Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

At Wesbury-house, Hampshire, the dowager lady Gage.

At Holkam, Norfolk, Mrs. Blackwell, sister of the late lord Sherborne, and of Mrs. Coke.

At Bury, Suffolk, G. Westurn, esq. one of the surveyors of the general post-office.

At Brighton, sir C. Edmonstone, M. P. for Stirling.

Lady E. Townsend, wife of Gere Townsend, esq. of Honington-hall, Warwickshire.

John Hillman, esq. of Leitrim, near Castledawson, county of Londonderry, Ireland, at the age of 115 years. He retained his vigour both of mind and body, to the last day of his life.

On the 2nd, in the 82nd year of her age, at Clifton, died Hester Lynch Piozzi, the once celebrated Mrs. Thrale; descended, both on the parental and maternal side, from the ancient and respectable families of the Cottons and Salisburys, in North Wales, but still more distinguished as the intimate friend and associate of Dr. Johnson, Burke, sir J. Reynolds, Garrick, Goldsmith, Murphy, and most of those literary constellations which formed the Augustan galaxy of the last century. The world has long known in what estimation her society was held in that circle where these illustrious men, with Mrs. Montague, Mrs. Carter, Vesey, Boscawen, and others, who formed a coterie rarely surpassed in this or any other country. The vivacity of this lady's mind was a never-failing source of pleasure to all who had the good fortune to enjoy her society, while the brilliancy of her wit, tempered by invariable good humour and general benevolence, delighted all who approached her,

Her manners

and offended none. were highly polished and graceful; her erudition, the result of a regularly classical education, under the learned Dr. Collyer, was much more profound than those who only conversed superficially with her, were likely to discover; for wisely considering the line usually prescribed in such pursuits to her sex, she made no display of her scholarship, yet was always ready to give her testimony when properly called out; indeed, on those occasions, it was impossible altogether to conceal the rich and rare acquirements, in various sciences, which this lady possessed. Her writings are many of them before the public; and if some incline to condemn a colloquial style, in which, perhaps, she was too fond of indulging, all must admire the power of her genius, and the elegance of her talent, so variously displayed. She was particularly happy in jeux d'esprit-numbers of which lie scattered amongst her friends, and will, we hope, be collected. Her Three Warnings have long been enshrined and held in universal admiration, as a specimen of the precocity of her talents.

On grave subjects, those who knew her best will say, she most excelled. Her religion was pure; free from all wild speculative notions; her faith was built on the scriptures, that rock of our salvation, the continual perusal of which was her delight. She knew "in whom she trusted;" and in the fullest conviction of those sacred truths, she closed a various life, declaring to a friend, who watched over her last moments, that she quitted the world in the fear and trust of God, the love of

her

her Saviour, and in peace and in conjunction with professor charity with her neighbours and with all mankind. Her fine mental faculties remained wholly unimpaired. Her memory was uncommonly retentive on all subjects, and enriched by apt quotations, in which she was most happy; and her letters and conversation, to the last, had the same racy spirit that made her the animating principle and ornament of the distinguished society she moved in, at the more early period of her life. On Saturday, the 5th, at St. Helena, NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE, EX-EMPEROR OF FRANCE, after an illness of six weeks. His complaint was a cancer in the stomach. The following is the official account published in the

London Gazette.

Colonial Office, Downing-street, July 4th, 1821. Captain Crokat, of the 20th regiment, arrived this day from St. Helena, with a dispatch, addressed to the Earl Bathurst by Lieutenant-general sir Hudson Lowe, K. C. B. of which the following is a copy:

"St. Helena, May 6th, 1821. "My lord,-It falls to my duty to inform your lordship, that Napoleon Buonaparte expired at about ten minutes before six o'clock in the evening of the 5th instant, after an illness which had confined him to his apartments since the 17th of March last. He was attended during the early part of his indisposition, from the 17th to the 31st of March, by his own medical assistant, professor Antommarchi, alone. During the latter period, from the 1st of April to the 5th of May, he received the daily visits of Dr. Arnott, of his majesty's 20th regiment, generally

Antommarchi.-Dr. Shortt, physician to the forces, and Dr. Mitchell, principal medical officer of the royal navy on the station, whose services, as well of those of any other medical persons on the island, had been offered, were called upon in consultation by professor Antommarchi, on the 3rd of May; but they had not any opportunity afforded to them of seeing the patient. Dr. Arnott was with him at the moment of his decease, and saw him expire. Captain Crokat, orderly officer in attendance, and doctors Shortt and Mitchell, saw the body immediately afterwards. Dr. Arnott remained with the body during the night.

66

Early this morning about seven o'clock, I proceeded to the apartment where the body lay, accompanied by rear-admiral Lambert, naval commander-in-chief on this station; the marquis de Montchenu, commissioner of his majesty the king of France, charged with the same duty also on the part of his majesty the emperor of Austria; Brigadiergeneral Coffin, second in command of the troops; Thomas H. Brooke, and Thomas Greentree, esqrs. members in council in the government of this island; and captains Brown, Hendry, and Marryat, of the royal navy. After viewing the person of Napoleon Buonaparte, which lay with the face uncovered, we retired. An opportunity was afterwards afforded, with the concurrence of the persons who had composed the family of Napoleon Buonaparte, to as many officers as were desirous, naval and military, to the Honourable East India Company's

officers

officers and civil servants, and to various other individuals resident here, to enter the room in which the body lay, and to view it.

"At two o'clock this day the body was opened, in the presence of the following medical gentlemen, Dr. Shortt, M. D. Dr. Mitchell, M. D. Dr. Arnott, M. D. Dr. Burton, M. D. of his majesty's 66th regiment, and Matthew Livingstone, esq. surgeon in the East India Company's service. Professor Antommarchi assisted at the dissection. General Bertrand and count Montholon were present. After a careful examination of the several internal parts of the body, the whole of the medical gentlemen present concurred in a report on their appearance. This report is inclosed.-I shall cause the body to be interred with the honours due to a general officer of the highest rank.

"I have entrusted this dispatch to captain Crokat, of his majesty's 20th regiment, who was the orderly officer in attendance upon the person of Napoleon Buonaparte at the time of his decease. He embarks on board his majesty's sloop Heron, which rear admiral Lambert has detached from the squadron under his command with the intelligence. I have, &c. H. LowE, Lieut. Gen." Longwood, St. Helena, May 6th, 1821. Report of Appearances on Dissection of the body of Napoleon Buonaparte.

&c.

On a superficial view, the body appeared very fat, which state was confirmed by the first incision down its centre, where the fat was upwards of one inch and a half over the abdomen. On cutting through the cartilages of the ribs, and exposing the cavity of

the throat, a trifling adhesion of the left pleura was found to the pleura costalis. About three ounces of reddish fluid were contained in the left cavity, and nearly eight ounces in the right. The lungs were quite sound. The pericardium was natural, and contained about an ounce of fluid. The heart was of the natural size, but thickly covered with fat. The auricles and ventricles exhibited nothing extraordinary, except that the muscular parts appeared rather paler than natural. Upon opening the abdomen, the omentum was found remarkably fat, and on exposing the stomach, that viscus was found the seat of extensive disease. Strong adhesions connected the whole superior surface, particularly about the pyloric extremity, to the concave surface of the left lobe of the liver; and on separating these, an ulcer, which penetrated the coats of the stomach, was discovered one inch from the pylorus, sufficient to allow the passage of the little finger. The internal surface of the stomach, to nearly its whole extent, was a mass of cancerous disease or schirrous portions advancing to cancer; this was particularly noticed near the pylorus. The cardiac extremity, for a small space near the termination of the œsophagus, was the only part appearing in a healthy state. The stomach was found nearly filled with a large quantity of fluid, resembling coffee grounds.

The convex surface of the left lobe of the liver adhered to the diaphragm. With the exception of the adhesions occasioned by the disease in the stomach, no unhealthy appearance presented itself in the liver. The remainder

of

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

}

Grenadiers.

[24 Grenadiers-12 on each side, to carry the body down a steep hill, where the car could not go.] Buonaparte's Horse,

Count Montholon.

led by two servants.

Madame Bertrand and daughter,
in an open vehicle.

Marshal Bertrand

Servants.

Servants,

Naval Officers.

Staff Officers.

[blocks in formation]

bowers and grottos were erected
in the garden at Longwood. Ge-
neral Bertrand, Madame Bertrand,
with the children, and doctor An-
tommarchi, assisted him on such
occasions. His usual dress was
that of a Chinese gardener-nan-
kins, and a large straw hat.
Within the last eight months
of his life he could scarcely move
out, and was obliged either to
rest on the sofa, or in his easy
chair; he suffered considerably,
and was in consequence exceed-
ingly morose; he had lost full
two-thirds of his corpulence. His
last words were 66 Tete-Armee,"
but without any connexion;. for
what he uttered was in a convul-
sive state, and no other words
could be distinctly understood.
During his illness his son was the
principal topic of his conversation;
he never conversed on politics.
Two priests were sent to him by his
mother, one an old man (Buona-
vita,) and the other a young man.
The first could not bear the cli-
mate, and was obliged to return
to Europe. Since their arrival
mass was read every day at Long-
wood. Buonaparte expressed
much disgust at the old priest's
smelling of tobacco-he disliked
smoking and smokers. He had
entirely left off taking snuff. He
sent a present to lady Holland,
who was never personally known
to Buonaparte, but, since his con-
finement, had been unremitting
in her attention to him, by con-
stantly providing him with articles
for his table which she thought
would be agreeable to him; also
by sending him books, and con-
tributing in many other ways to
his domestic comfort. He sent
her a Cameo of great value, as a,
token of gratitude; it was on a

snuff-box which the pope presented to him.

Buonaparte, when emperor of France, ordered letter-boxes to be fitted up in all the churches of Paris, where the virtuous poor, without their delicacy being wounded, could as they passed, deposit a note expressive of their wants. These boxes were, only opened by the higher clergy, who were sworn to secresy; and the wants of the parties were thus releived without any of the humiliating circumstances of a public application.

The library of Napoleon consisted of the best classics, and through the kindness of lady Holland and other friends, he had a fresh supply of what was new and interesting every three months, sent to him under lord Bathurst's seal. Dinner was always served on the plate (service d'argent) with the imperial arms on it, off which he dined at St. Cloud.

Dr. Antommarchi found a proper stone on the island, with which he had prepared a plaster, and succeeded very well in taking a cast of his bust after his death.

The following is an extract from the last will and testament of Buonaparte, disposing of sums of money which he claims as his property, to those friends and servants who had followed him in his exile, or whom he thought faithful to him in his different changes of fortune. Besides this testament, the ex-emperor left a kind of political will, which speaks of higher things, and disposes of larger sums. In it he disposes of an almost imperial fortune of 40 millions of francs to public institutions, to particular classes, and for political purposes. It would

be

« ПредишнаНапред »