NAPOLEON'S WILL



serve my son from the snares which yet environ his infancy.
I recommend to my son never to forget that he was born a
French prince, and never to allow himself to become an in-
strument in the hands of the triumvirs who oppress the na-
tions of Europe: he ought never to fight against France, or to
injure her in any manner; he ought to adopt my motto-
Everything for the French people. I die prematurely, assas-
sinated by the English oligarchy and its tool. The English
nation will not be slow in avenging me. The two unfortu-
nate results of the invasions of France, when she had still so
many resources, are to be attributed to the treason of Mar-
mont, Augereau, Talleyrand, and Lafayette. I forgive them
-may the posterity of France forgive them as I do! I par-
don Louis for the libel he published in 1820; it is replete
with false assertions and falsified documents. I disavow
the 'Manuscript of St. Helena,' and other works, under the
title of 'Maxims, Sayings,' etc., which persons have been
pleased to publish for the last six years. Such are not the
rules which have guided my life. I caused the Due d'En-
ghien to be arrested and tried because that step was essential
to the safety, interest, and honor of the French people, when
the Comte d'Artois was maintaining, by his own confession,
sixty assassins at Paris. Under similar circumstances I
should act in the same way."
   To his son and immediate relatives Napoleon left most of
his personal effects. Among his relatives and favorite fol-
lowers he distributed a sum of 6,000,000 francs, left in the
hands of his bankers at the time of his flight from Paris;
likewise the proceeds of a possible sale of his confiscated
crown jewels. Count Lavalette and the children of Lab4-
doyere were remembered with bequests of 100,000 and
50,000 francs, respectively. The final clauses were:
   "To be distributed among such proscribed persons as
wander in foreign countries whether they be French, Italians,
                           430



1821