and the upstart sovereign was to be betrayed and massacred in cold blood; the other bending his eyes towards the summit of power which he was at length to attain, perhaps, however, suddenly to be cut by the assassin's blade,-to die by pistol, by dagger, or by sword! But it would be a vanity to deal out the thousands of trite sentiments that might be uttered about the vicissitudes of life, or concerning the wonderful transitions and frantic-looking fates which marked the French revolution. In the awful hurricanes of that period, king-making and king-deposing was a very common affair indeed, and might well have rendered such temporary events in the short and fleet lives of poor mortals unworthy of more than a slight passing notice. Who would care to be seated on a throne from which he may be hurled by an innkeeper's son, by an ignorant postillion, a servile ostler? Or who would be so ill-advised as to leave these honest occupations in order to wear a crown for a few years, and then perhaps to be shot like a dog, and denied in his last hours the solace which a wife and children ought to yield, were it merely by their presence, and in the prospect that a happy undistracted futurity awaited them? Vain title to be called at birth a prince, and to associate with the potentates of Europe for a brief space, when ere long one may be glad to find an asylum in a republican land, where the common-place appellation of Mr. is all the honour that will be prefixed to a name.

Eschewing all further sentimentalism on this subject, let us come to some of the contents of the publications before us, beginning with what pertains to the household and fortunes of the headstrong but jocular king of Naples.

Catherine Davies was born in Wales in 1773, and was one of an unusually numerous family. At the peace of Amiens she accompanied a party to France. The truce being soon at an end, she and many others were detained. Her mistress now was unable to support an establishment, and therefore she exerted herself to find a situation for her respected domestic; when she had the good luck to be taken into the service of Madame Murat, along with another Englishwoman, Mrs. Pulsford. The two were appointed to attend upon Murat's children, viz., Prince Achille, who was then about four years old; Princess Letitia, who was half of that age; and Lucien, only nine months. Louisa was afterwards added to the number of children.

Of course Catherine's opportunities of observation could not extend beyond the nursery, or other private and household spheres ; nor does her narrative aspire to do more than to give a simple account of what she personally observed, or may have learned from the other domestics. Still, what she states shows that she was treated with kindness and considerable familiarity; and the impression which she conveys leaves a favourable impression of Murat and

his wife. Of the children she speaks with almost maternal affection; and they seem to have been deserving of her love. Altogether, one cannot but perceive from the account of Eleven Years' Residence in the family of the King of Naples, that a far greater degree of amiability characterized the private life of these personages, whose fortunes were so romantic and vicissitudes so wonderful, than has been attributed to them by historians and political writers.

Catherine Davies had only one opportunity of seeing Napoleon; but it afforded an occasion for the exhibition of characteristic traits. He was unwilling that his lovely and gifted sister should retain English servants, thinking that they might act as spies; and ordered that they should be dismissed: but they were only concealed. As he was walking in the garden one day, the children addressed him from a window. He looked up and observed the Welsh woman. Entering the apartment, he questioned her quickly and briefly; concluding the interview with a "bravo!" Her candour pleased him. We pick out some longer passages from the little book before us, which has been published for the benefit of the authoress, who, besides the weight of years has long suffered from an affection of the muscles of the neck, contracted during the exposure and distresses of the last few weeks preceding the downfall of the dynasty she served. Here are sketches and anecdotes,

"The queen was in height about the middle size; her complexion very fair, fine expressive eyes, a very handsome nose; her cheek-bones might be deemed too high, but her mouth and teeth were very beautiful, her arms round and well-formed, her hands delicately white, and so small that those of the Princess Letitia, at seven years of age, were said to be equal to her mother's in size. She was universally considered a lovely woman. In character she resembled her brother Napoleon. She possessed a strong mind, had great penetration, and was somewhat fond of manoeuvring. When Murat accompanied the emperor on his Russian expedition, she transacted with the ministers the business of the state with great facility. Indefatigable in her attention to the affairs of the kingdom, she was so entirely engrossed by them, that often, for a fortnight together, she neither saw nor inquired for her children."

The greatest delight, however, which Murat had was in the company of his children; spending many hours playing with and amusing them. But farther, and with regard to the queen, &c.

"At seven in the morning her attendants were obliged to be in her room, as at eight she took her first breakfast, before she arose. She then went to the bath; on her return a fresh bed was ready for her. In that she remained until twelve or one o'clock, during which time a lady, whose office it was, read to her. She then arose, dressed, and went to her second breakfast, which was a most sumptuous repast, almost resembling a dinner, VOL. III. (1841.) NO. III. 2 c

with tea, coffee, chocolate, and cocoa. The queen, unlike every other member of her family, was very fond of tea, and liked to have it in the true English style, with toast, muffins, and crumpets. This late breakfast was sometimes prepared in a spacious and magnificent dairy belonging to the palace. Everything in it was beautifully arranged, and kept in the nicest manner: water was conveyed by pipes around it, which, upon touching a spring, descended in a gentle shower, freshening the air, and keeping the milk and cream deliciously cool. Thither the king and queen, with some of their most intimate friends, would often repair; and the king not unfrequently ended the repast by secretly' touching the spring, treating the guests with an artificial shower, and sending them, himself delighted with the frolic, to change their wetted and even drenched garments, in the palace. Portici is a town about four miles from Naples, in which stands a royal palace most beautifully situated. This place became a favourite residence of the queen, who, discarding the ancient and tawdry furniture, replaced it with all the elegant improvements of the present time: her own apartments exhibited a perfect model of feminine taste. In the park was a pavilion which Joseph Buonaparte had built during his short reign, to which he retired when he had any private business to transact: it consisted of two rooms only, one above and the other below. In the upper room was a large round table, capable of dining twelve persons: so contrived, through a curious piece of mechanism, that on touching a spring, each dish or plate descended through an opening in the table, and in their place a fresh supply was returned; and thus the attendance of servants was rendered unnecessary. The queen spent some time every year at Portici, and many magnificent entertainments were given there."

The king is said to have dearly loved a joke. One morning he

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Surprised and amused his guests, among whom were some of the English nobility, by having a pair of dwarfs served up as the middle dish at the dessert. They came through the aperture in the table, resting quietly in their china car; and when safely landed, they rose up, and lightly tripping along the table, presented an offering of flowers to the royal pair. Their unexpected and ludicrous appearance drew peals of laughter from the light-hearted guests. In his latter campaigns, the king was attended by a black man, gorgeously attired in crimson and gold. This man had been brought home, when a boy, by Murat, upon his return from one of his earlier campaigns. As the black grew up, he became deeply in love with a beautiful Neapolitan girl, and begged the king to permit him to marry her. This request amused his master, who desired him to place himself, with the girl, before the queen and the ladies of her suite, as they were going an airing, to have her majesty's opinion. The man, secure of the affection of the girl he had chosen, undauntedly did so. The contrast was so great, that the queen at first refused to consent to the marriage, saying the girl was far too handsome for him. The king, however, soon overruled this objection; and on the morning of their wedding, the black was first baptized, and then received the sacrament."

The king and queen were the sponsors of the black man, naming him Othello. Murat had other faithful and attached servants :—

"During the Russian campaign, whilst Murat was in Poland, he one morning rode out attended by Othello and his coachman,-another faithful attendant, who had lived with the king from the period of his marriage. Two Polanders, likewise on horseback, passed them: seeing it was Murat, they turned hastily round, and made an attack so unexpected, that he would have fallen a victim to their fury, had not Othello and the coachman, suspecting their intention, called out to the king to fly. The coachman at the same instant struck one of the Polanders a blow so severe, that he divided his arm from his body, whilst he was in the act of raising it to pierce Murat through the back with a lance. This fortunate act the king generously rewarded on his return to Naples. He first suspended the cross of honour around the neck of his coachman; then dismissing him from his servile office, he gave him a house to live in, and a carriage for his daily use. Having received these honours, he was noticed by the first people in Naples, who, out of compliment to the king, even invited him to their tables, an honour the brave man would gladly have declined, fearful of not acquitting himself with propriety amongst persons so much his superior. His faithfulness, however, deserved a rich reward."

But how sudden and violent the reverses,-how tragic the end of one of the crowned creatures of the French Revolution! Murat was in Corsica on the eve of his betrayal, the particulars of which are thus recorded by Mrs. Davies :

"He received from the Austrian government the offer of an honourable retreat, either in Austria or Bohemia. His acceptance of this proposal was to entitle him to the necessary passports to rejoin his wife and family. He was induced to refuse this offer, from the vain hopes he indulged of making a successful effort to regain his kingdom. Having collected a few desperate followers, and a small fleet, he wrote to his late chamberlain, the Duke St. Theodore, at Naples, requesting him to meet him in Calabria. This letter fell into the hands of King Ferdinand, who sent for the duke, and ordered him to inform Murat he would meet him there. The poor duke, sensible that this would be the ruin of his former sovereign, yet unable to inform him of his danger, went home, and, almost frantic with grief, immediately took to his bed. Murat, upon receiving the duke's answer, sailed for Calabria, early in October 1815. A violent storm dispersed his flotilla. The captain of Murat's vessel, bribed by Ferdinand, sailed immediately after landing him. Murat hastened to the village, expecting to meet the duke: but on the road he was attacked by the country-people, aided by an armed force; and his followers were quickly dispersed. He retreated towards the coast, when the treachery of the captain was apparent. Resistance was useless: he was soon overpowered, and taken prisoner. They conducted him to the castle of Pizzo, near the place where he landed. A court-martial was instantly summoned, and his fate decided. No mercy was shown him; and after the lapse of a few hours, he was led

out to be shot. His wonted courage supported him in this appalling hour. He met death undauntedly. Having fastened his wife's picture on his breast, and refusing to have his eyes bandaged, orders were given to the soldiers to fire. His death was instantaneous; six balls had pierced his heart. The treacherous captain, who thus left a most kind master to his fate, unwarned of his danger, had received from Murat many acts of generosity. He did not live to reap the reward of his base conduct, being murdered the first night he slept on shore, after his return to Corsica, by some persons who were attached to the prince he had betrayed. Madame Murat was at Vienna when this sad event took place. She received no intelligence of the death of him to whom she had brought the fatal gift of a crown. The melancholy history first appeared in the newspaper she generally read. For some time her attendants succeeded in keeping that paper from her, by substituting another. At last, as she insisted upon seeing the one to which she was always accustomed, they brought it to her at night, after she had retired to her chamber. Upon reading the account of her husband's melancholy death, she was attacked with violent fits, which lasted till morning. The dear children were asleep, and knew nothing of their mother's grief, nor of their own loss, till the following day, when seeing every one looking sad around them, Prince Lucien said to my late English companion, Mimie, what is the matter, that you all wear such sorrowful faces is papa dead?' She replied she feared he was. At this answer, they all wept bitterly; for they were tenderly attached to their father, and he equally so to them. Time brought resignation on its healing wings."

Madame Murat became the wife of General Macdonald. She died only a few years ago. The fortunes of her children by the former marriage are thus agreeably and touchingly described by one of them :

"London, March 12, 1831.

"My dear Davies,-I have this morning received, with a great deal of pleasure, your letter of March the 8th; and I am very happy to see that you are doing well, and have not forgotten me. I enjoy very good health, as well as my wife; for you must know that I am married since-more than four years. My mother is always in Trieste, doing very well. Letitia is married, in Bologna, to the Marquis Pepoli, and has three children. Louisa is likewise married, in Ravenna, to Count Rosponi, and has one son, after losing two. Lucien is in America, where I left him in very good health about two months ago. I have no children yet. I have been living these eight last years in the United States, where I have a sugar and cotton plantation, and where I have become a lawyer. I would be very glad to see you again before I leave England; but I am afraid that my short stay here will not permit it. Mrs. Murat, to whom I have shown your letter and told who you are, sends you her compliments; and I make you warm wishes for your happiness. Be happy, and believe me always your well-wisher and friend,

ACHILLE MURAT."