been formerly accustomed to rural occupations, was honoured with the
title of head gardener, and under his directions Napoleon proceeded to
work with great vigour. He sent for Antommarchi to witness his newly
acquired dexterity in the use of the spade. "Well, Doctor," said he to
him, "are you satisfied with your patient--is he obedient enough? This
is better than your pills, Dottoraccio; you shall not physic me any
more." At first he soon got fatigued, and complained much of the
weakness of his body and delicacy of his hands; but "never mind," said
he, "I have always accustomed my body to bend to my will, and I shall
bring it to do so now, and inure it to the exercise." He soon grew fond
of his new employment, and pressed all the inhabitants of Longwood into
the service. Even the ladies had great difficulty to avoid being set to
work. He laughed at them, urged them, entreated them, and used all his
arts of persuasion, particularly with Madame Bertrand. He assured her
that the exercise of gardening was much better than all the doctor's
prescriptions--that it was in fact one of his prescriptions. But in this
instance his eloquence failed in its effect, and he was obliged, though
with much reluctance, to desist from his attempts to make lady gardeners.

But in recompense he had willing labourers on the part of the gentlemen.
Antommarchi says, "The Emperor urged us, excited us, and everything
around us soon assumed a different aspect. Here was an excavation, there
a basin or a road. We made alleys, grottoes, cascades; the appearance of
the ground had now some life and diversity. We planted willows, oaks,
peach-trees, to give a little shade round the house. Having completed
the ornamental part of our labours we turned to the useful. We divided
the ground, we manured it, and sowed it with abundance of beans, peas,
and every vegetable that grows in the island." In the course of their
labours they found that a tank would be of great use to hold water, which
might be brought by pipes from a spring at a distance of 3000 feet.