during his long life had diminished his interest in them. After showing
me, with great complacency, much of the valuable possessions of this
national collection of learning, splendid missals written on vellum,
MSS. &c. &c. upon which my mind cannot now dwell, he recommended us to
proceed to the review, to see which he had the good-nature to procure
me admittance to the small apartment of a friend in the Tuileries; and
from the window I saw and heard for the first time this scourge of the
Continent,--his martial, active figure mounted on his famed white horse.
He harangued with energetic tone (and in those bombastic expressions we
have always remarked in all his manifestoes, and which are so well
adapted to the French,) the troops of the divisions of Lepol and Dufour.
There was much embracing of Les Anciens Aigles of the Old Guard--much
mention of "_great days, and souvenirs dear to his heart_," of the
"scars of his brave soldiers;" which, to serve his views, he will
re-open without remorse, like the vampire of Greece. The populace were
tranquil, as I had remarked them on the bridge. Inspirited by my still
unsatisfied curiosity, I rejoined my escort, and proceeded to the
gardens, where not more than thirty persons were collected under the
windows. There was no enthusiastic cry, at least none deemed sufficient
to induce him to show himself. In despair at not being able to
contemplate his physiognomy at greater ease, I made my cavalier request
some persons in the throng to cry "Vive l'Empereur!" Some laughed, and
replied "Attendez un peu," while others advised us to desire some of the
children to do so. A few francs thrown to the latter, soon stimulated
their little voices into cries of the _loyalty of that day_, and
Napoleon presented himself at the window; but he did not stand there
in a firm attitude--he retired often, and re-appeared, standing rather
_sideways_, as if wanting confidence in the disposition of our little
assemblage. A few persons arrived from the country, and held up
petitions, which he sent an aid-de-camp to receive. His square face