THE GREAT NAPOLEON'S END.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 40, 27 March 1863, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE GREAT NAPOLEON'S END.

The end of .April had arrive !, t-nd every moment increased his danger aud suffering. He had no relief from the spasms, vomitings, fever, and burning thirst. Napoleon was relieved by occasionally drinking some drops of fresh water brought from the foot of tlie Peak of Dianfij the spot where he wished to have a dwelling erected. '"Iwish," he said, '* if it is possible, that I should he buried on the banks of the Seine, or at Aj.-iecUi, in my family domain ; or should my body be fated io continue a prisoner, -it the foot of the fountain whose waters have a [Fouled some relief." This his friends promised with tears, for they no longer concealed from him a state he so well undcr-tood himself. " You will return to Europe" he said to those who surrounded bin. " You will re. urn, b-arinji with yon the reflection of mt glory, wi h ihe honor of your own fidelity. Yu i wi" he es teemed and happy. 1 go to meet Klel.er, Dessaixj Lannes, Mis-ena, Bessiere;, Ouroc, N^ey ! They will tune to in- e( me. The}' will experience once more the intoxication of liunwn glory. W - (- shall speak of what we. hive done. We shall talk of our profession v \th Frederick, TUrenne, Conde, Cffisar, and Hannibal." Then pausing, Napoleon added, with a peculiar smile, " Unless there should be as great an objection in the upper sphere as there is here below to see a number of 1 soldiers together." This badinage, altei nating wiih ihe most, solemn discourse, produced a profound effect upon those present. On the Ist of May the agony seemed to commence, and he was in constant torture. On the 2nd and 3rd Napoleon was in high fever, and suffered from eoutinus 1 spasms. Whenever his sufferings abated, his. mind was as radiant as ever, and. he < spoke with clearness and serenity. During one of these intervals, he indicated, under

tlxe txile of first" and second revefy, two notes on the defence of France in case of • an invasion. On the 3rd he became delirious, and "mid his ravings, these words were distinguishable — "My son- The army. Dessaix." I( would seem as though, he had a last vision of the battle of MArensEO recovered hy De?saix. The ajjony continued i!urin» the entire of ihe 4th, and tiie noble countenance of the hero was terribly distorted. The weather wn? terrihle ; it was the bad season at S*. Helena. Sudden gusts of wind torp up some of the planted frees. On <h« sth of May there ! «as no doubt but the last day of his extraordinary life had dawned.- All his servants, kneeling: rouwd his bed, watched the Jast flickeiines of ihe vitil flams. , These wete unfortunatclv attended with , hitler PiifFerinsr. The 'English ofncerl , assembled outside listt-ned with respectfus interest lo the accounts the servants guye of his agony. Towards the decline o day. his :ife and sufferings docrea^ed together ; the cjM, extending from the extremities, became general, and death . seenied wbout to seize his o;lorinus victim. The weather had become silent anc serene. . About twenty minutps past five, when he sun was setting io waves of light, and the English cannon #aye the signal for retiring, those around the bed perceived lhat the patient did not bteatbe. and ciied ont ? that he_ was dead. They coveted liis bauds v.-Mi kisses ; and Marchpnd. who , had brought (o St. Helena the cloak the , First Consul had worn at Maren^o, J -id it over his body, leaving only his noble head uncovered. The convulsions of the death n^ony. aluajs so painful \o witness, were succeeded by a m.ij^stie iranqnility of expression, ''"hat f.-ire. so wondrou'sly heauliful. now j-fstoie-.l f,. tlic slendenifss of you v h, and tlie fignie clad iv the mantle , of .Ma)en»o, seemed to present ag-oin to the wittio'-se.-i of th:ii tou-jJiin^ scene <»'en^ra 1 DomipHrte in th& meridian of his "lory- Tn obedience to Napoleon's in struciious, l)is body was op^n^d, and, from the examinaiion, it would appear thnt cancer in tjie tft.ouiach wiw the principle cause of his dca h. The liver w:> s slitihily diseiised, which shows that the climate had some, though not a determinating ii flue nee on his health. Tlieie is no doubt but gii-.-f and snppicrsed do s-pair, joined to wuit of exev«;i^e, had accelerated the progre-ss of the disea-e, and shortened his life, tfiou^h it would be im-pos-;t»U to s.-.y l.v !-.o«- ma.-iv y.-avs. r lh.i inspection of his body revealed sever. il wounds, some very slight, and ihtec veiv distinct. Of these three, one u - a in his head, one on the itn^ linger of the i t -f; hand, a third in tba left thi^ii ; the b» s t ;i very deep wound, j-e.->citif<^ from a h.-iyone 1 thrust received al the sie^d of T-)u!ou. Of these wounds thr oti^iti oftlie !;Uter a'on ■• c;:ii !;e inVtOMC.ilJy .'isci-rtiiined. From «h« mcHhure ...ken, and the ex;u:i description made of ihe body, it appears that Napo-eon v as five feet two inches (Frencli :i:f.-.i-iirc) tiie ijody Wei! pr.'poi tio-.ed, the feet and hands vein v kuli'e hrr the re'jnj i.-'.rity of their form, t i 1 ••hcuidets wide, the clicst v>e!l developed, < !-,u Unck ti litlie : ■f!:m-'. Inn bcariiitf iirmlv .".nd '.'rect ihe 1.-u^e-L and h'-st fo-njed h^ad ever sub-. mil ed ;o the invest-.^;!! ion of science. ;md a coun'.i'imnct: whose beauty even de;i h | lesjiected. of whith hi.s eontempor.'iries j have preserved :in iiii.'iF.iet\ib!e iemcmI bran'-e, ."ind of which p".->»f ri r v* wM - l ' .\ . ! when tu;)ij.;i i.,^- it with bus'.s from tite ! antiquPj lh;:l ii was one wf the most beaui) iv I that God had ever made to nnnifet j the workings of fiis life, ?o preir } n.int in action, th.-it it «eems to comprise. centuries, did not 1.;.«t nio'e ',h,'.n iil'tv- wu years. M. M. de M.jntiiolon ;iiid M-ii-ch;iiid dressed him in t i>e uniform he p-e---j feired — Umt of tl'.e Ciiasseurs of :he Guai-i, <'Liid pl.iced upon h:s p:ii-"-r>nt he.id the litlie h;it he was ncc'i^torned to wear. A siu»lo priest and a few friend-j prayeri for some li'iys iio^ide hi-s i'Winir.iiiie body. — I'hicrs LList<>rij of Luc Consulate.