"IT is quite laughable to hear Sir Hudson Lowe censured for suspecting that Buonaparte might harbour designs to escape: did the Edinburgh reviewers never hear of Elba?" -New Times, September, 1822.

THERE are few individuals who enjoy a laugh more than ourselves, and, on reading the above passage, we had this gratification; only it was at instead of with the Editor of the New Times. Who ever dreamed, before the Editor, of drawing a comparison between Napoleon at Elba and the same individual at St. Helena. Some few particulars, the Editor, in his merriment, it is true, has overlooked, but which we shall venture to lay before the public. Perhaps our observations may increase the hilarity of the moment, to which we shall have not the least objection, for, since our volume approaches its close, we should

like to see it finished in good humour;-at all events, the logic by which the Editor concludes that Napoleon was to escape from St. Helena, because, some months before his arrival there, he had chosen, of his own free will and pleasure, to depart from Elba, must not be lost for want of due record.

The astonishing occurrences of what, for distinction's sake, may be called the age of Napoleon, the notable actions performed by the late Emperor, the success which, until the last year of his political career, constantly attended him,— and the praises lavished upon his name by writers of every clime and party,-had produced, on the lower classes of most countries, an impression that Napoleon was the being destined by Providence to alter their condition, and to change the face of the habitable globe. The swinish multitude, who seldom admit any reserve either into their belief or disbelief, had this idea strongly rooted in their minds. The persuasion in them was natural; but we should hardly have imagined that the rough conclusions of the commonalty could even have left their leaven on the under. standing of a British general, on an officer whose talent and judgment fitted him, in the estimation of his government, for a command as delicate as it was important;-on a gentleman, a scholar, -the first linguist of his time: yet such appears

to have been the case and Sir. Hudson Lowe, joining his voice to the vox populi, sapiently concluded, that he was the guardian of an Œdipus, who could not merely solve every riddle, but, from physical powers bestowed on him alone, could walk down rocks perpendicular, sail the wide Atlantic on dolphin back, or, like another Rasselas' mechanician, fan Heaven's clouds with the broad expanse of his wings. The guardianship of such an anthropophaginian called for more than usual vigilance; and we accordingly find, that the sun seldom rose on the peaks of Saint Helena, without illumining some fresh decree of the Draco of the south, for the safer custody of his redoubtable delinquent*.

One of the most insufferable of tortures is, we have been informed, produced by the fall of a single drop of water, at regular intervals, upon the crown of the head; and as it happened that Napoleon, whatever might be the phantasmagoria that haunted Sir Hudson Lowe's brain, very much resembled other men, he felt just as they would have felt, dreadfully tormented at the perpetual legislation which was going on in his regard. The Editor asserts, that the Saint

* Vide Napoleon in Exile; B. O'Meara.

This was a favourite amongst the many cruelties practised by the holy inquisition for the cure of heretics' souls. -Remarks on the North of Spain; John Bramsen: p. 72.

Helena orderly-book was wisely filled, because, as Napoleon had once scampered off from a Mediterranean island, he might do the same from an African one! We assert that there never was, nor could have been, any comparison between the cases; that, if the statutes at large reproduced by the English governor of St. Helena, were intended for the sole purpose of inflicting pain and suffering upon Napoleon, they reflect little honour on those who commanded, or on those who executed such unworthy means of annoyance*; and that, if the safe custody of Napoleon' were the only object in view, it might, from the very position and force employed at Saint Helena, have been equally well accomplished, without the innumerable laws and pettifogging police regulations which were promulgated by Sir Hudson Lowe. A succinct account of Elba and Saint Helena, with a few of the principal circumstances attending Napoleon in the two islands, will, we imagine, bear us out in our opinions.

When Charles, King of France, of Saint Bartholomew memory, sent orders to the governor of Bayonne, to destroy all the Huguenots within the town, that virtuous man wrote to his majesty, that he had many good citizens and brave soldiers, but not one hangman, under his command.-History of France, temp. Charles IX.

ELBA.

The island of Elba is between seventy and eighty miles in circumference; it is situated in the Mediterranean sea, within almost musketshot of Italy; scarcely further from Corsica; and but a few hours sail from the coast of France. It has a population of twelve thousand souls, and, beside the capital, Porto Ferrajo, which is strongly fortified, contains the town of Porto Longone, also protected by works, and several large villages and hamlets.

We have seen that, by the treaty of Paris, Napoleon secured to himself Elba, in full sovereignty, his title, a military force, and money to augment, if he thought proper, his army and navy. navy. We have also seen that Napoleon arrived at Elba in a British frigate, that he made choice of his national flag, and was landed amidst the cheers of his new subjects and the roar of artillery from all the vessels and forts. And we have further seen that Napoleon reigned at Elba bout twelve months; that subsequently he collected his army, amounting to 1140 men, and invaded the territory of King Louis.

The troops of Napoleon were embarked on board a numerous flotilla, the "Inconstant," a corvette of twenty-six guns, being the first-rate of