It is clear from his correspondence that Napoleon was
envisaging some sort of genteel retirement like that of his brother Lucien, who was living in a country house
under the supervision of a single police inspector; but this was never realistic, and the captain of the Bellerophon wrote specifically «I have no authority to agree to any such
arrangement... I can not enter into any promise as to the reception he may meet with» [from the British Government]; Napoleon decided to surrender nevertheless.