Volume 1

The memoirs of Dr. Thomas W. Evans : recollections of the second French Empire / edited by Edward A. Crane.

  • Evans, Thomas W. (Thomas Wiltberger), 1823-1897.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: The memoirs of Dr. Thomas W. Evans : recollections of the second French Empire / edited by Edward A. Crane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    something on his mind that he wished to speak about, and yet did not. When I was leaving, he went with me to the door of his study, where I had been con- versing with him, and then, placing his arm within my own, walked with me through the adjoining room. He knew that great events were about to happen, but this knowledge did not ruffle his serenity or change in the least the suavity of his voice or the complaisance of his address. That evening there was a reception at the palace, and a crowd of people, his cousin, the Duchess of Hamilton, being present among the rest. No one had the slightest suspicion of the blow that was soon to fall ; but just as the duchess, with whom the Prince was talking, was about to leave, he said to her in the very quietest way, as he gave her his hand, with a kindly smile, “ Mary, think of me to-night.” Something in the tone of his voice, rather than the words, impressed her strongly. What could he mean ? The next morning, when the duchess awoke, she learned what was in the mind of the Prince when he bade her gfood-nieht, and was amazed at his extra- ordinary self-control, his seeming impassiveness, and the gentleness of his manner at such a critical, decisive moment in his career. And this manner never changed. W hether Prince- President, or Emperor, in victory or defeat, he was always the same ; and he was also the same in all his relations and intercourse with men, both in official and private life. In return, every one who knew him personally, was drawn towards him by a strong senti- ment of sympathy and affection. The devotion of his followers after the affairs of Strasbourg and Boulogne