Artist(s):

sc. Lacroix

Composed Title English:

The inhabitants of St Helena take flight at the sight of their new sovereign.

Inscribed Title:

les habitant de st hélène prennent la fuite à la vue de leur nouveau souverain

Inscription:

[above:] entrée triomphante de bonaparte dans son nouveau royaume / [dialogue:] [Napoleon:] "habitans de ste hélène - Soyons amis je vous declare peuple libre, je vous donne pour garantie se serviteur fidèle que j'ai avec moi" / [Rat in sentinel box:] "qui vive" / [Rat next to sentinel box:] "Sentinelle prenez garde a vous" / [Rat talking to to armed rats at right:] "freres rongeur aux armes deux traîtres osent s'introduire dan nos etats" / [Rats huddled:] "messieurs nous n avons pas un instant a perdre que notre conseil s'assemble. Sur le cham pour savoir comment nous pourron attacher le grelot" / [Ney cat:] "Comme je vai me remplumer"

Description:

This is a satire on Napoleon's exile on St Helena (known for its rodent population) as well as on the Cent Jours and Ney's defection. Napoleon arrives from the left, riding a cat which carries a tricolour and a marshall's baton identifying it as Ney. Napoleon declares the rats a free people, and offers as "guarantee" his cat, traditional symbol of duplicity. The cat in turn sees the rats as nothing more than its next meal. But the rats are not fooled by the deception: they remain armed with muskets and stand on guard. After the Restoration Ney joined the Bourbons and was even made 'pair de France', but returned to Napoleon's side during the Cent Jours; the Second Restoration found him guilty of treason and he was executed in 1815.

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