,
for I think everything connected with such a remarkable
passage of history becomes historical. Perhaps it will
somewhat change the view of the subject, and relieve Mrs M.'s
delicacy, if we consider it not as immediately applicable to
Mrs M. personally, but as a point illustrative of Bonaparte's
address. It was of importance to him to secure Capt.
Maitland's good opinion, and he took a delicate and ingenious
way of giving pleasure. I have always understood that there
could be only one opinion of the justice of the compliment,
yet I think the praise would have been bestowed even had the
portrait less charm. I do pray that Mrs M. will consent to be
_immortal_.--SCOTT.]]

At this time I proposed to him to allow me to address him in English,
as I had heard he understood that language, and I had considerable
difficulty in expressing myself in French. He replied in French, "The
thing is impossible; I hardly understand a word of your language:" and
from the observations I had an opportunity of making afterwards, I am
satisfied he made a correct statement, as, on looking into books or
newspapers, he frequently asked the meaning of the most common word.
He spoke his own language with a rapidity that at first made it
difficult to follow him; and it was several days before I got so far
accustomed to his manner of speaking, as to comprehend his meaning
immediately.

In about a quarter of an hour, he again intimated a desire to go round
the ship; and although I told him he would find the men rubbing and
scouring, he persisted in his wish of seeing her in the state she then
was. He accordingly went over all her decks, asking me many questions;
more particularly about any thing that appeared to him different from
what he had been accustomed to see in French ships of war. He seemed
most struck with the cleanliness and neatness of the men, saying "that
our seamen were surely a different class of people from the French;
and that he thought it was owing to them we were always victorious at
sea." I answered, "I must beg leave to differ with you: I do not wish
to take from the merit of our men; but my own opinion is, that perhaps
we owe our advantage to the superior experience of the officers; and I
believe the French seamen, if taken as much pains with, would look as
well as ours. As British ships of war are constantly at sea, the