NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821)

NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821)

The exiled Emperor learns English

 

NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) Emperor of the French 1804-14, 1815. An unusual, rare pen and ink drawing executed in Napoleon's hand, unsigned, on a small irregularly trimmed oblong 12mo piece (12 x 7 cm at its widest and highest points), n.p. (Longwood House, Saint Helena), n.d. (c.1816). In bold, dark fountain pen ink the exiled Emperor has drawn a neat series of abstract geometric doodles. The piece is also annotated in Napoleon's hand with around eight random words, in English, including left, on, can, call and the. An interesting and attractive piece demonstrating Napoleon's desire to master English. Neatly mounted to a slim oblong 8vo page removed from an album. About VG

 

In his Le Memorial de Sainte-Helene the French cartographer and author Emmanuel, comte de Las Cases, who informally acted as Napoleon's secretary whilst the Emperor was exiled on Saint Helena, devotes several passages to Napoleon's wish to learn English, noting that on 16^th January 1816 'At about three o'clock, the Emperor summoned me for conversation while he was washing and dressing….He happened to remark that it was scandalous that he could not yet read English….and then ordered me to force him to take a lesson every day'. The first lesson took place the following day, on 17^th January, Las Cases observing 'Today the Emperor took his first English lesson. Since my main aim was to make him able to read the newspapers without difficulty, the first lesson consisted only in making him acquainted with an English gazette'.

 

For further information please refer to the interesting essay Napoleon's English Lessons by Peter Hicks at Napoleon.org which also features fascinating illustrations, including a larger page of very similar doodles in the hand of Napoleon.