We are translating the memoirs of the highly suspicious Countess Albine de Montholon. Here she discusses how Las Cases hadn’t let on that he could speak English and how the English government sent Napoleon’s faithful to captivity in Malta just for showing devotion. Savary, Duke of Rovigo, who endured this wrote his memoirs and they are here.
The not so subtle digs are usually pretty easy to spot from this memoirist.
Albine writes:
[this lack of] explanation [about Las Cases’ English skills], which they considered deceptive, because the English had spoken in front of him, and when they returned later on board the Bellerophon, it was discovered that he knew the English like an English speaker [Las Cases repeatedly said in his memoirs that his English wasn’t that great].
Captain Maitland and others were all surprised and furious. Since then, Admiral Cockburn has told me that the inclination they all had against him coming to St. Helena arose from this circumstance.
The Emperor would have liked to have been able to take M. de Planat, the orderly officer, who would have been very useful to him as a secretary. We couldn't get that to happen.
All those who had hoped in vain to follow the Emperor, Frenchmen, Polish men, an orderly officer and others, were all sent to Malta, except the young Las Cases who was allowed to follow his father.
I had brought a servant and a maid; I was only allowed to keep one.
We were allowed in all, as I have already said, twelve persons in the service of the Emperor, and, so that he could keep his own, we did not keep ours.
Madame Bertrand was able to take a man because he was the husband of her maid.
It was assumed in principle that one did not separate husbands from wives and children from fathers. The moment of separation for those who were not following the Emperor was awful.
These poor officers wept like children; the Duke of Rovigo was afflicted with severe anguish, as one might possessing an attachment to the Emperor such as his own.
…
Nous traduisons les mémoires de la très suspecte comtesse Albine de Montholon. Ici, elle explique comment Las Cases n'a pas laissé entendre qu'il pouvait parler anglais et comment le gouvernement anglais a envoyé les fidèles de Napoléon en captivité à Malte juste pour montrer son dévouement.
Savary, duc de Rovigo, qui a enduré cela, a écrit ses mémoires et ils sont ici en anglais.
Les insultes pas si subtiles sont généralement assez faciles à repérer de cette mémoire.
