Those visitors whom Napoleon admitted were chiefly persons of rank and
distinction, travellers from distant countries, or men who had
distinguished themselves in the scientific world, and who could
communicate interesting information in exchange for the gratification
they received. Some of those persons who were admitted to interviews
with him have published narratives of their conversation, and all agree
in extolling the extreme grace, propriety, and appearance of benevolence
manifested by Bonaparte while holding these levees. His questions were
always put with great tact, and on some subject with which the person
interrogated was well acquainted, so as to induce him to bring forth any
new or curious information of which he might be possessed.

Captain Basil Hall, in August 1817, when in command of the Lyra, had an
interview with the Emperor, of whom he says: "Bonaparte struck me as
differing considerably from the pictures and busts' I had seen of him.
His face and figure looked much broader and more square--larger, indeed,
in every way than any representation I had met with. His corpulency, at
this time universally reported to be excessive, was by no means
remarkable. His flesh looked, on the contrary, firm and muscular. There
was not the least trace of colour in his cheeks; in fact his skin was
more like marble than ordinary flesh. Not the smallest trace of a
wrinkle was discernible on his brow, nor an approach to a furrow on any
part of his countenance. His health and spirits, judging from
appearances, were excellent, though at this period it was generally
believed in England that he was fast sinking under a complication of
diseases, and that his spirits were entirely gone. His manner of
speaking was rather slow than otherwise, and perfectly distinct; he
waited with great patience and kindness for my answers to his questions,
and a reference to Count Bertrand was necessary only once during the