Count de Las Cases
Memorial de Sainte Hélène
London, 1823
MY RESIDENCE WITH THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.
Volume 2, Part 3
page 265 - 285
HISTORY OF MY ATLAS.
“ This Work was partly the fruit of chance ; but above all, of necessity, which, as the common proverb says, is the mother of industry.... At the time of the first reverses of the French emigrants, I was cast by the political hurricane in the streets of London, without friends, without money, and without resources ; but possessing the requisite courage and willingness for exertion. To a man animated by such a spirit, London, at that time, afforded certain sources of emolument.
“ After having unsuccessfully made several applications, I determined to rely on myself alone, and, like Figaro, I decided on turning author. For a moment, I had thoughts of becoming a romance writer : this idea was suggested to me by the proposals of a bookseller ; but he required too much, and was inclined to pay too little. I then turned my thoughts to writing history, which, at all events, was calculated to procure for me a certain moral advantage, by storing my mind with positive knowledge. It was then I conceived the first idea of my Atlas, which I may truly regard as an inspiration from Heaven, for to it I owed my life. The work was at first a simple sketch, a mere nomenclature, very different from the form in which it now appears. However, it sufficed immediately to relieve me from embarrassment, and to secure to me what might be called a little fortune, in comparison with the miseries endured by the other emigrants. Then, Sire, came the Peace of Amiens, and the benefits conferred on us by your amnesty. I was enabled to make a journey to France, merely as a traveller, having no other object in view, than to breathe my native air and to see the French capital. There I found myself at liberty to express my sentiments without restraint ; investigation was easy ; my ideas and my judgment were enlarged ; I was master of my time, and I undertook to arrange my Atlas in the form in which it now appears. I proposed publishing regularly four sheets per quarter. I was now vastly improved both in my mind and circumstances. Interest, attention, good offers, money and connexions, poured in upon me ; and I may confidently affirm, that this was the happiest period of my life.
“ In England, I had published my Work under a feigned name, in order to avoid compromising the honour of my own. I happened to fix upon Le-Sage, just as I might have decided on Leblanc, Legris, or Lenoir. But I could not have made a more unlucky choice, or, at least, I could not have assumed a more general appellation. Some time after, a letter, which was intended for me, passed through all the different colonies of French emigrants in London, and was delivered by turns to twenty-two priests, who all bore the name of Le-Sage. At length one, who lead apparently discovered that the name did not belong to me, sent me the letter in a violent rage, observing that when people thought proper to change their names, they should at least avoid taking those that belonged to other individuals.
“ In France I still preserved the name of Le Sage, which had now become identified with my Atlas. To have published it under a new name might have led to the supposition that it was a new work. Besides I did not wish to expose my own name to the chance of ill succes, to the attacks of the Journals or the bickerings of criticism. Even though I had been ensured of the complete success of the work, I should not probably have felt the more inclined to affix my real name to it, owing to a remnant of my old prejudices of which I could not easily divest myself.
“ Certainly this literary fame flattered me not a little ; but I had sprung from a warlike race, and I conceived that I was in duty bound to pursue fame of another kind. However, circumstances rendered this impossible, and I think it proper to mention that at least I was not unconscious of the duty. I never had cause to repent of my double appellation. Independently of my real motive for assuming it, it diffused around me an air of adventure and romance which was by no means disagreeable, and which was moreover in unison with my temper and character. It occasioned many mistakes and humorous scenes which afforded me considerable amusement. In England, for example. I have often when in company, been questioned in the most innocent way imaginable respecting the merits of M. Le Sage’s work ; and at a boarding-school I was once addressed in very discourteous language, because I obstinately persisted in condemning my own Atlas. So long as I continued myself to manage the publication of the work, my method was to treat in person with every individual who offered to set their names down as subscribers. I had now no favours to solicit ; I rather found it necessary in some instances to guard against receiving those that were offered. In France particularly I was overwhelmed with acts of kindness and flattering compliments. Some paid me these attentions because they knew me and others precisely because they did not know me ; but I was in every instance greatly indebted for them to my determination of preserving perfect equilibrium with all parties. For my part I enjoyed the curious spectacle that now presented itself to me. As every one who wished to become a subscriber was obliged to give in his own name, I took a review of many characters, whom I well knew, and observed them in silence. I was thus enabled to meditate at my ease on the curious diversity of opinion, judgment, and taste. The point which one condemned, was precisely that which another most admired ; which a third declared to be indispensable, and which a fourth pronounced to be inadmissible. Each according to custom failed not to set forth his own opinion as the prevailing one : it was the sentiment of all Paris and of every body.
“ I had now an opportunity of being convinced of the great advantage a man derives from superintending his own business himself, and of the important influence of politeness and good manners in all the affairs of life. I acceded to every thing that was proposed, I received every hint that was suggested, and I was repaid a hundredfold for my complaisance. It frequently happened that a person who had called on me without any intention of purchasing the work, was not only induced to carry it away with him, but brought me ten, twenty, or even a hundred additional subscribers.
“ One described my Atlas, as a classic work, to the Minister of the Interior ; another recommended it to the Minister for Foreign Affairs ; a third promised to procure for me the decorations of the Legion of Honour, and a fourth wrote a flattering critique on the work, and got it inserted it in the public journals. Some carried their interest and attachment for me even to a degree of enthusiasm. Of this the following are instances. One of my provincial subscribers, who was unacquainted with me, wrote to request, as a particular favour, that I would get my portrait engraved to embellish the work, offering, in case I acceded to the proposition, to defray half the expences of the engraving. Another, who was the owner of the Chateau de Montmorency, paid me a visit every week under pretence of enquiring whether I had got a new sheet of my Atlas ready for publication, but in reality, as he himself assured me, to pass his happiest hours in my society. He added, that if ever I should take a fancy to sell my conversation as I did the sheets of my work, it was in my power, if I chose, to ruin him. I afterwards learned that, this was a man of a very eccentric turn ; one of La Bruyere’s characters ; quite after the manner of Jean-Jacques. For a considerable time he seemed to rack his inventions in making me offers of service in the most delicate way imaginable ; he even went so far as to throw out paternal suggestions to me. ‘ M. Le Sage,’ said he, oftener than once ; ‘ you ought to marry. You possess qualities that are calculated to insure the happiness of a wife, and still more that of a father-in-law.’ I must not omit to mention, that the old gentleman had but one daughter, and she was a rich heiress. However, the warmth of our intimacy gradually abated, till at length I entirely lost the acquaintance. It was not until a considerable time after, when being on a country excursion with a party of ladies, the sight of the Chateau de Montmorency revived the recollection of my old friend. I related the history of his eccentricities to the ladies who accompanied me ; their curiosity was excited, and we determined to visit the castle. The porter refused to admit us. On my enquiring whether the gentleman was at his country residence, I received for answer that he was there, and that this was precisely the reason why we could not be admitted. I thought it very extraordinary that he should thus immure himself in his castle and render himself totally inaccessible. With considerable difficulty I prevailed on the servant to announce M. Le Sage. The sound of the name operated like enchantment ; the affront offered to an elegant calash and rich liveries was immediately repaired. The gates were thrown open apparently to the no small astonishment of the porter. The servants received orders to show us over the castle, and to offer us every kind of refreshment. We had brought with us in the carriage provisions for a little rural repast ; but a sumptuous dinner was laid out for us in one of the best apartments of the castle ; and we could not with any thing like good grace decline accepting what was so politely offered to us. All this hospitality was perfectly disinterested on the part of the worthy old gentleman, who was confined to his chamber with the gout. He was overjoyed at seeing me ; and he seemed to regard my visit as the return of the prodigal son. He insisted on seeing the ladies who accompanied me, and he was carried into the dining-room to do the honours of the dessert. One thing that amused us infinitely was, that he seemed to have no idea of the rank of the friends by whom I was accompanied ; and he treated them like persons of inferior rank, though they were in reality ladies of distinction. The old gentleman would now scarcely allow me to depart ; he insisted on my repeating my visit, and said, that I and all my friends should ever be received with welcome at his castle. But alas ! I could not avail myself of his kindness ; for a few days after I read in the papers the death of this good and sincere friend.
“ From the commencement of my greatness, I may under every point of view, date the termination of the golden age of my Atlas. When I was transplanted to Court and permitted to approach Your Majesty’s person, I conceived that I could not with propriety descend to the details that had hitherto occupied me. I confided the management of the copyright to one of my old college companions, who had been an emigrant like myself, but who did not turn the publication to so good an account as I had done.
“ On entering upon my new post, at Court, I was loaded with compliments on my production ; but to these I replied indifferently, and just as one would do at a ball after dropping one’s mask. When it was found that I never alluded to my work, that I never quoted from it, and that I avoided all dissertations on it, I was never spoken to on the subject ; and at length people began to wonder how I had ever written it, and indeed to doubt whether I had any right at all to be considered as its author.
“ On hearing these words, the Emperor said to me, ‘ My dear Las Cases this doubt has found its way even to St. Helena. I have heard it affirmed that the work was not written by you, that you purchased the manuscript from the real author ; and in support of this assertion it has been remarked, that you know nothing at all about the book because you never speak of it.’ To these observations, continued he, ‘ I have merely contented myself with saying, Did you never know any question to remain without a complete answer ? Besides I recognize throughout the whole work the style, the very expressions of Las Cases.’
“ Many,” said I, resuming my narrative, “ will think I injured myself by this denial ; but I preferred good taste to quackery, and I was only acting according to the dictates of my natural disposition. Your Majesty was the other day describing how Sieyès used to present himself loaded with written plans, and at the very first word of contradiction, as soon as he found it necessary to act on the defensive, he would gather up his papers and be off in a moment. This was precisely my feeling. I never could stand up publicly to support my opinions. Before I could do this I must enjoy the authority of rank or the freedom of intimate friendship, otherwise I prefer dooming myself to silence, that is to say, when I am not interrogated and urged to the point. But to return to my subject : so long as I remained in obscurity I enjoyed the good-will of every one ; but my elevation rendered one an object of enmity, and I felt the influence of that vague sentiment of envy and benevolence which ever follows the footsteps of fortune. The public journals, which for a length of time had overflowed with flattery and agreeable expressions in favour of the Historical Atlas, now inserted some very ill-natured articles respecting the work, and when these were traced to their source, the writers frankly avowed that they had been occasioned solely by changes that had taken place in political opinions and public affairs.
“ A report was delivered to the Institute of all the works that had appeared for several years past ; and in this report the Atlas was very severely treated. Happening to be one day in company with the author of this report, to whom I was known only by the name of Le Sage, I expressed to him my dissatisfaction at what he had said of the Atlas. He candidly confessed that the work and its author were alike unknown to him ; that having found the labour of writing the report too much for him, he had divided the task among several other individuals. He informed me that the article on Le Sage’s Atlas had been infinitely more severe when delivered to him, than it appeared on its insertion in the report. He had softened it down considerably. ‘ I can easily perceive,’ continued he, ‘ that you have enemies in the literary world, and for these you are indebted to your habits and your situation. You have connected yourself with a Count somebody, who holds places at Court ; but courtiers and authors never agree well together. Those Gentlemen are, for the most part, very unlike us. It is said, that in this curious partnership you supply the talent and he provides the money. What is the use of that ? The Count is only making his profits on you ! Your work is good, and your bookseller would have remunerated you for it. However, I am only repeating what I have heard, and I advise you to what I conceive to be your interest. If you wish to enjoy our suffrage, you must connect yourself with us, you must identify yourself with our doctrines, and leave the great folks to themselves.’
“ I replied, with all possible civility, that I was certainly indebted to him for his kind advice, though it was not just then in my power to follow it. I assured him that he had formed an unfair opinion of my friend ; that our purses and our very lives were common to each other ; that our friendship and intimacy were indissoluble ; that we had vowed to live and die together, and that nothing could induce us to break that vow. It was altogether a truly comic scene.
“ Some time after I was dining at the table of a Prince : I was seated at the side of my exalted host, and was dressed in a uniform covered with lace. The member of the Institute was one of the guests. Surprise and embarrassment were pourtrayed in his countenance. I spoke to him several times ; but he always drew close to his neighbours, whispering to them, and apparently making enquiries. After dinner he came up to me, and very good-humouredly begged me to relieve him from his perplexity. He said he perfectly recollected having had the honour of meeting me before, but that he was quite at a loss to comprehend the trick that I had played upon him.
“ I disclaimed any intention of hoaxing him. ‘ All that you have seen,’ said I, ‘ and all that I have told you, are nothing but reality and truth. The mystery is easily solved. You then saw M. Le Sage who supplies the talent, and you now see M. Le Comte who provides the funds. You now understand how histories are written, and I have learned how reports are made out.’
“ An equally ridiculous mistake procured for M. Le Sage in the famous Yellow Dwarf, the honour of being set down as a Weathercock, in quality of genealogist of the order under the humourous name of Parvulus Sapiens (Little Le Sage.) For this favour, as I afterwards learned, I was indebted to the suppression that was made during the King’s reign, of the genealogy of your Majesty, whose descent I was supposed to have traced from Æneas and Ascanius. It is difficult to conceive what could have been meant by all this, as there was nothing in the Atlas that could either directly or indirectly have suggested such an idea. However, at all the various times at which the Atlas and its author were assailed, numerous zealous and fervent partisans enquired whether I would be pleased to permit them to take up my defence. I invariably desired that the subject might be dropped ; I conceived, that by thus occupying public attention, I should surely endanger my own tranquillity. I smiled at the ill-natured attacks that were made on poor M. Le Sage ; but I should have been very sorry to have seen them extended to his alias.
“ If however my Atlas enjoyed this general and extensive success, it certainly deserved it. The work is indeed adapted to every age, to every country, to every period ; it is suited to all opinions, classes and plans of education. It is an assistant to him who wishes to learn, and a remembrances to him who has learned. It is a guide to the scholar and an illustrator to the master. It embraces chronology, history, geography, politics, &c. To those who understand it and know how to use it, it may be truly said to compose a whole library in itself. It is the Vade Mecum of the pupil and the tutor, of the scholar and the man of business.
“ Thus it had an immediate sale, and never I imagine did any literary work prove so productive to its author. On its first appearance, the daily subscriptions frequently amounted to 2 or 300 louis. During the period when I personally superintended the publication, I calculated that the receipts constituted a yearly income of at least 60 or 80,000 francs. It procured me a fortune. I had no other, for the Revolution had deprived me of my patrimony, which I had afterwards no hope of recovering ; for I had been obliged to renounce it upon oath, before I could be permitted to set foot on the French territory.
“ There have been published 8 or 10,000 copies of my Atlas in various editions ; and their sale has thrown into circulation 8 or 900,000 perhaps a million of francs, out of which there has been a clear profit of 300,000 francs now in my hands. This constitutes my whole fortune, for I possess nothing that has not arisen out of my Atlas, and that may not be included in its accounts. On my departure from Europe, there were 150,000 francs due to me by outstanding debts either good or bad ; and I possessed a collection of books obtained by exchange, worth 200,000 francs ; which being distributed in lots of 1000 crowns each, and exported to foreign countries, seemed to promise certain returns. But unfortunately of all this brilliant produce I can now only count on what I have already in my hands ; the rest is involved in so many chances, that I cannot but consider it as lost. I have no agent in Europe to manage my affairs, for I had not time to make any arrangements for that purpose ; and the details are so numerous, scattered and diversified, that I could not possibly give any one a thread to follow. The outstanding debts are growing old ; some of my debtors are deceased, and some have left the country, and as for the books they are in a great part scattered about, spoiled and lost.
“ At one time my work was on the point of ensuring to me the possession of a brilliant fortune ; but my prospects were defeated by the vilest shuffling. The details of this case are so curious, that I cannot forbear mentioning them to your Majesty.
“ At the commencement of the year 1813, two merchants who had discovered that I was the author of Le Sage’s Historical Atlas, called on me, and offered if I would supply them with two millions of copies, to pay me immediately at the rate of 20 per cent. in ready money, and to convey the books gratis to London, where they should still be my property and should remain at my disposal. I stared at this—I could not conceive what was meant, and suspected that the merchants were hoaxing me. They on the other hand sought to explain themselves, by saying that the offer was made for the sake of procuring licences, an affair with which they found I was totally unacquainted. Afterwards on repeating this conversation to a friend, I learned that the vessels which were licensed to sail to England, to bring home colonial goods, could not leave France without an exportation equal in nominal value to their intended importation. Books were included among the allowable objects of exportation, and the merchants sought to obtain a light freight and a high price, which, at little expence, would entitle them to a considerable importation. My Atlas was admirably calculated for this kind of speculation. However, before I entered into any agreement, I consulted the Director General of Customs, and the President of the Committee of Exportation, by whom I was informed that the thing was perfectly legal. With this assurance I immediately set to work. I entered upon one of the most curious speculations that can possibly be conceived. Only a brief interval was allowed me for making the necessary preparations. Thirty forms in folio were distributed to thirty of the principal printing offices in Paris ; and from that moment the presses were kept at work without intermission. All the wove paper of a certain size was bought up, and it daily increased in price until it reached upwards of 100 per cent. Such a general bustle prevailed among all the printers in Paris, as to alarm the police until the affair was fully investigated and explained. I afforded employment either directly or indirectly to between 3 and 400 hundred hands. At the expiration of one and twenty days I was to be ready with the two million copies of the Atlas, and was to receive 400,000 francs in ready money. I was perhaps the only individual in the world who could have engaged in such a speculation ; for by a singular chance I had kept all my forms ready composed by purchasing the types at a vast expence. I was now reaping the fruits of ten years’ industry and expenditure. This was truly a prize in the lottery. I was mad with joy at my unexpected good fortune. But alas ! I was building on a sandy foundation, and I was doomed to pay dearly for the few happy moments of my illusion.
“ The cynical M. de P. . . . . . . ., the Director General of the bookselling trade, who was my colleague in the Council of State, seemed bent on my ruin, though I was unable to divine the cause of his animosity. While he was giving me every assurance of his readiness to serve me, he was, in an underhand way exerting every endeavour to injure me ; and was exciting against me all the most active booksellers whom he had induced to become the agents of his operations. Of these facts I can entertain no doubt ; for the letters secretly written on this subject, by P .........., were confidentially communicated to me, but motives of delicacy forbid my taking the satisfaction of reproaching him with his baseness.
“ He first of all intimated to me that the sheets of my Atlas could not be carried out of France, because the law permitted the exportation of books only. I then enquired whether books in sheets were suffered to be exported ; and on receiving an answer in the affirmative, I observed that my sheets must be considered merely as unbound books. M. de P ......... then declared that the favour granted by the Emperor could be extended only to booksellers and not to authors ; but M. de Montalivet, the Minister of the Interior, objected to this partiality and silenced M. de P . . . . . . . . . The latter then asserted that the price of my sheets had been considerably encreased ; but it was proved by reference to two hundred advertisements inserted in the Journals during the last ten years, that the price had never varied. He next alluded to the intrinsic value of the work, and affirmed that what I sold for 100 sous did not cost me more than five or six, and started many other difficulties of an equally absurd kind. Meanwhile time was flying ; the ships were taking in their freights, the advantages offered by the owners were diminishing, the arbitrary valuations of the committees arrived, and I who had persevered in my operations in spite of every difficulty, now found myself surrounded by a thousand alarms and vexations, and thought myself happy in escaping absolute ruin, and being able to recover my expenses, which exceeded 80,000 francs.”
“ But,” said the Emperor, “ this seems almost incredible ; I can scarcely conceive how all this happened. Your speculation was exactly suited to my taste ; it would have advanced you in my good opinion ; I should have been delighted with your activity and the method of your details. Nothing afforded me greater pleasure than to enable those around me to make their fortunes by honest means. Why did you not appeal to me ? Why did you not expose the conduct of P ......... ? You should have seen how I would have treated him.”—“ Sire,” I replied, such an idea never entered my mind ; the moment was critical, your time was precious. How could I hope that your Majesty would listen to me, or that I could satisfactorily explain an affair so complicated and delicate ? How could I convince you that I was the author of a work that bore the name of another ? What would have been thought of one so near Your Majesty’s person meddling with commercial licences and bookselling speculations ? I felt that I was so little known to Your Majesty, that I dreaded the thought of the affair reaching your ear. Thus, though I was actively engaged in this affair, yet I exerted every endeavour to prevent its gaining publicity, and I made up my mind to suffer the worst.”
“ You were very wrong,” said the Emperor. “ You behaved rather oddly with me and perhaps also with P ......... ; I cannot otherwise explain the unnatural malignity which he evinced towards you.”