urs in an anecdote, apparently well
authenticated, of Lord Keith. When someone alluded in this old admiral's
hearing to Buonaparte's repeated request of a personal interview with
the Prince Regent, "On my conscience," said Lord Keith, "I believe, if
you consent to that, they will be excellent friends within half an
hour."

CHAPTER XLII

Napoleon at St. Helena--The Briars--Longwood--Charges against the
English Government respecting his accommodations and treatment at
St. Helena--Charges against the Governor, Sir Hudson
Lowe--Napoleon's mode of life at Longwood--His Health falls
off--His Death and Funeral--Conclusion.

Napoleon was weary of shipboard, and, therefore, landed immediately.
Finding the curiosity of the people troublesome, he took up his quarters
at _The Briars_, a small cottage about half a mile from James's Town,
during the interval which must needs elapse before the admiral could
provide suitable accommodation for his permanent residence. For that
purpose Longwood, a villa about six miles from James's Town, was, after
an examination of all that the island afforded, determined on; except
Plantation House, the country residence of the governor, there was no
superior house in St. Helena; and two months having been employed
diligently in some additions and repairs, the fallen Emperor took
possession of his appointed abode on the 10th of December. The very
limited accommodation of the Briars (where, indeed, Napoleon merely
occupied a pavilion of two chambers in the garden of a Mr. Balcombe),
had hitherto prevented him from having, all his little suite of
attendants under the same roof with him. They were now re-assembled at
Longwood, with the exception of M. and Mme. Montholon, who occupied a
separate house at some little distance from it. While at The Briars,
Napoleon made himself eminently agreeable to the family of the
Balcombes, particularly the young ladies and children, and submitted on
the whole with temper and grace to the inconveniences of narrow
accommodation in-doors, and an almost total want of exercise
abroad--this last evil occasioned wholly by his own reluctance to ride
out in the neighbourhood of the town. He continued also to live on terms
of perfect civility with Sir George Cockburn; and, notwithstanding some
occasional ebullitions of violence, there seemed to be no reason for
doubting that, when fairly established with his suite about him, he
would graduall