This is part of a series where we translate the letters of the incongruent Montholons. They might have been part of a conspiracy to murder Napoleon and we are going through all the source material we can find to ascertain the truth. In this letters, Albine again insults the credible Doctor O’Meara who was, by all accounts I’ve seen, driven away from Napoleon for doing good. These letters are all being read by the Governor. Here and there, the Montholons do say things that imply they are more on his side than Napoleon’s - such as this comment about O’Meara may demonstrate.
Also note that death and illness is common at Longwood. According to Montholon, Napoleon has the most trouble recovering and Montholon says he should take whatever “medicine” is given to him if he wants to fully recover.
The scholar who assembled this book, Philippe Gonnard, says in the footnotes that he has proof in his hands that Albine was being 2 faced concerning O’Meara. Gonnard and I can only guess why. That’s why I keep digging.
XXII. - From the COUNT TO THE COUNTESS OF MONTHOLON
Longwood, April 30, 1820.
Our cook [Lepage] has had his fourth or fifth attack of a kind of serous apoplexy or disorganization of the lymph, he falls unconscious, and the Doctor Antommarchi declares him incurable.
He is in fact unable to continue his service, and sometimes this reduces us to Chinese cuisine (1): the poor man knows his condition and asks to leave.
I am therefore authorized and even ordered to instruct you to send us: 1st, a cook; 2nd, a second cook or kitchen assistant.
Two men are really essential to serve a house as large as ours. It is desired that the two individuals have served in the imperial house.
So choose them as such, and take all the necessary steps vis-à-vis the English government to obtain passports for them. As for the wages, those of Lepage for the first, those that you will fix for the second.
I write to the governor for this purpose.
XXIII. - FROM COUNT TO COUNTESS DE MONTHOLON Longwood, June 6, 1820.
I was sick for a long time, languid, but I am completely recovered and well now.
I had, it is true, coughed up blood for a moment, it was the effect of the blister that was put on my liver. Doctor Verling, who treated me perfectly, gave me completely a correct treatment. (3).
Antommarchi only continued the same treatment, in order to complete my treatment. In fact, for a long time, I have not felt anything negative in the liver. Do not worry, I repeat, it would be foolish to worry.
Noverraz is doing quite well, we have no sick at the moment, the only exception
…
1. A number of Chinese servants were employed in Longwood.
2. It included, in April 1817, 37 people, the exception were the Bertrands who lived apart.
3. All details confirmed by Dr. Verling's journal (especially that of August 7, 1819).
…
is the Emperor, who has a hard time recovering. He waited too long to take remedies. However, it has had a very good effect. (1)
XXIV. - FROM THE COUNTESS TO THE COUNT OF MONTHOLON
Brussels, June 9, 1820.
I read today in the Constitutional that it has just published a work entitled Memoirs to serve the History of France in 1815 and it’s published by Doctor O'Meara. I have no further information. I think like you about his fiddling and his mania to put himself forward.
Do not worry, I will never be here for nothing (2).
…
1. See in the Last Moments of Napoleon, I, p. 266 (Garnier edition), this partial and unstable restoration of Napoleon's health.
2. This nescio vos [“I don’t know you” in Latin] at O'Meara's expense does not seem to me to be very sincere. Mme. de Montholon knew that her letter would be read in passing by the English authorities, and what good was it to reveal to them the relationship she had with O'Meara? It has been preserved, and the Vicomte du Couëdie de Kergoualer has kindly communicated to me letters from O'Meara to Mme. de Montholon during the two years, 1820 and 1821.
A letter of February 14, 1820 speaks of the publication of a work for which offers have been received from Sir Richard Phillipps (an editor); - a letter dated March 28, 1820 states that Sir R. Phillipps will not offer more than £4,000 sterling for this work, and that Mr. Murray (another publisher) does not want to publish it "unless the name of the great personage is formally affixed to it as its author".
If we add to these already significant indications that the Memoirs to serve in the History of France in 1815 appeared at Phillipps' and that a letter from O'Meara to Mme. de Montholon, February 6, 1821, says: "The work on Waterloo has been very successful here", it becomes almost certain that not only Mme. de Montholon did not lack information on this publication, but that this publication was prepared jointly between herself and O'Meara.
The opinion which she expresses on this tampering seems no less diplomatic, because still on May 30, 1820, she wrote to her friend, the banker Holmes, the instrument of this tampering, to notify him of a change of address and to ask him to send Longwood's letters to his new address (Record Office, Colonial office records, Saint Helena, Colonial correspondence, vol. 30). The Montholon quarrel with Holmes and O'Meara therefore seems to me, as I have already said, purely part of their cloaking agenda.
…
Cela fait partie d'une série où nous traduisons les lettres des Montholons incongruents. Ils auraient pu faire partie de la conspiration pour assassiner Napoléon et nous parcourons tous les documents sources que nous pouvons trouver pour vérifier la vérité.
Dans ces lettres, Albine insulte à nouveau le crédible docteur O’Meara qui, selon tous les témoignages que j'ai vus, a été chassé de Napoléon pour avoir fait le bien.
Ces lettres sont toutes lues par le gouverneur. Ici et là, les Montholons disent des choses qui impliquent qu'ils sont plus du côté du gouverneur que ceux de Napoléon - comme ce commentaire sur O’Meara peut le démontrer. Notez également que la mort et la maladie sont courantes à Longwood.
Selon Montholon, Napoléon a le plus de mal à se remettre et Montholon dit qu'il devrait prendre tous les «médicaments» qui lui sont donnés s'il veut se remettre complètement.
For more about the Montholons.
Pour en savoir plus sur les Montholons
…