sion of their parishes, unless objected to on sub- sanction or satisfy. The present measure, stantial grounds of "life, learning, or doctrine." whose object was the removing of doubts, was 8. In 1840, the Earl of Aberdeen, himself a acceptable to the general assembly, and those Presbyterian, brought in a bill to settle the con-adhering to the established church.-Lord J. troversy, by defining the rights both of patrons RUSSELL said, that as the acknowledged learnand of people, and of settling both on the old ing and undisputed ability of the Solicitor-Genbasis of the right of the patron to present, the eral had failed to answer the admirable speech right of the people to object, and the right and of Mr. Rutherford, it was a convincing proof that duty of the church courts to decide between there was something essentially wrong in the patron and people. 9. That attempt having bill. The highest legal authorities of the House proved unsuccessful, the present government, of Lords had protested against the bill as being on coming into office, could not stir until the Veto" declaratory" of that which was not the law of act of the assembly was rescinded, because they Scotland; but a political majority, in order to considered it as subverting the law of Scotland testify their regard for Lord Aberdeen, and their on the subject of patronage; but this being done, confidence in his management of our foreign they proceeded to that settlement of the ques-affairs, supported the bill, and overthrew solemn tion which it is expected this bill will effect. The judicial decisions. (Hear.)-Sir G. CLERK folspeech of Sir James Graham was occupied with lowed, re-stating the points urged in the Solithe various details necessary to the elucidation citor-General's speech.--Mr. F. MAULE, speakof his argument. In answer to the objection, ing on his own behalf and of those who, like him, that the bill was "too late," he said that the go-have seceded with extreme sorrow, from the

established church of Scotland, said that they | looked on with comparative indifference as to the result of the bill. It would not withdraw one individual from the ranks of the free Pres

byterian church, nor retain in the establishment any disposed to join them. Nor was it acceptable to the moderate party remaining in the church; for at a recent meeting at Edinburgh, at which Principal Macfarlane, the moderator of the general assembly, was present, a resolution was adopted to oppose the bill.-Mr. A. CAMPBELL, in strong and emphatic terms, condemned the bill. It was an utter subversion of the con

stitution of Scotland, conferred upon the church courts a Puseyite" power of investigating character, and of entering into private families, in order to weigh one objection against another. and the fate of the factories bill might have warned the government not to interfere with the evangelical party in Scotland.-Mr. H. JOHNSTONE described the bill as a boon, which would be hailed as such by the people.-Sir R. PEEL objected to many of the arguments used in the debate, as having no bearing on the question before the house. The constitution and spirit of Presbyterianism gave the people the right of objection, and the Presbyteries the right of decision; and this, which was the usage from the earliest times, was the leading feature of the bill. He called on them, therefore, to confirm the principle, by carrying the second reading, leaving details for future discussion.-The house divided-for the second reading, 98; against it, 80 majority, 18,

TREES.

From the Athenæum.

LIKE the latest left of the battle-spears,
In their ancient strength they stand;
And they tell us still of the sylvan years
When the forests filled the laud;
Ere ever a hunter tracked the wood,
Or mariner plough'd the seas,
But the isles were green in the solitude
Of their old primeval Trees.

They have survived the Druid's faith,
And the Roman eagle's fall,

And the thrilling blast of the bugle's breath
From the Norman's knightly hall;
But the sun shines bright, and the showers descend,

And the wild bird's home is made,
Where the ancient giants still extend
The green of their summer shade.

We have seen our early winters hang
Their pearls on each leafless bough,

And greeted the buds of the waking Spring
With a joy we know not now;

For Life hath its winters cold and hoar,
But their frosts can form no gem;

Like him who gazed on his country's palm,
By the palace-circled Seine,

Till the Pagod rose in the wanderer's dream,
And the Ganges rolled again.

How sweet in our childhood's ear they spoke,

For we knew their voices well,
When far in our western hills they woke,
Of the coming Spring to tell;
But now they send us a sadder sound,
On the winds of Autumn eves,
For it murmurs of wisdom more profound,
But it tells of withered leaves.

O, such were the Dryad tones that rose
In the Grecian woods of old,
And the voice from the Indian wilderness,
That the conqueror's fate foretold;
For many a minstrel's dream had birth

In the sounds of leaf and breeze,

And the early oracles of earth
Were the old complaining Trees!

FRANCES BROWN.

A FIRE-PROOF POWDER MAGAZINE.-The Times mentions that an experiment took place on Wednes day at Paine's wharf, Westminster, for the purpose of testing the capabilities of a magazine to contain powder in ships of war, recently patented by Mr. J. A. Holdsworth, as being impervious to fire, though subjected on all sides to the greatest possible degree of heat. A model of a magazine, about nine feet of the water's edge. This model is formed of feet square, was placed on the wharf within a few a double set of thin iron plates, riveted together at about two inches and a half asunder, the hollow being filled with water and supplied from a vat placed somewhat above the level of the magazine and entering it through a pipe inserted in the lower I part of the model. A channel of communication exists through every side, as well as the top and bottom, and from the upper surface a second pipe conveys the stream of water back to the vat from which it is supplied. The door of the magazine is hung on hinges, made hollow, and guarded from leaking by stuffing boxes, so that the water flows into the door through one hinge and out through the other. The patentee having explained the principle of his invention, placed a quantity of combustible matter within the model, over which some gunpowder was laid on a sheet of paper. registering thermometer having been placed inside, the door was closed and a stack of dry timber, deposited on every side of the model, was set a-light. The fire was kept up more than half an hour, and the water rose to very nearly boiling heat, continually passing in a stream through the upper pipe door being opened, the combustible matters and into the reservoir containing cold water. On the powder were found to be perfectly uninjured, and the highest point to which the mercury had risen within the model was marked at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A somewhat similar principle has been applied to the stoker's room in the Victoria and Albert royal steam yacht, where the bulkheads have been constructed of two plates of sheet-iron, instead of wood faced with iron, a stream of water constantly flowing between, by which means the

And the Spring may breathe on our hearts no more, temperature of the engine-room is kept cool.-the

But it still returns to them.

They are waving o'er our hamlet roofs,

They are bending o'er our dead,

And the odors breathed from his native groves,
On the exile's heart they shed;

næum.

THE REV. MR. MAHONEY, better known as Fa ther Prout, has received from government an ap pointment in the University of Valetta at Malta. -Ibid.

A

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