Struggling Authors

I posted a humorous story about Napoleon in exile for review on another writer's website. It contained the following:

“A wagon load of stuff is coming up the track Bony. Do you want to come and see what presents are arriving?”
The mockery and insult in the guard's utterances were compounded by the ignorant man speaking in coarse English instead of the fine resonances of la belle Francais.

The first reviewer criticised my historical knowledge and told me that Napoleon did not speak good French.
Another reviewer criticised my bad French.

My double irony completely missed its mark.
I felt that to explain the 'joke' would destroy it. I ignored the first criticism and changed the French to it's correct version, thus losing the irony completely.
Melvyn Bragg would have got it first time.
What should I have done?

I would have been tempted to treat them to some of the bad French I picked up around Marseille but...

As I am in the midst of writing a book primarily set in France I am sure that I too will come across this problem. (As well as using 'bastardised' French I may also use phonetic 'Hull-speak' - so I'm in for a 'whurl of a tarm' then). I think that the 'reviewers' should maybe have concentrated more on your writing style and given you the praise that was due and encouragement in any areas of improvement. Surely if a book is humorous then the literary reigns are less tight to allow for the comedic flow?

Just ignore them - I've wasted some of my best material on people without a sense of humour. Keep going and you'll find someone 'gets it' sooner or later and you can then pee on the rest from your lofty perch

Bon chance