things were at their command if they wanted them.

An opinion has already been expressed that much of this annoyance was due
to the offended pride of Napoleon's attendants, who were at first
certainly far more captious than himself. He admitted as much himself on
one occasion in a conversation with O'Meara. He said, "Las Cases
certainly was greatly irritated against Sir Hudson, and contributed
materially towards forming the impressions existing in my mind." He
attributed this to the sensitive mind of Las Cases, which he said was
peculiarly alive to the ill-treatment Napoleon and himself had been
subjected to. Sir Hudson Lowe also felt this, and remarked, like Sir
George Cockburn, on more than one occasion, that he always found Napoleon
himself more reasonable than the persons about him.

A fertile source of annoyance was the resolution of Napoleon not upon any
terms to acknowledge himself a prisoner, and his refusal to submit to
such regulations as would render his captivity less burdensome. More
than once the attendance of an officer was offered to be discontinued if
he would allow himself to be seen once every day, and promise to take no
means of escaping. "If he were to give me the whole of the island," said
Napoleon, "on condition that I would pledge my word not to attempt an
escape, I would not accept it; because it would be equivalent to
acknowledging myself a prisoner, although at the same time I would not
make the attempt. I am here by force, and not by right. If I had been
taken at Waterloo perhaps I might have had no hesitation in accepting it,
although even in that case it would be contrary to the law of nations,
as now there is no war. If they were to offer me permission to reside in
England on similar conditions I would refuse it." The very idea of
exhibiting himself to an officer every day, though but for a moment, was
repelled with indignation. He even kept loaded pistols to shoot any