t himself. He then felt that
his snuff-box was in one of his pockets. This excited inquiry, and on
sending the two boxes to be chemically tested, the snuff on the
mantel-piece was discovered to be poisoned." After this, it is somewhat
absurd in M. Montholon to give his hero credit for _sang froid_, and say
of him, that no one could take fewer precautions against such dangers
than the Emperor. His whole life seems to have been precautionary;
still, he sententiously talked the nonsense of fatalism.

"Our last hour is written above," was his frequent remark. He had some
absurdities on the subject of medicine, which would have very
effectually assisted the fulfilment of this prediction. He had all idea
that he should cure himself of his immediate disease, and perhaps of
every other, by swallowing orange-flower water, and soup _a la reine_.

The governor, during this period, constantly offered the services of an
English physician; and Dr Arnott was at last summoned, who pronounced
the disease to be very serious, and to be connected with great
inflammation in the region of the stomach. It was now, for the first
time, ascertained that his disease was ulceration of the stomach. There
is an occasional tribute to the humane conduct of the governor at this
time. On April eleventh, there is this memorandum:--

"Sir Hudson Lowe has left us in perfect tranquillity, since Dr
Arnott has been admitted, though he comes every day to the
apartments of the orderly officer, for the purpose of conferring
with the physician."

Napoleon, now conscious of the dangerous nature of his disease, made his
will. He had conceived that he was worth in various property about two
hundred millions of francs, which he left by will, but of which we
believe the greater part was impounded by the French government, as
being public property.

He now held a long conversation on the prospects of his son, whom he
regarded as not altogether beyond the hope of ascending the throne of
France. He predicted the fall of the reigning family. "The Bourbons,"
said he, "will not maintain their position after my death." With an
exactness equally odd, but equally true, he predicted the rise of
another branch of the dynasty: "My son will arrive, after a time of
troubles; he has but one party to fear, that of the Duke of Orleans.
That party has been germinating for a long time. France is the country
where the chiefs of parties have the least interest. To res