Napoleon's Attempt to Smoke.

Te Aroha News, 15 February 1890, Page 3

Napoleon's Attempt to Smoke.

Napoleon 1., the great Emperor of France, never could smoke, although when in Egypt he several times attempted to do so in order to please the people. On one occasion (says Mr Sparvel-Bayly, in * New Studies in Old Subjects ’), when the Persian Ambassador presented to him, on behalf of the Shah, a very valuable and gorgeous pine, ‘ all diamonds and rare jewels,’ Napoleon’s attendant filled the pipe, and a light was applied; but in the way the Emperor went to work no smoke would have appeared until doomsday. He merely opened and shut bis lips in the energetic manner of amechanical figure. The attendant ventured to observe that His Majesty was not exactly proceedingin theusualmanner, and showed him the correct way in which to manage his pipe of peace. But the inapt pupil persis tently returned to bad imitation of yawn ing, until, tired and vexed with repeated, failures, he at last desisted, saying, ‘ Con static, do you light the pipe ; I cannot. So said, so done, and we were informed that the pipe was returned to him with the tobacco burning at a furious rate, and a tremendous amount of smoke. Soon veiled in vapour, the unfortunate Napoleon was again in difficulty; the smoke, which he did not know how to get rid of, went down his throat and up out through his eyes and nose. As soon as he regained breath, he gasped the words—‘Take it away! What an infection ! What pigs they must be who smoke ! I am so ill.’ And ill we are told he was for some considerable time, and renounced for evermore the soothing weed.