store things to the state they were in at the time of your arrival; that in default of this, you would be responsible for the results of the restrictions of the 9th of October, 1816, and the 14th of March, 1817, which you have no right to make, and which, to the emperor, are equivalent to an absolute prohibition to quit his apartments.

You told me, sir, that the emperor's room was too small, that Longwood House was altogether bad, as you had declared it to be to your government; that the emperor having had a tent erected last year, because there was no alley where he could walk in the shade, you proposed to establish a soldier's wooden barrack near the house, where the emperor might take his walks; I undertook to make known to him your proposition. He considered this offer as a mockery, (those were his words,) and analagous to the conduct pursued for these two years. If the house where he is be inconvenient, why has he been left there for these two years, and why do not they give him one of those in the island, situated in the midst of gar dens, trees, shade, and water? Why leave him upon this uncultivated point, exposed to the winds, and having nothing that can contribute to the preservation of life.

Let me be allowed, sir, to point out to your observation, that if you do not suppress the restric

tions of the 9th of October, 1816, and of the 14th of March, 1817, and if you do not re-establish things as they were in the time of the admiral, the emperor cannot go out. He considers, and will consider that determination as a desire on your part to occasion his death. He is entirely at your disposal. You can make him die of sickness; you can make him die of hunger; it would be a favour to make him die by a musket-shot.

If you assemble the military and naval officers of this place, and the principal officers of health, there is not one of them but will tell you that your restrictions are disgraceful, and that a man of honour would sooner die than acknowledge them; that they are of no avail to the security of the detention; that they are illegal. The text of the bill, and the speech of your minister, cannot leave any kind of doubt on this point. The medical officers will tell you that there is no more time to be lost; that in three or four weeks perhaps it will be too late; and although this great prince be abandoned by fortune, and there is an open field for calumnies and libels in Europe, yet a cry of indignation will be raised amongst all people; for there are here several hundreds of persons, French, English, and foreigners, who will bear witness to all that has been done to put an end to the life of this great man.

I have, sir, always spoken to you to this effect, more or less forcibly. I shall speak to you of it no more, for denials, subtilties, and arguments, are very useless.

The question lies in two words; do you or do you not wish to kill the emperor? If you persist in your conduct you will yourself have answered in the affirmative; and unhappily, the object will probably be attained after some months of agony.

Permit me, in concluding to answer, on be half of the officers who are with the emperor, and also on my own, to your letters of the 29th and 26th July last.-Sir, you misunderstand our character: menaces have no power over us. For twenty years we have braved every danger in his service. By remaining voluntarily at St. Helena, in the horrible situation in which we are, and exposed to the strangest proceedings, we sacrifice to him. more than our own lives and those of our families. Insensible to your menaces and your insinuations, we shall continue to fulfil our duty; and if there were any subjects of complaint against us before your government, we do not doubt that the Prince Regent, Lord Liverpool, and so many estimable men who form it, would know very well how to appreciate them. They know the respect due to the holy ministration which we fulfil; and even had we to apprehend persecution, we should ad

here to our maxim, "Do your duty come what

Letter from Count Bertrand to his eminence Curdinal Fesch, announcing the Death of Cipriani.

Longwood 22nd March, 1818.

MY LORD, M. Cipriani, the emperor's maître d'hôtel died at Longwood on the 27th February last, at four o'clock in the afternoon. He was buried in the protestant churchyard of this place, and the ministers of that church have paid the same duties to him as they would have done to a person of their own sect. Care has been taken to insert in the extrait mortuaire which I shall send you, (but for which an extract from my letter may now serve), that he died in the bosom of the Apostolical and Roman church. The minister of this place would willingly have assisted the deceased, and this last would have desired a catholic priest; but

Fais ce que tu dois; advienne que pourra.

as we have none here, he appeared not to wish a minister of another religion. I should be happy if you would make us acquainted with the rites of the catholic church upon this subject, and if it be permitted that an English minister should administer to a dying catholic. We cannot praise too much the good spirit and the zeal which the ministers of religion of this place have manifested on this occasion. Cipriani died of an inflammation of the bowels. He expired on Friday, and on the preceding Sunday he had attended without any foreboding of it. A child belonging to one of Count Montholon's servants died a few days before at Longwood. A femme de chambre died a few days ago of the same complaint. It is the effect of the bad climate of this place, where very few men grow old. Liver complaints, dysenteries, and inflammations of the bowels, carry off many victims amongst the natives, but especially amongst Europeans. We felt in this circumstance, and feel daily, the want of a minister of our religion. You are our bishop, we wish that you would send us a French or Italian priest. Be so good as to select a man of information under the age of forty, and who is not prejudiced by anti-gallican principles.

M. Pieron has undertaken the office of maître d'hôtel; but he has been extremely ill, and al